MINUTES Parish Council Meeting 1st March 2021

Minutes Stewkley Parish Council Meeting, 7.30pm Monday 1st March 2021

Attendees: (Chair) Cllr Higgins, (Vice Chair) Cllr Morgan, Cllr Wodey, Cllr Burgess, Cllr Arthur, Cllr Hunt, Cllr Pryke, Cllr Bottomley, Clerk: Rob Mann
and 5 members of the public.

1 Receive Apologies;
Apologies were received from Cllr Delafield, Cllr Ben Everitt (BC) and Cllr Scott
Raven (BC).

2 Open Forum and comments from the public;
Philip Gomm introduced himself as prospective Conservative candidate for the Great
Brickhill ward, having supported Cllr Ben Everitt in recent months.
Members of the public spoke in favour of items 5b and 5c below.

3 Declaration of interest in items on the agenda: to declare any interests.
Cllr Hunt declared an interest in items 5b and 5c.

4 To approve the minutes of the previous Zoom meeting;
The minutes were approved as an accurate summary of the meeting held on 1/2/21.

5 Planning:
a) 21/00296/AOP Silkwell Stud Dunton Road Stewkley Buckinghamshire LU7 0LS.
Outline planning permission for the erection of a rural enterprise dwelling.
SPC resolved to support this application and alsoto restate the comments from the
previous response to 20/04053/APP.
Cllr Hunt withdrew from the meeting.

b) 21/00319/APP
The Ploughing Barns, Soulbury Road. Erection of agricultural building.
SPC resolved to support this application.
Action – Cllr Morgan to send The Clerk additional comment relating to better
organisation to maximise the car parking on site, to avoid overspill onto Soulbury Rd.

c) 21/00401/APP The Ploughing Barns Soulbury Road Stewkley. Change of use of land
from agriculture to dog exercise area including laying a 16mx16m hardstanding
parking and manoeuvring area, fencing the site with deer netting and improving the
existing access.
SPC resolved to support this application. Conditional upon the relocation of the new
30mph gateway to be placed further east along Soulbury Rd.
Action- Cllr Higgins to send comments to The Clerk.

Cllr Hunt re-entered the meeting.

d) 21/00503/ALB Old Wood Hall 8 Dean Road Stewkley.
Renovation of an inglenook fireplace, restoration of wall finishes, new floor structure
and door opening.
SPC resolved to support this application.

e) 21/00576/COUAR Dean Farm Dean Road Stewkley LU7 0EU.
Determination as to whether prior approval is required in respect of transport &
highway impact, noise, contamination risk, flooding and locational considerations for
the conversion of agricultural barn into dwellinghouse (Class Q(a)) and in relation to
design and external appearance of the building (Class Q(b).
SPC resolved to give no comment on this matter.

f) 21/00548/AGN Old Forge Farm (Re named from Kiln Home Farm) Dunton Rd.
Erection of barn.
SPC resolved to object to this application on the basis of size and site. It should be
noted that the council do not object to the request to erect a barn.
Action – Cllr Pryke to send comments to The Clerk.

6 Finance;
a) Budget Monitoring sheet was noted.

7 To ratify BACS payments and bank account and burial ground payments

b) Bank account check.
No report.

8 Corona Virus Actions
a) Laptop donations – actions and progress.
Following a successful campaign to raise laptop donations, the school’s needs were
satisfied, and the receipt of further laptops has been paused. Further offers of laptops
could be sent to national schemes.
Cllr Higgins thanked the public for their generosity and in particular the local resident
who gave up time to set up the laptops for use.

b) Additional expense of £270 for school laptops was approved.

9 To discuss correspondence received since last meeting.
a) BKV.
No report on decision to hold. The PC will support the competition if it is held this
year.
It was noted that the litter problems around the village are particularly bad and that
teams of volunteers could address the problem.

b) Grass verges Dove Street.
These have been reported to SPC by members of the public. Cllr Arthur reported
that they are deeply rutted by contractors’ vehicles to the point where they could
present a danger to the public.
Action Clerk – to contact VAHT to alert the contractors to the danger and ensure
speedy repair work.

c) Election information is available to prospective candidates. Briefing 4pm, 10 Mar
2021.
Action Clerk to publicise ms team details on website, and notice boards.
Cllr Morgan to publicise on Facebook.

10 Neighbourhood Plan: To receive an update from the steering group and agree any
actions arising;
No report.

11 Recreation Ground: To note any outstanding requirements and agree any actions;
Dog waste bags report was noted.

12 Highways, Footways and Footpaths Lighting: Update and agree any actions arising;
a) Streetlights – update subcommittee.
Cllr Arthur reported on the meeting of the lighting sub-committee. He commented on
the framework for repair and development that would be arranged with Sparkx. Cllr
Higgins commented on the need to make the progress public through an article in the
GV.
Light repair – Dean Rd. emergency call out and security repairs at a cost of £500 ex
VAT were noted and further repairs were agreed at a cost of £1700 ex VAT.
The light outside St Michaels and All Angels church was noted as needing repair.
Action Clerk to expedite repairs.

b) EWR Works, Road and Footpath Closures.
Schedule noted.

c) Highway improvements. Footway funding Dean Rd, Fishweir.
It was agreed to make an application to the Community Board to support funding for a
footway on the corner of Dean Rd.
Action Cllr Higgins.
Ongoing drainage problems in Fishweir have been reported to TfB but immediate
solution is unlikely. SPC to press for higher priority.
Action Cllr Higgins.
High Street South pavements have been identified as a priority area for repair.

d) Swarco MVAS maintenance contract renewed at Silver level – noted.

13 Stewkley Wildlife Reserve: To discuss and authorise expenditure incurred or actions
required;

14 Burial Ground: To discuss and authorise expenditure incurred or actions required.
a) EA report conclusion on Burial Ground Extension tier 1 report.
A synopsis of the report was noted.
b) Next steps on planning extension.
Richard Earl to approach the EA for permission to plan burials within a 30m radius of
a nearby pond and then to arrange preparations of plans for an application.

15 General Items: To report on meetings attended on behalf of the Parish Council and agree
whether to add items to the next agenda.

The organisers of the volunteer transport scheme are stepping down.SPC to consider
supporting a new scheme.

If the St Michaels Park application is approved by the Planning Committee meeting on
10th Mar 21, the development of St Michaels Park is scheduled to begin on 28th March.
Action Clerk to arrange meeting with Dandara to discuss boundaries, planting and other
issues.
Cllr Bottomley reported that the bin at the junction of Dove St and High Street South had
been replaced.
Hedge cutting Tiger Island
Action-Cllr Bottomley to Liaise with Cllr Higgins.

Meeting closed 22.05 pm.

16 Date of next meeting. 7.30 Tuesday 6th April 2021.