MINUTES Parish Council meeting Monday 3rd February 2025

Minutes of the Stewkley Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 3rd February 2025 at 7.30pm at the Stewkley Village Hall

Cllr Keith Higgins (Chair), Cllr Gill Morgan, Cllr Andrew Arthur, Cllr Phil Delafield, Cllr Henry Hunt, Cllr Joanne Locke, Cllr Andrew Pryke and Joanna Simonds, Clerk & RFO.

There were 3 members of public (MoP) in attendance.

1. To receive apologies for absence
Apologies were received from Cllr Brian Bottomley and Cllr Virgilio Simeone.

2. To receive any declarations of interest on this evening’s agenda
No declarations were received.

3. Open Forum
A member of the Rec Committee confirmed there would be a RecFest this year and asked whether the PC would be prepared to make a donation. The Chair suggested a funding request form be submitted to the Clerk for Cllrs consideration at the March meeting.
A MoP enquired about the Wetlands project and where the referenced pond is to be located. Cllr Delafield confirmed it was not a new pond but an existing one that would be tidied up. In terms of location, where the 5-mile walk starts at Fishweir and goes towards Dean Road across the fields, if you go across the first couple of fields, that’s where the pond is.

4. To receive any updates from the Unitary Cllr on Bucks Council matters.
Unitary Cllr Gomm emailed just prior to the meeting to confirm he had no BC update to provide and having received no pre-questions from Councillors, there was no need for him to attend. Cllrs reiterated they would appreciate a Unitary Cllr presence at our meetings.

4. To receive any updates from the Clerk on Parish Matters.

  • The 25/26 precept request has been submitted to BC.
  • The Stockhall Crescent and Manor Drive hedges were cut back on Monday 20th Jan,
  • The damaged grit bin on South Lane reported last July has been replaced with a new bin.
  • On High Street North, hedge cutting works commenced on Friday 31st Jan and ditch work will commence imminently in order to improve the functioning of the highway surface water drainage system in the immediate area.
  • The Community Board have approved an extension to the new financial year for completion of the Wetlands project.
  • Although located within the Soulbury Parish, the long-standing flood on the Stewkley / Soulbury road area, where the water stretches halfway across the road has been escalated to Highways. 
  • The two lights on Dove Street (LC0052 and LC0053) referenced at the last meeting have had their dim settings altered to the correct nighttime setting, and PB005 on High Street North has been reported as “DNO cable shrinkage” which means it needs reporting to UK Power Network so Sparkx have been instructed to action this.

6. To approve the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 13th January 2025
The draft minutes were approved and signed as a true record by the Chair.
Proposed: Cllr Arthur / Seconded: Cllr Hunt / Agreed unanimously

7. Planning
24/03829/APP – 97 High Street South, Stewkley LU7 0HJ
Following discussion, Cllrs resolved unanimously to OPPOSE this planning application subject to the applicant demonstrating 4 car parking spaces. As this house is adding/moving bedrooms, there needs to be 4 designated on-site car parking spaces (Neighbourhood Plan Policy STK 6). These are not shown, nor does it seem possible to provide.

25/00113/APP – Blackthorn Nursery, Wing Road, Stewkley LU7 0JB
Following lengthy discussion, resulting in a mixed vote, of 1 oppose, 1 abstain, 2 no objections and 3 support, Cllrs resolved to SUPPORT this application with a comment that whilst Cllrs were content with the principal of the extension, they wanted it noted that in its current form, this application does not meet the Buckinghamshire’s (Aylesbury) Design Guide code.

8. Finance
To approve the February payment run as circulated:

SPC payments February 2025

Proposed: Cllr Delafield / Seconded: Cllr Arthur / Agreed unanimously

To approve the Accounts to 31st January 2025 as circulated
Proposed: Cllr Morgan / Seconded: Cllr Pryke / Agreed unanimously

9. Community Projects

  • Cllr Delafield updated on the Wetlands project that the PC are looking to buy 12 trees for a copse, 13 trees to go along the hedgerow, and a mesh guard to stop the sheep eating the trees. This is planned for end of February before lambing, following which the pond area will be tidied up.
  • The Chair referenced Cllr Bottomley’s Dropbox update on the Community Garden, and article in the current issue of the Grapevine, calling for volunteers to help with the project. In terms of where the project currently stands, the historical wall is almost finished and the ‘binding gravel’ which will be used for the pathway, is due to be laid before the end of February. Following that, two foundations will be created for the benches.
  • The hedge cuttings and wildflower area has been tidied up on Tiger Island.
  • Cllr Locke updated that the Village Hall is turning 100 this year and are meeting on the 10th Feb to discuss the anniversary and re-thinking some of the things they do with the Village Produce Show to make it easier for some of the newer villagers to engage with.
  • The Chair referenced that a resident had emailed the PC about moss on the pavement in Courtneidge Close which has also been an issue in the past in other areas of the village. Our LAT has emailed suggesting this comes down to the PC under our Devolved Services agreement and so Cllr Bottomley is evaluating ways that we as a PC can take responsibility for this.

10. Recreation Ground
Cllr Morgan confirmed she had updated the latest set of minutes to Dropbox.

11. To agree the date of the next Parish Council Meeting as Monday 3rd March 2025 at 7.30pm

The Chair confirmed the meeting closed at 20:22