MINUTES Parish Council meeting Monday 4th April 2022

Minutes of a Meeting of Stewkley Parish Council held on Monday 4th April 2022 at 7.30pm at the Stewkley Village Hall

Cllr Keith Higgins (Chair), Cllr Gill Morgan (Vice-Chair), Cllr Andrew Arthur, Cllr Margaret Burgess, Cllr Phil Delafield, Cllr Henry Hunt, Cllr Andrew Pryke, Joanna Simonds, Clerk & RFO,
Unitary Cllr Phil Gomm and 3 members of the public during Open Forum

1. Apologies for absence
Cllr Brian Bottomley and Cllr Virgilio Simeone

2. Declarations of interest
None

3. Open Forum
John Flewin updated as follows:

• The village has had its first mow of the season with the new cylinder mower and the plan is to have the village looking ship shape by the mid to end of May in time for the BKV judging.
• The competition entry is being finalised for the Clerk to submit on behalf of the PC.
• The bus shelter in High Street South now has a solitary bee hotel attached to it.
• The new residents of the thatched cottage in Tythe Close have mowed the area beautifully and planted daffodils.
• In Cllr Simeone’s absence, the Chairman complimented David Beasley on the grass cutting in Fishweir, saying he’d done a cracking job down there.

4. Update from Buckinghamshire Unitary Councillor, Phil Gomm

• If the PC know of local residents hosting Ukrainian refugees, there is assistance at County level.
• Productive meeting with Cllr Delafield out of council, to discuss some good ideas on road safety.
• Cllr Gomm announced he is now a Trustee of The Bernwode Community Bus Company.

5. To approve the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 7th March 2022
Proposed: Cllr Morgan / Seconded: Cllr Arthur / Agreed unanimously

6. Planning applications
22/0357/APP & 22/00707/APP – STEWKLEY – The Croft, 22 Wing Road, Stewkley LU7 0JB
Cllrs Higgins, Hunt and Pryke had a good meeting with the applicant last week and concluded that the PC could be broadly supportive in principle, if the information on the portal could reflect the conversation Cllrs had with the application during their meeting. After lengthy discussion, Cllrs resolved they had no choice but to OPPOSE the application at this stage, until the necessary information around traffic and change of use is uploaded to the planning portal. If that can be done, and resubmitted to the Case Office, Cllrs would be able to support the application.
Proposed: Cllr Pryke / Seconded: Cllr Morgan / Agreed unanimously

22/00926/COUAF – STEWKLEY – Mount Pleasant Farm, Dunton Road, Stewkley LU7 0LU
Following lengthy discussion, Cllrs resolved to OPPOSE this application until more information is forthcoming to explain the business case, including proposed vehicle movements, as currently there is inadequate information to make a decision when Cllrs have no knowledge of what the applicant intending.
Proposed: Cllr Pryke / Seconded: Cllr Morgan / Cllr Hunt – abstained; all other Cllrs present agreed with the proposed opposition.

Cllr Morgan queried whether the people that validate these applications, actually ask themselves “Is there enough information here for my statutory consultees to be able to make a sensible decision.” Cllr Gomm suggested it worthwhile drawing this point to the Cabinet Member’s attention.

22/00785/APP – STEWKLEY – Manor Business Centre, High Street, Stewkley
Cllrs resolved to SUPPORT this application
Proposed: Cllr Delafield / Seconded: Cllr Arthur / Agreed unanimously

22/00957/APP – STEWKLEY – The Long House, Potash Nursery, Mursley Road, MK17 0JE
Cllrs resolved to SUPPORT this application
Proposed: Cllr Morgan / Seconded: Cllr Delafield / Agreed unanimously

21/02762/APP – STEWKLEY – Land East of Wing Road, Stewkley LU7 0JB
The Chairman thanked Village Foundations for coming along this evening and handed the floor to Yourgos for an update. Yourgos confirmed that after reviewing all the consultee comments, the Case Officer responded on 10th Feb which culminated in a large resubmission, as set out in VF’s letter of 15th March.

He confirmed that a new site notice had gone up today announcing another 21day consultation, but that will have ended before the next PC meeting, hence coming along this evening to pick up on the outstanding points; those being (i) the 40mph buffer zone, which the Highways consultant, Mathew Raven is still against, his main reason being that police will not give permission to implement it, and (ii) the crossing, where residents had very robustly made a plea for no loss of parking.

Following a catch up call on this case with the Chairman earlier today, Cllr Gomm said he had emailed the Case Officer asking to speak to her tomorrow. He said he would also pick up with Matthew Raven regarding the crossing and get the Road Safety Team to look at it, before picking up directly with Yourgos over the next few days. Action Cllr Gomm

The Chairman thanked Yourgos and Dan for coming along and Cllrs agreed that subject to the buffer zone and crossing point being resolved to the objectives that Cllrs were looking at before, which was not making parking any worse, then the PC would support the application.

7. Enforcement Issues
Cllr Gomm confirmed for the public record that the owner of land to the rear of 74 High Street South has been served with three breaches of conditions and confirmed that they have 3 months to clear the land. He added that these three conditions cover the whole of that site.

8. Finance
To approve the April payment run as circulated

Proposed: Cllr Delafield
Seconded: Cllr Arthur
Agreed unanimously

• To approve the Accounts to 28th February 2022

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

• To re-appoint Janette Eustace as Internal Auditor

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

9. Annual Parish Meeting
Cllrs resolved to combine this meeting with next month’s Annual Parish Council Meeting and hold
them both on Monday 9th May. The Clerk to reach out to the groups in the village Action Clerk

10. Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – June 2022
Cllrs confirmed they had all reviewed Janette’s update report highlighting the activities planned to
date, and the Chairman confirmed the good news that Janette had also been successful with a
lottery grant of £1,770. Thanks were also given to some of the ladies in the village who are currently
producing homemade bunting for big sections of the village to be decorated.

11. Best Kept Village
This item was covered by John Flewin under the Open Forum.

12. Recreation Ground
• David Beasley was commended on his excellent tarmac work leading up to the burial ground,
which was done not only quickly, but to a very good standard, so huge thanks to him.
• One of the pieces of equipment has broken on the adult gym and having checked, the company
that supplied it are no longer doing outside adult gyms, but in any case, it is now out of warranty,
so the PC are checking to see if we can get a suitable repair by welding it.

13. Highways, Footpaths, and Lighting
• Cllr Arthur confirmed he needed to get back to Nick Ashfield on the commuted sum for Dandara,
and that he is in liaison with Wing in regards to Sparkx maintenance. The Chairman confirmed
he’d also sent some information through regarding Eldridge Electrical whom Mursley are
considering, following recommendation by Swanbourne PC.
• Cllr Delafield confirmed that the next Wing & Parishes meeting is on 19th May but that he is
unable to attend; Cllr Arthur confirmed he would represent at that meeting, and the Clerk
confirmed she would also attend if her diary permitted.
• Dandara are offering up 5 brand new highways columns for adoption, so Cllrs need to give
consideration as to what fee SPC should put to Dandara.
• The Stockhall Crescent blocked drain was finally cleared by TfB last week.
• The posts installed last month in the walkthrough gap from Dove Street onto Soulbury Road
were removed shortly after being installed, so further consideration is being given to what to do
here as we want people to be able to walk through but not drive through.
• Cllr Simeone was unable to find evidence of the alleged hedge burning recently reported.
• Cllr Pryke mentioned a flashing streetlight on the Bletchley Road. The Clerk to report this once
Cllr Pryke provides the lamppost number. Action Cllr Pryke/Clerk
• Cllr Pryke also referenced the terrible potholes on the Dunton Road, just past the Cublington
turn off. Cllr Gomm confirmed that road is in the capital programme so will be done within the
next 3 years.

14. Stewkley Wildlife Reserve
Nothing to report

15. To report on meetings attended
• Cllr Delafield said that he Cllr Hunt, Cllr Higgins and three residents were going to be joining a
Queens canopy sub-committee to make plans for the planting of trees in the Autumn onwards.
• Cllr Delafield confirmed that the 20 is plenty two week campaign will commence early May, with
posters created by the school children, being displayed around the village. The campaign will
kick off with a presentation to the school children on 3rd May, aimed at encouraging parents to
drive more carefully and slower through the village.
• The Neighbourhood plan thank you drinks had gone well, although Chair, Neil Dickens, had
been missed, sadly unable to make it.
• The 50th anniversary of the planting of the airport spinney received a good turnout of approx 30
in attendance, including the widow of Desmond Fennell, the solicitor who led the campaign
group.
• This coming Saturday 9th there will be a small gathering in commemoration of the 100th
anniversary of the dedication of Stewkley’s War Memorial.

16. Date of next meeting
Monday 9th May 2022 at The Village Hall:
7pm for the Annual Parish Meeting / 7.30pm the Annual Parish Council Meeting
The Chairman confirmed the meeting closed at 21:46