Minutes

Edlington with Wispington Parish Meeting

Minutes of Meeting held 7th November 2019

Present:  Stuart Scarfe, Sally Scarfe, Rowan Atkins, Bridget Bourn, Phyll Durow, Andrew Gaunt, Ian Willoughby, Kathie Birks, David Birks, Eric Buckley (Chairman) Susan Buckley (note-taker), Martin Doody (Thimbleby Parish Council)

Apologies:  Mr and Mrs Gaunt, Mr and Mrs Cousins, Councillor Patricia Bradwell OBE, Horncastle Police

The Chairman opened the meeting by thanking everyone for attending, particularly in view of the extremely bad weather.

……………….

• The minutes of the last meeting held 19th March were approved
• The minutes of Extraordinary Meeting held 1st August were approved

• Planning applications

Woodbeck Farm

The Chairman informed the meeting that the plan regarding Woodbeck Farm (the subject of August’s Extraordinary Meeting) had been approved. The approval had some conditions attached, including:

- ‘a total of no more than 3300 cubic metres of liquid digestate shall be brought to the site…….per calendar year’ ‘The operator shall maintain records of their annual digestate imports to the site which shall be retained for at least two years……’

Should anyone wish to check this was being observed it was suggested this could be done under the Freedom of Information Act by a request to the Waste Planning Authority.

- An archaeological investigation is required to be carried out before development commences.

- Provision of a kestrel nesting box has to be provided.

- The surface of the access and internal site roads shall be kept clean and free of mud during development………….Any deposition of mud, debris or other deleterious materials onto the public highway shall be removed immediately’.

Concern was expressed by the Chairman about the violations by HGVs already occurring regarding the weight restriction through the village and the unlawful access to Woodbeck Farm from the A158. The planning conditions require that ‘All construction traffic and HGV tanker shall only turn left …..when

exiting Woodbeck Farm’. The Chairman stated a sign erected on site to that effect should remain permanently.

BB queried if there was not already a sign on the yard.

EB believed there was, but this is to be improved before the digestate lagoon is brought into use and he is to seek confirmation that this should happen before construction takes place.

Class Q and R developments

The conversion of agricultural buildings for other use-

1. Dwellings
2. Storage, business etc.

The Barn at Field View is to be converted to a dwelling under Class Q Permitted Development. Under this regulation Parish Councils are excluded from being a consultee. The same applies to Middle Yard where a barn is to be converted to storage. It is not known who is take up tenancy of the storage unit and the concern is with regard to HGVs as the farm lies within the restricted access area, which could result in HGVs legitimately driving through the village from the A158 to access the farm.

RA queried if it is still possible for villagers to comment on the development.

EB stated this could be done through the East Lindsey District Council Planning website although preliminary planning approval as already been given.

PD queried how planning could be approved when an application for the building of a house opposite her had been disallowed on appeal because the ‘village could not sustain development’

It would seem that sustainability was looked on differently if it was refurbishment of an existing agricultural building under the 2015 Town and Country Planning Act.

The Chairman to write to our MP after 13 December.

There was general discussion about the conversion of the barn at Field View into a dwelling when Field View bungalow on the same site was currently unoccupied and has been for several months. It was not clear whether Field View is a tied ‘cottage’, or if the barn conversion will be tied.

IW felt an ‘agricultural tie’ had to be put on at the time of planning.

KB queried if it was known what type of business would be operating out of Middle Yard.

The Chairman stated that all that was known to date was that it falls under Class R Permitted Development and he read out the letter he had received in this regard.

In addition, the Chairman had been alarmed by a letter he had received from the Highways Department stating that as part of the development there should be 2 passing places on the public highway. Clarification on this is being sought by Lincolnshire County Council.

RA queried if the development at Middle Yard meant that HGVs exiting would be able to turn left or right.

This was confirmed.

IW stated that it was not known that they would be HGVs. The transport involved may turn out to be the same size as delivery vans.

BB stated that the trouble was, this was unknown

EB commented it would have been a good idea if Beeswax had consulted, then we would know. The matter was being pursued with Deputy Leader of Lincolnshire County Council and the meeting was reminded that, at the August Extraordinary Meeting, the question was asked of BW if there were any other developments planned other than those at Woodbeck Farm and he had said no.

RA and BB queried who to write to in order to express concerns about Middle Yard

The suggestions were – the Planning Department, Councillor Patricia Bradwell OBE and the Highways Case Officer.

(Their details are given at the end of these notes.)

BB asked IW for information about the units currently at Middle Farm. IW stated there were 8 or 10 pig units there in total. EB stated that the planning notice he had seen said the pig units were to be demolished. The planning application refers to the change of use of a Dutch barn to a storage unit and shows the building in question will be increased by two thirds and this needed clarification. IW suggested the increase could be by building up and the measurements referring to two floors. EB commented that again, this needed clarification. There were a lot of unknowns which is what is causing the concern.

• HGVs –HGVs going through the village seems to have been curtailed at present, but it is still an ongoing issue.

• Road markings - The road through village was resurfaced twice this year. After the first resurfacing, the word ‘Slow’ was written across the road in two places. When the road was resurfaced for the second time, these markings disappeared and have not been replaced.  Two requests for their reinstatement have been made and two reference numbers given with an
• assurance the work would be carried out as soon as possible. No indication of when that might be has been given, so the matter is still ongoing.

• Website – EB queried if anyone had expertise in this area. A website would be a good place to deposit minutes for public viewing and for publishing financial audits for anyone to see. SS offered to contact someone he knew and put them in touch with the Chairman.

• FOI – EB asked if anyone had expertise regarding Freedom of Information. This arose following a request he had received from a Mr. Dransfield, who is an FOI campaigner, for copies of audits for the last 5 years.

As EB had only been in office for 18 months and his predecessor had not kept any records, this request had proved impossible to fulfil and the area of FOI had been a steep learning curve. However, Mr Dransfield and EB were able to come to an agreement regarding the information he was able to provide.

• Broadband – In March, we had been told that this was being developed sometime this year. Two emails requesting updates have to date not been answered, so this issue is still ongoing.

MD (Thimbleby Parish Council) informed the meeting that a flier had been sent to them from Victoria Atkins MP the day before the General Election was announced advertising a meeting she is holding on this subject. It is to be on Saturday 9th November at Legbourne and Little Cawthorpe Community Centre, Legbourne from 10.30 to 11.30.a.m. SS remarked something similar had been done in the past, though not for a while now and there was discussion about the fact that the fibre stops at Accommodation Road. It was suggested a complaint be made to Open Reach rather than On Line Lincolnshire who had given Victoria Atkins MP incorrect information and then told SS it was a digital error. This had not been followed up by Victoria Atkins. EB commented that the reason Councillor Bradwell had sent her apologies tonight was because she was attending another Parish meeting regarding Broadband.

As faster Broadband had been installed for villages either side of Edlington, the question needed to be asked why we had been bypassed. MD stated that the same thing had happened to them at Thimbleby.

KB commented that they had contacted BT regarding problems they were having and had 5 engineers out to look at it over a five week period, claiming they were extremely busy and currently no nearer to solving the problem due to the line being very old.

With regard to other possible providers, EB referenced an advert he had received from Rural Services Network for EE – but this still required

4G and a fee of £35 per month.

• Bonfires – EB had been given a note requesting this item for the agenda, not just for this time of year, but for anyone lighting bonfires through the year to be mindful of their neighbours, paying regard to the wind direction and not leaving fires unattended.
• Cottage Farm Entrance EB had discussed with Ben Wills (Beeswax Dyson Farming Ltd) the stones that were deposited on the public highway from vehicles coming out of Cottage Farm entrance. BW has collected quotes with a view to laying a concrete base, but nothing further had been heard on the matter. IW offered to chase it up.

• AOB

Precept – The necessary forms were due to be completed next month. It was agreed not to apply.

• Audit – The first meeting of the Parish Meeting will be held in April next year and the audit will be signed off as a Nil return and sent to the Auditors. All agreed.
• Speeding through the village – currently the speed limit is 60mph as the criteria of a 30mph limit is not met as it is dependent on the number of dwellings. EB produced samples of stickers which are manufactured to go onto wheelie bins which state ‘slow down through our village’ or ‘Please slow down through our village’. If anyone wanted to purchase one, they are available on line from Signs By Post with free postage.
• BB queried if we could make our signs and commented she had seen white gates at the entrance to some villages. EB has received emails advertising those, but they were very expensive. SS offered to contact a sign writer he knows to see if something can be done. EB offered to contribute.

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Useful Addresses

East Lindsey District Council                           Lincolnshire County Council

Planning Dept                                                 Planning

Tedder Hall                                                     Lancaster House

Manby Park                                                     36 Orchard Street

Louth                                                               Lincoln

Lincolnshire                                                     LN1 1XX           Tel 01522 782070

LN11 8UP

Lincolnshire County Council Planning Dept is the responsible authority for minerals and waste, all other enquiries should be addressed to East Lindsey District Council.

Lincolnshire County Council

Highways Dept.

County Offices

Newland

Lincoln

LN1 1YL    Tel 01522 552222

                   Email: customer_services@lincolnshire.gov.