59
STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET PARISH COUNCIL
FULL COUNCIL
MINUTES of a Meeting of the COUNCIL held at 8.00pm on Wednesday 29 October 2014 in the Day
Centre, Crafton Green, Chapel Hill, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
PRESENT:
Cllr M Caton (Chairman), Cllrs C Dean, B Gott, J Hudson, P L Jones, J O’Brien,
F Richards, J Salmon, J Savopoulos, G Sell and V Trundle
ATTENDING:
Mrs R Clifford – Clerk
Dist Cllr A Dean
Cty Cllr R Gooding
4 members of the public
Sharon Butler, Mountfitchet House Care Home
247
APOLOGIES
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs S Dunn, J Freeman, R Pocknell and from Mr
Trevor Lloyd, Assistant to the Clerk.
Adjourned for Public Participation
Mr Woodcock addressed the Council on the proposed new Health Centre (no contracts signed yet), Elms
Farm (flooding issues), the crossing at the bottom of Chapel Hill and a forthcoming Speedwatch
demonstration.
Mr Shervington spoke on behalf of the Tennis Club and requested that the District Valuer’s report
should refer to the agreement between the Parish Council and Tennis Club under “Special
Assumptions”.
Mr Wallace-Jarvis referred to an incident relating to the culvert within the site of the proposed new
health centre. The Environment Agency is aware.
248
MOUNTFITCHET HOUSE CARE HOME
The Chairman welcomed Sharon Butler from the new care home in Coltsfield. Sharon explained
that they were keen to build a good relationship with the community. The home is now open
and the first residents have moved in. After answering a few questions from members, Sharon
was thanked for attending and left the meeting. [After the meeting the Chairman agreed to ask
Cllr Trundle to take on this role with all of the care homes in the village].
249
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
250
MINUTES
-
None.
The minutes of the Council meeting held on 8 October 2014 were signed as a true record.
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251
MATTERS ARISING
200 – Cllr Sell stated that he stood by his comments relating to education provision in the village
but an informative meeting had been held earlier in the day with County Cllr Gooding.
With members’ consent agenda item 14 was considered next.
252
TENNIS CLUB RENT REVIEW
The Clerk confirmed that the District Valuer had undertaken the rent review and had stated that
current market rent would be in the region of £800 per annum rising to £1,000 per annum. Mrs
Clifford explained that the Council has an historic agreement with the Tennis Club that rents
would be maintained at a level which made the Club affordable to the wider community and not
to an exclusive group. This is the document to which Mr Shervington had referred at the start of
the meeting.
Members reconfirmed their support of this policy, following which Cllr Jones proposed the
following
RESOLUTION that the Tennis Club rent be increased from £700 per annum to £800 per annum
for the next five years following which the lease would be due for renewal and a
further rent review.
Seconded by Cllr Gott and agreed unanimously.
253
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
The Chairman updated members on the following projects:
Christmas Market – sponsorship has been agreed with Sainsbury’s to cover security costs.
Lino Thomas Hairdressers have donated the £100 cash prize for the raffle. Further local stallholders still required. Cllr Savopoulos agreed to promote on Foresthall Park RA website. Cllr Sell
stated that he would like to receive the notes of the meetings – these would be circulated in
future to all councillors.
Health Centre – no reply has yet been received to the letter sent to Toni Coles asking for an
update and explanation as to why the agreements with the developer have not yet been signed.
Cllr Jones proposed that a meeting be held with the GP’s as soon as possible.
Uttlesford Review of Polling Stations – formal response from the Council has been submitted.
Fairfield Appeal – the Chairman attended and spoke on behalf of the Parish Council. Final
decision from the Inspectorate expected in 2015.
Bentfield Conservation Area Review – now completed. A voluntary group will be working on the
Bentfield Pond this coming Sunday. Cllr O’Brien confirmed that Mr Braeckman was happy to
take away and dispose of the weed etc which is pulled out.
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254
QUESTIONS TO THE CHAIRMAN
-
None.
255a DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORT
Cllr Salmon reported that UDC has agreed parking arrangements for the Christmas period – free
parking in Lower Street on 6 December as the Christmas Market is being held in the Crafton
Green car park. The Appeal relating to development at 14 Cambridge Road (former You’re
Furnished site) has been dismissed by the Planning Inspector.
Cllr Dean was pleased to see that the Bentfield Conservation Area Review had been adopted and
hoped that the Article 4 Directives will be put in place – the Parish Council should consider these
when commenting on planning applications also.
255b COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
Cllr Gooding referred to the Active Essex initiative and the Run in the Park.
256
FINANCE
The list of payments was approved.
257
PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FOR COMMENT
a]
UTT/14/2747/FUL - Warmans Barn, Burton End, Stansted
Erection of detached outbuilding for use in association with existing bed and breakfast use
No comment.
b]
UTT/14/2882/HHF - 20 Clarence Road, Stansted
Rear, side and loft extensions to dwelling; conversion of garage to habitable space;
alterations to parking area, pedestrian access arrangements and position of main entrance
No objections but the Clerk was not sure that the whole of the site in question fell within the
applicant’s ownership.
c]
UTT/14/2990/AV - Unit 25, M11 Business Park, Parsonage Lane, Stansted
Application for retention of new signage to South (front) elevation
No comment.
d]
UTT/14/3081/FUL - 44 Lower Street, Stansted
Change of use from bed and breakfast to residential dwelling
No comment.
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258
OPEN SPACES COMMITTEE
211 – Skatepark project. The Clerk referred to the committee report on proposals for a new s
katepark and gave further details relating to the consultations with the User Group and their
input. Following brief discussion, Cllr Jones proposed the following
RESOLUTION that, subject to all funding being available, the Council accept the quotation
submitted by Freestyle and that they be appointed as the preferred contractor to
deliver this new facility.
Seconded by Cllr Sell and unanimously agreed.
RESOLVED
259
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP NOTES
RESOLVED
260
to accept the minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2014.
to accept the notes of the meeting held on 23 September 2014.
FINANCE AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE
228 – Cllr Jones reported that the detailed proposed budget for 2015/16 and 2016/17 had been
circulated to all members ahead of the committee meeting. He had talked the committee
through the document and gave an update on the current year’s progress too. Together with
the Clerk and Cllr O’Brien he will continue to review the budgets but was hopeful that there
would be an increase of 1-2% for each of the forthcoming years. Any proposed changes by the
Government will be notified to the Parish Council by UDC in due course, but we have not been
made aware of any as yet.
229 – increased contribution to the Link magazine. The reasons behind the request had been
considered by the committee and were considered to be justified. Cllrs Jones and Sell both
spoke in favour of the magazine. Cllr Sell reiterated his concern over editorial control of the
Council’s Network pages which he believed should lie with the Council. Following a proposal by
Cllr Jones, seconded by Cllr Richards, it was unanimously
RESOLVED
to increase the Parish Council’s contribution to The Link magazine to £5,000 per
annum.
230b – Cllrs Caton, Jones and O’Brien had walked this route with the Clerk this evening. It was
agreed that an additional column in Water Lane and two on the path from the black bridge up
towards Stoneyfield Drive would be beneficial. The Clerk will obtain a quotation from the
Council’s lighting contractors.
232 – Cllr Jones explained the background to an invoice from Videcom relating to the CCTV
system. Whilst the Council had agreed not to pay any further contributions to UDC for
maintenance of this system which is now obsolete, it would be prudent to settle the invoice as a
gesture of goodwill and in acknowledgement of the extra work that has gone into preparations
for the new system. Having been proposed by Cllr Jones and seconded by Cllr Sell, it was
unanimously
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261
RESOLVED
to settle the outstanding invoice from Videcom.
RESOLVED
to accept the minutes of the meeting held on 22 October 2014.
MAGNA CARTA
The Chairman reported that she had met with Rev’d Wilkin and Mr Collingwood to establish
events for 2015 and she outlined these to members. She asked the Council to consider paying
for bookmarks for local school-children, bell ringing at St Mary’s Church and a hog roast for the
event in the Memorial Gardens on Sunday 14 June. The Council has already agreed to host the
Liber Tea following the dedication of the stained glass window in the Day Centre.
It was agreed that bookmarks may no longer be an appropriate memento and it might be
preferable for each school to be presented with a copy of the Magna Carta to display for their
pupils. Clerk to obtain costs. The F&GP committee will consider quotes for a hog-roast and the
Open Spaces committee will look at the planting of a King John Oak tree and Magna Charta roses
as well as trying to find grant funding for a third Knight Sign to be located on Church Road.
262
MEMBERSHIP OF THE ESSEX PENSION FUND
The Clerk reported that EPF is updating all of its records and requires confirmation from the
Council that its officers are entitled to join the scheme.
Cllr Jones proposed the following
RESOLUTION that all Parish Council employees, present and future, are entitled to become
members of the Essex Pension Fund.
Seconded by Cllr Caton and agreed unanimously.
263
CONSULTATION PAPER “LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT 2014: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
PLAN”
A draft response had been prepared by the Airport Working Group and circulated to all members
ahead of the meeting. Cllr Jones expressed particular thanks to Mike Belcher for his hard work
on this document. Mr Woodcock had passed a copy of the STACC comments to Cllr Jones and
the appropriate sections would be incorporated into the final document. Agreed.
264
LIST OF CORRESPONDENCE -
265
PLANNING APPLICATIONS DETERMINED
266
CLERK’S RECORD OF PLANS -
Meeting closed 9.40pm.
noted.
-
noted.
in the Council Offices.