SUTTON MANDEVILLE PARISH COUNCIL
including Sutton Row and Lower Chicksgrove
DRAFT MINUTES of a meeting of the Parish Council held at The Stalls on 25th November 2024 at 7.30pm - subject to later approval by Councillors.
PRESENT: Cllr. H. Collins (Chair), Cllr. Mrs. K. Clutterbuck (Vice-Chair), Cllr. M.Charlick, Cllr. Mrs. J. Green, Cllr. M. Howe, Mrs. J. Childs (Parish Clerk). Four residents were present.
The Chairman welcomed all to the meeting.
1. APOLOGIES: There were no apologies.
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS: No interests declared.
3. PUBLIC QUESTIONS:
There was a query about the footpath running through The Homestead. Cllr. Mrs Clutterbuck reported that there was nothing further to report. An application had been made for diversion but it had not yet been assigned to a Case Officer.
4. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS HELD ON 9th September 2024:
These were signed as a true record.
5. MATTERS ARISING:
The planning application at the Homestead was still under consideration by the Planning Officer. Councillors had no confirmation from Cllr. Najjar WC that the application had been called in as requested by Councillors.
6. WILTSHIRE COUNCIL: WILTSHIRE COUNCILLOR'S REPORT:
No report
8. AREA BOARD/LOCAL HIGHWAYS AND FOOTPATHS IMPROVEMENT GROUP (LHFIG, EX CATG): Cllr. Mrs J. Green had attended the LHFIG meeting held in November. The Parish Council had requested additional steps at entrance/ exit to SM9. The matter had been discussed but as LHFIG had no remaining funds for the current financial year no progress had been made. The Clerk, also present, stated that the path had been visited by the Highways Officer who had considered the bank steep, noted that the hand rail did not follow the path all the way down to the road and had queried the stability of the steep bank. The Chairman and Cllr. Mrs Green proposed to those present a local working group to look at the problem, consider possible solutions and, if possible, to carry out the work. Councillors and residents wished only to mitigate the problem and to make access safer. Cllr. Mrs Green expressed her disappointment that the LHFIG had not been able to progress this issue which was indeed long standing.
The Chairman thanked Cllr. Green for her attendance.
9. FINANCE:
Four cheques were signed totalling £449.46. This included a payment of £150.00 for the repair of the notice board at The Compasses. In addition, two card payments had been made totalling £325.82 for website hosting and the website business email address, both for the Parish Council website.
Finances remained within budget.
Councillors considered the proposed budget for the financial year 2025 – 2026 and noted that there would be 2 additional charges namely the contribution required for the election of both Parish and Unitary Councillors and the introduction of bank charges both a monthly fee and a fee per transaction.
The provisional precept for the financial year 2025 -2026 was set at £2,700.
10. NOMINATED ITEMS:
RIGHTS OF WAY: Cllr. Mrs Clutterbuck had reported that she had been notified that signage from SMAN 27 linking with TIS 27 should indicate a bridleway. She would seek clarification that both footpath and bridleway were appropriately signed and accessible. Clarification awaited.
Cllr. Mrs Clutterbuck had consulted with the landowner about SMAN15, opposite Glasses Lane and across the A30, where both access and the route across the field were unclear. This would be tackled when the appropriate machinery could be got onto the land.
There had been no action on the access to SMAN7 which was currently too steep to allow wheelchair access. The matter had been reported.
NOTICE BOARDS: Cllr. Mrs Clutterbuck reported that the notice board at The Compasses had been repaired. The Chairman thanked Cllr. Clutterbuck for her time and work on both the above items.
FLOODING on local roads would be reported on the MyWilts App as requested by WC including the blocked grips and drains at Panters. It was good to note that repairs to road surfaces in two areas had been completed.
THE WALTER ALLOTMENT TRUST (area to the west of the allotments): A trustee reported that a grant of £11,000 had been secured for restoration which would include the clearance of some brambles, the clearance of SMAN17 along its whole length and the felling of spruce trees required because they are non native. It was hoped these could be used for the shoring up of the bridleway and that bluebells might return to cleared areas.
The Chairman thanked the Trustee for his work.
It was further reported that falling branches of large trees had felled the protective deer fencing surrounding the allotment plots. This would require replacing: new fencing was proving too expensive and it was hoped that re - posting would enable existing fencing to be secured.
Two complete allotment plots were available for renting as well as two half plots.
11. PARISH WEBSITE:
Cllr. Charlick emphasised the importance of our parish website as a means of communicating with the community. Contributions for the Photo Gallery were welcome. Links with ongoing activities within the parish were available.
12. PLANNING:
The Parish Council had called in the planning application at The Homestead but this had not been confirmed by Cllr.Najjar. It was believed that a retrospective application would be received about the development which had taken place at Sheepwell.
13. CORRESPONDENCE: There had been no application from the Parish Council for equipment from the PEAS scheme. The Parish Council had made a nil return to a discretionary bid for an EV Charging Point in a public place within the parish.
14. ANY OTHER BUSINESS: No further business considered.
15. DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING:
The next meeting of the Parish Council would take place on Monday 10th February 2025 at 7.00 pm at The Stalls.
The meeting closed at 9.10 pm.
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