2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST  There were none.

3 APPROVAL OF LAST MONTH’S MINUTES
The Minutes were approved and signed by the Chairman as a true and accurate record of last month’s meeting.

4 QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM PARISHIONERS    There were none.

5 COUNTY/DISTRICT COUNCILLOR
Mr Little had nothing to report and Mr Lewis was not present at the meeting.
Mrs Goodland asked Mr Little if he had received any feedback from Highways regarding the puddling problem in the High Street. Mr Little confirmed he had only recently raised this with Scott Davies so he hasn’t had the chance to respond as yet.

6 HIGHWAYS
Mr Tuck advised that the 30mph sign on the old A303 was also overgrown. The Clerk will contact Highways about this.

7 LOCAL PLAN/VILLAGE DESIGN
Mr Crawford reported that there was no further progress. The Local Development Framework is chuntering forward gently with more sessions to come. Mr Bourke said at the Area East Forum it was reported that unless progress was made on affordable housing we may lose funding so could we contact Mark Dillon at SSH. Mr Crawford agreed to contact Mr Dillon.

8 CRIME/NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Mr Crawford said Mr Westcott didn’t have anything to report.

9 PLANNING DECISIONS
Five planning decisions had been received:

· 09/02131/TPO – Application to carry out tree surgery works to a hornbeam tree in Ainstey Drive. Mr Templeman, 22 Church Road, Sparkford. GRANTED
· 09/02806/FUL – Erection of 9.4m of 1.8m high closeboard fence to side of property and replacement closeboarded fencing to rear of property (retrospective application. Mr Martin Cole, Willow Lodge, Brains Lane, Sparkford. GRANTED
· 09/03169/ADV – Renewal of application 04/01315/ADV for projecting illuminated sign. Mr A Walton, Long Hazel International caravan & Camping Park, High Street, Sparkford. GRANTED
· 09/02755/LBC – Removal of a 1.9m length of stone wall from the south-east corner of property (retrospective). Mr Martin Cole, Willow Lodge, Brains Lane, Sparkford. GRANTED
· 09/03357/AGN – Erection of an agricultural building for storage of hay, straw and farm machinery. Mr J & M King Brain, Little Weston Farm, Little Weston Road, Sparkford. PRIOR APPROVAL IS NOT REQUIRED

10 PLANNING APPLICATIONS
Three planning applications had been received:

· 09/01773/FUL - Change of use of land from agricultural to mixed agricultural and equestrian use and erection of a building for stabling and keeping of livestock. Land OS 8041 Sparkford Road, Sparkford.
· 09/01766/FUL - Erection of a temporary agricultural dwelling for equestrian and agricultural purposes. Land OS 8041 Sparkford Road, Sparkford.
· 09/03681/ADV – Display of 1 non illuminated post mounted banner. Land adjacent McDonald’s, Sparkford Hill.

Mr Crawford said the first two were amended plans for Trackside Farm. The original plans were commented on in June. There was no amended application regarding the Section 52 Agreement as this is a legal agreement and being dealt with by the legal department at SSDC. The Planning Officer told Mr Crawford that the Section 52 agreement would almost certainly be overruled in law if planning permission was granted. Section 52 agreements have now been superseded by Section 106 agreements which are mainly used nowadays when developers are building houses and have agreed to also build something of benefit to the community. The Planning Officer said that the amended plans were submitted following advice from the Planning Office. The change of use is now from agricultural to mixed agricultural use, not just equestrian.

Mr Braithwaite said buildings were already there for stabling and he thought these were erected without permission. There are also caravans and a large lorry on site and the access has been widened. Mr Crawford said the Agricultural Agent said this had been put up after an agricultural notice which was not objected to by SSDC.

Mr Bourke said he was extremely unhappy with the planner in that he has revised the plans to what is more favourable for him to pass. He was also unhappy about the comment on the Section 52 agreement as he couldn’t recall that Section 106’s replaced Section 52’s and wasn’t sure the planning officer has given us the correct information. Mr Crawford said it is the applicants’ right to ask for advice on a planning application. Mr Braithwaite said he was extremely unhappy that the codicil was on the land when they bought it and they now want it changed and he is not sure it is legal.

Mr Tuck said they have moved the house closer to the adjacent property and obviously the land owner will have a chance to comment on the revised application. He wondered whether the house will be supplied electricity via a generator or connected to the local grid as a generator would be very noisy.

Mr Piper asked if there was a requirement for the temporary dwelling regarding how many days per year it could be lived in and when could they apply for a permanent dwelling to be built.

Mr Crawford said anyone can apply for planning whether or not there is a Section 52 agreement on it. If it is challenged a court might not uphold the Section 52 agreement if planning permission had been granted. It is likely to go before committee so there will be an opportunity for the Parish Council or neighbours to have their say in public.

11 MATTERS ARISING
a) McDonalds
There was no further information on the tidying up or cutting back of hedges.

12 PAYMENT OF ACCOUNTS
a) Clerk’s Salary & Expenses
The Clerk’s salary of £119.29 and expenses of £7.50 were approved as was the back pay of £33.82 due to the revised salary scales from 1^st April having just been received.

13 CORRESPONDENCE
a) Adoption of red telephone kiosks
A letter had been received from BT offering us the chance of adopting both our telephone kiosks for £1 each. This would mean that ownership of the kiosks would be transferred to the Parish Council. Mr Crawford said many town councils do not want to take them on even for £1 as they don’t want the hassle of looking after them. The main issues would be that we have to insure them and maintain them. Also the kiosk at Weston Bampfylde is a listed building.

Royston Piper asked if the parish purchased the kiosks could they then be sold on to bring more money into the parish. Larry Piper asked if they would disconnect the electricity as well as removing the telephony?
The Clerk agreed to telephone BT to check on these queries and would also speak to the parish insurers to find out about insuring the kiosks.

b) Citizens Advice Bureau request for funding
The Clerk had received a request for funding from the CAB and said that for the last few years we had granted them £30 and would the councillors consider raising this amount. Mr Tuck proposed we give them £50, this was seconded by Carol Goodland and all Councillors agreed.

14 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Mr Crawford said Mr Westcott had put in a request that Garretts are asked to plant more trees to screen their site from the A303 and slip road. Mr Lewis was going to look into the agreement on the original application. Mr Crawford said there was no harm in asking Garretts to plant more trees. It was agreed that the Clerk would contact Mr Lewis on his return from holiday to see what he has found out.

Mr Crawford said that the garden waste collection service was about to go live.

15 QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM PARISHIONERS
There were none.

16 QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM COUNCILLORS
Mr Braithwaite asked if the money given to the cricket club for mending fences had been used for that purpose as it didn’t look like the repairs had taken place. The Clerk agreed to contact them about this matter.

17 ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA
Items for next month’s agenda:
a) Phone Kiosks
b) McDonalds
c) Ditches/drains

18 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Monday, 2^nd November 2009.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.56pm.

KB/06.10.09