Gerrans Parish Council

MINUTES of the Meeting of Gerrans Parish Council

held on Tuesday 6^th October 2015                                        

in the Memorial Hall Annexe

NEXT MEETING – Tuesday 3^rd November 2015 at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall Annexe

Present:

Cllrs German, Hatwood, Hetherington, Iddison, Meek, Morse, Taffinder ( Chairman);

CC J German, S Skull (Clerk)

 

1 member of the public attended.

 

101501

CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

The Chairman read out a statement in respect of the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 reminding those in attendance and participating in the meeting that they were liable to be filmed, recorded, photographed or otherwise recorded.

 

101502

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Cllrs Case, Edwards, Greenslade and Neal

 

101503

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS IN ITEMS ON THE AGENDA

None

 

101504

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Mr Jon Smith, Chairman of the Roseland Neighbourhood Development Plan (RNDP) Steering Group (SG), thanked the PC for its support over the last two and a half years and said this would be his last regular attendance at the monthly meetings. He said that, going forward, finance would be an issue in the continuing function of the SG and produced some costings, and a request for funds from the five Roseland Parishes in proportion to the numbers of electors in each. Gerrans PC was requested to contribute £145 for the coming year. He also said that the Planning Assessment Group would still appreciate an extra representative from Gerrans Parish, and that, in response to feedback from the cluster meeting on 28^th September, there would be a RNDP training meeting in St Mawes Millenium Rooms on Monday 9^th November at 6.30pm.

 

There was discussion of the difficulty Councillors would have committing to attend regular meetings as representatives on the PAG because they took place on Friday mornings. It was agreed that the clerk would be sent an agenda for each meeting early in the week to circulate, and individual Councillors could volunteer to attend as and when they could.

 

101505

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

The Council accepted the draft minutes of the meeting held on 1^st September 2015 as being a true record. The Chairman signed the minutes.

 

101506

REVIEW OF MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING – MATTERS ARISING

There were no matters arising which would not be addressed under subsequent agenda items.

 

101507

CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED

1. Email from Jenny Keymer

Invitation to Gerrans PC to contribute and decorate a tree for a Christmas tree festival at Gerrans Church.

 

Cllr Iddison proposed (seconded by Cllr German) that the PC contribute a tree and that the clerk be asked to put this on December’s agenda. Agreed unanimously. Action clerk

 

2. Email from Mr Gordon Baron

Prospective purchaser of a lodge at Trewince Manor enquiring as to the PC’s likely position on an application to install solar panels. The clerk was asked to refer Mr Baron to the site owners and to the planning authorities for guidance as to what was acceptable. Action clerk

 

There was no further correspondence which would not be addressed in other items on the agenda.

 

101508

ROSELAND NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Councillors discussed the future consideration of planning applications in the light of the referendum result. The clerk distributed lecture notes from the cluster meeting on 28^th September to give detailed background.

 

Cllr Hetherington explained that the role of the new Planning Assessment Group (PAG) would be to make an assessment of each new planning application and advise both the PC and Cornwall Council’s Case Officer as to whether it complied with the RNDP. It would still be for the PC, in the light of the advice of the PAG as regards the RNDP, to come to its own opinion based on the particular circumstances of each application using local knowledge, history and detail to inform that opinion. He said all responsibility for the final decision would still rest with CC’s Planning Officer.

 

101509

PLANNING MATTERS

 

APPLICATIONS

 

Application	Description	PC decision
PA15/08536	Orangery and decking, internal alterations and new detached double garage at Pendennis, New Road	Decision deferred pending site visit by the Planning Committee and advice from the Planning Assessment Group

 

DECISIONS

Application	GPC comment	CC Decision
PA15/08042 – Non-material amendment at 2 Admiralty Terrace	n/a	Approved

 

ENFORCEMENT MATTERS

Nothing to report

 

PAPERLESS PLANNING

The clerk reported that, at the cluster meeting on 28^th September it had become clear that the inter-Council sharing of facilities for printing or projection would be problematic. He said that, having used his own domestic printer mostly for PC work over the last 3 years, he was looking to replace it and was willing to make room for an A3 printer if the PC would supply the ink and paper. He also said that, at least as a first move, this might be all the PC needed to do because the Planning Committee needed A3 copies for site visits anyway, and in most cases A3 and A4 were the sizes of hard copy provided currently by Cornwall Council. If, occasionally, larger copies were needed in particular applications, these could be obtained from a commercial print shop as and when required. The PC could also go down the projector and screen route but this might not prove necessary. He suggested a 2-month parallel trial in the run up to the January deadline.

 

Cllr Hatwood proposed (seconded by Cllr German) that for now no laptop or projection equipment be purchased (this would also remove the need to rely on the CC Webpage being available at the time of a meeting) and that the proposed trial be adopted. This was agreed unanimously. Action clerk

 

101510

LOCALISM

1. Cornwall Council’s proposed recycling initiative.

The clerk reported he had written to express the PC’s interest in this scheme but the detailed information pack had not yet been received. He was asked to put the matter on the next agenda. Action clerk

2. Proposed Multi-Academy trust

Cllr Taffinder presented a formal consultation document giving information on the proposed scheme to join Gerrans Primary School, Probus Primary School, The Roseland Community College and Tregony Primary school into a single Multi Academy Trust. The deadline for responses was 12^th November, and Councillors were invited to make individual responses if they wished.

Cllr Meek suggested it would be advisable to apply to have Gerrans School listed as a Community Asset and the clerk said he would make it the next one on his list. Action clerk

 

3. Community Assets Listing

The clerk reported that he was still awaiting certain information to enable him to complete the application for the listing of the Heritage Centre.

 

4. Cabinet Office Fund for Coastal Revival

Suggestions for potential projects under this scheme included restoring eroded beach accesses, and improving public access to the St Anthony lighthouse. The clerk was asked to find more details of the application process. Action clerk

 

5. Suggestions for issues on which outside bodies might be invited to address the PC

Cllr Hetherington said it might be useful to invite representatives from the National Trust or the Community Land Trust to address a cluster meeting rather than an individual PC.

Cllr Meek said a “community outreach” policy was one adopted by many PC’s.

CC Julian German said that the Community Led Local Development scheme could provide funding to back community projects wit an economic output. He would provide the clerk with a contact. Cllr Meek suggested perhaps developing community office space or workshops.

 

101511

COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS

Cllr German reported that there was to be a meeting of the Parish charities on 2^nd November, so the clerk was asked to allow for discussion of the outcome of this meeting on the next month’s agenda. Action clerk

 

Cllr Hetherington had attended the September meeting of the Truro and Roseland Network Community Panel, at which he had been returned as its Vice-Chairman, and the main topics of discussion had been the advent of paperless planning, recycling issues and the black alerts at Treliske hospital. He said the Panel was looking to rotate its meetings around the Parishes. Cllr German proposed (seconded by Cllr Hatwood) that the PC should provide a room for one such meeting and the clerk was asked to seek a booking for next March. Action clerk

 

101512

CHURCH CLOSE OPEN SPACE LAND

Cllr German proposed (seconded by Cllr Iddison) that the PC should accept the offer of Mr Simon Taffinder to move all the piles of accumulated green waste into one heap and remove it by burning. This was unanimously agreed.

 

The clerk reported that the proposed lease for the small parcel of land at the bottom corner of the field was still with the Landlord’s solicitors.

 

101513

CAR PARKING CONGESTION AT ROSEVINE

Cllr Hatwood said this was an increasing problem due to the success in recent years of new businesses in the area, and reported the offer of a field next to the Drftwood Hotel for use as a car park during the summer months free of charge. Cllr Taffinder declared an interest in that a member of her family was seeking also to use the field for another purpose. Other Councillors commented that:

– the field was too far away from the beach and would only be used when the road was full up anyway

– this has been a perennial problem for decades which lasts only a few weeks of the year

– in an AONB it was undesirable to fill up fields with cars

– could the National Trust not make available the field next to New Road car park as an overflow, which had been done on Regatta day?

 

Cllr Hatwood said he would liaise with the Regatta organisers and the clerk was asked to make this an agenda item again next time. Action clerk

 

 

101514

PUBLIC CONVENIENCES

The clerk referred to a campaign by the National Association of Local Councils to exempt local Councils from paying business rates on these facilities. Cllr Taffinder proposed (seconded by Cllr Iddison) that the PC should make a response supporting this campaign. Unanimously agreed. Action clerk

 

The clerk also reported that progress had been made towards the registration of the lease on Portscatho toilets. Cornwall Council’s legal department were now aware of the exact nature of the problem and had begun the process of re-drafting the lease and plan.

 

101515

CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND

Councillors agreed that the main problem was the condition of the Wendy House. Cllr Taffinder said she had some play equipment catalogues and would research prices. The clerk said he remembered that the ROSPA safety inspector had suggested reproducing the existing structure by using the panels as a template and constructing a new one using coloured plastic boards. He said he would find out more about the material and try to get an estimate for the job. Cllr Hatwood said Roseland Online might well be interested in sponsoring the project. Action clerk

 

101516

FINANCIAL MATTERS

 

CLERK’S REPORT

The clerk reported that all payments submitted for approval were materially within budget or within forecast and agreed contingency levels where actual figures were unknown at the time of setting the budget.

 

ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT

It was resolved that the outstanding invoices totalling £4, 839.37 (including VAT of £73.50) be paid. A schedule of these payments is available from the clerk.

 

BANK RECONCILIATION

The reconciled bank balance as at 25^th September was £53, 287.04

 

101517

OTHER PARISH MATTERS

1. Any urgent business

 

– None

 

2. Matters to be included on the next agenda

 

– Delapidated notice board at Trewithian

– A list to be compiled of the more major tree works required in the Parish in the interests of safety

 

3. Minor items for report

 

– Cllr German said he had given permission for Western Power to cut back some trees at the cricket field which were interfering with power lines. Noted.

 

– Cllr German reported overhanging hedges at Gerrans Hill and Treloan Lane which needed cutting, and said he would try to arrange for this to be done on a voluntary basis. Noted.

 

– Cllr German reported a parishioner had complained about the untidy condition of the trees and bushes in the field below New Road car park. Cllr Iddison said the National Trust had agreed to start a rotational maintenance plan in October.

 

The meeting closed at 9.40pm