 |
LITCHAM | NORFOLK | LAUNDITCH HUNDRED B R E C K L A N D |
||||
| VILLAGE PAGES | PARISH COUNCIL | CHURCH | SHOPS ETC... | YELLOW PAGES | THE COMMON | GENERAL INFORMATION | |
| NEWS | MEETINGS | THE COUNCIL | PLANNING | ACCOUNTS | INFORMATION | ARCHIVES | |
Present: Mike Oldfield (Chairman),
Trevor Carter
Chris Mitchell
John Relph (Clerk)
Two members of the Public.
1) Apologies, were received from Mark
Sheard and Roy Payne due to family commitments and from Claire Lawrence
and Les Raven for work commitments.
2) Declarations of Interest; None received.
3) Minutes of the previous meeting held on the 20th November 2006 were agreed and signed.
4) Reports:
Litcham Relief in Need Charities. The Trustees met on the 4th December
and elected a new Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. At the present
time the Trust has no intention of proceeding with the sale of the
allotment next to the Priory. Youth Shelter: A letter from the Trust
requiring the answers to various questions had been received. Clerk
will contact Anita Gagen of Norfolk County Council, Youth Services and
inform the Trust of her responses.
Jubilee Hall Bus Shelter: The Jubilee Hall Management Committee asked
the Jubilee Hall Trust if they could remove the boarding from the Bus
Shelter and were told that if they wished, they could move the boarding
back by about a meter to allow bus passengers to shelter from inclement
weather. The Management Committee felt this was not a realistic
solution and the work involved would be costly. Therefore, they have
again requested that the Trust permit the complete removal of the
boarding.
Flooding, Druid Lane: Highways have had the drains jetted and cleared.
The system is now working but needs some additional work on the outfall
of the pipe at the ditch end to keep it trouble free. At present
Highways are trying to ascertain the landowner to seek permission for
this work.
Breckland Council Forum: This was attended by the Clerk and the
Chairman, who gave a brief report to the council on an interesting
evening. Topics covered included open space and youth issues, both
relevant to the Council’s current plans. There was also an
informative workshop regarding funding for sporting and cultural
activities.
5) Parking Outside the Post Office: Council
considered and approved plans from Jason Glasspoole for the marking out
of the parking area in front of the Post Office with white lines. The
intention is to protect the walkway in front of the Post Office for use
by pedestrians. At present is often blocked by parked cars and
pedestrians are forced to walk in the road.
6) Fencing of the Common: Council considered a
‘Notice of Intention to erect Fencing on Litcham
Common’ submitted by Litcham Common Management Committee. The
following concerns were noted and will be will be presented to the
Management Committee for their consideration.
i) The Council assumes that no fencing will be
erected until the Management Committee is ready to place the chosen
livestock on the Common. That is to say, there will be no substantial
time delay between erecting the fencing and the arrival of the
livestock.
ii) The Council recommends that the project proceed
in two stages. As a road cuts the common roughly in two this is easily
achieved and it will help judge the effectiveness of the introduction
of grazing and also test public opinion on the matter.
iii) The Litcham Common Management
Committee will take full responsibility for the well-being of the
introduced livestock and any public safety issued arising from the
fencing and the introduced livestock.
iv) The Councils seeks an
assurance that should this project fail and the introduced livestock
removed from the common all fencing, other than perimeter fencing, will
be removed immediately.
v) Finally, has the Management Committee given any thought to the deer that visit the common?
7) Graveyard Gate: The Clerk reported that the
Faculty Application submitted to the Parochial Church Council in
September had been returned. There was no record of any vote that might
have been taken regarding the provision of pedestrian access to the
graveyard extension from Druids Lane neither had the formed been
signed. This made it impossible to submit the form in its current state.
A covering letter was received with the returned form which explained
that the P.C.C. ‘do not wish to proceed with the graveyard
footpath project’ and the Parish Council should ‘accept
this as final’.
After due consideration the Council decided that it wished to submit an
appeal against this decision to the Diocesan Advisory Council. However,
before they did so they would canvass public opinion on the matter.
Clerk will insert a paragraph in the next issue of the Church and
Village requesting villagers who wish to see a gate allowing access
from Druids Lane to contact him.
8) Street-lighting: Council considered a request from
two residents of Wellingham Road for additional Street lighting,
especially in the vicinity of the Primary School, and the introduction
of brighter sodium lighting in Litcham. The Clerk informed the Council
that Litcham was is in an area classified by Norfolk County Council as
a ‘Rural Dark Area’. In these areas the installation of
sodium lights is contrary to current N.C.C. policy, also all new
lighting in such areas has to be justified by a ‘proven traffic
issue’. Council also considered a leaflet, submitted by a
villager, from an organisation called ‘Night Blight’ which
is actively campaigning against light pollution of the night-sky and
seeks to reduce the level of street-lighting, especially sodium
lighting, in rural areas.
Council concluded that the current level of street-lighting in Litcham
was adequate. It did, however, agree that an extra street-light might
be useful outside the Primary School in the light of plans to build a
Children’s Centre there, this suggestion will be added to
comments made on the planning application (see item 11-ii below).
9) Notice Board on the Village Green: It was agreed to defer discussion of this topic until the next meeting.
10) Rights of Way: Clerk distributed leaflets from
the Ramblers association. It was agreed to defer discussion of this
topic and the possible setting up of a ‘Rights of Way
Committee’ until the next meeting.
11) Planning:
i) The granting of planning permission for
3PL/2006/1505/F Pit House, Lexham Rd; erection of a small Oak Barn was
noted.
i) Planning application from Norfolk County Council
No.Y/3/2006/3028, Litcham Primary School; erection of new
Children’s Centre within existing school site, was considered and
the following comments made:
a) Has sufficient car parking space been allocated for the expected use of the new building?
b) Would it not be feasible to widen the access from
the road so that vehicles can both enter and exit at the same time?
c) Similarly, is there enough space within the car
park for cars to pass and manoeuvre? (i.e. Could the car park be
widened generally and in particular in front of the school.):
d) Given that the Children's Centre will now operate
during dark hours has sufficient thought been given to the provision of
lighting of the car park and access point to the road? Could there be a
need for a new street-light outside the school?
ii) Planning application 3PL/2006/1786/F The Brambles
Back Street; amendment to planning application 3PL/2006/1223/F, to
include changes to roof design on front extension was considered and
passed without comment.
12) Financial Business: the financial reconciliation
for the year to date was checked with the latest bank statements and
signed.
Receipts:
i) Receipt of deposit account interest of £33.02 for November was noted.
Payments:
ii) A payment by cheque of £850.51 to the Clerk
was approved. This being £815.98 for salary plus expenses of
£34.53 for period from September to November 2006.
13) Correspondence from the following was noted;
i) Norfolk County Council;
a) Community News
b) Norfolk Matters.
c) Invite to a workshop on ‘Changes to Local
Government in Norfolk’ on the 10th January at County Hall,
Norwich starting at 7.30pm.
ii) NCAPTC
a) Training schedule
b) ‘Norfolk Link’ newsletter.
c) An invite to a lunch and presentation on Quality
Status for Parish Councils on the 5th February at Hunters Hall, Swanton
Morely starting at 10.30am.
iii) Norfolk Constabulary; invite to budget meeting
on Thursday 18th January 2007 at the OCC, Falconers Chase, Wymondham
starting at 7pm.
iv) Breckland Council; invite to Breckland Landscape
Character Assessment Stakeholder Workshop on 18th January between
2.30pm and 5pm at Elizabeth House in Dereham
14) Items for the next agenda. Notice board for the green, Rights of Way.
The date of next meeting was confirmed as Monday 15th January 2007 to take place in the Jubilee Hall starting at 7.30pm.
Meeting closed at 21.20pm.
Approved by resolution of Litcham Parish Council 15th January 2007