Draft Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Fulking Parish Council

Held at Fulking Village Hall on Thursday 12^th April 2018 at 7.30pm

Attendance:     
Chairman: Cllr Firth
Fulking Parish Council (FPC): Cllrs Hind, Dyos, Healy & Trist
Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC): Cllr Watts Williams
West Sussex County Council: Cllr Dennis
Locum Clerk: Elizabeth Leggo
Clerk: Trevor Parsons
Members of the public: 5 members of the public were present
 

1. Apologies for Absence.
   None for this meeting.

2. Declaration of Members’ Interests.
   None for this meeting.

3. Approve the Minutes of the Council Meeting of 4th January 2018 and the Planning Meetings of 8th February and 26th March 2018.
   The minutes of all three meetings were approved and signed as true records

4. Reports from District and County Councillors.
   Cllr Joy Dennis was present from West Sussex County Council and gave the following updates:

• That FPC should have received a Public Rights of way (PROW) letter, asking if there is any work that the Council would like done.
• A new Speed Indicating Device has been ordered, following the last one having been stolen. A new rota will soon be drawn up.
• Cllr Dennis has been working with a group of residents in the Parish who have a poor broadband signal, helping them to access the ‘Better Connected’ fund. It is hoped that this can be replicated with other groups.
• The Operation Watershed Fund is available again for 2018/19.
• A further £1.5million has been allocated for pothole repair, and work is underway.
• Fulking is not on the list for road re-surfacing this year.
• Cllr Dennis has attended a presentation by ChaMP, sponsored by Southern Water to improve the quality of the water from aquifers on the South Downs. ChaMP is working with farmers to try to reduce the use of nitrates and phosphates, and to change the time of year that these are used.
• Bus Strategy – there is currently a consultation on rural buses.

Cllr Anthony Watts Williams was present from Mid Sussex District Council and gave the following updates:

• Mid Sussex has an adopted District Plan, covering 2014-31. Housing numbers required are 876 per year until 2023/24, followed by 1070 per year until 2031. This amounts to over 16,000 homes across the District.
• The Council is preparing a new Planning Document to identify new sites. This plan does not include a Mayfield Market Town, and there is no plan for a new settlement. Most of the new homes will be built in the three largest town – Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and East Grinstead.
• The Economic Development Strategy will soon be taken to Council. Economic growth is being encouraged in the District, and a science park is being planned along with the provision of a sixth form college. It was noted that excluding sixth forms at St Pauls Catholic College and at schools in East Grinstead, that there is no sixth form in Mid Sussex and that most students travel to Brighton to study.
• Regarding planning, Mid Sussex District Council is currently in negotiation with the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) to ensure that the District Council is kept informed if there are any departures from planning applications, for applications for major developments, new dwellings or any gypsy or traveller related sites in the Park. It is hoped that a Ward Councillor will be invited to sit on the SDNPA Planning Committee.
• Poynings Pavilion is undergoing refurbishment, and a Community Café will be set up as a trial. Cllr Watts Williams asked FPC to please show its support of this asset in the community.

Actions:
– Cllr Firth to send a formal response to the PROW letter from WSCC
– A Fulking Parish Councillor to attend a talk by ChaMP
– A member of Fulking Parish Council to complete the consultation on rural buses

5. Matters Arising & Outstanding Actions:

• WSCC have been informed that the agreed HGV sign on Clappers Lane can be erected in due course.
• It is unlikely that FPC will need to step in support the rental of the Village Hall as the Village Hall Action Group and the Parochial Church Council have agreed a plan.
• Operation Watershed – FPC is focussing on alleviation of the flooding at the Southern end of Clappers Lane, on the corner opposite Lower Kents.

6. Planning Matters: 

SDNP/18/01642/FUL – Cannonberries, Poynings Road, Fulking, BN5 9NB
Proposal: Erection of dwelling

The following comments were submitted to the SDNP Planning Authority:

Fulking Parish council considered this application on 12th April 2018

This application is for a new dwelling in countryside outside the defined settlement of Fulking. As such it appears to conflict with the policy C1 of the Mid Sussex Plan (2004), SDNPA Draft Plan policies SD1, SD4 and NPPF relating to sustainable development and exceptional reasons to justify new dwellings.

Councillors expressed concern about the precedent this type of development would set in this location and queried the siting, which could have been ancillary to the main house.

While it was recognised that this design was less intrusive from the northern aspect (than the previous application) it remains highly visible from all aspects and is still detrimental to the to the scenic beauty of this area.   In this respect is appears to contradict a range of policies in the Mid Sussex Plan 2004, the draft SDNP plan and the NPPF in respect of maintaining the landscape and sustainability of this protected area.

Consequently, the Parish Council voted unanimously to OBJECT to this application.

7. Planning Update:

The Chairman presented a summary of recent planning applications, as below:
For the period since January 4^th until 2^th April 2018.

Reference	Name/Description		FPC Date	FPC Decision	SDNP Decision
Decided
SDNP/17/06007/FUL	Barn Cottage Extension & remodeling		04/01/18	Unanimous Neutral	Withdrawn 13/02/18
SDNP/17/06019/FUL	Cannonberries New Dwelling		04/01/18	Unanimous Objection	Refused 07/02/18
SDNP/18/00218/HOUS	Perching Farm Cottage Conversion of car port		08/02/18	Unanimous Neutral	Approved 20/03/18
In Progress
SDNP/18/01201/HOUS	Downside Extensive upgrades		26/03/18	Unanimous Support	Application in progress
Valid, not yet considered
SDNP/18/01642/FUL	Cannonberries New Dwelling		12/04/18	Due 12/04/18	Application in progress

 

Action: Clerk to look at the Planning Inspectorate Appeals website

8. Parking – Area West of Ladybrook Spring and Road Lines:

Cllr Hind, Vice Chairman, reminded the Council at the last meeting Cllr Dennis agreed to approach SDNP regarding funding availability for the Ladybrook Spring car parking scheme, once Cllr Hind had sent the historic correspondence. Unfortunately due to changes in the Council email system Cllr Hind had been unable to find any historic correspondence other than the minutes of the meeting of 18th January 2017, item 8 which said:

“Following discussions with SDNP they advised that the “Sustainable Communities Fund” is not available for any car parking schemes so no funding is available from them to support the proposed car parking project for the area west of Ladybrook Spring. There is a remote possibility some funds may be available in the future from the “Community Infrastructure Levy”.

Cllr Hind agreed to send a summary of the parking proposal to Cllr Dennis

Cllr Dennis agreed that she will approach SDNP on the behalf of FPC.

Cllr Hind also reported on parking issues around the Shepherd & Dog Pub, reporting that the Council is going to undertake a survey of residents for their views. This survey would go live the next day on 13^th April for four weeks. Residents of the Parish would be asked their preference on three options around the Pub – double yellow lines, single white line or no lines. In addition, the Council is encouraging general feedback.

9. Grit Bins and Winter Road Management Plan:

Residents have given feedback that the levels of grit have reduced significantly this winter. It was agreed that the Chairman and Vice Chairman would investigate this and to speak to the local farmer who has offered to transport the grit from the store to the bins.

Actions:
– Chairman & Vice Chairman to look at the Winter Management Plan
– Council to consider a Volunteer Policy
– Clerk to check that the Parish Council insurance covers volunteers
– Consent to be gained from volunteers if their details appear on the website, to comply with GDPR

10. General Data Protection Regulations:

It was noted that legislation comes into force on 25^th May 2018. The Council has made the following changes in preparation:

• Transferred email addresses so councillors no longer use their personal email accounts
• Documents are shared via the cloud SharePoint, which is restricted to FPC and secure
• Councillors have attended courses to understand more
• Satswana has been appointed as the Data Protection Officer (DPO)
• An Impact Assessment is being undertaken
• The Council will adopt: A Document Retention Policy, a Privacy Notice and a General Privacy Notice.

11. Reports from Outside Bodies.

None for this meeting.

12. Information Items and Items for Future Meetings.

• Cllr Trist asked that Operation Watershed regarding Edburton Road could be added to the agenda for the next meeting
• It was suggested that an update be given on the road condition at the entrance to Preston Nomads Cricket Club

Action: Clerk to add these items to the agenda for the next ordinary meeting of FPC

13. Correspondence.

None for this meeting.

14. Financial Matters:

2017/18 Cheques from Barclays current account (50052760 – balance £6,040.40), issued from
1^st January to 31^st March 2018, agreed at Parish Council meeting on 12^th April 2018.

Date	Description	Cheque No.	£
02/01/18	Street Lights	100718	115.50
16/01/18	D Blackhall – Salary (6/1-3/2)	100721	251.21
16/01/18	D Blackhall – Salary (7/10-30/12)	100719	681.50
22/01/18	HMRC (DIB) – Tax (6/1-3/2)	100722	62.80
22/01/18	HMRC (DIB) – Tax (7/10-30/12)	100720	165.40
23/01/18	E.On Direct Debit	01290157494	48.02
24/01/18	Jen Green – Gift to past Chair	100716	145.00
09/03/18	SSALC – GDPR Training	100723	£57.60
09/03/18	SSALC – GDPR Training	100724	£57.60
09/03/18	NTF Playground Rental	100725	£20.00
12/04/18	Henfield Garden Services	100726	£360.00
12/04/18	SSALC – Councillors Briefing	100727	£72.00
12/04/18	SSALC – Recruitment Assistance	100728	£420.00
12/04/18	WALC – Subscriptions	100729	£88.26
12/04/18	Locum Parish Clerk Services	100730	£212.60
	Total		£2,757.49

 

Income for period 1^st January to 31^st March 2018 – Nil

The Chairman closed the Meeting at 9.39pm

Date of Annual General Meeting of the Council and Annual Parish Meeting: Thursday 10th May 2018

Date of the next Ordinary Meeting: Thursday 12th July 2018
Both to be held at Fulking Village Hall at 7.30pm.