Langham Annual Parish Meeting
Minutes of the meeting held on 17th June 2015
1 Attendance and Apologies for Absence
Cllr. E. Schofield Chairman
Cllr. W. Durlacher
Cllr. A. Ellis
Cllr. A. Stacey
Cllr. M. Bottwood
Cllr. A. Smith
Also present were Laura Chase of Colchester Borough Council (CBC) Planning Department, Mr Alan Cadman, Chairman of the Langham Community Council, about 40 members of the public and press, and Mr D. Winter, Clerk to the Council.
Apologies for absence were received from Borough Councillor M. Cable and Mrs Sue Thorpe.
2 Chairman’s Welcoming Speech
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, not least, the members of the public. Every year a huge amount of work is carried out in Langham, for the benefit of all who live in Langham, by her Councillors in a completely voluntary capacity. This year is no different. They work hard, research diligently, with an expertise that makes Langham a good environment for all to live. They have been a huge support to her in this particularly difficult year, and she would like to thank them. They know how much she and the village appreciate them.
This year saw the sad loss of Christopher Garnett who had contributed so much to the village. A new councillor is required and anyone who is interested should contact her.
She would also like to thank her Clerk, David Winter, who has had a huge amount of work to do.
Anne Brown and Mark Cable offer support in trying to reach places and people neither she nor her councillors can reach, and we are grateful for their support.
Thank you to the legion of anonymous people who pick up litter on a regular basis without waiting to be asked.
Thanks also to Elizabeth Ellis, for keeping the planters around the village in wonderful condition.
We also thank Mike Rich who is our village maintenance man, for all the work he does around the village.
Our Community Shop goes from strength to strength under the direction of the manager Jane Morton and run by volunteers. The village thanks you all. The shop is always looking for new volunteers.
The Parish Council requests your input. We cannot do everything, but we will try as we always have done.
The meeting is taking a slightly different format this year with a presentation pulled together by Cllr Bottwood. During the meeting you are able to make comments or ask questions. Please raise your hand and give your name to her. Ask your question through her, and she will then put your question to the relevant councillor or clerk. Treat each other and the councillors with respect. You will all have the opportunity to have your say.
Please stay behind afterwards and join your councillors for coffee or tea. It is good to talk and exchange views that you may have felt uneasy to do, during the meeting.
3 Minutes of the last Annual Parish Meeting
The Clerk distributed a shortened version of the minutes. Cllr. Durlacher proposed and Mrs Shannon Barnes seconded the motion that the minutes were a true record. This was passed unanimously.
4 Councillor Presentations
4.1 Roads and Transport
After a prolonged series of meetings, a programme of work was agreed for Langham. The deteriorated and deteriorating roads largely to the north of Langham have been improved significantly. Next we hope for a continuation of the resurfacing programme.
5 bus stops have been installed on the anti-clockwise direction, and 2, plus the new bus shelter in the clockwise direction. 3 more stops are under consideration at 5 sites.
4.2 Recreation Ground
A busy year has seen
· The building of a concrete footpath to the tennis court
· Mole eradication
· The installation of new goal posts
· A salt bunker
· A successful bonfire night which made over £3,000 profit.
· Awards for the children’s play area and the recreation ground.
A request was made for anyone interested in taking charge of bonfire night should contact Cllr. Durlacher.
4.3 Footpaths
A proposed footpath diversion behind the Oaks school was turned down, though the permissive footpath there was then fenced off. Cllr Stacey hopes to overturn this and create a right of way.
Diversion of footpaths on the old airfield was agreed and will be implemented when the paperwork is returned by the land owner.
4.4 General Purposes
There have been several activities commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, including a display panel narrating the lives of those who died who had a Langham connection. The public are asked to donate to its cost of about £450. Any profits will be donated to Help for Heroes and The British Legion.
The Langham emergency plan is being updated.
4.5 Housing
A housing needs survey by the RCCE a few years ago suggested a need for 7 more affordable homes in Langham. Hills Building Group is developing an exception site outside the village envelope in Dedham for 8 market price and 9 affordable homes. They are interested in repeating this in Langham provided the Parish Council supported the project. The council awaits the outcome of CBC’s Local Plan Preferred Options before deciding whether or not to support a scheme such as this.
4.6 Planning
The Planning Committee has been reviewing all 24 Langham planning applications as a statutory consultee. There were no objections to 21 applications, 1 where CBC accepted our objection, and 2 where CBC disregarded our objection.
A new local plan is under development by CBC, and our planners are liaising closely with them. There was a meeting on 7th February to discuss issues and options, and over 100 people attended. It has been decided not to attempt a Neighbourhood Plan at this point. There would be a presumption of development, and it would take up to 3 years and a significant budget to complete one.
Payments from Push Energy for the solar farm as part of the planning gain for the community have been agreed, and should start to arrive later this year.
5 Guest Speaker Laura Chase (LC) of CBC’s Planning Department
Ms Chase spoke on the need for a new core strategy for the Colchester area. This was to take account of the new planning regime, and to define plans for after 2021. The current plan concentrates developments in Myland/Braiswick, Stanway and brownfield sites in the urban area. It will be 2017 before any local plan is adopted. It will be a green field site, and the plan will concentrate on one area in order to conserve and concentrate resources.
There was the call for sites in 2014, and the issues and options will be discussed throughout 2015. It was at this stage that the idea of Langham Garden Village was raised. The preferred option consultation will take place in 2016.
During the same period, CBC Planning will be looking at adjustments to settlement boundaries.
There were many questions from the floor.
1. The idea of an objective need for housing whilst there seemed to be a predetermined annual requirement (830) was questioned. LC said that the final number would be tested for soundness by a government inspector.
2. There seemed to be more houses than 830 p.a. being built. LC said that when averaged over the planning period, this was the correct number.
3. What about the impact of the Severall’s site? This had been in the pipeline from 2000.
4. With the intention to concentrate on bigger developments, were smaller developments out of the question. Every application, large or small, would be considered on its merits.
5. Is there any physical limit to development around Colchester? Not really, though the A12 is a barrier.
6. Has too much land been put forward in the call for sites? It is too early to say because the locations need to be assessed first.
7. With extra people, the transport problems around the station are going to get worse. LC agreed, though changes in working methods and transport arrangements would affect this.
8. Is there a problem with CBC being responsible for planning and ECC providing transport? LC agreed that all parties have to work together.
9. Are more gypsy sites needed? LC said 15 more are needed up to 2033.
Cllr Schofield thanked Ms Chase for her excellent talk. She pointed out that those people living in the villages around Colchester tend to be looking for the preservation of rural life.
6 Community Council
Alan Cadman, the Chairman of the Community Council, reported on a successful year, and thanked the management team. The year has seen many repairs and redecoration take place.
Next year, they are considering problems with disabled access, especially to upstairs, but the work will be very expensive. The car park is to be redone, and the shop and pre-school leases have to be renewed.
The Film Club will be involved with a festival in October, and there will be a large scooter rally on the weekend of 19 to 21 June.
Finally, there is an urgent need for a paid premises manager to take over from Roger Hobday.
7 Finance Report
Expenditure for the year was £30,672, 20% less than the budget of £38,250, and 50% less than last year’s actual expenditure of £60,950. The main costs have been
· Recreation ground, open spaces maintenance - £7,618 which is £1,868 more than budget because Wicksteed did the playground maintenance
· Bonfire night expenses - £6,818
· Staff, office, travel and training costs - £6,576
· Insurance - £1,736
· Grants, donations and subscriptions - £795
· WWI commemoration - £515 which is £5,485 below budget.
· Asset purchases - £2,000 for replacement goalposts. This is £1,225 below budget.
· VAT - £1,580 which was not in the budget.
Nothing was spent on the tennis club court maintenance, the parish plan, training, churchyard maintenance, election expenses or contingencies. This saved £3,335.
In the previous year, extra costs were for the hall flooring (£14,000), rabbit fencing, the bus shelter and path to the tennis courts (£13,600) and extra VAT (£5,000).
The Council had total income for the year of £47,758, which was £17,000 more than our costs and 50% more than our budget. It was also £5,500 less than last year when £10,000 was transferred from our reserves.
This year, extra income came from a Section 106 grant of £4,700, bonfire night (up £2,900 over budget), VAT of £8,700 reclaimed and outstanding interest received from National Savings of £2,384 which is money held by the Parish Council for the Community Council. Other income was £17,799 precept, 3% up on the previous year, £1,515 localised tax support from CBC which will be decreasing, and recreation ground lettings.
At the end of the year, the bank accounts had a balance of £54,888, plus £10,845 for tennis court maintenance. The Council should try to keep reserves of no more than twice the precept unless they have been ring fenced for specific projects. Potential projects include
· tennis court maintenance (£12,495)
· the garden club (£3,590), which may be used to commemorate the start of WW1
· Good Companions in case the club is restarted in the next year (£312)
· There is also a reserved amount from bonfire night profits to go towards defibrillators (£2,500)
· Churchyard maintenance payment for 2014/2015 ( £500)
· Supply and installation for Community Centre of air conditioning unit (£2,022)
· Possible grant towards work at the Community Centre to provide disabled access to the upstairs room, and the construction of outside toilets ( £10,000)
Looking ahead, for 2015/2016, CBC grants will fall to £1,363, but the precept has been kept at £17,800.
When the audited accounts have been prepared a notice will be displayed on the Parish Council notice board and the accounts may be inspected by arrangement for a period from then.
8 Residents Questions and Comments
8.1 Lodge Lane Area
Mr Hardie queried if anything could be done about car parking on the old Ipswich Road, and HGV traffic removing road markings. Cllr Bottwood had been told there was no footway so it was not illegal to park there. As for HGV problems, he was happy to try to get work into the next phase.
8.2 Old Mill Road
Mrs Lunn pointed out this road had been patched not repaired. Cllr Bottwood agreed.
8.3 Dedham Vale Hopper Bus
The question had been raised to see if this route could be extended to Langham. Cllr Bottwood had made some investigation and was not hopeful. It is a private service and has to pay its way. He is waiting for information about potential costs involved, and problems with driver hours. He would then have to see how many people might be interested in using it.
9 Next Meeting
The date for the next annual parish meeting is to be arranged for April 2016.
There being no other business, the meeting closed at 9.10pm.