May 2013 PC Meeting Report

Report of the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 7 May 2013 in the Compton Room Shawford Parish Hall

 

Introduction

Each year, in May, the Parish Council is required by law to review the membership of its committees. The appointments for the coming year are as follows:

Chairman: Una Stevens

Vice-Chairman: Jacqui Evans

Finance & Administration Committee: Adrian Walmsley (chairman), M Goulding, Angela Jeffrey, Mike Southgate.

Playing Fields and Play Area Management Committee: Myra Wilkinson (chairman), Jacqui Evans, Marc Townell, John Richardson (co-opted), Jean Millar (co-opted).

Planning Committee: Angela Jeffrey (chairman), Jacqui Evans, Naomi Sadler, Marc Townell.

Highways & Transport Committee: Mike Southgate (chairman), Una Stevens, Myra Wilkinson, Angela Jeffrey.

Footpaths & Environment Representative: John Wilkinson.

Police Report

The clerk advised that there had been no reported incidents since PCSO Wilkinson produced her report at the Annual Parish Meeting on 25 April 2013.

Affordable Housing

Councillor Evans summarised the report, produced by Chris Buchan-Hepburn (CB-H), Head of New Business The Hyde Group, on the suitability of sites 11, 5 & 4 for affordable housing within the parish. [Available on the parish web site via the following link:

comptonshawford-pc.gov.uk/2013/05/affordable-housing-shortlisted-sites-review/ ]

Mr Buchan-Hepburn considered that sites 11, B and C did not have sufficient merit to be investigated further (e.g. lack of quality environment; road access unsafe; construction costs disproportionately high). Site 4 (Attwoods Drove) and Site 5 (Martins Fields) both had good potential. The council had been asked to confirm that they were supportive of development on both sites 4 and 5 and to rank their preference.

Councillors expressed disappointment that the report had not provided any suggestions for extra parking in both Attwoods Drove and Martins Fields, nor had it considered the possibility of developing both sites simultaneously: one of two story buildings (site 5) and one of low rise (site 4). Such a plan would be more in keeping with the current housing stock. At the request of Councillor Goulding, Councillor Evans explained that, once the Parish Council had agreed on the potential for developing the sites, it would be necessary to confirm that the landowner (Hampshire County Council) was prepared to release the land for development as an exception site for affordable housing. HARAH would then produce detailed plans, which would be presented at a public consultation meeting, where individual comments would be invited. The next stage would be a pre-application for planning permission, followed by an application for detailed planning permission.

During the public session, it was emphasised that the residents of Compton village needed to be kept informed of any developments. It was also suggested that, in light of the report, the council should now confirm that it did not intend to pursue the possibility of developing any of the other potential sites within the village. There was a call for an official canvas of opinion from all households and concern was expressed that the report did not appear to contain any suggestions to compensate for the potential loss of green spaces in Martins Fields, nor did it address the need for extra parking places in Martins Fields and Attwoods Drove. There was also an observation that terraced houses would not be in keeping with the current housing stock.

Having listened to comments from councillors and members of the public, the chairman proposed that she should write to HARAH:

1. Expressing disappointment that the CB-H report had not considered a provision for additional parking in Attwoods Drove and Martins Fields;
2. Seeking further information on the possibility of simultaneous development of sites 4 and 5; and
3. Emphasising the need for development plans to include a provision for the replacement of ‘lost’ green areas in Martins Fields.

The council also agreed that, at its next meeting on 2 July 2013, it would consider whether it should formally agree not pursue the development of affordable housing on the other potential sites in Compton (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 6a, 6b, 7, 10 and 11 B & C).

County and District Councillors’ Reports

District Councillor Warwick congratulated County Councillor Phil Bailey on his success in last week’s county council elections and looked forward to working with him in the coming year. Councillor Stevens added her congratulations on behalf of the Parish Council. County Councillor Bailey was grateful for the kind comments and said that he would be in touch with the clerk, once he had been allocated an email address.

Playing Fields Committee

With the closure of the WCC Open Spaces Fund in April 2015 in mind, the council agreed that Councillor Wilkinson should seek tenders for the following equipment, which will be funded from the Open Spaces Fund (OSF):

QEII Field

A multi-play unit at the play area and netball post with play surface.

Memorial Playing Field

A new mower for the cricket pitch square; weather and vermin proofing of the cricket nets; Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) and an outdoor gymnasium. The MUGA, for which planning permission will probably be required, would be unlit. A site had yet to be identified for the outdoor gymnasium.

A decision on whether, or not, to make request from Otterbourne Parish Council for the transfer of a sum from Compton and Shawford’s OSF to help with funding the redevelopment of the youth facilities at the Oakwood Recreation Ground, Otterbourne, was deferred until the next meeting in July.

Finance and Administration

Councillor Walmsley advised the council that, under the terms of the lease, a review of the Sports Club’s annual contribution was currently taking place. Both he and Councillor Wilkinson would prepare a recommendation in time for the 2 July 2013 meeting. He also briefed the council on his discussions with the former chair of governors and the head teacher at Compton School. Both had emphasised that the school sees itself as part of the community and very much values the presence of a Parish Councillor/Parish Council representative on its Board of Governors. It was agreed to defer a decision until the next meeting in July.

Councillor Walmsley advised the council that he had been informed by the chairman of Hursley Parish Council that it would be hosting the civic service on 29 September 2013. [Since revised to 4.00 pm 13 October 2013.] The clerk added that Otterbourne PC would not be participating in the religious service but “would be interested in a gathering of some sort”. The chairman noted that there was insufficient time for the council to discuss the implications of the Otterbourne PC decision and asked that the civic service be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.

Date of the next meeting

7.30pm Tuesday 2 July 2013 in the Compton Room, Shawford Parish Hall

David Drake, Clerk