BISHOPSBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL
An Ordinary Meeting of Bishopsbourne Parish Council was held on Tuesday, 2ndMarch 2022 at 6.30pm in Conrad Hall. Present: Cllr R Prestige, Cllr K Martin, Cllr D Tapley, Cllr B Dutta
-
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Two members of the public attended the meeting.
-
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from Cllr Andrews due to work commitments.
3.REPORTS FROM COUNTY/CITY CLLR MIKE SOLE
City Cllr Sole attended the meeting and gave the following report:
March 2022 (an update on what I have been doing in February)
Parish Councils: This month I attended parish council meetings in Waltham, Littlebourne, Barham, Chartham and Kingston. As always, I am very happy to meet up with parish councillors and residents and anytime to discuss issues “on the ground.” I met with KCC highways officers to discuss the progress of all 16 parish council Highways Improvement Programmes in the division and the unparished area on Wincheapand to see where I could most assist with highways grant funding. In Thanington I met up on site with KCC to investigate the location and funding for a potential additional crossing point on Ashford Road.
KCC Budget – I spoke at the budget meeting and proposed (unsuccessfully) additional funding to deal with the huge backlog of works on the public rights of way network, and against the price rises in bus passes, cuts to bus routes and funding for homelessness services.
Canterbury City Council Budget: I delivered the budget response speech on behalf of the Liberal Democrat group and argued for greater community group grant funding. At the Canterbury City Council Regeneration Committee, I spoke against the two-year suspension of the Sturry Park & Ride service. At the Canterbury City Council Policy Committee,I spoke against the new car parking charges across the district as there was no overarching strategy that considered both the environmental concerns and the economic impact on residents and businesses.
I cycled around Barham, Kingston, Bridge, Patrixbourne, Bekesbourne, Adisham, Littlebourne, Wickhambreauxand Ickhamto identify and report over twenty highways issues that needed attention including missing and worn white lines, potholes, and bus stop markings. I also walked around Littlebourneto investigate and report several blocked drainage gullies. Assisted several families struggling with hastily imposed changes to KCC Special Educational Needs school transport.
Bins continue to have been an issue in the month. Thankfully, after pressure, Canterbury City Council abandoned the ill-thought-out requirement for residents to lift the recycling inserts from bins, but since then several inserts have disappeared in the waste trucks and as always, there were several other bin collection issues and problems with unemptied public waste and dog bins.
-
ACCEPTANCE of MINUTES of Meeting 2 NOVEMBER 2021
The minutes of the meeting held on 2 November 2021 were approved. Proposed by Cllr Martin, seconded by Cllr Dutta.
5.MEMBERS’ INTERESTS
No notification by members was given of any pecuniary or personal interest in items.
6.MATTERS ARISING.
There were no matters arising from the minutes not on the agenda.
7. FINANCE
Lloyds Bank£17,747.53
Monies In
£2,872.35 Capital Grant
Monies out
08/03/2022 Clerks Salary (2 months 26 hrs. at £10.50 = £273.00 + 0ffice maintenance £80.00 Stationery £4.70= Total £359.70
Bishopsbourne Village Hall £130.00
Total £489.70
Beech Tree Platinum Jubilee £61.30 paid 03/02/2022
Conifer Tree, Neame Meadow £440.00 paid 03/02/2022
RDR Pest Management moles £70.00 paid 03/02/2022
Clerks Salary £273.00 + Office maintenance £80.00, Toner Cartridges £53.91, Stationery £10.47 Total £417.38 Paid 03/02/2022
Total £988.68
GRAND TOTAL £1,478.38
Agreement to pay the above unpaid invoices was proposed by Cllr Dutta; seconded by Cllr Martin.
-
PLANNING/TREES
CA/22/00292 Detached outbuilding. 1 Flint Cottages, Bourne Park Road, Bridge. Councillors reviewed the plans and there were no objections. The Clerk will let CCC know.
CA/21/02480 Prior approval for a proposed erection of agricultural storage building. Nailbourne Keepers Cottage, Crows Camp Road, Bishopsbourne. CT4 5JH Approval not needed
CA/21/02540 Court Lodge Farmhouse, The Street, Bishopsbourne, CT4 5JA, Single-storey Garden room in rear gardenGranted
CA/21/01321Two-storey side and rear extensions together with dormer windows following demolition of out buildings and annexe. Little Pett Farm, Pett Bottom Road, Bridge CT4 5PD Awaiting decision
CA/21/00962Detached single storey out building for use as garage and
workshop. The Old Cottage, The Street, Bishopsbourne, CT4 5HT Granted
CA/20/01745Land Adjoining Gorseley Cottage Pett Bottom Road Lynsore Bottom, Bishopsbourne. Description: three single-storey terraced holiday lets with associated storage, landscaping, access, and parking. Appeal ref: 3265612 Refused
-
HIGHWAYS
A large pothole on Bourne Park Road opposite the two cottages. The Clerk will report it to Highways.
Residents have raised concerns regarding the speed that cars are driven down Frog Lane; there is a lot of traffic including pedestrians who feel very unsafe The clerk will report it to Highways to review the problem.
Cllr Prestige reported that there were several small deep potholes on The Street. It would be very easy for people to twist their ankles. The Clerk ask Highways to review the problem
Most of the potholes on Rose Lane have now been repaired. There are a few small ones remaining, but Highways won’t repair them as they are considered too small.
Highways have been clearing the drains which have improved. Now that the leaves have fallen it was agreed that we could go ahead and ask for Station Hill, Rose Lane, and The Street to be cleaned. Clerk will arrange for a date so that residents in The Street can be asked to move their cars the night before to enable the work to be carried out.
-
NEAME MEADOW
The moles had been cleared from Neame Meadow. Sadly, they are back so the Clerk will contact Pest Control asking them deal with them.
The Blue Conifer tree by Conrad Hall has now been removed and the stump ground. It has been replaced with a Weeping Beech in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It was decided that the sowing of the grass seed could wait until April. It was agreed that we would not light a bonfire on this occasion.
Grass cutting has started again. Neame Meadow will be cut every other week. The church yard on the side of the church will be cut every other week, it was agreed to cut the rear of the church a couple of times a year. The clerk will arrange it.
-
FLOOD AWARENESS
Flood Warden, Roger Martin reported that all drains and the gully on his drive were cleared and were working well. He did, however, point out that we have had no heavy rainfall since the work was carried out. It will be a test once we do get rain as to whether the drains will cope or not.
-
WASTE BASKET
We are still waiting to hear from CCC about placing the extra bin by the Tadpole tearoom. The Clerk will chase.
-
WEBSITE
Cllr Dutta reported that the website is fully up to date.
-
FAST BROADBAND
Cllr Tapley reported that there had been no further news on Fast Broadband from Open Reach. It looks like it is not going to happen.
-
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
Emails sent to all
Chief Executive Bulletin February
Sturry Road Park & Ride
South Barham Road Closed
KALC Planning Conference 10thMarch
NALC Policing Online – Working together
KALC News
Mike Sole February Newsletter
Planning Conference 10 March ZOOM
Digital Inclusion
NALC Newsletter
PCSO New PCSO Castle
Consultation Digital Inclusion Project
NALC Policy Online Event
The Future of Work Conference
KALC News
NALC Events Newsletter
Enforcement Team Update
NALC Levelling up the Nation
CCC Parish Charter
Health & Well Being Conference 22 March 2022
All councillors have been circulated with the correspondence.
-
COUNCILLORS’ RESPOSIBILITIES
Cllr Prestige Nothing to report
Cllr Andrews – KALC- Nothing to report
Cllr Tapley. – Nothing to report
Cllr Dutta– Website – Nothing to report
-
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
It was agreed to hold both the Ordinary Meeting and the Annual Village Meeting together on Tuesday 3 May 2022.The Ordinary Meeting will start at 6pm followed by the Village Meeting at 7pm. Light refreshments to be served following the Annual Village Meeting. The Clerk will organise the food and wine with a £200.00 budget
There being no further business the meeting closed at 6.35pm.