AN ORDINARY MEETING OF NORTH NIBLEY PARISH COUNCIL WAS HELD ON MONDAY, 2 JULY 2012, IN THE VILLAGE HALL, NORTH NIBLEY AT 7.30PM.

Present: Mr. D Purnell (Chairman).

Mr K Brown; Mrs K Glancy; Mr S Hale; Mr K Larkin; & Mr D Palmer.

District Councillor: Mr P Smith.

County Councillor: Dr J Cordwell.

The Clerk: Mr R Symons.

One member of the public was present.

1. To Receive and Accept Apologies for absence.

Apologies were received and accepted from Mr L Smitherman & District Councillor Mrs Cordwell.

2. Declaration of Interests. The Chairman invited members to declare any Interests relating to this Meeting. There were none.

3. To Approve and Sign the Minutes of the Meeting held on 11 June 2012, as a true and accurate record. The Minutes of the June Ordinary Meeting had previously been distributed to all members and displayed on the public notice boards and the website. All members agreed the Minutes should be signed, as a true and accurate record. The Minutes were duly signed.

4. The Council noted Matters arising from the Minutes that were not covered by agenda items.

The Clerk referred to his Update Note, which had been issued prior to the Meeting and provided additional verbal information:

1. Severn Trent Water had visited the Breakheart Hill site on Monday 25 June, only to discover they did not have the appropriate fittings to do the job. They returned to site the following day. Mr Brown confirmed that the work had been carried out. .

2. County Councillor Dr Cordwell and the Clerk met with Richard Gray & David Portlock (Gloucestershire Highways) on Tuesday 12 June. An agreement has been reached to carry out a number of improvements to road lining and traffic visibility matters. The email had been forwarded to Councillors

3. Work on the Draft New Code of Conduct is ongoing. The Clerk will bring it to the Council when it becomes available.

4. The Council had considered and commented upon an Application for Lawful Development Certificate in respect of: The Coach House, New Road, North Nibley, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 6DR. (S.12/1011/CPE) at their June Meeting. Since submitting the Council’s comments the Clerk had noticed on the Stroud DC website, information which casts some doubts on the accuracy of the information in the statements with the Application which had been read to the Council on 11 June.

5. Mr Larkin, supported by the Clerk, had attended the Appeals into the Bird Farm Planning Refusal & Enforcement Action, at Stroud DC Offices on Tuesday 26 June. The decision is likely to become available in around 7 weeks.

5. The Council considered and commented upon the following Planning Applications:

• S.12/1060/VAR. Oxleaze, Pitt Court, North Nibley, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 6EB. Renewal of S.09/0455/FUL – “demolition of existing bungalow and garage. Construction of new chalet bungalow with basement car park and storage”.

Following discussion the Council agreed to remind the Planning Authority of the conditions placed on the previous application (S.09/0455/FUL) and request that those conditions be placed upon any new consent.

• S.12/0701/COU. Hunts Court Garden and Nursery, Forthay, North Nibley, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 6DZ. Change of use of tea barn to provide residential extension.

Following discussion the Council agreed to make “No Comments”.

• S.12/1163/FUL. Katharine’s Farm Swinhay Lane, Swinhay, Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire, GL12 7PH. Conversion and extension to stable block to create one dwelling.

Following discussion the Council agreed to make “No Comments”.

• S.12/1185/HHOLD. Waterley House, Waterley Bottom, North Nibley, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 6EF. Conversion of existing outbuilding to new garden room and wine cellar.

Following discussion the Council agreed to Comment that should planning permission be given a Condition should be made that the property should not be used to create a future independent residential dwelling.

5. The Council noted that Stroud District Planning Authority has agreed to give Permission for:

• S.12/0845/LBC The Round House Whiteway Hill, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 6AD. Work to sitting room and dining room in tower part.

• S.12/0691/LBC The Round House Whiteway Hill, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 6AD. Replacement windows to historic tower.

• S.12/0809/HHOLD The Round House Whiteway Hill, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 6AD. Extension of garage roof to create attic room with external entrance.

5. The Chairman closed the Meeting for Public Discussion and Questions.

A member of the public thanked the Council for their positive response to a request made at an earlier Meeting (Minute 16/05/2012) for the Council to find suitable land for an allotment. They have visited the site at Hillesley but considered it was too far away to be practical for an allotment. Councillors brought to the attention of the resident that there are some new allotments near the roundhouse on the Wotton under Edge to Charfield Road, in the direction of North Nibley. It was also agreed that the resident should provide the Clerk with details to enable a poster to be placed in the Parish Council notice boards.

There being no further Public Matters, the Chairman re-opened the Meeting.

5. The Council received a written District Council Report from District Councillor Mr P Smith. (See filed aside). There were no questions. The Chairman thanked Councillor Smith.

5. The Council received a written County Council Report from County Councillor Dr J Cordwell. (See filed aside). A large pothole in The Throat, just above Apple Tree Farm, was brought to Councillor Cordwell’s attention. He agreed to follow up this matter with County Highways. The Chairman thanked Councillor Cordwell.

5. The Chairman invited Parish Councillors to report on any Meetings they had attended.

• Mr Larkin reported that he had attended a meeting of parish councils and GAPTC at which a draft Consultation Framework with Stroud DC was discussed. There would be a further meeting after the Summer. Mr Larkin arranged for the draft document to be copied to Councillors.

• Mr Larkin reported on the recent Appeal Hearing into the Bird Farm Planning Application. Mr Larkin, supported by the Clerk, represented the Parish Council. Mr Larkin, having provided a summary of the Hearing explained that the Decision was expected to take around 7 weeks. That decision would determine if the mobile caravan stayed on site, or had to be removed. Mr Larkin explained that the Inspector had made it clear that his decision would be based upon the functional need for the Applicants to have a temporary residential property on site and that matters of visual impact were secondary to this consideration.

The Chairman thanked Mr Larkin for his involvement and in spending his time in representing the Council at the Hearing.

5. The Clerk issued paper copies of an advice letter headed “Localism Act 2011: changes to the Standards Regime. Disclosable Pecuniary Interests. The letter was dated 19 June 2012 and addressed to all District and Town/Parish Councillors, from Mr Peter Woodcock, Legal Services Manager & Monitoring Officer, Stroud District Council. The letter had previously been issued to all Councillors by email.

The Clerk explained that the new rules applied from 1 July 2012 and that Councillors would have to complete new Declaration Forms once they became available. Meanwhile the Act applied and Councillors needed to take care wherever their interests conflicted with matters before the Parish Council.

Councillors were invited to ask questions, following which the Clerk asked Councillors present to confirm that they understood the new rules as they apply to Parish Councillors. All Parish Councillors present confirmed their understanding. The Clerk will arrange for the absent Councillor to be briefed.

5. Parish Council Finances.

1. The Council approved the Invoices and drew up cheques for all items on the enclosed Payments Schedule. (See aside)

5. The Council received and approved a verbal Cemetery Report. The Clerk reported that he had instructed Mr Hall (Garden Supplies) to carry out some work in the Cemetery. Mrs King had previously instructed a contractor to cut the hedge around the main entrance to the Cemetery.

5. The Council received for information details of Correspondence & Messages. (See aside).

The Clerk read out a letter received earlier in the day from the Manager of the Village Shop.

There being no further business the Meeting closed at 9.00pm.

The next Meeting of the Parish Council will be held in the Village Hall on Monday 6 August 2012 at 7.30 pm.