Minutes of January 2022 meeting
NORTH SCARLE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of a meeting held on 19 January 2022 at 7.30pm in
North Scarle Village Hall
The Vice-Chairwoman welcomed everyone to the meeting at 7.30pm. 4 parishioners attended.
PRESENT
Cllr S Walsh – Vice-Chairwoman Cllr K Coram
Cllr R Pullen Cllr D Russell
Cllr A Walsh
Mrs H Broderick (Clerk)
Open session:
- Parishioners commented on planning application 21/1275/FUL (see agenda item). Another parishioner suggested a different surface/drainage would be more appropriate.
- Parishioner thanked the Sewerage working party and commented on the health and safety issues caused by parking problems at the school. Been in touch with school and LCC to express concerns. Tractors driving dangerously. Parents are turning in parking area whilst children are present.
416 APOLOGIES
Received from Cllr David Jennings and Cllr K Ward
417 TO RECEIVE ANY DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
None.
418 MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 10 NOVEMBER 2021
It was resolved to adopt the Minutes as a true record and they were signed by the Vice-Chairwoman.
419 PLANNING having already been circulated to Cllrs, were read aloud:
Decision notices – for information only
21/1557/HOUS – 30 High Street - determined and approved.
21/1573/FUL – Oakleigh, Spalford Road – determined and approved.
21/1206/HOUS – 3 Chapel Lane – determined and approved.
Applications - comments submitted to NKDC after collation of email responses and resolved at this meeting
21/1728/FUL – Aubourn Farm, Wigsley Road. No objections. 5 no objections, 2 abstentions.
21/1275/FUL – Cemetery, High Street. No objections. Parishioners expressed concerns that the proposed location of the spoil site would lead to flooding in their garden. They asked if Cllr Jennings was gaining from the benefit mentioned to the grade II listed building and from the spoil. They were assured that this was not the case and the Vice-Chairwoman read an email from Cllr Jennings stating that another planning application would be needed to have the spoil put on his land, that he had spoken to NKDC and was looking at alternatives to remove the spoil and it was resolved that further discussion by the Parish Councillors was needed. Parishioners also asked if the decision to put in a planning application was discussed at a Parish Council meeting and were assured that it had been discussed at several meetings before the application was submitted.
Appeals – comments submitted to Planning Inspectorate after collation of email responses and resolved at this meeting
Appeal Ref: APP/R2520/W/21/3275297. Planning Ref: 20/1165/VARCON – land adjacent to Sundara 43 South Scarle Lane. Further comments sent to planning inspectorate in addition to previous comments sent to NKDC Planning Department:
- Greater need for a path now that planning for 5 rather than the original 3 properties has been approved.
- Speeding has been reported on South Scarle Lane and PC will be using a mobile SID.
Vice Chairwoman commented that the previous similar application on Eagle Road had been approved due to lack of space because of hedges which had subsequently been removed. She asked NKDC Cllr Overton for his comments. He had spoken to Planning Officer who has written to planning inspectorate in our favour but may be a while before a decision is made.
Applications – resolutions required
22/0006/TCA – weeping willow tree works – 1 South Scarle Lane. It was resolved that there were no objections.
420 NKDC REPORT
NKDC Cllr Peter Overton report was moved up the agenda. He has spoken to NKDC and Trent Valley Internal Drainage Board (TVIDB) regarding Eagle Road which has been very helpful. Parishioner asked if the revised local plan would be taking flooding issues into account during the panning process and suggested that the flood risk assessment should include a drainage proposal and have they considered the Winter water level? Cllr Overton confirmed that the plan is addressing the issue of flood risk and drainage plans. Councils are under pressure from the Government to build.
421 FINANCES
A schedule of payments made between 1 November 2021 and 31 December 2021 was circulated to the Parish Councillors ahead of the meeting.
Cllr Coram queried why PC were responsible for streetlights and why some are non-LED. As the PC have been responsible for many years the Clerk will look to see if old correspondence is available, but it was pointed out the costs for this are met through the precept. Clerk will also provide Cllrs with figures to replace bulbs with LEDs.
Invoices paid via BACS were signed and countersigned.
Individual payments made in the period which exceeded £100:
For Amount £
Heritage Room electricity bills (total in the period) 325.48
Heritage Room rent for 16 months (total in the period) 1666.64
Printing North Scarle Matters 135.00
Streetlight electricity for 1 year 715.37
Cemetery grass cutting 105.00
Total wages in the period 624.00
422 SEWAGE WORKING PARTY
Cllr S Walsh read her report which is attached.
423 PRECEPT FIGURES FOR 2022/23
Figures had been circulated to Cllrs ahead of the meeting. Cllr A Walsh proposed that provision should be included for a replacement dog bin in the playing field and this was resolved. The precept figure was therefore amended to £11,740 and this was resolved.
424 SPEEDING
A complaint has been received regarding speeding on Hives Lane. A speed limit review by LCC was discussed and it was resolved that this would be requested although it was acknowledged that enforcement is difficult.
425 FINDING FITNESS
PC had received information regarding a sports holiday club. Several Cllrs expressed concerns including safeguarding and insurance issues which would leave the PC vulnerable to any problems arising. The venue would probably be the playing field which isn’t managed by the PC. Cllr S Walsh proposed that the PC shouldn’t be involved in the club and this was resolved.
426 LCC’S BUDGET PROPOSALS FOR 2022/23
LCC have proposed a 3% increase to Council Tax for adult social care. This was discussed and comments included the need for adult social care for an aging population and the current rates of inflation. It was resolved that the PC had no objections to this proposed rise.
427 QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE
Vice-Chairwoman Cllr S Walsh read out Cllr Jennings’ report. The advert in North Scarle Matters had met with no response. An informal poll of residents regarding the date resulted in a change to Sunday 5th June which is in line with the Big Luncheon date. 2 further members will join the organising group. Basic format has been agreed and people and businesses will be approached to make bookings and firm up requests for help, donations and equipment. The next group meeting will be on 7th February. The Beacon lighting will be on 2nd June at approximately 9.15pm.
428 LCC REPORT
LCC Cllr Thompson provided information on LCC’s campaign “Fix our funds to fix our road” and supplied the Clerk with postcards and a poster. He commented that North Scarle was the only one of his Parish Council’s that had already written to the MP on the subject since the launch of the campaign. Regarding parking at School – it’s a County wide problem. First approach should be to school – bollards, stickers on cars. LRSP have a school safety department. Cllr S Walsh commented that many HGVs are using School Lane. Cllr Thompson suggested reporting drivers directly to the company responsible.
429 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
It was resolved to agree the date of the next meeting 9 March 2022 at 7.30pm.
The Vice-Chairwoman closed the meeting at 8.49pm
Item 422 Sewerage Working Party Report
During our last meeting on 25th August 2021 with Karl Wilson from Severn Trent (as already published in September’s Parish Council minutes) we were advised that they were going to carry out ‘ice pigging’ to cleanse the outward-going main sewer line and fit a flow metre down School Lane to monitor the volume of input into the village system.
We were later informed that they needed to install a new valve at the pumping station to allow pumping of the ice/cleaning material directly into the exit sewer line to bypass the pump chamber. This was carried out at the beginning of December but, whist alterations were taking place, the main pipe was damaged and so additional tankering had to be put in place whilst this was repaired.
Severn Trent have, just last week, advised us that the ‘ice pigging’ is planned to take place on 25th January. Unfortunately, they will have to set up traffic lights outside the pump station for the day to be able to carry this out!
They also, recently, informed us that there has been a substantial increase of wet wipes and fat collecting in their pump chamber, which meant extra unplanned cleansing of this pump chamber. In addition, this misuse significantly reduces the pump capacity. The Severn Trent Network Protection Team will be engaging with residents to educate them on sewer misuse which will involve house to house visits and further investigations of the source of wet wipes and fats.
In the best interests of all North Scarle households, it is crucial that residents have consideration for the network and follow the advice given.
It has previously also been pointed out by Severn Trent that one of the issues during wet weather, is that some properties in North Scarle are believed to be using the network to remove roof surface water. The system is for foul discharge only! Residents who can prove that they are using the network for foul discharge only, may get a rebate, depending on how they are billed at present. This would, according to Karl Wilson at ST help the network system substantially as the added rainfall catchment adds significant volumes to the sewer.
We have chased ST on the flow monitoring valve, which is on order but, because it has to be specially made for the task and separate departments at Severn Trent have to approve matters, this is taking longer than Karl had hoped.
The Working Party will continue to follow up on matters that we feel still need resolving, but we can accept that we have made lots of progress over the past few years. We very much appreciate all that Karl Wilson has continued to do over the period from when he took on his position.
In brief the following changes that have already been achieved;
- Reconfiguration of the pump station pipework to increase pump capacity.
- New pumps to replace the old pumps that were not working at capacity.
- Changes to the overflow outlet into Mill Dam Dyke to prevent water back flowing into the pump station.
- New monitoring equipment in the pump station so that ST can react to problems much quicker.
- After many years of residents arguing the case, ST have finally accepted that discharge by third parties is causing significant problems at the pump station and the flow monitoring valve(s) will address this problem to limit discharge to the approved volumes.
- New flow meter valve fitted on the outgoing main sewer line to monitor volume of outgoing flow from the pumping station to Eagle
- In 2022 the sewage pipe from North Scarle to Eagle will be cleaned again to increase flow rate from the pumping station.
- One- way valves and additional storage capacity have been fitted to some individual properties, including the school.
Susan Walsh
Chairman of the Working Party
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