BRAMLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Meeting of the Council
| Date: | Tuesday 18th June 2024 | Time: 7.30pm |
| Place: | Bramley Room, Bramley Village Hall | |
| Present: | Cllr Tony Durrant (Chair) | Cllr Malcolm Bell |
| Cllr Chris Flooks | Cllr Chris Tomblin | |
| Cllr Sue Howell | Cllr Iain James | |
| Cllr Keith Oborn | Cllr Alan Munday | |
| In attendance: | Maxta Thomas (Clerk) | 4 members of the public |
| Apologies: | Cllr Rhydian Vaughan (County) |
| Action | ||
| 1 | Apologies for Absence | |
| As listed above. | ||
| 2 | Declarations of Interest | |
| Cllr Durrant declared an interest in planning matters due to his position on the BDBC Development Control Committee. He took no part in any planning decisions.
Cllr Howell declared an interest in the Friendship Walks grant request at item 12.1 and took no part in the decision on that item. |
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| 3. | Co-option of Councillor Bramley East Ward | |
| Two candidates have come forward to stand for co-option. Details of both candidates have been circulated to all councillors prior to the meeting. After some discussion, councillors voted by majority that Jan Wright be co-opted to Bramley Parish Council. Cllr Wright duly took her place on Bramley Parish Council. | ||
| Minutes of the Last Parish Council Meeting | ||
| 4.1 | The minutes of the Annual Meeting and Full Council meetings on 21st May 2024 were proposed Cllr James and seconded by Cllr Durrant and unanimously agreed as being a true record of the meetings. The Chairman duly signed the minutes of the meeting. |
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| 4.2 | Matters arising | |
| None. | ||
| 4.3 | Outstanding actions | |
| · Hedge cutting at St James Park allotments – this needs to be looked into, but will not happen until after the nesting season has finished.
· Footpath maintenance – the HCC Rights of Way team has confirmed that they will not be cutting back vegetation unless requested to. They have recommended that those councils in a Lengthsman Scheme cluster should consider using the Lengthsman to carry out any vegetation clearance necessary. · Grays Meadow allotment land registration – the Clerk has looked further at the necessary work required for this, and has concluded that the conveyancing should be done via a solicitor. She has contacted the PCs solicitor and is taking this forward. · Clift Meadow Trustees meeting – this meeting to discuss possible CIL projects is scheduled for 25th June at 6.30pm. |
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| 5 | Open Forum | |
| None. | ||
| 6. | County Councillor Report – see appendix A. | |
| 7. | Borough Councillor Report – Cllrs Durrant, Tomblin and Oborn gave a verbal report.
· Meetings not taking place due to election purdah (apart from Planning). · Green Week – this occurred at beginning of June and was very successful. · Local Plan Update – assessment on consultation responses is being carried out and will take some time. |
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| 8. | Parish Environment | |
| 8.1 | Land purchase at Longbridge Road update – Cllr Durrant and the Clerk has met with the vendors land agent, and solicitors have been engaged on both sides. A draft contract has been received, and the Clerk will go through it this week. |
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| 8.2 | D-Day 80 event review – Cllr Bell stated that the event was a resounding success, with around 550 people attending. He thanked all parties involved, and noted that public thanks have been placed on the Bramley PC Facebook page, as well as the Bramley Community Group Facebook page and in the Bramley Magazine.
The Clerk noted that the event came in very slightly above budget. Cllr Durrant thanked Cllr Bell for his work in organising the event. Ther have been very good responses from residents. Cllr Munday thanked Clift Meadow team for their assistance in the set up. Clerk to send letters of thanks to suppliers. |
Clerk |
| 9 | Clerk’s report & Administration | |
| 9.1 | Parish magazine article – Cllr Munday will write the article for the September issue of the Parish magazine (there is no publication in August). Copy is due by 15th August. |
Cllr Munday |
| 10 | Reports | |
| 10.1 | Planning Committee (see appendix B) – Cllr Flooks noted the recent planning committee meeting. The Meadow View appeal was noted.
Water issues – no resolution from developer on sorting out the issues at Centenary Fields. Cllr Bell to forward information to Clerk and Ward Councillors. Clerk to write to Bewley expressing PC disappointment in lack of action. i. 24/01165/OUT – Bow Brook Farm Vyne Road Bramley Outline planning application for the construction of 50 dwellings with all matters reserved except for access o The Planning Committee has recommended to Full Council objecting to this planning application. The Clerk has circulated a draft response to all councillors. o Thames Water engineer responsible for Bramley work will be in touch with planning officers. This should be added to the PC response o Cllr Tomblin has asked for it to be called in should Planning Officers approve the application. o Objections unanimously agreed. Clerk to process. |
Clerk
Clerk |
| 10.2 | Allotments and Burial Ground – Cllr Howell gave a brief verbal report.
She has visited both allotment sites, and noted which plots are not being productive. She will write an introductory email next week. A missing padlock at Grays Meadow has been replaced. Cllr Howell is looking forward to meeting all allotment holders. |
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| 10.3 | Village Hall Trust – Cllr Oborn gave a verbal update. The AGM is scheduled for 1st July 2024. | |
| 10.4 | Clift Meadow Trust – Cllr Munday gave a brief verbal report.
· Chase the Sun event – Clift Meadow is hosting refreshments this Sunday. · The 5 year plan will be part of discussions with PC in June. · AGM – 28th June |
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| 10.5 | Highways/Footpaths – nothing to report.
· Cllr Durrant urged councillors to report any issues with footpaths to Clerk. · Sign at end of Pond Road is missing – Clerk to report. |
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| 10.6 | Chairmans Report – Cllr Durrant thanked Graham White for his work on Speedwatch. Graham noted a possible conflict between SID and the Autospeedwatch camera. The CSW team have had some discussions with local police about enforcement.
Biodiversity Policy – Cllr Durrant has reviewed the policy, and noted that there are issues in the policy surrounding landowners of land that the PC manages. He noted that Bramley PC cannot override the landowners rights. He has made some draft changes. To be reviewed and voted on at the July meeting. Cllr Tomblin commented that BDBC own very little land within Bramley Parish, and that developers are bound by planning regulations, so the upcoming Neighbourhood Plan review could start to map out important green corridors within the Parish. A Wilder Bramley representative noted the need for a Bramley PC asset plan to enable a sustainability action plan and green mapping. Graham White noted that other parishes have put together green asset register using contractors to do the bulk of the work. He feels that this is something that Bramley PC could look at. Cllr Durrant noted that costing and funding would need to be looked at. |
Clerk |
| 11 | Consultation documents requiring consideration | |
| None. | ||
| 12 | Grant Applications | |
| 12.1 | Friendship Walks – a grant request has been received from the Clift Surgery PPG. It is for support in paying the hall hire costs for the next year for the Friendship Walks, and is for £1170. Cllr Tomblin proposed giving the grant as applied for, Cllr Munday seconded, unanimously agreed. Clerk to take forward. |
Clerk |
| 12.2 | Bramley Village Hall – a grant request has been received for funding of a gate at the end of the access track by the side of the Village Hall. The total cost for the project is £740+VAT. Cllr Oborn proposed giving the grant as applied for, Cllr James seconded, unanimously agreed. This will be funded by CIL funding. Clerk to take forward. Recommend getting existing gate upgraded at some point in the near future. |
Clerk |
| 13 | Finance | |
| 13.1 | Approval of payments (see appendix C) – the Clerk has circulated the list of payments for approval. Cllr Munday proposed and Cllr Howell seconded that the June payments be approved. Majority agreed – Cllr Bell abstained.. Clerk to process. |
Clerk |
| 13.2 | CIL Income & Expenditure update – see appendix D.
This was noted. The Clerk stated that no CIL funding is due for this half of the year, but that BDBC has confirmed that around £122k is expected in October. |
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| 13.3 | Receipts – these were noted. | |
| 14 | Date of Next meeting | |
| The next full Parish Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 16th July 2024. | ||
| 15 | Resolution to exclude press and public from items that may require discussion of possible legal and financial proceedings | |
| None. | ||
| 16 | Confidential Items | |
| None | ||
| The meeting closed at 21.03pm. |
Signed: …………………………………………………………………. Date: ………………………………………
(Chairman)
Appendix A – May Briefing notes
COMMUNITY SPEEDWATCH
Concerning speeds – Speeding is a general concern throughout the village. With 3251 vehicles recorded at 35mph or above recorded on the camera last month. Given that approximately 25% of hits by the camera are not recorded due to dirty number plate, poor quality photo etc, this number is actually more in the region of 4000 incidences of speeding by the Village hall in April.
SIDs: See Table 2
The SIDs were in operation throughout April. Due to the manufacture stopping the support of it’s Web based software (Apple platform) interrogation of the data had been limited. We now have a means of Data interrogation.
Due to the Radar interference issues (see Equipment) unfortunately it is not possible to get direct comparisons between the SID and Camera data.
Recent Local SpeedWatch Activity – 3 manned Deployment were undertaken during April. A total of 39 vehicles were reported to the Police from the 327 vehicles checked – hit rate 12%. Top speed recorded 46mph.
Road Signs – A lot of the road signage is becoming illegible due to alga build up or in one instance (east bound side by Tudor Farm) a 30mph sign is obscured by the overburden of a resident’s hedge. I have cleaned a few signs where they are particularly bad. Could the PC please press Highways for the cleaning of the signage throughout the village and the cutting back of resident’s hedges where they are obscuring the signage.
Equipment – An issue has arisen where overlapping Radar Signals from SIDs, Camera and Speed Gun could potentially cause interference with each other, in the case of the camera when a SID was placed on the same pole as the camera the SID the camera recorded a 50% drop in +35mphs, whilst it would be nice to think that the SID had such an effect this is not likely the case. Discussions with the Camera manufacture highlighted the issue that Radar interference may be causing a drop in sensitivity of the Camera and thus likely to account for the drop in recordings between 20th to the 25th of April . The SID has now been removed to a location so as not to cause interference with the Camera. I have highlighted this issue to the Police and am awaiting a response.
AutoSpeedWatch Camera (see also equipment above) – The Camera is providing a lot of useful data and discussions are beginning to take place with the police as how best to use the data. The Police have asked for some specific data on persistent speeders so that they may be able to target the times that they are passing through the village With regard to non-Taxed or non- MOT’d vehicles; where it can be confirmed on the DVLA database that the vehicle has not been Taxed for a while, these are being reported through the Government Web facility for this purpose. For non-MOT’d vehicles there is no such facility for reporting, however the report we provide to the Police highlights the Vehicles with no MOT.
Table 1: Camera Data (April) – The Camera trigger and reporting speed are set at =>35mph.
The integration software provides very tuneable (temporal) comprehensive reports. I can supply these reports if requested, however the data falls within the scope of the GDPR and must be treated as such.
The following camera data was downloaded at 9pm on the 30th April.
| Month/Year | Verified Speeders =>35mph | Max Speed Recorded | Highest number of offences committed by one vehicle | Fastest Hour |
| April 2004 | 3251 | 59 | 15 (also highest speeder) | 7pm |
Note the drop in recordings between 20th to the 25th of April was likely due to Radar interference. See AutoSpeedWatch Camera above.
Table 2: Speed Indicator Device (SID) DATA April 2024:
| SID Location | Days Deployed | Traffic
Direction |
%
Exceeding 30mph |
No
Exceeding 60mph |
Max
Speed Recorded |
V85* | Average speed |
| The Street by Churchlands | 10 | East Bound | 52% | 5 | 68 | 35 | 31 |
| West of 40-30mph transition Bramley Green Data from leaving SID | 10 | West Bound | 75% | 6 | 68 | 38 | 33 |
| The Street by Churchlands | 6 | East Bound | 50% | 2 | 64 | 35 | 31 |
| West of 40-30mph transition Bramley Green Data from leaving SID | 6 | West Bound | 70% | 2 | 65 | 37 | 33 |
| The Street by Churchlands | 7 | East Bound | 49% | 2 | 67 | 35 | 31 |
| The Street Village Hall | 7 | East Bound | 33% | 2 | 68 | 33 | 29 |
*V85: 85% of vehicles are driving slower or exactly this speed.
ALLOTMENTS/BURIAL GROUND
No written report received.
VILLAGE HALL TRUST
No written report received.
CLIFT MEADOW TRUST
No written report received.
BOROUGH COUNCILLOR REPORT
No written report received.
COUNTY COUNCILLOR REPORT
Different coloured markings on pavements and roads
People often ask about the markings on roads and pavements, often wondering what they mean.
Here’s a quick guide to understanding this unique highway language!
Across England over 50 utility companies utilise a vivid array of spray-painted symbols to communicate what lies beneath our feet. Each colour and symbol serves as a critical guide, ensuring safe and efficient urban maintenance.
**Red**: A warning of electrical cables. Lines, numbers, and letters like ‘L/V’ (low voltage) or ‘H/V’ (high voltage) indicate the position and type of electrical hazards. Look out for ‘SWA’ to spot steel-wire armoured cables!
**White**: The all-rounder colour used for general instructions and notes by contractors. Whether it’s marking previous road schemes or indicating utility cover issues, white is essential for communication on the ground.
**Blue**: This colour flags the presence of water mains. Often marked by specialized locating companies, these indicators help preemptively map out water infrastructure to prevent mishaps during digging.
**Yellow**: Not just for parking lines! On pavements, yellow highlights gas lines, detailing pressure levels (LP, MP, HP) and other pertinent info like bends in the pipes.
**Green**: Increasingly used to denote cable communications and networks such as CCTV and cable TV lines. It’s a digital world under there!
**Others**: Sometimes, you might come across markings that seem like a cryptic code or even resemble hieroglyphs! These could indicate anything from future street furniture like lamp posts to specific utility needs.
However, if there isn’t a white line around a pothole or road defect for example it doesn’t mean it’s not being fixed. Much of the reporting process for work to fix problems is now carried out digitally – so imagine a virtual white line being painted around the pothole which has been photographed and geolocated so they repair team know exactly what they are doing.
Remember, these colours and symbols are not dictated by law but by convention. They represent a critical language spoken by those who maintain and engineer our county’s infrastructure, ensuring safety and continuity in our daily lives.
Next time you’re walking around, take a moment to spot these colourful clues to what’s hidden beneath your path!
Winter Salting Route Test Runs – Don’t be surprised if you catch sight of one of our salting lorries out in the next few weeks. In preparation for next winter, our highways teams are testing some spreading equipment and doing this now before the gritters are parked up for summer.
If you do come across ‘Snow Patroller’ or ‘Grittindor’ on your travels, please be patient and give them the space they need to operate and remember these vehicles are limited to a maximum speed of 30mph for everyone’s safety.
Reporting Highways Problems
- Links to report road issues are here:
- Potholes: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/roadmaintenance/roadproblems/potholes
- Tree/hedge problems:
https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/roadmaintenance/roadproblems/treehedge
- Flooding/drainage issues:
https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/roadmaintenance/roadproblems/flooding
- Pavement problems:
https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/roadmaintenance/roadproblems/paving
- Problems with rights of way:
https://www.hants.gov.uk/landplanningandenvironment/rightsofway/reportaproblem
When reporting an issue, you’ll be sent an email confirming a reference number for the report. If you would like me to follow this up for you then do please forward that message to me and I will chase for you
Do you know anyone who may qualify for free childcare? – Do you need 30 hours funded childcare? If you are a working parent or carer with a three or four year-old, then you might be eligible for Government funded childcare.
You may be able to access the funding if you (and your partner) meet the working and income eligibility criteria.
Check your family’s eligibility for the 30 Hours Childcare and other help with childcare costs, by using the childcare calculator https://www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator
For more information and apply online, see https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk or call 0300 1234097.
Supporting Hampshire’s farmers – My Hampshire County Councillor colleague Cllr Russell Oppenheimer has written an excellent Op-Ed piece for the Hampshire Chronicle about how we can all help Hampshire’s farmers.
I recommend it to you, it’s here: https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/…/24233542…/
Cllr Rhydian Vaughan, MBE
Fb.com/tellrhydian
Appendix B – Planning Summary
Approvals/Refusals*
| 1. | 23/02793/FUL – Barn Adjacent To Latchmere Green Farm Ash Lane Little London
Demolition of existing barn and erection 1 no. 4 bed dwellinghouse |
Granted
No objection |
| 2. | 23/02907/FUL – Meadow View Sherfield Road Bramley
Replacement detached dwelling following the demolition of the existing bungalow and workshop and garage. |
Granted
Objection |
| 3. | 23/02946/FUL – Meadow View Sherfield Road Bramley
Erection of 2no semi-detached 2no bedroom bungalows and creation of a new access following the demolition of an existing green house |
Refused
Objection |
| 4. | ||
| 5. | T/00583/23/TPO – 8 Oakmead Bramley
T1 Oak: prune. |
Granted
Defer to tree officer |
| 6. | 24/00270/HSE – Lyndale Sherfield Road Bramley
Erection of a single storey rear extension. |
Granted
No objection |
| 7. | 24/00382/LDPO – 5 Bartlett Close Bramley
Certificate of lawfulness for the proposed loft conversion with rear dormer with rooflights on the front slope |
Granted
No objection |
| 8. | 24/00413/HSE – 6 Pound Close Bramley
Proposed single storey rear extension. |
Granted
No objection |
| 9. | 24/00421/RET – 17 The Smithy Bramley
Retrospective application for the erection of a pergola |
Granted
No objection |
| 10. | 24/00493/HSE – 17 Wallis Drive Bramley
Installation of air source heat pump |
Granted
No objection |
| 11. | 24/00514/HSE – 10 Cornice Road Chineham
Erection of single storey rear extension and alteration to part of the car port |
Application withdrawn
Objection |
| 12. | T/00164/24/TCA – Grays House The Street Bramley
T1 Sycamore: remove 4 lowest branches over garden back to source. |
Raise no objection
Defer to tree officer |
Pending Applications*
| 1. | 20/03204/VLA – Land At Minchens Lane Bramley
Variation of Section 106 agreement attached to 14/01075/OUT to enable the transfer of the Equipped play area, northern kick about and southern kick about areas to the existing management company instead of the Parish Council |
No comment as PC has interest in application |
| 2. | 22/01703/VLA – Land At The Street The Street Bramley
Variation of section 106 agreement attached to 15/02682/OUT to insert mortgagee in possession clause |
No comment |
| 3. | 23/01646/FUL – Land Adjacent To Cufaude Manor Cufaude Lane Bramley
Erection of a single storey 3-bedroom dwelling together with hard and loft landscaping and on-curtilage parking |
Objection |
| 4. | 23/01897/FUL – Land Adjacent To Ridgewell Cufaude Lane Bramley
Erection of 1 no. 4 bed dwelling and detached garage following demolition of existing outbuildings/stables |
Objection |
| 5. | 23/02051/HSE – 3 Churchlands Bramley
Proposed loft conversion with front dormer and creation of front porch |
No objection |
| 6. | 23/02091/VLA – Land At Minchens Lane Bramley
Variation of Section 106 agreement attached to 14/01075/OUT to allow an amended Mortgagee Exclusion Clause |
No comment |
| 7. | 23/02528/VLA – Land To The North Of Sherfield Road Bramley
Variation of section 106 agreement and deed of variation attached to 15/02708/OUT to update the mortgagee exclusion clause (MEC) |
No comment |
| 8. | 23/02868/RES – Land At Stocks Farm The Street Bramley
Reserved matters application submitted pursuant to outline planning APP/H1705/W/22/3302752 for 140 dwellings, Class E Community building, public open space, landscaping, drainage, parking, and associated infrastructure works. |
Objection |
| 9. | 23/02912/OUT – Boarsbridge House Bramley Road Little London
Erection of one detached dwelling and garage access utilising an existing access to the south of Boards Bridge Road on land adjacent to Boars Bridge House, to include access and layout |
Objection |
| 10. | 23/02948/LDEU – Stables At Bow Brook Farm Vyne Road Bramley
Certificate of lawfulness for the existing use of part of an existing stable block as a single dwellinghouse. |
Objection |
| 11. | 23/03051/FUL – Land North Of Sherfield Road And To East Of Strawberry Fields Sherfield Road Bramley
Proposed development of 20 residential dwellings, vehicular access from Sherfield Road, public open space, landscaping, ancillary works and associated infrastructure on land North of Sherfield Road, Bramley. |
Objection |
| 12. | T/00007/24/TPO – 4 Oakmead Bramley
T1 – Oak: prune |
Defer to tree officer |
| 13. | 24/00075/FUL – Land To The East Of Ash Lane And Ash Park Business Centre Ash Lane Little London
Construction of a battery Storage Facility with ancillary development |
Objection |
| 14. | T/00043/24/TPO – 16 St James Close Bramley
Fell 1 Lime. |
Defer to tree officer |
| 15. | 24/00335/ROC – Cedarwood Silchester Road Bramley
Variation of condition 4 (arboricultural report) of 23/00780/FUL for the erection of 1 no dwelling and garage to replace arboricultural report with an updated version |
N objection, comments |
| 16. | 24/00407/PIP – Locksbridge Farm Cufaude Lane Bramley
Permission in Principle for 2 no. dwellings with separate car port, bin/cycle store and landscaped garden. |
Objection |
| 17. | 24/00446/FUL – Cufaude Cufaude Lane Bramley
Change of use of land from Residential to Agricultural with erection of tractor shed on site. Change of use of land from Agricultural to Residential. |
No objection, comments |
| 18. | T/00135/24/TPO – 16 Wallis Drive Bramley
T2 Sycamore in the front garden: pollard. |
Defer to tree officer |
| 19. | 24/00608/VLA – Land At Silchester Road Silchester Road Bramley
Request for variation of Section 106 agreement attached to 20/00319/FUL and 22/03224/ROC to allow the sale of five out of seven open market dwellings prior to a registered affordable housing provider being under contract to purchase the five designated affordable dwellings |
Objection |
| 20. | 24/00615/FUL – The Clift Surgery Minchens Lane Bramley
Installation of Prescription Dispenser and lighting. |
No objection |
| 21. | 24/00409/FUL – Lantern Courtyard, The Barn The Street Bramley
Change of use from Class F2(A) to Class E (for bistro & farm shop use), installation of extractor vent and air conditioner outdoor units. Display of various advertisement signs and lighting. |
No objection, comments |
| 22. | 24/00410/ADV – Lantern Courtyard, The Barn The Street Bramley
Display of 2 no fascia signs with washer lights, 1 no. logo sign and 1 no. non-illuminated wall sign. |
No objection, comments |
| 23. | 24/00679/FUL – Cherry Blossom Manor German Road Bramley
Erection of two storey extension to care home, plus garden pavilion and five additional car parking spaces. |
No objection |
| 24. | 24/00695/FUL – Land At Cherry Blossom Manor German Road Bramley
Single storey dental surgery with associated car and cycle parking |
No objection, comments |
| 25. | 24/00714/RET – Land At MOD Bramley Training Area Campbell Road Bramley
Temporary change of use of land and buildings for film making with associated temporary sets and facilities vehicles, access, parking and storage. |
No comment |
*Objections/no objections listed are the decision of Bramley Parish Council only, and do not reflect any submissions placed by members of the public or other bodies with Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council.
Appendix C – June Finance Statement
The June finance statement can be viewed here.
Appendix D – CIL statement
The June CIL statement can be viewed here.