Parish Council meeting minutes – 19th December 2023

A member of the public asked if Bramley PC has  considered putting in a footpath guide map at a strategic location.   Cllr Durrant responded that there is already a booklet about Bramley walks.  However, there is not a board as such.  Bramley PC is working with Silchester PC about putting up information boards for the Silchester Way.

·         Need to clarify possible future of the number 14 bus route in light of the possible cuts to bus routes across the county.  Clerk to contact Cllr Vaughan to clarify.

Clerk

·          It is proposed that some Stagecoach routes will be run by Stagecoach without subsidy.  Consultation expected in February/March.

·         More on-street car charging points are proposed for the future, in conjunction with HCC.

·         Budget consultation ends on 3^rd January.

·         Local Plan consultation will start in January.

·         Local Plan Update – the Government has said that Councils must still use the standard method to calculate housing numbers.  However, mitigating circumstances may be considered.

·         Local Plan Update – the Government is recommending that Local Plans keep to the building regulations, rather than pushing for more energy efficient homes to be built.

·         Homelessness – Apollo hotel was being used for migrants, and will now be closing and returning to commercial use.  This means that BDBC needs to find homes for the migrants.

·         Cladding work at Crown Heights has been delayed.

·         Cllr Durrant noted that some Cllr grant money remains – deadline for applications is end of February 2024.

D-Day 80 event

·         The Bramley Inn is unable to run an outside bar.  Cllr Bell to contact an alternative supplier.

·         Spitfire flypast – not all councils approached want to support the idea.  Clerk to investigate with Sherfield PC what this might mean for the cost for those parishes that do.  Bramley PC could consider supporting an extra cost if necessary.

·         Cllr Bell to write to school re reading of the poem.

Cllr Bell

Clerk

Cllr Bell

Clerk

Clerk

Cllr Durrant

Water issues – meeting with Thames Water.  Still no real timescale – contractors will conduct exploratory work in the New Year.  The project has now been passed to the contractors, who will set the schedule.  Work is unlikely to be done for at least 20 months.  No solution for Sherfield flooding issues as yet.

        i.            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.

o   Cllr Flooks summarised the points made the Planning Committee.

o   It was unanimously agreed that objections should be submitted as per the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting.

o   The Bramley PC Biodiversity policy should be included as part of objection.

Clerk to take forward.

Clerk

i.            Burial Ground rubbish area wilding proposals

Cllr Durrant noted that the 1 metre buffer zone between the area and the ditch needs to be bigger.  2-3 meters is better.

Area C for flowers could be used for cremation plots in the future.

Cllr Shimell proposed accepting plans and taking further, Cllr Durrant seconded, unanimously agreed.  Clerk to contact Wilding Group to take forward.  The PCC should be notified of the Parish Council plans.

·         Allotments – the bills for the 2024 allotment rents have been issued.  The two sites are both completely let.

·         Stocks Farm – proposed allotment site.  It is unclear in the s.106 agreement as to who will be managing them.  Cllr Shimell recommended that Bramley PC should take them on for consistency within the Parish.  Cllr Tomblin noted that he has queried what standard they will be built to – they may not be built to BDBC standards.  It was noted that there may be an expectation that Stocks Farm residents should be favoured for plots.  Cllr Durrant proposed that Bramley PC put in recommendations of what it would like to see if it is to take the allotments on.  Cllr James seconded, unanimously agreed.

·         Burial Ground – the Clerk noted that more space for cremation plots needs to be allotted.

Clerk

·         No report.

·          No report.

·         The road closure at Sherfield-on-Loddon has been lifted for the Christmas period, and will resume on 3^rd January for 3 weeks.

·         A 2 day road closure is in effect for Cufaude Lane for emergency work by BT Openreach.

·         Clerk to write to Highways asking what they plan to do to restore the side roads once the Sherfield road closure is complete.

Clerk

A £5 per annum for each band D household is proposed to help fund a number of budget increases across the Borough.

The deadline for comments is 3^rd January 2024.

Cllr Shimell proposed, Cllr Flooks seconded that the PC would not put in a response.  Unanimously agreed.

Cllr Tomblin noted that the magazine is not currently distributed to Vyne Park.

Cllr Shimell proposed giving a grant for the whole amount, as applied for.  Cllr Bell seconded, majority approved, Cllr Tomblin voted against.  Clerk to take forward.

It was noted that delivery to Vyne Park should be encouraged for the future.  The PC could also look at other ways of supporting the magazine – one method is to possibly to take out another page in each issue, giving out ‘who to contact’ details for Borough and County Council services.  This would cost the PC an extra £1000 a year.

Clerk

The Clerk presented the draft budget for 2024-25.  The current budget, based on no increase in the precept and Council Tax Base figures, shows a deficit budget of nearly £8,000.  However, Bramley PC currently has enough reserves to cover this.

CIL income and expenditure have to be treated separately, and earmarked specifically for any infrastructure projects.  They do not form part of the bottom line budget figures.

The budget will be on the agenda for the January meeting, after the Council Tax Base figures have been released.  At that point, a final decision can be made on the precept.

Clerk

Clerk

Demolition of existing barn and erection 1 no. 4 bed dwellinghouse

·         Applicant is looking into air sourced heat pump heating.

·         No objection unanimously agreed.  Clerk to process.

Clerk

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.

·         Plots 137 and 138 appear to be 4 bed semi-detached dwellings.  3 parking spaces have been allocated, but there is no garage.  Further, the size of the dwelling does not appear to be conducive for 4 bedrooms.

·         Roof tiles – Grey or brown tiles have been specified.  Bramley PC would like confirmation that slate tiles will not be used, as this would be against the Bramley Neighbourhood Plan.

·         Proposed community facility – Members had a number of queries:

o   Given the position of the facility, how much footfall do developers expect?

o   What will happen to the facility if it can’t be fully let?

o   What is the likely impact on revenue of existing community facilities (Village Hall, Clift Meadow, etc).

·         The Design and Access Statement states that Bramley has a mix of dwellings, some of which are bungalows; however, there do not appear to be any on the plan.

·         The Sales & Marketing report does not appear to match the reality in Bramley.  It states that the average detached house price across 2022 and 2023 is around £1.2million – this seems unlikely.  It also states that there has been ‘very little new build in Bramley’ in recent years.’  This is not true – within the last 5 years, 200 houses at St James Park have been completed,  65 houses at Bramley view have been built, plus a number of other much smaller developments.  Further, Vyne Park, on the far South edge of the Parish, consists of 425 dwellings, much of which lies within Bramley Parish.

·         Materials – timber detailing is mentioned.  Members stated that this should not include timber claddings.

·         Sewerage – there is no reference to the appeal statement that there should be no occupation until the sewerage network improvement is available.  The plans also reference the ‘70^th occupation’ where the appeal statement spoke about the ‘50^th occupation’.  The appeal statement also said that tankers to deal with sewerage should be a ‘last resort’.

·         Surface water – with the known direction of travel for surface water on the site, the proposed attenuation ponds are unlikely to completely eradicate flooding issues.

·         Bowling Green – do developers plan to put in facilities for changing and equipment storage?

·         More screening is required between the development and the road into Bramley Substation.

·         The top right block (north western) corner could easily be redesigned to remove the need for the north western section of road, thus providing more green space and screening for the road into Bramley Substation.

·         Will properties at the northern edge of the development be sufficiently separated from the upcoming battery farm, which is under development now and will be to the north of the road into the Bramley Substation?

·         There is no detail on the design for the skate park.  Members noted that this is planned to be some distance from any properties, and is likely to become a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

·         Consideration should be given to protection of the open green spaces, which could attract illegal encampments.  Wooden posts (dragon’s teeth) or a bund would help with this.

·         POST MEETING NOTE: The reserved matters application identifies that 14 housing units, amounting to 10% of the properties, are shown as having “yellow facing brickwork” as well as the community building.  This is inconsistent with the vast majority of existing housing in Bramley and therefore does not align to the Bramley Neighbourhood plan, in particular Policies D1 and D2 which makes reference to materials used in the development, and supporting new developments that are consistent with existing housing,  and the NP sections on Design Policies (from 6.49 to 6.65). The Character Assessment (detailed in Appendix C of the NP) undertaken as part of the Bramley Neighbourhood Planning process, identified that the majority of housing was red brick under tiled roofs.  The planned mix of 10% “yellow facing brickwork” should be removed as it does not fit with the character of the village, with the development only consisting of the “red facing” or “red / brown facing” brickwork.  This should apply to the community building as well.

·         Objections as outlined above unanimously agreed, and Members requested that this should be considered by full council at the December meeting.  Clerk to process.

Clerk

Single storey, rear facing extension and facade alterations to a Grade II Listed Dwelling.

·         No objection unanimously agreed.  Clerk to process.

Clerk

Single storey, rear facing extension and facade alterations to a Grade II Listed Dwelling

·         See item above.

Installation of Air Source Heat Pump (AHSP) to replace current gas boiler, to be sited to rear of property underneath kitchen window (with a max volume of 62 dBA)

·         No comment unanimously agreed.  Clerk to process.

Clerk

Replacement detached dwelling following the demolition of the existing bungalow and workshop and garage.

·         No objection if application 23/02946/FUL does not go ahead.

·         If application 23/02946/FUL does go ahead, then object due to overdevelopment of the site.

·         Both applications should have been on one application if plans are to build both.

·         Extra sewage flow of three dwellings a problem with current sewerage issues.

·         Members preference is for a single dwelling rather than two bungalows.

·         Area of partition is incorrect and inconsistent in the plans for both applications.

·         Comments and objections as outlined above unanimously agreed.  Clerk to take forward.

Clerk

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

·         ‘Creeping development’ into open countryside.

·         Isolated – some distance from local services.  The is against Local Plan policy SS6.

·         Outside the Settlement Policy boundary

·         The site is on the edge of flood zones 2 and 3.

·         Sewage arrangement is in close proximity to the food zone and would therefore be problematic.

·         Objections unanimously agreed.  Clerk to process.

Clerk

Erection of 2no semi-detached 2no bedroom bungalows and creation of a new access following the demolition of an existing green house

·         See comments for 23/02907/FUL.

Certificate of lawfulness for the existing use of part of an existing stable block as a single dwellinghouse.

·         The large gate into the property appears to conceal the residential occupation for the last 4 years.

·         Against Local Plan policy SS6 – Housing in the Countryside.

·         Objection majority agreed.  Cllr Bell did not object.  Clerk to take forward.

Clerk

Demolition of all buildings and structures within the site boundary

·         No comment unanimously agreed.  Clerk to take forward.

Clerk

Display of 2 no. stack signs forming a V Board advertisement

·         The proposed sign will border the Conservation Area.

·         The sign is out of keeping with the local area, particularly as it will be in place for up to 5 years.  At 3.5 metres, the sign is too high.

·         5 years for the placement seems excessive, especially as the new properties will not come to market for some time as yet.

·         Objection unanimously agreed.  Clerk to process.

Clerk

These were noted.

There have been further issues at Centenary Fields due to the recent bad weather.

Meeting closed at 9.25pm.

Erection of 1 no. 4 bed dwelling and detached garage including associated landscaping and access following demolition of existing stables/home office

Objection

1 Oak: prune back to previous points.

Defer to Tree Officer

Two storey side extension

No objection, comments

Proposed single storey rear infill extension; conversion of existing garage to habitable space with rear facing velux window within garage roof.

Objection

Replacement of existing conservatory with single-storey rear extension.

No objection

T1 Sycamore – Fell

Defer to Tree Officer, comments

T1, T2, T3 – Western Red Cedars: prune.

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

Variation of section 106 agreement attached to 15/02682/OUT to insert mortgagee in possession clause

Reserved matters application for the erection of 4 dwellings including appearance, landscaping, layout and scale (pursuant to outline planning application 20/01097/OUT)

Conversion of an existing barn into a residential dwelling

Conversion of loft to create additional living space, including creation of 2 no. dormers, interior alterations and addition of window to rear elevation

Erection of a single storey 3-bedroom dwelling together with hard and loft landscaping and on-curtilage parking

Application for reserved matters approval of layout, landscaping, scale and appearance for the Phase 1A residential development, the spine road and associated works pursuant to outline planning permission 19/00018/OUT

Erection of 1 no. 4 bed dwelling and detached garage following demolition of existing outbuildings/stables

Proposed loft conversion with front dormer and creation of front porch

Variation of Section 106 agreement attached to 14/01075/OUT to allow an amended Mortgagee Exclusion Clause

Pruning of 2 no. Cypress

T19 / TPO 17 – Walnut: prune

G036 – (G5 of TPO) Hazel – Re-coppice.

G037 – (G5 of TPO) Hazel – declining / decayed trees stump removal.

Demolition of existing conservatory and erection of new 1.5 storey gabled extension to front and rear of existing chalet bungalow . Relocation of photvoltaic panels, new solar thermal panels and air source heat pump.

2 Oak trees: prune back from street light

Variation of section 106 agreement and deed of variation attached to 15/02708/OUT to update the mortgagee exclusion clause (MEC)

T1 Oak: prune. T2 Oak: prune.

T1 – Oak: Prune. T2 – Oak: Prune.

Installation of fourteen solar panels on the south facing elevation of the detached garage.

T1 Beech: reduce to a standing monolith.

Proposed infill of porch and rear ground floor extension partly to replace existing conservatory.

Erection of 3no bedroom dwellinghouse on existing hard standing