 |
BURNHAM WITHOUT
The Parish of BURNHAM WITHOUT was created in 1896 and has seven Parish Councillors.
The present Parish consists of less than 500 properties spread over an area stretching from Stoddens Lane to Worston Road and including Edithmead and Watchfield.
The roads included in the Parish are in the Polling Districts WE-G and WE-F.
Watchfield - The remains of a flour-mill, powered by wind, are still visible near the Watchfield Inn.
At Edithmead - there is a 'Mision Church' and this is within the 'living' of St. Andrew's Parish Church in Burnham on Sea. A Service for Holy Communion is held once a month and at Easter and Christmas.
A Radio Communications Station was established in 1925 and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1958.
Many people were employed here and it was an important link with shipping during World War II. The Station closed at the end of the 20th Century.
A Former landfill site, Worston Lane. A preliminary report indicated
that the site was not contaminated and could therefore be covered with fresh soil and landscaped as public open space.
The Parish Council meets bi-monthly at Watchfield Village Hall - the next meeting will be held on Monday 16th October 2006 at 7.30 p.m.
The present Parish Coucnil was elected in May 2003.
Parish Chairman is Cllr. Betty Tanner
Deputy-Chairman - Cllr. Alistair Gordon
Parish Clerk - Mrs Catherine Williams
Parish Councillors - Mrs Joyce Beard
William Hancock
Stephen Lester
Janine Vowles - resigned and
Phillip Sharp was subsequently co-opted.
John Thatcher- resigned and
Maureen Phillips has been co-opted.
Any resident of the Parish may attend Parish Council meetings.
Any resident may address the Council prior to a meeting if due notice is given in advance to the Parish Clerk. (01278) 795776.
Proposal to vary the line of the footpath from Havage Close to the Eastern Distributor Road to upgrade and accommodate the new cycleway.
There was no objection to this proposal
Work on B3140 at Edithmead be dealt with as soon as possible.
Mike Hicks' gift of computer printer.Clerk to write thanking him.
Planning
Land at Oak Tree Farm, Bristol Road, Edithmead; proposal to vary condition 8 of Planning Permission 1/12/99/18 Several liaison meetings with residents and the promoter have taken place.
The points to be included were:-
1.That there will be a maximum of 30 meetings a year at Oak Tree Arena
2.That meetings be held on Fridays unless this proves impossible
because visiting teams are unable to race on Fridays, in which
case,prior notice shall be given to Sedgemoor District Council and the Parish Council, that Wednesday of that week shall be a race night.
3.When race meetings take place on Wednesdays there shall be no
racing on the Friday of that week.
4.If a race meeting has to be cancelled due to inclement weather, and
it is necessary to reschedule it, paragraph 3 still applies.
Oak Tree Arena- proposed noise reduction measures, revised plans for
clubhouse, bar, toilets, and other facilities as detailed on the
application. This application was welcomed as being a step in the
right direction and it was decided to support the application.
Other business
Joyce Beard had prepared a leaflet of a circular walk using registered footpaths in the Parish and copies were made available to be put on the noticeboards.
==================================================================
Speed humps have been requested in Arney's lane to slow vehicles because children on ponies could be harmed by some cars which used the lane and went much too fast.
Copies of An Ethical Framework for Parish & Town Councils in Somerset-Second Interim Guidance were handed to all councillors.
Correspondence
Somerset County Council had provided the plans of the proposed road works at the junction of Burnham Moor Lane/A38.The work has been de- layed by objections to the speed limit.This is being considered by the police.
The plan, although not final, shows no bollards, but indicates new
speed limits in addition to coloured and hatched areas intended to restrict traffic and allow waiting to turn right into Burnham Moor Lane and Edithmead Lane while traffic passes either side until it is safe to turn. Action Clerk to press for a decision as to when the work could be implemented.
Community Access Fund.
A budget is allocated for repairs and maintenance of rights of way.
It was suggested that future meetings should be put in Burnham Times
Joyce Beard said it was already being put on the website.
SDC Grant Programme: this item is to be included on the agenda for the next meeting with a view to applying for a grant early in the next financial year, starting in April.
Speed Watch Laser Guns: this matter would be included in the next
newsletter inviting people to volunteer to be trained in the use of the speed gun and to monitor the speed of vehicles within the parish. The worst road for speeding was thought to be the A38, and the Clerk was asked to enquire whether the gun could be used on trunk roads in view of the risk factor to operators. If this is not allowed the alternative road would be through Watchfield.
Speedway at Oaktree Arena: Bill Hancock reported that work was in
hand; the bar had been demolished, the sound fence will be in place before the start of the season, all the remaining buildings will be painted brown instead of the various colours at present, Mr Toogood is now the sole operator, having negotiated the departure of Mr Hewlett. This was agreed to be very satisfactory progress.
Correspondence
Rosewood Farm- roads and cycleways: the development of this estate had omitted to ensure that the footpaths and cycle tracks would be taken over by the council to maintain; instead the individual owners had been conveyed the section of path next to their house, but not to be allowed to fence the land they owned. This arrangement results in there being no plan to maintain the paths as each of the owners would have to agree, and there are some thirty houses involved in one stretch. Bob Filmer had been trying to find a way through this impasse but is finding the developers difficult, particularly as there are several firms involved.
It was agreed that Burnham Rotary Club be permitted to put a small sign on the Edithmead roundabout to celebrate their centenary
The contributions by developers towards local amenities were to be held by Sedgemoor DC until a suitable scheme was submitted. As this money had not been received by the Parish Council it could not be included in the accounts, but it was understood that at present it amounted to some £1,400.
Preparationtion of a Parish Plan
Andrea Johnstone described the process which Berrow followed to prepare their Parish Plan. She recognised that every parish is unique and would thus need to vary the approach, but the general approach would be the same.
Funding and assistance was provided by Community Council for Somerset.
The first stage is to find out peoples' views about what they want the Council to do and provide. A questionnaire was delivered to every house in the parish; and by collecting personally they got a response rate of 70%.
The replies were summarised under the various headings covered;
Affordable housing; Roads; Play areas; Village Hall etc
An Open Day was held to publish the results of the survey. 100 people attended and were invited to comment by sticking red/green dots against the suggestions.
Again these results were reported in the Parish Newsletter and
circulated to every house (in fact it is published every other month).
A questionnaire aimed at the young people produced almost no response.
All the information was collated and an exhibition held but few people came.
It was thought that this demonstrated acceptance of what was being
proposed.
So a Parish Plan was prepared and sent to every house. A fuller
version was sent to Sedgemoor and the Countryside Agency to qualify for the full grant towards the costs involved.
As a result the following activities are taking place-
Housing survey Wildlife pond Alleyways Play areas
Rights of way- marking with the old names
New football field Transport survey
Speedwatch scheme Village Hall now fully used
Village calendar to avoid clashes of dates of events
Mrs Johnstone was thanked for her most helpful talk.
There is a general litter problem but this seems to be countrywide.
Somerset Gateway. Agreed that the details of the Parish Council may be included on the database.
Highways-A survey of service by the department was completed and signed.
Licences to sell alcohol under the new licencing scheme had been notified from:- Rich's Cider,Watchfield Inn,Home Farm Holiday Park, Edithmead,Chestnut Farm, Edithmead
Burial Board.
At the last meeting it had been agreed to purchase a new Topple-tester for gravestones; also that plaques could be erected as small memorials in the rose beds for ten years after which they could be re-used for another memorial.
In answer to a query from a resident it was confirned that they were unable to object to a streetlight outside their house which had been there before they bought the house. However they could ask that it be screened so as not to shine into their bedroom.
Planning
Land at Inner Farm, Edithmead, Highbridge
Proposed wind energy development comprising the erection of 5 wind
turbines with a maximum overall height of up to 120m, together with access tracks, hard standing areas, information board, an electricity substation and one improved vehicular access off Stoddens Lane
The Council considered the views expressed both for and against this
application and decided by a majority of 4 to 3 to oppose it on the
following grounds
Traffic generation and additional road Effect on the landscape
The impact upon the character of the open rural countryside and its effect on tourism
The small amount of electricity generated by such a development.
WIND FARM PLANNING APPLICATION
The Wind Farm Application at Stoddens Lane in Burnham Without Parish (application number 12/06/00007) by Next Generation (Ecotricity) was refused at Sedgemoor District Council’s Development Control Committee today (August 8th)
The reasons for refusal were
1. Notwithstanding the significant issue of renewable energy provision and the potential shortfall in the Somerset County target, the proposal would lead to an unacceptably adverse impact on the character of the landscape. By virtue of the location and size of the turbines and their associated blades, the proposal would adversely affect local landscape character when viewed from publicly accessible vantage points and the wider area. This development proposal, and in particular the mass, height and design of the turbine structures, does not replace, repair or otherwise add to the stock of features that create local distinctiveness. The proposal therefore fails to accord with Planning Policy Statement 22 Renewable Energy, Policy 64 of the Somerset and Exmoor National Park Joint Structure Plan, and policies CNE2, CNE17 and criteria (a) of policy PCS5 of the Sedgemoor District Local Plan.
2. The proposed turbines and their associated blades will have an unacceptable impact on the amenities of a number of properties and their occupiers within the ural linear settlement of Brent Knoll and in particular the south west of Brent treet which are within close proximity to the wind turbines by virtue of the visual effect when viewed from these properties. As such it would not meet all the criteria (b) within policy PCS5 of the Sedgemoor District Local Plan.
3. The proposed turbines and their associated blades would be seen in close juxtaposition with the village of Brent Knoll, the Grade 1 listed Church of St Michael, and in views from Public Rights of Way in the vicinity. The setting of this Listed Building, characterised by a rural landscape with groups of trees and woodlands on the lower slopes of the Knoll surrounding the church tower, would not be preserved and the proposal is therefore contrary to Planning Policy
Guidance 15 (Planning and The Historic Environment), and Policy HE11 and Policy PCS5(b) of the Sedgemoor District Local Plan.
The applicants have six months if they wish to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
The next Parish Council meeting will be held at Watchfield Village Hall at 7.30 p.m. on Monday 16th April 2007.
Edithmead
Send E-Mail to: ohbejoyful2003@yahoo.co.uk
Copyright © 2007 Councillor Mrs Joyce Beard. All Rights Reserved