The Parish Council meets on the 3rd Monday of every month excepting August. The December meeting, held on the 15th in the annexe at Blackbourne, was attended by 3 members of the public who were, as ever, invited to speak towards the beginning and end of the proceedings.
This report, edited by the Council’s Editorial Board, covers some of the interesting or significant items from the meeting which are thought to deserve wider public attention. It includes, where appropriate, matters reported to the Meeting by external bodies such as the Police and Ward Members representing Elmswell at Suffolk County Council and Mid Suffolk District Council, together with further background and reference to subsequent events where relevant.

The Minutes of recent Parish Council meetings, together with the agenda for the next meeting, when published, are available on this website, in the Memorial Library and from the Parish Clerk by arrangement. Bound copies of older Minutes are lodged with the Suffolk County Records Office in Bury St. Edmunds.

Police

Sergeant Curtis gave an oral report in which he outlined the crimes committed in the village over the past month and went on to warn of a spate of heating oil thefts in the area together with the positive news of 130 recent offences dealt with in a targeted initiative related to motoring offences. He briefly outlined the changes to the Safer Neighbourhood Trust network which had left officers temporarily thinner on the ground but suggested that this matter was being addressed.

Local Government Review

County Cllr Mrs Storey reported on the recent revision in the timetable for the proposed review whereby the current structure of Suffolk County Council, district and borough councils will be replaced by one or more unitary authorities. A delay of up to 6 weeks has been allowed which means that the Boundary Committee will now make its recommendation to the Secretary of State by 13th February. This places the earliest date that the Secretary of State’s decision can be published as 27th March. If this decision is approved by Parliament by 23rd April, then the county council elections, previously scheduled for 4th June, may well not take place.

Planning

2 School Avenue Councillors considered an application for the erection of a bungalow in the back garden of 2 School Avenue and urged Mid Suffolk, the Planning Authority, to reject it for the following reasons:

1. It proposes a dwelling which is entirely different in style from the generic design of the original development on which it seeks to impose itself. It stands entirely outside of the building line of School Avenue, neither is it in line with the buildings along School Road. The design is entirely at odds with the neighbouring development. It will tend to destroy the cohesive and unified effect which is a strong and attractive design element of the adjacent houses, contrary to Structure plan Policies H16, SB2, H15, H3 and GP1.
2. The scale of the proposal would result in an extremely tight fit on the site, with one boundary wall almost abutting the wall of the existing dwelling. The inevitably cramped result is at odds with the setting of the existing neighbouring dwellings which stand in their own substantial plots. This runs counter to the Structure Plan Policies H3, H13, H18 and GP1.
3. The proposal for parking and turning clearly creates a situation whereby one of the vehicles would be unable to enter and leave the site in a forward gear. There is no indication as to the parking and manoeuvring arrangements on the truncated plot of No 2 School Avenue, but the same result is likely, posing a road safety hazard contrary to Structure Plan Policy T10.
4. The proposal would mean the loss of an existing substantial hedge contrary to Policy SB2.
5. Should this application succeed it would set a precedent making similar applications on adjacent existing plots difficult to resist.
6. The development scheme fails to secure appropriate provision of social infrastructure under a s106 agreement, contrary to Local Plan Policy SC1 and the Council’s Supplementary Planning Document for social infrastructure adopted 02/07.

Planning

4 Wetherden Road Councillors objected to a proposal for a rear extension to this property for the following reasons:

1. The height of the proposed rear extension will deny the light from the east to the adjacent property at No 3, to the detriment of the amenity of that property and contrary to Structure Plan Policy H18.
2. The length and mass of the blank elevation presented to the adjacent dwelling will produce a bleak outlook to that property to its detriment and contrary to Structure Plan Policy H18.
3. The proposed bedroom will enjoy light from a single window, much overshadowed by the bulk of the proposed extension, to the detriment of the amenity of the occupants and
   contrary to Structure Plan Policy GP1 relating to poor design and layout.
4. The proposal for a change of use from kitchen to bedroom would impose difficulties to the neighbouring property. Noises related to kitchen activities transmitted through the party wall could present a serious problem for the occupiers of the proposed bedroom. The imposition of the constraints necessary as good neighbours would detract from the amenity of the neighbouring property at No 3.

Planning Councillors supported applications for the continued use of the old butcher’s shop on Station Road next to the Mace as Bumbles tea room and for work to a protected tree at 7 Crown Meadow.

Health Centre dispensing Woolpit Health Centre was classified in 1999 as serving a controlled (rural) area and, therefore, allowed to dispense prescriptions issued by the doctors to patients living in that area. Under a review, Councillors have been consulted on whether this remains the best arrangement or whether the Practice would be better defined as an uncontrolled (urban) area which would mean that patients would have to find another dispensary to fulfil their prescriptions. The Clerk reported on his consultation with the doctors at the Centre on the matter and it was unanimously agreed that the current arrangement served the community very well and should be retained.

Waste Disposal Facility

In response to a consultation document from Suffolk County Council regarding the siting of facilities to dispose of household waste which cannot be recycled, it was agreed that the Parish Council should comment on the listing of Shepherd’s Grove at Stanton as one of the 5 listed options. Councillors have pointed out that the very difficult traffic problems which are experienced in Elmswell at the railway crossing gates are inevitably to worsen as population and train traffic increase and that the large volume of HGV traffic which would be needed to service the proposed facility would have to be directed down the A1088 where the current ban on HGV use would have to be removed.

Planning problems

MP David Ruffley has invited comments on concerns expressed to him regarding poor performance by the Planning department at Mid Suffolk District Council. The Clerk was asked to confirm that matters were much improved over recent months but that shortcomings remained in the Enforcement process, together with there being an apparent lack of pressure on Suffolk County Council to make considered and properly-founded responses when consulted on the highways issues relating to Planning applications.

Precept

It was agreed that there should be no increase in the Parish Council’s element of the Council Tax for the coming year over and above inflation-proofing, producing a figure of £97,489.00. Although precise figures are not yet available, this will cost the average, ‘Band D’, household approximately 7p. per week more than last year. The far larger elements of the total tax are levied by the County Council, the District Council and Suffolk Constabulary, which figures are yet to be announced.

Village of the Year

Elmswell’s success in being chosen as the Suffolk Village of the Year has inspired a very positive response in many ways, including the suggestion - and the all important offer to undertake the task – that a Village of the Year Cook Book should be compiled. Stephanie Lester, who has experience in the world of cookery, has offered to organise the project which will involve seeking contributions from village organisations, businesses and individuals. It was agreed that the Clerk should liaise on the production of the book and its distribution for a nominal cover price to village organisations who could re-sell at a profit for their own funds. Accepting the possibility of advertising income, it was agreed that the scheme should be given a budget of £750.00 via the Clerk’s office.

Freedom of Information Act

All town and parish councils are obliged, from 01.01.09, to adopt a slightly revised version of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which now incorporates the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. This Elmswell Parish Council has done so and the Model Scheme, together with relevant charges, are published on this website.

Youth worker

The Elmswell Amenities Association has offered £5,000.00 of matched funding towards a scheme aimed at addressing the short, medium and long-term provision of youth facilities in our expanding village. This proposes the appointment of a qualified Youth Worker to work with young people in the village, together with community groups, businesses and other bodies to determine the needs, look at the provision of temporary premises as appropriate and work positively towards longer term provision through the building of Blackbourne Phase II, the long-standing proposal to make high quality, flexible, permanent provision. It was agreed that the funding should be matched on the basis that the Council, through the Clerk, should provide the back-office facilities including the employment of anyone contracted to work under the scheme together with insurance as necessary. The Youth Steering Committee will be advisory and will report to Council via the Environment and Facilities Working Party.

Warren Lane pavement

A pavement down Warren Lane from the junction with Church Road as far as Warren Close has been mooted since 1962. Work is scheduled to begin in March 2009 at a cost of £130,000, some of which has already been spent on re-routing the utilities services at the perimeter of the Upper Crossway development on the junction. However, a recent letter from Suffolk County Council suggests that they might not implement the long-promised total HGV ban on Warren Lane which was anticipated to coincide with the new footway provision. At the moment there is advisory restricted one-way access from the old A45 into the village. This has remained on the understanding that the Haughley Bends improvements would allow a better alternative HGV route on to A14 West towards Bury St Edmunds and that the Warren Lane route could, and would, be denied to lorries leaving the Truck Stop Café and Two Sisters Foods. The Clerk was asked to write to the County Council to point out the expensive damage that would inevitably occur if the new pavement was used by HGV’s merely as wider roadway to help them in negotiating the very narrow lane and to argue in the strongest possible terms, and in light of the recent completion of the A14 works, for the full statutory HGV ban which has been so long anticipated.

Next meeting

The next scheduled meeting will be held on January 19th beginning at 7.30pm in the annexe at Blackbourne. The public is, as ever, welcome to attend and will have the opportunity to speak.