May 2021 Minutes
MINUTES OF OLD SOMERBY ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD
TUESDAY 25 MAY 2021 7pm AT THE FOX AND HOUNDS, OLD SOMERBY. (Draft)
Present: Councillors: Lowndes (Chair), Percy (Vice-Chairman), North and Burrows with Parish Clerk David Holmes
Also present 1 member of the public
1 .Apologies: An apology had been received from Cllr Stephens which was accepted.
2. Declarations of Pecuniary Interests and Dispensations: None
3. Election of Chairman: Cllr Burrows nominated Cllr Lowndes, seconded Cllr Percy. There were no other nominations.
Carried. The Chairman signed the required acceptance form.
4. Election of Vice-Chairman: Cllr Burrows nominated Cllr Percy; seconded Cllr North. There were no other
nominations. Carried.
5. Approval of Minutes: The Draft Minutes of the meeting held on 30 March 2021 were accepted as a correct record
and approved. The Chairman to sign a copy for filing.
6. The Well Head:
The clerk summarised the current position. At the last parish council meeting a letter had been
received from the Solicitors for G A Jenkinson & Sons which said "For the avoidance of doubt, our clients fully
intends to preserve the Well Head so it is there for all inhabitants of the village to enjoy for many years to come...".
The Councillors, understood that to mean that inhabitants will continue to have full and unrestricted access to the Well
Head in perpetuity"
The Parish Counci accordinly l had been encouraged and relieved by the statement and hoped the issue could be settled
amicably. However, a further letter has now been received which states "In the interests of preserving the Well Head
and avoiding any damage beIng suffered to the same, it is our clients intention to fence a small area around the Well Head
. Given the proximity of The Well Head to the nearby footpath it can be viewed up close without needed access to the Well
Head itself"
During the ensuing discussion Councillors noted that there had never previously been any known damage to Well Head
caused by individuals. It is too well respected. Access has always been available to inhabitants since its erection in 1811.
It seems so unnecessary to now fence it off. In practice access is rarely exercised.
ACTION: The Clerk to take solicitor's advice. In the light of that advice to then circularise all inhabitants to
ask for their views. The cost of such advice being an important factor.
At the last meeting The Parish Council had sincerely hoped the issue had been settled to all parties' satisfaction and
we could all move on but, unfortunately, that seems not to be the case.
7. Planning Applications: a) S21/0718 Application for full planning permission for 6 single storey dwellings - the Old
Quarry.
All Residents had been copied into a circular outlining the application and calling for any responses. 9 Responses
had been received (comprising12 individuals). A draft response to the SKDC was considered.
AGREED: to include the issues raised by the Responses within the above draft and attach a copy to these minutes.
ACTION: Cllr Burrows and the Clerk authorised to amend the draft accordingly and deliver by the deadline of 26 May 2021
to the SKDC Planners.
b) S21/0678 Application for loft conversion and dormer to rear and roof-light to front. No observation - in line with
permitted development.
8. Neighbourhood Plan: The Residents has voted to approve the Parish Neighbourhood Plan at the recent Referendum.
It was noted that 7 other Parishes had also voted to approve theirs on the same day. All had been approved.
That approval ensured the Local Planners were now required to use the Neighbourhood Plans to help decide
planning applications for our neighbourhood area.
9. Finance:
a) Payments over £100 - nil.
b) Finance update; The clerk informed the meeting that the current balance
on the most recent bank statement was £12,887.00 which included the Precept from SKDC of £3,500.
c) Asset Register - to consider re-evaluation. AGREED to defer to the next meeting.
d) Appointment of Internal Auditor: Local Resident Nick Craft had agreed to continue in this role. He had been thanked
for his valued contribution in independently checking the whole of the accounting system for the parish council.
e) Annual Audit for the year to 31 March 2021: Following the above mentioned internal audit and also a separate
inspection by Cllr Burrows, it was accepted that the various statutory Audit Documents provided by the external Auditors
PFK LittleJohn could then be considered.
AGREED: to approve the audit documents which were signed by the Chairman and Clerk where required. Those
documents will be locally published as part the Public Rights and Publication process from 14 June 2021 to 23 July 2021
inclusive.
10.Review: Determination made concerning a resident 3 August 2019 relating to the Abusive, Persistent etc Complaints
Policy. AGREED to defer until the next meeting.
11. Annual Parish Meeting: AGREED to defer to a date to be fixed.
12. Date of next meeting: Tuesday 10 August 2021 7pm at the Fox and Hounds.
The Meeting was declared closed at 19.43.
OLD SOMERBY PARISH COUNCIL
RIMINI
School Lane
Old Somerby
NG33 4AG
SKDC 26 May 2021
Planning
Miranda Beevers
Council Offices
St Peter’s Hill
Grantham
NG31 6PZ
Application S21/0718 Erection of 6 single storey dwellings, land off School Lane Old Somerby.
Thank you for allowing this Parish Council an extended period to reply. The Parish Council met yesterday and considered this issue. They had arranged for all residents to be made aware of the application by a circulate letter and asked for any comments. Those comments are incorporated into this reply and in one instance a copy of the comment is attached.
As you will be aware there have been 2 earlier applications for 6 single storey dwellings on this site which both resulted in refusal decisions. It was indicated on those occasions inter alia that the proposals “would be contrary to the established pattern of development in the immediate area, incorporating an inappropriate form of back land development”
The Old Somerby Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan, which was recently approved by residents, indicates that proposals for infill residential development within the main part of the village will be supported where they meet the criteria listed – in particular that “They are on a small scale, generally expected to be no more than 3 dwellings in an otherwise built-up frontage”. That wording replicates the recently published SKDC Local Plan.
It is recognised that the current application differs from the previous applications only in that the backland element of the proposal has been removed. Nevertheless, the Parish Council is unable to support this proposal as it is contrary to criteria (a) in Policy 1 of the Neighbourhood Plan. The application is for double the amount of dwellings that is considered acceptable and is therefore not on a small scale as defined in the Neighbourhood Plan.
The site comprises an area of land forming a natural break in the form of development between Low Somerby and the dwellings on School Lane. The development of the site would adversely affect the form, character and setting of the settlement which, as referred to in 3.4 of the Neighbourhood Plan, is the ‘result of stretches of undeveloped road frontages and areas of open space within the built form of the settlement’.
The site has a substantial frontage of approximately 135 mtrs to School Lane and Grantham Road. This significant break in development helps to maintain the open feel of the settlement as referred to in 3.17 of the Neighbourhood Plan ‘as a result of the undeveloped areas and frontages within the built form’
Policy 1 of the Neighbourhood Plan states that proposals for infill residential development within the main built up part of the village will be supported. The plan goes on to say that the main built-up part of the village will be classified as ‘well-defined curtilages which are .... clearly part of a network of building that form the settlement’. We do not believe this site forms part of that network of buildings and therefore cannot be regarded as infill development.
My Parish Councillors also note that comments from Warren Peppard, Head of Development Management, Lincolnshire County Council, have been forwarded to yourselves. He raises the issues of flooding and future maintenance of the new integral roadway. This Parish Council is also concerned about flooding. It is well known that this area has previously flooded. The Parish Council is in regular contact with the LCC Flood Watch Team and Anglian Water concerning regular flooding issues on the adjacent Grantham Road. A resident has referred to the applicant’s statement that no drains discharge into the site as not being correct and has documentary evidence to support this.
Concern has also been raised by a number of the residents that the nature of the material tipped/deposited on the site may not be suitable for residential development. The applicant has not provided any information as to the nature of the ground conditions.
The responses from residents support the Parish Council’s concerns raised above. In particular I attach one of the responses from a resident who has given his permission to do so. An issue concerning disturbing Wild-Life and Bird-Life Habitat was also raised by a resident.
Yours truly,
David J Holmes
Parish Clerk
Old Somerby Parish Council
Telephone: 01476 562657 or 07950488819