BEPTON PARISH COUNCIL

Chairman: Mr Howard Ewing – Email: howardewing@me.com -Tel: 07958 316552
Clerk: Mrs Lorraine Grocott BEM, BA (Hons): Local Policy
23 West Meade, Milland, Liphook, Hants GU30 7NB
Email: postmaster@milland-wsx-gov.co.uk Tel: 01428 741393
Website: http://www.bepton.org

MINUTES of the ANNUAL STATUTORY MEETING of
BEPTON PARISH COUNCIL held on Thursday,
25 May 2017 at The Park House Hotel, Bepton
_______________________________________________

PRESENT: Mr H Ewing (Chairman) Mrs R Hart (Vice Chairman), Mrs L Milner,
Dr J Wilkinson, Mrs A Cunningham, Mrs C Bower
Four Members of the Public

554. a) Election of Chairman for 2017-18:
Mr Howard Ewing was elected Chairman for 2017-18.
Proposed by Mrs Hart and seconded by Mrs Milner. Agreed
Chairman’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office: Signed by Mr Ewing

b) Election of Vice-Chairman: Mrs Ros Hart was elected Vice-Chairman.
Proposed by Mrs Bower and seconded by Dr Wilkinson. Agreed

555. Apologies: Mr G Ryan

556. Declaration of Interests on the Agenda items: There were none.

557. Confirmation of dates and times of meeting of the Council for ensuing year: –
2017 – 19th July, 14th September, 23rd November and
2018 – 25th January, 22nd March, 24th May (ASM/APA 2019).
Meetings will be held at 7pm in The Park House Hotel, Bepton

558. Minutes of the Meeting – dated 17th March were agreed and signed.

559. Matters arising –
a) Summer Newsletter – Mrs Bower will be producing a newsletter following the meeting.
b) Review of Parish Plan 2007 -The Chairman will be undertaking the review.
c) Broadband – Mr Ewing had written to Andrew Tyrie. In his letter, he pointed out that the French Government had announced a new deal to provide 100% coverage in France by fast broadband. This would include rural areas. Mr Ewing asked how the French Government seemed to be able to do this without falling foul of the State Aid rules, which BT has said prevents their providing fast broadband too hard to reach areas. Just before Parliament dissolved, Mr Tyrie, who was standing down, replied with a letter from the Minister for Culture, Media & Sport. Unfortunately, this letter did not address the question raised but pointed out information that the Parish Council already knew. It did say that the French Government were spending more money that the UK in rolling out fast broadband. Mr Ewing will consider whether to write again to the new MP after the General Election.
d) Telephone Kiosk at Bepton Common – The Chairman must sign an agreement to adopt the Kiosk at a cost of £1. There was further discussion about this project and the decision has been deferred to the July meeting when further information has been gathered regarding the costs of refurbishment, the defibrillator and long-term management have been assessed.
Mrs Milner, Mrs Cunningham and Mr Beckett have volunteered to research and report.
Minutes of the Annual Statutory Meeting, Bepton Parish Council 25 May 2017

e) Bepton Road/drainage – Midhurst Allotment site – Problems continue with this area. Operation Watershed provided significant money to raise the footpath and install a kerb, but this has slightly shifted the quagmire in the winter. Currently there is still no entrance to the allotment site. Sec. 106 money provided by Midhurst Town Council, and the District Council and County Council have helped the situation including the installation of a new gully drain at the corner by Frogmore and the kerb needs to be raised and lengthened. The County Councillor was asked to consider the matter and Mr Ewing would meet Dr O’Kelly to show her the problem.
f) Tree blocking ‘cardiac hill’ – The tree has been removed following its being reported via the LoveWestSussex app.

560. County and District Councillors reports will be given at the Annual Parish Assembly
561. Correspondence – There were no items.
562. Chairman’s announcements – There were no items.

563. REPORTS:
a) Finance: The Clerk reported on the following:

The Council approved these payments.

1. Approval of Statement of Assurance for the year ended 31 March 2017: –
The Internal Audit has been carried out in accordance with the Council’s needs and planned coverage and has been examined by Mr. Richard Buckler the internal auditor. He has signed the Internal Audit report. The members acknowledged their responsibility for the accounts and approved the Accounting Statements. The notice of appointment of date for exercise of elector’s rights will be placed on the notice boards. The Right to Inspect will commence on 5 June and end on 14 July 2017.
2. Internal Audit report – Mr Buckler’s Internal Audit Report and the Responsible Financial Officers response is attached to these Minutes. The Internal Audit has been carried out in accordance with the smaller authority’s needs and planned coverage.
3. Summary and Opinion – One of the functions of the Internal Audit is to give assurance to members of the Council that the financial systems are operating correctly, and can be relied upon. Regarding the examination, and having regard to the items reported, no matter has come to the Auditor’s attention that gives him reasonable cause to believe in any material respect that the regulatory requirements have not been complied with. The accounting arrangements, procedural control, records and documentary evidence are satisfactory, and accurately record the Council’s financial position.

Minutes of the Annual Statutory Meeting, Bepton Parish Council 25 May 2017

b) Planning matters: Mrs Hart reported on the following applications –

COUNCIL’S RESPONSE TO APPLICATIONS: –

SDNP/16/06305/FUL
Bepton Hotels Ltd (Park House Hotel) requests permission to change the use of field into an overflow car park. Permit.

Further information on the decision by SDNPA to permit this application: –
‘The application has been discussed by the managers at length and it has been decided that the application be approved under delegated powers. They considered that the previous reasons for refusal for application ref: SDNP/16/02291/FUL can be overcome subject to conditions as follows: –
• A three-year temporary consent in-order-to monitor the noise and highways impacts.
• An hours of operation condition, whereby the car park shall only be open for use between the hours of 0700 and 2200 on any given day.
• In addition, there will be a submission of a car park management plan, which will need to be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to development taking place providing details on the management of the car park spaces in relation to day and overnight visitors, the management of opening and closing the car park and the use of signage to direct gusts and of the need to leave the premises quietly.
• Further conditions to be attached include details of soft and hard landscaping, lighting, visibility splays, tree protection and for the development to be carried out in accordance with the submitted ecological assessment.’

N.B. FOLLOWING THE MEETING, SDNPA CONTACTED THE PARISH COUNCIL WITH THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE: –

“I am writing to advise that discussions have taken place with the Director of Planning and the view that has been reached is that the application needs to be placed before our members for consideration at Planning Committee. The application will therefore be taken to Planning Committee on Thursday 15th June.

I am not yet in a position yet to confirm what the recommendation will be. However, the report will be published and available to view next week on 8th June.”.

SDNP/17/00030/APNB
Mr Mark Bilsland of Padwicks Farm requests permission to build a new agricultural storage barn. Decision was that prior approval is required and therefore this application has been refused. Written appeal by the Planning Inspector commenced end April. Await decision.

SDNP/17/00947/CND
Mr James Keyes of Hopkiln Cottage, Bell Lane requests permission to vary condition 1 from planning permission SDNP/14/02424/FUL to amend plan AS495/003 to include a revised window configuration on the north elevation. Permit.

SDNP/17/01119/LIS
Mr Mark Bilsland of Padwicks Farm requests permission to convert and extend barn to provide a
holiday let and to convert stables to provide home office / studio. Site visit held beginning April.
Await decision.

Minutes of the Annual Statutory Meeting, Bepton Parish Council 25 May 2017

SDNP/17/01585/HOUS
Mr Ray Heagarty of Wickford Point requests permission to build new side and rear two storey extensions to the existing dwelling. Await decision.

SDNP/17/01635/HOUS & SDNP/17/01636/LIS
Mr and Mrs Sadler of Hencher’s Farm request permission to build a single storey guest bedroom /
workshop in a replacement outbuilding, a new garage / cart barn and to replace the original farm
entrance. Await decision.

New homes planned for the Old Brickworks site on Bepton Road. The South Downs National Park Authority’s (SDNPA) emerging Local Plan (LP) will be allowing approximately 4,600 new homes in the Park by 2032, of which 40% will be affordable. In the Midhurst area, the allocation is for 146-202 houses, 65 will be on the Old Brickwork site.

564. Highways & Byways –

Speed Limit on Bepton Road – Concerns were raised by Mrs Fay about the speeding on Bepton Road. The road is already an advisory cycle route and if it were to become a designated cycle road the speed limit would automatically be lowered to 50mph. SUSTRANS need to be asked to do a survey and make a case. Dr Wilkinson agreed to approach SUSTRANS. The Chairman reminded those present that if they can take the registration number of the car they can report it to Operation Crackdown who will issue a warning to the car driver.

Severals Green – Thanks were expressed to Carl Wallis for his continued mowing and clearing on Several Green and in other areas in the Parish. He was also thanked for his swift action in clearing a tree which had blown down and had been blocking the road near Severals Road.

565. County / District / Local Organisations
SALC have two training days in July: –
1) Meeting Procedures Briefing & Awareness Training session on 6 July.
2) Legal and Finance Day on 13 July.
The Council agreed to part fund this training with Milland.

566. Date of next meeting: Wednesday,19 July 2017, 7pm at The Park House, Bepton

Chairman: ………………………… Date: …………………….

These Minutes are unconfirmed until signed by the Chairman.