BEPTON PARISH COUNCIL
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Chairman: Mrs Rosalind Hart
Clerk: Mrs. Lorraine Grocott, BEM, BA Hons (Local Policy)
23 West Meade, Milland, Liphook, Hampshire, GU30 7NB
Tel 01428 741393… Email: postmaster@milland-wsc-pc.gov.uk
Website – http://www.bepton.org

MINUTES of BEPTON PARISH COUNCIL
Thursday 9 July 2020 held via Zoom

Present: Mrs R Hart (Chair), Mrs L Sadler, Mr J C Beaumont, Dr J Wilkinson,
Mr J A. Beckett, Mrs C Bower
Reports from Cllr Dr K O’Kelly (County Councillor)
Member of the Public – Mr Mike Salmon who is interested in becoming a councillor when Dr Wilkinson resigns at the end of August.

805. Apologies – Cllr Mrs Judi Fowler – report sent.

806. Declaration of Interests of Members – There were none.

807. Minutes of the Meeting 14 May 2020. Agreed. Mrs. Hart to sign and send to the Clerk.

808. Report from the District Councillor – Emailed by Cllr Mrs Judi Fowler

1) CDC’s Recovery Plan post Covid-19 will shortly go to Cabinet. It covers various areas: Community & Housing, Economic Recovery and Planning, Health and Environmental Protection, together with in-house organisation. Recently central government gave further financial assistance to local government to help reduce the deficit caused by the pandemic. However, this will not fully compensate and there will still be a deficit.
2) There has been an increase during lockdown of littering and Enforcement Officers are able to fine those caught littering. After recent invasions, work has been done to try to cope with demands in coastal areas to reduce littering. Parking patrols have been increased in these areas.
3) Waste has also increased. Advice as to reducing waste can be found at
http://www.wastepreventionwestsussex.co.uk . CDC request that all recycling should be clean, dry, and loose. Articles that are too large for the bin can be put in black sacks for collection with normal recycling.
4) There is a campaign to support local businesses. CDC has advised businesses reopening on social distancing and have issued signage for shop and street use. See video http://www.chichester.gove.uk/supportlocal.
5) Parking charges are back.
6) Play parks are open again.
7) Chichester Wellbeing offers support on leading healthy lifestyles, and combatting drinking, smoking and advice on weight loss. It can be contacted on 01243 521041 or info@chichesterwellbeing.org.uk.
8) Please support the New Park Cinema and Chichester Festival Theatre’s drive-in movie weekend 28-31 August to be held in Northgate car park.

Minutes of Bepton Parish Council meeting 9th July 2020
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809. Report from the County Councillor – Emailed by Cllr Dr Kate O’Kelly

1) WSCC Covid-19 Update – 2691 recorded cases in West Sussex according to the latest date from Public Health England. An infection rate of 313.3 per 100,000. West Sussex County Council has published its COVID-19 Local Outbreak Control Plan. She is on the Covid-19 member group scrutinising this crucial plan.
2) Motorbike cross parish group – A group has been set up to share best practice and to encourage a more strategic approach to enforcement on the road network including A272. Representatives from parishes across the North Chi District attending. Since then police have considerably increased their enforcement activities.
3) Cycling – Rother Valley Way progress meeting is next week and MAC on 15th July. Funding for seven temporary cycleway schemes in West Sussex has been approved by the Department for Transport. Schemes will largely be temporary, such as pop-up cycle lanes and some road closures, but may evolve into permanent changes. The CDC scheme is in Chichester, but MAC and local councillors have asked for funding locally for pop up lanes in Midhurst and to extend the 30mph out of Midhurst to improve the safety of the Midhurst-Stedham cycling route. She is sitting on the Country Member group looking at the plans for allocating the extra funds for cycling schemes.
4) Climate Change – The Climate Change Strategy, which will be formally adopted in July sets out a vision that by 2030, West Sussex County Council will be carbon neutral. Once the strategy is agreed in July, the County Council will set out a delivery plan, showing how it plans to lead, enable and inspire the change needed and how it will engage with communities to shape the actions.
5) Full Council – The next meeting of WSCC Full Council is on 17th July. The new leadership are hoping to bring in a new regime with improvements in transparency, being more outward looking more responsive to residents, and to learn from all the best that has come from the new ways of working post Covid-19. The Council will discuss their plans for Reset – what they want to do, and Reboot – How they intend to do it. All will be webcast.
6) Cllr Dr O’Kelly will monitor the Tree Preservation Order application for the Beech tree in The Country Inn.
7) Speed Traffic Monitors – These were laid on the highway to assess the speed of the traffic and are a requirement when seeking a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). There have been several letters of support including letters from The Cowdray Estate, Midhurst Community Bus, South Down National Park, Midhurst Town Council, Friends of Midhurst Common, Gillian Keegan and the Police. Mr Dare will submit a report to the November meeting of the County Local Committee for their consideration. Only one (1) TRO is allowed per year.
8) Kate O’Kelly Drop-ins – She available on kate@westsussex.gov.uk – M: 07979522299

810. Chairman’s Items

a) Review of Parish Plan 2007 – It was agreed that the document should be reviewed on a 10-year cycle. On the separate matter of St Mary’s Church Guide and History update, it was agreed that Mrs Sadler would contact Mrs Sheila Ryan, the Church Warden, to discuss the possibility of forming a working group on which Mrs Sadler and Mrs Bower would represent the Council.
b) Local Covid-19 update – Midhurst Angels will continue to provide support, as necessary.
c) Future situation of Parish Clerk – Mrs Grocott has offered to continue until the end of May 2021. She has suggested that an item be included in the January newsletter and an advert be placed in the Midhurst and Petworth Observer. The interviews could take place in February and an appointment made in March to begin on 1st April. The successful applicant could then shadow her as an Assistant Clerk during April and May. The new person would be paid for half time for a couple of months and then move onto full time at the beginning of June. An extra sum for office changeover would need to be set aside in the precept for 2021-22. A new email address/account specifically for Bepton PC needs to be set up. This was agreed.
Minutes of Bepton Parish Council meeting 9th July 2020
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811. Finance report – Mrs Grocott, RFO

a) Statement of Accounts – Payments for approval

These payments were approved.

812. Planning Report – Mr. John Beckett
a) SDNP response to planning applications: –

SDNP/19/03606/PRE
Metis Homes request pre-planning to develop the Council Depot and Former Brickworks in Bepton Road.
Development proposed would erect 72 dwellings with associated access, parking, and landscaping.
Online docs updated 30 April 2020. Public consultation now closed and public feedback will be contained in a Statement of Community Involvement when final planning application is submitted.
Application in progress.
SDNP/20/00794/PRE
Cowdray Estate request pre-application advice for the construction of a new agricultural access track at Rectory Farm Dairy Church Lane Bepton West Sussex GU29 0HY
Pre app advice questions whether potential highway benefits will outweigh potential harm to the National Park landscape. Detailed planning application awaited.
SDNP/20/01134/HOUS
Mrs Silva Huss requests permission for extension and conversion of roof space into habitable accommodation to include dormer windows with other associated ground floor alterations at Marwood Severals Road Bepton GU29 0LR. Approved
SDNP/20/02530/TCA
Mrs J Verrall of 2, Bepton Grange, Bepton Road requests permission to fell 1 no. Cypress (conifer) tree. Application in progress.

OTHER PLANNING MATTERS

MINERALS PLAN, SOFT SAND REVIEW
Draft Soft Sand Review Plan has been published on WSCC website. Severals East and West are not included in the plan. The public consultation has now closed, and the plan has been submitted to government to be tested for soundness and legal and procedural compliance. The public examination hearings are expected to take place July/August. If considered sound the soft sand review would be adopted in December 2020 and incorporated into the Joint Minerals Local Plan.
Minutes of Bepton Parish Council meeting 9th July 2020
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THE COUNTRY INN
Bepton Parish Council have applied to CDC to have a TPO applied to the beech tree situated in the garden of The Country Inn.
Decision awaiting planning application for Country Inn.
HALF TIMBERS
A resident of Bepton has written to SDNP Planning raising concerns over the condition of Half Timbers, a Grade II listed property in Bepton which has been empty for over a year.
Awaiting feedback

b) Bepton Green – car parking improvements opposite The Country Inn
Councillors discussed the various safety issues with car parking on the area. The posts have rotted off at the bottom. It can be quite a dangerous junction for farm and local traffic. Traffic needs somewhere to go in emergency and utility vehicles need somewhere to park and walkers needs somewhere to rest. It was agreed that councillors should meet on site to seek a resolution of ideas for the area.

813. VJ Day 15th August
In March, the District Council offered a grant of £250 to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of war in Europe, VE Day 8th May. A local resident had offered to plan a community event. Unfortunately, the country went into Covid-19 lockdown and the plan was cancelled. The District has now offered to give a grant up to £250 available for Victory in Japan Day, VJ Day 15th August. It was agreed that, given the ongoing Covid 19 situation, it was too early to organise such an event.

814. Website review – Mr James Beaumont
Mr Beaumont had emailed to councillors an excel file that contained a site map of the existing Bepton PC website and a draft proposal for a new site map. The modified site map is based on the historical usage of the current website. His aim is to bring to the forefront popular subjects that site visitors might be looking for such as planning, road closures, Neighbourhood Watch information. Generally, the content is to be the same, but he has attempted to eliminate duplication and aimed to get similar data into the same groups. Regarding page design and cosmetics, he would prefer to allow PosAbilities to structure the pages with their own experience and creative ideas. A draft website will be presented to councillors via a Zoom presentation along with a quote from PosAbilities for the work.
Councillors discussed the aim of the website – the statutory requirement and the need to provide information both the community and the wider public. It was noted that although the site is rarely accessed, it was important to keep it up to date.
Regarding the Accessibility Regulations 2018, the website is compliant.
Email addresses would provide sufficient contact information for residents. Only the Chairman and the Clerk address and telephone numbers should be on the website.
It was suggested when the newly designed website is complete there should be a locally promoted launch to raise resident’s awareness of the information on the site.

815. Broadband boost – Mr Duncan Hollowood
Bepton have applied for a “Community Fibre Partnership” with Openreach to bring fibre to Bepton and to end years of poor broadband performance in the area. The Government have recently increased the money available through the “Rural Gigabit Connectivity” programme so that there should be no cost to Bepton residents for bringing fibre to their homes.
The first phase of this will focus on circa 50 properties at the southern end of the village: it is then hoped to address the northern end of the village as a second phase. The first phase should be completed by Autumn 2021.
Please email any questions you may have to Duncan Hollowood (BRDH.BPC@gmail.com)

Minutes of Bepton Parish Council meeting 9th July 2020
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816. Environment matters/ Highways matters/ Rights of Way
a) Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) – Several Road and Bepton Road – Speed traffic monitors were
installed at 5 different locations on Bepton Road and Severals Road from Monday 15 June for 7 days. The results are not yet known. In the meantime, we have received letters of support from stakeholders including Gillian Keegan MP. Mike Dare of WSCC Highways will be submitting his report for the November 2020 CLC meeting for the 2021-22 programme.
b) Bugshill Lane, traffic restriction 20.7.20 from 9.30am for carriageway pothole repairs.
c) Rights of Way – Summer Surface Vegetation Clearance Programme June to August.
d) Installation of Village Gates – Awaiting an available date from Darren Rolfe and his team.

e) Other Highway Matters
1. Bugshill Lane/Bell Lane and Bepton Road junction – Mrs Hart submitted an online request to reinstate the markings at the junction of Bugshill Lane/Bell Lane and Bepton Road and this request has been agreed. Mr Hollowood expressed his concerns about the dangers at the junction for cyclists, traffic and tractors and asked if the Council could be involved in the discussion with Highways to see if there is a way to improve the safety of the junction. It is hoped the installation of the village gates will help to slow drivers.
2. White lines on Bepton Road – It was agreed that an online request should be made to create new white road edge lines as opposed to a central one along Bepton Road.
3. Verges by Bepton Common and Burbank, Bepton Road – It was agreed to discuss the maintenance of the verges and the feasibility of erecting posts with Mike Dare of WSCC Highways when he returns from holiday.
f) CDC Tree planting – Andrea Smith, Climate Change Officer is asking councils if they would be
interested in ending 2020 on a positive note by planting a tree/trees in the area. Mr Beaumont suggested it may be an opportunity to replace softwood trees with hardwood trees.

817. Other meetings
a) MAC virtual meeting 15 July 6pm
b) SSALC Seminar for Council Officers – Effective Communications and Engagement in a Post Lockdown World – 16 July. This is a Zoom meeting. RH has agreed to take part.
c) CDC – All parishes meeting 15th October 2020.

818. Date of next meeting 10th September 2020 which will probably be via Zoom.
If the public would like to be present would they please contact the Clerk in advance.

Chairman: …………………………………..

These Minutes are unconfirmed until signed by the chairman