BACKWELL PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD ON TUESDAY 10TH MAY 2016

IN BACKWELL PARISH HALL, BACKWELL

Present: Cllrs R Taylor (Chairman), R Barclay, M Bowerman, C Cole, R Day, S Edwards, R MacLeavy, S Mitchell, S Ould, J Sear and G Simmonite

In attendance: Mrs J Stone, Clerk of the Council.

Members of the public: 2 members of public present.

The Chairman opened the meeting by welcoming everyone present and pointed out the location of the emergency exits and toilets

1. Apologies

160 Cllrs D Seddon, J Llewellyn, M Gibbons-Price and H Power. District Cllr K Barclay and NSC PLO’s Natalie Field and Natalie Sims

2. Declarations of Interest

To receive Councillors’ declarations of interests and to consider any written

application for dispensations

Personal interest

161 None

Prejudicial interest

162 None

Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

163 None

3. Minutes (Circulated)

164 The Minutes of the Full Council meeting held on the 7th April 2016 were unanimously confirmed as a correct record by those present at that meeting

4. Public Participation

165 A resident spoke of his concerns regarding Coles Quarry planning application

no. 16/P/0674/F, and asked for a mandatory 20mph speed limit on Dark Lane

5. To receive such communications as the person presiding may wish to lay

before the Council

166 The Chairman’s comments were noted re NSC and local green spaces

167 The Chairman informed members the skatepark in Nailsea, which the Parish

Council had contributed towards, would be officially opened on July 9th 2016

168 Members noted the Chairman’s comments regarding the re-election of Sue

Mountstevens, Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner, and attendance at Council meetings by the Police

6. To answer questions from Councillors

169 None

7. To receive and consider reports and minutes of Committees

To receive the draft Minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on

21st April 2016

170 Noted

8. To receive and consider a report from the Clerk of the Council

a. To receive this report

171 Noted

b. Update on non agenda items

172 None

9. Update on Moor Lane

173 No update at present, planning application still pending at NSC

10. Update on Farleigh Fields

174 No update at present, planning application still pending at NSC

11. To receive, consider and approve the Annual Return for the year ended

31st March 2016

175 Resolved: Unanimously to approve

12. To note letter received from NSC dated 1.3.16 re Council Tax Support

Grant 2017/18 onwards

176 Members noted the grant would be phased out over the next 3 years

13. To receive and consider letter from NSC dated 21.4.16 re proposed Devolution Deal for the West of England

177 Noted

14. To consider Backwell Leisure Centre

Members discussed the implications for Backwell Leisure Centre if the

proposed expansion of Scotch Horn Leisure Centre, Nailsea, proceeds

178 Resolved: Unanimously a letter be sent to NSC regarding the long term

future of Backwell Leisure Centre

15. To consider Neighbourhood Planning

179 The Chairman’s comments were noted regarding the possibility of a new

Neighbourhood Right of Appeal, which is currently being proposed

to go into the Housing and Planning Bill

16. To receive and consider email from NSC dated 18.4.16 re Keep Clear

marking (H bar policy)

180 Resolved: Unanimously Cllr S Mitchell and the Clerk to respond on

behalf of BPC strongly objecting to the proposed implementation of

the H bar Policy by Town and Parish Councils

17. To receive and consider reports from Working Parties of the Council/Cllrs

a. To receive update from Enhancement Working Party

181 Cllr M Bowerman reminded Councillors of the Tree Planting Ceremony

celebrating the Queen’s 90th birthday, which is taking place at Backwell Playing Fields. The ceremony will be held on Saturday 4th June at 3pm, followed by refreshments at Backwell Parish Hall

b. To receive update from Highways Working Party

182 Cllr S Mitchell reported no update at present

18. To receive and consider relevant correspondence

All correspondence is available in Parish Office for viewing, and is also available for inspection at the Parish Council meeting

183 Noted

19. Accounts

a. To receive and consider Receipts and Payments schedule for April 2016 (checked by Cllr M Gibbons-Price prior to the meeting)

184 Noted

b. To authorise expenditure for the month of April 2016

185 Resolved: Unanimously to authorise expenditure

c. To consider renewal of annual membership of CPRE at a cost of £36

186 Resolved: Unanimously to authorise

d. To receive and consider Internal Audit Report (Final) 2015-16 dated

8.4.16

187 The Chairman, on behalf of the Parish Council, thanked the Clerk for

her work in connection with the recent audit

20. Planning

To consider the following planning applications:

a. Planning application no. 16/P/0674/F Coles Quarry, Church Town,

Backwell – Site A – relocate access to and from civic amenity site

with re-designed access to and from site onto Church Town, establish

bat house in existing barn together with contouring with gabions and

hard and soft landscaping. Site B – Erection of 15 industrial units for

class B1a, B1b, B1c or B8 following demolition of existing works

buildings with associated access road improvements, car-parking,

contouring and hard and soft landscaping. Amendment to approval

14/P/0304/F – Bristol & South West Developments Ltd

188 Resolved: Unanimously Backwell Parish Council objects and has many concerns regarding this application for Coles Quarry. Their main concern must always be one of safety and especially the safety of the children at Backwell Junior School. The roads are very narrow, with no pavement in many places, and BPC are currently faced with the possibility of losing the crossing patrol which without the prospect of increased traffic would put the children at risk, so with increased traffic would be unacceptable. Whilst many children are collected from school an equal amount are not, and any sort of increased traffic will put the children into danger, with a greater concern if the traffic is heavy haulage type traffic. BPC also wish to concur with the comments from Backwell Residents Association that ‘’ the traffic situation has worsened since the traffic report that was commissioned by the applicants in 2014, and with the removal of the ‘’green bag ‘’ recycling scheme in March 2017, the amount of traffic to and from the recycling centre will naturally increase ‘’ and at the moment it is impossible to estimate how much that will be by.

  1. Backwell Parish Council noticed when they were discussing this application that it states ‘’ Stage One ‘’ on the plans, and they have concerns that if approved this application may at some stage become bigger.
  2. On inspection of the plans it seems that part of the proposed new building encroaches onto the Green Belt area of the site.
  3. BPC feel that the applicant needs to clarify exactly the size and type of traffic that they expect to be using the site, does the applicant have any idea of what classification and type of company they are expecting to let their units to?
  4. BPC are unsure if this is a new application or an amendment to the original 2014 one, if it is an amendment do the original conditions still stand, or will a new set of conditions apply? If this is a new application Backwell Parish Council requests that they are part of the consultative committee that will recommend the conditions for the site.
  5. BPC feel that traffic movement for the site needs to be prohibited during school pick up and collection time i.e. no traffic to or from the site between 8am – 9am and 2.45 pm – 3.45 pm. There also needs to be conditions set regarding the use of the site outside normal working hours, as the residents do not wish to be faced with the prospect of lorries coming and going during what can only be described as unsociable hours.
  6. BPC are concerned that the increase in size of the proposed site will inevitably create an issue with parking in both Dark Lane and Church Lane.
  7. BPC are concerned that Dark Lane is very narrow and does not have the capacity to accommodate large, possibly articulated lorries, and as such create a ‘’domino‘’ effect by pushing the traffic onto surrounding roads such as Station Road (which is already at capacity due to the traffic from Backwell School). Ultimately the suitability of the local road network has to be enough to accommodate them safely and efficiently, and BPC do not feel that the roads in Backwell are.
  8. BPC wishes to reiterate its concerns regarding the safety and security of the site at night. The crime prevention report online describes this site as

‘’secluded and vulnerable” so they need to know if there will be onsite security? The report also recommends ‘’ The access road into site B must have access controlled security gates, to allow those with authority to enter, CCTV of evidential quality at the entrance gate could assist with the detection with criminal activity on the site ‘’. It is now and probably will be in future fairly easy for people to access the site. The safety of Backwell residents must be of paramount concern and without strict and stringent security there will always be concerns regarding children and teenagers accessing the site and there being fatalities, or injuries.

  1. The 59% increase in floor space represents an unacceptably large increase in the size of the development.
  2. And finally, BPC wish to state in the strongest of terms that whilst they welcome the prospect of employment and growth in the village, their main concern must always be the safety and quality of life of their residents, and as their elected representatives will continue to voice their worries.

All the concerns BPC had with the previous application have now been exacerbated and magnified with this new application

b. Planning application no. 16/P/0849/F 39 Station Road, Backwell –

Erection of a single storey side extension – Mr G Woodfine

189 Resolved: Unanimously no objection

c. Planning application no. 16/P/0856/TPO 16A Church Lane, Backwell –

T1 Maple – thin canopy by approximately 20% and remove dead branches

and stubs – Glendale Countryside Limited

190 Resolved: Unanimously no objection

d. Planning application no. 16/P/0890/F 33 Hilldale Road, Backwell –

Two storey side extension – Mr Stu Charlton

191 Resolved: Unanimously Backwell Parish Council objects, and is

of the opinion the two storey side extension encroaches onto the boundary of 31 Hilldale Road. The Council questions whether there is sufficient parking at the property, and the whole extension would be overbearing and have serious effects on the neighbouring properties

192 There being no further items of business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 2012 hours