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Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held remotely by Zoom on Thursday 11th March 2021
Present.
Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman),G. Place, D. Barrass, R. Batt, J. Dovey, K. Lord, Dist. Cllr. P. Butikofer, Ed Mumford-Smith (Broadland Housing), Anna Clarke (NNDC Housing) J.Stibbons(clerk)
The chairman opened the meeting at 7.04pm. and welcomed Ed Mumford-Smith and Anna Clarke.
1. Apologies Cllr. Toyne, County Cllr. S. Butikofer.
2. Declaration of Interest Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson and R. Batt declared an interest in item 7.
3. There were no comments or questions from members of the public.
4. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 18th January 2021, having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Dovey that they should be confirmed as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Place and carried. The chairman will sign the minutes at a later date.
5. Matters arising from the Minutes
All minutes of meetings held on zoom are now signed up to date.
The sign board belonging to Browns estate agents has now been removed from Lodge Corner.
6. Reports from County and District Councillors.
Dist Cllr. P. Butikofer
Covid cases in North Norfolk at the beginning of March were down to 53 per 100,000. This means North Norfolk is 304thout of 314 council areas.
Vaccinations are going well with centres at North Walsham, Cromer and Fakenham.
Hardship funds are being distributed, £54 million have been paid out in grants so far.
NNDC Budget. The NNDC part of the council tax is to be frozen but there will be an increased amount for the Police and Norfolk County Council.
Splash is expected to be finished by the 12th of August.
Shannon Court has been compulsory purchased and is to be demolished next week
Cromer Pier will open on the 8th of March for walking only.
The census will take place on March 21st.
7. Affordable Housing.Anna Clark works closely with affordable housing at NNDC. There is a large housing register in North Norfolk. Exceptional housing policy states that it must fulfil a local need for local people and not for profit. It is to be a joint venture and must be adjacent to 10 other properties. Tenants eligible for affordable housing must have a local connection in the top three tier bands. Development also need a willing landowner.
Ed Mumford-Smith Broadland housing is cooperating with North Norfolk district council but also covers all of Norfolk. The size of the village dictates the appropriate scale of development. Designs have traditional appearance. There must be an environmental commitment to reduce the carbon
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footprint and improve energy efficiency. The policy is aimed at customers who cannot afford the cost of a house outright. A market priced house is included in the development to bridge the cost gaps. Some pictures of the proposed developments were then shown to the meeting. They were of traditional design but very efficient. Shared ownership is protected in perpetuity. Purchase ownership can only be up to 80% of the value of the property, but the average percentage ownership is 40%. It is proposed to have six properties in the Sheringham Road at the corner of Back Lane and four properties near the Wheatsheaf. The first step in the process is a community consultation. The second step is a preplanning applications. Third step is due diligence investigations Fourth step is to prepare a planning application.
Each property will have two parking spaces.
It was pointed out that there was an ongoing sewage problem in Sheringham Road and this should be investigated by the Environment Agency.
It was proposed by Cllr. Dovey that the provision of affordable housing should be taken forward. This was seconded by Cllr. Barrass and unanimously approved.
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8. Solar Community Fund Committee. It was proposed by Cllr. Dovey that, as so much research was undertaken for the design of the new West Beckham village sign this information should be used to produce an information board. Expected cost was under £100 This suggestion was approved by the councillors present. An information board is to be placed in the village hall The Allotments, Play area and Broadband were still under discussion by the Solar committee 9. Playing Field there is no update from NNDC on fence repairs or renewal of lease at present. 10. Flooding from the sewage pumping station into Sheringham Road. This problem was initially discussed in 2007 and 2009. There has again been problems with sewage overflow again this winter. Cllr. Place has been in contact with Anglian Water but they are reluctant to admit liability. Anglian Water seem content with the situation but this seemed to happen when all the holiday homes were un-occupied. The situation would also be made worse if the proposed affordable houses were built. The ditch on the west of the Sheringham Road past The Garth and the sub-station would take the road water away. It was agreed to contact Anglian Water and invite them to the next parish council meeting. Environment Agency and NNDC Environmental health are also to be contacted.
11. The review of the triangle opposite Chestnut Farm is being discussed with Highways 12. Budget Review. A copy of current expenditure against budget was presented to the meeting and a breakdown of the Solar Fund expenditure by item. It was agreed the future precepts should be increased to balance the budget and not rely on the Solar Fund. It was proposed by Cllr. Wilson that a separate business bank account should be set up for the Solar Fund money. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and agreed by a majority. Page 201 13. Financial matters. Bank Balances at 11/3/2021 Current a/c £7459.80 Savings a/c £20428.55 Outstanding invoice were approved:- Zurich Insurance Renewal £541.33 NALC Subscription £139.54 14. Correspondence – Appeal from Citizens Advice for a donation. To be discussed at a later meeting. |
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15. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.
The sleepers forming a bridge over a drain on the West Beckham footpath have slipped,
Norfolk County Council are to be informed.
