- Present
- Cllrs C. Hamilton (Chair), V. Cauvain, T. Spong, D. Botterell, K. Millar, L. Fitzpatrick, G. Foster, J. Beady and K. Harkin Parish Clerk and S. Gunter Parish Clerk. Also in attendance were, TDC Cllr Peter Harris and a number of members of the public.
Apologies
Cllr K. Green sent apologies.
Minutes of the Previous Meeting
The minutes of the meeting held on 18th March 2024 were proposed by Cllr Botterell, seconded by Cllr Cauvain and it was Resolved: To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 18th March 2024 as an accurate record of proceedings.
Declarations of Interest
The Chair invited councillors to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests relevant to the agenda. No declarations of interest on agenda items.
Clerk’s Report
The Clerk presented his previously circulated report, which is attached as Appendix A. He reminded members that they have been waiting for TDC to provide prices for the proposed new litter bins for months. It was suggested that in the circumstances WPC proceeds to purchase and install the litter bins.
Public Participation
- A resident raised awareness of the Local Plan meetings and preferred options and mentioned that Weeley is definitely to feature in this. Encouraged residents to view online recordings.
- Gutteridge Hall planning consent appears to allow for more caravans on the site.
- Angela from Weeley in Bloom advised that the crazy paving around the bench at Reed Pond was breaking up and covered in weeds and would like the council to consider options to either grass over or replace. Council have decided to add this as an Agenda item at the next meeting.
- 2 members of Tendring Hundred Riding Club summarised their plans for the club and would like council support in their future planning application. Cllr Harris also pledged his support. The council agreed to add to their next meeting Agenda.
Tendring District and Essex County Councils
TDC Cllr P Harris: moved his report to the Annual Parish Meeting but reported that as per the earlier comments by Carol Bannister he and Cllr Jeff Bray would be paying close attention to the Local Plan and would be challenging this at all points.
Correspondence
The clerk reported none of any significance. Any relevant correspondence had been circulated to councillors.
Planning Applications
Council Members considered the applications set out in Appendix B and determined as shown.
Finance and Budget
The list of monthly payments was proposed by Cllr Botterell, and seconded by Cllr Spong and it was Resolved: To approve the list of payments set out in Appendix C.
Weeley Parish Council Reports
- Street Lighting: Cllr Green not present so no report.
- Tree Warden: Cllr Green not present so no report presented.
- Playing Field: Is gradually drying out after a very wet winter.
- Children’s Play Area: The weather has hampered progress overall, but the playground is nearly finished apart from final snagging and general aesthetics which should be addressed by the contractor. It is hoped the fencing will be removed this week. The inspection report has been received and there were no high risk issues to stop the playground from opening.
- Highways & Footpaths: Cllr Beady presented her report which is attached as Appendix D.
- Footpaths: Cllr Fitzpatrick advised that she has reviewed the footpaths and found some that no longer seem to appear on the definitive map that ECC hold and once finished investigating she will report these to the council and ECC.
- Transport: Cllr Millar reported that the Weeley Rail line was closed for a short time on 2nd April due to a luggage strap on overhead wires. The issue with the potholes that had caused Jaywick buses temporary suspension due to damage (to a bus) had been fixed by residents and a councillor themselves. Services had restarted but may be suspended again if more damage occurs. The ongoing A12 closures were also reported. Bus fares are set to increase but that the £2 fare initiative will continue until at least December.
- TDALC: Cllr Botterell advised that the last meeting was mainly discussions around the sites identified for quarrying in Essex (no direct Weeley issues) and also the Suffolk – Essex Pylon project (again not directly impacting Weeley).
Other Reports
- Rural Policing: The Chair noted that 8 crimes were reported in Weeley in February 2024.
- Speedwatch: Cllr. Beady reported that 2 Speedwatch sessions had occurred and her report is attached as Appendix E.
- Weeley Residents Ass: Mrs Miles moved her report to the APM.
- Weeley in Bloom (WiB): Angela Barnes for Julia Hopgood moved her report to the APM.
- Petanque Rink: Mrs Holt moved her report to the APM.
Public Participation
Further concerns were raised about the Gutteridge Lane consent. Cllr Harris said he would look into whether called in applications outside the boundary were actually referred to committee as they should be. Cllr Harris also mentioned that an enforcement order has been served regarding the paving of drainage ditches but it was open ended so he would chase this up.
The Chair closed the meeting at 8.15pm and invited those present to stay on for the Annual Parish Meeting.
Date of Next Meeting: Monday 20th May at 7.30pm
Clerk's Report
| Topic | Action/issue | Status |
|---|---|---|
| New Children’s Play Area | Complete installation. | The playground installation is complete. The post installation inspection has identified minor snags for attention. Hopefully it will be possible to remove the surety fencing w/c 15 April 2024. |
| Emergency Plan | Annual update. | The final draft has been circulated for comment. |
| Litter Bins | Install additional bins | It is proposed to simply purchase the hardware (bins), install and notify TDC accordingly. |
| Scout Hut | Prepare a new lease. | The scouts representatives have made clear that the scouts want a 21 year lease. WPC’s solicitor has confirmed that this will complicate the lease and make it more expensive to prepare. |
| Weeley bypass | Determine options for the avenue of poplars | The Clerk has agreed to contact ECC Place Services to chase for a firm proposal including numbers and species of trees to plant. |
| Bank Account | Process two additional signatories. Set up BACS payment process |
|
| Electricity Supplier | Appoint an electricity broker. | Outstanding. |
| Reed Pond | Initiate Management Plan |
|
Planning Applications for Month to 15th April 2024
| Application No. | Details | Address | Comment/Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/00235/FUL | Proposed increase in height to 1.1m of the boundary treatment fronting Clacton Road and retrospective approval for the vehicular access and 1.28m high field gates. | Land North-West of Connaught Road Little Clacton Essex | This application was considered at last months meeting |
| 24/00433/TELLIC | Notification under Schedule 2, Part 16 of the Town and Country Planning Order 2015 to retain the existing antennas, swap 1 no. cabinet, swap 1 no. GPS node and all associated ancillary. | Telephone Mast Green Lane Farm Colchester Road Weeley | Application was recently approved. |
Monthly Payments: April 2024
| Invoice Date | Invoice No. | Cheque No. | Payee | Service | NET £ | VAT £ | GROSS £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04-04-24 | 100019115 67 | DD | Castle Water | Reed Pond - Water Standing Charge | 6.82 | 0.00 | 6.82 |
| 04-04-24 | IN1012077 9 | DD | NPower | Street Lighting Electricity | 453.39 | 22.67 | 476.06 |
| 15-04-24 | 103366 | Weeley in Bloom | Grant Aid | 500.00 | 0.00 | 500.00 | |
| 15-04-24 | 103366 | Weeley Residents Ass | Grant Aid | 500.00 | 0.00 | 500.00 | |
| 15-04-24 | 103367 | HMRC | PAYE Payment for Qtr Ending 5 April 2024 | 732.36 | 0.00 | 732.36 | |
| 12-04-24 | INV-0501 | 103368 | Goldacre Contracting | Playing Field & Verges - 1st cut | 415.00 | 83.00 | 498.00 |
| 31-03-24 | WVH-3858 | 103369 | Weeley Village Hall | Meeting Room Hire | 260.90 | 0.00 | 260.90 |
| 02-04-24 | 103370 | CVST | Annual Affiliation Fee 2024/25 | 25.00 | 0.00 | 25.00 | |
| 25-03-24 | 17398 | 103371 | EALC | New Clerks Course Fee | 95.00 | 19.00 | 114.00 |
| 02-04-24 | 17631 | 103371 | EALC | EALC & NALC Annual Affiliation Fees | 603.74 | 0.00 | 603.74 |
| 08-04-24 | INV-18684 | 103372 | Signs Made Easy | Fabricate Aluminium Sign | 31.50 | 6.30 | 37.80 |
| 12-04-24 | 103373 | C. Hamilton | Refreshment Expenses | 74.42 | 14.88 | 89.30 | |
| 30-04-24 | 103374 | S. Gunter | Salary (Mar & Apr) | 1,204.99 | 0.00 | 1,204.99 | |
| 15-04-24 | 103374 | S. Gunter | Mileage Expenses | 163.75 | 0.00 | 163.75 | |
| 30-04-24 | 103375 | K. Harkin | Salary - Apr | 703.64 | 0.00 | 703.64 | |
| 15-04-24 | 103375 | K. Harkin | Mileage Expenses | 33.80 | 0.00 | 33.80 | |
| 15-04-24 | 103375 | K. Harkin | Phone and B/B | 44.14 | 8.83 | 52.97 | |
| Totals | 5,848.45 | 154.68 | 6,003.13 | ||||
Bank balances as at 14 April 2024; current account £45,345.39; deposit account £85,039.42.
Highways Report
Prepared by Cllr J Beady
There is a pothole developing on Thorpe Road as well as the South side of Thorpe Road showing the first signs of breaking up.
The bottom end of Hilltop Crescent up to no 18 is a bumpy ride due to all the surface breakups getting worse (reported in 2022). The missing kerbs in Hilltop Crescent continue to deteriorate, I re-reported this in January, submitting new photographs with it and was told that it would be reassessed. Now the path is crumbling into the road and this month three of the cones went missing overnight.
There is another hole on the bend of the roundabout leaving Colchester Road and a large crack/displacement on the opposite side (reported last month).
The big dip in the pavement outside the Fire Station has at last been filled in but the rest of the pavement is still a mess.
Speedwatch Report
Prepared by Cllr J Beady
Last month due to a combination of bad weather and my lack of hearing we only held 2 speedwatch sessions. The first was a ‘pop-up/spur of the moment’ session which Fraser and I did to see how my partial deafness would affect our efforts, We managed quite well and although there was a lot of shouting, for a change it wasn’t at each other.
In that session at the Fire Station site, we logged 16 speeding vehicles, all taxed and MOT’d. There was 1 repeat offender and the fastest was doing 49mph.
The second session was held at the Ambulance Station site. DC Martyn Wells was joining us at 10:00am, however Fraser and I were ten minutes early. In those 10 minutes we logged 9 speeding vehicles. When Martyn joined us we logged just 2 in the following hour. Of those 11, 1 had no MOT, all were taxed, there were no repeaters and the fastest was doing 40mph.