1 Apologies for Absence – Mr J Broughton and Mr S Nevitt

2 Youth PC

No report

3 Declaration of Interests

R Shutler declared an interest in the planning application for and adjacent to 50 Compton Road.

4 Late Correspondence

a) J Higginbottom suggesting a meeting to discuss the planning application for Flamberts before the planning application is submitted

b) Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust. SP has been selected to be part of a football project to combat anti social behaviour through sport. It is likely that it will be funded in full but if a contribution is required SPPC agreed to support the project if that was the wish of the SP Local Action Group.

c) Adopt a telephone box. There are two schemes, to adopt costing £1 or sponsor costing £500 per year but as none of the phone boxes in SP are due for removal, it will not be necessary to pursue this.

d) There is a problem at the allotments with inconsiderate spraying in particular by one allotment holder. There is an allotment holders meeting on 9 September and B Cotterill is investigating the SSDC lease agreement.

e) Neighbours comments on 50 Compton Road to be considered when the planning application is discussed.

5 Agreement of Minutes

The minutes of the monthly meeting held on 4 August 2008 were approved and signed as a correct record and correcting the spelling of de minimis and adding the words to 16g ‘It may not always be expedient to take action’.

6 Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

7 New Planning Applications

a) 02678ful Erection of an extension to south west elevation of the barn conversion at Putt Cottage amended. SPPC has since been told that this was minor and was for information only, but it is unclear which version of the plans has been approved.

b) 02818adv Display of two non –illuminated fascia signs at Boots the Chemist amended. SPPC would have recommended approval but were concerned to discover that the determination of this planning application had been made before the closing date for comments, as it was considered by the planner to be minor

c) 03327ful Erection of a conservatory and porch at 15 Lampreys Lane. SPPC recommended approval.

d) 02687ful Erection of a conservatory to the rear of 42 Lampreys Lane. SPPC recommended approval.

e) 03056ful Alterations to include extension to and reroofing of existing porch and the installation of a window in the north west elevation at 12 West End Court. SPPC recommended approval.

f) 01208ful Erection of an agricultural store and provision or a hard standing, amended at land adjacent to 50 Compton Road. SPPC recommended refusal as the amended plans only partly address the concerns that they raised previously and their previous comments will be repeated. Additionally if the hard standing is to be used for vehicles little consideration seems to have been given to the visibility splay on Compton Road and as a safety concern this needs to be addressed. The amended plan includes future landscaping but when in the future? If approved there needs to be landscaping between the building/hard standing and both the neighbouring residential dwelling and Compton Road as part of the immediate proposal; not at sometime in the future. The amended application does not make it clear what it is proposed will happen with the existing hard standing. If permission is granted, SPPC would want to see a condition included that both the agricultural store and the hard standing should be solely for agricultural use.

8 Highway Matters

a) A date for a meeting with Somerset Highways to discuss speeding in Harp Road and the Over Stratton junction is still awaited.

b) The footpath sign in Carey’s Hollow requires attention.

c) A parishioner had queried the reference on the minutes of 30 June 2008 about a light in North Street. This was clarified it is a resident who would like to change the existing light on his property to match the lantern style lights in George Lane

9 Footpaths

a) A request to extend the temporary diversion Y24/53 and Y24/54 was noted

b) Somerset Landscapes have been asked to cut back the brambles over hanging the footpath between the infants’ school and the church.

c) The post of the old sign on this same path needs to be removed.

10 Recreation Ground

a) The Stoke Youth Football Club which has a total membership of 160 will be using the recreation ground for some of its matches this year.

b) A mystery hole has appeared in the grass outside the pavilion; it is about four feet deep by two feet across. It will be repaired this week.

11 Cemetery

The Community Woodland is overgrown. At present only the paths are cut.

12 Churchyard

a) The repair to the wall and pier has been discussed by the SP Parochial Church Council. It would seem that SPPC was misinformed about the de minimis and a faculty will be required. There is no charge for this but the PCC want SPPC to pay for the PCC architect to look at the plans and check whether planning permission is required. K Dexter was asked to talk with the architect to establish a fixed fee for his work so that the repairs can progress. It seems that with a closed church yard, SPPC has responsibility but no authority.

b) C Willy, K Dexter and Rev Jasper have met to discuss moving the memorial plaque from the memorial garden at the recreation ground to the churchyard. It has been agreed that it will be on the wall between the steps and the war memorial. K Dexter will get quotes for this work. It was suggested that the memorial garden should be levelled and seeded over.

c) Having asked a contractor to check the tree in the church yard by Hele Lane it has been established that at sometime in the past the trunks of the tree had been wired together and it is this wiring that has cut into the tree and now snapped. A faculty will be required for the tree to be felled as recommended but it was agreed that as this was a safety issue the tree should be felled without waiting for the faculty. Only one quote has been received which was considered to be high; more quotes will be obtained and C Willy, S Dickie and K Dexter will agree which one to accept.

d) The SSDC arborist who carried out the survey of the cemetery trees has declined to carry out a survey of the churchyard. P Robathan offered to ask again about this.

e) A contractor has been contacted about levelling the slabs in the churchyard.

f) A hand rail along the path through the churchyard to Hele Lane has been requested

13 Approval of Cheque Payments

Approval was given for cheques 3745 – 3758; value £6186.65 drawn as indicated on the list attached to these minutes.

14 County Councillor’s Report

a) J Sharpe is making a £500 donation towards the Blake Hall roof fund from his Divisional Fund.

b) George Lane lights look good but only have temporary wiring and it is not known when they are coming back to complete the work.

c) Somerset Arts Week includes some venues in SP.

d) The Round Britain Cycle Race will be starting in Chard.

e) J Sharpe is supporting the SPPC application to him for £6,000 from the SCC Local Initiative Budget for a project to support older youth getting into work. This is being discussed with Connextions, and Active Learning Skills who could be possible providers of this service.

15 District Councillors’ Report

a) The Ham Hill Fair, which is mainly for children, is on 6 September 2008.

b) The Careline Service is provided by SSDC. The initial cost for installation is £39.50 with a monitoring charge of £3.35 per week.

c) Shepton Beauchamp Neighbourhood watch Scheme as reported shed break ins, thefts form vans and siphoning off fuel from cars.

d) There is now a police dog handler living SP.

e) Work has started on the Lift West site at Lopen.

f) The majority of the Somerset Arts Week banners/adverts are illegal and there has been some discussion with the SSDC Enforcement Officer about this.

g) Garden waste in the narrower roads of SP eg Hele Lane where there is no green bin collection can now be included in the normal waste bin providing the capacity of the bin is not exceeded. Nothing left outside the bin will be collected. This also applies to the hamlets on the south side of A303.

h) The Olympic flag is flying at Brympton Way as t is hoped that everyone will gain from the Olympics being in London.

j) There is going to be a consultation on smoking in homes and the effect of passive smoking on children. This will not be enforcement but encouragement.

16 To Consider

a) SSDC Core Strategy Issues and Options Questionnaire – N Greenleaf will complete the questionnaire.

b) Future of Local action Group - P Robathan has recently written a report in TA13 of the work being done by the Local Action Group and in future PACT will include the Local Action Group. He suggest that Local Action Group steps back from the day to day issues and in future meets every three months instead of monthly and the day to day involvement is passed to SPPC. Agreed in principle but the Local Action Group can be asked to meet more frequently to respond to current issues.

c) Market Towns Initiative – There is still no news of the two bids made by SPPC in March 2008, so this needs follow up.

d) Poop Scoop Bins and Litter Bins – Following a meeting with Jon Brown from SSDC there is £1,000 available for litter and poop scoop bins. The lengthsman has carried out a survey of where he considers bins are required, all at the edge of the village, and these were agreed in metal rather than plastic, so a different design to the existing ones. SSDC Dog Warden has the power to prosecute on circumstantial evidence and does not have to have seen the incidence of fouling. The increased amount of horse droppings in the village was queried but these do not carry the disease that affects children like dog fouling does. A litter bin by the post office will be requested.

e) Parking in the Centre of SP – M Duplock has written to the police about his concerns about illegal parking in SP particularly in St James Street. There are new notices in shop windows about parking on double yellow lines and the police are issuing warnings and fixed penalty notices. In parts of SP the road markings/lines need to be repainted. This will be discussed with Somerset Highways.

f) Seat by Catholic Church – There has been objections from some parishioners. More benches could have the effect of dispersing and diluting unacceptable behaviour so it was agreed that the bench should be installed for a trial period to be reassessed at the Annual Parish Meeting in April 2009.

g) Training for Parish Councillors, Issues Arising – Declarations of interests need to be considered clearly when considering grants, particularly with officers of the local groups. The guide says declare an interest if you are friends of the applicant eg what is a friend- ask yourself if you would attend their daughter's wedding. You are probably an acquaintance if no more friendly with them than anyone else in the village. If in doubt parish councillors should declare an interest. It is up to the individual to make the judgement on whether they should declare an interest.

17 Meetings

a) Somerset Waste Management Partnership on 7 October 2008. K Duffield will attend on behalf of SPPC.

b) AGM of the Campaign for Rural England, where the speaker is Phillip Higginbottom , discussing future development in Somerset. R Neve will attend.

Meeting closed to the public

18 Bridge Road Steps

Martock Masonry will be asked to carry out the repair to the stonework on Bridge Road steps.

Meeting closed at 9.58pm

Chairman……………………… Date…………….