ALBRIGHTON PARISH COUNCIL
PLANNING MEETING
Thursday 5th March 2009
Minutes of the Planning Meeting held at the Red House on Thursday 5th March, 2009.
PRESENT: Cllrs. P Lusk (Chair), D Beechey (Vice Chair), R Balkwill, G Beechey,
R Blincoe, N Hester, R Kidson, D Johnson, D Murray, M Pate, S Pate, S Pledger.
Public Session: No members of the public were in attendance.
Cllrs. M Holden, P Illes, J Nelson.
No member made a declaration of interest, either personal or prejudicial.
A working party had met to consider the Shropshire Core Strategy and draft a response to options that the report proposed. Cllr. D Beechey had produced a response form following the meeting and Cllr. Kidson had written a paper which provided additional material on many of the issues raised by the document. There was discussion as to how the report might affect the future of the white land east of Shaw Lane which would accommodate all of the growth in the village for some considerable time. Given this development questions were raised concerning the ability of facilities in the village to cope with an increased population, particularly the two primary schools. Members felt that tourism in the county had been neglected in the report and this called for additional hotel accommodation if the full potential for increased tourism was to be met.
Cllr. Kidson proposed that the response form produced by Cllr. D Beechey, plus his own background paper, should be given to the Clerk to produce an official response on behalf of the Parish Council and be sent to the county to meet the 9th March deadline. The motion was seconded by Cllr. Murray and received unanimous support.
RESOLVED: The Clerk to submit to the county the council response as detailed in the motion to meet the 9th March deadline.
Barhale has asked the council to instruct them with regard to the restoration of council land at Worthington Drive now that the work and storage at Clockmills was nearing completion. At present there is a large soil mound on the site and Councillors were anxious to ensure that this was removed so that the land could be used for leisure and changing facilities if the Severn Trent land was offered for sale.
Cllr. Balkwill proposed that the area should be levelled and seeded and Cllr. Blincoe seconded the motion which was unanimously agreed.
A paper by the Clerk had been circulated to Councillors regarding the possible reinvestment of Bank of Ireland funding following concerns about strength of the Irish economy and the ability of the Irish Government to honour its pledges to safeguard invested funds, as detailed in the letter made available to members at the previous meeting. The Chair explained that funds could be moved to UK building societies such as the Beverley Building Society which would pay in excess of 2% interest but the UK Government did not guarantee any corporate investments, unlike the Irish Government.
An alternative to investing the money was to spend it but the Chair reminded members that the majority of the money was already earmarked and would be spent as agreed projects got under way. Cllr. Pate suggested that the Council should seek the advice of Ms. Laura Rowley at SCC who had great experience in investing large sums of County Council money. He promised to consult with Ms. Rowley and seek her advice.
Cllr Pledger proposed that in the circumstances the money was best left in the Bank of Ireland account subject to regular review by the Finance Committee and the motion was seconded by Cllr. Hester. The Council gave its unanimous support to the proposal.
RESOLVED: The Clerk to write to Ms. Laura Rowley at SCC and seek her advice regarding the best investment of earmarked funds.
FUL/09/0081 Erection of rear extension to shop and two first floor flats above after demolition of existing stockroom and outbuildings 78 High Street, Albrighton.
No objections although some concern was expressed over access to the first floor flats. Cllr. G Beechey thanked the two members Cllrs. Nelson and Kidson who had investigated the site before making recommendations to the Council.
FUL/09/0083 Conversion of existing building into a dwelling house including the erection of a single storey extension Cosford Grange, Shifnal.
No objections
FUL/09/0095 Erection of a first floor side extension 7 Old Hall Close, Albrighton.
No objections.
FUL/09/0067Alterations and extensions to factory/office building AXYZ Automation UK Limited, Albrighton Business Park, Albrighton.
No objections. Council expressed strong support for this application.
FUL/09/0107 Erection of a rear single storey extension 37 Lyncroft, Albrighton.
Deferred to the Parish Council meeting on 19th March.
Cllr. M Pate reported on a constructive meeting regarding the Cross Road traffic calming scheme, phase 2, which had now been placed in the SCC capital works programme at a cost of £30,000. All concerned with the scheme were happy with the proposals which included a pavement around the corner from Cross Road into Elm Road, a new rubber roundabout at the Elm Road/Cross Road junction and parking bays by the bungalows in Cross Road as far as the post box. Access for the school bus into the primary school in Newhouse Lane was discussed including a possible entrance by the side of the old infant school. Questions were asked as to why the bus could not go up the school drive as it used to do but Cllr. Pledger pointed out that Newhouse Lane was so congested with parents cars that a bus would not be able to reach the school drive.
RESOLVED: The Clerk to write to the Chair of Governors of Newhouse Lane School to ask why the school bus could not use the school drive.
The meeting was informed that a manned access point for Albrighton had been agreed for a trial period of twelve months as part of the transfer to the new unitary authority. This move was welcomed by members but there was discussion regarding the best location for this facility. The library did not have a suitable space and Cllr. Pledger pointed out that the Parish office was unsuitable because the access for the elderly and disabled was either difficult or impossible.
Cllr. Kidson asked that the formation of a youth council be placed on the agenda for the Parish Council meeting of 19th March.
There being no more business the meeting concluded at 8.35 pm.
Signed ..Date ..
Chairman