The Walsham Parish Council meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7.00pm in the Priory Room.
Members of the public are welcome to attend and there is normally an opportunity for any questions at the beginning of each meeting when the Chairman opens the meeting for any comments, questions etc.
During May 2007 all of the Parish Councillors apart from Mrs. Blackburn, resigned. Elections took place early in May and as there were no other nominations apart from those listed below, these councillors were automatically appointed. Two further members have now been co-opted and the Parish Council is once more at its full working strength. The first meeting which included these new members took place on July 16th 2007.
EXPLANATION!
There are instances within these draft reports of the Parish Council meetings where references are made under the PLANNING APPLICATION heading to HB8, PPG15 etc.. These refer to the very extensive planning document issued by MSDC to all Parish Councils whereby various aspects of the planning applicaions have to be judged/considered, and it would be virtually impossible for the full details to be given in this report. However, if anyone is interested in discovering more about these details they are welcome to attend the Parish Council meetings or they could even log on to the MSDC website!
The Parish Council draft Minutes of the monthly meeting.
These are the draft minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday July 13th 2010.
Public Open Forum
No comments..
CHURCH WALL
The Chairman opened the meeting for Mr. Trevor Pollard to discuss with Councillors the problems that are being faced with the mortar failure in the new build. Mr. Pollard said that he would like that it is recorded that he is more than willing to re-point the wall as necessary providing he has specific details of preparation, lime strength and mix to use.
Mr. Pollard presented a letter from Anglia Lime Co. and after the contents of the letter had been thoroughly discussed Cllr. Stebbing proposed that the suggested solution be followed, this was seconded by Cllr. Bartholomew and was carried with 4 out of 5 in favour + 1 abstention.
The Chairman then closed the meeting.
PLANNING APPLICATIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Planning Application No. 2035/10
Remove T1 Ash Tree & remove T3 Oak Tree. Old Meadows End, Wattisfield Road. The Parish Council had no comments as it was felt that this application is best dealt with by the Tree Officer.
PLANNING OUTCOMES
Planning Application No. SE/10/0169
Erection of garden shed. 2,Wrenshall Cottages. Planning permission has been granted by St. Edmundsbury Borough Council.
Planning Application No. 0695/10
Erection of four garages with associated car parking areas and access road. Amended layout adjacent to Plot 43 previously approved (2130/06) – Land adjacent to 43, Elm Drive. Planning permission has been granted by Mid Suffolk District Council
Planning Application No. 1190/10
Erection of single storey extension. The Oaks, Palmer Street. Plaaning permission has been granted by Mid Suffolk District Council
Planning Application No. 1605/10
T10 Crown reduce by 30% – Tled House, The Street. Mid Suffolk District Council does not wish to object to this application.
Planning Application No. 119010. The Oaks, Palmer Street
In response to the Parish Councils letter concerning site notices for this application Mid Suffolk District Counciul have replied stating that thie was a human error. Due to a mistake the letters went to three properties across the road rather than to the two adjacent properties.
REPORTS
Councillor Osborne reported that 'PARKING FOR RESIDENTS ONLY' signs have been erected by the entrance to the new car park at the rear of Townhouse Road.
POLICE
PCSO Nic Kegge had forwarded a report for the Parish Council's information in which he states there have been five crimes in Walsham since the beginning of June. 1x theftof football. All thevother crimes are not in the public domain and details cannot be passed. He has been doing a lot of work with the Primary School in the last few weeks in relation to road safety and cycle proficiency. In relation to Community Speed Watch there has been very little progress as none of the villages have yet made any commitment to the scheme.
TREE WARDEN
Dave Brown had e-mailed the Clerk to say he had nothing to report.
CLERKS FINANCIAL REPORT AND REQUEST FOR PAYMENTS
A report of income expenditure against budget to 30th June 2010 was presented. All cheques were duly signed and the Clerk reported that £183 was realized at the Annual Coffee Morning for Cancer Research U.K.
MATTERS ARISING FROM THE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 16th JUNE, 2010
Community Speed Watch Scheme
In view of the poor response from thev Police Cllr Bartholomew suggested that the Parish Council write to the neighbouring Parish Councils, namely:- Badwell Ash, Wattisfield, Rickinghall, Botesdale, Stowlangtoft, Gt. Ashfield &Finningham to as certain their interest in this scheme. Cllr. Barber pointed out that the Solar powered 'SLOW DOWN' signs have been erected in Wetherden and queried the cost of these. The Clerk was instructed to find out.
COUNTY MULCH
It has been requested that the Parish Council has only one representative at the meetings. Cllr. Stebbing to take over from Cllr. Mecrow. Cllr. Stebbing presented a report of the County Mulch liaison meeting held on 29th June, 2010 which had been circulated to all Councillors. The Chairman then opened the meeting for Trevor Roberts to give an update on his progress. His main concern at present is where and how the excess waste is being distributed from the site. It was agreed that a traffic survey through our village should be done and Cllr. Barber agreed to organize this. The Chairman then closed the meeting.
In the response to the request for the four Parish Councils to share the cost of the Clerks remuneration (£16.00 approx. per meeting) it was proposed by Cllr. Bartholomew, seconded by Cllr. Stebbing and carried unanimously to share these costs for the next 3 meetings in line with Stanton Parish Council. Cllr. Stebbing reported that the next meeting will be held on Tuesday 10th August, 2010.
CHURCH WALL QUOTATIONS
Quotations were to hand from D. Smith, R. Farrow and T. Pollard. After much discussion it was decided that due to the high cost of this work and with the problems with the new build still to be remedied to defer any further work until a later date.
AUDIT OF FOOTPATHS
No further progress
PARKING ISSUES IN FINNINGHAM ROAD
Julia Proctor from Highways had agreed to meet with the Chairman &Clerk to discuss these issues but had to cancel due to illness. A new date is awaited.
ANNUAL DONATIONS
A list of annual donations of £25 each to Suffolk Accident Rescue Service, Optus,Headway, Citizens Advice Bureau (Bury St. Edmunds), Citizens Advice Bureau (Stowmarket), East Anglian Air Ambulance and NSPCC was presented to Cllrs. for their approval. It was proposed by Cllr. Russell, seconded by Cllr. Stebbing that the NSPCC be replaced by the East Anglian Childrens Hospice and carried unanimously.
CORRESPONDENCE
None.
REPORTS
PLAY COUNCIL
Cllr. Mecrow reported that the Play Council intend to celebrate Playday 2010 on the 1st August, by having a 'picnic in the park' day.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Mr. Stockton had nothing to report
P3
Cllr. Mecrow had nothing to report
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
BEST KEPT VILLAGE AWARDS
Cllr.Russell reported thatr judging had taken place. There had been 9 entries with Mendlesham coming first with Rickinghall second. These villages will go through to the next round of judging. Cllr. Russell wished to report his thanks to Rob Barber, Janet Kerridge and Ian Campbell for their help.
SHEDS AT PRIORY ROOM
Cllr. BartholomewIt pointed out that the property belonging to the Church and the Gardens Weekend committee was still in the Parish Council's shed and this had made it very difficult to get the marquee out last week. The marquee is needed again next Saturday and he asked that the Clerk contacted the appropriate people to clear this as soon as possible.
Cheques passed for payment were as follows:- L. Shepherd £131.25p. A.D. Clancy £313.97p. Cancer Research U.K. £183.10p. Walsham le Willows Priory Room £200.00p.
The meeting closed at 9.10 pm.
Parish Council "Activities".
On the right is the Chairman, Jenny Blackburn next to the Parish Clerk, Averil Clancy."
All Parish Councils have certain mandatory responsibilities such as setting the Parish Precept, taking responsibility for maintaining the street lighting, advising on Planning Applications etc.. In addition to these actions our Parish Council has also organised an "Annual Litter Pick" and as a "One -Off" project the last couple of years has seen Walsham le Willows taking part in a County-wide "Hedge Survey". This survey, although it was originally partly a Parish Councils project has been organised and carried out by various volunteers from our local residents, headed up by Mrs Maureen Turner.
Councillors Ian Bartholomew, Sarah Soanes and Dr Alec Russell.
Councillors Maggie Barber, Nick Mecrow and John Stebbing.
The Annual Litter Pick takes place every February and consists of the village being split into over one dozen areas which are then cleared by teams of volunteers, with the resulting bags of rubbish being collected from the Memorial Hall car park by Mid Suffolk District Council. February is chosen as being the most suitable time for this annual event as the "litter" is still exposed prior to the spring and summer growth. This also avoids any litter being chopped into smaller pieces once any trimming takes place. By the look of the pile of black plastic bags the village must now be very clean and tidy!
It must be noted that in Mid-August 2008 there was an additional Litter Pick with the intention of tidying up the village prior to the Open Gardens Weekend and, although this did not generate quite as much litter as the usual February one it certainly proved to be worthwhile and it has now become another annual event.
The Hedge Survey was completed in 2008. In this instance the survey has been carried out by just three teams, each consisting of two volunteers and in contrast to the timing for the Litter Pick this is only practical between the spring/summer period when the leaves allow for easier identification of the various plants. As mentioned above, this survey is being undertaken by most, but not all of the parishes within Suffolk County and although there are already several where their survey is now complete there are many more who are well behind the completion target.
These are two more of the projects that come under the aegis of our Parish Council along with their involvement with our footpaths, and also at the present time with the very costly maintenance of the Parish Church wall. Another current involvement concerns the 106 agreement related to the next Hopkins Homes development in Finningham road. In addition to this rather broad summary of their work, our councillors are now much more involved in a mass of rules and regulations which has therefore made their work very time consuming - rather like the Police are now experiencing !
The full Parish Council as of September 2008."
The photographs and description shown above are of the Parish Council that replaced the one shown below!
This hopefully gives just a taste of the involvement of our Parish Councillors, who of course are also all volunteers!
The Village Design Statement January 2007
Introduction
In 2002, a wide ranging Village Appraisal of all aspects of community life in Walsham le Willows, was conducted with the support of the Countryside Agency and Mid Suffolk District Council. Over 90% of households replied and the analysis of this very strong response in an Appraisal Report led to public discussions as to how the village should respond to the findings.
A number of issues were identified and an Action Plan was drawn up at a well-attended public meeting in November 2002. This Action Plan was subsequently adopted, with key organisations taking responsibility for particular issues. In 2003, a further, simpler survey sought to collect more anecdotal views on "What do you like about the Village?" and "What does Walsham need to make it a better place?". There was broad agreement about what residents value in our community and it is their wish that the findings of these surveys and discussions are presented, formally, in a document for reference and information.
The Parish Council prepared an initial draft document and had the benefit of feedback from the whole community via the "Walsham Observer", our monthly magazine which as you will see within the various references on this website that it is delivered to 493 households. A second revised draft document was circulated to all village groups, organisations and businesses for further contributions and comments.
A sub-committee of the Parish Council prepared further revisions to this second draft document, which were considered by the full Council and they were finally adopted at its January meeting in 2007. This document, in its finished format was then delivered to those 493 households and it will be a reference point against which villagers and village organisations can assess progress on issuies identified in the Action Plan and consider the impact of future situations. The document will contribute evidence of local character to the countywide landscape character assessment that will underpin design guidance in the Mid Suffolk Local Development Framework. It may also form a basis for the parishes comments on the appropriateness of future development proposals.
You will already have seen elsewhere on this site the locationb of this village so this will not be repeated here, it is sufficient to say that in the past it was a largely self-sufficient community with a range of provision shops, skilled craftsmen and workshops, and a thriving social life based around religious groups, a Temperance Band, a Reading Room, sporting events, shows and gymkhanas, public houses, and a calendar of regular meetins and events. Some of this social infrastructure has been lost as the development of mass media and an externally orientated economy has taken over. Yet a strong sense of community still obtains and small developments of new housing, together with the intermittent flow of new residents, have been assimilated relatively easily.
- However it is essential that the progress of the Action Plan is monitored every three years.
- It is also essential that dialogue between community members, village groups and organisations on the future of the village is maintained.
The Landscape and Environment
Unless approaching from the SouthEast, along the Westhorpe Road, you come across the village suddenly. The broad valley, with its stream meandering at 40 to 48 metres above sea level, is well wooded and the approach roads from Hepworth, Ixworth, Finningham and Badwell Ash are lined with good hedges and belts of mature trees which are an especially valued feature, hiding the presence of the village until the last minute of approach. The arable uplands at around 60 to 65 metres above sea level, are more open and extensive with large fields and consequently fewer hedges and trees, although small copses mark the location of ponds once so vital when cattle grazing was so important in a mixed farming economy.
Close to the village, fields are smaller, hedges common and of great variety and antiquity, as a survey of 1989 demonstrated. Apart from the tree lined approach roads there are many mature trees in hedgerows, surrounding the churchyard, leading from The Street along The Avenue towards The Grove, and within the grounds of private properties such as The Beeches, The Rookery, Hall Green, The Park, The Elms, The Lawn, and Sunnyside House.
Away from the central core of buildings in The Street, an uncrowded openness characterises the general village layout along some eight roads. There are significant gaps between properties giving pleasant views out of the village along Palmer Street, The Causeway, Wattisfield Road, and Finningham Road. Elsewhere, housing looks out over areas of mown grass, as in Staple Close, Grove Park and Townhouse Road. The loosely structured hamlets of West Street, Cranmer Green, Four Ashes and Crownland, situated well away from the central core, reinforce the feeling of spaciousness and of winding roads linking one area with another.
- New development that poses a significant threat to any of the landscape and environment should NOT be permitted.
- We must Protect the visual importance of the tree-lined stream and approach roads.
- We should continue to work with the Suffolk Hedgerow Survey to monitor our hedgerows.
- Where the existing environment is of an open, spacious nature, this should be respected in any future housing proposals.
- We should identify and protect visually important green areas.
- We must value the views into, out of, and through, the built up areas.
The Character
The 15th century church of St Mary is the dominant feature of the village - a large airy building of knapped flint. The early Victorian Maltings, in Wattisfield road, converted into nine dwellings in 1979, is also of flint. There are other buildings with individual flint walls, and numerous boundary walls are built of flint nodules with brick capping.
The over-all picture is of mostly unpretentious cottage style properties, many of them colour washed to hide a brick, or more often, a plastered exterior. Often the plaster covers a timber frame. Architectural Historian, Leigh Alston, has identified sixty-two pre 1700 timber framed houses. Most of these are modest in size; some thatched, often with first floor dormer windows. There are a few weather boarded properties including, situated opposite the Church, the former Guildhall, now converted into three dwellings.
Mock Jacobean estate houses, built in Summer Road and The Causeway at the turn of the 19th/20th century by John Martieau are very striking. There are tall hexagonal chimneys, some herringbone brickwork, and exterior heavy timbers carrying carved texts.
There are several substantial houses scattered throughout the village, timber framed with colour washed plaster and with impressive, and often very ornate, chimney stacks, as at Crownland Hall, Green Farmhouse, The Rookery and The Priory. Buildings in the main street mostly abut the roadside pavement, yet their front facing or gable facing positions, their brick, plaster and weather boarded exteriors, roofs of slate, tile and thatch, combine with such a variety of size and style to create an intensely varied and exciting streetscape enhanced by occasional views into the distance glimpsed between properties. The village welcomes plans to underground electricity and telephone cables in The Street. The removal of the current invasive clutter will enhance the intrinsic character of the village.
Wattisfield Road, Grove Road, Palmer Street and Townhouse Road are predominately an uncrowded mixture of houses and bungalows built in groups of ten to twenty in different styles, and at different times, over the past eighty or so years.
- We should use existing vernacular buildings as an inspiration for new buildings.
- We should encourage new building which is sympathetic to the character of its surroundings.
Facilities and Infrastructure
Farming is no longer a labour intensive activity and only small numbers
earn a direct living from the land. By contrast, Clarkes of Walsham, employ about 98 people at their builders merchant business. Drivers, vehicle mechanics, metal fabricators, carpenters, store men, sales personnel, accountants, secretaries and management live locally. Some work opportunities also exist on the Shepherds Grove Industrial Estate at Stanton.
There are a number of small businesses run by self-employed skilled artisans. To builders, plumbers, carpenters, heating engineers and gardeners can be added art and craft specialists, tele-cottage workers, and specialist retail traders. An increasing number of professionals live here: doctors, nurses, architect, solicitor, educationalists, photographer, and journalist. For many people their workplace is not in Walsham and commuter traffic is now common, particularly towards Bury St Edmunds. The census of 2001 recorded over 80% of employed people travelling to work by private vehicle and an average journey of 20.41 km.
To this growth of individual car movements along winding roads with soft verges and sagging edges is added increased commercial traffic. Some of this serves Clarkes of Walsham but, worryingly, heavy 12 wheeler lorries now make short cuts between the A14 and A143, and the A1088 and A140, along these unsuitable country roads. In 2002 they were the impetus for a traffic survey conducted by the Parish Council with the assistance of Suffolk County Council.
Public transport to Bury St Edmunds is poor, with nothing after 18.30. Services to Diss, Thetford and Stowmarket, are intermittent or nonexistent. Service 306 was a joint venture between the Countryside Agency and Walsham, Rickinghall and Botesdale parish councils to provide a weekend evening service to Bury St Edmunds and it went some way to satisfying demands for improved public transport, until its withdrawal.
Doctors surgeries are between four and eight miles distant, but a system of voluntary drivers collect repeat prescriptions for those with travel problems. The closure of the Post Office Stores in 2003 created similar problems for those 10% of those households without access to a car and a further 41% of households where the one vehicle is needed for the journey to work. The situation is only partially mitigated by a Community Council initiative to set up a Satellite Post Office facility for two mornings each week in the Village Hall alongside a Coffee Shop.
There are two public houses, a hairdresser, a specialist niche retailer in wine and a cheese delicatessen and butcher's shop. A strong sense of community and self-help underpins village life. This has already been responsible for the purpose built pre-school facility opened in 1997, allotments and a skate park. There are now plans to extend the current provision of football, cricket, snooker, table tennis and darts at the Sports Club and to improve facilities at the Memorial Village Hall. These proposals are in line with equal opportunity objectives and the 2002 Action Plan, which highlighted the need to improve facilities for young people. Both these projects will require considerable outside funding.
The village of Walsham le Willows, as we see it today, has evolved over a long period of time. The speed of change and the pressures for development will necessitate a regular review of the data and surveys which have informed this visual design statement.
