BAWDESWELL PARISH COUNCIL-EXTRACTS OF MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER 2007 AT 7.45pm IN THE VILLAGE HALL
PRESENT : Councillors Mallen, Shannon, Cockburn, Hipperson, Beane and Mason.
Mr. G. Bambridge (DC) 48 parishioners
APOLOGIES: Councillor Lilwall. Mrs. I.Floering Blackman(CC)
MINUTES OF LAST MEETING; Agreed and signed
The Chairman opened the meeting stating that the Parish Council had changed the format of meetings to try to encourage more Parishioners to attend and would, in the future, be inviting Officials to speak at the meetings – eg Breckland officials about Planning/LDF, Police etc – to help Parishioners understand the work/role of the Parish Council.
He then introduced the officials from Breckland Council – David Spencer (Principal Planning Policy Officer, Paul Harris and Lee Webster (Enabling & Projects Officer – affordable housing) – to talk about the Local Development Framework and Bawdeswell’s role within that strategy.
David Spencer handed out a booklet introducing the LDF and work carried out to date (Clerk has spare copies if anyone would like one). Breckland are looking at specific areas for development such as the large towns of Thetford and Dereham but also villages which could benefit from new housing and employment which are to be called Local Service Centres (Bawdeswell not identified in any draft LDF documents although it continues to develop). The criteria is for the village to have a population of 1,000+ parishioners, a school, shop, PO, doctors surgery, public transport and employment - Bawdeswell fulfils only two of those categories! The Local Plan would allow for infilling, conversions and suitable use of appropriately located previously developed land.
Future role for Bawdeswell – choices are: a) to promote Bawdeswell as a Local Service Centre or
b) broadly keep things as they are, where the settlement boundary stays largely as it is. Breckland will be consulting on final draft Strategy early 2008 and there is a 6 week period for comment. Copies will be sent to PC.
The Parish Council now had to – formulate ideas/thoughts – encourage community involvement.
The Parish Council will keep Parishioners fully informed about developments.
The Chairman thanked everyone present for attending the meeting.
Planning:
-32 Norwich Road –proposed replacement extension/conversion of existing garage to study/bedroom. NO OBECTIONS
-The Cottage, The Drift – proposed single storey linked detached annexe (resubmission) – PC objections – it is outside Settlement Boundary and does not demonstrate that it is essential in connection with agriculture, forestry etc. Also there appears little difference to original PA (refused) which could become separate building.
New Code of Conduct: The PC adopts the new Model Code of Conduct including paragraph 12(2) –effective immediately. Advert to be put in EDP under Breckland.
PO – will officially close on Wednesday 19th September – Chairman and Clerk in discussion with Norfolk Rural Community Council as to the future of some sort of service in the village.
THE PC WOULD LIKE TO THANK JANET AND DAVID COCKBURN FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK IN ORGANISING/HELPING WITH THE SUMMER BAWDESWELL ACTIVITIES GROUP- THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS.
NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING WILL BE ON MONDAY 1ST OCTOBER AT 7.45pm IN THE VILLAGE HALL -
THERE WILL BE A PRESENTATION BY PROJECT BAWDESWELL – UPDATING EVERYONE ON THE CURRENT SITUATION REGARDING FUNDING/FUTURE PLANS FOR THE HALL. ALL PARISHIONERS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND TO FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING AND HOW THEY CAN HELP IN FUTURE.
(5th NOVEMBER PC MEETING – VISIT BY BRECKLAND PLANNING OFFICERS)
The Steering Group of Project Bawdeswell met on Saturday 8 September after a
Summer break. The most exciting business was going over the success of the Activities Sub-Group work during the school holidays when 360 children and 166 adults attended the village hall during the 6 weeks of open afternoons. Janet and David Cockburn cannot be thanked enough for the efforts they put into setting up and organising this initiative. They and their team of helpers became involved with the children’s games and I am not sure who enjoyed playing the most! Unable to rest on their laurels the group has already lined up a full programme of activities for the half term holiday and are talking about next year. None of this happens by itself and it isn’t all fun, there has been a lot of paper work, first aid training, grant applications and fund raising to be done. So a well-deserved BIG thank you goes to all concerned.
The next meeting of the Steering Group is to be held on Saturday 13 October 2007 at 10.00 am.