Author: Irene - Parish Clerk

Draft Minutes of the Mountfield Parish Council Planning/Enforcement Meeting held on 14.12.21

Present
Councillors S. Rickman-Smith (Chair), P. Miles, J. Ray
Mrs. I. Marchant (Parish Clerk/RFO)

1. Disclosures of Interest

None declared.

2. Dispensations

None requested.

3. Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received from Councillors Hardy, Taylor and Whines.

4.  Open Forum

Public Question Time – No members of the public were present.

5. Planning

5.1 Planning applications for  consideration

RR/2021/2586/P – 2 Crossing Farm, land at Eatenden Lane
Application for reserved matters for the approval of access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the erection of a pair of semi-detached dwellings (outline application approved on appeal APP/U1430/W/18/3218578).
Agreed – to support this application.  The Chair and Councillor Miles agreed support, Councillor Ray objected.

RR/2021/2386/P – 9 Mountfield Villas, Solomons Lane
Demolition of existing garage and erection of replacement detached garage.
Agreed – to object to this application on the following grounds:

  • The current building line must be maintained, so it does not protrude by approximately 3.3 metres as proposed.
  • Ideally the ridge height should be reviewed so it becomes less overbearing.

RR/2021/2700/P – 1 Mountfield Villas, Hoath Hill
Proposed demolition of existing storage building and erection of replacement detached garage building.
Agreed – to support this application.

5.2 Other planning matters for discussion

  • Resolved – to confirm the Clerk’s delegated authority to respond, on behalf of MPC,  to planning applications when it is not possible to hold a meeting.  This authority will only be used when absolutely necessary.  The Chair proposed and Councillor Miles seconded, the voting was unanimous.
  • Concern was expressed by Members at the number of undecided planning applications still held by RDC.  At 14.12.21 (includes all Rother applications) the number was 170.  Mountfield had 15 application still undecided.
  • In spite of the above numbers causing concern, the Members agreed that things were improving, albeit very slowly.

6. Enforcement

  • No Mountfield items on recent RDC weekly enforcement list.
  • There are major concerns regarding enforcement issues at Baldwins Farm and RDC’s enforcement action is noted.

7. Dates of next meetings

  • 18.01.22 – Full Council Meeting
  • 08.02.22 – Planning Meeting (provisional, will only be held if required)

 

 

Agenda for MPC Planning Meeting on 14.12.21

8th December 2021

Parish Council Members are summoned to a meeting of Mountfield Parish Council (planning), to be held on 14th December 2021, at 7.30pm in Mountfield Village Hall.
Members of the public and press are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Irene Marchant, Parish Clerk/RFO
St. Giles, Woods Corner, Dallington, East Sussex T21 9LA
01424 838414/07711224150
clerk@mountfield.org.uk

1. Disclosure of Interests

To receive any disclosures by Members of personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any such interest and whether the Member regards the interest as a disclosable pecuniary interest under the terms of the Code of Conduct.

2. Dispensations

3. Apologies for Absence

4. Open Forum

Public Question Time – to receive any questions or concerns from members of the public on matters on the agenda.

5. Planning

5.1 Planning applications for consideration

RR/2021/1586/P – 2 Crossing Farm, land at Eatenden Lane
Application for reserved matters for the approval of access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the erection of a pair of semi-detached dwellings (outline application approved on appeal APP/U1430/W/18/3218578).

Click on this link to see full details on the RDC planning website

RR/2021/2836/P – 9 Mountfield Villas, Solomons Lane
Demolition of existing garage and erection of replacement detached garage.

Click on this link to see full details on the RDC planning website

RR/2021/2700/P – 1 Mountfield Villas, Hoath Hill
Proposed demolition of existing storage building and erection of replacement detached  garage building.

Click on this link to see full details on the RDC planning website

5.2 Other planning matters for discussion

  • To ratify, by resolution, the Clerk’s delegated authority to respond to planning applications on behalf of MPC, when a formal meeting is impossible.
  • A brief review of progress/outcomes (planning/enforcement) since previous MPC meetings (Councillor P. Miles).

6. Enforcement

  • Enforcement issues at Baldwins Farm (Councillor P. Miles).
  • Any Mountfield items on RDC’s recent enforcement lists.
  • Any other enforcement matters for discussion.

7. Dates of next meetings

  • 11.01.22 – Full council meeting.
  • 08.02.22 – Planning meeting (provisional, will only be held if required)
  • Both to start at 7.30pm in Mountfield Village Hall

 

 

Parish Council of Mountfield – Vacancy for a Councillor

  1. In accordance with Section 87(2) of the Local Government Act 1972, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a CASUAL VACANCY has occurred in the office of PARISH COUNCILLOR of the above named Parish in the Ward of Burwash and the Weald, due to the resignation of Councillor Caroline Hollamby.
  2. An election to fill this vacancy will be held if, within 14 days (not counting Saturdays and Sundays and certain days) from the date below, TEN electors for the Parish give notice in writing claiming such an election to the Returning Officer.
  3. The name and address of the Returning Officer is:
    MALCOLM JOHNSON
    RETURNING OFFICER
    ROTHER DISTRICT COUNCIL
    TOWN HALL
    BEXHILL-ON-SEA
    EAST SUSSEX TN39 3JX
  4. In accordance with Rule 5(4) of the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 2006, if the vacancy is not filled by election, it shall be filled by the Parish Council as soon as practicable.
  5. For further information about the co-option process, which the Parish Council will follow if not valid request for an election is received, please contact the Parish Clerk.

Signed: Irene Marchant – Parish Clerk
Dated: 6th December 2021
Address: St. Giles, Woods Corner, Dallington, East Sussex TN21 9LA
01424 838414/07711224150
clerk@mountfield.org.uk

ESCC Highways – Fortnightly Lookahead w/c 29.11.21

Message from ESCC Highways

Please find details of our planned maintenance works for the next 14 days, which include works in your area on the following link: https://www.eastsussexhighways.com/highway-schemes/fortnightly-lookahead This is updated on a weekly basis, and we will continue to send more detailed information of higher impact works.

If you would like further details on any of the listed works, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please get back to me if you have any questions about this.

Kind regards

Corinne Black | Customer Service Manager Customer Contact Centre | East Sussex Highways Tel: 0345 60 80 193 | Website: www.eastsussexhighways.com

ESCC – Launch of Household Support Fund across East Sussex

East Sussex County Council have launched their Household Support Fund across East Sussex to help residents who will be most in need this winter.  Please see below the details from Councillor Carl Maynard.

From: Councillor Carl Maynard <Cllr.Carl.Maynard@eastsussex.gov.uk>
Date: 19 November 2021 at 15:34:33 GMT
To: ~D All Councillors <~DAllCouncillors@eastsussex.gov.uk>
Subject: Our launch of £3.9m Household Support Fund for East Sussex

Dear colleague,

Today we’re launching the Household Support Fund across East Sussex to help residents who will be most in need this winter.

The fund assigns £3.9m of extra support to our county and we’ve allocated it so as to give a hand to families and individuals who are struggling with basic living costs at the moment. We are also working with all our partners in borough and district councils and with the county’s excellent voluntary services to ensure we use these resources effectively in every part of East Sussex.

More than half of the fund will be directed to families with children. It will pay for free school meals for those who are eligible in the two-week Christmas school holiday, in the week of half-term in February and the two-week Easter holiday in April. Schools will work with families who qualify to help them take up the offer.

We will also target some of the money at families with whom Children’s Services are already working, because they have particular needs.

Elsewhere, households who are struggling to meet the cost of food, energy or water bills will be apply to apply to their borough or district council for support. They’ll be considered for this support if they’re 18 or over and receive a means-tested benefit (including universal credit, pension credit or working tax credit among others).

They should contact their borough or district council as follows:

Eastbourne Household Support Grants – Lewes and Eastbourne Councils (lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk) 01273 471600

Hastings  Household Support Fund | Hastings Borough Council 01424 451066

Lewes Household Support Grants – Lewes and Eastbourne Councils (lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk) 01273 471600

Rother Household Support Fund – Rother District Council  01424 787000

Wealden Household Support Fund (HSF) – Wealden District Council – Wealden District Council 01323 443322

Resources for this element of the fund have been divided among boroughs and districts according to their relative number of recipients of universal credit and pension credit.

We’re also allocating some of the fund to strengthen the existing good work done by the Keep Warm and Well service in East Sussex. They can offer a free warm homes check for people struggling to heat their homes and can offer advice and sometimes grants for extra works like insulation, window replacement and boiler replacement.

There’s also more funding for Citizens Advice who operate from several sites in East Sussex and can direct people to the best sources of help.

And we’re adding more than £1 million to foodbanks and other volunteer-led organisations across East Sussex to help meet the rising needs the county will see this winter, along with the rest of the country.

The government grant, which largely replaces the previous Winter Covid Fund Support Grant and the Covid Local Support Fund Grant, is most welcome and I believe we’ve planned to use it as effectively as we can. Officer working groups from both the county council and district and borough councils will ensure delivery of the Household Support Fund by March.

We wanted to ensure you had the latest information about how the scheme will work. There is more information on the ESCC website: Household Support Fund – extra help for those most in need | East Sussex County Council

We’ll be happy to answer any further questions you might have.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Carl Maynard and Cllr Bob Bowdler

Police advice on increasing farm break-ins

Sussex Police have advised us that they starting to see some farms being broken into again.  They have asked all to be alert and take measures to protect property.

  • Take several photographs, from different angles, especially any unique markings.
  • Take notes of your serial and chassis numbers.
  • Fit an immobiliser/tracker.
  • Use clamps, locks and alarms.
  • Keep machinery out of sight and locked away using as many barriers as possible.
  • Keep gates closed, locked and alarmed where able.
  • Mark your property, make it unique and easy to identify.  Serial/chassis numbers are often scratched off, if the Police recover items it can be difficult to return an item if it is generic.
  • If you have had machinery stolen before, try to keep it in a different location, thieves know that you will replace it as you need it for your work, so they will most likely return and they already know the layout of your land.
  • If you have security posters, move them around frequently, people only notice them for around 3 months, moving them shows you are alert to your security.
  • Lighting – thieves don’t like lighting as it draws attention.
  • CCTV – ideally cameras that are linked to your phone can alert you to the fact that someone is breaking into your property and you can call the Police immediately.
  • Don’t leave your keys in the ignition.
  • Report any suspicious activity to the Police, theives often scope the area beforehand.
  • Making as many barriers as possible increases the time and effort it takes for someone to steal your equipment.

Agenda for MPC meeting on 09.11.21 (revised)

Agenda for the Mountfield Parish Council Meeting on 9th November 2021

Parish Council Members are summoned to a meeting of Mountfield Parish Council to be held on 9th November 2021 at 7.30pm in Mountfield Village Hall.

Members of the Press and Public are welcome and encouraged to attend.

1.         Disclosure of Interests

To receive any disclosures by Members of personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any such interest and whether the Member regards the interest as a disclosable pecuniary interest under the terms of the Code of Conduct.

2.         Dispensations

3.         Apologies for absence

4.         Open Forum

4.1        County Council report (ESCC)

4.2        District Council report (RDC)

4.3        Public Question Time – to receive any questions or concerns from members of the public on matters on the agenda.

5.         Communication

To consider improvements for communication between MPC Members, the Mountfield community and third parties (Councillor Hollamby).

6.         Attendance at regular third party meetings

To consider an attendance rota for MPC Members for such meetings, e.g., Police, RALC etc. via Zoom. (Councillor Hollamby).

7.         Consultations

To consider MPC’s responses to the following consultations

  • RDC Infrastructure Delivery Plan
  • East Sussex, South Downs, Brighton and Hove Waste and Minerals Local Plan

7.         Planning

7.1        Planning applications for consideration

RR/2021/2005/P 5 Eatenden Lane

Single-storey and part two-storey side extension.

Click on this link to see full details on the RDC planning website

RR/2021/2164/P 3 Church Cottages, Church Road

Construction of replacement garage/car port

Click on this link to see full details on the RDC planning website

RR/2021/2345/P Tunstall Farmhouse, Mountfield Lane

Demolition of existing single-storey rear extension and construction of two-storey rear extension.  Conversion of existing attached three-bay garage to form games room and gym above.

Click on this link to see full details on the RDC planning website

7.2       Other planning matters for discussion

8.         Enforcement

8.1        RDC weekly enforcement list

8.2        Other enforcement matters for discussion

9.         Highways/Rights of Way

10.       Finance

10.1      Bank balances at 31.10.21

  • MPC deposit account – £21,824.61
  • MPC current account – £2,155.84
  • KGF current account – £4,170.07

10.2      Payments for approval

  • Clerk, salary/home office (Oct/Nov 2021), expenses – £941.21
  • *ESALC training session (P. Miles) – £72.00
  • *Godaddy domain renewal – £14.39
  • *Amazon Business, clear up after dog signs – 66.01

*Payment made

10.3      Approval of 3rd quarter accounts at 30.09.21

10.4      Approval of budget monitor and bank reconciliations at 31.10.21

10.5      Members to authorise for internet banking

11.       Dates of next meetings

14.12.21 – Planning meeting (provisional, will only be held if required)

11.01.22 – Full council meeting

Both to start at 7.30pm in Mountfield Village Hall