Parish Council Meeting 12th November 2024 Minutes

Meeting of Hickling Parish Council

 

Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 12^th November 2024 at the Village Hall, Hickling commencing at 7.00pm.

 

Councillors present:            Cllrs Playle (Chair), Conway, Green, Prosser and Rowe

Also in attendance:              Cate Stokes (Parish Clerk), NCC Cllr Cottee and 4 parishioners.

 

• Opening – Cllr Playle opened the meeting at 7pm

 

• Apologies – Cllr Lamb and RBC Cllr Combellack

 

• Declarations of Interest – Cllr Prosser for item 24-9-10 planning refs 24/01590/FUL and 24/01591/LBC

 

• Acceptance of Minutes – Minutes from PC meeting held on 01^st October 2024

Agreed by all

Matters arising from the last meeting:

• Black Poplar in cemetery on Long Clawson Lane: Clerk has contacted WI who will discuss at their next meeting scheduled for beg. December
• Nature Recover Scheme: Cllr Playle reported that he has submitted an application for funding to manage the wildflower verges on Bridegate Lane

 

• Open Session – To address matters raised by the public, limited to 15mins

 

• Parishioner wished to comment on item 24-9-9: The overgrown hedgerow is due to be cut later in the week.

 

• Ward Member Reports
  • Cllr Cottee reported that he would arrange for a meeting between Cllr Prosser and the coordinator of the Notts on-demand bus service to discuss how to help users of the service in Hickling. Cllr Prosser  to arrange meeting
  • Cllr Cottee reported that NCC would be donating £250 to the village hall/WI village Christmas party
  • Cllr Combellack sent apologies and the clerk read out a report

Town & Parish Forum: The Police are asking all Parish Councils to let them know the dates for their Parish Council meetings in order to help arrange for local beat officers to attend NCC Lengthmans scheme was outlined in detail.  NCC had an information stand where help was available. This was welcomed by many Parishes. The use of Social Media in Parishes was informative and caused considerable debate.

Rural Crime Forum: updates by the Police and Fire service with lots of give aways to enhance security. FCN(The Farming Community Network) and FSF(Farm safety Foundation) speakers outlined care available for those experiencing anxiety and mental health worries plus general safety at work.

Repair to the pipe work in the pavement at the South end of the village: Cllr Combellack is still pushing for this, It appears Severn Trent are not being overly co-operative. Perhaps Cllr. Cottee can help push this along.

 

Cllr Cottee gave appologies and left the meeting at 7.10pm

 

• Items requiring a decision

 

• To make a donation to the WI and village hall Christmas event to beheld on 14^th December: Clerk confirmed there were funds remaining in the Community projects budget. A discussion was had on likely costs of the proposed Hog roast at the event and a donation of £600 was agreed.                                        Agreed by all

Clerk to contact organizing committee to confirm their planned costs and obtain an invoice

 

• To Purchase Christmas lights for Village Christmas tree: Clerk confirmed there were funds remaining in the Community projects budget. Cllr Prosser reported the cost of the lights was £120. Agreed by all

Clerk to contact village hall committee to obtain an invoice.

 

• Other Items

 

• Remembrance Poppies – Cllr Playle thanked Simon Lane for putting up the village lamp post poppies again this year to mark remembrance Sunday.
• Hickling Pastures noticeboard update – Cllr Rowe reported that the header has now been changed at the noticeboard will be installed next week.
• Static caravan Hickling Pastures – Having contacted the planning office, the caravan has been deemed to be non-permanent and not occupied therefore no planning permission is required at this time.
• Flood warden policy – Cllr Lamb sent a report that the policy is being discussed among the flood volunteers. Training has been completed by several of the volunteers.

Clerk to send an email to the flood group to remind that the policy needs completing before the NCC with initiate the site visit.

 

Parishioner raised the question about the storage of flood equipment when the policy has been agreed and suggested a storage unit similar to one seen in Colston Basset. Clerk stated that there is a grant available to purchase the equipment required once a flood scheme is in place.

 

• Dalby Brook flooding – Cllr Playle suggested that a volunteer could be useful to check that the aqueduct is running freely during times of high rain. Cllr Playle has previously been advised by Matt Everett of the drainage board to contact them directly should the aqueduct become blocked. Parishioner stated that they regularly walked that way and would be happy to keep an eye on the aqueduct. Cllr Playle and Clerk both have contact details for drainage board to report any issues.

 

• Bridegate lane Trees – Cllr Conway has been in touch with the land owners and hedge managers for the verge on Bridegate Lane and reported that they were not keen to have the original trees replaced as they obstruct the water way and hedge for maintenance. Cllr Playle remarked that Simon Lane has done a lot of work submitting the plan and getting the trees organized and it was agreed that a location to suit all needed to be found. Tree planting needs to be done before February. Suggestions were made for locations that would allow people to enjoy the tree.

Cllr Conway  to liase with Simon Lane, Rob Holt, James Parkes and other land owners to agree a suitable location. Cllr Playle to investigate nature recovery scheme as a source of funding to obtain more trees.

 

• Temporary interactive speed sign – The village has been offered a temporary, flashing speed sign to warn drivers of the 30mph speed limit on entering the village from Bridegate Lane. This would be in place for about 6-8 weeks. The sign has been offered in response to the residents survey conducted by a member of the village and submitted to NCC last year. The PC have concerns about the survey being limited to a small number of households. Since the sign would impact the village, concerns were raised about increasing urbanization of the village, the PC proposed to conduct a village wide survey before agreeing to any measures. PC agreed that speeding is an issue in Hickling, in particular on the roads approaching the village Cllr Rowe and Cllr Playle suggested other options of traffic calming should be explored.

Cllr Green to devise a survey to include the views of the whole village.

 

• A606 lights control – The traffic lights at the road works at the A606/A46 roundabout have been causing some disruption to the traffic on the roundabout. It was reported to the planning office. Traffic lights should be being manually controlled during peak times.

 

• On demand Bus service – Cllr Prosser to meet with Cllr Cottee and the coordinator of the on demand bus service to discuss.

 

• Local Government services pay agreement for 2024-2025 has been agreed. Pay to be back dated to April 1^st 2024

 

 

• Correspondence
  • Concern about hedgerow on Bridegate lane obscuring the 30MPH sign – Contractor has been arranged and the hedge will be cut this week
  • School admissions arrangements for 2026-2027 consultation open until 24^th Full proposed arrangements are available website www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/admissionsconsultation link also on PC website.
  • Small electricals now being recycled kerbside – residents to leave ON TOP of blue bin
  • Waterways well being guided walks – 15^th November and 6^th December from the Old Wharf Building. Booking required details at canalrivertrust.org.uk and on PC website and noticeboards.

 

• Planning

 

Notification of appeal ref: APP/P3040/W/24/3351023

Planning ref: 23/02275/FUL

Applicant: Rob Brown

Proposal: Erection of 9 new dwellings and extension of existing bungalow and

associated landscaping and highway works.

Address: Haulage Contractors At Garage And Premises Bridegate Lane Hickling

Pastures Nottinghamshire

Appeal discussed outside of meetings – Parish Council request planning office refuse the appeal on the grounds that the application still contravenes 3 policies of the Hickling Neighbourhood Plan and would lead to overdevelopment of the area.

 

Reference Number: 24/01878/VAR

Development: Variation of condition 2 (Plans) and 4 (Materials) for 22/01989/FUL to amend the appearance of the amentity building and drive thru unit

Location: Land At Junction Of A606 Widmerpool And Fosse Way Hickling Pastures

Comments by 26^th November 2024

     PC feel that the changes are minimal including clarification of timber to be used for cladding

No Objection – agreed by all

    

Reference Number: 24/01590/FUL

Applicant: Mrs Tracey Prosser

Development: Proposed replacement front gates, pool and pool cabana.

Location: Bowling Green Cottage The Green Hickling Nottinghamshire LE14 3AE

Comments by 14^th November 2024

     This application has minimal impact on nearby buildings and no objections have been submitted to the planning portal

No Objection – agreed by all

 

Reference Number: 24/01591/LBC

Applicant: Mrs Tracey Prosser

Development: Proposed replacement front gates, pool and pool cabana.

Location: Bowling Green Cottage The Green Hickling Nottinghamshire LE14 3AE

Comments by 14^th November 2024      

     This application has minimal impact on nearby buildings and no objections have been submitted to the planning portal

No Objection – agreed by all

 

Reference Number: 24/01510/FUL

Applicant: Mr Robert Oxby

Development: Single storey ‘self-build’ dwelling

Location: Land South Of Hillcrest Bridegate Lane Hickling Pastures Nottinghamshire

Comments by 14^th November 2024

       The PC feel that this application contravenes policy H10 of the adopted Hickling Neighbourhood Plan (housing provision.) Although they generally support the building of small (3 bedroom) single storey dwellings this application requests the use of a greenfield site. The PC recognise that there is existing planning permission on the site for stables however, these have not been built and they now feel that the original application may have been used to subvert the HNP by allowing them to suggest this is now a developed site. Furthermore, the PC raised concerns that the dwelling would be situated directly opposite the Haulage yard where there is a proposal to build several houses leading to a large increase in traffic on a busy, dangerous junction.

Object – agreed by all

 

 

 

Reference Number: 24/01462/VAR

Address: Broughton Lodge Farm, Fosse Way, Upper Broughton, NG12 5PS

Proposal: Variation of condition 12 (hours of operation) for planning application 12/01396/FUL to allow helicopter flights to take place outside of daylight hours as short days are restrictive to business during winter months.

 

Consultee comments requested to consider a clarification letter dated 5^th November

 

The PC registered concern that they are being asked to discuss a variation to a planning application via a clarification letter rather than a new application. The letter is not a clarification but a change in the application entirely, does this letter now replace the original variation proposal?

 

The PC feel that the letter does not alleviate the original concerns raised against the application. In fact it serves to highlight that the applicant was trying to blindside the public by requesting change to the general hours of operation. The proposed change was stated “To allow helicopter flights to take place outside of daylight hours as shorter days are restrictive to business during winter months.” And to achieve this they requested that operating hours, as defined by condition 12 of the planning application 12/01396/FUL be set to 6am and 10pm. The inference being that this was all that was being applied for. Nowhere on the application does it state the original hours of operations as limited by condition 12.

 

Condition 12 states:

Helicopter flights shall operate during daylight hours with only a maximum of 4% of all flights taking place from the site before 0900 and after 1800 and no night time flying shall take place except in an emergency

 

That reveals that the variation being applied for is not only a change to allow flights during the hours of darkness, but also a proposed change from 9 hours a day (9am to 6pm) to 16 hours (6am to 10pm) a day ie a 78% increase in operating hours.

 

Due to the overwhelming flood of objection letter from local residents in the surrounding parishes and from their parish councils, it appears that the heliport has been backed into issuing a covering letter with a modified proposal that does not change the standard hours of operation:

“A maximum of 4% of all permitted flights may take place from the site before 0900 and after 1800 except in an emergency”

 

The Parish Council believe that this ”new” proposal is what people thought they were objecting to in the first place. Therefore, the “clarification” changes nothing with respect to the objections that have already been received. It should be noted that the original planning permission condition 12 is no longer available on Rushcliffe’s planning portal, and the details of it were not quoted on the application form for the variation. The application was misleading to only state that it was “to allow helicopter flights to take place outside of daylight hours” when it was also extending the operating hours by a very significant amount. Hickling Parish Council believe that all of the letters of objection being lodged against the proposal remain just as valid. The only difference is the fact that the heliport’s intention to increase, by the back door, their operating hours by 78% has been revealed.

                        Object – all agreed

 

 

 

• Decision Notices

Ref: 24/01383/FUL

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Christopher & Natalie Brown

Development: Erection of double garage with home office in roof space over.

Location: The Farmhouse Hilltop Farm Melton Road Hickling Pastures

Nottinghamshire LE14 3QG

Decision: Grant Planning Permission

 

Appeal Ref: APP/P3040/W/23/3332122

Planning reference:22/01907/FUL

Applicant: Mr Grice

Development: To retain existing open-sided covered area, bin store and permeable surface.

Location: The Old Wharf Building, Main Street, Hickling LE14 3AH

Decision: Appeal Dismissed

 

• Finance

Balance of accounts: 05.11.24

Current Account: £19295.30

Reserve Account: £3931.72

Date of next meeting: TBC – proposed date 17th December