July 2019 Minutes

Cllr H Thomas, Cllr B King, Cllr J Perrin, Cllr C Metcalf, Clerk Mrs T Cameron, Cllr C Mathew plus 2 members of the public

Cllr C Rylett & Cllr D Levy

No Declaration

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 6^th June 2019 were approved after some changes

a) Thames Valley Police Report – notifications of incidents in Cassington

Fake £20 Notes

There has been a spate of fake £20 notes in Woodstock.  If you believe that you have been given on please take it to your local bank.

Rural Break-ins in Chipping Norton

Containers have been broken into.  Farming machinery and quad bikes have been stolen. Police are asking people to remember to make their property and if they can attach a locating device.

b) Report from the Clerk on actions from the last meeting –

i) Previous Planning Application –

APPLICATION NO: 19/01392/LBC

PROPOSAL: Refurbishment of curtilage listed building

Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act

LOCATION: Reynolds Farm Pound Lane Cassington

APPLICANT: Mr Matthew Walls

REGISTERED: 13th May 2019

STATUS: Under Consideration

APPLICATION NO: 19/01391/FUL

PROPOSAL: Conversion of a former barn to two residential units. (Retrospective).

LOCATION: Reynolds Farm Pound Lane Cassington

APPLICANT: Mr Matthew Walls

REGISTERED: 13th May 2019

STATUS: Under Consideration

APPLICATION NO: 19/01272/HHD

PROPOSAL: Ground floor alterations with single storey rear extension, loft conversion,

demolition of garage for new timber frame garage and workshop to the rear of the garden

LOCATION: 12 Elms Road Cassington Witney

APPLICANT: Mr & Mrs Harper

REGISTERED: 30th April 2019

STATUS: Approved

The Parish Council feel that we should make comments so that it is minuted that we have made comments to the Planning Department with regards to the planning application in respect of Reynolds Farm.  The two applications that have been submitted retrospectively. We have made comments that this has been done next to a grade 1 listed Church. The clerk has already sent an email into the Planning Department to advise them of this and ask them to look at both applications with great care. There is also another application that will be going in and the Parish Council will make comment on that when the application arrived.  There is concern that this work has been done within the conservation area and does not necessarily conform to the conservation plan that was put in place for Cassington. Cllr Carl Rylett has asked that the planning applications be put before the Planning Committee so that they can have a more in-depth look at it and make comments accordingly. A resident has noted that they have been using an access onto the A40 to bring materials in. Which doesn’t comply with the Highways Agency.  Cllr Mathew has spoken to Highways and asked them to look into this.

 c) Playing Field – Sports Pavilion Improvements – The Pavilion has now been completed apart from some insulation in the loft, some work around the garage doors and a little bit of painting.  Apart from that it is all completed.

d) Request for Headstones by Banbury Memorial – None

 e) Manor Farm – Three of the houses are already occupied, another three families will move in by the end of the week and the rest will be filled by the beginning of August. During September they will do the road and block paving and all the planting.

f) Horsemere Lane Closure – The consultation will finish soon until then we just have to wait to see what will be done once the decision has been made. The Parish Council feel that we need to really stand firm that if the decision to close Horsemere Lane is agreed then a new slip road is created onto the A40 to allow cars to turn left much easier and will help with congestion of cars leaving Cassington.

g) Lease for the Playing Field – The Clerk has not heard anything back from the Sports and Social Club with regards to the new lease being agreed.  Cllr Thomas advised that he would email then as time is getting short to have the new agreement drawn up. The new lease needs to be done by 1^st September.

An email was received from a member of the village with regards to the Charcoal works planning application. They have advised that they have had a black plume over their part of the village which they believe is coal/dust particles from the Charcoal Works.  Cllr Thomas visited the Charcoal Works a few months ago when another incident was brought to the attention of the Parish Council and he saw the way the plant worked.  He said that all he viewed was water coming out of the vent.

The decision was made for the clerk to email the resident and ask her to contact Cllr Thomas immediately if the smell comes back so that he can go and see if he can pin point the issue.

 a) Neighbourhood Watch – Cllr Perrin has managed to and distribute some more of the cold calling stickers to come of the residents that requested them.  A copy of the sticker has also been put in CAWN.

 Cllr Mathew – Cllr Mathew advised that Oxford County Council were looking at implementing a congestion charge in the centre of Oxford but as of yet they have no plans on what area it will cover or how much will be charged. There is concern from the growth board that the growth steel is under duress because of South Oxfordshire have threatened to reject the local plan.  On 12^th there will be a meeting in Eynsham Village Hall with regards to the future of the Bus Lane on the A40. Cllr Yvonne Constance has confirmed her attendance.  Questions need to be directed to Gordon Beech who is the Chairman of Eynsham Parish Council in advance is. It will start at 7.30pm

 b) Speedwatch – Cllr Thomas has put another advert in CAWN to ask for volunteers.  So far, we haven’t had any.

We received a reply from Thames Water following the intervention from the Consumer Council.  Cllr Thomas sent the reply back to the Consumer Council for them to forward onto Thames Water.  The Parish Council feel that we need to keep onto Thames Water and then move onto Ofwat if The Consumer Council doesn’t get the answers that we want.

A resident of the village has given us some information on a grant for an energy audit for the Pavilion. Maybe we would be able to get some information on how we can use energy more efficiently in the Pavilion and also, they may be able to point us in the right direction for us to be able to install solar panels on the roof.

Can people please look at using the Fix My Street section on the WODC website before they contact the Parish Council.

The pieces of equipment have been installed and have now been finished.  Proludic have been back to repair some of the issues that arose with the initial installation. The Clerk has been asked to contact the Playground Inspector to ask them to come and look at the new play equipment just to check that it is all safe.

a)    Payments:

b) Income:

APPLICATION NO: 19/01502/FUL

PROPOSAL: Use of building and land for charcoal production (B2 use)

LOCATION: Land And Building At Cassington Oxfordshire

APPLICANT: Mr Adam Hulewicz

REGISTERED: 23rd May 2019

i) Annual Governance has been done and needed to be signed by the Chair

ii) Letter for Nationwide Account – Has been prepared and just needs to be signed and sent to Nationwide.

iii) Price of the Pavilion for Asset register – Cllr Metcalf and Cllr Thomas have looked into this and have agreed a figure of £250,000. This will now be added to the asset register.

iv) Cherry trees and WW1 commemorative sapling – The Clerk has emailed Tony Sockett and has ordered 2 cherry trees for outside Moorecroft and 1 oak to be planted on the Green to replace the sapling that was there to commemorate the end of WW1.  The quote was £150 for all 3 trees.

v) A40 Bus Shelters – The clerk received an email that advised that the bus shelters on the A40 belonged to the Parish Council and that due to the new bus lane they want to install new ones.  They wanted to know if we wanted to keep it as a advertising bus stop as apparently we are meant to receive the revenue from the advertisements. The Parish Council have never received a revenue from these bus stops.

vi) Energy Audit for Pavilion – Already discussed

vii) Tree Cutting on the Green – Need to get 3 quotes to have work on the trees on the Green to be done as well as a tree up by the garage by the playing field.

viii) Planning Training for Town and Parish Councils – This was put to the other councillors to see if any of them would like to attend.

ix) The Orchard – Cllr Thomas spoke to the Forman at Manor Farm with regards to the Orchard that was being planted and the assumption was given was that it was an Orchard for the village.  However, the Parish Council has now been advised by Blenheim that it is in fact just for the residents of Manor Farm. It was decided however that maybe we could put an orchard at the end of the allotments for the village.  Cllr Thomas has spoken to the Chair of the Allotment Committee and he is in turn going to speak to the allotment holder to see if they also think that it would be a good idea.

x) Freedom of Information Act – Cllr Thomas would like to have a record of how much time the request has taken each member of the Council that dealt with it including the clerk.

xi) Housing Figures – Cllr Rylett has supplied the housing figures of people who would like a property in village either downsizing or moving to the village as the have a connection to the village.

xii) Bike Night – The Parish Council would like to congratulate the organisers of Bike Night for another fantastic well organised night.

xiii) Noise from Hatwells Field – We received a complaint from a resident with regards to the music that was coming from Hatwells Field.  The Parish Council will look into trying to find out about events in the local area.

Mid Monthly Planning Meeting 16^th July @ 8pm in the Red Lion

Date of the next Parish Council Meeting Thursday 8th July at 7.30pm in the Village Hall