MINUTES OF BRANKSOME PARK, CANFORD CLIFFS & DISTRICT RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 09 SEPT 2015
AT 7.30PM IN COMMITTEE ROOM, ST. ALDHELM’S PARISH CENTRE
PRESENT: |
John Sprackling (JS) |
Chairman |
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Wayne Hancock (WH) |
Vice-Chairman |
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Keith Alcroft (KA) |
Planning Officer |
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John Gunton (JG) |
Magazine Editor |
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Cllr Mrs May Haines (MH) |
Canford Cliffs Ward Councillor |
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19 Members/Wardens |
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1. APOLOGIES AND ACCURACY OF MINUTES |
ACTION |
JS welcomed those present, particularly, Cllr Mrs May Haines and those attending for the first time.
Apologies: Terry Stewart, Carol & Mike Parkin
Accuracy: JS said would sign the Minutes as a true and accurate record of the
meeting held on 12 AUGUST 2015, apart from one correction regarding the JS Christmas Lights in Canford Cliffs Village – the lights will be switched on Friday,
27 November, 2015, not 25th as reported in last Minutes
2. MATTERS ARISING
Poole Pottery/Old Orchard/Quay Thistle Hotel sites update: JS reported.. |
JS |
1.Quayside (former Dolphin Quays) development – The Council has received an application for consent to Assign the Lease at Dolphin Quays. The consent to the assignment was offered in April 2015 subject to Licence. The Licence has yet to be completed
2.Former Poole Pottery & Swan Inn site – No new developments
3.Quay Thistle Hotel site – ditto
4.Old Orchard House – ditto
5.Land at West Quay Road – ditto
Planning Enforcement, TPOs/Tree replacements – update:
JS
Victoria Education Centre (Landscaping to the new entrance) – No new developments
Martello Corner, Martello Road (also known as 83 Canford Cliffs Road) –(Change of use of residential garage to dentists surgery} – Appeal lodged – Interested Party Comments due 25 Aug 2015 Appellant/LPA Final Comments due 15 September 2015
16 Western Avenue (Erection of Single Storey Garden Room) – The Planning Enforcement Team served a Planning Control Notice on 16 Western Avenue yesterday (08/09/15) to establish current ownership and other parties with an interest in the land. It is understood that a new application should be lodged this week.
Chairman’s note: Application registered on 09/09/15.
8 Haig Avenue (TPO tree destroyed (EN/14/00707). Appeal against Tree Replacement Notice – awaiting outcome of Hearing on 18th August 2015.
Community Working Group (CWG): Meeting fixed for 24 Sept 2015 – the Council |
WH |
is planning to change its planning neighbour notification arrangements and the CWG |
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will be informed about this at this meeting. |
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Wednesday, 09 September 2015
MINUTES OF THE BRANKSOME, CANFORD CLIFFS & DISTRICT RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION |
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Council Budget Monitoring report (2014/15) & 2015/16 Budget – William Mutlow |
ACTION |
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reported on the Council Budget Monitoring report covering the period 1 April 2015 to |
WM |
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30 June 2015 – this forecasts a small surplus of £0.3m for the year 2015/16. |
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Cost pressures of £0.8m emerging in Children’s Services. Forecast includes higher |
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placement costs for Looked after children and cost pressures within the Adoption |
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Service. |
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Other services are forecasting Net Savings with the most significant being £0.4m |
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from Transportation, with reduced expenditure from Concessionary Fares and other |
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Budgets. |
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Vacancy management and an ongoing brake on expenditure are continuing to apply. |
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There remains uncertainty regarding a number of significant budgets, and there is no |
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longer a contingency within the annual budget to manage any unforeseen events. |
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There are a number of in-year changes to funding currently expected from the |
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Government’s post election announcements over the summer including the delay of |
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the implementation of Part 2 of the Care Act until 2020. The main provisions due for |
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implementation in April 2016 were to introduce a cap on residential care costs paid |
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by individuals and to significantly increase the capital threshold above which people |
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are required to contribute to the costs of their care. |
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The Council has already invested in systems, staffing and other costs funded by |
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government grants to prepare for implementation. We are awaiting further |
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announcements and no provision has been made within the current year forecast for |
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any funds to be returned. |
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The in year position needs to be seen within the context of the current £5.5m deficit |
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in the budget for 2016/17, acknowledged by Cabinet on 28 July, and the further |
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growth pressure expected from Children’s Social Care, the impact of the new Living |
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Wage on costs in the care sector and the Government cuts under review. |
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2016 High Season Parking Period should begin on 1st March from 2016 onwards. |
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Movement on reserves |
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The balance on earmarked reserves at the 1 April 2015 was £24.2m, with £3.6m |
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programmed to support the 2015/16 Budget. £2.578m of the expenditure variances |
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relates to the use of specific earmarked reserves in support of their intended |
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purpose. |
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As reported at last month’s meeting of the Association, the 3 year Medium Term |
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Financial Plan includes the assumption that Council Tax will rise by 2% per year |
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Reasons for significant Forecast Revenue Variances greater than £100,000 |
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People Theme £512k Total Variances Cost Pressures |
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£421k Looked After Children: Pressures in residential care costs partially offset by |
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savings within fostering placements. |
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£180k Adoption Services: A number of children requiring greater support than |
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budgeted, together with an increase in other costs due to national changes. |
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£175k Children in Need & Independent Living: Increase in number of care leavers |
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requiring support. |
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£254K ASC – Residential Care & Community Based Services: The number of clients |
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needing support is over budget on residential care partially offset by savings in |
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community services and direct payments. Relating to older people the pressure is |
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£349k, with other age groups saving (£95k). |
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£287k saving in ASC – Care Act (Part 1) Implementation: Local deferred payment |
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scheme required few changes to implement the national scheme from April 15. This |
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had reduced spend from this one off non ring-fenced grant. |
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£168K saving in ASC – Employee Costs: Vacancies within social work and |
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commissioning teams. |
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£68K saving in ASC – Other: Grant announced after the budget was set to support |
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Wednesday, 09 September 2015 |
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MINUTES OF THE BRANKSOME, CANFORD CLIFFS & DISTRICT RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION |
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the expected increase in Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding (DOLS) cases. |
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£5k Other: Net Pressures. |
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Place Theme Variance a Saving of £557k |
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£153K saving in Transportation Concessionary Fares. Actual costs were 3.7% lower |
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in the first 2 months. The forecast assumes the 2014/15 trend of journey numbers in |
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the remaining 10 months. The actual level of activity is influenced by external factors |
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such as the weather. |
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£284k saving in Other Transportation. Savings made up from street lighting |
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electricity £93k, from additional parking and other income £73k, from expenditure |
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savings on bus subsidies £47k and from net other costs £71k. |
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£120k saving in Other Variances made up from Town centre management £45k and |
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from facilities management £75k. |
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Business Improvement Theme Variance a Saving of £325k |
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£159k saving in Human Resources. The main variance is additional income of |
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£137k. |
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£166k saving in Other Services. The main items are employee savings from |
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Corporate Management Team £73k and Corporate Strategy £44k. |
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Public Rights of Way |
RD |
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Westminster Road end of Dalkeith Road – The sandbags serving to obstruct this |
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route have been removed by the Council. It, currently, recognises this route as an |
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unrecorded Public Right of Way.. . |
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Buccleuch Road to Lakeside Road – No new developments |
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Bessborough Road – This road is owned by Canford Cliffs Land Society. The |
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Society is, currently, in conflict with the developers of the former Norfolk Lodge Hotel |
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regarding access. |
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Pinecliff Gardens (Sunken garden): WH said that the report of of the Royal |
WH |
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Horticultural Society judge’s visit was expected at the end of this month. Volunteers |
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are still needed. WH is still waiting to receive from the Council the renewed License |
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to allow the Association to officially manage the garden. |
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Community Engagement: Cllr MH reported on the third meeting of the ‘Review of |
JS |
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Council Governance Arrangements Working Party’ which was held on the preceding |
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Monday (07/09/15). About 12 members of the public were present. |
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Discussions on changes to the current Overview & Scrutiny Committees have been |
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concluded. |
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Area Committees will continue but the Working Party is looking at ways of widening |
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the scope of these meetings. Other alternatives being considered are Focus |
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Groups. ‘Themed’ meetings. Consultation is continuing and, at the time of the |
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Association’s meeting, no date had been set for the next Working Group meeting. |
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Chairman’s Note: The Minutes of the meetings held on 13 July and 03 August 2015 |
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have still to be posted on the BoP website. |
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Navitus Bay Offshore Wind Farm: Navitus Bay Offshore Wind Farm: Roy |
RP |
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Pointer gave an update on Navitus Bay. The decision will be published by the |
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Secretary of State this Friday 11 September, exactly 12 months from the opening of |
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the Examination process in line with the Planning Act 2008. He very much hoped |
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that the Application would be refused bearing in mind the effort put in by residents in |
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the wider area and the support of all local Councils (Poole excepted), MPs, National |
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Trust and the New Forest Parks Authority. |
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He referred to the recent piece in the Daily Telegraph indicating refusal of the project |
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but had nothing on which to base the article although Emily Gosden is a respected |
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journalist in the sector. |
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If the project is approved there is limited scope to challenge. The route is via Judicial |
ACTION |
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Review but the grounds are very limited e.g. Law, process compliance and |
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reasonabl ness of the decision but not the merits of the case e.g., visual intrusion, |
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Wednesday, 09 September 2015 |
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PCBA will look at the process if an adverse decision is given. |
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noise etc.MINUTES OF THE BRANKSOME, CANFORD CLIFFS & DISTRICT RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION |
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Chairman’s Note: RP writes “I’m delighted to say that on 11th September, Secretary |
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of State Amber Rudd issued the decision refusing permission for the wind farm as |
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well as a smaller option proposed at the eleventh hour by the developer. This |
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represents a major achievement for the thousands of residents who objected, and |
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for the work of Poole and Christchurch Bays’ Association in giving focus and weight |
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to the planning arguments against this deeply unpopular proposal. It is a good |
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example of how residents can influence decisions on national issues working |
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with MPs, local councils and other interested groups.” |
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Sustaining Poole’s Seafront (Formerly Seafront Beaches Master Plan SPD): A |
TS |
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report is due to be presented to Cabinet at its meeting on 13 October 2015 seeking |
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resolution to adopt the Plan at the Full Council meeting on 17 November 2015. |
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Cllr MH was unable to shed any light on this but said that there had been three |
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rounds of consultation on this. We shall have to wait and see what the report comes |
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up with. |
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Chairman’s Note: The report should be posted on the BoP website around 06 |
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October. |
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Succession planning: No new developments. |
JS |
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Pine Drive – It has been established that Pine Drive is a recognised Right of Way |
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from Chester Road leading all the way to Leicester Rd/Penn Hill junction.. |
further |
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action |
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Uniting the Conurbation (Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch) – No new |
JS |
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developments |
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Chairman’s Note: It has been announced that Bournemouth, Christchurch, East |
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Dorset and Poole are jointly exploring the possibility of a single, brand new Council |
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to cover their respective geographic areas. This would see all functions undertaken |
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by the existing councils in these areas being delivered by a new single unitary |
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authority. |
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Andrew Flockhart is to be recommended to take over as Poole’s Chief |
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Executive at the Full Council meeting on 29 September. |
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Refreshing the Core Strategy and review of Community Infrastructure Levy |
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(CIL) – A summary of responses to Draft Core Strategy, has just published and a |
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report is available via – http://www.poole.gov.uk/planning-and- |
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buildings/planning/ldp/core-strategy-review/ |
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A report on the revised CIL proposals will be published as part of a report due to be |
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presented at the Economy and Overview Committee on 5 November, where the |
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Council will be seeking endorsement to publish the draft version of the charging |
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schedule for formal comment before submission to the Secretary of State for |
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Examination. The Council plans to publish it for 8 weeks over December 2015 to |
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January 2016, which is two weeks longer than normal to account for the holiday |
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season. |
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Improving association’s communications – In the absence of MP, JS reported |
MP |
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that the new ‘Canford Cliffs Village’ magazine, which is currently being distributed |
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throughout BH13 and part of BH14, includes a page about the Association and a |
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page about the Sunken Garden. |
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3 NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT – |
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KA reported |
KA |
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27 Forest Road (Demolish existing house and erect 5 houses with associated |
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parking) – Letter of objection lodged on behalf of the Association on 24 August 2015 |
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but application granted on 01 September 2015. |
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2 Dalkeith Road (Sever land and construct a detached house with integral garage) |
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Wednesday, 09 September 2015 |
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MINUTES OF THE BRANKSOME, CANFORD CLIFFS & DISTRICT RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION |
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– Letter of objection lodged on behalf of the Association on 02 September 2015. |
ACTION |
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Chris Stracey raised concerns about the inconsistency of approach by the Local |
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Planning Authority in the case the various applications at Avalon, off Sandbanks |
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Road when compared with recent applications in Crawshaw Road. In both cases, |
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the applications involved sub-division of plots where trees were an issue. In the |
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case of Crawshaw Road the applications were allowed but in the case of Avalon, |
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the applications were refused |
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Cllr MH said that in the case of 14-16 Avalon, the proposed properties were taller |
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than those there at present, did not fit in with the character of the area and not |
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enough amenity space. |
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JS suggested that CS ask WH to take this up at the forthcoming Community |
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Working Group meeting. |
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Then followed a lengthy and, at times, heated discussion about 12A Western |
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Avenue (Erection of new single storey house) – Application registered 20 April 2015. |
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Tracy Holmes opened the discussion by saying that she was confused by the |
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process and sought answers to the following questions |
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1.Plot size precedent, as there will be two dwellings on a single plot of less than 1½ acres
In the view of the Association, this is not a plot severance and, if it ever existed, the 3/4 acre rule no longer applies. Members were informed of this in the Autumn 2014 magazine. JS said that, as far as he was aware, the only reference to the 3/4 rule is included in the Covenants held by (The) Branksome Park Association Ltd and Covenants are not a planning issue.
2.The reason why no objection was raised to this proposal
The proposal was viewed from a planning point of view. The existing Grade ii listed one bedroom bungalow cannot be altered. Thereby precluding any extensions. A replica style bungalow matching the existing & grouped together would be a unique asset to Branksome Park. It would not compromise policy PCS23 in Poole’s Core Strategy.
It would not breach the Branksome Park Management Plan as the proposed bungalow would be well masked from Western Ave – the additional planting proposed to the boundary would mask the flat roof bungalow from the adjoining properties.
The bungalow would sit on the disused Tennis Court & not compromise any trees or roots
3. The wider community were unaware of this proposal & plans to safeguard the community from similar requests
Because of the limited number of members who take an ‘active‘ role in the work of the Association, it has been the Association’s practice for some years now to adopt are-active approach to planning applications rather than pro-active and we rely on residents contacting us when they are concerned about planning applications.
JS said that, in his experience, it is important that, where a resident is concerned about a neighbouring development to, immediately, ‘lobby’ his/her neighbours to garner support for his/her objections.
JS invited those present to contact him for a copy of the List of the Planning
Applications which he receives for the Council on a weekly basis.
Chairman’s note: Only one request received to date.
4. Misinformation about the plot size of 8 Withingham Road
JS explained that explained how he came to make a mistake about the plot size of this property, which had been subject to sub-division, following the purchase of
adjacent land from the Victoria Education Centre.
Wednesday, 09 September 2015
MINUTES OF THE BRANKSOME, CANFORD CLIFFS & DISTRICT RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION |
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Peter Jackson made the point that both the Council’s Urban Design & Conservation |
ACTION |
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Officer and Tree Officer had raised concerns about the proposal. |
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Stuart Rhys-Williams felt that the Association had ‘missed the boat’ and was allowing |
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the character of Branksome Park to be changed. He proposed that an Extraordinary |
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General Meeting of the Association should be held as soon as possible to rally |
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support for the re-introduction of the ¾ acre rule. |
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John Buckley supported this proposal and JS promised to send those members |
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calling for an EGM, a copy of the Rules of the Association. |
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Cllr MH said that the officer was due to make his decision the following week and, if |
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the application is due to be approved, this will be ‘Red-carded’. |
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Christine Norman questioned how the plot is, currently, registered with the Land |
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Registry and if it was known if there was any proposal by the owner to register the |
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two plots separately. |
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Stan Alfert encouraged those present who had not yet sent letters of objection to do |
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so as a matter of urgency and suggested they search the BoP Planning Application |
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website for suitable wording. |
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John Gunton that, in view of the apparent level of opposition to this proposal, he was |
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expecting more Western Ave residents to attend the meeting. |
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Roy Pointer felt that it was up to residents to object and garner support from |
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residents and thought it unfair to ‘have a go’ at the Executive. |
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Peter Jackson proposed that a letter of objection should be sent on behalf of the |
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Association, seconded by Stan Alfert, and this was, overwhelming, agreed by those |
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present with two abstentions. |
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Tony Holmes said, in conclusion, that if the application is not turned down, he will not |
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let the matter rest. Mr Horden has been given permission on three occasions to |
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extend his current property. |
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Stan Alfert referred to 2 Dalkeith Road (Sever land and construct a detached house |
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with integral garage). This was a first application to propose a sub-division in |
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Buccleugh Road and should be opposed. |
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Other current planning issues
66, 68 & 68A Lilliput Road (Outline planning application for the demolition of the existing properties and the erection of two separate apartment buildings containing 20 flats in total with associated access, cycle and bin stores) – Letter of objection lodged on behalf of the Association on 26 July 2015.
Ormonde Nursing Home, 12 Pinewood Road (Outline application for alterations, extensions and conversion of the building to six flats with associated parking and landscaping) – The Association lodged a letter of objection to this application on 13 August 2015.
Wateridge House, 5 Burton Road (Outline application to demolish the existing building and erection of 5 no. 2 ½ storey detached houses) – Application recommended for Refusal by Planning Committee at its meeting the following day..Chairman’s note: This application was refused.
Compton Acres, Canford Cliffs Road (Erection of building comprising 20 Apartments with basement parking; re-arrangement for the existing Compton Acres parking area, and demolition of the existing office building set within the current car park) – The developers have yet to comply with Condition 12 and it is noted that there appears to be no provision for coach parking.
Wednesday, 09 September 2015
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2015 ‘Pines & Chines’ magazine – This is in the process of being |
ACTION |
Autumn MINUTES OF THE BRANKSOME, CANFORD CLIFFS & DISTRICT RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION |
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compiled and will be delivered to all members during October |
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Leaning garden wall at (?)25 The Avenue – Cllr MH will follow up. |
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5. |
ACCOUNTS TO DATE – JS said the figures for the Association’s funds as at |
JS |
31st August 2015 were not yet available. |
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6ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Date of next Meeting: The date of the next meeting clashes with the Canford Cliffs
& Penn Hill Area Committee meeting to be held on Wednesday – 14th October 2015, All so the Association’s next meeting will be held on 07 October 2015 at Committee
Room (formerly Lounge), Rear of Branksome St Aldhelms Parish Centre (Access via Lindsay Road)
The meeting closed at 9.00pm