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Minutes of Mere Town Council meeting held on Monday, 10th June 2024

Mere Town Council

Town Clerk – Mrs. L. C. Wood

 

Minutes of a meeting of Mere Town Council held on Monday, 10TH June 2024 at 7.00 pm at Duchy Manor, Springfield Road, Mere, Wiltshire.  BA12 6EW.  The meeting will consider the items set out below. 

 

Present:  Councillors John Jordan (Chair), Glen Ings (Vice-Chair), Nick Beale, Sandra Catley, Aubrey Colman, Rodney Coward, Philip Coward, Rachael Hansford, Clive Hazzard, Raymond Hill, George Jeans, & Lesley Traves

 

Public Participation Session

Mel Wilkinson confirmed that he had sent a letter to the Clerk to distribute to members regarding his request made during the public session of the last meeting relating to the Town Council granting permission for the Carnival fairground to go into the Recreation Ground.  Tim Thorn, Admin & PR Manager for Charles Coles Family Funfairs said he had come along to explain how they would approach putting the rides in the recreation ground.  He said that if it was damp at the time then they would only use the edge of the car park, they would lay down an aluminium roadway for the big rides which would turn around in the car park and they would use the car park to turn the rides around.  He said his main priority was not to cause any damage because if damage occurs then we won’t want them to come back.  They would also put a bond down to put everyone’s mind at ease.   He said that other towns would give references and sited Gillingham Town Council

Polly Harrington on behalf of Craig Bowers who is away on business spoke in favour of the planning applications for Wet Lane. She said it would appear that there may be some misunderstandings over his intentions and stressed that all he wanted to do was to provide a home for his rescue donkeys and look after the land.

Mark Hill, Chairman of Mere Town Youth Football Club Committee & Peter Down. Chairman of the Mere Town Adult Football Club raised concerns over the possibility of the fairground using the Recreation Ground and how this might impact on the football pitches within the ground, pointing out that there would be football games being played during that period.

Sandra Catley speaking as a member of the public, raised concerns about the impact that the traffic would have on residents living in the area, especially Queens Road.

The Chairman said he wanted to use the public session to thank Stewart Walker as the local representative of the British Legion for leading the 80th D-Day Commemoration earlier this week.  This was a purposeful and meaningful event laying wreaths at the war memorial where Mary Burfitt played the Last Post and there were about 40 or 50 people in attendance.

  1. Apologies for absence received from Cllrs. Debbie Beale, Linden Stone and Kate Symonds.

 

  1. To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests and other interests from Councillors on matters to be considered at the meeting.
  • Clive Hazzard declared a pecuniary interest in Minute Ref 441a)
  • Lesley Traves declared an interest in planning application PL/2024/04076

 

  1. Minutes – This item was deferred as the Minutes had not been prepared.

 

  1. Matters Arising from Public Session

These matters were itemised on the agenda although the Chairman agreed to bring them forward for discussion.

 

  1. Matters Arising from previous Meetings (not covered by other agenda items)
  2. a) Result of Wiltshire Council’s decision on Community Governance Review parish boundary change for Mere/Zeals – The Chairman reported that the Final Recommendations of the Electoral Review Committee in respect of the Community Governance Review 2023/24 were presented to the Full Council at a meeting held on 21st The proposed changes put forward by Mere Town Council to change the electoral boundary for Mere/Zeals were recommended and the Full Council approved these recommendations. (Cllr. Jeans confirmed that he had abstained from voting at the full council meeting.) The Clerk confirmed that this now had to go to the Electoral Boundary Committee for their consideration.

 

  1. Reports & Consultations
  2. a) Wiltshire Councillors Report – Cllr. Jeans confirmed that he was trying to get Wiltshire Council to take some action on the old Beaumonts Building in the interests of public safety and had found out that the company that owned the building was Woodlands Mere Ltd.

*b) Project Co-Ordinator’s Report – Roger Pipe, the Council’s project co-ordinator was present.  He had prepared reports for members and gave a verbal update on the Footpath Improvement Project, Lease for Duchy Manor, and future project work, specifically an upgrade of the play equipment at Castle Hill Play Area which is estimated to cost in the region of £20k but will enable the Council to invite tenders without having to use the procurement portal.  Members approved the scope of the works, as detailed and also approved the method of procurement by inviting tenders.

Roger also provided members with a draft programme for the AIM (Activities in Mere) event taking place on 9 – 11 August and asked for some volunteer help distributing brochures and supporting some of the events.

  1. c) Report on South West Wiltshire Area Board meeting held on 29th May – The Chairman reported that he had attended the meeting which was held in Mere but lasted nearly 4 hours. The grant requests from organisations in Mere were all successful apart from the snooker club which was not awarded all the money it had requested. Jeans said that at this meeting, the Area Board agreed their priorities for the coming year as Youth Engagement & Wellbeing, Older and Vulnerable Adults Health & Wellbeing, The Environment and Community and Road Safety.

 

  1. Planning
  2. a) Applications for consultation response:

 

Application No: PL/2024/04768
Application Type: Removal/variation of conditions
Proposal: Variation of Condition 2 on PL/2022/03331 Substitute plans to regularise changes to design and location of building – (Change of use of land to a mixed use of agriculture and equestrian and the construction of an agricultural and equestrian building with associated storage.)
Site Address: Land at Wet Lane, Mere, BA12 6BA
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ3000006Phi8

 

The Chairman said that he had visited the site and indeed had walked around with Mr. Bowers, the applicant.  He said that when he first looked at the barn, he thought it was very large and well-built and made for a very desirable residence for four very lucky donkeys.  Members felt that the application description was confusing as they understood that the area of land with the barn already benefitted from mixed agricultural and equestrian use although it appeared this was being requested within the proposal. The Clerk said that her understanding was that the second application (for the welfare building) had been built on an area that was not granted agricultural/equestrian use but that mixed agricultural and equestrian use had been granted on this land as part of planning application PL/2022/03331.  RESOLVED to submit the Town Council’s previous objections to the redesigned barn as follows:

The Town Council recalled that the applicant had attended Town Council meetings in 2022 explaining that he had bought 4 acres of land in Wet Lane in order to house his rescue donkeys and that he required the formation of a field access (another retrospective application) and the erection of an agricultural and livestock building.

Approval for a barn was granted under PL/2022/03331 and it would appear that the barn that has been built is quite different to the barn that was proposed, hence this planning application to revise the approval.

The planning officer confirmed in his 2022 report that the site is predominately rural location within the open countryside for the purposes of the local plan and is outside the defined limits of development.

The overall footprint of the approved barn was c. 94 sq. m. and the overall footprint of the built barn is c. 172 sq m. However, the size of the building adds to the built environment and detracts from the open countryside aspect of this rural area.  Furthermore, the storage container adjacent to the barn (we understood that the storage container had been moved to the adjacent field but it would appear that it is still in situ or at least the timber housing that surrounded the container is still in situ) and large bunded bank at the rear of the site behind which are situated a number of storage containers and stables.  All of this, together with vast lengths of hardcore tracks, hardstanding and fencing has produced a significant effect on the character and appearance of the landscape and created an unacceptable impact on the rural character of this area.

Under the 2021 Environment Act, the Town Council recently agreed its biodiversity policy.  The Town Council felt that this planning application does not meet the criteria within Mere Town Council’s Biodiversity Policy as the application does not benefit biodiversity through the conservation and integration of existing habitats or provision of new habitats for wildlife.

 

Application No: PL/2024/04831
Application Type: Full planning permission
Proposal: Erection of a timber welfare building and change of use of land for use in association with agricultural and equestrian land (Part retrospective)
Site Address: Land at Wet Lane, Mere, BA12 6BA
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ3000006THI9

 

The Chairman confirmed that he had been in the building on his visit and that it was a small building, big enough for a settee, dining table, toilet, basin.  He pointed out that this application included modifications to the roof line proposed within this application.  Members felt that there was no justification for this separate building and it was RESOLVED to reiterate the Town Council’s previous response, taking into account the changes to the application title etc., as follows:

The Town Council recalled that the applicant had attended Town Council meetings in 2022 explaining that he had bought 4 acres of land in Wet Lane in order to house his rescue donkeys and that he required the formation of a field access (another retrospective application) and the erection of an agricultural and livestock building.  He did not mention, at the time, that he would require a welfare building to provide a space for workers on the site.

However, it would appear that this timber studio has been built on agricultural land, hence the purpose of this retrospective planning application.

The planning officer confirmed in his 2022 report, when considering planning application PL/2022/03331, that the site is predominately rural location within the open countryside for the purposes of the local plan and is outside the defined limits of development.

Planning history shows that that this building has been included in two previous retrospective planning applications –  PL/2023/10288 and PL/2023/10288 amended – now withdrawn.  This latest planning application is for the change of use of land from agricultural to a mixed use of agriculture and equestrian and a part retrospective permission for the erection of a small timber building to provide a welfare space for employees or volunteers caring for the donkeys.   I assume that the reference to part retrospective is because this proposal is to make modifications to the building that currently exists by changing the roof profile and installing timber shutters and a sliding door. Furthermore, the planning statement says that the timber building which is also referred to as a cabin and a studio within the planning statement, is required to support the running of the donkey rescue facility to provide welfare facilities, shelter, a WC and facilities to make hot drinks for rural workers on the site.

There are four donkeys on the site and it is believed that there is one member of staff who attends to the needs of these donkeys and it should be perfectly possible to provide a working space for this staff member (and other staff members if necessary) within the footprint existing barn that was erected in 2022.  The agricultural and equestrian building that was granted planning permission in 2022 (Ref: PL/2022/03331) has been built and is now the subject of a further retrospective S.73 application as it is different to the approved planning design -and is a very large and substantial building and although the Town Council does not support the new design, it would be preferable to include necessary welfare facilities within the confines of the barn.  The Town Council feels that there is no justification to support the need for this additional building, built on a different part of the site away from the barn, to serve the needs of staff associated with the needs of the donkeys as a suitable alternative existing building exists on the site.

Under the 2021 Environment Act, the Town Council recently agreed its biodiversity policy.  The Town Council felt that this planning application does not meet the criteria within Mere Town Council’s Biodiversity Policy as the application does not benefit biodiversity through the conservation and integration of existing habitats or provision of new habitats for wildlife

 

 

Application No: PL/2024/04569
Application Type: Notification of proposed works to trees in a conservation area
Proposal: HG1 Cypress – Fell close to ground level (approx. 50mm) (conifer). T1 Spruce – Fell close to ground level (approx. 50mm) (conifer). T3 Cypress – Fell close to ground level (approx. 50mm) (conifer).
Site Address: THE GEORGE INN, THE SQUARE, MERE, WARMINSTER, BA12 6DR
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ3000006GOir

 

RESOLVED to recommend the above application for approval.

 

Application No: PL/2024/03498
Application Type: Householder planning permission
Proposal: erect single storey porch
Site Address: 3. The Bartletts, Mere, Warminster, BA12 6DX.
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ3000005Pg2n

 

Members were informed that this planning application had already been approved by the planning authority.

 

Application No: PL/2024/04076
Application Type: Householder planning permission
Proposal: Single Storey North Gable End Extension
Site Address: 10 Southbrook Gardens, Mere, Warminster, BA12 6BE.
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ3000005sGmT

RESOLVED to recommend approval of the above application. Cllrs. Mrs. Traves, having declared a personal interest in this application, refrained from discussion or voting.

Application No: PL/2024/04876
Application Type: Notification of proposed works to trees in a conservation area
Proposal: T1 Lawson Cypress Fell as outgrown space T2 Lawson cypress Reduce by 2m as poorly reduced previously and reduction will leave single stem tree more manageable as part of hedge line. (as per annotated photo) T3 Budlea Reduce by 1.5m as outgrowing space (as per annotated photo)
Site Address: THE GEORGE INN, THE SQUARE, MERE, WARMINSTER, BA12 6DR
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ3000006Uue1

RESOLVED to recommend the above application for approval.

*b) Invitation to Planning Service Stakeholder meeting – Tuesday, 25th June at County Hall, Trowbridge (in Clerks Report) – The Clerk said that she would try and attend if no councillors were able to attend.

  1. Highways, Rivers, Footpaths, Traffic & Transport
  2. a) To identify jobs for the Parish Steward, Sparkle Team and MyWiltshire reports – It was agreed that the Clerk & Cllr. Jeans would work together to try and get something done about the dreadful state of the road/path along White Road outside Mere Social Club.

The Chairman said that he had held an online meeting the LHFIG Traffic Engineer, Paul Shaddock to talk about several items that we have put to LHFIG.  Mr. Shaddock is going to produce a detailed plan for Hazzards Hill and he is also looking at providing a disabled bay at The Square and also talking to officers about Edgebridge.  He is going to leave the centre white line marking in Salisbury Street/The Square until later and give the other matters priority.

 

  1. Buildings, Open Spaces, Play Areas, Sports Grounds, Car Parks, Allotments & Cemeteries
  2. a) Approval to appoint structural engineer to assess suspected movement in North Chapel – the Chairman said that, following concerns raised by the grounds staff, he had inspected the Chapel and it does look as though the roof has moved away from the building and rainwater is coming in. RESOLVED to appoint a structural engineer to assess the suspected movement.
  3. b) Preliminary proposals for Pluscharge to provide EV charger in Salisbury Street Car Park – the Clerk reported that following a conversation with David Hytch, he was preparing legal documents for a single charger with 2 cables so that two cars parked side-by-side could use it. However, he did point out that they could put a second connector plate into the next parking space along which would have a capped cover but would mean that we could utilise this in the future if and when we felt that extra chargers might be required. Members felt that this sounded like a good idea.

*c) Quotation for new glass fibre 12m flagpole, installation and old flagpole removal from Hampshire Flag Company (attached) – There was a discussion about fundraising for a new flagpole but members felt that the replacement flagpole was an urgent requirement for safety reasons.  RESOLVED to proceed with the new flagpole but to get some reassurances as to the flag raising mechanism inside the pole and how that gets repaired if it fails.

*d) Request from Mere Carnival to use the Recreation Ground to hold the Carnival Funfair in September 2024 (attached) – Some members raised concerns about the Recreation Ground ending up a quagmire and damage to the grounds, issues over access and traffic and the impact of parking on local highways and local residents and the impact of the fairground on other users of the Recreation Ground and noise for the surrounding residents.  Conversely, some members also felt that the Recreation Ground was a facility to benefit everyone in the town and were reassured by the mitigating measures indicated by Mr. Thorn and felt that the return of the carnival might help to assure the future of Mere Carnival.  RESOLVED to grant permission for the Carnival Funfair to use the Recreation Ground on a trial basis for 1 year on condition that the aluminium trackway is used to move the lorries on the ground and a bond is given to the council to pay for any necessary repairs to structures or ground.

 

  1. Finance, Policy & Resources
  2. a) Payments – Having declared a pecuniary interest, Cllr. Hazzard left the meeting whilst this matter was discussed and took no part in discussion or voting. RESOLVED to approve the payments as listed in the schedule of payments
  3. b) To note the reconciliations for May 2024 – deferred.

*c) To review Mere Town Council Reserves Policy (attached) – RESOLVED to approve without amendment. The statement of reserves held at 31.3.24 was also presented to members – the Chairman pointed out that the general reserves had reduced and said that he was aware that the Clerk/RFO had concerns about this and efforts would be made to address these concerns at the Annual budget meeting.

*d) To approve the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for the year ending 31st March 2024

  1. To receive and note the Annual Internal Audit Report (attached) – the Final Audit Report following the end of year Internal Audit Review carried out by the Internal Auditor Katherine Houlihan on 17th May 2024, had been distributed to members. A copy of Page 3 of the AGAR, completed and signed by the Internal Auditor was also distributed to members prior to the meeting and members noted that the Internal Auditor had confirmed that all the relevant Internal Control Objective’s had been met.  Members noted the recommendations made by the IA and the Clerk said that these would be addressed over the course of the next few months.
  2. To approve the Annual Governance Statement (Section 1) – Points 1 – 9 of the Annual Governance statement 2023/24 (Section 1 of the AGAR) were read out to members and members answered ‘yes’ to each of the statements. The Annual Governance Statement was signed by the Clerk and by the Chairman in the presence of the Town Council.
  • To approve the Accounting Statements (Section 2) Attached – The Clerk pointed out that the Total Fixed Asset Figure for last year had been “restated” and reminded members that last year the external auditor had raised a matter relating to an error that I had made in the asset valuations. Upon thorough investigation, it turns out that the error was actually £50 as explained last month (Minute 428d).  The Accounting Statements 1 – 11a & 11b (Section 2 of the AGAR) were approved by the Town Council.  Confirmation of approval of the Accounting Statements was signed by the Clerk/RFO on 23.5.24 and by the Chairman in the presence of the Town Council at the meeting.
  1. To set the commencement date for the exercise of public rights – the Clerk confirmed that, as required by the Accounts & Audit Regulations 2015, the Town Council must now publish the unaudited AGAR and the Notice for the Commencement of the Period for the Exercise of Public Rights. Publication is on the Town Council’s website: merewilts.org

The Clerk anticipated that the commencement date would be 28.6.24

  1. To note other information to be sent to the External Auditor and required by External Auditor as part of Intermediate Review 2023/24 – the Clerk pointed out to members that because the Town Council had income exceeding £200k we were required to have an Intermediate Audit Review which required providing extra information to the external auditors. The extra information to be submitted for the 2023/24 intermediate review applicable to Mere Town Council is:
  • Supporting documentation for the income included in Section 2, Box 2 (this is the Precept and so evidence of the budgeting/precept process will be submitted)
  • If the 2022/213 external Auditor report included any ‘except for’ matters, copies of minutes and any agreed plan showing the corrective action taken to address these matters (this related to the RESTATED Asset Register figure for last year (Minute 428d refers).

 

  1. General Items
  2. a) To authorise the Town Clerk to spend time in investigating constitution/governing documents and sorting out/organising a way for the Forest Dear Leazes to continue operating – RESOLVED that the Clerk should spend time on the above.

Briefing Notes

*Briefing Note 24-09, Defra Simpler Recycling Update (attached)

*Briefing Note 24-10, Local Development Order consultation- Revamp Your Tank scheme (attached)

*Briefing Note 24-11 Management of Council business and publicity during the pre-election period (attached)

 

  1. Future meetings and events

Invitation to The Campaign to Protect Rural England – Wiltshire’s AGM, on the 16th July at 19.00 at Malmesbury Town Hall – Speaker is The Chief Executive Officer of CPRE – Roger Mortlock – Speaking on Solar and the Rooftop Revolution!

 

  1. Future agenda items
  • None

 

Note:  Members are reminded that the Town Council has a general duty to consider the following matters in the exercise of any of its functions: Equal Opportunities (race, gender, sexual orientation, marital status and any disability), Crime and Disorder, Health and Safety and Human Rights.

 

*Further information on these items enclosed/attached

 

 

Meeting closed at 8.39 pm

 

 

 

 

MERE PEACE MEMORIAL SPORTS AND RECREATION GROUND

Registered Charity No. 1093497

 

For Trustees to consider the following:

 

Request from Mere Carnival to use the Recreation Ground to hold the Carnival Funfair in September 2024

 

As Sole Trustee of the Mere Peace Memorial Sports & Recreation Ground, members of the Town Council endorsed their decision to grant permission for the Carnival Funfair to use the Recreation Ground on a trial basis for 1 year on condition that the aluminium trackway is used to move the lorries on the ground and a bond is given to the council to pay for any necessary repairs to structures or ground.