Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Penrice Community Council held
on Wednesday 15th December 2010

at the Horton Village Hall at 7.30pm


Members Present:                    Councillor G Roberts (Chair)

Councillor J Bowen
             Councillor B Richards

Councillor M Barnett

Councillor M Williams

Councillor T Methuen-Campbell

Councillor A Lewis

 

 

6  members of the public were also present.                                                                                                  Action

100/10                          Apologies for Absence.

 

Cllr A Glass apologised for absence due to having another meeting elsewhere.

 

101/10                          Declarations of Interest

 

Cllr B Richards declared an interest items to be discussed under Planning relating to Bank Farm due to being the owner of Bank Farm, The Oxwich Bay Hotel, due to being related to the owner and D Richards is his son.

 

Cllr A Lewis declared an interest in an item to be discussed under Planning relating to Bank Farm due to being a close friend of the owner of Bank Farm.

 

Cllr M Williams declared a personal interest in an item to be discussed under Planning relating to the Oxwich Bay Hotel due to being a friend of Mr I Williams the owner.

 

102/10                          To confirm the minutes of the Meeting held 17th November 2010.

 

The minutes were a true and accurate record of events proposed Cllr B Richards, seconded Cllr J Bowen, carried unanimously.

 

103/10                          Matters arising from the minutes.

 

Item no 96/10

Cllr B Richards reported that the Lord Mayor’s Charity event raised £460

 

Item 89/10  Sub 78/10 no 8

The Chairman reported – The owner, Mr R Higgins, of Craig-y-Don had telephoned to advise that the property had been boarded up to prevent heat loss during the time that the owners are away and is not derelict.  Mr Higgins had advised that he was frustrated with the CCS due to the length of time it was taking to decide on the planning application.  He had advised that he would work with the PCC and bring forward any details of proposed work as it arose.

 

Item 97/10

Cllr M Barnett reported – The CCS had commenced work on Horton Burrows.  The works included digging a trench and clearing vegetation for a footpath.  Stone had also been put down.  It was still not possible to push a pushchair across, but the path could be walked across.  The work prevented a vehicle accessing the Burrows.

 

104/10                          Community Councils.

 

One Voice Wales Area Committee Meeting

Cllr J Bowen reported; Pennard CC also had not been receiving amended planning details with planning applications from the CCS.  Decided : Clerk to send a letter to John Lock.                                                                               SC

 

PACT Meetings – Clerks are not being advised of the dates of these meetings and therefore are unable to advertise to the public.  The meetings are advertised on the Police website bobby.com.

 

105/10                          Correspondence.

 

1                     J Ellis – Two letters had been handed to the Chair immediately prior to the meeting.  The letters queried if two Members of the Council had a personal interest in an item due to arise in this meeting.  The Councillors in question considered the query and advised the Council that they did not have a personal interest in the item, therefore no further consideration was needed.

 

2                      J Ellis – An e mail advising the PCC on the progress of the project to upgrade Broadband in the Penrice Area. Cllr G Roberts gave an overview of the situation and progress.                                                                      Noted

 

3                     Horton Village Hall – Thank you for the donation of £75 to the Children’s Christmas party.                                 Noted

 

4                     Jeremy Bowen – Mr Bowen had sent a letter of response to the letter sent by Mrs K Beynon Minute reference 95/10.                                                                                                                                             Noted.

 

5                     A Williams – A Williams had sent a letter of response to the letter sent by Mrs K Beynon Minute reference 95/10

Noted.

 

6                     CCS  -Gower AONB Gower Lighting Scheme Guidance.                                                                          Noted.

 

7                     Glamorgan Gwent Archeological Trust –  Canvassing interest in being involved in setting up groups in the area. Noted

 

 

106/10                            Financial.

 

1          Payments                                                         Chq no                                     Amount

Cllr J Bowen travelling expenses                                                447                                           51.20

Proposed to pay Cllr M Williams, seconded Cllr T Methuen-Campbell.

 

Clerk Salary and expenses                                             446                                           365.50

Proposed to pay Cllr J Bowen, seconded Cllr A Lewis.

 

SLCC annual membership                                              448                                           82.00

Proposed to pay Cllr J Bowen, seconded Cllr M Williams.

 

Annual donations (section 137 payments)

Oxwich Community Hall                                                 449                                           400.00

Horton Village Hall                                                         450                                           400.00

Proposed to pay Cllr B Richards, seconded Cllr J Bowen.

 

All the payments as presented were carried unanimously.

 

 

2               To review budget and expenditure to date.

 

The Council considered the budget and expenditure to date and also the estimated expenditure to the end of the financial year.   The precept for the current financial period was £10,000. Council considered each element individually.  Due to unexpected expenses the annual expenditure would be more than the precept.

 

3         To consider the budget for the financial year 2011-2012

 

The Council resolved to discuss the Clerk’s salary and expenses at the end of the meeting in camera.

The Council discussed each item and estimated the cost of each category.  With the current financial climate and difficulties that everyone is experiencing, Cllrs felt that to raise the precept would not be appropriate at the present time.

With this in mind, areas within the budget that were able to be reduced were considered.  The main reduction in expenditure would be the annual donations to the Churches and both village halls would be now £300 each for the financial year 2011- 2012.

 

 

 

106/10                            Financial cont……

 

4         To set the precept for the financial year 2011-2012

 

Following the budget decisions Council resolved to set the precept at £10, 000 with no increase for the financial year 2011-2012.  Unanimous.

 

107/10                          Planning.

 

Cllr B Richards declared an interest and withdrew from the meeting due to being the owner of Bank Farm, the Father of Mr D Richard and also related to Mr I Williams of the Oxwich Bay Hotel. Items A, B, C and D.

 

Cllr A Lewis declared an interest in the item relating to Bank Farm due to being a friend of Cllr B Richards the owner and withdrew from the meeting during item A.

 

A          Application no: 2010/1705   The Caravan Club,  Bank Farm, Horton

Caravan Rally 1st -3rd July 2011 approx 80 caravans

 

Council decided to make the comment that providing the CCS are monitoring the amount of caravans in the Gower area at any one time and that this number is not detrimental to the AONB then there are no objections.

 

Cllr A Lewis returned to the meeting.

 

B          Application no: 2010/1102    Mr I Williams,    Oxwich Bay Hotel, Oxwich

Retrospective planning permission to retain the location of existing temporary marquee and overspill car

parking on site until 31st Oct 2010 and from 1st April 2011 to 31st Oct 2011 and also renewal of permission for

the dates 1st April 2012 – 31st Oct 2012, 1st April 2013 – 31st Oct 2013 and 1st April 2014 – 31st Oct 2014

 

C          Application no: 2010/1101   Mr I Williams     Oxwich Bay Hotel, Oxwich

Location of temporary marquee and associated overspill car park for three years from November 1st 2010 –

March 31st 2011, November 1st 2011 – March 31st 2012, November 1st 2012 – March 31st 2013

 

Mr I Williams of the Oxwich Bay, Oxwich was present at the meeting and gave an explanation to the Council of the detail of the planning applications and the reasons why a balance was trying to be achieved.

 

Mr I Williams explained that the Hotel had originally received planning permission from the CCS for 560 metres² of coverage and actually only used 380 metres² of coverage and this has now needed retrospective planning applications.

 

Other points explained by Mr Williams;

 

1                      3 year period had been applied for as weddings are booked so far in advance.

2                      Application no 2010/1101 was the same marquee, but for the winter period.  It was planned to change the

colour to an olive green for the months of December, January and February as there are no weddings during

these months.

3                      Mr Williams had been working with the planners for the last 18months and all the paths and hedges that had

been planted would have to be removed as per the request of the CCS, due to not being of a native species.

4                      The marquee is needed during the winter so that the concept can be seen and has meant the difference of 5

weddings booked in previous years, when the marquee was not up,  to 40 weddings booked last year when

the marquee was in situ during the winter.

5                      Could possibly extend the length of time the roof would be olive green in the future, is not intended to be a

permanent marquee.

 

 

6                      Concern was raised by Cllr T Methuen-Campbell that this in effect was essentially a permanent fixture.

 

7                      Mr Williams explained that it takes 10 days to take it down completely, and could take a month to put back up.

 

 

 

107/10                          Planning cont…..

8                      Cllr T Methuen-Campbell thought that the structure looks permanent from a distance.  Everyone knows what

a marquee will look like.  It can be seen clearly in the winter due to the lack of foliage on the trees and this is a

grade 1 listed landscape and nature reserve and queries have been received from visitors.  It should be a

balance between the benefit the area receives from tourism and preserving the AONB and also the business

element.  Why not have a green roof all year?

 

9                      Mr Williams responded and explained that various options of colours had been considered and is concerned

that if the decision is not correct then will cost the Hotel more money in order to get it right.  It costs £15,000

to cover the structure so the decision needs to be the right one.

 

10         Cllr T Methuen-Campbell thought that the reasons given that the hotel will take extra bookings is not ensuring  

the correct balance between AONB and preserving it for visitors and residents.  The beaches in Gower, such as Three Cliffs have won many awards for outstanding views and Oxwich Bay has won the Best Beach in Britain and this should be protected.  If visitors see something that they don’t like and does not fit in with the surroundings, they will not return.  Cllr Methuen-Campbell had serious reservations to allowing this structure to be in situ during the winter months.

 

11         Mr Williams explained that permission was being sought for a three month period as a trial and olive green

might not work and if it does not another colour will have to be looked at.  The three months that has been

requested will allow for the option to change the colour.

 

12         Cllr A Lewis thought that a bride would not want a green marquee for a wedding and would only consider a

white one.

 

13         Cllr T Methuen-Campbell objected to the marquee during the winter months.

 

14           Mr Williams advised that the season would finish at the end of November and start beginning of March in the future.   The cost of taking the marquee down and putting it back up costs £17,000 each year.

 

15           Cllr T Methuen-Campbell advised that there are other marquees in Gower and these receive bookings.

 

16           Mr Williams advised that the marquee represented 65% of the business of the Oxwich Bay.  Plants that grow over the structure to reduce the impact and native trees were being considered.

 

17           Cllr T Methuen-Campbell acknowledged that everyone is entitled to run a successful business, but not at the expense of the area.  In the winter the area will be spoilt by a marquee in this location that will be very visible due to the lack of leaves on the trees at this time.  This will also set a precedent for marquees to be allowed all year around in Gower.  Cllr Methuen-Campbell also would prefer to see a green marquee in the summer.

 

18         Cllrs agreed that they would prefer to see a colour that does not stand out as much as white.  Also could see

the situation from a business point of view and also that the AONB needs to be protected.

 

19           Cllr M Barnett thought it would be unreasonable to object due to the marquee having been there for 19years.

              Cllr T Methuen-Campbell queried that a marquee had not been in existence on this site for 19yrs.

 

20           Mr I Williams advised that he has agreed to sign a legal document to confirm that he would not use the marquee for 6 weeks from the beginning of January each year.  The marquee’s roof would be green for December, January and March.

 

21           Cllr T Methuen-Campbell asked - How many bookings are taken during the winter months?  Also that this would be catastrophic to the landscape.

 

Cllr M Williams declared a personal interest and withdrew from the meeting.

 

Cllr M Barnett proposed that the Council should support Application no: 2010/1102.  4 voted in favour, 1 voted against.  Motion carried to support the application.

 

Cllr M Barnett proposed to not object to the  Application no: 2010/1101, but that the roof would be green for the whole of the winter period and for a trial period of 1 year.   4 voted in favour, 1 against.  Motion carried.   

 

107/10                          Planning cont…..

 

 

D          Application no: 2010/1769     Mr D Richards,    Westernside, Horton

Extension & alterations to Westernside cottage.

 

Following consideration of the plans, Council decided that there was no objection to this application.

 

It was reported that High Kiln Bank have demolished the garage that had previously received planning permission for conversion to a holiday let.  Enforcement had been advised.  Cllrs agreed that the planning permission would now be void. 

 

E                      Application no 2008/0061  Greenways Leisure Park, Oxwich

                        Retention of caravan decking and access ramps and the siting, resiting and removal of static caravans and

associated works (amendment to planning application no 2002/0578)

 

Council had received additional information from the CCS following a request from the Clerk.  It was still not really clear exactly what was planned, but a brief overview of the situation was given.    Therefore no comment and the Council noted the information.

 

 

108/10                          The Boundaries of the land adjacent to Shore Cottage - update.

 

J Ellis had queried (Correspondence No.1 )  whether Cllr T Methuen-Campbell and M Barnett had personal interests in this item. 

Both Councillors felt that they did not have personal or prejudicial interests in this item.

 

J Ellis had sent an offer to the Council to purchase the land now known as ‘Land adjoining Shore Cottage’ as the registered title, even though the boundaries were still not known.

 

The Council had employed a Chartered Surveyor to identify the boundaries, however it had become apparent that due to  the inaccurate mapping by the Land Registry in the 1984 conveyance, made this not possible.  This could now either be agreed and decided by all parties concerned or in a Court.

 

Mrs S Mumby asked what happens with the discrepancy?  If selling as a Council then should sort out the boundary first.  Mrs Mumby raised with J Ellis that a comment made by her stated that the “track had not moved”…. .  However in the last few weeks someone has been driving on the grass.

 

Following further brief discussion it was decided to try and agree at a site meeting where the boundary should be on the ground.   Cllr M Barnett, Cllr G Roberts to attend on behalf of the Council.  Mr and Mrs Mumby and J Ellis to also attend.   Meeting 7th January 2011 1.30pm  at Shore Cottage driveway.                                                     GR/MB

 

109/10                          Matters Outstanding.

 

None

 

110/10                          Public Questions relating to the agenda.  (limited to 10 minutes)

 

J Ellis advised that the Government were changing their policy regarding broadband and gave a brief update on the situation of improving broadband in Gower.

 

111/10                          Date and venue of next meeting.

 

Wednesday 19th January 2011  at Oxwich Community Hall.

 

106/10                            Financial cont……                                                                          

Council decided to hold this part of the meeting in camera.

 

Following discussion Council decided that the Clerks salary to be increased as per SLCC guidelines. Unanimous.