MINUTES
Minutes of the FULL COUNCIL meeting held on Wednesday 4th October 2023 at 7.30pm in The Mountfitchet Exchange, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
PRESENT Cllr M Caton (Chair), Cllrs A Barnes, S Ghosh, A Guney, P Jones, J Kavanagh, A Khan, A Love, J O’Brien and T van de Bilt
ATTENDING
Mrs Ruth Clifford – Parish Clerk
Mrs Emma Philbrick – Deputy Clerk
PSCO Alex Stewart
Cllrs Braeckman, Hogg and Prior – via Zoom
1 member of the press
3 members of the public (2 via Zoom)
188 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Braeckman – University, Cllr Hogg – Holiday, Cllr Prior – Working and Cllr Sell – Attending a UDC meeting.
RESOLVED To accept the apologies for absence from Cllrs Braeckman, Hogg, Prior and Sell.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – None
189 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None
190 TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 13TH SEPTEMBER 2023
RESOLVED To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13th September 2023 as a true and accurate account.
191 TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON ACTION POINTS FROM THE LAST MEETING
173 – Office to invite the current managing director of MAG to a meeting – Done and someone from management at MAG will be attending the meeting on 15th November.
173 – Airport Working Group to look at increasing membership – Ongoing
192 TO WELCOME PCSO ALEX STEWART
PSCO Alex Stewart gave members an update including the issue of Tru-cam devices to monitor speeding vehicles which results in automatic points and fines for drivers caught. He then answered questions from members.
The member of the press arrived at the meeting.
Cllr Prior joined the meeting during this item via Zoom.
Cllr Braeckman joined the meeting during this item via Zoom.
193 TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM THE CHAIR, CLLR MAUREEN CATON
Report Starts: Councillors have been made aware of the agenda item for the Local Plan Leadership group meeting happening tonight. The Draft Uttlesford Local Plan 2021-2041 (Reg 18) consultation document is to be discussed. Community consultation on the outcome – remembering the current draft could be changed by officers/members tonight or at Cabinet – will be in November/December this year.
The report being presented acknowledges that in the absence of a Local Plan UDC have had much less control over planning for the district than is desirable and appropriate – where the presumption in favour of sustainable development would generally apply- i.e., approval of development proposals unless it is contrary to national policy. Stansted Mountfitchet is the third largest settlement in the area and following on from a recent meeting with Planning Officers at the Uttlesford Liaison Forum focussing on the emerging plan – attended by the Clerk and myself – our worst fears have not been fulfilled. The planners have listened to our concerns and not included the site to the West of Pennington Lane.
The communities located along the A120 corridor are the worst hit with the proposal that Takeley will develop the most houses – 1,636 over the plan period to 2041
Saffron Walden 1,280
Great Dunmow 869
Thaxted 489
Newport 412
Stansted 390
Walpole Meadows Nth – 250
East of High Lane – 140
It is also proposed that a 2-form entry primary school and a community facility forms part of the development.
Our Neighbourhood Plan – currently lodged with Uttlesford Planners who have read the draft, sets out our vision for development – We await a meeting with the UDC officers to finalise this submission and “fit” with the principles and policies of this emerging Local Plan before onward submission to statutory consultees.
The Youth Council is certainly picking up new members now – we currently have 6 young people taking part and after some initial induction and training we hope to establish a fully functioning committee. We are also looking forward to our visit to the Palace of Westminster at the end of the month – when the Youth Council will meet up with the young people who are visiting from our twin town of Rungis. Thank you to the new head teacher, Dustin Schuyler, for his support to promote this project and hosting the French students at Forest Hall School.
We are coming to the stage where we need to review our agreement with Essex Youth Services, who are currently co-ordinating our Youth Club provision. We will be seeking expressions of interest and new tenders to ensure we are promoting the best provision for our youth service delivery. Currently, we are still awaiting the agreed funding towards this year’s delivery from UDC. Report Ends.
194 TO RECEIVE WRITTEN DISTRICT COUNCILLOR REPORTS
None – Some members voiced their disappointment that reports from, and/or attendance by, District and County Councillors was sparce.
195 TO RECEIVE A WRITTEN COUNTY COUNILLOR REPORT
None
196 FINANCE
- a) TO APPROVE THE LIST OF PAYMENTS
The list of payments was tabled and the Clerk advised that Cllr Jones had checked the schedule against the invoices before the start of the meeting. The list of payments was approved.
- b) TO RECEIVE THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE STATEMENT TO 30TH SEPTEMBER 2023
This was tabled at the meeting. The Clerk confirmed she had no worries at this stage and that the Internal Audit was being carried out on Monday.
- c) TO NOTE THE VAT RETURN TO 30TH SEPTEMBER 2023
The Clerk presented this and it was noted by members.
197 TO CONSIDER THE LIST OF PLANNING APPLICATIONS
- UTT/23/2225/HHF – 16 BENTFIELD GREEN
Proposed new electric entrance gates with brick piers to replace existing manual oak gate and oak posts.
No Comment
2 UTT/23/2215/FUL – EASTFIELD STABLES, MAY WALK
S73 application to vary condition 2 (approved plans) of UTT/21/2687/FUL (Improvement of existing vehicular access point and the construction of a single storey “wellness hub” building and associated car, cycle and motorcycle parking area) allowed on appeal in order to amend the approved plans.
This is one piece of a many-faceted jigsaw that is being developed piecemeal and the developer needs to clarify what the overall development will look like. For this reason we request that this application and application UTT/23/2239/FUL should be considered together.
The Parish Council objects to this application for a number of reasons.
- Does not meet car parking standards.
- The landscaped area also appears on application UTT/23/2239/FUL as a car parking area. Surely it cannot be two different things at the same time.
- This application changes what would have been 3 individual units with separate doors into 1 single unit which may or may not be sub divided in the future. We consider there is a distinct possibility that the applicant will at some point in the future endeavour to make this a residential building.
- If you are minded to approve this application, we request a condition preventing future residential use.
Cllr Sell as District Councillor is calling this application in.
3 UTT/23/2239/FUL – LAND AT THE STABLES, MAY WALK
Erection of 3 holiday let cottages
This is one piece of a many-faceted jigsaw that is being developed piecemeal and the developer needs to clarify what the overall development will look like. For this reason we request that this application and application UTT/23/2215/FUL should be considered together.
The Parish Council objects to this application for a number of reasons.
- Does not meet UDC’s car parking standards.
- The Parish Council raises concerns regarding the “road across the paddock” shown on the application. In other applications related to this site this “road” has no set route or destination. In the original application from 1993, only an access off the B1051 was approved not a road. The Parish Council would object to any through route on the site in order to protect the bridleway.
- We do not consider that this new application has overturned the reasons for the refusal of the previous application (UTT/23/1223/FUL) in that:
- a) The internal door widths do not comply with Part M4 3.24 of the Building Regulations which requires door widths – internal and external – to be 850 mm.
- b) The site is not allocated in the Stansted Mountfitchet draft Neighbourhood Plan nor the UDC emerging Local Plan for residential or business/commercial development and will contravene Core Policy 3 which states that “there will be presumption in favour of Sustainable Development within the existing built area”. This site does not fall within that area.
Cllr Sell as District Councillor is calling this application in.
Cllr Jones suggested arranging a meeting with Planning to discuss the May Walk site.
4 UTT/23/2187/DFO – LAND NORTH OF STANSTED AIRPORT
Reserved matters comprising external appearance, layout, scale and landscaping for Phase 1 pursuant to Outline Consent UTT/22/0434/OP; comprising 22,637 sqm (GEA) commercial/employment floorspace predominantly within Class B8 Classes E(g) and Class B2 car parking, cycle storage, servicing, plant areas, landscaping and other associated works.
The Parish Council neither objects to or supports this application which is only for Phase 1. We expect that by the time the whole development is completed, all of the requirements will have been delivered including:
Re-provision of the youth football pitches
Pedestrian and cycle links
Wellbeing facilities
Traffic management for vehicles leaving the site
All other provisions contained in the now published draft S106 agreement
5 UTT/23/2304/LB – NORMAN HOUSE COTTAGE, ALSA STREET
Change 2no. interior upstairs bedroom doors and frames from a modern narrow boarded pine to a traditional oak ledged door and oak door frame. Change the secondary stair banister to an oak newel post, handrail and balustrades.
No Comment
6 UTT/23/2362/HHF – 13 ST JOHN’S ROAD
Proposed rear single storey extension to replace existing conservatory
No Comment
198 TO CONSIDER ADOPTING THE FOLLOWING POLICIES:
- a) MEMORIAL SAFETY POLICY
The Clerk advised that this policy related to the Cemetery memorials so the policy name would be changed to Cemetery Memorial Safety Policy. Members unanimously
RESOLVED to adopt the Cemetery Memorial Safety Policy
- b) STREET NAMING POLICY
Having been proposed by Cllr Jones and seconded by Cllr Kavanagh, it was unanimously
RESOLVED to adopt the Street Naming Policy
- c) GRANTS POLICY AND GRANT APPLICATION FORM
Cllr O’Brien detailed proposed changes he would recommend. Having been proposed by Cllr Jones and seconded by Cllr O’Brien, it was unanimously
RESOLVED to adopt the Grants Policy and Grant Application Form with the outlined changes made.
- d) MEMORIAL TREES, BENCHES AND PLAQUE POLICY
Cllr Barnes read out changes he would make to the policy. Having been proposed by Cllr Barnes and seconded by Cllr O’Brien, it was unanimously
RESOLVED to adopt the Memorial Trees, Benches and Plaque Policy with the changes suggested by Cllr Barnes.
199 F&GP COMMITTEE – TO RECEIVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023
The minutes of the meeting were received.
Meeting closed at 8.23pm
Action Points
197 Ask Planning for a meeting to discuss May Walk
AGENDA
You are invited to attend a meeting of the Full Council which will be held on Wednesday 4th October 2023 at 7.30pm in The Mountfitchet Exchange, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted, Essex where the following business will be transacted:
1 To receive and approve apologies for absence
Adjourn for public participation
2 To receive declarations of interest
3 To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13th September 2023
4 To receive an update on action points from the last meeting
5 To welcome PCSO Alex Stewart
6 To receive a report from the Chair, Cllr Maureen Caton
7 To receive written District Councillor Reports
8 To receive a written County Councillor Report
9 Finance
- a) To approve the list of payments – To be tabled
- b) To receive the Income & Expenditure Statement to 30th September ‘23
- c) To note the VAT return to 30th September ‘23
10 To consider the list of planning applications received– see attached
11 To consider adopting the following policies (attached)
- a) Memorial Safety Policy
- b) Street Naming Policy
- c) Grants Policy and Grant Application Form
- d) Memorial Trees, Benches and Plaque Policy
12 F&GP Committee – To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 20th September 2023 – attached
Ruth Clifford, Parish Clerk 28th September 2023
Any intention to record, film or take photographs during a meeting must be notified to the Clerk prior to the start of the meeting.