Minutes - Full Council - 03 September 2024
Minutes of Bracebridge Heath Parish Council held at The Heath: Village Hall and Library on 3rd September 2024 at 7pm
Present: Councillors C Barr, C Callan, B Emes, S Manders, V Marden, S Neilson and R Stone,
In attendance: Clerk to Council, Mrs S Knowles; Deputy Clerk to Council, Mrs R Fraser
The chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Public Participation Session
Report from Lincolnshire County Councillor, Cllr Cawrey – Cllr Cawrey reported that she had attended the Lincolnshire County Council Executive on 3rd
September 24, Bracebridge Heath evening bus service and the removal of the Government subsidised £2 capped bus fare.
Reports from North Kesteven District Councillors, Cllrs Burley and Cawrey – Cllr Burley reported on the appointment of a new NKDC chair and vice chair, planning reform, Community Champions and the Sleaford Market Square refurbishment. Cllr Cawrey reported that following the comprehensive spending review Councillors are awaiting further information regarding funding for the North Hykeham Relief Road.
Questions or points raised by residents and members of the public - Nil
COUNCIL SESSION
Code of conduct reminders
Nolan Principles
Members were reminded of the Nolan Principles which underpin the Council’s Code of Conduct - Selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty & leadership.
Register of interests
The Chairman reminded members that they should submit to the Monitoring Officer at North Kesteven District Council any changes to the content of their Register of Member Interest forms. Interests should be declared in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
24117. TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES AND ACCEPT VALID REASONS FOR ABSENCE – It was RESOLVED: That apologies for absence be accepted from Cllr Broad. It was RESOLVED: That apologies for absence be accepted from Cllr Scott. It was RESOLVED: That apologies for absence be accepted from Cllr Trought.
24118. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
a. TO RECEIVE MEMBERS’ DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ADOPTED CODE OF CONDUCT – Cllr Manders declared an interest in matters relating to St John’s the Evangelist Church. Cllr Callan declared an interest in matters relating to the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC).
b. TO RECEIVE AND CONSIDER MEMBERS’ REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ADOPTED CODE OF CONDUCT AND STANDING ORDERS – Nil
24119. TO CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING – 2nd July 2024 - It was RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 2nd July 2024 be approved and signed as a true record by the chairman.
24120. FINANCE AND GOVERNANCE
a. TO RECEIVE THE CLERK’S REPORT ON PAYMENTS BETWEEN MEETINGS – Payments made between meetings including direct debits and payments made by delegated authority on 11/07/24, 18/07/24 and 23/08/24 including deposit returns to four customers - Presented at report 24120a. All reports can be downloaded from https://bracebridge-heath.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/downloads/download/56/meeting-reports-september-2024
b. TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER PAYMENT OF ACCOUNTS - It was RESOLVED: That payment of accounts as presented at report 24120b be accepted and signed. All reports can be downloaded from https://bracebridge-heath.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/downloads/download/56/meeting-reports-september-2024
c. TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER APPROVAL OF BANK RECONCILIATIONS – It was RESOLVED: That bank reconciliations 403-405 and savings account to 30 June 2024 be accepted and signed by Cllr Neilson.
It was RESOLVED: That bank reconciliation 406-409 and savings account to 31 July 2024 be accepted and signed by Cllr Marden.
d. TO REVIEW BUDGET, INCOME AND EXPENDITURE - Report noted. No concerns raised.
e. TO ACCEPT THE CALL OFF CONTRACT WITH BARCLAYCARD FOR CONTINUED PROVISION OF A CORPORATE CREDIT CARD – It was RESOLVED: That the new Call off Contract is accepted and the clerk be authorised to sign to continue provision of the corporate credit card.
f. TO CONSIDER BAD DEBT AND ANY WRITE OFFS - It was RESOLVED: That bad debt relating to two hirers amounting to £204.00 be written off.
24121. TO RECEIVE THE CLERK’S REPORT ON CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED AND CONSIDER ANY RECOMMENDATIONS –
Items noted: New evening bus service, awaiting Lincolnshire County Council decision regarding Remembrance Sunday Parade road closure, The Heath: Village Hall and Library water leak, Pub People request, pathway access to recreation ground and noise complaint.
24122. TO RECEIVE AND ACCEPT A REPORT ON DECISIONS MADE USING DELEGATED AUTHORITY – The following report was accepted:
- Payments made as reported at item 24120a
- Credit Card statement
- Planning – responses to:
24/0811/TPO - 58 London Road Bracebridge Heath Lincoln Lincolnshire LN4 2JR
Bracebridge Heath Parish Council will support the recommendations made by the North Kesteven District Council tree officer.
24/0947/TPO – 53 Medland Drive, Bracebridge Heath
Bracebridge Heath Parish Council supports the comments and decision of the NKDC Tree Officer.
24123. TO RECEIVE AND ACCEPT DRAFT NOTES FROM THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE MEETING ON 27TH AUGUST 2024 – Draft notes from the meeting were received.
24124. PLANNING
a. TO CONSIDER A RESPONSE TO PLANNING APPLICATION 24/0842/RESM – PHASE 1A SEQ SUE, NORTH OF CANWICK AVENUE AND EAST OF LONDON ROAD
This first planning application for the SEQ will set the tone for the entire emerging SUE. It will define how key documents and policies are interpreted and enforced for the whole SUE. If this application is approved by North Kesteven District Council without significant changes, we believe it will undermine confidence in the wider emerging SUE and the effectiveness of the supplementary planning document that underpins it.
Bracebridge Heath Parish Council wishes to raise the following objections to the proposal:
Capacity for foul water treatment and drainage
Capacity has not yet been demonstrated for foul water discharge. Bracebridge Heath Parish Council requests that capacity for foul water drainage be proven before this application is determined. The comments from the Environment Agency suggest that the Canwick Water Recycling Centre is already near its permitted limits and that additional foul flows may result in the centre exceeding these limits. This is the first phase of the SEQ for just 450 homes from the proposed 3000 homes (6000 eventually). If the Water Recycling Centre is already near capacity, it will almost certainly be unable to facilitate the full development of the SEQ. Bracebridge Heath Parish Council feels that this application should not be approved until this matter is satisfactorily determined. Given the importance of this issue for this application and the viability of the whole SEQ, it would also be inappropriate to make demonstration of foul water drainage capacity a condition of planning permission.
Local infrastructure
Parish Council seeks assurances that the vital infrastructure including the local centre, primary school and community facilities are delivered in a timely manner to avoid existing infrastructure being overwhelmed. The associated financial contributions and delivery timescales must be the subject of robust conditions with bonds secured where appropriate. In terms of the specific financial contributions that are promised to
Canwick PC & Bracebridge Heath PC (through the CIL regime & the S106 Part C) we need to see these payments made as quickly as possible. This will enable us to actually get on and implement the required infrastructure enhancements.
Maintaining separation and boundary treatments
Since its inception, assurances have been repeatedly given that the development would not be an extension of Bracebridge Heath and that it would be a new distinct community in its own right. The latest Central Lincolnshire Local Plan (NK/CAN/003d) reiterated the point that coalescence must be avoided. Instead of addressing the concerns the applicant appears to have further eroded the green wedge along Canwick Avenue to the point where barely a hedgerow separates the two communities. As seen in the extracted images below, the reserved matters application has reduced the green space even further at the edge of the development along Canwick Road which makes this feel and look more like urban sprawl than a new community within the SEQ. We highlight the concerns of residents located on London Road and Canwick Avenue regarding the boundary treatments for existing properties. The boundary treatments for new properties that will back on to existing dwellings should be sufficient in size to offer privacy. In addition, the council requests that responsibility for the landscape buffer zones is determined within the reserved matters application. This type of landscape buffer has been seen a number of times on new developments and it causes unnecessary stress and conflict for residents on both sides who are unable to ascertain where the responsibility lies when it becomes overgrown.
Loss of green corridor
The site master plan which was approved at outline stage (16/1564/OUT) provided for a green corridor to the west of the spine road vehicular entrance to the site, as shown in the images above. The green corridor provided safe pedestrian and cycle access to the LEAP. This has been removed in the subsequent reserved matters application which we feel is unacceptable. We see the inclusion of high-quality pedestrian and cycle corridors as a key part of the SUEs sustainability credentials. The safe movement of people between the development & the existing village is crucial to avoid division and promote connectivity.
Highways
Adoption of highways
The adoptable highway layout documents, outline the highways that will be adopted and therefore maintained by Lincolnshire County Council. Parish Council requests that all highways are constructed to the county council’s adoptable standard and applications are made to adopt the whole highway network. This is requested to ensure that refuse collections can take place from individual properties and it avoids the need for large and unsightly refuse collection areas. While there are plans for these to be mitigated, in terms of aesthetics, evidence from many other new residential developments prove that on particular bin days upwards of 10 wheelie bins are dumped outside a single property. This affects the quality of life for residents living in these properties and is completely avoidable by ensuring that all highways are built to an adoptable standard.
It should be noted that the refuse collection plans only allow for up to 3 bins per property. It is ordinary practice that properties in this area will have 4 bins or more each. In addition, the long-term management plan does not indicate that the unadopted roads will be maintained by the management company and so therefore it is assumed that management of the unadopted highways fall to residents on those stretches. Given that some of the unadopted highways lead to affordable homes, this means that those purchasing an affordable home will incur costs for council tax, management company fees and separate costs for the maintenance an upkeep of the unadopted highway. Parish Council feel that this is unacceptable and is not at all within the spirit of an ‘affordable home’.
Parking
Parish Council notes the lack of visitor parking throughout the site with just 33 defined visitor spaces for 450 homes. It is a reasonable assumption that the proposed NEAP will have visitors arriving by car but there are no proposed visitor spacing at this location which will lead to on-street parking on the spine road. Without additional defined visitor parking, the development will have cars parked on the roadside, grass verges and on footways. This makes moving across the site as a pedestrian unsafe and particularly problematic for disabled residents. In particular, on the spine road, it will cause problems of congestion, particularly where buses are to stop.
Buses
The lack of bus laybys and other infrastructure to enable the proposed buses to pull in off the road, will cause problems of congestion particularly on the primary streets serving as bus routes. Additionally, there does not appear to be any proposals for bus shelters. There is an opportunity to incorporate sustainable features such as a living roof or solar panels which would facilitate lighting and next stop displays. These features promote the use of public transport.
Lighting and safety
Parish Council notes that the development does not seem to follow the best practices laid out in the Secured by Design publications as streetlighting has not been incorporated into the development. The Secured By Design Homes Guide 2024 discourages streetlighting switch off unless a full risk assessment has been carried out. In addition, bollard lighting is not considered a suitable alternative measure for improving safety as it is meant purely for wayfinding and can be easily damaged or obscured. The 2024 Homes Guide states that bollard lighting ‘does not project sufficient light at the correct height, making it difficult to recognise facial features and as a result causes an increase in the fear of crime’.
Street furniture
Parish Council seeks assurance that street furniture including benches, appropriate signage, dog waste and litter bins will be funded and installed by a developer.
Public open space and play areas
Parish Council is disappointed that all of the proposed green space is combined with SUDs and / or the drainage basin. This means that the recreational space will be both inaccessible for parts of the year due to the ground being too wet and unsafe due to the increased risk of slips around the equipment. In addition, RoSPA strongly encourages developers and designers to separate children’s play equipment from water feature, including SUDS schemes. The following is taken from the RoSPA website: ‘Even schemes which are occasionally or temporarily submerged pose an unnecessary risk to children from drowning, increased risk of slips on and around equipment and from water borne contamination directly and indirectly. RoSPA recommends that play areas be at least 30 metres from water features, including SUD schemes. Young children, who have escaped supervision, can run at one metre per second and can quickly reach the water’s edge. Mitigation needs to be provided if separation cannot be achieved.’ https://www.rospa.com/policy/play-safety/advice/sustainable-drainage-systems
The location of the drainage basin next to the NEAP is unacceptable. Parish Council requests that the NEAP is relocated to the central green area which runs east to west in the centre of the development. This would create connectable play and recreation spaces, connecting both LEAPs and the NEAP, making them accessible to the whole development.
The suggested play facilities for the LEAPs are extremely disappointing. The type of play equipment suggested – mismatched generic equipment - amounts to ticking the box but missing the point. There is an opportunity to provide some robust, challenging and ambitious play equipment on this development which suits a larger age range. For example, locally relevant themed play equipment which helps to provide a clear identity for the site and provides themed connectivity across the two LEAPs and NEAP. In addition, play equipment should be accessible for disabled children and developers for the whole of the SUE should be committing to meet accreditation standards for accessible play areas PiPA Accreditation | Plan Inclusive Play Areas (pipa-play.org) . There is an opportunity to provide exemplar play equipment with accessibility fully integrated and seamless in the design. Policy 14 (2) of the Bracebridge Heath Neighbourhood Plan states that proposals for new open spaces should be of a high quality and design with appropriate attention to…accessibility for all users…linking into the wider green infrastructure network. We do not believe that this policy has been met with regards to accessibility or the overall provision of useable space, particularly as it is combined with SUDs. Specification for lighting should be provided for all green spaces. In addition, the proposed MUGA should have floodlighting specified. See comments above regarding streetlighting throughout the development.
Other matters
Trees and soft landscaping – The NKDC tree officer has raised concerns about the appropriateness of the soft landscaping scheme and this should be addressed.
SUDS – The ongoing maintenance and management of SUDS has been recognised as problematic elsewhere. Can the applicant demonstrate that ongoing maintenance will be carried out appropriately? As mentioned above, Parish Council is concerned that the SUDS drainage areas are included within the overall calculation for green and public open space even though they are unusable for recreation for long periods of the year. Council requests that physical infiltration tests are carried out on the ground to ensure that infiltration rates are as expected. There are areas of clay within the limestone in this area which will affect the infiltration rates.
Pedestrian & Cycleway Connectivity
The council ask that the corridors connecting Bracebridge Heath with the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC), South Common, Canwick & Lincoln are delivered at the earliest opportunity.
Site density
Parish Council notes that no density studies have been carried out. The applicant has not illustrated the density of the overall site or specific areas of the site and parish council feels that some areas will not be in keeping with the existing similar character areas of Bracebridge Heath. In particular, parish council feels that some areas will feel tight and closely packed in and this appears to have been achieved with the loss of landscaping, footpaths etc on the street design.
Historic buildings
Council notes the concerns raised by the Conservation Officer regarding the proximity to Lodge Farm and lack of mitigation in place to reduce the impact of development on this property. This should be addressed before determination.
North Hykeham Relief Road
Given the recent uncertainty over the delivery of the North Hykeham Relief Road, Parish Council wishes to raise concerns about the viability of the SUE without the certainty that this key piece of infrastructure will be delivered.
Being the first phase of the South East Quadrant Sustainable Urban Development, this development represents an opportunity to create a truly sustainable development that future generations can be proud of. It is disappointing that these proposals fall short of this ambition and we urge the applicant and North Kesteven District Council to pause and look again.
Bracebridge Heath Parish Council strongly objects to this proposal and requests that this application is considered by the North Kesteven District Council Planning committee
b. TO CONSIDER ANY OTHER PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE COUNCIL -
24/0712/HOUS – 22 Lagonda Close - Bracebridge Heath Parish Council has no objections but requests that archaeological surveys are carried out on this site due to the proximity to a Roman village. Parish Council supports the comments of NKDC tree officers.
c. TO RECEIVE A REPORT ON PLANNING DECISIONS – a written report was received.
24125. TO RECEIVE THE REPORT FROM THE EXTERNAL AUDITOR AND NOTE ANY ACTIONS REQUIRED - It was RESOLVED: That the external auditor report is accepted, noting that no concerns have been raised and no actions are recommended. Thanks were given to the clerk/RFO.
24126. TO CONSIDER APPOINTMENT OF AN INTERNAL AUDITOR FOR 2024-2025 – Chairmanship for this item was passed to Cllr Barr due to Cllr Callan’s declared interest.
It was RESOLVED: That the council request that an internal auditor from LALC is appointed.
Chairmanship was passed back to Cllr Callan on conclusion of the item.
24127. TO CONSIDER DONATING A DEFIBRILLATOR TO LINCOLNSHIRE CO-OP FOR SITING AT THE BRACEBRIDGE HEATH CO-OP STORE – It was RESOLVED: That the defibrillator be gifted to Lincolnshire Co-op for placement outside the Bracebridge Heath Co-operative Food Store.
24128. TO CONSIDER PURCHASE OF SIGNAGE FOR AND AT THE HEATH: VILLAGE HALL & LIBRARY - It was RESOLVED: That the quote of £220 plus VAT from Lincolnshire County Council be accepted.
It was RESOLVED: That the purchase of signage be funded using earmarked reserves held for the Village Hall.
24129. TO RECEIVE A REPORT ON FACILITY USAGE – a written report was received.
Cllr Cawrey gave her thanks to everyone who was involved in the running of Bracebridge Heath library. Cllr Callan expressed his gratitude to the volunteers and staff who run and support the library.
24130. TO CONSIDER A CHRISTMAS COMMUNITY EVENT – a verbal report was received. It was agreed in principle to hold a community event for Christmas.
24131. TO CONSIDER CO-OPTION TO COUNCIL VACANCIES - No applications received.
24132. TO CONSIDER ITEMS FOR INCLUSION ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING – Christmas Community Event.
There being no further business, the meeting closed at 20:53.
Signed___________________________Chairman 1st October 2024