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EAST BERGHOLT PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

Thursday 10 February 2022 at The Lambe School, Gaston Street, East Bergholt

Present – Parish Councillors
Councillor J Miller (Chairman of the Council)
Councillor N Roberts (Vice-Chairman of the Council)
Councillor R Allen
Councillor C Cathcart
Councillor P Dent
Councillor R Elmer
Councillor M Hurley
Councillor J Price
Councillor S Rothwell
Councillor R Wombwell
Councillor G Woodcock

In Attendance
G White, Parish Clerk
District Councillor John Hinton
Nigel Downton, Chair EBCLT
No members of the public

1. Apologies for absence

Apologies for absence received from County Councillor Georgia Hall were NOTED.

2. Declaration of Interests/Dispensations

Councillor Price declared a local non-pecuniary interest in a matter to be considered in the
confidential part of the meeting and stated that he would leave the meeting during its
consideration.

Councillors Miller and Roberts declared local non-pecuniary interests in Items 6 and 13 as
Trustees of East Bergholt Community Land Trust.

3. Minutes of the Parish Council meeting of 13 January 2022

It was proposed by Councillor Rothwell, seconded by Councillor Roberts and RESOLVED (ten
voted for, none voted against) that the minutes of the meeting on 13 January 2022 be approved
as a correct record.

4. Matters Arising/Updates

None

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5. County and District Councillor Reports

County Councillor Hall’s report had been circulated and was NOTED.

District Councillor Hinton presented his report and expanded on various items.

Fen Bridge and the associated trackway had been removed and the latter will have to be
replaced when the new bridge is installed. Councillor Dent added that the site manager had
informed him that the track had been removed as they feared it would be stolen if left in situ until
the new bridge was installed. The site manager had been told to be ready for the installation at
any time from the end of June until the end of September.

District Councillor Hinton had been informed by Suffolk Highways that works will commence in
three to six months’ time to deal with the flooding on The Street adjacent to The Gables.

It will be recommended to Babergh District Council that the Council Tax be increased by 2%
(the maximum permissible). The District Council’s underspend of c.£200,000 in 2021/22 will be
placed in reserves for community grants in 2022/23.

The democratic structures debate concerning a Cabinet or Committee structure has been
deferred until March 2022.

In Babergh District there are 4,900 houses with residential planning permission which have not
been started. This is one of the reasons that the Local Plan review has been remitted for further
consideration.

District Councillor Hinton was keeping an eye on the caravan site issue at Fennel Field. The
Chairman noted that this would be discussed later in the meeting and District Councillor Hinton
would be kept informed.

Babergh District Council was discussing Strategic Infrastructure Projects with particular
reference to power lines upon which there had been a consultation.

District Councillor Hinton was thanked for his report.

6. East Bergholt Community Land Trust Update

Nigel Downton, recently appointed Chair of EBCLT, circulated a paper comprising slides of his
presentation and addressed the Council. He gave a brief resume of his professional career
highlighting skills relevant to his current role and expanded on his slides.

The Trust currently holds some £12,000 with minimal outgoings which is sufficient until a viable
site can be progressed. There will be no application to the Parish Council for financial support
until that position is reached.

The difficulty the Trust is experiencing is to persuade developers to do otherwise than elect to
partner with a single RSL for large sites. As a result, the Trust is unlikely to achieve a stake in
the two large sites in the village. Further the Trust is not be interested in the Box Iron site at
Quinton’s Triangle. To overcome this problem the Trust is taking a new approach to site
acquisition by dealing with local landowners to partner on sites probably outside the existing
village envelope but close to it. The idea would be for the Trust to obtain planning permission for

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such sites and for the landowner(s) to gift a proportion of the site to the Trust. In any project
sustainable build would be high on the Trust’s agenda.

The Trust is prepared to plan a pivotal role in the East Bergholt net zero project (via the
Neighbourhood Plan) and is considering a link with Eastern New Energy.

Mr Downton emphasised that the Trust does not want to be a disrupter but to work in harmony
with the Parish Council.

Councillor Rothwell was concerned that the Trust’s accounts had not been audited in 2020/21.
Mr Downton reassured him that this would not be an issue going forward. He confirmed that the
grants of almost £24,000 set out in the Finance slide were the total since inception and that the
Trust’s financial resources had reduced by approximately half since then which was due to the
difficulty in acquiring sites which hopefully can be addressed in the new approach at which time
finances will be reordered.

Councillor Wombwell noted the permissions for the developments of 144, 75 and 10 residential
properties and wondered if any more residential development was required in the village. Mr
Downton had identified need in the village for rented housing realistically affordable to those in
need and considered this to be a matter of scale. The Trust could not compete in huge
residential developments but could achieve small permissions for local landowners and achieve
a slice of such sites for the Trust.

The Chairman thanked Mr Downton for his presentation and he left the meeting.

7. Correspondence

The correspondence set out in the Correspondence List and circulated with the agenda and
subsequently was considered and NOTED, comprising:

Date

Sender Subject
1. [undated] Babergh DC Spring Clean Suffolk 2022
2. 08/01/22 Christmas Parade Committee Letter of thanks for grant aid
3. 18/01/22 Suffolk Highways Public events – Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
4. 19/01/22 St Elizabeth Hospice Letter of thanks for grant aid
5. 19/01/22 BSEVC Letter of thanks for grant aid
6. 20/01/22 Barbizon Twinning Assn. Letter of thanks for grant aid
7. 03/02/22 Royal British Legion Industries Plant a tree for the Jubilee
8. 07/02/22 Babergh DC NSIP & large scale energy progress tracker
9. 07/02/22 Dennis McGrath (Sports
Council)
Letter of thanks for continuing support
10. 09/02/22 Graham and Suzanne Daldry Camp Site on Fennel Field

Item 7 – It was proposed by Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Hurley and RESOLVED
(unanimously) that a tree be planted to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Councillor Miller will consult Rupert Eley with regard to species and location.

It was AGREED that a tree be planted in the Churchyard to replace the cedar to be felled.

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8. Planning

8.1 Planning Applications received

The Council considered the planning applications received from the Local Planning Authority
since the last meeting as follows:

DC/22/00179 54 Richardsons Road, East Bergholt, CO7 6RR – Householder
application – Erection of single storey rear extension, extension to
front lobby and garage.

It was proposed by Councillor Woodcock, seconded by Councillor Dent
and RESOLVED (unanimously) that approval be recommended.

DC/22/00192 Grassroots and Wellyboots Farm, Park Road, East Bergholt – Full
planning application – Erection of 2no B8 buildings to provide 8no
commercial storage units with associated car parking.

Councillor Wombwell considered this provision to be unnecessary in a
rural location when other similar provision was available nearby in
Manningtree.

District Councillor Hinton thought the cumulative development on the
site had a detrimental impact on the locality.

Councillor Roberts was also concerned about the impact of cumulative
commercial development on this site, which was not allocated for
employment use and which would add further traffic to Slough Road,
Park Road and Straight Road.

It was proposed by Councillor Woodcock, seconded by Councillor
Roberts and RESOLVED (ten voted for, none voted against) that
refusal be recommended on the grounds of inappropriate cumulative
development on the site amounting to overdevelopment, adding further
traffic to the busy Park Road which lacks the capacity to service an
expanding employment site.

DC/22/00372 35 Richardsons Road, East Bergholt, CO7 6RR – Householder
application – Erection of single storey side/rear extension
(following removal of shed), erection of front porch and
conversion of part of garage to additional accommodation.

It was proposed by Councillor Woodcock, seconded by Councillor
Rothwell and RESOLVED (ten voted for, none voted against) that
approval be recommended.

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DC/22/00483 Meadowside, Gandish Road, East Bergholt, CO7 6UR –
Householder application – Erection of two storey front extension,
single storey rear extension, garage conversion with first floor
extension.

It was proposed by Councillor Woodcock, seconded by Councillor
Roberts and RESOLVED (unanimously) that approval be
recommended.

DC/22/00599 15 Chaplin Road, East Bergholt, CO7 6SR – Householder
application – Erection of two single storey rear/side extensions,
new pitched roofs to existing garages, conversion of garage into a
study, new porch and loft conversion including two side dormers.

It was proposed by Councillor Woodcock, seconded by Councillor
Wombwell and RESOLVED (ten voted for, none voted against) that
refusal be recommended on the grounds that a pitched roof offends the
character assessment of the area in the Neighbourhood Plan and
further that the proposed pitched roof oversteps the boundary of the
adjacent property which is likely to create a boundary issue.

8.1.1 Proposed certificated Camp Site at Fennel Field – The proposed certification of this site
was not a matter to be determined by the planning authority but for The Camping and
Caravanning Club which was exempt from requiring planning permission. It was proposed by
Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Roberts and RESOLVED (unanimously) that:

(i) The Chairman write to the Camping and Caravanning Club expressing the Council’s
concern at the proposal and encouraging them not to issue the licence on the grounds
that:
• The proposed site is unsuitable for this use, being located in a prominent position
in the Dedham Vale AONB;
• The site would be detrimental to the visual amenity of the area and to the
important visitor attraction of Flatford Mill, attracting over 200,000 visitors each
year;
• The site has access onto a very narrow lane which allows only one way traffic
and is heavily used by pedestrians, horses and cyclists so the added mix of
caravans, trailers and motor homes, which would fill the entire width of the lane,
would not be acceptable on traffic and safety grounds. The Parish Council is in
discussions and seeking to designate Flatford Lane as a ‘quiet lane’.
• The access to Fennel Field was granted with retrospective planning permission
in 2019 to provide only a safe route out of the field for horses, not for motor
homes and caravans which would likely cause congestion on the lane;
• Camping on this site would be detrimental to the wider enjoyment of the
landscape for neighbours and tourists, a landscape which is attributed very high
heritage value and was appreciated and widely painted by John Constable.

(ii) The Council formally invites Babergh District Council to make representations to the
Camping and Caravanning Club having regard to the foregoing.

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District Councillor Hinton left the meeting.

8.2 Planning correspondence

The correspondence received from the Local Planning Authority concerning determined
planning applications was NOTED.

9. Strategy, Policy and Finance Committee

9.1 Schedule of Payments and Income – It was proposed by Councillor Elmer, seconded by
Councillor Miller and RESOLVED (seven voted for, none voted against)) that the
schedules of payments and income be noted and the payments due for January 2022
amounting to £15,446.36 be approved.

9.2 Bank Reconciliation Statement – The bank reconciliation statement for January 2022
was NOTED.

9.3 Draft Minutes of the meeting of 27 January 2022 – Councillor Elmer presented the draft
minutes of the committee meeting of 27 January which were NOTED. A meeting of the
CIL Working Group will take place on 24 February 2022 to take forward the Parish
Infrastructure Plan.

10. Other Committee Matters

10.1 Roads, Footpaths and Flatford Committee – Councillor Price presented the draft minutes of
the committee meeting of 20 January which were NOTED and updated the Council on matters
which had occurred since the meeting.

QR footpath plaques – Thirty of the thirty-five plaques have now been placed on finger posts.

Fen Bridge Complaint – A Stage 2 response has now been received from Mark Ash, Executive
Director of Growth, Highways & Infrastructure at Suffolk County Council. Whilst courteous it
supports the staff and the actions taken to date. Councillor Price will be meeting with the
Cabinet Member for Highways and the MP. It was proposed by Councillor Price, seconded by
Councillor Rothwell and RESOLVED (unanimously) that if thereafter Suffolk CC maintain their
current posture, a complaint be made to the Local Government Ombudsman.

TVAS Research Study – The Council had been invited by Suffolk County Council to participate
in a Temporary Vehicle-Activated Sign (TVAS) study which would be scheduled for an
unspecified fourteen-week period over the next two years. The purpose was to compare the
effectiveness of TVAS, which is a type of Speed Indicator Device (SID) with Automatic Number
Plate Recognition (ANPR). It was proposed by Councillor Dent, seconded by Councillor Miller
and RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Council agrees to participate in the TVAS Research
Study.

Councillor Price informed the Council that he had been told that works to alleviate the flooding in
The Street adjacent to The Gables would commence in three to six months’ time.

Councillor Price told the Council of his intention to start a campaign to make FP1 and its
continuation, Stratford St Mary FP11, wheelchair friendly.

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No progress had been achieved with the highway authority in respect of no waiting signage in
The Street at and nearby the Co-op.

10.2 Burial Grounds Committee – Councillor Dent presented the draft minutes of the committee
meeting of 27 January which were NOTED.

10.3 Playing Fields Committee – Councillor Woodcock presented the draft minutes of the
committee meeting of 20 January which were NOTED and updated the Council on matters
which had occurred since the meeting.

A meeting with Caloo and a contractor had been arranged to consider works to meet the
ROSPA inspection recommendations. Broom Knoll Community Group wished to hold a Queen’s
Jubilee event during the Bank Holiday weekend. The Sports Council had thanked the committee
for its continuing support following provision in the 2022/23 budget.

10.4 Neighbourhood Plan Committee – Councillor Cathcart presented the draft minutes of the
Neighbourhood Plan Group meeting of 11 January which were NOTED and updated the Council
on matters which had occurred since the meeting.

A zoom meeting with Babergh officers had taken place earlier in the day and the latter had
agreed to open channels of communication for sites put forward in the Call for Sites.

The transport consultants, PJA, had conducted a tour of the village and will produce
recommendations and solutions to issues. Following discussion, it was considered preferable to
use ANPR cameras instead of volunteers to inform the traffic survey. It was proposed by
Councillor Roberts, seconded by Councillor Miller and RESOLVED (unanimously) that up to
£3,000 from the Neighbourhood Plan budget be approved to provide ANPR cameras in four
locations for the purposes of the traffic survey.

10.5 Broadband expansion – Councillor Wombwell reported that it appeared likely that County
Broadband would withdraw from their East Bergholt project due to a shortfall in the number of
sign-ups. However, other members had heard rumours to the contrary and Councillor Wombwell
will check with his County Broadband contact.

11. Appreciation and memorial for the Village

The Chairman apologised for not having had time to develop this matter and it was AGREED
that it be deferred to the next meeting.

12. Parish Constable

Councillor Price explained to the Council an idea which he wished members to consider. This
was for the employment of a part-time Parish Constable to provide a point of reference for
residents, businesses, community organisations and schools and with appropriate training and
in co-operation with the police to be able to contribute in a variety of ways to crime reduction
and prevention and enhancing the safety and well being of the community.

Councillor Wombwell considered it to be an inspired idea which needed costing and discussion
on duties and powers. He wondered if there were any precedents elsewhere.

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Councillor Rothwell thought the title ‘Village Warden’ might be more appropriate and appear less
threatening.

Councillor Hurley supported the idea in principle and was willing to join a working group to
develop a proposal. He was aware of Ipswich Street Rangers and will seek advice on what they
are and what they do.

It was proposed by Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Hurley and RESOLVED
(unanimously) that Councillor Price be authorised to develop the idea through a Working Group
including Councillors Hurley, Rothwell and Wombwell, to the point of bringing a proposal back to
the Council.

13. Council Representatives on Outside Bodies

The Council’s representative on East Bergholt Community Land Trust, Councillor Wombwell,
has resigned. Councillor Rothwell volunteered to replace him. It was proposed by Councillor
Miller, seconded by Councillor Hurley and RESOLVED (ten voted for, none voted against) that
Councillor Rothwell be appointed as the Council representative on East Bergholt Community
Land Trust for the remainder of the municipal year.

14. Urgent Communications

None.

15. Resolution to exclude the public (including the press)

It was proposed by Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Rothwell and RESOLVED
(unanimously) that pursuant to the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 and the
Local Government Act 1972 Sections 100 and 102, the public (including the press) be excluded
from the meeting as publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the
confidential nature of the business to be transacted.

16. Confidential Minutes of the Parish Council meeting of 13 January 2022

It was proposed by Councillor Roberts, seconded by Councillor Miller and RESOLVED (nine
voted for, none voted against) that the confidential minutes of the meeting of 13 January 2022
be approved as a correct record.

17. Confidential Minutes of the Strategy Policy and Finance Committee of 27 January 2022

Councillor Elmer presented the draft confidential minutes of the committee meeting of 27
January which were NOTED.

18. Matters arising/updates

The Clerk updated the Council on progress upon the Section 146 Notice and associated matters
and the Council RESOLVED to make an offer in full and final settlement.

The Chairman updated the Council on a matter which may come before the Council formally in
the foreseeable future.

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19. Car Park and Toilets

Councillor Price informed the Council of the management documents being prepared for the Car
Park which would be available to the public following approval. The report was NOTED.

The meeting closed at 10.42 pm.

Date of the next Parish Council Meeting – Thursday 10 March 2022 at 7.30 pm at The Lambe
School.

Chairman…………………………………………………………………………………….Date……………………………………..