At a meeting of the Parish Council held on Monday 10th July 2006 there were present - Mr. J. Nichols, (Chairman), Mr. K. Wood, Mr. S. Perks, Mr. J. Blowers, Mrs. G. Soanes, Mrs. T. Townend and Mr. S. Rees. C. Councillor M. Cherry and 13 Parishioners also attended. Mr. Leech arrived later, during the planning discussions.
Apologies were received from W.D. Councillor P. Ashdown, C. Councillor A. Barron, Mrs. L. Hume, Mr. S. Lewis and Mrs. R. Herrivan. The Chairman expressed his disappointment that 4 Parish Councillors were missing in view of the importance of some of the items on the agenda to be discussed at this meeting.
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved and signed.
The Chairman then announced an extra item to the published agenda, as the planning application for the proposed Skate Park had arrived two days previous to the meeting, too late to be included in the agenda, Mr. Nichols proposed that the item should be discussed at this meeting with a chance for everyone, including the public to put forward their views and then a final decision could be made at the next Parish Council meeting. He had contacted the Planning Department and they were in agreement that the Council could have this length of time to consider the plan. Mr. Perks seconded this proposal and it was unanimously agreed.
Declaration of Interests. Mr. Blowers declared an interest in the Skate Park Plan and Mrs. Townend declared an interest in the Suffolk Heritage Housing Association planning application.
Councillor Malcolm Cherry started his report by saying that he regrets not being able to attend every B & F Parish Council meeting but there was usually a conflict with the Oulton Parish Council meeting. He reported that since June 1st there had been ongoing work resurfacing the B1375 and a radar speed detection device had been in operation along this stretch of road. He was still concerned that no satellite waste disposal site has yet been found for the Northern area ready to be in operation once the Wilde Street centre closes on 23rd July and he was determined to follow up the provision of a site in view of the large amount of fly tipping around the countryside at present.  The Clerk reported on a networking evening she had attended run by SALC which covered the subject of Double Taxation, Andrew Versey from WDC gave a full account of what could be classed as Double Taxation, and as Blundeston and Flixton P.C. have complained for many years about this unfair procedure whereby residents in Blundeston and Flixton pay for the grass to be cut in all the Parks and Playing fields in Lowestoft and then have to pay again to have the grass cut in the Village Play areas and open spaces, the clerk discovered that there are several other areas of Double Taxation. At the end of the presentation it was decided that SALC will co-ordinate a request to WDC for this practice to be stopped, Mr. Versey however did stress that all Parish Councils in the Waveney area would have to agree to the proposal.
Planning 
Suffolk Heritage Housing Association - proposed development of 10 units on land North of Pickwick Drive, Market Lane. The chairman had spoken to the Planning Department and they had agreed that provided the Parish Council comments on this application were with the Department by Tuesday 11th they would be in time to be included on the agenda for the Development Control meeting due to be held on 19th July, the Chairman had also registered a request to be able to speak at this meeting. The plans showed that the development would consist of 7 properties for shared equity sale and for 3 properties to rent. The Housing Association have stated that the criteria they would use for would-be residents would be -
	1.  	Villagers and people with Local connections.
	2.	People from neighbouring Parishes.
	3.	People from the General Waiting list.
The chairman read out a letter which he had sent on 19th June to the Planning Department in which he said that the Local Housing Needs Survey which had been sent out with the Parish Plan revealed that 62% of Parishioners supported a small development of affordable housing, several elderly couples wished to downsize, but no-one wished to see large scale developments in the two Villages. The chairman then closed the formal Parish Council meeting to enable members of the public to air their views, one parishioner asked if shared equity would mean that the occupants will never own the property, it was said that in some schemes residents can upgrade their share over time until they have a full ownership, in other cases these schemes carry on as shared equity in perpetuity and the properties have to be sold on as such. Another Parishioner was concerned about the impact of the extra traffic on an already narrow road exiting into a very dangerous bend. A Parishioner asked how the shared equity would be monitored and who would have the authority to distribute the houses in subsequent years? Mr. Perks said that he was sure that the Parish Council would be able to have a say in who should have the houses, Mr. Alderton, the owner of the land, said that he had expressed a wish that all the houses should be shared equity and none available for rent. Mrs. Townend said that a covenant could be put on each property which would protect the interests of the Parish Council and Parishioners. Mr. Perks expressed concern that the Parish Council would deny someone the right to rent a property. The Chairman then re-opened the formal meeting and said that he had the feeling that the Parish Councillors were willing approve the development providing that all the properties were for sale and none for rent, Mr. Leech proposed that the P.C. approve the application with the proviso that all 10 properties were shared equity and Mrs. Soanes seconded this, the proposal was carried by 7 votes for and 1 abstention. 
Mr. & Mrs. K Vanhinsbergh - Hunters End, Lound Road, construction of a single storey rear extension.
This was approved  
Mrs. P. Reid. 68, The Street. Construction of two storey rear extension, this was refused on the grounds that it was considered to be an over development of the site.
A letter had been received from the Planning Department giving their reasons for refusing the application from Mr. & Mrs N. Jermy, Southview, Lound Road, this development was considered to be over development of an already extended property.
The plan for the proposed Skate Board Park was discussed next. The Chairman closed the formal meeting to allow for public input. Ms Dawson told the meeting that she had been successful in getting a grant from Wren of £10,000 if all the remaining grant cannot be obtained the design may have to be modified accordingly, a decision will be made by 10th August and the work could be done in two phases if the money was not all available immediately in time for work to begin in September. Mr. Blowers asked to speak as a Parishioner and he said that the scheme was totally in the wrong place, it was outside the structure plan, the activity would be very noisy and disruptive to neighbours and would probably draw undesirable people to the area, and in effect the Village Hall would lose 50% of its car parking area. Mr. Maddocks said that he noted that the last time the project was discussed one member of the Parish Council abstained when it came to voting on the matter, he is concerned about noise too and the nuisance this will cause to people living near the Village Hall and people who hire the Village Hall. Ms Dawson replied to the comments by saying that she was responding to a request by young people in the Village, highlighted in the Parish Plan, who would like a skate board facility and the land in question was offered by the Parish Council, she realised that surface noise is a concern, but that the particular materials used in the construction of the favoured jumps was guaranteed to absorb much of the noise. The tarmac flat area would still have a border of grass all around. A young member of the public said that he had visited many skate parks in East Anglia and the ones made by Skate Lite definitely absorbed the sound much more than other designs. He also said that the facility could be used by people with BMX bikes and roller-blades.  Concerns were expressed about the Insurance premium required to cover such an addition to the recreational facilities and the Clerk was asked to contact the Insurance Company concerned for advice. 
Accounts the following accounts were proposed for payment by Mr. Rees and seconded by Mrs. Soanes. 
		W.D.C. Providing and fitting 2 toddler swings on play area		£298. 28
		W.D.C. Uncontested Local Government Election			    98. 22
Correspondence A letter had arrived from St. Mary’s Church asking for a donation towards the upkeep of the churchyard. The donation last year had amounted to £100, Mr. Blowers proposed that this amount should be given again this year, Mr. Perks proposed that the donation should be raised to £125 this was unanimously approved.   Details had arrived of dates for future meetings of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum along with a copy of their Annual Report. A reply to last months Highways matters had been received and it was noted that the request for Slow signs on the bend in Lowestoft Road had been painted virtually the day after the request had been made, there will also be a sign on the corner of Pickwick Drive saying ’Leading to Micawber Mews’. The Suffolk Preservation Society had sent information regarding Water Abstraction in the area. The next Northern Parishes Liaison Group meeting will be on 28th September at 7.30p.m. in Somerleyton Village Hall. SALC had sent details giving area meeting dates, information on the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act, a list of Grants and Funding addresses and a report on the Draft East of England Plan. SCC had sent a report on the Waste Procurement Programme Strategic Environmental Assessment. The Broads Authority had forwarded the Local Development Framework update report. The Clerk had also received information on Workshops being held by WDC for people to “Come along and have your say on the Community Plan and our Services Open to you” leaflets were handed out and a poster pinned on the notice board.. A letter had been received from a gentleman asking to be considered for being housed in a Parish Council owned property, the Clerk was asked to write and explain that any Council properties in Blundeston were owned by the District Council.
Other Parish business   Mrs. Townend thanked everyone who had helped with the Party in the Park, Mr Leech congratulated those involved in the organisation of the event and it was said that it was disgusting that young persons from outside the Village had managed to ruin the end of what had been a very enjoyable day for most people. The Police had eventually stopped enough young people getting off the local bus with alcohol to fill two police car boots, and a quantity of drugs had also been confiscated, the Police also said that they were very impressed with the way the licensed bar was being run and had no concerns about that at all, but they were very alarmed by the number of under age persons arriving with alcohol which had obviously been purchased by the youngsters themselves. The Parish Council were told that the organisers had had a meeting since the event and had decided that next years’ event would be called Picnic in the Park and all the usual afternoon activities would take place, except for a beer tent and the event would finish at around 7p.m. although people could still picnic after that time if they wished, it was hoped that this type of event would then give the “gate crashers” the idea that it not be worth hanging around until late causing trouble. It was reported that one young man was assaulted and had three of his front teeth knocked out, two people had been arrested for this offence. The Chairman then asked Pc Boggis to give his Police report as he had arrived during the meeting, after attending Oulton Parish Council meeting. He reported that in June there had been 7 crimes recorded - 4 of these were connected to the Party in the Park, 1 involved drugs at HMP, 1 Debit Card clone and 1 nuisance telephone call. The two reported Motorcyclists riding at a highly dangerous speed have been seen and spoken to. Pc Boggis asked if Parishioners were aware that a Pop concert is taking place in Somerleyton next week and noise could be disturbing for people on the Western fringes of Blundeston and Flixton. Mr Perks asked if anything more had been done about the large number of silver birch trees which had been felled and dumped on private land near Cockshoot, the Parish Council had had a search carried out and discovered that WDC owned the land in question, the Clerk was asked to write to the Chief Executive and inform him of the situation. Mr. Perks also commented again about the fly tipping at the entrance to the Fruit Farm, he had discovered that the rubbish contained bags of joints of meat and chicken carcases,  he offered to load a skip with the rubbish if the Parish Council would pay for the skip. It was decided that the Parish Council should not have to finance the clearing of the mess, the Clerk was asked to contact the Environmental Health Department and to advise the owner of the situation. Mr. Wood had been called out on a Lifeboat duty call but had left a Neighbourhood Watch newsletter with Mr Perks in which it was stated that vehicles can be confiscated from antisocial drivers. Pc Boggis pointed out that that particular article referred to vehicles driving around on Supermarket Car parks etc. 
15 minutes for parishioner input.
Mr. Ffitch thanked the Parish Council for arranging for the Micawber Mews sign to be placed at the entrance to Pickwick Drive.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.15pm
The next meeting will be held on Monday  7th August