Minutes of the Charsfield Parish Council Meeting held in Charsfield Village Hall on Tuesday 6th. March 2012 at 7.00p.m.

Those present:
Councillors: Mrs J Pedgrift Mr R Wright Mrs D Murray Mrs H Gray
Mr E Winkworth Mr P Holloway Mr A Reeve
County Councillor – Mr P Bellfield
District Councillor – Mr R Snell
Chairman – Mr E Winkworth

In attendance – Mr R E Osborne, Clerk to Parish Council

1.0 Informal discussion – during which any member of the Parish may address the Parish Council on
matters relating to Charsfield. The Parish Council meeting will commence after this item.
No items

2. Councillors Declaration of Interests
None

3.0 Apologies
PCSO – Christian Hassler

4.0 To confirm the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on, 3 January, 2012

4.1 The minutes of the Parish Council Meeting, having been circulated before this meeting, were taken
as read and declared true copies. The Chairman signed the minute book.

5.0 Matters arising from the minutes.
5.1 Review of Draft Standing Orders – The Council agreed that the current copy of the Orders were
satisfactory whilst the work on the full copy is completed. The Chairman signed the copy.
5.2 Review of Risk Assessment – The Council agreed the current copy of the Assessment but realised that
it could be reviewed at any time during the year. The Chairman signed the copy.
5.3 Review of Asset Register – The Council agreed the copy of the Register. The Chairman signed the
copy.

6.0 Any matters for the Police Community Officer.
6.1 PCSO Hassler reported via e mail that since the last report there have been no recorded crimes in
Charsfield

7.0 Report from County Councillor
7.1 Mr Bellfield only had a short time to attend as he had other meetings to visit so he provided a brief
review of matters from the County Council.

8.0 Report from District Councillor
a. New Business Plan. A new plan setting out the Council’s vision for the district over the next decade
was approved at last month’s council meeting (see it on the web site).
b. Council Tax 2012/13 – Frozen by SCDC for second successive year but charges from the Police
and most parishes will rise. (SCDC 10% of tax collected; SCC 75.6%; police 11.1% and average
parish 3.3%). Without the £2.1 further savings planned over the in next 12 months we would have
had a budget gap of £2.8m by 2015, largely because of the cut in Govt grant of 30%. Funding is
only going to get tougher.
c. Local Development Framework – The LDF Core Strategy (CS) was formally agreed for Pre-
Submission consultation at a special meeting of Full Council in December and the CS and its
policies have now become a ‘material consideration’ to be given much more weight in planning
applications.
The CS was published for Pre-Submission soundness consultation which ends tomorrow. It will
then be submitted for Examination by an independent Planning Inspector appointed by the
Government who will consider the Council’s work to date and the responses to it from the public. It
is hoped to be able to formally adopt the inspected CS by the end of 2012, with the site specific
allocations exercise to begin in 2013, as advised at the last meeting.
d. National Planning Policy Framework – Following the government’s consultation last year on the
draft the draft NPPF, it was reviewed by the Communities and Local Government Committee,
which reported that the default answer of ‘yes’ to development should be removed and that the
phrase ‘significantly and demonstrably’ must also be removed from the presumption that all
planning applications should be approved unless the adverse effects ‘significantly and
demonstrably’ outweigh the benefits, because it actually adds a further barrier to the achievement of
truly sustainable development. We await the revised draft NPPF with great interest.
e. Planning functions to merge with Waveney –Suffolk Coastal and Waveney have agreed to merge
and modernise the planning service of the two Councils, in a move that should mean better
performance and shared savings of over £800,000. The intention is to bring in both an
organisational restructure and a complete cultural change in the way the planning services work, to
improve the delivery of the service for customers and to make the most of new technologies. Philip
Ridley has been the shared head of the two Councils’ planning services since November 2008. His
next major task is to bring together the expertise of the Development Control, Planning
Enforcement and Building Control teams, comprising more than 50 people.
A substantial investment is planned to bring in the same modern computer system for administering
the planning process as currently used at Waveney, which offers more comprehensive and easily
accessible information to Applicants, Town and Parish Councils and the wider public.
f. Quality of Place Awards – The Suffolk Coastal Quality of Place Awards were introduced in 2010 to
recognise and encourage the quality of the built and natural environment and to promote an
awareness of the need for high standards in all forms of design, including planning, architecture,
sustainable development and landscaping. This year the scope of the awards includes a new
category of Community Project in recognition of developments which contribute to local facilities
and build community spirit.
Entries in four categories, Building Conservation, Design, Nature/Landscape and Community
Project, will be judged on the criteria of quality of design and detailing, quality of workmanship,
materials and sustainability. Nominations by 4.45pm on Friday 27 April 2012 – full details on the
SCDC web site.

9.0 Finance
9.1 Accounts to be paid
Anglian Water 69.98 100396
HM Revenue & Customs (salary tax) 29.20 100397
Clerk, salary January/March 124.80 100398
9.2 Accounts paid since last meeting
BDO External Audit 192.00 100392 3/1/12
Clerk, salary October/December 124.80 100393 3/1/12
HM Revenue and Customs (salary tax) 31.20 100395 3/1/12
9.3 Balance of accounts
Current Account 31/1/12 – £3,153.03 No.2 Account 1/1/12 – £5,290.69
Full details of all transactions to date provided as an annex to the minutes.
9.4 Consideration of financial assistance – Village Event
Council agreed in principle to assist the Village Event, details to be obtained from the organisers
as to the amount needed.
9.5 Consideration of financial assistance – Flower Show
Council agree to sponsor a class in the Flower Show, Mrs Pedgrift to discuss with the flower show
committee to determine a particular class.
All items under Agenda 9.0 were approved by the Council.

10.0 Correspondence
10.1 31 e mail items forwarded to Councillors the majority being of general interest. For particular
interest:-
Survey of housing Sizewell report
New Planning Power SCDC meeting minutes
LAIS Information ACDC Area meeting minutes.

11.0 Alan Pedgrift Memorial Field
11.1 No items

12.0 Parish Plan
12.1 Copies have now been circulated. This stage of the Parish Plan is now completed.
13.0 Planning
None