Present: Cllr. E J Derrick (Chairman)

1. Minutes of a Planning Committee meeting held on 20^th January 2003

These minutes, which had been previously circulated, were taken as read agreed a true record and signed by the Chairman.

2. Correspondence

Tree Preservation Order, Ashgrove Motors Site, Bath Road

A letter was received from the B&NES Senior Arboricultural Officer asking if this Council is intending to put forward an official objection to the TPO. The letter also informed this Council that a new amended plan is in the pipeline that allows the trees to remain on this site. The Clerk had phoned the officer and had been told that the temporary TPO had been proposed to protect the trees while the application is considered. He also told the Clerk that when the last plan for the site was considered at appeal, the inspector turned down the appeal because the trees were threatened. It was agreed to consider the new facts when the revised application was considered later in the meeting.

3. New Applications

Six were considered with four being given the no objections label. Of the other two, one was objected to because the scheme would be dispensing with the existing garage and the other was for the Ashgrove Motors Site. It was agreed to support the new slightly smaller scheme at the Ashgrove Motors Site, which allowed the trees to remain and the Clerk was asked to inform B&NES that our objections to the TPO have been withdrawn. All decisions are contained in the Planning Register.

4. Report on the new POS

Clerk reported better progress with all paths now filled with base tarmac. The Clerk had queried, again, the question of metal kissing gates at the five pedestrian entrances. The Clerk thought that the gates needed to be fixed asap as underage motorcyclists could well do a lot of damage to the wearing course of tarmac if allowed to get on the site. He asked the contractor if they could get the gates up before the wearing course was laid.

He was told that the specification and costings allowed for wooden kissing gates so the Clerk had consulted with the two Clerks' of Works and the Chairman of Council to ask for guidance. The three members agreed that the Council should be asked to endorse the extra £1223 needed to up-grade the gates to steel. Clerk confirmed that he had the authority to agree the extra expense under Financial Regulation 3.4 and had asked the contractor to proceed. He would report the matter to the next meeting of the Finance Committee or full Council.

The contractor was able to promise the steel gates in two weeks.

5. Planning Decisions made by B&NES

There were two, which were noted.

Meeting closed at 7.55 p.m.