Minutes of the extra-ordinary Council Meeting held on Wednesday 9th August 2023 in Lindsey Village Hall, Church Road, Lindsey which commenced at 7.30pm.
- Present
- The Chair, Cllr. Arthey welcomed the following Parish Cllrs. to the meeting: R Corcoran, M Hainsworth, B Howe, R Howe, J Moore and A Sturgeon. In attendance was Mrs V Waples, Clerk.
Opening and Welcome
- The Chair, Cllr. Arthey the Chair opened the meeting and thanked all for attending. The statement on reporting at meetings of the parish council was taken as read by those present.
Apologies of Absence
- To receive apologies of absence – there were no applicable apologies of absence as all were present.
Declaration of Members Interest
- To receive declarations of registrable, other and non-registerable interests as detailed in Appendix B of the LGA Model Code of Conduct Model Code of Conduct 2020 - there were no declarations of relevant interests declared.
- There were no declarations of gifts of hospitality received exceeding £50.
- There were no requests for dispensations for the agenda under discussion.
Minutes of Previous Meetings
- To note the minutes of the Council Meeting of 12th July will be considered and approved at the meeting of 13th September 2023.
Public Forum
(maximum 10 minutes)
- To receive comments from the public on the agenda as published – there were no members of the public present and there were no comments on the agenda received via email to the Clerk.
Highways Matters
- To consider the proposal from the Traffic Regulation Officer of Suffolk County Council to impose a 40mph speed limit on the A1141 - This section includes the C723/C724 crossroads. All agreed that the response should be as follows: “This junction is regularly used by the residents of Lindsey. Three injury accidents are recorded in the last five years. This does not include the non-injury and unreported accidents. The accident reports show that all involved vehicles having difficulty using the junction where visibility is often severely restricted due to lack of highway verge cutting. Traffic survey speed data indicates current speeds are below 40mph, so a 40mph speed limit will make little or no difference. The way to reduce accidents at this junction is to ensure visibility by maintaining sight lines. The Parish Council does not object to a 40mph limit, but neither does it support it, as it does not address the principal issue of road safety. Even at 30mph a lorry on the A1141 would likely cause significant injuries to the occupants of a small car if it is ‘t-boned’ trying to exit from the C723 at this junction. The Parish Council does not want to wait for serious injury or a fatality before this dangerous situation is addressed.” It was also agreed that irrespective of the proposed speed limit, the Parish Council would request that regular verge cutting at this junction on road safety grounds to protect all residents from serious injury.
Planning Matters
- To consider the following planning applications:
- DC/23/03501 – FUL - Full Planning Application - Re-location of turf @ Land At, Sheepden Lane, Lindsey. It was noted that there were already wax caps in Lindsey, self-seeded and flourishing. It was agreed that although the parish council had no particular view over the proposal as such, there was a concern over the route being proposed which was agreed as being unacceptable. The main issue was the route being proposed will impact not only Chelsworth Bridge but also minor roads in Lindsey as well as travelling through villages like Thorpe Morieux and Brettenham on some fairly minor roads. It was agreed that the Council should suggest that a proper reconnaissance, should be undertaken to and from the site and that it should make the suggestion that the proposed route should be via the A14, to come off at A1071 and onto A1141, aif.
- To note the following planning applications determined by the local planning authority: none at time of serving.
Parish Councillors’ Reports
To receive urgent reports of village issues from Councillors present:
- Cllr. Sturgeon made the meeting aware, after the recent heavy rainfall, of the areas where water was supposed to leave the road. In particular standing water was evident at Rose Green Crossroads, outside of the Red Rose (ditch filled in and not piped); outside of Valley Cottage and at the bottom of Church Road. All agreed that where possible, Councillors would endeavour to speak to landowners over the issue and report back at the next meeting.
Date of Next Meeting
- Parish Council Meeting – 13th September 2023 commencing at 7.30pm in Lindsey Village Hall.
- Remainder of Meetings for 2023 – 15th November.
Close of Meeting
There being no other business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 8.05pm.