CONTENTS

• WEST BERKSHIRE PLANNING STRATEGY - OPTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE RURAL AREAS
  
  
• West  Berkshire Information about  flood victim help
• Annual Parish Meeting
• West Bershire Council Annual Report by Geoff Findlay
• Parish Council Meeting Timetable
• Parish Council Meeting Agenda
• Parish Council Meeting Minutes
• Committee meeting notes
• Current District Councillor's report by Geoff Findlay
• Clean Neighbourhood And Environment Act 2005
• West Berkshire Council Access To Planning Applications
• Activities at the Acland Hall
• West Berkshire Mobile Library Visits
• Fancy an allotment?

THE BULLETIN

Find the latest copy of the Cold Ash Bulletin here:

Issue 2 November 2008.

WEST BERKSHIRE PLANNING STRATEGY - OPTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE RURAL AREAS

Housing Threat to our Community

"Dear Parishioners,

West Berkshire Council is required by Government to provide a minimum of 18,500 new homes in the district by 2020. The process of determining where the houses are to be built has begun and WBC are looking at sites that will have a serious impact on the villages of Cold Ash and Ashmore Green and therefore on the quality of your life.

Parish Council's reponse to this threat to our community can be read by clicking on http://www.coldash.org.uk/ but if it is to have any impact, it is critical that parishioners make their views known direct to WBC no later than the 13th June 2008 (See below on how to respond).

There are currently two plans from WBC, which are summarised below.

Rural Plan: This assesses the capability of each village to accept new housing developments based on the existing services available, and then rates all the villages in West Berkshire into a hierarchy table.

Urban Plan: This is seen as the more dangerous plan as it involves 3 large scale developments of 500 or more houses, 2 of which if given the go-ahead, would mean the absorption of Cold Ash into North Thatcham and thus Cold Ash ceasing to be a separate settlement.

Background information can be found by clicking on http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=13923

Please respond to the Rural Plan Questionnaire by clicking on http://westberks-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal
Register as requested and answer the eight short questions. It is important that you use your own words as to copy the Parish Council's response will invalidate it. Please tell other villagers about this questionnaire so that they too can respond. Responses can also be made in writing for those unable to reply on line.

WBC is currently reviewing the 12 sites identified in the Urban Plan and we should hear which sites have been selected, later this year. There will then be a 6week consultation period before a final decision is made on these sites. Parish Council has co-opted 5 members of the Public to strengthen their Planning Committee and is already preparing a defence against selection of any of the three sites affecting our community. We will keep you informed of developments and will be looking to canvass all villagers via a small questionnaire. We will need assistance in distributing and collecting this so if you can help or have any questions, please contact the Parish Clerk at coldash.pc@btinternet.com or Tel. 860004

Yours Sincerely


Liz Oliver
Chairman Parish Planning Committee"

Here are the Parish Council's response to West Berkshire Council's questionnaire on housing in the rural houses, both in MS Word and Acrobat format:

Local Development Framework
West Berkshire Planning Strategy

WEST BERKSHIRE FLOOD INFORMATION

The Parish Council have received this letter from West Berkshire Council:

Members, Town and Parish Council Briefing
Wednesday 4 June 2008 as at 1700hrs.

1. Overview.
Yesterday a high level of rain was experienced over a prolonged period of time from the early hours. We were expecting a period of rain from 0900 - 1200hrs, however as the day progressed the advisories and the Flash Warnings from the Met Office extended this period, the latest one advising that the rain was to continue until 1800hrs. This later time proved to be accurate.

As a result of the rain there were a number of issues, several which in any other year may not have been unduly noted. However as a result of last July there have been more calls from several worried residents who have been flooded before and were concerned it was going to happen again.

The effect of this high level of rain meant that a higher than normal number of calls were received by the contact centre, at one stage they also introduced the emergency back up lines to try to respond more quickly. Despite that during the peak period the queuing system also kicked in. On a 'normal' Tuesday Streetcare take 258 calls, this Tuesday 485 were received, with an answer rate of 89% and an average wait time of 1 minute. These were mainly regarding highways, blocked drains, blocked gulleys, water from fields, overflowing ditches and requests for sandbags. The main issues however were concern as areas of water were noted to be pooling in the area. There have also been calls regarding the balancing pond off Pipers Way in Thatcham filling up.
The rain did stop in the early evening as indicated. At that point it was clear that whilst there were surface water issues on the roads the main concern was the potential impact as the water made its way through the ground to the river system.

Normally such movement of water takes 24 - 48hrs, if not longer, to cause an impact. However at 2100hrs we had a call from the Environment Agency advising that the River Shalborne had suddenly risen and there was a potential risk to properties in Hungerford with as little as 45mins. As a result officers were sent to scene and contractors arranged to supply sandbags and signage. Flooding of the roads and gardens was confirmed, Thames Water and the electrical company responsible for the substation were advised and relevant actions taken. By approx 2330 hrs the water reached its maximum and started to reduce flowing away down the drainage system. By 0100am the water had substantially reduced, the drains were working well and no properties flooded. By 0700 this morning there was no water but some detritus from the event to mark that there had been an issue.

All these rivers including for our area the Rivers Kennet, Lambourn, Pang and Thames are now all on Flood Watches. Overnight the Kennet was on a Flood Warning as a result of the River Shalborne issues.

2. Weather & Rainfall

Yesterday, in the Environment Agency West Area an average rainfall of 34mm was recorded.
Expected rainfall today was : 0mm, and for the rest of the week:
Thursday 1 to 2 mm,
Friday 3 to 8mm,
Saturday 1 to 3mm,
Sunday 0mm
There are currently no flood warnings in force in out area.

Flood Watches currently in force in the Thames region:
7 in total for the Thames, from Cirencester all the way down to Hurley.
Levels on the Thames will reach similar levels or lower, than reached in March 2008 - no properties are expected to flood.
The Thames above Eynsham will slowly rise, several times for the next 2 to 3 days before levels start to drop.
The Thames from Eynsham to Sandford (Oxford) is expected to slowly rise, several times, until Friday/Saturday. The Bullstake stream and other small tribs in Oxford will behave in similar way.
The Thames from Sandford Lock down to Hurley Lock is expected to slowly rise, several times, until Saturday/Sunday.

9 Flood Watches are currently in force of the tributaries to the Thames:
Ray (Wilts), Cole, Ock, Windrush, Evenlode, Ray (Oxon), Upper Thame, Bearbrook & Chalgrove Brook, Kennet, Lambourn & Enborne, Pang & Sulham Brook

The Environment Agency is keeping a watch on all rivers.
The forecast for tomorrow and the rest of the week is better.
It is well worth keeping an eye on the radar picture at
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/se/se_latest_radar.html
And we are working closely with the EA - their flood warnings can be found at
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/floodwarning/

3. Main areas of concern yesterday were:

1. Bowling Green Road, Thatcham. A garage in one property was flooded as a result of what appears to have run off from a culvert that burst its banks, flowed into the roads. Our contractors have been on site taking waste from the surface water system in order to reduce the problem. They have also removed water from people's gardens to reduce. This is an area that requires more investigation. There has also been self help from the residents themselves.
2. The balancing pond off Pipers Way, Thatcham. This has been very high again. It is currently still doing its job, in that it is taking water away from the surrounding area, but the impact on the houses nearby is causing concern. It is a Thames Water site and they have been on site. We are monitoring the pond and there will be further actions with respect to Thames Water in order to raise the priority of the works needed.
3. A number of roads were closed including Bucklebury Village, Upper Basildon Bowling, Green Road and Sheffield Bottom. Others were passable with care.
4. Requests for sandbags has been high throughout the day. These were delivered in accordance with the sandbag policy.
5. Trinity and Enborne Schools received flood damage. The exact extent is being assessed by our Loss Adjusters.
6. Hungerford risks as a result of the River Shalborne.

4. Actions Taken.

1. Officers have been out on the ground, checking known problematic areas and responding to calls. In addition the contractors have been busy responding to gulley cleansing, checking culverts and delivering sandbags as necessary.
2. The EOC was set up as a precaution but has not been activated and staff were on standby to respond last night as necessary.
3. Advice has been given to concerned residents.
4. Officers and contractors were on scene last night in Hungerford.
5. The clear up process has commenced

5. Future Actions

1. The clear up will continue for a period of time

2. Lessons identified will be noted and actioned.

3. The monitoring will continue by the Environment Agency and we will be prepared to respond to any Flood Warnings and advice we receive from them.

4. We will be monitoring with the EA any issues with respect to Groundwater increases that may have an impact in future days or weeks.
   It is requested however that if Members and Town & Parish Councils become aware of flooded properties or rising water that may cause danger on the roads or flooding pf properties then please contact the out of hours number 01635 42161 to report the matter. They will then refer it on to the appropriate Officer.

During the day all calls should initially be directed to Streetcare on 01635 519080 who will direct the calls to the appropriate team.

COLD ASH STORE VIBRANT VILLAGE GRANT

Mr & Mrs Patel have been awarded funds to improve the Cold Ash Store - click here to see the letter from West Berkshire Council.

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING FOR THE PARISH OF COLD ASH - 17TH APRIL 2008

D R A F T MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF COLD ASH PARISH HELD ON THURSDAY 17 APRIL 2008

Present:
60+ Members of the Public
For the Parish Council: Cllr. Hall (in the Chair), Cllrs, Batten, Darby, Hudspith, J Mowat, Oliver, Rosier & Rust
Mr Richard Avens, Chairman Cold Ash Community Partnership
District Councillors Geoff Findlay & Jeff Beck

Apologies for non-attendance had been received from Cllrs McGrath, H Mowat & Crumly

1. Welcome
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Parish Assembly, and thanked them for attending. She also welcomed and Mr Richard Avens, Chairman of the Cold Ash Community Partnership and District Councillors Geoff Findlay and Jeff Beck.
The Chairman thanked the Ashmore Green W.I. for the excellent pre-meeting refreshments and Cold Ash Post Office for the wine.

2. Minutes
The Minutes of the Meeting held on 12 April 2007 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

3. Matters Arising from Open Forum
1. Safety Measures outside St Mark's School
This matter is still under discussion with West Berkshire Council's Highways team and proposals will be forwarded shortly. The Parish Council has already indicated that a build-out would not be welcome in this vicinity.
2. Red Shute Hill Bridge
Following concern raised by Mr Marriage that the bridge might be cracking, a WBC highways engineer had visited the site and found the structure to be sound.

4. Chairman's Report for the Year 2007/08
The Chairman presented her first report in the office of Chair. She thanked the Councillors for their support over the past twelve months and the Clerk for her input and advice to the Council, which the Chairman regarded as over and above what was expected of her. - A full copy of the Report is attached as Appendix 1

5. Report by District Councillors for the Year 2007/08
Cllr Findlay and Cllr Beck reported on their activities, both in the Parish and in the wider District over the past twelve months. A full copy of Cllr Findlay's report is attached as Appendix 2.

6. Cold Ash Community Partnership
Mr Richard Avens Chairman of the CACP reported on the activities of the CACP and successes of several groups within the Partnership. He also reported on the future plans of the Partnership. A full copy of Mr Avens' report is attached as Appendix 3.
The Annual General Meeting of the CACP takes place on Monday 28 May and Mr Avens urged people to attend.

7. Options for Delivering New Homes in West Berkshire
Following their recent attendance at an event hosted by WBC's Planning dept, Cllrs Liz Oliver and Richard Hudspith gave a slide presentation of the Government's plans to locate sites for 10,500 new homes in West Berkshire and explained in detail how the identification of certain 'strategic sites' would affect Cold Ash parish. A printed copy of the slide showing the 'site evaluation criteria' was handed out and attendees were asked to find compelling arguments against these criteria.
This was followed by a lengthy discussion on the subject and included reference to the current planning application for 33 houses and a children's day centre on the site of Coley Farm, Stoney Lane.
Mr Brian Woodham (Hatchgate House) voiced his considerable concern as his property was situated immediately north of one of the proposed sites and said that, if the Prudential's attempt to build 7,500 new houses at Junction 12 of the M.4 was unsuccessful, then this area would need to absorb that number if addition to what had already been identified. Mr Woodham said it was important that members of the parish pull together to fight these proposals.
Miss Phyllis Newson (Hatchgate Close) said that the Government needs to be urged to look at the bigger picture and view the problem in global terms as building on agricultural land will exacerbate a world food shortage.
Miss Sheena Engineer (Cold Ash Hill) questioned why the Government was throwing out West Berkshire Council's submission to build on brownfield sites when their directive had been to build on at least 60% brownfield land. Cllr Oliver responded that this directive had been superseded and that all categories were now to be considered. Cllr Findlay added that the proposed new 'eco towns' would not be subject to normal planning regulations in any event.
Mr Garth Simpson (Stoney Lane) spoke about the newly formed Stoney Lane Residents' Association, a group formed by residents of Stoney Lane and Manor Park/Manor Fields to fight the planning application at Coley Farm, Stoney Lane for 33 new houses and a children's day centre. He urged parishioners to object in writing to this application and provided an information sheet in this regard. Mr Simpson offered his assistance to Mr Woodham in fighting the Government's proposals and queried whether other parishes should be asked to join in. Cllrs Oliver and Hudspith urged caution on this point and said that they would have a better idea of how adjoining parishes viewed this matter after the WBC meeting on 6 May when all the rural areas would be meeting to hear the proposals for new development for West Berkshire. A report of the 6 May meeting would be tabled at the Council Meeting on Tuesday 13 May.
Mrs Amanda May (Stoney Lane) said that her property was opposite Coley Farm and she too urged those present to submit objections to the development. Cllr Findlay confirmed that he had called the application in so that it would have to be considered by the Western Area Planning Committee if the Planning Officer's recommendation was for approval. Cllr Oliver pointed out that the Coley Farm application had been submitted without a Flood Risk Assessment and it was therefore possible that the application would be withdrawn and resubmitted at a later date. Objectors should be vigilant as a withdrawn application was not the same as a refused application.
Mr Jim White (Hatchgate Close) raised the matter of the pipeline which ran beneath the fields to the south of Hatchgate Close and queried whether this could be a deterrent to building. It was accepted that subterranean pipelines and overhead cables would be taken into account and would not prevent building.
Mr Julian Waghorn (Bucklebury Alley) sought clarification from Cllr Findlay concerning the number of objections required to enable a planning application to be called in to Committee. He had understood this to be ten or more and that these should be from individual addresses not parishioners. Cllr Findlay responded that Mr Waghorn's understanding was correct and it was important to submit written objections as they have to be recorded on the Planning Officer's report and may help to influence an Inspector's deliberations should a matter go to Appeal.
Mr Ted May said it was important to preserve the Gap land outside the settlement boundary as its value lay in the whole and may be the answer was an area of high density housing in one area. Mr May also provided some information on the pipeline running through the parish.
Miss Newson questioned whether the current 'credit crunch' would be likely to affect developers' plans at the present time.
Mrs Sue Thompson referred to the hand-out circulated after the slide presentation and said she would not want to see 'economic growth' in the area as this would just bring more houses and cars.
The Chairman asked if there were people present who would be prepared to put their names forward to assist the Council's Planning Committee. A format for this 'working party' would be decided by the Council at or after its Council meeting on 13 May.
Brian Woodham, Garth Simpson, Jim White, Ted May and David Smith volunteered their services.

8. Open Forum: Questions from Members of the Public

a) Mr Brian Wheeler referred to the new office build and asked for the total budget cost of the build as he had noticed that the foundations had been piled. The Clerk responded that the budget was £46,000 for the whole project.

b) Mrs Penny Pattison said she was astonished to hear that Fisher's Lane was not scheduled for resurfacing until 2010/2011 and was there any way this could be brought forward? The Chairman asked Cllr Findlay if he could look into this and report back.

c) Mr Len Whitehead agreed that something should be done sooner as Fisher's Lane had been deteriorating for a long time and the many developments taking place had exacerbated the problem. Mr Whitehead also questioned whether there was a limit on the number of vehicles allowed to park on the highway when developments were taking place and could the Planning Authority control this? Cllr Findlay responded that, if there were no restrictions in place, it was difficult to police parking on the highway unless an obstruction was being caused.

d) Mr Don Gibbs said that the recent resurfacing work on Stoney Lane had been to a poor standard, that it was already cracking badly and had been patched in places.
Mr Wheeler added that when the resurfacing had taken place, the camber in the road outside his property had been altered and this, he felt, had contributed to the flooding problem last year. Mr Garth Simpson added that more gulleys are required in Stoney Lane to cope with water run-off.

e) Mrs Jenny Peacock, whose property is opposite St Mark's School, raised concerns about parking whilst the car park was out of commission due to the building works taking place. Mrs Peacock was worried that the staff might start parking on the highway. Mr Richard Avens responded that arrangements had been made with Cold Ash Guides for the staff to park at their premises in Thirtover from the end of April.

f) Mr Ted May asked if there had been any progress with creating a new footpath from Fishers Lane. The Chairman responded in the negative but added that the idea had not been abandoned.

g) Mrs Amanda May enquired of the likelihood of footpath 18 (St Mary's to Bucklebury Alley) being made a bridleway? The Chairman responded that this was highly unlikely as the footpath had been upgraded to a 'safe route to school'.

The Meeting closed at 9.31pm

Chairman's Report

This is my first report as chairman of Cold Ash Parish Council but I have been a councillor for more years than I care to acknowledge.

May I remind you that the Parish includes the villages of Cold Ash and Ashmore Green and also part of Manor Park and Manor Fields on the edge of Newbury.

The Council did not have a full complement of councillors following the elections last year but we now have the eleven to which we are entitled following the co-option of Will Darby, Jon Rosier, Corinne Rust and Helen and Jim Mowat. We are very pleased that for the first time, we have in Helen and Jim, Council members who live in the Manor Fields/Manor Park Ward of the Parish.

The Council meets twice a month with the main meeting taking place on the 2nd Tuesday, with a shorter one two weeks later. Both deal with planning applications and both have a period at the start for public participation when any matter can be raised for the Council to consider.

This has been a very busy year with some projects being completed, while others have been planned and commenced.

The Council has five Committees set up to deal with different aspects of the Council's business thus taking the strain off the full Council agenda.

The Council has considered 73 planning applications in the last year and made its recommendations known to the District Council who are obliged to take note but not necessarily accept. Most applications have been uncontentious but two stand out for causing a great deal of local opposition. These are the Downe House School all-weather pitch with associated lighting and a current proposal for 33 houses and a facility for disabled children at the bottom of Stoney Lane.
Houses continue to be built in back gardens in spite of the Council's opposition.
Certain developments in the parish incur the payment of Section 106 developer contributions and the Council automatically bids for monies relating to open space and highways. I am pleased to say we have had some success in both areas. Unfortunately, legislation dictates we cannot always use the money where we think most appropriate!

The Council is now seriously concerned about the possibility of large developments on the boundaries of the Parish, as you will learn from the presentation to follow.
The questionnaire which was distributed last year on the need for affordable housing had only an 8% return and did not demonstrate a need, even though one still hears anecdotes of the inability of young people to find affordable housing in the Parish.
The Planning Committee meets periodically in order to examine and comment on Government and District Council Documents.

The Recreation Committee has had the recreation field professionally surveyed as, following the heavy rain last July, it was obvious that the drainage was very poor, with run off adding to flooding problems. Deep tine aeration has been done, together with an application of ground limestone/pH adjuster and then of fertiliser. Further work will be done later this year. This has been paid for with Section 106 money.
The childrens' play area behind the Acland Hall has been redesigned with a new piece of equipment installed and another one to follow in due course. A grant of £5000 was obtained from the Vibrant Villages scheme which is administered by Greenham Common Trust.
The two play areas at Southend are being well used.
Some shrubs have been planted along the edge of the carpark in order to soften the line of bollards. Sadly, though, some of them have been stolen.
The hedge between the recreation field and the Hermitage Road is to be improved once the nesting season has ended.
Two councillors met with a District Council officer to try to identify more recreation land as there is a constant demand for use of the existing facilities, but sadly with no success.
New benches are shortly to be installed round the recreation field kindly donated by four residents, whilst the existing seats have been renovated.

The Allotments and Public Rights of Way Committee has investigated the cost of providing mains water at the allotments as it has been requested on several occasions by tenants. This will be an expensive exercise but again it will be paid for by Section 106 money. The rents for the allotments will have to be raised as the water will be metered. There is at present a waiting list for allotments.
The Council sends a report once a year to the District Council on the condition of the Public Rights of Way, to note remedial work required and hopefully to have it attended to. Please let this Council know if you come across any major problems.
Recently two Councillors, a local resident and the District Councillor met with two officers from the District Council to investigate the possibility of improving the surface of Footpath 16 (Spring Lane) as the surface frequently breaks up due to its heavy use. Unfortunately as it is a Public Footpath, the officers will not agree to extensive resurfacing but will make suggestions for some improvement.
The Council recently received a grant from the District Council of £6000, together with £500 from the Gerald Palmer Eling Trust in order to continue the restoration work on the Wild Life Allotment Garden (The WAG), which is situated behind the pubs. This will include clearing the pond area, improving the board walks, installing nesting boxes and putting in small information boards. And we are obtaining advice from BBOWT to help us.

A large project which has been planned over the last year is the building of a small Parish Office between the Acland hall and the childrens' play area. As you may have seen, the building of this office has now commenced. It has been felt for some time that it is unreasonable to expect Denise Hudspith, our Clerk, to store all the Council's papers and equipment in her home. When built, the office will be open at advertised times for parishioners to examine plans or consult on any problems or queries which they have. The building is being financed principally by a loan from the Public Works Loans Board of £32,000 payable back over 8 years, with a additional sum allocated in this year's Council budget.

In spite of all this activity, the Council has been able to reduce the precept, which is the money we receive from the District Council as our share of the Council tax, by £1000.

The Council participates in a police led group known as the Neighbourhood Action Group or NAG which is currently looking at the problem of speeding on Cold Ash Hill and attempting to come up with some solutions. This has been considered on many occasions but maybe with police involvement, a remedy may be found.

I hope that you have all received a copy of the Bulletin, the Council's newsletter, by now. The Council decided that there are many aspects of its work which residents do not know about or understand and that it was appropriate to try to remedy this. We plan to produce this twice a year and any comments or criticisms will be welcome. It was delivered to every house this time but it will probably be left in suitable locations in future for individuals to pick up a copy.

Finally various Councillors have been involved in meetings or discussions on such matters as the serious flooding last summer, the Newbury Area Forum, meetings with Downe House School, the Berkshire Association of Local Councils, the proposal for major housing developments and the safe storage of domestic fuel.

As I said, we have had a busy year!

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DOGS ON THE RECREATION GROUND

Over the last few months, there has been a marked increase in the number of dog owners using the Recreation ground to exercise their pets. Whilst the Parish Council does not have a problem with this - after all, the Recreation Ground is there for use by everyone - it is very concerned about the amount of dog fouling and the reluctance of certain owners to clean up after their dogs.

The ground is host to a lot of activities throughout the year. In the summer there is cricket, the Cold Ash fete and the fair. In the winter, football is played almost every weekend and, throughout the year, the children from St Mark's use it for various purposes. It is really unpleasant for users to have to scour the grass for dog deposits prior to commencing their activities and it is particularly worrying when children are involved as they are not always mindful of where they play and cannot be expected to avoid soiled areas.

It is for this reason that, after careful consideration, the Parish Council has decided to erect notices requesting that dogs must be kept on leads at all times whilst on the Recreation Ground. It is hoped that if dog and owner are in closer proximity to one another, there is more chance the soiling will be spotted and cleared up.

The Council hopes that this request will be accepted in the spirit in which it is meant and that, as a result, everyone will be able to enjoy the facilities whatever the activity.

The notices will be in place from January 2005

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PARISH COUNCIL MEETING TIMETABLE 2008

Public Participation - to take note of any items raised by members of the public

AGENDA

035416 Apologies for Absence

035417 Declarations of Interest
Members will be asked to state if he/she has an interest in any item on the agenda.

035418 Minutes
To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting held on 25 November 2008 - Attached.

035419 Matters Arising
To raise any matters arising from the Minutes of the Meetings held on 11 & 25 November 2008.

035420 Clerk's Report
The Clerk to give a brief report on items not on the Agenda.

035421 Report from District Councillors
To receive reports from District Councillors.

035422 Planning Matters
a) New Applications
08/01781/HOUSE 1 Wansey Gardens, Newbury - Loft conversion with velux roof windows
08/02200/FULD Land adjacent to Ridgeway House, The Ridge - Revised proposal for new dwelling and detached garage
b) Planning Decisions
08/01674/OUTD Folly Cottage, Cold Ash Hill - Demolition of cottage and erection of three houses, Reserve Matters, Access and layout
Refusal - The Parish Council objected to this application.
08/01786/HOUSE 29 Maynard Close, Thatcham - Erection of a summer house
Approval - The Parish Council was not consulted on this application
08/01940/HOUSE Ash House, Collaroy Road - Erection of detached double garage
Refusal - The Parish Council objected to this application
c) Planning Rota 2009
Planning Committee Members to receive a copy of the planning applications rota for 2009.

035423 Finance
1. Items for Payment
Members are asked to approve Items for Payment on Sheet No. 09/0809 attached as Finance Item 1
1a Additional Items for Payment
Members to note additional items for payment on Sheet No. 08A/0809 dated 25 November 2008.
2. Bank Reconciliation
Members to receive the Bank Reconciliation Statement to 28 November 2008 - attached as Finance Item 2
3. Payments against Budget
Members to receive the Analysis of Payments against Budget to November - attached as Finance Item 3.

035424 Request for Financial Assistance
Members to consider the request received from 1st Cold Ash Guides for assistance towards the purchase of camping equipment - see attached and Resolve appropriately

035425 Budget 2009/2010 & Level of Precept
Members will be asked to give consideration to the Finance & General Purposes Committee's recommendations for a Budget for 2009/10 together with the level of Precept to be requested - supporting papers attached - and to notify the Chairman of the F&GP Committee and the Clerk of any suggested amendments in advance of the Council Meeting on 13 January 2009, when the final budget will be approved and the level of Precept determined.

035426 Freedom of Information Publication Scheme
The Clerk will report on the requirement for the Publication Scheme approved in 2003 to be replaced with a new model Scheme, with effect from December 2008. A copy of the model Scheme is attached (the existing Publication Scheme used by the Council is contained within Members' Reference Manuals). Members will also be invited to approve a Schedule of Charges pertaining to the provision of information.

035427 Reports of Meetings with other Bodies
1. NAG (Neighbourhood Action Group
Cllr Hall will report on the meeting held on 12 November
2. Downe House School
To receive a verbal report on the informal meeting attended by Cllrs Hall, Hudspith & Rosier at Downe House School on Wednesday 26 November.

035428 Committee Reports
1. Finance & General Purposes Committee
A copy of the written report of the meeting held on Thursday 20 November is attached with papers for Agenda item 035425.
2. Planning Committee
A copy of the written report of the meeting held on Wednesday 26 November is attached.

035429 Councillors' Questions

035430 Correspondence
A List of Correspondence received and sent since the meeting held on 11 November is attached as Information Sheet No. 08/0809

PART TWO

035431 Clerk's Contract of Employment & Job Description
Members are invited to Resolve to accept the revised Contract of Employment.

035432 Clerk's Annual Pay Award
See attached

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COLD ASH PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON 25th November 2008

Present:
Cllrs. Hall (Chair), Oliver, Crumly, Darby, Hudspith, McGrath, H Mowat, Read, Rosier & Rust

Public Participation
There were no members of the public present.

035410 Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence had been received from Cllr Jim Mowat and District Cllr Jeff Beck

035411 Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.

035412 Minutes
The Minutes of the meeting held on 11 November (erroneously written as 14 October on the agenda) were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

035413Planning
a) New Applications
08/02102/CERTE Conifers, The Ridge - Continued use as residential/garden amenity
Members were being asked to comment on matters of fact, based on evidence provided. Copies of letters of support from neighbours, referred to in the application, had not been supplied and the Clerk was instructed to request these so that an informed comment could be submitted.
b) Decision Notices
08/01720/HOUSE Hollylea, Stoney Lane - Proposed conservatory to side of property.
Approval. The Parish Council did not object to this application.
08/01731/HOUSE 6 Laud Close, Newbury - Single storey rear extension to provide a garden room.
Approval. The Parish Council did not object to this application.
08/01746/HOUSE Stoke House, The Ridge - Extensions and alterations
Approval. The Parish Council did not object to this application.
08/01808/HOUSE Stoke House, The Ridge - New detached triple garage with activity room above
Approval. The Parish Council did not object to this application, but sought conditions on usage.

035414 Flooding in Thatcham - A Year in Perspective
Thatcham Town Council had completed a review of the flooding event in 2007 and an Executive Summary was circulated to Members. Thatcham TC and Thatcham Flood Forum are seeking the support of other agencies in addressing numerous issues arising from the review. It was agreed that the Council would be pleased to pledge its support and Members asked that a letter be sent to the Report's authors to congratulate them on a very comprehensive and useful document.

035415WBC Rural Housing Protocol Consult
Cllr Oliver gave a comprehensive report on the draft consultation document produced by West Berkshire Council. WBC's Housing Services and the Rural Housing Enabler would be pleased to assist the Council if it wished to carry out a survey in the future.

There being no other business the meeting closed at 7.54pm

COLD ASH PARISH COUNCIL
NOTES OF THE FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES MEETING
HELD ON THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2008
IN THE FISHER ROOM, ST MARK'S CHURCH

Present: Cllrs. Richard Hudspith
Helen Mowat
Mark Read

Mrs Heather Codling - non-voting advisor
Mrs Denise Hudspith - Clerk

1. Apologies for Absence:
Apologies had been received from Cllr Hall and Miss Phyllis Newson

2. Minutes
The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 July 2008 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

3. Matters Arising
Item 7 - Change of Bank Mandate
The Clerk reported that the Mandate had been successfully amended to include Cllr Helen Mowat as a signatory.

4. Draft Budget and Recommendation for Precept
A draft working budget for 2009/10 and a Predicted Year-end Financial Position were circulated at the meeting and formed the basis of the discussion.
From the draft budget, the following amendments were made:
Cost Centre 15: Reference Books - increase from £50 to £100
" " 24: Newsletter - increase from £750 to £1000
" " 25: Competitions - increase from £75 to £100
" " 35: Waste Collection - increase from £800 to £1100
" " 62: Contingency - a figure of £2000 was allocated
New Headings were agreed for the running of the parish office - cc4-8
A new Cost centre for "Security" was included under 'Recreation Ground' heading 48
A new Cost centre for "Local Development Framework" was included under 'Projects' 60 to cover any ongoing costs in regard to proposed developments.

Based on the current draft budget, the recommendation for Precept is £42,900.

5. Clerk's Revised Contract of Employment - Provision for a Pension/Gratuity
Members discussed options available, ie. Local Government Pension Scheme, Personal Pension or a Gratuity.
It was noted the Parish Council is not currently a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme and would need to join in order to commence a pension scheme for the Clerk. A Gratuity could be paid at the rate of 3/80ths of the Clerk's annual remuneration for each year of service until retirement.
It was agreed to recommend that independent advice would be beneficial.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.15pm

NOTES OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING
HELD ON WEDNESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2008
IN THE ACLAND HALL COMMITTEE ROOM

Present: Cllrs. Liz Oliver (Chair), Gill Hall, Richard Hudspith, Jim Mowat, Mark Read & Corinne Rust
Denise Hudspith (Clerk)
Mr Brian Woodham, Mr David Smith, Mr Garth Simpson & Mr Ted May

Public Participation
None present

1. Apologies for Absence
There were no apologies for absence.

2. Minutes
The Minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2008 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

3. Matters Arising
Meeting 24 July
The Chairman asked Cllr Mowat if he could chase up the request for a traffic count in Kiln Road.

4. Cold Ash Community Partnership/Cold Ash Parish Council -Parish Development Questionnaire
Copies of the analyses prepared by the CACP following the receipt of completed questionnaires (42% of recipients had responded) had been circulated prior to the meeting. The information had been prepared using the five area codes, which were:
A: Southend/Billington Way estate
B: Cold Ash Hill south of the Ashmore Green Road crossroads
C: Cold Ash north of the crossroads
D: Ashmore Green & Stoney Lane
E: Manor Park/Manor Fields
These were explained in detail by Brian Woodham. It was agreed it would be useful to have a traffic count/survey carried out at Kiln Road/ Stoney Lane as this route had not been addressed in the questionnaire. District Cllr Jeff Beck and the Clayhill Residents' Association would be approached for assistance in this regard (Cllr Mowat/Clerk).
The Chairman thanked Brian Woodham for his and the other CACP members' work in compiling these statistics.
Ted May agreed to put the information supplied on to a Power Point presentation format and was asked if he could manage this by the end of December.
Brian Woodham advised that the Acland Hall had been booked from 10.00am to 1.00pm on alternative Saturdays during February and March to allow for further meetings as information became available.

5. Preferred Options for Strategic Urban Extensions
Members were aware of a draft position paper prepared by Brian Woodham for the CACP in regard to urban extension on to Cold Ash Hill.
Using the criteria set out by West Berkshire Council in its sustainability appraisal questionnaire, it was agreed to give priority to the following subjects:

1. Identify Housing Needs - West Berkshire Council's housing list/Housing Associations - Denise Hudspith

2. Employment in the parish - Identify employers and ascertain numbers of local and out of parish employment (full and part time) - Garth Simpson & Denise Hudspith

3. Highways WBC) - Obtain results of SDR on Cold Ash Hill. Analysis of SDR reading for traffic at Heath Lane roundabout had already been made available to the Clerk. Request accident record for the parish.

Cllr Oliver and Garth Simpson would start preparing a similar paper for the second site - land opposite Newbury Community Hospital.

It was agreed a follow-up meeting with Thatcham Town Council members would be useful and the Clerk was asked to try to arrange a meeting for mid-January. The next meeting of the Planning Committee would take place at the end of January, on a date to be advised.

The meeting closed at 9.05pm

COLD ASH PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING
HELD ON TUESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2008 IN THE ACLAND HALL COMMITTEE ROOM

Present: Cllr Maggie McGrath - MM
Cllr Jim Mowat - JM
Cllr Jon Rosier - JR
Cllr Corinne Rust - CR
Clerk - Denise Hudspith - DH
Mrs Maureen Avens - Cold Ash Tennis Club

1. Confirmation of new Chairman
It was agreed that Cllr Rust would take over the Chair from Cllr Oliver, as agreed at the meeting held on 24 June 2008.

2. Apologies for Absence
Apologies had been received from Cllrs Oliver and Helen Mowat.

3. Declarations of Interest
None

4. Minutes
The Minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2008 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

5. Matters Arising
There were no matters arising.

6. Cold Ash Tennis Club
Maureen Avens had attended the meeting as Cold Ash Tennis Club representative to discuss with the Committee how to effectively manage the opening of the courts for public playing time. It was agreed that the Parish Council's telephone number, plus that of three members of the Tennis Club, would be provided as contacts who would open the courts subject to the availability each keyholder. It was also agreed the public playing times would be displayed, together with the opening times of the Parish Office.
This would be trialled for twelve months and reviewed at the same time as the public opening times.
DH mentioned that she had been contacted by Andy Creed, Chairman of the Club about the possibility of having a new noticeboard installed outside the courts for use by the Club. DH had provided him with product literature for perusal.
Mrs Avens thanked the Committee for its assistance in this matter and left the meeting.

7. Hermitage Road Play Area
a) Vibrant Villages Grant for stage 3 - replacement of wooden tower
DH explained that the Parish Council needed to provide, by Friday 19 September, a written justification for the disposal of the wooden tower, together with a firm quotation for a replacement item and photographic evidence of the project work to date. In the light of the recent fire damage to the new piece of equipment and the lack of progress in considering a new item of equipment, it was reluctantly agreed that this matter could not be pursued at this time. DH was asked to write to Stephen Smyth at WBC accordingly. If another opportunity to apply for a grant did not present itself in the current financial year, it would be necessary to consider requesting that the £5000 be carried forward to 2009/2010.

b) Update on reinstatement of damaged play equipment
DH was able to report that verbal confirmation had been received from the Loss Adjusters that the Council could proceed with the reinstatement of the nest climber and damaged safety surfacing, based on the quotation received from Playground Facilities Ltd in the sum of £7,600 plus VAT.

c) Remedial Work required to play areas
The Committee agreed to the following remedial works being carried out by ARD Playgrounds:
Hermitage Road
Adjust closers to both gates - £25.00
Re-tension 3 eyebolts on Parkway swing seat - £10.00
Southend
Re-secure 1 yellow goal panel and 1 side panel where loose at bolt - £28.00
Replace 1 bolt to latch handle nearest play area - £18.00
Re-tension 2 eyebolts to one seat of Monster swing - £10.00
Reset and re-align gate at ballcourt to allow for proper closing - £210.00
If the foundations have to be broken out and re-set, ARD will contact the Parish Council as this would incur higher costs.
MM had mentioned the lack of attention to the weeds and general maintenance at Southend and DH said she had asked Richard Weavers for a site meeting to discuss this.
MM also mentioned that several shrubs were damaged or missing, in particular at the ballcourt close to the entrance. It was agreed that DH and MM would meet on site to look at all matters and report to the next meeting with a proposed programme of remedial work.
It was also agreed that DH would write to Sovereign Housing about the poor and uneven state of the entrance path adjacent to the toddler area and remind them of their undertaking, when the toddler area was installed, to resurface this area.

9. Recreation Ground Hedge
DH said she was arranging to meet with Karen Davies of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group as the previous volunteer group she had approached failed to come back to the Council with any assistance. She had some notes from a meeting with WBC Tree Officer, Jason Trewinnard and a plan of action would be formulated for the ongoing improvement and maintenance of the hedge.

10. Other Matters
a. JM asked if any further action was planned in the maintenance of the recreation ground, which was considerably improved by the work carried out so far. DH responded that the ground was due for a second round of deep tine aeration and the application of an autumn fertiliser. She would be liaising with Guy Shatford on this matter.

b. DH reported that the Cold Ash Fete Committee had requested maintenance to the edge of the recreation ground at the rifle club car park as the levels were different and this caused problems to vehicles entering the ground.

Date of Next meeting - to be agreed.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 7.48pm

MINUTES of PUBLIC MEETING

Held on Monday, 15th September 2008At Parkland Suite, Regency Hotel, Thatcham

Co-hosted by Cold Ash Parish Council and Thatcham Town Council

PRESENT: Chairmen of Meeting: Cllr. Owen Jeffery (West Berkshire Councillor and Thatcham Town Councillor) and Cllr. Mrs. Liz Oliver (Chairman of Planning Committee at Cold Ash Parish Council)
Richard Benyon, MP
Bryan Lyttle, Planning and Transport Policy Manager, West Berkshire Council
Councillors and representatives from West Berkshire Council, Thatcham Town and Cold Ash Parish Council
Approximately 200 residents from Cold Ash and Thatcham

Welcome and introductions
Cllrs. Owen Jeffery and Liz Oliver welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced Bryan Lyttle, Planning and Transport Policy Manager at West Berkshire Council and Richard Benyon MP.

Local Development Framework
Bryan Lyttle, explained about the Local Development Framework, which will replace the current local plan. The Framework will set out the policies and guidance which shape the development of the District and is the basis on which all planning decisions would be made. He referred back to 2004 when the new planning system was introduced and the documents which had to be produced by West Berkshire Council and submitted to the Government Office for the South East. It was noted that the Government had stated that West Berkshire was originally required to accommodate 18,000 dwellings from 2006 to 2026. 7500 houses were to be built to the west of Reading. This has now been reconsidered and the West Reading site is not to be developed. This would still mean that sites which could accommodate 10,500 dwellings needed to be identified. Planning applications for developments which had already received permission since 2006 could be deducted from the total but still large development sites needed to be identified to accommodate about 6,000 additional homes.

The Core Strategy produced by West Berkshire Council had specified that Newbury and Thatcham would be the main areas for development.

Comments from Richard Benyon MP
Richard referred to the surgeries he held most weeks and that one of the regular issues was the lack of affordable accommodation. Although new houses were required for local people, he expressed a wish that he would like to see more decisions taken at a local level.

He referred to the flooding which occurred on 20th July 2007 and the experiences of people during that time and emphasised that lessons must be learned from that. He expressed concern at the infilling developments which had been passed on appeal and that large gardens were seen quite inappropriately as brownfield sites.

In respect of the gap between settlements Richard Benyon commented that there were circumstances for using this 'wedge' such as the building of the Newbury community hospital but in the main communities must be kept distinct and not merge into one another.

Henwick Park Development Brief
As there was no-one present from Dreweatt Neate, Owen Jeffery asked Liz Oliver to give a brief outline of the proposals, making it clear the proposal was not an application at this stage.

Liz explained that the proposal for the site (approximately 25 hectares of farmland) would be that it would be developed in two parts of approximately 280 houses and a 'park'.

A major issue was traffic generation on to Cold Ash Hill as the access would be off the mini-roundabout at Heath Lane. The development would extend Thatcham's urban boundary into Cold Ash parish which was seen as a 'rural' area and the character would be threatened.

Open Forum
(Responses to questions were given by: Bryan Lyttle (BL), Richard Benyon MP (RB), Liz Oliver (LO), Sue Everett (SE) and Owen Jeffery (OJ))

1Q. Has there been a hydrology study carried out on the site because more water appears to be coming off now?

1A. (BL) Part of the evidence that has to be submitted is how West Berkshire is affected by river and ground water flooding (Strategic Flood Risk Assessment). The report has been delayed because the Environment Agency does not accept West Berkshire Council's argument that ground water and surface water flooding caused problems in West Berkshire. Conversely, a site in the centre of Newbury was put forward for conversion to housing but refused by the Planning Authority as the Environment Agency said the area was prone to flooding!

2Q. When the leaflet was distributed, the area beyond the Hospital was mentioned but this has not been mentioned tonight?

2A. (LO) This site is not being discussed as there is a planning application under consideration on the adjacent site (Coley Farm). This might be a forerunner to something coming forward for the hospital site as 500 houses are given as a minimum for the site.

3Q. Is site 1 a strategic site? Are public only being made aware of site 2?
(LO) Site 1 (Coley Farm) is subject to a planning application of 35 houses. Site 2 is a strategic site.

3A. (BL) The Local Authority has a duty to investigate all reasonable sites. If a site is left out and a developer comes along at the eleventh hour offering a planning opportunity this could postpone or cancel the Inquiry. In December 2007 Newbury Weekly News published the strategic sites. If a developer does not come forward then the site can be ruled out from the current review.

4C (Resident of Bowling Green Road) The July 2007 floods have been referred to as a 'one-off' incident. A lot of people were badly affected by the flooding at that time and have been flooded since. Therefore it was not an isolated incident.

5Q If there is a park planned in the proposals north of Bowling Green Road, could this be seen as offering a 'sweetener'?

5A. (RB) There is clear policy on 'Developers' Contributions' ( the amount paid according to number of properties built) and where such pots of money should be allocated, such as education.

6Q. (Resident of Rivers Estate) Houses in this estate have suffered flooding. There is a rumour circulating that the existing drains and sewers will be used for any new development?
6A. LO confirmed that development brief stated that the existing drainage system would be used. All sites were subject to 'sustainability' and must be capable of draining on a normal basis. WBC had to ensure sites were sustainable.

6A. (RB) This area suffered terrible flooding. The drains are not just the responsibility of West Berkshire Council or Thames Water; they are also the responsibility of others such as railway companies etc. We are trying to make certain that organisations are answerable for areas within their ownership. The drainage system cannot cope with flash floods and the Pitt Review has already made this point. It is up to the Government tofollow this through..

7Q Also, the schools are already over-subscribed so where will the children go to school?

7A (LO) WBC would look at educational places required because of the development. Cold Ash School is pretty full.

8Q. What about the insurance risk from increased flooding? If the infrastructure is not improved, who picks up the tab at the end of the day?

8A. (SE) At present there is no requirement for Section 106 (Developers' contributions) monies to be spent on improving or enlarging sewers/drains even if the developments place an additional burden on it. There is also an automatic right for new developments to connect to the sewer system. Legislation is going through Parliament at the moment the intention of which is to change this situation.

With regard to re-insuring people, there is a Statement of Intent from the Insurance industry that they will continue to provide insurance to existing houses even if they have been flooded in the past but will the Companies raise the excess? Companies may not be willing to insure new homes in areas known to be at risk from flooding.

9Q. More houses being built and an excess of banks, supermarkets and estate agents. What about facilities for children?

10Q. The lack of space within primary schools has been mentioned but the same problem applies to secondary education.

Q Everyone is concerned about flooding and by additional traffic. The message that needs to be conveyed to West Berkshire that this is the wrong place for additional development.

11Q. As new development proposals come in, are these meetings going to be a regular feature?

12Q. (Gordon Road resident) No-one has mentioned environmental problems. For example, the Council has a problem in emptying all the refuse/recycling bins now and there is little local employment so commuter traffic will be a problem.

12A. (LO) Council is concerned about pollution - noise and air - that is why the 'green lungs' between settlements are so important.

A resident suggested that a vote was taken as to whether the development was in fact wanted.

A vote was taken and all residents agreed that the development was not wanted (WBC and Parish and Town councillors abstained).

13Q. (Resident from Stoney Lane) Flood Risk Assessment figures - Is the input data in standard engineering units? Also, recent research has shown that the weather system is split into South East and South West. There is a corridor between both which runs from Oxford to Southampton and this corridor is exposed to both weather fronts.
13A. (BL) Unaware of whether the data was in standard engineering units but would look into this. BL asked if he could talk with the resident after the meeting to obtain further details of this research.

14Q. Flood Risk Assessment is in regard to the site but people are concerned about lower down (in Thatcham)

14A. BL The Local Authorities Flood Risk Strategy covers downstream as well. The Developer has to have regard to that document. He has to follow and prove that the site is suitable.
(RB) Read from the Dreweatt Neate proposal in regard to the Gyoury Self Report that "there is scope to include a drainage system that could not only be designed to accommodate the development but could also include mitigation measure to actually reduce the risk of flooding to properties located to the south". That would have to be justified in any planning application.

14.1Q Did I understand that that there is going to be 280 houses and a park. It sounds as if there will be 100 houses per hectare.

LO read from Dreweatt Neate's proposal: "The illustrative masterplan shows that the site could be developed for approximately 280 dwellings based upon 30 dwellings per hectare. The land uses and approximate areas are:

Housing 9.50 area (ha)
Public Park 10.26 area (ha)
Open space/landscaping 6.01 area (ha)
Total 25.77
The proposal would provide 112 new affordable homes."

15Q. (Resident from Woodside, Cold Ash) If WB Planning Authority decides not to recommend the site, what assurances are there that the Secretary of State will not overturn the decision?
15A RB Convinced that if there was an attempt to over-rule, there would be further scrutiny of the process.

16C. (Ashmore Green Road) One of the problems is water running off due to natural springs coming out of the ground. As these small roads are not gritted or salted during winter months they can become dangerous. These roads are not fit for more traffic, they cannot take two cars passing in places and there are no footways for pedestrians.

16C. (Resident from Cold Ash Hill) The Environment Agency is only responsible for river flooding. When Dreweatt Neate came to the Parish Council meeting they said they had done very little work on the site to test groundwater flow.

16A. (BL) WBC has made a case to the Environment Agency that it needs to include surface and run-off water too.

17Q. How does this area sit with developing on 'brownfield land'?

17A. (BL) There is a general presumption in favour of brownfield site development. Unfortunately, there is not a lot left. One potential was Hermitage Barracks when it was vacated but that would not fit in 10,000. In addition, a lot of Cold Ash is AONB.
(RB) Definition of 'brownfield land' includes gardens, allowing for infilling developments.

Sue Everett made some comments on questions raised:

There have been 14 days of rainfall during this year of more than 20 mm (compared with 5 days in 2007).
Since the July 2007 floods WBC has commissioned a Company to provide a computer model that will inform how flooding may occur during different situations.
Town Council made recommendations to Sir Michael Pitt. Some of the recommendations will be taken forward shortly in the draft Floods and Water and Bill to be introduced to Parliament in 2009. The draft bill will specifically introduce measures to improve the management of surface water flooding. Local authorities will be given powers to lead on this matter, with the Environment Agency given an overview national supporting role.

Resident from Kennet Heath - Every time it rains my husband becomes stressed because of the flooding last year.

SE Flood Forum was being set up and several people had already expressed an interest in joining this. It would take up issues raised in a report that was being prepared by the Town Council, following three public meetings during the year.

18Q. (Resident from Ashmore Green) We fought long and hard to get the Thatcham relief road (Floral Way/Tull Way) in place but the new development would spoil this so will there be a new road further up?

18A. (BL) In regard to traffic management, consideration of the Pro Logis site in Greenham has resulted in the development of a 'traffic management model' against which all local applications are judged.

19Q. (Resident of Ash Terrace, Ashmore Green) Have all other areas, in towns, been considered?

19A. (BL) Yes, WBC is looking at every possible opportunity.

20Q. (Resident of Cold Ash Hill opposite proposed dev area) The site is currently agricultural land - does this proposal have the support of the land owner?

20A. Yes, the land owner has employed Dreweatt Neate to prepare the proposal.

21C. (South Thatcham resident) Talk is about flooding in north Thatcham but water that should drain into north Thatcham culverts goes down to south Thatcham.
21A. (BL) Will arrange for this to be looked into.

Residents must make their voice heard that they do not want everything dumped on it! Park is in the wrong place.
BL There will be a public consultation exercise. Public examination will test whether the local authority has justified polices and proposals.

22C. (Resident from Ashmore Green) Insurance has increased by 300(?)% as Ashmore Green is now a 'flood risk area'. Other insurance companies approached would not quote as he has a claim still outstanding.

23Q. If this development gets passed, how can the government defend its "Gap" policy?

23A. (BL) The West Berkshire Local Plan has a clear policy on gap land that they should be preserved. The South East Plan says that for the South East as a whole there is no need for a 'gap policy'. There is insufficient weight in PPS7 to prevent coalescence of settlements. WBC has to provide evidence that there is a need for gaps.

24Q. What about endangered/protected species - e.g. bats?

24A. (BT) Yes, bats are an endangered species and anyone wishing to remove them from a site must apply for a licence. One of my team at WBC, Jeremy Davy, is a specialist in this area.

25Q. (Clayhill resident) People are willing to commute to work so why not build near the by-pass?

25A. (BL) A lot of the land is the historic 'battlefield site' land.

26Q. (Resident of Conway Drive) Development now is where by-pass should have been.

26Q. (Resident of Florence Gardens) How can we influence whoever to prevent this development from going ahead?

26A. (LO) Decision on Strategic Sites will be made public early next year. If this site is one of them, everyone needs to make his feelings known to WBC either on the website or by letter with copies to the parish council and District Councillors.

27C. Some comments are seen as invalid when objecting; we need to know what to say.

27A. (OJ) Thatcham and Cold Ash websites will ensure information is available on issues that are valid and those that will not count.
(BL) I urge everyone who has not already registered with the Planning Authority database to do so. Also, look at Town Council and Parish Council agendas regularly for planning policy items.

LO reminded all Cold Ash residents present to return their questionnaires if they have not already done so as these were vital in providing an indication of what is and what is not wanted in the parish.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 8.40 pm.

COLD ASH PARISH COUNCIL
(Constituted 4 December 1894)

The Parish Office, Hermitage Road, Cold Ash
Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9JH

(Please address all correspondence to the Clerk)

24 September 2008

West Berkshire Council
Dept of Planning & Trading Standards
Council Offices
Market Street
Newbury RG14 5LD
Berks

By Facsimile

Dear Sirs

Planning Application 08/01723/OUTD - Land adj to Henwick Old Cottage, Henwick

The Parish Council objects to this planning application for the following reasons:

1. The site lies outside the Settlement Boundary and the application represents a new build in the countryside.

2. The proposed new dwelling is too close to the neighbouring property, Thornhill Cottage and would have an adverse effect on the privacy and amenity of the residents of this property. We share the neighbouring householder's concerns about the accuracy of the boundary edge shown in red on the plan.

3. Concerned there may be issues with drainage and excess surface water run-off.

Yours faithfully

D Hudspith
Clerk to the Council

Cold Ash Parish Council

Reponse from Mr Iain Stevenson, Senior Planner with Dreweatt Neate to the "Henwick Park Development brief" questions:

1. Can you give us a precise number of houses being proposed for this development? Is it 280, 350 as referred to in the Gyoury Self report, or more?
The number of houses proposed is 280 but this could go down.

2 In the SUDS (sustainable urban drainage system) referred to in the Gyoury Self Report, how large will either the tank or pond be? Where on the site will it be located and what effect will this have on the number and siting of houses? How will this operate over multiple days of rain or in a saturated catchment area if storage capacity is already used up from a single rainfall event? Looking at the whole of the system from the proposed site to its discharge into the river, how do you propose to mitigate this?
Cannot answer technical questions but feel that a development on this site would improve drainage rather than make the risk of flooding worse. Unable to say how the system would be adapted.

3. A walking time of 15 minutes is given to walk to Thatcham town centre. This equates to a rate of 4mph (the average walk rate is 2 mph). What demographic was used to achieve this as it does not appear to take account of all ages and abilities?
Accepts that this would not cover all ages. Needs to be more accurate.

4. Since the 'Thatcham Vision' was updated in 2006 many individual shops servicing the town have closed and have been replaced by take-a-ways, estate agents etc. What do you perceive as the existing 'range of shops' in Thatcham that would sustain the occupiers of the proposed development and thus reduce the need to travel further a-field?
Maintains there is a range of shops in Thatcham.

5. How many primary school and secondary school children do you perceive will need to be accommodated and which schools would be expected to accept them? Schools and services in Cold Ash and Thatcham have been under strain from recent development, can you demonstrate that there will be sufficient services in place, such as schools, doctors' surgeries & dentists, before the development is built?
Developer contributions go to Local Authority and it is up to them how they spend it. The secondary school for this development would be Kennet School and Whitelands is the primary school closest to the site.

6. As there is insufficient local employment, where will the occupiers of these new properties work? Assuming that most will need to travel out of the area what percentage of those travelling by car will use the A34 or M4 via Cold Ash Hill and what measures will you take to prevent this? How will those travelling by train access the railway station in Thatcham and if by car, where will they park given that existing facilities are full.
Accepts there is no big employer nearby and residents will have to travel out of the area. Made comment that there are buses available to take commuters to Thatcham Station. There will be 10,500 new houses in West Berkshire and Dreweatt Neate believes this site is a good one. Cycling may have to be an option.

7. What are your Traffic Flow projections for (a) residents and (B) users of the park?
Dreweatt Neate has not done anything on this yet.

8. How was the need for a 'park' and 'playing fields' on the site determined? As it is proposed that this would be a new park for 'the town of Thatcham', how many people do you expect to use these facilities and what provision will be necessary for car access and parking? What is meant by 'formal recreation facilities' and will this require supporting services such as public toilets, changing rooms, sports pavilions etc? What measures will be taken to protect the open countryside and provide security for properties bordering the northern boundary from the open space?
Feels this area of Thatcham is not well served by public open space and this park could serve Thatcham and Cold Ash. Are waiting for WBC to publish its study on the need for public open space. It will not be in the form of 'playing fields' and DN does not envisage providing amenities such as public toilets. Agree there would probably be a need for a car park. Access by car would be via the small roundabout at the bottom of Cold Ash Hill and through the housing development. It would also be accessible by pedestrians. In response to a question about who would manage the open space, this would be 'handed over' by the developer on completion and would likely be the responsibility of the Local authority. Cannot say at this stage how or if it would be secured.

9. Visibility levels: Can you provide sectional diagrams showing roof and contour lines and their relationship to existing properties?
Unable to provide the information request at this time. It is intended to keep the developed part of the site to the south.

10. Why do you assume that this could be a sustainable development? (PPG13 refers)
Believes it is better to build in one area rather than small numbers of houses dotted around in smaller villages.

11. What is the justification for building on Grade 3 agricultural land and how much of it is Grade 3(a) and how much grade 3(b)?
Unable to answer this question.

12. Given the diversity of character between the rural villages of Cold Ash and Ashmore Green and the urban conurbation of Thatcham, what do you see as the minimum area of 'gap land' necessary to maintain that diversity?
Feels DN has got the balance right between developing the land and still maintaining a gap between settlements. Accepted this issue is of major concern both to Cold Ash and Thatcham. Aiming to strengthen the landscape and tree belt south of Hatchgate Close.

13. Why can you not say whether this is a viable area for development and what are the parameters that would change the number of houses to be built? Will you reduce the area of Park land and Playing fields, or indeed incorporate more of the land to the north of the Park into the scheme, to accommodate the SUDS and ensure the viability of the scheme?
Have no recorded response to this question.

14. Why do you make no reference to mitigation measures by way of S.106 contributions to Cold Ash?
As this would be an urban extension to Thatcham, majority (or all) Developer contributions would go to Thatcham as the Local Authority for improvements to the infrastructure.

15. How will this proposal contribute to Thatcham Vision? How does it sit with the Cold Ash Parish Plan?
Difficult to answer as DN has not seen the Parish Plan.

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COLD ASH PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 29 JANUARY 2008

Present:
Cllrs. Hall (Chair), Batten, Crumly, Darby, Hudspith, Rosier & Rust

In Attendance:
District Councillor Findlay

Public Participation
There were no members of the public present.

035183 Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence had been received from Cllrs Helen Mowat & Jim Mowat.

035184 West Berkshire Council's Investigative Report on the July 2007 Flooding
Members discussed the District Council's written account of the flooding that occurred in Cold Ash Parish and studied the plans provided, which showed the properties affected and the path of the water.
The Council's agreed response to West Berkshire Council is attached as Appendix 1.
It was further agreed that, as it was not clear what had occurred in some areas, Councillors would walk the following routes to identify the location of drains and ditches and their condition:
Bucklebury Alley - Cllrs Batten, Rosier and Cllr Findlay
Fishers Lane - Cllr Crumly
Ashmore Green/Stoney Lane - Cllrs Darby and Hudspith
The Ridge - Cllrs Hall and Rust
The information would then be passed to WBC's Highways team.

Cllr Darby put forward the suggestion that progress on this matter be monitored by being placed on the agenda for Council Meetings over the next few months. This was agreed.

There being no other business the meeting closed at 8.05pm

Investigative Report on the July 2007 Flooding

Letter to: Mr Stuart Clark West Berkshire Council Highways & Transport Council Offices Faraday Road Newbury RG14 2AF

Thank you for your letter of 15 January 2008 inviting the Council's comments on the documents enclosed therewith. At a special meeting of the Council held yesterday, Members agreed on the following response:

1. The Report
We believe that the report accurately describes the events in Cold Ash parish on 20 July, except that there were other parts of Bucklebury Alley that were affected which are not shown on drawing no. 2 as this is predominantly Bucklebury parish.
In regard to the 'Cold Ash Recommendations', we would request an additional paragraph under 'Maintenance' that all ditches and drains which are the District Council's responsibility be maintained on a regular basis and kept clear of debris.

2. The Drawings
Sheet 1 - Cold Ash Hill/Southend
Cllr Findlay has kept the Council apprised of the work being carried out at Southend both verbally and by written report and we would support his request that the culvert at Southend be put on a highways register for regular maintenance in future.
Sheet 2 - Cold Ash Hill
We note that flooding on both sides of Cold Ash Hill was due to run-off from fields belonging to Poplar Farm to the west and St Gabriel's Farm to the east. Will the District Council be issuing an instruction to the Farmers involved that their drainage ditches must be kept clear?
Sheet 3 - Ashmore Green
Reference is made in the report to the ditch and culvert close to the junction of Ashmore Green and Stoney Lane both of which overflowed. This has been a problem long before 20 July 07 and flooding, albeit to a lesser degree, has occurred whenever there has been heavy rainfall. There is a drainage problem at this junction and we would ask that remedial work is carried out as necessary if this has not already taken place.

Sheet 4 Bucklebury Alley (Bucklebury Parish)
See Comments below
Sheet 5 - Fishers Lane & Ashmore Green Road
We are aware that remedial work has been carried out to clear the ditch opposite 'Ambala' in Ashmore Green Road. Could this work be continued over a longer length of the road? In addition, the Parish Council has implemented a maintenance programme on the recreation ground, including 'verti-draining' of the field, which has just taken place. This procedure will be repeated later in the year.
Sheet 6 - Messenger House, Stoney Lane
Nothing to add.
Sheet 7 - The Ridge
See Comments below

3. Comments
We do not have a clear picture of what occurred in Bucklebury Alley, Fisher's Lane and The Ridge and will therefore be walking these routes to identify the location of drains and ditches and the condition they are in. Once we have carried out this exercise, we shall submit a report to you. If we are going to be effective in ensuring that preventive maintenance is carried out to help prevent another flooding event, we need to be aware of the ownership of the drainage ditches, surface water drains and culverts in our parish and whose responsibility they are. In this regard, we should be grateful if you could supply us with copies of maps or documents which show the extent of the Highways' responsibility together with an indication of the frequency at which maintenance is carried out.

Finally, we would be interested to read the whole report from which the Cold Ash appendices were extracted. Is this available electronically please?

Yours sincerely

Denise Hudspith (Mrs)
Clerk to the Council

COUNCIL INTERNAL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE
Minutes of Council, Committee and Sub-Committee meetings - limited to the last 2 years
Terms of Reference for Committees
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting
Procedural Standing Orders
Conduct of Meetings
Agendas and supporting papers for Council, Committee and Sub-Committee meetings - limite