Agenda for Horsham District Council Development Control (North) Committee held on Tuesday, 7th June 2005.

Horsham District Community Partnership ? a community strategy for Horsham. Copy of report to Council recommending endorsement of Strategy.

Campaign to Protect Rural England "Countryside Voice" magazine, Summer 2005

CPRE "Green Belts: Great Development Potential" leaflet

CPRE "Fieldwork" magazine, June 2005

West Sussex Sustainable Business Partnership Newsletter June 2005

Bruce Milton, who is responsible for mapping in the Planning Department at Horsham District Council, has spoken to the Clerk in relation to an error that was made in establishing the parish boundary to the south of the village.

Mr Milton has sent a new map showing the correct boundary, which now means that the properties known as Woodfords and Little Woodfords are now in the parish of Shipley.

Bruce Milton has also sent a map of the location and numbers of TPOs in the parish of Southwater. A copy of this map has been passed to Mr Denis Bull as the Parish Tree Warden.

Mr Tony Bull said that some oaks had been felled in Denne Park in the area covered under TPO No 1. He had informed the Clerk, and asked the Deputy Clerk if she had any further information. The Deputy Clerk said that she would investigate the matter.

Councillors will have received a copy of this document, which was discussed at the last District Clerks? meeting on 17th May.

A Government Circular on Planning Obligations issued in November 2004, sets out proposals for streamlining the negotiated route for planning obligations and introduces Optional Planning Charges or OPGs, and the ideal of linking planning gain supplements or PGSs with the granting of planning permissions.

The District Council is looking to develop model Section 106 agreements for Planning Obligations to improve the speed and efficiency of the preparation of legal agreements.

One innovation will be the creation of a Communities Facilities Fund, which will comprise of the contributions made by developers towards unspecified community facilities. Applications may be made for allocations from this fund which can go towards community projects.

However, the point was made at the District Clerks? meeting that applications may be made by any community organisation, and Parish Councils may miss out on funding as a result.

Mr Senneck said that the Parish Council should object to the proposal to make development monies available to all. He said that in his opinion, such monies should stay within the village or in the immediate locality of the development to which they pertained. He was also of the view that Parish Councils should be the first approached when monies were available for distribution.

Mr Clarke agreed, and asked the Deputy Clerk to remind the District Council that the Chief Executive has previously agreed that Southwater should be consulted on any Section 106 agreements within the parish, prior to their being finalised.

Mr Senneck asked the Deputy Clerk to find out the latest situation with the remaining s106 monies from the RSPCA.

On 10th May, the District Council confirmed TPO 1250 in relation to trees to the front of Nos 1-8, Shipley Rd.

Southern Water have written to advise that the recent low rainfall has left water resources well below average for the time of year, and that hosepipe and sprinkler restrictions are shortly to come into force in the Sussex area.

Since this letter was received, a hosepipe and sprinkler ban has now been imposed on the district.

John Lytton has written to enclose his final account for consultation work in relation to Rose Cottage.

As this matter is now closed, Rose Cottage will not longer appear on future agendas.

The Earl of Lytton also congratulated the Council on receiving Quality Council Status.

Will Jones, the District Arboriculturist, has written in response to the Parish Council?s request to place Tree Preservation Orders on trees at Woodpeckers and land to the rear of St Helier and Roselyn in Southwater St.

Mr Jones states that in his view there are a number of trees on the rear boundary worthy of retention, though none of outstanding or special merit. However, these trees are to be retained under the current development plans for the site, and are a suitable and satisfactory distance away from the closest proposed dwelling.

However, there are also a number of smaller garden trees within the site, and while some have a degree of merit, none appears to satisfy the normal criteria for protection by a TPO. Therefore, it is inexpedient and inappropriate for the District Council to place TPOs on any of the trees within the site.

At the request of the Parish Council, the Clerk enquired about the possibility of the District Council running another planning training seminar for Parish Councillors.

Ray Wright, Head of Development Control, has replied that he has received other such requests from other Parish Councils and that a training session will be organised in the near future. Items which could be covered included recent changes in the use classes order, the encouragement of use of "untidy land" notices, and the new Planning Obligations proposals. He will advise the date when it is arranged.

Mrs Hill said that it might be best to write to Mr Wright now to express an interest in such a course, as on a previous occasion, spaces on a similar course filled very quickly.

Mrs Flores-Moore said that the Parish Councils should be aware that the Government are now actively encouraging the inclusion of social-housing in new developments.

Ray Wright, Head of Development Control has advised that all correspondence relating to the cladding on the two houses built on the site of the house Arden on Worthing Rd has been passed to Val Cheesman, the officer responsible for the original application.

A resident of Nyes Lane contacted the Clerk with concerns that some properties in the area intend to create access gates from their gardens into the open space. The Clerk informed the resident that such accesses would not be permitted, as this would create a pathway which would spoil the established woodland.

Residents of Turners Close attended the Finance and General Purpose Committee last night, and it was agreed that the gap in the fence should remain, but the Parish Council are investigating the possibility of installing a kissing gate.

Mr Bull said that he had been present at the meeting, and he thought that Mr Senneck and the Clerk had been entirely correct in their assessment of the health and safety issues regarding the fence.

Mr Senneck reported that he and the Clerk had been on the site that afternoon to meet with a contractor with a view to providing an estimate for the kissing gate.

Nothing to report.

The litter bin in the play area has been vandalised beyond repair. However, the District Council have offered a second hand bin free of charge, which the Clerk has accepted with thanks.

Reports of the path in the bridge area being very slippery with mud have been passed onto Steve Delahunt at the Country Park. He has replied that the mud was caused by works to the bridge and will dry up, but the path will be resurfaced in July.

The gap from Old Stakers Lane will be blocked off temporarily to stop any incursions, and work will be completed this summer to provide entrance onto the cycle route from both New and Old Stakers Lane for pedestrians and cyclists, while preventing motorcyclists and other vehicles accessing Ben?s Field and the Quarry. The cycle route will run through the Millennium Wood, across the bridge and to the north of the Quarry Lake to Old Stakers Lane.