Attendees

Electors

12 electors attended plus the Clerk and the Chairperson (names held by the Clerk until next meeting).

Others

Applicants` representative for application number S/ 203/02837/20 (name held by the Clerk until next meeting).

Prior to the meeting the applicants` representative spoke briefly to the electors.

Formal meeting commenced at 7.10pm.

Apologies

7 apologies from electors received ahead of the meeting (names held by the Clerk until next meeting).

Apology received from Cllr Thomas Ashton.

Approval of Minutes of meeting held on 26th September 2019

The minutes of the meeting held on 26th September 2019 had been circulated previously and were approved unanimously. They were signed by the Chair.

The Chair took the opportunity to update the meeting further from the last minutes by reading out a recent email received regarding the bird box scheme.

Declarations of Interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011.

6 electors declared an interest (names held by the Clerk until next meeting).

An interest was declared in relation to application number S/ 203/02837/20 regarding the tenant farmer (and family members) who uses the buildings and land to which the application relates.

An interest was also declared by the occupants of Holme Farm in relation to the same application on the basis of their property being adjacent to the same buildings and land, and due to the fact that they approached the applicant regarding the possibility of acquiring the buildings as a potential garage to Holme Farm.

No other declarations were received.

It was explained that Declarations could be received at any point in the meeting should they arise due to issues raised and discussed.

Planning applications

Solar Farm S/203/02379/20

The Chair briefly explained that the new application that has been made to change a condition imposed on the original planning consent.

Previous comments had been received from 2 electors prior to the meeting as part of the consultation process. Those comments were disclosed to the meeting (details held by the Clerk until next meeting).

All 12 electors present were given the opportunity to comment. All of the electors` present consented to the application. The Chair and Clerk abstained.

A motion was put to the meeting that the Clerk to WFPM prepares and submits a letter of consent in response to this application. It was carried unanimously with the Chair and Clerk abstaining.

Barn conversion to the west of Holme Farm S/203/02387/20

The Chair referred to the application that had been briefly outlined by the applicant`s representative and details of which had been circulated to the attendees.

The Chair read out the applicant`s email to the Clerk dated 11.01.2021 as well as the objection letter from the tenant farmer already submitted to ELDC to which the email relates.

The Chair explained that she and the Clerk had been consulted prior to the meeting by 7 electors who could not make the Zoom meeting (including the tenant farmer), but whom wished their written or verbal comments on the application to be read to the meeting). All comments were disclosed to the meeting.

All 12 electors present at the meeting were given the opportunity to comment on the application.  All of the electors` present objected to the application. The Chair and Clerk abstained from commenting on the application.

A motion was put to the meeting that the Clerk to WFPM prepares and submits a letter of objection in response to this application. It was carried unanimously with the Chair and Clerk abstaining.

Any Other Business

• Vote of thanks to a member of the Parish who has been volunteering to help at Pilgrim Hospital during the Covid pandemic. It was mentioned that if anyone felt in need of assistance during the pandemic, they could contact him via the Chair and Clerk.
• The electors present were all in favour of keeping the parish precept at a zero rate and they also ratified the declaration of no accounts/ certificate of exemption for filing accounts.
• A motion was put to the meeting that the Chairperson of WFPM ratifies the declaration of no accounts for the Parish Meeting, as well as the certificate of exemption for filing accounts. It was carried unanimously.
• A motion was put to the meeting that the WFPM continues to set its` Parish precept charge at zero. It was carried unanimously.
• The Chair explained that LCC have recently overhauled their hosting portal for our website, and that the new website is still a work in progress. We are adding to it slowly. The electors were invited to provide photographs of the Parish that would be suitable for publication on the website.
• The Chair read out an emailed update received from Cllr Thomas Ashton regarding the state of the road at Folly Lane and the prospect of LCC carrying out road improvements. A further update would be required in due course. Electors` made contributions to the discussion noting that potholes are causing damage to vehicles.
• One elector raised the condition of Stickney Lane noting that he recently damaged his vehicle due to potholes in the verges despite him knowing the road well. He and others were encouraged to report any incidents to LCC via “Fix My Street”, a link to which can be found at the bottom of the West Fen Parish website.

Matters for the next agenda

• Folly Lane and Stickney Lane highways issues.
• It was suggested that observations should be sought from a local environmentalist on the possibility of bats being present at the barn to the west of Holme Farm.

Date, time and venue of next meeting

A date was set for our next Annual Parish Meeting at 7.00pm on 13th May 2021 at a venue tbc.

The meeting was closed at 7.55pm.

Signed: ………………………………………………..

(Mrs Louise Edney – Chair of West Fen Parish Meeting)

Dated: …………………………………………………