Guilden Sutton Parish Council
August 2005, no 108
Who’s who on Guilden Sutton Parish
Council.
Cllr
Trisha Paterson is this year's chairman and is serving as the chairman of the
council for the first time. Cllr Bob Armitage, the father of the council, first
elected in 1977, is the vice chairman.
Cllr
Paterson, Cllr Armitage and Cllr Ron Bayton have been elected to represent the
council at the Chester Area Meeting of the Cheshire Association of Local
Councils.
Cllr
Armitage is chairman of the meeting and the council’s clerk, Mr David Norbury,
is honorary secretary.
Cllr
Derek Hughes, who is also chairman of Guilden Sutton Community Association, is
the council's representative to Cheshire Community Council Village Halls Forum.
Cllr
Bayton is to take an interest in issues relating to the Council for the
Protection of Rural England.
Cllr
Paterson continues as the council's representative to the Guilden Sutton
Village Hall Management Committee.
Cllr
Paterson, Cllr Hughes and Cllr Danny Fisher are to attend meetings of the City
Council's Gowy North Area Committee.
Cllr
Hughes is to attend the Chester Police Forum.
The
council's representative to the Chester District Public Transport Liaison
Committee is Cllr Armitage.
Cllr
Fisher is the council’s nominee to the governing body of the primary school.
Mr
Brian Lewin has been reappointed Parish Paths Warden and Cllr Bayton and Mr
Alan Young are to continue as Parish Tree Wardens.
The
Local Bus User Contact is again Cllr Pat Astbury.
Planning
A decision is awaited on plans put forward by Mr D Tennant for a dwelling and garage adjacent to
Church Farm, Church Lane.
A
site meeting was held on plans by mobile phone company T Mobile UK Ltd for a 37.5m
lattice mast with a radio equipment housing within a fenced compound at Tile
Farm, Wicker Lane.
Planning
applications considered by the council included proposals for a ground floor extension at 32 Oaklands and for a
conservatory at Holly House, Hare Lane to which no objections were raised.
The
same applied to proposals for a first floor bedroom extension at 2 Fox Cover
and for a tiled pitched roof to replace a flat roof at 8 Hickmore Heys.
Commenting on plans for a first floor side extension at 113 Oaklands, the council
said it had no objection subject to the planning
authority giving consideration to the number of off street car parking spaces
to be provided within the curtilage.
No
objections were raised to plans for a two storey extension at the side of The
Courtyard, 8 Wicker Lane.
The
parish council has supported requests for an application for a proposed waste recovery centre on the Wrexham Industrial Estate to
be called in by the Welsh Assembly Government.
Two applications on School Lane were refused permission by Chester
City Council.
They involved a conservatory at 46 School Lane and a two storey extension at 38
School Lane.
The
planning authority felt the siting and design of the conservatory would not
harmonise with the character and appearance of the dwelling and that it would
appear incongruous in the street scene.
Planning
officers believed the two storey extension would lead to an unacceptable loss
of amenity to adjoining occupiers due to its size, siting and design.
Consideration
is being given by parish councillors to the possibility of the village
producing a parish plan.
Councillors
have had a presentation from representatives of Cheshire Community Council and
Chester City Council.
Leisure and Amenity.
Work
is being carried out by local contractor Gresty to tidy the ditch on the
roadside boundary of the parish playing field on Guilden Sutton Lane.
The
hedge has been trimmed and debris is to be removed from the ditch.
Estimates
are being sought for repairs to the mesh on the basketball equipment on the
playing field.
Concerns
have been raised with the rights of way maintenance officer as to the condition
of areas around the stiles at the Oxen Bridge and adjoining fields.
The
parish council is maintaining its objection to proposals for a change in the
status of the green lane on the boundary of Guilden Sutton and Mickle Trafford which
is to be considered at a public inquiry in the autumn.
Possible
locations for new public seats within the parish are being considered following
suggestions from Summerfield House.
Following
concerns about an increase in dog fouling, the city council's dog warden was
requested to make early morning patrols.
Discussions
were held with the city council following the felling of a number of trees in
the dell amenity area. Parish
councillors became concerned as they had not been consulted about the work.
The
city council, which owns and maintains the area, has apologised and a meeting
has been held to discuss replacement planting and arrangements for the future management
of trees in the dell.
Public Transport
Following
representations made to Mr Stuart Hyslop, managing director of ChesterBus, at
the annual parish meeting, the 9am service to Chester from the village was
reinstated from Monday July 25. This is on a use it or lose it basis.
Concerns
have been raised about the timings of the service 80 to Chester Business Park
via the city centre. They followed suggestions that drivers' schedules did not
appear to line up with the timetable and that the arrival and departure of
services did not meet shift times on the business park.
County
transport coordinators have agreed to reinstate a bus stop sign on the A51 near
the junction with Wicker Lane following a request from the parish council.
Traffic matters
The
city council's speed indicator device is again to be used in the village in
September. The most recent survey, carried out on Guilden Sutton Lane and
School Lane, which have a 30mph limit, showed speeds up to 60 mph although most
motorists were driving at a reasonable speed. The police and the highway
authority have been informed.
The
parish council is also considering information on the Community Speed Watch
campaign and the `Set the Pace' initiative.
An
approach has been made to the highway authority as to the current position in
relation to the provision of `SLOW' markings and the condition of the verge
along Wicker Lane. A traffic count has also been in progress.
Following
site meetings attended by the District Maintenance Engineer, the footway on
Guilden Sutton Lane between Heath Bank and the A 41 was edged out and the
surface sealed.
An
additional `SLOW' marking was provided on School Lane close to the bend at the
old school and on Belle Vue Lane, a `SLOW’ and junction markings were renewed.
The
edge of the carriageway on Guilden Sutton Lane adjoining the parish playing
field has been inspected and damage caused by repeated work to a water main is
to be repaired.
Finance
Payments
by the council have included £1,176.26 for the insurance
premium for 2005/06 and £ 977.60 for duties carried out by the village
lengthsman during 2004/05.
These
included regular litter picking of the parish playing field, the children's
play area, the surrounds to the village hall and the parish car park on Church
Lane.
The
audit of the council's accounts for 2004/25 is in progress and the annual
return is with the external auditor UHY Hacker Young.
Telephone kiosks
Notice
has been given by British Telecom that it intends to convert the telephone
kiosk on Hill Top Road so that it can only be used by people with phone cards
or debit and credit cards. Emergency 999 calls and reverse charge calls would
not be affected.
It
is thought a previous proposal by BT to withdraw the telephone box on Church
Lane by the parish car park might not now go ahead.
Twinning
The
council has considered a letter from Mr J Spencer and Mr B Dacre requesting it
to twin with Chililabombwe, a small town in Zambia close to the border with the
Congo. Councillors met Mr Spencer and Mr Dacre informally to seek further
information.
It
is not envisaged any expense would be involved if the proposed twinning
proceeds.
Overgrown hedges
Concern
has been expressed that due to the conditions this summer, which have been
ideal for growth, a number of boundary hedgerows in the village are encroaching
onto adjoining public footways.
Parish councillors say they hope landowners and residents will keep an eye on
their boundaries and ensure footways are kept clear, particularly for elderly
people and those with prams, as complaints have been received.
It is pointed out that even long grass overhanging a footway can be unpleasant
for people passing by in wet conditions.
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Information. The Council's e mail address is info@guildensutton.org.uk and its web site is at www.guildensutton.org.uk
Future
meetings: Future meetings of the Council are
due to be held in the Village Hall on Mondays 12 September, 10 October, 7 November and 12 December, 2005. Residents
are welcome to attend and all are preceded by public speaking time.
Contact
Councillors Bob Armitage 300528, Pat Astbury 318276, Ron Bayton 301286, Danny
Fisher 301398, Derek Hughes 300185, Trisha Paterson 300307, Julie Proudlove
300318 and Gail Young 301558 or the Clerk, David Norbury, 1 Orchard Croft,
Guilden Sutton, CHESTER, CH3 7SL, 300783. Cllr Astbury 318276 is the Local Bus
User Contact and Brian Lewin 301501 is the Parish Paths Warden. The Parish Tree
Wardens are Cllr Ron Bayton 301286 and Mr Alan Young 301558.