There was one member of the public present (see attached notes).

Present:

Cllr N R G Clarke (Chairman)
Cllr N J Chard
Cllr Mrs B Charlton
Cllr D R Cole
Cllr T Scriven
Cllr B H Terry

In Attendance:

Jo Stannard, Deputy Town Clerk
Cllr T G Scriven

The Chairman welcomed Cllr Scriven to his first meeting of the Committee. It was noted that he was present as an observer only, as his appointment to the Committee had not yet been confirmed by Full Council.

P/4335 Absence

Apologies for absence had been received from Cllr M F J Daly.

P/4336 Declarations of Interest

Cllr Mrs Charlton declared a personal and prejudicial interest in planning application numbers 88265 and 88267 and left the room during discussion of these items.

P/4337 Minutes of Previous Meeting

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meetings held on 24th May and 23rd June 2006, having been circulated, were approved and signed as a correct record.

With the agreement of the Committee, planning application number 90378 was considered next for the benefit of the member of public present (see Annex ‘A’ for observation).

P/4338 Signage

The issue of signage had been referred back to the Committee by Full Council. It was noted that the Town Plan Partnership Steering Group had appointed a Project Group to investigate signage issues and report back with proposals, costings and sources of funding, therefore, no further action was required by this Committee. However, members agreed that it would be beneficial for a member of this Committee to serve on the Project Group.

Cllr Clarke reported that the County Council was concerned about the visual intrusion of incremental signage across the county and would therefore be carrying out an audit of signs to consider their location and utility, to determine if some signs may be redundant and to look at improved design to reduce their impact on the environment. As a result of this, there may be funding available to improve signage in the town.

RESOLVED: That Cllr Terry be appointed to serve on the Signage Project Group.

P/4339 Bickerley / Pocket Park

Members noted the Recreation, Leisure & Open Spaces minute (ref OS/4787) regarding the proposed extension of the footpath across the Village Green, and the effect this would have on the width of the road, reducing it by up to 3ft in places.

RESOLVED: That the Recreation, Leisure & Open Spaces Committee’s approval of the proposal for kerbing at the Bickerley be supported, and the effect of it on the width of Bickerley Road be noted.

P/4340 Appeal to the First Secretary of State

It was noted that Mr R G Luckie had lodged an Appeal against New Forest District Council’s decision to refuse the application for a detached dwelling at land of 14 Field Way (Planning Application Number 86815 refers). The Town Council had recommended that this application be granted permission.

Members did not believe that the site was in a prominent location, as stated in the reason for refusal, and it was therefore

RESOLVED: That a letter be sent to the Planning Inspectorate in support of the Appeal by Mr Luckie.

P/4341 Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006

Members received details of this new Act and its impact on town and parish councils.

RESOLVED: That the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 be promoted through the Council’s website, by way of a link to the energy pages on the District Council’s website.

P/4342 New Forest National Park – Draft Statement of Community Involvement

The Deputy Town Clerk reported that the New Forest National Park Authority had issued a draft Statement of Community Involvement for consultation. It was noted that this document was similar to that issued by the District Council.

RESOLVED: That the New Forest National Park Statement of Community Involvement be supported but that no further comments be made.

P/4343 District Council Members Tour of Planning Sites

The Deputy Town Clerk reported that members of the District Council’s Planning Development Control Committee would be visiting the west of the District on 22nd September 2006 to look at the results of recent planning decisions made. She had made several recommendations for suitable sites to visit in the town and asked if members had any further suggestions.

RESOLVED: That the list of sites suggested by the Deputy Town Clerk for the District Council members visit be approved and that no further suggestions be put forward.

P/4344  Planning Applications Considered

Planning applications in respect of periods ending 20th & 27th June and 4th & 11th July 2006 were considered.

It was noted that Cllr Cracknell supported planning application number 88206 for the site rear of 41 Christchurch Road.

RESOLVED: That the observations as shown in Annex ‘A’ be submitted.

P/4345 Urgent Business

i) Ringwood School Travel Plan

It was noted that Cllr Chard had been attending discussions at Ringwood School regarding a School Travel Plan. It was hoped that the Plan would be submitted in September 2006 and that, as a result, funding would be made available to implement some of the proposals in the Plan to improve the health and safety of students. In the meantime, the School had asked the Council if it could assist with improving signage and traffic calming measures in surrounding roads, providing a drop-off/pick-up location near to the school site and installing more litter bins in the area. As the Town Council was not the authority responsible for any of these proposals, it was

RESOLVED: That a copy of the School’s proposals be forwarded to the relevant officer at New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council.

ii) Trees

The Deputy Town Clerk reported that the District Council’s tree officer was concerned about two trees in the town, both of which required felling on health and safety grounds. It was noted that the first tree, a holm oak, was a prominent feature on the Bickerley on the site of the Old Mill Flats, but was riddled with fungus and the second tree, a monterey pine, was on the site of Whitegates in Gravel Lane off which a large lateral branch had fallen last week. Applications for both trees would be received in due course.

RESOLVED: That the professional opinion of the District Council’s tree officer be supported and that replacement trees be required in both cases.

iii) New boundary fence at Ringwood Junior School

It was noted that the Council had been consulted by Hampshire County Council on proposals to replace the existing boundary fence at Ringwood Junior School with a 2.4m plastic coated chain link.

RESOLVED: That the proposals to replace the boundary fence at Ringwood Junior School be supported.

iv) Appeal by Bikers Legal Defence

It was noted that Bikers Legal Defence had lodged an Appeal against New Forest District Council’s decision to refuse the application for retention of a covered store at Unit 3, Carvers Industrial Estate (Planning Application Number 86316 refers). The Town Council had recommended that this application be granted permission.

Members agreed that the proposed store was a modest and visually low impact structure, which was not out of keeping on an industrial estate.

RESOLVED: That a letter be sent to the Planning Inspectorate in support of the Appeal by Bikers Legal Defence.