Access the Parish Council's Finance/Accounts  webpage  here  or direct from drop down menu

Access  our Data Protection and GDPR webpage here or direct  from drop down menu

 See the Agenda for 11/06/2020 HERE

For the Minutes  11/06/2020 Click Here

Further information about Parish Council arrangements in the 2020 period.
The Government Covid 19 Guidance in March requiring people to limit their physical contact with others, subject to limited exceptions, did not permit the Parish Council to convene and hold in a public place either the Annual Parish Meeting nor the Council's Annual Meeting ( or AGM) in May.

The Government has issued a Statutory Instrument,  The Local Authorities (Coronavirus) Regulation 2020, which applies to Local Authority meetings required to be held before  7 May 2021  -this date can be brought forward if Gov Covid rules are relaxed.  This:

• removed the requirement for Local Authorities to convene an Annual Meeting, the requirement to hold at least 3 ordinary parish council meetings in a year remains;  and 
• provides that where an appointment is required to be made at the Annual Meeting,  the appointment continues until the next annual meeting i.e. this will apply to the election of chairman, which occurs as the first business of the Annual Meeting, and, therefore the current chairman will remain in office until an annual meeting is held (possibly 2021) unless the council decide to elect a replacement earlier;
• permits the holding of remote meetings  via digital  means  ( video/audio  link ) and enables councils to make standing orders to specify how 

     Councils should make these decisions based upon their own needs and capacity; 

Planning application 20/01245/FUL  for   erection of an oak framed extension replacing existing garage      at Keepers Cottage
Full details can be found on the Planning Authority's website
Read Combroke PC Representation Here 

Planning application 19/00361/FUL for Enlargement of parking area, erection of retaining wall at The Little House.
Further Amendments have been submitted.  Full details of the scheme can be found on the Planning Authority's website.
 Read Combroke PC Representation

The Parish Council meeting planned for 23 March was cancelled in line with government COVID 19 recommendations. 

Parish Councillors supported by the Clerk will keep in contact through digital means and under delegated powers the Clerk will ensure that day to day functions of the Council can continue to be carried out for the time being

The Parish Council held a meeting on Monday 13th January 2020  at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. 

     Minutes of  13-01-20

Download the Agenda for 13-01-20 here

At the meeting of the Parish Council  on Monday 11th November at 7.30pm in the Village Hall,
District Councillor Mills explained the background to the District Council's consultation on a proposal to introduce  an annual charge for the Garden Waste (Green Bin ) Collection   ~ it is proposed a kitchen waste caddy collection will remain a free service for households not wishing to subscribe to the garden waste scheme. ( more details in  the minutes at items   7 and 10. )  
We learned that the Appeal on the original application 18/0185/FUL at the Loft had been refused. The remainder  of outstanding planning applications were all pending decisions, and we reviewed a new application which had been submitted, ref 19/02282/FUlL, for No 39 for the  Demolition of an existing shed and erection of a new gararge and workroom.  ( see below ).

Download the minutes here  for 11-11-19

Planning Application 19/02282/FUL   Demolition of work shed, erection of new garage and workroom  at No 39 Combrook

Full details can be found on the Planning Authority's website

Download a copy of the Parish Council's Representation  for  19/02282/FUL here

At the meeting of the Parish Council  on  Monday 9th September at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. 
We had a huge  number of planning items, including reviewing the Council's own application for Listed Building Consent to place a Defibrillator Cabinet on the  N E side wall of the Village Hall porch. We also agreed the purchase of the recommended cabinet.
A new application for the Tree PLace has been submitted and this was discussed at the meeting ( see below).   In the update for the Little House application, it was noted that the final stretch of the lane down to the gateway at Keepers Cottage  is now confirmed by WCC as  an "adopted highway".   It was noted that the applicatiions for Croft Cottage and Hornbeam House have been approevd .     

Download the Draft Minutes for 9-09-19  here 

A Planning Application 19/02056/FUL:  for the Replacement of existing mixed use building (part residential and part agricultural) to a single dwelling incorporating the existing steel frame on the site at the Tree Place

Full details for the scheme can be found on the Planning Authority's website

Read Combroke Parish Council's Representation for  19/02056/FUL here

 Following further research about the access required for a Fire Service Vehicle,  the Parish Council submitted an Addendum to the above Representation for the Tree House. 

Read Combroke Parish Council's  Addendum to Representation for 19/02056/FUL

At the  Meeting of Parish Council on Monday 15th July   We picked up the review of our financial regulations  from the previous meeting, this was particularly with regard to recent guidance issued on the role of internal auditor.  A report was presented describing the recent changes in audit  regulations for small local authorities and implications for internal audit. It was noted that the current training programme from  WALC (Warwickshire Association of Local Councils)  includes a course which specifically addresses the role of Internal Auditor and it was agreed to defer completion of the review  until after attendance at the course in September.     

A further update on the proposed gateway at the west entrance to the Village is still awaited.  With regard to the Defibrillator proposals a  Working Group had reviewed the possible locations and decided the Village Hall location remained as the most sensible option - a  planning application for Listed Building Consent would be made following further discussions with the Diocesan Authority.
There were seven planning related items including two tree notofications.  The Appeal at the Tree Place  ( see previous meeting) has been dismissed, the Appeal at the Loft is still pending decision.  There was a new application  
for external modifications  at Hornbeam House  and further amendments for the proposal at The Little House (see previous meeting). These were both discussed at the meeting.   We noted and confirmed the earlier response made for Croft Cottage.    There followed a discussion about the difficulties that  owners of Listed Buildings can face  in accessing clear advice about proposals. Further details of these three applications and the Parish Council's Representatons are provided below.

Climate Change: it was recognised that the Parish Council is only a small cog in the wheel however it was felt that bit by bit  small cogs can make a difference. Following discussions about the sorts of small changes we could consider making as individuals,  small groups and maybe as a whole village,   we unanimously supported the appointment of Stephanie Connah as Combroke Parish  Council's   Champion  for Climate Change Issues   ~ watch this space!  

The full minutes of the meeting  will be posted in due course....

Download the Minutes of the  Meeting 15-07-19  here 

A Planning Application 19/01663/FUL for proposed extensions and modifications at Hornbeam House

Full details can be found on the Planning Authority's website

 Read Combroke Parish  Council's Representation  for 19/01663/FUL here

Planning application 19/00361/FUL for Enlargement of parking area, erection of retaining wall at The Little House
Further Amendments have been submitted. (refer  Meeting 13 May 2019)    Full details of the scheme can be found on the Planning Authority's website.

Read Combroke P C's further Representation for 19/00361/FUL here  

Planning Application  19/01658/FUL & 19/01659/LBC  for replacement rear extension, chimney,  erection of new porch & other internal modifications  at  Croft Cottage

Full details of the scheme can be found on the Planning Authority's website 

Read Combroke P C's Representation  for 19/01659/LBC here

Parish & District Council Elections May 2019 
In an uncontested election the following were  duly elected to the Parish Council:                                                       Stephanie Connah; Tim Goodhead; Nathan Griffiths; Jo Price and Brenda Rayson.

Christopher Mills was duly elected to the  Stratford on  Avon District Council,
gaining over 65% of the vote  with a 43% turnout.

At the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING on Monday 13th  May at 7.30 in the Village Hall,
the Annual Report was given by Brenda Rayson as Chairman of the Parish Council during 2018/19. You can download a copy of the full report below.
Brenda concluded the meeting thanking everyone again,  who had supported Combrook and the Parish Council and then thanked Parish Councillors and the Clerk, Gina Lowe, for all their support and hard work for the Parish Council during the year.

Download the Annual Report  here

 On Monday 13th May the first Meeting of the  newly elected Parish Council for the year 2019-20 followed at the conclusion of the Annual Parish Meeting. Stephanie Connah, Tim Goodhead, Nathan Griffiths,  Jo Price and Brenda Rayson have been elected to the Council in an uncontested election.   The first task was to elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman.  Brenda Rayson was nominated unopposed as Chairman and Tim Goodhead as  Vice Chairman.  Declarations of Acceptance of Office were made. 

We went on to confirm that Brenda Rayson will continue as Representative for the Kineton United Charities Trust , Stephanie Connah as the PC Representative on the Village Hall Committee, Tim Goodhead will take the role of Finance Councillor and Brenda Rayson as Parish Council Member of the  Leys Management Group. We reviewed the Standing Orders and Financial Regulations ~we made no changes to the Standing Orders, but it was recommened we should consider the Financial Regulations at the July meeting, in order to review recent guidance on the process of Internal Audit.   We went on to approve our delegations to the Clerk of the Council.

We scrutinised and approved the end of year accounts. It was agreed that the Parish Council met the criteria to complete and submit the new Certificate of Exemption to the nationally appointed external auditor. We went on to review the Annual Governance and Accounting Statements of the Parish Council.  We also considered and  approved the Council's annual insurance renewal.

We covered the usual items such as planning matters, and updates.  We noted two applications had coincided with the Easter and School holiday break. For one, Brenda Rayson had led on drafting a response for the Clerk to consider for submission within the consulation deadline and taking account of previous discussion and soundings with eligible Members. And, similarly Tim Goodhead led on the other application (see detail below ).  Also we  learmed that two Appeals to the Planning Inspectorate had been made. We discussed the Appeals and agreed that the Parish Council should support the District Council's  recommendations to have refused the applocations.  But for each there were pertinent matters, additional to the Council's original representation, and it was agreed that the Parish Council should submit a further representation to the Appeal Inspector  ( see below). 

Finally, we were pleased to learn that further progress has been made with the County Highways  Safety Engineers on  a proposal to create a Gateway feature at the west entrance to the village. Engineers visited the site, identified possible solutions and identified an approach to create a gateway feature which will have the best visual impact on approach from either direction.  There was  a choice of "white" or  "natural oak"   finish, and since this was primarily a safety feature it was agreed that white would be the best.   Full minutes of the meeting can be downloaded below.

 

Download the Draft minutes  of PC Meeting  13-05-19

A Planning Appeal has been submitted for Planning Application Ref: 18/03788/FUL at The Tree Place, CV35 9HP
Change of use of part of the land from agricultural to domestic curtilage, demolition of existing barn /dwelling and construction of replacement dwelling.  

A Planning Appeal has been submitted for Planning Application 18/02775/FUL  at The Loft, Green Farm.
2 storey extension to first floor flat over detached garage block, change of land use designation from agricultural to residential, erection of raised decking adjacent to extension

Planning Application 19/00792/FUL for 2 storey extension to first floor flat at The Loft, Green Farm.
Full details of the scheme can be found on  the PLanning Authority's website

Read Combroke PC Represention for 19/00792/FUL here

Planning application  19/00361/FUL  for Enlargement of parking area, erection of retaining wall  at The Little House
Full details of the scheme can be found on the Planning Authority's website

Read Combroke PC Representation for 19/00361/FUL here

Following re-submission of plans and some documents for the above, 

Read Combroke PC Further Representation  for 19/00361/FUL here

At the Meeting of the Parish Council on Monday 18th March we noted the new drainage opposite the Triangular Green had been carried out but was still awaiting the finishing tarmac - this was due to be completed soon. There had been a meeting in January with WCC safety engineers to discuss the proposed gateway feature at the entrance/exit from the village west towards the Fosse and we await further design proposals - see further details of road and drainage matters in the Minutes. Outcomes of decisions by the Planning Authority were reported, and in particular  we noted the proposal at the Tree Place had been refused.
During finance matters we reviewed recent payments regarding the Village Hall, and agreed a further payment which had not been previously claimed during the reorganisation of the rental and insurance payments,  which had been instigated at the request of the Diocesan Authority who lease the hall for village use. As a result we made a further adjustment to our review of finance and budget proposals from our meeting in January 

Read the minutes 18-03-2019 here

At the Meeting of the Parish Council on Tuesday 22nd January 2019   we discussed a number of planning matters, including  a consulation on a planning application for the Tree Place Planning Ref  18/03788/FUL.   It was suggested that since this is on a site beyond the edge of the  village residents may wish to have an opportunity to find out about the proposals and make their views known.  It was agreed a 'village meeting'  should be held  on Monday 28th January at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.  
As well as the usual finance matters we reviewed the annual budget and considered the precept for 2019-20.
We heard that the County Highways Safety Engineers are progressing matters regarding the possibility of traffic calming features on entrance/exit from the village west towards the Fosse. It was hoped the engineer would be meeting with our P C  representatives soon.  It was reported there will be a road closure  4-8th February to  install the proposed  new gulley on the hill adjacent No 40  opposite the grass triangle.   Also the rutting and road surface break up on the lane at the bottom end, adjacent Chestnut House,  will be surveyed soon too and hopefully a repair will be planned.  It was noted that the blocked gulley and culvert in Spring Lane has been jetted and the culvert repaired since our last meeting. 
At the end of the meeting we reviewed the Parish Council's 'Dog Notes' and agreed they should be reissued to residents. It was explained that with regard to nuisance barking, if appoaches made directly to owners about excessive barking do not resolve matters,  then it would be neccessary to keep a log of incidents before pursuing matters further under the relevant legislation.  

Download the Draft Minutes   22-01-19  here 

Planning Application Ref: 18/03788/FUL:
The Tree Place, CV35 9HP 
Change of use of part of the land from agricultural to domestic curtilage, demolition of existing barn /dwelling and construction of replacement dwelling

The above planning application was considered at the last Parish Council Meeting (22nd  January)  and the plans were  made available for residents  to view at a Village Meeting on the 28th January.  

You can read the Parish Council's Representation  here:     Download

A meeting of the Parish Council took place on 20th November 2018 .  You can download the draft minutes of the meeting here  :

Draft Minutes 20-11-18

There was  an extra-ordinary meeting of the Parish Council on Tuesday 6 November
This had been convened in order to consider the consulation on a planning application for The Tree Place. You can view the detail of the application for Planning Ref 18/02729/LDE  on the Stratford on Avon District Council Website

At the meeting of the Parish Council on Wednesday 26th September.  
At the beginning of the meeting we worked through a scenario from the  SDC training on the new code of conduct.  
It was noted that the position with regard to GDPR ( see I8 July meeting) was still not clear. The Chairman reported on the outcome of a telephone enquiry with the ICO helpline, during which it was suggested it was up to the Parish Council to decide whether or not the level of activities undertaken by the Council would require registration for which the annual cost would be £40.   Following a discussion it was decided that the Clerk should make arrangements to register Combroke Parish Council. 
We noted the Village Hall gate pillar repair was now completed. The hay cut on the Leys  was completed  towards the end of August in  time for the installation of the  new bench,  grant funded by the Village Hall Committee. 
Two retrospective planning applications for  No 14  were received during the summer recess. Representations for both were submitted based on elements from the Council's submission for the July 2017 application and  previous discussion at the Council's meeting on 18 July 2018.  All Councillors available had approved the submissions through email contact.  The meeting formally approved both.
It was noted the application 18/01851/FUL for the Loft has been withdrawn, it is expected a revised applicatiion would be submitted in due course.  ( see below)   
There was a discussion  about traffic speed in the vicinity of Compton Fields. Residents have reported some 'near miss' events on the lane out of the village at the junction with the access to Compton Fields.  It was agreed to contact County Highways to ask Officers to look into the matter and identify what can be done.  

Read the draft minutes of the meeting here: Draft Minutes 26/09/18

Planning Application 18/02374/FUL   Retrospective  for the construction of an ancillary domestic building  at  14 Combrook

Download  the PC Representation for 18/02374/FUL

At the meeting of the Parish Council  on 18th  July.  
We noted there were further developments in the  in the passage of the Data Protection Act 2018 which was given Assent on 23 May. As a result,  for the purposes of the GDPR the definition of a Public Authority is not to include Parish Councils in England.   This  will mean that  some of the provisions approved at our last meeting do not apply.  There was still lack of clear advice for Parish Councils on how to proceed on some matters and it was agreed to await further advice.
It was noted that fibre broadband  was now available from the Cabinet at Church Hill and as far as we were aware all properties within  the boundary of the village  were able to make an orderfor a fibre upgrade  - there had been teeething problems at first but these  were quickly sorted with support from  the CSW Broadband Project.    
We looked at planning updates and considered two new application.  (See below) 
You can can read more  in the draft minutes :  Download Draft Minutes  18- 07 -18 

Planning Application 18/01556/FUL  & LBC  Proposed extension to provide single storey garden room at  Red House.
Following scrutiny of the plans, it was agreed  that the Parish Council has no objection subject to the Planning Authority's Conservation Officer agreeing that the LBC (Listed Building Consent)  can be supported 

Planning Application 18/01851/FUL  2 storey extension  to first floor flat at The Loft, Green Farm.  
Subject to the resolution of details raised,   and subject to the Conservation Officer's agreement that proposals can be supported with regard to impact on the setting of adjacent listed properties and Conservation Area, then the Parish Council does not object to the scheme proposed. Download the PC Representation for  18-01851-FUL 

There was an Extra Meeting of the Parish Council on Thursday 7 June at 2.00 pm.   The Council considered  the Annual  Internal Audit Report 2017-18, noting there were no issues raised.   Following the completion of the examination of the Annual Governance Statement  it was approved and likewise the Accounting Statements for 2017-18 were then formally approved for publication.

 Draft Minutes Extraordinary  Meeting 07- 06 -18

The Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council on Tuesday 8 May followed at the rising of the Annual Parish Meeting. The first task was to elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman for the upcoming year 2018/19. Brenda Rayson was nominated unopposed as Chairman and Tim Goodhead as Vice Chairman. Both made their declaration of Acceptance of Office to the meeting.

We went on to confirm that Brenda Rayson will continue as Representative for the Kineton United Charities Trust , Stephanie Connah as the PC Representative on the Village Hall Committee, Tim Goodhead will take the role of Finance Councillor and Brenda Rayson as Parish Council Member of the newly established Leys Management Group. We reviewed the Standing Orders and Financial Regulations ~we made no changes to these~ and went on to approve our delegations to the Clerk of the Council.

We then scrutinised and approved the end of year accounts.  It was agreed that the Parish Council met the criteria to complete and submit the new Certificate of Exemption to the nationally appointed external auditor.    We went on to review  the Annual Governance and Accounting Statements of the Parish Council.  However since our meeting was convened earlier in the month than usual, the Internal Audit  for the accounts  2017/18 was not yet  completed and it was agreed the Council would hold a Special Meeting at the beginning of June with a single item to receive the Internal Audit Report before formally  approving the Governance and Accounting Statements  ready for the Publication of them for Public Scrutiny.  We also approved the Council's annual insurance renewal. 

We covered the usual items such as planning matters,  and updates. This  included news that the Insurers had approved the full costs of the repair for the Village Hall Gate Pillar - and work will be underway soon,  likely to take several months whilst replacement stones were sourced and cut to accurate shape and size.  

A key item was a report and recommendations for approval regarding the
General Data Protection Regulation
The Parish Council relies upon the professional and legal advice from the National Association of Local Councils with regard to the interpretation and implementation of new legislation and regulations.   NALC has produced an extensive toolkit to support Councils to manage the implementation of the GDPR. The toolkit was published at the end of February 2018. 

Whilst it provides helpful advice, it raises as many questions with regard to the needs of a small authority such as Combroke with relatively low use of personal data ( offer than for staff / councillors etc ). It is recognised that further work will need to be done but that an interim position be established by 25 May 2018.
It was agreed:
The Parish Council fully endorses and accepts the principles of the GDPR


The Council will

• Register to pay the required data protection fee by 25 May 2018
• Complete a full programme to review all its policies and activities with regard to the GDPR
• Revise / produce new policy statements where appropriate, and in particular develop detailed privacy notices both for the public  and staff /councillor / volunteer role.
• Publish public  privacy notices on the website - and publish an interim notice before 25 May 2018.


The current personal data held and in use from time to time about residents is the email address file.

The Council will

• invite residents to confirm or otherwise the continued use of their data for that purpose before the 25 May
• delete data held before 25 May, where a positive affirmation is not received .

Further advice will be sought regarding the appropriate appointment of a Data Protection Officer*,  until such advice on the proper appointment of DPO the Chairman will act in that capacity.

Further advice will be sought whether or not an unaddressed leaflet drop to all households constitutes " written use of personal address " and whether a consent is required for such activity.

* nb it is advised the appointing a Clerk/Responsible Finance Officer to the role of Data Protection Officer is likely to create  a  conflict of interest.  

Further information about the GDPR can be found here
You can read the draft minutes here:     The DRAFT minutes 08-05-18

At the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING on Tuesday 8 May at 7.30 in the Village Hall,
a lovely spring evening provided a welcome backdrop as Brenda Rayson gave the Annual Report as Chairman of the Parish Council during 2017/18. You can download a copy of the full report below. As well as reporting on the Year and thanking many people and our Local Services for their support to the village, Brenda also commented that last year's prediction that fibre might be arriving before the end of 2017 was sadly not to be.... but hopefully it is now just around the corner. With the green cabinet at a well chosen site, it already begins to feel if it has long been there. We had received apologies from both District Councillor Mills and County Councillor Williams whose Annual Report was read at the meeting. Brenda concluded the meeting thanking everyone again who had supported Combrook and the Parish Council and then thanked Parish Councillors and the Clerk, Gina Lowe, for all their support and hard work for the Parish Council during the year.    
                                                                                                                                                       Annual Report to the Parish Meeting 2017-18

At the meeting of the Parish Council on  20 March
It was noted that Members of the Council will take part in training, using video training media,  on the changes to the  Code of Conduct  adopted at the November meeting.
 We reviewed the impact of the 2nd snow and ice period this year.   It was noted that the grit bins at the grass triangle and  the hill  out to the Fosse  were well used during the period and were now empty.  There did not seem to be a mechanism for getting them re-filled as a priority as soon as they are empty,  currently the County team re-fill  grit bins around the district as and when they are able to do so.   It was noted  we should look into this since the grit was crucial to enabling vehicles to safely navigate in and out of the village in treacherous conditions 
We were pleased to learn that the County Flood Management team have approved a grant  to install new drainage to deal with the current surface water at the bottom gate entrance to the Leys . Grant for the project has been agreed with the recommendation to include an additional rodding chamber /drain manhole in the field to facilitate the clearance of blockages .  
We noted the work to the telecoms cabinet at Church Hill  progressed as planned in early March and it would normally be a few weeks before the cabinet goes " live" to enable Internet Service Providers to accept orders for fibre connections. 
Regarding the Village Hall gate pillar, Biffa's Insurance  loss adjuster inspected  the damage on the day of our meeting . There had been no questions put indicating any disagreement with our claim. The Clerk will be informed of the outcome in a few weeks. 
A notice to residents inviting volunteers to join a Leys "management committee" had been disitributed and already several expressions of interest received.  It was agreed to leave it open and arrange a first meeting after the Easter period. Following a discussion about terms of reference and upon advice from the Clerk,  it was also agreed the group should be established in an advisory capacity which would allow membership to be flexible and review the matter after the first year.  Brenda was nominated to represent the Parish Council on the Group.
Further progress was reporetd on the restoration of the estate railing and replacement of field gate  at the top south east boundary of the Leys beside the village entrance sign. Tim and Brenda had met with blacksmith in February  to discuss the possible layout and arrangement.   This will include a pedestrian access gate as well at the use of a restored Victorian Field Gate to complement the estate railings to be restored at that section of the lane.  The railings have been kindly donated by a local family and will be refurbished before installation.
On planning matters, it was noted that the outstanding enforcement at No 14 was ongoing and that the item at the Planning Authority's   Committee Meeting in February to consider the application for Air source Heat Pumps had been deferred until the next meeting due 21 st March.  A further letter of submission on the matter to the Planning Authority was noted and approved by the full Parish Council. 

Download the minutes 20/03/18  here

At the meeting of the Parish Council on 16 January  
We reviewed the impact of snow/ice during recent winter weather including a discussion about the letter delivered to all households from County Highways about the gritter vehicle  and the need to ensure that parking did not prevent the gritter from completing its route through the village.   It was noted that residents through the middle of the high street had responded postively and were parking with extra care.  The pinch point is around "corner" of Quince Corner.  There was no easy solution  but  it was noted adjacent residents had started parking beyond the telephone box and that was helping.  It was agreed the village could not afford to lose the gritter service and we should continue to monitor the situation. During the snow/ice the  top bend  at Church Hill adjacent Imladris became very bad causing cars to skid and the grit bin  beyond the field gate at the Leys was  not well placed  to be useful.   It was agreed we should ask the County to consider moving it closer to the problem on the bend.   At the west entrance to the village, there was a lot of water flowing down the hill by the grass triangle,  and subsequent freeezing  over was making it treacherous. Contact had already been made with the County team to install a new gulley to cope with  the extra surface water, this was still to be implemented but would hopefully be done this year. 

The agenda included the topic of dog waste bins.  After a discussion of the pros and cons regarding location and impact on the street scene.  It was concluded that within the immediate  village area, no one was more than ten minutes  from their home and it was not  a significant burden for owners to carry waste bags to dispose in their domestic bins. It was agreed to remain as we are.

Click here to download the Minutes for 16 January 

At the meeting of the Parish Council was on Tuesday  14 November :
We had a long agenda and decided to postpone a couple of items because  a resident had asked us to think about involving more people in managing the Leys.   First, the arrangements for a meeting to look at the possibility of a defribilator in the village had been postponed until the New Year.  The Parish Council also considered and adopted a new Code of Conduct and agreed to undergo training in the new code so that all Councillors  would be  familiar with it.  The Code had been developed by Stratford on Avon District Council in response to matters raised about the interpretation of the old code in practice.    The Council also scrutinised the half year accounts and considered the budget and precept for next year.    And, we noted an insurance claim was being considered with regard to the damage to the Village Hall gateway pillar.

We agreed it would be good to reinvigorate engagement in the Leys  and we decided to seek interest in joining a Committee focusing on the Leys.   Meanwhile,  Brenda reported that she had been in contact with a  local heritage blacksmith to install the estate fencing to the section at the top gate entrance to the Leys  and had the offer of a renovated Victorian period farm gate -the plan would be to have a separate pedestrian gate as well. Making a start on the fencing was long overdue, the fencing had been kindly donated in 2014 by a local family however our earlier arrangements to install had fallen through.
Good news on the Fly Tipping incident last April:  Birmingham City Council Enforcement Team has shown an interest in some of the evidence that had been found amongst the rubbish and intended to investigate it further.

We were disappointed that a request to the WCC Highways for central double white lines on the Fosse in the vicinity of the Combrook junction was turned down because it was not considered a high enough safety priority.
We also had the usual planning update and noted tree applications had been approved. You can read the full minutes here:
 Download the draft minutes for 14 November 2017 

At the Meeting of the Parish Council on Monday 18th September
We started with planning updates,  It was noted that application 17/01463/FUL  ( at No 14)  had been refused, however some elements of the Report raised questions regarding planning assertions made.  It was felt important to look into the detail and it was  agreed to raise matters as approriate with Planning Officers.  It was explained that the next steps would be for  SDC Enforcement  to consider  the current breach of development control on this site. 

A resident had requested the Parish Council consider Traffic Calming within the Village. After a full discussion it was felt that introduing any new physical elements into the highway system aimed at traffic calming would not be welcomed given that negotiating the village centre  and lanes  when cars are parked can be challenging already and itself  serves to slow vehicles.  It was acknowledged that when the village roadways are clear,  that a very small proportion of drivers may sometime travel a little faster than might be desirable  but it was nontheless thought to be within the statutory limits.  Still on highways,  another resident has raised whether it might be possible to have double white lines on that stretch of the Fosse Way passing the Combrook Junction, it was agreed  to discuss the matter with County Highways.     

It was reported that a Resident has raised the matter of whether the village should seek to acquire a defribulator.  There was a general consensus that we should look into it,  possibly in coordination with the V H Committe,  and it was  agreed to invite a speaker to give a presentation.  We  were pleased to note the  External Financial Audit has been completed  with no  issues raised  and we covered other regular items on the agenda. A copy of the draft minutes will be posted in due course.    

   Download the  minutes here 

At the Meeting of the Parish Council  on  Monday 17th July.  
Some residents had joined us for the planning items with particular interest in the previous pending application at No 14, now withdrawn,  and the  new application (17/01463/FUL) . Since the new application had only recently arrived, and in light of upcoming holiday arrangements,   it was felt  important to agree an overall response at the meeting -and also make further informal opportunities  for residents  who might  which to look at and consider the plans but might not have been able to attend our meeting at short notice. Parish Council's full Representation on the matter is available below. 

We  then turned to other matters. Including a decision that the production of a full status Neighbourhood Plan was not warranted at this time but noting that the Village Plan remains a planning document  and consideration should be given to a review and refresh of the Village Plan in due course.    We  heard that the postbox at the junction with the Kineton Rd had disappeared overnight 11/12th July having been swan off its post, sadly it was noted the chances of apprehending the culprit were minimal. Tim Goodhead was thanked for his repair to door of  the telephone box. 
.....  it was a long meeting and we also covered the usual items finance etc etc ....  

You can download the minutes of the meeting on 17-07-17 here 

Planning application ref 17/01463/FUL at  No 14:   Use of outbuilding as ancillary residential accommodation; installation of  2 Air Source Heat Pumps and landscaping works to level ground  (retrospective ).

Full details of the scheme can be found on the Planning Authority's  website
The Parish Council is objecting to this scheme and the Parish Council's full Representation to the Planning Authority can be downloaded:  Click Here

The Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council on Monday 15 May followed at the rising of the Annual Parish Meeting.  The first task was to elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman for the upcoming year 2017/18.    Brenda Rayson was nominated unopposed as Chairman and Tim Goodhead as Vice Chairman.  Both made their declaration of Acceptance of Office to the meeting. 

We went on to confirm that Brenda will continue as Representative for the Kineton United Charities Trust  and Stephanie as the PC Representative on the Village Hall Committee. We reviewed our Standing Orders and Financial Regulations  ~we made no changes to these~  and went on to approve our delegations to the Clerk of the Council. 

We then scrutinised the end of year accounts and approved the formal Annual Governance and  Accounting Statements of the Parish Council to be submitted as our Annual Return to the nationally appointed external auditors. Thanks were recorded to Felicity Bostock for undertaking the local "internal"  audit of our accounts  ( you can see all these documents on our finance page). We also approved the Council's annual insurance renewal and congratulated our Clerk on negotiating a reduced premium.  

Under Chairman's report for information only, a summary was given regarding the significant fly tipping incident that occured recently. The relevant District Council Officer, has indicated that she will be investigating the evidence found with a view to prosecution. In these circumstances,  it was felt inappropriate to discuss the matter in any more detail at this stage - other than to mention that the evidence found points to a culprit driving into the district to dump rubbish for disposal collected for gain ~rather than anyone local. 

Under planning we noted several Tree pruning /felling applications and were content to leave these for the District Council Tree Officer to determine.  The ongoing breaches of planning permission regarding the garage/workshop at No 14 were briefly discussed and it was noted the application 16/03108/FUL ( see below)  has now been extended to 2 June for determination. There was no clarity about why this has been allowed to continue in this way.    The Chairman expressed some frustration that this is now the 2nd year of concerns regarding this planning matter.  

Similarly it was reported that the oustanding drainage and sewage matters at the Compton Fields development continue. There has been no progress on the surface water drainage which caused flooding across neighbouring properties in March 2016 during heavy storms.  On the illegal sewage connection,  Severn Trent has now confirmed that they have now allowed and approved a retrospective application for the indirect sewage connection made to the public sewer via the private foul drain at Deepdene. This indirect connection had been made without the knowledge or pemission from the owners of Deepdene.  The lack of permission remains unresolved.  Severn Trent has also indicated that the new sewer is unadopted. Failure to contruct a sewer within a Section 104 Agreement for Adoption leaves responsibility for its future maintenance unclear, contrary to the intentions of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. 

Following the presentation at the last meeting about Neighbourhood Planning there was  a discussion exploring whether the Parish Council should pursue this. On the whole it was felt the protection from policies in the Planning Authority's CORE Strategy, if properly interpreted, would be sufficient to address concerns about inappropriate future development.  It was felt the commitment of time and resources required to undertake Neighbourhood Planning might outweigh any benefits.  Since there was a WALC training date on Neighbourhood Planning in June the Chairman proposed delaying a decision until after that date.    

Finally a resident had raised the issue of dog fouling.  It was agreed it would be approriate  to re-issue an updated  version of the previous  leaflet distributed to households and to put up some extra signage on the Leys.    

To read the minutes  from the meeting click  below.........

Download Draft Minutes for  15 May 2017 here 

It was a lovely spring evening..... when the Annual Parish Meeting took place on Monday 15 May.  Brenda Rayson gave the Annual Report as Chairman of the Parish Council during 2016/17.  You can download a copy of the full report below.   As well as reporting on the Year and thanking many people and our Local Services for their support to the village, Brenda also looked forward remarking on one expected highlight,  "all fingers crossed we shall have a broadband fibre offer before the end of 2017!"   District Councillor Chris Mills  gave a brief summary of highlights  from the District Council.  Brenda concluded the meeting thanking everyone again who had supported Combrook and the Parish Council ( see the Report for  ALL the detail !)  and then thanked Parish Councillors and the Clerk, Gina Lowe, for all their support and hard work for the Parish Council during the year. 

Annual Report to the Parish Meeting 2016/17

At the Meeting of the Parish Council on Monday 20 March  we welcomed a Planning Officer from Stratford on Avon District Council to talk to us about Neighbourhood Development Plans and whether or not this is something the Parish Council should consider for Combrook.   This was an interesting and helpful  presentation, it was agreed that we should postpone a further discussion until we had time to absorb and read some of the documents presented.   We also discussed the current on-going planning  matters -for which several residents had attended to make known their concerns.  Our District Councillor agreed to raise some of these issues with Council Officers. 

Download the Minutes for 20/03/2017 here 

The Parish Council meeting on Monday 23 January 

Download the Minutes for 23/01/17 here

Planning Application 16/03108/FUL  for 14 Combrook was made valid on 14 December.  This application is for the Temporary Use of Ancillary Outbuilding  as a  Separate Dwelling for a Period of 12 Months.   You can down load the Parish Council's objection to this application here:      Click to download the PC Representation for 16/03108/FUL

Procedural Note: 
The consultation period for the above  ( 16/03108/FUL) clashed with the Parish Council's  usual break for Christmas and New Year Festivities with insufficient  workdays to notify  and convene an extraordinary Council Meeting.  Therefore the Parish Clerk undertook, under their delegated powers, to decide an appropriate Representation and ensure it was submitted on behalf of the Parish Council taking into account: the discussions at the Parish Council meeting on 21 November; as well as  informal email contact with all Councillors, during December and prior to submission on January 12;   including the distribition to Councillors by email of a proposed draft representation.  Individual parish councillors also contacted immediate neighbours.   

Planning application 16/ 03397/FUL    14 Combrook for relocation of vehicular access was discussed  at the Parish Council Meeting on 21 November.  Following a full discussion it was decided  the Parish Council will object to the application.  You can read  the full representation here .   **** this application was subsequently  withdrawn during December,  but see application 16/03108/FUL  above ****                Click here to download the P C Representation  for 16/03397/FUL 

At the Parish Council meeting on 21 November 2016.  Three residents attended the meeting.  We considered the planning application for No 14.   See  separate note. During this item there  was also a full discussion about the breach of planning permission at No 14 which had occured in 2015 and is still not resolved. We noted also ongoing drainage matters, on the housing development at  Compton Fields.  Time was given to a scrutiny of the half yearly  finance report  and consideration given to a draft budget  and  precept for 2017/18  which will be finalised in January.  It was felt a 2% increase might be appropriate  and which will formally be  confirmed at the January meeting.   With the extensive  time given over to planning matters at the meeting it was resolved to delay discussion about Neighbourhood Planning  until January.  But the usual agenda items were discussed.  You can read the full minutes of the meeting here:  Click to download the minutes for 21/11/2016 

The Parish Council  held an extra-ordinary meeting on 20th September 2016 to consider  a planning application ref   16/02796/FUL, at the Combrook Garage.  A good number of residents turned up to hear about the proposals and offer their views ~the Council is always grateful when residents contribute in this way.   A display of  the proposals  was left in the village hall for residents unable to attend the meeting.  In total 25 residents visited the display representing over one third of households.  The Parish Council's Representation submitted to the Planning Authority  can be viewed here:      Click to Download

At the Parish Council meeting on 5 September 2016 the issue of village lanes and their names took a further turn.  The Ordnance  Survey  have agreed their mapping details  are incorrctly showing Spring Lane  and Church Hill extending around the village and have agreed to look into the matter.  It was decided the Parish Council should postpone  any wider discussions with the residents about lane names until it is clear what can be done.   We reviewed a number of planning matters .
Attention was drawn to the  depleted broadband service some residents were experiencing  and it  was agreed to try and  engage  BT again on the matter  whilst  we wait for further outcomes from the second wav the  of  Coventry, Solluhull and Warwickshire broadband project  

Click to download Parish Council Minutes  5 September 2016  

Download the minutes  for 11 July 2016 here  

At the meeting on 11th July, the Parish Council reviewed its standing orders and financial regulations to take acount of recent advice from the National Association of Local Councils. Standing orders are the procedures which guide the Council's actions and operation, and similarly the financial regulations are about systems protecting how we manage finance. We approved and have now published the financial regulations on our finance page and you can see a copy of the Standing Orders we approved below.      Approved Standing Orders 2016:  Download

The Parish Council's representation for application  16/16/01642/FUL & 16/01643/LBC at Red House, for the  Demolition of existing stable block and erection of proposed  new stable block, may be found here:   Download

We held the Annual Parish Meeting on Monday 23 May 2016.   As well as Council Members and our District and County Council repreprentatives,  2 residents joined us.  A report for the year 2015-16 was given by Brenda Rayson, you can download it:  click here

After the Annual Parish Meeting we held the AGM of the Parish Council, including ordinary matters of the Council

The first task was to elect Chairman and Vice Chairman for the upcoming year 2016/17.    Brenda Rayson was nominated unopposed as Chairman and Tim Goodhead as Vice Chairman.  Both gave their declaration of Acceptance of Office to the meeting. 
We went on to confirm that Brenda will continue as Representative for the Kineton United Charities Trust  and Stephanie  was willing to take on the role as the PC Representative on the Village Hall Committee. We reviewed  and approved our delegations to the Clerk of the Council and agreed to postpone review of our Standing Orders and Financial Regulations to our next meeting to take account of recent changes advised by the WALC ( Warwickshire Association of Local Councils).  

We then scrutinised the end of year accounts and approved the formal Annual Governance and  Accounting Statements of the Parish Council to be submitted to the nationally appointed external auditors.  Thanks were recorded to Peter Bridgewater for undertaking the local "internal"  audit of our accounts  ( you can see all these documents on our finance page). We also approved the Council's annual insurance renewal.  
We were delighted to congratulate our Clerk, Gina Lowe, on attaining the nationally recognised  CiLCA qualification  -  Combroke Parish Council is now proud that the Clerk holds a formal qualification in local government administration.

Then we went on to other matters including:  
Under planning the Chairman expressed some frustration that the  Stratford on Avon District Council Conservation Officer was now no longer allowed to advise on planning applications which have impact on the Conservation Area or impact on our Listed  Buildings.  The role appears now to be confined to applications about Listed Buildings only.  This was thought to be most unsatisfactory in relation to the duty to protect the Conservation Area.  Our district Coucillor, Chris Mills, agreed to look into this.   

Additionally, under planning,  the Chairman raised further concerns about lack of response from the District Council on 2 outstanding plannng matters: the breach of planning with regard the garage/workshop at No 14  which had been raised by the Parish Council in December 2015,  and the multiple concerns regarding the Compton Fields development which have still not been adressed, most recently the flooding of neighbouring property on 9 March.

We were pleased to note that the new postcode for Compton Fields has been assigned.
It was agreed that we should plan a village discussion to gather views about how we might improve village mapping and postcode navigation to aid delivery vehicles in locating properties.  It was revealed that at least one village property can  be accurately located on a navigation device  via postcode/address but sadly most of our properties remain unidentifiable  within the google mapping that most navigation devices rely upon for postcode/address identification. 

The Parish Council's Representation for application 16/00728/FUL  at Highfield  for a proposed 2 storey extension may be  downloaded: click here

You can find details of earlier  meetings by clicking on this page:   Meetings  2015-16