Ashurst Parish Council


 

22 Elder Close

Portslade

Brighton

BN41 2ER

 

Clerk to the Council:  Elizabeth Leggo

Tel:  07738664449  

e-mail: ashurstclerk@outlook.com

 

 

 

MINUTES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL, HELD AT ASHURST VILLAGE HALL ON WEDNESDAY 10th FEBRUARY 2021 AT 7.00PM VIA ZOOM

 

Attendance

 

Chairman

Cllr Fischel

Ashurst Parish Council

Cllrs Knight, Nicholson and Russell

Horsham District Council

Cllr Platt arrived at 7.25 because of a prior commitment to an HDC meeting

Clerk

Elizabeth Leggo

 

Further to the Coronavirus Act 2020, this meeting was held remotely via Zoom. Members of the public were given the opportunity to email or telephone the Clerk in advance with any questions or statements and were invited to ask for a link to observe the meeting remotely.

 

To discuss any questions submitted by the public.

 

Eight members of the public were present.  They raised a number of questions which were subsequently discussed in Agenda item 3 below:

 

  1. Apologies for Absence.

Apologies were received and accepted from Cllrs Hedley (APC) and Lloyd (HDC).

  1. Declaration of Members’ Interests.

Cllrs Fischel and Russell declared an interest in Agenda item 3 and did not take part in discussions.

  1. Rampion 2 Wind Farm: To discuss the implications of the onshore cabling route currently proposed to run through Ashurst and agree on comments to submit, if any, in this initial consultation period.

Note: A number of councillors, along with several members of the public, had attended a meeting hosted by Rampion immediately prior to this meeting. The slides presented by RWE are available on the Parish Council website under the tab ‘Rampion 2 Wind Farm Updates’.

This item was discussed in some detail.

              It was RESOLVED that Cllr Knight would draft a letter to Rampion 2 incorporating the points raised, discussed and agreed by the Parish Council. This letter is included in Appendix 1, at the end of these minutes. (This letter would be sent by the Clerk in time to meet the Rampion 2 deadline of 15th February 2021 for all comments at this stage of the process.)

  1. Planning Matters: To comment on planning applications received from Horsham District Council.

                DC/21/0139: Part retrospective application for the erection of 2 No. holiday cabins with associated parking, access and landscaping. Furzefield Farm, Honeybridge Lane Ashurst West Sussex

 

 

The Clerk was asked to submit the following to HDC:

 

Stance: Object

 

Comments: That the Parish Council objects to any permanent structures and feels that some temporary summer camping would be more appropriate for the site.

 

 

Date of the next Meeting of the Council: Thursday 4th March 2021 via Zoom

 

 

Signed (Chairman) ____________________                                         Date _________________________

               

 

Appendix 1: Letter sent to RWE

Dear Mr Tomlinson

We would like to thank RWE for their briefing on 10th February 2021 to Ashurst Parish Council and local residents on the Rampion 2 project and the proposed route to connect the wind farm to the national grid network. We would like the following points to be recorded in your consultation process.

  1. While Ashurst Parish Council and village residents are supportive of this renewable energy programme it became clear at the briefing that we have not been properly consulted on the proposed route of the onshore cable and the timescale of the installation process.
  2. We are concerned at the short notice residents and landowners have been given to respond to the initial consultation and the short duration of the process. There is a feeling that the process is being rushed through to avoid opposition.
  3. We request that meetings with individual landowners be held as a matter of urgency, bearing in mind the tight timescale of the project, to determine the best route for both parties, the most convenient timetable to access the land and to discuss future compensation.
  4. In advance of these meetings, we request that you supply to landowners the detailed criteria for planning the route of the onshore cable. Also, please clarify if a landowner has the right to refuse access to their land.
  5. We request that the period to reinstate the land is as short as possible.
  6. We would also like to receive confirmation that replacement two for one trees, for woodland being destroyed during the construction process, is appropriate to the local environment and are not two metre high saplings which will take decades to mature. All saplings should have tree shelters to protect them from deer.
  7. Please can you also provide information on your policy for dealing with areas containing rare wildlife and plants?
  8. Before and during the construction programme there is a need for improved communications with residents in Ashurst and other local parishes by providing a centralised information point describing the construction process with detailed information and maps.

Yours Sincerely

Ashurst Parish Council