Click for the Village Committee Meeting February 7th Agenda

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Redlingfield Village Committee Meeting 7th February 2024 from 7-9 pm

Venue: Hidcote Lodge, Mill Road, Redlingfield. IP23 7QU

what3words:   ///innovator.freely.jubilant

This is an open meeting - everyone is welcome to come along and participate

Meeting Chair: Adrian Smith, Parish Clerk & Treasurer: Janet Norman-Philips

Village Committee Members: Andrew Abbott, Katie Abbott, Graham Abbott, Sue Chapman, Allan Chapman, Will Edwards, Emma Hewitt, Manday Miller, Lesley Rose, Adrian Smith, Will Kerry.

Agenda in Black and Minutes in Blue

  1. In attendance & apologies for absence

Twenty three people attended the meeting:

In attendance: MSDC councillor Lucy Elkin; Parish chair: Adrian Smith; Parish clerk: Janet Norman-Philips
Committee members: Andrew & Katie Abbott, Graham Abbott, Sue & Allan Chapman, Lesley Rose.

Mike Ager, Trevor Edwards, Jane & Adrian Gibson, Linda Hudson, Glenn Miller, Andy & Michelle Peters, Alison & Phoebe Smith, George & Rosie Shurey, Sheila & Stuart Greenleaf.

Apologies: Wayne Saunders SCC highways engineer, SCC Councillors Peter Gould and Andrew Reid.
Beverley & Patrick Abbott, Revd Richard Court, Emma Hewitt.

Adrian: Thanked Councillor Lucy Elkin for everything she has done for the village. He also thanked “everyone for pulling together and helping each other out during and after the countywide October flooding”. Adrian also thanked Dick, Drew & Del for quickly tackling the downed poplar in the centre of the village and Trevor for organising the final clear up.

  1. Agree Minutes of previous meeting (46th AGM held 17th May 2023) and matters arising.

The Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed. There were no matters arising.

  1. Finance Update for April 2023-March 2024 Financial Year. Current balances, income and expenditure plus projected expenditure for next financial year.

The Financial Update and projections for next financial year were noted and agreed

  • Current bank balance at 27th January is £4,524.93 (at this time last year it was £5,918) This excludes the Earmarked Funds which amount to £3,635.50 – broken down as: Defibrillator £1,449; Doorstep Green £427.50; Village Magazine £759 and the Household Support Fund Round 4 Grant of £1,000.
  • Regarding the £1,000 Household Support Fund – As in previous years, this grant from the Suffolk Community Foundation is being held on behalf of local volunteers who are distributing it to people in need of assistance with food, heating and other essential items. £600 so far.
  • Income from the Cheese & Wine event in April 2023 was £896, providing around £200 of profit for the village. Fortunately we only used half the wine that was purchased so are holding  another Cheese & Wine evening, scheduled for Saturday 4th May which will be mainly profit.
  • Income from the Pub & Doorstep Green events and July Summer Fayre was £2,129.60 against costs of £860.76  (including alcohol licences) providing a contribution to the Parish Meeting of £1,788. The Summer Fayre Pub on the Green takings were advertised as being for the Doorstep Green and amounted to £427.50 and have been transferred to the Doorstep Green Earmarked Fund.
  • Some £260 had been received from individual donations.
  • Committed/expected expenditure for April 2023 to March 2024 is £2,601.66.
    • £864.74  Insurance
    • £38.38    SALC membership
    • £202.80  SALC Audit costs
    • £142.56  Scribe accounting system
    • £300.00  Grass Cutting
    • £736.00  Toilet Hire
    • £215.18  Dog Bins
    • £35.00    Data protection registration
    • £67.00    Hall Hire
  • Committed/expected expenditure for April 2024 to March 2025 is £2,700. General funds at the start of next year are around £4,600, leaving unallocated General funds of some £2,000.
  • Because we do not raise a local council tax or rate to cover our village expenditure but instead hold fundraising events, we are more vulnerable to changes that could affect our fundraisers. Impact from bad weather or disease outbreaks such as Covid, could reduce our annual income to zero. We therefore aim to keep our reserves (General fund) at a level that would cover some two years of basic expenditure ie. around £2,000 per year. So any additional spending that we wish to do in 2024-2025 really depends on us increasing our income – with events and/or by obtaining grants and/or donations.
  1. Flooding in Redlingfield and what we can do to prevent it happening again

Open discussion – and to consider our options. We will be joined by our Mid Suffolk District Councillor Lucy Elkin and also Wayne Saunders who is a highways engineer at Suffolk County Council. Please note Wayne is not a flood expert but simply wants to do what he can to help us.

In essence, we need to find ways of slowing down surface rainwater running in to the village and speed up the rate at which it can be channelled out of the village. This will involve all of us, landowners and local and government agencies working together and we also need sound professional advice around what we should do and how we should do it.

How do we pay for it or get grants/donations to help with the cost of the advice and the work?

Adrian asked Councillor Elkin to summarise the current situation with regard to Suffolk County Council (SCC) flood investigations and what ongoing support is available. She said:-

Where at least five properties has been flooded in any one event or a single property or business has been flooded more than once, the County Council is required to carry out a thorough investigation (a Section 19 investigation) to identify the cause(s) and what changes and improvements are needed to prevent future flooding. (See also “Redlingfield help & information -Flood Resources LE”).

Currently 48 towns/villages are on the list to be investigated and this is expected to eventually rise to 100. Redlingfield is trying to get on the list. MSDC has already distributed grants of £500 to flooded householders. Government grants, administered by Suffolk County Council, of up to £5,000 are available but work has to be done upfront and money spent then claimed back which she is aware is a problem for many people. Solutions are being sort.

She pointed people towards the National Flood Forum, a charity to help and support people at risk of flooding https://nationalfloodforum.org.uk and also Blue Pages (https://bluepages.org.uk) which lists products and manufacturers of flood defence items. She also pointed towards Flood Re (www.homeprotect.co.uk) which offers home insurance for flood risk areas. Section 19 investigations try to find small scale changes and natural flood management solutions. The County Council is recruiting to add to its team so it can do more Section 19 investigations. Water companies offer grants which could be used to help pay for an investigation but these can be very expensive. Villagers in Occold, which had six properties flooded, are mapping the parish’s ditches to identify those that are free-flowing and any blockages, along with identifying whose responsibility they are. Parishes can get official road closed signs, flowing training in Bury St Edmunds to ensure their safe use after which SCC will insure them. Action: Rosie and Alison agreed to go on the training course. JNP to liaise with SCC/MSDC to organise and get road signs.

JNP:

Although five homes and one business flooded during Storm Babet, not all five homes have registered, so the automatic Section 19 investigation has not yet been triggered. JNP to investigate.

Past flooding does however count and Leslie Rose informed the meeting that Walcott has flooded in the past. JNP to inform SCC Flooding team of this.

People realise that once Redlingfield is on the Section 19 investigation list, it will still be a very long time before that investigation can be carried out. We therefore need to be looking for solutions that we can implement together as a village to slow down water reaching the centre of the village and speed up its ability to leave the village. However we need to do this properly, otherwise we risk making things worse. So we need expert advice.

JNP drew attention to the additional page three of the agenda (Item 4 Flooding Update). SCC has already identified a couple of areas that need their intervention. Additionally Councillor Reid has told us that he was certain that Wayne Sauders, along with any experts Wayne wish to bring along, would be happy to have a formal meeting to look at our situation and discuss the options and best ways of moving forward.

The meeting welcomed this. Councillor Elkin suggested that the Environment Agency should also be invited to that meeting. Action: JNP was asked to try and get this meeting organised and in the diary as soon as possible.

The SCC drainage team has already started work on some areas in the village (Green lane). The Norfolk Wildlife Trust is doing a lot of work on natural flood management and can provide advice including on bunds (retaining walls, embankments or dykes designed to protect against flooding).  JNP said there were three obvious areas were the flow of water needs to be slowed down: Occold Rd/Mill Road, Church Road and Woodvale Rd. And one where it needed speeding up: the culvert under Green Lane opposite Rev Richard Court’s. Work on speeding the flow of the Brook along Low Road was considered a priority. These ditches are mainly on land owned by Denham’s Oliver Knowland after passing over land owned by C W Abbott & Sons (Graham and Patrick).

A general discussion on flood prevention ensued:

Trevor Edwards said that the culverts leading out of the village needed to be much deeper because the water simply couldn’t get out of the village fast enough. He also pointed out that several years ago the Environment Agency and SCC, held a meeting, organised by our previous SCC Councillor Guy McGregor, after which both those agencies paid to have them dug out. Graham pointed out that they did start to silt up after a few years and everyone agreed that maintaining the ditches was actually a priority for all the ditch owners – we just have to make sure we start  clearing them where water leaves the village first.

People were aware that water flooded in to the village from every possible direction and the roads were like rivers. From Occold Road and the Eye Road (land belonging to Peter Saunders, Chris Havers and Simon Brice), from the direction of Church Road Wash Farm  and Woodlane Road, from behind Redlingfield Hall (land belonging to Trevor Edwards, and Caroline Risk), from Peter Saunders land on to Green Lane (behind Hill Cottage, Woodvale and Tudor Rose).

Andy Peters queried the situation with the ponds behind Redlingfield Hall, which seemed to be empty and asked if they could be used to hold surface flood water.
Drew said these ponds were filled completely and overflowing in the October flood. JNP said the area is a Scheduled Ancient Monument but we could talk to Caroline Risk to see what could be done to possibly create additional ponds/bunds to hold flood water – hopefully any work would not need permission from the Secretary of State.
Action: Alison Smith agreed to ask Les Cotton (http://www.lescottoncontractors.co.uk/ complete drainage solutions) who knows about drainage, to take a look at the problem areas in Redlingfield give us some advice.

She also praised the amazing turnout at the meeting which showed the will of the village to try to tackle the problem of flooding.

Michelle Peters suggested grills be placed to stop concrete culverts/pipes from becoming clogged with debris. (Outside Brookside and at the Knoll) These would need to be regularly checked and cleared out.
Andy Peters suggested people could check drains and ditches whenever litter-picking.

Stuart Greenleaf suggested we speak with the Occold Flood group and take pointers from then as well as create out own map of the ditches, including ownership/responsibility for them.

Action: JNP agree to create a map with the ditches and ownership on..

Action Lucy:
Would get info to JNP for distribution about Occold’s Flood Group.

Would get info to JNP for distribution regarding all the groups and help she had talked about in her introduction.

The area by the willow tree on the Knoll was identified as a problem as it was silted up and not feeding into the pipes under the road properly. This might be the responsibility of MSDC housing. Action:  Lucy would investigate and let JNP know. (If not MSDC housing, it belongs to SCC).

The advice from the drainage team was discussed, whilst agreeing on the need to keep ditches maintained, farmers pointed out that they all already followed good practice and ploughed land across rather than downhill. It was also pointed out that at least half, if not more, of the flooding was on pasture, meadow and uncultivated land.

  1. Village events in 2024 – Volunteers are always very welcome!

5.1  Cheese & Wine evening (at Horham Community Centre) - Saturday 4th May 2024 - starting at 8pm. (Note: This is a bank holiday weekend). Volunteers needed to prepare food and serve drinks.

Action: JNP/Mike to organise tickets & publicity

Action Volunteers to serve wine, prepare food, clean up please contact JNP

5.2  Redlingfield Village/Parish Meeting AGM - (at Horham Community Centre) Wednesday 15th May 2024 - starting at 8pm

5.3  Redlingfield Annual Dog Show and Summer Fayre - Sunday 7th July 2024 A joint event between the Village Committee/Parish Meeting and the Church PCC. Volunteers needed to help.

Action: volunteers contact Alison Smith or JNP

Action: All – Alison Smith & Katie Abbott asked for empty screw top wine bottles and jam jars filled with small sweets, toys and hair ornaments for the kiddie tombola.

5.4  The Annual Redlingfield Produce Show not happening this year, unless “you” want to run it?

5.5  Redlingfield Village Swing Dance at the Red Feather Club – Saturday 26th October 7pm Till Late! The 95th Bomb Group/Red Feather Club have very kindly offered to host another Swing Dance to raise funds for Redlingfield Village. We hope to raise up to £1,000. Tickets will £10 each and it should be a load of fun!

Action: JNP/MA to organise tickets and publicity

Action Adrian & Alison Smith to do burgers (maybe)

5.6  Next Village Committee Meeting Wednesday 5th February 2025 venue to be advised.

6.  Dates for 2024 Pubs on the Green

  • May Saturday 18th May – 6pm-midnight, Doorstep Green
  • June Saturday 8th June 6pm-midnight, Doorstep Green
  • July Sunday 7th July Summer Fayre & Dog Show (joint event with PCC). All day and evening. Pub on the Green Bar will be open.

Action: All – Alison Smith & Katie Abbott asked for empty screw top wine bottles and jam jars filled with small sweets, toys and hair ornaments for the kiddie tombola.

Action All: volunteers contact Alison Smith or JNP

  • August Saturday 3rd August 6pm-midnight, Doorstep Green
  • September Saturday 7th September 6pm-midnight, Doorstep Green
  1. Planned Church events for the year and Other Fundraising Ideas?
  • The PCC are due to meet on the 13th February to agreed 2024 dates and events.

Action Alison Smith: To give dates to JNP asap for magazine.

  • Katie Abbott Suggested a Bingo night to raise funds – Everyone Agreed.

Action: Katie Abbott to organise Bingo night. (Date - possibly 14th September).

Action: Michelle Peters to ask BeWell Barn if they would host it.

8.  Volunteers Needed - Proposed dates for village tidies and clean-ups – Churchyard, Village &   Doorstep Green. Note: We have gloves, hi-vis waistcoats and litter picker tools, plus rubbish bags available.

  • Churchyard Tidy – …. Action: (Date to be agreed by PCC)
  • Doorstep Green Sunday 18th February from 10.30am. Bring chainsaws, trimmers etc.

Adrian Smith organising Doorstep Green hedge trimming and ditch clearing for late February (before birds start nesting). Food provided after – Buns, sausages, burgers etc. Bring tools & equipment.

    • Doorstep Green – Dog Poo

Action: Adrain Smith/Mike Ager put new poo bags in dog poo machines. (Done)

Action: JNP remind everyone to pick up dog poo!

A number of non-residents have been seen driving to the Doorstep Green to exercise their dogs – which is fine but they are suspected on not picking up after their dogs.

Action all: If you see this happening please take a picture of the vehicles and give it to JNP.

  • Village Litter Pick – The Great British Spring Clean promoted by the Keep Britain Tidy groups runs from 15th to the 31st March…

     Actions: People to litter pick when convenient.

Get protective clothing from JNP.

If more rubbish is collected than fits in your bins, please put on the green triangle (concrete) and let JNP know – she will inform MSDC that it is available for collection.

  • Doorstep Green Tidy – Wednesday April 24th 4pm onwards & Saturday & Sunday April 27th & 28th 10am onwards. General trimming and tidy, empty, clean & stocktake both container & shed. Clean and check benches, tables and play equipment.

9. Dates for Winter Coffee Mornings and the Coffee Caravan visits in 2024 (Noted)

9.1  Thursday 8th February 10am-12 noon Cath & Rob Scott are hosting at Bright Thinken, Church Road, IP23 7QS (Note: This is a Thursday not a Wednesday)

9.2  Wednesday 1st March Winter Coffee Morning 10am-12 noon Janet Norman-Philips & Mike Ager are hosting at Hidcote Lodge, Mill Rd. Redlingfield IP23 7QU.

9.3  Coffee Caravan restarts on Wednesday 3rd April 2024 – First Wednesday of the month from 10am till 12 noon on the village triangle from 3rd April 2024 till 2nd October 2024.

9. Other Reminder - Village Magazine Spring 2024 - last date for inclusion is 14th February 2023.

Redlingfield Village Committee Meeting 7th February 2024 – additional page

Item 4 Flooding – update (Covered under 4 above)

Unfortunately, Wayne Saunders, Suffolk County Council's highways engineer, is unwell and will not be attending our meeting this evening.

Wayne has provided a short note he received from the drainage team, identifying improvements that Suffolk Highways need to carry out.-

 "I was in Redlingfield on Thursday last week to do some visual assessments. From my observation we need to do a few upgrades to the system, that is adding culverts to the highway and to that driveway. The watercourse between these two sets of culverts will have to be deepened and lined. However, these interventions will only be successful if the farmers improve on their ploughing methods (not farrowing downhill) and maintaining their ditches."

Subsequently Cllr Andrew Reid, who has recently been standing in for Cllr Peter Gould, who has been unwell, emailed to say that he was certain that Suffolk Highways would be happy for Wayne Saunders, along with any experts Wayne advised, to visit us in Redlingfield and discuss the options and best ways of managing surface rain-water more effectively.

Until this week, Cllr Reid was the Cabinet Member responsible for Public Health, Public Protection and Communities (which includes protection from flooding etc).

Two additional items for our Village Committee (item 9 Other)

9.5 Contribution to High Suffolk Community Bus service (suggested £200/£250 or thereabouts)

It was established in 1983, due to the loss of local commercial bus services.  The villages of Bedfield, Bedingfield, Kenton, Monk Soham, Redlingfield,  Southolt, Tannington, & Worlingworth got together to start a shared service to ensure villages has a basic bus service.  

It provides local & community transport for the founding villages. They own a 16 seat minibus and as well as private hire, provide weekly services to Framlingham (Tuesdays) & Diss (Fridays) and twice monthly buses to Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and Norwich.

Currently, as no one in Redlingfield has used the service recently, the bus has stopped calling here but they are happy to put Redlingfield back in to the timetable as soon as needed.

In the summer months they provide a monthly seaside service to Felixstowe (May, June & September) and Southwold (July & August).  Most villages contribute between £250 and £500 each year towards our running costs, currently Redlingfield does not make a contribution

Bus passes are accepted and they are also looking for more volunteer drivers. If you think you might like to drive the minibus once or twice a month please get in touch with Alan 01728 685694 or Val 01728 628068. Email support@combus.org.uk (www.combus.org.uk).

Proposed by Adrain Smith that we give the High Suffolk Community Bus Service £200 for current 2023-24 financial year. Agreed.

Also agreed that we should give it more publicity in our magazine and make sure people are aware.

Note: If you want to use the Community Bus, please contact them (Val 01728 628068. Email support@combus.org.uk (www.combus.org.uk)), so they know to stop and pick you up.

Action: JNP to organise Cheque for £200

Action: JNP/MA to inform people about the service/timetable for magazine and noticeboard.

9.6 Proposed Cranswick expansion and new facilities (animal feed processing mill)

Currently Cranswick processes 1.4 million birds each week (72.8 million birds each year). An expanded factory could in theory process some 4.5 million birds each week (234 million birds each year).  That would effectively triple the number of intensive poultry units (IPU) needed to breed and fatten the birds. With all the additional lorry movements and impacts on water and the environment.

Intensive Poultry Units comprise 6-12 large sheds, housing between 40,000 and 49,000 chickens per shed. They are produced on a 35 day (five week) cycle and then sent for slaughter, each shed would normally be restocked eight times a year, producing between 320,000 to 392,000 birds per shed per year.

Taking the average of the above figures, that means that currently some 200 Intensive Poultry sheds are needed to provide the current throughput of 1.4 million per week (72.8 million per year), and this would need to increase to 650 Intensive Poultry sheds (450 more sheds than currently).

Action: Adrian Smith to attend local Parishes liaison group meeting at Horham Community Centre prior to Redlingfield Parish Meeting commenting on the Planning Environmental Impact Assessment scoping requests.

  DC/24/00513 Request for a Scoping Opinion under Regulation 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 - Phase 2 processing factory (circa 31,000 m2) and a new mill building|

DC/24/00515 Request for a Scoping Opinion under Regulation 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 - Construction of a reservoir and associated pipeline.

The Chair thanked everyone for coming along and their contributions and declared the meeting closed at 8.51pm.