Welcome to Langham Parish Annual Assembly 2016

1. Welcome to Langham Parish Annual Assembly 2016

2. Langham Parish Council Annual Assembly 30th April 2016AGENDA Attendance & apologies for absence Chairman’s welcoming speech Approval of minutes of the last Annual Assembly Broadband Presentation of the Councillors’ annual summary Roads & Transport Recreation Ground Footpaths General Purposes Housing Planning Presentation by the Chairman of the Community Centre – Alan Cadman Presentation of the Finance Report by the Parish Clerk – David Winter Resident’s questions Date for the Next Meeting

3. Broadband Current Status: • Langham served by 3 exchanges, Horkesley (27), Ardleigh (23) & Dedham (32) • Horkesley upgraded, Ardleigh & Dedham not in the current programme • Government Position • Funding • Annette Thorpe to talk about Superfast Essex & BT

4. Roads Mild Winter hence road surfacing holding up reasonably well Old Mill Road Last Year Old Mill Road Now Water Lane Last Year Water Lane Now

5. Water lane Ditch & Verges Under road piping

6. Pot holes and defects are not as bad but still an issue in places Park Lane Sunken Drain Cover Pot Hole near American Monument Edges breaking down Pot Holes at Junction of Park Lane/Moor Road

7. Langham Lane edges breaking down Heading South Heading North Heading North Heading North

8. High Street edges breaking down Heading South Heading West

9. Current Areas of Concern • School Road Area opposite primary school Area between Whitnell’s and Community Centre

10. Current Areas of Concern School Road (continued) Area outside of Spencer’s Piece

11. Current Areas of Concern Lodge Lane & vicinity

12. Current Areas of Concern Lodge Lane & vicinity

13. Transport – Bus Service 81/81A Bus Service Colchester-Langham-Dedham-Manningtree. Replaces 247 route. Started 11th April 2016, now operated by Panther Travel Main Changes based on Colchester bus station timings: 09.35 new bus timing, 10.28 withdrawn, 11.37 new bus timing , 12.35 withdrawn (now goes via Boxted) 13.56 now 13.45

14. 81/81A Bus Service, replaces 247 route. Now operated by Panther Travel Main Changes based on St Margaret’s Cross times: 09.54 now the 10.11, 11.10 now 12.11, 13.12 now 13.21, 14.38 now 14.28, 17.00 withdrawn (goes via Boxted), 18.26 additional bus (Saturdays), 19.40 additional bus (Mon- Fri).

15. Transport – Bus Service Bus Stops 2 more clockwise stops to be provided at the following sites: There must be some money about!

16. Recreation Ground Works & maintenance 2015/2016 Play Area • Gate repaired and fencing posts replaced • New security bar installed near the Play School • WicksteedYearly Report on equipment satisfactory General Maintenance • Hedges cut back • Football fields harrowed and rolled • Litter collected, dog fouling removed

17. Recreation Ground New Installations • Junior goal posts erected and ground marked out • In 2/3 weeks time Wicksteedwill install a new piece of play equipment for 8-12 year olds Major Events held on the Ground • Regular football matches played by two teams on Saturdays and Sundays • Caravan Weekend • Yearly Bonfire Night • 10km Run

18. Recreation Ground Future Plans • Install a hard standing path from the main entrance to the bonfire site including a turn round circle by the bonfire site General • Profit arising from the bonfire night amounted to approx. £4500. Many thanks to all involved but once again special thanks to Bob Schofield A special requestfor all those who walk their dogs on the Ground • Fouling is becoming even more of a problem

19. Footways

20. Footways • Overwhelming support from the respondents, 25-3, for a footway in Park Lane, connecting Wick Road and the A12. Three people state they want it on the north side of Park Lane • Respondents strongly biased to the Wick Road – School Road area … not even Park Lane! • 10 of the 14 respondent against a footway elsewhere already have a footway available to them! • Moor Road chosen for a footway 8 times, the whole of Park Lane having a footway – 3, and 1 for School Road extension.

21. Footpaths • There have been two main themes, again, dominating parish footpaths over the past year. 1. Establishing a footpath link to Hornestreet Field. • Evidence forms have been collected, and passed to Essex CC Legal Department, for the establishment of a right-of-way along the boundary of The Oaks school. • Budgetary considerations have meant it is only now, in a new financial year, being looked at. 2. Footpath changes on the airfield.

22. Over the year the changes agreed with Mr Rix have come into place. A number of routes, all of them over open fields, have been closed, and new rights-of-way established.This link path, off Park Lane, runs alongside the business park, and has been closed. • After a worrying delay, new routes have been opened up, however, and have been signposted.

23. The entrance to the airfield walk, off Park Lane, with its signpost. Already, sadly, the area has been muddied by cars (hence the tree trunks) parked by walkers, often obscuring the entrance! • Footpaths A new route, inside the hedge, alongside Park Lane, used headland land … and, if enough headland is left, will add make walking Park Lane much safer. Over time, it is hoped the new routes will be taken up.

24. General Purposes ‘For our tomorrow, they gave their today. 1914-1918’ Sincere thanks to researchers Simon Gallup and Ian Hollands

25. General Purposes ‘For our tomorrow, they gave their today. 1914-1918’

26. General Purposes Updating the Langham Parish Emergency Plan

27. Affordable Housing in Langham • Three of Langham’s Existing Sites Whitehouse Close – A small development for over 55s with a connection to Langham. For letting & ownership. Spencers Piece – A development of affordable housing for people with a connection to Langham.  For letting & 2 for shared ownership. CBC housing in Hillcrest Cottages – 3 houses for rent. CBC  housing in Wick Road – Block of 6 flats, block of 2 flats & 3 houses for rent.

28. Housing • The majority of our residents own their own home or rent from a private landlord • There are also 5 social landlords with property interests in the village: Colchester Borough Homes Essex County Council Colne Housing Association The Rural Housing Trust Genesis Housing Association

29. Housing • Visual inspection of social housing in the village highlighted such issues as:- • Communal area outstanding repairs and fly tipping • A boundary issue on a Sold council property • Impact of overgrown trees affecting • properties in Whitehouse Close • Essex County Council's empty properties in School Road

30. Housing Many people have enquired as to why these properties have remained empty for so long.Essex County Council (ECC) seeking permission from Secretary of State for Education (SOS) to dispose of the properties.

31. Housing What happens next: • Permission is given by SOS to dispose of the properties (positive assumption) • Areport by ECC will be submitted at Cabinet level at ECCto decide HOW the properties are disposed of • ECChave promised to keep the parish council informed and involved Possible Outcomes: • The properties are offered for rent or for sale to people who have expressed an interest, who have a local connection to Langham • Put on the open market for sale • Offered to a social landlord for rent or sale

32. Housing Whitehouse Close - Managed by Genesis Housing AssociationVillagers have expressed concerns on the following:- • Safety of overgrown trees causing light depravation • Complexities of service charges • Preserving the 'over 55s and local connection’ tenure/ownership in the Close At the request of residents in the Close the parish council is: • Building up a portfolio of information • Examining tenancy agreements and transfer documents • Helping to clarify the best way to tackle the issues

33. Planning Key events during the year • New Local Plan • July, September 2015; January, March 2016 – meetings with CBC Planning Policy to discuss status of the Local Plan • October 2015 – meeting with Bernard Jenkin MP to discuss Local Plan developments and broadband provision • Housing Questionnaire – November 2015, March 2016 – Open drop-in sessions to discuss preparation and findings of the Housing Questionnaire • CBC Local Plan Committee – October, December 2015, February, April 2016 - Attendance at meetings of the committee • Planning Conference – AONBWoolverstone

34. Planning • Planning Applications May 2015 to April 2016

35. Planning Findings from Housing Questionnaire issued in October 2015 • 174 Responses were received (response rate 43%) • Clear message that their should be no urban sprawl north of the A12 • It was accepted that the villages need to take their share of new housing across the borough • Majority of residents lived in Langham a long time and settled here because of its rural qualities • Major growth would destroy Langham and large sites are not sustainable • Development should be ribbon style with no backfill and no large sites

36. Planning Findings from Housing Questionnaire (Continued) Types and numbers of accommodation • The conclusion on proportional housing growth for Langham was 5 units per annum which translates to 85 units over the plan period to 2032 • There should be a mixture of different style dwellings incorporating high quality design • Predominately 2 and 3 bedroom homes • There was support for growth for downsizing and 1st time buyers • Affordable homes were supported where a need could be identified

37. Planning Findings from Housing Questionnaire (Continued) Support for sites put forward by landowners • 14 Langham sites were put forward by the first cut off date • 2 sites were considered acceptable by Langham for 10 units on each • Sites were Wick Road/Park Lane junction and School Road • 355 people objected to the Langham garden village site submission (97.3%)

38. Planning Findings from Housing Questionnaire (Continued) Extensions to the Settlement Boundary • Households identified two initial sites for consideration • Other site locations are tied up with the larger submissions • The PC recommended settlement boundary extensions be done in phases Commercial/Business expansion in the village • No appetite for additional business sites • Some support for expansion at Lodge Lane (63%), Ardleigh Interchange (61%) and Park Lane (48%)

39. Planning Status of Housing Questionnaire response • The response document has been accepted by CBC as a material consideration in the evaluation of sites and setting growth targets CBC Local Plan Current Schedule

40. Planning