3-10-24 FWP / WPC meeting re The Farthings site

3 October 2024 at 3pm in the Margaret Preston Room, Village Hall, Wreningham

Present:

FWP Ltd: Julian Wells, Donovan Brock

WPC: Michael Hill, Jean Lambourne, Hugh Glaves, Keith Morris, Andrea Tancred, Karen Nunn (observer)

Discussion: Community Owned Land (COL): site, S106 draft, Commuted Sum, other

1. Public footpath from Church Road

  • the boundary is presumed to be along the middle of the ditch beside the path
  • will establish the legal (red line) boundary without question (one already exists on maps held by FWP)
  • clearance to the middle of ditch is to be / has been made
  • noted email questions from neighbour (Orchard Cottage) – there is no FWP agreement about a 2m boundary. Orchard Cottage has a building which straddles the red line boundary on current legal maps.

2. FWP statements and timings

  • The building project is on FWP website
  • on site and start building work – January 2025; anticipate completion by Q1 2026
  • currently discussing plans with contractors
  • Expects to sell one building prior to S106 being signed off as having been fully met
  • a/w draft S106 from SNC (Glen Beaumont)
    • note document to form the basis of the draft has been issued to SNC / FWP
  • delegated planning approval noted
  • full planning approval – dependent on S106 conditions met and agreed as met by Parish Council – N.B. after building work has commenced and at least one completed
  • by Q4 2024 – draft S106 to be agreed and signed by FWP and WPC
  • FWP anticipate WPC November meeting (12/11) for WPC sign off
  • SNC will appoint Birkett’s and they will also represent WPC in the case of S106
    • FWP paying legal costs
    • 12 month defects period
  • Commuted Sum
    • stated as £86K
    • to be added – NBG periodic reviews (several over 30 year period)
    • to be added – annual safety review (ponds, water course, site generally) ~£400 p.a. current year estimate
    • FWP assume WPC will contract out the majority of the management work and relevant mandatory reviews
    • WPC to comment as necessary to FWP

3. Off site drainage – all the ditches bordering the whole site; plus the drain/ditch to the north from the site. Mrs Katy Spilman (SNC) is engaged with |FWP and the project

  • to review Technical Drainage plan from FWP
  • will supervise its implementation
  • will liaise with landowners off-site, to ensure whole connected drains system is adequate to take surface water from COL site drainage system

4. Landscaping

  • hedges to be 5 species mix (minimum) – note dense requirement for southern boundary
  • hedge removed along Hethel Road – to be replaced with trees
  • hedge along Hethel Road to be supplemented with plantings
  • contouring of land
    • top soil on flower meadow area to be removed (need to impoverish soil for planing of wildflower seeds)
    • sufficient top soil retained for finishing landscape features
    • Spoil from 3 buildings site, landscaping near ponds & N/E ditch – to be used for topologic structures as agreed by Community Group and WPC
      • amphitheatre at North West corner – tba
      • bund along whole southern boundary (for site security and householder privacy, hedging planted on this? – tba)
      • other as identified by Community Group
  • Ponds
    • FWP to obtain statutory declaration regarding ownership of existing pond and thence include in Community Land site
    • This to be banked on neighbour’s side
    • new ponds – 1 near east side pond; 1 near junction of current internal site drains
    • ditch to East / North corner by Hethel Road – reduced and widened southern slope

5. Drainage on site – largely as discussed previously, including:

  • Drainage Plan to be agreed with SNC/WPC
  • Objective is to take surface water from site and away to north (flow may be anticlockwise on Community Land)
  • extinguishing ditches enhanced / improved
  • french drain along southern boundary
  • ponds linked by piping with mechanism to limit overall depth
  • possibly create new ditch as east end (running into existing east end ditch) as an alternative means to limit level in existing pond

6. Footpaths

  • one of the last things done
  • exact routes to be agreed
  • 2 entrances (Hethel Road and Church Road) form start and finish points

7. Biodiversity and Net Gain (BNG) – Natural England now empowered to enforce sufficient BNG in all planning applications. A fee is charged by Natural England (unclear whether it is a flat charge and includes monitoring costs)

  • Baseline for measuring to be created (by whom?) (appointed consultants for year 0?)
  • 30 years of monitoring
  • costs yet to be agreed with SNC / Natural England (and included in Commuted Sum)

8. Go Live – agreed a “grand” opening event

  • Celebrity? VIP personage?
  • Signage; logo design
  • plan to be made..
  • Community group engagement
  • timing? (Spring 2026)

9. Other

  • S106 – COL content meetings to be arranged soon (Next Tuesday and 3 Mondays following). To provide additional input on priorities for the community
  • Meetings announced on village website; via weekly activities list; and via emails to those having already been engaged in earlier contacts
  • DB to provide latest site drawings for sharing with Community Group

M Hill

WPC Chair

3 October 2024