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Parish Council Meeting Minutes10 AugustMinutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Tuesday 10 August 2010The Chairman, Cllr Bridget Culley, opened the meeting at 7:30 pm. Councillors present were: Colin Henderson, Ray Randall, Sandra Grunsell, Dan Culley, Trevor Cousins, Fiona Foote, Katie Dixon and the clerk, Derek Kane. Also in attendance: HCC Cllr Tom Thacker (up to agenda item 4.) Members of the Public in attendance: One. Time for Public Speaking: There was no address made by the public to the council. 1. Apologies for Absence: Cllr Margaret Corbett, BDBC Cllr Horace Mitchell. 2. Declaration of Interests: None. 3. The Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday 13 July 2010: Having been already circulated, Cllr Foote proposed that they were a true record and should be signed; the proposal was seconded by Cllr Grunsell and unanimously agreed by the council. 4. Borough & County Councillor Reports: There were no borough councillor reports submitted. HCC Cllr Thacker reported to the council. a). He was pleased to see the resurfacing by HCC on the Harroway from the crossroads through and past Chapmansford. It had been queried the minuted cost on the 13 July 2010 (item 4.1.d). The cost of £800k - £1m was incorrectly reported. It was actually the sum secured for essential road repair for 2010 in the BDBC area by HCC. b). He advised that John Nelson, who resides in Longparish has been appointed the headteacher for SMB Primary School. c). The transfer of bus travel concessions from BDBC to HCC remains of concern. Cllr Thacker favours the flexibility and suitability of bus tokens for rural areas where there is little or no bus service as these can be accepted by taxis and even for the purchase of milk from village shops. Cllr Thacker asked for the HCC Concessionary Fares Consultation (deadline 31 August 2010) to be forwarded to him by the clerk (This had been received after the meeting’s agenda had been closed). 5. Items for discussion. 5.1 Affordable Housing – Updates from sub-committee or/and RHE, where available: Cllr Grunsell reported that the first meeting of the sub-committee had been set for 27 September 2010. There had been no updates received by the council from the RHE. The clerk will forward to Cllrs Grunsell and Randall a recently received paper via HALC from Local Associations Information Services on the Coalition Government’s plans for ‘Community Right to Build’. 5.2 Smannell Road Closure – Public Enquiry 20/21 July (update from chairman and the clerk was given at planning committee on 27 July. To reiterate:— Smannell Road: The chairman and the clerk gave a brief verbal résumé on the Smannell Road Stopping up enquiry held on 20 and 21 July. The Inspector submits his report to the SoS in circa 2/3 weeks and the SoS may accept or reject his recommendations. The clerk, who attended all the proceedings, including the Inspector’s site visit to the development including the proposed diversion route, as well as to SMB itself to point-up the north/south pinchpoints, gave the view that the case for the stopping-up may well be upheld. The QC for the applicants made great play that on the original application back in the mid-noughties, Smannell PC had raised concerns that Smannell Road would become a rat-run for East Anton traffic journeying through Smannell to join the A343 Newbury Road and that the re-route through the new housing areas had been introduced and that the roads, roundabouts and approach junctions had been designed to accept local large transport like agricultural and goods vehicles. 5.3 Update on ownership of small piece of roadside land between Ringlands and Gangbridge House. Following an enquiry upon the Land Registry the parcel of land in question is ‘Unregistered’ as of 16 July 2010. It is believed that a recent cut on this land was undertaken by BDBC, although on requesting a cut earlier this year, BDBC denied that it was their responsibility (as did HCC). 5.4 Scrapbook – Update – lead: Mrs Lorraine Cousins: Spend so far this year £148.40. Two more albums to buy. Has built up paper stocks to last two years and glue for this year and into next. Cllr Grunsell to pass an application from to Mrs Cousins for a grant from Vitacress. The clerk was asked to source a flat-bed A3 scanner. The chairman thanked Mrs Cousins for her work on the Scrapbook. 5.5 Draft Meeting Calendar for 2011. Following the usual pattern for parish council meetings (2nd Tuesday of the month) and for planning meetings (4th Tuesday of the month), the draft calendar for 2011 was approved and the following exceptions noted and approved too:— i). The planning meeting for 27 September 2011 will slip to 4 October 2011. ii). The full council meeting for 8 November 2011 will be a Finance Committee Meeting only, setting and approving the budget for 2012/13. iii). Because of the Christmas/New Year hiatus, as usual, there will be no planning meeting scheduled for 27 December 2011. The clerk will liaise with BDBC Planning for any planning applications that do not arrive in time to be considered at the 13 December 2011 Full Council Meeting but which cannot keep until 10 January 2012 (provisional date for first full council meeting of 2012). In addition the Annual Parish Assembly has been set to take place in the Main Hall on 3 May 2011 and the Annual Parish Council Meeting will take place prior to the Full Council Meeting on 10 May 2011. The clerk will pass this diary on to the Village Centre Bookings Clerk and reserve the dates accordingly. 6. Finances 6.1 Update on Parish Funding for 2010/11 (Confirmation letter from BDBC). A letter dated 28 July 2010 has been received from BDBC – Noel Preece – Parks Strategy and Development Manager confirming that the parish funding from BDBC (referred to as ‘funding for grounds maintenance’) will remain unchanged from 2009/10 for 2010/11 at £9,980.00 and will be paid in tandem with the second parish precept payment in September. This is about six months later than the 2009/10 payment. The letter then goes on to say that this support for future years will be reviewed in the light of a more restrictive national funding environment for Local Authorities. The clerk suggests that he should reply to BDBC that the parish council will need to be informed of any changes before 9 November 2010 to allow for parish council budget planning for 2011/12. This was agreed. (The topic of parish funding and precepts was continued on agenda item 10.5). 6.2 Monthly Finances.
Payments made since the last full council meeting: 27 July 2010
Receipts since last meeting (into Business Investment Account)
Payments Due at Meeting:
It was agreed to transfer £2,000 from the Business Investment Account to the Treasurers Account. The acceptance of the reconciled accounts was proposed by Cllr Henderson and seconded by Cllr Dixon and unanimously agreed by the council. 7. Planning: 7.1 .1 Report from Planning Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 27 July 2010 (previously circulated). 7.1.2 Matters arising from the Report: None. 7.2 Planning Applications for discussion at meeting: BDB/72950/51 – Derrydown Farm, Derrydown, SMB, SP11 6BS — Erection of a single storey side/rear extension and internal alterations following demolition of existing single storey element. Decision: No Objection. 7.3 Trees 7.3.1 Notices of Intent: None. 7.3.2 Other Trees Notices (not on agenda): 7.3.2.1 Willow Tree House, SMB — Felling of 2 dead/dying/dangerous trees — 1 dead acacia adjacent house and 1 weeping willow in driveway. BDBC advised on 5 August that above trees are to be removed for safety reasons. A site inspection will take place in the near future to assess if it is reasonable to ask for replacement trees to be planted or not. If so, any replacement trees will be protected by the conservation area legislation. Noted. 7.3.2.2 Stoke House, Stoke — Felling of one dead/dying/dangerous ash. BDBC advised on 5 August that above trees are to be removed for safety reasons. A site inspection will take place in the near future to assess if it is reasonable to ask for replacement trees to be planted or not. If so, any replacement trees will be protected by the conservation area legislation. Noted. 7.4 Advice of Planning Applications considered by BDBC. 7.4.1 BDB/72331 — Bourne Court, Upper Link, SMB, SP11 6BT — Erection of timber shed following demolition of existing (retrospective). Granted on 21 July 2010. 7.4.2 BDB/72624 — Patches, Stoke Road, SMB, SP11 6EF — Erection of a single storey extension to north-west elevation. Granted on 22 July 2010. 7.5 Planning applications withdrawn to be noted: None. 7.6 Planning application gone to appeal: BDB/71499 – The Old Plough, High Street, SMB, SP11 6AY — Replacement of softwood windows to the lounge and kitchen at the rear of the property with new hardwood double glazed windows. The parish council on 24 November 2009 raised no objection to the application. BDBC refused the application on 18 December 2009. Any further representations (if any) from the parish council to the Planning Inspectorate should be delivered to them by 17 August 2010. The parish council’s decision of 24 November 2009, stands. 7.7 Compliance – Updates: 7.7.1 Access to agricultural land: No update since Full Council Meeting 8 June, minute item 8.8.1. 7.7.2 Binley Bottom: The clerk has e-mailed the BDBC investigating officer on 2 August 2010 and received on 10 August the following reply:— I have attempted to make contact with the owners on several occasions but they have not responded to me. Given my current workload, I have not been able to undertake a full site survey and confirm if the sheds and other items on the land can be considered to be development. I intend to undertake this visit within the next 2 weeks. However, I understand that the land is being used to keep horses on. So long as the animals are not being fed from the land this is a change of use of the land and a matter I shall be pursuing. 7.8 Other planning matters Letters from Stoke residents both dated 2 August regarding minuted comments made by developer, who addressed the Planning Committee Meeting on 27 July 2010 during ‘Time for Public Speaking’ on BDB/72810 – Slade Bottom Farm & Binley Farm, Slade Bottom. Application had been passed by committee with ‘No Objection’ on 27 July 2010. Noted. 7.9 Other parish councils’ planning matters: 7.9.1 HBP PC - BDB/72907 — Chapmansford Farm House, Harroway, Hurstbourne Priors, RG28 7RR — Change of use of agricultural land to residential use. Noted. 7.9.2 HBP PC - BDB/69802 — Lower Link Farm, Lower Link, SMB, SP11 6DB - Erection of 3 no. intake bays and 9 no. despatch bays and a storage area adjoining main building. Erection of agricultural and vehicle workshop following demolition of existing. Relocation of existing and provision of new plant and equipment; the provision of temporary construction compound; temporary relocation of crate wash room; and the implementation of a scheme of lighting and landscaping improvements. Advice that this application is now going to the BDBC Development Control Committee on 18 August 2010. Advice that a viewing panel from BDBC will be visiting the site at noon on 13 August 2010. Noted. 8. Recreation Ground and Lake: 8.1 Derry Down Clinic – Broken rear window. Derry Down Clinic reported a window at the rear of the property facing the lake has been broken by allegedly a small hard object. The breakage was noticed by clinic personnel after a cut of the Lake environs had taken place just prior to the Flower Show. The clerk approached the grounds contractor who stated that his equipment does not throw up stones/flints/objects and that, unless the clinic could prove it was him, he was not prepared to take responsibility for it by either recompensing the clinic or informing his insurers. The clerk approached the council’s insurers, but as expected they do not cover for loss to others caused (unproven) by a third party. The repair cost, is likely to fall below typical insurance policy excesses. As a good-will gesture, and without prejudice, the council will pay for half the cost of the repairs, or half the value of the excess, if the clinic claim through their own insurance. The clerk to inform the clinic. 8.2 Pavilion – Shower repair update. Cllr Randall reported that this is still outstanding and that plumber is aware. 8.3 Pavilion – Suggestion to do thorough clean of pavilion just prior to handover to CC for 2011. Agreed. A council “blitz-team” will prepare the pavilion in the early spring. The clerk will place a reminder in the diary for the February Full Council Meeting. 8.4 Play equipment (not on agenda). 8.4.1 Cllr Henderson advised that four replacement swing seat straps were supplied and fitted, although four more are needed (Stoke). Clerk to progress. Cllr Henderson demonstrated with discarded strap the fundamental weakness of the straps at their stress points. 8.4.2 Cllr Henderson advised that Climbing wall strut for net (SMB play area) requires repair. He will effect remedial repair, but a representative from the supplier is requested to advise on permanent repair. Also, whether such work is covered by warranty and if the warranty is till active. Clerk to check. 8.5 Recreation Ground – Insurance cover (not on agenda) for activities granted permission by the parish council by groups or companies not under the control of the parish council:— The parish council’s insurers have confirmed, following an enquiry by the clerk on a recent granting of permission by a group (K White cricket) to have a BBQ on the recreation ground, that such groups do so at their own risk, other than where the parish council is proven to be negligent. It is recommended by the council’s insurers that all such groups take out their own insurance. The clerk suggests that this is communicated out to all groups when seeking permission to use the recreation ground for activities of a sporting, cultural, recreational or social nature 9. Items of Correspondence to be circulated: 9.1 HCC 12 week consultation on Local Transport Plan 3 Strategy for the County — Deadline for responses 29 September 2010. Cllr Dixon to view and respond (if required). Clerk to forward e-mail to her. 9.2 HCC Community Challenge Fund — Deadline for application 31 August 2010. Cllr Grunsell felt this may be a source for funding opinion poll or referendum on Affordable Housing. Clerk to forward e-mail to Cllr Grunsell and also to HCC Cllr Thacker (as a prompt for him to check whether the grant can be used for such an exercise). 9.3 BDBC / Office for National Statistics: 2011 Census 27 March 2011 – Councillor Handbook. Noted. The clerk has been promised by BDBC copies of the above handbook for all councillors. The one and only copy to hand is filed in the parish office. 9.4 The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge (to mark her 2012 Diamond Jubilee) — No deadline (may go beyond 2012). Not of interest to the council. 9.5 North Wessex Downs (AONB) Annual review 2009/10: Noted. 9.6 (not on agenda) HCC Concessionary Fares Consultation: Deadline: 31 August 2010. This relates to item 4.c and a copy is to be e-mailed to Cllr Thacker for his info and advice. 9.7 (not on agenda) BDBC (via Halcrow) Taxi Consultation: Deadline: 23 August 2010. Noted but not of interest to the council as this is Basingstoke-centric. 9.8 (not on agenda) Club room charges. The clerk received an e-mail today from the chairman for the Village Hall Trust enquiring about whether the council had provided for standing charges as part of the parish precept. If the council has budgeted to pay standing charges for 2010/11, the Trust feels that they should now be charged. (They have not been charged since January 2010). The clerk explained to the council that at the time of budget setting for 2010/11, the hours to be used and the terms (including standing charges being charged or not) were not known. Therefore a “worse case” was applied to arriving at the anticipated expenditure for club room hire as part of the precept setting. Now that 5 quarter-plus have now elapsed since the opening of the parish office a more realistic view on the hours the parish office is used by the parish council is now known. The chairman of the Council will write to the chairman of the Trust outlining the council’s budget for this item and how it was arrived at and current trends, including the pressure from central government for restraint on council tax. 9.9 (not on agenda) Resident’s enquiry on state of the Bourne from behind the BVI to the old sluice gates: An e-mail was sent by a resident on 9 August 2010 to the chairman (and cc’d to the clerk) outlining concerns on the above. The clerk will alert the Environmental Agency to the resident’s concerns and inform her that his action has been taken 10. HALC/BDAPTC/SLCC/Training & Conferences Reports. 10.1 SLCC Hampshire Branch June Newsletter: Noted. 10.2 Being a Good Employer (pub. DEFRA) sent by HALC – A guide for parish and town councillors: Noted. 10.3 HALC AGM 9am – 1pm Saturday 23 October 2010, 9am to 1pm, at St Swithuns School Winchester – two delegates from each council invited. The chairman and the clerk will attend. 10.4 Local Government pay for 2010/11 and 2011/12. – Employment briefing from NALC: Noted. 2010/11: In June 2010, the Coalition Government produced its budget statement. It referred to “a two-year pay frees for public sector workforces, except for workers earning less than £21,000 pa who will receive an increase of at least 250 per year in these years”. The Employers have confirmed that the budget statement will not affect local government pay for 2010/11 and that their position of “no increase” remains. 2011/12 The Employers intend to negotiate with the trade unions in the NJC with a view to reaching agreement before the settlement date of 1 April 2011. The government expects local government to show similar restraint on pay to the rest of the public sector and to have regard to the Governments fairness agenda, which seeks to provide the lower paid with some protection from the impact of pay restraint. The clerk pointed out that the only employee of the parish council currently falls below the £21k f.t. cut-off and that ‘spinal column point’ (SCP) annual increments to a maximum of 12 years in service would currently still be honoured. The last award settlement was for 2009/10 and the clerk is currently on SCP 16. 10.5 HALC briefing paper re Power to cap billing authorities council tax and parish councils’ precept levels for 2011/12: Noted. The clerk is to forward recently received papers from Local Associations Information Services (LAIS) via HALC, Communities and Local Government and HALC itself. The clerk pointed out (by extract) an important policy message from these papers: There are occasions when authorities (to include parish councils, amongst others) may set council tax increases that are very large when expressed in percentage terms, even though the absolute cash increase is very small. To prevent such authorities from being required to hold a referendum — and to protect the large majority of smaller parish councils … the Government intends … to include a standard de minimis principle which would provide a “double-lock” mechanism. This would exclude authorities where either (a) the increase in the basic amount of council tax is below a defined amount or (b) the total income generated … is below a fixed level. 11. Footpaths Report: 11.1 Temporary ‘Road’ Closure Notice – SMB FP 18 (part of) — Effective 24 August 2010 for up to two months. Noted. 11.2.1 Brenda Parker Way — Further request for information on FP22. Clerk advised to ascertain landowner details from electoral register or recent planning applications. 11.2.2 Brenda Parker Way — Further request for information on FP16. Clerk advised that divert away from Rowe Farmyard was agreed some years ago. 12. Highways/Transport/Services Report: 12.1 National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey — Deadline 1 October 2010. Noted. 12.2 HCC/Amey ‘Inroads’ Newsletter – Summer 2010: Noted. The clerk is to write to Steve Goodall of Hampshire Highways and ask him to pass on the parish council’s thanks to all the officers, staff and councillors for the excellent work done on the recent resurfacing of the Harroway. 12.3 4D Works update + alt parking arrangements for Applegate Two works compounds in the centre of SMB have been agreed for 4D. One for behind the Lake Gate (storage of materials and debris, plus provision from groundwater soakaway. The other on the hardstanding behind the shop for parking of large digger and siting for office/store/room/rest room. Cllr Grunsell was asked to alert her contacts at Applegate to the alternative parking at the Recreation Ground, while the work is being undertaken. 12.4 (not on agenda) Roadside bushes on private land. The clerk to contact owner of Bourne Court and the Chairman to contact Frank Lee to request roadside cut-back. 12.5 (not on agenda): Valley Music. Cllr Dixon has been approached by the Valley Music Committee requesting a letter of support from the Parish Council that thay can attach to their applications for grants to the borough, county and other organisations. The Parish Council agreed to supply a letter of support to the Valley Music Committee both in principle and in practical terms as the Festival will be beneficial to the whole community and in particular local schools, businesses (such as the village shop and pubs) and families. The Council will offer ‘in kind’ support, for example car parking and use of amenities such as the recreation ground. There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.30pm. These Minutes are subject to approval at the next Parish Council Meeting on 14 September 2010. This page was last edited on 20 Aug 2010 |
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Parish Council Meeting Minutes