The Minutes of the previous meeting (April 2009)

MINUTES OF MEETING OF HARDINGTON MANDEVILLE PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON TUESDAY 19th MAY 2009 AT 7.30PM AT THE VILLAGE HALL

Members were reminded that the Council has a general duty to consider the following matters in the exercise of any of its functions - Equal Opportunities (race, gender, sexual orientation, marital status & any disability); Crime & Disorder, Health & Safety and Human Rights.
Jane Woodcock, Parish Clerk

PRESENT

Peter Bysouth, Robin Carpenter, David Beckley, Kevin Margetts, Bill Turner and Malcolm White.

IN ATTENDANCE

Jane Woodcock (Clerk), Cathy Bakewell, County Councillor, Lesley Boucher, District Councillor, and one member of the public.

Before the meeting commenced there was an opportunity for the public to speak.

Before the Meeting commenced there was an opportunity for the public to speak. Mike Bickerton asked the Council for their view about the development at Lyatts. Robin Carpenter said he thought the architect’s first plan had been more in keeping, but that the District Council had not been supportive of that plan. Mike also commented about the Merry Moles development which had been designed by the same architect and which he could see from his house. He had not realised from the plans just how large it was.

Peter Bysouth said that the grass verge cutting would start in June, and Mike agreed to arrange for the orchids in Primrose Hill to be marked so that they were not cut down.

  1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.
    Apologies for absence were received from Rob Lloyd. Peter Bysouth read out a letter from Hannah Lefeuvre in which she explained her reasons for resigning from the District Council (a change in her work arrangements) and thanked the Council for their work with her over the last two years. She said that in order to minimise disruption and additional costs, she had resigned in time for the by-election to coincide with the County Council and European Elections on 4th June.
  2. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
    1. Peter Bysouth was elected Chairman and signed the declaration of acceptance of office. Proposed by Robin Carpenter, seconded by Malcolm White.
    2. Robin Carpenter was elected Vice-Chairman. Proposed by Bill Turner, seconded by Malcolm White.
    3. It was agreed that Peter Bysouth would continue as Village Hall Representative.
    4. It was agreed that the Clerk would continue as reporter to the Messenger.
    5. It was agreed that Rob Lloyd would continue as Highways representative.
    6. It was agreed that Robin Carpenter would continue as the Environment Officer.
    7. There were no changes to the Register of Interests of those present.
  3. MINUTES OF MEETINGS HELD ON 21st April 2009 (Already Circulated).
    The minutes were approved and signed.
  4. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST.
    There were no declarations of Interest.
  5. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
    1. A reply to Mr Hedges’ letter of complaint had been sent by the Clerk.
  6. DISTRICT & COUNTY COUNCILLORS' REPORT
    Lesley Boucher thanked Hannah Lefeuvre for her hard work. It was good to have had a young, fresh, challenging Councillor.

    Lesley Boucher had attended a recession workshop and reported that the South West was not doing as badly as other parts of the Country, where 85 businesses were collapsing a day, and where there had been a 15% increase in those claiming job seekers allowance. The District Council could provide some help to struggling business, and could reduce business tax temporarily. Lesley asked that if Councillors were aware of any business affected to advise them to contact SSDC. One unexpected consequence of the recession was the increase in houses to rent, which had led to a drastic reduction locally in the number of homeless. The planned building of Affordable Housing in Lyde Road was going ahead this year.

    Cathy Bakewell asked about the stile on footpath Y10/7. This was item 11.c on the Agenda and it was agreed to deal with it now. She had received notification that it had been approved rather than a notice that it was to be done. Robin Carpenter explained that the new landowner, Richard Brooks, had put in a new stile on this existing footpath after fencing off the field. He had been served with an enforcement notice for a gate, but eventually had been given retrospective permission for the stile.

    Cathy then reported the grass cutting schedule for this year.

    Cathy Bakewell raised the issue of the bridges over Chinnock Brook. She will press Highways to do the work on North Lane Bridge as soon as possible, and she will take the concerns about Bendford Bridge to them.

    She gave her apologies for the June meeting.

  7. PLANNING MATTERS
    1. There were no new planning applications.
    2. There was one result from previous applications. Application 08/04934/FUL The formation of an access track and the erection of a forestry storage building at Daisydown Coppice, Cheddington Woods, Downclose Lane, North Perrott, Crewkerne for Mr R Appleby. Full permission with conditions had been granted.
    3. The Council believed that the response from Jo Manley of SSDC to the Parish Plan and Design Statement was acceptable.
    4. Peter Bysouth had received an Email from Liz Arnold, Enforcement Planner at SSDC, regarding the two timber sheds at The Stables, Partway Lane. The temporary permission for these had expired, and she had requested an application to attempt to regularise the situation, although it had yet to be submitted.

      She advised that given the temporary nature of the buildings and with regard to the now permanent consent for the site, it might be that it would not be considered expedient to take further action should an application not be submitted. However, in line with a recent conversation with the Small’s agent, she was hopeful that an application would be forthcoming.

      Liz Arnold was sorry she was unable to give you any further details, but the file would remain open and she would continue to push for the submission of an application.

  8. RISK MANAGEMENT
    1. The Clerk was resigning at the end of May. Dave Beckley asked that the Council’s appreciation of her contribution over the last six months be minuted and this was agreed.

      Peter Bysouth distributed the timetable to recruit a new Clerk. The post will be advertised in the Messenger and he will ask the Council’s second choice candidate if he wanted to be reconsidered. He hoped that a new Clerk would be in post by August. In the interim he had contacted Diane Howes who had said she was willing to act as Temporary Clerk, and a temporary contract would be issued.

      The Clerk then advised that she needed to be removed from the list of signatures on the Bank Account and that another address be given. It was agreed that Statements of Account should be sent to the Chairman’s address until a new Clerk was appointed, and the necessary forms were signed by the Chair and Vice Chair.

    2. Peter Bysouth said that there were good reasons for the Council to have the Power of Well Being. It would give the Council more flexibility in what they could support within and outside of the Parish. There were some conditions to be fulfilled. Members of the Council must have attended a training session and the Clerk had to be qualified. These were issues the Council should consider, and it was agreed further discussion was needed.
    3. Freedom of Information – A Model Publication Scheme. Agreed to postpone until new Clerk was post.
  9. FINANCE
    1. Clerk confirmed she had worked 28 hours in April. Eight of these were whilst representing the Council on the Play Audit Study tour which the Council agreed to pay. Peter Bysouth informed the Council that the Clerk would give him her final hours for May (and any expenses) for payment in June.
    2. Peter Bysouth had received a quote from Norwich Union of £262.50 for the Parish Council's Insurance. He distributed a comparison of cover and costs for the Council. After discussion the Council agreed to request a re-quote from Allianz asking them to match the quote from Norwich Union. The Council passed a Resolution giving the Chairman authority to draw a cheque to pay this insurance subject to the re-quote. The Council further resolved to authorise Peter Bysouth to complete and sign a Commercial New Business Declaration on behalf of the Council if needed.
    3. The Audit. A Resolution was passed that the Accounts were approved by the Council and could be signed by the Chairman. The Council approved the Annual Governance Statement and this was signed by the Clerk and the Chairman.
    4. A cheque was drawn for £94.50 to cover hire of the Village Hall for meetings in January, February and March 2009, plus the Litter Pick and Driver Awareness events. The Standing Order for the Village Hall was now in place.
  10. HIGHWAYS
    1. The condition of Bendford Bridge had been covered earlier in the Meeting.
    2. Sign post at Lyatts. The Clerk had received an Email from Mike Fear to say it had been ordered.
    3. Rob Lloyd had reported that a new Highways rep for our area, Dave Durrant, had started and he will be making contact. It was noted that Highways had filled in a lot of pot holes with the resurfacing. Malcolm White raised the issue of the Badger Hole on the road side at Primrose Hill which was throwing a lot of mud onto the carriageway.
  11. FOOTPATHS
    1. Robin Carpenter has yet to hear anything from Explore Somerset Website.
    2. Robin Carpenter noted that the work to Y10/4 needed to be extended to fill in the were making it almost Impassable.
    3. Stile on Y10/7 had been covered earlier in item 6.
  12. PARISH LENGTHSMAN SCHEME
    1. A time sheet for last month had been received. The Lengthsman had filled in the muddy patch on Y10/4 and had put left over playnings on the lay-by next to the Church. He had cleared up and tidied around the Village Hall and cleaned the drains. He had checked the drain opposite the Newman's and showed it to Dave Durrant of Highways so he could mark it for gulley clearance, as he believed it had been missed in the last round of gulley clearing. Malcolm White thought he had done a good job of clearing Blackhouse Lane the previous month.
    2. Work for next month – Peter Bysouth said the sign in Bishops Lane needed repairing, probably just renewal of the backing wood. Strim the footpath Y10/4 and also strim the triangle by the Church in time for the Farm Open Day. To finish repair on the Marsh noticeboard and any other outstanding work.
    3. The Lengthsman had requested that a list of regular jobs be made. Council discussed but decided to keep identifying work each month
  13. AFFORDABLE HOUSING
    Council discussed this matter. It was agreed to ask District Planning Officer to come to Village to look again at the sites the Parish Council considered possible.
  14. PROPOSED RECREATION FIELD
    1. The Clerk expected James Divall to have the Play Audit Report completed by the next meeting.
    2. Plan to move forward. After discussion it was agreed that Peter Bysouth will contact Ernest Kong explaining that although the future of the Village Hall could not be decided in any way, there was a clear mandate from the Village to proceed with a play area.

      Peter Bysouth would arrange for the District Planning Officer to look at the site and this could be done at the same time as they looked at sites for affordable housing. Peter would inform the other councillors when he had a date.

      The Council resolved that quotes for a commercial valuation of the Village Hall site would be obtained as requested by the Village Hall Redevelopment Committee.

  15. PARISH PLAN
    1. Village Hall redevelopment dealt with under item 14b).
    2. The Clerk informed the Council that the funding for the Broad Places scheme had come to an end. The Council agreed in the light of the possible redevelopment of the Village Hall that it was not appropriate at this time to be looking to install computer / broadband facilities.
    3. Litter Pick. Ten people had attended, which was the about the same number as had attended the W.I. litter pick. We would need to hold it earlier next year as much rubbish was hidden by the spring growth. Litter picking equipment gets very booked up so we would need to book early, ideally before Christmas so as to get a desired slot. The District Council will also provide the services of a Street Scene Supervisor road sweeper next time.
    4. There was very poor attendance at the Driver Awareness Course despite lots of publicity. The course was felt to be useful and interesting with the Driving Simulator proving fun and competitive.
    5. David Cleaton had now drafted a Welcome Pack for new residents. Peter Bysouth would email it to the other Councillors for their views. To be discussed at the next meeting.
  16. CORRESPONDENCE
    Zero Sustainability event in Yeovil on the 13th June – Peter would put up the poster. Somerset Together A.G.M. on 17th June. S.A.L.C meeting in 8th June. Sustainable Communities event on 26th June in Essex was seen as too far away. SSVCA a charity based in Yeovil can offer support and advice to voluntary and charitable groups in South Somerset, and would like to know of groups in the Parish who may benefit. Council agreed to make groups aware of this service. All other correspondence to be circulated.
  17. MATTERS OF REPORT & ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING
    1. Peter Bysouth informed the meeting that the repair work in the Church will commence in the middle of June for 4-6 weeks and that there was bound to be some disruption.
    2. Peter Bysouth also said SSDC had issued a press release about the Play Audit with a quote from the Clerk, which had been in the Western Gazette. He would put a copy with the correspondence.
    3. Clerk had nothing to report.
    4. Robin Carpenter reported that the Bill Locklin memorial bench in the Nature Reserve was in broken. Robert White was offering to mend so we did not need to do anything at the moment.
  18. DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING & CLOSURE
    The next meeting will be on Tuesday 16th June 2009 at 7.30 pm. The meeting closed at 9.17 pm.

©
Hardington Mandeville
Parish Council
2012