MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Two members of the public were in attendance. The Chairman, Cllr Stuart opened the Parish Council meeting at 7.30 pm. APOLOGIES Apologies for absence had been received from Cllr J. Caunce (work pressures), Cllr Mrs C. Pollard (vacation), Cllr D. Smith, Cllr T. Squire, Cllr R.Webb (vacation), Cllr Bennett (CDC) (awaiting a delivery) and Cllr S. Parsons (GCC). MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 13th OCTOBER 2004 Page 1885: penultimate line of Play Group Donation Request delete: “demand.” insert request. Page 1888: Quotes – first line: insert after “interest.”: Cllr Harris left the room. Page 1889: Fourth line: insert after “favour.”: Cllr Harris rejoined the debate. Page 1890: Quotes – first line: insert after “interest.”: Cllr Harris left the room. Page 1890: Quotes – last line: insert after “Contracting.”: Cllr Harris rejoined the debate. It was proposed by Cllr Nicholas and seconded by Cllr Jay that the Minutes as altered were a true and accurate record. The Parish Council was all in favour. Chairman Cllr Stuart signed the Minutes. MATTERS ARISING Wheel Washing Cllr Mrs Clark (CDC) would investigate the wheel washing requirements of vehicles leaving sites in the vicinity of Cerney Wick Lane, Spine Road and Station Road and report at the next meeting. Bus Service Cllr Harris requested that an incident be reported to the management of Stagecoach which involved Bus No. 51 at 8.58am on 15th October. This service was 5 to 10 minutes ahead of schedule on the Swindon to Cirencester route and left passengers to await the next service. Zebra Crossing/Traffic Speed The Clerk was to ask J. Whittaker, GCC Highways Traffic Manager, for a response to recent letters. Flooding Report Cllr Mrs Clark (CDC) confirmed that A. R. Jones Head of Planning at CDC would attend the next flood forum meeting. Cllr Nicholas read letters sent to Mr & Mrs M. Chapman from Fosseway Housing Association, Geoffrey Clifton Brown MP and A. R. Jones (CDC) which purported to reassure them that steps were in hand to reduce the potential for further flooding in the future. The Clerk was asked to pass copies of the letters to Cllr C. Bennett (CDC) and Cllr Mrs Clark (CDC) for their information. The Clerk reported that Cllr Bennett (CDC) had informed him that this week a team from Thames Water plc were surveying pipework with CCTV cameras. CLERK’S REPORT Over the weekend of 16 to 18 October I attended the SLCC annual conference in Stratford upon Avon. The conference was opened at 2pm on Saturday afternoon by Cllr Juliet Short, Chairman of Stratford on Avon District Council. 250 Clerks from 39 counties in England and Wales were in attendance. The first speaker was Martin Horton of the IDeA (Improvement and development agency) who described his role as creating working relationships between national stakeholders in local government, central government, professional bodies, regulators, academics and elected politicians across all political groups. All very interesting but structured for larger councils. From a choice of topics for the next session I selected a workshop managed by Graham Wilson who is the legal adviser to the SLCC. The most interesting part of this session was the coming introduction of a new model code of conduct for local government employees. There was a lot of opposition from the assembled clerks to its introduction outlined in Clerks & Councils magazine which is now on circulation. The final session of the afternoon was an hour of instruction on how to simplify the keeping of accounts in Microsoft Excel where many useful tips were explained. On Sunday morning I attended a forum for part-time clerks. The speaker described the formation of cluster councils to share services. On a smaller scale Parish Councils might share photocopying, stationery or training resources. In the more remote areas of the country clusters were forming by default and was especially evident on the Isle of Wight. One Clerk described how she had involved Parish Councillors by giving each member a portfolio. Portfolios in this Parish Council might consist of Transport, Subsidised local housing, NHS, Water Park or Youth activities. Chairmen of committees would have a portfolio regarding all matters concerned with their committees’ responsibilities. How would Parish Councillors on this Council react to such a proposal? Nick Randle SLCC Chief executive was the main speaker at the next session which informed the conference of the new terms and conditions agreement for Town & Parish Councils that had been agreed with NALC and would be introduced on 1st April 2005. In 1996 it had been agreed that scales would range from 15 to 49. The new agreement would see this extended to scale 57. It remains to be seen what the impact will be on my personal scale. One piece of useful information was that the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 is the one which provides powers regarding sport and recreation. The 1972 Local Government Act Section 145 (a) gives power for "the provision of any entertainment of any nature or facilities for dancing". The first session on Monday morning concerned the Freedom of Information Act which comes into force in January 2005. The lecture was given by Mrs Gifford who is an expert advisor to The Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Group on the Implementation of the Freedom of Information. All requests by the public for information must be in writing and the information requested clearly described. From receipt of a valid request 20 days are allowed in which to supply the information. There is a duty to assist the applicant and all assistance must be recorded. There must be a response and embarrassment is no excuse for non-delivery. Responses must either confirm or deny the application. It was advised to robustly adhere to retention and disposable schedules. For example email communications should only be kept electronically for two weeks and a hard copy made if it is required to keep them for longer. There are very few exemptions allowed and usually apply to Central Government only. The closing speaker was the Chief Constable of Warwickshire who gave an informative lecture on the perceived success of the national reduction in crime figures. Overall I found the conference experience very rewarding and informative. The Parish Council agreed to a suggestion from Cllr Nicholas that the portfolio idea be made an agenda item for next month’s meeting. PLAYING FIELDS & VILLAGE MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE REPORT Due to the absence of Cllr Squire, Cllr Stuart reported on the deliberations of this committee which had met on Monday 8th November. Matters Arising Upper Up Play Area Cllr Stuart reported on a meeting he had with George Taylor from The Play Service and arranged for him to give specifications and quotations to refurbish the existing equipment. The Committee had agreed to a recommendation from Mr Taylor that the “hand hold” climbing arrangement which gives access to the tower slide be replaced with a staircase. Cllr Harris had scrutinised the specifications and quotations to replace the safety surface and reported that he wished to research the matter further. For example, how would it work in shady areas and was it vandal proof? He would enquire from the suppliers if another established installation could be inspected. Cllr Jay suggested that testimonials from satisfied customers should be sought. Cllr Stuart confirmed that the grafitti on the Activities Centre had been painted out. Cllr Harris reported that the broken rail from the car park fence had been replaced. Tree Planting Scheme The Committee had met and would now implement the tree planting scheme designed by Whitton Associates. Plans were on going and 50-60 trees were now available. A price list of available species would be published in the Cerney News early in the new year. Public Seat GCC Highways had not raised any objections to a public seat being positioned on the grass verge on the northern side of the entrance to the parade of shops in Clarks Hay. The installer should pay particular attention to avoid damage to any services which may be beneath the surface. Official Opening of Robert Franklin Way play area Plans were made to provide sustenance and shelter for invited guests at the opening of the refurbished play area. Guests have been invited to attend the play area at 3pm on Saturday November 13. The Press has been informed and a photographer from the Wilts and Glos Standard will be in attendance. Finance for the festivities would be provided under the 1972 Local Government Act, Section 145 (a) which gives powers for “the provision of any entertainment of any nature” and the 1976 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act which provides powers regarding sport and recreation. Bow Wow Bridge Phil Cluley had informed Cllr Stuart that work would begin on the Bow Wow footbridge at Lower Milland associated ramp for disabled users in 4 to 6 weeks time. Cllr Stuart informed the Parish Council that Phil Cluley would be leaving as PROW officer for this area and he will introduce his replacement in due course. The Clerk was asked to write to Mr Cluley expressing this Parish Council’s massive appreciation for the years of first-rate service he had given to South Cerney through his position as PROW Officer at GCC. River Churn Mr Blacker, Environment Agency, had inspected the damage caused by contractors and thanked Cllr Stuart for reporting the incident. Interactive Speed Signs Cllr Squire had forwarded an email quotation he had received from Solagen, suppliers of solar powered interactive speed signs. The Parish Council agreed that at approximately £4,000 plus VAT each, not including post or installation, further quotations should be researched. Chestnut Mews Wall Cllr Harris had asked the Clerk to enquire if the wall in the course of construction needed planning permission. The Enforcement Officer at CDC had inspected the wall and decided that no permission was necessary so long as the wall did not exceed 1 metre in height. Station Road Ditch Cllr Harris had surveyed the ditch and concluded that no action was needed at the moment to clear the silt. Cllr Harris volunteered to remove some timber branches from the ditch. Aggregate Industries Cllr Harris reported that residents had complained about the noise emanating from Aggregate Industries site at 6.30am. Cllr Squire was liaising with Mr R. Brassington, CDC Noise Abatement Officer and would report the incident to him. The Clerk was asked to get clarification of the planning permission conditions. INSPECTION REPORTS Upper Up play area Cllr Stuart reported that all equipment was in working order. He reminded the Committee that parking bays for the disabled must be created on the car park to comply with the Disability and Discrimination Act. Cllr Stuart volunteered to get some quotations from the provision of the parking bays and the Committee also agreed to include the scheme in its budget proposals. Due to the mild weather the Committee agreed to recommend to the Parish Council that a further grass cut be made. Robert Franklin Way play area Cllr Harris had replaced a plank on the train unit and extra bolts had been fitted. The bridge parapet was still in need of repair, the bridlepath barrier had not been replaced and the overgrowing shrubs alongside Ash Moon had not been cut back. The Clerk was asked to remind GCC Highways and Cotswold Waterpark Rangers of this outstanding work. Cerney Wick play area Cllr Caunce had informed the Clerk that all outstanding jobs had been completed. FINANCE Due to the absence of Cllr Smith, Cllr Jay reported on the deliberations of this committee which had met on Monday 8th November. Matters Arising South Cerney Play Group Cllr Mrs F. Chapman declared a prejudicial interest as a Trustee of the group and left the meeting. South Cerney Play Group had written to request that the Parish Council consider financial help with its building project. The Clerk informed the Committee that under Section 137 funds could be allocated for community projects. Currently £5.15 per elector could be legitimately used for such schemes. The Electoral Office at CDC had confirmed today that there are 2,454 electors on the roll for South Cerney. In last year’s budget £1,300 had been agreed as Section 137 funding. Cllr Nicholas said that there should be a consensus of opinion on how much the Parish Council would agree to donate to the Play Group in its budget precept. Cllr Jay was of the opinion that the increase in Council Tax discount on holiday homes from 50% to 10% would reduce the average band “D” charge for home owners in the Parish thereby making any increase in the Parish Precept that much less of a burden. Cllr M. Baines (CDC) agreed to enquire from the Cotswold District Council on how the extra Council Tax collected on holiday homes will impact on the precept and how many properties contribute to the Council Tax in the Parish. Various donation amounts were put forward and one Parish Councillor was undecided on how much. No decision was reached on an exact amount which should be included in the precept although Parish Councillors were minded to make a donation to the Play Group. The Clerk was asked to inform the Play Group of this debate. Cllr Mrs Chapman rejoined the debate. Royal British Legion The Chairman, Cllr Stuart agreed to make a donation of £50 from his Chairman’s allowance to the Royal British Legion for providing the Remembrance Day wreath. Village Directory In March 2004 the Editor of Cerney News had asked the Parish Council to consider a donation of £150 towards the production of the Village Directory. As work was soon to start on its production the Parish Council had been asked to make its donation. The annual budget allowed £100 for the Cerney News and Village Directory to be paid at 2 yearly intervals. It was proposed by Cllr Harris and seconded by Cllr Mrs Chapman that the Parish Council make a contribution of £150 towards the production of the Village Directory. The Parish Council was all in favour. Outstanding Mr R. Hewer Notice board repair £205.00 Receipts South Cerney Cricket Club Proportional charge for water £11.60 South Cerney Football Club Proportional charge for water £17.41 R. Hewer Part payment for noticeboard repair £60.00 A&B Fencing Ltd Refund of overpayment £129.25 £218.26 Cllr Harris and Cllr Stuart declared prejudicial interest as payees and left the room. Payments Out Michael Stuart Refreshments (Village Plan) £7.46 Michael Stuart Visit to GRCC (Travel) £22.22 James Harris Contracting Repair to fence and play equipment £74.63 James Harris Contracting Tree work at Broadway Court as per quote £58.75 Chairman’s Allowance Remembrance Day Wreath £50.00 £213.06 It was proposed by Cllr Mrs Chubb and seconded by Cllr Nicholas that the Parish Council agrees to the above payments. The remaining four Parish Councillors were all in favour. Cllr Harris and Cllr Stuart rejoined the meeting. Payments Out (continued) Petty Cash Bus Shelter Cleansing (November) £40.00 Petty Cash Litter Picking (November) £100.00 Raymond Fenton Updating web pages May 2003 to September 2004 £850.00 M. McKee Clerk’s Travel (October) £99.99 M. McKee BT Telephone and Internet access (October) £45.99 Adrian Gibbs South Cerney ground maintenance (October) £581.62 Busy Fingers Photocopying £41.32 Rodney Gardiner Ground maintenance at Cerney Wick (October) £63.60 Cerney News Village Directory donation (S.137) £150.00 R. O. W. Berry Ground maintenance as per quote £35.00 £2,007.52 Cllr Smith had previously inspected and agreed the Clerk’s travel expenses for October. It was proposed by Cllr Mrs Chapman and seconded by Cllr Mrs Chubb that the Parish Council agrees to make the rest of the payments. The Parish Council was all in favour. Grass Cutting It was proposed by Cllr Harris and seconded by Cllr Jay that the Parish Council agrees that contractors perform an extra grass cut throughout South Cerney including the churchyard and Cerney Wick. The Parish Council was all in favour. Robert Franklin Way Official Opening It was proposed by Cllr Nicholas and seconded by Cllr Jay that the Parish Council agrees to finance the sustenance provided for invited guests at the official opening of the refurbished play area at Robert Franklin Way. The Parish Council was all in favour. PLANNING Cllr Nicholas reported on the deliberations of the Planning Committee which had met on Monday 8th November. Matters Arising Letter to A. R. Jones (CDC) No reply had been received to the letter querying how the Parish Council could determine applications when decisions on nature, texture and colour of materials to be used is unknown. Jubilee Gardens Public Art Cllr Nicholas asked that the Clerk inform Rachael Stanway, CDC Arts Development Officer of the Parish Council’s disappointment that no action had been taken due to lack of funding and invite her to inform the Parish Council of the grant applications in time for its December meeting. He said we were led to believe at the February meeting that funds were in fact available and it was only the format of the art which had to be decided. Planning Applications available on CDC Web Site Cllr Nicholas informed the meeting that CDC was to be congratulated as planning applications were now being published on its web site and requested the Clerk to ask Raymond Fenton to create a link from the Parish Council web site to the planning page of the Cotswold District Council’s site. Planning applications received by Cotswold District Council CT.0006/4/B Applicant: Watermark Ltd, Isis Lakes, The Spine Road, South Cerney The provision of a service area with associated gardener’s shed and the retention of the existing access onto the Spine Road for the use of service lorries only at Lake 16, Spine Road, South Cerney NO OBJECTION CT.0223/A Applicant: Mrs E. Malik, Drenewyd, High Street, South Cerney Alterations to vehicular access serving Drenewyd and The Old House at High Street, South Cerney NO OBJECTION CT.0649/2/K Applicant: P. D. Richens, 22 Meadow Way, South Cerney Erection of rear extension to existing garage at 22 Meadow Way, South Cerney NO OBJECTION CT.3115/G Applicant: J. Davies 3 The Secret Garden, Meadow Way, South Cerney, GL7 6HY Retention of three (3) velux rooflights to bathrooms and landing at 3 The Secret Garden, Meadow Way, South Cerney NO OBJECTION Cllr Harris declared an interest as the applicant was a client of his and left the meeting. CT.3424/E Applicant: Mr Greenberg, Lower Churn, Bow Wow, South Cerney Amended roofing material for conservatory from glazing to Cotswold stone tiles at Lower Churn, Bow Wow, South Cerney (R) It was proposed by Cllr Jay and seconded by Cllr Stuart that the Parish Council agree to ratify the decision of the Planning Committee. The Parish Council was all in favour. NO OBJECTION Cllr Harris rejoined the meeting CT.3704/K Applicant: Simon Robinson, 3-4 School Lane, Meysey Hampton, Glos. GL7 5JS Construction of first floor extension above sun room and adjacent ground floor and first floor extension, to provide two (2) bedrooms, and ground floor study or wc at Rose Cottage, Station Road, South Cerney NO OBJECTION CT.4608/M Applicant: Ian Macintyre, Cerney Wick Farmhouse, Cerney Wick Minor Amendment: Re-locate double doors within the rear elevation of the store building at Cerney Wick Farmhouse, Cerney Wick NO OBJECTION CT.4608/N Applicant: Ian Macintyre, Cerney Wick Farmhouse, Cerney Wick Minor Amendment: Re-locate double doors within the rear elevation of the store building at Cerney Wick Farmhouse, Cerney Wick NO OBJECTION With the exception of CT.3424/E which had already been determined it was proposed by Cllr Stuart and seconded by Cllr Jay that the Parish Council agrees to accept the deliberations of the Planning Committee. The Parish Council was all in favour. Planning Applications granted by Cotswold District Council CT.3424/E Amended roofing material for conservatory from glazing to Cotswold stone tiles at Lower Churn, Bow Wow, South Cerney CT.4067/2/R Erection of single storey front extension and first floor side/rear extension at 27 Sudeley Drive, South Cerney CT.4454/H Removal of Condition 2 on planning permission reference CT.4454/D to allow the building to be used as a residential dwelling at Quarry Barn, Cricklade Road, South Cerney Of particular note is Condition 2: The development shall not start until a scheme for protecting the proposal from noise has been approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. All works which form part of the scheme shall be completed before any part of the development is occupied and so maintained thereafter. Reason: To protect people within the development from noise in accordance with Cotswold District Local Plan Policies 7 and 18, and PPG24. CT.0776/S Listed Building Consent granted for the alteration to existing vehicular access with provision of entrance gates and erection of stone wall with metal railings at Walnut Farm, Upper Up, South Cerney CT.0776/T Planning Permission granted for the alteration to existing vehicular access with provision of entrance gates and erection of stone wall with metal railings at Walnut Farm, Upper Up, South Cerney Planning Application withdrawn CT.0006/3/Z Erection of service area and gardener’s shed at Lake 16, Spine Road, South Cerney VILLAGE PLAN Cllr Stuart thanked everyone who had turned out on Saturday 6th November to help with the deliberations of residents’ views on what should be included in the Village Plan. Cllr Stuart reported that more than fifty residents attended throughout the day. Residents’ comments will now be analysed in conjunction with the existing plan and a new action plan developed. The majority of comments referred to traffic, parking and speed through the village. The Clerk was asked to thank Dr Stephenson for his letter and ask him if he would be prepared to join a sub committee to manage traffic problems in the village. A youth council was another possibility which could be discussed. The Clerk was asked to invite a GCC Youth Service Manager to explain how money is allocated throughout the county for the benefit of the youth. A meeting has been arranged with Melanie Tarrant, GRCC South Cotswolds Rural Adviser and Cllr Stuart encouraged those Parish Councillors available to attend the Village Hall at 2.30pm on Tuesday 16th November. CORRESPONDENCE 1. CPRE – Newsletter October 2004 (on circulation) 2. CPRE – Countryside Voice Autumn 2004 (on circulation) 3. CHYP – Newsletter Autumn 2004; AGM Notice Tuesday 23rd November in The Abbey Room, The Parish Centre, Gosditch Street, Cirencester (on circulation) 4. South Cerney Playgroup – Request for a donation 5. GCC – Notification that on 11th October 2004 the Gloucestershire Waste Local Plan 2002-2012 was adopted by GCC 6. CDC – CT.CONTR 1750: Notification to undertake tree work at The Chapter Manor, South Cerney (R) NO OBJECTION 7. GCC Highways – Speed Limit Gateways RSVP 15th November The Parish Council wholeheartedly agreed to the five speed limit gateways in South Cerney and three in Cerney Wick and an extra gateway in Broadway Lane south of Oak Way and Beverstone Close. 8. Davey Franklin Jones – Postponement of transfer of licence re: The Old George Inn 9. Gloucestershire Playing Fields Association – The Playing Field Newsletter (on circulation to VM) 10. CDC – Invitation to Tree Wardens to attend a training session on 3rd November (emailed to Tree Wardens); Forest Life (on circulation to Tree Wardens); Poster on Ted Green lecture (to noticeboard) 11. CDC – CT.CONTR 1740: No Objection to undertake tree work at The New House, adj to Orchard House, Upper Up, South Cerney 12. Cotswold Sailing Club – Church Lane entrance 13. CDC – Notification of Cotswold Canals Eastern Group Liaison Meeting of 26 October postponed until 25 January 2005 14. Davey Franklin Jones – Re-listing of transfer of licence re: The Old George Inn 15. CDC – Notification of seminar “Meeting Future Challenges – Housing in the Cotswolds up to 2011 on 18 November at 9.30am, Council Offices, Trinity Road. RSVP by 5 November (emailed to Parish Councillors) 16. CDC – Notification of Budget Community Meeting, Council Offices, Trinity Road. RSVP by 19 November (emailed to Parish Councillors) 17. ODPM – New Ethical Framework Regulations (emailed to Parish Councillors) 18. Fosseway Housing Association – Berkeley Close Sewerage System Copied to Cllr Mrs Clark (CDC), Cllr C. Bennett (CDC) and Mr & Mrs Chapman 19. CDC – CT.3724.C Appeal by Mrs J. E. Shepherd re Outline erection of single dwelling with vehicle access at Good Intent, Cerney Wick. The Parish Council was of the opinion that development here would be extending the ‘built envelope’ of the village into open land. Moreover, the design and appearance of the proposed dwelling should be shown in detailed plans before approval can reasonably be given It was proposed by Cllr Harris and seconded by Cllr Mrs Chubb that the Parish Council supports the CDC in its objection to this application. The Parish Council was all in favour. 20. GCC – Acknowledgement of letter re completion of Bow Wow/Church Lane project 21. GCC Highways – No objection to public seat in Clarks Hay 22. GCC Highways – B4696 Spine Road: Advertisements; Carriageway cleaning 23. Clerks & Councils Direct – November 2004 (on circulation) 24. CDC – Public Art at Jubilee Gardens, South Cerney 25. 21 Today magazine – October 2004 (on circulation) 26. S. J. Walker – Volunteer of services to Parish Council The Clerk was asked to thank Mr Walker for his interest and invite him to join any future sub committee which might be formed 27. Dr P. Stephenson – Parish Plan item The Clerk was asked to thank Dr P. Stephenson for his letter and encourage him to publish it in the local newspaper 28. Le Spa – Linda Lloyd invitation acceptance 29. CDC – Draft Statement of Licensing Policy Consultation Questionnaire (on circulation); Posters to noticeboards 30. Thames Water – Flooding in South Cerney Copied to Cllr Mrs Clark (CDC), Cllr C. Bennett (CDC) and Mr & Mrs Chapman 31. Cotswold Water Park Society – Overgrowing bridlepath on Wildmoorway Lane; Post and rail fence 32. Glos Partnership NHS Trust – Patient Advice and Liaison Service (poster to noticeboard; Leaflet to Committee chairmen 33. CDC – Local Plan: Customer Satisfaction Survey 34. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP at Bingham Hall on 3rd December 5-7pm (poster to noticeboard) 35. R.O.W. Berry – Memorial seat The Parish Council would be grateful to accept a donation of £350 and Mr Berry’s offer to install the seat. 36. Solagen – Quotation: Interactive speed signs 37. GRCC – Village Plan email from Melanie Tarrant 38. Copy letters to Mr & Mrs Chapman from Fosseway Housing, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP and A. R. Jones (CDC) COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS Cllr Jay asked the Clerk to obtain confirmation in writing of the discussion that Mrs Portlock had with Cllr Stuart regarding the damage to the river Churn bank in Bow Wow. Cllr Jay complained that horses and bicycles were using footpaths and asked that it be noted in the Cerney News that those responsible refrain from such practice. There being no further business Cllr Stuart closed the meeting at 9.40pm. |