DRAFT MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 12th DECEMBER 2011
Present: Cllr S. Billis, Chairman, Cllrs R. Bourton, N. Crocker, S. Hinson,Mrs J. Newman, J. Pullen and Mrs V. Stubbings
Also present: Two members of the public. Cllr M. Groom attended for a short time.
Mr Stuart Hinson signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office. The Chairman welcomed him and congratulated him on winning the first PC by-election in many years.
Declarations of Interest. Cllr Crocker declared an interest in the donation to the Village Hall committee as Chairman, and Cllr Stubbings declared an interest in the donation to the VHMC as Secretary, and to Chrst Church as Secretary to the PCC..
1. The minutes of the meeting held on 14th November were considered. Cllr Stubbings pointed out an omission in that the item regarding the missing grit bin at Thornhill was not noted. Further she proposed that ' The statements made by the Chairman and Clerk , although noted in the minutes, and therefore in the public domain, should be on the website. Carried. Clerk
With these corrections, the minutes were signed as being a true record.
2. Planning.
a. 11/03363/FUL and 11/03363/S37A (retrospective). 5 Ham Cottages. Garage and Annex. There is some confusion over why there are two applications for the same property as a previous application was refused, and went to appeal, unsuccessfully. The objection to the previous application still stands. Clerk is to pursue. Clerk
b. 11/03627/FUL. Manor Farm. Demolish Farm Building and replace with office etc. No objection.
c. 11/03703/FUL. 11 Thornhill. Temporary siting of Mobile Home. Clerk is to inform Wilts County that a condition that 'After the requested 3 year period the land on which the home is sited is to be returned to agricultural use' as no change of use appears to have been granted on this site.
Finance.
a. It was proposed by the Chairman that the precept for 2012/13 be set at £3400, an increase in line with inflation. Carried.
b. Payment to Clerk of salary Oct-Dec of £168.48,expenses of £35, and Petty Cash, £15 were approved and a cheque for a total of £223.48 raised.
c. A cheque for £450, annual donation to the Village Hall Management Committee, was approved.
d. A cheque for £125 payable to Christ Church to help with publication of the 'News' was approved.
e. Two cheques payable to Society of Local Council Clerks were approved. One for £32 to pay for amended contents of SLCC Manual, and £46 to pay Clerk's annual subscription to the SLCC.
4. Neighbourhood Forum
a. The Chairman proposed that an open meeting be held in January 2012 to enable the public to be briefed on future planning, and other opinions to be heard. It was felt that January would not give sufficient time to organise and publicise this event, or to organise a speaker from Wilts Council. A counter proposal was tabled by Cllr Stubbings that " a public meeting be planned when the local Community Group had been formed and sufficient time given to organising and publicising this meeting" Carried
b. An error by the Clerk had resulted in an item for the agenda requested by the Chairman that the Terms of Reference for the PC representative on the Neighbourhood Forum be considered had been omitted. Cllr Stubbings wanted more time for them to be considered. This was agreed. This item will be carried forward to the next meeting. At the next meeting of the Forum Cllr Stubbings said that she was prepared to act without mandate, but to take forward the view that every effort be made to protect green spaces, and to avoid local villages coalescing with Swindon.
5. Speedwatch. It was agreed that the report from the team was very well presented and showed that the system was having a positive effect.
6. Roadworks. The chairman reported on his attempts to clarify the cost of the proposed road wortks. He had met with a representative of Wilts Highways, Donna Kelly,and was awaiting her report. It was noted that, with the aleady agreed donations, there would be little or no cost to the Parish. He also questioned the provision of village signs, which are well past their use by date. It would appear that they are on the list, but funding is short.
7. CAT Redhills. Chairman has been given an estimate of approx £300 for the legal cost of vetting the contract for the Community Asset Transfer of Redhills to the Parish. The funding was already available in the ring-fenced fumd for youth activities. Councillors requested that they be given copies of the transfer document for perusal. It was proposed by Cllr Stubbings that "providing there were no issues from Councillors after the document had been circulated, the Council go ahead with the transfer, with the funding to come from the Youth Fund " Carried
8. Area Board. Cllr Stubbings reported on the meeting of the Area Board. The latest offering is a 'What Matters to You' survey, which can be found on the Wilts County website. Also, 2012 had been declared a 'Year of Celebration', with the Olympic Torch coming through Wiltshire, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. She also noted that the Parish had been allocated £500 from the now disbanded NCAP after an application from the Chairman, and her lobbying.
9. Parish Matters.
a. Dog Control Order. Wilts Council are going to re-issue the dog control order. It includes all areas to which the public have access, but the Parish Council agreed to request an order banning dogs from the Redhills Playing Field. Clerk
b. Hedge on the corner of Chapel Lane needs cutting back to improve view. Chairman
c. Water Leak. There is a water leak on the road between the pumping station at Thornhill and Common Farm. Clerk will report to Wessex Water. Clerk
d. Water is running onto the road outside of Rayners Breakers Yard on the Bushton Road. Although not strictly within the Parish, Clerk will report the problem to Wilts Highways, copied to Clyffe Pypard PC as the risk of ice on the road is very real. Clerk
e. Cllr Bourton noted that nobody had reported any incidents on the road through the Village. Clerk will put a larger notice on the board. Clerk
The meeting closed at 20.55 hrs. The next meeting will be on 9th January 2012
[SIGNED] R.J.Davey. Clerk to the Council.