Minutes of Great Oakley Parish Council Meeting Held at the Village Hall 7:30pm Tuesday 27 th September 2011

Transcription

1 Minutes of Great Oakley Parish Council Meeting Held at the Village Hall 7:30pm Tuesday 27 th September 2011 Present: Mr S Huk Chairman, Mr T Spurge Vice Chairman, Mr J Tierney, Miss N Booth, Mr B Eaton, Mrs J Mason, Mr M Bransby, Mr N Daniels, Cllr T Howard, PCSO T White Apologies: None Chairman opened meeting with prayer at 7:30pm. Declaration of Interest: There were none declared. Public Participation: There was one member of the public present. Mrs Ling asked Council about plans for the Recreation Field after reading an article in the newspaper. Chairman confirmed that it had arisen from a phone conversation with a reporter and went on to say that a reporter had attended a meeting at Essex County Council during which one of their committees agreed a list of property, including the Recreation Field, that was surplus to their requirements and could potentially be disposed of. The Parish Council have worked very hard over the past three years to secure the field for the village and were eventually able to agree a 21 year lease which in turn allowed us to invest around 50,000 in the refurbished play area. As part of these discussions with Essex County Councils land agents, it was stated that, once a lease has been agreed, Essex County Council may be prepared to sell, or even gift, the land to the Parish Council. In light of this, once we had signed the lease, we did formally express an interest in acquiring the land for the village, the above mentioned meeting being part of that wider ongoing process. As for the new village hall, the existing hall is of some age and its maintenance is an ongoing and increasingly expensive matter. Its location is not ideal and parking is very limited. Previous village surveys, going back over 10 years have identified a desire to build a new Village Hall at the Recreation Field end of the village. In light of this, the Parish Council broached the subject with Tendring District Council planning some three or four years ago and they said they would prefer it if we built a new hall on the existing Recreation Field. If the Parish Council does not ultimately purchase the field, then the current 21 year lease will remain in place. As the land is outside the village planning envelope, there is no realistic prospect of any other use for the field. As of today, we are at a very early stage in these plans and much more work is going to be needed to move anything forward. One major factor, especially in the current economic climate, will be raising the funds, not only to build a new hall, but to ensue whatever we do is sustainable for our community. Cllr Howard reported that he was pursuing the repair of pot holes in Back Lane and there is also a street sweeping issue there. Local Development Framework leaflets are being sent out to all residents informing everyone of consultations regarding new houses. Tendring District Councils Weeley Office is the nearest location where the consultation will be held on 12 th October from 10 am 6 pm. Details will be ed to all Councillors. Recycling is under review by Tendring District Council; Mr Daniels asked if we will get separate bins for different recycling but we don t know as yet. Minutes of meeting held on Tuesday 19 th July 2011 were proposed as correct, after a couple of spelling amendments, by Mr Tierney, seconded Mr Spurge, carried unanimously. Police Report: PCSO White reported 5 incidents which included 1 advice required, 1 nuisance neighbour, 1 intruder alarm, 1 concern for welfare and 1 domestic abuse. It was reported that Great Oakley Primary School had some laptops stolen from the school. Miss Booth asked Parish Council if we could support the school in raising the excess for the insurance. After discussion it was agreed we would wait to see how the schools fund raising went before we made a decision on a contribution. Mrs Mason reported loud music being played in Stones Green until 4 am on a Sunday morning; PCSO White will find out about this.

2 Progress Report: Bus Shelter The new bus shelter opposite the War Memorial has been installed and the timetable is now in place. Post Office/Village Hall Meeting Dates for a meeting have been circulated and the 27 th October has been agreed by everyone. The meeting will start at 7 pm. Mayesh from the Post Office will be invited to attend. BT Parking on Triangle Following our letter to BT we have received a phone call from Outreach who will pass our concerns to their team. They have a green box they attend to near the triangle and to avoid obstructing the road they pull on to the triangle. Lollipop Lady We have written a letter requesting a lollipop lady so when funding becomes available we will be top of the list subject to their survey. Letter to Shop We have written to Kirby Stores thanking them for their cheque. Big Society We have submitted a formal application for funding for replacement street lights. Tree We have written to the PCC asking what their intentions are regarding the fallen tree by the church. Highways: There are some outstanding highway issues which will be pursued. These are as follows: Weight Restriction Sign Speed Limit Red Barn Lane Overgrown Verges The excavation near Partridge Close has now been filled in. These have all been reported to the highways manager and passed around other various managers with no response. County Cllr M Skeels has been copied into all correspondence with the hope he can assist. After discussion it was agreed to request a meeting with the maintenance manager. Miss Booth reported a pot hole in the High Street near the telephone box and has suggested a photo is taken and sent to Essex County Council along with a strongly worded letter. Mr Daniels suggested contacting the newspaper; Mr Spurge said that was not a bad idea. Mr Bransby said that repairs have been made at The Soils regarding the drainage issue we raised. Mr Eaton said that the weight restrictions are still being ignored in Stones Green. Councillors commented about the water pump in Red Barn Lane being overgrown with vegetation so a request will be submitted to The Ranger Service to have it cleared. Grass Cutting: The grass cutting contract is due for renewal next year and as we set the Precept in December we thought it would be an idea to re-tender so the cost can be taken into account. A copy of the previous specification was circulated to all Councillors for comment. It was suggested we amend the wording to avoid it being gender specific, revise the level of Public Liability insurance required and include the verge outside The Bungalow on the map. Mr Daniels also asked if we could check that the amount of cuts carried out are in line with the contract.

3 Miss Booth asked who tends the tubs on the verge at Sparrows Corner. It appears that the residents in the nearest bungalow placed them there and have looked after them in the past. A letter will be sent asking what their intentions are; if they are no longer interested then the tubs should be removed. Miss Booth also brought to our attention that it appears a contractor is fly-tipping rubbish on a regular basis in an area at the old burial ground. PCSO White has suggested the index plate is recorded and reported. There has also been an increase in dog fouling over the summer months along with lots of rubbish. PCSO White said that if the dog walker is under 16 dog fouling can be reported to the council and if over 16 they can be fined. There appears to be rubbish left on the Recreation Field by the visiting football teams again so this will be monitored. If this continues we will approach the football team to remind them of their agreement to keep the area tidy. Recreation Field: Essex County Council have agreed in principle to potentially sell us the Recreation Field and have valued it at 50,000 with an 85% claw back on any future increase in value if we do anything with the land. We have had the field independently valued and it was considerably less than this. Councillors feel that this figure is unrealistic, especially with the claw back provision and the need to purchase additional land if we were to progress a new hall in this location. Mr Daniels commented that he was surprised at how many cars the school and pre-school generate in this area of the village. Mr Spurge said that recent changes in the planning department gives us the opportunity to meet with Carlo Guglielmi to put our views regarding the location of a new hall forward and Sarah Candy is happy to arrange this. Chairman suggested we tell Tendring District Council that we have now looked at other options but they are more costly and not viable. Mr Daniels will compose a letter to Essex County Council/Lambert Smith Hampton and circulate to all after checking that the school and pre-school are on board. Cllr Howard said that if we propose to alleviate the parking problem on the road this could aid potential funding. Website: The new website is now up and running and Chairman thanked Mr Tierney for all his hard work. We have received the invoice from the web builders and found it was less than originally quoted. It was agreed to send payment with the agreement. Mr Tierney has suggested we send a letter of thanks to Neil Andrews for his assistance past and present and this was agreed. Mrs Mason suggested we put photos of Councillors on the website and this was agreed. We will also place an update regarding the Recreation Field in the news section of the website. Village Hall/New Village Hall: While we were instructing Kincaid Residential to give us a value for the Recreation Field we also asked them to value the site the village hall stands on. In case we need to pursue further valuations this figure was not made public at this time. Flooring We have received a price to have new floor covering throughout the Village Hall but need to obtain additional quotes before we can go ahead with funding applications. Roof The general feeling among Councillors is that the roof is in need of replacement rather than repair so quotes will be obtained with a view to applying for funding. Mr Daniels reported that the store room floor is now complete and the lining of the walls will be finished shortly, making this space much more useable. Chairman thanked Mr Daniels for driving this forward. Mr Spurge will contact contractors to gain quotes for the roof and flooring which will then be put on one funding application.

4 Boundary We have received a response to our letter which was sent regarding the trees and fence next to the Village Hall. It appears the resident is waiting to hear from EDF regarding tree cutting adjacent to their power lines. They have also suggested that workmen have removed one of their fence panels but we have no knowledge of this. Our workmen did cut back some of the trees so they had access to the barge boards on the Village Hall. We have checked the deeds to the Village Hall and as far as we can ascertain the boundary in question is their responsibility. A letter in response will be sent out. Public Rights of Way: There is nothing new to report. Planning: There are no current planning applications to be discussed. In this months EALC publication there is an article about the governments proposed changes to the planning system as part of the Localism Bill. The EALC have responded to the consultations on both the National Planning Policy Framework and Local Planning Regulations and urge all local Councils to do likewise. Details of the proposed changes and consultation documents are available on Accounts for Payment: Parish Council Income Kirby Stores Dry Cleaning Refund Tendring District Council Dog Bin Empty Refund TOTAL Parish Council Expenditure Tendring District Council Election Expenses TDALC Membership A & J Lighting Solutions Annual Inspection/Repairs The Green Gardener Old Burial Ground A & J Lighting Solutions Street Light Maintenance Lambert Smith Hampton Recreation Field Lease Kincaid Residential Valuation Village Hall Site E-On Street Lighting D/D E-On Street Lighting D/D E-On Village Hall Electric D/D The Green Gardener Old Burial Ground Jobsihate Grass Cutting Parish Websites Ltd Website Miss J Bootyman Wages Miss J Bootyman Expenses TOTAL Village Hall Income Book Sales Donation 3.00 Art Club Hall Hire Dog Club Hall Hire Art Club Hall Hire O Clock Club Hall Hire Football Club Hall Hire Art Club Hall Hire Band Practice Hall Hire Dog Club Hall Hire Dog Club Hall Hire TOTAL

5 Village Hall Expenditure PRS Music Licence Calor Standing Charge Veolia Water Mrs Chilver Wages Calor Standing Charge Mrs Chilver Wages E & J Fire and Security Lt Fire Safety Inspection Calor Gas TOTAL Special Projects Account Mr N Daniels Village Hall Refurbishment Mr A Tagg Village Hall Brickwork Floor TOTAL The accounts were discussed and it was agreed to clarify exactly what the election expenses were and when the water and gas were last paid for. After being circulated and checking queries, it was agreed to pay accounts by Mr Bransby, seconded Mr Spurge, carried unanimously. Wreath We usually donate 40 to the Royal British Legion for a wreath and it was agreed we would do the same this year. Proposed Mr Eaton, seconded Mr Tierney, carried unanimously. Correspondence: Essex Air Ambulance We have received a letter from Essex Air Ambulance informing us of the work they do in our area. After discussion it was agreed to donate 25. Proposed Mr Eaton, seconded Mrs Mason, carried unanimously. Replacement Headstone We have been contacted by a family living away from the village who wish to replace an eroded headstone at the old burial ground. We requested some evidence that they were effectively the next of kin and have received a letter along with copies of the marriage and death certificates. After discussion it was agreed to grant them permission to replace the headstone. Pill Box We have also received correspondence from our local history recorder Mrs Tite who was concerned about a pill box which has recently been uncovered in a front garden in Great Oakley. A meeting was arranged with Phil Hornby from Tendring District Council, Fred Nash a Military Archaeologist and Mr Kennell from Essex County Council. It appears the pill box is a type FW3/22 and in good condition. It is unusual in some respects which make it likely to be listed under the local list of heritage scheme. The Archaeological Society would like to put a commemorative plaque on the pill box in six to nine months time and Mrs Tite would like to mark this occasion in some way. After discussion this it was agreed we will write to Mrs Tite thanking her and suggesting the occasion is marked in the summer time. We will also ask her if she is aware of the pill box in Stones Green. There being no further business, Chairman closed meeting at 10:08pm. Signed.. Dated..