COXHEATH PARISH COUNCIL

Transcription

1 COXHEATH PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES Meeting No: 10/15/16 Date: Tuesday 23 rd February 2016 Venue: Small Hall, Coxheath Village Hall, Stockett Lane, Coxheath Present: Cllrs R Divall (Vice-Chairman); K Woollven; Mrs V Page; Mrs C Skinner; J Hughes; Mrs A Brindle; Mrs D Taghdissian; Mrs E Potts. In Attendance: Cllrs R Webb, J Wilson and B Mortimer (Maidstone Borough Council); Ms Y Gordine (Parish Liaison Officer, Maidstone Borough Council); T Ketley (Parish Clerk) and 1 member of the general public. In the absence of the Chairman, those members present elected Cllr R Divall, in his capacity as the Vice-Chairman, to chair the meeting. Representations were received from one member of the public. The Vice-Chairman, therefore, opened the formal Parish Council meeting at 7.40pm APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs C Parker, C Leith and M Dale, PCSO M Judges (Kent Police) and A McKinley (KCC Community Warden) REQUESTS FOR FILMING AND/OR RECORDING There were no requests to film or record all or part of the meeting CONSIDERATION OF PART 2 ITEMS It was noted that there were no items to be taken in private in Part 2 of the meeting, because of the possible disclosure of exempt information DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS There were no declarations of interests recorded REPORTS FROM THE POLICE AND COMMUNITY WARDEN In the absence of the Police Community Support Officer, the monthly crime figures were reported by . There had been four crimes recorded in the period since the January Parish Council meeting one theft, two burglaries and one theft from a motor vehicle. In his absence, the Community Warden had also forwarded his report for February 2016 by . He had reported on various issues, including:- Despite repeated requests to Maidstone Borough Council, the burned out motorbike had still not been removed from the Village Hall playing field; He had ed the owner of Hamilton House regarding the large potholes in the car park to the rear of the building; 1

2 Following a competition at the Coxheath Primary School Breakfast Club, the Dog Fun Day had been named Dogmatic. His budget for the likely costs of the event amounted to , which he hoped the Parish Council would be willing to cover ; Although not mentioned in his report, he had also arranged for Kick Kent to hold some football related events in Coxheath during the summer holiday period. He also hoped to engage the services of Little Green Soccer DISCUSSION WITH YASMIN GORDINE, PARISH LIAISON OFFICER, AT MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL Yasmin Gordine introduced herself in her capacity as the newly appointed Parish Liaison Officer at Maidstone Borough Council. She had been appointed on an initial one year contract with effect from December 2015 and had already attended eighteen separate parish council meetings. Her prime concern was to improve communication between Maidstone Borough Council and parish councils and to this end, she referred Councillors to the newly adopted Parish Charter, which had come into force in September She had discovered that this fact did not appear to have been communicated to parish councils and she had circulated the link to the relevant area of the Maidstone Borough Council website in January The main subjects covered by the Parish Charter were economic development (business issues), planning and enforcement, affordable housing, environmental protection and leisure/open space. A general discussion then ensued, during which the following points were highlighted:- Coxheath was already critically short of public green open space. Ms Gordine agreed, therefore, to investigate and advise details of the current formula used by Maidstone Borough Council to calculate open space standards; By far the poorest communicators were officers in the planning and planning enforcement disciplines. The circulation of a list of direct line telephone numbers for each officer, therefore, was welcomed; Ms Gordine was made aware of the long delay in determining the future handover of redundant play areas from the Borough Council to Coxheath Parish Council. She would take the matter up with Joanna Joyce as a matter of urgency; Concern was expressed over the often inadequate lead times allowed for Parish Councils to respond to consultation issues. On the assumption that the Parish Charter still demanded a six week consultation period with parishes, the Clerk would advise Ms Gordine of recent instances where this had not been the case; The Clerk also reminded the Parish Liaison Officer that there was an assumption that all Parish Councillors were computer literate and had access to a computer. This was not always the case and should be borne in mind 155. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS PARISH COUNCIL MEETING Cllr Mrs C Skinner proposed that the minutes of the meeting held on 26 th January 2016 should be signed as a true and correct record. The proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs A Brindle and carried unanimously MATTERS ARISING Play Area Carousel Repairs It was noted that the subject had been discussed once again at the Parish Council Finance Committee meeting held on 11 th February 2016, following a site meeting with Maidstone Borough Services and a quotation received for the repair of the carousel, the replacement of the junior swing fittings and the repair of the two broken gate springs. The quotation would be considered later in the meeting. 2

3 Overgrown Footpaths in the Nature Area It was noted that the Clerk would be holding a site meeting with Rob Graham of Conservation Landscape Services on 1 st March 2016, to finalise dates for the construction of the footpaths through the nature area and the other tasks agreed at the November meeting d. Dog Waste Bins It was noted that the new dog waste bin had been installed at the junction of Forstal Lane and Mill Lane and the old bin had been relocated to the grass verge in Heath Road, between the junctions of Park Way and Georgian Drive. RIP Cleaning Services had also been instructed to add the extra bin to their weekly emptying rota b. Brick Bus Shelter Repairs and Christmas Tree Pit Cover It was noted that Cllr R Divall and the Clerk had met with a local builder, Andy Grant, on 18 th February 2016, to discuss the necessary repairs to the brick bus shelter in Heath Road and the reinforcement of the inspection pit outside the church, which facilitated the electricity supply to the Christmas tree. A quotation had now been received and would be considered later in the meeting. 139e. Salting/Gritting of Roads Action was in hand to raise the issue of gritting all bus routes, including Park Way and Westway, with the Kent County Council Highway Steward Naming of Roads for Heathfield Development It was reported that following various exchanges of correspondence with Maidstone Borough Council and discussions with Countryside Developments, it now seemed likely that the seven road names would be Chaffinch Drive, Kestrel Close, Swallow Avenue, Hearne Drive, Cricketers Close, Kennard Way and Murdoch Close and the two names for the blocks of flats would be Poppyfield Court and Downs View Court REPORTS a. Village News Cllr Mrs D Taghdissian reported that the Spring edition of the Village News had just been sent to the printers and that she expected copies to be available for distribution during the week commencing 29 th February b. Clockhouse Farm Cllr J Hughes reported that he would be attending a meeting at Maidstone Borough Council on 1 st March 2016, for a preliminary discussion on amending the Clockhouse Farm planning approval to become a smaller site. He was particularly anxious to resist any suggestion that the area of land for a new/enhanced medical facility should be reduced. c. Sainsburys in Coxheath Cllr Mrs V Page expressed concern that Sainsburys were apparently applying for a licence to sell alcohol in a projected new premises in Coxheath, before any planning application had even been lodged and that the licence application was from 7.00am to 11.00pm each day. Although it was known that local businesses had received correspondence from Sainsburys alerting them to the fact that they proposed to open an outlet on the site of the former car showroom in Heath Road, no such notification had been received by the Parish Council. It was agreed that in the first instance the Parish Council would register its concern with the Maidstone Borough Council Licensing Committee. d. Maidstone Local Plan Regulation 19 Consultation Borough Cllr J Wilson advised the Parish Council that the latest consultation had to be judged on the basis of legality and soundness. The subject had been discussed at the Joint Transport Board meeting on 22 nd February 2016 and it was fair to say that there was considerable conflict between Maidstone Borough Council and Kent County Council, particularly in the area of the road infrastructure to support the Plan. 3

4 Borough Cllr B Mortimer suggested that the Parish Council should publish its response on the Parish website. e. Older s Field Borough Cllr R Webb reported that he had been invited to attend a pre-application meeting on Older s Field at Maidstone Borough Council on 26 th February He understood that there would be a fresh application to increase the number of dwellings from 55 to 70. Since no-one else was aware of the meeting, it was agreed that arrangements should be made for the other ward Borough Councillors and a representative of the Parish Council to attend the meeting FINANCE The Financial Performance against Budget report for February 2016 was tabled and the content was noted and agreed. On behalf of the Chairman, the Clerk outlined the various issues discussed at the Parish Council Finance Committee meeting on 11 th February 2016, including;- The intention of the Parish Council to continue pressing Maidstone Borough Council for details and conditions of the handover of redundant play areas at Whitebeam Drive and Fairhurst Drive; The need to ensure that the agreed work on the nature area to the north of the Beacon Field was completed and paid for in the current financial year; The continuing dialogue with the Village Hall Management Committee over the upgrading and maintenance of CCTV equipment; The need to continue with initiatives to increase usage of the football pitch; The need to improve and update the Parish website, including further training of members of the editorial board; The timing and arrangements for the Clerk s Annual Review; Action to be taken to update banking mandates at NatWest Bank; Continuing work on updating Parish Council standing orders and the possible introduction of a statutory pension scheme. Following recommendations from the Finance Committee, Cllr Mrs A Brindle formally proposed that the decision to accept the quotation from Gala Lights to replace the final thirteen motifs with LED lights at a total cost of 2,750,00 plus VAT should be ratified. The proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs V Page and carried unanimously. Cllr J Hughes proposed that the quotation received from A J Grant (Builders) to repair the roof of the brick bus shelter and to upgrade the electrical inspection pit outside the church, amounting to 1,216.72, inclusive of VAT, should be accepted. The proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs C Skinner and carried unanimously. Following the reassessment of the repairs necessary in the Village Hall play area, Cllr R Divall proposed that the quotation received from Maidstone Borough Services for the repair of the carousel platform, the replacement of the junior swing fittings and the replacement of two gate springs, at a total cost of 2, plus VAT, should be accepted. The proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs A Brindle and carried unanimously PLANNING It was noted that the following new planning applications had been considered since the January 2016 Parish Council meeting:- a. 16/500080/FULL Land North of Heath Road, Coxheath (known as Heathfield) Minor material amendment to Application MA/14/0836 for the erection of 110 dwellings with the creation of a new access and landscaping to show amendment to the plot orientation, removal of the pond to the north of the site, the re-positioning of the electricity sub-station and the removal of the footway within the open space. The application had been recommended for approval at the Parish Council Planning Committee meeting held on 18 th February 2016, providing attention was 4

5 paid to an improvement of the street scene in Heath Road and the promise to provide an alternative area of woodland was honoured, b. 15/501127/FULL 21 Westerhill Road, Coxheath Erection of a rear single-storey extension to replace the existing conservatory. The application had been recommended for approval at the Parish Council Planning Committee meeting on 18 th February The following additional planning matters were noted and agreed:- Maidstone Borough Council had approved the application for the demolition of an existing outbuilding and the erection of a new building consisting of a garage, store and garden/play room at Stockyard, Westerhill Road, Coxheath (Ref: 15/508210/FULL); Maidstone Borough Council had approved the application for a certificate of lawful development, being the erection of a single-storey side extension at 3 Heathside Avenue, Coxheath (Ref: 15/508808/LAWPRO); Maidstone Borough Council had approved the outline application for up to 55 residential dwellings with means of access and all other matters reserved but including a 40% allocation of affordable housing on land north of Heath Road, Coxheath (known as Older s Field) (Ref: MA/13/1979/TIBO); The applicant had withdrawn the application for the construction of a temporary access road into the site on land north of Heath Road, Coxheath (known as Heathfield) (Ref: 15/510065/FULL). Cllr J Hughes also reported that following an approach from Savills (the agent of the owners of Linden Farm), a letter had been despatched to Rob Jarman at Maidstone Borough Council on 10 th February 2016, reaffirming the Parish Council s interest in receiving and maintaining 1.5 acres of open space. He proposed that the decision to send the letter should be ratified by the full Council. The proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs V Page and carried unanimously. Finally, it was noted that the next Planning Committee meeting was scheduled to be held on 10 th March NEIGHBOURHOOD AND STRATEGIC PLANNING It was noted that no further progress had yet been made in carrying the Neighbourhood Plan forward to independent examination. Every effort was being made to obtain an up to date situation report from the independent planning consultant. Action was in hand to register the first Asset of Community Value Following the discussions at the Planning Committee meeting held on 18 th February 2016, it had been decided that Planning Committee members would prepare comments on individual sections of the Local Plan document and forward them to the Clerk by 28 th February 2016, so that he had the opportunity to prepare a draft composite response in advance of the next Planning Committee meeting on 10 th March This should enable all necessary work to be completed well in advance of the deadline for responses (ie: 18 th March 2016). It was also hoped that a guideline note could be produced and published on the website, to encourage as many residents as possible to submit comments to Maidstone Borough Council TRAFFIC CALMING In the apparent absence of any further developments, it was agreed that the Clerk should the Project Manager (Darren Hickman) to obtain a progress report MAINTENANCE ISSUES There was nothing of significance to report. It was noted, however, that if any Councillors reported issues, such as malfunctioning streetlights, through the Kent 5

6 County Council Highways contact centre, they should advise the Clerk so that he could add such problems to future Maintenance Issues reports and monitor progress RECREATION AND YOUTH It was noted that the Community Warden had indicated that arrangements were in hand to hold a soccer skills programme in Coxheath during the school summer holiday. It was felt that there should also be an alternative activity organised for girls. This would be investigated with the Community Warden and with Natalie Penfold, the Kent Youth Programme Manager CORRESPONDENCE a. KCC Consultation on Mobile Library Service Kent County Council was currently conducting a public consultation on Making the Best Use of the Mobile Library Service. Responses had to be submitted by 4 th March b. Publications from Representative Bodies The following publications had been received and were available to Councillors, through the Clerk:- NALC Newsletter 20 January 2016; Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery Newsletter February 2016; South East Water The Source E-Magazine Winter 2015/16; Kent Association of Local Councils The Parish News February 2016; Kent County Playing Fields Association Newsletter January c. Maidstone Borough Council Police and Crime Commissioners Election Maidstone Borough Council had asked Parish Councils to assist in the recruitment of staff for this year s Police and Crime Commissioners Election to be held in May, by displaying posters. Copies have been placed on the village centre notice board and in Coxheath Library. d. Local Government Boundary Commission Kent County Council The Local Government Boundary Commission had now published its final recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for Kent County Council, effectively reducing the number of County Councillors from 84 to 81. e. Marketing and Sales Material The following marketing and sales material had been received from commercial companies and would be held on file for future reference:- Kent County Supplies regarding the supply of office furniture; Wicksteed Playgrounds regarding the supply of children s play area equipment; Glasdon UK Ltd regarding the supply of street furniture; Kompan regarding the supply of play area equipment; Broxap Ltd regarding the supply of plastic litter and recycling bins; Fenland Leisure Products regarding the supply of play area equipment; Sutcliffe Play regarding the supply of play area equipment; Plumber Quick regarding domestic and commercial planning services; Tailored Auto Enrolment regarding workplace pension services; Playdale regarding the supply of play area equipment; About Trees Ltd regarding tree care services; Husson Playground regarding the supply of play area equipment. f. Correspondence from Residents It was noted that the following correspondence had been received from residents since the last Parish Council meeting:- 6

7 Godfrey Grainger regarding impediments at the junction of Heath Road and Westerhill Road; Mary Houghton regarding the misunderstanding over the location of road works in late January 2016; Alison Payne regarding the unexpected road closure in late January 2016; Dawn Johnson regarding advertising through Parish media; Robert Ratcliffe regarding advertising through Parish media; Paul Barker regarding developments on Older s Field site; Danny and Sharon Emmerson regarding rumours over Sainsburys opening a store in the village; Katie Sephton regarding dog fouling and the poor state of the car park behind Hamilton House. Appropriate responses had been or would be despatched. g. Relations with Parish Councils The following contact or correspondence had been received from other parish councils since the January 2016 Parish Council meeting:- Chart Sutton Parish Council seeking advice on fixed term bonds and bank accounts; Yalding Parish Council regarding contributions to their Summer Playscheme. h. KALC Consultations and Events The Kent Association of Local Councils had advised details of the following consultations, correspondence and events for the information of, or with a potential input from, Parish Councils, since the January 2016 Parish Council meeting:- A circular letter from the KCC Head of Public Protection regarding the services available through KCC Trading Standards and the Citizens Advice consumer service; Details of the Highways England public consultation on the Lower Thames Crossing Route, which closes on 24 th March 2016; Notification of the timescales for the external audits to be conducted by PKF Littlejohn; A letter from the Kent Resource Partnership about encouraging residents to recycle more metals; NALC Bulletins on National Developments and Meetings issued on 29 th January 2016 and 5 th February 2016; Details of the opt in and opt out arrangements for smaller authorities to be governed by the Sector Led Body for external audit purposes; A copy of the NALC briefing and update to Model Financial Regulations 2016; Notification of the KALC Membership Survey, required to be completed by 31 st March 2016; Notification of the availability of the 2016 Good Councillors Guide; Details of the Chairmanship Conference to be held at the East Malling Conference Centre on 26 th February 2016 and the Planning Conference at Lenham Community Centre on 7 th March It was agreed that Cllr Mrs V Page, R Divall and the Clerk would attend the Planning Conference if sufficient places were still available; Details of Health and Safety Accreditation Training to be held at Sevenoaks Town Council on 9 th June 2016 and Lenham Community Centre on 16 th June 2016; NALC Chief Executive s Bulletin issued on 18 th February 2016; Details of the Government update on Neighbourhood Planning and a New Consultation on Planning Changes, which closes on 15 th April 2016 (copied to John Hughes). 7

8 i. Clean for the Queen Campaign The Waste and Street Scene Manager at Maidstone Borough Council had circulated details of the Clean for the Queen campaign to be run from 4 th to 6 th March j. Highways and Planning The KCC Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport had circularised Parish Councils explaining that the County Council had not imposed a moratorium on all development in the borough and that each case would be considered on its merits k. KCC Trading Standards Alerts The following trading standards alerts had been issued by Kent County Council Trading Standards during the last month:- A warning of fraudsters pretending to work for BT A warning of rogue traders claiming that works needed to be undertaken on homes as a result of bad weather. l. Relations with Charities and Village Organisations Correspondence and/or publicity material had been received from the following charities and village organisations:- Heart of Kent Hospice thanking the Parish Council for their continued financial support; Hi Kent regarding a fundraising quiz night to be held in Coxheath Village Hall on 27 th February 2016; Coxheath and Farleigh JFC regarding the potential use of the Beacon Field in the 2016/17 season; B2R Coxheath Running Club regarding the use of notice boards and the website to advertise events. m. Coxheath Library Temporary Closure Kent Libraries Registration and Archives had advised that Coxheath Library would be closed from 29 th February to 17 th March 2016 to allow for essential repairs, maintenance and refurbishment. n. KALC Maidstone Area Committee The Secretary of the Maidstone Area Committee had circulated the minutes of the meeting held on 23 rd November 2015 and the agenda for the meeting to be held on 24 th February Copies had been forwarded to Cllrs J Hughes and K Woollven. o. Maidstone Borough Council Maidstone4Community Website The Healthy Lifestyles Commissioning Officer at Maidstone Borough Council had drawn Parish Councils attention to the Maidstone4Community website, which provided weekly updates on funding opportunities. p. ACRK Kent and East Sussex Neighbourhood Planning Roadshow Action with Communities in Rural Kent (ACRK) were collaborating with their counterparts in East Sussex to hold a Kent and East Sussex Neighbourhood Planning Roadshow at East Grinstead on 9 th March q. Temporary Road Closures During the period since the January 2016 Parish Council meeting, the following temporary road or footpath closures had been notified by Kent County Council Highways:- Temporary prohibition of driving in Smiths Hill, West Farleigh, for up to one day on or after 21 st February 2016; Temporary road closure of Forge Lane, East Farleigh, for up to three days from 9 th March 2016; 8

9 Temporary road closure of Lower Road, East Farleigh, between Station Hill and Gallants Lane for up to four days from 28 th March 2016; Temporary prohibition of eastbound traffic in South Park Road, Maidstone, for up to eleven weeks from 28 th March 2016; Temporary road closure in Upper Hunton Hill, Hunton, for up to one day on 9 th March 2016; Temporary road closure in Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst, for up to four days from 29 th March 2016; Temporary road closure in Queen Street, Yalding, for up to three days from 29 th March 2016; Emergency road closure in Burberry Lane, Leeds, on 28 th February 2016; Temporary road closure in Headcorn Road, Lenham, on 23 rd February 2016; Temporary prohibition of driving in Brishing Road, Boughton Monchelsea, for up to three days from 22 nd February r. Police Parishes Forum The future of the Police Parishes Forum looked uncertain after the last minute cancellation of the meeting scheduled to be held on 18 th February Volunteers had been sought to provide the administrative backup for the next one or two years. s. ACRK Annual Membership Renewal Paperwork had been received from Action with Communities in Rural Kent (ACRK) relating to the renewal of membership for 2016/17. The annual membership fee had increased from to but the general view was that this still represented good value for money INVOICES/RECEIPTS/BALANCES It was noted that the following invoices had been approved for payment since the January 2016 meeting: Terry Ketley Repayment of Petty Cash Expenses (December 2015) (Cheque No ) 8, Gala Lights Supply of New Motifs and Installation and Take Down of Christmas Lights (Cheque No ) Anne Brindle Repayment of Refreshment Expenses for Christmas Lights Event (Cheque No ) Glasdon UK Ltd Supply of New Larger Capacity Dog Waste Bin (Cheque No ) Terry Ketley Repayment of Petty Cash Expenses (January 2016) (Cheque ) RIP Cleaning Services Emptying of Dog Waste Bins (January 2016) (Cheque No ) BT Payment Services Ltd Quarterly Office Telephone/Internet Charges (Cheque No ) However, it was agreed that the following invoice should be paid: Terry Ketley Clerk s Salary (February 2016) (Cheque No ) The following information was also noted:- Receipts: Bank Interest cr Village News Advertising Revenue cr Balance Parish Services Grant 2, cr Bank Balances: (5 th February 2016) Business Reserve Account (Feeder) 21, cr Business Reserve Account (Main) 237, cr 9

10 THE NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING WOULD BE HELD AT 7.30 PM ON TUESDAY 29 th MARCH 2016 IN THE SMALL HALL, COXHEATH VILLAGE HALL, STOCKETT LANE, COXHEATH. There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was closed at 09.45pm. 10