KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL

 

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting

held in the Epworth Hall

commencing at 7.00pm on Monday 2 December 2013

 

Present: Cllr R Harwood (Chairman)

Cllr A Brock

Cllr R Curtis

Cllr F Fahy

Cllr R Jackson

Cllr R Lane

Cllr A Reeves

Cllr J Werrett

 

In Attendance:    Mr P J Storey (Clerk to King’s Somborne Parish Council)

 

Public Session

 

B/Cllr Ward, PCSO Bonter and three members of the public were present for part of the meeting.  B/Cllr Ward commented that the value of waste glass was now about the same for all colours so as the separate glass bins came up for replacement their numbers would be reduced.  This would leave more space in the compound on the recreation ground for other containers and might reduce the current trend of leaving bags and boxes within the compound for others to pick up.  He also mentioned the current consideration being given by TVBC to the Timsbury travellers’ site location.

 

PCSO Bonter noted the speeding by vehicles in the Up Somborne area as reported by Cllr Lane and would arrange for spot checks.

 

Mrs Everett commented on the need to encourage users of the recycling site to dispose of their paper and cardboard waste in the appropriate containers and not leave them lying around.  She also spoke on the Forest Extra planning application.  The Chairman took Item 15 at this point.

 

It was noted that both the Chairman and a local resident would speak in support of the Up Somborne residents’ strong concerns over and objections to the Forest Extra planning application at the forthcoming TVBC planning committee public meeting.

 

Cllr Lane left the meeting at this point

  

145. Apologies for absence.

 

145.1 Cllr Evans; C/Cllr Gibson.

 

146. Chairman’s announcements and Councillors’ questions

 

146.1 The Chairman announced that no nominations had been received for co-option to the Council and urged all present to encourage greater interest; the vacancy would be re-advertised in the New Year.

Action: All

 

147. To approve the Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 4 November 2013

 

147.1 Proposed Cllr Curtis, Seconded Cllr Jackson, RESOLVED unanimously that the minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 2013 be accepted as a true record.

 

 

148. To consider any Matters Arising from those Minutes

 

148.1 Para 136.5 The Clerk had referred Members’ concerns regarding vehicles parking on the A3057 to the managing agents of Marsh Court.  It was agreed that the Police. TVBC and Hampshire Highways should also be alerted.

Action: Clerk

 

148.2 Para 142.1 The Clerk had discussed management of the allotment site with the Diocese who were of the view that any discussion should take place with their managing agents, Carter Jonas, with whom any arrangements would have to be formalised.  As there was no clear gain from doing this and a serious risk of increased expenditure on the part of the Parish Council, if the allotments arrangements were deemed to fall short of legal requirements or individual tenants’ aspirations, it was thought more appropriate for the tenants themselves to discuss directly with the managing agents.

 

Cllr Lane returned to the meeting at this point

 

149. Declarations of Interest and requests for Dispensations

 

149.1 None declared or sought.

 

150. To consider Correspondence Received and determine any action required

 

150.1 The Clerk drew Members’ attention to correspondence received and, in particular, the change in the rules relating to whom may approach HALC for advice.  Previously, this had been restricted to the Chairman and Clerk but now any councillor could approach HALC and the Clerk issued the appropriate password and username for access to the HALC website.

 

151. To receive Councillors’ Reports

 

151.1 Cllr Fahy reported that his fundraising group would not be taking any further action until after the decision on the application to Veolia for funding towards the MUGA was known.  He also expressed concern at the length of the Braishfield Road resurfacing which did not extend the whole length of the road and said he had referred this to C/Cllr Gibson for investigation.

Action: Cllr Fahy

 

151.2 Cllr Brock briefed Members on the impact of the recent storm in October which had been declared  an exceptional event by OFGEM. The basis on which they work and the standards they apply were set by the volume of faults occurring in a twenty four period from the first fault received on our Network.  From approximately 05.00am on the 28th October, SSE dealt with 450 Hv faults and nearly 2000 Lv problems in the Southern region affecting nearly 100,000 customers. (The trigger OFGEM use for an exceptional event is 250 Hv faults).  The time set out by OFGEM governing restoration of supply is extended to 48 hours before compensation is required to be offered by SSE.

 

151.3 SSE’s performance in the 48 hours after the storm included bringing in additional staff from Scotland and Wales as well as from other Distribution companies and Sub- Contractors totaling an additional 1000 staff. Supplies to less than a hundred of the original 100,000 customers were not restored by early on the Wednesday morning. The priority for power restoration was based on customer numbers and special needs requirements and the repair priority for our area was based on this criteria. 

 

151.4 The fault on the network on the 24th November was the result of a bird strike on the spur to the  Up Somborne transformer which bought down the overhead line. Staff were on site as quickly as possible and the repair and restoration took about 4 hours for the customers connected to this spur. Supplies to customers not directly connected to it were restored in most cases within an hour. 

Following on from these recent interruptions, SSE are revisiting the system to see if there are any other suggestions they can look at in the next financial year to make our network more robust for future years. This is in addition to the proposed works for the Village and enhanced tree cutting and the capital investment already carried out and planned for the immediate future.

 

151.5 Cllr Reeves drew attention to abuse of a grit bin to the concern of the neighbours at the far end of Eldon Road which the Clerk would investigate.

Action: Clerk 

 

151.6 Cllr Curtis had received complaints concerning the gates at each end of two gates field and how difficult it was to get through them (adjacent to A3057 and Horsebridge Road) and also the new stile at the John O’Gaunt end of the Horsebridge footpath running behind the houses and how it was dangerous to get over and difficult to get dogs through.    The Clerk had asked the Footpath Warden to review with the landowner and HCC Rights of Way.

Actiion: Footpath Warden. 

 

152. To receive the RFO’s Report and Budget Monitoring

 

152.1 The Clerk confirmed the decision on the Veolia bid for MUGA funds should be made known by 20 January 2014 and that he would be seeking quotations from internal auditors for consideration. 

 

152.2 A budget monitoring report had been circulated with the agenda papers and was noted.

 

153. Payment of Accounts

 

153.1 Proposed Cllr Lane, Seconded Cllr Brock, RESOLVED unanimously that the following accounts for November 2013 be approved for payment:

 

To For Net      VAT Gross    Chq/Internet

Mr P Storey Salary/expen     916.41 916.41             Int

BPC Shared co          122.00 122.00             Int

HMRC Tax/NIC          30.15   30.15        Int

Totals               1068.56        1068.56                     

 

 

154. Precept and Expenditure Budget for 2014-15

 

154.1 A draft Expenditure Budget and Precept had been circulated with the agenda.  It was thought appropriate to consider a small increase of 2% in the Precept after four years in order to reduce the run on the Council’s reserves in anticipation of having to find significant sums to finance the MUGA.  All noted the actual percentage increase would be affected by the tax base which as yet had not been confirmed and the amount of the TVBC top up grant.

 

154.2 Proposed Cllr Werrett, Seconded Cllr Lane, RESOLVED unanimously that the Council adopted an Expenditure Budget of £35,780 and a Precept of £31,835 for 2014-15.

 

154.3 A copy of the tabled Expenditure Budget and Precept is attached to these minutes.

 

155. Recreation grounds hire charges for 2014-15

 

155.1 Given the recreation ground hire charges had remained static for four years, it was thought timely to increase these by 2% rounded up to the nearest £5.

 

155.2 Proposed Cllr Werrett, Seconded Cllr Lane, RESOLVED with Cllrs Fahy and Harwood abstaining (Cricket Club officials), that the recreation ground hire charges for 2014 – 15 be levied as follows – Football Club £115, Cricket Club £100, dog training £80, Pre-School £55 and the King’s Somborne Primary School £185 per annum.

 

156. Burial Board fees for 2014-15

 

156.1 Councillors accepted the on-going need for the Burial Board to be self-financing but thought a small increased in the interment fee of £15 to be reasonable.

 

156.2 Proposed Cllr Werrett, Seconded Cllr Lane, RESOLVED unanimously that the fees for 2014 – 15 be as follows:

 

Interments 

Child under 12 years of ageNo charge 

Body of person 12 years or over      £200 

Cremated remains      £130 

Exclusive Right of Burial

Grave/plot              £200

Transfer rights charge        £25

Headstones, tablets and memorial inscriptions

Headstone or flat stone inset in the ground £125 

Vase/Flat cremation tablet        £75 

Inscription after the first        £60

 

All fees being doubled for non-Parish residents

 

157. Meeting dates for 2014

 

157.1 The proposed meeting dates for 2014 were tabled and noted.

 

158. Review of Councillor appointments

 

158.1 Discussion on councillor appointments was deferred until the current vacancy on the Council was filled.

 

159. Forest Extra situation report

 

159.1 This item had been dealt with in the public session.

 

160. Changes in ownership and leasing of the King’s Somborne recreation ground

 

160.1 Following the recent presentations by the Village Hall management team and informal discussions between the Clerk and Fields in Trust, Members were sympathetic to the suggestion that title to the recreation ground be transferred from Fields in Trust to the Parish Council which, in turn, would enable the Council to lease that part of the recreation ground onto which the Village Hall had encroached in the early 70s at the time of its last expansion  This action would strengthen the Village Hall’s applications for grants from external funders.  The Clerk confirmed there would not be any tax or duties payable and the Village Hall had undertaken to meet all legal costs involved although the Clerk would seek written confirmation from the Village Hall that this payment extended to the redrawing of the Scout’s lease.

Action: Clerk  

 

160.2 Proposed Cllr Brock, Seconded Cllr Werrett RESOLVED subject to final confirmation being received that the Village Hall management committee would meet all associated legal costs that action be initiated with Fields in Trust to transfer ownership of that part of the King’s Somborne recreation ground not already owned by the Council to King’s Somborne Parish Council.

 

161. Parish development working group report

 

161.1 Cllr Werrett reported that the Local Plan consultation period  had slipped to the end of January and his working group had not therefore been able to proceed since the content of the Local Plan, together with thoughts on the settlement boundaries and a neighbourhood plan, were all inter-linked.  A draft paper for consideration would be produced after considering these related documents.

Action: Cllr Werrett

 

162. MUGA fundraising working group progress report

 

162.1 As minuted earlier, action by this working group was on hold pending the outcome of the funding bid to Veolia. 

 

163. Clerk’s monthly report

 

163.1 Cllrs Fahy and Lane would attend the HCC seminar on the environment on 16 January 2014. 

 

163.2 Cllrs Curtis, Harwood, Lane Werrett and the Clerk would attend the TVBC planning seminar on 11 December 2013.

 

163.3 The Clerk reported that a couple of people had commented on the demise of the seat on the bend in Winchester Road outside the Old Vicarage but no further action was thought appropriate for the time being.

 

163.4 Progress on installation of the long awaited new footpath connecting Lancaster Green with the School and the Village Hall had stalled pending confirmation from English Heritage that they had no objection.  The Clerk was following up with C/Cllr Gibson.

 

164. Date, time and place of next meeting

 

164.1    The next meeting would be on Monday 7 January 2014 at 7.00pm in the Epworth Hall, Winchester Road, King’s Somborne.  

Action: All

 

 

There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.45pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL REVENUE BUDGET AND PRECEPT 2014 – 15

 

Forecast Out-turnBudgetBudget

2013/142013/142014/15

General Admin

Salary/NIC             117509575             12000

Office expenses     1200 1200    1200

Insurance     1277 1375    1375

Audit fees     1000 1000    1000

Subscriptions       550           550              600

Courses       100             100              100

Facility hire               250           250      350

Cllr expenses       100           100            100 

Sub total                    16227                        14150                   16725

Community Services

and Projects

Communications/S137     1500 1500                1500

Parish clock       400   400                400

Miscellaneous repairs       500               500              500  

Grant Aid       1000         5000            2000

Maintenance inc dog bins     1114         1000            1200

Biodiversity      0   250      250

Sub total                 4514                 8650                    5850

Burial Board

Cemetery grounds maint     1200         1200            1200

Gen maintenance/admin      200           200              400

Church Yard     1000         1000            1000

Sub total     2400         2400            2600

Open Spaces

Village Green      750           750              750

Muss Lane               300           300              300

Up Somborne rec       500           500              500

King’s Somborne rec     1750                 1750            1750

Three Fields     2000                 2000            2000

Sub total     5300         5300            5300

Amenities

Play equipment       310                   310              750  

Community safety/SIDs       750         1500             4500

Street light maint        52            50                55

Sub total                     1112                 1860                     5305

TOTAL                           29553               32175                   35780

 

Funded by:  

Precept                        31835

Interest receivable                      10     

Burial Board: Interments                                2000

               Memorials                                1000    

Purchased graves                                 2000

Sports Field hire                                 350

Miscellaneous grants/income              0    

Total Income                37195

Surplus of income over expenditure to reserves                1415

Expenditure                 35780