KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting
held in the Epworth Hall commencing at 7.00pm on Monday 5 August 2019
Present: Cllr A Brock (Chairman)
Cllr I Beacham
Cllr R Curtis
Cllr S Dack
Cllr R Harwood
Cllr K Hughes
Cllr O Wales
Cllr S Whitehead
In Attendance: Mrs G Foster (Clerk to King’s Somborne Parish Council)
Also present: B/Cllr A Ward and 3 members of the public were present for part of the meeting.
148. Public Session
148.1. A member of the public questioned when the Tree which was lying on the pavement along Romsey Road would be cleared. Cllr Owen advise that HCC would be removing the debris on the 14th August.
149. Apologies for Absence
149.1. Cllrs Hodge and Webb had sent apologies which were accepted by Council. C/Cllr Gibson had also sent his apologies.
150. Chairman’s announcements and Councillors’ questions
150.1. Cllr Brock extended his thanks to Cllr Hughes for the organization of the Fun Day on 27th July. It had been a well laid out and well attended event.
150.2. The Clerk was congratulated on migrating the accounts from the cash book spreadsheet to the new Accounts package since being given the approval the purchase the package at the last meeting.
151. To receive reports from C/Cllr Andrew Gibson and B/Cllr Tony Ward.
151.1. Cllr Ward had sent the Mid Test Matters newsletter prior meeting. Councillors were asked to consider attending the Test Valley Association of Parish and Town Councils (TVAPTC) Annual meeting on 21st September. Two Councillors and the Clerk from each Parish were invited.
151.2. The final planning consideration for the Pre-school building was expected to be held 27th August all going well. Only variations to the original planning application (which had been granted) were to be discussed.
151.3. Cllr Ward had drafted a Purchase order template for the Parish Council to use. It would be discussed later on in the meeting.
151.4. The outcome of the grant application to Veolia would be known on 3rd September.
152. To approve the Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 1 July 2019
152.1. Proposed: Cllr Hughes, Seconded: Cllr Beacham, RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on 1st July 2019 which had been circulated with the agenda be accepted as a true record. The chairman duly signed the minute book.
153. To review outstanding actions from the action list arising from those Minutes
153.1. Cllr A Brock’s Actions:
153.1.1. 129.1.1. Minute Ref: 104.3 . SSE had confirmed they would not be able to install additional cabling to the tug-o-war gantry for a CCTV camera and had not given a date for the work to start on burying the electric cables in the cricket outfield as this job had now been outsourced. Cllr Brock expected to hear within the week when work would commence. Action: Cllr Brock
153.2. Cllr I Beacham’s Actions:
153.2.1. 129.2.1. The farm manager had been approached again regarding the bench siting, but was still waiting for a response from the landowner. It would be followed up again. Action: Cllr Beacham
153.3. Cllr R Curtis’s Actions:
153.3.1. 129.7.2. Length and amount of railings to be replaced around the playground fence had been advised to the Clerk.
153.4. Cllr S Dack’s Actions:
153.4.1. 127.6. The motion wording had not been received in time for the August agenda and would be tabled for the September meeting.
153.4.2. 129.4.1. Possible dates for the Circus event had been checked with the Village Hall, Cricket and Football teams. Public Liability insurances were still outstanding and would be chased. Action: Cllr Dack.
153.4.3. 129.4.2. The motion wording Hi-visibility Jackets for school children was being worked on and would be provided for the September meeting as part of the Safe Travel working group proposals. Action: Cllr Dack
153.5. Cllr L Hodge’s Actions:
153.5.1. 136.1. The Clerk had been sent the original NDP feedback spreadsheet with respondents’ names.
153.6. Cllr K Hughes’ Actions:
153.6.1. 129.6.1. The church had been approached for a contribution towards the youth worker idea, but had asked for more information. Action: Cllr Hughes
153.6.2. 129.6.2. The first village club/group would be speaking at the October meeting and Cllr Hughes would arrange with the Clerk. Action: Cllr Hughes.
153.7. Cllr O Wales’ Actions:
153.7.1. 129.7.1. An isolator for the Village Hall Generator had been bought and would be fitted soon. (see minute 170)
153.7.2. 137.5. The low hanging Willow branch at the bottom of New Lane had been dealt with.
153.8. Cllr S Whitehead’s Actions:
153.8.1. 137.7. Email addresses had been created, but Cllr Whitehead still required photos and short bios from Cllrs Beacham and Wales. Passwords would be forwarded upon receipt.
153.9. BCllr A Ward’s Actions:
153.9.1. 130.3. Contact details for the Youth Worker at Knightwood Parish Council had been given to Cllr Hughes.
153.10. Mrs G Foster – Clerk’s Actions:
153.10.1. 129.2.1. Contact details for the farm manager had been forwarded.
153.10.2. 129.6.3. Photographs of the monkey bars at the recreation ground had been sent to the inspection company.
153.10.3. 129.8.1. The caravan parked in the Gorings had been reported to HCC.
153.10.4. 129.9.4. Employment policies had been drafted for review.
153.10.5. 129.9.6. NDP feedback comments had been allocated to responders and redaction checked.
153.10.6. 129.9.10. A map of the railings by the Borne had been produced distributed to councillors. A quotation for re-painting the railing in white had been obtained Proposed: Cllr Hughes, Seconded, Cllr Whitehead RESOLVED: that the Clerk proceed with the maintenance schedule. Action: Clerk.
153.10.7. 129.9.11. A copy of Wiltshire’s Highways policy relating to speed limit reductions had been obtained and forwarded to the Safer Travel working group.
153.10.8. 129.9.13. The caps at the top of the climbing frame in Up Somborne had been replaced.
153.10.9. 136.1. NDP feedback comments had been collated into a report for council.
153.10.10. 137.4. Grass cutting of at the junction of New Lane and Tanner’s Pond had been carried out.
153.10.11. 140.1. An advert for volunteers to help with the 75th anniversary party for VE day had been drafted.
153.10.12. 141.1. The Clerk had confirmed with the Players that they would pay for the hall hire costs for the two shows. Invoices would be sent directly to the Clerk.
153.10.13. 144.1. The Crowd Funding had not been launched and would be cancelled.
153.10.14. 146.1. £17,000 of Parish Council reserves had been ringfenced for the Pre-school building should it be required.
154. Declarations of Interest and Requests for Dispensations
154.1. None declared.
155. To consider Correspondence Received and determine any action required
155.1. A neighbour to the recreation ground had written to ask if the Council could consider actions to take to discourage intruders entering his garden to retrieve balls. This had been scheduled for later on in the meeting.
155.2. An offer to contribute a small amount towards maintenance of the Cemetery had been received. Councillors noted their thanks to the family and were grateful for the donation which would be accepted. Action: Clerk.
155.3. Queries had been received from the External Auditors PKF Littlejohn for the prior year. The Clerk was in correspondence.
155.4. A resident had reported the deterioration of the fencing around the Playground. This had been noted by Cllr Curtis at the same time and it was RESOLVED: to carry out routine maintenance as soon as could be arranged. Action: Clerk.
156. To receive the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings on 1 & 15 July 2019
156.1. Planning minutes had been distributed to all councillors and it was RESOVLED: unanimously that these be accepted.
156.2. Cllr Harwood described an application which had been considered in the planning meeting earlier in the evening (19/01779/FULLS – Erection of 4 no. detached houses at Land East Of Muss Lane) and asked Councillors to note that it had been objected to by the planning committee on the basis of overdevelopment, character of area, trees, parking and safety and design. The planning committee had felt that a development of 3 houses would be acceptable.
157. To receive the RFO’s Report and Budget Monitoring
157.1. The Clerk had circulated detailed budget reports from the new accounting system prior to the meeting. It was noted that the budget for the Pre-school would be added in time for the September meeting. No questions were received. Proposed: Cllr Hughes, Seconded: Cllr Harwood, RESOLVED: that the report be accepted as presented.
158. To approve Payment of Accounts and sign the bank reconciliation and statement
158.1. A schedule of payments had been sent to all Councillors. Payments had been made in line with prior delegations. Proposed: Cllr Harwood, Seconded: Cllr Hughes, RESOLVED: that the payments be approved as presented below:
To Total Net VAT For
Unity Services Andover 85.60 85.60 0.00 Over 50s bus trip MAY
Unity Services Andover 126.00 126.00 0.00 Over 50s bus trip JUNE
King’s Somborne VH 32.00 32.00 0.00 Computer Workshop – July
Amazon UK 52.99 44.16 8.83 Office 365 for 1 year 1 user
Rialtas Business Solutions 663.00 552.50 110.50 Financial Software
Viking Office Supplies 82.28 65.98 13.71 Toner x 2 + Paper
Simon Nightingale 41.67 41.67 0.00 SLR SIGN JULY 2019
Tony Ward 100.76 83.97 16.79 Laser Hire
Test Valley Borough Council 1.00 1.00 0.00 Rent – John O’Gaunts Palace
Screwfix 14.99 12.49 2.50 Parking Sign – Gate at JOG
Green Grass Services 576.25 576.25 0.00 Grass cutting & maintenance
Gail Foster 712.51 712.51 0.00 Salary + Expenses
Total Payments: 2,489.05 2,336.72 152.33
159. To consider the options to prevent tresspassers into a neighbour’s garden from the recreation ground and to approve costs if thought appropriate.
159.1. Several options were discussed by Councillors; installation of a sign requesting the public not to climb the fence to retrieve lost balls, installation of a net over the MUGA, and a proposal regarding replacing the fence alongside the Village Hall. Cllr Ward advised that extending the height of the MUGA over 3m would require planning permission, but Councillors were reminded that the MUGA was already the recommended height. It was felt that access to the neighbours’ property was being gained via the gap between the newly installed fence next to the MUGA and the existing wire fence behind the Village Hall. Proposed: Cllr Harwood, Seconded: Cllr Curtis, RESOLVED by majority to investigate fitting a new post to fill the gap and prevent access at that location. Action: Cllr Wales.
160. To consider a request to allow a RV to park at the recreation ground for 2 nights (7+8 Sept).
160.1. RESOLVED unanimously that permission be given for parking only without setting a precedent for future requests. The applicant would be asked to advise neighbouring properties and to ensure that parking of the vehicle did not block access in or out of the recreation ground. No fee would be charged.
161. To consider the requirements for locking the gate at the Recreation Ground during the Community building project.
161.1. It was RESOLVED unanimously that the gate be unlocked during the day whilst building works were carried out, but that the gate be locked overnight with a combination padlock. Contractors would need to be given the code and be responsible for locking up each evening. A new padlock would be purchased. Action: Clerk.
162. To consider the requirement to increase the gate size at the Recreation Ground giving access for Emergency vehicles.
162.1. Further to the investigation already carried out, the Fire Brigade would be asked again for comment and if necessary invited to perform a site assessment. Action: Clerk.
163. To review and if appropriate to approve the publication of the NDP Feedback as collated to date.
163.1. Proposed: Cllr Curtis, Seconded: Cllr Hughes. RESOLVED: That the document showing comments from the public be uploaded to the website. Action: Clerk.
164. To consider the cost of a mapping application for recording PC assets, Land ownership, Tree Monitoring and to assist with NDP work. (£100 p.a.)
164.1. Proposed: Cllr Hughes, Seconded: Cllr Harwood. RESOLVED: That Parish Online be subscribed to for the coming 12 months and reviewed yearly. Action: Clerk.
165. To consider a motion to increase the age limit for the “Waiver of Interment Fee” for children up to a new maximum of 17 years and under.
165.1. Proposed: Cllr Whitehead, Seconded: Cllr Curtis. RESOLVED: That the policy be amended to with immediate effect to “under 18 years”. Action: Clerk.
166. To decide which Councillor will speak to represent the Council at the planning meeting on 27th August.
166.1. Cllr Beacham volunteered to speak on behalf of the Parish Council, and this was agreed by all present.
167. To review and if appropriate adopt a Clerk appraisal form and Staffing committee Terms of Reference.
167.1. Proposed: Cllr Hughes, Seconded: Cllr Beacham, RESOLVED with Cllr Curtis abstaining that the appraisal form and Staffing Committee be approved. Committee would be formed of Cllrs Harwood, Hughes and Curtis and the Clerk’s appraisal would be scheduled.
168. To consider a scheme of delegation for reviewing legal matters and reporting to Council.
168.1. It was RESOLVED by majority that the working group would be formed of Cllrs Brock, Whitehead and Harwood.
169. To review and consider a response to the Polling District Review from TVBC
169.1. Proposed: Cllr Whitehead, Seconded: Cllr Curtis, RESOLVED unanimously to respond to TVBC stating no change to the polling station location was required. Action: Clerk.
170. To receive an update on the Generator at the Village Hall. (Cllr Wales)
170.1. The isolator had been purchased and would be installed over the summer holiday. Action: Cllr Wales.
171. To receive Councillors’ reports, as appropriate, on actions taken and related matters
171.1. Cllr Hughes thanked Councillors and Parishioners for their support at the Village Fun Day. The event was increasing in popularity and planning for next year had started. Date for the diary Saturday 25th July 2020.
171.2. The School had recently employed a new headteacher.
171.3. There had been another arson incident at the Recreation Ground where teenagers had started fires in the MUGA. Cllr Hughes was aware of the individuals involved but had also been advised that an unrelated adult had reprimanded a 12 year old child. It was felt that this was not appropriate and that the matter should be left with the Police to handle.
171.4. It had been noted that youths were now congregating at the Muss Lane Recreation Ground and had been heard in recent evenings using bad language very loudly and leaving litter on the site. The Anti-social Team at TVBC would be contacted. Action: Cllr Hughes.
171.5. Cllr Dack reported that the TVBC Dog Warden had visited the recreation ground to advise on solutions for dealing with dog mess that had not been picked up. He had placed flags around the site showing where waste had been left. Sadly the youths which had started the fire in the MUGA had burnt the flags as one of the children had admitted this to an adult.
171.6. Cllr Curtis had completed his inspections of the play areas and had advised the Clerk prior to the meeting that the fencing around the play equipment at the recreation ground was now needing to be replaced in some areas. Action: Clerk.
171.7. Dog walkers had been approached during the month and Cllr Curtis reported that many of them were not aware of the Dog Waste Bags that are situated above the green rubbish bins in the carpark of the recreation ground. A note would be drafted to go in the September Gauntlet. Action: Cllr Curtis.
171.8. The rubbish bins at King’s Somborne recreation ground had finally been emptied by TVBC. The Clerk advised that the team leaders in charge of waste had recently been changed and this had led to a lot of confusion at TVBC about which team was handling. Hopefully it was a one-off occurrence. The re-cycling area had been cleared of glass promptly though after Cllr Ward had emailed.
171.9. Cllr Harwood repeated the thanks to Cllr Hughes for arranging the Village Fun Day and had been impressed with how popular the Dog Show had become. It was noted that there had been a lot of outsiders coming into the village for the event.
171.10. Cllr Harwood advised that he had received complaints from several residents in relation to the Wednesday Bike Night at the Crown Inn. Unfortunately, some bikes had been parking on pavements which had meant that pedestrians could not walk along the pavement. Additionally, concern was raised regarding the speed of some of the bikes entering and leaving the village. Whilst all Councillors felt it was a friendly and well managed event, which should not be discouraged, it would be preferred if the parking and speeding issues could be tackled. RESOLVED: Cllr Curtis and the Clerk would discuss with the Landlady.
171.11. Cllr Beacham gave a short update on the progress of the Safer Travel working group. They had been working on Short and Long terms strategies. Short term objectives included Village Entrance Gates, Speed indicators with recording facilities, Flashing lights outside the school and 20mph stickers for dustbins. Longer term goals were to arrange onsite meetings with Hampshire Highways to discuss weight and number of vehicles using the Romsey and Winchester roads and to discuss a proposal for a 20mph zone in Vicarage Lane in conjunction with starting a safe passage to school project.
171.12. C/Cllr Gibson would be contacted for his support with reducing the speed limits and arranging meetings with Highways. Action: Cllr Beacham.
171.13. A full proposal with costings, funding suggestions and evidence of effectiveness for each option would be drafted by the working group. This would be placed on the September Agenda for review. Action: Safer Travel Working Group and Clerk.
172. To consider and if appropriate, adopt a new Tree Policy Procedure and/or Tree Warden specification
172.1. Councillors had been sent guidance from SLCC relating to Council liability for trees on Council land which had been issued by SLCC due to the Whitley Parish Council v Cavanagh [2018] judgement. A policy wording had been drafted along with suggested roles and responsibilities for the Tree Warden. Cllr Wales had offered to take on the bulk of the work required as the role had changed dramatically, but would be very grateful for help from the existing volunteer Tree Warden. It was Proposed: Cllr Curtis, Seconded: Cllr Harwood, RESOLVED unanimously that both documents be adopted and Cllr Wales take responsibility as a Councillor Tree Warden. The volunteer Tree Warden would be contacted and given a copy of both documents and asked if he would still be happy to assist in giving advice. Action: Clerk & Cllr Wales.
173. To agree the process for ordering materials for the Pre-school Build.
173.1. A draft process had been passed to all Councillors along with B/Cllr Ward. It was Proposed: Cllr Hughes, Seconded: Cllr Curtis, RESOLVED: unanimously that the draft be adopted. Action: Clerk and Cllr Ward.
174. Clerk’s Monthly Report
174.1. Accounting software has been purchased, installed, training had been undertaken and 1st quarter accounts had been entered. The VAT return had been completed. The auditor had visited to review and found all in order and his report had been circulated.
174.2. The cricket nets area had been strimmed and weed killer applied.
174.3. The school Circus event had been pencilled in for 18th April. Copies of insurances would be requested from the School and from the Circus company.
174.4. In relation to the fires reported at the MUGA, the perpetrators had been captured on camera and images had been given to the police.
175. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting – Monday 2nd September 2019 at 7.00pm in the Epworth Hall, Winchester Road, King’s Somborne
There being no further business, the Chairman thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting at 9.15pm