KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council Annual General Meeting
held in the Epworth Hall commencing at 7.00pm on Monday 14 May 2018
Present: Cllr A Brock (Chairman)
Cllr R Curtis
Cllr H Griffith
Cllr R Harwood
Cllr K Hughes
Cllr A Townsend
Cllr R Webb
Cllr S Whitehead
In Attendance: Mr P J Storey (Clerk to King’s Somborne Parish Council)
Public Session
Mr R Dyke (Open Spaces Warden) was present for part of the meeting.
- Election of Chair
65.1 Proposed by Cllr Curtis, Seconded Cllr Hughes, RESOLVED unanimously that Cllr Brock be elected Chair of the Parish Council for 2018 -19.
65.2 In accepting the appointment, Cllr Brock paid tribute to the outgoing Chairman, Cllr Lane, for his application to and enthusiasm for his role as Chair during the past year.
- Election of Vice-Chair
66.1 Proposed Cllr Harwood, Seconded Cllr Whitehead, RESOLVED unanimously that Cllr Hughes be elected Vice-Chair of the Parish Council for 2018 -19.
67. Apologies for Absence
67.1 None.
68. Election of Chairman of the Planning Committee
68.1 Proposed Cllr Webb, Seconded Cllr Curtis, RESOLVED unanimously that Cllr Harwood be re-elected Chair of the Planning Committee for 2018 -19.
- Appointments 2018 -19
69.1 Item deferred until next meeting when newly co-opted councillors could be considered.
Action: Clerk
70. Chair’s announcements and Councillors’ questions
70.1 Cllr Brock thanked everyone for his election and confirmed he was looking forward to the year ahead.
71. To accept the Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 9 April 2018
71.1 Proposed Cllr Brock, Seconded Cllr Griffith, RESOLVED with Cllrs Curtis, Harwood, Hughes and Webb abstaining (absent) that the minutes of the meeting held on 9 April 2018 be accepted as a true record.
- To consider any Matters Arising from those Minutes
72.1 Para 54.4 No further progress had been possible in making the kissing gate at either end of the Pye’s field easier to transit through and local Horsebridge families would be informed accordingly.
Action: Clerk
72.2 Para 54.6 The matter of possible relocation of the ‘wedding tree’ would be on the next agenda for formal debate and decision. In the meantime, the Clerk would liaise with both the Village Hall and the Football Club over possible funding to effect the move.
Action: Clerk
72.3 Para 56.1 Agreement had been reached between the Cricket and Football Clubs over action to be taken to the damaged turf with Cllr Harwood to talk with Mr Gannaway to bring the matter to a conclusion.
Action: Cllr Harwood
72.4 Para 58.1 Cllr Brock was seeking a meeting with Hampshire Highways management to emphasise the need for urgent road repair work around the Parish but as yet no date had been agreed.
Action: Cllr Brock
72.5 Para 58.2 The Scouts had still not signed off to the agreement with SSE to underground the electricity supply cable across their leased land. Cllr Brock would hasten.
Action: Cllr Brock
72.6 Para 58.3 Cllrs Hughes and Griffith had successfully involved the school in their plans to organise a painted rocks hunt to encourage increase community involvement in local fun activities. Details would be announced soon.
Action: Cllr Hughes and Griffith
72.7 Cllr Whitehead confirmed that all information on the Council’s website was now updated and that gov.uk e-mail addresses were available for councillors to use, if preferred. He would e-mail the necessary links to everyone and encouraged their usage in preference to private e-mail addresses.
Action: Cllr Whitehead
- Declarations of Interest and Requests for Dispensations
73.1 None declared or sought.
- To consider Correspondence Received and determine any action required
74.1 None tabled.
- To receive minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 9 and 23 April 2018
75.1 The minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 9 and 23 April 2017 had been circulated with the agenda.
75.2 Proposed Cllr Harwood, Seconded Cllr Curtis, RESOLVED unanimously that the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 9 and 23 April 2017 be received and accepted.
76. Councillors’ Reports
76.1 Cllr Curtis would be attending the Scouts AGM.
76.2 Cllr Brock took note of the need to clear the debris from the S bend and pavement on the A3057 leaving the village towards Romsey and would add it to the list of matters to be discussed with the Hampshire Highways representative in due course.
Action: Cllr Brock
76.3 The TVBC bottle bank signs required cleaning; the Clerk would arrange.
Action: Clerk
76.4 Cllr Hughes sought agreement to sharing the TVBC tent at the Fun Day, which was given. This would enable Parish Council and Neighbourhood Development Plan representatives to co-locate to mutual benefit. She also tabled the views of casual tennis players regarding the inconvenience of having to obtain the key to the tennis store from Frank Fahy before being able to access the tennis equipment and thought a combination lock with the code being obtainable from the Council website to be a more practical solution. The Clerk would discuss with Mr Fahy in his capacity as Tennis Club secretary.
Action: Clerk
76.5 Cllr Hughes also handed to the Clerk numerous letters from young people in support of various types of play equipment; these would be used in support of funding applications to be submitted in due course to TVBC. Finally, she made a request for the hedge along the footpath from the A3057 to the MUGA field to be cut back. The Clerk would arrange this.
Action: Clerk
76.6 Cllr Harwood drew attention to the state of many of the footpaths following cable burying by BT and Virgin contractors. The public were able to complain to the companies concerned by ringing the telephone number displayed on the information boards adjacent to the works in question. Cllr Whitehead would also put this information on the Council’s website.
Action: Cllr Whitehead
76.7 Cllr Harwood also requested that the recreation ground be weed sprayed in an attempt to control weed and other unwanted growth especially in the cricket outfield.
Action: Clerk
76.8 As Chair of Planning, Cllr Harwood reported on the five applications considered earlier in the evening, four of which had been supported and one objected to (Sunnyside View) on the grounds of overdevelopment and the impact of increased traffic flow on to the A3057 at a dangerous point.
- To receive the RFO’s Report and Budget Monitoring
77.1 A budget monitoring report had been circulated with the agenda papers. This was noted.
- Payment of Accounts
78.1 Proposed Cllr Brock, Seconded Cllr Harwood, RESOLVED unanimously that the following accounts for April 2018 be approved for payment:
To For Net VAT Gross Chq/Internet
Mr P Storey Salary/expenses 835.98 20.00 855.98 Bacs
HMRC Tax/NIC 443.85 443.85 Bacs
Legal & General Staff pension 80.42 80.42 DD
TVBC Cert Lawful Use fee 230.00 230.00 1823
Unity 50+ bus hire (March) 107.30 107.30 Bacs
KS TreeCare KS rec hedge 335.00 335.00 Bacs
KSVH IT & PC hire 62.00 62.00 Bacs
Mr M Rebbeck Grounds maint 979.00 979.00 1824
KS Treecare Tree works 300.00 300.00 1825
Totals 3373.55 20.00 3393.55
- To approve the Annual Governance Statement
79.1 The RFO introduced the procedure for signing off the Annual Return for the year just ended and drew Councillors’ attention to the meaning of each section.
79.2 Proposed Cllr Curtis, Seconded Cllr Griffith, RESOLVED unanimously that the Annual Governance Statement be approved for the year 2017 – 18.
- To approve the Accounting Statements for 2017 -18
80.1 The RFO tabled the Accounting Statements for the year ended 31 March 2018 for discussion and approval.
80.2 Proposed Cllr Townsend, Seconded Cllr Harwood, RESOLVED unanimously that the Accounting Statements for the year 2017 -18 be approved.
- To approve the Financial Accounts for 2017 – 18
81.1 The Financial Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018 had been circulated with the agenda papers.
81.2 Proposed Cllr Harwood, Seconded Cllr Hughes, RESOLVED unanimously that the Financial Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018 be approved
- To adopt Standing Orders, Financial Regulations and Policies
82.1 Revised Standing Orders, Financial Regulations and Policies had been circulated with the agenda papers.
82.2 Proposed Cllr Townsend, Seconded Cllr Griffith, RESOLVED unanimously that the revised Standing Orders, Financial Regulations and Policies be adopted as tabled.
- To confirm Councillors’ Annual Declarations of Interest
83.1 The Clerk reminded Councillors it was an annual legal requirement for them to notify the TVBC monitoring officer of any changes necessary to their recorded declarations of interest. Those present confirmed in writing either no change or they had submitted a revised declaration. The Clerk would confirm as necessary to TVBC.
Action: Clerk
- To consider the installation of play equipment at Lancaster Green
84.1 A request had been received from some residents at Lancaster Green for the installation of play equipment suitable for toddlers to use. A resident had approached Sovereign Housing who owned the land and their response was awaited. However, councillors expressed concern given that any such equipment would not be installed on Council owned and that installation in this location would discourage users from walking to the existing equipment along the all-weather path which itself was exercise and to be encouraged. The Clerk would inform residents accordingly.
Action: Clerk
85. Annual Assembly review
85.1 The Annual Assembly had been held in the Village Hall on 10 May 2018 with Councillors and 47 parishioners attending. The guest speaker was an Army Air Corps Officer from Middle Wallop. The arrangements had worked well although despite an increase in numbers some thought should be given next year to ways of further increasing the public attendance. A full set of minutes is on the Council website.
Action: All
Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) progress
86.1 Cllr Brock was glad to announce that the statutory 6-week consultation period would now start and end at mid-night on 22 June 2018 and councillors should read and understand the Plan and then use all means possible to encourage parishioners to do the same and to come and vote for its adoption at the referendum stage. Copies of the Plan are available for public perusal in The Crown PH, the John O’Gaunt PH, Cross Stores, Martin’s Shop, Village Hall and Working Men’s Club. A link was on the Council’s website and would be e-mailed to statutory consultees and others who wished to read it. Further public consultations would be held to enable further comments received on the Plan to be considered by the Steering Group before the final version of the Plan was submitted to Test Valley Borough Council, followed by an external examination and finally put to a referendum. The all-important link is – www.kingssomborne-pc.gov.uk/NDP/
86.2 Cllr Brock would e-mail the NDP summary to all councillors for information.
Action: Cllr Brock
- Clerk’s monthly report
87.1 An application had been submitted to TVBC for approval for a Certificate of Lawful Use regarding Top Field where in the new lease the right to graze had been deleted and approval in principle given for the open space to be used for recreational purposes.
87.2 All land owned by KSPC had now been registered with the Land Registry.
87.3 PCSO Claudia Pattison had been replaced by PCSO Sam Bate.
- Date, time and place of next meeting
88.1 The next meeting would be on Monday 4 June 2018 at 7.00pm in the Epworth Hall, Winchester Road, King’s Somborne.
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.10pm