KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting
held in the Epworth Hall commencing at 7.00pm on Monday 5 November 2018
Present: Cllr A Brock (Chairman)
Cllr R Curtis
Cllr S Dack
Cllr R Harwood
Cllr K Hughes
Cllr R Webb
In Attendance: Mr P J Storey (Clerk to King’s Somborne Parish Council)
Public Session
Mr R Dyke (Open Spaces Warden), B/Cllr Ward and 2 members of the public were present for part of the meeting.
B/Cllr Ward had circulated a report which included details of enforcement action taken by the Borough against an individual who had put both commercial and household waste in and next to litter bins along Winchester Hill in Romsey and reminded all that household waste should be disposed of at home. Another successful fly tipping prosecution had taken place; the Borough’s annual leaf clearance programme had started on 29 October; and a number of night time closures of the M27 would take place during the month.
B/Cllr then briefed on progress with the new Community Building/preschool plans. A full planning application had now been submitted to TVBC, reference number 18/02874/FULLS. A letter had been sent to adjacent residents explaining why the Scout hut land was not an ideal location and the application for LoddenTest funds had finally been submitted with all the necessary supporting evidence including the long awaited flood risk report. Agreement had been reached with the Football Club on relocating the pitch further away from the Village Hall to reduce the risk of flying footballs hitting Hall users and also enable completion of new drainage and a safer access to the new building, and the preferred building supplier would visit in the next few days to assess access to the area.
- Apologies for Absence
176.1 Cllrs H Griffith, A Townsend, H Townsend and Whitehead; also C/Cllr Gibson.
177. Chair’s announcements and Councillors’ questions
177.1 Cllr Brock announced that the Environment Agency had completed their half yearly stream clearance; Southern Water had infilled a large depression in Winchester Road; that he had requested Hampshire Highways to review the newly laid road opposite the ford in Winchester Road as it has a very deep unprotected edge at the entrance to the field which is a major road user hazard as well a making the drain installation ineffective; that Virgin Media had been appraised of dissatisfaction in some areas with the standard of their completed groundworks and that residents with evidence of this should let him or the Clerk know to enable follow up action to be taken and that the mobile telephony coverage from the EE mast had been restored (though further work was needed to complete the reinstallation).
178. To accept the Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 1 October 2018
178.1 Proposed Cllr Curtis, Seconded Cllr Hughes, RESOLVED with Cllr Webb abstaining (absent) that the minutes of the meeting held on 1 October 2018 which had been circulated with the agenda be accepted as a true record.
- To consider any Matters Arising from those Minutes
179.1 Para 160.3 Cllr Brock was still awaiting a date for the undergrounding of the electricity supply cables across the 3 Fields site.
Action: Cllr Brock
179.2 Para 166.1 The Village Hall CCTV system was not sufficiently strong to enable clear identification of individuals near the Cricket Club store. Cllr Hughes would take the matter up with the Village Hall management committee with a view to looking at the Parish Council adding a new camera at the Club store end of the car park and linking it to the Hall system.
Action: Cllr Hughes
179.3 Para 170.4 The Clerk briefed that the Diocese did not support the felling the Yew tree in the Churchyard and as a result TVBC would not approve its felling. See para 187.3 below.
179.4 Cllr Curtis briefed that there were no takers for the redundant horse trough and proposed it should be offered to the Horticultural Society; the Clerk would action.
Action: Clerk
- Declarations of Interest and Requests for Dispensations
180.1 None declared or sought.
- To consider Correspondence Received and determine any action required
181.1 The Clerk tabled Southern Water’s Business Plan 2020-25 for information.
- To receive minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 15 October 2018
182.1 The minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 15 October 2018 had been circulated with the agenda.
182.2 Proposed Cllr Webb, Seconded Cllr Harwood, RESOLVED unanimously that the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 15 October 2018 be received and accepted.
- Councillors’ Reports
183.1 Cllr Dack introduced ideas for the installation of village entry gates at the main entry points to King’s Somborne i.e. A3057, Winchester Road and possibly Furzedown Road, and tabled photos of potential designs. Cost details would be tabled at the next meeting to enable further debate and the Clerk would look for suitable funding sources.
Action: Cllr Dack and Clerk
183.2 Cllr Hughes reported the favourable comments from young mothers on the recently installed toddlers’ play equipment and that she was encouraging families to take part in the TVBC village clean up initiative.
- To receive the RFO’s Report and Budget Monitoring
184.1 A budget monitoring report had been circulated with the agenda papers. This was noted. The Clerk stated he would be reducing the forecast for Burial board income given the low receipts to date.
184.2 As RFO, the Clerk was pleased to announce the receipt of £3715 from SSE as their compensation contribution for disruption caused by the on-site work to underground the electricity supply cables across the 3 Fields site. S106 monies amounting to £5341 had been received from TVBC for the purchased of the new toddlers’ play equipment on the King’s Somborne recreation ground.
184.3 The external auditors had yet to complete their audit for the financial year ending 31 March 2018; they were behind with their workload but anticipated completion by the end of the calendar year. In the meantime, the notice had been posted, as required, inviting those interested in reviewing the Council’s accounts to contact the Clerk.
- Payment of Accounts
185.1 Proposed Cllr Harwood, Seconded Cllr Hughes, RESOLVED unanimously that the following accounts for October 2018 be approved for payment:
To For Net VAT Gross Chq/Internet
Mr P Storey Salary/expenses 775.25 12.97 788.22 Bacs
HMRC Tax/NIC 454.63 454.63 Bacs
Legal & General Staff pension 80.42 80.42 DD
HCC Street light 20.87 4.18 25.05 Bacs
Unity 60+bus hire 120.00 120.00 Bacs
Vitaplay Swing repairs 164.25 32.85 197.10 Bacs
TVBC Grounds maint 1558.89 311.78 1870.67 Bacs
Mr M Rebbeck Grounds maint 396.10 396.10 Bacs
Totals 3570.41 361.78 3932.19
- To approve the renewed lease for Top Field and John O’Gaunt Field
186.1 Terms of the revised lease with TVBC for use of Top Field and the John O’Gaunt Field had finally been agreed and ready to be executed once the engrossed lease was received. The right to graze in the expired lease and the need to maintain stockproof fencing had been removed and the subject areas could now be used for recreational purposes; this better reflected the requirements of the Parish.
186.2 Proposed Cllr Curtis, Seconded Cllr Webb, RESOLVED unanimously that the Chairman and Clerk be authorised to sign the new lease for Top Field and the John O’Gaunt Field.
- To reconsider a grant aid application from the King’s Somborne School Association
187.1 In order to reconsider this application, Standing Orders had to be set aside as the reconsideration was taking place within six months of the previous decision on the application.
187.2 Proposed Cllr Hughes, Seconded Cllr Curtis, RESOLVED unanimously that Standing Orders be set aside to enable reconsideration of the application from the King’s Somborne School Association for a grant towards the cost of a lean-to over part of the playground.
187.3 The King’s Somborne School Association had requested a grant of £945 to enable a cover to be built over the children’s play area to prevent poisonous berries falling into the play area from the adjacent Yew tree in the Churchyard and putting the children at risk. As the Diocese had refused to approve the felling of the tree (min. 179.3) and therefore planning approval would not be granted by TVBC, it was timely to consider alternative action to mitigate the problems with the tree. Cllr Hughes explained the reality of the situation from the School’s perspective and the need to blanket off one third of the play area to minimise the risk of children eating the berries and emphasised whilst not wholly preventing the risk of illness stated that a lean-to construction would go a significant way towards minimising it and again proposed making a grant to the Association of £945 as originally sought. However, her proposal was not seconded and therefore failed.
187.4 Proposed Cllr Harwood, Seconded Cllr Webb, RESOLVED with one abstention that the Clerk approaches the Tree Warden to re-evaluate what else could be done to the tree to minimise the problem.
Action: Clerk
- To consider gifting an external clock to the Village Hall
188.1 The need for an external clock on the Village Hall had been recognised and a suggestion made that the Parish Council might like to gift a suitable clock to mark the completion of the remodelled Hall frontage. Cllr Hughes outlined the proposal for an all-weather clock which the Hall would maintain and for which various designs and costs had been identified; the Hall was now looking for funding.
188.2 Proposed Cllr Hughes, Seconded Cllr Curtis, RESOLVED unanimously to support gifting a clock to the Village Hall in principle subject to design, costs and location, being determined before an amount was agreed. Cllr Hughes would follow up with the Village Hall Management Committee.
Action: Cllr Hughes
- To approve the opening of a No 2 business bank account
189.1 Considerable sums of money would pass through the Parish Council accounts as funding for the new community building/preschool was raised and spent and in order to clearly separate out normal routine Parish income and expenditure from the exceptional related to the new build project, it was thought appropriate to open a second and dedicated account for this purpose.
189.2 Proposed Cllr Harwood, Seconded Cllr Dack, RESOLVED unanimously that the Clerk be authorised to open a second business bank account to administer funds related to the new community building/preschool project.
Action: Clerk
- To determination appropriate action for managing the undergrowth at the Muss Lane open space
191.1 Quotes had been obtained for removing the undergrowth vegetation from the tree lines either side of the Muss Lane open space ranging from £1200 down to £220 according to varying specifications. Access to the area was restricted by width but Cllr Brock would discuss with local farmers to see if any of their machinery could gain access before a firm decision was made. This would be placed on the December agenda.
Action: Cllr Brock and Clerk
- To approve revised arrangements for maintaining the speed limit reminder sign
192.1 TVBC would cease to rotate and maintain our speed limit reminder sign (SLR) rom 31 March 2019 and alternative arrangements were necessary. The staff member who actually undertook the work had indicated a willingness to continue to do this under private arrangements; he had the necessary experience and qualifications, knew our requirements and was prepared to discuss costs. The Clerk was authorised to invite a quotation accordingly.
Action: Clerk
- To determine the selection procedure for the replacement clerk
193.1 A selection panel comprising Cllrs Brock, Curtis and Harwood, was agreed with expressions of interest from interested parties to be received by the Clerk before close of play 30 November 2018. Those expressions were to comprise a letter of application supported by a short CV highlighting experience to date. Advertisements would be placed on the notice boards, the Council’s and village websites and lodged with HALC to supplement the notice which had been placed in the current month’s Gauntlet magazine, to which two persons had already responded.
193.2 The Panel would interview and short list in December and invite the successful candidate(s) to give a short presentation and answer questions at the January Council meeting with a view to the successful candidate being in post on a two-month probation period with effect from 1 February Salary and pension arrangements would be finalised at interview. The Clerk would co-ordinate arrangements and advise the selection panel as necessary.
Action: Clerk
- To adopt the Equality and Diversity Policy
194.1 The Clerk tabled a draft Equality and Diversity policy for adoption.
194.2 Proposed Cllr Dack, Seconded Cllr Harwood, RESOLVED unanimously that the draft Equality and Diversity Policy be adopted.
- To agree the 2019 meeting dates
195.1 Proposed meeting dates for 2019 had been circulated with the agenda.
195.2 Proposed Cllr Webb, Seconded Cllr Curtis, RESOLVED unanimously that the tabled meeting dates for 2019 be noted.
- Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) progress
196.1 Cllr Brock reported that he had met with the South Downs National Park Authority to discuss their progress in responding to the feedback raised and anticipated having this available before the month end. Similarly, Waterco’s feedback was also awaited although imminent. Both these delayed responses had prevented the Plan from being available by the end of last month and both would be placed on the Council’s website when available. At the December Council meeting, a decision would be made on whether or not to have a further public consultation on the Plan before its submission to TVBC.
Action: Cllr Brock
- Clerk’s monthly report
197.1 TVBC was taking part in the Local Government Association Peer Challenge which was a process in which a small team from across other local authorities visited TVBC to determine by interviewing partners how the Council worked in partnership with other agencies. The Clerk had been invited to take part as a result of his experience in emergency and resilience planning.
197.2 The Clerk and Cllr Brock had attended a table top exercise in resilience planning to play out the impact of long-term loss of water in the community. As a result, our emergency plan would be slightly amended.
Action: Clerk
197.3 HCC had notified their intention to switch off street lights on residential roads, other A, B and C class roads and town centres, between 01.00am and 04.00am from 1 April 2019 as an economy measure. A link to the HCC report is at https://democracy.hants.gov.uk/documents/s24832/Report.pdf
- Date, time and place of next meeting
198.1 The next meeting would be on Monday 3 December 2018 at 7.00pm in the Epworth Hall, Winchester Road, King’s Somborne.
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.50pm