KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting
held in the Epworth Hall commencing at 7.00pm on Monday 2 September 2019
Present: Cllr A Brock (Chairman)
Cllr I Beacham
Cllr R Curtis
Cllr L Hodge
Cllr O Wales
Cllr R Webb
In Attendance: Mrs G Foster (Clerk to King’s Somborne Parish Council)
Also present: B/Cllr A Ward and 1 members of the public were present for part of the meeting.
176. Public Session
176.1. A resident asked who was responsible for clearing a tree that had fallen into a river or waterway. It was questioned if both riparian owners would share the responsibility or whether the duty to remove lay solely with the owner of the tree. Council felt the owner of the tree would be responsible, but this would be checked with the Environment Agency. Action: Cllr Brock
176.2. A parishioner that lived along the A3057 who enquired if Council were aware of a reason for a noticeable increase in traffic along the A3057 during Rush Hours in the morning and evening. Councillors had not received any information that would have led to the volume of traffic going up. It was further mentioned that years ago when the school had a flashing 30 mph sign near the school entrance that this helped reduce speed of vehicles. This was noted by members of the Safer Travel Working Group.
177. Apologies for Absence
177.1. Cllrs Dack, Whitehead, Harwood and Hughes had sent apologies which were accepted by Council. C/Cllr Gibson had also sent his apologies.
178. Chairman’s announcements and Councillors’ questions
178.1. Cllr Brock had chased Virgin Media regarding the painting of the cabinets in the Parish and also with regards to connecting several residents and the Village Hall.
178.2. Cllr Brock had written to EA requesting a definitive answer how to identify riparian owners alongside highways as HCC had stated that they were not responsible for the stretch of the Borne between the Corner Store and Old Vicarage despite maintaining the verge along that stretch. In the meantime, the Borne had been cleared of weeds alongside Corner Stores by a group of volunteers. The Council noted their thanks for this effort.
178.3. HCC had been contacted regarding Broadband access to properties in Ashley and they are actively supporting a community effort that is now being organised there using the government Gigabit Voucher Scheme
178.4. The 30mph speeding sign which had been knocked over by the War Memorial had been reported to HCC. Also reported were the broken Dragons Teeth to the north side of Vicarage Road.
178.5. The bollards on the bridge by Martin’s Stores have been repaired by HCC.
178.6. The wording of the lease on Pre-School was being considered by Cllrs Brock, Harwood and Whitehead and it was hoped a response would be finalised before the next meeting enabling the latest version to be sent back to the solicitors.
178.7. Cllr Hodge asked for clarification on whether it was better as a Riparian owner to clear the weeds from the river or whether leaving them would slow water down. Cllr Brock would ask for full explanation from the Environment Agency and the legal position wold be communicated to residents as soon as received. Action: Cllr Brock
179. To receive reports from C/Cllr Andrew Gibson and B/Cllr Tony Ward.
179.1. Cllr Ward had sent the Mid Test Matters newsletter prior meeting it was available on the website. 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. Cllr Brock will attend. Action: Cllr Brock
179.2. The final planning consideration for the Pre-school building was held on 27th August and Councillors were complimentary about the scheme and applauded all the work and effort and detail presented. Permission has been granted under planning application 19/01427/VARS which is a variation of 18/02874/FULLS.
179.3. The parking issue had been overcome and Sport England had withdrawn their objection. The Dragon’s Teeth will need to be moved and 42 spaces will need to be marked. A quotation is being sought. There may be a need to paint a single yellow line alongside pitch side of the carpark to ensure access is not blocked for emergency vehicles.
179.4. Purchase orders have been sent to the suppliers and construction on the building will start very soon and building regulations have been started.
179.5. The TVBC CAF Grant money is expected to be received Monday.
179.6. Some cash flow issues have been identified and an application for a £35,000 ACRE loan is being made by the Village Hall Committee. This would be at a rate of 4% over a term of 3 months.
179.7. The outcome of the grant application to Veolia would be known on 3rd September.
180. To approve the Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 5 August 2019
180.1. Proposed: Cllr Roy, Seconded: Cllr Beacham, RESOLVED: Unanimous that the minutes of the meeting held on 5th August 2019 which had been circulated with the agenda be accepted as a true record. The chairman duly signed the minute book.
181. To review outstanding actions from the action list arising from those Minutes
181.1. Cllr A Brock’s Actions:
181.1.1. 153.1.1. SSE had confirmed that the substation had been delivered and placed on the plinth constructed the previous week, last Friday. SSE will meet with the Scouts this week, and trench work for cable laying will start from Monday 9th Sept. Two days will be needed to lay trench across in front of Scouts’ hut and approx. three weeks to complete the rest of the cabling across the fields. SSE had also advised that cabling to Old Palace Farm would need to be replaced and this is also scheduled.
181.2. Cllr I Beacham’s Actions:
181.2.1. A final answer was awaited from the owner of the farm with regards to siting of the memorial bench.
181.2.2. A conversation with the owner of the John O’Gaunt Lane had also taken place. There may be a possibility to site the bench on the footpath from Froghole Lane, specifically on the bend by the Telemast. This would be followed up. Action: Cllr Beacham.
181.3. Cllr R Curtis’s Actions:
181.3.1. 171.7. A short article had been written for the September Gauntlet relating to using Dog Waste Bags.
181.3.2. 171.10. A discussion with the landlady of The Crown had taken place with regards to the speed and parking of motorcycles on Wednesday evenings.
181.4. Cllr S Dack’s Actions:
181.4.1. 153.4.1. 127.6. The motion relating to dogs on recreation ground had been written for the November agenda.
181.4.2. 153.4.2. 129.4.1. Public liability insurance for the circus company had been forwarded to the Clerk but it would expire before the event took place. A renewed Certificate would be required: Action: Cllr Dack
181.5. Cllr K Hughes’ Actions:
181.5.1. No update had been received and the actions would be reported on at the next meeting.
181.6. Cllr O Wales’ Actions:
181.6.1. 159.1. Investigation into the remedy of the fence gap next to the recreation ground is covered under minute no. 191.
181.6.2. 172.1. Work had not yet started on mapping out the trees of concern. This would be progressed during the next month. Action: Cllr Wales and Clerk.
181.7. Cllr S Whitehead’s Actions:
181.7.1. 153.8.1. 137.7. A website update had been made for Cllr Beacham’s profile and an email password had been sent. Profiles were outstanding for Cllrs Hodge and Wales. This would be followed up. Action: Cllrs Whitehead, Hodge and Wales.
181.7.2. Email addresses were discussed, and it was felt preferable for all councillors to use specific councillor addresses to separate their personal communications from council messages. Passwords and logon information would be sent to those councillors NOT currently using council email addresses. Action: Cllr Whitehead.
181.7.3. It was questioned whether the server was backed up and how long data was retained for. Action: Cllr Whitehead.
181.7.4. The Data retention policy would be checked. Action: Clerk.
181.8. Mrs G Foster – Clerk’s Actions:
181.8.1. 153.4.1. 127.6. The motion relating to dogs had been scheduled for the November meeting.
181.8.2. 153.4.3. 129.4.2. The Safer Travel WG proposals had been included in the September agenda.
181.8.3. 153.10.6. 129.9.10. Painting of the railings had been arranged.
181.8.4. 155.2. The family offering a maintenance contribution for the cemetery had been written to.
181.8.5. 155.3. The queries raised by the external auditor had been completed.
181.8.6. 155.4. Repairs to the playground fencing had been arranged.
181.8.7. 157.1. The budget for the Pre-school had been completed in the accounting system.
181.8.8. 160.1. The resident requesting the RV Parking had been replied to and a permission to park sign made.
181.8.9. 161.1. A combination padlock had been bought.
181.8.10. 162.1. The Fire Brigade had been contacted regarding access through the Gate next to the Village Hall. They had advised that if a key padlock was fitted, they would cut it off if need be. However, if a combination padlock was fitted and the code had been made known to them, they would remove it undamaged.
181.8.11. 163.1. The NDP feedback had been published on the website.
181.8.12. 164.1. The Parish Online subscription had been paid.
181.8.13. 165.1. The cemetery policy and fees had been amended and published on the website.
181.8.14. 167.1. The Clerk’s appraisal had not been scheduled, but a date was being discussed.
181.8.15. 168.1. The draft lease agreement for the Pre-school had been sent to the Legal Matters Committee for review.
181.8.16. 169.1. A reply had been sent to TVBC stating no change to the polling station location was required.
181.8.17. 172.1. Cllr Wales had been sent a map to start filling in for trees at the recreation ground.
181.8.18. A list of TPO’s had been requested from TVBC, when received it would be compared to a list uploaded to the OneDrive from Cllr Hodge. Action: Clerk
181.8.19. The Tree warden had been contacted and a meeting set up.
182. Declarations of Interest and Requests for Dispensations
182.1. None declared
183. To receive the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings on 5 August 2019
183.1. Planning minutes had been distributed to all councillors and it was RESOVLED: unanimously that these be accepted.
184. To receive the RFO’s Report and Budget Monitoring
184.1. The Clerk had circulated various budget reports including a detailed budget for the pre-school building and explained each report to Councillors.
184.2. It was noted that the Total Budget for year 2019/20 had been revised from the original foreseen overspend from general reserves of £4,683 to an overspend of £21,683. This was as a result of Council’s decision to ringfence £17,000 for the Pre-School Building. See minute no. 146.1 July 2019 meeting. If the Veolia Grant Application from the Village Hall was successful, the £17,000 would be deleted.
184.3. The Village Hall Committee had paid into the Parish Council Bank account £24,330 on 29th August and along with paying £5,670 of invoices directly to suppliers, this amounted to the £30,000 promised from the Village Hall Trust. How the £5,670 would be booked in the Council’s accounts was being discussed with the auditor.
184.4. The Pre-School project budget was presented in detail and Councillors had received a schedule explaining why the total in the Council’s accounts did not match the overall project cost. This was mainly due to the project spanning more than one financial year. It was explained that the Council’s accounts system cannot forecast spending and that this was being monitored by Cllr Ward and the Clerk on a separate spreadsheet.
184.5. A total project summary form would be completed by the Clerk regularly so that Council could see the total spending and changing forecast.
185. To approve Payment of Accounts and sign the bank reconciliation and statement
185.1. The bank account reconciliation was agreed as presented by Council and it was noted that Earmarked Funds comprised: £308.20 for the Minibus Account and £17,000 ringfenced. All other grants received for the Pre-School building would be moved into Earmarked Funds. Action: Clerk.
185.2. A schedule of payments had been sent to all Councillors. Payments had been made in line with prior delegations. RESOLVED: Unanimously to accept the payments as below:
To Total Net VAT For
Stockbridge Marquees 200.00 200.00 0.00 Marquee
KSVH 32.00 32.00 0.00 Computer workshop August
Parish Online 120.00 20.00 100.00 Annual subs
Vitaplay 90.00 75.00 15.00 Repair – climbing frame
Juggling Jake 300.00 300.00 0.00 Circus skills fun day
Simon Nightingale 41.67 41.67 0.00 SLR August 2019
Green Grass Services 663.00 663.00 0.00 July 2019 invoice
Screwfix 27.99 23.33 4.66 padlock for rec gate
Unity Services Andover 168.30 168.30 0.00 Minibus trip JULY
Salus Building Control 726.00 605.00 121.00 Building reg fee stage 1
Test Valley School 75.00 75.00 0.00 Prize Giving Donation
Gail Foster 708.91 708.91 0.00 Salary & expenses August
Total 3,152.87 2,912.21 240.66
185.3. The Clerk was requested to look up the minute no.s regarding the Village Fun Day costs. Action: Clerk.
186. To consider Correspondence Received and determine any action required
186.1. Test Valley School had requested a Prizegiving donation of £25. It was noted that the previous year the Council had donated £75 (£25 for each of the 3 prizes) and it was RESOLVED: unanimously that £75 be donated again this year. Action: Clerk.
186.2. Correspondence from the Council’s lawyer regarding the lease on the John O’Gaunt Field had been received. Estimates for required work has been requested. Contact details for the responsible person at TVBC would be found and forwarded to the Clerk. Action: Cllr Brock
186.3. The Royal British Legion’s Somborne representative had requested assistance in arranging road closures for the Remembrance Service on Sunday 10th November between 10.50am and 11.15am at the Parish Church. The Council noted that their insurance would need to be used and RESOLVED: Unanimously that the Clerk assist with arranging the road closure and that £50 would be donated from the Council with which the RBL would be asked to supply a wreath. Action: Clerk.
187. Clerk’s Monthly Report
187.1. The Clerk had attended the Cilca training day 1 and would be signing up for the portfolio submission this month. Action: Clerk.
187.2. Green Grass Services had started painting the railings and had received many commendations from passers-by. Hopefully work will be finished in the next 2 weeks.
187.3. The fencing had been repaired around the children’s play area and the bi-annual inspection has been completed. It was noted that verbal advice had been received advising that rust on the rungs of the monkey bars should be filed and taped over and that the nest swing would need to be removed in order to check for chain wear before winter. The inspectors full written report was awaited and would be reviewed at the next meeting. Action: Clerk.
187.4. Cllr Curtis added that the panels on the righthand side of the gate to the play area also needed replacing now and this would be actioned as soon as possible. Action: Clerk.
187.5. Tree mapping and assessment has begun and will be an ongoing project for the Clerk and Cllr Wales.
188. To receive an update on the Pre-school planning applications.
188.1. This agenda item had been covered under Cllr Ward’s Report. See minute no.s 179.2 to 179.7.
189. To receive an update on the NDP action list.
189.1. An updated a list of Steering Group members was needed. Action: Cllr Brock
189.2. Revised or updated Declaration of Interest forms would be completed by all members and given to the Clerk. Action: Cllr Brock.
189.3. It was advised that original members had signed forms four years ago, but these had not been found by the Clerk yet. Blank form formats would be sent to all councillors to check and complete. Action: Clerk.
189.4. Test Valley have written formally to Council with regards to Nutrient Neutrality in response to Natural England’s request for analysis of discharge of water going into the Solent. Although there is no discharge of water envisaged in the NDP it needs to be acknowledged in the Plan.
189.5. LAGS (Local Areas of Green Spaces) have been updated and are being reviewed by South Downs. The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is with South Downs for finessing as adjustments need to be made by the originators of the reports. Review of the scoring of the site selection is due back from them next week and will include as part of it the revised SEA adjustments.
190. To receive an update from the Safe Travel Working Group.
190.1. Cllr Beacham had circulated information to councillors on the remedies that the Safe Travel Working Group were investigating. Cllr Beacham asked Council for their approval to continue the research and bring motions to the next meeting for consideration.
190.2. Solutions being considered in the short term were: Village Entrance Gates, Speed Indication devices, Flashing lights outside the school and 20mph stickers for dustbins.
190.3. Longer term solutions being researched were: Asking HCC to agree a 20mph and the possibility of perhaps chicanes for Vicarage Lane and to provide a pavement for a safer route to school. Moving some 30mph signs to more logical places and painting “Vanishing Lines” on the A3057 at the entrances to the village.
190.4. HCC Cllr Gibson would be asked for his assistance with HCC. Action: Cllr Brock
190.5. RESOLVED: Unanimously that further investigation of funding proposals and evidence of effectiveness be looked into. The section 106 fund with TVBC would be considered. Action: Clerk & Cllr Beacham.
191. To receive an update from Cllr Wales on the fitting of a post between the village hall fencing.
191.1. Cllr Wales reported that he believed a partial panel could be affixed to the existing fence to block access. Council agreed that Green Grass Services would be asked to install. Action: Clerk.
192. To receive an update on the Generator at the Village Hall.
192.1. Cllr Wales would arrange a short demonstration to show Councillors and the Village Hall Management Committee how the isolator worked and how to start the generator. Action: Cllr Wales.
193. To approve the opening of a new bank account.
193.1. Cllr Brock had summarized some of the issues that Council had faced with the current bank account with National Westminster Bank and the Clerk reminded councillors of the current risks taken with only having one signatory on the account. Whilst this had worked well for many years and it was not foreseen to cause an immediate problem, the question of holiday cover and possible long-term sickness or unavailability of the current signatory needed to be addressed. The Clerk recommended that there be dual signatures required to make payments as a security measure. An alternative provider of banking services would be investigated: Action: Cllr Brock and Clerk.
194. To receive Councillors’ reports, as appropriate, on actions taken and related matters
194.1. Cllr Hodge reported that no volunteers to help organise VE day celebrations had come forward. The appeal for assistance would be repeated on the Facebook page and on the website. Action: Clerk.
194.2. Cllr Curtis would ask Cllr Harwood if he was able to attend the Test Valley School Prizegiving and if he was unavailable then Cllr Beacham would be pleased to go. Action: Cllr Curtis.
194.3. Requests were received for Agenda items for the next meeting: To discuss the possibility of providing a dog bag dispenser and sign at Muss Lane Recreation area and inside the footpath running alongside Cow Drove Hill. Action: Clerk & Cllr Beacham.
195. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting – Monday 7th October 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 9.25pm
THESE ARE DRAFT MINUTES PRODUCED FOR REVIEW BY THE PARISH COUNCILLORS PRIOR TO BEING APPROVED AT THE NEXT PARISH MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL