KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting
held in the Epworth Hall commencing at 7.00pm on Monday 1 February 2016
Present: Cllr R Harwood (Chairman)
Cllr R Curtis
Cllr J Evans
Cllr F Fahy
Cllr K Hughes
Cllr R Sutton
In Attendance: Mr P J Storey (Clerk to King’s Somborne Parish Council)
Public Session
C/Cllr Gibson, B/Cllr Ward, Mr Dyke (Open Spaces Warden) and 7 members of the public were present for part of the meeting.
C/Cllr Gibson outlined the measures being taken by the County to contain expenditure and said that council tax would be increased by 3.99% mainly due to the financial needs of adult services provision. He forecast the installation of the all-weather path in late Spring and would contact English Heritage to confirm this. He was also liaising with Hampshire Highways staff about strengthening the verge along that part of Winchester Road adjacent to the stream where the bank was collapsing.
B/Cllr Ward confirmed that the TVBC Local Plan had been approved by the Planning Inspector and that all previous saved policies not within the new plan were now defunct. As part of the acceptance procedure, the Inspector had accepted the basis for calculating housing need within the Borough, the result being that Test Valley was deemed to have a sufficient land supply to meet this need. He reminded Councillors that with the introduction of the community infrastructure levy (CIL), 15% of developer’s contributions, or 25% if a neighbourhood plan was in existence, could be made available to the local community for amenity improvement.
Ms Rowden spoke of her concern at the apparent lack of information available on the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). All noted, progress information was currently available on the Council website, OneDrive to those with access, and a summary of action to date appeared in The Gauntlet. As the pace of preparation developed, monthly updates were planned for the community with more in between, if necessary, with further community engagement meetings held for further interaction. All who had attended the community meeting in December had been contacted in some way and many were already actively engaged in the working groups.
Mr Dyke commented on the need to pressure wash the Up Somborne play equipment to get rid of the Winter moss growth.
Action: Clerk
Mr Pidgeon again raised the problems of parking in the Eldon Road area and parking on grass, in particular. Following action taken by the Clerk the previous month, the Police had confirmed their involvement was limited to dealing only with an obstruction caused by inconsiderate parking. Primary responsibility for inconsiderate parking rested with Hampshire County Council to whom complaints should be made following which the County Council would take any appropriate action. The Clerk would again approach Aster Housing with a view to seeking their comments on the provision of additional parking areas around the estate to alleviate the road parking problem.
Action: Clerk
Mr Black, a resident of Muss Lane, voiced his annoyance at reference to the ‘Muss Lane protest group’ in some of last year’s minutes and was assured that the term ‘Nutcher’s Drove conservation group’ was now being used.
Dr Mackintosh, in his capacity as Chairman of the Village Hall management committee, raised the issue of the transfer of recreation ground land ownership to enable the Village Hall to expand on to the existing concrete apron which was on land owned by Fields in Trust and managed on their behalf by the Parish Council. This matter would be on the March agenda for formal discussion.
Action: Clerk
The Clerk summarised a report submitted by the Police on matters of interest or concern including a vehicle theft from Eldon Road, criminal damage to the Village Hall by two young males whom the Police were dealing with, and some shed break-ins.
14. Apologies for Absence
14.1 Cllr Brock: Cllrs Lane and Whitehead not present.
15. Chairman’s announcements and Councillors’ questions
15.1 None made.
16. To approve the Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 4 January 2016
16.1 Proposed Cllr Curtis, Seconded Cllr Hughes, RESOLVED unanimously that the minutes of the meeting held on 4 January 2016 be accepted as a true record.
17. To consider any Matters Arising from those Minutes
17.1 Public session. Car repairs were being undertaken on Eldon Road which aggravated the parking situation and obstructed of lines of sight at the junction. Some concern was expressed that a business was being run here without the necessary permission. The Clerk would seek investigation by Planning Enforcement at Test Valley.
Action: Clerk
17.2 Para 12.1 A portable sound system had now been purchased.
18. Declarations of Interest and requests for Dispensations
18.1 None declared or sought.
19. Co-option to fill the casual vacancy
19.1 One nomination for co-option to fill the casual vacancy on the Council was extant at the time of the meeting, previous nominations having been withdrawn. After a short presentation by the nominee, the matter was put to the vote.
19.2 Proposed Cllr Sutton, Seconded Cllr Hughes, RESOLVED unanimously that Mrs Hayley Griffith be co-opted on to the Parish Council to fill the casual vacancy with immediate effect.
20. To consider Correspondence Received and determine any action required
20.1 The Clerk drew Members’ attention to a letter from a planning consultant seeking to discuss with the Council the potential to develop land at Spencer’s Farm. It was agreed that an invite be sent to attend the next meeting.
Action: Clerk
20.2 On behalf of the Village Hall management committee, Cllr Fahy had written requesting that further hedge reduction work be undertaken by the hedge owner to improve the effectiveness of the single light at the top end of the approach slip road from the A3057. The Clerk had previously obtained the hedge owner’s agreement to undertake some serious cutting back which had enhanced the light at this spot and this was thought to be sufficient for the time being. If lack of light at this point remained a serious problem for Village Hall users, it was considered that the Hall management committee might give thought to installing some PIR lighting at the Hall entrance as an interim measure until the redesign work on the entrance itself was completed.
21. To receive minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 4 and 18 January 2016
21.1 The minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 4 and 18 January 2016 had been circulated with the agenda.
21.2 Proposed Cllr Evans, Seconded Cllr Harwood, RESOLVED unanimously that the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 4 and 18 January 2016 be received and accepted.
22. Councillors’ Reports
22.1 Cllr Hughes reported she was enlisting the support of the school children in the development of the biodiversity area on 3 Fields.
22.2 Cllr Evans reported that the stream clearance exercise held the previous Saturday had been extremely successful with 33 volunteers and Caroline Noakes MP turning out in waders and with equipment to clear the steam bed of vegetation and other obstruction to improve the rate of flow. It was planned to repeat the exercise later in the year.
Action: Cllr Evans
23. To receive the RFO’s Report and Budget Monitoring
23.1 The interim internal audit had been completed successfully on 14 January 2016 with no adverse observations.
23.2 The Clerk, as RFO, confirmed that as an employer, the Parish Council now fully conformed with the requirements of the Workplace Pension legislation and that he had confirmed this to the Pensions Regulator.
23.3 A budget monitoring report had been circulated with the agenda papers.
23.4 Proposed Cllr Evans, Seconded Cllr Hughes, RESOLVED unanimously that the Budget Report be accepted as tabled.
24. Payment of Accounts
24.1 Proposed Cllr Evans, Seconded Cllr Hughes, RESOLVED unanimously that the following accounts for January 2016 be approved for payment:
To For Net VAT Gross Chq/Internet
Mr P Storey Salary/expenses 762.48 762.48 Int
Mr P Storey Gratuity 4087.87 4087.87 Int
HMRC Tax/NIC 527.60 527.60 Int
Mr M Rebbeck Grounds maint 110.00 110.00 Int
Totals 5487.95 5487.95
25. Annual Financial Risk Assessment 2015 – 16
25.1 Current audit and accounting rules required an annual financial risk assessment to be adopted by the Parish Council before the yearend to which the assessment related. A risk assessment signed off by the Clerk and the Internal Auditor had been circulated with the agenda papers.
25.2 Proposed Cllr Hughes, Seconded Cllr Evans, RESOLVED unanimously that the Financial Risk Assessment 2015 -16 be adopted
26. Neighbourhood Development Plan progress
26.1 Cllr Evans and Cllr Sutton briefed on the progress to date regarding preparation of the NDP, stressing the need for frequent communication on progress. A draft questionnaire would soon be hand delivered to all dwellings in the Parish and collected in person to encourage a large response. All recognised the tight time frame set for the Plan’s production and the hurdles yet to be overcome but enthusiasm remained high. Working groups had been formed and terms of references issued against which they could work. TVBC were planning to hold a meeting of all parishes producing an NDP to share ideas and also a meeting for all parish councillors in the Borough to enthuse them into becoming involved.
27. Annual Assembly arrangements
27.1 The 2016 Annual Assembly would be held in the Village Hall at 7.30pm on Thursday 5 May. It was agreed that the Clerk would invite the SSE customer consumer advisor to speak about his role in the community and that the same domestic arrangements as last year would prevail.
Action: Clerk
28. ‘Clean for the Queen’
28.1 A national initiative to clean up the country to mark HM The Queen’s 90th birthday was under way and councillors were keen to support his. The Clerk would contact TVBC to register our interest and contact local groups and organisations to enlist their active support.
Action: Clerk
29. TVBC scoping report on gypsy and traveller accommodation
29.1 TVBC were seeking comments on their scoping report covering the accommodation and other requirements to be provided for gypsies and travellers; the link to this report on TVBC’s website had been circulated before the meeting. Councillors were in agreement with the thrust of the report and had no additional comments to make. The Clerk would respond accordingly.
Action: Clerk
29.2 The TVBC website link was on the Parish Council website for members of the public to respond. The consultation period ends on 19 February 2016.
Action: All
30. Clerk’s monthly report
30.1 The Clerk had confirmed the hire of the King’s Somborne recreation ground for the Horticultural Show on 30 July 2016.
30.2 Repairs were in hand to the two notice boards damaged in the recent strong winds.
30.3 Sparsholt Parish Council had invited attendance at their meeting to discuss the impact of an application to install an industrial scale Anaerobic Digester Plant at Sparsholt College and the impact on local communities from the resultant heavy traffic servicing this plant. All noted the meeting would be held in the Sparsholt Village Hall at 7.30pm on Friday 5 February 2016.
31. Date, time and place of next meeting
31.1 The next meeting would be on Monday 7 March 2016 at 7.00pm in the Epworth Hall, Winchester Road, King’s Somborne.
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.55pm