Parish Council
Parish Council minutes March 2012
KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting
held in the Epworth Hallcommencing at 7.00pm on Monday 5 March 2012
Present: Cllr J Werrett (Chairman) Cllr A Brock Cllr R Curtis Cllr F Fahy Cllr P Goddard Cllr D Harrison Cllr R Harwood Cllr G Herbert Cllr G Pearson
In Attendance: Mr P J Storey (Clerk to King’s Somborne Parish Council)
Public Session County Cllr Gibson, Mr R Dyke (Open Spaces Warden) and seven members of the public were present for part of the meeting. Mrs S Boot outlined the plans to date for celebrating the Royal Jubilee on the recreation ground and accepted the Clerk’s offer to obtain from Fields in Trust a ‘fun pack’ designed to help event organisers in their preparations. Up Somborne residents expressed their grave concerns at the application by Forest Extra for a Certificate of Lawfulness to cover their activities on-site. The increase in heavy traffic volume using Strawberry Lane since 2008 caused by the grain store refurbishment on the site was causing annoyance to residents, posed dangers to cars parked on the Lane and was destroying the grassed verges. The Chairman explained that the comments the Parish Council was entitled to make on the application could only relate to the length of time the current usage had been in operation and that whilst sympathising with the residents’ concerns they could not be reflected in the Council’s response to the application. However, with the agreement of Councillors he would write separately to Test Valley Borough Council reflecting support for the residents’ concerns. He also strongly advised the residents to maintain the pressure on all departments involved, especially Hampshire Highways who held primary responsibility for usage made of the roads in question.
Action: Clerk
Thanks were made to Cllr Gibson for funding the costs of repairing the fence around the toddlers’ play area from his county councillor devolved budget.
36. Apologies for Absence
36.1 Borough Cllr Ward.
37. Chairman’s announcements and Councillors’ questions
37.1 The Chairman introduced discussion on the lack of participation by the public at the Councillor Surgeries. Disappointingly, there had only been the occasional visitor and as a result he questioned the need.
37.2 Proposed Cllr Werrett, Seconded Cllr Harwood, RESOLVED unanimously that no further Councillor Surgeries be held and that an article by placed in The Gauntlet to this effect.
Action: Clerk
38. To approve the Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 6 February 2012
38.1 Proposed Cllr Harwood, Seconded Cllr Brock RESOLVED unanimously that the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2012 be accepted as a true record.
39. To consider any Matters Arising from those Minutes
39.1 Public session. Replacement tree. Following the removal of the tree to make way for the repositioned bottle bank, it was thought appropriate for a replacement tree and any other Jubilee trees acquired to be planted along the hedge line at the top of the cricket pitch, at the junction of Eldon Road and Furzedown Road or in the Churchyard to replace the Yew to be felled.
Action: Clerk
40. Declarations of Interest
40.1 None.
41. To consider Correspondence Received and determine any action required
41.1 The Clerk drew Councillors’ attention to recent correspondence received but no further action was thought necessary.
42. To note the Planning Committee minutes as tabled
42.1 Minutes of the meetings held on 6 and 20 February 2012 had been circulated with the agenda papers.
42.2 Proposed Cllr Pearson, Seconded Cllr Harwood, RESOLVED unanimously that the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 6 and 20 February 2012 be noted.
43. To receive Councillors’ reports, as appropriate, on actions taken and other matters
43.1 Cllr Pearson led further discussion on the Forest Extra application for a Certificate of Lawful Use and the parameters within which the Council was able to comment recommending that we should decline to comment in view of the legal complexities; this was agreed.
43.2 Cllr Fahy briefed on the results of the survey into teenage preferences for recreational facilities.He reported that there were 42 valid (non-duplicate) responses, 15 by girls and 27 by boys. Indoortable tennis was easily the most highly scored individual choice. This facility is the subject of aseparate survey and a related project is being progressed by Cllr Fahy. The order of preference for other ten choices was as follows: small-team football, basket ball, uprated skate ramp, outdoor tennis, kickwall, outdoor table tennis, hockey and netball. The youth shelter attracted no votes. The first, second and fourth of these choices can be accommodated by a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) which therefore represents the most popular overall investment for the community. Cllr Curtis would produce a costed plan for a MUGA for the next meeting and he and Cllr Harwood would look at similar play areas elsewhere.
Action: Cllr Curtis
43.3 Both Cllrs Fahy and Pearson commented on the perceived need for broken white lines at each of the road junctions joining Eldon Road to indicate caution to drivers exiting the junctions. Cllr Fahy would follow this up with Hampshire Highways.
Action: Cllr Fahy
43.4 Cllr Harrison briefed on the plans to date for the Annual Assembly and the re-opening of the John O’Gaunt pub on Friday 13 April which would feature a free evening buffet. She also thanked Cllr Fahy for his work whilst a member of the Communications Working Group.
43.5 Cllr Brock confirmed there would be a small payment to the Parish Council of funds surplus to the Neighbourhood Watch.
44. To receive the RFO’s Report and Budget Monitoring
44.1 A budget monitoring report showing income and expenditure to date had been circulated with the agenda and was noted. The current bank balance stood at £31,223.51. Members noted the internal auditor would complete his audit on 17 April.
45. Payment of Accounts
45.1 Proposed Cllr Brock, Seconded Cllr Curtis, RESOLVED unanimously that the following accounts for February be approved for payment:
To For Net VAT Gross Chq
Mr P Storey Salary/expenses 747.58 0.76 748.34 BACs
HMRC Tax/NIC 206.38 206.38 1764
BPC Shared costs 22.50 22.50 BACs
TVBC Election expenses 37.57 37.57 BACs
Mr M Rebbeck Grounds maint 206.50 206.50 1765
KS Village Hall Room hire 32.00 32.00 1766
Fields in Trust Subscription 20.00 20.00 1767
Totals 1272.53 0.76 1273.29
46. To approve the Lengthsman agreement
46.1 Proposed Cllr Brock, Seconded Cllr Goddard, RESOLVED unanimously that the Clerk be authorised to sign the Lengthsman Agreement between Stockbridge Council as the co-ordinating authority and King’s Somborne Parish Council and to monitor the associated work undertaken by the appointee.
Action: Clerk
47. Jubilee Strategy progress report
47.2 Cllr Werrett, co-ordinating Workstream 2, had identified some ‘quick wins’ including improvements to the teenage recreational facilities, highways improvements and sports activities and targeting organisations who might bid for grant aid to enhance their own contributions to the community.
Action: Cllr Werrett
48. To receive the Clerk’s monthly report
48.1 The Clerk drew Councillors’ attention to an invitation from Fields in Trust to become a subscriber member of that organisation at a reduced fee for the first year of £20. Councillors saw some benefit in this.
48.2 Proposed Cllr Harwood, Seconded Cllr Werrett, RESOLVED with two against that the Council subscribes to Fields in Trust at a first year reduced rate of £20.
48.3 The Clerk had attended a seminar on Localism organised by HALC at which various speakers had outlined the strategy behind this Government initiative but many attending thought more practical advice was required before the impact of Localism on the management of Parish resources could be assessed.
48.4 The Epworth Hall would not be available for the Council’s April meetings due to its redecoration. The Clerk was reviewing alternative venues.
Action: Clerk
49. Date, time and place of next meeting
49.1 The next meeting will be on Monday 2 April 2012 at 7.00pm; venue to be advised.
Action: All
At this point the Chairman declared the meeting closed to the public in view of the confidential nature of the remaining business
50. Co-option to fill a casual vacancy
50.1 Two members of the public had expressed their interest in being co-opted to the Parish Council to fill the vacancy arising from an earlier resignation. The Chairman invited each of them to say a few words before inviting them to leave to enable Councillors to debate and vote. 50.2 Proposed Cllr Herbert, Seconded Cllr Harwood, RESOLVED by a majority vote that Mr Alistair Reynolds be co-opted to the King’s Somborne Parish Council.
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.15pm