KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting
held in the Epworth Hall
commencing at 7.00pm on Monday 3 August 2015
Present: Cllr R Harwood (Chairman)
Cllr A Brock
Cllr R Curtis
Cllr J Evans
Cllr F Fahy
Cllr K Hughes
Cllr R Lane
Cllr R Sutton
Cllr S Whitehead
In Attendance: Mr P J Storey (Clerk to King’s Somborne Parish Council)
Public Session
Mr Dyke (Open Spaces Warden), 16 members of the public and PCSO Jo Coles were present for part of the meeting.
Ms Anna Pell spoke on behalf of many of those present expressing their strongly held views that something should be done about the removal of hedgerow and fencing at 17 Muss Lane, the installation of a dropped kerb, and their dissatisfaction with the responses received to date from Aster Housing, Test Valley Borough and Hampshire County Councils. The prospect of increased traffic including commercial vehicles using Tarrant Villas/Diamond Cottages to approach the newly established parking area in the rear grounds of 17 Muss Lane and the potential for accident especially one involving youngsters coming from the Muss Lane recreation ground together with the narrowness of the Nutchers Drove approach also gave rise for serious concern. Councillors noted these points but having already expressed their support for the concern of residents to both Aster and Test Valley and having been informed that no rules or regulations had been broken opined that little else could be done at this time. However, in view of the queries raised relating to covenants in being to protect hedgerows in this area and about commercial vehicles using this access, the Clerk would contact Hampshire Highways to establish if this had been included in the dropped kerb application for which initial approval had already been given but installation work suspended pending the outcome of the petition and points raised.
Action: Clerk
PCSO Cole reported on the low level of rural crime in the area although shed break-ins and opportunist theft still arose. She emphasised the need to report all non-urgent crime on 101 to enable the Police to direct their resources to those areas most in need.
121. Apologies for Absence
121.1 Cllr Reeves.
122. Chairman’s announcements and Councillors’ questions
122.1 Cllr Sutton commented on the poor coverage of superfast broadband in the area and expressed his intention to undertake a survey on reception levels with a view to submitting his findings to Hampshire County Council to seek an improvement in coverage. Other councillors expressed their willingness to undertake surveys in their particular areas to assist.
122.2 Cllr Fahy introduced the need for a trolley of some sort to transport the tennis equipment from the tennis store to the MUGA in view of the weight involved. He had identified a suitable supplier at a cost of £59.99 plus delivery.
122.3 Proposed Cllr Curtis, Seconded Cllr Harwood RESOLVED unanimously that a suitable trolley be purchased for transporting tennis equipment at a cost of £59.99 plus delivery.
122.4 Cllr Hughes suggested the junior goal post could be relocated next to the MUGA netting to prevent the ball from going into the hedgerow or adjacent garden; this was agreed.
Action: Clerk
123. To approve the Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 6 July 2015
123.1 Proposed Cllr Curtis, Seconded Cllr Evans, RESOLVED with Cllr Lane abstaining (absent) that the minutes of the meeting held on 6 July 2015 be accepted as a true record.
124. To consider any Matters Arising from those Minutes
124.1 Para 114.2 Biodiversity area. Cllr Hughes would now take responsibility for developing the biodiversity area on 3 Fields in place of Mr R Jackson.
125. Declarations of Interest and requests for Dispensations
125.1 None made or requested.
126. To receive the minutes of the Planning Committee
126.1 The minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 6 and 20 July 2015 had been circulated with the agenda papers.
126.2 Proposed Cllr Evans, Seconded Cllr Lane, RESOLVED unanimously that the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 6 and 20 July 2015 be received and accepted.
127. To consider Correspondence Received and determine any action required
127 None tabled.
128. To receive Councillors’ Reports
128.1 Cllr Lane reported on his attendance at the County Council’s Service in Winchester Cathedral.
128.2 Cllr Sutton reported on progress being made to set up a Facebook page on behalf of the Parish Council.
128.3 Cllr Whitehead confirmed that all website training had now been completed. Some councillor biographical notes were still awaited to complete the profile page.
Action: All
128.4 Cllr Fahy reported on the new speed indicator device, the latest model of which only had a battery life of days which would result in an increased cost for maintenance. This was thought impractical and he would undertake further research before placing an order. He also thought the position of the new pole on Furzedown Road to be inappropriate and Cllr Lane, as the lead councillor for highways, would take this up with TVBC.
Action: Cllr Lane
128.5 Cllr Brock expressed his frustration with Fields in Trust and their slow progress in completing the legal documentation relating to the burying of the electricity supply cables across 3 Fields. It was agreed that a letter should be sent to Fields in Trust.
Action: Clerk
128.6 Cllr Curtis informed councillors that S&C Slatter, the MUGA installer, would come on-site to take photos of the MUGA for their portfolio and that we would receive a copy.
129. To receive the RFO’s Report and Budget Monitoring
129.1 A budget monitoring report had been circulated with the agenda papers.
129.2 Proposed Cllr Sutton, Seconded Cllr Lane, RESOLVED unanimously that the Budget Report be accepted as tabled.
130. Payment of Accounts
130.1 Proposed Cllr Lane, Seconded Cllr Brock, RESOLVED unanimously that the following accounts for July 2015 be approved for payment:
To For Net VAT Gross Chq/Internet
Mr P Storey Salary/expenses 927.57 13.48 941.05 Int
HMRC Tax/NIC 391.54 391.54 Int
MJ Ellis Play area repairs 160.00 32.00 192.00 Int
SSE Church clock electricity 16.36 3.27 19.63 DD
Totals 1495.47 48.75 1544.22
131. Parish Council website
131.1 In view of the progress made in establishing a dedicated Parish Council website, it was agreed that the site should now go live. There was a seamless link between this website and that of The Sombornes community site. Thanks were offered to Cllr Whitehead for his work in designing the site. Cllr Harwood reminded everyone of the agreed intention to e-mail out a monthly newsletter to enhance engagement with local people and to this end the Clerk would e-mail his Gauntlet notes to Cllr Brock to enable this.
Action: Clerk
132. Neighbourhood Plan progress
132.1 Cllr Brock and the Clerk had visited TVBC with B/Cllr Ward to discuss the way forward on the production of a Neighbourhood Plan. A public questionnaire had been circulated with the recent Gauntlet magazine and responses were coming back. The deadline for these was 31 August after which an analysis would be made and an indication given of the way forward. TVBC would give further advice on the steps to be taken towards obtaining approval of the Plan and would treat us a pilot and make some funding assistance available as a result. Much further public consultation would be necessary as ideas were developed. B/Cllr Ward, Cllr Brock and the Clerk, with others, had manned a tent at the recent Horticultural Show at which a number of passers-by had expressed an interest.
133. Clerk’s monthly report
133.1 Nothing to report.
134. Date, time and place of next meeting
134.1 The next meeting would be on Monday 7 September 2015 at 7.00pm in the Epworth Hall, Winchester Road, King’s Somborne.
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.45pm