The Minutes of the previous meeting (October 2011)
MINUTES OF MEETING OF HARDINGTON MANDEVILLE PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON 15th NOVEMBER 2011 AT 7.30PM AT THE VILLAGE HALL |
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Members were reminded that the Council has a general duty to consider the following matters in the exercise of any of its functions - Equal Opportunities (race, gender, sexual orientation, marital status & any disability); Crime & Disorder, Health & Safety and Human Rights. Jessica Vale, Parish Clerk |
PRESENT
Robin Carpenter (Chairman), Peter Bysouth, Vanessa May, Malcolm White, David Beckley, and Rose White.
IN ATTENDANCE
Jessica Vale (Parish Clerk), Gina Seaton (District Councillor), and 4 members of the public.
Before the meeting commenced there was an opportunity for the public to speak.
- APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.
received from Cathy Bakewell (County and District Councillor) and Bill Turner. - MINUTES OF MEETINGS HELD ON 18th October 2011 (Already Circulated).
- The minutes were approved and signed.
- DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST.
None. - MATTERS OF REPORT ARISING FROM THE PREVIOUS MINUTES.
The Parish Clerk reported that (Item 10b) the accounts had been checked and signed by Peter Bysouth, and that the Garden Club had declined the offer of free flower bulbs from South Somerset District Council (SSDC) (Item 13bii). - DISTRICT COUNCILLOR'S REPORT (by invitation)
Gina Seaton reported that about 300 people had attended a meeting about the East Coker development plans on the 26th of October, and that many concerns were aired there. She will be going on a tour for Councillors of the areas to the south and north-west of Yeovil being considered for development. She acknowledged receipt of the Parish Council’s letter raising concerns about the future funding support for the Coker Division Lengthsman scheme, of which Hardington Mandeville is a part, and has taken the matter up with Councillor Ric Pallister, but she recommended that the parishes concerned should take a concerted approach to the problem. She advised the meeting of several forthcoming temporary road closures on the west side of Yeovil for road surfacing, and provided the Parish Council with details of the playground inspection service provided by SSDC. The District Council has yet to announce the date of a public meeting about its new Core Strategy. - PLANNING APPLICATIONS
- Planning Applications received. Application no. 11/042021/FUL Mr H Siebert-Saunders, demolition of existing house and outbuildings, erection of new replacement house and garage at Under Hill Cottage, Coker Hill Lane. The Council considered that the proposed new dwelling should be commended on the grounds of its positive environmental contribution, and is acceptable in terms of the Village Design Statement. The applicant was made aware of imminent changes to the water supply network. There were no objections.
- Any planning applications received after publication of this agenda. None.
- Results of previous applications;
- Application no.11/03365/FUL extension at Hill View, Penn Lane, approved.
- Application no. 11/03917/FUL Mr & Mrs P Proudley, erection of a single storey extension at Moorland Cottage, Hardington Moor, approved.
- The Parish Clerk reported that SSDC has created an enforcement file on usage of premises at the Stables, Partway Lane.
- HIGHWAYS
- Report from Highways Representative. None, but it seems to be proving difficult to contact the Parish Council’s main contact in County Council Highways. Dog fouling was noted as a recurring issue; a resident of Lyatts had complained of problems there; a reminder would appear in the Messenger.
- It was RESOLVED to pay the supplier’s invoice for two new grit bins for £372.00. These have been delivered to Hardington. The Lengthsman has also delivered the 10 bags of grit supplied by the County Council Highways to be stored locally.
- Cost of a new village sign as advised by County Council was noted but the council decided not to proceed with this in the current financial year.
- PARISH PLAN
- Recreation Ground at North Lane – Fund-raising; posters are out and
tickets available for Ernest Kong’s Chinese cookery demonstration in
December, a £275 grant has been awarded by Waitrose thanks to shoppers at
Crewkerne.
- Plan revisions; It was RESOLVED that the supplier of revised plans for the landscape features on the Ground should be paid their fee of £350 when required. The Friends of Hardington Community Space will decide on details of the car park ground work once SSDC has seen and approved the new/revised plans.
- Amendments were considered to the draft of Terms of Reference of a new Recreation Ground Committee of the Parish Council and they were APPROVED as amended.
- It was RESOLVED to pay £200.00 as requested by the solicitors for expenses in drawing up the lease and obtaining documents from the Land Registry, and the Parish Clerk was asked to send a letter of thanks with the remittance.
- The Clerk reported that the new football goals are insured. The space for the pitch at the Recreation Ground has been allocated on the plans. The decision was taken not to obtain a revised policy schedule from the insurers for the time being.
- Springfield Stores and Post Office; the Chairman reported that he has spoken to Daphne Creed about the Stores but there are no further specific actions required by the Parish Council.
- Litter-picking; the Chairman had collected litter-picking equipment from SSDC on Friday 11th of November, and returned it on the following Monday. 11 volunteers took part in the event, and rubbish that had been collected included several large items. Robin Carpenter was thanked for leading the event.
- Recreation Ground at North Lane – Fund-raising; posters are out and
tickets available for Ernest Kong’s Chinese cookery demonstration in
December, a £275 grant has been awarded by Waitrose thanks to shoppers at
Crewkerne.
- RISK MANAGEMENT
- Insurance of Village Hall; a document setting out options and advice to Councillors having been circulated before the meeting, the preferred insurer was AGREED and it was RESOLVED to pay the sum of £1,110.29 for the next year’s insurance, this sum to include Hirer’s Liability. When the Parish Council insurance falls due in 2012, consideration may be given to combining this with the Village Hall policy with a view to reducing insurance costs and making responsibilities between Parish Council and Village Hall Committee clearer.
- It was RESOLVED to pay SSDC £70.00 for the Annual Community Licence for village premises.
- Approval of the Annual Risk Assessment (almost unchanged from the 2010 version) was deferred until new financial regulations for the Council can be established (pending new legislation).
- The Clerk presented information from the Somerset Heritage Centre about deposition of old Parish Council documents, minutes and accounts. It was AGREED that minutes and accounts more than 7 years old should be deposited there as soon as convenient.
- FINANCE
- Clerk's hours for October were CONFIRMED as submitted (50.5 hours). It was RESOLVED to pay the Clerk for August and September 2011 hours as submitted and expenses totaling £62.31, also PAYE to HMRC for the Clerk amounting to £206.40.
- Peter Bysouth introduced a second revision of the precept for 2012-3 which clarified the details required. The Council’s decision on completion was deferred until 2012.
- FOOTPATHS
- Report from Footpaths Representative; Robin Carpenter communicated that he will discuss the placing of waymarks and signs on Y10/19, where the upper sign at the South end had in the past been vandalised, and no sign was present at the lower Northerly end.
- Robin Carpenter described a recently-received complex document about the County Council’s policy222
- PARISH LENGTHSMAN SCHEME
- In October, the Lengthsman repaired a stile and sign post in East Field, reduced a hedge causing a dangerous obstruction to traffic at Hardington Moor, and cleared road drains at Hardington Moor where the road crosses the Chinnock Brook.
- Work for November:
- fix 2 new grit bins securely onto bases and put some grit into them
- examine cause of and deal with dangerous section of rail sticking out of hedge by telephone box
- check and clear drains in Penn Lane from opposite Mandeville House eastwards
- install footpath signs at both ends of footpath Y10/19 (Bishops Lane – Penn Lane)
- clear drains on Primrose Hill and Wimborough Lane.
- CORRESPONDENCE
- Correspondence to be circulated was presented.
- Correspondence received
- from Somerset Heritage Centre about Parish documents for Hardington Mandeville that they already hold
- from DSFRS about proposed changes to response to automatic fire alarm activations – noted.
- from County Council consultation about parking stategy; noted.
- notice of forthcoming SALC Area meeting; noted.
- from County Council about proposed rise in Blue Badge disabled parking cost; noted.
- REVIEW OF PARISH CLERK
- Salary to be reviewed in 3 months’ time.
- RESOLVED that the council are very happy with the work of the new clerk, Jessica Vale, to date.
- MATTERS OF REPORT & ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING
- Chairman: it has been brought to his attention that a wooden cupboard owned by but no longer used by the Parish Council is still stored in the Church; further consideration of the situation is needed. He will check whether the Church require the Council to remove it.
- Councillors: Rose White informed the council that she expected to be leaving the parish and would thereupon need to hand in her resignation. She was thanked by the Chairman for her work during her time as a Councillor.
- Clerk:
- Will need to put arrangements in hand for election of another Councillor
- Several points in the Welcome Pack in need of updating have been identified and will require work.
- DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING & CLOSURE
The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Tuesday the 17th of January 2012 at 7.30 p.m. in the Village Hall. The meeting closed at 9.45 p.m.