Minutes - 15th September 2009
Page last updated on October 26, 2009
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 15TH SEPTEMBER 2009
AT THE CHURCH ROOMS COLBURY
Present:
Councillors S. Arnold (in the Chair), D. Bryant, M. Coaker and A. Sturgess
In Attendance:
Parish Clerk L. Griggs, District Councillor D. Tipp, PCSO Lisa Quinn and 18 members of the public.
Apologies:
had been received from District Cllr Puttock and Cllr Kershaw.
DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST IN AN AGENDA ITEM
The Chairman asked if there was any item on the agenda which would warrant a Councillor submitting a Form C. The Chairman reminded Councillors that if any item arose during Public Participation which warranted a Form C they should declare it immediately.
POLICE REPORT
Then Chairman invited PCSO Quinn to make her report. PCSO Quinn outlined the contents of the Beat Report for August. The Chairman reminded everyone that the Police Surgery took place from 6pm prior to the Council meeting.
MINUTES
On a proposal by Cllr Coaker seconded by Cllr Sturgess, the minutes of the last Meeting, which had previously been circulated to all Councillors, were approved unanimously and signed by the Chairman.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
A resident reported that the pavement in Knightwood Close had been badly damaged by lorries and building equipment when a house was built in a New Road garden some time ago. It was dangerous to pedestrians and particularly so for a neighbour who uses a mobility vehicle. It could easily tip over if the driver is not very careful.
In response to the Clerk he said the matter had been pursued with Hampshire Highways but with no result. The Clerk was asked to deal with the matter.
A resident again raised the issue of overgrown hedges along Whartons Lane which would soon make it impassable.
Cllr Bryant confirmed that the hedge had been cut back and asked for the exact location which was identified as near Whartons Close.
The Chairman then invited Mrs Jenkins and Pam Iles (Sure Start Children’s Centre Co-ordinator) to talk about the need for a Toddlers Group in Ashurst.
Mrs Jenkins said as a new Mum herself she had met many Mums in Ashurst who had said there were no facilities for Toddlers in Ashurst. She had approached the Church representatives who had agreed to make the Church rooms available at no charge until the group was up and running and also to allow a shed in the car park to store the equipment.
Pam Iles said Sure Start was backed by HCC but was basically for 5 year olds upward. There was no provision for Toddlers Groups although they would provide any support they could.
She said their statistics showed there were 192 families in this area with children under five. Sure Start would be bringing their mobile facility to Ashurst and had permission from The Forest Inn to use their car park between 1 and 3 pm each Thursday.
Cllr Coaker said this was a matter on the Community Group Agenda who were expecting Mrs Jenkins to give them a presentation. Mrs Jenkins said she was very willing to do so but although she had exchanged emails on the subject with the former Treasurer and the Secretary she had not had any request from the group to attend their meeting.
In response to the Chairman Mrs Jenkins said they were seeking a grant to buy the necessary equipment. The Chairman asked her to write to the Clerk with a specific request for a grant and its use and the Council would consider it at the next meeting.
HIGHWAY MATTERS
a) Parking restrictions around the school.
The Chairman said she had shown the PCSO photographs of cars parked on the double yellow lines and the police would attend more frequently during arrival and departure times. Cllr Kershaw had asked to be given authority to deal with this matter on behalf of the Council. Cllr Bryant said that as Cllr Kershaw lived nearby it would be easier for residents to deal with him. After some discussion the request was agreed. However the Chairman said she would remain involved.
b) The Clerk reported that a surveyor from German Fisher had met him at Whartons Lane and tracked the pipeline as running close to and in places under the pavement on the eastern side. Therefore any sleeve for the SID would have to be located on the western side. The matter was now with NFDC.
He also reported that NFDC had asked all councils to advise if, in principle, they were prepared to help fund the costs of using SIDs. The Council agreed to that request.
RECREATION GROUND
a) Cllr Bryant reported that the park was in good order and the new wet pour surface looked much neater and tidier than the former tiles which had become rather shabby and dangerous.
b) Friends of the Park. The Chairman introduced Mr. Hewitt who outlined the plans his group had for the park. The main items were:
(i) a footpath all around the Park 1.5 metres wide from compressed scalpings in a wooden shuttering to provide a firm dry surface for residents, particularly the elderly, to walk safely.
(ii) level an area approximately 70 metres square and re-turf it providing a safe sports play area.
(iii) plant forest flowers and shrubs around the perimeter as an educational interest
(iv) label trees and provide picture boards of birds that inhabit the park.
He added that the Group were confident of obtaining a grant to cover the costs.
The Chairman thanked Mr Hewitt for his presentation and wished his group well in their project. It was agreed that he would liaise with Cllr Bryant on progress.
c) Timberline project. The Clerk said he had obtained brochures from other firms and would prepare a paper for the next meeting showing comparable costs so the Council could decide on further action.
PLANNING
a) The Chairman read a report on planning applications processed since the last meeting.
b) The Chairman referred to the appeal by Oak Tree Lodge Care Home and outlined the grounds which had been put forward against the application by both the Council and the residents. When the date for the appeal hearing was established she intended to be present to reinforce the objections made.
c) Cllr Coaker was confirmed as a member of the Planning Committee.
ACCOUNTS
a) On a proposal by Cllr Bryant, seconded by Cllr Coaker, the accounts paid since the last meeting were approved.
b) The Clerk said the Annual Return had been returned by the Audit Commission with a clean certificate.
c) Cllr Bryant proposed and Cllr Sturgess seconded the following resolution in regard to the bank accounts at National Westminster Bank plc:
“the Authorised Signatories in the current Mandate, for the Accounts detailed in section 2, be changed in accordance with section 5, and the current Mandate will continue as amended”
The Clerk said the amendment in Section 5 was to remove Councillors who had died or resigned and add Cllrs Sturgess and Coaker and Section 2 referred to all accounts in the Council’s name.
The resolution was approved and the Chairman and Clerk signed the documents.
d) The Chairman asked if the Council would approve a grant to St. Josephs for the provision of parking facilities for stall holders at the fair and also for allowing their facilities to be used for the Village History exhibition. It was agreed to make a grant of £100.
GRANTS
a) The Council considered an application from the Youth Theatre of CATS and approved a grant of £100. The Clerk was asked to add to his letter with the cheque that the Council did not approve of the Youth Theatre presenting plays with unnecessary and excessive bad language.
REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES ON OTHER BODIES
Cllr Coaker attended a meeting of the A & CCG on 8th September 2009 and updated the meeting on the main issues raised. A full report will be circulated to all Councillors.
It was agreed that if one of the two nominated representatives was unable to attend the Community Group meetings then either Cllr. Bryant or the Clerk would be asked to stand in.
In regard to allotments Cllr Bryant commented that the piece of land adjacent to the present allotments in Foxhills had been prepared and used for allotments many years ago then reclaimed by HCC as required for a possible dual carriageway. Since then it has lain waste and is covered by brambles and rubbish. The Clerk was asked to make enquiries to see if it could be returned to allotments.
Cllr Arnold had attended the following:
24th July – Hanging Basket Competition – Results in Newsletter
27th July – Littleton Village Hall [with Cllr Max Coaker] ‘Responding to planning’ talk.
6th August – NFDC Roadshow in the Park. I am afraid that this was a non starter as the heavens just opened and it poured.
12th August – Ashurst WI
18th August – National Park Planning Meeting.
20th August – NFDC Roadshow in the Park – A much better day and between 30 and 40 children enjoyed the free entertainment provided by NFDC.
2nd September – National Park review of Management Plan
The NPA appear to be listening to Parishes and have now dropped the zoning areas and naming service villages. There were other alterations to the benefit of the Forest but the zoning and service was the most important to us. As they are going to copy the NFDC methods on planning I asked if they were going to employ a qualified building inspector to stop all these unnecessary extensions and retrospective planning applications.
The answer was “they are working on it”.
5th September – Village Fete – it was a great success and I look forward to next years but congratulations most go to Ann for achieving such an event in such a short time.
7th September – NFALC Executive
NFALC has now drawn up the quadrants representing Parishes on NAFLC. They are the same as the ones used by the NPA. This means that a representative from a Parish in that quadrant will need the backing from another Parish in the quadrant to become a member of the Executive of NFALC. Hence the request we have from Bramshaw Parish Council.
Ringwood Town Council has now joined the Executive to produce a business plan so that NFALC should become more pro active.
It was reported from the New Forest Consultative panel about the non-native plants project by Kathleen Chatters and Sandy Philips on Waterside Rangers.
7th September – Denny Lodge Parish Council MeetingThis was interesting and very informal and from this meeting I can finally confirm that the ownership of the stile at the railway station leading to the campsite. It was built by the Forestry Commission and not Denny Lodge Parish Council...
District Cllr Tipp said that the Trading Standards Officers had given a very interesting presentation at the recent Council meeting on Cold Calling. ‘No Cold Calling Zones’ had been established in a number of areas and could be streets, zones or villages. If residents wanted them they could be established. The Chairman suggested it may be something Neighbour Watch might wish to look into.
He also advised that many of the sun beds in the leisure centres were due to be replaced but due to the drop in income, down to £30,000 from £100,000, the Council, would not be replacing them.
CORRESPONDENCE
The list of correspondence had been circulated and copies were available at the meeting.
a) Sustainable Communities Act
After consideration of the political implications it was agreed that the Clerk should write a letter to the local MP but the Council would not take part in the additional lobbying requested.
b) The request from Bramshaw PC to support the nomination of Mrs Bennison as the NAFLC representative for the NE Quadrant was discussed. As only one Cllr had any knowledge of Mrs Bennison the request was not acceptable as the Council felt it could not nominate someone it did not know however good the recommendation form Bramshaw PC might be. The Clerk was asked to write accordingly and also to write to NAFLC pointing out the flaws in this new system of Parish Representation.
COMMUNITY PLAN
This had been covered under a previous heading.
VILLAGE FAIR
Cllr Sturgess reported that the fair had been a great success and so far the sum of £1,135.50 had been raised for the Hampshire Air Ambulance. She thanked all those who had helped and participated and looked forward to an even better fair next year. A report would appear in the October Newsletter.
A resident present said he held the winning lucky programme and would take it to Cllr Sturgess to claim the bicycle.
CO-OPTION PROCESS
The Clerk advised that there were three applicants who would be interviewed on Friday for the two vacancies.
OTHER ITEMS WHICH THE CHAIRMAN DEEMS IMPORTANT
None
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING
The Chairman reminded Councillors that the Precept meeting would be held on 13th October and the next Council meeting would be on 20th October.
There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.40 pm
Signed S. R. Arnold - Chairman
Dated 20th October 2009
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