Minutes
Page last updated on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
ASHURST AND COLBURY PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON 21ST JUNE 2011
AT THE CHURCH ROOMS COLBURY
Present:
Councillors S Arnold (in the Chair), D. Bryant, C. Hubbard, K. Kershaw, P. Sopowski and A. Sturgess
In Attendance:
Parish Clerk L. Griggs, District Cllr L Puttock and 12 members of the public
Apologies
County Cllr K Mans, District Cllr Tipp, Cllrs Coaker and Frost
1. DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST IN AN AGENDA ITEM
The Chairman reminded Councillors that if there was any item on the agenda which would warrant a Councillor submitting a Form C they should do so now.
The Chairman also reminded Councillors that if any item arose during Public Participation which warranted a Form C they should declare it immediately.
2. MINUTES
The minutes of the last Meeting, which had been circulated to all Councillors, were approved and signed.
Matters arising
The Chairman said following up from last month’s public participation I contacted South West Trains and received an email stating that parking charges were introduced at Ashurst Station in January 2010. There are no machines or notices about parking charges so it is best left alone for now.
I also contacted the National Park Planning department with regards to the removal of fencing and the hole which has been dug at the proposed development site by the railway. They were unaware of any of this and would investigate.
3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
A resident asked if a softer surface could be provided for the general notice boards. It was almost impossible to get drawing pins to penetrate the existing surface. After some discussion the Clerk was asked to make enquiries.
A resident raised the issue of more frequent buses, often double deckers, shaking houses in New Road as they passed. She read out a letter she had sent to the Editor of the Newsletter asking if other residents were affected and asked if the Council could help to get only single deck buses or if the bigger buses could proceed more slowly
Cllr Kershaw said there were more buses going through the village as a result of the recent route changes but he believed Blue Star did not have enough single deck buses hence the use of the larger buses. However there seemed to be no other justification for the use of larger buses.
He suggested waiting to see if any residents responded to the letter before pursuing Blue Star and HCC. However another resident said on a recent journey leaving West Quay the bus was full on departure, and had no room to pick up on the journey to Ashurst. People had to stand all the way
4. HIGHWAYS MATTERS
a) The Clerk said the SID data from the deployment in Woodlands Road south bound showed that only 17.7% of drivers complied with the 30mph speed limit. The Police would be making speed checks in this area. Results of the north bound deployment were awaited.
b) The Chairman reported on the Community Speed Watch meeting attended with Cllr Bryant. The scheme required volunteers to be trained at Winchester and deployed in the village with speed guns to record speed and vehicle details of drivers exceeding the speed limit. That information would be recorded on the Police database and a letter sent warning the driver of the offence.
A further offence would result in a second letter and a third offence would result in a fixed penalty fine. The database would record all offences in Hampshire. A contribution of £2,500 was required for the cost of the equipment. An article on Community Speed Watch was in the next issue of the Newsletter. The down side was possible recriminations if drivers recognised the volunteers.
Cllr Kershaw said he was unhappy with the whole scheme. This was a job for the Police not the public. It will not reduce speeding and the money would be better spent on having our own SID and deploying it at the places already prepared for the equipment.
Cllr Puttock said he also had concerns about the scheme. There had been some nasty reactions against the volunteers when it had been used in Lyndhurst.
The Chairman said the matter would be considered again at the next meeting when any responses to the article were known.
c) The Chairman reported that New Forest District Council has received a number of calls from residents after the write up in the newsletter about the rat problem and the main advice given to residents who have contacted them is to stop feeding the birds. I do have a paper issued by NFDC if anyone would like to read it, please see me after the meeting. The charge for the pest controller has now increased to £45.00 which includes the call out fee of £25.00 and a maximum of 4 visits. Further visits will be charged at £15.00 per visit, including VAT, payable on conclusion of the treatment.
The Clerk referred to an email from a resident giving the following reply from NFDC to a request to bait the ditch running from Boakes Place to New Road. “Unless you have seen rats nesting there we cannot comply with your request” It was pointed out by Cllr Bryant that rats do not nest in the open and residents did not wish to dig up all the ditches to look for nests. After discussion the Clerk was asked to write to the NFDC Environmental Department.
d) The new Mobile Library times and stops from July 4th were displayed in the Notice Boards, the Newsletter and web site. Information could also be obtained from 0845 603 5631 or on www.hants.gov.uk/mobile-libraries
5. RECREATION GROUND
a) Cllr Bryant reported that the recent inspection showed all was in order. The chippings in the Timberline area had been thoroughly dug over and were quite spongy again. The tree work required by the NFDC survey was now almost complete.
b) The Clerk reported that the Notice Board for the Recreation Ground was being delivered tomorrow and would be installed shortly.
c) The Clerk reported that funding for the Friends of the Park project had been agreed in the full amount requested. Final documents were being processed and the work schedule would be publicised when agreed..
6. PLANNING
Cllr Sopowski gave a report on planning activities since the last meeting.
7. ACCOUNTS
The cheques issued since the last meeting were approved.
8. REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES ON OTHER BODIES
Cllr Bryant had attended the Community Speed Watch seminar and various Allotment meetings and discussions.
Cllr Hubbard had attended the Committee meeting of the Village Design Plan.
Cllr Sturgess attended the Fete Committee meeting and a First Aid course which qualified her as a First Aider.
Cllr Arnold had attended the following:-
9th June - Lyndhurst Traffic Management Steering Group regarding pollution. This was really just to formally wind up the committee. A lot of money has been spent on modelling projects, and it appears they are going for plan 5 which is having traffic lights and a crossing by the school.
10th June - Councillor Bryant and I attended the first meeting of the Community Watch System which has been discussed in agenda item 4
12th June - Final meeting for the draft of the Village Design Plan
District Cllr Puttock said he had received a copy of the Community Update from Barker-Mill which indicated they were considering areas of land they owned for long term housing development.
He also said that NFDC was investigating the possibility of parking charges in areas which were now free. The main problem was that people were using the free areas to park all day while they commuted to Southampton or London. One of those places was the Parade and Car Park in Ashurst. Views were being sought from everyone so if the Council wished to make its views known please contact the Planning and Transport Portfolio holder.
9. PLANNING FOR TRAVELLERS SITES
The Chairman reported that between council meetings the travellers have been removed from Ringwood and also from a field off the M271 and now have reappeared in Ringwood Sports Ground. For information, in order to gain access they lifted a 6 inch steel gatepost, embedded in 3 feet of concrete, out of the ground. There were 19 vans and three tents on the site.
So please all keep your eyes peeled out for these people as it costs such a lot of money to firstly get them removed and then the cost of the clearing up. Ringwood Town Clerk emailed to say be warned, they are looking for a new site so anything you can do to protect your land or tell your landowners is going to be helpful. HALC can recommend a very good bailiff should it come to pass that we need one.
She then asked if councillors have any views on the consultation document they had all received from the Clerk? None were forthcoming and it was agreed that the Chairman, Cllr Bryant and Cllr Hubbard would complete the Consultation Response form.
10. COMMUNITY PLAN
The Chairman said you have all received copies of the letter sent by the Clerk to the Secretary of the Community Group and also the reply from the Group’s Chairman. It appears that he has misunderstood the purpose of the new steering group and, subject to your agreement, I suggest the Clerk writes again setting out the requirements as set out in Protocol 1.4.
As you will remember Cllrs Coaker and Kershaw are our representatives on the group and also our nominees for this new steering group. I would also thank Councillor Derek Tipp for agreeing to Chair this Committee when it gets going.
11. VILLAGE DESIGN AND CHARACTER APPRAISAL
Cllr Hubbard asked for comments on the draft which had been circulated to all Councillors. Cllr Bryant asked to meet her to discuss certain items and Cllr Kershaw asked the deadline for finalising. Cllr Hubbard said she wished to submit it to NPA in September and needed the Council to sign off on it at the July meeting. All Councillors were asked to submit their comments to Cllr Hubbard by the end of the month.
12. ALLOTMENTS
The Clerk reported that the ballot for plots had taken place prior to this meeting. Water was due to be connected on 28th June and the toilet delivered on 4th July. Access for tenants would be as soon as the site was completed. The official opening would be on 20th August and the Trustees of the Barker-Mill Estates had been invited to conduct the opening ceremony.
13. ANNUAL PARISH FETE
Cllr Sturgess reported that the site was filling up but some spaces still remained. The entertainment was all booked and the Newsletter contains the booking forms for the various competitions. The schedule of events would appear in the next Newsletter.
14. APPOINTMENTS TO OTHER BODIES
The Chairman asked if any councillor wished to be nominated to serve on the NFDC Standards Committee. Cllr Kershaw said he would talk to Cllr Tipp about what was involved.
15. NE QUADRANT MEETING
The Chairman inquired if there were any issues councillors wished her to raise at the meeting. None were suggested.
16. OTHER ITEMS WHICH THE CHAIRMAN DEEMS IMPORTANT
Village Agent .
The Chairman reported that she had met with the coordinator of this project through HALC. The position is for a person who can help the elderly or others in need to find the resources they need. As I know the Church has a pastoral care unit I felt it proper to involve Rev. Kate Wilson.
The project will last for 15 months. I had to leave before the meeting ended but Rev. Wilson has since emailed me to say no one was interested in proceeding with this matter. If any Councillor wishes to know more about this project then please ask me. Cllr Puttock said it would be better to involve Age UK as people would be more likely to approach them for information and help than another villager.
Cllr Sopowski said it was up to everyone who knows a elderly person in need to refer it to Age UK who would follow it up.
17. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING
a) Result of the Travellers survey response
b) To discuss, and if approved, to adopt the revised Village Design document
There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.05 pm
Signed S. R. Arnold - Chairman Dated 19th July 2011
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