AMPNEY CRUCIS PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON 13 MAY, 2002, IN THE VILLAGE HALL, AMPNEY CRUCIS.
(Note: These are the draft minutes, and will not be agreed until the next meeting of the Council)
Present: Councillors Peter Kelly, Gerald Gaden, Fran Huckle, David Vessey, Adrian Grazebrook, Sally Hebbs and John Dear.
District Councillor Evans
Presiding: Councillor Peter Kelly
Clerk: Councillor Vessey (in absence of Clerk)
The meeting commenced at 8.30pm. There was one member of the public present.
Before declaring the meeting open, Councillor Kelly informed the meeting that the Clerk’s operation had gone according to plan and that she was recovering well. It was agreed to send some flowers to her with the good wishes of all present.
1. Apologies for absence
Mrs Tonks
2. First Business of the Annual Meeting
2.1 Election of Chairman, and receive Chairman’s Declaration of Office.
The retiring Chairman took the Chair and called for nominations for the post of Chairman. Councillor Grazebrook proposed, Councillor Hebbs seconded and the Council agreed that Councillor Kellybe elected Chairman. Councillor Kelly then signed his Declaration of Office.
2.2 Election of Vice Chairman
Councillor Kelly proposed, Councillor Gaden seconded and the Council agreed that Councillor Grazebrook be re-elected Vice Chairman.
Councillor Grazebrook then left the meeting.
2.3 Consideration of any Annual Subscriptions
The Council were advised that the only subscription to be renewed was for GAPTC. (£79.35)
Resolution 19/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved to renew the Council’s annual subscription (£79.35) to the Gloucestershire Association of Parish and Town Councils
3. Minutes of the meeting held on 11 March, 2002
Councillor Vessey asked that the final word of Minute 10, Footpath matters (‘open’) be replaced with the words ‘clear of growing crops’.
Resolution 20/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on 11 March, 2002, as amended, be signed and adopted.
Resolution 21/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that a further letter should be sent to Crucis Park Farm regarding footpaths BAC 5, 6 and 7 which were still not clear of growing crops.
4. Matters arising from the meeting held on 11 March, 2002
4.1 Ward Projects Fund
It was confirmed that grants had been made available to the Toddler’s Club (£200) and to the Boules Group (£250). There was still a small amount of money available for the current financial year.
4.2 Highway matters
The Clerk had written to GCC asking why Back Lane had been resurfaced. Mrs J Watkins replied informing the Council that the work was undertaken in response to complaints about the road surface. The work involved the deposition of a stone sub base material to fill in ruts and potholes by the small works gang. Costs involved with this type of work were limited.
Potholes in Allotment Lane have been repaired.
Assessment of the road carriageway between the Red Lion and the Crown of Crucis will take place soon, so that resurfacing of this road can be prioritised against other work for 2003/04.
A meeting has also been held with Mrs Watkins and Richard Tombs from GCC, to discuss the general lack of road and pavement repairs in the village.
The meeting was not impressed by the fact that numerous requests had been made by the Parish Council for repairs to the Village Street to be carried out (principally Hunt’s Hill) but was not aware of any requests for the repairs which had been carried out by GCC. It would also be useful to clarify the road naming. The numbered road (50898) which was the responsibility of the county Highways Authority is known locally as Batch Lane. The extension of Batch Lane (the old track running down to the Builder’s Yard) was not a numbered road and is known locally as Back Lane
Resolution 22/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that a letter should be written to the Highways Authority asking for information about the requests for Batch Lane to be resurfaced.
Councillor Vessey informed the meeting that a letter had been written to Wildmoor regarding the locked gate across the bottom end of Back Lane but that no reply had been received yet.
Councillor Gaden informed the meeting that there was a problem with water seepage from outside Ampney House.
5. Matters arising from the annual meeting
There was clearly some confusion over exactly who was responsible for keeping the ditch along the back of the gardens on the northern side of the Village Street. The position would be investigated and, if it was confirmed that residents were responsible, a letter would be sent to them asking for their co-operation in keeping the ditch clear.
The grass cutting contractor would be contacted regarding regularity of cutting and clearing up afterwards. There was a question about the ‘Ampney St Mary triangle’ as it was not clear where the parish boundary lay (it can now be confirmed that the triangle lies within the Ampney Crucis parish boundary).
Fly tipping was a growing problem not helped by the increased costs of rubbish disposal. CDC would remove the rubbish but only if it lay outside field boundaries.
6. Questions from the Public
None.
7. Reports from County/District Councillors
None
8. Financial matters
8.1 Formal adoption of the accounts for the year ending 31 March, 2002
Resolution 23/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the financial statements prepared by the Responsible Financial Officer should then be adopted by the Council as an accurate reflection of the Council’s financial position on 31 March, 2002.
8.2 Current financial position
Resolution 24/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the financial statements as provided by the Responsible Financial Officer were an accurate reflection of the Council’s financial position on 1 May, 2002.
Resolution 25/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that £400 is transferred from the current account to the imprest account
8.3 Agreement of payments
GAPTC: £79.35
Cornhill: £523.87
The insurance has gone up by 20% for the mandatory cover – this includes public liability, employers liability, money and fidelity guarantee, and by 15% for other cover – including property damage. A newsletter with the policy indicates that these huge increases appear to have been applied for all Councils, not just ours.
After some discussion, it was agreed that Councillors would continue the arrangements with Cornhill but that the Clerk should be asked to investigate other insurers for the future.
Resolution 26/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the above amounts, totalling £603.22, be paid, with the excess of the insurance premium over the budgeted amount (£123.87) being taken from the unallocated reserve.
8.4 Allocation of Reserves
Following discussion it was agreed that the unallocated and future year reserves should be as follows:
General contingencies £1,000.00
Unallocated £00.00
Burial Ground reserve £1,000.00
Village Maintenance £429.98
Audit fees £135.40 (see 8.6)
Total £2,565.38
Resolution 27/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the unallocated and future years reserves are allocated as shown above..
8.5 Audit for year ended 31 March, 2002
The Auditor pronounced himself satisfied with the accounts, and had no recommendations to make.
8.6 New Audit regime
The Audit system has changed and this now affects the audit for year ended 31 March, 2002. In essence, the system should be simpler, with the external auditor requiring minimal paperwork at the end of the year. For Councils with income or expenditure over £5000, the cost will be £120 per annum.
An internal audit is also required, but a Councillor can no longer do this, as it is suggested that a Councillor would not be as independent as the system would prefer. An ‘external’ internal auditor is therefore required. The auditor currently responsible for the triennial audit has offered to do the work for all local Parish Councils, however, this would cost an additional £55 per annum.
As this seemed expensive, on top of the external audit fees, the Council agreed to try to find somebody in the village who would be willing to check the books over, once every 12 months, for free or for a nominal fee. The Clerk estimates that the amount of time involved would be no more that two hours a year. For the time being, therefore, the reserve of £135.40 for audit fees would be left unaltered. At a future meeting, this will be either reduced or increased dependent on the arrangements made for the internal audit.
A copy of the advice and details received from the Audit Commission and GAPTC has been placed in the circulation folder.
Councillors considered the overall implications of the new audit regime and were not impressed that the yearly costs for the external audit should increase by roughly 50% and that the entirely satisfactory arrangements for the internal auditing of the Council’s financial position should have to be discontinued. They were also unimpressed by the actions of the external auditor offering his services as the Council’s internal auditor when submitting his report on the audit of the Council’s accounts.
Resolution 28/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that a letter should be written to the Member of Parliament complaining about the extra costs to be incurred in auditing the Council’s finances and also about the approach made by the external auditor.
A new book had been produced on the new auditing requirements and it was agreed to purchase this jointly with Preston Parish Council.
Resolution 29/02 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved to reimburse Preston Parish Council with the sum of £7.22 towards the joint purchase of a book on the new auditing requirements.
Councillor Vessey advised the Council that part of the new Internal Auditors responsibility would be to confirm that the accounts were being maintained in accordance with the Financial Regulations and these may have to be revised in the light of the new procedures. These would be reviewed by Councillor Vessey and the Clerk and would be on the agenda for the next meeting.
9. Planning matters
9.1 Decisions
156 CT 7739/D Ampney Field Permits
196 CT 0434/L Abbey Home Farm Permits
210 CT 2241/F Ash House Permits
213 CT 2312/1/W Ampney Park Permits
214 CT 0607/C Firs Farmhouse Withdrawn
9.2 Outstanding applications
190 CT 4170/D 1 Lake Cottages No objection
209 CT 7739/E Ampney Fields No objection
9.3 Minor amendments
None
9.4 Tree works
There had been some activity at Fitzhammon House but many of the trees were rotten and would need felling eventually.
10. Burial Ground matters
10.1 Repairs to Lych Gate windows
Further to Resolution 9/02 a cheque has now been received from the family responsible for the broken window.
11. Village Update
11.1 Bus services in the village
A resident as contacted Councillor Huckle and the Clerk, to talk about the bus services in the village. His concern relates to services that travel between Ampney Crucis and Swindon. He has a 1½-hour wait in Lechlade to finish off his journey.
The Council agreed that it is possible that many people are concerned about the bus services serving the village, therefore an article will be placed in ACT, asking people to write to the Clerk, by the end of June giving details of their concerns with the bus service. The Clerk will then have full details of everyone’s concerns, and will write to GCC with specific requests.
11.2 Playground
Cornhill have replied to the Clerk indicating the changes to our insurance cover: providing the insurance is owned and maintained by the Parish Council, then there is no extra charge for public liability (we are currently covered up to £5 million). There are requirements for weekly and annual inspections.
The Council would also have to take out insurance for property damage though costs were not included in the letter, as the premiums would depend on how much the equipment would be worth. After speaking to them, however, £15,000 of equipment would cost £171.67 (inclusive of tax), and £30,000 of equipment would cost £343.35 (inclusive of tax), per annum.
If the equipment were to be owned and maintained by another group then they would have to arrange liability insurance as well as property insurance.
The Council agreed that no action would be taken until a report had been received from the Playground Committee.
11.3 New Noticeboard
There was no further progress to report; Frank Perkins would be contacted to see when the board would be ready.
11.4 Double white lines on the A417
The Clerk has spoken to GCC. Halcrow have now done a survey of the road between Fairford and Ampney Crucis, and in w/c 15 April, started to make temporary markings, identifying where the double white lines should go. Their report has now been received and it would appear that most of the new markings would meet the problems put by the Council though the police have yet to comment..
11.5 Praying Cross repairs
English Heritage has confirmed that the work done to the Praying Cross is satisfactory.
11.6 Spring Clean
This was very successful with a good turnout.
12. Queen’s Golden Jubilee
Everything was now in place for the weekend’s celebrations and it looked like being a success.
There was some confusion over the use of funds raised to by an Ordnance Survey map of the village. Councilor Vessey was asked to take the matter up with John Ducker to find out exactly what was proposed as the Council had recently purchased an up-to-date OS map covering the village.
13. Matters outstanding
None
14. Correspondence received
· Bledisloe Cup
· Royal International Air Tattoo
· Occasional public Entertainment Licence, The Barn, Hilcot End. 1st June, 2002
· NALC National conference
· Information about the CDC meetings on future spending plans. These will be open to the community so it was agreed to publicise the meetings in Cirencester and South Cerney in ACT
15. Date, time and place of next meeting
Monday 8 July, 2002, 7.15pm in the Village Hall.
The meeting closed at 9.50p.m.