AMPNEY CRUCIS PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON 12 JULY, 2004 IN THE VILLAGE HALL, AMPNEY CRUCIS.
Present: Councillors Gerald Gaden, Kim Hartshorne, David Vessey, Adrian Grazebrook, Sally Hebbs and John Dear.
District Councillor Edward Horsfall
Presiding: Councillor David Vessey
Clerk: Mrs H Tonks
The meeting commenced at 7.15pm. There was 1 member of the public present.
1. Apologies for Absence
Councillor Peter Kelly and County Councillor Ray Theodoulou
2. Minutes of the meeting held on 10 May, 2004
Resolution 23/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on 10 May, 2004 be signed and adopted.
3. Matters arising from the meeting held on 10 May, 2004
3.1 Deposits of building rubble
Environmental Health need contact names for Wildmoor (owners of the Builder’s Yard) and the owners of The Malthouse (neighbouring the Builder’s Yard) before any action can be taken. The Clerk will contact the owners of The Malthouse, to check whether they want the action taking any further.
Rubble in ditch bordering a Public right Of Way (PROW)
Councillor Vessey had contacted the PROW officer at GCC. As the rubble is on private land, there is no action that can be taken to ask for it to be removed.
3.2 Drains on School Lane
These have been cleared as part of the routine gully cleaning. The drains at the bottom of School Lane however are still blocked. The Clerk will contact GCC again.
3.3 Park Corner
GCC are happy to clear this patch of ground and seed it, subject to the Parish Council confirming that they will maintain the area in the future as part of the Parish Partnership scheme. The Clerk will confirm these details with GCC.
Resolution 24/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the area of land outside Park Corner be added to the grass cutting contract when necessary.
3.4 Signposts
Councillors Vessey and Gaden will check the signpost on Akeman Street.
4. Reports from County/District Councillors
District Councillor Edward Horsfall gave the following report:
· He is closely involved in three local issues with residents in the village
· CDC are being inspected by to assess their performance.
· A decision on the Leisure Centre will be made within three weeks.
· The consultation over Tourist Information Centres has now closed, and whilst trying to maintain the service the District Council could no longer fund it to the extent that they have been doing. Therefore other funding solutions are being sought.
County Councillor Theodoulou sent the following report:
· The planning consent for the small scale quarrying for roof tiles to the North of the Parish was approved.
· There are increasing concerns about Bovine tuberculosis in the County and in the country at large. County estates are suffering and Councillors are lobbying the minister for more cash support. In the country some 20,000 cattle have been slaughtered and this has so far cost HMG £70 million.
· Education.
a) The dispute over secondary education continues. Although the LEA has agreed not to close Grammar schools it is calling for a reduction in the number of places by 120 per annum.
b) There is growing concern at the proposal to close one Special Education Needs school school.
c) A survey of primary schools is getting underway. It seems that the ILEA wants to reduce the number of small primary schools; definitions of what constitutes small is yet to be announced. Small has been defined as 200 pupils or less but elsewhere the definition is mentioned at 50 pupils or less. Small village schools will be at risk.
· HMG has asked for bids from fire services and from private organisations to establish regional Fire call centres; in our case a large number of bodies in the SW Region have shown interest. If this goes forward the facility just completed as a Gloucester at a cost of £6 million plus will have been a large cost for little benefit.
· The exercise to re-grade Learning Support Workers has now been completed. A report on the process has been called for by the Scrutiny Committee of which I am a member.
· Following the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act, the Council is spending from a non allocated budget up to £200,000 to train staff.
5. Questions from the Public
None
6. Financial matters
6.1 Current financial position
A new cash book page of the accounts was circulated, showing advertising as a separate column. The reserves sheet was also re-issued, showing the allocation of reserves from 1 April, 2004.
Resolution 25/04 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 20 June, 2004.
Resolution 26/04 The chairman proposed and the Council resolved that £500 be transferred to the imprest account.
The Clerk had spoken to Lloyds TSB about the lack of interest on the Treasurers account – the only account they do give interest on is the Business Call account. There was some discussion about opening an internet account, but it was felt that this would not be suitable in view of the lack of comparative security. It was agreed that before the next meeting the Clerk and Chairman would assess how much interest would be made if as much money as possible was moved to the Business Call account.
Should any funds be received for the playground however, it was agreed that these would be transferred to the Business Call account, by letter, signed by two signatories.
Resolution 27/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that funds can be transferred from the playground or fundraising account into the Business Call account, with two signatories, but without a Council meeting.
6.2 Agreement of payments
Cottage Garden services - £126.66
Printer Ink for Playground Committee (from Playground account) - £32.18
Resolution 28/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the above amounts, totalling £158.84, be paid.
6.3 Reassessment of the Council’s assets register
The Clerk has had no response to the article in the newsletter asking for a valuer to come forward and value the Council’s assets. Councillor Vessey will ask Harold Stevens if he could do the work.
6.4 Audit for year ending 31 March, 2004
The papers have been sent to the Auditors.
7. Planning matters
7.1 Decisions
275 3805/PATS Crucis Park Farm Permits
300 CT 7373/A Cobbler Cottage Refuses
301 CT 7373/B Cobbler Cottage Refuses
302 CT 7373/C Cobbler Cottage Refuses
304 CT 1221/G Sheephouse Farm Withdrawn
305 CT 1221/H Sheephouse Farm Consents
CT 1221/G was withdrawn as bats have been found in the premises.
The Clerk has had a letter from Tony Jones, CDC Planning, in reference to CT 3914/B who states that access will mainly be taken from the main Cirencester/Barnsley road from the south west, and will be controlled by condition and signposting as far as possible. It was agreed that the Clerk write to Mr Jones asking that any plans for signage asking for traffic (both construction and equestrian) be submitted to the Parish Council. There were concerns that restricting traffic through the village could be difficult to enforce. It will also be asked that a full copy o the conditions attached to the planning permission is made available to the Council.
7.2 Outstanding applications
295 CT 1762/1/G A C C of E School No objection
296 CT 1762/1/H A C C of E school No objection
308 CT 1577/A A C Parish Council On circulation
309 CT 1221/H Sheephouse Farm No objection
7.3 Amendments
7.4 Tree works
7.5 Procedures for dealing with planning applications
This item will be delayed until Councillor Kelly is present.
7.6 Stonelea
Councillor Vessey has had a long conversation with a parishioner on the subject of Stonelea. The property has been worked on in preparation for demolition but everything has come to a halt since planning permission was refused. The house appears to be deteriorating rapidly and the question has been asked as to whether or not any pressure can be brought to bear on the developer to prevent the site becoming an eyesore given its location i.e. right on the main road.
The Clerk spoke with Mike Napper, CDC Planning, who suggested that if there is any sort of demolition, then a notification notice should have been given to the planning authority. He hasn't received such a notice, and therefore asked the enforcement officer to visit the site and check it out. According to the enforcement officer, the chimney has been removed. There have been further discussions on (already approved) plans to the extensions to the property, and it is thought that these are still ongoing.
Overall, the state of the site is a matter for the owner as it is private land.
8. Burial Ground matters
8.1 Removal of spoil from Burial Ground
Andy Slade has started this project and will complete it soon.
8.2 Inspection of gravestones
Dyke and Son have not carried out the inspection yet.
9. Village Update
9.1 New notice board
Harold Stevens will be buying the wood soon.
9.2 Parish Partnerships
I have heard from Richard Tombs, and have informed him that the ditches down Riding Lane need clearing, and that there is a pothole on Holder's Farm Lane that needs repair. Mr Tombs, County Highways, says that these ditches are the responsibility of County Drainage, and cannot therefore take any action. Councillor Vessey will contact Jamie Thompson in County Drainage to ask whether he could arrange for the ditches to be cleared.
9.3 Dog fouling
The Clerk has spoken to the lady who made the initial complaint about the dogs, and has passed the information onto the Dog Warden. The Dog Warden will write to the owner.
9.4 The Ampney Times.
There were concerns that the newsletter is not always distributed to every house in the village.
10. Playground in the village
10.1 Planning permission
Planning permission has been applied for and the results of this should be known soon.
10.2 Fundraising
David has spoken with the Council’s internal auditor, Neil Holt about the logistics of receiving monies for the ball, and how to account for them. He suggested that a separate account is set up, purely for fundraising, and at the end of each venture, this account is emptied, and the profits placed in the appropriate account, in this case the Playground account.
Resolution 29/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved, retrospectively, that a fundraising account be opened, which could be used for all fundraising for the Parish Council.
Resolution 30/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that funds relating to the charity Ball be transferred to the fundraising account from the Playground account.
The Vital Villages organisation has awarded a grant of £17,000 for the playground, subject to further funding being promised by 31 August, 2004. An application for funding has also been made to the District Council, and it is hoped that £12,000 will be awarded subject to planning permission being given. Further applications can be made to n-Trust and the crime prevention unit. Approximately £2,500 profit was made at the Charity Ball.
11. Correspondence received
11.1 Countryside Agency
A provisional map has been issued for provisional common land and open country.
11.2 Transport Forum, Waste local plan and Highways seminar.
Noted
12. Matters outstanding
There was a report of fly tipping of rubbish on Allotment Lane. The Clerk was asked to contact CDC and ask for its removal. There was also a report that a householder on Riding Lane was using the verges for the dumping of garden refuse. The Chairman was asked to investigate and to have a ‘quiet word’.
13. Date, time and place of next meeting.
Monday 20 September, 7.15pm in the Village Hall. Note that the November meeting will be held on 15 November.
The meeting closed at 8.40pm.