AMPNEY CRUCIS PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON 20 SEPTEMBER 2004, IN THE VILLAGE HALL, AMPNEY CRUCIS.
Present: Councillors Peter Kelly, Gerald Gaden, Kim Hartshorne, David Vessey, Adrian Grazebrook 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 Sally Hebbs.
2. Minutes of the meeting held on 12 July, 2004
3. Matters arising from the meeting held on 12 July, 2004
3.1 Deposits of building rubble
The Clerk had spoken to the owners of The Malthouse. They have had to take out a private contract to rid the house and gardens of rats. It was thought that the orchard (now removed) was encouraging the rats, as was the building rubble in the Builder’s Yard.
Councillors raised a query about the ownership of the land as it was thought that the land was owned by Wildmoor and by an individual. Councillor Grazebrook agreed to investigate who owns the land, as a large rubbish tip is accumulating. This rubbish is beginning to affect the drainage on the site, therefore the Parish Council agreed to contact CDC Environmental Health as this issue was a public issue rather than a private one.
3.2 Drains on School Lane
Councillor Gaden had explained to the Clerk that that despite the gully cleaners having been through the village, three drains are still blocked on the Village Street, Hunts Hill and School Lane. The Clerk has notified the County Council.
3.3 Park Corner
The County Council had cleared this land, however the land had not been seeded and weeds were now growing. A lorry had also driven over the land, and a horse had left 6-inch deep hoof prints. The Clerk agreed to contact Richard Tombs in County Highways to ask whether the land could be cleared again and the area seeded.
3.4 Riding Lane
Councillor Vessey could not find a lot of accumulated rubbish opposite Craigenmore, and therefore took no action.
He had also spoken to Jamie Thomas in County Drainage, who informed Councillor Vessey that overground drains are the responsibility of the adjoining landowner. Therefore the Clerk will write to the owners of Holbrook and to Chris Huck asking them to clear the roadside open drains and ditches.
4. Reports from County/District Councillors
District Councillor Edward Horsfall made the following report:
· Council Tax will be charged on second homes in the district. £200,000 of the receipts have been earmarked for use by the District Council in providing services to the elderly and other groups.
· The Corinium Museum has reopened.
· Work has started on the new Leisure Centre, aiming that it will be open in January 2006.
· An experiment has started in Tetbury, allowing visitors to pay for a 2 hour stay in CDC car parks.
· 170 packs of 4 energy saving light bulbs will be available, free, to the elderly, families with children under 16, and those receiving tax credits and/or Council Tax Benefit. Councillors Hartshorne and Gaden will allocate these around the village.
· In response to a question, Councillor Horsfall explained that Council Tax may be affected by the demands of officer pensions, however, it is not known by how much.
5. Questions from the public
A resident from The Lannocks attended the meeting with the following queries:
· A lot of rubble, mud and stones are brought down towards The Lannocks from heavy vehicles using neighbouring roads. It was requested that as the County Council owns The Lannocks they should tarmac the area.
· Could Park Corner be tarmacced completely, to avoid any new grass from being damaged by lorries and heavy vehicles?
· Could heavy vehicles be restricted from using Butchers Arms Lane?
It was agreed that the Clerk contact GCC highways to try to clarify the problems and any possible solutions.
6. Financial matters
6.1 Current financial position
Resolution 32/04 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 8 September, 2004.
Resolution 33/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that £250 be transferred to the imprest account
Resolution 34/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that £1000 be transferred to the treasurers account from the business call account.
6.2 Agreement of payments
External audit: £141.00
Clerk’s expenses: £59.09
New copy of ‘Standing orders and Chairmanship’ £6.00 plus postage.
Resolution 35/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the above amounts, totalling £206.09 be paid.
6.3 Reassessment of the Council’s assets register
Following recommendation, the Clerk contacted James Slater in Cirencester. The costs of valuing the Lych Gate would be a maximum of £150 plus VAT. The company will not value the memorials.
Resolution 36/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the James Slater be instructed to carry out a valuation of the Lych Gate to a maximum of £150 plus VAT.
The Clerk will arrange to take photographs of the memorials, complete with measurements, and then discuss with Farmington Stone the costs of replacing the memorials.
6.4 Audit of the year ending 31 March, 2004
The external audit has been completed with no comments.
6.5 Banking arrangements
The Clerk and Councillor Vessey have been trying to find a way of transferring money, by internet, between accounts. However the only schemes recommended by Lloyds allowed the Clerk to withdraw funds. As this would be unacceptable to the auditors, this is not possible.
Councillor Vessey will try to find other ways of transferring the money efficiently and quickly.
6.6 Transfer of funds to playground account
All finance matters from the ball have now finished, leaving a balance of £2479.15 to be transferred to the playground account.
Resolution 37/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that £2479.15 be transferred to the playground account from the fundraising account
6.5 Annual salary rise for Clerk.
NALC have now sent the details of the recommended salary rises for the next 3 years. There is a fixed increase of 2.75% backdated to 1 April this year, 2.95% from 1 April 2005, and a suggested 2.95% from 1 April 2006.
The Clerk is currently paid scale 17, £7.553 per hour for 7 hours. Scale 17 will increase to £7.76 per hour.
The Clerk left the room while the Council discussed the matter. It was felt that as the workload had increased, her hours would be increased to 7½ hours per week.
Resolution 38/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the Clerk’s hours is increased to 7½ per week on Scale 17. The new annual salary, from 1 November, 2004 will be £252.20.
Resolution 39/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the Clerk be paid backdated pay of £138.54 for an extra half hour per week from 1 April 2004.
7. Planning matters
7.1 Decisions
Following the last meeting, the Clerk contacted the planning office asking for details of the traffic plan for the Talland application (CT 3914/B). A copy of the planning permission was attached to your papers, with a note that the travel plan will be circulated as soon as it is available.
Resolution 40/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that when the Travel Plan is available the Chairman or Clerk would respond if the plan did not show that traffic would be kept out of the village. If adequate time existed, the plan would be circulated to all Councillors.
308 CT 1577/A A C Parish Council Permits
309 CT 1221/J Sheephouse Farm Withdrawn
314 CT 1805/E The Old Sheephouse Permits
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
310 CT 5400/A 2 Lake Cottages No objection
312 CT 2130/E Stonelea No objection
313 CT 2260/B Transco Site Objection
The Council discussed the following applications at length:
· CT 2130/E. This application was for a replacement dwelling on the site of Stonelea. The footprint of the property would remain the same as the existing property, but turned slightly. The proposal was of a higher standard than the application (CT 2130C) for a large extension that had been permitted some time ago.
Resolution 41/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the Council had no objection to this application, subject to a condition that access should not be onto the main A417, but onto the Old London Road.
· CT 2260/B. This application is for the demolition of a disused depot, and the erection of 7 dwellings in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Councillors agreed to object to this application, despite the applicant’s arguments that it would improve the area. Houses in this area would be unsustainable. Councillors proposed that light commercial use might be more appropriate. Traffic from the site would also clash with traffic from the proposed Talland Riding School.
Resolution 42/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the Council objects to this application
7.3 Amendments
311 CT 0607/F Firs Farmhouse Objection
The Council agreed that one of the changes proposed could not be deemed a minor amendment, as the gable the applicants wished to amend by widening by 800mm had already been built. Councillors also remarked on the fact that the Decision Notice permitting any planning application stresses the importance that the development is carried out exactly in accordance with the approved plans. The system of minor amendments was in place to allow for small design changes as building progressed and was not there to grant permission to substantial changes already incorporated. Councillors queried the role of the building inspection system in preventing errors of this sort. The Council also commented on the poor quality of the submitted drawings.
The Council agreed to object to the application on the grounds that the application should really have been submitted as an application for retrospective planning permission.
During the discussion on this application, the Chairman called on Councillor Kelly to provide some background factual information in order to help the meeting better understand the nature of the requested amendment. Neither Councillor Kelly nor Councillor Hartshorne (who might also have been regarded as having an interest) took any part in the final decision to object to the application which was taken unanimously by the remaining four Councillors.
Resolution 43/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the Council objects to this application.
7.4 Tree works
None
7.5 Procedures for dealing with planning applications
It was agreed that the Parish Council should continue to respond to all planning applications, as the District Council takes account of all comments. It was also agreed that the Chairman and Councillor Kelly would continue to write a short summary of the application, and email or leave with all Councillors. The application would then be left in the Lych Gate, for a set period of time, allowing all Councillors to view the application. The application will not be taken from the Lych Gate.
The Clerk will have extra sets of keys cut for all Councillors.
8. Burial Ground matters
8.1 Removal of spoil from Burial Ground
The Clerk agreed to contact Andy Slade to ask when the work in the Burial Ground will be finished. Councillor Gaden offered to remove the wood and burn it: the Clerk will check with Andy Slade.
8.2 Inspection of gravestones
Dike and Son have sent a quote for repair work to several gravestones.
Resolution 44/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the Council instructs Dike and Son to complete the work, with costs not to exceed £60.00 plus VAT.
9. Village Update
9.1 New notice board
Harold Stevens has bought the wood, and will complete the work as soon as possible.
9.2 Parish Partnerships
See paragraph 3.4.
9.3 Road safety on A417
The Chairman has been invited to be an observer at a meeting with Ampney St Mary and Ampney St Peter to discuss issues raised by Road Safety at GCC. It was agreed that he would ask that speed on that stretch of road be discussed.
9.4 Annual Clear up
The Annual Clear up will take place on Sunday 17 October, and will concentrate on the hedgerows at the new playground.
Residents will be urged to ‘adopt a drain’ in the next newsletter, asking them to keep the drains closest to them clear of leaves and straw.
The Chairman will visit the owner of Birch House asking that he cut the bushes back that overhanging the road.
10. Playground in the village
10.1 Planning permission
Planning permission has been granted. There were four conditions attached:
There were five written objections, all of them from neighbouring residents.
10.2 Opening times
It was agreed that the opening hours would be 9 am – 8pm from May to August and from 9am to 4pm from September to April. The Clerk will notify GCC Property Services.
10.3 Parking
A sign will be erected on the verge asking people not to park there. The Clerk will contact County Highways to ask for permission.
10.4 Possible anti social behaviour
The playground Committee are to visit the Year 5’s and 6’s in the School, and discuss a ‘user’s charter’. These children will be the ones in one or two year’s time that will visit the skateboard area often, therefore these will be the children targeted.
Many of the objections related to anti-social behaviour, and it was agreed that an article would be placed in The Ampney Times, explaining that the Parish Council is endeavouring to resolve their concerns.
10.6 Quotations for work
The school is happy for the work to proceed. They have agreed that if, in a year’s time, the playing field is suffering ongoing damage because of the extra use from the playground, then the playground committee will arrange for a new access gate into the field.
Councillors considered the mechanism for ordering the playground equipment that would cost more than £10,000. Under the Parish Council’s Financial Regulation 9.3, where it is intended to enter into a contract in excess of £1,000, the Parish Council is obliged to follow the procedures proposed in model Standing Order 73 in “Standing Orders and Chairmanship”, published by the National Association for Local Councils unless Councillors decide otherwise.
Model Standing Order 73 requires the Council to advertise the contract in the same manner as meetings of the Parish Council and, furthermore, where the contract exceeds £10,000, to give notice to all suitable contractors selected from a list maintained by the District Council.
The Council decided that the requirements of Financial Regulation 9.3 could be set aside on this occasion. The equipment required was of a specialised nature and Councillor Hartshorne and the Playground Committee had explored the possibilities exhaustively over several months. They had obtained three quotations for the main playground equipment and their choice of this equipment and the skateboard equipment followed discussions with other Parish Councils. It was felt that no useful purpose would be served by searching for further quotations from other companies.
Councillors were therefore reassured by the recommendation of the Playground Committee and were agreed that the equipment should be purchased from Wicksteed and Bendcrete. Councillor Hartshorne was asked to ensure that a final formal quotation was addressed to the Clerk as the order would be placed on behalf of the Parish Council.
Councillors then considered the position with the licence with Gloucestershire County Council. This was yet to be formally drawn up (based on the earlier draft received from the County Council) and there was a small risk that it could be withdrawn despite the oral assurances from the County Council that there was no bar to placing an order for the playground equipment. Councillor Grazebrook agreed to discuss the matter with the County Council with a view to getting a firmer clarification though there was always a risk that the licence might not be finalised.
Councillors then considered the payment for the equipment as the terms and conditions of the suppliers appeared to imply that payment was required on delivery. The only funds available would be grants but these would not be passed over until the grant making bodies had sight of the invoices. There was therefore a potential time gap. Councillor Hartshorne was asked to contact both sides to ensure that there was no financial exposure as far as the Parish Council was concerned i.e. that the suppliers would not press for immediate payment and that the grant making bodies would not delay the payment of grants.
Resolution 45/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved as follows:
10.7 Insurance
The Clerk has contacted the insurers and Cornhill will charge the following for insurance:
All risks:
£13 for every £1000 of equipment
£9 for every £1000 of safety surfacing
Impact only:
£8.50 for every £1000 of gates and fences.
The Clerk will check the costs for public liability.
A disclaimer will be erected on site to dissuade users from making a claim.
10.8 Gloucestershire Playing Fields Association.
The Playground Committee had been advised to join the Gloucestershire Playing Field Association.
Resolution 46/04 The Chairman proposed and the Council resolved that the Parish Council joins the Gloucestershire Playing Field Association at a cost of £50.00.
11. Ampney Crucis Association
12. Correspondence received
12.1 Letter from parishioner about gunfire in The Vineyard.
It was agreed that no action would be taken as the gunfire was within reasonable limits. The Chairman will contact the writer.
12.2 Requests for funding from Victim Support, Gloucestershire Association for the Blind and Gloucestershire Chest Fund.
In line with Parish Council policy, grants will only be made where the beneficiaries were local to the village. Therefore the Council were unable to help in these instances.
12.3 Network Map showing Public Rights of way
Received
12.4 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Consultations on (1) a draft of code of conduct for Local Government employees and (2) a review of restrictions on the political activities of local authority employees and pay of political assistants.
Noted
12.5 Cotswold and Vale Primary Care Trust
Consultation on the future of local health services for maternity and children. Public meeting on 19 October, 1pm.
Noted
12.6 Invitation to CDC Civic Dinner
Noted
12.7 Parish Council representatives on CDC Standards Committee
Noted
12.8 GCC Proposed modifications to the Structure Plan.
Noted.
12.9 GAPTC AGM
Noted
12.10 Freight quality partnerships
This organisation was concerned with finding ‘lorry hotspots’ where lorry movements needed restriction.
It was agreed that the Clerk would contact them to inform them about heavy usage of Butcher’s Arms Lane.
12.11 Tri-partite Charter between County, District and Town/Parish Councils
Noted.
12.12 Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West
The Council noted the proposed forms of operating the South West Region which had been sent to the Clerk.
13. Matters outstanding
The footpath between Akeman Street and Ampney Knowle has been partially obstructed by an electric fence. The Clerk agreed to write to the landowner.
14. Date, time and place of next meeting.
Monday 15 November, 2004, 7.15pm in the Village Hall.
Dates for 2005 are suggested as follows: (all second Monday in alternate months) 10 January, 14 March, 9 May, 11 July, 12 September, and 14 November. The Clerk will book these dates with the Village Hall Management Committee.
Meeting closed at 10:35 pm