Mawsley Parish Council Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 19 th February pm

Transcription

1 Mawsley Parish Council Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 19 th February pm Present: Cllr R Barnwell (Chair), Cllr K White, Cllr T Sanders, Cllr H Esler, Cllr P Richards, Cllr K Wilson Also present: Juliet Lewis (Clerk); Borough Cllr J Hakewill To receive Apologies of Absence: Cllr Esler advised that she would be late and arrived at 19: To receive Members Declarations of Interest: Cllr Richards confirmed he will abstain from voting on any allotment issues as a prospective allotment holder To receive Members requests for Dispensations: None To approve Minutes of the Meeting 22 nd January It was then resolved to accept the minutes of Monday 22 nd January 2018 as a true and accurate record. All agreed To discuss Matters arising from these minutes only: None which are not covered in the agenda items below. The litter pick scheduled on the 11 th March will now be on 18 th March due to the clash with Mothers Day. To meet at the Centre at 10am, bring gloves if you have them Public Time (15 min): One member of the public requested more information about the pub site and the history of it s ownership. She interpreted that the land had been given to the village and, as such, she wasn t sure how it could have been sold. Cllr Barnwell confirmed that it was actually sold as part of the rest of the land and therefore was available to be sold. Secondly a question was asked about the installation of knee rails in the village. Whilst they were glad to see it being installed they questioned why the area on the left near the pond. Cllr White believed it had already been reported but this was not the case. Cllr White to send full details to the clerk to report. Cllr Barnwell commented that these fences just displace the problem. Vic Cope advised that he had identified a number of issues within TCAM: The floor has been compromised The Lino needs replacing Heating has not been maintained Dips in the floor are appearing Lazer survey of the hall needs to be done, it will record the dips in the floor allowing them to be filled prior to the new lino being laid Cllr Barnwell stated that he is glad that he is still taking an interest in centre maintenance and he has no problem with the survey especially as it will be no cost to us. As Vic Cope no longer has the authority to act on behalf of the Parish Council Cllr Richards will be carrying out the survey with Mr Cope as his guide. Maggie Denham asked for an update on the allotments, Cllr Barnwell confirmed that this was on the agenda Borough / County councillor update: Cllr Hakewill gave the following update: The borough council have decided not to raise their portion of the council tax

2 The County Council have a meeting to decide on the budget for next year. This year it appears that they will be in deficit. As a local government cannot be in deficit they have to sell property to balance the books. Awaiting report from inspector. (16 th March) this should detail what went wrong and if the council are viable. They could bring in a government team to run the authourity Although this is not good NCC are just the first in line it is anticipated that other local authourities will follow They are trying to maintain libraries, gritting etc but statutory duty must come first Cllr Richards asked about potholes. Cllr Hakewill stated that the budget for that is ring fenced so you need to report them. Pub site meeting: 100+ people turned up to the meeting where the developer Mr Clayson displayed plans. Cllr White asked if he had given any reaction to the comments at the meeting. Cllr Hakewill advised that he was going to review the design with his architect in particular with reference to the comments made about access and parking. He advised that over 55 s housing was the preferred option at the original meeting. He is putting together a street scene as it was not easy to visualise. Cllr Sanders said the meeting was fairly balanced not all in favour but there had been quite a lot of negativity on Facebook following the meeting. Cllr Hakewill stated that the Facebook posts were interesting but it s worth noting that we are privileged to get a view and an option to comment before it reaches planning. Cllr White commented that it was significant that all residents were given a leaflet containing Mr Clayson s contact details Planning: (a) To discuss the following planning applications: No new applications received. (b) Clarification of Article 4 restrictions on replacement windows: Cllr White gave the following update: Further to the January 2018 comments regarding Article 4 windows on Main Street, I have established that KBC have indeed lowered the window specification requirement. KBC Planning have been instructed to be more flexible in their requirements following on from successful planning appeals for window replacement on Main Street. It is understood that this is in the interests of improving thermal performance in domestic dwellings and mitigating climate change. Whilst it is understood the Planning Department wanted to retain their strict requirements, the members (KBC Councillors) voted against it. KBC Planning have however kept some of their design requirements, including wood grain effect PVCu (to help disguise the welded corners), stub cills and surface mounted glazing bars (Georgian bars). Attention to the appearance of external trickle vents is also required. This is likely to mean that a significant number of different suppliers/ manufacturers, with various profile designs, will be involved in providing and installing Article 4 area windows in the future. He stated that it is very difficult for us to comment when the criteria is not specific.

3 Cllr Barnwell commented that any prior applications we have objected to were based on our knowledge at the time of consideration. Cllr White agreed stated that it would have been courtesy for KBC planning to have informed us to avoid misunderstanding. Cllr Hakewill suggested that we write to KBC and ask why we weren t informed of the new policy. He stated that Cllr white had done a significant amount of work which was accepted at the time but they wanted to control the changes, it appears to be the same now but they are trying to be more flexible. Cllr Richards asked if we could have a list of what will be approved so we can inform the residents. Cllr White advised this was not possible as KBC may vary their view based on house type however all should be woodgrain and with sub cills Finance: (a) To approve monthly Receipts & Payments: The following payments were presented and approved for payment: Payee Details Budget Heading J Lewis Salary & Travel Clerk Salary TCAM INV 2920 Room Hire HMRC Tax payment HMRC It was Resolved that the payments be made in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent amendments. Bank account total on 01/02/18 was 103, which includes 40k TCAM Major Repairs Contingency Fund Bus Shelter Project progress update: - Licence to Occupy: Concerns were raised by the clerk around some of the wording within the original Licence to Occupy. It was agreed by full council that the Licence should reflect that removal should only be required at the request of NCC and that the clause stating that the contract can be ended at any time without warning should be removed. Cllr Sanders advised that we have received a letter of comfort from NCC. He also stated that Chris Leeson (Taylor Wimpey) has assured him that they won t request removal. - Original s of confirmation from utility companies: These have now been forwarded to the clerk. Cllr Sanders advised that the supplier lead time is 21 days and the shelter is currently being built with an estimated delivery date of 26 th February. The shelter should then go in between the 28 th February and the 19 th March, but not the 15 th or 16 th. The clerk advised that there is a risk to the Parish Council if the shelter is installed before the Licence to Occupy has been signed. It was agreed by full council to accept the risk. Cllr Sanders commented that the company being used is the company preferred by NCC. Cllr Sanders advised that KBC will install a litter bin at the same time Allotments progress update: Cllr White confirmed that Dave Lane had updated him as follows: I have now had a response from our legal team based on the duties to supply allotments and who has that duty, the Parish or the District Council. I am doing a report for our Senior Management Team for them to decide how KBC wish to respond. However, at this stage our legal advice tells is that under Section 23 of the Small Holding & Allotment Act 1908, there is a duty to provide allotments either through the PC or KBC based on where either are of the opinion that there is a demand. The Idea of demand though could also potentially be countered by opposition. When the Act was drawn up, it does not appear

4 to have considered the notion of conflicting demands. Really it seems more based on ensuring that those people who did not have access to a garden to grow food, had somewhere else provided for them by the council. So in this context, the Allotment Acts are really about enabling locations to have allotments and to make sure local authorities considered their provision. So the act does talk about a hierarchy of providers so which council takes the lead role, its more about enabling any council that wishes to provide an allotment to do so. Both MPC and KBC do have a similar problem in regards to the provision of a site for an allotment field. KBC do have some freehold land that does not have houses on but this is allocated to other uses such as the playing field, the wildflower meadow etc and so in effect the Borough Council does not have an obvious empty plot. Section 25 of the Small Holding & Allotment Act 1908, does consider this issue and makes provision for the compulsory purchase or compulsory hire of land. However the level of local opposition hardly makes this a viable option considering that both are legal processes necessitating the use of the courts, who would consider all local views. Before we move on to other options I am looking at, the final point to make regarding the Acts of Parliament is that they are not informed by any reported case law so we have no judicial guidance. Accordingly, our legal team feel that any reasonable interpretation of the provision s [of the Acts] is unlikely to result in legal action. Bearing in mind that there is some strong local opposition, one could posit that whilst legal action being taken is most unlikely, it being successful is positively remote. However, whilst having a good understanding of the legal position it does not address the underlying issue of allotment provision. I have made some local enquiries about Broughton Allotment, and whilst no contact has been made with the Allotment Association or the land owner, there may be an option here. I am also looking at whether there may be some possible land at Grt Cransley. So the next way forward? At this stage I think it would be useful to explore other site options and see where this takes us. I m sure some local knowledge from some of the great minds of Mawsley, such as Bob Littler would be really helpful in looking at other sites as I d put good money that some in the village will have some very good local knowledge and contacts which could be very helpful. I m trying to see if Broughton may be an option To conclude. Please do not take this as KBC s formal response. On an issue such as this, a more senior position needs to be establish. What I seek to do here is to point out the possible/likely legal opinion and perhaps show which way the wind might blow on this. Cllr Barnwell also confirmed that he had met with Dave Lane to view land within the Mawsley parish which may be suitable. Maggie Denham commented that it is the Parish Councils responsibility to provide allotments not the Borough Council. Cllr Barnwell assured the room that we are trying to move this on as quickly as we can given the time which has already passed Village Youth Action: Cllr Richards advised that he had attended the TCAM meeting and they confirmed that they were happy to support the plans. They advised that they may have

5 some funding available and will be pleased to meet with Cllr Esler and Cllr Richards to bottom out the when / how it will work. Cllr Barnwell stated that we can approach other organisations for funding once we know what we need. Cllr Esler stated that, in summary, we need a new large smart TV, a PS4 including 4 controllers and a couple of games and funding for DBS checks. Cllr Esler will produce a business case including a budget for the first 3 months running. Cllr Sanders asked who it is aimed at, Clllr Esler confirmed 13 16/17. Cllr Sanders advised he had spoken to the scouts who have 90 members and there are also a lot of members of the football club, maybe we should be interacting with them? Cllr Esler advised that they are all welcome however our aim was to offer something for those who are not currently catered for. Cllr Esler requested approval for funding to carry out the DBS checks. Cllr Barnwell suggested that we needed to be project ready before agreeing to spend. Cllr Esler to circulate business case as soon as she has completed it Village Maintenance - pond: Cllr Richards confirmed that the rotten areas of decking at the pond have been fenced off by danger tape. Cllr White has progressed quotes for replacing the decking. 1 quote has been received and two other companies have been out to view, quotes expected soon. He stated that he has also put out a Facebook posts and one local company has offered labour for free. Cllr White advised that they are currently unsure what is supporting the decking. Cllr Sanders confirmed that they were supported by timber (scaffolding platforms) which will also need replacing. Cllr White also brought in samples of the materials being considered with a range of guarentees between 10 and 25 years. The one quote that has been received which includes replacing the timber frame, there are two options when it comes to replacing the frame either with timber or composite. Cllr Barnwell stated that it seems pointless to replace the decking with composite to then use timber as the frame to rot away underneath. Based on the top quality product the options range between 6,100 and 7,250 for the main deck and 3,550 and 4,050 for the small deck depending on the type of frame. To replace the steps with timber supports and composite steps is approximately 400. By comparison the main deck in timber would be ,300 and the small deck 2,750-3,150. Cllr Barnwell stated that if the difference is not significant then composite appears to be the best bet. He suggested considering a smaller platform. Cllr White stated that we could shorten it and we may consider just removing the small platform rather than replacing it. Cllr Esler thought it was a good idea to expose more of the pond. Cllr Richards agreed that it would be a good idea to remove the small deck as there is no clear water to dip into.

6 Cllr Wilson asked if the pond needed to be drained to carry out the work. Cllr White confirmed that this was not the case. Cllr Barnwell asked if there were any health & safety considerations such as the need for safety rails etc. Cllr Wilson will confirm. Cllr Barnwell asked what we do until we are in a position to replace the deck(s), Cllr Richards suggested that at very least we need signage to alert the public to the danger, Cllr Sanders suggested that we carry out an emergency repair, Cllr Richards stated that the ends of the planks are rotten and cannot be repaired. Cllr White advised that the likely earliest date we can fit is May. Clerk to inform KBC (Dave Lane) of the issue as they have adopted it although the Parish Council agreed to maintain it. - street lights: Cllr Richards confirmed that he and Cllr White had walked around the village after dark and confirmed that a total of 72 lights are currently not working. Cllr Sanders commented that the David Wilson area lights are still outstanding. He stated that we need to do this exercise on a regular basis. Cllr Barnwell commented that the residents should take some responsibility for reporting them. - bike shed and Vic's bits: The bike shed has been removed but the concrete base needs some attention as there is a lip which could be a trip hazard. It needs chamfering. Cllr Richards stated we also need a piece of fencing to replace where it was. Cllr White suggested a Facebook post to attract interested local handymen. A budget of 100 was agreed by all. Cllr Richards to organise, Cllr White to post on Facebook. - fence to replace above: as above. - TW update on actions from November walkabout with Roy Fox: Cllr Richards has spoken to Roy Fox to thank him for all the actions that have already been completed. He has advised that the hedge trimming contractors let him down but they are on it. - Hedgerow preservation on the pub site: Dave Wilson (resident) has contacted the Parish Council through Cllr Sanders suggesting that the hedge row within the pub site is protected. When the pub site was agreed this boundary was to be preserved. The new fencing contravenes this boundary. It was agreed that this will be explored further in relation to any planning application received Village Entrance Stones: 3 contractors have been contacted. Cllr Richards displayed an example which was well received. Clerk to put up a Facebook post to solicit reaction from the residents. Initial quote received for VAT including engraving and delivery Councillor vacancy process: Flyers to be organised by the clerk. 100 budget approved by all Suggestion of MPC / MVA received from resident: A suggestion has been received from a resident that MPC and MVA should merge especially given that MVA are struggling to recruit volunteers. Cllr Barnwell suggested that this needs to be discussed in a meeting with MVA as MPC could not make the decision alone. To be raised with MVA Correspondence received by the clerk not covered above: Cllr Barnwell brought up an article from the NCALC Update which states that it is best practice for Parish Councillors to have their own PC addresses clerk to set up.

7 Meeting closed at 21:20 Next Meeting Monday 19 th March pm