MINUTES OF THE ORDINARYMEETING OF STAPLEGROVE PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2013 AT 5.00PM AT STAPLEGROVE VILLAGE HALL

PRESENT: Dr G Hayes (in the Chair), Mr M Clark, Mrs C Cornell, Mr J Morris, Dr T Harris, Mr D Ware,District Councillors Mrs E Waymouth and Mr B Nottrodt and County Councillor Mr D Wedderkopp.

Eight members of the public were also in attendance, together with Gaynor Parkinson from GL Hearn and James Turner from PM Asset Management.

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APOLOGIES

There were no apologies for absence.

CODE OF CONDUCT – DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Danny Wedderkopp declared an interest in agenda item no.8 Planning applications, as he was a member of Taunton Deane Borough Council’s (TDBC) Planning Committee. Bruce Nottrodt re-iterated his interest in planning matters as he was Chairman of the same committee.

MINUTES

The Minutes of the annual meeting held on 15 May 2013, having been circulated, were taken as read and signed as a correct record of the proceedings.
MATTERS ARISING
Lime Tree on Manor Road
Noted that planning permission had been received to fell the Lime Tree on the edge of The Grove,at the pinch point, which was suffering from the presence of an aggressive wood decay fungus. The Clerk would seek three quotes for the work.
The Clerk referred to a letter from Edward Liddon, Sylvarbor Consultants, informing the Parish Council that he was retiring from active consultancy on 30 September. Agreed that the Clerk should write to him thanking him for the excellent reports he had produced, following his inspections of The Grove every two years. The Clerk would ask if he could recommend any other consultants who could be approached to inspect The Grove and report on the health and safety of the trees in future.
Staplegrove Sports Club/Staplegrove Youth Football Club
The Chairman reported that following consultation with parishioners and the Parish Council the Staplegrove Sports Club had submitted a planning application for the alterations that they were required to make to their grounds and facilities as a requirement of entering the Somerset County Football League. The planning application hadsubsequently been granted. As neither Club had submitted the requested copies of their latest accounts, the Parish Council would not consider making grants to them.

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

There were no questions from members of the public.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF STAPLEGROVE
The Chairman referred to a public exhibition held in the village hall on 25 July showing preliminary ideas for future development in Staplegrove. The exhibition was not a TDBC event but a community consultation event by a private company, GL Hearn, on behalf of PM Asset Management.Parishioners and the Parish Council were surprised that this event had been planned having been of the opinion that any development in Staplegrove would be some years off.
Gaynor Parkinson from GL Hearn and James Turner from PM Asset Management explained that the area that they were looking at developing was only the land next to Kingston Road,identified in TDBC’s Core Strategy for development from 2015.This was the only area that they had control of, the landowners having given an indication they wished to sell. The whole of the strategic site identified in TDBC’s adopted Core Strategy for between 500 and 1500 dwellings in Staplegrove from 2015 had been shown on their exhibition boards for illustrative purposes in order to show how their proposed development would fit in with a masterplan for Staplegrove. This was necessary as a piecemeal approach to development in Staplegrove would not be permitted by TDBC. They added that they would be working with TDBC and the planning process and would be commissioning reports from relevant agencies on the viability of the development in terms of sustainability, highway implications, ecology etc.
A number of comments and concerns were conveyed to Gaynor and James and the Parish Council stressed that it hoped they would take them in to consideration when submitting their outline planning application, which they hoped to do in approximately 10 months’ time. Concern had been expressed at the lack of notice and the inadequate publicity of the event on 25 July. Gaynor acknowledged that the event had not been advertised as well as it had been hoped and that improvements would be made for future public consultation events, which would be held before the outline planning application was submitted.
POLICE MATTERS
There were no police officers present.
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
Noted a paper giving details of planning applications received/decisions made, since the last meeting. The Chairman reported that following objections from neighbouring residents and the Parish Council the planning application for 8 houses on land to the rear of 281 Staplegrove Road had been withdrawn and re-submitted with the number of houses reduced to 6.
CORRESPONDENCE
The Clerk read out a letter from parishioner Trevor Cavill who, together with his wife, had kindly donated £100.00 to go towards the cost of the metal guarding protecting the new tree planted in the children’s playground on Manor Road. The balance was to be paid from the gift given to the Parish Council by a parishioner to plant a tree in her late husband’s memory. Agreed that the Clerk should write and thank Trevor for this generous gesture.
An email from Somerset County Council’s (SCC) Road Traffic Engineer reported that the promised temporary Speed Indicator Device (SID)for Manor Road had not been installed on 15 July due toa shortage on SIDs. It was hoped to re-schedule the installation for the week commencing 18 November.
A letter from the Chairman of SCC invited nominations for this year’s Chairman’s Award for Service to the Community. Parish Councillors would notify the Clerk of any suggestions by the deadline of 16 September.
The Clerk circulated details of a proposed Parish Works Trial by SCC, whereby Parish Councils could purchase from them additional highway related works. The Parish Council felt that the minimum charge per Works Order of a £375.00 lump sum was too expensive and as it had trained its own handyman to undertake minor highways work it was unlikely that it would wish to purchase any additional work from SCC.
Noted a letter from SCC giving details of the new charging structure for Highway Licences for planters, noticeboards, name boards, monuments etc.
A letter from SCC informed the Parish Council that they had received an application from Taylor Plant Ltd for the temporary road closure of Kingston Road to enable them to install High Voltage cable in the road. All traffic would be prohibited from proceeding along the road from 27 August for 5 weeks, from the junction with Corkscrew Lane northwards for a distance of 800 metres. A signed diversion route would be in operation.
Noted details of a scheme by SCC to provide static signage to indicate the diversionary routes of the A39 should this major route be closed in the event of an accident or emergency.
PARISH CLERK – 2013 PAY AWARD AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
Noted that the National Joint Council for Local Government Services had reached an agreement on a 1% pay award for 2013/14. Agreed to increase the Clerk’s hourly rate accordingly from £10.20 to £10.30, backdated to 1 April 2013.
The Clerk’s conditions of service were reviewed and as there had been no increase for several years. The following increases were agreed, backdated to1 April 2013:
Working from home allowance to cover heating, lighting and electricity and use of home space – increase from £25.00 to £50.00 a quarter
Depreciation of own laptop, printer/scanner/photocopier and laminator – increase from £12.00 to £24.00 a quarter
Internet expenses – increase from £24.00 to £48.00 a quarter
FINANCIAL MATTERS
Bank reconciliations
The Clerk circulated details of the bank reconciliations for June and July 2013, which had been checked and certified by a parishioner.
Budget statement/budget monitoring at 30 June 2013
Noted the above statement and confirmed that there were no concerns with the budget.
Receipts and payments since last meeting £
Receipts
Payments / Santander – bank interest
Santander – bank interest
HMRC VAT repayment on 2012/13 payments
Santander – bank interest
Santander – bank interest
SCC – grant towards stiles
Santander – bank interest
Santander – bank interest
Santander – bank interest
Santander – bank interest
J S G Hayes – reimbursement for tree and accessories for rec’
Start Traffic Management – road traffic signs and cones
C Saville – footpath maintenance
Rhys Hatherall – website hosting fee 2013
C Saville – footpath maintenance/minor highways work
J Peake – clerk’s ¼ year salary/admin expenses Apr- June 2013
PWLB – half year loan repayment
HMRC – NI/PAYE / 1.12
0.11
411.84
1.75
0.11
160.00
1.78
0.11
1.50
0.11
69.22
332.88
110.00
70.00
227.50
974.44
750.81
61.60
Eternal audit of 2012/13 accounts
Noted that the Annual Return for the year ending 31 March 2013 had been submitted to the external auditor.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS.
Danny Wedderkopp agreed to take up again with SCC the problem of the tight turning from Grove Gate to Mill Rise caused by the positioning of fencing on the boundary of one of the new properties.
Michael Clark asked if when replying to emails on parish matters parish councillors could copy in all parish councillors.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Wednesday 13 November 2013 at 5.00 pm. A meeting of the Staplegrove Children’s Playground Trust will follow.
After the meeting closed Mr Max Punni introduced himself to the Parish Council as the owner of the Staplegrove Pharmacy which had recently opened in Livingstone Way. He gave details of the services he was offering and referred to a room that he had that could be put to community use. The Chairman would mention this to the local PC/PCSO to see if they could make use of it. He also offered the use of one of his walls for a parish noticeboard.