GREAT WRATTING PARISH COUNCIL
Annual Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held at 7.45pm on 01st May 2014
Wheel Cottage, The Street, Great Wratting, Suffolk, CB9 7HD
Councillors Present: Chair – Gavin Acheson (GA), Caroline Togher (CT), Petra Stephenson (PeS),Anthony Londrigan (AL), Dawn Fisk (DF), Clerk –Emma White (EW)
In Attendance:
Mary Evans
Tim Barling
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18. / PUBLIC FORUM (15 MINUTES)
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ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR TO THE PARISH COUNCIL
Position / Person / Proposed by / Seconded by
Chair / Gavin Acheson / PeS / DF
A letter of resignation was handed to GA (Chair) from Parish Councillor Caroline Togher (Vice-Chair). As from effect of this meeting CT will no longer be a Parish Councillor for Great Wratting and all responsibilities will be handed over. The Clerk will liaise with St Edmundsbury Council to give notice of vacancy within the Parish.
The signing of the acceptance of office forms
The elected Chair (GA) signed the acceptance of office form which was countersigned by the RFO (EW). There were no amendments needed on the ‘interests ‘form’s, so the existing forms remain current.
ACCEPTANCE OF APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Jacquie Perry (JP)
Steven Robinson (SR)
LOCAL AUTHORITY REPORTS:
Suffolk County Councillor, Mary Evans
One of the most important issues I have been dealing with recently is the application by the developers of the Chilton Street wind turbine to discharge their planning conditions. Their plans have a wide ranging impact on this area – for you in Great Wratting there is the threat of interference with your television reception.
The matter still has not been determined because so far SCC highways have rejected the developers’ transport plan which envisages taking all the construction traffic – including 18 abnormal loads – right through the centre of Clare.
If you oppose these plans – please do register your objections with the St Edmundsbury planning team - quoting the reference: DCON(A)/12/1208
Following complaints from councillors about the time, effort and money spent on temporary repairs of potholes as opposed to permanent first fixes, we are now looking at doing the permanent first fixes more often. We are also stocking up on the more expensive materials which can be used to fill wet potholes. Too many repairs this year were washed out within days of being done and we do not want to repeat that.
I am chairing a cross party panel reviewing speed limits. We have issued a report setting the criteria for 20mph schemes and are now looking at the higher speed limits.
Speeding is a problem in Great Wratting – as in many villages in the area. The county council is now allowing communities to buy their own vehicle activated signs and I am encouraging parish councils to club together to buy them. I am holding a meeting on 25 June at 7pm at Wickhambrook Village Hall for interested parish councils where Mike Motteram the county’s road safety manager will explain how the signs work and give advice on the process of buying and installing them.
I know broadband speed is a major cause of concern for everyone in the area which is why I am organising a public meeting for 7.30pm on June 11 with our team leading Suffolk’s Better Broadband Programme at Stansfield Village Hall
St Edmundsbury Borough Councillor, Robert Clifton-Brown
No Report
Suffolk Police – PSCO, Sophie Mitchell Annual Report
In the past year there have been 6 crimes of note in the area. These were:
- Theft of motor vehicle – A silver Mercedes was stolen from Withersfield Road overnight on Tuesday 28th May 2013.
- Theft of number plates from a vehicle parked in the recreational ground car park on Thurlow road. This occurred sometime between Monday 27th May and Sunday 9th June.
- Theft of 2 chimney pots from a property on Moor Pasture Way. This occurred in the evening of Friday 26th July.
- Theft of heating oil from a property on Withersfield Road. This occurred during the early hours of Wednesday 13th November.
- Theft of a set of household keys from the rear door of a property on Withersfield Road. This occurred around 13:00 hours on Thursday 21st November.
- Theft of heating oil from a property on Thurlow Road. This occurred sometime between Thursday 10th April and Saturday 19th April.
As an SNT over the past year we have had The Wratting’s as a priority village for speeding during the following months:3rd December 2013 – 11th March 2014 – Where by 5 checks carried out, and 3 verbal warnings given.The Suffolk safe cam van has also recently been deployed along the B1061 through Wratting, Thurlow and Bradley following public complaints and Speed Data Recorders being put out along this stretch of road.
The next SNT Priority setting meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 10th June 2014, 7pm at Bury Police Station.The PCC, Tim Passmore, will be hosting a public meeting for the St Edmundsbury district on Wednesday 7th May 2014 at 6:30 pm at The Samuel Ward Academy, Chalkstone Way, Haverhill, CB9 0LD. Chief Constable, Douglas Paxton will also be in attendance at the meeting.
MEMBERS DECLARATION OF INTERESTS (for items on the Agenda)
None
TO SIGN AND APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING - DATED 06th March2014
The minutes of the meeting of 06th March 2014 were approved by all and signed by GA.
TO DISCUSS UPDATING THE GREAT WRATTING PARISH WEBSITE (AL)
AL to meet with the Horseheath PC who has kindly offered to help create a website using word press.
VILLAGE BROADBAND UPDATE
County Broadband to present at the Annual Village Meeting.
TO REVIEW THE VILLAGE LINK
Alison Coffey, is very keen to attract new contributors and for the magazine to appeal to readers of all age groups. Feedback and suggestions, together with articles, stories and news items can be sent directly to Alison via the email address published in The Village Link.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH UPDATES
No updates, JP did not attend the meeting
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING – 21.05.14 Arrangements, Presentation and Reports
St Marys Church will be the venue. Petra to arrange the drinks and nibbles with the expense to be charged to the PC. Clerk will request all the following reports to be sent via email by Friday 16th May, Church & Fete Committee, Village Link, Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Police Report, Parish Council, Better Communications, Neighbourhood watch, Village email tree and Book Club.
CHILTERN STREET TURBINE – IMPACT ON VILLAGE
Please see Marys report above. The consultation period expiry date is 08th May 14. GA will put together a report to object the plans.
HIGHWAYS
To review the potholes along Withersfield Road and The Street
Withersfield Road has been resurfaced; however The Street is still in very poor condition. Mary is following up with Highways.
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
DC/14/0584/TCA Tree in a Conservation Area Notification - Fell two Conifers. 79 Jubilee Cottages School Road Great Wratting Haverhill – Approved by the PC
DC/14/0642/TCA Tree in a Conservation Area Notification - Fell one Sycamore Tree. The Drey, Withersfield Road, Great Wratting Haverhill. – Approved by the PC
FINANCE:
To receive the financial report from the RFO including bank balances
Clerk supplied a bank reconciliation and copy of bank statement to show the balance at the end of March 2014 £7803.05. Approved by all Parish Councillors.
To receive and approve payments since last meeting and authorise any cheques for signature
The following payments have been made since the last meeting;
28.03.14 SO E White Clerks Mar Salary £223.17
Cheques approved with signature;
01.05.14 / 119 / SALC / 6 Months Payroll / £50.40 / 50.40
01.05.14 / 120 / SALC / Yearly membership / £120 / 120.00
01.05.14 / 121 / Judith Howell / The Bridge Plants & trees / £45 / 45.00
To approve the Annual Audit and Signing of Annual Audit Form
Once the audit report is received by the Clerk, a copy will be sent to the PC. The annual audit form was completed as such and signed as a true record of the finance by GA.
To Review the Budget for 2014/2015
Great Wratting Parish Council Budget Review 2014/2015 was agreed by all at the November meeting. Following on from that it was discussed and approved that in future, the Clerks expenses will be shown as separate to all other Parish expenses and the Fete Committee annual donation be increased by £50 to £300. All future financial reports will reflect the revised budgets.
To approve the Annual Subscriptions for 2014/2015
It was agreed and approved by all that the following Annual Subscriptions will remain for 2014/15:
CRPE = £29 - Campaign to Protect Rural England (to increase from Jan 2015 to £36)
Acre = £25 - Suffolk Acre Membership (Community Action Suffolk)
SALC = £120 Subscription to SALC including two copies of The Local Councillor, access to website, help
Data Protection = £35
To approve and arrange the annual Donations to the Fete Committee £300 and Church £300 for 2014/2015
It was agreed by all that the Fete committee Annual donation be increased by £50 to £300. The donation to will remain as £300.
MATTERS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL
Church Matters
An annual report will be communication at the Annual Village Meeting.
The purchase of Vehicle Activation Signs
Local surrounding villages have agreed to club together to purchase a vehicle Activation Sign. A meeting is scheduled on the 25th June 2014 to discuss for all members of the Parish to attend.
Agenda items for Next Meeting
Autumn Village Clean Up
Date for Next Meeting
Annual Meeting of the Council 03rd July 2014 1945
There being no further business the Chairman thanked the Councillors for their attendance and declared the meeting closed at 21:45 / AL
PeS, EW
GA
ME
EW
Signed ChairDate