1
Ordinary Meeting of Ringwould with Kingsdown Parish Council
11th June 2012
Attending The Chairman, Cllr P Macwilliam, Cllrs: N Jackaman, D Clark, Rev Sigrist, A Shepherd, D Bucknell, H Paice, R Broadley . Clerk Sarah Spanner,
1 Record of members present
Members and clerk as listed above were present, Community Warden Malcolm Wells, District Councillor Sue le Chevalier and one member of the public attended for part of the meeting
2. Declaration of interest with regard to items on the agenda,
Cllr Bucknell declared an interest in item 9.2
3. Public Participation,
The local resident attending was a representative from North and South Road residents and asked whether councillors needed any additional information in relation to the proposal that the residents had determined with Dover District Council. (as circulated to councillors for agenda item 10.3) The resident confirmed that the provision of overflow waste storage would enable the removal of wheelie bins and use of plastic sacks in this conservation area and that the residents association would be closely monitoring compliance. Cllr Bucknell felt that more information was still required in relation to the storage of the bins, Cllr Paice was disappointed at how long this matter had taken and wished that the Parish Council had taken a stronger position initially. There being no other questions, this topic would be formally discussed as item 10.3
4. Read and confirm minutes of the previous meeting
Subject to the following amendments Cllr Sigrist proposed and Cllr Jackaman seconded that the minutes be accepted as an accurate record, 5 voted in favour, 2 abstained
Item 5, Cllr MacWilliam asked that the record be amended that the rights over the land did not include camping
Item8.2 Cllr Shepherd did not recall that he had stated that the proposed houses were out of keeping rather that any development needed to be of appropriate architectural style and quality
Action clerk to amend and publish minutes
5. Community Warden / Partners and Community Together initiative.
A report had been provided by the PCSO, read by the Community Warden, which indicated that reported crime levels were down and encouraged the reporting of crimes or anti social behaviour as he was aware that there was a perception of anti social behaviour in the Queens Rise area of Ringwould. Cllr Jackaman accepted that the figure might show a reduction but even one report could have significant impact and be a major issue, such as the recent criminal damage at Ringwould Church. He queried how often the PCSO was in Ringwould and stated that he believed there would be benefit for the PCSO to be in the area late at night, as the pub was closing as noise and disruption did occur. It was also felt that recent bad weather might have had impact on reducing anti social behaviour.
6 Matters arising (not covered elsewhere on the agenda)
Cllr MacWilliam confirmed that as agreed in May, the small strip of land in Ringwould had been cleared but further work and possible spraying would be needed in the autumn to keep growth in check. There was a discussion on possible use of this land but it was agreed that as most Councillors did now know where the land was or its access and it was agreed that they would contact the clerk who would arrange to show them this area.
Cllr Shepherd reported that he had spoken to a local craftsman in relation to Jubilee signs who had done similar work for other Parish Councils and would be pleased to quote for the Parish Council. Cllr Jackaman expressed a strong concern that this issue had taken months so far and the Council had still neither made a design decision or resolved issues associated with location. Cllr Bucknell agreed and felt it was a matter of process that Councillors were not presenting complete packages of proposals and thus could never reach a final conclusion (this being the subject of his proposal at agenda item 11.2) Cllr Jackaman proposed that a total budget of no more than £3k be allocated to this project, which must cover the signs, their installation and also any planning costs associated with their introduction, Cllr Clark seconded , all voted in favour and it was agreed that Cllrs Bucknell and Shepherd would work up a proposal for 2 village signs, their design, location with all the associated advice/formal requirements from Dover planning and Kent Highways in relation to their installation
(all councillors invited to suggest to them any specific design requirements) ACTION CLLRS SHEPHERD AND BUCKNELL
Cllr Broadley reported that he had been unable to make any progress with regard to the waste storage area at the Zetland Arms as the landlord had refused to consider putting up any screeningor to discuss this any further with the Parish Council. There was a discussion as to the options now available, including the Parish Council erecting screening or requesting the removal of the current bins from the Parish Council land. It was agreed , however, that Councillors needed to fully understand any rights associated with this piece of land (over and above access and a public right of way). Cllr Broadley proposed and Cllr Bucknell seconded that a meeting be arranged with Parish Council solicitors , all voted in favour. ACTION CLLRS MACWILLIAM AND BUCKNELL TO GET LEGAL ADVICE AND REPORT BACK TO THE PARISH COUNCIL (clerk to arrange meeting)
Cllr Shepherd mentioned the provision of a screen behind the goal post at Kingsdown. The clerk confirmed that she was awaiting a response from KCC Landscape team, who provided the one currently in situ. Rabbit scrapes were also discussed, the clerk would ask Andy Calder to fill these in but the problem was that they were likely to return the next day. Cllrs Jackaman and Bucknell queried whether it was of value to pay a contractor for this work, the clerk suggested that it may be something that Councillors could volunteer to do, other Parish Councils do undertake volunteer similar activities such as litter picking. Cllr Bucknell queried the inspection protocol, the clerk confirmed that the area was checked monthly and a full risk assessment carried out each year. Cllr Broadley agreed that he would discuss whether a local garden contractor would be willing to provide a small bin of earth to remain on site which would allow users of the ground to fill in holes. ACTION CLLR BROADLEY
10.3 Waste Collection North and South Road Cllr Paice requested that this item be brought forward to allow the local resident to leave the meeting if she so wished, this was agreed.
A proposal had been circulated to councillors that had been developed by local resident group members in discussion with Dover District Council. The proposition was to remove wheelie bins ,considered unsuitable for the conservation area, and revert to plastic sacks. In doing this however, because of the high proportion of absentee home owners who are rarely in occupation on waste collection days, some form of remote overspill facility was required where such residents could leave their waste safely and hygienically. 360 litre bins will therefore be sited near the public conveniences. Local resident group members had indicated that they were supportive of this as a solution and believed it would protect the local environment and had also offered to do some tidying up around the area of the WC’s to ensure that there was room for the bins. Dover District Council had confirmed that they would be happy to undertake a trial scheme.
Cllr Bucknell proposed and Cllr Paice seconded that the Parish Council write to Dover District Council expressing agreement in principle to this scheme but seeking confirmation of the exact location of the bins, ensuring a commitment to remove wheelie bins and for local residents to be committed to the scheme. It was confirmed that the local residents group would be advising all homeowners and monitoring their compliance. All voted in favour ACTION CLERK TO RESPOND TO RESIDENTS GROUP AND WRITE TO DOVER DISTRICT COUNCIL
7. Co Option
The clerk confirmed that three applications had been received, details circulated to councillors. Cllr Paice queried the situation with regard to ex councillor Price. Cllr MacWilliam confirmed that he had spoken to Mr Price after the last two meetings, who had said he would consider whether he wished to be considered for co option but that he had not submitted an application. Cllr Broadley confirmed that Mr Price had advised him that he would not be applying.
A meeting with applicants would be held on Wednesday 27th June at Ringwould Village Hall ACTION CLERK TO ARRANGE AND CONTACT APPLICANTS
8. Misc land
8.1 Fields in Trust there was a discussion on the benefits and constraints offered by this scheme. Cllr Sigrist proposed and Cllr Clark seconded that no application for trust status be made, 7 voted in favour, 1 abstained, motion carried
8.2 Play Area Ringwould – the clerk provided Councillors with details of the quote received from the contractor selected in 2011 to resurface the areas under play equipment in Ringwould (an issue raised during Health and Safety inspection). The first part of this work was done in 2011, two pieces of equipment in the smaller play area were still to be done. Cllr Shepherd disagreed with such work as he felt that soft, safe matting under play equipment was un necessary. Cllr Sigrist proposed and Cllr Clerk seconded that the quotation be accepted. 7 voted in favour, 1 against, Motion carried. ACTION CLERK TO ARRANGE
8.3 Tree Planting offer A local resident had offered to obtain some free trees from the woodland trust to plant on Parish Council Land. Councillors felt that Freedown wood was the most suitable area. ACTION CLERK TO CONTACT HELEN WILLIAMS WHO WOULD BE ASKED TO CONFIRM TYPE AND NUMBER OF TREES TO BE PLANTED
9. Finance
9.1 Cllr Broadley proposed and Cllr Sigrist seconded that the following schedule of payments be approved, all voted in favour
838 / Broker Network (insurance) / £955.62*839 / KCFPA membership / £20
840 / CPRE membership / £29
841 / Hewitt Landscapes , grounds clearance / £300*
842 / Navigus Planning subscription / £50
843 / Kingsdown Village Hall / £18**
844 / S.Spanner salary (4 additional hours Apr/May for yearend) / £455.93
845 / Post office Ltd (PAYE) / £113.80
846 / Addelam Tree Care / £350*
*quotes approved at May Parish Council meeting
** to replace chq no 812 issued in March 2012 which has been lost by the recipient and has not been presented
Cllr Broadley proposed and Cllr MacWilliam seconded that two additional payments be made
847, A Calder, Grounds Maint £255, 848 P Godden Litter Picking £54.90 all voted in favour
9.2 Grant request Kingsdown Conservation trust
Further to information previously circulated and published on the PC website and in Rural Roundup, Cllr Bucknell summarised an option that had been secured by Kingsdown Trust to purchase a plot of land, Yeoman’s Field, for the benefit of the local community and visitors to the area. A deposit has been paid and the final payment was due by end July, fund raising was underway, £3800 being raised to date. A grant of £2500 was requested. Cllr Bucknell confirmed that the trust was aware that in order to make a grant the Parish Council must be confident in a community benefit which had to be demonstrated and the trust wished to maximise access whilst balancing this with the conservation of wildlife. The local school was very supportive of the proposal and hoped to make visits to the land for educational purposes.
Cllr Clark indicated that the matter had been discussed at the local WI meeting and there was very little support for spending public money in this way. Cllrs Broadley and Shepherd disagreed and both had received indications of support from local residents who were supportive of preventing this land from future development.
Councillors wanted re assurance that any grant made was not at risk and if, for some reason, the purchase was not made, the grant would be returned to the Parish Council. A loan was suggested but that was not felt to be an ideal solution, Cllr Bucknell confirmed that the money would not be at risk and would be returned if the bid failed but he did not believe this to be likely.
Cllr MacWilliam raised a query about trustees and was concerned that these would be by invitation only, but that he felt it was important for local residents and Parish Council to influence the trust and ensure the delivery of the benefit. Cllr Bucknell accepted this point, they would be seeking community involvement and he suggested that a representative from the Parish Council might be appropriate.
In response to a question raised by Cllr Clark relating to ongoing maintenance, Cllr Bucknell confirmed that the trust did not under estimate the task of managing such a piece of land and that it would be seeking grants from a variety of sources to assist with this work. The trust was not assuming an on going commitment from the Parish Council and was aware that any such future grant requests would only be considered for specific purposes and could be refused. Cllr Bucknell was not anticipating a grant from Kingsdown Conservation Group.
Cllr Sigrist expressed concern that the bulk of the Parish Council’s work was associated with land, and land management and that it was not yet looking at direct to support to local people such as the elderly. Cllr Jackaman agreed as did Cllr Buckenll but he stated that this was an important opportunity which he felt should not be missed. Cllr Bucknell proposed and Cllr Shepherd seconded that the Parish Council pledged £2500 towards the purchase of the land, cheque to be raised in July but as agreed this money to be returned if the bid failed. 6 voted in favour, 1 voted against, 1 abstention , motion carried.
10. Correspondence for Parish Council
10.1 Firing Range Land , information from Natural England had been circulated to Councillors about the potential to include this land in work associated with the coastal path. Councillors were interested in the proposal but there was a concern about the potential liability should the Parish Council take over ownership and also that the parish council would need to have a well developed plan for future management. It was agreed that as this was not something to be done quickly and that a working group comprising Cllrs MacWilliam, Sigrist, Shepherd, Broadley , Bucknell and Paice would be formed to begin work on this over the summer. It was expected that meetings would be required with Natural England and the M.O.D, ACTION WORKING GROUP MEMBERS TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOP A COMPLETE PROPOSAL FOR THE FIRING RANGE TO RESPOND TO NATURAL ENGLAND’S SUGGESTION. ACTION CLERK TO EXPRESS AN INTEREST WITH NATURAL ENGLAND AND SEEK FURTHER INFORMATION ON LIABILITY ISSUES
10.2 E mails re planning gain. An email from a local resident, together with a response from Kingsdown Conservation Group had been circulated. Whilst the concept of planning gain was valued by the Parish Council it was agreed that this suggestion was too late for the plot in question and some concerns were expressed over the route. Cllr Bucknell pointed out that the local resident could speak to landowners and planners if they so wished. ACTION CLERK TO RESPOND THAT THE PARISH COUNCIL WOULD NOT BE PROGRESSING THIS MATTER
10.3 Email circulated re North & South Road Waste Collection, dealt with earlier in the meeting
11. Parish Council Process
In accordance with standing orders it was agreed to defer the following two items
11.1 Code of Conduct, the Parish Council would need to adopt a revised model at the July meeting
11.2Confirmation of standing orders in relation to papers submitted to the Parish Council to deliver comprehensive proposals for consideration
12 Planning
11.1 The following recent responses of the Planning Committee were noted
12/00320 / St Andrews House, Upper Street, conversion of garage to habitable room, erection of single storey front extension and alterations to existing vehicular access / No objections12/00313 / Stoney Lodge, Upper Street, Kingsdown CT14 8DT erection of two storey extension / Concern raised in relation to the style of roof being out of keeping. No other objections made
12/00278 / Site at Forge House, Dover Rd Ringwould. Conversion and change of use of garage to a single dwelling with associated car parking / Concern raised relating to the impact of the parking area on the NE side of the property on the adjacent conservation area
11.2 The following recent decisions of Dover District Council were noted
TC/12/00043 / Village Green, Back Stree15% crown reduction to one Ash tree and removal of lower limbs at 1.5-2m / Granted permission12/00225 / Variation of Condition 5 of planning permission DOV/11/01147 to allow windows and doors to be of UPVC . Plot Adjoining Mer Vista, Chalk Hill Road, Kingsdown, / Granted permission
12/00057 / Erection of 3 detached dwellings and construction of vehicular accesses (existing dwelling to be demolished) Greenleaves, Kingsdown Hill, Kingsdown / Refused planning permission
13 Information Exchange