Parish Clerk / 0779 500 6811
WEREHAM PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes Subject to the Approval at the next Meeting
Ordinary Meeting of the Parish Council
Tuesday 8 November 2016 at 7.00 pm
Wereham Village Hall
Attendance:
Cllr Jo Bruce JB Chair
Cllr Gail Koopowitz GK Vice-Chair
Cllr Brian Bruce BB
Cllr Jacki Hitching JH
Cllr Jon Ratsey JR
Helen Richardson HR Parish Clerk
Also in attendance:
Cllr Martin Storey MS Norfolk County Council
Members of the Public: 4
106/16 Public Comments / Questions
The following issues were raised by members of the public present:
· A parishioner reminded the Parish Council of the concern of dangerous driving at School Lane and the road safety of pedestrians, particularly children. The Chair advised that the Clerk had contacted Highways about a site visit but to date there had been no response. She added that the Clerk would continue to chase them and the Parish Council were in full support of any limits or changes to the road signage in that area.
· It was requested that the Clerk report the cutting required of the verges at College Road at the point of the turning towards West Dereham/Hilgay to Highways. The Clerk agreed to report.
107/16 The Openess and Transparency Notice was read by the Chair.
108/16 Apologies and Welcome
Apologies were received and accepted for Cllr Nicki Loake and Cllr Pamela Walker. They were also received from Cllr Colin Sampson.
109/16 Consider Declarations of Interest on Agenda Items and Dispensation Requests
There was none.
110/16 Minutes of the Meeting dated 13 September 2016
The minutes of the Ordinary Parish Council Meeting held on 13 September 2016 were agreed as a true and accurate record of the meeting. Prop. GK, 2nd JH, Show of hands: All agreed.
111/16 Matters Arising from the Minutes:
i) Highways (Norfolk County Council)
Completed Actions: (For information only)
1. Flegg Green Draining Issue (pond) – The Chair shared that Norfolk County Council Highways had cleansed the whole system to its outfall.
Outstanding/Pending for Action:
2. Pond Boards: Andy Wallace, Norfolk County Council had emailed the Clerk to advise that the pond boards had been removed. The Clerk agreed to forward the confirmation email to BB and he agreed to double check the area.
Resolved: The Clerk to forward email to BB of confirmation of the removal of the pond boards and BB to check the site.
3. Drainage at culvert (TF60414) - JR advised that the drainage board had carried out the work identified, but not a complete solution but sufficient for now , it would be monitored in time for effectiveness. The Chair took a comment from the public who shared that the culvert in the past had taken an alternative route and previously split at Lammas lane, the Parish Council noted the information shared. After discussion JR and BB agreed to create a map which Norfolk County Council Highways had requested, for them to establish ownership of the culvert.
Resolved: That JR and BB will create a map to share with Norfolk County Council Highways to enable them to establish ownership of the culvert,
4. Road Markings at Telephone Box – The Clerk had created the signage to be installed near the dropped kerb to advise there was no parking due to the disabled access, BB and Mr Gotts agreed to display it in the area and it was agreed to include a spend limit of £25 on post or materials if required. The Clerk also agreed to pass GK notes to place on vehicles that park in the area once the sign had been erected to advise them not to park there. The Clerk advised that she would escalate the Parish Council’s query about installation of a white hatched area with Karl Rands at Norfolk County Council Highways as no response had been received.
Resolved: (1) BB and Mr Gotts to install the ‘No Parking Disabled Access’ Sign in the area of the dropped kerb with approval to spend up to £25 towards any post or materials required.
(2) Clerk to pass GK notes to be displayed on windscreens.
(3) Clerk to escalate enquiry about white hatched area to Karl Rands superior officer at Norfolk County Council Highways.
5. Grounds Maintenance at The Row, Verges – The Chair advised that Norfolk Council Highways had confirmed their responsibility for the verges at the top of The Row and would include in their grounds maintenance plan going forward. The Clerk had informed CGM and they had since removed The Row verges from the contract from April 2017. The Chair asked that the Clerk check for any owed funds from the current years’ contract with CGM.
Resolved: That the Clerk to contact CGM to enquire about any costs owed in respect of removal of The Row Verges grounds maintenance contract.
6. Fly tipping, Cavenham Road after dog bin on the right towards Boughton – Clerk to ensure the rangers resolve.
ii) General/Other
Completed Actions: (For information only)
1. St Margaret’s Church Clock Servicing Costs – The Clock had been repaired and serviced and was now working. An invoice had been received from the supplier for payment. The Parish Councillors thanked JR for resolving.
2. Village Pond Night Fishing – The sign had been installed in the area to advise that night fishing was not permitted, there had been no further instances of this or camping.
3. Cemetery Bench – The Chair advised that the Parish Council were grateful that Colin Eldridge and Keith Thompson had restored the Cemetery bench for its continued use. She added that they had been sent letters of thanks personally and a notice of thanks and pictures had been displayed on the Parish Council Facebook page.
4. Transparency Funding – The Chair advised that funding had been received and it was an item on the agenda for further discussion
5. Wereham Village Hall Grant Funding – The Chair advised that the Clerk had provided information to the Parish Council to confirm that it would be possible to bring the grant funding forward for payment before the end of the current financial year providing conditions of award are met.
6. Surrender of the Licence of the Playing Field on Wereham Village Hall land – The Chair advised that the Clerk had confirmed to Heygates, and subsequently the Wereham Village Hall’s solicitor by letter that the Parish Council confirmed they understood that they would be surrendering part of the Playing Field Licence relating to the land now owned by the Wereham Village Hall Charity.
7. Assistance in Payment of Re-licencing of Playing Field – The Chair advised that Heygates had confirmed to the Clerk that they would not be prepared to assist with costs for the re-licence of the playing field.
8. NALC Advise on Draft Playing Field Licence – The Chair confirmed that advice had been provided by the Norfolk Association of Local Council’s (NALC) and was on the agenda for further discussion.
9. Dog Fouling - The Chair advised that the Clerk had placed information about reporting instances to the Borough Council’s dedicated team on the Parish Council website.
10. Cemetery Hedge Quotation – The quotation had been received and was included on the agenda for discussion.
11. Grounds Maintenance of the Churchyard – The Parish Council had previously queried the reasons why the Churchyard had been their responsibility to cut as a result of the Clerks audit of current grounds maintenance costs. The Chair shared that the Clerk had sort advice, and it was confirmed by the Norfolk Association of Local Council’s (NALC) that legally a Parochial Parish Council (PCC) can ask a Parish Council to take on the grounds maintenance of a closed church yard. She added that there were documents to support that this occurred in Wereham in the 1960s. She continued to confirm that since then and to date, the law says that a Parish Council has three months from the time they are asked to take it on, to pass it to the Borough Council, which did not occur at the time and therefore it stays with the Parish Council indefinitely. The Clerk agreed to keep up to date with laws should they change in future.
12. 16/00116/TREECA – The Clerk had returned no objections to the application received.
13. Bus Shelter on A134 – The Chair advised that it was on the agenda for discussion and the Clerk had included items identified as actions as part of the report placed within the agenda.
Outstanding/Pending for Action: (Clerk to Resolve All)
1. The Manor House - The Chair advised that the Clerk had contacted the Conservation Officer twice at the Borough Council for an update but had received no response. The Clerk agreed to continue to chase.
2. Road Safety at School Lane – The Chair advised that the Clerk would continue to chase Highways for a site visit to discuss proposed action in the area to improve safety.
3. Grounds Maintenance at Queens Close on Freebridge Community Housing owned land – The Chair advised that CGM had removed the Freebridge owned land at Queens Close from the grounds maintenance contract from 2017, at a cost of £85 which had been an approved limit by the Parish Council at the previous meeting. The Clerk had contacted Freebridge who had confirmed it would be added to their Grounds Maintenance Contract. The Clerk agreed to contact CGM to seek confirmation of any costs owed from the current contract since the cut had ceased.
112/16 Correspondence Received
The following correspondence was noted by the Parish Council:
a. Naming of Properties at St Margaret’s Hill, Letter from Borough Council of West Norfolk.
b. Campaign for Rural England (CPRE) Letter regarding Devolution
c. Norfolk Association of Local Councils (NALC) and Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC) Response to Central Government regarding Referendums on Precept Increases for Smaller Councils
d. Norfolk Association of Local Council’s (NALC) and Community Action Norfolk (CAN) newsletters
The Following items was discussed in more detail:
e. Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Letter regarding New Housing Targets
The Chair advised that CPRE had written to the Parish Council to ask for support in their campaign aimed at ensuring that no new housing development sites are allocated for house building in revised local plans to 2029 or 2036 until all existing allocations in current core strategies had been developed. The Chair read a pledge document that had accompanied their letter for signature by the Parish Council to the Councillors, which was also included in the agenda pack. Following discussion JH and GK proposed a vote on the signing of the pledge, where three Councillors in favour and two were against. The Chair signed the document and the Clerk agreed to send to them.
113/16 Wereham Village Hall Update
Victoria Gray, Chair of the Wereham Village Hall Charity and Project Member and Treasurer John Eastgate attended the Parish Council meeting and shared that Wereham Village Hall had completed the land purchase for a strip of land on the playing field for the new village hall to be built upon. John advised the Parish Council that the Unincorporated Registered Wereham Village Hall Charity would now transfer its assets and accounts to the newly registered Wereham Village Hall Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity).
John further advised the Parish Council that there were currently three separately registered titles land in and around the current village hall site, being as follows:
· A strip at the pond side of the hall, that was given to allow for disabled access in the 1990’s;
· The land the current hall was cited on;
· A piece to the rear of the current village hall.
John advised that the Wereham Village Hall now wished to transfer the registered titles held by the Parish Council as Custodian Trustees for the Unincorporated Registered Charity to the Wereham Village Hall Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), and it was requested that the Parish Council formally acknowledge this change.
John further advised that the Wereham Village Hall’s Solicitor would action the transfer of registered titles and it would be at no cost to the Parish Council. John confirmed following a query that this would leave a previously agreed a 3 m strip (belonging to the Parish Council) next to the Heygates owned access to the Playing field, which linked to the land at the rear of the current village hall site where the play area was sited which also belongs to the Parish Council. The Chair queried if there would be any gaps between the strip of land retained by the Parish Council, and John confirmed that there would not be, and it would be connected to the land at the rear of the current village hall site.
The Parish Council had no further comments and agreed unanimously to acknowledge the change in registration of land titles held as custodians to the Wereham Village Hall Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
Prop. GK, 2nd JH, Show of hands: All agreed.
Resolved: (1) That the Parish Council acknowledge the change in land title registration from them as custodian trustees to the Wereham Village Hall Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
(2) That the Clerk share the minute with the Wereham Village Hall’s Solicitor John Gudgeon at the earliest available opportunity