Crowhurst Parish Council

Crowhurst Parish Council

Minutes of the Meeting held on Monday

16 September 2013 at 7.30pm in Crowhurst Village Hall

Present: Councillors Mr S Baldry, Mr B Basham, Mr S Blackford, Mr C Hamson, Mrs R

North, Mr C Pearce (Chair), Mr A Stainsby, Mrs P Buckle, Clerk to Council.

County Councillor Mrs K Field, PCSO Mr C Dewitt, 7 Members of the Public

Item No: / Action By
1
2
3
4
4.1
4.1.1
4.1.2
4.1.3
4.1.4
4.1.5
4.2
4.3
4.4
5
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
6.
6.1
6.2
7.
8
9
10
11
12
13
13.1
13.2
14
14.1
15
16
16.1
17
17.1
17.2 / PCSO
The Chairman took PCSO Chris Dewitt’s report at the start of the meeting so that he could return to duty. He had no issues to raise for Crowhurst.
Public Questions
Concern was expressed about rude and abusive hawkers at the home of a resident, who explained the background to the issue. It was reported that hawkers are being dropped off at Upper Wilting and walking through to Catsfield, calling at houses on route, they are then picked up in a van in Catsfield. Some residents when refusing to buy goods felt threatened by the hawkers aggressive behaviour. There was a response from one call to the Police but no contact could be made with the PCSO or 101. PCSO Chris Dewitt apologized for this stating that a change to the telephone system had not gone as smoothly as hoped, but this had now been rectified. He stated that from the description given of the license used in this case it would appear it was not an official document. PCSO Chris Dewitt explained that contact to the Police or to 101, must be made when the hawker was at the premises so that they could be apprehended. He also stated that checks had been made on information given by the resident and this group was unknown to Rother DC, the DHSS or Trading Standards. He advised that if people felt threatened or if they thought fraud was involved they should dial 999. When the PCSO for Crowhurst, Daryl Holter, returned to duty he would issue ‘no cold callers’ stickers for householders. An issue of dangerous parking by a Highways Maintenance truck was also raised and it was confirmed that this was for further patching work on the Catsfield Road.
Apologies – District Councillor Ms A Davies.
Disclosure of Interests
Items 8 &13.1 – Councillor Steve Blackford declared a personal interest because his home is in close proximity to the Combe Valley Countryside Park and the Bexhill/Hastings Link Road.
Minutes
The minutes of the meeting held on 15 July 2013, Planning meetings held on 19 August and 9 September 2013 and the financial appendix were unanimously approved and signed by the Chairman as a true record.
End of Minutes of Previous Meeting
Planning
Notifications from Rother District Council
RR/2013/1048/P Bradgate, Station Road (Mr J Ward)
Construction of balcony/terrace at rear of house at
upper floor level with stair and canopies to rear
and front entrances. Granted with Conditions
RR/2013/1263/P South Cottage, Swainham Lane (Mr J Magnanti
& Ms H Coryndon)
Proposed extension and pergola to rear and
extension over side door to form porch.
Granted with Conditions
RR/2013/2013/P The Firs, Crowhurst Care Home, Old Forewood
Lane (Mr A Sehmi)
Demolish existing porch and rebuild on same
footprint. Provision of dormer window to existing
staff room in rear roof space (Part Retrospective).
Granted with Conditions
RR/2013/1217/P Brakes Coppice Park, Forewood Lane (Mr P
Dudley)
Proposed increase in number of caravan and
camping pitches from 30 to maximum of 60
between 1 March and 31 October. Also retention
of sited park home for holiday letting between 1
March and 31 October. Granted with Conditions
RR/2013/1394/P Horseshoe Farm, Swainham Lane (Mr S Knott)
Proposed conversion of redundant farm buildings
to two holiday lets with associated access, parking
and landscaping. Granted with Conditions
Applications
Outstanding Matters - None
Planning Correspondence - None
End of Planning Matters
Finance
Receipts – Bexhill Rotary Club for use of Recreation
Ground Car Park £30.00
Cheques
for Authorisation at this Meeting (16 September 2013)

chq no. Payee Details Gross £ VAT

(reclaimable)

804 C Newton – Repairs/Maintenance to
Pavilion 206.00
805 G Moon – New benches for
Playground. 500.00
806 Action in rural Sussex – October
Workshop Fees 27.00 4.50
807 Clerk’s August Salary 460.25
808 C Newton - Repairs/Maintenance to
Pavilion and installation of benches
At Playground 246.06
Above signed prior to meeting to avoid delay
809 SLCC Enterprises – 9th Edition of Local
Council Administration 63.00
810 Cleansing Service Group – Emptying
and Servicing of Sewage Treatment
Unit 300.56 29.76
811 SALC – 8 Copies of the ‘Good
Councillors Guide’ 12.60 0.10
812 Action in rural Sussex – Subscription 50.00
813 P Cochrane – Litter Clearance at
Recreation Ground for August and
September; Millennium Garden
Contract 313.34
814 Clerk’s September Salary including
back pay. 485.35
815 Post Office Ltd – Income Tax 351.60
DD BT – August and September 2013 44.88 7.48
DD EDF Energy – Pavilion Electricity for
August & September 64.00
Bank Reconciliation – July/August 2013
The Clerk presented the bank reconciliation statements which were approved. The Chairman queried an item on the Financial Budget Comparison report concerning income from the Local Council Tax Support Transitional Grant. The Clerk explained that Rother District Council had miscalculated the Rother parishes allocation of the grant and had subsequently awarded a further £1,423.34 to Crowhurst.
Councillors Quarterly Audit – April-June 2013
Deferred from July meeting. Councillor Steve Baldry reported that a minor error had been found and this had since been rectified.
Clerk’s Salary
In line with the salary increase agreed by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services and the Clerk’s Contract of Employment, a 1% increase was approved, backdated to 1 April 2013.
Resolved: the Clerk’s salary be increased by 1% backdated to 1 April 2013.
Society of Local Council Clerks Regional Conference
The Clerk’s attendance at the Conference on 6 November 2013 in Maidstone instead of the National Conference was approved
Resolved: The Clerk to attend the SLCC Regional Conference in Maidstone on 6 November 2013 at a cost of £69.
End of Financial Matters
Recreation Ground
Crowhurst Football Club
The meeting noted that the Contract had been signed and training had commenced.
Hastings Junior Football Club
The Chairman signed the Contract and the 2013/14 season home matches were due to start in October 2013.
Playground
Councillors Weekly Inspections
Councillor Alan Stainsby reported that he had carried out inspections, finding all to be satisfactory. Councillor Rachel North to inspect in September/October 2013.
The Chairman raised the issue of the fence bordering Blacksmith Cottage and agreed to speak to the owner. He also commented on the success of the two picnic tables recently installed and suggested another be purchased.
Resolved: To place on the October agenda report back on discussions with the owner of Blacksmith Cottage concerning the fencing; and to discuss the purchase of a third picnic bench for the Playground.
End of Recreation Ground Matters
Bexhill/Hastings Link Road
Latest Update
The Chairman reported that he had been invited to the inaugural meeting of the Liaison Committee on 9 October 2013. He voiced concern about the long list of invitees from various organisations and feared the Committee would become unwieldly, and expressed the need for Crowhurst’s voice to be heard. He also reported that Ms Chloe de Renzy-Martin had supplied him with contractors details for people who had enquired about possible work on the project.
Standards Matters
The meeting noted the report to Rother District Council Standards Committee regarding the review and plan of the Committee for Standards in Public Life. Councillors agreed to adopt the revised 7 Principles of Public Life.
Resolved: To adopt the 7 Principles of Public Life.
New Village Hall
Councillor Brian Basham stated that the village wants a new village hall and that grants should be sought. He also raised the possibility of using the land south of the Youth Club. It was pointed out that this land has been earmarked for an outdoor performance area. The results of the village-wide questionnaire which gave four options for the site had been analysed by a third party and showed most people who responded were in favour of a new hall being established at the junction of Station Road and Forewood Lane because of its proximity to the church and school. It was also stated that car parking and access by emergency services vehicles at the recreation ground would not be sufficient, and flooding was a real issue. Councillor Rachel North stated that there was a large body of residents who were against siting the new hall at the recreation ground. The Chairman stated that there appeared to be two options - (1) to wait for the outcome of the Planning Inspector’s deliberations on the modifications to Rother District Council’s (RDC) Core Strategy in which the Station Road/Forewood Lane site had been earmarked for housing development, which included an area for the village to put a new village hall; or (2) to design and build ourselves which would involve identifying and purchasing a piece of land. This second option is likely to involve at least a doubling of the Precept to pay for a loan from the Public Works Loan Board depending on whether the loan was taken out for 25 or 50 years. If the new hall was part of the RDC development there may be the chance of some financing from the developers through the Community Infrastructure Levy, although this is likely to be reduced because of the flooding mitigation that would be needed. After much discussion, Councillor Alan Stainsby proposed that the Village Hall Project Committee be reconvened to look again at the cost of loans, buying land and grants. Having collected this information a meeting could be called to put the facts before the village and for residents to decide the way forward. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Brian Basham and unanimously agreed.
Resolved: to reconvene the Village Hall Project Committee to establish factual information on the cost of loans, buying land and grants and to put the results to village residents at a meeting.
Winter Maintenance
Councillor Steve Baldry reported on a meeting held on 27 August 2013 between himself, Councillor Chris Hamson and the Clerk with East Sussex County Council Highways Department and its contractor which had discussed the reductions in the Department’s budget, the disbanding of the Village Maintenance Teams, and the possibility of villages taking over some of the tasks currently undertaken by the Department, with the exception of its statutory responsibilities mainly around safety. ESCC representatives stated that the budget for the Village Maintenance Teams would be allocated to villages who could then decide how the work would be carried out. A snow plan was also outlined which ESCC is encouraging villages to adopt, this would include identifying local farmers to operate snow ploughs. Outcomes from this meeting would be taken to the ESCC Town & Parishes Conference in October. After some discussion it was felt that financing from ESCC could not be guaranteed in the future leaving the cost of the work falling solely on the Precept. Councillor Steve Baldry stated that further information was awaited from ESCC on the work carried out in Crowhurst by the Village Maintenance Teams over recent years and which would not be done in future, for which hedgerows ESCC was responsible, contracts and funding for farmers operating snow ploughs and the provision of equipment for the village. It was decided to place this item on the October agenda when Mr David Short, Communications Manager for the contractors would be present.
Resolved: to place this item on the October agenda for further discussion.
Autumn Newsletter
The Clerk presented a draft newsletter to which some changes were agreed as a result of this meeting.
Report Back from Meetings
Combe Valley Countryside Park Management Board Meeting held on 23 July 2013
Councillor Chas Pearce had attended the meeting and reported that ESCC, Rother District Council (RDC) and Hastings Borough Council (HBC) had each contributed £19,000 per annum to the scheme. However the current financial climate has resulted in ESCC withdrawing it’s funding, RDC has not yet decided what it will do and HBC is continuing its support at present. The lack of resources almost brought the scheme to a standstill but the Management Board is now examining ideas from the charity, Groundworks Trust, which has supported similar schemes around the country. The Board is still looking at setting up a ‘Friends of the Combe Valley’ group and it was imperative that Crowhurst be represented. It was suggested that this could come from the Crowhurst members of the ‘Road to Nowhere’ group. Minutes of the Management Board meeting had been emailed to Councillors.
Crowhurst Society Meeting
Councillor Chas Pearce attended the meeting held on 3 September 2013 and minutes of the previous meeting had been emailed to Councillors. He reported that Mr Eddie McCall, Chairman, and Mr Dick Jordan, Treasurer, had both resigned and Mrs Sarah Blackford is the interim Chair. Councillors acknowledged that the building of the BHLR is going ahead. Concern was expressed about the deterioration of Adams Farm and Bynes Farm now that they were unoccupied. Councillor Alan Stainsby proposed that the Crowhurst Society should have a public meeting to inform residents of the resignations and ask the village what it wants the Society to do in future. Village representatives from the group that protested against the road could join along with a representative from the Parish Council. Some suggestions for future activity were - housing development, new village hall, and the Combe Valley project. This was seconded by Councillor Brian Basham and unanimously agreed.It was also agreed that a letter be sent to the Society acknowledging the great and detailed work it had done over very many years.
Resolved: that the suggestion be put to the Crowhurst Society for a public meeting to inform residents of the resignations and ask the village what it wants the Society to do in future; and a letter be sent to the Society acknowledging the great and very detailed work it had done over many years.
Consultations
Rother District Council Core Strategy Modifications
Councillor Chas Pearce reported that he had carefully examined this document and Councillors had been provided with copies of the modifications relevant to Crowhurst. He stressed that the modifications had not been adopted as yet but had first to be agreed by the Planning Inspector whose decision was unlikely to be known until January. Following the Inspector’s approval, the document would then need to go out for consultation before formal adoption by RDC. He further reported that the large development at Breadsell Lane was no longer ruled out but, if it had to be included, would need considerable infrastructure. 14 houses had been included for the land at the junction of Station Road/Forewood Lane and a further 6 units on the disused land at the Station car park. Councillor Chas Pearce emphasised the need to keep a watch on further work on the Core Strategy and the Planning Inspector’s decision. County Councillor Kathryn Field stated that there was an urgent need to get the Core Strategy agreed before developers started buying up land.
Resolved: that Parish Council was in favour of the modifications but concerned about the possible development of the Breadsell Lane site.
Training
The Clerk reported that the Three Counties Training Partnership, an arm of the Sussex Association of Local Councils, is currently working on the programme for 2014.
Information for Councillors (for noting or inclusion on future agenda)
ESCC Town & Parish Conference – To take place on Friday 18 October at the De La Warr Pavilion. It was agreed that the Chairman and Clerk would attend.
Date of Next Meeting
Recreation Ground Committee – Monday 14 October 2013 at
7.30pm in the Committee Room, Crowhurst Village Hall
Parish Council – Monday 21 October 2013 at 7.30pm in
Crowhurst Village Hall.
The meeting closed at 9.20pm.
Signed …….……………………………. Dated …………………… / RN
CP
PB
PB
PB
CP
CP/PB

10