MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD 0N THURSDAY MAY 5TH 2016
IN THE ORCHARD PARK SITE OFFICE SAT 7pm
~70~
A.G.M.
-1- Present: Mrs H.Ford, Mrs J.Hird, Mr K.Watson (Chairman), Mr M.Williams Boro’ Cllr.)
and 8 members of the public.
-2- Apoloigies: Mr P.Awford (County Cllr.)
-3- Election of Officers: The following were elected-
(i) Chairman: Mr K.Watson (prop. Mrs Hird, sec’d. Mrs Ford)
(ii) Vice Chairman: Mrs Hird (prop. Mr Watson, sec’d. Mrs Ford)
(iii) Financial statement by the Clerk: Costs were rising significantly all round and a substantial rise in Twigworth’s precept had been accepted by the Borough; over the years the parish council had always requested a very low annual figure. With the ‘Support Grant’ a total of £2806 was paid in at the end of April (£2265 last year). For the establishment of a website (now a legal requirement), the applied-for grant (via the GAPTC) had now also been received. Bank bal. c/forward was £1124.
THE ORDINARY MEETING
-1-/-2- Present/Apologies: As above.
-3- Announcements by the Chairman: He made it clear that his many other commitments made holding this position in the long term an impossibility. He asked that the position be addressed again at the next meeting. Since the last meeting in May the Chairman, Elaine Watson, had resigned from the Council. This was much regretted but personal matters had made this inevitable for her. The present vacancy notice leading to co-option was already on the notice boards. No one had yet come forward although the Clerk & Chairman knew of two people who had previously shown interest.
-4- Members of the Public: The matter of the moment above all else was the recent ‘exhibition day’ by developers Taylor Wimpey for a housing estate off Sandhurst Lane and all in the room wished to speak. The Chairman said that this extremely important issue would be discussed under item 11, Planning.
-5- Declarations of Interest: None
-6- Minutes of the last Meeting: These had already been widely circulated and were signed as read.
-7- Matters Arising: The unused & brand new Dog Bin: Mrs Ford said that Orchard Park had decided they did not now wish to have it placed on the site. After 5 years of uncertainty about collection, was there no other local site? It was suggested that everyone bring a site suggestion next time.
-8- Borough Councillor’s Report: Cllr. Williams said that he could remain for the whole meeting and would offer comment throughout the evening.
-9- County Councillor’s Report: Not available
-10- Roads, Pavements and Footpaths: VAS(vehicle activated sign) by church not working… The Clerk to contact the relevant person within Shire Hall, a Mr George Surman.
Three matters for the Clerk to write to Glos.Highways officer Chris Hawkings…
(i)The hard-standing at bus stop just before the Premier Inn is inadequate & several schoolchildren will be waiting there for a Tewkesbury bus from September. To request a meeting at the site, and also…
(ii) Seeking a solution to the traffic passing dangers when a car transporter is parked outside the Skoda garage. (Could the vehicle reverse into the forecourt? Could the large lorry lay-by nearby be used if the church lay-by is already occupied?)
(iii) Despite the repair backlog of main road potholes, the condition of the main Twigworth lay-by to be brought to the attention of Mr Hawkings. The clerk predicted that there was little hope of it getting on to any repair programme.
Blocked footpath off Sandhurst Lane… The Clerk had received a reply from landowner Mr Smith promising the immediate installation of the stile alongside the locked gate. This was the obvious solution. From the damage to the official footpath sign, it appeared that it was most likely damaged by a mechanical hedge-cutter at some stage. The sign is reported to have alreadyb een replaced.
-11- Planning: There were no new applications for consideration by the council.
The sole topic for discussion was the developer Taylor Wimpey’s ‘public consultation’ exhibition’ held a week ago in a room at Down Hatherley Manor. Almost everybody in the room had attended, and the opinion of everyone was that such an estate (120 houses) would give rise to a total of at least 200 extra cars, an unacceptable portion of which would regularly traverse Sandhurst’s narrow rural lanes at peak times. Similarly, extra traffic along the A38 & Down Hatherley Lane would raise the present level of frustrations and delays significantly. The future huge 1000+ ‘Drymeadow’ Innsworth development was bad enough to contemplate, yet if Hitchens and T-Wimpey were to develop, their total alone would mean a further 875 new houses. Both Twigworth and D.Hatherley PC’s were of the opinion that they should have nothing to do with this T.Wimpey ‘consultation’ as a sign of contempt and disdain, although the Clerk was aware that many locals had responded negatively,
and vehemently so.
The Clerk was asked to send the following to T.Wimpey… “We acknowledged your Chestnut Tree Farm proposals at our meeting tonight. We await hearing of your further intentions and will communicate at a later date.”
-12- Finance: (a) Then Clerk read out the annual audit Statement of Governance & the Chairman then signed the relevant section.
(b) The return had already been assessed and signed as correct by the Internal Auditor
(Mr D.Joy) and the Chairman signed the Accounting Statement.
(c) Cheques signed at meeting or since last meeting:
000454 £86.58 (GAPTC - annual sub.)
453 (spoiled)
455 £18.50 (PATA (UK)) Payroll fee.
456 £500 (Down Hatherley PC -agreed NDP contribution)
457 £50.00 (Orchard Park management, voluntary room hire donation)
458 £115.20 (Cheltenham Sign Studio – roadside placards)
459 £50.00 J.Hird, bus shelter cleaning)
460 £170.01 (‘Community First Trading’ -annual insurance)
-13- Any Other Business:
Setting up the Twigworth PC website… Local resident Sarah Yates had agreed to provide this and she furnished the council with figures for the computer and other equipment which she had chosen after consultation with the GAPTC. The Clerk would reimburse her once she had made these purchases, and for web posting & domain registration. As with the Clerk’s original computer (funded by the Borough in 2006), there should be some website grant funds remaining to contribute something towards a now much-needed replacement, and a small mono scanner/printer. Councillors agreed to these payments whenever they fall due.
Visits of Police / PCSO’s to Parish Council meetings… These regular visits had ceased a couple of years ago and the Clerk had made inquiries. They had been very useful for airing local concerns and for police / public relations, but severe funding cuts had ended them. The Clerk had heard from the Tewkesbury area Neighbourhood Policing Officer saying that with enough advance notice a Police visit could be arranged to address a particular issue.
Sad letter from the vicar, churchwardens and the PCC of St Matthew’s Church (in the Parish of Twigworth and Longford) regarding its future… Although visually attractive from the outside, this belies the parlous state of both the interior and the exterior. The facts are not encouraging-
** The church was built from stone that was “too young” and after 175 years it is crumbling badly, and stabilising it may be unrealistic. The cost would approach £250,000. The yearly upkeep is over £10,000 and the congregation is small.
** All options will now be considered and there would have to be a formal public consultation before any firm proposals were developed. The process would be quite lengthy and stakeholders and parishioners will be kept fully informed at all times.
** The churchyard would continue to be kept open to serve the parish. Cllr. Williams had already asked the Borough Solicitor about what responsibilities might devolve upon the parish council.
Recent fly tipping along Sandhurst Lane… The two burnt-out medium-sized caravans had been a particularly bad incident, and the Borough had had to clear it all away in due course. Cllr. Williams had no
Indication as to who the perpetrators might be this time,.
The meeting ended at 9.10pm Signed………………………………………..Date......
Next Meeting: July 7th