CRANBROOKAND SISSINGHURST
PARISH COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT
2009-2010
CRANBROOK & SISSINGHURST PARISH COUNCILLORS
CouncillorMiss Kristina AveryTel: 01580 713409
Councillor Mrs Beryl BancroftTel. 01580 715382
Councillor Garry BlanchTel. 01580 240622
Councillor Jeremy BoxallTel: 01580 712847
Councillor Mrs. Alison BunyanTel: 01580 713831
Councillor Kim FletcherTel: 01580 712348
Councillor David HazlewoodTel. 01580 714395
Councillor Denis HemstedTel: 01580 720450
Councillor Mrs. Pat HoareTel: 01580 752581
Councillor Graham HolmesTel: 01580 712653
Councillor Mrs Anne MarleyTel. 01580 713240
Councillor Peter NorthChairmanTel: 01580 212696
Councillor Mrs Linda PageTel. 01580 211238
Councillor Francis RookTel: 01580 713169
Councillor Brian Swann Vice ChairmanTel: 01580 712732
ClerkMrs C A Kirkaldie
Assistant ClerkMrs A Constable
Parish WardenIvor Hatcher
Published by Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council
The Old Fire Station,
Stone Street, Cranbrook,
Kent TN17 3HF
April 2010
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
You will probably know by now that the Secretary of State has agreed to a change in our name. In recognition of the important part Sissinghurst plays within the Parish and in acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication shown by present and past Sissinghurst Councillors, we are now officially Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council.
Following a survey carried out in the village stores; intended to obtain the opinion of the Sissinghurst parishioners on a selection of new designs for a Parish seal and letterhead, the Tower at Sissinghurst Castle is now included with the Crane in our town logo.
In the past year we have held eleven Parish Council meetings; eight in the Vestry Hall, Cranbrook and three in St George’s Institute, Sissinghurst. In addition our committees have met on twenty two other occasions, you will hear shortly a report from each of their Chairman.
Outside these listed meetings, councillors have also met with numerous other bodies for example; Tunbridge Wells Chief Executives, The Leader of the Council Roy Bullock, our own Borough Councillors, Borough Council Officers, KCC Members, the local Police - the list goes on, but basically anyone who can assist us in our many tasks.
We have continued to support the aims and objectives of the Cranbrook Weald Centre Group in their endeavours to find a site and build the much needed new Community Centre.
Many may know of the offer by the Leader of TWBC to assist us in building a small (maximum 400 sq metre) hall. We have rejected this offer, certain that the Parish must have a larger building; something that will provide important facilities for residents for the next 150 years much like the Vestry Hall has already.
Part of the Borough argument for suggesting a small Parish hall centres on the argument that The Queen’s Hall at Cranbrook School is available to the Parish because it was paid for in part from Borough Funds; a loan in 1995 to the school of £133,000.00.
However the agreement between the School and Borough signed at the time only permits the public the use of the Hall 27 times a year, this opportunity is mostly taken up by local organisations such as CODS.
In any case under the agreement the Hall passes over to the sole ownership and control of the School in 2015 and therefore may then be unavailable for local use.
There have been two surveys carried out by hard working local people looking at exactly what would be required within a modern Cranbrook Community Centre. These surveys contain extremely useful and valid information. However the Borough has suggested we need to commission a similar professional survey if they are to support a larger building.
With this in mind we have commissioned the company Urban Practitioners to conduct the independent survey.
Our reasoning for selecting this company is based on the fact that they were responsible for an earlier similar local survey, carried out on behalf of TWBC during the period when the Borough Council Offices in Cranbrook High Street were to close, depriving community groups of a place to operate. They have therefore, a large archive of information which we can use, saving ourselves a considerable amount of money. We must thank the Chief Executive at TWBC William Benson for allowing us access to this information.
As far as the old High Street Borough Council Offices are concerned, the Parish Council has supported demolition of the building and we have also objected to the Village Green application made for this site and currently being considered by KCC.
Our reasons are straightforward, in conjunction with the Cranbrook Weald Centre Group we still believe that this is a possible site for a new Community Centre and have not given up the idea of obtaining it for the town. I have written to the Leader of the Borough Council requesting that he again consider the sale of the site to the Parish.
Upon learning this year of a survey conducted by the Borough Council examining the prospect of charging for car parking in Cranbrook we joined forces with the Weald Business Association to resist the move, which we all considered to be potentially extremely detrimental, particularly to the businesses so important to the viability of the Parish.
An impressive document outlining the potential effects of parking charges on the area was produced by local businessman Howard Cox and sent to all Borough Councillors and relevant Borough Officers, this coupled with a petition containing over 5,000 signatures, also presented to the Borough, we hope, will kill this initiative.
Our thanks go to Councillor Anne Marley and Derek Wills, Chairman of the Business Association for leading this campaign.
I would also like to thank our local Borough Councillors who have fully supported the Parish Council in our endeavors and we look forward to continuing to work with them for the benefit of the Parish.
For the future, we have to consider the 3,000 new homes that the government has decided will be built in the Borough within the next ten years. Construction of these is to take place in Tunbridge Wells, Southborough, Paddock Wood and Cranbrook. We are expected to find in our town, space for 326 homes. As much as many people may like to resist, we will, we believe, have to accept this new build.
Finally can I thank all our councillors for their support and hard work over the past year and of course our embattled clerks, Coral and Angela - the place would fall apart without them.
Cllr. Peter North
Chairman
Finance Report for the Year 2009/2010
This report looks at what your Parish Council has done from the perspective of its finances for the year to the end of March 2010.
The accounts show the precept and expenditure for each committee as follows:
PreceptExpenditure
£ £
Policy and Resources121,150125,764
Burials and Properties18,85082,059
Economic and Community Development10,0007,630
Environmental Management12,80010,460
Planning/Preservation/Housing NilNil
General, including Contingency Fund 3,20012,913
______
166,000238,826
Funds earmarked during the year for
Future projects: £23,900
Our staff – the Clerk and Deputy Clerk, our Parish Warden and Vestry Hall Caretakers – is our most essential resource and we could not run the Council without them. Our staffing costs, including National Insurance and pensions amounted to £67,220. Other significant items of expenditure were as follows:
£
Insurances 9,703
Community Facilities Fund 2,000
General Administration 11,947
Street Lighting 11,164
Vestry Hall – Rates & Utilities 8,945
- Repairs & Maintenance 4,311
- Refurbishment & New Kitchen 40,515
Contracts for maintenance of our grounds,
Churchyard and War Memorial 22,382
Burial Grounds – Council Tax 1,795
Cemetery Digital Mapping System 2,925
General Maintenance of Cemeteries 2,346
Grants to Voluntary Organisations 6,530
Tourism and Economic Development 1,100
CraneValley– Enhancement 1,042
- Nature Reserve 3,500
Litter Clearing and Collection 4,260
These and all our other payments were funded by the precept of £166,000, various grants, monies earmarked in previous years and the following income:
£
Bank Interest 658
Hire of Vestry Hall and Addison VC Room 13,407
Rents Received 3,490
Burial Fees 7,220
At the end of the year there was £109,550 held as reserves earmarked for future specified expenditure, and £80,960 held as a general reserve.
The accounts are audited by our Auditor from Kent County Council and then sent as part of our Annual Return to the Audit Commission for approval. Once approval has been received the accounts are available for inspection at the Parish Council Office.
Cllr. Brian Swann
Chairman – Policy and Resources Committee
POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE
The membership of this Committee is the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Parish Council together with the Chair of each committee. We may invite others to attend. I would like to thank all the committee chairpersons for their hard work both within and outside the committee room. A lot goes on in their own time.
The Parish Council’s main aim is to improve the quality of life of its parishioners. We work closely with, and under the guidance of, our well thought of Parish Clerk, Coral Kirkaldie, without whom we would not be able to function. A big thank you for what she does. She is always cheerful and happy to see anyone who comes to call in to the Parish Office (which is open from 10 am to 12 pm Monday to Friday), with any questions or ideas about what is going on within the Parish.
If it is not our direct responsibility the Clerk or Deputy Clerk will try to put you in touch with the correct council or agency. We are here to help and receive your comments, good as well as bad.
This Committee aims to improve the way the Parish Council is run and oversees its finances, staffing, general administration and the setting up and granting of contracts for Council works. The other important function is to discuss the policies and direction the Council wishes to follow and pivotal to this is the Parish Plan. This sets out the policies we wish to pursue.
The practical side of these actions is passed to the individual committees for them to carry out; these will be detailed in their reports.
More specifically – what have we been doing – besides setting budgets, monitoring them and signing cheques? We were pleased to have a stand at both the Cranbrook Fun Day and the Sissinghurst Fete, and enjoyed meeting people who cared to call on us. We hope to see more of you this year.
A lot of our time has been spent on facilitating and discussing the new community centre for the parish and surrounding areas. We must thank the independent members of the Cranbrook Weald Centre Team for all their hard work and dedication. They are fully backed by the Parish Council and I assure you that progress is being made. They have a very good website – and I recommend that you look at this to keep yourselves up to date.
Whilst on the subject of websites, don’t forget the Parish Council website which keeps you informed as to what we are doing and what is happening in Cranbrook and Sissinghurst. There is a diary of events and we ask parishioners to put their functions on this as early as possible (it may avoid a clash of events) by contacting the Parish Office which will be happy to update the diary.
Finally don’t forget to read our regular newsletters and please let us have your thoughts and ideas, as it is only by getting feedback that we, as Parish Councillors, can help you to the best of our abilities.
Cllr. Brian Swann
Chairman – Policy and Resources Committee
BURIAL GROUNDS AND PROPERTIES COMMITTEE
Cemeteries:
The cemeteries at SissinghurstandGolford are generally in good order and are well looked after by our contractors and Parish Warden.The wet conditions at both sites have not completely gone away but it is felt that there has been some improvement in Sissinghurst since our neighbour David Wheeler kindly dug out the ditches along the north side.We have also got in mind that when the SissinghurstPrimary School site comes up for re-development we may get them to drain surface water in a different direction as it is felt that with the present situation water runs off the site into the Cemetery.
The Parish Council has purchased a computer grave mapping system and our two clerks have worked very hard entering all the relevant information onto the system for Sissinghurst and Golford, it is now almost complete.It is hoped to include St. Dunstan’s later.Not only will this make it more streamlined and easier to allocate new plots it will also be a very useful tool for research. Once found all the relevant details will come up on screen.
At St. Dunstan’s the ivy has been removed from the wall along Carriers Road and an unsightly mound of soil removed from between the lime trees...
We are still actively seeking a suitable piece of ground for woodland burials.
War Memorial
A new plinth has been built to raise the Plough approximately a foot off the ground. This has balanced it better with the Howitzer. A hardwood strip has replaced the softwood painted strip around the base of the Memorial with the hooks to take the poppies.
Vestry Hall
During this past year the Vestry Hall has been completely refurbished. There is now a new kitchen situated under the balcony and at the other end where the old kitchen was there are now the disabled entrance and a storage area.The stone window surrounds have been cleaned off and the whole hall re-decorated including cleaning and repair of curtains. The floor has been sanded and sealed.We have also purchased new chairs and a mobile dais.Contract cleaners have been engaged on a once a week basis in order to keep the hall in a pristine condition.
The changes have been welcomed by the hirers and the Hall is well used.
Angley Cottage
Thisunfortunately is still ongoing and we now await a professional report on what exactly needs to be done in order to make it once more habitable .Once this is established and the cost estimated it is felt that this would be the best way forward.The cost could then be reclaimed from the rent and once this was paid back, the rent after expenses would then go back into the Trust fund which is for the upkeep of the playing fields.
The Penny Farthing in Sissinghurst has now been adopted by The Parish Council and is now part of the remit of this Committee. The Flower Show Society will continue to look after the planting.
This Committee is also responsible for Bus Shelters and notice boards so if any member of the public sees anything amiss please report it to us via the Clerk.
Lastly thanks go to the Committee Members and Clerk.
Cllr. Denis HemstedChairman – Burials and Properties Committee
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
I have been a Member of this Committee for about five years. I took responsibility for this Committee in May 2009 and this is my first report as Chairman.
I have been very fortunate to have in my team Cllrs.Kim Fletcher, Linda Page, Kristina Avery, Jeremy Boxall and Brian Swann, all of whom have a wealth of experience in matters concerning business in this area as well as having a thorough working knowledge of voluntary organisations operating in the Town.
I decided from the outset that we needed a mission statement and would endeavour to ensure that all that we do is driven by that statement. That statement was “Facilitating economic activity and encouraging involvement”. I would like to think that we are working well to achieve these aims.
The committee has focused on three important issues affecting the Town, namely, Section 137 grants, the Parish Plan and the effects of the economic downturn.
Without doubt, one of the more satisfying activities within the Council is the awarding of grants under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972. This legislation empowers, Parish Councils among others, to make grants from its precept to local organisations where it is evident that there will be benefits to the community. We do not have vast sums to offer and are currently restricted to £5000 per annum, but as anybody who runs a voluntary, charitable or sports organisation will tell you, even the smallest amount can make all the difference.
I am pleased to be able to report that the following organisations have applied for and received grants during the last twelve months:
The Weald Business Association
Sissinghurst Flower Show Society
Cranbrook in Bloom
The Apple Fayre Committee
Cranbrook Family Fun Day Association
Cranbrook Town Football Club (adults & juniors)
Community Wardens Five a Side Competition
Hospice in the Weald
If you run a similar organisation and are seeking funds for a project, please come into the office and talk to us.
Turning now to the Parish Plan, some of you may be wondering, what is a Parish Plan and why do we need one?