West Monkton Parish Council
ADOPTED
WEST MONKTON PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 13th April 2016 at 7.00pm in the Village Hall, West Monkton.
Present: Cllr Ellis (Chairman) Cllrs Besley, Cavill, Day, Gage, Haskins,Thompson, Tully.
In attendance: Mrs P A Cavill, Clerk;D Cllr R Parrish, S C Cllr D Fothergill, Ms J Pearson Clerk Cheddon Fitzpaine, Mrs J Besley Communications Volunteer.
053/16 Apologies
Apologies had been received from Cllr Ling (personal) and Mr Tutill.
054/16 DPI Dispensations
No applications for dispensation had been received.
055/16 Adoption of minutes taken on 9th March 2016
The draft minutes had been circulated prior to the meeting, so taken as read. It was resolved to adopt the minutes of the meeting on 9thMarch 2016 as a true record, proposed by Cllr Thompson, seconded by Cllr Tully and all agreed.
056/16 Matters arising
The Clerk’s report had been circulated prior to the meeting.
The meeting was closed.
PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
Owing to pressure of time, Councillor Fothergill was invited to give his report at this point rather than the later place on the agenda.
Cllr Fothergill reported that the government is driving towards academy school, SCC is resistant due to its overall good Ofsted rating.
Devolution is also driving forward: the area will be Somerset and Devon to include 23 authorities including a national park. Some services are shared already. Funding from government will be affected if the bid is unsuccessful. Mayor for the devolved area is the government’s preferred option, S and D are resistant.
Police and Crime Commissioner elections will be on May 5th: Bishops Lydeard and Cothelstone Neighbourhood Plan referendum will be on the same date.
Questions to Cllr Fothergill: Will Hyde Lane repairs include the banks- yes. When will the NIDR be finished – this year.
Other items raised:
Parking in Heathfield Drive causing obstructed road, especially at corner of road (where extra house was built).
TPO’s on trees especially in the Primary School and in School Road.
Recycling plastic: distinction into categories is inconvenient and roadside rejection is a disincentive to recycle.
Ditch behind cottages on Bridgwater Road needs clearing.
Potholes in roads especially at top of Greenway.
Christmas tree dumped in Dyers Brook.
The meeting was reconvened.
057/16Items raised by the Public during Open Session
Reports from residents about parking on Heathfield Drive will be sent to PCSO Claire Escott for further investigation.
D Galley TDBC will be contacted ref questions about TPOs from A Pritchard
Cllr R Parris responded to Cllr Tully’s remarks about plastic recycling. The greater the roadside service the greater to cost to ratepayers. Three weekly recycling connections have been trialled in Wiveliscombe. More bins will have an impact in urban areas. Increased opening hours at Priorswood have been successful.
Estates office at Viridor confirm that clearing the vegetation from the ditch to the rear of the houses on Bridgwater Road is on a regular maintenance schedule, due shortly and again in the autumn.
D Quick’s comments ref site meeting for potholes and ditches had already been reported. The particular pothole on Greenway had been noted.
Christmas tree had been collected by Highways area supervisor D Brown.
58/16 To approve and adopt receipts and payments year end accounts
The Clerk went through the Receipts and Payments accounts that had been circulated to all councillors prior to the meeting. The quarterly reconciliations had been signed by a Councillor not recognised as a signatory at the bank; and the appropriate bank statements had been initialled by the same Councillor. After questions it was resolved to adopt the Receipts and Payments account, proposed by Cllr Ellis, seconded by Cllr Besley and all agreed.
The Clerk then read through each of the governance statements and after explanations had been given it was resolved to adopt the Governance Statement of the Annual Return, proposed by Cllr Besley, seconded by Cllr Tully and all agreed.
The Clerk then went through the Accounting Statements and after questions it was resolved to adopt the Accounting Statements of the Annual return, proposed by Cllr Tully, seconded by Cllr Gage and all agreed.
59/16 Neighbourhood Plan: Verbal update
It was reported that all the questionnaires returned in hard copy had been entered on the Survey Monkey system. Writing Groups were now analysing responses leading to drafting policies. Cllr Day reiterated her opposition to the Neighbourhood Plan and requested that her name should be removed from the Mail Chimp mailing list. It was explained that all the names on the list had given their permission to be included on the list and councillors had been added since West Monkton Parish Council was the lead council in the NP project. There are now 137 subscribers. Grants had been obtained to cover all cost except Clerks salary for the NP work done.
The list was discrete from the Mail Chimp ‘Buildings and new developments’ list because the terms of signing up for each list was different.
60/16 Planning Applications registered at TDBC
48/16/0020 Ms Briony Waterman: Erection of a garden shed in the front garden of Robins Greenway Monkton Heathfield (retention of works already undertaken). Likely issues: Householder application – so need to assess whether there is any adverse impact on the character of the building, street scene and/or surrounding area and whether the proposals result in loss of amenity through overlooking, loss of light/outlook or other disturbance from the completed development. Comment: the Parish Council would wish to ensure that the shed is for domestic use only, as road side parking has the potential to create a blind spot on the bend in the road at this particular location.
48/16/0025 Julie Moore: resubmission of extra documents for Hartnells development. Deadline is 21 days from 5th April. No likely issues listed. Planning committee to consider and report to full council.
61/16 Decisions made by TDBC
These are notified by Planning Section at TDBC by regular email. Details of conditional permission can be found on TDBC under planning application reference number.
62/16 To receive Official reports from Chairman (if needed), TDBC, (SCC see above)
TDBC report from Cllrs Parrish and Cavill
Cllr Parris reported on progress by the Boundary Commission: the aim is to have circa 43 Councillors which would mean each Councillor looked after about 2000 electors: the boundaries will be drawn to reflect this. The suggestions will be available for public consultation after June.
SW1 Steering group: TD will leave the contact with SW1 early. The discretionary grant for housing payments has been distributed by Revenue and Benefits. R Pinney (Solicitor) is leaving TDBC and a new Solicitor is being recruited; in the interim, Wendy Dolan (Mendip) will cover.
The by-election in Halcon will be 14th April, status quo of the Council won’t be affected.
Democratic Services is under review to ensure best use of officer time.
Issues with W Somerset were explained.
Deane House may be used as a future combined space: Council, Police, NHS.
DLO is relocating to Chelston, where the build has started.
Devolution: the bid to government has been made: 20year infrastructure plan for roads.
The existing primary school will be handed over to Heathfield School – the site represents a third of the total current Heathfield site.
Station Road will be closed for the bridge removal. East Street will be closed from the Burma memorial to the top of East Reach.
63/16 Environment: To consider applications for grants made to Parish Council
No applications for grants had been received.
64/16 M H Development
- To note outcome from Site meeting with Jo Sharp SCC Highways ref ‘No HGV’ signs
The email from Jo had described the time frame likely to be involved – stats had to be obtained which would slow things down, but all the signs will go in as described in her email.
- To report on site meeting with D Quick ref state of soft verges, ditches and road south of Mount Fancy
The email report of the meeting with D Quick had been circulated to all Councillors: there is no budget for repair of verges, but Parish Council can implement works with approval from highways: ditches needing repair have been noted: potholes have to reach certain dimensions before they can be repaired (40mm deep x 250 mm wide).
- Bus Gate working party update
Nothing to report at this stage
- To verbally report on information gathering meeting with S Taylor Persimmon
Meeting deferred to 20th April 2016
- Evaluation working party; to consider a date for the next meeting
No date was determined. It was considered that a sound understanding agreed by all Councillors of the Parish Council’s position regarding aims and aspirations for future development would be advantageous before Masterplanning for the next phase of the urban extension begins. It was noted that T Burton TDBC is likely to be convening Masterplanning meetings in the early part of May.
65/16 Laison meeting with J Moore TDBC
SCC will be responsible for Dyers Brook (not classified as main river); contact Ann Marie Wood.
Outstanding matters ta new primary school includes acoustic fencing at Brittons Ash.
Marketing of employment land needs to be established – Persimmon definitely own it. Hyde Lane safe route to school still trying to get path through it to open out onto Hyde Lane at field gate hwre pavement is wider.
Employment site at the Hatcheries needs tidying up.
Agreed to invite Lisa McCaffery to attend June or July parish Council, as endorsed by T Burton TDBC.
66/16 Allotments: Report from Cllr Haskins: current status of occupancy and rent collection for 1 Jan – 31 December 2016
All allotment tenants have now paid their rent for 2016. There is one vacant allotment.
67/16 To note Communications as listed and those previously circulated by email
It was agreed to ask headmaster I Robinson what the school was doing to celebrate the Queen’s birthday and if appropriate, the Queens commemorative medal might be considered.
68/16 To receive and approve receipts and payments and financial actions as per financial sheet circulated prior to meeting including a consideration of the Queens Medal.
As the end of year receipts and accounts had been scrutinised earlier in the agenda, there was no financial sheet prepared for April; the end of year accounts had been balanced with no outstanding matters, and a final year end bank reconciliation made. The bank statements for end of year were initialled by the Chairman.
There are now three ways of reporting/checking money spent:
paid by card – reported each month in Financial report, and cross referenced on bank statement
paid by bacs – successful bacs payment sheet printed off and cross referenced to bank statement
paid by cheque – cross referenced to bank statement.
Queens commemorative medal see para 67/16.
Receipts
Nil
Payments
Bus shelter cleaning and litter picking for Mar
Miss Kimber £31.25
Mr A Pritchard£56.00
Clerks salary April(after tax)£660.88 to be paid by bacs
Clerks NP work after tax, 15 hours£130.12 to be paid by bacs
Clerks exp 1 Jan to 31 March 2016£91.15 to be paid by bacs
Clerks NP mileage expenses Oct to March£14.40 to be paid by bacs
NP printing at TDBC£23.16 to be paid by bacs from NP a/c
HMRC month1£131.61
S Rolls Lengthsman’s Services March£51.99
Eon phone box £22.60 to be paid by bacs
Hire of WMVH Feb/March£85.25 to be paid by bacs
Homeworkers allowance Clerk£16.00 to be paid by bacs
Supply&install table tennis table Farriers Green£4527.20 to be paid by bacs
TDBC supply and install grit bin Dyers Lane£410.40 to be paid by bacs
e.on light at phone box The Street£22.60 to be paid by bacs
Resolution to make payments as described above (invoices to be paid by bacs where noted)
Proposed……………………………………………………………………
Seconded……………………………………………………………………
All agreed?......
1.To note Clerks salary annual increment on NALC salary scale – 66.25 hours per month at Scale point 23 £10.836 per hour (an increase from scale point 22 - 10.527, of 30p per hour).
2.To note: in 2015/16 no payments were made to the three charities that the Parish Council regularly support.
Resolution: to double up the payments this year 2016/2017:
Village News £200.00
Somerset and Dorset Air Ambulance £250.00
Taunton and District CAB £250.00.
Proposed……………………………………………………………………
Seconded……………………………………………………………………
All agreed?......
3. To note expenditure on stationary using debit card at PC world business
Reporters notebooks, Hanging files, stapler, popper wallets. £65.47
69/16 Dates of forthcoming meetings:
Parish Council: 13thApril 2016.The Annual meeting of the Parish Council will be 11th May 2016.
Working Parties: Bus Gate Working Party: Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee: Evaluation Working Party. Meeting dates will be posted on the web site.
Annual Parish Meeting Wednesday 22rd March 2017
There being no further business, the meeting was closed at 21.37pm
Signed Chairman………………………………………………. Date…………………………………………………………
Page 1 of 5 West Monkton Parish Council minutes of meeting on 13th April 2016