15th March 2018

CASTLE COMBE PARISH COUNCIL

Draft Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 15.03.18 in the Village Hall, Castle Combe

Present:

Cllr’s:

  • F. Winup (Chairman).
  • S. Bettles.
  • Mrs. J. Halliday
  • B. Blair
  • J. Prior.
  • Mrs. H Reeves
  • D. Ryall (Clerk)
  • 5 Parishioners.

1. Apologies for absence:

  • Cllr. J. Mackelden, Unitary Cllr. Baroness. Jane. Scott

2. Declarations of interest:

  • Cllr. Bettles – 4G. Estate yard licence. 4M. Cllr Blair -Speeding on the hill.

3. Minutes of the meetings held on 18.01.18 & 13.02.18

  • These were accepted as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

4. Matters Arising:

  • 4A. Area Board Meeting and Parish Forum
    • Area Board
    • Cllr Bettles confirmed he will attend the 19th March meeting at Monkton Park starting at 7pm.
    • The Chairman will attend the meeting on 4th June as the Market Cross grant is on the agenda.
    • Parish Forum.
    • The Chairman said he attended the meeting on 31st January at which there was a very interesting presentation on cyber crime. Cllr Biddles or Cllr Prior will attend the next meeting at North Wraxall on 21st March.
  • 4B. Parking Review.
    • i) Car park Signage.
    • Cllr. Winup said discussions with Wilts Council about funding the proposed new car park signage will be deferred until the village cross costs are finalised as the Parish will have to find 25% of the cost.
    • ii) Parking statistics
    • The Chairman said there were no bookings in January and nine in February.
  • 4C Footpaths
    • The Chairman said that as Wilts Council were unable to supply scalpings until mid year he had visited Wicks quarry as agreed who have no scalpings available. Cllr. Prior agreed to speak to John Collins to find out costs and possible delivery dates. The Chairman said the requirement was for the Whitegates turning circle, the golf club footpath and the Roman bridge footpath for which a Path Improvement Grant was possible dependent upon cost.
  • 4D. Village Flooding
    • The Chairman said the Environmental Agency (EA) still has not convened the meeting with affected property owners to explain the procedure for providing financial assistance to install flood prevention measures. The Flood Working Group meeting on 14th March was not attended as there was nothing new on the agenda.
  • 4E. Defibrillators.
    • Cllr Winup said the Area Board had agreed a grant of £3495 which is half the projected cost of £6995 including contingencies for two up stands and electrical installation. He said he would ensure the grant is accepted by the required date of 15th April. The Whitegates location is agreed as Cllr Reeves house but the other two are in abeyance waiting agreement by Wadsworth Brewery for the one at the White
    • Hart and a location in the upper village. The possible places for the latter are the telegraph opposite Westway Close and ‘Hedgerows’ which Cllr Bettles agreed to check as it is Bybrook Estate property or as a last resort the telephone box at the top of the hill.
  • 4F. Market Cross
    • The Chairman said following the extraordinary meeting of 13th February grants are being sought from the Pilgrim Trust (£25K their average) and Leche Trust (£5K their maximum). Both Trusts will consider the requests at their May meetings and the Council will also apply to the Area Board in June for further help which is normally a maximum of £5K or more if funds allow. The Chairman said he had also written to The Andrew Brownsword Art Foundation and The Garfield Weston Foundation and awaits responses.
  • 4G. Estate yard Licence.
    • Cllr Winup said the revised version is now ready for signature.
  • 4I. Village Welcome Pack.
    • Cllr Halliday said this was still on her ‘to do’ list.
  • 4J. Community Issue 5335 Speed Limit B4039
    • The Clerk said that this has been rejected by CATG on the grounds of cost and legislative criteria for low accident rate. He said he would write to Mr and Mrs Fry explaining the rejection and provide them with a copy of the Principle Highway Engineer’s report.
  • 4K. White Lines – lower village issue 5660
    • The Chairman said that as agreed at the last meeting this was in abeyance and would be reconsidered in the future when funds were available and the possible use of Area Board’s ‘substantive fund. The Council would have to provide 25% of the cost.
  • 4L. Village/ Council Web Site
    • Cllr Winup said this had now been successfully implemented by Cllr Mackelden and Parish Council Web sites.
  • 4M. Speeding on the hill.
    • The Chairman said a CATG has been raised for the 20mph speed limit through the village and submitted to the Area Board.

17. Cotswold Wardens – repairs to Roman Bridge footpath

  • Included in item 4C

5. Finance- £

  • Income
    • Castle Combe Colts – insurance 116.49
    • Congregational Chapel – rent 5.00
  • Expenditure
    • The Councillors checked and reviewed and approved the following invoices:
    • D.Ryall – printer cartridge 14.99
    • Cllr Winup – newsletter printing 66.00
    • SSE – quarterly invoice 89.02
    • Cllr Winup – annual expenses 125.00
    • D. Ryall – petty cash 40.00
    • D. Ryall – salary 264.05
    • HMRC – tax 141.20
    • Parish Council Web Sites – design & implement 649.00
    • CC Village Hall – room hire 45.00
  • Lloyds Bank account @ 19.12.17 35593.16
  • Deposit account Shawbrook (William Prior Heritage Fund) 20000.00

6. Correspondence.

6A.WALC/NALC – GDPR tool kit.

The Chairman said that this was the new Data Protection Regulation which all companies and local authorities including parish councils have to comply with by May 2018. The penalties for none compliance are significant.

He said he has written to Jane Scott asking how Wilts Council intend handling this and received a reply that an information meeting for Parish Councils is planned for April 2018. The Parish Council needs to carry out an audit on all the personal data held on paper & computer with the TV committee & emergency plan being the more obvious areas.

Each Council has to have a data controller which cannot be the Clerk or Chairman. Cllr.Winup said he has asked Cllr Blair if he would consider taking on this task. Cllr Blair confirmed he would and said that the first job was to identify all of the personal data the Council held which he would discuss with the Clerk. He and the Clerk agreed they would attend the Wilts Council meeting in April.

6B. New review of ethical standards in local government.

The Chairman said this was a review by senior politicians appointed by the Prime Minister of local government ethical standards examining the structures, processes & practices for maintaining Codes of Conduct. NALC will respond to the questionnaire on behalf of local councils.

7. Planning applications

  • P.C. Approved:
    • Meadowside UCC – tree surgery
    • Congregational Chapel – convert rear for accommodation
    • Cleeve House UCC – fell fir tree
    • Combe House – tree surgery
    • St Andrews Church – revised plans
    • 2, School Lane – tree surgery
    • Fuchsia Cottage – 40% reduction of Willow tree.
  • P.C. Under Consideration:
    • 2, Fairfield UCC – revision to land enclosure.
  • P.C. Objected.
    • Nil
  • Unitary Council Granted:
    • The Coppice UCC – fell sycamore.
    • Meadowside UCC – tree surgery
    • Cleeve House UCC – fell Fir tree
    • Unitary Council under Consideration:
    • 2, Fairfield UCC – flat roof extension for kitchen etc.
    • 2, School Lane –tree surgery
    • Fuchsia Cottage – 40% reduction of Willow tree

8. Unitary Councillor

  • No comments received.

9. Playing Field & CC Circuit

  • Playing Field
  • The Chairman said that Cllr Mackelden had reported there are no problems with the playing field and that he was continuing to progress Mr. Marshallsay for a circuit liaison meeting date. He said an organiser was still required for the October car boot sale.

10. Play Areas

  • The Chairman said that he understood from Cllr Mackelden that painting the seat in the lower area is still outstanding but otherwise there are no problems,
  • Cllr Reeves said the Whitegates equipment was fine but as previously reported badly needed painting.

11. Highways

  • Cllr Halliday said other than the items previously discussed the only ones outstanding were the river marker posts and kerbstone replacement. Cllr Winup said the river marker posts are deferred until funds are available. Cllr Halliday said the roads have been swept three times, all of the gullies cleared out and the salt bins refilled. Cllrs. Prior and Bettles said they both still have some salt available.

12. Village Environment.

  • The Chairman thanked Cllr Prior for clearing the snow from the hill and adjacent roads with his tractor and snow plough. The Clerk said he would send Cllr Prior the details of Mr Bruce- Scott who carries out the general maintenance work.
  • The meeting agreed that the village tidy should take place on the same date as Whitegates on 21st April

13. Whitegates

  • Cllr.Reeves said the tree felled after the recent storm has been cut back to a stump and thought it should be removed completely. Cllr Winup said to wait and see if it shoots again and then make a decision.
  • She said that people were fly tipping at the Whitegates end of the school footpath but had yet to spot the culprits and that buses are refusing to use the Whitegates turning area due to the large potholes.
  • Cllr Reeves said the felt on the bus shelter roof is coming off and Cllr Winup wondered if this could be fixed during the village tidy. She also suggested there should be a salt bin at Whitegate and Cllr Bettles said he would obtain prices.

14. TV. Committee.

  • The Chairman said that invoices have been issued and monies received. There was a problem last week but identified as damp in the houses concerned and rectified.

15. Village Hall

  • The Chairman said the bookings remain good and that the banking details are being changed to include Cllr Blair, the new Chairman, as a signatory.

15A Standing Order Amendments re Village Hall & TV Committees.

  • The Chairman proposed that these are amended to reflect the voting procedures for committees and subcommittees are stated in the NALC guidelines. This was seconded by Cllr Prior and unanimously agreed by the meeting.

16. Filming in the village for a student film called the Liar.

  • This was turned down after review of the synopsis.

17. Date of next meeting.

  • This was confirmed as Thursday 17th May 2018 at 7.00 p.m. in the Village Hall for the Parishioners’ Annual meeting followed by the Council Annual Meeting.