Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 20.03.14
in the Village Hall, Castle Combe
Cllr’s: F. Winup (Chairman).
A. Bishop (Vice Chairman).
Mrs. J. Halliday.
B. Harvey.
J. Mackelden.
G.Ruggles.
D. Ryall (Clerk)
6 Parishioners.
1. Apologies for absence:
Apologies for absence were received from Unitary Cllr. Mrs J. Scott.
2. Declarations of interest:
Cllrs. Harvey and Halliday declared an interest in Item 7, planning, if the revised application from ‘The Old Smithy was discussed.
3. Minutes of the meeting held on 16.01.14
These were accepted as a true record and signed by the Chairman.
4. Matters Arising:
A. Area Board Meeting
The meeting on 10th March was not attended as there was nothing affecting the Council on the agenda. The Chairman asked for a volunteer to attend the next meeting on 28th April which is at the Neeld Hall starting at 3.00p.m. The local Street scene coordinator will be in attendance. He said the further dates had not been announced but he would like a rota system creating for attendance at these.
B. Parking Review
Cllr Winup reported that the grave digger had been booked at a recent funeral and the Council is supporting the appeal that this is rescinded. He said he would continue to progress the parking authority for attendance on Friday evenings.
C. Neighbourhood Policing
The Chairman said that there had been no sign of the police placing warning notices in the windows of cars causing a parking hazard or radar speed checks as promised at their liaison meeting. He said ‘speed watch’ was not yet operative in Yatton Keynell and asked for suggestions where the metro count (speed check) cables should be installed. Cllr Mackelden said a 20mph limit should again be considered for the lower village. The Chairman replied that surveys of existing 20mph limits had minimal effect and that the mandatory requirements for lighting, speed bumps, chicanes etc would not be appropriate.
D. Footpath/pavement – B4039 Whitegates to car park
Cllr Winup said that Mike Crook, Countryside Development Manager, had written stating he could not help due to pressure of work. The Chairman said he would ask Paul Bollen for assistance.
E. Village Flooding
Cllr.Winup said there had been minor flooding during the past months but a problem had occurred with diluted sewage seeping from drain covers in the lower village. This was caused by the pipe bore capacity being insufficient between the pumping station and treatment works. He has raised this with the Wilts Flood Working Group and will progress it at the next meeting. Cllr Bishop said this had occurred previously and the suggestion of a separate pipe from the upper village down to Long Dean rejected on grounds of cost. Cllr.Winup said there had been no further news from the Environmental Agency on progress with the modelling of the Bybrook.
F. Street Scene
The Clerk identified the items on the work list that have been completed and said the significant out standing ones were
Missing pedestrian sign at the bottom of the hill.
Whitegates turning area fence.
Finger post at top of the hill to Ford.
River inlet on bridge to be enlarged.
Gullies on hill need cleaning out on a regular basis.
He said he would reissue the list asking for additions/ comments.
G. Defibrillator.
Cllr Winup said he would attend the presentation on 15th May and that the CC golf club would also be attending. He said he had investigated the Red Cross First Aid 2 hour training course, Save a Life, and found there were none within 30miles. The alternative is a First Aid Basics 5 hour session costing £300 (own premises) or £420 (other premises) for a maximum of 15 people. The Chairman proposed deferring the decision on this until after the defibrillator presentation. The meeting unanimously agreed.
H. Castle Combe half Marathon.
The meeting agreed that this had been well organised and successful with 200 runners competing. Cllr Halliday said she had been told that it would be held again next year on 8thMarch.
I. Council Vacancy
The Chairman said the Council had received applications from two parishioners, Mr John Prior of Upper Combe Farm and Mr Glen Thorn of 2, School Lane. The Councillors present considered the applications and a ballot was held to decide the preferred candidate. The Clerk counted the ballot papers and said that Mr John Prior was successful and was co-opted to fill the vacancy. The Chairman said it was unusual to have two good applicants at the co-option stage and therefore made it a difficult choice. He thanked Mr Thorn for his interest.
5. Finance- £
Income
C.C. Village Hall – electricity & heating oil. 350.00
Expenditure
The Councillors checked and reviewed and approved the following invoices:
Victim Support – donation 20.00
Cllr Winup – newsletter printing 32.50
Southern Electric – quarterly bill 77.41
Mr. M. Roberts – sandbags etc 143.82
Mr B. R. Wheeler – repairs to wall & village cross 355.00
Mrs le Coz – plants for War Memorial. 36.08
Village Hall – hire charges 45.00
Bristol & Wessex water – half year charge. 80.41
Douglas Tonks – Clerks salary and payroll costs 432.28
5A. Standing Orders – Finance
Cllr Winup said that NALC had this week issued a draft revision of this which includes:
a) One signature only on payments, but a recommendation for small Councils that they have two, of which one may be the Clerk.
b) Allowing a spend up to £60K without issuing newspaper tender notices.
He proposed that the Council adopted the recommendation in a) for 2 signatures out of 3 including the Clerk, and in b) to increase the allowed spend from £10K to £15K. Cllr Winup also proposed that he and the Clerk review the NALC revisions for any other implications to the Council’s standing orders and report back at the next meeting. The Council unanimously approved these proposals.
6. Correspondence.
A. CPRE – Best Kept Village Competition
The Clerk said the Parish did not enter last year due to the increased paper work required and bureaucracy. The meeting agreed in principle to enter this year subject to the substantially revised rules being neither onerous nor overly bureaucratic. The Chairman proposed that he and the Clerk review the documentation and based on this make a decision. The Council approved this proposal.
B. Wilts Council – Emergency Planning Workshop.
The Chairman said that as the Parish was regularly involved in the emergency planning exercises there would be little gained by attending. The meeting agreed that it would not be attended.
C. Mrs Grey – letter re filming in the village.
The Chairman said he had responded to Mrs Grey and explained the financial advantages to the village of filming. The letter had been circulated to the Council with no comments received.
D. Wiltshire Council – revised bus timetable.
Cllr Bishop said he was extremely disappointed with the changes to the Castle Combe services and was discussing them with Wilts Council. He could find no evidence of any consultation about stopping the service to Corsham only that on Saturdays.
7. Planning applications
P.C. Approved:
The Old Smithy UCC – rear extension
The Weavers House – renew roof
Hill House – fell Sycamore etc.
Upper Manor House – fell Ash etc.
The Weavers House – tree surgery.
P.C. Under Consideration:
Nil
P.C. Rejected: Nil
Unitary Council Granted:
The Old Smithy – rear extension and roof lights
Unitary Council Rejected:
Nil
Appeals
The Laurels UCC – conservatory approved.
The Cottage UCC – rear extension rejected.
8. Unitary Councillor
The Clerk reported that no response had been received from Cllr Scott on the following:
· The Circuit Motors problem or the use by them of using the lay by in the upper village for parking vans etc.
· To ascertain if it is possible to ban coaches from entering the lower village.
· To ensure that the parking authority wardens regularly visit the village on a Friday evening & weekends.
9. Playing Field & CC Circuit
Cllr. Mackelden reported that C.C. Colts continue to maintain the field well and are checking the hedge adjacent to the road for damage.
He said the Circuit had yet to reorganise the liaison meeting and have again said that it was in hand.
The Chairman said the recent table top exercise for the Japfest/Badminton weekend had been successful and the organisers appeared confident there would be no problems.
10. Play Areas
Cllr Harvey apologised for being unable to check the play areas for the past months due to pressure of work. He said he would now be able to regularly check both areas to the approved schedule.
Cllr Winup said he assumed the draft grant form was alright as he had received no comments from the Councillors and he was now waiting for the second quote.
11. Highways.
Cllr. Bishop said he had nothing to report and noted that Wiltshire Council was allocating £4M to road improvements.
12, Village Environment.
Cllr Ruggles said there was a tree down near the Whitegates bus turning circle and that the verges had been badly damaged at the top of the hill. The Clerk said he would discuss this with Wilts Council. Cllr Ruggles said he was concerned about the state of the wall around the ‘Old Werrets’ which was becoming dangerous. The Chairman said he would speak about this with the owner Mr Duncan and also discuss the overgrown roadside hedge at East Combe Farm House with Sarah Parsons.
13.Whitegates
Cllr Winup said that the Golf Course has again promised to cut back their hedge in the immediate future.
14. TV. Committee.
Cllr Winup reported that all subscriptions have been received. The year end financial position is income £686, costs £144 and assets £5153. There is no completion date yet for the super fast broadband.
15. Village Hall
The Chairman said he had written to Wiltshire Council requesting an extension of discretionary rate relief. The Clerk confirmed that this had been received with no rates to pay for the 2014-15 financial year.
16. WW1 Commemoration in the Village Hall
The Chairman said that this would no longer be necessary as the Church was organising a major event, a concert, on 5th July which would include a slot for the history of the people in the village who were involved.
17. Date of next meeting.
This was confirmed as Thursday 15th May 2014 at 7.00 p.m. for the Parishioners’ Annual Meeting followed by the Parish Council AGM in the Village Hall.