Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 24.07.14
in the Village Hall, Castle Combe
Cllr’s: F. Winup (Chairman).
A. Bishop (Vice Chairman).
B. Harvey.
J. Prior.
G.Ruggles.
D. Ryall (Clerk)
12 Parishioners.
The meeting was preceded by a short presentation about the proposed solar farm at the CC Circuit given by Mark Candlish of Solafields. The main concerns by those attending expressed were traffic disruption, noise and the impact on the village.
1. Apologies for absence:
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Mrs J. Haliday, J. Mackelden and Unitary Cllr. Mrs J. Scott.
2. Declarations of interest:
There were no declarations of interest.
3. Minutes of the meetings held on 15.05.14 and 12.06.14
These were accepted as a true record and signed by the Chairman.
4. Matters Arising:
A. Area Board Meeting
The Chairman attended the meeting on 30th June and was totally dissatisfied with it as the items on the agenda affecting the Parish were not covered. A further meeting is arranged for 6th August at which the items missed will be discussed. This will be attended by Cllrs.Winup, Bishop and Ruggles.
B. Parking Review
Cllr Winup said a meeting has been arranged with Martin Rose, Wilts Council to discuss what additional measures can be taken to prevent coaches entering the village. Mrs Gray said she had written to Cllr Scott about the coaches and illegal parking. The Chairman said he had asked Wilt Council for further clarification of the regulations regarding A boards and cones.
C. Neighbourhood Policing
The Chairman said that there had been ten burglaries in the area in the past 3 months and that another police liaison meeting was arranged for 7th August. He would be attending it and bring up a number of items including warning notices on illegally parked cars, speed watch, radar speed checks and dangerous cyclists.
D. Footpath/pavement – B4039 Whitegates to car park
Cllr Winup said maps provided by Cllr Bishop clearly show that the footpath from Whitegates to School Lane belongs to the Golf Club. He said he would discuss this with Martin Rose (Wilts Council) at their meeting.
E. Village Flooding
Cllr.Winup said he had spoken to Matt Boon, Environmental Agency, and due to competing priorities the modelling of the Bybrook will not be completed before February 2015. He said the sewage pipes throughout the village hade now been checked by CCTV to the sewage works and all blockages cleared. The recent heavy storms had caused flash flooding at Whitegates and the lower village with possibly additional drains being the only solution. The Clerk said he had asked Wilts Highways to clear the drains on the hill which are again choked with debris.
F. Highways & Street Scene
The Clerk identified the items on the work list that have been completed and said the significant out standing ones were:
Finger post at top of the hill to Ford.
River inlet on bridge to be enlarged now agreed with planning.
Gullies on hill need cleaning out on a regular basis.
Pot holes on all of the village roads need attention.
He said he was arranging a meeting in the village with Richard Dobson next week.
G. Defibrillator.
Cllr Winup said he proposed that decisions on this and first aid training are deferred until the out come of the C.C.Circuit solar farm planning application is known. The meeting unanimously agreed.
H. Best kept Village Competition
The Chairman said the village was a runner up in the competition and that judging had again been inconsistent. The main criticisms of the village were the Village Hall area, bus shelters, notice boards, hedges in the upper village and telephone kiosk. He thanked the villagers who had helped with the village tidy.
I. Wilts Council Highways Workshop Report.
This was deferred until the next meeting as Cllr. Halliday who attended was absent.
5. Finance- £
Income
Film donation 98.00
Expenditure
The Councillors checked and reviewed and approved the following invoices:
St Andrews Church – plants, Mrs Le Coz 50.00
Cllr Ruggles – plants 10.00
Liz Taylor – plants 17.49
WALC subscription 129.46
Cllr Halliday – plants etc. 20.99
Cllr Halliday – newsletter printing 28.00
Flourish & Bloom – maintenance 156.00
Community First – subscription 36.00
Douglas Tonks – Clerks salary and payroll costs 432.28
Cllr Winup – AGM refreshments 34.29
Macmillan Cancer Support – donation 20.00
Cllr Halliday –paint 6.95
Cllr Winup – post spike 7.99
Cllr Winup – auditors gratuity 25.06
6. Correspondence.
A. CPRE – Annual Subscription,
The meeting agreed to rejoin the CPRE for a further year.
B. War Memorial Trust – request for a donation
The meeting agreed to donate £20.00
C. Bobby Van Trust – request for a donation
The meeting agreed to donate £20.00
.
7. Planning applications
P.C. Approved:
Colham Mill – various tree surgery.
Upper Combe Farm – agricultural building for slurry separation.
Court Cottage – change to domestic.
Combe House – fell pine tree.
P.C. Under Consideration:
Lower Mill, Long Dean – change 3 windows.
P.C. Rejected: Nil
Unitary Council Granted:
Colham Mill – various tree surgery
Upper Combe Farm – agricultural building for slurry separation.
Court Cottage – change to domestic.
Unitary Council Rejected:
Nil
8. Unitary Councillor
The Chairman said that no report had been received but the outstanding items were being discussed with Wilts Council staff.
9. Playing Field & CC Circuit
Cllr. Mackelden has reported that C.C. Colts continue to maintain the field well.
He said the Circuit still had not reorganised the liaison meeting. The Chairman said he has asked Wilts Council to organise this in future.
10. Play Areas
Cllr Winup said the lottery grant application for £7500 was progressing well with the quote for replacing the lower play area equipment being £11051. He asked Cllr. Harvey if he would arrange for the lower area to be cleared of weeds which are very bad.
11. Highways.
Cllr. Bishop said the main items had been covered elsewhere in the agenda.
12, Village Environment.
Cllr Ruggles said he now had the Flourish & Bloom schedule but had mislaid the address of the Yatton Keynell contact. The Chairman said he would obtain it. Cllr Ruggles said that he had yet to contact Sarah Persons about cutting the hedge which Cllr Prior said could be carried out immediately as the nesting season was over. The Chairman said that work on the golf course footpath was still outstanding and he would progress the management again.
13.Whitegates
Cllr Winup said that the Golf Course has again promised to cut back their hedge in the immediate future and that two planters had now been placed at the Whitegates entrance. Cllr Prior said there was nothing else to report.
14. TV. Committee.
Cllr Winup said that completion of the super fast broadband was getting nearer which would give the village an alternative to the existing TV system.
15. Village Hall
The Chairman said the usual safety checks had been completed and he had received a quote of £1300 to fit a hearing loop in the hall. The meeting agreed this be deferred pending a further quote due in August.
16. Date of next meeting.
This was confirmed as Thursday 25th September 2014 at 7.30 p.m. the Village Hall. Please note this is one week later than previously arranged.