Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 25.09.14
in the Village Hall, Castle Combe
Cllr’s: F. Winup (Chairman).
A. Bishop (Vice Chairman).
Mrs. J. Halliday
J. Prior.
G.Ruggles.
D. Ryall (Clerk)
Unitary Cllr. Mrs. J. Scott.
2 Parishioners.
1. Apologies for absence:
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs. B.Harvey and J. Mackelden.
2. Declarations of interest:
There were no declarations of interest.
3. Minutes of the meetings held on 24.07.14
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 the 6th August with Cllrs. Bishop & Ruggles. The meeting agreed the need for a parish forum to feed information into the Area Board. Cllr Prior said this was the main subject of the meeting on the 8th September and that the Area Board agreed that the first Forum will take place on 22nd October. Cllr Winup said he would attend.
B. Parking Review
Cllr Winup said Wiltshire Council have agreed to install signage restricting coach access to the lower village. There will be dispensation for coaches visiting the hotels and the White Hart provided they drop off and then depart. He said the parking figures or August were not available due to the absence of the official.
Cllr Winup said a meeting to discuss this and other Highways and Street scene problems has been arranged for 9am on 17th October.
C. Neighbourhood Policing
The Chairman said that he had attended the police liaison meeting on 7th August and only 4 out of 38 parishes attended.
He said Yatton Keynell and Stanton St Quinton have not progressed with Speed Watch. Cllr Bishop asked if a speed gun could be borrowed to carry out a few random checks. Cllr Winup said he would ask Les Fletcher if this was possible.
The Police confirmed that in a 20mph limit there was no prosecution unless 35mph was exceeded and that they would place more warning signs on vehicles parked on double yellow lines.
D. Footpath School lane to Whitegates
Cllr Winup said he had walked this and the one to Park Lane with Martin Rose (Wilts Council) who suggested that a site visit was arranged with Mike Crooks and Stephen Leonard, Footpaths and Rights of Way, to discuss possible repairs. He said he had requested a meeting in October but had no reply to date.
E. Village Flooding
Cllr.Winup said it was confirmed that the modelling of the Bybrook will not be completed before February 2015. He said that although the sewage pipes throughout the village had now been checked by CCTV and cleared, there were still problems during the recent flash flood on 18th September. This would be brought up at the next OFWG meeting. A regular drain clearance plan and a survey of the complete village system would be discussed at the meeting with Adrian Hampton.
F. Highways & Street Scene
The Clerk said he had toured the village with Richard Dobson and identified the problem areas and provided a revised work list but had no response. Cllr Jane Scott said she had an up to date list and went through the outstanding items. She said that there was no action identified as yet to repair the hole in the pavement at the bridge. The Clerk expressed surprise that none of this information had been provided to him after numerous requests to Wiltshire Council.
The Chairman said the outstanding work list, the proposed new sign post and the A Board recommendations would be discussed at the meeting with Adrian Hampton. He said there was also a slight dispute on funding the new signpost as the original agreement was that if the recycling base was not removed then Wilts Council would use the money this released to pay.
G. Defibrillator.
Cllr Winup confirmed that the decision on this and First Aid training is deferred until the out come of the C.C.Circuit solar farm planning application is known. Unitary Cllr. Jane Scott said that she had called in this planning application because the firm concerned had not identified the level of compensation it proposed to give to the two parishes affected. Also to insist they provide a bond to cover the removal of the equipment in case of future potential problems.
H. Best kept Village Competition
The Chairman said the bus shelters had now been painted and he thanked Cllr Halliday for her help.
I. Wilts Council Highways Workshop Report.
Cllr. Halliday said this was a disappointing meeting which was too long and just a report on the year’s activities. She said she had discussed with Richard Dobson the very bad road surface on the B4039 between the 2 roads leading down to the lower village but as yet there had been no action..
5. Finance- £
Income
Film donation – Silver Cross 100.00
Expenditure
The Councillors checked and reviewed and approved the following invoices:
Cllr Winup – wood preservative 26.98
NSPCC – donation 20.00
EMO – heating oil 403.85
Southern Electric – quarterly bill 96.19
Cllr Winup – planters 60.00
Flourish & Bloom – maintenance 32.00
CPRE – subscription 36.00
Douglas Tonks – Clerks salary and payroll costs 432.28
Cllr Winup – AGM refreshments 34.29
War Memorials Trust – donation 20.00
Bobby Van Appeal – donation 20.00
Cllr Winup – newsletter printing 29.70
Mr Gough – plants etc 24.96
Grant Thornton – audit fee 120.00
Cllr Winup – paint 38.48
6. Correspondence.
A. film Adverts
The Chairman said the Council had been approached by a number of companies recently about filming in the village. These were Silver Cross prams, Ben Sherman Shirts and a watch company. The latter will be in the village for two and a half days and he had proposed a donation to them similar to the Walkers Crisp advert but received no response to date.
7. Planning applications
P.C. Approved:
April Cottage – internal alterations.
Long Dean Mill – replace 3 windows.
CC Circuit – solar farm.
Upper Combe Farm – silage clamp.
P.C. Under Consideration:
Nil
P.C. Rejected: Nil
Unitary Council Granted:
Combe House – fell pine tree
April Cottage – internal alterations.
Long Dean Mill – replace 3 windows.
Unitary Council Under Consideration:
Nil CC Circuit – solar farm
Unitary Council rejected
Nil
8. Unitary Councillor
Cllr Scott said that all items had now been discussed.
9. Playing Field & CC Circuit
Cllr. Winup said he had attended the meeting between Wilshire Council and CC Circuit and the following were agreed:
- Gate time opening to be reviewed.
- Tannoy usage to be controlled.
- Marshalling to be reviewed
- Noise levels to also be checked at specified points around the circuit as previous agreements.
- Phone numbers of key staff at meetings to be provided.
- Comprehensive list of previous planning agreements to be provided by Wilts Council
- Parish Liaison meetings to re commence.
- Police to be on site at the event organiser’s expense.
He said Cllr Mackelden had reported that there were no problems at the playing fields.
10. Play Areas
The Clerk said he had issued copies of the ROSPA audit report to the Council. The meeting agree that there were no significant problems identified. The Chairman said the grant appeared to be progressing with formal confirmation expected any time.
11. Highways
Cllr. Bishop said the main items had been covered elsewhere in the agenda.
12. Village Environment.
Cllr Ruggles said he now contacted both Flourish & Bloom and James Bruce Scott and the latter should have now provided a quote for carrying out landscape maintenance to the existing schedule. The Clerk confirmed a quote for £408 had been received which is £28 more than the Flourish & Bloom average annual cost. The Council agreed that the Clerk should discuss a reduction with James Bruce Scott and if successful ask him to take over the work from January 2015.
Cllr Ruggles said he had discussed the overhanging hedge with Sarah Parsons who had queried whether the shrubs concerned were on her property or the responsibility of Wilts Council. Cllr Ruggles said he would investigate further.
Cllr Bishop confirmed that the planter at the car part entrance had been donated by Farmington Quarry. The Clerk was asked to contact them about repairs.
The Chairman said the Butter Cross had again been damaged and he would arrange repairs.
Cllr Scott said that Circuit Motors had been given 21 days until 7th October to clear the verges of vehicles etc or be taken to Court. She said the problem of the lay-by would be followed up later.
The Council agreed that all of the benches should be reviewed and repaired or replaced as necessary.
13.Whitegates
Cllr Winup said that the Golf Course has again promised to cut back their hedge in the immediate future. Cllr Prior said there was nothing else to report.
14. TV. Committee.
Cllr Winup said that completion of the super fast broad was now planned for next spring.
15. Village Hall
The Chairman said that assets stand at £3054 with a surplus of £582.
He said a second quote had been received for the hearing loop which was technically inadequate. The meeting agreed to the first quote at a cost of £1944 ex VAT and to the Chairman’s proposal to seek a donation from the Area Board.
16. Date of next meeting.
This was confirmed as Thursday 20th November 2014 at 7.30 p.m. the Village Hall.