28th September 2017

CASTLE COMBE PARISH COUNCIL

Draft Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 28.09.17

in the Village Hall, Castle Combe

Present:

  • Cllr’s: F. Winup (Chairman).
  • J Mackelden. (Vice Chairman).
  • S. Bettles
  • Mrs. J. Halliday.
  • J. Prior
  • G. Ruggles
  • D. Ryall (Clerk)
  • 5 Parishioners.

1. Apologies for absence:

Cllr. B. Blair, Unitary Cllr. Baroness Jane Scott.

2. Declarations of interest:

Cllr Bettles – item 4c. footpaths, 4g. estate yard licence, 7. planning barn conversion UCC

Cllr Prior – item 19. leaf clearing.

3. Minutes of the meetings held on 20.07.17

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

4. Matters Arising:

4A. Area Board Meeting and Parish Forum

  • Area Board
  • The last meeting was not attended as it clashed with other activities. The next meeting is on 6.11.17 and the Chairman asked for a volunteer in his absence. The councillors agreed to check their diaries.
  • Parish Forum.
  • The September meeting was attended by Cllrs Winup &Ruggles.
  • Cllr Winup said fly tipping was becoming a major problem after the changes to waste collections. Advice is being sought from Birmingham Council who had successfully prosecuted offenders.
  • The 2017 waste strategy consultation is available and a link will be provided in the next Courier.
  • The police are under severe pressure due to falling numbers.
  • The new on line planning system received severe criticism being a further example of costs transferred to parishes.
  • The revised Chippenham Gateway application has attracted a further 80 objections. There is a general acceptance that the site will be developed but to a lower extent.

4B. Parking Review.

  • Car park charging & new signs.
  • The Chairman said that after a four month period of silence following the council’s objection to the Unitary Council’s proposals a Traffic Regulation Order for car park charging has appeared with a consultation period from 28.09.17 to 23.10.17. He said the accompanying press release was a total distortion of the facts and has been withdrawn and that the council’s concerns had been ignored for months.
  • It was proposed by Cllr. Mrs. J. Halliday and seconded by Cllr J Mackelden that the traffic regulation order was opposed by the Council. This was unanimously agreed by the meeting. The Chairman circulated a draft document rejecting the application which the Council agreed should be sent to Pavis Khansari (Wilts Council) and Unitary Cllr J Scott. He said the consultation procedure for parishioners to respond will need publicising by whatever means throughout the village
  • Cllr. Winup said the new car park signage is unlikely to receive funding if the consultation exercise results in a decision not to charge.
  • Parking statistics
  • The Chairman said there were 7 bookings in July & 29 in August with 20 of these likely to be on Bank Holiday Monday.

4C. Footpaths

  • School Lane to the village – The Chairman said that again no information had been received from Unitary Cllr. Jane Scott about scalpings for this footpath or the Whitegates turning circle.
  • School Lane to Whitegates – The Chairman said that responsibility for maintenance appeared to rest with the Estate and this item would be removed from future agendas.

4D. Village Flooding

  • The Chairman said the Environmental Agency (EA) modelling report of the Bybrook confirmed that the existing flood map is accurate and the long period between severe flooding events means that central government assistance for major works(c£500K) will not be available as the financial benefits are estimated as less. However the EA may provide 100% assistance to the worst affected individual households for flood prevention measures and will convene a meeting to explain the procedure.

4E. Defibrillators.

  • Cllr Winup said the village fair fund of £466.80 has now been transferred to the Council as will be the £310 from the recent car boot. A further £2400 in the village hall accounts relates to monies raised at previous car boot sales and some of this could also be transferred. It was proposed by Cllr Jane Halliday and seconded by Cllr Ruggles that £1400 was transferred to the Parish Council account. This was unanimously agreed by the meeting.

4F. Market Cross

  • The Chairman confirmed the lottery grant application is complete with the exception of revised sub contract costs which are being prepared by David Newton. He said the start will be delayed possibly until March due to the St Andrew’s building work.

4G. Estate yard and Licences.

  • Cllr Winup said a meeting is arranged between the Council with Damian Bettles on Friday 29th Sept to discuss the latest version of the licence.

4I. Village Welcome Pack.

  • Cllr Halliday apologised saying that she had not brought the latest version.

16. Community Issue 5335 Speed Limit B4039

  • The Clark confirmed he had informed CATG that the Council supported this dependent upon cost.

17. White Lines – lower village

  • The Area Board has confirmed that the Council request for an engineering review has been passed to CATG for action.

18. Village/ Council Web Site

  • The Chairman said the Government’s Transparency Fund provides grants of up to £500 towards the establishment or improvement of Parish Council web sites for those with an annual turnover of less than £25K. The council meets that criterion and he thought the Council should apply as this would enable either the village site to be upgraded or a separate one designed for the Council. This could be done by a third party at a cost of £499. The Chairman asked Cllr Mackelden to review the situation and raise the necessary paper work. Cllr Mackelden said that separation of the Council content from the village site was a good idea and he would examine the options. The meeting agreed with the proposal.

5. Finance- £

Income

  • CC Fair Committee 466.80

Expenditure

  • The Councillors checked and reviewed and approved the following invoices:
  • SSE – quarterly bill 76.71
  • Cllr. Ruggles – plants 5.00
  • Cllr Winup – newsletter printing 74.80
  • Cllr. Winup – auditor’s gratuity 24.75
  • Water2Business – half years bill 79.86
  • Grant Thornton – audit fee 120.00
  • D.Ryall – salary 264.05
  • HMRC – tax 141.20

Lloyds Bank account @ 30.06.17 37669.27

Deposit account Shawbrook (William Prior Heritage Fund) 20000.00

5A External Audit

  • The clerk reported that this had been satisfactorily concluded and no comments were made. The Chairman thanked the Clerk for this excellent result.

6. Correspondence.

6A. Merchant Navy Fund – request for donation

  • The meeting agreed to donate £36

6B. Citizens Advice Bureau – request for donation

  • The Clerk said this relates to the introduction of full service Universal Credit which will hit some of the most disadvantaged people in the parishes very hard and will result in more support from the CAB.
  • The meeting agreed to donate £50.

6C. Chippenham Gateway.

  • Covered in item 4A

7. Planning applications

P.C. Approved:

  • Castle Inn – reposition no parking sign
  • Reading Room Cottage – retro. approval plus additions.
  • Church View Cottage – re pollard willow tree.

P.C. Under Consideration:

  • The Barn adjacent Gables Cottage – change of use etc.

P.C. Objected.

  • Nil

Unitary Council Granted:

  • White Hart Inn – new fire escape etc.
  • 1, Park Lane – reposition external lighting…
  • Unitary Council under Consideration:
  • The Barn adjacent Gables Cottage – change of use etc.

Withdrawn

  • Unicorn Cottage – internal alterations etc.

8. Unitary Councillor

  • Cllr Scott has not yet provided any information on the provision of scalpings for repairs to footpaths etc or what special policies will be applied to ‘honey pot’ villages like Castle Combe. The Chairman said Wilts Council Legal Dept had not yet prepared the letter regarding Circuit Motors but the lessees appear more co operative.

9. Playing Field & CC Circuit

Playing Field

  • Cllr Mackelden said the Colts were considering early renewal of the agreement, expiry 2023, to enable them to seek grants for improvement of the pitches.

CC Circuit.

  • Cllr Mackelden said the Circuit recognise there were problems at a number of recent meetings and are looking to improve traffic clearance. The next liaison meeting should be at the end of the season.
  • The Chairman said residents in Upper Combe say there are again problems with Wilts College students racing cars on Westway Lane and the B4039. Cllr Mackelden said he would speak to the college staff.

10. Play Areas

  • The Clerk said he assumed the ROSPA inspections had taken place but as yet no reports had been received.
  • Cllr Mackelden said there were no problems with the lower play area other than the bench needs painting. Cllr Bettles said he would carry out a further cut on the playing field.
  • Cllr Prior said the new waste bin had been installed.

11. Highways

  • Cllr Halliday went through the highway priority list and identified the current problems. These are, the Whiteways turning circle, various white lines in Upper Combe, kerbstones in the lower village, various pot holes an the warning pots along the river. The Chairman congratulated her on the significant reduction of items on the list.
  • Cllr Halliday said the village steward was back in action and reviewed the work list she has prepared.

12. Village Environment.

  • Cllr. Ruggles said that overhanging branches and hedges were again becoming a problem. The Chairman asked Cllr Ruggles to contact Pat Meakins arrange for it to be put in the next newsletter.

13. Whitegates

  • Cllr. Prior said there were no problems to report other than the golf course hedge needs trimming back
  • Cllr Halliday confirmed this is on the Parish Stewards list.

14. TV. Committee.

  • The Chairman said there had been no problems and invoices would shortly go out.

15. Village Hall

  • The Chairman said the finances are excellent with a surplus to date of £1537 and a balance of £3800 before transfer as per item 4E.

16. Speeding – the Hill

  • Cllr. Halliday said she was concerned about speeding on the hill particularly at the junction with Dunns Lane and the corner opposite School Lane. The Chairman asked her to write to CATG about the problem.

17. Twinning proposal – Casselloli Spain

  • The Chairman said there appeared to be little in common between the two villages other than the race circuit built in 2009. The meeting agreed that the Clerk should write back to Casselloli suggesting they contact CC Circuit and that he should inform Mr Marshalsay, CC Circuit

18. Bybrook – silt clearance, sluice repairs etc.

  • The Clerk said he had been contacted by Rob Preston, CC Golf Course, who was clearing the Bybrook upstream of the bridge and would like to discuss this with the Council. The Council agreed that the Clerk & Cllr Winup should meet Mr Preston.

19. Leaf Clearing on the Hill.

  • The meeting agreed to accept Cllr Prior’s offer to clear the leaves at a cost of £50/ hour with a minimum charge of £25. (30mins)
  • Subsequent needs to be reviewed as necessary.

20. Date of next meeting.

  • This was confirmed as Thursday 16th November 2017 at 7.30 p.m. in the Village Hall.