YAPTON
PARISH COUNCIL
12 March 2001 - At a meeting of the Parish Council held at the Yapton &
Ford Village Hall.
Present: Mr Fellows (Chairman), Mr Boxall, Mr Bryant, Mr Coe,
Mr Haymes, Mrs Palmer,
Mr Ranceford-Hadley, Mr Rowlandson and Mr Tompsett.
Also present: Mr Tansley (Clerk of the Council) and 6 members of the public.
Apologies for absence were received from Mrs Freeman.
MINUTES
30. Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 January 2001 be approved
as a
correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.
MATTERS ARISING
Church Lane - Kissing Gate (minute 2/2001)
31. The Clerk advised that he was in the process of obtaining a quote for the
hooped barriers and
he would then approach the County Council about the possibility of a grant.
Millennium Clock (minute 5/2001)
32. The Clerk advised that arrangements had been made for a separate electrical
supply to power
the Village Hall Millennium Clock at a cost of £18.80 plus VAT.
Yapton CE Primary School - Parish Council Representative (minute 7/2001)
33. The Clerk advised that the appointment of Mrs Ranceford-Hadley as the Parish
Council
representative on the school's governing body had now been confirmed.
Police presence in the area (minute 8/2001)
34. A copy of the reply sent by the Home Office to Mrs Freeman's letter was
tabled for the
information of members.
Meeting of Arun District Joint Land Drainage Group (minute 12f/2001)
35. Mr Rowlandson presented a report on the meeting of the Joint Land Drainage
Group held on
16 January 2001 (copy attached to minute book).
Playing Field - Use by Arundel Devils FC (minute 19/2001)
36. The Clerk reported that a formal approach had been made by the Arundel
Devils Football
Club for the hire of a junior-sized pitch; he had replied positively to the
letter but there had been
no further developments.
Designation of South Downs as a National Park (minute 26/2001)
37. A copy of the replies sent by the Department of the Environment, Transport
and the Regions
and The Countryside Agency to Mrs Freeman's letters were tabled for the information
of members.
Bilsham Road - Flooding Problems (minute 29b/2001)
38. The Clerk reported on the response received from the Local Highway Manager
and the action
being taken to resolve the problem.
Bus Shelter Repairs (minute 29e/2001)
39. The Clerk reported that an order for the necessary repair work had been
placed with the
suppliers of the bus shelter.
Allotment site - overgrown trees (minute 29h/2001)
40. The Clerk confirmed that he had written to the proprietor of Cinders Lane
Nursery to seek his
cooperation in trimming back the fir trees on his site.
MEMBERSHIP
41. The Council noted the resignation of Parish Councillor Mrs Christina Freeman.
The Clerk
advised that the vacancy would be advertised and if there were no requests,
signed by ten electors,
to the Returning Officer of Arun District Council for an election, the position
could be filled by
co-option at the next Parish Council meeting.
42. The Chairman paid tribute to the services of Mrs Freeman on the Parish
Council and in the
wider community noting particularly her interest as a member and latterly as
Chairman of the
Downland Area Panel and also as the Council's representative on the Arun District
Association of
Local Councils.
43. Resolved - That the appointment of representatives to serve of the Arun
District Association
of Local Councils and the Yapton & Ford Village Hall Management Committee
in place of Mrs
Freeman be deferred until the next meeting.
CORRESPONDENCE
44. Receipt of the following correspondence was reported by the Clerk and action
agreed as
indicated:-
a) Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions - enclosing for
consultation a
document proposing a new statutory model code of conduct for members of local
government.
It was agreed that the document should be circulated to members for any comments.
Members
noted that a seminar on the matter was being arranged by Arun District Council.
b) West Sussex County Council - advising that arising from the outbreak of Foot
and Mouth
Disease, the use of any public footpath/bridleway/road used a public path in
the County was
prohibited until further notice. It was noted that the Clerk had posted the
details on the Parish
Council noticeboard.
c) West Sussex County Council - consultation on proposal to introduce a 40
mph speed limit to a
length of the B2233 between Yapton and Barnham. The Council approved the proposal
as set
out.
d) West Sussex County Council - proposed Highways Programme 2001 onwards (copy
attached to
minute book). It was noted that the Clerk had previously circulated the draft
programme to all
members and also posted a copy on the Parish Council noticeboard.
e) West Sussex County Council - advising of the temporary closure on 2300 hours
17 March -
0700 hours 18 March 2001 for essential civil engineering works at the Yapton
Level Crossing. It
was noted that the Clerk had posted the details on the Parish Council noticeboard.
f) Arun District Council - inviting the Council to participate in a Parish
Habitat Survey in the
village. None of the members felt able to take part at the present time.
g) Arun District Council - enclosing the plans for the relocation of the recycling
centre in the
village as previously agreed.
h) Arun District Council - invitation to Charity Dinner Dance at The Hilton,
Avisford Park Hotel
on Friday 30 March 2001.
i) Ford Parish Council/The Five Village Society - suggesting further representations
be made to
the DTER concerning the outcome of the Public Inquiry into the proposal for
residential
development off Burndell Road. The Council endorsed the opinion of the Planning
Committee
that any further representations to the DETR would be of no benefit and therefore
inappropriate.
It was however agreed that the Clerk should look into the possibility of raising
the Council's
objections at the Arun District Local Plan Inquiry when the appeal by the two
developers into the
omission of the site for housing development was being considered.
j) Eastergate Parish Council - inviting support for proposal to build a new
Sports Pavilion on the
Parish sports field at Eastergate to replace the existing facilities. The members
endorsed the
action taken by the Clerk whilst emphasising that the Council's support in principle
for the project
involved no financial commitment.
k) Sussex Association of Local Councils - enclosing details of a 'Nuts &
Bolts' day for Chairmen,
Vice Chairmen and other interested members on 11 April 2001.
l) The Samaritans, Bognor Regis & District - request for grant-aid. The
Council approved a
grant of £75.00 towards The Samaritans' costs.
m) Yapton & Ford Parochail Church Council - request for grant-aid. The
Council approved a
further grant of £100.00 specifically earmarked towards the upkeep of
the church and churchyard
in the current financial year.
PLANNING COMMITTEE
45. The Council had before them and received a report from the Charman together
with the
minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 5 and 29 January 2001
(copies
attached to minute book).
46. Mr Bryant referred to a reply which had been received from the Principal
Planning Officer in
the Enforcement Team at Arun District Council, concerning the operation of the
mini-cab business
in Main Road. The Council considered that the action proposed was unacceptable
and agreed that
the matter should be pursued vigorously.
47. The Council noted that the Enforcement Officer, having taken legal advice,
had advised that
permission was not required for the removal of the Neptune Garage roof even
though the building
was sited within a Conservation Area. The Clerk had since queried the legal
basis for the
decision and a reply was now awaited.
PLAYING FIELD
48. The Clerk reported on the quotations received for grass cutting for the 2001 season.
49. Resolved - That the contract for grass cutting be awarded to Accord Southern
Limited for a
further year.
50. The Clerk advised that the contract for litter collection which covered
the playing field and
children's play area, the Twitten footpath and the bus shelters in Bilsham Road
was due for
renewal from 1 April 2001.
51. Resolved - That the contract for litter collection be awarded to Mrs B
J Gomersall for a
further year and that arrangements be made to reimburse her for the cost of
any protective clothing
and equipment purchased.
52. The Council noted with concern that following the closure of public footpaths
due to the
Foot and Mouth outbreak, there had been an increase in the number of people
exercising their
dogs on the playing field many of whom failed to clear up their animal's excrement.
The District
Council's Dog Warden had been contacted and asked to monitor the situation closely.
ALLOTMENTS
53. Resolved - That the rentals for the allotment plots be maintained at £15.00
for each 5 rod plot
for the year for the year commencing 1st April 2001.
54. Mr Caiger reported that the car park serving the allotment site was prone
to flooding. The
Chairman suggested contacting the Free Church in the village as they may have
some rubble
available due to building work currently taking place on the site.
VILLAGE HALL REPRESENTATIVES
55. Mr Rowlandson advised that an application for a lottery grant for heating
the hall had been
submitted. The recent Valentine's Dance had proved a very successful fund-raising
event.
ARUN DISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COUNCILS (ADALC) AND THE
DOWNLAND AREA PARTNERSHIP PANEL (DAPP)
56. The Council had before them and received reports from Mrs Freeman on recent
meetings of
the ADALC and DAPP (copy attached to minute book).
THE SEAGULL PROJECT
57. The Chairman and Clerk reported that there may be an opportunity for the
Council to obtain
funding from the Seagull Project (a project funded by Lidsey Landfill Ltd through
the landfill tax
credit scheme) towards environmental community projects in the village. The
Council noted that
the Chairman and Clerk hoped to arrange a meeting with the Community Project
Officer shortly.
FINANCE
58. Resolved - That the financial statements for the months of January and
February 2001 be
adopted (copies attached to minute book).
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
59. The following matters/concerns were raised by Councillors and members of
the public present
at the meeting:
a) there was a need for the anti-vandal paint to be renewed on the roof of the playing field store;
b) a pond in the grounds of a property in Church Road was being filled-in.
A check would be
made to see if this was affected by the Conservation Area;
c) Mr Tompsett suggested that a speed camera should be provided opposite Ferndale
House in
Burndell Road to deter drivers speeding through the village centre. It was agreed
that the Clerk
should approach Sussex Police with the request;
d) local residents reported that they had evidence to show that trees were
still being felled within
the grounds of Church House. The District Council would be notified accordingly;
e) the Clerk advised that the next meeting of the Parish Council was on Monday
14 May 2001;
this would be preceded by the Annual Parish Meeting starting at 7.30 pm on the
same evening.
CHAIRMAN