YAPTON
PARISH COUNCIL
9 July 2001 - At a meeting of the Parish Council held at the Yapton & Ford
Village Hall.
Present: Mr Fellows (Chairman), Mr Boxall, Mr Caiger, Mr Coe, Mr Haymes, Mrs Palmer, Mr Ranceford-Hadley and Mr Rowlandson.
Also present: Mrs Freeman (County Councillor), Mrs Goad and Mr Matthews (District Councillors), Mr Tansley (Clerk of the Council) and 5 members of the public.
Apologies for absence were received from Mr Bryant and Mr Tompsett.
Before the start of the main business meeting, Mrs G Ifould, Chairman of the Trees Estate Residents' Association in South Bersted, gave a talk and answered questions on ways in which the Association was seeking to combat vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the area. An effective two-way system of communication between the police and residents as well as the other agencies involved had been established and was seen to be producing beneficial results (minute 76/2001 refers).
MINUTES
91. Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2001 be approved as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.
MATTERS ARISING
Church Lane footpath - barrier (minute 59/2001)
92. The Clerk confirmed that he had submitted an application to the County
Council for a grant from the Parish Initiatives Fund.
Allotment site - overgrown trees (minute 60/2001)
93. Mr Caiger reported that the proprietor of the Cinders Lane Nursery had agreed to arrange for the trees to be reduced in height by some 50%. A contractor was expected to start on the work within the next two weeks.
Playing Field - Dog Bins (minute 62/2001)
94. The Clerk reported that the District Council had replaced one dog bin at the far end of the field with a larger bin which had over double capacity. The second bin (by Main Road) was scheduled to be replaced with a similarly larger capacity bin later in the year.
The Seagull Project (minute 63/2001)
95. The Chairman and Clerk reported that following the meeting with Project Officer an application for funding for a new children's play to be sited at the far end of the large car park had been submitted to the Seagull Trust. Confirmation had since been received that a grant of £40,000 had been recommended by the Steering Group and this would be submitted to ENTRUST, the Landfill Tax Governing Body, for approval in early August. In the meantime estimates for the play equipment and necessary installation works were being obtained and consultation would take place with the local pre-school group as well as the residents of Warmere Court whose premises were adjacent to the proposed new site for the play area.
96. Resolved - That the Chairman in consultation with the Clerk be authorised to approve the final plans and arrangements for the new play area project with a view to letting a contract so that the project could proceed without undue delay.
Tack Lee Road - Building Development (minute 75/2001)
97. The Clerk reported on the initial response received from the Planning Office. The Council agreed that in the circumstances it was appropriate to ask for an enforcement check to be carried out.
Hedging works along Yapton/Barnham Road (minute 76/2001)
98. The Clerk advised that the top platting work had been undertaken privately by the landowner.
Canal Road - dropped kerb (minute 77/2001)
99. The Clerk reported that the Area Highway Engineer had made contact with the occupier as a license had not been granted for these works. As nothing appeared to have been done the Clerk was asked to check on the position.
NEW COUNTY COUNCILLOR FOR YAPTON
100. The Chairman and members congratulated Mrs Christina Freeman on her recent election as the new County Councillor for the Middleton Ward which included Yapton.
COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORTS
101. Mrs Freeman (County Councillor) advised that since joining the County Council
in June she had been appointed to the Select Committee for Education and the
Arts and as a Policy Adviser for the Arts. She was also a member of the Planning
Select Committee and was a Policy Adviser for Community Services.
102. Mrs Freeman reported that an additional 3 community police officers were being made available for the Arun District Area and she was pursuing with the Chairman of the Police Authority the possibility of one of these new officers being used to support the problems of Yapton.
103. Mrs Freeman also reported that she had discussed with the Area Highway
Engineer the possibility of making Foundry Road/Canal Road a one-way traffic
system and this was being considered.
104. Mrs Goad (District Councillor) reported that the Arun District Local Plan
Inquiry was due to consider the proposed housing development off Burndell Road/Goodhew
Close on 11 July 2001. Mr Ranceford-Hadley indicated that he hoped to attend
together with Mr Bryant.
105. Mr Matthews (District Councillor) reported that Onyx had recently been obliged to pay damages for certain failures in the contract for the collection of litter in the district.
106. Mr Matthews said he had approached residents of Briar Close concerning
a recent application by Yapton Free Church for a Public Entertainment Licence
following complaints about noise from last year's events. The Clerk indicated
that the Parish Council had raised no objection to the application. The District
Council's Licensing Committee had subsequently approved the application by Yapton
Free Church but there would be no Disco/Dance event this year.
CORRESPONDENCE
107. Receipt of the following correspondence was reported by the Clerk and action agreed as indicated:-
a) Arun District Council - invitation to nominate a local voluntary organisation for an award/grant from the Chairman's Charity. The Council agreed to support a proposal from Mrs Goad that the Village Friends at Eastergate should be nominated for an award.
b) Arun District Council - invitation to send representative to an awareness training seminar "Young People as Partners in Community Safety" at the Arun Civic Centre on 17 July 2001. It was noted that the services of "Crime Concern Youth Action Plus" have been enlisted to lead the day and inform the seminar about "this exciting approach to addressing youth issues, involving youth participation and action".
c) Arun District Council - invitation to submit proposals for siting of new
bus shelters in the area.
No proposals were put forward by the Parish Council for any new shelters in
Yapton.
d) Chairman of Mary Woolven Youth Club - suggesting that an open evening be arranged to enable the Parish Council to meet the Youth Club Management Team and to see the improvements that have been made to the club premises. Members of the Parish Council were very happy to attend such an open evening and the Clerk was asked to reply accordingly.
e) Conservation Area Advisory Committee - invitation to submit a new building or recently restored project for a Design Award 2001. No proposals were put forward by the Parish Council.
f) "Flix in the Stix" - invitation to attend preview of Flix in the Stix on Wednesday 11 July at 7.30 pm at Barnham Parish Hall.
g) West Sussex Health Authority - consultation on the proposal for the creation of a Primary Care Trust in Western Sussex. No comments were put forward by the Parish Council.
h) West Sussex Health Authority - enclosing consultation document "Delivering Modern Ambulance Services". It was noted that the document set out proposals "to develop and modernise ambulance services over the next 3 - 5 years and proposed a change to the configuration of services to help achieve this." For this area the preferred option in the document was to replace the existing Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust with a new trust covering Kent and Sussex. No comments were put forward by the Parish Council.
i) Halcrow Fox (Transport Consultants) - invitation to participate in a series of innovative workshops that will be part of "the participation process for the transport study covering the South Coast Transport Corridor between Southampton and the Isle of Thanet." A local workshop was due to take place at the Chichester District Council Offices, East Pallant House, Chichester on 17 July 2001 at 6.00 pm.
j) West Sussex County Council - enclosing a copy of the recent press release and a brochure giving excerpts of the report on the recent OFSTED Inspection of West Sussex Local Education Authority.
k) Yapton Football Club - request for grant aid towards the cost of rope to
enclose the first team pitch and for new goal posts. The Chairman undertook
to provide a 400m length of suitable rope for the use by the Club. The Council
approved a grant of £150.00 towards the cost of new goal posts and they
also approved the Club's request to relocate the pitch by some 10m from its
present position.
PLANNING COMMITTEE
108. The Council had before them and received the minutes of meetings of the
Planning Committee held on 14 May, 11 June and 18 June 2001 (copies attached
to minute book).
PLAYING FIELD
109. Mr Ranceford-Hadley reported that he had met with a representative from the Sussex County Playing Fields Association in connection with a nationwide survey of King George V Playing Fields being undertaken by the Association.
110. In response to concerns expressed about the riding of horses, motorbikes and go-karts on the playing field, the Chairman reminded members that this was in contravention of the Council's local byelaws and offenders who could be properly identified faced prosecution and a fine.
ALLOTMENTS
111. Mr Caiger reported that the tenants were hoping to obtain hardcore material
for a self-help project to be undertaken to improve the car parking area. in
Cinders Lane.
VILLAGE HALL REPRESENTATIVES
112. Mr Rowlandson reported that there had been a good attendance at the recent AGM. The Main Hall was to be renamed "the Janet Phillips Hall". A new Honorary Treasurer had been appointed. The Village Hall's lottery grant application was currently being processed and he was hopeful of a positive response soon. A Line Dancing Club had recently been formed at the Village Hall and was proving popular.
113. Mr Boxall referred to the continuing need for a Social Club in the Village
Hall with a licenced clubhouse incorporating new changing facilities on the
ground floor, a project which he felt had been put on hold by the Village Hall
Management Committee. In the ensuing discussion the importance of a properly
prepared business plan with identified sources of funding together with the
need for appropriate professional help to administer any scheme were recognised
before a major project of this nature could be given the go ahead..
FINANCE
114. Resolved - That the financial statements for the months of May and June 2001 be adopted (copies attached to minute book).
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
115. The following matters/concerns were raised by Councillors and members of the public present at the meeting:
a) stinging nettles and overgrown hedging were encroaching on to the footpath at the rear of the Village Hall;
b) the branches from two diseased Elm Trees which were blocking the footpath over the Canal Bridge had still to be removed;
c) Mr Rowlandson referred to a Planning Seminar he had attended at Arun District Council on flooding in the area. Flooding and drainage problems were regarded as a "hot potato"by the members and officers and with this in mind all new development schemes were looked at with extra care. Sustainable drainage systems which move water away from the site must now be provided by developers;
d) the street light column which had been damaged and removed following an accident in Park Drive had still not been replaced;
e) it was agreed that a request for double yellow lines along the south side of Loveys Road to ameliorate the traffic congestion at the junction with Bilsham Road should be raised with the Area Highway Engineer.
CHAIRMAN