YAPTON PARISH COUNCIL

 

 

13 September 2004 - At a meeting of the Parish Council held at the Yapton & Ford Village Hall.                  

 

Present:    Mr Fellows (Chairman), Mr Andrews, Mrs Barnes, Mr Caiger, Mr Coe, Mr Faulkner, Mr Haymes and Mr Taft.

 

Also present:   County Councillor Mrs Freeman,  PC Child (Sussex Police), Mr Tansley (Clerk of the Council) and 7 members of the public.

 

Apologies for absence were received and accepted from Parish Councillor Mr Jones.

 

 

 

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

182.  Members were reminded to make any declarations of personal and/or prejudicial interest that they may have in relation to items on the agenda.  

 

 

MINUTES

 

183.    Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 July 2004 be approved as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.               

    

  

MATTERS ARISING

 

 

Planning Application Y/35/04/ (minutes 148 – 153/2004)

 

184.  The Clerk reported that the application had been refused by the Planning Officer of Arun District Council at the end of July, acting under delegated powers.

 

Felling of diseased elms in Church Road and area adjoining the large car park (minute 155/2004)

 

185.   Mr Caiger reported that the work on felling the diseased elms and clearing the site had been completed.  Arrangements were being made with the Probation Service for the pyrancanthus shrubs to be planted using a team of workers on community service.       

 

Provision of gas-fired central heating/hot water system for Village Hall (minute 158/2004)

 

186.  The Clerk reported that Transco had completed the installation of the gas supply.  A ventilation grill was to be fitted by the Village Hall Management Committee to complete the work.   A decision on the possibility of an increased grant from the SITA Environmental Trust was expected at the end of September. Meanwhile an application for grant-aid had been submitted to the County Council.  Applications for grants from other organisations would be deferred pending the outcome of the SITA grant application.

 

187.  In the ensuing discussion it was mentioned that two other contractors had indicated an interest in quoting for the project.  Mr Coe undertook to arrange for copies of the specification to be sent to them as soon as possible.

  

Sports Equipment Store – Graffiti (minute 162/2004)

 

188.  The Clerk reported that the two youths who allegedly had been responsible for the graffiti on the sports equipment store, had subsequently been apprehended by the British Transport Police for painting graffiti on railway property at the North End road junction.    Two other youths had been arrested for causing damage to the play equipment in the Children’s Play Area.  Compensation was being sought by the Council from the parents concerned.

 

Cinders Lane development (minute 163/2004)

 

189. Mr Haymes reported that following investigation the Planning Officer had advised that the owners would need to apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness if they wished to continue using the site as a woodyard.  Any other development on the site would require planning permission.

 

Quality Status Award (minute 166a/2004)

 

190.  Letters of congratulations had been received from the Chairman of Arun District Council, the Chief Executive of Arun District Council and Jean Goad, District Councillor.  The presentation ceremony held jointly with Littlehampton Town Council had been very successful and was well attended with a number of guests being invited from the village.  The Quality Status certificate which had been presented to the Chairman by Lord Lytton, President of the National Association of Local Councils, had since been framed and would be displayed in the Village Hall alongside the Display Board which listed past Chairmen of the Council.

 

191. The Clerk reported that the Council’s share of the cost of the presentation evening was £149.31 + VAT.

 

Road Safety and Speed Management Measures A259 Bognor to Littlehampton Road (minute 166b/2004)

 

192.   The Council were disappointed to hear that WSCC had turned down its request for a ban on vehicles turning right at the Oyster Catcher junction.  Amongst the reasons given were that enforcement of the ban would be difficult because the Police had limited resources.    County Councillor Mrs Freeman indicated that the Area Highways Engineer had however since indicated support for the proposal and the matter was still being considered.   Improvements to visibility were being planned by WSCC for the junction.

 

Community Safety in the Area (minute 166c/2004)

 

193.  The Chairman reported on his attendance at a meeting of the District Council’s Environment & Community Safety Scrutiny Committee at which community safety in the area had been discussed.  The Chairman read extracts from a report he had given to the Committee on his own experience and views of the situation and of the efforts being made by the police and other agencies responsible for dealing with vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the area.    In the ensuing discussion the members fully endorsed the stance taken by the Chairman over this matter.

 

Sports Equipment Store (minute 175/2004)

 

194.  Although WSCC had improved the security at the rear of the Youth Club by increasing the height of its chain link fencing it was evident that youngsters were still gaining access to the rear of the store by climbing over the supporting “ladder” framework.   The Clerk undertook to advise the County Council’s Buildings Maintenance Surveyor of the continuing problem.

 

The Old Post Office premises (minute 181b/2004)

 

195. The Chairman indicated that he understood that The Old Post Office premises had been sold to developers.  The premises were currently being occupied on a short term lease.

 

 

COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT

 

196.  County Councillor Mrs Freeman reported that contractors were due to start bore holes shortly at the Comet Corner junction to investigate the location of statutory underground services. A briefing meeting was being planned by WSCC Officers, to which the Parish Council would be invited, to give an update on the proposed scheme and the issues involved.

 

197. The problem over the adoption of the drains on the Downview Estate was still being pursued.  Bob Mander, the Area Highway Engineer, had persuaded engineers at Southern Water to have another look at the situation.  Social Services and the Property Departments were liaising closely with the Warmere Court developer to ensure that if necessary the drains were renewed when the rebuilding took place.

 

198. A decision on the proposed Material Recycling Plant at Ford was expected to be taken by the County Council’s Planning Committee in December.

 

199.  Mrs Freeman had met with Inspector Liz Walker of Sussex Police to discuss measures being taken to combat vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the village.  Copies of the subsequent correspondence with Inspector Walker would be forwarded to the Clerk.    

 

 

CORRESPONDENCE

 

200.  Receipt of the following correspondence was reported by the Clerk and action agreed as indicated:

 

a) WSCC Open Access Land and the West Sussex Countryside Access Plan – invitation to attend a seminar for Parish Councils at County Hall, Chichester on 12 October 2004 at 2.00 pm.

 

b) WSCC Regional Conference on Speed Management – invitation to send representative to conference on 19 October 2004 at the Leisure Centre, Broadbridge Heath.

 

c) WSCC Public Rights of Way Routine Management.  A list of the work carried out by the WSCC maintenance gang on a recent visit to Yapton was received by the Council (copy attached to minute book)

 

d)  Arun District Council – invitation to send a representative to the 4th “State of the District Debate” to be held on 15 September 2004  at the Arun Civic Centre, Littlehampton.

 

e) Arun District Council – invitation to send representatives to a seminar on “Travellers – The Future” at the Windmill Theatre, Littlehampton on 8 November 2004.

 

f) Arun District Council – enclosing details of “Red, White & Blue Charity Ball” being planned at the Hilton Avisford Park Hotel on 19 November 2004.

 

   

 

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR/LIAISON WITH SUSSEX POLICE

 

201.    The Council had before them and received a copy of a letter sent to Inspector Walker of Sussex Police.  The Chairman explained that he and the Clerk had arranged to meet with Inspector Walker but unfortunately the meeting had had to be cancelled at the last minute.  The letter had been sent to outline some of the issues which it had been planned to discuss at the meeting (copy of letter attached to minute book).

 

202.  PC Peter Child, a Police Officer based at Arundel and part of the Neighbourhood Policing team, reported on some of the actions which had been taken recently to curb anti-social behaviour in the village.  A special campaign had been mounted over the last 3 weeks.  There had been reported problems with alcohol abuse on the playing field and the Loveys Estate but unfortunately the culprits disappeared when the police arrived.

 

203.  PC Child accepted that there had been problems with communications at the Call Centre and this was a training issue for the staff concerned.  He stressed the importance of dialling the 999 emergency telephone number if residents witnessed incidents of vandalism taking place in the village as these required police attendance “there and then” although attendance may not always be possible because of other more pressing priorities.

 

 

PARISH COUNCIL WEBSITE

 

204.  A statistical report which showed the daily number of “hits” to the Parish Council’s website www.yaptonpc.gov.uk in August 2004 was considered and received by the Council (copy attached to minute book). 

 

205. The Clerk reported that the website was regularly updated and had been further expanded since its inception.   The statistical analysis showed a significant increase in the number of users.  On the most active day in August, 322 requests were handled compared with 182 requests in October 2003.  The daily average in August was 128 compared to a daily average of 50 in October 2003.

 

 

PROPOSED COMPETITION “A CALENDAR FOR YAPTON 2005”

 

206.   Following the success of the “Design-a-Flag for Yapton” Competition, the Clerk suggested that the Parish Council might consider organising  a competition to produce a “Calendar for Yapton 2005” in time for Christmas.    The idea being that the Parish Council would produce professionally and make available for sale its own “Calendar for Yapton 2005” which would contain 12 different scenes of the village (one for each month of the year) using drawings, paintings or photographs submitted by children and adults in the village.

 

207.  The estimated cost of printing 500 calendars would be £592.00 and the Council agreed to underwrite the costs involved.   Any profits made from the sale of the calendars would be donated to a local charity. Details of the competition would be advertised in the next newsletter. As with the flag competition there would be two categories of entrant, one for “under 16 years of age” and one for “over 16 years of age”. Each of the winners would receive 5 free copies of the Calendar to keep or give to friends and relatives. In effect there would be 12 winners, one for each month of the year. 

 

208. The Council agreed that the Chairman together with the Managers of the two Village General Stores should be invited judge the entries for the Calendar competition.

 

 

PARISH COUNCIL NEWSLETTER (YAPTON VILLAGE NEWS & VIEWS)

 

209.  A proof copy of the September 2004 issue of the newsletter was circulated at the meeting.    A schedule which showed the advertising revenue and costs for the July and September issues was received by the Council (copy attached to minute book).

 

 

PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

210.  Mr Haymes declared an interest because of his membership of the District Council’s Development Control Committee and temporarily left the meeting taking no part in the consideration of the Planning Committee’s report. 

 

211.  The Council had before them and received (a) the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 9 and 23 August 2004 and (b) details of planning decisions made by Arun District Council in July/August 2004 (copies attached to minute book).

 

 

PLAYING FIELD 

 

212.   Because of the continuing problems with vandalism it was agreed the Council should investigate the possibility of replacing the brick built store with a storage container large enough to house the football club’s equipment.

 

213.  The Clerk was asked to alert Arun Pest Control Service that moles were once again burrowing on the playing field.

 

 

VILLAGE HALL REPRESENTATIVES

 

214.  It was reported that the insurers had increased the excess for vandalism damage to the Village Hall to £500 per claim.

 

 

JOINT DOWNLAND AREA COMMITTEE

 

215.   Mr Taft reported on the matters discussed at the meeting held on 26 July 2004.    A copy of a House of Commons paper on Section 106 Agreements relating to planning gain would be circulated to members of the Planning Committee.

 

 

UNITY COMMITTEE

 

216.  Mr Taft reported that in order to progress matters it had been suggested at the last meeting of the Unity Committee that Howard Cheadle (ADC Planning Officer) and Martin Downy (WSCC Transport Planning Officer) should be invited to the next meeting to address members.   The constituent parishes within the Unity Committee might be invited to contribute £100 each towards the ongoing administrative costs. 

 

  

FINANCE

 

Audit of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2004.

 

217.   The Council noted that the external audit of the Council’s accounts by Mazars had been satisfactorily completed.   A copy of the statement of accounts and the auditor’s certificate would be displayed on the Parish Council noticeboard in accordance with the requirements of the Accounts and Audit Regulations.

 

Clerk’s salary

 

218.  The Council noted that the National Joint Council for Local Government Services had approved a three year pay award for local government staff with effect from 1 April 2004.  The award provided for increases of 2.75% in 2004-05, 2.95% in 2005-06 and 2.95% or an increase at the rate of RPI in 2006-07.   New salary scales had been issued to reflect these increases and the clerk’s salary would be adjusted accordingly in accordance with his contract.

 

Financial statements

 

219. Resolved -

 

(a) That the financial statement showing the payments and receipts covering the period 1 July – 31 August 2004 be adopted (copy attached to minute book);

 

(b) That the summary of income and expenditure over the various budget heads for the period July – August 2004 be received (copy attached to minute book).

 

 

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME 

 

220.  The following matters/concerns were raised by members of the public present at the meeting:-

 

a) a question was asked as to whether any changes were contemplated in the closing times for the off-licence at the Co-op Store.

 

b) it was reported that building work on the  new Youth Centre planned at Ford was underway. It was hoped the Centre would be open by mid November.

 

 

 

CHAIRMAN