YAPTON PARISH COUNCIL

 

 

14 September 2009 - At a meeting of the Parish Council held at the Yapton & Ford Village Hall.                  

 

Present:    Mr Haymes (Chairman), Mr Andrews,  Mr Bryan,  Mr Caiger,  Mr Faulkner, Mr D Mills, Mr J Mills and Mr Taft.

 

Also present:   Mr Tansley (Clerk of the Council) and 2 members of the public.

 

Apologies for absence were received and accepted from Parish Councillor Mrs Barnes.  Apologies were also received from County Councillor Mrs Coleman*, District Councillors Mr English and Mrs Neno and PCSO Lee Matthews.   

 

*The Council noted and recorded their congratulations to County Councillor Christina Freeman on her recent marriage to fellow County Councillor Mike Coleman.  

 

 

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

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

 

157.  Mr Haymes declared a prejudicial interest in agenda item 14(a) (Planning Committee) and took no part in the discussion/decision making on this item.    

 

 

VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES

 

158.  No nominations were put forward to fill the remaining vacancy for a Parish Council representative on the Village Hall Management Committee.

 

 

MINUTES

 

159.  Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2009 be approved as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.               

 

 

MATTERS ARISING

 

Bilsham Road Telephone Box (minute 129/2009)

 

160.  The Clerk reported that he had been given an assurance by British Telecom that they would arrange for the phone-box to be repainted as soon as possible.

 

Improvement projects (minute 130/2009)

 

161.  The Clerk reported that the Headteacher had earlier in the day submitted a statement setting out the children’s ideas for improving the play facilities in the village.  He intended to compile a report based on the consultation which had taken place and present this for consideration at the next meeting.

 

 

 

 Applications for Grant-aid 2009/2010 (minute 143/2009)

 

162.  The Clerk reported that letters of thanks had been received from a number of the organisations which had been awarded grants.

  

Encroachment of Boundary Fencing (minutes 153-155/2009)

 

163.  The Chairman reported that the fencing had now been taken down and repositioned and the encroachment had consequently ceased.  The satisfactory outcome was largely due to the persistence of the Clerk and the Council recorded their thanks to him for his efforts.

 

  

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

 

164.  It was reported that youths had been seen regularly congregating at night on the playing field behind the northern boundary wall of Grove Lodge.  One of the nearby pedestrian/traffic barriers in Church Road had recently been destroyed by vandals.   Contact would be made by the Clerk with the new Police Community Support Officer for Yapton to alert him to the situation and with WSCC Highways to arrange for the barrier to be replaced.

 

 

COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORTS

 

164.  In her absence, the Clerk read a brief report received by email from County Councillor Mrs Freeman (copy attached to minute book).

 

165.  The Chairman advised on the background to a report from the independent consultants, Baker Associates, which had been submitted to the Local Development Framework Sub-Committee at Arun District Council and had included a proposal to provide a 5,000 dwelling eco-town at Ford from 2022.   He explained that the consultant’s report had been commissioned and written before the Government’s decision had been made known on its eco-town programme and their view that the bid submitted for Ford was not considered to be a viable option.

 

 

REPORT FROM SUSSEX POLICE REPRESENTATIVE

 

166.  The Council noted that PCSO Neil Billingham, whilst remaining part of the Neighbourhood Policing Team at Arundel, had transferred to work in the Angmering area from the start of September.  PCSO Lee Matthews had been appointed to take over the beat which covered Yapton, Ford and Clymping.   

 

 

CORRESPONDENCE

 

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

 

a) NHS Primary Care Support Service –applications submitted by Aroschem Ltd  and Shoo 434 Ltd to be included in the West Sussex PCT Pharmaceutical List.  The Council noted that the West Sussex PCT Pharmacy Committee had recently considered the two applications to establish pharmacies in Yapton, one from Aroschem Ltd to be based at the Meadowcroft Surgery in Bilsham Road and the other from Shoo 434 Ltd to be located ‘in the vicinity’ of Main Road.       Both applications had been considered together. The Pharmacy Committee had concluded, on balance, that a separate pharmacy for the village was desirable and it determined that the first application which had been submitted, that of Shoo 434 Ltd, should be the one to be approved.   The decision was now however the subject of an appeal to the Secretary of State. As the Parish Council had previously commented on the original applications (minute 61a/2009 refers), the Council would, in due course, be invited to make further representations.

 

b) BT Payphones – invitation to the Parish Council to adopt and maintain for an alternative use the

red telephone kiosk in North End Road following the planned removal of the telephone service

from the kiosk.   The Council decided not to take up the offer from BT Payphones.

 

c) Action in Rural Sussex (AirS) – Invitation to send representative(s) to Arun Health and Wellbeing Workshop to be held in November (date and venue to be advised).    The Clerk undertook to circulate further details to councillors when the date and venue of the workshop was known.

 

d) WSCC Street Lighting  – confirming that the cost of the new street lighting PFI maintenance contract would not exceed £31.00 per street light per annum and seeking confirmation that the Parish Council would wish to enter into a formal Agreement with the County Council on this basis.   Resolved – That the Council confirms its wish, without reservation, to enter into a formal agreement with WSCC on the terms set out.  

         

e) WSCC Community Services – enclosing details of the Three Harbours and Coastal Plain RDPE LEADER Grant Programme.   The Council noted that information about the grant scheme has been passed by the Clerk to the Yapton & Ford Village Hall Management Committee to consider as the scheme did cover financial support for village halls in the area. 

 

f) WSCC Community Safety Unit – enclosing information on the launch of the Hate Incident Support Service.

 

g) Arun DC Planning Department – consultation on draft proposed Compliance Strategy.   The Council noted that the Planning Committee had met earlier and considered the proposals in detail. The Council endorsed the comments which the Committee had suggested.

 

h)  Arun DC Chief Executive – Arun District Council’s Financial Position and working with Town and Parish Councils.   The Chief Executive had written to all town and parish councils about the possibility of cutbacks in expenditure of 15% on local government services which might have to be made over the next two years. The letter assured councils that where “there is the potential for a spending reduction or service reduction which could affect our relationship with your Town or Parish Council” there would be full consultation. 

    

 

FORD ECO-TOWN PROPOSAL

 

168.  With reference to minute 133/2009, the Council noted the decision of the Housing Minister formally announced on 16 July 2009, not to include Ford in the Government’s Eco-town programme.  The Location Decision Statement published at the same time by the Department for Communities and Local Government concluded with the following statement with regard to Ford:  “This location has not demonstrated the potential to meet the sustainability and deliverability requirements for successful development as an eco-town at this time.” 

 

169.  The Chairman had since written to Vicky Newman, the Chairman of CAFÉ (Communities Against Ford Eco-town), on behalf of the Council to thank her personally and all the CAFÉ team members for the tremendous amount of work they had put in fighting the campaign against the proposed eco-town at Ford on behalf of the whole community. 

 

170.  The Council endorsed the action of the Clerk in writing to Arun District Council urging them to reject the proposal contained in the report of independent consultants, Baker Associates, on possible sites in the district which could be suitable for housing, as the report appeared to resurrect the idea of an eco-town at Ford despite the Government’s recent decision.   

 

 

EXTERNAL MAINTENANCE OF YAPTON & FORD VILLAGE HALL

 

171.  The Clerk reported on quotations received for a programme of external redecoration and maintenance works at Yapton and Ford Village Hall.  

 

172.  Resolved - 

 

a) That the quotation of £2430.00 submitted by John Atkinson, Painter & Decorator, dated 3 September 2009 be accepted;

 

b) That the window panes in the club room at the village hall which had been damaged by air rifle pellets be replaced at the same time and that Mr Atkinson be asked to quote for the additional work.

 

173.  The Council noted that Ford Parish Council had agreed to accept responsibility for 25% of the cost of the maintenance works.

 

 

KING GEORGE V PLAYING FIELD – POPLAR TREES

 

174.  With reference to minute 154/2009, Mr Caiger reported on a site meeting which had taken place with the District Council’s Arbicultural Adviser, following which quotations had been obtained from specialist tree surgeons for various works to the Poplar trees on the field including severing the ivy around the base of the trees.  Mr Caiger considered that the main work of cutting back the ivy could be undertaken at a lower cost and a further estimate would therefore be sought prior to the work being undertaken.

 

 

PARISH COUNCIL NEWSLETTER (YAPTON NEWS & VIEWS)

 

175.  Details of the contents of the September 2009 edition (38th issue) of the newsletter were reported to the Council.   

 

176.  The Clerk advised that in view of the difficulty of increasing advertising revenue, following consultation with the Chairman, he had submitted an application to the Joint Downland Area Committee for a grant from the WSCC Parish Initiatives Fund towards the ongoing costs of producing the newsletter. 

 

177.  It was agreed that in the forthcoming Christmas issue of the newsletter, the Council should once again promote the Christmas Cards available from the Chestnut Tree Children’s Hospice to help with the Hospice’s fund raising efforts.

 

 

PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

178.  The Council had before them and received (a) the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 13 July 2009 and (b) details of planning decisions made by Arun District Council in July and August 2009 (copies attached to minute book).

 

 

PLAYING FIELD

 

179.  The Council were disappointed to hear that after such a long association with the village, the two teams connected to Yapton Football Club would no longer be using the playing field for their home fixtures.  The Club had decided next season to use Eastergate as their home base.

 

180.  Mr Caiger reported that the copper beech tree which had been planted adjacent to the village hall earlier in the season had unfortunately died.

 

 

ALLOTMENTS

 

181.   Mr Caiger reported that a pumpkin grown on the allotment site had weighed in at a record breaking 400+lbs.    Photographs had been taken and the Clerk was hoping to include a feature in the next issue of Yapton News & Views.

 

 

VILLAGE HALL REPRESENTATIVES

 

182.  A report by Mr J Mills on the meeting of the Village Hall Management Committee held on 8 September 2009 was considered and received by the Council (copy attached to minute book).   Mr Mills and the Chairman commented further on various aspects of the report.

 

183.  The Clerk advised that he had approached the Southern Co-operative Store Management about the possibility of getting the two disabled parking bays in the village hall car park repainted.

 

 

FINANCE                  

 

184. The Council noted that the National Joint Council for Local Government Services had recently agreed a 1% salary increase for 2009/10 for local government staff payable from 1 April 2009.  The award was within the 2.5% figure for which the Council had budgeted.

 

185.  Resolved –

 

(a) That the financial statement showing the payments and receipts covering the period 1 July – 31 August 2009 be adopted (copy attached to minute book);

 

(b) That the summary of income and expenditure over the various budget heads for the period 1 July – 31 August 2009 be received (copy attached to minute book).

 

 

 

CHAIRMAN