YAPTON PARISH COUNCIL
9 November 2009 - At a meeting of
the Parish Council held at the Yapton & Ford Village Hall.
Present: Mr Haymes (Chairman), Mr Andrews, Mrs
Barnes, Mr Bryan, Mr Caiger, Mr Faulkner, Mr Jones, Mr
D Mills, Mr J Mills and Mr Taft.
Also present: PCSO Lee Matthews, Mr Tansley (Clerk of the
Council) and 7 members of the public.
Apologies for absence were received
and accepted from County Councillor Mrs Coleman and District Councillor Mrs
Neno.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
186. Members were reminded to make any declarations of personal and/or
prejudicial interest that they may have in relation to items on the
agenda.
187. 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. Mr Andrews and Mr Caiger, as
allotment tenants, declared a personal interest in the setting of the
allotments rentals for 2010/2011 (agenda item 12(c) and took no part in the discussion/decision
making on this item. Mr Tansley, the
Clerk, declared a personal interest in agenda item 15 as it concerned a
possible payment for work undertaken by his wife and he left the meeting when
the matter came up for discussion.
PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
188. One of the Council’s allotment tenants referred to an incident of
vandalism on the Cinders Lane Allotment site at the end of October when criminal
damage to property including fruit and vegetable plants had occurred. Supported by other allotment tenants who
were present at the meeting, the tenant asked if the Council would consider
properly securing the site by the provision of chain link perimeter fencing and
an entrance gate. The tenant stated
that he had already written to the Council about the matter and received a reply
from the Clerk which he felt was unsatisfactory. The tenant also asked that a breakdown of the income received and
the annual cost of running the allotment site be sent to him.
189. In the ensuing discussion, the Chairman pointed out that the
Cinders Lane site had always been an open one. The land was leased by the
Council and it was unlikely that the landowner would fund the cost of fencing
as this would be expensive and in any event he felt the site would be difficult
to secure satisfactorily. The Council
had however found funds and supported the provision of hawthorn hedging which
had been planted earlier in the year around the perimeter of the site and this hedging
was beginning now to become established.
The Chairman stated that tenant’s letter was due to be considered by the
Council later in the meeting and meanwhile he undertook to ensure that the
tenant was provided in due course with the breakdown of costs which he had
requested.
MINUTES
190. Resolved - That the minutes
of the meeting held on 14 September 2009 be approved as a correct record and
that they be signed by the Chairman.
MATTERS
ARISING
Bilsham Road Telephone Box (minute 160/2009)
191. The Clerk reported that that the phone box had been refurbished
and repainted and was now in full working order.
Action in Rural Sussex (AirS workshop) (minute 167c/2009)
192. Mr Faulkner had agreed to attend the workshop which had recently
been re-arranged and was now due to take place on 20 January 2010 at the
Felpham Memorial Hall.
LEADER Grant Programme
(minute 167e/2009)
193. Richard Chalk, the officer responsible at WSCC, had attended the
last meeting of the Village Hall Management Committee and explained the
opportunities which might be available for the Committee to apply for a grant
through the LEADER Programme.
Village
Hall –External Maintenance (minutes 171-173/2009)
194. The Clerk reported that the contractor
would be delaying the external redecoration work until the Spring because of
the weather. Work of the roofing
repairs and replacing the damaged windows would however be undertaken within
the next two weeks, weather permitting.
Sussex Plastics (who had installed the double glazing in the Club Room)
had quoted a price £480.00 for replacing the 8 sealed window units which had
been damaged by air gun pellets. The
Council agreed that this quote should be accepted.
Application
to JDAC for grant towards cost of producing newsletter (minute 176/2009)
195. The
Clerk reported that the Joint Downland Area Committee at its meeting on 5
October had deferred a decision on the Council’s application to their next
meeting which was scheduled to take place on 18 January 2010. The Committee had however approved a grant
application of £375.00 which had been submitted by the Clerk on behalf of the
Village Hall Management Committee towards the cost of producing and printing a
publicity brochure to help with marketing the village hall.
COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORTS
196. In
her absence, the Clerk read a brief report received by email from District
Councillor Mrs Neno (copy attached to
minute book).
197.
The Chairman reported that the timetable for approving the District
Council’s Local Development framework policy had been put back until the New Year.
REPORT
FROM SUSSEX POLICE REPRESENTATIVE
198.
The Chairman welcomed PCSO Lee Matthews to his first meeting. The Council had before them and received
reports from PCSO Matthews covering the
period from 10 July to 5 November 2010 inclusive (copy attached to minute book).
PCSO Matthews went through and commented on aspects of his two
reports. He indicated that he would be
increasing his patrols of the Cinders Lane allotment site and staggering visiting
times in order to provide a random as well as visible police presence.
CORRESPONDENCE
199. Receipt of the following
correspondence was reported by the Clerk and action agreed as indicated:-
a) Arun DC
– Pleasure Fairs Byelaws. The Council
noted that the new byelaws came into force on 8 October 2009 and would apply in
future to visits of Coles Fairground to the playing field.
b) Arun DC – Possible transfer of
responsibility for management of Loveys Road Allotment Site. The
Council decided there was no added value or benefit to be gained from such a
transfer and agreed not to pursue the matter further.
c) Arun
DC Independent Remuneration Panel – Review of Town/Parish Councillor Allowances. The
Council unanimously reaffirmed its decision not to pay allowances to members,
other than travelling and other expenses necessarily incurred on Council
business. The Clerk would respond to
the questionnaire accordingly.
d) WSCC –
Policy Site 6 (Felpham) Comet Corner highway improvements. The Council noted that the formal
consultation with the Council would take place ‘as the scheme develops’ but at
the present time there was still some uncertainty about the start date for the
Felpham Site 6 development.
e) NHS
National Blood Service – Visit of mobile service to Yapton & Ford Village
Hall car park on Thursday 17 December 2009 9.30 am – 4.00 pm.
f) Local Ford
resident – Cinders Lane Allotment Site. Vandalism Incident on 27 October
2009. The Council in sympathising with the resident noted that the police
were now increasing patrols and keeping a close watch on the allotment site
following the criminal damage to property which had occurred. The resident, in conjunction with other allotment tenants and
following discussion with Mr Jones, was asked to put forward suggestions, in
priority order, to improve the security of the allotment site for
consideration by the Parish Council. Meanwhile the Clerk undertook
to explore various possibilities for funding to help secure the site possibly by
the provision of more hawthorn hedging and the installation of an entrance
gate.
KING GEORGE V PLAYING FIELD
IMPROVEMENTS TO RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
200. The Council had before them and considered a
report by the Clerk which set out proposals for improving the recreational
facilities for children and young people (copy
attached to minute book).
201. Resolved -
a) That the Council recognises the desirability of increasing the recreational facilities and opportunities particularly for older children and young people within the village as one way of providing alternative outlets and reducing anti-social behaviour in the village;
b) That permanent goal posts be provided on the playing field and a pitch marked out for general use and that in addition arrangements be made for the existing basketball/hardplay area to be re-lined. The cost of these improvements to be met from the £2000 donation already received;
c) That an application be submitted to the SITA Trust for a grant of £50,000 (the maximum available) from their fund for ‘enhancing communities’ for a project to provide a skateboard park on the playing field to be sited immediately behind/to the north of existing enclosed hard play area;
d) That, in the longer term, when the Section 106 funding from the Bilsham Industrial Site housing development became available, and if a grant was not provided by the SITA Trust, the Council agree to commit the bulk of the money to finance the skate park project with any balance being used to extend the existing play area equipment to provide a wider range of equipment particularly for use by older children;
e) That in the event of the SITA Trust approving a grant to cover the cost of the skate park, as an alternative the Council determine to use the Section 106 money for either (a) generally improving and extending the range of the existing equipment in the children’s play area or (b) providing a tarmacadam cycle/pedestrian path around the perimeter of the playing field, or possibly (c) a combination of both, subject to estimates and the funding available;
f) That the suggestion for a ‘drop-in’ café facility to be provided in the Club Room at the Village Hall be forwarded, with the support of the Parish Council, to the Village Hall Management Committee for consideration as a way on increasing income perhaps by granting a concession for such usage to a private company.
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF MEMBERS/STAFF
202. The Clerk reported on a meeting he had
attended organised by the Arun District Society of Local Council Clerks at
which Ian Sumnall, Chief Executive of Arun District Council, had given a
presentation on the Council’s planned budget savings as well as answering a
number of general questions.
PARISH
COUNCIL NEWSLETTER (YAPTON NEWS & VIEWS)
203. Details of the contents for the
November/December edition (39th issue) of the newsletter were reported to the
Council. As agreed at the last meeting
an insert publicising this year’s Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice
Christmas Cards had been included. The
Council agreed that Christmas gift cards again be purchased for giving to non
councillors who helped on a voluntary basis with the delivery of the newsletter
to households in the village.
PLANNING COMMITTEE
204. The Council had before them and received (a) the minutes of the
meeting of the Planning Committee held on 14 September 2009 and (b) details of
planning decisions made by Arun District Council in September and October 2009 (copies attached to minute book).
PLAYING FIELD
205. It was suggested that, if possible, the timing of the floodlights
to the hard play/basketball area should be changed to go off at 10.00 instead
of 11.00 pm.
ALLOTMENTS
206. Resolved – That the
allotments rentals be maintained at their present level of £20.00 per annum
(half plots pro-rata) for the year commencing 1 April 2010.
VILLAGE HALL REPRESENTATIVES
207. Mr J Mills gave a verbal report on the last
meeting. The Management Committee’s Treasurer
had stood down and Mark Bentley, a member of Ford Parish Council, had taken on
the role. A number of issues had arisen
which were being followed up as a matter of urgency to ensure the continued financial
viability of the village hall.
208. Resolved
– That the action taken by the Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman, to pay
from Council funds the insurance premium due on the village hall be
approved.
209. The Council noted that the payment had been
made on a temporary loan basis to enable the village hall to remain open as
well as to ensure that the Council’s interest as the Lessor of the property was
preserved.
JOINT DOWNLAND AREA COMMITTEE
210. Mr Taft gave a verbal report on the meeting
of the Committee held on 5 October 2009.
YAPTON, FORD & CLYMPING NEIGHBOURHOOD
MANAGEMENT POLICE FORUM
211. Mr Bryan gave a verbal report on the meeting
of the forum held on 14 October 2009.
FINANCE
Photocopier
contract
212. The
Council noted that the Council’s 5 year photocopier rental contract with Canon
UK Ltd came to an end in September 2009.
In consultation with the Chairman a further 5 year contract for a new
machine had been negotiated with Canon at a reduced quarterly rental cost. The new quarterly rental charge would be
£27.55 compared to the current quarterly charge of £31.80.
Audit
of the Council’s Accounts
213. The Council noted that Mazars LLP had
completed the external audit of the Council’s accounts for the 2008/09
financial year. There were no matters arising. A notice of the completion of the audit and the right to inspect
the Annual Return had been posted on the Council’s notice board in accordance
with the requirements of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003, as amended.
214. Resolved –
(a) That the financial statement
showing the payments and receipts covering the period 1 September – 31 October
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 September – 31
October 2009 be received (copy attached
to minute book).
DATES OF MEETINGS IN 2010
215. The Council agreed the following programme
of meetings for 2010:
11
January; 8 March; 10 May (preceded by Annual Parish
Meeting);
12
July; 13 September; 8
November.
216. The Parish Council meetings would start at
7.30 pm. The Council agreed that
meetings of the Planning Committee should continue to be scheduled to start at
7.00 pm on the same evening as
Parish Council meetings.
CHAIRMAN