YAPTON PARISH COUNCIL

 

 

9 January 2012 - At a meeting of the Parish Council held at the Yapton & Ford Village Hall.                  

 

Present:    Mr Haymes (Chairman), Mr Ambler, Mr Andrews, Mr Bryan, Mr Caiger, Mr Faulkner,  Mr Kendall and Mr Mills.

 

Also present:  Mr Tansley (Clerk of the Council) and 5 members of the public.

 

Apologies for absence were received and accepted from Parish Councillors Mrs Barnes and Mr Taft, and County Councillor Mrs Coleman and District Councillor Mr McIntyre.  

 

 

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

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

 

2.  Mr Haymes as a member of the District Council's Development Control Committee  declared a personal interest in agenda item 12a (Planning Committee).   Mr Caiger as a relative of one of the tenderers, declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 13a (contracts for grass cutting and litter picking).  Both members took no part in the discussion/decision making on these items.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

 

3.  A member of the public asked if the Parish Council was intending to make representations to the County Council in respect of the 66 and 66A bus service which, as a subsidised route, was under threat of withdrawal.     The Chairman responded by advising that the issue was an agenda item which would be discussed later in the meeting.    

 

4. It was reported that the litter bins in the children's play area were being used for the disposal of plastic bags containing dog faeces.  It was also suggested that dogs should be kept on leads when being exercised on the playing field.   The Clerk undertook to arrange for appropriate signs/posters to be obtained and put up.  

 

MINUTES

 

5.  Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2011 be approved as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.               

 

 

MATTERS ARISING

 

Funding for proposed extension to skate park (minute 203/2011)

 

6.  The Clerk reported that applications for grant-aid had been submitted to the LEADER programme, to WSCC's Big Society Fund, to the SITA Trust and to Ford Parish Council.   If the application to the SITA Trust was successful he intended to apply to the County Council for a grant from its Community Initiative Fund to cover the required third party contribution towards the project. 

 

Planning Application (minute 209/2011)

 

7.  The Clerk advised that Planning Application Y/56/11 (Outline application for 2 pairs of semi-detached 3 bed cottages on land to the South of the Railway Crossing in North End Road, Yapton) had since been refused by the District Council's Planning Officer under delegated powers.

 

 

COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORTS

 

8.  The Chairman stated that the Cabinet had received a report on the LEADER programme which showed that in the last financial year some £337,734 had been awarded in grants to local organisations in the area.   Of this, the Parish Council itself had been successful in applying for grants for various projects totalling nearly £44,000.

 

9.  The Chairman advised that the Localism Act provided for the abolition of the Standards Board set up to oversee and manage the complaints process against councillors.  New arrangements involving the Police would be put in place to deal with complaints where these involved criminal intent.

 

10.  As part of the Electoral Review which would be taking place in 2012, the District Council was considering a recommendation that the number of seats be reduced from 56 to either 53 or 54.

 

 

CORRESPONDENCE

 

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

 

a) The Planning Inspectorate - Appeal by M J Gleeson Group Plc - Site at land north of Burndell Road, Yapton.  The Council noted that the Inspector's decision was to allow the appeal and grant planning permission for the construction of 173 new dwellings and associated car parking, public open space including children's play areas, vehicular access in accordance with the terms of planning application Y/81/10, subject to conditions.  The Council agreed to support the representations which Mr Faulkner advised had been made by Peter Midgley to the District Council with regard to outstanding issues over drainage, flooding and contractor parking at the site.  

 

b)  WSCC Traffic Regulation Order Team  - Formal consultation for a new waiting restriction on North End Road, Yapton.  The Parish Council welcomed the proposal by the County Council to make a Traffic Regulation Order which would prohibit waiting at any time on the western side of North End Road at its junction with The Croft.

 

c) WSCC - Changes to local bus services.  Members noted that the  County Council was carrying out a bus user survey of its subsidised routes which included the 66 and 66A service which ran from Barnham to Bognor via Yapton.  Feedback from users was required to assist the County Council in making decisions in respect of the next phase of bus service reductions. Comments  by 17 January 2012 could be made online at www.westsussex.gov.uk/buses.  The Parish Council agreed itself to make representations on behalf of local residents for the retention of the only bus service in the area which covered the 5 villages through to Bognor Regis.

 

d) Arun District Council - invitation to members to attend the Chairman's 'Go Wilde' for Charity Dinner Dance at the Hilton Avisford Park Hotel on Saturday 25 February 2012.

 

e) Bell Cornwell LLP, Chartered Town Planners - request to engage with  the Parish Council in its  Neighbourhood Plan preparation in respect of a proposed site for a small housing development in Yapton.    The Parish Council endorsed the response which had been sent by the Clerk in consultation

with the Chairman of the Parish Council and Chairman of the Planning Committee.

 

f) Various residents - letters of thanks for vouchers from the volunteers who deliver Yapton News.

 

 

 

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF MEMBERS/STAFF

 

12.  Mr Faulkner and the Clerk had attended a briefing session on the electoral review of the District Council which was due to be undertaken by the Local Government Boundary Commission in 2012.  

 

13. The Council agreed that comments should be invited in the next edition of Yapton News from local residents on the issue of Hoe Lane which was in the Parish of Yapton but at the last review had, for District Council electoral purposes only, become part of the Felpham East ward.  

 

 

PARISH COUNCIL MAGAZINE (YAPTON NEWS)

 

14. Details of the contents for the January edition (52nd issue) of the magazine were reported to the Council. 

 

 

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN FOR YAPTON

 

15. The Council had before them and considered a report by the Clerk setting out the current position with regard to the preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan for Yapton (copy attached to minute book).

 

16.  Members appreciated the immense amount of research, consultative and other work which had already been undertaken by the Project Group to reach the position where it was able to involve the whole community in a 'Drop-in Day' which would take place at the village hall on Thursday 9 February 2012.

 

17.  Resolved - That the report be received and that the procedural and working arrangements  set out therein for the delivery of a Neighbourhood Plan for Yapton through the Neighbourhood Plan Project Group be adopted.

 

 

PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

18.  The Council had before them and received (a) the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 10 November 2011 and (b) details of planning decisions made by Arun District Council in November/December 2011 (copies attached to minute book).

 

 

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN COMMITTEE

 

19.  Mr Faulkner reported that the Neighbourhood Plan Project Group had met on a number of occasions since the last meeting of the Parish Council and good progress was being made.  He outlined the arrangements being made for a 'Drop-in Day' at the village hall on 9 February 2012 which would provide an opportunity for residents to find out more about the Yapton Neighbourhood Plan and to complete a short questionnaire.    It was intended that a full survey of residents' views would be undertaken by the inclusion of a questionnaire in the March issue of Yapton News.

 

 

PLAYING FIELD

 

20.  The Council noted that the Oak Tree provided by Arun District Council to commemorate the Royal Wedding had been planted by Mr Caiger on the north western boundary of the playing field. 

 

 

ALLOTMENTS

 

21.  Mr Caiger asked if the sign at the allotment site could be renewed and the new sign repositioned at the main entrance.  He also mentioned his concern that a number of plots were not always being properly cultivated and kept tidy in accordance with the conditions of tenancy and he cited one case a where a plot was being used as a dumping ground for rubbish. 

 

22. The Council agreed that a new sign should be provided and given the waiting list for new plots that all tenants should be reminded of the conditions of tenancy and that they would be vigorously

enforced.

 

 

VILLAGE HALL REPRESENTATIVES

 

23.   Mr Mills gave a verbal report on the last meeting of the Village Hall Management Committee.  The hall floors had all been refurbished and plans were in hand for more fund raising events including a table top sale and fashion show.  The Treasurer, Mark Bentley, had indicated his intention to give up the position as soon as a replacement could be found.

 

 

FINANCE

 

Tenders for grass cutting and litter picking contracts 2012/2013

 

24.  Resolved - That having considered the tenders received (copy of confidential report attached to minute book), the Council’s contracts for grass cutting at the allotments site and litter picking for 2012/2013 be awarded to the lowest tenderers as follows:

 

 

Contract 1 (Grass cutting of paths on allotment site)

B Caiger, Elmer Sands

 

Contract 2 (Litter picking/collection)

J M Smithers, Yapton.

 

 

Precept for 2012/2013

 

25.  The Council had before them and considered a report prepared by the Clerk setting out the revised estimates for the current financial year and the estimates of expenditure for 2012/2013 (copy attached to minute book).

 

26.  Members noted that the precept levied in the current year was £40,000 with a forecast total expenditure of £54,768.   The expected income, excluding the balance carried forward from last year, was £45,103.  To date no grant applications had been approved and the excess expenditure would therefore have to be offset against monies held in reserve.

 

27. The Clerk advised that the precept had been maintained at £40,000 for the last 8 years. If the precept for the next financial year was kept at the present level and the projected income and expenditure went to plan, it should still be possible to maintain a reasonable balance for contingencies and small projects.  The Council however recognised that the scope for maintaining the precept at the same level beyond 2012/2013 was extremely limited as the reserves would be depleted.

       

28.  Resolved –  That the Council precept for the sum of £40,000 for the 2012/2013 financial year to cover the estimated cost of maintaining the facilities and local services as well as the improvement projects as set out in the Clerk’s report.

 

 

Financial Statements

 

29.  Resolved –

 

(a) That the financial statement showing the payments and receipts covering the period 1 November – 31 December 2011 be adopted (copy attached to minute book);

 

(b) That the summary of income and expenditure over the various budget heads for the period 1 November – 31 December 2011 be received (copy attached to minute book).

 

 

 

CHAIRMAN