BISHAMPTON AND THROCKMORTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on Monday 3rd December 2007 at the Villages Hall, Bishampton

Members and Officers present: Mr Don Cheetham, Mr J Morrison, Mr J Mills, Mr D Baldwin and Mrs C Morris (Clerk).

The meeting opened at 7.30pm and adjourned to hear from one member of the public who attended to learn more about item 7. See attached note.

The meeting re-opened at 7.50pm.

ADMIN

07.12.01 To receive apologies and approve the reason for absence
Cllr Argyle had another engagement, Cllr Burtoft and Cllr Beever had work commitments and Cllr Tucker was unable to get back from another engagement in time. Their apologies were noted and approved. Cllr Liz Tucker also sent her apologies.

07.12.02 To record: a) Declarations of Interest (Personal & Prejudicial) and b) Any changes to be notified to the Register of Interest and Gifts & Hospitability
Cllr Baldwin declared his personal and prejudicial interests in item 12.

07.12.03 To consider the co-option of a new councillor
There were no applicants for the vacant position. Clerk to continue advertising. Action Clerk

07.12.04 To approve the minutes of the PC Meeting held on November 5th 2007
The minutes were approved and signed by the chairman as a true record.

07.12.05 To consider adopting a complaints procedure
The council agreed to adopt the CALC model complaints procedure and follow the Association’s advice in the event of a complaint.

NEW ITEMS

07.12.06 To consider the Parish Council’s response to the Joint Core Strategy
As this was a large document, it was agreed that the chairman, with Cllr Mills and the clerk, should fill in the form, with the council’s previous views in mind. They would circulate the information and councillors were asked to study their own copy of the document and raise any issues they felt strongly about. Action Clerk/Cllrs

07.12.07 To consider the new scheme for an Eco Town on Throckmorton Airfield
(The clerk declared her interest in the matter as an airfield resident)
Members heard how the clerk had complained that the PC had no formal notification of the scheme from Wychavon. Some members had spoken with Cllr Liz Tucker to try to find out more and learn about the scheme via information available on the internet. The chairman had also spoken with the MP Peter Luff. A meeting had been organised with planning officers for all the local parish councillors, on December 5th. The council noted a letter in support of the plans and a letter against the plans, sent to the PC, and agreed that once they had spoken to the planners, they would do all they could to let parishioners know about what was planned and what may be likely to happen.

07.12.08 To consider issues relating to earning Quality Parish Status
The chairman and clerk had met with a CALC officer for a QPS audit and were pleased to report that apart from a few small items, it appeared the PC was following best practice in all areas. To obtain QPS, however, 80% of the council must be elected and the clerk needs to be qualified. It was agreed to add to the training budget in the coming year to allow for extra hours for the clerk to study if she felt she had the time to manage it in the coming year. Members also agreed to follow the areas for improvement advised by CALC wherever possible. Action Clerk

07.12.09 To consider the purchase of a Christmas tree for the centre of Bishampton
The council agreed there should be a Christmas tree in the village centre and the chairman said he hoped one could be donated. If not, the council approved payment for a suitable tree. It was planned that Cllr Argyle, Cheetham and Morrison could put it up and fit the lights the next weekend. Action Chairman
There had been a request from the organisers of the Bishampton ‘Christmas Eve carols round the tree’ event for the PC to sponsor the production of some song books. The item had come too late for the agenda, but the council agreed that the clerk should agree as an urgent matter to fund the books up to £20, with an extra £20 donation towards the traditional mulled wine refreshments. Action Clerk

REGULAR ITEMS

07.12.10 Finance

07.12.10.01 To note any receipts
None

07.12.10.02 To approve the statement of cash reconciliation for November
The reconciliation sheet for November showed that in the current account, £1,232.90 was spent. This left a total in the bank of £10,826.72. The 30-day account gained £93.88 in interest, which brought its total to £33,795.13. Allowing for an unpresented cheque of £606.77, this meant the council’s total cash assets (as of the bank statement date of November 24th) stood at £44,015.08.

07.12.10.03 To approve outstanding invoices for payment
The following invoices were approved for payment:

• 1127 Throckmorton Village Charity Hall Hire £10.00
• 1128 Mrs M Rimell Throck P Area Rent £1.00
• 1129 CALC Training £12.50

£23.50

07.12.10.04 To approve claims for expenses/overtime
Clerk’s expenses of £23.00 were approved (stamps £8.16, mileage £14.84).

07.12.10.05 To consider the budget and precept for 2007/2008
(Cllr Baldwin had declared an interest as chairman of the play area committee and left the room while the donation for the play area was discussed.)
Councillors studied the clerk’s budget report which showed that if the PC funded the predicted £5k shortfall of the costs of the play area, it would have spent approx £43.8k by the end of this financial year and earned £38K, leaving approx 30k in reserves (£5k allocated for drainage work, £4k for replacement of play areas in ten years and a £21k contingency). Councillors unanimously agreed to fund the shortfall up to £5k, in effect allowing for a total donation to the play area of £10k, over two years.
To allow for extra costs and to replenish reserves, and as it had remained the same for the last two years, members agreed to increase the precept by 4% to £18,720. Action Clerk

07.12.11 Planning

07.12.11.01 Council’s response to applications between meetings
None

07.12.11.02 Current Planning Applications
None

07.12.11.03 Reports on planning decisions

• W/07/01213/PP The Cottages, Broad Lane, Bishampton. Single storey garden room to rear.
  REFUSED: Unsympathetic design which would dominate and distort the historic plan and external appearance of the listed building.

07.12.11.04 To consider the publication of plans for parishioners
The council agreed that the clerk should advertise planning applications and where to find out more information on the notice boards as they came in. Action Clerk

07.12.12 Play Areas
(Cllr Baldwin had declared his interest as a member of the play area committee)

07.12.12.01 To hear any update from the Junior Play Area Committee
None

07.12.12.02 To consider any action necessary to continue work on the Junior Play Area project
None

07.12.12.03 To consider any other matters relating to the play areas
None

07.12.13 Footpaths – To consider footpath issues and the spending of the footpath grant
The council agreed to ask its contractor to quote for all the items identified for spending during the current year, under the PP3 Partnership scheme – replacement of finger posts in Broad Lane and by the War Memorial, improvement of the very muddy stretch of Badgers Walk path, improvements/replacement of stiles on the airfield. Action Clerk
The chairman reported that he had spoken to landowners following complaints about the state of some footpath routes down Babylon Lane and it was agreed that the county footpaths officer should be asked to intervene where landowners were not trimming their hedge back along the footpath routes.

07.12.14 To consider any Lengthsman Issues
The clerk reported outcomes of the parish lengthsman review meeting.

UPDATES

07.12.15 To consider any issues relating to the flooding in the parish and spending if the grant
Wychavon DC appeared to have misplaced the maps of flooded properties in the parish but councillors were trying to help track them down. It was also noted that Wychavon Citizens Advice Bureau was distributing Red Cross hardship funds locally – contact 01386 443737 or see admin@wychavoncab.cabnet.org.uk.
It was agreed that the PC would wait to see if had been allocated the £2,000 flooding grant before organising the survey and drain improvements it planned to carry out.

07.12.16 To consider grants for mowing parish churchyards
The PC was waiting to hear how Bishampton church wanted to progress the mowing scheme.
It was also agreed that the grant for a new mower for Throckmorton could be met from the council’s reserves fund to enable it to be paid in the current financial year.

07.12.17 To consider progress on the affordable housing survey
No News

07.12.18 To consider plans to close rural Post Office branches
No News

07.12.19 To consider matters relating to speeding in the parishes
The clerk had written to the Chief Constable about the idea for a Speed Watch scheme and had been contacted by Mike Digger, Traffic Management Administrator for West Mercia Police.
Mr Digger said similar schemes had been tried by the police, in partnership with local councils, but they had not proven successful, for legal reasons from the police’s point of view and community problems had been caused in some cases.
The clerk also voiced her concerns about the administration of any such scheme.
The PC agreed to pass on the information to the parishioner who had suggested the scheme and ask him to come back to the council if he had further comments to make.
The clerk had also written to the police to request a speed check in Throckmorton along the Hill to Tilesford stretch of the 30mph limit. Community PC Julie de Paris reported that unfortunately the zone was not long enough to conduct a speed check.

07.12.20 PACT News
No News

REPORTS/CORRESPONDENCE

07.12.21 CALC/Training Matters
Cllr Cheetham received a certificate for completing the CALC chairman’s course.

07.12.22 To receive reports from councillors and items for future agendas
Cllr Baldwin reported that training was almost complete for the volunteers taking part in the local defibrillator scheme. There were due to be a team of six villagers trained in using the equipment and the scheme should be running before Christmas.

07.12.23 To consider any further items of correspondence

• Standards Board – Clerk has to advertise the adoption of the local plan with the local paper and will organise with other local PCs to share the costs.
• Christmas ‘Use the Bus’ campaign – posters
• Clive Corbett, head teacher at Pershore High School, offered to talk to the PC about facilities available for community at the school. Clerk to write to say he could come if he wanted to or send details of what could benefit the parish. Action Clerk
• Parish Plan guidance pack – for future ref.
• Community First has 20 grants of up to £1k to give out for sporting activities with a social purpose to include people excluded/disadvantaged (this could mean because of their rural area). Clerk to ask if the play area could count. Action Clerk
• Invitation to a workshop about involving young people in activities. Dec 5th Wallace House, Evesham.
• Invitation to Wychavon DC chairman’s annual dinner dance. 1st Feb.
• Thanks from Throckmorton Chapelry for the £700 grant.
• Website – Berrows Journal website pages for PCs (www.berrowsjournal.co.uk) up and running. clerk to add bit of general info and link to PC site. Action Clerk
• Peter Luff – passed on a letter received from Stephen Timms at Dept of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory reform regarding the mast. Circulated and posted on website.
• Xmas Park & Ride into Worcester – posters for boards. Action Clerk
• Wychavon supplementary Planning Document on Biodiversity – consultation, until Dec 21st. Cllr Mills to study.

Circulation
Community first Newsline; Hedge Cutting info; Worcestershire Warden; Persh Vol Centre news; CALC Newsletter; CPRE Countryside Voice mag; Wychavon Community Strategy; Art Works; Clerks & Councils Direct mag

07.12.24 To affirm the date of the next meeting of the Parish Council
The date of the next meeting was confirmed as Monday, January 7th, Throckmorton.

The meeting closed at 9.35pm

................................................................................................................................

Chairman Date

Clerk to the Council Mrs C. Morris

Notes from the public session

Mr Dobie attended the public session to talk about his concerns over the plans for an Eco Town on Throckmorton Airfield. He made clear his feelings against any such plan, raising the point that any housing next to what is a major landfill site would not be a good idea.