BISHAMPTON AND THROCKMORTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Parish Council held on Monday 1st Fenruary 2010 at theVillages Hall Bishampton

Members and Officers present: Mr C Tucker (Acting Chairman), Mr G Day, Mr R Hodgkins, Mr J Mills, Mrs L Rimell and Mrs C Morris (Clerk).

In attendance: Mrs E Tucker, Worcestershire County Councillor and Wychavon District Councillor

The meeting opened at 7.32pm. In the absence of the chairman, vice chairman Cllr Charles Tucker took the chair.

ADMIN

1. To receive apologies and to approve the reason for absence
Cllr Cheetham, Cllr Argyle and Cllr Baldwin were on holiday and their apologies were accepted by the council.

2. To record: a) Declarations of Interest (Personal & Prejudicial) and b) Any changes to be notified to the Register of Interest and Gifts & Hospitability.
Cllr Rimell declared her interest in Item 9 as part of a company which would potentially be tendering for the mowing work.

3. To approve the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on December 3rd 2009
The minutes were approved and signed as a true record of proceedings.

4. To review the council’s obligations under the Freedom of Information Act
The council reviewed a (CALC) model publication scheme and agreed that the clerk should draw up a notice covering all the required points for publication on notice boards and in the next newsletter. It was agreed that there would be no charge for people wishing to obtain a copy of parish information. Action Clerk

NEW ITEMS

5. To consider any updates regarding the future of the village shop and post office
It was agreed that it was important to set mechanisms in place to act quickly should the parish council need to call upon spending powers or canvas parish support.
It was agreed that the chairman should continue his dialogue with the landlords and that if needs be the ‘village shop working party’ could meet between meetings under the following terms: “That the working party is set up for the purposes of researching and gathering information about the future of the shop and post office in order to report back to the PC with its findings". It was agreed that the council should seek training for the Power of Wellbeing, which will be organised by the clerk via email. Action Clerk
And it was agreed that if it came to the situation where the parish council was in need of spending/borrowing large sums of money, then parishioners should be consulted on their views.
This could be done by newsletter, online survey, public meeting or all three. It was noted that there may be no progress before the next meeting but agreed that an emergency meeting should be called if the council needed to make further decisions more urgently.
Cllr Hodgkins offered to supply the clerk with a copy of the Feckenham questionnaire for reference. Action Cllr Hodgkins

6. To consider any issues regarding the adoption of the Bishampton telephone kiosk
Nothing new to report

7. To consider renewal of CPRE (Campaign for the Protection of Rural England) membership
It was agreed that the £29 membership costs should be renewed.

8. To consider a grant request from Wychavon Citizens Advice Bureau
This was in fact a request to keep the CAB in the budget for a donation in the next financial year. The PC gave £250 in June and there is provision for grants in the 2010/11 budget. The item will be considered in the next financial year.

Cllr Rimell left the room before the following item:

9. To consider the mowing and footpath contract for the coming year
It was agreed to tender again for the mowing contracts. Clerk to organise and to liaise with the footpath warden for advice on improving the footpath clearance regime. Action Clerk

REGULAR ITEMS

10. Finance

10.1. To note any receipts and to approve invoices for payment, plus those paid between meetings
A receipt was noted: £350.75 from Worcestershire County Council for lengthsman work.
The council approved the following items for payment:-
Cheques written after email consultation between meetings:

Current invoices:

10.2. To approve the statement of cash reconciliation for Dec 2009/Jan 2010
The reconciliation report for December and January showed that in the current account, the council had received £350.75 and cheques were written for £3,156.73. Two cheques, totalling £724.67 had not been cashed. The current account total at January 31st 2010 stood at £8,479.05. The savings account accrued £2.91 in interest and its total stood at £33,735.39. Taking into account the unpresented cheques, this meant that at the end of January, the council’s total cash assets stood at £41,489.77.

10.3. To approve claims for expenses/overtime.
Clerk’s mileage of £4 was approved

11. Planning

11.1. Council’s response to planning applications between meetings

11.2. Current planning applications

11.3. Reports on planning decisions

12. Play Areas - To consider matters relating to the parish play areas/village hall grounds
It was reported that the Village Hall Trust (BATVHT) had only five members and was inviting someone from each user group to attend management committee meetings. Cllr Rimell agreed to sit on the committee and represent the parish council. Clerk to put her in touch. Action Clerk
 It was agreed that the clerk should take up an offer by the Land Registry to register the parish owned property. Clerk to start the process. Action Clerk

13. Footpaths and Conservation Area: To consider rights of way issues and funding some improvements for the conservation area
Cllr Hodgkins reported on work to date at the Conservation Area. A county council expert had visited to view the site and offer advice on its upkeep. He said that a work party for two half-days should be able to carry out maintenance ready for the season ahead. It was agreed that he should go ahead and advertise work party dates with posters around the village. Clerk to help with the poster. Action Cllr Hodgkins and Clerk
it was also agreed that he could buy some new equipment for the site - a wheelbarrow, some gloves and a wooden sawing horse. Action Cllr Hodgkins
Cllr Hodgkins also gave a report on behalf of Footpath Warden Gordon Kingston. Mr Kingston had continued liaising with local people and monitoring the footpaths and hoped to arrange replacement of signs, stiles, gates and improvements of wet patches along the major paths. He hopes to arrange volunteer work parties to help carry out some of this work.
The parish council backed his idea and agreed to help publicise the work sessions. Action Clerk
Cllr Hodgkins, with Mr Averis, and Mr Kingston were thanked for all their hard work.

14. To consider any parish Lengthsman issues/jobs
It was noted that the lengthsman had been checking flooded areas in the parish during the recent heavy storms as well as carrying out his usual monthly checks and digging out grips and clearing waterways. He had also carried out weekly playground checks.
He had carried out some gritting of the road in places where he saw a danger.
Cllr Mills asked if he could be asked to grit the pavements – and if it was not a county lengthsman duty, whether the parish council could pay him to do so.
It was agreed that the clerk should firstly enquire on the county council opinion on pavement gritting. Action Clerk

15. To consider any newsletter/website issues
It was agreed that the clerk should await further news on the shop situation before preparing a new issue of the PC newsletter.

UPDATES

16. To consider any matters regarding ongoing issues

REPORTS/CORRESPONDENCE

17. PACT news
No news.

18. CALC/ training matters
Most councillors attended training in January. Cllr Hodgkins is to attend Calc sessions in Feb.

19. County and district councillor report
Cllr Tucker reported that the district and county councils were still in budget considerations and there could be a rise in car parking charges.

20. To receive reports from councillors and items for future agendas
Councillors agreed that they would like to see a litter pick organised again for the parish. Clerk to see if it could be arranged for the second weekend in March. Action Clerk
Cllr Hodgkins also raised the issue of dog mess which was plaguing village pavements yet again. It was agreed to publicise the problem as much as possible. Anyone caught allowing their dogs to foul the streets would be reported for prosecution.

21. To consider any further items of correspondence
The county council has produced a Draft Validation Document which provides guidelines for those who need special county council planning permission. It is seeking opinions on this before Feb 26th. Is it available at www.worcestershire.gov.uk/validdoc.
Mr Jesson asked the clerk to pass on thanks to the gritters for keeping the roads open during the bad weather and she did so, receiving a grateful receipt in return.

Circulation: Clerks & Councillors mag/ WOW/

22. To affirm the dates of the next meeting of the Parish Council
The date for the next meeting was affirmed as Monday, March 1st. It was also agreed that the April meeting should be rearranged for Tuesday, April 6th as the Monday was a Bank Holiday.The meeting closed at 9.30pm

………………………………………………… …………………………..
Chairman DateClerk to the Council
Mrs C. Morris

BISHAMPTON FLOOD ALLEVIATION SCHEME - UPDATE NOTE FOR PARISH COUNCIL FEBRUARY 2010 MEETING

Following the submission of the early action bid to DeFRA for additional funding on 27.11.09, we have yet to receive an update on progress although we have been advised a decision on all bids will be given w/c 1st March, at which point we will find out if we have been successful.

To date I have not worked up any detailed proposals, due in part to waiting for confirmation on the bid; however I cannot afford to wait another month for the DeFRA decision without progressing the proposals further, particularly because we will shortly have to present a report to the Council's Executive Board.

Because the proposals are likely to involve two key landowners, I am in the process of making contact with them, in the first instance to establish that they are happy to pursue our options further. One of the landowners is outside the scope of survey work done to date and we will need to undertake additional work here - I have already spoken to him regarding this.

I have been given a plan showing the highway drainage systems as a result of the County Council undertaking a camera survey in Broad Lane and discussed the results with Dave Lavender. He anticipated undertaking some remedial works, which I believe he was programming for February 2010, although I have no firm confirmation of this.

Further to my note dated 4.12.09, I can confirm that a camera survey has been undertaken on the 450mm diameter culvert alongside 'The Coltings' to the point of discharge in the rear ditch. This confirms what we initially found in that there is a partial collapse on this culvert approximately 36m downstream from Main Street. There are also protruding connections at various places along the culvert.

This will need to be dealt with regardless of the proposals we are currently considering.

Martyn Cross
29.1.10