Minutes of the Meeting held on: 13th May
2008
(after the Annual parish Meeting)
Minutes remain in draft until ratified at the next Council meeting
(after the Annual parish Meeting)
Minutes remain in draft until ratified at the next Council meeting
PRESENT:
Cllrs B. Usborne, K. Lewis, S. Carleton-Smith, J. Ford, J. Fortgang, E. Stacey,
P. Hammond; Viv Robins (Clerk); District Councillor Nick Rose.
08/26 Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman. Cllr Ford was elected Chairman and took the Chair. Cllr Lewis was re-elected as Vice-Chairman. Cllr Ford proposed a formal vote of thanks to the outgoing Chairman Cllr Usborne.
08/27 Allocation of footpath responsibilities: Area I: Pat Chinnery; Area II: Cllr Fortgang; Area III: Cllr Ford; Area IV: Cllr Lewis; Area V: Cllr Carleton-Smith; Area VI: Cllr Hammond; Area VII: Cllr Usborne.
08/28 Representation on Committees: Investigations showed that Wendover Charities appeared to have been wound up. Cllr Carleton-Smith would continue as a representative on the Old Church Trust. Cllr Ford would take over from Cllr Usborne as a representative on the Local Area Committee or successor body.
08/29 Standing Orders of 12th May 2005 were re-confirmed.
08/30 Risk assessment plan of 8th November 2005 was re-confirmed.
08/31 Minutes of meeting March 11th 2008 (previously circulated) were approved.
08/32 Report from District Councillor (County Councillor Birchley having sent her apologies): Cllr Rose said Bucks C.C. was proposing new local area forums which appeared to serve no particular purpose and had threatened to replace local area committees; but it now looked as if these had been reprieved. Cllr Usborne said the local area committees had been useful and helped put the Parish on the map.
Cllr Rose said the alternate weekly waste collection was not now due to be introduced throughout Chiltern District until October 2011. The Council was hoping to bring in a kerbside collection for plastic bottles and cans.
08/33 Declarations of interest on forthcoming business: Cllrs Lewis and Hammond each declared an interest in the planning applications in their name. Cllr Stacey took no part in planning discussions as a member of the CDC Planning Committee.
08/34 Planning applications: Cllrs had no objection to:
08/36 The annual governance statement was also approved.
08/37: Grant applications: Cllrs rejected an application from the charity Vitalise as being insufficiently local. The Clerk explained that due to an administrative error the P.C. had not paid its annual subscription to the Chiltern Society for a number of years, although the membership had remained active. It was agreed to give them a donation of £50. (As a C.S. member Cllr Usborne took no part in discussions.)
08/38 Finance: Cllrs approved the Financial Report (previously circulated) plus drawing of the following cheques (prop. Cllr Lewis, sec. Cllr Fortgang):
08/39 Home-working expenses: The Clerk reported that BALC was recommending Clerks charge for the cost of using their home as an office and their own telephone, computer and broadband connection on Council business. Cllrs agreed (prop. Cllr Carleton-Smith, sec. Cllr Fortgang) that she should claim £250 for the financial year just ended, the whole to be reviewed next year.
08/40 Internal Auditor’s Report: The Clerk reported that the P.C. had received a clean bill of health from Geoff Weir, although he had expressed concern about the amount of money accumulating in the reserves. It was explained this was intended for playground improvements.
08/41: Response to NATS flight path proposals. A letter drafted by the Clerk had previously been circulated. This was approved with some minor amendments.
08/42 Footpaths: report on present conditions. Cllr Usborne said the site of the old turkey sheds at King’s Gate Farm continued to be an eyesore. The Chairman wondered if might be a suitable site for rural housing and thought Councillors should have a look at a similar project at Winchmore Hill. He reported a wobbly stile by Church Farm towards the thatched cottage: Cllr Usborne offered to investigate.
08/43 Council property: Cllr Lewis said some allotment tenants wanted to put up sheds. One had already been erected in contravention of the terms of the tenancy; however it was no bigger than a composter put up by another tenant. Cllrs agreed that the size of the structure was the critical thing and Cllr Lewis and the Clerk would try to devise some approved dimensions.
Cllr Lewis reported that Graham Pearce had agreed to do the allotment strimming and clear the mounds of earth that had built up. He would also be asked to remove the bench at Red Lion Hill which was broken.
The Clerk reported that Ken Humphreys hoped to be able to start work on repairing the Jubilee Well in June. Listed building consent would not be needed because the works were not sufficiently extensive.
The Clerk said she had had a letter from a charity called the War Memorials Trust which makes grants towards the repair and conservation of War Memorials, and would check to see if any work was needed on ours.
Cllrs approved the switch to Norwich Union for our annual insurance and agreed to sign up to a three-year deal which would save the P.C. £200 in premiums.
08/44 Traffic management: Cllrs discussed an e-mail (previously circulated) from Claire Garrood about the dangers from fast traffic to residents of Red Lion Hill. She wondered whether traffic-calming measures or additional signage might help. It was agreed that her concerns be passed on to County Cllr Birchley.
08/45 Road maintenance: In connection with Bucks C.C.’s new bi-monthly programme of minor road repair works, the Clerk and Cllr Usborne had toured the Parish and submitted a list of local road defects. The Clerk had also complained about the continuing failure to carry out the long-promised drainage works at the Vicarage. It was agreed the matter be raised with Cllr Birchley.
08/46 Reports of crime and disorder: The Clerk had received an e-mail (previously circulated) from a local resident concerned about the use of ball-bearing (or BB) guns on the playground, which he said were dangerous to small children and not legal for children under 17. Cllrs agreed that a sign should be put up on the playground prohibiting their use, and the Clerk would flag this up in the next Newsletter.
08/47 Any other business: The clerk reported that Bucks C.C. was conducting a review of its mobile library service. It was agreed that she would write to urge the retention of the stop at the Old Swan.
The meeting closed at 10.25pm.
08/26 Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman. Cllr Ford was elected Chairman and took the Chair. Cllr Lewis was re-elected as Vice-Chairman. Cllr Ford proposed a formal vote of thanks to the outgoing Chairman Cllr Usborne.
08/27 Allocation of footpath responsibilities: Area I: Pat Chinnery; Area II: Cllr Fortgang; Area III: Cllr Ford; Area IV: Cllr Lewis; Area V: Cllr Carleton-Smith; Area VI: Cllr Hammond; Area VII: Cllr Usborne.
08/28 Representation on Committees: Investigations showed that Wendover Charities appeared to have been wound up. Cllr Carleton-Smith would continue as a representative on the Old Church Trust. Cllr Ford would take over from Cllr Usborne as a representative on the Local Area Committee or successor body.
08/29 Standing Orders of 12th May 2005 were re-confirmed.
08/30 Risk assessment plan of 8th November 2005 was re-confirmed.
08/31 Minutes of meeting March 11th 2008 (previously circulated) were approved.
08/32 Report from District Councillor (County Councillor Birchley having sent her apologies): Cllr Rose said Bucks C.C. was proposing new local area forums which appeared to serve no particular purpose and had threatened to replace local area committees; but it now looked as if these had been reprieved. Cllr Usborne said the local area committees had been useful and helped put the Parish on the map.
Cllr Rose said the alternate weekly waste collection was not now due to be introduced throughout Chiltern District until October 2011. The Council was hoping to bring in a kerbside collection for plastic bottles and cans.
08/33 Declarations of interest on forthcoming business: Cllrs Lewis and Hammond each declared an interest in the planning applications in their name. Cllr Stacey took no part in planning discussions as a member of the CDC Planning Committee.
08/34 Planning applications: Cllrs had no objection to:
CH/08/0395 1 Hunt’s Green Cottages, The Lee,08/35 Annual accounts (previously circulated): These were approved (prop. Cllr Fortgang, sec. Cllr Stacey).
CH/08/0819 Princes Barn, Princes Lane, Lee Common (Hammond) or
CH/08/0822 Floral Cottage, Oxford St..Lee Common (Lewis).
08/36 The annual governance statement was also approved.
08/37: Grant applications: Cllrs rejected an application from the charity Vitalise as being insufficiently local. The Clerk explained that due to an administrative error the P.C. had not paid its annual subscription to the Chiltern Society for a number of years, although the membership had remained active. It was agreed to give them a donation of £50. (As a C.S. member Cllr Usborne took no part in discussions.)
08/38 Finance: Cllrs approved the Financial Report (previously circulated) plus drawing of the following cheques (prop. Cllr Lewis, sec. Cllr Fortgang):
*Cllr Hammond hoped to sell chippings left over and return £30 to the P.C.
- V. Robins x 2 (invoice no. 43: £191.73/cheque no. 100467; Flowers: £30/cheque no. 100468);
- All Seasons x 2 (invoice no. ASL080012: £60/cheque no. 100469; invoice no: ASL080022: £60/cheque no. 100470);
- Geoff Weir, internal auditor (invoice no: 426: £59.20/cheque no. 100471);
- The Chiltern Society (annual subscription: £25/cheque no. 100472);
- Peter Hammond (bark chippings*: £307.94: cheque no. 100473);
- B.N.L. (insurance: £685.63/cheque no. 100474).
08/39 Home-working expenses: The Clerk reported that BALC was recommending Clerks charge for the cost of using their home as an office and their own telephone, computer and broadband connection on Council business. Cllrs agreed (prop. Cllr Carleton-Smith, sec. Cllr Fortgang) that she should claim £250 for the financial year just ended, the whole to be reviewed next year.
08/40 Internal Auditor’s Report: The Clerk reported that the P.C. had received a clean bill of health from Geoff Weir, although he had expressed concern about the amount of money accumulating in the reserves. It was explained this was intended for playground improvements.
08/41: Response to NATS flight path proposals. A letter drafted by the Clerk had previously been circulated. This was approved with some minor amendments.
08/42 Footpaths: report on present conditions. Cllr Usborne said the site of the old turkey sheds at King’s Gate Farm continued to be an eyesore. The Chairman wondered if might be a suitable site for rural housing and thought Councillors should have a look at a similar project at Winchmore Hill. He reported a wobbly stile by Church Farm towards the thatched cottage: Cllr Usborne offered to investigate.
08/43 Council property: Cllr Lewis said some allotment tenants wanted to put up sheds. One had already been erected in contravention of the terms of the tenancy; however it was no bigger than a composter put up by another tenant. Cllrs agreed that the size of the structure was the critical thing and Cllr Lewis and the Clerk would try to devise some approved dimensions.
Cllr Lewis reported that Graham Pearce had agreed to do the allotment strimming and clear the mounds of earth that had built up. He would also be asked to remove the bench at Red Lion Hill which was broken.
The Clerk reported that Ken Humphreys hoped to be able to start work on repairing the Jubilee Well in June. Listed building consent would not be needed because the works were not sufficiently extensive.
The Clerk said she had had a letter from a charity called the War Memorials Trust which makes grants towards the repair and conservation of War Memorials, and would check to see if any work was needed on ours.
Cllrs approved the switch to Norwich Union for our annual insurance and agreed to sign up to a three-year deal which would save the P.C. £200 in premiums.
08/44 Traffic management: Cllrs discussed an e-mail (previously circulated) from Claire Garrood about the dangers from fast traffic to residents of Red Lion Hill. She wondered whether traffic-calming measures or additional signage might help. It was agreed that her concerns be passed on to County Cllr Birchley.
08/45 Road maintenance: In connection with Bucks C.C.’s new bi-monthly programme of minor road repair works, the Clerk and Cllr Usborne had toured the Parish and submitted a list of local road defects. The Clerk had also complained about the continuing failure to carry out the long-promised drainage works at the Vicarage. It was agreed the matter be raised with Cllr Birchley.
08/46 Reports of crime and disorder: The Clerk had received an e-mail (previously circulated) from a local resident concerned about the use of ball-bearing (or BB) guns on the playground, which he said were dangerous to small children and not legal for children under 17. Cllrs agreed that a sign should be put up on the playground prohibiting their use, and the Clerk would flag this up in the next Newsletter.
08/47 Any other business: The clerk reported that Bucks C.C. was conducting a review of its mobile library service. It was agreed that she would write to urge the retention of the stop at the Old Swan.
The meeting closed at 10.25pm.
*
SUBJECT TO RATIFICATION AT MEETING ON 8th July 2008 *
Viv Robins (Clerk)