WATLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

 

Clerk: Colin Vince, 17 Bure Close, Watlington, KING’S LYNN, Norfolk PE33 0TN

 

 

MINUTES

 

 

Minutes of the meeting of WATLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL held on 9 December 2008 at 7.00pm in Watlington Village Hall.

 

Present: Cllr Lacey (Chairman); Cllrs Dagnall, Leedell, Mack, Murphy, Pike, Stevenson and Rockcliffe.

 

1 member of the public also attended the meeting.

 

 

Apologies for absence: Cllrs Golding, Miller and Paget.

 

DEC 08/1 Declarations of Interest

There were no declarations of interest for this meeting.

 

DEC 08/2 Open Forum

A parishioner was advised on the procedure that is followed by the Secretary of State for the planning appeal that has arisen out of the application to build 4 terraced cottages at the site of 46 Fen Road. The parishioner registered his disappointment that the Parish Council had supported the planning application.

 

DEC 08/3 Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 21 October 2008

The minutes of the Annual Council meeting on 21 October 2008 were agreed and signed as a correct record.

 

DEC 08/4 Clerk’s Report and Matters Arising from the Council Meetings on 21 October 2008

The clerk reported that the current balance of funds is £26,473.97. The clerk also reported that the Model Publication Scheme under the Freedom of Information Act has been published on the village website at www.watlingtoninfo.com and that an advice notice would be placed on the Council’s main noticeboard. The clerk advised that the Information Centre has installed wi-fi, which can be used in the village hall, thanks to Cllr Paget for carrying out the installation and to Dawn Liddle for donating the wi-fi router. Also the Village Hall Committee will be carrying out a technology review in the coming months and will welcome input from the Parish Council.

 

DEC 08/5 Payments

On a proposal from the Chairman, the following payments were approved:

Payee	Amount	Authority	Reason
Watlington Village Hall	£21.00	Admin	Hall hire 9 December 08
Watlington Info Centre	£6.20	Admin	Photocopying Oct 08
Clerk	£20.00	Admin	Petty Cash top-up (Balance £1.73)
Clerk	£12.03	Admin	Tel Calls 26/07/08 - 24/10/08
Royal British Legion	£16.50	OCT 08/5	Annual Poppy Appeal Wreath
Country Grounds Mntce	£785.72 *	DEC 07/9	Final Account for 2008 grass cutting
Grounds & Co.	£380.00	JUL 03/17	Glebe Fields Ground Rent 2009
Grounds & Co.	£75.00	Admin	Village Hall Ground Rent 2009 – recharged to the Village Hall
HM Revenues & Customs	£70.97 ±	Admin	Tax / NI Payments Q3 2008/9
Mr J Harrington	£61.00	SEP 08/6	Handyperson duties Nov 08
Mrs A Bullock	£202.55	SEP 08/6	Litter picking duties 17/10/08-30/11/08

 

 *Includes recoverable VAT

± Nil payable this quarter as account in credit for on-line filing of 2007/8 return.

 

DEC 08/6 Requests for Grants and Donations

Applicant	Cause	Amount Awarded
Macmillan Cancer Support	General Funds	£30. S137 payment *

*Proposed by Cllr Leedell, seconded by Cllr Pike and agreed by Council.

 

 It was agreed that further donation support for Citizens Advice be considered at the March meeting of the Council, given the extra pressure on the service in the economic downturn.

 

DEC 08/7 Clerk’s Salary

On a proposal from the Chairman, Council approved the National Interim Salary Award for Local Council Clerks from 1 April 2008, which will increase the hourly rate of pay for the clerk by 2.4% from £9.579 to £9.814. This has been budgeted for and will add £146 to the current year’s costs.

 

DEC 08/8 Annual Subscriptions Review

On a proposal from the Chairman, Council approved the renewal of its annual subscriptions to Norfolk Association of Parish & Town Councils, Norfolk Playing Fields Association, Norfolk Rural Community Council and the Campaign for Rural England for 2009 at a cost of approximately £375.

 

DEC 08/9 Budget 2009/2010

Council noted that an extra £1200 would be available next year without a change in the rateable charge and that the budget would need to be approved at the January meeting with provision being included for possible costs for providing garden allotments and for new street litter bins.

 

[Cllr Rockcliffe had to leave the meeting at this point, but reported to items DEC 08/11 and DEC 08/12.]

 

DEC 08/10 Planning Applications

The following planning recommendations were agreed:

Reference No.	Applicants	Address	Application	Planning Committee
08/02100/F	NCC	Station Car Park	Construction of car park facility	Support with comments
08/02495/F	Downham Gospel Hall Trust	34 Downham Road	Change of use to religious sub meeting hall	Support with concerns over access / parking
08/02655/F	David Palmer	23 Thieves Bridge Road	Construction of a detached garage	(With the Planning Committee)

Note: Recommendations from the committee are available at the meeting for inspection.

 

The following planning decisions have been received from the Borough Council:

Reference No.	Applicants	Address	Application	BCKLWN Decision
08/01999/OM	Jetspark Ltd	Land west of Glebe Avenue	Residential development	Refused
08/02369/F	Mr G Venni	The Bungalow, Ivy Farm, St Peters Rd	Single storey extension	Approved – 2 conditions

 

It was noted that there was still no resolution of application 08/08171/F - Erection of 2 storey dwelling to the west of 23 Thieves Bridge Road.

 

Council noted that the applicant for the building of 4 terraced cottages on the site of 46 Fen Road has appealed to the Secretary of State against the Borough Council’s refusal of the application.

 

DEC 08/11 Martingales and The Coppice Developments

Cllr Pike reported that of 127 units built, there have been 76 completions, 2 in exchange of contract, 1 reserved and 8 recently completed. Also a further 5 houses might be started in the New Year.

 

Cllr Mack reported that he was pursuing Persimmon and the Planning Department about gardens flooding in Station Road at the rear of the Martingales site, street lighting and foul drainage problems.

 

Cllr Mack also reported that Persimmon are currently redesigning the unbuilt areas of the site which should include measures to deal with the drainage issues raised previously by the Parish Council and that the Planning Department are currently in contact with CJC Developments regarding the drain by the school.

 

It was agreed that both Cllr Mack and the clerk would pursue the problem of roads on the site not being completed to adoption standard.

 

DEC 08/12 Highways Matters

Cllr Rockcliffe reported that land purchase negotiations are still under way for the footpath link between the village hall car park and Mill Road.

 

The clerk reported that the drain opposite the PO Stores has now been cleared, but that other items reported at the last meeting are still to be undertaken – footway problems on Church Road, clearing the cycleway / footway link John Davis Way to Rectory Lane, cutting the hedge and re-orientating the street light on the Stiffkey Close/ Britton Close link. It was agreed that the clerk would write to thank NCC Highways for the footway renovation work in the Britton Close/Station Road area.

 

Following a discussion on parking problems that might well arise from the probable imposition of parking charges at the new station car park, it was agreed that the clerk would investigate the responsibility for dealing with vehicle blocked driveways.

 

DEC 08/13 Railway Station Car Park

Cllr Rockcliffe reported that the car park planning application has been withdrawn following concerns raised by nearby residents relating to the exit. An application for a modified scheme is expected in the next few days and it still hoped that the works will start in the current financial year.

 

DEC 08/14 Community Projects Committee

Cllr Pike reported that the contract with the Borough Council for the release of the lottery grant money for the Play Project Phase 2 is to take place on 16 December. He also reported that the bids for funding for the Youth Shelter have now been submitted.

 

On a proposal from Cllr Murphy, seconded by Cllr Leedell, Council approved expenditure of £22 plus refreshment costs of approximately £30 for the staging of an Open Forum for All Ages in April 2009.

 

On a proposal from the Chairman, Council approved allowing the Watstock Festival Committee to cut the grass on the Glebe Field to the lines on the submitted plan, subject to the work being carried out not before a week prior to the festival, this being to help preserve the wide range of grasses on the field.

 

DEC 08/15 Environment Committee

Cllr Pike agreed to speak to the Handyperson regarding securing the flower trough at the Village Sign.

 

The clerk reported that to date there had been 10 registrations for a garden allotment. Discussion centred on possible sites in the village and it agreed that site leads would be followed up by the clerk, Cllr Mack and Cllr Rockcliffe. It was further agreed that a meeting should held with those who have registered, hopefully in January, when a decision by the Borough Council on use of the Britton Close site might be available.

 

It was also agreed that the Council should consider the possibility of a garden sharing scheme and that where S.106 Planning Agreements are available that the Council should recommend that part of any development site is set aside for garden allotment use.

 

Cllr Murphy reported from the Quarry Liaison Group meeting that quarrying work has been severely cut back and that only a skeleton staff is on site. The owners will carry out a site viability review in the next 18 months. Cllr Murphy expressed concern that agreed recreational and landscaping work to be carried out after quarrying has ceased might be at jeopardy given these developments.

 

Arrangements for the Christmas Tree were agreed. Mr & Mrs Howlett have agreed to supply the electricity point,  Mr Ken Prior has selected a suitable tree, Mr Chris Prior has agreed to transport the tree and Cllr Pike has agreed to install the tree and lights with the assistance of 3 willing parishioner helpers. It was agreed that the tree be installed on the weekend 20/21 December.

 

 

Council noted that one of the two dead trees on the Glebe has fallen and that a Chairman’s approval was given for the removal of the wood, which fell away from any paths. Given that the applicant to remove the other tree has withdrawn at present, it was agreed that Cllr Pike be allowed to approach an interested party, who might be willing to remove this second tree at no cost, in exchange for the wood. Council noted that approval has been given by the managing agents for the removal of the trees. 

 

Following a successful training course by Cllr Pike and the Handyperson, on a proposal from Cllr Leedell, seconded by Cllr Murphy, Council agreed expenditure of £30 for six mole traps and approximately £10 for a tunnel location device to allow for this work to be done in-house in future at a cost saving to the Council, subject to insurance clearance.

 

DEC 08/16 Correspondence for Action

From	Subject	Action
BCKLWN	Mayor’s Awards for Design in the Environment	None

 

DEC 08/17 Correspondence for information

From	Subject	Information Note
Father James Nolan	Thank you letter for Poppy Wreath
FLUA	The Fenman Newsletter 4/2008
BCKLWN	Standards Committee 23/10/ & 07/11/08
BCKLWN	Reorganisation briefing 15/10/08 Notes
CPRE	Norfolk Voice Magazine Autumn 2008
Clerks & Council	Direct Magazine November 2008
BCKLWN	Standards Committee 23/10/08 Minutes
CPRE	Stop Litter and Fly-tipping toolkit
BCKLWN	Funding Opportunities Newsletter
NCC	Assistive Technology Information	www.athomenotalone.co.uk
BCKLWN	Standards Committee Panel 07/11/08
NPFA	The Playing Field Newsletter Autumn 08
NCC	Winter Gritting Routes
LAG Meeting	Minutes of 14/11/08
BCKLWN	WN Fuel Poverty and Anti-Poverty	Booklet 2008/9 available
CCLA Investments	Edward Shouldham Charity	£3.18 Interest
CPRE	Fieldwork Magazine December 08
Downham LAG	Monthly meeting 10/12/08