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 20 January 2009 at 7.05pm in Watlington Village Hall.

 

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

 

1 member of the public attended the Open Forum.

 

 

Apologies for absence: Cllrs Mack and Paget.

 

JAN 09/1 Declarations of Interest

There were no declarations of interest for this meeting.

 

JAN 09/2 Open Forum

A parishioner urged the Council to move forward as soon as possible with the provision of garden allotments in the parish. He agreed to be co-opted onto the Council’s Allotments Working Party. [See also Minute JAN 09/13]

 

Cllr Pike reported that the Village Hall Committee is currently submitting a grant application for new information technology equipment in the hall, which would meet the requirements of the Parish Council with regards to the e-planning briefing held before this meeting.

 

JAN 09/3 Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 9 December 2008

The minutes of the Council meeting on 9 December 2008 were agreed and signed as a correct record, subject to an amendment of Minute DEC 08/9 last paragraph to read “[Cllr Rockcliffe had to leave the meeting at this point, but reported to items DEC 08/12 and DEC 08/13.]”

 

JAN 09/4 Clerk’s Report and Matters Arising from the Council Meetings on 9 December 2008

The clerk reported that the current balance of funds is £23,680.48.

 

JAN 09/5 Payments

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

Payee	Amount	Authority	Reason
Watlington Village Hall	£22.00	Admin	Hall hire 20 January 09
Watlington Info Centre	£10.60	Admin	Photocopying Nov/Dec
Mrs A Bullock	£171.90	SEP 08/6	Litter Picking 06/12/08 – 11/01/09
Mr J Harrington	£122.00	SEP 08/6	Handyperson duties Dec / Jan
BCKLWN	£163.44*	DEC 02/14	Dog waste collection Q3 08/09

 *Includes recoverable VAT

 

JAN 09/6 Precept 2009/2010

After discussion of the proposed budget for 2009/2010, on a proposal from the Chairman, Council agreed a precept of £27,700 for 2009/2010, an increase of £1250. Council noted that because of the larger Tax Base for the village as a result of new housing, the agreed precept meant that there would be no charge increase to individual households this year.

 

JAN 09/7 Quality Scheme for Town & Parish Councils

Following discussion it was agreed that it would be useful for the Council to seek to work towards meeting requirements of the scheme, but that a formal application would not be pursued at the current time. It was also agreed that the Council should again consider the possibility of working towards a Parish Plan.

 

JAN 09/8 Planning Applications

The following planning recommendations were agreed:

Reference No.	Applicants	Address	Application	Planning Committee
08/02655/F	Mr D Palmer	23 Thieves Bridge Road	Construction of detached garage	Support
08/02696/F	Mr A Murray	7 Bennett Close	Single storey extension	Support

 

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

 

The following planning decision has been received from the Borough Council:

Reference No.	Applicants	Address	Application	BCKLWN Decision
08/02495/F	Mr C Mcintyre	34 Downham Road	Change of use to religious sub-meeting hall	Temporary approval with 7 conditions *

* Re-approval required by 31/01/2010

 

JAN 09/9 Martingales and The Coppice Developments

Cllr Pike reported that Persimmon advised that houses have started selling again on the estate and that building work has recently recommenced.

 

The clerk reported for Cllr Mack that the Planning Enforcement Team is chasing Persimmon about the Stone Close play area and a further update is awaited. Also, Persimmon is currently “reviewing expenditure on highways issues” on the site.  Cllr Mack has referred this to the Enforcement Team. Cllr Rockcliffe reported that the consulting engineer from the Internal Drainage Board is involved in flooding issues in the gardens backing onto the site from Station Road.

 

JAN 09/10 Highways Matters

The clerk reported that footway problems on Church Road and clearing the cycleway / footway link John Davis Way to Rectory Lane are all scheduled for action by NCC Highways. Highways would also be investigating a surface drainage problem at a footway crossing point in Rectory Lane near the school.

 

The clerk reported that, following the item in the Gossip magazine, only one volunteer had put their name forward to take part in a Community Speed Watch Scheme. It was agreed that the clerk would write to Runcton Holme Parish Council in response to a suggestion that local parishes co-operate, to see if a sufficiently large pool of local volunteers could be found to operate the scheme across a number of parishes.

 

JAN 09/11 Railway Station Car Park

Cllr Rockcliffe reported that the planning application for the car park has been resubmitted following a minor amendment to site landscaping.

 

JAN 09/12 Community Projects Committee

The clerk reported that the contract with the Borough Council for the release of the grant money for the Phase 2 play project had now been signed and that a response is now awaited from the Big Lottery and the Borough Council. Cllr Pike reported that the Youth Shelter project is still at the grant application stage.

 

On a proposal from Cllr Pike, seconded by Cllr Leedell, Council approved that Mrs Julia Suiter be allowed to apply for a premises licence for the Glebe Field site, subject to the provision that any event organised for the site must have prior approval from the Parish Council.

 

Council noted a letter from Mr David Curl in which he has advised that he has had to step down from leading the Youth Football Club projects to provide a football wall and football training area and that the club hopes to appoint a new lead person for these projects.

 

JAN 09/13 Environment Committee

On a proposal from the Chairman, it was agreed that the Council should respond to the Glebe rent review, by seeking to extend the lease term for an additional 10 years at the end of the current lease on 31 December 2013, in return for agreeing the increased annual rental of £502.40 and that the increased rental should be from 2010 not 2009 as proposed given that the 2009 rental has been paid by the Council.

 

 

Cllr Pike reported considerable dog fouling on the Internal Drainage Board Easement area on the Martingales Estate. Cllr Golding agreed to approach the Borough Council for additional signage. The Handyperson would be asked to put up the signs and to install the previously agreed sign for the Warren Close Play Area.

 

The clerk advised that no response had been received from the insurance company regarding mole clearance on open spaces and that he would be contacting them again.

 

The clerk reported that that there have been 17 registrations for a garden allotment and that there had been no offers of any possible sites. Mr Andrew Frost agreed to be co-opted onto the Allotments Working Party. It was agreed that the working party would undertake site visits to potential locations discussed at the meeting.

 

It was agreed that the Christmas Tree had been a great success this last year. On a proposal from the Chairman, Council agreed that a payment of £20 be given to Mr/s Howlett for electricity costs and that letters of thanks be sent to Mr/s Howlett and to Mr Prior and his son, who donated the tree and provided transport.

 

On a proposal from the Chairman, Council agreed that the clerk write to the Borough Council in response to the Litter Bin Collection Scheme arguing that the parish should be entitled to have four bins emptied free of charge. It was also agreed that prices be sought for a replacement bin for the Britton Close location. Cllr Pike agreed to speak to the Millennium Green Trust regarding a proposal to donate their bins to the Parish Council so that waste could be handled under the Council’s Controlled Trade Waste Transfer Note.

 

JAN 09/14 Correspondence for Action

From	Subject	Action Required
Communities and Local Government	Consultation code of recommended practice on local authority publicity	Any Council comments

 

JAN 09/15 Correspondence for information

From	Subject	Information Note
NCC	Norfolk Matters
Norfolk Constabulary	Budget Open Meeting 29/01/09
Wash Estuary Group	Newsletter Autumn 2008
Downham LAG	Meeting Minutes 12/12/08
NCC	Review of East of England Plan to 2031	Key dates information only
Clerks and Councils	Direct Magazine January 2009
CCLA Investments	Edward Shouldham Charity	Income £17.22
Macmillan	Thank you letter for £30 donation
DM Local Action Group	Minutes of 09/01/09 meeting
BCKLWN	Waste Disposal service	New split body collection vehicle