WATLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

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

DRAFT MINUTES

Minutes of the meeting of WATLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL held on 6 September 2005 at 7.00pm in Watlington Village Hall.

Present: Cllr Lacey (Chairman); Cllrs Dagnall, Finnis, Garton, Leedell, Miller and Toates.

BCllr Ansell, PC Bodley and 4 members of the public also attended the meeting.

Apologies for absence:  Cllrs Amor, Golding and Pike.

SEP 05/1 Declarations of Office by Cllr Finnis

Cllr Finnis signed his Declaration of Office and was duly welcomed by the Chairman onto the Council.

SEP 05/2 Declarations of Interest

There were no declarations of interests for this meeting.

SEP 05/3 Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 19 July 2005

The Minutes of the Council meeting on 19 July 2005 were agreed and signed as a correct record.

SEP 05/4 Clerk’s Report and Matters Arising (Not on the agenda)

The clerk reported that the Council’s funds currently stand at £17,944. All grants for the play equipment have now been received and associated VAT recovered. The survey of the rail station car parking will be taking place during the month. Janice Howell from Norfolk Rural Community Council will be coming to the open meeting on 6 December at 7.00pm to talk about Parish Plans, with the Parish Council meeting following on directly.

SEP 05/5 Revised Budget 2005/6

Council noted the revised budget for 2005/6, which leaves £3091 currently unallocated.

SEP 05/6 Pay Rates Litter Pickers and Handyperson

On a proposal from Cllr Toates, seconded by Cllr Garton, Council approved the rise in the hourly rate for the Litter Pickers to £5.05 an hour from 1 October 2005 to meet the minimum wage regulations and approved the rise in the hourly rate for the Handyperson to £5.20 an hour to meet minimum wage regulations and to maintain the hourly rate differential from the Litter Pickers.

SEP 05/7 Edward Shouldham Charity

Council approved the letting of the Edward Shouldham Charity Land for the period 11 October 2005 to

10 October 2006 to Mr W Zipfell, the only bidder, for the sum of £80.

A letter of thanks from the 2^nd Runcton Holme & Watlington Scout Group was read thanking the Council for the donation from the charity fund.

SEP 05/8 Millennium Green Trust

Council approved the payment of £38.00 (ex-VAT) for the spraying of the Petanque Pitch by the Council’s contractors, this sum to be recovered from the Millennium Green Trust from their 2006 grant from the Council.

SEP 05/9 Street Lighting Maintenance Contract Payments

Council agreed to direct debit payment arrangements for the payment of the street lighting maintenance contract with MHB Services following a 3 months trial period for the contract.

SEP 05/10 Payments

On a proposal from the Chairman, Council agreed that the following payments be made:

SEP 05/11 Requests for Grants and Donations

Council agreed the following payments (Proposers /seconders set out below):

1. Proposed by Cllr Leedell, seconded by Cllr Garton
2. Proposed by Cllr Leedell, seconded by Cllr Finnis
3. Proposed by Cllr Garton, seconded by Cllr Leedell
4. Proposed by Cllr Leedell, seconded by Cllr Garton
5. Proposed by the Chairman

SEP 05/12 Planning Matters

Council noted the start of Phase 1 of the 182 house development on the site adjacent to the school and was pleased to note that through access from John Davis Way to the school had been made available in time for the school term. The BCKLWN Planning Enforcement Officer had been contacted by the clerk and BCllr Ansell after parishioner complaints that the contractors were not complying with the Approval Condition regarding construction traffic entering the site before 09.00. A response from the Planning Officer is awaited on this matter.

It was proposed by Cllr Leedell, seconded by Cllr Garton and approved by Council that the clerk should write to the developers indicating a preference for the names of locally born fallen heroes on the war memorial, along with two other names, Featherby and Johnson, which have close associations with the village.

Council noted the first draft of the Statement of Community Involvement in the Local Development Framework and agreed that its previous submission to the pre-draft document, supporting the consultation methods of the Statement, should be re-submitted.

Council noted the change to the planning application notification arrangements, which in future would mean the Borough Council having to advise the Parish Council if contrary views were held in any decision taken and that the Council would be informed of any application going before the Development Board.

Council noted the questionnaire from NCC regarding the draft Statement of Community Involvement in the Norfolk Minerals and Waste Development Framework and agreed that the clerk should complete this in line with the Council’s views on the Borough Council Statement of Community Involvement.

A letter from the Watlington Surgery Patients Group regarding planning decisions was read. It was agreed that the clerk should write setting out the role of the Parish Council in planning matters and pointing out the vigorous opposition the Council has put forward to large scale development in the parish. It was also agreed that the clerk would write to the owners of the vacant site at Rowan Close requesting that the site should be tidied and would advise the patients group to do likewise.

The following planning decisions from BCKLWN were noted:

SEP 05/13 Police Liaison Officer Information Exchange

Council noted the West Norfolk Community Safety Strategy 2005-2008. There will now be locally based Action Groups, with one at Downham Market, with representatives from key public agencies involved. PC Bodley advised that he would be attending the Downham Market Action Group. Also the strategy would be concentrating on dealing with Persistent and other Priority Offenders (PPOs).

PC Bodley advised that during the period 20 July to 5 September there were 11 reported crimes in the parish, resulting in 3 arrests. There were 3 assault cases, 2 thefts, 1 criminal damage, 2 burglaries, 1 car crime and 2 breaches of court injunctions.

PC Bodley advised that anti-social behaviour should be reported even though a criminal act may not be involved. It was also noted that anti-social behaviour can be reported to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

PC Bodley will be writing an article for the Gossip about the reporting of anti-social behaviour.

SEP 05/14 Highways / Traffic Management

The clerk reported that the following measures were included in the NCC Highways programme, but that no time scale could be given:

Britton Close: Reconstruct footway.

Chestnut Close: Renew kerbs in accesses, replace kerbs and patch as required, slurry seal.

Church Road: Renew kerbs and patch footway as required; slurry seal whole area.

Downham Road: Plane off and resurface carriageway; reconstruct footway, relay kerbing and additional drainage works (which will alleviate driveway flooding problems); patch footway towards Rectory Lane; widen the footway by the new Glebe fencing.

Fen Road: Install kerbing on western portion of road.

Lark Road: Slurry seal footway.

Lynn Road: Construction of footway from Village Hall car park to Mill Road.

Rectory Lane: Raise kerbs in accesses, replace damage kerbs, patch and slurry seal.

School Road: Replace kerbs and edging; reconstruct footway; patch footway towards at St Peters Road end.

Station Road: Plane off and resurface carriageway.

Thieves Bridge Road: Haunch (road strengthen) were necessary.

A letter was read from a parishioner regarding speeding along St Peters Road. The clerk advised that advice was still awaited from NCC Highways on this matter following an earlier parishioner letter to the Council. It was agreed that the clerk should chase NCC on this matter.

SEP 05/15 Community Projects Committee

Following a report from Cllr Toates that the Community Projects Committee was keen to pursue reinstalling information signs for the Skateboard Park and for the play areas generally and that no damage had been done to the Skateboard Park equipment, Council agreed that that Committee should take the necessary action to make the site meet insurance requirements, funding to come from the committee’s repairs and renewals funds. The committee would also be investigating site security. The clerk would also respond to a letter from a parishioner regarding the condition of the site.

SEP 05/16 Glebe Committee

Cllr Finnis reported that the goal posts had now been moved from the Recreation Ground to the Glebe pitch and that the first senior match would be played on 17 September. Also the junior size goal posts were now installed on the Recreation Ground. The clerk advised that the junior goal posts had been purchased by the Council and would remain Council property. A letter of thanks for the new goal posts from the Youth Football Teams was read to the meeting.

The chairman reported that Mr R Payne had kindly carried out a wild flower survey of the Glebe Site, which indicated that the site may well have been an ancient meadow. It was agreed that the clerk should write a letter of thanks to Mr Payne and that the survey results should be circulated to Council members.

SEP 05/17 Environment Committee

The clerk advised that the remaining conifers on the Recreation Ground boundary were due to be cut back in September.

On a suggestion from Cllr Miller, Council agreed that the Handyperson should be given the task of painting the directional finger posts by the Millennium Green, along Downham Road and by road C54 to Tottenhill, subject to NCC approval being given, and to repaint the village pump.

Council noted that the daffodil bulb pack would be available from 7 November and it was agreed to notify

Cllr Pike who was keen to involve the school in the bulb planting by the gateway signs.

The Chairman reported that it was hoped that the site visit to the Watlington and Tottenhill Quarry archaeological dig would take place on 18 September, but that this was subject to final confirmation.

SEP 05/18 Correspondence for Action

SEP 05/19 Correspondence for information

SEP 05/20 Members Information Exchange

Cllr Finnis thanked council members for his co-option to the Council.

BCllr Ansell raised the issue of poor sight visibility for traffic exiting right onto Lynn Road from Mill Road as a result of the hedging. It was agreed that the clerk would contact NCC Highways regarding this issue.

There being no other business and no other floor speakers the Council rose at 8.30pm.

The next meeting of the Council is on Tuesday 18 October 2005 in the Village Hall.

SIGNED

Chairman                                                          Clerk                                         18 October 2005