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 19 July 2005 at 7.00pm in Watlington Village Hall.

Present: Cllr Golding (Chairman for the meeting); Cllrs Dagnall, Garton, Leedell, Miller, Pike,

 Rockcliffe (from 8pm) and Toates.

PC Bodley and 1 member of the public also attended the meeting.

Apologies for absence:  Cllrs Amor and Lacey. BCllr Ansell.

JUL 05/1 Declarations of Interest

JUL 05/2 Co-Option of a new Councillor

Following a secret ballot amongst existing councillors, Mr Triston Finnis was unanimously co-opted as a councillor.

JUL 05/3 Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 14 June 2005

The Minutes of the ordinary Council meeting on 14 June 2005 were agreed and signed as a correct record.

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

The clerk reported that the Council’s funds currently stand at £40,544. This will fall to £18,536 when payments are made after this meeting and VAT has been recovered for the first quarter of the financial year.

Cllr Leedell reported that contrary to any rumours Watlington Gossip is still in production and that new volunteers were being sought for delivery of the near issue.

JUL 05/5 Street Lighting Electricity Prices

Council noted the increase of 41% in the electricity tariff for the street lighting effective from 1 July, adding £361 to the annual budget, this being the first such increase for seven years, giving an annual rise of 5%. It was agreed that alternatives would continue to be sought.

JUL 05/6 Edward Shouldham Charity

Council approved the advertising of the letting of the charity land for the period 11 October 2005 to 10 October 2006, bids to be considered at the September meeting of the Council.

On a proposal from Cllr Toates, seconded by Cllr Miller, Council agreed to remit to the Finance Committee, to follow at the end of the meeting, a request for funding from the Charity.

{The Finance Committee met at the end of the meeting and awarded £220 from the fund to a family in need of additional support.}

JUL 05/7 Payments

On a proposal from Cllr Miller, seconded by Cllr Golding, Council agreed that the following payments be made:

* Wicksteed Leisure Payment:

 Grants of £7,500 (Received) from WREN, £5000 (Received) from Awards for All and £595 from NPFA and £3,224.99 VAT element (recoverable), £5904.97 paid from the Council’s funds.

JUL 05/8 Clerk’s Contract of Employment and Job Description

On a recommendation from the Finance Committee, Council agreed to the implementation from 1 April 2005 of the new Model Contract of Employment and Job Description for Clerks agreed between the National Association of Local Councils and The Society of Local Council Clerks. The main points of the agreement are:

a) The Clerk becoming the Council’s Responsible Finance Officer (from Cllr Golding).

b) No change in hours work, salary scale point or incremental salary scheme.

c) A weekly allowance of £2 towards home office expenses, to be rolled together with the internet/e-mail monthly cost of £7 a month for an annual payment of £188, payable monthly.

d) A quarterly rental payment of £43.75 for the Clerk providing a computer for the Council.

It was noted that this would add £279 to the Council’s budget in a full year, with an additional £412 in this financial year to realign salary payment dates, with the salary now being paid by the 26^th of each month.

JUL 05/9 Re-issue of Cheque

On a proposal from Cllr Golding, seconded by Cllr Leedell, Council agreed to re-issue a replacement cheque paid under Min JUL 04/8 to Cllr Pike for £48.50, Cllr Pike having confirmed the loss of the original cheque.

JUL 05/10 Local Development Framework Issues and Options Papers

The clerk outlined the proposed timetable for the Borough Council’s Local Development Framework, this being the replacement development plan for the existing Local Plan. The Statement of Community Involvement would be implemented by April 2006. The preferred option of the Core Strategy of the Plan would be published in November 2005, and following consultation would be implemented in January 2008. Initial consultation on the Site Allocation Plan would begin in June 2006 with implementation by January 2009.

On the Statement of Community Involvement, Council noted the wide range of consultative methods to be used by the Borough Council and the proposed consultations for future planning applications. It was agreed that any other comments should be submitted back to the clerk by 1 August for this paper.

On the Issues and Options Paper Council agreed that Option 1, Concentrated Strategy, where King's Lynn would be developed as a sub-regional centre, should be supported. It was also agreed that the clerk would circulate the key questions from the Paper to councillors, so that views could be fed back to the Borough Council by the deadline of 17 August. The full documentation would also be circulated to members of the Planning Committee.

JUL 05/11 Planning Applications

The following decisions were agreed:

The following planning decisions from BCKLWN were noted:

JUL 05/12 Police Liaison Officer Information Exchange

PC Bodley reported that there were 12 reported crimes in the village since the last meeting, 3 of these involving criminal damage and 6 motor vehicle related crimes. There had also been a major police presence in the village for a 2 week period from 10pm to 3am, this resulting in one arrest.

On the issue of speeding in the village, PC Bodley stated that Sleeping Policemen have been effective in parts of Downham Market. Also there has been more police targeting of Station Road and St Peters Road recently. PC Bodley had also carried out a radar check for speeding, this resulting in 3 drivers being stopped.

It was noted that there had been less anti-social behaviour recently around the village hall following a visit by Ady Chaplin from the Borough Council’s Community Safety Office, with youths now tending to congregate around the village sign, which is easier to manage from a police point of view. PC Bodley is also hoping to attend a Village Hall Committee meeting to discuss reducing anti-social behaviour.

The issue of drug dealing on the village hall car park was raised. PC Bodley advised there were strict rules on ‘stop and search’, but would ensure that regular checks of the car park area are maintained to deter any criminal activities. The support of PC Charlton in walking the village was praised by councillors.

JUL 05/13 Highways / Traffic Management

Council noted the following from a letter received from NCC Planning & Transportation:

1)       That the footway in Church Road will be repaired on an as required basis, but that a complete rebuild is some time off. Council agreed that the clerk should write again to NCC regarding this heavily used footway, particularly now that the new play area is well used and a new property boundary wall has been built.

2)       The Lynn Road to Mill Road footway scheme is still on the waiting list.

3)       The western end of School Road is not a priority and will be included on the forward programme.

4)       A full scheme is on the forward programme for Downham Road. In the meantime the footway problems at the Rectory Road of this road and the flooding problems will be investigated.

5)       An overhanging shrubbery notice is to be served on 50 Downham Road.

6)       Completion of footway resurfacing work on the Meadows Estate is to be carried out.

7)       The footway widening at the Glebe Land has been approved. The clerk has written to the Fire Service regarding having the Fire Hydrant post moved.

(Cllr Rockcliffe arrived at this point)

A request for a traffic mirror on a Council owned was considered. NCC had advised against allowing this due to litigation liability, but given that the Council was generally in favour of allowing the mirror, Cllr Rockcliffe agreed to pursue the matter with NCC.

An e-mail was read from a parishioner regarding speeding on Station Road and St Peters Road. It was agreed that the clerk should respond, pointing out the initiatives the Council had already undertaken, also to ask that any speeding be reported to the Police. It was agreed that the clerk should also write to NCC seeking advice on the traffic control measures suggested in the e-mail.

JUL 05/14 Rail Station

The clerk reported that the preferred bidder for the new franchise was due to be announced on September 2005, with the new franchise starting in April 2006. It was noted that Watlington Station is number 1543 out of 2496 stations in terms of passenger numbers.

The clerk had carried out a survey of car park usage and cars parked in Station Road, John Davis Way and Britton Close. This had revealed an average of 96% full, the car park being able to take 57 cars. Of surrounding roads only John Davis Way had parked cars, up to a maximum of 3 at any one time. It was also noted from a separate survey that on average there are 86 commuters towards London and 35 to King's Lynn daily.

Letters from 3 parishioners regarding parking in Station Road were noted. The clerk to respond, pointing out the efforts the Council is making to expand the car park capacity. Cllr Leedell pointed out the continuing problem of poor parking particularly near the junction in John Davis Way. Cllr Rockcliffe advised that he was still pursuing a possible solution to the expansion of the car park. It was agreed that all possible pressure was to be applied to all relevant bodies to achieve the required increase in parking spaces and that the clerk should carry out a further survey in September. It was noted that any obstructive parking should be reported to the Police.

PC Bodley reported that for the last 6 months there had been little anti-social behaviour reported at the station.

JUL 05/15 Community Projects Committee

Cllr Pike reported that the opening ceremony for the new play area took place on 10 July, with the ceremony being preformed by the Chairman, Father James Nolan and the Chair of the Pre-School. BCllr Mrs E Nockolds and Gordon Dawes (WREN) also attended. Councillors were pleased to note that the play area had been favourably received and is well used.

The Community Projects Committee would next meet on 8 August to discuss Phase 2 of the play project and to deal with signs that need to be re-installed.

JUL 05/16 Glebe Committee

Council agreed that the long grass on the Glebe should now be cut and referred this for action to a meeting of the Glebe Committee to follow at the end of the meeting.

{At the Glebe Committee meeting that followed the meeting, Cllr Rockcliffe agreed the loan of a tractor and equipment for the grass cutting, this to be carried out at a cost of labour involved only. It was also agreed that the cut should pulverise the grass, to be left in situ, and that the cut should leave margins outside of the footpaths.}

An update was received on the football pitch on the Glebe. Council agreed that there was no objection to a relocation of any new posts on the Recreation Ground, subject sufficient room being left for the play equipment. It was also agreed that Cllr Finnis would be asked to bring a progress report back to the next Council meeting on matters agreed at the June 2005 meeting.

Given that the next Council meeting is not until 6 September, on a proposal from Cllr Toates, seconded by Cllr Leedell, it was agreed by Council that £600 should be set aside from the unallocated funds for the purchase of new goal posts for the Recreation Ground and that authority be given to the Glebe Committee to approve proposals from the football club for the new goal posts.

JUL 05/17 Environment Committee

Council noted the implementation of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, which would allow the Council to issue fixed penalty notices for litter, graffiti, fly-posting and dog offences and would allow the introduction of dog control orders for a range of offences. It is likely that the regulations under the Act will come into force from January 2006.

Cllr Toates enquired about the laying of a shingle footway outside the new build houses in Mill Road and pointed out the state of the footway on adjacent properties. Cllr Rockcliffe agreed to pursue these matters.

Cllr Golding drew attention to the stile to the Glebe Land erected by the owner of 53 Downham Road. Cllr Leedell agreed to look into any legal implications.

The clerk reported that the new litter bin had been installed it the end of the footpath to Church road and that a wooden post had been installed on the footpath onto the Glebe Land to stop illegal car access. A repair to the newly installed gate on the Glebe Land was noted, damage being the result of vandalism.

JUL 05/18 Millennium Green

Cllr Pike advised that there would be a site working day on 9 August. Cllr Golding advised that the grass / flower area had now been cut and a hay crop taken. She advised that this had been done early to take advantage of a cost opportunity and recognised that the early cut caused concern to a few parishioners.

JUL 05/19 Correspondence for Action

JUL 05/20 Correspondence for information

There being no other business and no floor speakers the Council rose at 9.05pm.

The next meeting of the Council is on Tuesday 6 September 2005 in the Village Hall.

SIGNED

Chairman                                                          Clerk                                         6 September 2005