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 25 July 2006 at 7.00pm in Watlington Village Hall.

Present: Cllr Golding (Chairman in the absence of Cllr Lacey); Cllrs Garton, Leedell, Paget, Pike, Rockcliffe (from 7.15pm) and Toates.

5 members of the public also attended the meeting.

Apologies for absence:  Cllr Dagnall, Lacey and Miller. BCllr Ansell.

JUL 06/1 Declarations of Interest

JUL 06/2 Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 13 June 2006

The Minutes of the Council Meeting on 13 June 2006 were agreed and signed as a correct record.

JUL 06/3 Clerk’s Report and Matters Arising from the Council Meeting

The clerk reported that the election for the vacant Councillor post would be held on 27 July and that there were 3 candidates. The clerk reported that the Council’s funds currently stand at £25,544.22. There were no matters arising from the Minutes. A letter of thanks from Mrs Zagorska for the bouquet of flowers from Councillors was read. The clerk advised that both Mrs Powell and Miss Charlton (who would be doing an additional voluntary hour for her Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme) had started their duties as Litter Pickers and expressed thanks to Cllr Miller for her help in setting up a system for disposal of collected rubbish.

JUL 05/4 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.

JUL 06/5 Payments

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

* Includes VAT

JUL 06/6 Planning Applications

The following planning decisions were agreed:

The following planning decisions from BCKLWN were noted:

JUL 06/7 Local Development Framework

Council noted that the Local Development Scheme has now been approved. This is the Borough Council’s public statement which sets out which documents will be produced and in what order for the Local Development Framework. Council also noted that the adoption dates for the Core Strategy had now slipped to June 2008 and the Site Specific Allocations to June 2009. Further consultations on the Framework are expected from September 2006.

JUL 06/8 Police Liaison Officer Information Exchange

PC Bodley advised the meeting that there were 14 crimes recorded in the parish since the last meeting, 10 of which occurred on the same night, for which arrests had taken place. 5 of the crimes were theft. Two door to door sellers had been cautioned after having no licence. Two individual had been spoken to about hazardous motor cycle riding, which could lead to their bikes being confiscated.

PC Bodley also advised that the Community Safety Officer, PC Butters, would be available for a site meeting at the village hall at 1pm on 2 October to discuss safety and security issues.

[Cllr Rockcliffe arrived at this point]

Discussion was held on the overnight camping and noise problems at the Warren Close Play Area. PC Bodley agreed to follow up on this matter to try and find out why only certain individuals were asked to leave the site by the police. Council noted that an additional sign had now been put up banning overnight camping and non-authorised vehicles. Thanks were extended to Cllr Garton for his quick response in installing the notice. PC Bodley advised that the number of complaints received would be a strong factor in considering the whether a Dispersal Order could be applied to the site. Cllr Golding advised that she would be speaking to Divisional Inspector Bates further about this matter.

The clerk advised that the incident reporting cards had now been printed and had been, or would shortly be, distributed to the Angel Pub, Post Office Stores, Information Centre, Sports & Social Club, Father James Nolan and Lacey Close Home Watch. As yet there had been no response from the Medical Centre. It was hoped to distribute cards via the Village Hall Committee at a meeting due this week. The clerk also advised that he would be sending out a card or e-card with correspondence to parishioners. Thanks were extended to Cllrs Paget and Pike and to PC Bodley for production of the cards.

A letter was read from Nigel Burton, the new Steward of the Sports & Social Club, in which he referred to litter problems at the far end of the village hall car park and requested that a bin be installed. On a proposal from Cllr Golding, seconded by Cllr Pike Council agreed to purchase and install a new bin at this location at a cost of approximately ££150, subject to approval by the Village Hall Committee, who lease this area.

The Chairman read correspondence from the D2 Local Action Group, which is part of the Crime and Reduction Partnership in West Norfolk, in which it was suggested that parish councils could become a point of contact for problems in their area. Concerns were expressed about how this would work in practice, particularly the role the clerk would have play in co-ordinating information. After further discussion it was agreed that the Council would wait to see what impact the incident reporting cards was having and also to invite the Village Hall Committee and Sports & Social Club to the 2 October meeting with PC Butters, with the possibility of a new start for the Anti-Social Behaviour Working Party. The clerk to reply to the D2 Action Team accordingly.

Council noted that the Safer Neighbourhood Scheme including the appointment of Police Community Safety Officers (PCOs) is now in the active planning stage, with 4 PCOs to be appointed in the area around Watlington, consisting of 26 villages. The scheme is expected to start locally in 2008.

JUL 06/9Highways Matters

The clerk  advised Council that the results of the Speed Awareness Message Scheme (SAM) had been received. The  team visited the village on three separate days and recorded entrance and exit speeds from Station Road and St Peters Road. The results revealed that, apart from an entry speed of 31.4mph on St Peters Road, speeds on average were within the limits. Council noted the results with some scepticism as to their value, given that drivers would be aware that monitoring was taking place. PC Bodley emphasised the need to continually report any speeding incidents, including the date and time. This would enable him to request more monitoring by the Traffic Police and possibly the SAM team. He agreed to bring traffic monitoring data to the next meeting.

The clerk advised that NCC Highways had agreed to look at speeding and pedestrian issues on Downham Road, as discussed at the last meeting. Cllr Lacey had seen the parishioner concerned about speeding near the Glebe entrance area.

Council agreed that councillors’ ideas for the Minor Works Scheme should be forwarded to the clerk by 14 August for submission the NCC Highways. Cllr Rockcliffe advised that he was hoping to obtain an old style directional finger post for the Millennium Green to match that at the east end of the site.

It was agreed that the clerk would contact NCC Highways regarding renewing the road markings around the zebra crossing area and would write to the owners of 31 Thieves Bridge Road regarding an overhanging hedge. Cllr Rockcliffe agreed to speak to property owners at the junction of Thieves Bridge Road and Downham Road about overhanging hedges. The clerk also to remind NCC Highways that the Thieves Bridge Road sign still needs re-affixing.

Council agreed a proposal from Cllr Pike that NCC Highways be asked to consider widening the footpath from Church Road to the Village Hall to allow improved access for wheelchair and pushchair users.

JUL 06/10 Rail Station Car Park

Cllr Rockcliffe reported that he had spoken to Mott McDonald about the proposed extension to the car park, but there had been little progress in the scheme plan because of site access / exit problems. He also advised that residents in Gypsy Lane were opposed to plans for the car park to be extended into the adjacent field. Council noted that the temporary extension is still open.

JUL 06/11 Community Projects Committee

Cllr Pike reported that the committee was busy completing specifications for the proposed new fitness / play equipment, which includes gates and fencing at the Warren Close Play Area and fitness equipment and a Church Road entrance gate at the Recreation Ground. It was hoped that quotations would be received in time to enable the committee to report to the new Council meeting, where the Council would be asked to commit   £5000 from the 2008/9 budget, with work to start in the 2008/9 financial year. As part of this package it was hoped that the Council’s funding would provide 34% of the required total, the rest to be obtained from the Borough Council’s Grant Scheme, which has money available from the National Lottery Fund.

Cllr Pike also reported on behalf of Cllr Miller that a child had caught a finger in the new gate to the tots’ play area. He advised that Wicksteed were aware of the need to adjust the shutting speed on the gate.

Council agreed a proposal from Cllr Miller that approach John Murfitt to see whether he would be able to fix the damage to the fence in the tots’ play area.

Cllr Garton agreed to liase with the Handyperson regarding the replacement of the support tyres on the see-saw at the Warren Close Play Area.

JUL 06/12 Glebe Committee

Cllr Golding advised that the committee had met on site and agreed that the non-football areas should be cut back to the blackberry hedge line, the time to be fixed after Cllr Lacey had spoken to Mr R Payne on the best time to arrange for the cut. The committee also agreed that a large branch on one of oak trees at the south end of the field needed to be removed, given that it was clearly dead and a potential hazard. On a proposal from the Chairman, Council agreed that this work needed to be done and that it be funded accordingly. Cllrs Lacey and Leedell to advise the clerk of tree specialists known to them.

Council noted that the green container was yet to be painted and it was agreed that the clerk would contact the Youth Football Club again regarding this matter.

A letter was read from Mr Burton, the Sports & Social Club Steward advising that the adult football club would operate from the club and that Mr Cyril Jones was the overall supervisor for pitch matters. Council still had concerns about the structure of the football club, given for example that it did not have a separate bank account, but would await future developments.

JUL 06/13 Environment Committee

Cllr Garton advised that he had read the booklet on the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act and although the aims were laudable it would be difficult for the Parish Council to implement the penalty measures for dog fouling, given that a warden would be required and that fines imposed would not cover costs. The clerk advised that the Borough Council would soon have 2 officers appointed to help implementation of the Act. It was therefore agreed to await developments from the Borough Council before giving any further consideration to implementing any of the Act.

The clerk updated the Council on the Handyperson task list and the following additional jobs were agreed:

To strim the edge to the footpath from the Village Hall to Church Road, to strim the area by the new fencing line to the Glebe site on Downham Road.

Cllr Garton reported that a shed had been built adjacent to the footpath from Mill Road to the Glebe Land and this was partially blocking the path. It was agreed that the clerk would forward this information to the County Access Officer.

Cllr Pike advised that the main gate to the Recreation Ground opposite the church was no longer lockable due to posts being worn out. It was agreed that quotes would be sought to carry out remedial work.

JUL 06/14 Correspondence for Action

JUL 06/15 Correspondence for information

JUL 06/16 Members Information Exchange

A parishioner told the meeting that it was a necessary but unfortunate matter that the Council had to spend almost a half of the meeting discussing anti-social behaviour issues. A general discussion followed on the need for, and the difficulty of providing, additional facilities for youth in the village. The clerk advised that a new scheme, Connecting Communities, had been formed by a multi-agency group, including the Youth & Community Service and that they were hoping to stage an event in the village.

Councillors thanked Cllr Miller for organising the flowers for Mrs Zagorska, the retiring Litter Picker.

There being no other business the Council rose at 8.37pm.

The next meeting of the Council is at 7.00pm on Tuesday 5 September 2006 in the Village Hall.

SIGNED

Chairman                                                          Clerk                                         5 September 2006