CHACOMBE PARISH COUNCIL

 

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday, 3^rd July 2006 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

 

Present: Cllrs. Harper, White, Gliwitzki, Offers, Ware, Coates, Jones, Wyatt and Clerk. Irene Roche had been invited to attend the meeting in order to be co-opted onto the Council.

Apologies:

Public Time.

 

Minutes of previous meeting on 5^th June: adopted and signed.

 

Matters arising

1.1   Notice boards. Mr. Alcock still needed to be asked to provide a quote to replace the fronts of the notice boards.

1.2   Parking in Middleton Road. The car which had caused concern because drivers exiting from Thornhill had been unable to see oncoming traffic from Banbury has not been parked, either on the opposite side of the road, which had been suggested, or outside 7 Middleton Road.

1.3   Pot-holes. The one outside October House had been filled in but the one outside 35 Banbury Road had not.

 

Finance

Internal control needs to be completed as of the end of July.

 

Expenditure                                                                                                                            Income

101223 Clerkπs expenses (Dec - Mar) £45.57

101224 D Cochrane £190.83

 

Authorise: Chacombe PCC £500, ABB £122.39 and Clerkπs salary £620.00

                       

Correspondence since meeting on 5^th June

Mr S Schilizzi ≠ letter

Vitalise (formerly Winged Fellowship) ≠ thank you letter

Ken Melling e-mail re: ≥Performance Improvement and Cost Reduction Programme≤ at

the Horton Hospital

Cherwell District Council ≠ Cherwell Local Development Framework ≠ Banbury

North Cherwell Site Allocations Development Plan Document - Issues and Options paper

Banbury Citizenπs Advice Bureau New telephone number as from 3^rd July will be 08448487922

NACRE Invitation to 60^th Birthday Celebrations on Wednesday 26^th July 7.30 ≠ 9.00pm at Hunsbury Hill

CPRE ≥Countryside Voice≤ Summer 2006

SNVB Voluntary Action in South Northamptonshire publication

Clerks & Councils Direct July 2006

 

SNC        i) Decent Homes Consultation Officer re: Drop in sessions for tenants in relation to the proposed transfer of the Councilπs housing stock to a Registered Social Landlord

                        ii) Gambling Act 2005 Consultation on Draft Statement of Licensing Policy

 

NCC      i) Northamptonshire Minerals Local Plan: Notice of Adoption

                        ii) Bus timetables

                        iii) Northamptonshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework: Notice of adoption of the county councilπs Statement of Community Involvement

Northamptonshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework: Draft Supplementary Planning Document

 

Agenda

3.1 Casual Vacancy

Irene Roche who has lived in Thornhill for two years was co-opted and signed her Declaration of Interest and Acceptance of Office.

 

3.2   Parish Appraisal

Ten years ago the village had carried out a Parish Appraisal. Initially there was little support but it was believed that it would lead to more involvement from the village. A fairly large questionnaire was produced because the Parish Council felt it wanted to know the villageπs view on a variety of issues. Although some of the issues were addressed at the time there was little follow-up apart from the compilation of raw data. Although a useful resource to the Parish Council there was a lack of energy, enthusiasm and commitment to take it any further.

A Parish Plan, as it can otherwise be known, has nothing to do with the planning process but can be produced from the results of the questionnaire. DEFRA and ACRE have made funds available to villages to carry out this exercise. An ACRE representative would be willing to address either a Parish Council meeting or an Open Meeting to promote the idea to the community as a whole. Would there be Parish Council support for this idea?

• A steering group could be formed to include representation from the Parish Council but not necessarily made up of councillors.
• A future needs event could be staged alongside another existing village activity e.g. a fÍte, bazaar.
• The idea of a Community Plan would be to look at the way in which the village should develop but not just with regard to bricks and mortar. It can be a useful tool to groups and organisations when bidding for funding.
• If a questionnaire similar to the one used ten years ago is used again, it would enable comparisons to be made more easily and would reduce the workload because the questions have already been formulated.
• An action plan would need to consider the major wishes of the community.
• The steering group should continue and the process ongoing so that it can be re-visited.
• Eighteen local parishes have completed or are in the process of completing a Parish Plan and the Countryside Agency is keen to promote the idea through their Vital Villages campaign. Helmdonπs website is a useful starting point.
• The last questionnaire contained about 80 questions on population, housing, countryside/environment, sport, traffic etc. and included a special section to be answered by young people. It was distributed over the Christmas period and this produced a good response.

Comments: It would be interesting to compare the results from the 1997 questionnaire with the results of another questionnaire, now ten years on.

The Parish Council should promote and hope that volunteers are forthcoming.

Cllr. Jones would format questionnaire.

It could be that a book could be produced this time. It did not happen ten years ago because a local resident was about to produce her own book on the village which has since gone into print.

Information from the community is important if only to find out what views the village has about the Parish Council! The village has to be asked if it would like to take part in this exercise and would the Parish Council be prepared to run it?

 

3.3   Accounts and Audit å05 ≠ å06

The accounts for year ending 31^st March 2006 were approved by the Council prior to the Internal Audit which will be carried out by Mrs Jane Bleach.

 

3.4   Planning Applications:

S/2005/1540/LB Refurbishment of attached barn with remedial works to structure and roof. Refurbishment/re-introduction of hay store/ mezzanine with the inclusion of permanent stairway and storage niches below. New finished floor. Improved roadside barn/garage doors. Replacement windows to match existing. Insertion of roof lights in the front and rear roof slopes attached to (stoop) veranda including tying into existing roof and linking to main building (house). Amendments to doors and trimming of mezzanine floor joists. Reply by 22^nd June.

S/2006/0571/P Two storey side extension, single storey rear extension at 3 Bennett Close ≠ permission granted.

S/2006/0685/P Embankments to form temporary flood storage area to alleviate flooding including associated works and including an Environmental Impact Assessment. Revised addendum to environmental statement ≠ pages to update environmental statement held over from consultation papers issued with application S/2004/0659/P. Reply by 29^th June.

S/2006/0697/P A two storey extension at side and rear. Substitution of first floor window in side (south) elevation for roof light in roof slope above. For information only.

S/2006/0799/LB and 0875/P Demolition of outbuilding and replacement with timber field gate and side gate. The Council had no objections.

The Council was informed that there was a proposal to submit an application for a telecommunications mast at Lower Grange Farm. The Council agreed that it would deal with the application once received.

 

3.5 Berry Close

Aplins, the solicitors acting on behalf of the late Mrs Bennett, had not made any progress regarding the current tenancy on the field. There had been another suggestion that part of the field could be used to let dogs run free. There was little point in the Advisory Committee calling a meeting unless there was something to discuss.

 

AOB

1.         The pot-hole in Thorpe Road, although small on the surface was in fact quite large underneath.

2.         The goal posts had been removed from the Playing Field and there was the hazard of broken glass. Could the area for the younger children be fenced off to prevent inappropriate use?

3.         The Patching Innovation Trial for road repairs had proved fairly effective. Atkins contract is up for review.

4.         Domestic rubbish had been put in one of the litter bins. It should not be Mr Garrettπs responsibility to dispose of this rubbish which in some cases had been very heavy. Enquiries were on going as to where this rubbish was coming from.

 

Meeting closed at 8.45 pm

 

The next meeting will be held on 7^th August 2006 at 7.15pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pcmn107/ss 31/07/06