CHACOMBE PARISH COUNCIL

 

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday, 3rd March 2003 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

 

Public Time.

Present: Cllrs. Harper, Kennedy, Jones, Coates, White, Foster-Ogg and Clerk.

Apologies: Cllrs. Woolley, Reid and Wyatt.

Absent:            

 

The Chairman was saddened to hear of the death of Janet, wife of Cllr. Reid and expressed his sympathy, on behalf of the Parish Council, to Chris and his family.

 

Minutes of previous meeting on 3rd February: adopted and signed.

                                                 

Matters arising

1.1 Water leak opposite George & Dragon. e-mail from Bob Austin at NCC acknowledging letter from the Clerk and will carry out an investigation before replying more fully.

1.2 Village Name Signs. Update: Signs were erected on 27th March 2003.

1.3 Cherwell Edge Golf Course. The Clerk had written to Cherwell Edge and had met with Jim Gowan, who had promised that the hedge would be re-instated. Update: The hedge was re-planted on 23rd March.

1.4 Model Publication Code. To enable the electorate to access information, without making a specific request, it was agreed that Parish Council minutes would be publicised on the web-site

1.5 Grass-cutting The Council agreed to accept David Cochrane’s quote of £137.55 + VAT per cut for village mowing.

1.6 Welcome Packs Cllrs. Kennedy and White offered to review and update these packs. In the meantime, new residents would be given the Chacombe Directory, which also needed to be up dated. This would be completed after the forthcoming elections.

 

Finance

Internal control completed as at 31st January.

Expenditure                                                               Income

101034            PowerGen £115.90                 2001 - 2002 VAT reclaimed   £531.23

101035            ABB £117.49                                     

101036            D. Grainger 152.76                

101037            Jeffs Coaches (Dec) £120, (Jan) £120

101038            Tree Tops. Com £76.38

101039            Clerk’s expenses £72.76

 

Authorise: NALC Clerk’s Course £50.00, Winged Fellowship Trust £75.00, Jeffs Coaches (Feb) £80.00, Web-site maintenance (G Jones) £61.25, BT £69.59 and Clerk’s salary £750.00.

 

 

Correspondence

 

NCC   Planning, Transportation & Environment. Launch of Draft Supplementary

Planning Guidance on “Planning out Crime” in Northamptonshire

NALC Standing Orders and Chairmanship available via e-mail at £14.98

            Best Value Funding Boost for Best Value Parish & Town Councils

            Quality Parish Status National Seminar 18th March (£70.50 inc. VAT)

Difference between Annual Parish Meeting and Annual Meeting of the Parish Council

ACRE “The Playing Field” published for NACRE by the Oxfordshire Playing Fields

Association

Fibrenet  - letter re: installation of telecommunications apparatus. Contractors had

already left the village!

Clerk telephoned NCC re: handrail at top of alley - way between Thornhill and Thorpe Road. Terry Glassett (ROW) said he would contact Atkins and Mr Gliwitzki, 14 Thornhill.

Alzheimer’s Newsletter February 2003

 

Since folder was circulated.

HLB AV Audit Query on accounts 2002. More explanation required on variations in

accounts from the previous year.

NCC   Leader of the Council e-mail re: Draft Budget Proposals

SNC   Quarterly Report for Animal Welfare Service Nov- Jan ’03

            Micro chipping

Standards Board for England “Talk Back, Look Forward” Roadshow on 27th

March 2003

DEFRA Licensing Bill

SNC   Elections 2003

Clerk met with Jim Gowan who raised the following: a) Youngsters had

vandalised green flags and evidence had been found that they had been “smoking” in a shed on the Golf Course. b) Intention to submit a planning application for an accommodation unit adjoining the Clubhouse.

CPRE New membership card and Countryside Voice. Houses and Gardens 2003

Cherwell Vale NHS Board Bulletin

NCC   Northamptonshire Structure Plan Review County Seminar 24th March

Mrs Deacon: letter re: damage to grass area

SNC   S/2003/0258/P New classroom with glazed link to existing buildings. Alterations to car parking and entrance at Chacombe Primary School

S/2003/0233/NA at Coton Farm

CPRE Northamptonshire Branch Annual Report

Ted Garrett. Re: litter bins and small but very deep hole in Thorpe Road. The road is

beginning to subside around the hole.

SNC   Planning applications wk. ending: 05/02/03, 12/02/03, 19/02/03 and 26/02/03

 

Agenda

3.1 Risk Management Review including Insurance

See appendix A.

Having completed the assessment, the Council agreed that the strimmer, no longer used by the Parish Council, would be donated to the Allotments Association. The mower, also no longer used, would be offered to Chacombe Sports & Social Club. The Playing Field Committee was in the process of transferring custodial trusteeship from the Parish Council to NPFA and once this transfer was complete, insurance of the Playing Field would no longer come under the remit of the Parish Council.

 

3.2 Litter bins and notice-boards

Mr Garrett had asked if new litter-bins could be placed by the Skateboard Ramp in the Playing Field, at the top of Poplars Road and by the new Bus Stop in The Ring. The Council agreed that it would be appropriate to put bins at these locations and designs and cost would be discussed at the next meeting.

The Parish Council is not responsible for the maintenance of the notice-board outside the school but the notice board in The Ring needed some attention and the Clerk agreed to get this seen to.

 

3.3 Winged Fellowship – request for donation

With the help of donations from Parish Councils, this group is able to provide holidays for disabled people and their carers. The group relies heavily on donations and Cllr. Kennedy proposed that the Council should give £75. Cllr. Foster-Ogg seconded and the Council asked the Clerk to forward the cheque. This donation would be made under Section 137.

 

3.4 Clerk’s Training Course

The Council agreed that the Clerk could attend the NALC course for experienced clerks on 19th March at Hunsbury Hill at a cost of £50 plus travelling expenses.

 

3.5 Planning Applications:

SNC S/2003/0151/P at 2 Wesley Place. The Council had no observations.

SNC S/2003/0155/P at 7 Silver Street. The Council had no observations

Cherwell 03/00073/F at Coton Farm. The Council’s concern was an increase in traffic movements in Wardington Road and along the narrow access road to the site.

 

3.6 Resolution to approve the transfer of Custodial Trusteeship of the Betty Cameron Playing Field from the Parish Council to National Playing Fields Association (NPFA)

In 1972, Betty Cameron, the Headmistress of Chacombe School donated one acre of land to the children of the Parish and a Deed of Trust was drawn up with a Management Committee responsible for the day to day running of the Playing Field. In the absence of a committee, the Parish Council would take over as Custodial Trustees. The Committee has now been running for nine years and because of the huge increase in insurance premiums in recent years, this has become a large financial liability. After initial discussions with the NPFA it was discovered that NPFA would pay the premium and carry out safety checks if the Playing Field Trust Management Committee and the Parish Council agreed to the transfer of Custodial Trusteeship to NPFA. The Trust would still own and be responsible for maintenance and, only if the Committee ceased to exist would NPFA take over as Custodial Trustees instead of the Parish Council. It would then be the NPFA’s responsibility to organise a Management Committee made up entirely of local people. The Playing Field would remain as a Playing Field although, in very rare cases, the Charity Commission has been known to allow Playing Fields to be sold off.

The resolution was proposed by Cllr. White and seconded by Cllr. Foster Ogg and the Council agreed to approve the transfer of Custodial Trusteeship of the Betty Cameron Playing Field from Chacombe Parish Council to the National Playing Fields Association. This transfer also has to be approved by the Charity Commission before it can take effect.

 

AOB

1.     The Clerk informed Cllr. Coates that election timetables and other information about the forthcoming elections should arrive very soon.

2.     Cllr. White wanted to know when NCC Highways/Atkins would be erecting the bus shelters. Update: Chacombe had requested a bespoke design for the two proposed bus shelters and these have been ordered.

Cllr White also advised that as a Chenderit School Governor she had been asked to look at the proposal for a School Travel Plan and this may be helpful to issues already raised about children travelling to Chacombe School.

3.     Cllr. Jones advised that a resident had reported a fire in the field margin. There had been an attempt to burn the notice about keeping dogs on leads, which had caused damage several metres wide and 20 – 30 metres long. The notice would be replaced as soon as possible.

4.     Cllr. Foster Ogg advised that this would be her last meeting before moving from the village. Cllr. Harper thanked her for her contribution and for filling one of the vacancies created last year.

 

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.15 pm.

 

 

 

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Monday, 7th April 2003 at 7.15pm.