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Parish Coucil Minutes Mar 07
Minutes of a meeting of the Council held on Tuesday 13th March 2007 at East Knoyle Village Hall
Present
Cllr Sully (Chairman) Clr Dawson Cllr Williams Cllr Wilson Cllr Coffin Cllr Campbell Cllr Hyde Cllr Wharton Cllr Swain, Cllr Garrett, Also Present Cllr Couper (SDC)
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1. PUBLIC OPEN FORUM - Information and Questions from the Public. None present
2. Apologies for Absence. Cllr Haworth-Booth, Cllr Wayman (WCC)
3. Notices of Interest. Cllrs Coffin, Wilson, declared an interest in item 9 as they were still involved in Wren’s Shop but had dispensation.
4. Minutes of meeting held on 9th January 2007 Approved and signed off
5. Chairman’s Report. The Clerk and Chairman attended a presentation by Wiltshire County Council on their proposals for unitary status. One District Council supports them and three do not. The outcome of the bid is not yet known. They make a powerful case for unitary status, both in terms of cost savings and better service. They propose creating area consultation groups, ours being based on Mere, with a greater role for County Councillors in ensuring the delivery of locally identified and agreed plans.
We raised a number of issues including the additional cost if County Council elections did not coincide with parish elections and the need to avoid skewing services to urban areas with rural areas picking up the bill as Salisbury has done.
The Chairman thanked parishioners, and Wren’s shop, for their donations which enabled the Council to purchase the woodland near Windmill Crossroads, thus allowing the Parish to conserve it for future generations and without using money from the precept. The Chairman also thanked Clare Gundry of Farnfield and Nichols for undertaking the conveyance at minimal cost.
Travellers had unlawfully set up camp at the southern end of the village on Highways land. The Council had asked the police, WCC Highways, and WCC Travellers Officer to take action to remove them and we awaited the outcome of their work.
This was the last full council meeting before the parish elections in
May. The Chairman felt it was worthwhile reviewing many of the things that the Council had achieved over the four year period. The Council had replaced noticeboards at the Green and at the Village Shop and had just approved the replacement of the Milton noticeboard with an oak one. The Council had responded to planning applications to ensure the conservation of our parish, achieved the resurfacing of two of our roads and further work, though the state of many of our roads remains pitiful. The Council had fought proposed cuts to rural services and vociferously challenged SDC’s skewed Salisbury City spend. The Council had vigorously campaigned for R2 spending rules to be broadened, , contributed to SDC’s Planning Policy Framework for the area and the Mere & District Plan. The Council had linked with West Knoyle Parish Council on several occasions to vigorously oppose Highways’ inadequate, and in our view
dangerous, proposals for the Willoughby Hedge/ A303 junction and the lifting of the weight restriction on the B3089 to route westbound traffic for the A303 along it. The Council had lobbied for an extension of the 50mph speed limit from the parish boundary to the A303. The newly installed signs designation ‘Turnpike’ as a hamlet should improve the chance of this happening. The Council had worked with WCC Highways to improve signage for the village and still await completion of the white line box at the northern junction of the A350 which remains so dangerous. The Council had maintained recreation areas and woodlands and are involved with many area committees and projects. Major achievements have been the creation of a community owned shop and retention of the post office which have done so much to encourage community spirit, also creating an asset for the Council and an annual rent of £2000 as well as raising many
thousands of pounds available for village projects; The purchase of woodland at Windmill Crossroads; the installation of cricket nets in Knoyle House Ground, the commencement of a parish plan development and the recognition of our high standards by the award of Quality Council status. Much of this was a foundation for the next Council and the opportunities offered by changes in legislation. The next four years were likely to be equally challenging. People often said, what can a Parish Council achieve? The Chairman believes that a good Parish Council can achieve much to retain and improve the quality of life of its parishioners.
6. Committee Reports from respective Chairmen of:
Planning Committee. The Planning Committee had met twice, considered six proposals and commented on two of them.
Common Lands, Highways and Rights-of-Way Committee. The dangerous surface in Sheephouse Lane had been repaired as
a safety issue. The Underhill to Gillingham road was under consideration for micro-asphalting. Concern was expressed about vehicles encroaching on the triangle opposite Clouds entrance and the Clerk was asked to contact Highways to establish whether we were able to put obstructions such as large stones on the corners. The Parish Steward had done a good job. He had responded very quickly to a report of a pothole at Holloway. Cllr Dawson had written to Highways praising him. 4x4’s were gaining access beside the chain posts at the Windmill and it was hoped an earth bank would prevent this.
Finance Committee. The Chairman of the Finance Committee thanked Committee members for their support. The Parish precept had gone up 3.4% but the £200 increase was only 2.9%. The difference was accounted for by the parish demographic changes such as single person occupancy and holiday homes. Approval had been given for
£230 to be spent on a new oak notice board for Milton. Martin Snell was charging an amount very much less than purchased one which cost about £700. Finances were in order and we were aiming at a satisfactory full year expenditure.
7. Other Reports from Councillors with Special Responsibilities for:
Wiltshire County Council (County Cllr. Wayman). Not present
Salisbury District Council (District Cllr. Couper). Cllr Couper outlines the unitary bid by WCC and the opposition by three of the four districts including Salisbury. A decision would be made by Ruth Kelly in July. Parishes were not being directly consulted. If approved there would be a 2009 implementation. Wheelie bins for household and green waste were to be introduced with fortnightly alternating collection.
Police Liaison. Cllr Coffin attended Amesbury on 16th January. Superintendent King had explained about
the new policing teams which should ensure less abstraction of the personnel. We should get a Community Support Officer plus one constable for the Mere area including East Knoyle. The Mere enquiry office would close. There was a discussion on changing the Consultative Committee meetings to area committee meetings. Nothing would change on this at the moment.
Village Hall Management Committee. The diesel tank had been installed at a cost of £1500. The toilet seats and towel rails had been replaced at a cost of £80. Pointing on the west side was almost complete. There will be a new concrete ramp. The issue of a ramp for the billiard room was not resolved.
East Knoyle Community Shop Association.The provision of newspapers had increased the workload. A wine promotion was proving very successful. The Shop had won the Wiltshire Life Village Shop of the Year Award.
Mere Community Safety
Partnership had not met.
Wigglybus and Link scheme The Link scheme had lost the phones at Christmas. They had 410 calls in 2006. 247 were from Tisbury and 163 from outside Tisbury, but only 4 volunteers were outside Tisbury. More drivers were needed. No statistics were available for Wigglybus use. It was now a social enterprise but there needed to be better co- ordination with WCC who ran the timetable and with the call centre in Exeter.
East Knoyle Parish Planning Group.The Committee was growing but it awaited the grants before it could proceed further.
8. To note changes in directors for East Knoyle Community Shop Association Ltd and that it is proposed to increase the number of directors to 12, one being an appointment by the Parish Council, with a maximum of two councillor directors. To support this proposal. The Clerk has discovered a little known section of the local government and
housing act dealing with companies under the control or influence of the Council. He obtained legal advice and, though it has not presented a problem up to this point, the impact was to bring the shop within the scope of local government rules and audit rules, particularly relating to donations by the shop and Section 137 grants. The advice was to reduce the councillor element to under 20%. Since there are at present 7 directors three councillors stood down. A change in the rules to 12 directors will allow a second councillor to be involved in supporting the shop’s performance, one of the councillors being ex-officio. The local government rules were introduced to control the excesses of large councils but they also apply to parishes. The Clerk has written to Ruth Kelly at the department of communities and local government pointing out the problems this could cause small parishes under proposed changes to the law. Noted and supported.
9. To approve the submission of a planning application for Wren’s Shop for a covered walkway over the paving slabs at the rear of the shop. Approved
10. To propose a vote of thanks to Cllr Tom Couper who is to retire as District Councillor. Tom Couper would not be standing for re- election in May. The parish had been lucky enough to have him as our Salisbury District Councillor since May 95 and on behalf of the parishioners of East Knoyle and East Knoyle Parish Councils past and present, the Chairman thanked him for his representation, especially for his diligence in attending parish council meetings to keep us so well informed on SDC matters. The Chairman wished him well in his ‘retirement’
11. To approve the donation of a bench in Knoyle House Ground, the Council being responsible for securing it in place. A parishioner had offered to donate a bench for Knoyle House
Ground provided it is secured. The best method would be to sink a loop or post in concrete and padlock it. Permanent concreting of the bench would present problems when tarmacing the surface. Approved
12. Parish Assembly Tuesday 10th April 2007 – Guest Speakers, Councillor contributions. Speakers for the parish assembly were PC Richard Salter and the new CSO if appointed by then (CI McGrath had moved on), Wilts County Council would talk about their bid for unitary council status and Nick Barton of Clouds would talk about changes at their centre – both the last two are at the request of those organisations and should be very interesting. Councillors with special responsibilities were asked to present a short verbal report to the public that day.
13. Parish Elections 3rd May 2007 The Chairman thanked the Councillors for their support and work over the last 4 years.
14. Purchase of
Woodland – update The woodland was now owned by the parish.
15 Correspondence. Correspondence had been received from Andrew Scott who had been corresponding with WCC about the noise on the A350
17. Any Other Business. Concern was expressed about the state of some footpath stiles.
Chairman…………………………………………………………… Date……………….
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