MINUTES OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING - 8 DECEMBER 2009


MINUTES
of the Meeting of
CHIRTON PARISH COUNCIL

held in the School on Tuesday 8 December 2009

Present

Councillors Anthony Mather (Chairman), David Baker, Ian McKinnon, Stewart Neale, Jonathan Oliphant (Clerk), Stephanie Robertson and Sarah Withers. Also present were Brigadier Hall, Wiltshire Council and Pewsey Area Board member; PC Robert Barratt, our representative from Pewsey NPT; Derek Robertson, representing All Cannings First Responders, and two members of the public.

Visiting Representatives

The Chairman invited the visiting representatives to address the meeting.

  • Brigadier Hall introduced himself and stressed the importance of using the new channels through the Pewsey Community Area Partnership and the Area Board for bringing forward matters of concern. On planning issues he reminded us that he has the authority to "call in" applications which we feel are likely to be approved by the Planning department against our wishes. This means that it will be considered by the whole Council rather than being nodded through on the advice of planning officers. He also reminded us that there was a pool of money available in the Performance Reward Grant Scheme for such things as Village Halls.
    • ALL/DB
  • PC Richard Barratt introduced himself and said that he had taken over from WPC Emma Brown. He said that there had not been any serious matters for concern in our area. His style was to try to be out and about as much as possible and he looked forward to working with us.
  • Derek Robertson then gave a presentation on the role of a First Responder. There was one other in Chirton and he hoped to recruit another volunteer. Each Volunteer was given comprehensive training by St John Ambulance not only to use the defibrillator but all the other kit provided to them. They also get refresher training on a regular basis. The First Responder organisation is a charity and has to raise funds to buy the kit. He pointed out that they were tasked by The Great Western Ambulance Service through the 999 scheme so there was a close link between their work and the despatch of an ambulance. It was agreed to make a donation of £50 to their work.

The Chairman thanked all three speakers for their contributions.

Minutes of the meeting on 8 September 2009

These minutes having been circulated beforehand were agreed nem con.

Matters Arising

  • Floral Chirton — David Baker said that over a period of three weeks a team of volunteers planted some 1,300 daffodils around Chirton and Conock. The bulbs are expected to flower in March and we hope they will "naturalise" and so increase each year. Early-flowering varieties were chosen in the expectation that the grass would not need to be cut before they bloom. Three different varieties were planted, one a double yellow, one a pheasant's eye white with a golden centre, and a traditional trumpet-shaped flower. Bulbs were planted in Conock, at the corner of Small Street and The Street, by Thumwood Crescent, along the Street, by the School and in front of the church by the railings.
  • IT for Elderly people — Stewart Neale explained that a meeting had been held with the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme coordinators who had been asked to keep alert for anyone on their patches who might need assistance with IT or any other manner of communication. They had all agreed.
  • Housing Stock Questionnaires — The Clerk said that he had had no reports of anyone in the village getting any of these questionnaires.
  • Flooding — The Clerk reported that the flooding in The Street near Nos. 54&56 was all but solved. The last lap was for the Vactor machine to come and jet out the gully outside The Old Manor. This is now planned for 21 December. [JBO]
  • 30mph Stickers — 80 had been ordered and had arrived. The cost was £25.60. The Clerk read out a suggested distribution to houses which fronted onto a 30mph road and it was agreed that he would distribute them to councillors who could then hand them to the relevant householders. The cost will be borne by the council. [ALL]

Finance

  • The clerk said that the balance at the bank on 3 December 2009 stood at £2,398.78.
  • The precept for 2010/11 was discussed and it was agreed nem con to keep it at £1,500 for the third year running. This was to be publicised on our website. [SN/JBO]
  • The following payments made since the last meeting were ratified. Rod Bridewell, grass cutting, £310. Chirton with Patney PCC for help in churchyard maintenance, £100. Spring Bulbs, £97.63.
  • The following payments were agreed nem con. Devizes and District LINK, £50. Kennet CAB, £75. Victim Support, £50. Splash, £10. Bobby Van Trust, £50. Youth Action Wiltshire, £50. Small Schools Music Festival, £100. [JBO]
  • Council Property Register — This currently includes the following items: Three notice boards, one seat and a bus shelter. It was agreed to add the telephone box at a nominal cost of £500 for insurance purposes.

Telephone Box

Stewart Neale outlined a proposal to turn it into an information centre for the village, the exact contents were still to be decided. Richard Dunn had been approached with a view to making the inside more suitable for this purpose and had quoted the sum of £75 as being the likely cost. This plan was agreed and the cost authorised . The Chairman thanked Stewart Neale and Stephanie Robertson for their work on this project.

Parish Council's Code of Conduct

The Clerk stated that we had already voted to adopt the Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2007 on 14 May 2007 (see minutes from that meeting). This supersedes our code of conduct dated 1 October 2003. The Clerk apologised for misleading the council.

Footpaths and Kissing Gates

The Clerk reported that four kissing gates and one small gate had already been installed and had been well received. He had now applied to both SOLVE, an arm of Community First, and Pewsey Area Board for grants. The application is for funding for four gates, three more gates will be funded separately, two by Mr James Sykes and one by Marden Parish Council. The balance of the costs, amounting to approximately £75, and the labour will be our responsibility. Four of the gates will be installed on footpaths in Chirton, two on private land and one in Marden Parish. It was agreed to fund the cost of materials when it occurred some time in late January 2010.

Area Board Report

Stephanie Robertson reported:

  • Speeding issues —The most important subject from Chirton's point of view was her success, with support from PC Derrick Foord, in getting our concerns about the speed limits both on the A342 and within the village lifted up the agenda to among the most pressing issues facing the Board. As a result "metro loops" (rubber strips across the road) will be installed on three sites: outside Fussell Close on the A342, by the school warning sign by No.29 The Street; and outside Perryfields in Patney Road. A date has yet to be fixed early in The New Year.
  • Local Plan — The future Local Plan has recommended that villages with minimal infrastructure will not be considered for development including infill, unless there are exceptional circumstances. [SR]

Planning Applications Received

  • E/09/1169/FUL — 19 The Street. Demolition of coal shed etc. WC granted
  • E/09/1212/FUL — Pericles Cottage, Conock.. Erection of single storey garden room. WC refused
  • E/09/1398/FUL — 1 Park View. Demolition of existing garage etc. and erection of two storey replacement. WC granted
  • E/09/1414.FUL - 10/11 Miller Close. Replacement of joint porch over front doors. WC granted
  • E/1432/FUL — Plummers Farm rebuild of collapsed building
  • E/09/1543/TCA — Tree work at Nos.5&6 Yew Tree Close

The council raised no objections to any of them but one awaits a WC decision.

Correspondence

  • Community First Volunteers — A request had been received to canvass for volunteers. It was decided to circulate this by email. [JBO]
  • Wiltshire Council had written to us asking if we had any grass cutting which they could quote for. The Clerk reminded councillors that this was an area on which we had requested details about possibly taking over the responsibility in return for a grant from Wiltshire Council. While nothing further had been heard on this subject it was decided to get a quote for all the parish council's grass so that we had a yardstick on which to consider what to do next. [JBO]

    • Date of the next meeting

    Tuesday 9 March 2010 at 7.30pm in the school.

    There being no further business the meeting closed at 21:00.

    The Chairman then asked Mr Conbeer, who was attending as a member of the public, if he wished to raise anything and he declined.

    Posted: 9 January 2010