Parish Council Minutes 10th February 2016

• Mr Sean McCarthy (Chairman)
• Mr David Drane
• Mrs Nicola McNeill
• Mr John Sladen
• Mrs Sara Scott
• Mr Alan Weedon
• The Clerk

• District Councillor Simon Howell

Members of the Public

• Miss Diana Frost

The Parish Council Meeting was adjourned whilst Mr Howell addressed the Council. The Bluebell Inn was discussed and he reiterated his support for it remaining a public house.

He reported that the budget of the Local Highways Panel will be halved from £450,000 to £225,000. This means that there will be more competition for a smaller pot of money. Councillors expressed their concern as the footway project remains unfinished.

The Uttlesford district budget is also reduced and may show a £1 million deficit in 2 years time. This could lead to a council tax rise of 1%.

The impact on the Parish Council will be that the top up grant to the precept will be lost. Additionally 2016/7 will be the final year of the new home bonus distributed to Parish Councils.

Miss Frost raised several issues about the maintenance of areas in the village. The discussion and response to these is reported in the minutes. Miss Frost remained as a non-participant observer.

The Parish Council meeting opened at 8.32 pm

96. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

    Mr Mark Welbourn
    County Councillor Simon Walsh

97. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING HELD ON Thursday 14th January

    These were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman

98. MATTERS ARISING

    None not covered elsewhere.

99. PLANNING

    
    Church Farm Cottage UTT/1188/11/REV, after discussion it was agreed that it was not necessary to comment on this application.

100. BROADBAND PROJECT

     Some potential participants to the Broadband Project had agreed to increase their commitment and other participants were being sought. A decision will hopefully be forthcoming soon.

101. CORRESPONDANCE

     
     i) Register of Interests – All Councillors had reviewed their Register of interests and were satisfied with their responses. It was agreed that the Clerk would communicate this to Uttlesford.

     ii) Miss Frost had raised several items and these were discussed as follows:

     Christmas Tree – The Clerk reported that this was not growing tree and had been disposed of. The lights, stand and decorations were stored at his address.

     Noticeboard – These were in need of refurbishment. Volunteers had been identified in the past to take on this task to no avail. A fresh search would be made to try to find a volunteer.

     War Memorial Base slabs and Fountain Base – Both these areas were in need of re-pointing or re-laying. It was agreed to attend to these issues after the Pond Project was completed

     iii)Almshouse vacancy – It was agreed to advertise this though the Newsletter and Noticeboard

     iv)Report from County Councillor Simon Walsh – He explained that the Essex budget had been by the latest settlement of grants for local authorities. The County Council is working hard to achieve savings ahead of next month’s budget setting. As already reported there will be a decrease in the Local Highways Panel budget. He promised ‘to endeavour to get the last footway section through as an incomplete job is totally unacceptable.’

     v)The Chairman’s correspondence – with Frank Bannister regarding the possible contribution to the financing of Ambo the district magazine was discussed. The Ambo had lost advertising revenue. It was generally considered that other avenues such as increasing advertising costs or asking for donations could be tried. Parish budgets were likely to be under greater pressure in the near future and the Parish Council already contributed to cutting the church yard.

102. HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY

     Footway – Due to the halving of the Highways Panel budget it was considered even more vital that the village was well represented at the next meeting. This had been changed to 6pm on April 4th. The Clerk would contact Uttlesford to alert them to the fact that The Parish Council wished to address the meeting.

     David Drane report – The usual issues were being pursued though no definite news on any of them. Disappointingly the bad pothole in Radwinter had re-opened.

103. ENVIRONMENT

     Flooding – Councillor Sladen reported that he had sent off the report on flooding as discussed at the last meeting but as yet had received no reply.

     Pond Refurbishment – Residents of Waterloo Cottage were concerned that some of the trees left on the boundary of their property were potentially hazardous. They had been left to afford some privacy but would now be removed. Draining had been delayed by poor weather but a start was imminent.

     The Bluebell Inn – Some refurbishment was ongoing but finalising of the lease etc had not yet been completed.

104. FINANCE

     Banking Arrangements – Barclays had replied that several previous members of the Council needed to be removed from the mandate and Mr Sladen needed to fill in an additional form

     Transparency Fund Grant Application – The Clerk reported that he had attended a ‘surgery’ session to help with the completion of a form for the application for a grant towards a new dedicated laptop, software and some additional hours to get the required financial information onto the village website.

     Cheques were signed to – Friends of English Heritage for a Subscription £25 and HMRC for PAYE £37.44

105. COMMUNICATIONS

     It was agreed try to get more information to the public by use of Facebook. The facility had been set up some time ago but never used. Brian Kitchen was happy to do the necessary work and Parish Councillor Sara Scott agreed to be the controller.

106. QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY

     A committee of five people had been set up to organise events on 9th to 12th June. These were Mr McCarthy, Mrs Scott, Mrs McNeil, Miss Frost and Mr David Boreham. These would be an evening celebration, an over 60s tea party and an activity for children.

107. EMERGENCY PLANNING

     A meeting of the committee updating this had met the previous evening and after checking some information the document would be presented at the next parish Council meeting for approval.

108. ANNUAL PARISH ASSEMBLY AND REPORT

     It was agreed to hold the Annual Parish Assembly on Friday 20th May. The Annual report would have to be started soon.

DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS – Thursdays March17, April 28 and May 19 at 8pm in the Village Hall.

NB: Please note change of day and date for February meeting

The meeting ended at 9.40 pm