Present:
Former Chairman Rosemary Stephens
Councillor David Pearcey
Councillor Dennis Curling
Councillor Ray Gorman
Councillor Jane Rutter
Councillor Harry Whorwood
Winchester City Councillor Keith Wood
Clerk Hilary Graham
Official representation:
PC Don Haggar, HW Community Beat Officer
Apologies for Absence:
Hampshire County Councillor Jackie Porter
Public Participation:
Steve Cramoysan, Claire Welland, Simon Browne, Sandy Whorwood, Ron Hatchett
The former Chairman Stephens welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Election of new Chairman
Councillor Stephens had not stood for re-election. Councillors Gorman and Rutter proposed Councillor Pearcey as the new chairman, and all were in favour.
Rosemary Stephens left at this point. Chairman Pearcey introduced all the members of the council to the meeting participants.
Election of new Vice Chairman
Councillors Rutter and Gorman proposed Councillor Curling and all were in favour.
Acceptances
Each Councillor signed the formal acceptance statement in the presence of the clerk.
Bank Signatories
In view of the change of personnel it was resolved that the clerk would arrange to delete Rosemary Stephens as a bank signatory and add Dennis Curling and Jane Rutter
Notes of meeting of 10th March
These had been circulated. There were no matters arising and they were signed by Chairman Pearcey.
Local policing
PC Haggar gave a resume of the crime in the area over the last three months.
Speed checks had been carried out in Springvale Road and Down Farm Lane and most people were complying with the limits. Simon Browne, who lives on Down Farm Lane, said that since the closure of Andover Road speeding on the lane has been appalling and asked for a temporary 30 mile an hour sign.
A horse box had been stolen in Down Farm Lane.
An older lady had received a bogus call from a security firm and had informed the police.
Copper had been stolen from Down Farm Lane.
Rowdy teenagers had been arrested near Headbourne Worthy.
A police surgery will be held at The Good Life Farm Shop on Saturday the 5th June, and PC Haggar will be coming to the Annual Parish Meeting on the 24th May.
Councillor Pearcey said that the Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator is Margaret Filley and that newsletters are circulated.
Councillor Wood
The Barton Farm application is to be heard on the 14th June, or the 28th June if it goes to the panel. A duplicate application has been submitted by Cala Homes. The original has gone to appeal as it was not decided within the mandatory time and will go to the Secretary of State, but Winchester Council can decide on the duplicate. The original objections made will be considered and further objections are not necessary unless something fresh has come up.
On the 23rd June there is a homecoming parade for soldiers at 12 o’clock in Winchester High Street. There will be a service in the cathedral and tickets can be had from Winchester Council, but they will be sought after.
Public Participation
Simon Browne said that a while ago he had put up posters to gauge the response for local tennis courts and allotments. There was no demand for tennis courts, but sufficient response to allotments that a planning application would be submitted for 40 allotments on Springvale Road, on the Good Life side of the A34. There is an old access there that could be re-commissioned.
Simon Browne was concerned about fly tipping on Down Farm Lane and on his land and had not been able to progress the matter through Jackie Porter. He said there is no Environmental Department policy on this issue. Typical items were bits of computer and old tyres.
Councillor Curling said that when he did the litter pick in March the fencing along the top of the lane near Three Maids Hill was in poor repair or missing.
Councillor Wood was surprised that no response had been forthcoming. Winchester City Council’s policy was to remove rubbish from the verges on a regular basis.
Ron Hatchett said that the responsibility for the trunk road would be the Highways Agency. It was left that the clerk would e mail Councillor Wood about this issue and he will follow it up, and that the clerk would contact the Highways Agency direct.
Co-option of new councillors
There were two vacancies for councillors. Three applicants had come forward, Ron Hatchett, Steve Cramoysan and Claire Welland.
Chairman Pearcey said that Ron Hatchett had been a long standing member of the Parish Council, including chairman and Vice Chairman. Due to an oversight he had not been sent a nomination pack this time.
As the other two candidates were new to the council both had been asked for brief details of who they were and these had been circulated to the councillors. The clerk handed out ballot papers for the first post.
The Chairman counted and gave a casting vote for Claire Welland. Steve Cramoysan won the vote for the second position. Both were advised that their term would start formally at the next meeting.
Councillor Rutter extended thanks to Ron Hatchett on behalf of Headbourne Worthy Parish Council for his good work over the years. Ron Hatchett offered his expertise in future.
Balance on Accounts
The clerk reported that the bank balance at 31st March was £5677.79.
Year End Audit Report
The clerk had prepared the accounts. A new internal auditor, John Murray, had been appointed, and would be checking the figures on June 7th. The clerk read out Sections 1 and 2 of the Annual Return for the year ended 31 March 2010 *, which were agreed and signed by the Chairman and the clerk. The accounts will be made available to the public from the 27th May 2010.
Motorcross
The councillors were unable to attend the appeal hearing on the 6th July and would rely on the objection previously sent.
147 Springvale Road
This was a planning application for four homes where there was one previously. Headbourne Worthy Parish Council had objected but Winchester City Council had agreed. HWPC had sent a letter asking why the Springvale Road Local Area Design Statement had not been adhered to, particularly with piecemeal development, and Winchester City Council had responded by sending the Planning decision report form.
Councillor Wood was disappointed that a proper reply had not been forthcoming.
Ron Hatchett said that due to the current recession developers had not bought the sites and some of the houses had changed hands and gone to people who did not intend to knock them down, but to live in them.
Also a precedent had been set for this type of development. It was decided that the clerk would write to Simon Finch, head of planning, and ask for a proper response to the queries raised, with a copy for Councillor Wood.
Braemar
This was a planning application, for a bungalow on Wellhouse Lane.
Councillor Curling had circulated notes about objections to the development, mainly about the large expanse of glass and the use of wood cladding out of keeping with the surrounding properties. Also the loss of yet another single storey building in the village. After a discussion it was decided to object on those grounds.
Open Space
There have been no further meetings of the Kings Worthy steering group. There is an election of parish councillors on the 27th May, so there may be a change of personnel. Steve Cramoysan said that a lot of Headbourne Worthy children use the Kings Worthy facilities and it is important to liaise with them.
School Lane
The white lines at the London Road end have still not been replaced. There was a discussion about the danger of an accident when vehicles exit from the road on to London Road due to visibility. It was decided that the clerk ask the Highways Agency for a site meeting and that Claire Welland frame a questionnaire for the residents for the other councillors to consider.
Wellhouse Lane
A lorry had been seen reversing from the railway bridge because it was too high to pass through. The clerk reported that the sign at the junction of Wellhouse Lane is not clearly visible, unless one was approaching from the Harestock direction. The clerk would contact the Highways Agency.
Annual Parish Meeting
This would be held on the 24th at 7.15 in The Church Rooms.
Steve Lincoln from Winchester City Council would come and give a talk about Parish Plans, and the councillors would gauge if parishioners are interested. It was decided that the proposed film about the plan would take too long. Emphasis should also be made on the fact that it would be a process to make a plan.
PC Don Haggar would come.
The clerk would check that Margaret Filley and the City and County Councillors could come.
Wine and nibbles for up twenty people would be catered for.
The meeting would be featured in the newsletter to be circulated before the weekend. It had been advertised on the website and the notice boards.
Quality Council and New Standing Orders
The clerk had just completed a training course, “Working with your Council”.
To achieve quality council status a lot of work needed to be done, including training by the councillors. It would cost the parish £3,000 for the NVQ required of the clerk plus the hourly rate for 40 hours training, plus there was about 15 hours of non mandatory course work following the course just completed to gain a Certificate of Achievement.
There was a discussion as to what benefit the parish would get for its money and there was no consensus that it would be beneficial.
Councillor Curling would do research on similar small parishes that had gained quality status to assess the benefit.
A list of the regular payments made by the clerk, (see separate note) had been circulated and the councillors delegated the authority to the clerk to make these payments, plus up to ten percent if required, without reference to a meeting.
The cheques would still be signed by two signatories. The signatories would have to change in view of the new councillors. This will be arranged in the next two weeks.
Councillors Pearcey, Curling and Rutter will become signatories.
It was also agreed that the clerk be paid for the 15 hours course work as a properly trained clerk would put things on a statutory basis, and keep everyone up to date.
New Standing Orders will be looked at by the clerk before the next meeting.
Circulation of e-mails
Every councillor has to copy in other councillors when sending e-mails so that everyone knows what is happening.
Website and Newsletter
The newsletter will go out this week.
There were 115 hits a week last year and 260 hits a week this year.
A summary of the forthcoming parish meeting has been featured.
Next meeting
The next meeting would be on the 26th July at 7.15.
The meeting closed at 9.25 |
