Parish Council Minutes
PRESENT
Cllr (Chairman) Val McPherson BEM
Cllrs Ian Walker, Sally Whitworth, Jane Rogers, Rolf van Apeldoorn and Brian Richards
Clerk Susanne Griffiths
Deputy Clerk Jayne Mylchreest
No members of the public
Preceded by the Annual Parish Meeting at 7.00pm.
- WELCOME AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
No apologies were received.
2. MINUTES
The Minutes of the previous meeting of the Parish Council on the 21st March 2017 having been circulated were approved by the Meeting and signed by the Chairman.
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Members were asked to declare any pecuniary or non-pecuniary declarations of interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting. None were declared.
4. MATTERS ARISING FROM LAST MEETING NOT OTHERWISE ON THE AGENDA
Transfer of ownership from the Trustees of the Longwick Sports Club of the electricity supply for the playing field (Agenda item No 8 page 942 March 2017).
EON has advised that the account is currently on "Deemed out of contract prices". There is an active meter on site so a standing charge has to be paid. EON advise to contact them as they can offer a better rate and advise approximately how much this may cost per year.
The Trustees has advised that the usage is close to zero as the flood lights are about 3kw and used for about 1 hour a week for 20 weeks, a total of 60kWh, £13 only plus the £100 for the annual standing charge. For the past 3 years the flood lights have not been used.
All present agreed for the Clerk to contact EON to arrange a better rate when the agreement has been signed to take over the assets. JM
The Clerk advised that a draft of the agreement is currently being drawn up by the solicitor. SG
5. A REPORT FROM CLLR BENDYSHE-BROWN (BCC) ON MATTERS CONCERNING LONGWICK-CUM-ILMER PARISH COUNCIL
Cllr B Bendyshe-Brown reported on the following:-
- The pathway between the Green and the Primary School in Dorrels Road has been resurfaced so that parents can now pass safely through this footpath. Additionally, the ditch has been cleaned out and the nettles and overgrowth cut back so that passersby are not stung any longer.
- The main Thame and Chestnut Way roads have been resurfaced and Ilmer Road has had road repairs carried out in preparation for resurfacing this year.
- Owlswick Road and the road through Meadle (Stockwell Lane) are due to be repaired and resurfaced this coming year.
- The pavement in Bell Crescent has been completely resurfaced and the pavement from Chestnut Way to Walnut Tree Lane is down for resurfacing very shortly. A priority has been placed on this repair as it is a major walkway for schoolchildren.
- The ditch and drains have been cleared in Watery Lane. The ditch and drains at the bottom end of Bar Lane, where there is extensive annual flooding, to be sorted out this coming year. This has to be a priority before any building work happens on the proposed new development in Bar Lane.
- Speed is a major issue within the village and Cllr Bendyshe-Brown is working on getting 2 permanent Vehicle Activated Signs installed, similar to the one on Thame Road coming into Longwick from Thame, one near Briants and the other on Chestnut Way. In addition the plan is to have the Community Speedwatch in Longwick this coming year to reinforce the speed limit. Volunteers are to help man this but more volunteers are required.
- There has been a major issue this past year over the redevelopment of Wellington House from a set of business units to 4 flats. The developer decided that the footway through the property should be closed off which caused a major local uproar as children, mothers and seniors could not safely walk round the outside of the building. After a lot of intervention from BCC Rights of Way the developer reopened the footway and Rights of Way are now making this footway into a permanent feature. The developer also encroached on land included in other owners deeds and has had to reinstate this area.
- Work is underway on the number of HS2 HGV lorries that are likely to come through the village after commencement of works on this project. Cllr Bendyshe-Brown will be working closely with the Parish Council on this over the coming couple of years and will keep residents informed of any likely issues to arise.
6. FINANCE
A/The income for March and the expenditure for April was examined by the Council. All present agreed that the necessary cheques be signed.
The Clerk presented the accounts together with the bank statements and bank reconciliation for the members' consideration together with a copy of all standing orders and direct debits made from the Parish Council account. All present agreed that the accounts were being handled in a satisfactory manner and the monies were all accounted for.
| Payee | Gross | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| April salaries | 407.48 | |
| BCC Local Government pension scheme | 111.24 | |
| K Dobson (Risk assessment) | 15.50 | March |
| PRTC Maintenance duties | 360.00 | 1/10 |
| St Dunstan's Church (Owlswick PCC) grant | 75.00 | |
| St Peter's Church (Ilmer PCC) grant | 75.00 | |
| Bledlow PCC (St Michael's Horsenden) grant | 75.00 | |
| Tea at Three grant | 50.00 | |
| McColls (stationery) | 1.29 | |
| Came & Co (Insurance) | 670.61 | 31/3/17–31/3/18 |
| BALC (annual subscription) | 205.01 | 2017/18 |
| PK Inprint Ltd (printing newsletter) | 357.37 | |
| Longwick Village Hall (hall hire, monthly meetings) | 240.00 | Jan–Dec 2017 |
| TBS Hygiene Ltd (dog waste collection) | 365.04 | Jan/Feb/Mch 2017 |
B/ Receipts £3,102.14 Bucks County Council Devolved Services.
C/ Bank Balance £18,626.76 (allowing for the above cheques).
7. CAPITAL ITEMS AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES
A. Playing Field
There were no medium or high risk issues highlighted in the Risk Inspection Report for March. Cllr Ian Walker proposed to remove the post that is lying in the grass and to move the existing goal post frame to the other side of the field. All present agreed. SG
B. Children's play area
There were no medium or high risk issues highlighted in the Risk Inspection Report for March.
8. CORRESPONDENCE
South Oxfordshire District Council has advised that the latest draft of their Local Plan is available to view. SODC would like feedback on how they should manage the need for new houses and employment in South Oxfordshire and are seeking views on their Local Plan: Second Preferred Options, the Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment. The draft documents will be subject to consultation for a seven week period from Wednesday 29 March to 5pm on Wednesday 17 May 2017.
A resident has requested a copy of the Environmental Noise Survey Report No DLW/6919 in respect of land to the rear of Centenary Cottages. The resident has requested a copy of the Environmental Noise Survey commissioned by Wycombe District Council in respect of land to the rear of Centenary Cottages. All present agreed to advise the resident that the report is available to view at the council offices and if a copy is required to contact W.D.C. JM
9. REPORT ON THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
Cllr Val McPherson informed the members that the steering group are to meet on the 4th May to discuss the comments received from Wycombe District Council regarding the recent government White Paper on housing and to report back at the next parish council meeting.
10. THE PREFERRED CANDIDATE TO FILL THE VACANCY FOR A COUNCILLOR BY CO-OPTION
Three candidates applied to fill the vacancy for a councillor. The Councillors invited all three candidates to an informal interview to enable them to make an informed decision on the preferred candidate.
Cllr Sally Whitworth proposed that the council co-opt candidate B to fill the vacancy for a Councillor. Seconded by Cllr Val McPherson. All present agreed.
Resolved: To co-opt candidate B to fill the vacancy for a Councillor.
11. ON WHETHER A PARISH LOGO IS REQUIRED FOR LETTERHEADS AND IF SO HOW THE LOGO IS TO BE CHOSEN
Cllr Val McPherson proposed to write a piece in the newsletter to ask the residents for suggestions and ideas for a logo. All present agreed. VM
12. ON WHETHER TO ADOPT IN PRINCIPLE AN OPEN SPACE ON THAME ROAD/BAR LANE IN RELATION TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
All present agreed that it was too early to make a decision. A meeting would need to be held with the developers and terms and conditions agreed.
13. PLANNING APPLICATIONS
A/To consider New Planning Applications
17/05825/FUL Address: Bumpers Farm Ilmer Lane Ilmer Buckinghamshire HP27 9RE Proposal: Creation of compound with 2.4m high boundary fence & gates housing 17 x battery units, 5 x convector units, 6 x 6.9 high transformers, 1 x HV/LV container & 132/33KV transformer & meter point to provide energy balancing services to the National Grid
The Longwick cum Ilmer Parish Council has no objections but draws attention to the original agreement that the access for construction traffic is to be from the Thame Road.
17/05899/FUL Address: 1 Lyndale Stockwell Lane Meadle Buckinghamshire HP17 9UD Proposal: Householder application for construction of roof extensions/alterations including 3 x front dormer windows, construction of single storey rear extension, new roof terrace to rear and associated external alterations (alternative scheme to pp 15/07444/FUL)
The Longwick cum Ilmer Parish Council has no objections.
B/ Notice of Planning Applications Approved
17/05144/FUL Decision: Application Permitted Address: Ray Farmhouse Thame Road Longwick Buckinghamshire HP27 9QU Proposal: Householder application for the demolition of existing lean-to, porch and wooden element of attached barn and construction of replacement wooden element, new porch, chimney and insertion of flue and fenestration alterations in connection with the conversion of existing attached barn to create additional habitable living accommodation in association with existing dwelling (alternative scheme to pp)
17/05227/CTR Decision: Not to make a Tree Preservation Order Address: St Peters Church Ilmer Lane Ilmer Buckinghamshire Proposal: Remove deadwood and reduce canopy by approx 1.5m to 1 x Sycamore Tree (T1)
C/ To receive Notice of Applications Refused
16/08471/FUL Decision: Application Refused Address: Owlswick Barn Owlswick Buckinghamshire HP27 9RH Proposal: Demolition of existing lean-to, concrete frame barn and store and conversion of remaining dutch barn to 4 bed dwellinghouse with associated boundary wall, gate and landscaping
14. AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
Election of Chairman
Declaration of Acceptance of Office to be signed by the Chairman
Nominations for Councillor Representatives on Outside Bodies
Election of Vice Chairman
To receive the Internal Auditors Report for the Year 2016/17
To approve the Accounts for the year 2016/17 and the Annual Governance Statement of the Annual Return
To agree the signatories for 2017/18 to sign cheques on behalf of the Parish Council
To discuss and decide on whether to request an increase in the number of Councillors on the Parish Council (Cllr Brian Richards)
To discuss and decide on whether any action is to be taken regarding the two mile stones in the parish (Cllr Jane Rogers)
To discuss the format of future Annual Parish Meetings (Cllr Brian Richards)
15. NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Parish Council will take place on Tuesday 16th May 2017 in Longwick Village Hall at 7.30pm. There being no further business to discuss the Meeting closed at 9.20pm.
Chairman......................................................... Date....................