The next meeting of Milverton Parish Council's Amenity Committee will take place at 7.00pm on Monday, 17^th February 2014 in the Victoria Rooms, Milverton.

I have pleasure in enclosing an agenda for the meeting. This meeting is open to the public who will be given an opportunity to speak.

AGENDA

Questions from the Public

Members of the public are welcome to attend and address the Parish Council to provide information and raise matters of concern related to the remit of the Committee

1. Apologies
2. Minutes
3. Matters Arising and Actions from Last Meeting which are not on the Agenda
4. Declarations of Interest

The Code of Conduct requires that Members disclose interests of a personal, prejudicial and pecuniary nature that may be pertinent to tonight's business.

5. Closure of Public Toilets in Milverton

TDBC has indicated its intention to close the toilets in Fore Street and at the Recreation Ground. TDBC has been asked for detailed costs and the Committee will discuss the implications and options open to the Parish Council with a view to making a recommendation to the March meeting.

MILVERTON PARISH COUNCIL

REPORT OF MEETING HELD ON 3RD FEBRUARY 2014

Taunton Deane Councillor Gwil Wren reported that TDBC was proposing to close the two public toilets in Milverton (one in Fore Street and one at the Recreation Ground) with effect from 1^st April 2014. Councillors were upset that no one from TDBC had contacted them formally about this and were questioned the apparent cost of £11000 each. Councillor Wren explained that TDBC intended to close the toilets and probably demolish them unless a community group came forward to keep them open. Councillors therefore asked TDBC, through Councillor Wren, for specific costs relating to the Milverton toilets so that they could make an informed judgement about the size of the commitment. An initial estimate of £10 per toilet per day would cost £7000 or 50% of the Precept which would probably mean a significant increase in future years.

Councillor Wren expressed his dismay that valued community assets in rural areas are being sacrificed and his fear that once closed they would lost forever. He set out his intention to write to the Secretary of State to point out the folly of forcing District budgets down and expecting service delivery to be provided by Parishes who are not geared up it. This will inevitably lead to increased costs to local chargepayers whilst residents and visitors to Taunton and Wellington will continue to benefit from toilets provided by the TDBC Council Tax, in effect subsidised by those same rural chargepayers.

The meeting was preceded by a presentation by Carolyn Byl of SW Ambulance Trust about Community Defibrillators. The Trust is keen to make them more widely available because they allow immediate treatment to be given before an ambulance arrives. These machines are particularly sophisticated and monitor and record a patients vital signs so as to give the emergency services up to date information about their condition. This also means that the machine will only give a shock when a patients condition merits it making it impossible to shock someone who does not need it. Ms Byl concluded by offering the village a free defibrillator on condition that the Parish purchase a box to house it. There are two types of boxes – internal at £200 and external at £650. Councillors were very impressed and agreed to give the offer serious consideration provided that they can find an appropriate site.

The decision to invite Ms Byl came from Parish Councillor Roger Cotton who thought that the redundant phone box from Preston Bowyer would provide an excellent house for a defibrillator if relocated to the centre of the village. Councillors debated the likely cost of moving the box and concluded that, including an external defibrillator box the cost would be somewhere between £1500 and £2000. In order to pursue the idea the Clerk was asked to apply for a grant from SCC Councillor James Hunts's Health and Wellbeing budget.

Under roads Councillors were told that the following problems were being addressed:

• Collapsed wall in Butts Way – SCC is pursing with the owners of the wall.
• A blocked gulley at the Globe will be jetted..
• Houndsmoor Hill will be checked for overhanging vegetation etc. and owners asked to cut any back.
  The damaged wall at the Globe Inn will be repaired by the owners when the weather improves.
• Blocked drains bottom of Houndsmoor Hill will be cleared.
• The drainage in the Jubilee Gardens is an issue that keeps reoccurring. The only answer SCC can offer is to keep clearing or making sure the drain at the top of the urban footpath is kept clear. The drain at the start of the Jubilee Gardens goes to a soak away and as the ground is saturated at present it will only work very slowly. There is no surface water drainage in the footpath so unfortunately there is very little that can be done.
• The disabled parking space in Sand Street will be removed.

Additionally Mr Baldry of Milverton Community Speed Watch reported that operations were temporarily suspended whilst a new volunteer was found to help collate records so that letters could be sent to speeding motorists.

Councillors also discussed the likelihood of St Michaels churchyard becoming full and the need to find an alternative Burial Ground. The Chairman gave a clear explanation of the legalities and responsibilities surrounding this issue and will attend the next Parochial Parish Council meeting to discuss it further.

Councillors voted to approve the release of S106 funds for the refurbishment of the Recreation Ground play area and the changing facilities in the Cricket Pavilion. The Play Area refurbishment is a joint project between the Recreation Ground committee and the Parish Council. Councillor Mrs Hoyle is leading the fund-raising and grant applications.

Milverton Parish Council

26^th January 2014

PARISH COUNCIL MEETING 3^rd February 2014

7.30pm in the Victoria Rooms Fore Street

AGENDA

Questions from the Public.

Members of the public are welcome to attend and address the Parish Council to provide information and raise matters of concern.

1. Presentation about Community Defibrillators from the Somerset Ambulance Service
2. Apologies

Members will be expected to provide reasons for absence. Members are reminded that absence for 6 consecutive meetings without approval could lead to disqualification.

3. Declarations of Interest

The Code of Conduct requires that Members disclose interests of a

personal, prejudicial and pecuniary nature that may be pertinent to tonight's business. A prejudicial or pecuniary interest will require the member to leave the room during the discussion of the relevant item.

In cases of uncertainty members are recommended to consult the Clerk.

4. Minutes and Matters Arising from minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 6^th January have been circulated with the summons to this meeting. Members will be asked to consider them for accuracy and if satisfied pass a resolution of approval that they be signed by the Chairman as a true and accurate record.

5. Planning

There are no Planning Applications this month. The Clerk will provide a report about other general planning matters and suggest 1^st March 2014 for the next site visit.

6. Recreation Ground Play Area

Mrs Hoyle will report on progress with regard to quotes and fundraising. She will propose a resolution that the Parish Council leads this project in partnership with the Recreation Ground Committee and also one to allocate Parish Council funds.

7. S 106 Monies

I Childrens Play

The Parish Council and the Recreation Ground Committee are working on a joint project to refurbish and replace the Children's Play equipment at the Recreation Ground. TDBC has £10k available and Councillors are asked to formally commit to allocating that money to the Project.

II Outdoor Recreation

TDBC has received a request from the Cricket Club for £5k to upgrade the showers and changing facilities in its Pavilion at the Recreation Ground. Councillors are asked to consider this request.

8. Milverton Public Toilets

TDBC has set out an intention to close the toilets in Fore Street and at the Recreation Ground on 1^st April. Cllr Wren will set out what options there are to maintain them.

9. Grants

Councillors will be asked to approve grants for The Citizens Advice Bureau, Victim Support and The Samaritans

10. Creedwell

The Chairman will provide a verbal update.

11. Crime

Members will receive and comment on the monthly crime report.

12. Roads and Footpaths

a) Monthly Footpath Report

Mrs Lumby will report on the footpaths.

b) Monthly Road Report

The Clerk will report and members will raise other issues of concern.

13. Milverton Burial Ground

The Chairman will set out the way forward.

14. Milverton Website

Mrs Hoyle will report on progress towards a coordinated village website

15. Emergency Planning Committee

The Clerk will provide a brief report

16. Preston Bowyer Phone Box

The Clerk will provide an update on the Grant application.

17. Correspondence
18. Finance

The monthly report will request payments for Salaries and PAYE.

19. Matters to Report

Members are invited to report matters of interest and raise matters of concern for future consideration by the Council, including items from the following external bodies:

Twinning; Victoria Rooms; Milverton United Charities; SALC; Traffic Working Party; Youth Project; Milverton Trust; Milverton Action Group and 10 Parishes.