PARISH COUNCIL MEETING 4th July 2016

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.    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.

2. 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.   

3. Minutes and Matters Arising from minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 9th May, 10th May and 6th June have been circulated. 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.

The Actions from the last meeting will be considered unless elsewhere on the agenda.

4. Planning        

4.1 For Parish Council Comment

23/16/0016 Conversion of dwelling into 2no dwellings with erection of a single storey extension to th rear and erection of a detached triple garage with 1no apartment above at 26 Creedwell Orchard, Milverton

4.2 Other Planning Matters

The Clerk will propose a date for the next planning meeting.

5. Creedwell

   The Chairman will provide a report on the present situation.

6.Crime

Members will receive and comment on the monthly crime report.

7. Roads and Footpaths

7.1 Footpath Monthly Report

7.2 Roads Monthly Report

7.3 Speed Watch and SID Deployment

The Clerk will provide a brief report.

8. Public Toilets

The Vice Chairman will report on the current situation.

9. SALC membership

Councillors requested an opportunity to review continued membership.

10. Grant request: Victoria Rooms

The Victoria Rooms has requested a grant of £200 towards replacing the floor in the Main Hall

11. Clerk Salary Review

The Personnel Committee will report

12. Correspondence

13. Finance

13.1 Monthly Report

The monthly report will request payments for Grass Cutting, Gardening, Salaries, PAYE,

13.2 Audit 2015/16

Members will be asked to sign of the audit including the accounts and governance statement.

13.3 Clerk's Salary review

14. Matters to Report

Milverton Parish Council

Report of Meeting June 2016

The meeting on 6^th June opened with a question about speeding in Wood Street and what was being done about it. The Clerk replied that SCC had a new location for the Speed Indicator Device which would provide better data than at present.

Under planning Councillors supported the retrospective application to install a biomass boiler and flue at Houndsmoor Farm. They also supported the felling of a beech tree at Courtledge Sand Street.

The Clerk reported that the Planning Inspector had found that the Taunton Deane site allocation plan was sound and that a final round of consultations would take place until mid-July before it was finally signed off.

Two crimes were reported in the parish in May these were an assault in Preston Bowyer and criminal damage in Milverton.

Mrs Pine reported that several footpaths needed walking to keep the routes open as crops had begun to grow high. She also reported that the path across the Creedwell filed was heavily infested with nettles and she would request that SCC contact the landowner.

Councillors debated the saga of the public toilet handover. The Clerk confirmed that there had been no contact from the TDBC solicitors but despite that the surveyors were still implying that the toilets would close on 30^th June. Given that the Parish Council was willing to complete the transfer Councillors are becoming extremely frustrated at the continuing delays. Unless there is significant movement soon the Council will have no choice but to consider its position at the next meeting.

The Council spent nearly £800 in May on a grant for a new speed gun for the Speed Watch group, salaries and gardening.

The Clerk reported that the Audit for 2015/16 had been signed off by the Internal Auditor. Councillors debated the accounts, agreed that they were correct and voted unanimously to sign them off.

MILVERTON PARISH COUNCIL MEETING 6th June 2016

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.    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.

2. 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.   

3. Minutes and Matters Arising from minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 7th March have been circulated. 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.

The Actions from the last meeting will be considered unless elsewhere on the agenda.

4. Planning        

4.1 For Parish Council Comment

23/16/0008 Installation of a biomass boiler in an agricultural barn with a flue on the north elevation at Houndsmoor Farm, Houndsmoor Lane, Milverton (retention of works already undertaken)

4.2 SADMAP

The Clerk will provide a brief report

4.3 The Vicarage Coach House

4.4 Other Planning Matters

The Clerk will propose a date for the next planning meeting.

5. Creedwell

   The Chairman will provide a report on the present situation.

6.Crime

Members will receive and comment on the monthly crime report.

7. Roads and Footpaths

7.1 Footpath Monthly Report

7.2 Roads Monthly Report

7.3 Speed Watch and SID Deployment

The Clerk will provide a brief report.

8. Public Toilets

The Vice Chairman will report on the current situation.

9. SALC membership

Councillors requested an opportunity to review continued membership.

10. Correspondence

11. Finance

11.1 Monthly Report

The monthly report will request payments for Grass Cutting, Gardening, Salaries, PAYE,

11.2 Audit 2015/16

Members will be asked to sign of the audit including the accounts and governance statement.

11.3 Clerk's Salary review

12. Matters to Report

Report on Milverton Parish Council 9^th May 2016

Milverton Parish Council held its Annual Meeting on 9^th May in the Victoria Rooms. The first item on the agenda was the election of a new Chairman. The current Chairman, Dr Russell Jenkins stood down after four years and Dr Julie Richardson was elected in his place. Dr Jenkins was then nominated and elected to the Office of Vice Chairman.

Councillors asked for a progress report on the transfer of the toilets from TDBC. The Clerk reported that since agreeing the heads of Terms and passing on details of the Council's solicitor there had been no contact whatsoever. Given that TDBC was so keen to get rid of the toilets that it had imposed a 30^th June deadline for the transfer, there was widespread astonishment at the lack of progress. The Clerk reported that Wiveliscombe was experiencing a similar issue and reported that the Town Council had set up a meeting on 18^th May to which both Wellington and Milverton had been invited. It was agreed that the responsibility for the toilets should fall to the Amenity Committee and members will attend this meeting. Councillor Wren was asked to chase TDBC to see what was happening.

Under planning Councillors approved an extension to the Old Police House in Butts Way and supported an application for a large Corn and feed Store at Farthings Farm.

The Crime Report for April showed an unwelcome upward trend with several shed break-ins, criminal damage, domestic assaults and the discovery of a cannabis factory.

Mr Baldry of the Speed Watch group attended the meeting to request financial assistance with purchasing a smaller and more compact 'speed gun'. This will increase the capability of the Group and allow detection of speeds in two directions. The Council was pleased to offer a grant £160 towards the purchase cost.

On the issue of roads the Clerk reported a request that SCC had received for deer warning signs on the B3187 road to Wellington. SCC wanted to know if deer were regarded as a hazard on this road in order to gather evidence to support the sighting of signs. Councillors had no information except that deer had not been raised as a road safety issue before. They were also sceptical that, unless there was a known crossing point, signs were unlikely to be that effective at night when any risk would be greatest and of course they would not deter deer from crossing. The Parish Council will however seek information about deer collisions and 'near misses' and feed them back to SCC.

Councillors discussed the Annual Parish meeting which had been well attended. Councillor Wren however, reflected that events like this and indeed many other village events seemed to have depended on the same people for many years and that there seemed to be a lack of new people coming forward. Councillors agreed that this was an issue and there was a lively discussion about the reasons and actually whether anything could be done about it. Councillor Wren proposed that the Council could perhaps organise a 'summit meeting' of all the village organisations to see if lack of new people coming forward was a common issue and, if so. perhaps agree a parish wide initiative to seek more support. Councillors thought that this was a good idea although there was some scepticism as to whether it would make any difference.

The Clerk confirmed that the Council had engaged a new gardener to look after the Jubilee Gardens. Lucy Reynolds Gardening was appointed following a tender exercise in March.

The Council spent £1100 in April on salaries, PAYE, gardening, emptying dog bins, and subscriptions.

CREEDWELL LATEST

The application 23/16/0009 was withdrawn on 11th May 2016.