Geldeston Parish Council

 

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting

held on Wednesday 21st February 2007

At 8.00pm in the Village Hall

COUNCILLORS PRESENT:    P Cracknell;     S Rolt;          M Fenwick;    D Witham;       A Norman;

                                                  J Crowfoot;

                                                 

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRESENT:       Canon W Bestelink;    Mr J & Miss Tuttle;

Councillor A Burrell;                       Mr T Scorer;                                  Mr R Whittwell                         

                                                                                         Minutes taken by Colin Barrett

1.      Apologies for absence:    K Loffstadt

2.      Declarations of Interest:             J Rolt  re invoice for digger hire (see Finance)

3.   Crime Report:       No police presence. The clerk reported that, although there had been various crimes reported in neighbouring parishes there had not been any made known within Geldeston.

4.   Minutes:

Parish Council meeting minutes of 17th January 2007
 

Acceptance proposed by;    MF                    Seconded by:    DW        All agreed.         

 

ACTION

5.         Action Plan Progress
            Target 1: The Environment; wildlife & footpaths

 

5.1.   Land Management    MF is pursuing this matter and will respond to the recent e-mail sent to the clerk on this.

5.2.   War Memorial.  Nothing to report

5.3.   Composting.  Very little activity this month; expected to become busier from about Easter time. MF had not received the query from NCC due to a change of e-mail address. The clerk to re-send to the new address.

 

MF

 

 

5.4.    Snakes Lane    The clerk had completed all the tasks required from the parish council and it is now for NCC to consult with other authorities before concluding on the matter.

 

 

 

5.5.    Footpath Group   Nothing to report this month

 

 

Target 2: The Memorial Hall

 

5.6.       Nothing to report this month

Target 3: Road Maintenance and Cleanliness

5.7.     Playground repairs    
Mr Tuttle had offered to take responsibility for inspection, routine maintenance and major repairs to the playground equipment and grounds. He was asked to inform the meeting of the risk assessment he had carried out and to outline his proposals; which he did. Photographs were produced illustrating the damage, much of it due to recent vandalism. It was agreed that a special account for materials would need to be opened at a local suppliers and it was proposed that Mr Tuttle would need to be given authority to draw materials against that account to an agreed limit and for approved expenditure. It was also proposed that the playground be sealed off with warning tape and a notice to that effect be put up until the playground can be assessed as safe to use. DW agreed to obtain the tape and PC to obtain a suitable notice.
Proposed by AN that the clerk open the account, that an account limit of £200.00 be agreed, that the playground be sealed off and a notice be erected; seconded by PC and agreed. Mr Tuttle to bill for labour on a regular basis and to record findings and improvements on a regular basis. The clerk to e-mail a copy of the existing inspection report form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.8.   Road improvements      None aware of this month

 

Target 4: Road Safety

5.9        Speed limits.     PC confirmed that NCC had finally agreed to the reduced speed limit along Station Road, with an implementation date of 7th March 2007. He had discussed road signage with Ms Sadd of NCC and informed council that the parish would need to pay for any specialised “Welcome to Geldeston” style sign at an estimated cost of £300. After discussion it was agreed to leave consideration of such a sign until the speed limit had been extended and the normal speed signing is in place. PC agreed to discuss further with Ms Sadd the type and extend of signage to be provided.
The clerk had also written to the police to determine what speed checks had been conducted of late within the village and to request additional checks to coincide with the new extended Station Road speed limit.
 

5.10    Road signs.   The clerk had written to NCC and spoken with Mr Edwards to determine when the Station Road pedestrian refuges and the Yarmouth Road pedestrian signage would be done and had received confirmation that it had been placed on the next schedule of work to be done, hopefully within the next 3 weeks.


Target 5: Plan Documents

5.11    Flood Management.    BESL had confirmed that improvements to the Barsham river wall would have some impact on the Geldeston side. The papers were tabled (some councillors had their own copies) and it was agreed that, although it is better that as many people as possible send in their own comments. it was important for the parish council so send in a composite return. All councillors to send their comments to the clerk who is to compile a council response. PC to assist the clerk with this compilation. The BESL consultation document identifies that the work will mean soil being brought in necessitating nearly 400 x 20 ton lorry deliveries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All/CB  

5.12    Emergency Plan:        DW mentioned that he had started work on this and would report progress to the next council meeting.

 

 

DW

 

6. Correspondence

                                                                                                     

  Correspondence received and sent was read out. 

Received:

Sent to:

Details

 

Journals & NCAPTC

Parish Clerk advert details

 

Clerk post Applicants

Details and forms

 

Audit Commission

Significant differences information

 

NCC Mr Edwards

NCC Ms Brooks

Confirmation of work to be done

 

Re submission of Snakes Lane application and additional details

 

SNC

Newlands Planning application comments

 

Mr Jenkins

Mr Burrows

Parish clerk post regrets letter

 

Parish clerk post regrets letter

 

SNC Mr Evans

Re playground grass cutting schedule

 

Received from:

Details:

Agreed Action:

NCC

Re composting site: Report & request for information

Sent to M Fenwick to action

 

Re local government review unitary status deadline extension

No response as none raised from previous request

 

Highway Matters – response to the latest request

Work now scheduled

SNC

 

 

 

 

South Norfolk Alliance

Green Sheet No 42: including articles on recycling & composting

 

Notice of Parish & Town Council Conference -22 June 2007 @ SNC

Attendance?

Benefits entitlement poster

For display

 

Community Development brochure

Copy for each Councillor + extra copies

 

Police

Newlands Planning Application

Sent round for comments & response back to SNC

Alliance Board representative ballot – deadline 2 March 2007

Offer to complete?

South Norfolk Area Forum notice & Agenda: 6 April 2007 @ 7.30 pm

Attendance?

Mobile police station schedule April – September

 

Custody visiting in Norfolk Annual Report

 

Halcrow/WDC

BESL

Waveney Local Development Framework - consultation

 

Dockeney Wall Alleviation proposal – 14 Feb 2007 deadline & reminder

ESSENTIAL TO RESPOND by 6 March 07

 

Stakeholder Forum Invitation 3rd April 2007

Response required

Postwatch

Request for contact details

Clerk details supplied

Audit Commission

Notification of appointment of auditor

 

 

Request for additional information of 2005-6 significant differences

Supplied by the clerk

Go-East

Proposed changes to East of England Plan (Have to comment on-line)

Not able to raise documents on the stated we site.

Communities.gov.uk

Revised model Code of Conduct for Local Authority members.

For review by Council against existing code

NALC

Review of the Quality Town and Parish Council Scheme (Accreditation advice)

 

Brian Norman

Village Hall development progress

To note

Joint NCC/SNC

Advice on Avian Influenza

 

NRCC

Membership renewal and road show & meetings details

Renewal as Associate (non-voting) member @ £15

 

 

 

 7.    New Issues:

7.1.   Parish Clerk    PC mentioned that there had been five applications, from which three had been chosen for interview. Interviews were scheduled for Wednesday 28th February. The clerk to inform applicants of their respective interview times and to send a copy of the schedule to PC.
PC thanked all those who had assisted with the shortlisting.

 

 

 

 

 

CB

 

 

8.         Parish 10

8.1.   W Bestelink referred to para 8.1 of the January minutes and mentioned that the group he was working with was to produce an emergency plan and not one associated with the playgroup.A Burrell referred to the Government’s White Paper on “Strong and Prosperous Communities” and that this could have wide ranging implications for governance of local government bodies including parish councils. He strongly recommended that parish councils nominated one of its councillors to act as a lead coordinator and to attend meetings on this topic.

8.2.   R Whitwell is concerned about the removal of willow trees on his part of the Dockeney (Flood) Wall work and then the wall to be retained only as a grassed area. It was felt that there should be an opportunity for trees to be planted on land inwards from the flood wall on residents own land if a barrier was desired, but that trees growing on the bank had been by natural seeding and not a deliberate policy. There were varying views on whether trees should be present on a flood plain and it was accepted that many riverbank and other trees would be lost as a result of the work. It was also felt that widening of the banks/walls would result in some loss of amenity and use of land.

8.3.   A Scorer raised concerns about the poor road condition of Station Road/Geldeston Road from Geldeston boundary to the junction of Braces Lane, Ellingham. It was explained that this section of road is within Ellingham and thus for Kirby Cane/Ellingham parish council to resolve. The clerk stated that he would be writing to Kirby Cane/Ellingham PC to advise them of the new Station Road speed limit and would pass on Mr Scorer’s concerns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CB

9.        Committee Reports

9.1.            There had not been any committee meetings this month
 .

 

 

 

 

 10                   Finance
Monthly account statement for January tabled and discussed.

Payments for approval: (See Finance Sheet)

S Driver (approved in January meeting)
J Rolt (digger hire for compost area work)
NRCC membership renewal
Clerk expenses

Proposed for acceptance by  JC                      Seconded by :  MF     All agreed

 

 

 11              Planning

           Newlands Caravan Park – Waterside Lodges etc.
JC mentioned that all planning details are now available on the SNC web site. He also mentioned that he had been in touch with Sir Philip Dowson who will be sending his comments in on this application. It was agreed that JC will send a copy of the parish plan to all consultees. It was felt that individual responses would probably have more impact.

 

 

12.             Any other business –

           It had been reported that eggs had been thrown at people along Station Road and it was thought that this was by someone coming from the direction of the Locks Inn.

 

Future meeting dates for 2007 are:

 

14th March

18th April

May date to be determined to meet the 2007 election criteria

Following dates to be determined by the newly elected council

 

 

 

 

Meetings:

Next meeting:   14th March 2007 @ 8 pm.

 

 

 

 

The meeting ended at     10.15 pm

 

Geldeston Parish Council Income & Expenditure Statement February 2007