Geldeston Parish Council

 

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting

held on Wednesday 12th April 2006

At 8.00pm in the Village Hall

COUNCILLORS PRESENT:    P Cracknell (Chairman);        S Rolt;              D Witham;        A Norman

                                                  K Loffstadt

                                                 

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRESENT:              

                        District Councillor M Smith;               County Councillor A Burrell        

                                                  Canon W Bestelink (late arrival)        

Minutes taken by Colin Barrett

 

1.      Apologies for absence:    M Fenwick;     J Crowfoot;                  PC D Shulver

2.      Declarations of Interest:     None     

3.   Crime Report:   Since 1/02/06 there have been 7 crimes reported in Geldeston;  4 criminal damage;  2  frauds;  1 burglary  ( boat ).

4.   Minutes: parish council meeting of 15th March 2006


Acceptance proposed ;  SR                           Seconded:   AN              All agreed.

 

 

ACTION

5.         Matters Arising:

 

5.1.   Playground:    
PC reported that overgrown branches have now been cut back and removed, but that there is still a lot to be done.

 

 

 

 

5.2.   Sports Field:    After discussions with Mr Gascoyne it has been agreed to install a gate at the originally intended location. PC to confirm this position with MF.

 

 

PC

 

5.3.   Sluice Gate Fencing:    Nothing done as yet. The clerk to write to the Environment Agency to seek a timescale for this work.

 

CB

 

5.4.      Council Web Site      . PC mentioned the parish council conference at whish the district council offered to provide a free web site via UK Villages which can include links such as to the existing Geldeston.org site. SNC have a portal to all parishes and it seems sensible to make use of this free facility. PC & the clerk to research more details.

 

 

 PC/CB

 

5.5.      Notice Board            This has been discussed with Mr Bennett and Nigel Warner. The latter having agreed to assemble the board.   PC to enquire further as to the material costs.

 

 

PC

5.6.      Composting              PC has found a possible source for a weighing machine. AN mentioned that there seems to be some resolution required regarding the actual location. The planning application has been issued.

 

 

5.8        Local Development Framework          The request for available land had, apparently been over subscribed 10 times. There is now to be a period of consultation and formal propositions not likely before 2007. Even after this the proposals would be reviewed and the major development likely to be in Poringland and Wymondham.
A further point arising from the LDF (and discussed at the recent Parish Conference) is the need for land suiable for traveller sites. So far this has drawn a nil response but Councillor Smith warned that the ODPM were likely to enforce compulsory purchases if notsites were identified and put forward by parishes. She mentioned a suggestion that parishes might group together to resolve this difficulty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Correspondence

Sent:                                                                                                                             

South Norfolk Council - LDF additional sites response

 

 

 

 

Received requiring decision/Action
Aon – Combined insurance renewal request (See Finance)

Village Hall Management Committee – Hall hire invoice (See Finance)

NCAPTC – Subscription renewal request (See Finance)

Lower Waveney LDB – Drainage rates invoice (See Finance)

NRCC – Invitation to Parish Council chairmen – Garden Party at Mannington Hall 20th May 2006 (Passed to PC)

BESL – Public consultation re Barsham Marshes – Flood alleviation project

SNC/Defra – Clean Neighbourhood & Environment Act – Meeting suggestion

SNC – Geldeston Composting Site application and acknowledgement details

SNC – LDF Business Breakfast – 26th April at Long Stratton

SNC – Leisure Team information request (Completed and returned by the clerk)

Robin Ashe – Letter re use of a seal or by signatures – (Agreed to use signatures – Clerk to advise R Ashe)

 

For Information:

SNC – Gypsy & Traveller publications re Planning; Responsibilities & Powers

SNC – Norfolk Housing Forum – notification of next meeting 18th May

SNC – Revised environmental services charges from April 2006

SLCC – Suffolk Branch working lunch 26th April at Claydon Suffolk (No attendance)

Halcrow – 1st initial ideas for developing Lowestoft & Gt Yarmouth (Copies)

Rural Action East – Final grant payment for Parish Plan

Commission for Rural Communities – Survey Results re Crime & Disorder

NCC – Transnational Ecological Network (TEN) Project seminar 26-28 April, Thetford

 

7.   New Issues:  None this month

 

 

 

 

8.   Parish 10

8.1.     . Vehicle being driven across grass again at Kells Way. Clerk to write again to Saffron Housing.

8.2.   Councillor Burrell mentioned that he was amazed at the speed at which concern about LDF had got around villages and expressed a view that the District Council had failed to get a clear message across to alleviate fears about this issue. It appears that copies of “The Link”, which explained the reasoning behind LDF had not been adequately distributed. He also mentioned that John Housley has been promoted to a manager role. He also mentioned that only one of his parishes had seen the community policeman at its meeting since Christmas.

8.3.   Councillor Smith was asked if it was correct that she had written supporting the Newlands site planning application. She responded by admitting she had but had done so primarily on a procedural point and on a positive note regarding possible benefits for tourism; although she did not consult with the parish council before sending her letter.

8.4.   DW had been approached by the cricket team to see if the gate bar at the sports field could be made to swing. It was agreed this could be done and DW offered to carry out this work , which was agreed and that DW should charge council for any material costs.

8.5.   The Locks Inn have been receiving complaints from people at Barsham of too much noise from the public house and that because of this they are having to re-apply for their licence. It was proposed by KL; seconded by DW and agreed that when approached regarding issue of any new licence that the clerk respond in favour of the events held at Locks Inn and to mentioned that no noise complaint had been received from Geldeston residents.

 

 

CB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DW

 

9.     Committee Reports

Development  –

AN tabled the Action Plan and reviewed all required actions to indicate where progress had and had not been made. This to be a regular feature of meetings.
Snakes Lane/Sandy Lane application for footpath adoption had been added to the plan. It was suggested an amenity value be determine for each parcel of parish land. Colin Hart of the Broads Authority to be asked for advice. SR agreed to assist AN in this role.
It was proposed and agreed the clerk now order the previously planned second dog bin but to order one smaller than the first bin.

Speed test in Station Road awaited. The clerk to remind John Hounsley NCC.

Parish Plan – AN & JC have met and tweaked the plan and its text and contents are now nearly ready for printing, just some graphs still to be worked on. PC mentioned the overall concern regarding the delay in printing and distribution and that the group formed to complete this plan had not recently met.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CB

 

Finance: - The clerk left the meeting whilst his salary position was discussed. Members agreed to approve an upword move to point SCP20 from 1st April at the 2006 rate of pay.
Internal audit to be conducted on Thursday 20th April.

 

 

 

 

PC/CB

 

Emergency Planning –  To be covered at the AGM along with the BESL presentation. The clerk to invite Jim Bagley SNC, EA and Colin Hart BA to attend.

 

 

CB

 

Snakes Lane/Sandy Lane –  PC and the clerk to attempt to finalise this work on 20th April

 

 

PC/CB  

 

Village Hall – Nothing new to report regarding hall improvements. An events listing is to be produced.

 

 

10.  Finance
 Monthly account statement for April meeting tabled and discussed.
Proposed for acceptance by:      PC                     Seconded by:    KL              All agreed

Payments for approval: (See Finance Sheet)

All items proposed for acceptance by:      PC     Seconded by:    KL      All agreed

[10 pm - Canon Bestelink arrived at meeting]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.       Planning

Geldeston Parish Council application for a composting site and pallet bays

 

 

12.       Any other business  -   

The clerk requested to write to Gillingham Parish Council to invite them to hear the BESL presentation the Annual Parish Meeting. It was also thought that a multi parish council forum could be useful.
Canon Bestelink raised the issue of the War Memorial and lack of funds to have this renovated and maintained. AN offered to look into possible grants and the clerk drew council’s attention to its powers of adoption of war memorials. A possible donation towards the churchyard was raised and council will consider this at a future meeting.

 

 

 

 

Meetings:

Next meeting:               17th May (AGM)(Statutory) & Annual Parish Meeting 7.30 pm

 

 

Future meeting dates: 

14th June

19th July

No August meeting

13th September

18th October

15th November

No December meeting

 

 

The meeting ended at     10.15 pm

Geldeston Parish Council Income & Expenditure Statement April 2006