MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
HELD ON 13 SEPTEMBER 2007 AT THE FIRE STATION, OAKFIELD ROAD.
PRESENT: Council Members
Mr. J. O’Sullivan (Chairman) Mr. S. Becker
Mr. G. Breeze Mrs. J. Chaloner
Mrs. P. Connon Mrs. V. Goodall
Mr. B. Lambert Mr. R. Lowe
Mrs. S. Main
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Mr. J. Gunning, Mr. C. Munday and District Councillor Peter Clementson
IN ATTENDANCE: PCSO Ann Bromley and Community Warden Declan Moody.
07.126 Declarations of Interest None.
07.127 Minutes of the last meeting Proposed by Cllr. Becker, seconded by Cllr. Chaloner the minutes of the meeting held on 23 July were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
07.128 Matters Arising from meetings on 12 and 23 July. The Clerk advised that details of a 20mph speed restriction at the school entrance were in circulation. The Council asked the Clerk to enquire whether this covered the Church Road access as this was an equally important entrance to protect.
07.129 Public Questions None.
07.130 There were no reports from District or County Councillors.
07.131 Finance
07.131.1 The Council received a statement of the current financial position from the Clerk.
07.131.2 The Chairman had agreed and signed the bank reconciliation prior to the meeting.
07.131.3 The Clerk circulated a list of previously agreed payments (paid in August 2007) totalling £2620.57 (minute 07.121.2) as follows:
Payee Item Cheque No Amount
Doug Goodman Parish Maintenance - July 2007 000256 660.00
J. Griffith Clerk Salary - July2007 000257 1045.55
Union Transport Group plc Dog bin bags 000258 200.93
CDC Dog Warden June and Jul 07 000259 72.00
Staples Stationery 000260 51.93
BT Office phone 000261 126.30
BT Broadband 000261 77.51
E. Witt. PCC Churchyard water 000262 45.75
Stearns Handyman supplies 000263 268.14
Konica Minolta Photocopier rental 000264 40.61
Sidlesham Basket Nursery Bedding plants 000265 20.09
Konica Minolta Photocopies 000266 11.76
07.131.4 On a proposal from Cllr. Main, seconded by Cllr. Breeze the following accounts totalling £6648.74 were approved for payment at this meeting.
Payee Item Cheque No Amount
Doug Goodman Parish Maintenance - August 2007 000267 720.00
Doug Goodman Football pavilion renovations - labour 000267 370.00
J. Griffith Clerk Salary - August 2007 000268 1045.54
J. Griffith Clks exps - see attached 000268 102.90
HM Revenue & Customs only Tax & NIC 2nd Qtr 000269 1138.62
CDC Brack. Pk ground maintenance
£879.58 x Jn/Jly/Aug 000270 2638.74
Oak Properties Office electricity 000271 35.84
Access by Design Website construction 50% deposit 000272 467.06
Southern Water Football pavilion 000273 24.78
Southern Electric Football pavilion 000274 15.23
Stearns Handyman supplies + planter 000275 90.03
07.131.5 The Clerk was asked to find out if there were any cheaper suppliers of dog bin bags.
07.131.6 The Council agreed with the Chairman that SALC be chased up regarding the Clerks salary increase as they have not yet provided the Council with the usual recommendations for implementation on 1 April 2007.
One member of the public arrived.
07.131.6 Members Allowances
The Council unanimously agreed to adopt the following amended allowances.
Travelling
(i) Travel to seminars/conferences and Cost of standard class rail fare;
training courses own car only in exceptional
circumstances at 32p per mile.
(ii) Travel to meetings and other events by up to 999cc. - 40.5p per mile
own car (up to max of 8,500 miles 1000-1199cc - 44.2p per mile
per annum) 1200-1450cc - 55.8p per mile
(iii) Car parking - at cost
Travel by train - standard class rail fare
Taxi - if urgent and necessary - at cost
Bus - at cost
Motorcycle - 24p per mile
Cycles - 20p per mile
Subsistence
(i) Breakfast £6.23 (where travel starts before 7am and absence is
less than 24 hours)
(ii) Lunch £8.60 (for necessary absences of several hours spanning
the normal lunch period leaving home/office before 11am and returning after 3pm)
(iii) Tea £3.40 (if unable to return to home/office by 6.30pm)
(iv) Evening Meal £10.65 (if unable to return to home/office by 8.30pm)
(v) Out of Pocket £4.81 per night
Expenses for
residential courses
Further Conditions
(i) To claim travel and/or subsistence allowance valid receipts of other evidence
of the expenditure must be produced.
(ii) If the expenditure on subsistence is less than the allowance, only the lesser
figure will be reimbursed. No claim will be paid if the meal was provided free by the Council or another body.
(iii) Allowances for tea and evening meal cannot be claimed for the same day.
(iv) If an overnight stay is necessary, and not included in the course fee, normally
only bed and breakfast and evening meal are reimbursed.
The above rates for Travelling and Subsistence shall be varied in accordance with the
rates approved from time to time by Chichester District Council for its staff.
07.131.7 Noticeboard Insurance Claim The Clerk advised the Council that the noticeboard outside Footworks in E. Wittering village centre has been vandalised and the insurance company has been notified. The Clerk advised the Council that there is a £500 excess on the claim and that the cost of replacement will involve the additional payment of WSCC’s contractors to install the posts in the footway. Cllr. Lambert enquired whether the policy was a ‘new for old’ policy and Cllr. Becker offered to look at the policy to confirm the details.
07.132 Policing
07.132.1 The Clerk read out notification from Insp. Bartlett of the proposed reorganization of the coverage of this area and that the Parishes would be informed of the details once the final decision had been made. The Council were very concerned that they would be informed after the event and requested that the Clerk arrange a meeting for Parish Councils on the Manhood Peninsula to be informed by the Police of any changes before they happen.
07.132.2 Mr. Declan Moody, Community Warden, gave a brief talk to the Council on his role as Community Warden funded by Chichester District Council. He encouraged parishioners to contact him with any community problems they may have and provided his telephone number for circulation to the public: 07825 681547. The Council agreed to his request to provide updates to the Council every few months.
07.133 Risk Assessments The Clerk explained the importance of up to date risk assessments and the need for an annual playground inspection. Proposed by Cllr. Breeze, seconded by Cllr. Connon the Council unanimously agreed that the Clerk be given the power to arrange the necessary assessments/inspections to be carried out as soon as possible.
07.134 Church of the Assumption - closed churchyard. Cllr. Main reported to the Council that, together with the Clerk, they had met with the Probation Service with a view to getting the churchyard tidied up. The Probation Service agreed that this was a project they would like to undertake and would be contacting the Clerk with some timings. The Clerk pointed out that the Parish Council had no legal responsibility for the churchyard and had made this arrangement on behalf of the Church. Although the maintenance of the churchyard had been passed to Chichester District Council it was understood that the work they do is limited to the grass cutting and boundary maintenance. Chichester District Council is not responsible for the safety of the area and are not the owners of the churchyard.
07.135 Website The Clerk asked the Council to provide up to 10 photographs on a CD if they have some of the Parish suitable for use on the website.
07.136 Football Pavilion The new licence has been signed. Proposed by Cllr. Chaloner, seconded by Cllr. Main the Council agreed to write to the club and advise them that a monthly inspection will take place on the last Wednesday of every month.
07.137 Bracklesham Park
07.137.1 The Clerk advised that the planning application has been submitted to Chichester District Council and was out for public consultation. The Parish Council Planning Committee would be considering the application at their meeting at 7.30pm on Tuesday 18 September - notices would be placed on the noticeboards.
07.137.2 The Council agreed that the Clerk could assist by providing a Business Plan for the site in conjunction with the District Council for submission to the Big Lottery Fund.
07.137.3 Proposed by Cllr. Chaloner, seconded by Cllr. Breeze the Council agreed to provide emptying of one litter bin to be placed near the Beech Avenue entrance to the site.
07.138 Street Lights
07.138.1 Cllr. Breeze reported that when the inspection took place on Wednesday 12th September beginning at 20.45 three lights were found to be unlit: Peerley Road Column No 3; Garden Avenue Column No 2; Roundabout at junction of Shalbourne Crescent and Tide Way, a new column numbered 21. It has been out since September 2006 All of these new columns have now been numbered.
The Clerk advised that Kelsey Homes are responsible for all the lighting columns in Middleton Close and that she would report faults to them.
07.138.2 Footway Lighting Agreement Proposed by Cllr. Breeze, seconded by Cllr. Connon the Council agreed to the proposed new Footway Lighting Agreement presented by West Sussex County Council. The Clerk was asked to ensure this increase will be included when the budget is considered in January.
07.138.3 Proposed by Cllr. Lambert, seconded by Cllr. Lowe the Council agreed a budget of £300 for the removal of Col. 3 on the corner of Peerley Road/Legion Way.
07.138.4 Proposed by Cllr. Breeze, seconded by Cllr. Lowe the Council agreed to ask West Sussex County Council to monitor the condition of Col. 1 Coney Six and advise if and when it needs replacing.
07.139 Highways
07.139.1 Temporary Road Closure - Covers Cross Country Run - road closures between 10am-12 noon on Sunday 14 October 2007 . The Council received details of the proposed closures and had no objections but asked the Clerk to request that Marine Drive was kept clear of parked cars.
07.139.2 Cllr. Goodall reported to the Council that the double bend sign on the southbound carriageway in Church Road near Church Farm Lane is showing the bends going the wrong way. The Clerk was asked to report this to the County Council.
07.140 Mobile Phone Mast The Council received a letter proposing a T mobile phone mast/base station on the corner of Cakeham Road/Stocks Lane, adjacent to the Royal Oak. The Clerk advised that the Council’s policy letter objecting to any phone masts in the Parish had been sent.
07.141 Christmas Lights Working Party The CLWP advised that new collection jars were being distributed amongst the shops and businesses. The cost of installing the lights on the street columns has increased and the Clerk was asked to find out why there is such an increase. Because of this the Working Party is considering a long term plan to keep lights on the columns all year round. The Council was advised that the next fund raising event will be a Quiz Night, 7.30pm
29 September in the Village Hall, tickets £6 each to include supper are available from Calamity’s.
07.142 Youth Club The Council received a letter from Dean Miles, the Youth Worker in Charge, advising that the residential trip in August had to be cancelled but will be re-arranged as soon as possible, hopefully October half term. The Youth Worker also asked if there were any questions the Council would like the young members to consider. The Council provided the following questions:
How would they address the antisocial behaviour in the village?
How do you encourage people to take their litter home?
07.143 Fit for the Future - St Richard’s Campaign. The Council was sent an invite to a consultation on 26 August 2007 - Cllr. Lowe agreed to attend. The Chairman encouraged members to attend the next public meeting on 1 October and informed them of an organised public march in Chichester 10am on 6 October - details will be posted on the noticeboards.
07.144 Cllr. Breeze and Cllr. O’Sullivan agreed to look at the Gypsy and Traveller sites consultation document and submit any comments to the Clerk.
07.145 Parish Council Office. The Clerk reported that Mrs. Lucy Wright has started as the new volunteer assistant to the Clerk.
07.146 Annual Parish Meeting - Monday 29 October, East Pallant House 4pm onwards. The Clerk reported that this will include information sessions on planning in the afternoon. Cllr. Connon and Cllr. Lambert volunteered to attend.
07.147 Parish Council Meeting - October 2007. Proposed by Cllr. Main, seconded by Cllr. Chaloner the Council agreed that the October meeting date be postponed one week to Thursday 18 October.
