EAST WITTERING AND BRACKLESHAM PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
HELD ON 13 DECEMBER 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. V. Goodall Mr. B. Lambert
Mr. R. Lowe Mrs. S. Main
Mr. C. Munday
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Mr. J. Gunning and Mrs. P. Connon.
IN ATTENDANCE: County Councillor Daws Chew, District Councillor Peter Clementson, PCSO Rose Bainbridge, PCSO Ann Bromley, Community Warden Declan Moody and one member of the public.
07.183 Declarations of Interest. None.
07.184 Minutes of the last meeting The minutes of the meeting held on 28 November were confirmed by the Council as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
07.185 Matters Arising from the last meeting. None
07.186 Public Questions A member of the Witterings Bowls Club wished to speak on item 12.3 regarding the Bowls Club lease.
07.187 Report from County Councillor Daws Chew Cllr. Daws Chew explained to the Council that West Sussex have the lowest grant aid from central Government which means that West Sussex County Council will have to produce a very tight budget in order to keep the Council Tax down and therefore it could affect some services.
07.188 Finance
07.188.1 The Council received a statement of the current financial position from the Clerk.
07.188.2 The Chairman had agreed and signed the bank reconciliation prior to the meeting.
07.188.3 On a proposal from Cllr. Breeze, seconded by Cllr. Chaloner the following accounts totalling £11,064.76 were approved for payment at this meeting.
Payee Item Cheque No Amount
Doug Goodman Parish Maintenance - Nov 2007
+ fertiliser 000299 489.98
Doug Goodman Christmas decoration installation 000299 100.00
J. Griffith Clerk Salary - Nov 2007
+ back pay to 1.4.07 000300 1221.15
J Griffith Expenses 000301 205.16
HM Revenue & Customs Clk Tax and NIC 3rd Qtr 000302 1258.64
Southern Water Downview POS 000303 37.90
Oak Properties Office electricity 000304 105.69
Portsmouth Water Downview POS 000305 17.91
RoSPA Parish Land Risk Assessments 000306 968.20
Staples Stationery & office chair 000307 104.42
Staples Stationery 000307 54.20
Stearns Handyman supplies 000308 25.53
Wittering PC Anti-virus renewal 000309 45.00
Konica Minolta Photocopier rental 000310 40.61
Southern Electric Football pavilion 000311 17.48
CDC Bracklesham Park Maintenance 000312 879.58
CDC Dog Warden Oct & Nov 000313 72.00
Parkers Electrical Christmas light installation 000314 5379.11
Sidlesham Basket Nursery Bedding plants 000315 42.20
07.188.4 Proposed by Mr. Breeze, seconded by Cllr. Main the Council agreed to set up a direct debit for the Konica photocopier rental.
07.188.5 Proposed by Mr. Breeze, seconded by Mrs. Main the Council agreed to a request from E. Wittering Village Hall to use £4472.58 from the fund to refurbish the stage.
07.188.6 The Council had no new items for consideration for inclusion in the budget at the January meeting.
07.189 Bracklesham Park
07.189.1 The Council were advised that the Big Lottery application had been submitted. The Clerk circulated the income and expenditure figures submitted to the Big Lottery. Cllr. Becker stated his disappointment that the Parish Council had not been given an original copy of the final submission to the Big Lottery and felt this showed a lack of professionalism.
07.189.2 The Council was advised that the BLF were to be asked if the installation of the play facilities can continue while waiting for a final decision from the Lottery.
07.189.3 The Parish Council representatives will now start work on initial clarification of the Heads of Terms for the lease. When more information is available on the legal aspects it will be brought to the Parish Council for further consideration.
07.189.4 Proposed by Cllr. Lambert, seconded by Cllr. Goodall the Council agreed that the representatives on the working group should raise the possibility of CDC providing public toilets at Bracklesham Park (1 abstention).
07.190 Highways
07.190.1 There was no street light report this month.
07.190.2 Manhood Parishes Road Safety Group meeting - the Council received a brief report from Cllr. Main who attended the meeting. The proposal to use a portable SID (Speed Indicator Device) to help reduce speeding motorists would incur a cost to Manhood Parish Council’s who would share the usage. The costs were not available yet but further information should be available after Cllr. Main attends the next meeting in January.
07.190.3 East Wittering Parking Review - the Parish Council unanimously supported the schemes under consideration but confirmed that they would not support moving the bus route to provide a one way route through the village for all buses. Cllr. Lambert requested that this item be brought back on the Agenda in the spring, the Clerk confirmed that as soon as more information is available it would be on the Agenda.
07.191 Christmas
Christmas Lights Working Party reported a successful ‘switch on’ on the 1st December and were pleased with the article and picture in the Chichester Observer. Thanks were given to the Working Party, in particular Cllr. Chaloner and Mrs. Breeze for their hard work organising the refreshments at the Village Fayre. Thanks were also given to the Fire Service for providing Father Christmas’s mode of transport, which provided entertainment for young and old. Parish handyman, Doug Goodman, was also thanked for his work in installing the tree at the Medical Centre and grateful thanks was also given to Phil Keats of Trident Steel who provided a purpose made structure to secure the tree free of charge.
07.192 Rememberance Service, 11 November 2007. Cllr. Lambert reported the disappointment of those Parishioners who turned up at the war memorial at 11am on Sunday 11 November to find there was no remembrance service to be held there, in particular when the 11th fell on a Sunday. There had been little publicity to tell the Parishioners that the service was to be held at 11am on Saturday 10th so some 60-70 people arrived at the Memorial on the Sunday to find that they had missed the service. Proposed by Cllr Lambert, seconded by Cllr Chaloner the Council agreed that, due to the deep concern and disappointment of residents on Remembrance Sunday, it was agreed to write to the Royal British Legion and Father Steve at St Anne’s Church, East Wittering to request that serious consideration be given to holding a service at the East Wittering War Memorial Stone on every Memorial Sunday, at 11am each year in future.
07.193Parish Land and associated buildings
07.193.1 The Council received a report from RoSPA on Risk Assessments on public Parish lands. Proposed by Cllr. Goodall, seconded by Cllr. Breeze the Council agreed that the Clerk arrange for work to be done to reduce all risks to ‘low’ where possible.
07.193.2 The Council received a report on the Football Pavilion advising that the floor had not been swept after use and more importantly that the toilet pan was broken. Proposed by Cllr. Lambert, seconded by Cllr. Becker the Council agreed for the Clerk to arrange for it to be replaced in accordance with the licence agreement.
07.193.3 The Council received a request from the Witterings and District Bowls Club to renew their current lease for a further term of 15 years. After lengthy discussion, including discussion with Mr. Derek Leach of the Bowls Club, on a proposal by Cllr. Becker, seconded by Cllr. Breeze the Council agreed to renew the lease for a further 15 years with the addition that the Bowls Club supply a noticeboard outside the club with information regarding the club and its activities. The Clerk was asked to ask Hedley Solicitors for an economical way of renewing the lease as the legal costs will be found by the Bowls Club and it may be possible to extend the lease by a Deed of Variation.
07.194 Proposed by Cllr. Breeze, seconded by Cllr. Chaloner the Council received a request to support next year’s Tourist Guide provided by Selsey Publishing by submitting copy and Parish Council logo.
07.195 Quality Council Scheme Proposed by Cllr. Lowe, seconded by Cllr. Breeze the Council agreed the responses to the questionnaire regarding the proposed changes to the scheme.
07.196 Parish Council Meeting - January. 2007
A reminder that January’s Parish Council meeting will be on Thursday 17 January.
