EAST WITTERING AND BRACKLESHAM PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
HELD ON 13 MARCH 2008 AT THE FIRE STATION, OAKFIELD ROAD.PRESENT: Council Members
Mr. J. O’Sullivan (Chairman) Mr. S. Becker
Mrs. V. Goodall Mr. J. Gunning
Mr. B. Lambert Mr. R. Lowe
Mrs. S. Main Mr. C. Munday
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Cllr. G. Breeze, Cllr. J. Chaloner, Cllr. P. Connon and County Councillor Daws Chew
IN ATTENDANCE: District Councillor Peter Clementson and Community Warden Declan Moody.
08.29 Declarations of Interest. None.
08.30 Minutes of the last meeting The Clerk advised that the minutes have been amended to show Cllr. Main in attendance instead of Cllr. Becker. Cllr. Lambert asked that his abstention to minute 08.21 be minuted and this was agreed by the Council. The minutes of the meeting held on 14 February were then confirmed by the Council as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
08.31 Matters Arising from the last meeting.
Cllr. Lambert raised his concern about the matter of the Dedication Stone discussed at the last meeting. Proposed by Cllr. Lambert, seconded by Cllr. Main the Council agreed to them attending the Records Office to attempt to obtain details of the ownership of the stone. The Clerk advised that the Royal British Legion had always been responsible for the maintenance of the stone.
08.32 Public Questions None.
08.33 Report from District and County Councillors. District Councillor Clementson reported that Council Tax bills were now distributed and pointed out that CDC’s proportion of the bill amounted to 9%.
He also advised the Council that the railway crossing in Chichester had come under discussion at a recent District Council meeting and it had been suggested that WSCC be lobbied to consider using the bus station area and Post Office areas to provide an underpass.
08.34 Finance
08.34.1 The Council received a statement of the current financial position from the Clerk.
08.34.2 The Chairman had agreed and signed the bank reconciliation prior to the meeting.
08.34.3 On a proposal from Cllr. Lambert, seconded by Cllr. Becker the following account totalling £240 was paid (cheque no. 000335) which was previously approved for payment (minute 08.20.04)
08.34.4 On a proposal from Cllr. Lambert, seconded by Cllr. Becker the following accounts totalling £8139.74 were approved for payment at this meeting.
Payee Item Cheque No Amount
Doug Goodman Parish Maintenance - Feb 08 000336 480.00
J. Griffith Clerk Salary - Feb 08 000337 1067.44
J. Griffith Clerk’s expenses 000337 130.98
HM Revenue & Customs Clerk’s tax and NIC - 3rd Quarter 000338 1183.77
L. Wright Clerk’s Assistant - Feb 08 000339 175.50
Access by Design Website Design 000340 467.06
Southern Electric Pavilion 000341 18.34
Stearns Handyman supplies 000342 12.43
Oak Properties Office electricity 000343 194.37
Staples Office supplies 000344 89.73
Chichester District Council Dog monitoring 000345 72.00
Konica Minolta Photocopier costs 000346 9.79
SALC Clerks’ course x 2 000347 70.50
WSCC Removal St. col. 3 Peerley Road 000348 266.99
CDC Bracklesham Pk ground maintenance 000349 879.58
CDC CCTV Annual Maintenance 000350 3000.00
Travis Perkins Handyman supplies 000351 21.26
08.35 Bracklesham Park
08.35.1 Proposed by Cllr. Lambert, seconded by Cllr. Becker the Council agreed to the Clerk investigating alternative maintenance contractors for the next year.
08.35.2 Cllr. Becker reported that CDC regarded the public toilets at the seafront adequate for the area and would not consider supplying public toilets at Bracklesham Park.
08.35.3 The Chairman explained that there were some sensitive legal and financial issues to discuss. Proposed by Cllr. Goodall, seconded by Cllr. Main the Council agreed to discuss these at the end of the meeting in closed session.
8.36 Highways.
Street Lights Report from Mr. Breeze.
Street Lights - Cllr. Breeze carried out the inspection on Monday 10 March and found four lights out, Column 9 in Church Road and Cols. 2, 4, and 5 in Peerley Road. The Clerk reported this to the contractors. The lights out in Middleton Close and the new development at Pebble Beach which are not adopted by West Sussex County Council have been reported
8.37 Environmental Issues
8.37.1 Marine Drive toilets - the Council received a request that they be open all year. The Council was unanimous in its decision to ask the Clerk to write requesting these toilets be available all year and informing CDC that the reason for closing them was vandalism and that this is currently not a problem.
8.37.2 Downview POS. The Clerk reported on the boundary clearance work agreed by the Working Group which will be completed by the Parish handyman.
8.37.3 Downview POS. The Council gratefully received an offer by Cllr. Goodall to fund the replacement of a couple of trees which had died.
8.37.4 Downview POS Football Pavilion. The Clerk was asked to arrange a meeting between representatives of the Working Group and the Sunday Football Club regarding the broken toilet in the pavilion.
08.38 Foreshore Improvements. The Clerk reported that no reply has been received from CDC regarding the Parish Council’s concerns over the seafront and its appeal to the tourists. The Clerk was asked to chase up the District Council for a reply. The Clerk also reported on two avenues of possible funding for improvements to the seafront, via County Councillor Brad Wilson at WSCC and the funding bid to SEERA by Espace. The Council agreed to the Cllr. Becker and the Clerk attending an internal Espace meeting to find out more. The Council also suggested contacting the Business Partnership for support on this matter.
08.39 Community Wardens The Chairman reported on his attendance at the Stakeholders meeting and the benefits that wardens have brought to Chichester city and Selsey. Cllr. Becker, Cllr. Munday and the Chairman accepted an offer to accompany our Warden on patrol during the Spring school holiday.
08.40. Homeshare The Council received this information and uinaimously agree that the Clerk distribute this to relevant organisations in the Parish.
08.41. Christmas Lights
The Council received details of the next fund raising event, a Quiz Night on Saturday 19 April in the Village Hall, posters will be on noticeboards. Councillors were given tickets to sell and money and any unsold tickets are to be brought to the next Council meeting on 19 April.
08.42. Twinning Cllr. Lowe briefly reported on the building relationship between the schools and another Petanique competiton to be held in the next couple of months - details will be on noticeboards.
08.43 Parish Council Office
08.43.1The Clerk advised the Council there was no requirement to agree a separate budget to update the office laptap as the stationery budget would accommodate the amount requirement.
08.43.2The Clerk was asked to investigate the procedures involved in changing the name of the Parish Council to Community Council.
08.44. Annual Parish Meeting - 24 April 2008 The Clerk reported that the Police will be attending to give a short talk on the policing arrangements in the Parish and the Council agreed to invite a local junior Amateur Dramatic group to entertain at the end of the meeting. The Clerk advised that methods of circulation of promotional leaflets will be circulated to all Councillors for their input ` and that this circulation will be carried out 1-2 weeks before the meeting.
Those Councillors providing written reports were reminded that they must be received by the Clerk as soon as possible to enable them to be compiled and printed.
08.45 There were no urgent matters that the Chairman wished to bring to the attention of the Council.
08.46 Proposed by Cllr. Goodall, seconded by Cllr. Main the Council agreed to close the meeting to the press and public due to the confidential and sensitive nature of the legal and financial business to be discussed. (Ref: Minute 08.35.3)
