DRAFT

MINUTES

LEIGH ON MENDIP PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

held on 18^th February 2008

at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall

Councillors Present Chris Cudmore – Chairman (CC), Rose Martin (RM), Frank Higgins (FH), Ty Schlechter (TS), Alf Smith (AS), Vicki Taylor (VT). Clerk – Sandrine Vaillant (SV). The meeting was attended by 32 parishioners (representatives of Rec Field Committee); Philip Ham (PH) and Clare Fleeming (CF), District Councillors.
		Action
1.0	Apologies
1.1	Apologies were received from Gloria Caywood and Rose Martin.
1.2	Late apologies were received from TS.
2.0	Minutes of the last meeting & matters arising
2.1	The minutes of the meeting held on 21^st January 2007 were accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
2.3	(2.5) Dog Fouling – Posters displayed on stiles throughout the village. Action finished.
2.4	(2.9) East Mendip Partnership (grant to purchase spring bulbs) – PC was notified of meeting to be held at Nunney Village Hall on 26^th February 2008 to discuss funding opportunities. VTH to attend.	VTH
2.5	(2.11) Village welcome pack – See 8.2.
2.6	(2.12) New PCSO – details displayed and letter issued. Action finished.
2.7	(4.1) Parish Lengthman Scheme – GC to update.
2.8	(5.6) Age Concern – Information on activities/services displayed on Rec Field notice board.
2.9	(7.4) Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment – Details of contact at MDC to be obtained to facilitate follow up of future developments.	SV
2.10	(8.0) Grants to Restore Mendip’s Landscape – To be advertised on notice boards and email to be sent to various parties/groups in the village to whom information would be relevant.	SV
2.11	(13.3) Precept – £5,840 was requested. Action complete.
2.12	(15.4) Rec Field request for snow drops – See 2.4 above.
2.13	(15.7) Quarry – PC representatives to meet with Tarmac on 21st8^th February 2008.
3.0	Recreation Field Committee (RFC)
3.1	Block paving – Letter confirming PC’s support and cheque #527 for £125.00 grant were agreed, signed and issued.
3.2	Recycling – Representative explained the current situation regarding funding and set up of the project. PC’s support to start up scheme was sought and granted. Cheque #528 for £375 was agreed, signed and issued.
	TS joins meeting.
3.3	District Councillors updated on the DC’s effort to roll out plastic and cardboard recycling.
3.4	Community Centre – Illustrations of proposed development and brief report were given. Sought PC’s support agreed to submit planning application on their behalf, (aimed to have plans available before 17^th March 2008).
3.5	District Councillor offered for RFC to informally submit plans to planning officers before official application is made, to gather their opinion. Offer was gratefully accepted.
3.6	Chairman encouraged comments from councillors on the scheme and gave PC’s agreement in principle.
	RFC representatives leave meeting.
4.0	District Councillors’ Reports
4.1	Road outside Whitehole farm – District Councillor brought to the PC’s attention that water was spilling out on the road. PC to alert Highways Department and request gritsalt bags are delivered in case of freezing weather.	FH
3.2	Whitehole Farm Water Bottling – Confirmation that Planning Application for change of condition had been withdrawn.
3.3	Post Offices – DC brought to PC’s attention that consultation period on proposed closures would be starting on 22^nd February, lasting 6 weeks, and that PO at Stoke St Michael might be closed. Information to be posted on website to inform parishioners. To be reviewed at March meeting.	CC
3.4	Discussion ensued regarding possibility of mobile POs but DC are not aware that such schemes would be implemented. DCs were requested to investigate.	PH/CF
3.5	DCs confirmed that Planning Permission was not needed for additional resurfacing of Rec Field car park. Written confirmation to be obtained if possible.	PH/CF
4.0	PCSO’s report
4.1	PCSO Peter Williams was not able to attend the meeting.
5.0	Finance
5.1	Financial statements – Statement for 21^st January – 17^th February 2008 was agreed and signed.
5.2	B. Loten (invoice 3/02/08) – Cheque #80 agreed and signed for pruning of hedge in cemetery.
5.3	MDC (invoice 3003622) – Election costs. Following DC’s advice and motion passed, it was unanimously agreed not to delay payment of the invoice and to request MDC to provide further explanation.	CC
5.4	SALC (invoice February 2008) – Clerk training course ‘Freedom of Information and Document Retention’, as agreed at January meeting (item 15.6). Cheque #526 agreed and signed.
5.5	Assets and risk audits – Chairman asked for these exercises to be undertaken in advance of Financial year audit.	TS/SV
6.0	Cemetery
6.1	Review of cemetery fees – Proposed table of fees was accepted and adopted. Clerk to issue.	SV
6.2	Mowing & pruning contracts – FH declared an interest. Two tenders were received. Following motion, it was agreed to award mowing contract to D. Jarvis and hedge pruning contract to R. Cambourne.
7.0	Planning update
7.1	Planning application 071386/002 Highlands Tadhill (erection of two storey side extension) was accepted..
7.2	Application 120246/000 Rookery Farmhouse, Lime Kiln Lane – Motion passed. It was unanimously agreed to support Tarmac’s application to restore the roof of the building.
8.0	Parish Plan Action Review
8.1	Welcome Pack – Items to be included and ideas for format were discussed. Draft to be obtained for presentation and possible adoption.	VTH
10.0	Village Design Statement
10.1	No proposals for change were received following consultation period. It was agreed to adopt current Village Design Statement.
	FH leaves meeting.
11.0	Councillors’ Reports
	PCSO – Police liaison mMeeting postponed. Report next month.
	Footpaths – Nothing to report.
	Highways – Patching in the road. It was agreed to review at May meeting as road resurfacing exercise by MDC is expected to start in the next couple of months.
	Speed gun – Possibility of borrowing speed gun from Holcombe to be investigated through John Gardner.	TS
	Recreation Field – RM not present. Nothing further to report.
	Memorial Hall – Building work to start beginning of July, lasting 6-8 weeks. Aggregate Levy fund to be announced in April but DC advised that it would be unlikely to beit was declined.
	Events: Quiz night: 12^th April, 7.30. Mouseice Racing: 10^th May.
	Next meeting 3^rd March.
	CAP – Barn Dance. Mells Barn on 8^th March 2008. £10 per ticket to raise money for CAP.
	School – Nothing to report. VTH did not attend last governors meeting. But asked for thesome assistance regarding link to the school website to be re-established from the Village website.	CC
	SALC – the March meetings have been cancelled.
16.0	Meeting Attended / To be attended
16.1	East Mendip Community Partnership (5^th February 2008) – VTH reported. Typed notes included in correspondence file.
16.2	Clerk and new councillors – Action continues to share the learning points from the tTraining received in Oct 2007needs to be ascertained	RM/MR/SV
16.3	Visit to Police Headquarters (Friday 22^nd February 2008) – CC, AS, RM & SV to attend. Times for organised transport to be investigated.	SV
16.4	Freedom of Information Act; Clerk’s Training (27 February 2008) – SV to attend.
16.5	VTH to attend regeneration meeting in Nunney on 26^th February 2008.
16.6	Parish Forum - (Ask CC for report of meeting he attended last Monday.) AS found meeting very positive and interesting. MDC explained the process for awarding/monitoring contracts and accepted a suggestion to involve Parish Councils in the evaluation of service performance for those contracts which affect the parish directly (e.g. street cleaning, refuse collection). The next Parish Forum is on 14^th April. In addition to Highways, CC had requested that PC training and Affordable Housing/S106 is considered for the agenda.
17.0	Correspondence
17.1	Vision for Frome (V4F) – Replies on how Frome is used as a town to be coordinated.	VTH
17.2	Affordable Housing - DCs to obtain copy of S106 Agreement for housing development built last year. Copy of Stoke St Michael standard S106 Agreement was tabled.	CF
17.3	· Postwatch; Post office closure programme, Bristol & Somerset Area. · Mendip PCSO Steering Group Meeting 19.02.08. · Plan of proposed extension to Rec Field building. · CAP Report on Recycling by a community. · MDC Calendar of public meetings. · Stoke St Michael Section 106 Agreement. · Mendip Flood Risk Assessment – thank you email. · Energy Assessor Volunteer. · Somerset Heritage Event. · Letter from Chief Superintendent Nikki Watson. · LRFMC CAP access funding letter. · SALC minutes of East Area meeting 03.12.07. · SCC Local Access forum newsletter 06-07. · SALC newsletter January/February & February 2. · Parishes information bulletin, February 08. · The Playing Field, Winter 2007-08. · Audit Commission – Appointment of external auditor. · Age Concern – Thank you letter. · Mendip Area Working Panel. Summary of outcomes.
18.0	Date & time of next meeting
18.1	The next meeting will be held on 17^th March 2008, at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall.
18.2	TS presented his apologies as he will not be able to attend next meeting.

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