DRAFT

MINUTES

LEIGH ON MENDIP PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

held on 15^th September 2008

at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall

Councillors Present Chris Cudmore – Chairman (CC), Rose Martin (RM), Marsha Read (MR), Ty Schlechter (TS), Alf Smith (AS), Vicki Taylor (VT). Clerk – Sandrine Vaillant (SV). The meeting was attended by Mr M Hillier (Electoral Services Manager, Capita for MDC) and Claire Fleming (District Councillor).
		Action
1.0	Apologies
1.1	Late apologies were received from Ty Schlechter. Apologies were received from Frank Higgins (FH) and Gloria Cawood (GC).
2.0	Minutes of the last meeting & matters arising
	It was proposed to bring Item 3 ‘Discussion with Matthew Hillier’ forward and this was discussed following agreement of the minutes from the last meeting.
2.1	The minutes of the meeting held on 21^st July 2008 were accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
2.2	(2.6) Grants Application Form – FH to draft and present.	FH
2.3	(2.7) VAT for lawnmower purchased for Rec Field – SV to chase up.	SV
2.4	(2.8) Bell Inn Monthly Meetings with PC – No meeting was held in September. FH to speak to owner. It was advised that the current Landlords would be leaving at the end of November. Clerk to contact Wadworth to enquire what the plans are for the pub and whether the PC can provide any support.	FH/SV
2.5	(2.9) Footpath from school to Barnclose Quarry – FH to pursue. It is believed that Highways have cleared and cut back growth on the footpath. Responsibility for clearing footpaths to be ascertained (highways or footpaths?)	FH
2.6	(2.11) Grant to Memorial Hall - Action complete.
2.7	(2.12) Easement for the 4 houses in front of Rec Field car park (retention of right of way) – Draft letters passed to Chairman.	CC/SV
2.8	(2.16) Trench on footpath at Barnclose quarry – See item 10.2.2 below.
2.9	(2.17) Footpath in Halecombe Quarry – See item 10.2.1 below.
2.10	(2.18) Overgrown hedge outside village hall – See 10.2.4 below.
2.11	(2.19) School to contact pub to gain authorisation to use pub car park at school time – VT to raise with Wadworth. Action complete.	VT
2.12	(5.2) Grant – Invoice issued to MDC on 14/08/08. Awaiting payment. Clerk to chase.	SV
2.13	(5.3) Risk Assessment – · Signs for car par liability. To be discussed at Hall’s next meeting, together with hiring policy. · Check that R. Cambourne has public liability insurance. Ongoing. · SV to check position as self-employed – no further action required, complete. · Declaration of interests – SV to distribute previous forms and blank forms to be filled. Some forms have been returned. Clerk to chase up.	MR SV SV
2.14	(5.3.1) PCSO to be advised to monitor activity and ‘hotspots’ in the village – Public meeting with PCSO to be organised. Peter Williams is also to meet with Ty for a further training session with the speed gun. Police liaison meeting next week.	SV
2.15	(9.1 & 9.2) Regeneration Fund 2009/2010 – Date for application has lapsed. PC to gather information to enable application to be made for village signs if further funding is available.	VT
	Responsibility for maintaining village signs – Clerk to obtain information.	SV
2.16	(10.1) Freedom of Information & Document Retention – Policies to be issued and implemented.	SV
2.17	(11.1) Service to the community award – Nomination has been put in. Action complete.
2.18	(12.1) Ringing the Olympics in the South West – Action complete.
2.19	(13.1) Letter of thanks to PCSO Peter Knowles – Action complete.
2.20	(13.3) White lining at Townsend – Highways are waiting for window of dry weather to mark the lines. Chair stated this was unsatisfactory and to be taken up to Gloria. CF to also email name of contact at MDC.	CF
3.0	Discussion with Matthew Hillier (MH)
3.1	Chair explained the situation with regard to an invoice for £298.92 received from MDC following the elections in May 2007.
	TS joins meeting.
3.2	MH recognised that the increase in costs was significant following Chief Executive David Thomson’s decision to ‘recharge’ the full election costs to the local councils. Exact costs were not known before the elections due to new laws coming into force which meant that batches of new nomination papers had to be bought, etc, and which were more expensive. MH advised that 5 councils had not paid their invoices from June 2007.
3.3	The PC thought that the total bill was too much given the size of the parish. MH explained that the invoice was arrived at using a combination of set fees/flat rates and some pro-rate fees, at the discretion of the returning officer.
3.4	Chair requested that a breakdown of all costs, including formulas, and invoices for other parishes be sent to the Clerk for comparison and to assess whether the invoices were ‘fair’. PC to write to David Thomson with a proposed solution once information has been received and discussed.
	TS and MH leave the meeting.
4.0	District Councillors’ Reports
4.1	Housing – Chair asked CF to find out exact housing strategy from MDC as land surveys seem to have been undertaken without the PC’s involvement. CF to report back.	CF
4.2	CF advised that Travellers had been seen in the area in the past weeks.
5.0	Finance
5.1	Financial statements – Statement to 14^th September 2008 agreed and signed.
5.2	Annual Return & Moore Stephen’s invoice – Invoice No 1735C/12987-326/S162/08 was agreed and cheque #543 signed and issued.
5.3	Clerk’s Salary - Invoice dated 14.09.08 agreed and cheque #544 signed and issued.
5.4	Chair advised that the Land Registry have awarded the PC possessory title for the Recreation Field. PC advised by solicitors to apply for title absolute in 10 years time. Clerk to record and put a note in diary.

6.0	Cemetery
6.1	Mowing Invoice – Invoices #75 and 79 for cutting between 27^th June and 8^th September (6 mows) was agreed. Cheque #84 signed and issued.
7.0	Planning update
7.1	100829/015 Grove Shute Farm, Tadhill – MR declared an interest and took no part in the decision. It was unanimously agreed to leave decision to PO but would like to see that the colour of the render fits with Village Design Statement.
7.2	105660/003 Tadhill House, Tadhill – It was unanimously agreed to leave decision to PO but would like to see that the colour of the render fits with Village Design Statement.
7.3	120246/001 Rookery Farmhouse, Lime Kiln Lane – It was unanimously agreed to support Tarmac’s application to restore the roof of the building.
7.4	055537/009 & 010 Lantern Cottage, Leigh Street – It was unanimously agreed to leave decision to PO but would like to see that the colour of the render fits with Village Design Statement.
7.5	Chair advised council of a planning complaint being investigated by the MDC Planning Enforcement Officer.
8.0	Suggestion to Remove Street Lighting in Leigh On Mendip
8.1	Discussion took place. There was concern for the safety of older and more infirm parishioners should the lights be removed. However, PC to investigate possibility of reducing light pollution and energy consumption. Clerk to write to MDC to ask if lights could be turned off at a certain point at night (midnight?) or if 1 in 4 could be left on instead of all the lights.	SV
9.0	Driver Awareness Course
9.1	PC agreed to hold Driver Awareness Course.	SV
10.0	Councillors Reports
10.1	PCSO – Nothing to report.
10.2	Footpaths
10.2.1	Footpath around Halecombe quarry – Converting the footpath to a Right of Way is not supportable due to numerous issues associated with making changes from a permissive path and resulting costs which would have to be borne by the PC. Action complete.
10.2.2	(2.17) The position, access and signage for a permissive path identified by Tarmac on the south west side of Halecombe Quarry is to be confirmed by TS	TS
10.2.3	(2.16) Barnes close quarry – Sheila Petherbridge at MDC has been contacted as path has not been restored. Failing that by w/c 22/09/08, Enforcement Officer at SCC will be contacted. Action continues.	TS
10.2.4	Finger post missing in White Hole Lane - New one has been ordered and MDC to install.
10.2.5	(2.18) Edge along the side of the Memorial Hall - TS to investigate but it is believed to be the responsibility of Highways.	TS
10.2.6	CF brought the PC’s attention to the banks of the concrete footbridge over Mells stream near to the Tuffa Springs which seem to have been eaten away following the rainy weather – TS to investigate.	TS
10.3	Highways – Mechanical Sweeping of the road – Leafletting of all households has been abandoned and it is proposed that more selective leafletting on windscreens of cars which are parked during daytime and through the school will be a more efficient way to increase awareness of when the mechanical sweeping is to taken place.
10.4	Recreation Field – PC advised that a grant of £6,000 had been obtained towards redoing the roof with options for insulating the roof. Saturday 18^th October – Barn dance at Mells.
10.5	Memorial Hall – PC advised that £700 was raised from the raffle. The Chair noted the significant contribution by MR to this event. 25^th October – Concert (£8/adult - £5/children, including supper). Next meeting on 6^th October 2008, 8pm. AGM 3^rd November.
10.6	School – It was advised that Colin Horn had resigned as chair of governors. Next meeting on 23^rd September.
10.7	SALC – Saturday 27^th September. AS to attend AGM.
10.8	Quarry – Chasing Gloria on setting up meeting.
11.0	Meetings Attended / To be attended
11.1	East Mendip Community Partnership (5^th August 2008) – RM attended. Nothing to report.
11.2	Meetings to be attended:- 17^th September – Planning Training at Council Chamber. CC attending. 24^th September – Code of Conduct Training. Oakhill Village Hall 24^th September – Mendip Central and East Neighbourhood Forum. Rose attending. 30^th September – East Mendip Community Partnership. VT attending. 6^th October – MDC Parish Forum. CC to attend, maybe Alf.
12.0	Correspondence
12.1	Clerk to advise on procedure to issue agendas.	SV
12.2	· Advice of planning complaint · Grant request from LoM school · Planning Permission approvals (100829/015 & 105660/003) · Public path diversion order confirmation · Grant request from Victim Support · Report from Gloria Cawood · Rec Field minutes of August meeting · Parish information bulletin, September 08 · SALC newsletter, September 08 · Avon & Somerset Police Authority, Community Policing Awards · Somerset local transport plan · The Clerk, September 08 · Mendip Community Newsletter, Summer 08 · Mendip Housing Annual Review 2007/2008 · Clerks & Councils Direct, September 08 · The Playing Field, Summer 08 · Your Mendip, Summer 08
13.0	Date & time of next meeting
13.1	The next meeting will be held on 20^th October 2008, at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall.