LEIGH-ON-MENDIP ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
HELD IN THE MEMORIAL HALL ON JUNE 4 1990
Councillors present were J Davis, Mrs H Park, D Pattison, P Rooke
D Turner and D Yelland, 23 parishioners and Mr Merrick, Somerset
County Councillor.
Apologies were received from A Gould.
The chairman, Mr Yelland, opened the meeting by telling those
present that this meeting was being held outside the stated time.
He welcomed so many parishioners to a meeting that gave them a
chance to draw to the attention of Councillors any points of
interest or concern within the community.
A resume of the 15 May 1989 meeting was given and the Minutes
were accepted as a true record and signed.
HALL REPORT (Written by Mr Featherstone, read by Mrs Loten.)
It had been a good year for the Hall and it was felt that both
finances and the Committee were in a strong position.
The Race Night had raised about £1200 thanks to support from
the community & local industry, the income from rentals was well
on the way to allowing a balance between income & outgoings. The
Hall had been decorated internally & a grant from the Parish
Council had paid for the sanding & varnishing of the floor. A
wet/dry vacuum cleaner & light weight tables had been purchased.
Although the grant application to do the windows had been refused
it was hoped that a grant to upgrade the toilets would be
forthcoming. It was felt that work was needed on the outside and
the car park. The Hall Committee thanked the PC and the village
for their support.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR: Mr Marables stated that he had
volunteered to cut the grass outside the Hall last year but no
one from the Committee had yet contacted him. An apology was
extended on behalf of the Committee.
Mr Yelland said that the PC had been able to reclaim VAT on the
money granted for work on the floor.
RECREATION FIELD MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REPORT (Mr P Moore)
The accounts for 1988,89 & 90 were presented.
In 1988 Income was £908.69 including grants from MDC & the PC
Expenditure £576.22 - main expenses being repairs to
showers & purchase of a strimmer.
Assets £1380.68.
In 1989 Income was £18.71 (due to part not being credited until
January 1990.
Expenditure £644.53 - main expenses being bench repairs,
swings being replaced & made safe
& BBQ built.
Assets £754.86.
In 1990 Income £219.00
Expenditure NIL
Assets £973.86. (Interim Accounts)
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR: Concern was expressed over who was
responsible for the upkeep of the Club House. The RFMC
responsibility was for the changing rooms and exterior of the
building and the Social Club 's was for the interior of the Club
area.
Mr Yelland gave a brief resume of the terms of the lease of the
land - the PC are trustees but the RFMC administer the area. The
lease expired in June 1989 but it had been agreed to continue in
the spirit of the lease. The arrangements between them and
regular users of the field & building were not, at this stage,
the concern of the PC & ought to be discussed by the RFMC. It
was agreed that although not a charity the Social Club could
apply to the PC for a grant.
Mr Yelland on behalf of the PC thanked both the Hall & the RFMC
for their hard work and thanked those who had presented reports
at the request of the Parish Council. He felt that the holding
of SCC's meeting on Quarry Roads in the Hall on June 12 was one
of the results of better decor.
The Chairman asked if anyone else wished to make a statement to
the meeting.
LEIGH-HALE COMBE RESIDENTS GROUP REPORTR Dixon (Chairman) The
self funding interest group is made up of 15 households & their
30 or so residents. In the past 2 years they have mounted
objections to: the expansion plans for Merehead & Halecombe
Quarries; to the destruction of FR8/23; to the inclusion in the
Frome Local Plan of the designation of Barns Close, Asham &
Hapsford quarries as sites for 'bad neighbour' industries; to
the reservation of land for the 'Bulls Green Link'; and to the
applications for licences to park lorries alongside the Halecombe
Brook. Representations on these items, in conjunction with other
groups, have lead in some cases to their being refused & in the
case of FR8/23 to a successful prosecution. In connection with
the lorry parking to the banning of some lorries & the admission
that Wimpey Hobbs needed planning permission for the park.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR: A parishioner asked why all residents
had not been sent the groups 'mail cards' with which to object to
the expansion of Halecombe - Mr Dixon replied that to date no
complaints had been received. An objection from a resident to
the fact that no one from WH management was at the meeting to
present their case was met by Mr Yelland with the reply that they
had had a copy of the Parish Newsletter advertising the meeting
and would have been most welcome. Mr Merrick suggested that
another year they could be specifically invited.
The Chairman asked if membership was open to all in the village
- Mr Dixon said no, it was a private group.
Mr Merrick asked if the Councillors would like to give some
convenient dates for the next Halecombe Quarry Liason Group
Meeting to SCC and suggested it should be before the PC make
their observations on the current application. He said that
another public meeting would be held to discuss the matter but no
date was yet decided on. He had had official notification of the
certificate for FR8/23. Mr Davis asked if WH had signed the
legal agreement relinquishing their quarrying rights to land
under the footpath before the certificate was granted. Mr
Merrick said he would ascertain this for the PC.
Dates suitable for the Liason Group will be discussed at the June
11 PC meeting.
PARISH COUNCIL CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - D Yelland.
In the Newsletter a reference had been made to the 10p per week
paid in Community Charge for the Parish Council & Mr Yelland
outlined the work done by the Council so residents could decide
if they got value.
Over the year 12 PC Meetings had been held, some fixed & some as
the need arose, 2 open meetings took place the Annual Parish
Meeting & one to discuss LJH's & the Stoke Lane Quarry Planning
Applications but the public had been invited to speak at each PC
meeting. He thanked Mr Merrick for attending so many meetings.
Two councillors had resigned in the course of the year & the two
vacancies had been filled without recourse to an election thanks
to one candidate standing down.
There had been fewer housing planning application this year but
more industrial ones and he personally thanked J Davis, Chairman
for Quarry Matters, for his work on Halecombe Quarry.
The Inquiry into the FR8/23 had brought experience of a public
inquiry & he felt that D Pattison was now capable of anything
that came his way in the future in this line.
With the advent of a footpath grant of £100 work had been carried
out on replacing stiles & making local paths walkable. Thanks
were due to J Davis for his suggestion to Somerset for a path
linking the North & South Wyvern Ways, between Frome & Shepton
Mallet, going mainly through the Parish, which the County
Council adopted, and also for his work in replacing stiles &
making the footpaths walkable.
On the subject of the environment - litter & fly tipping were a
problem and volunteers were called for to organise the collection
of rubbish which the District Council would take away. The PC
were liasing with Tarmac about Whitehole Hill Quarry.
One of the functions of the PC was to apply for grants for village
organisations, Grants from MDC had been £250 for a mower & £72
Burial Grant and SCC had granted £100 for footpath maintenance.
Of the Precept of £1600 about 30% was spent on salaries &
expenses, 50% on grants to village concerns and 20% on
miscellaneous expenses. Mr Yelland concluded by hoping that the
parishioners felt that their money had been well spent and
invited questions.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR:
A complaint was made concerning wire on a stile near Mrs Moores -
the path mentioned was not a public right of way but a 'custom &
permissive footpath' & it was suggested that if people felt it
ought to be made a definitive route they contact the Clerk.
The frequency of Newsletters was questioned - Mr Yelland stated
that they came out as & when the Council felt it was necessary.
There being no further questions the meeting closed at 2055h.
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