WEST HAGBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL                                                          MINUTES

 

 

Meeting in Hagbourne Primary School                                                           8th March 2007

East Hagbourne

 

 

Present:  Phil Taylor, Bernard Mead, Sue Totterdell and Keith Little

 

Apologies for absence from Marion Judd

 

Before the meeting WPC Pip Walker attended to discuss Police matters of interest to the Council.  It was decided that the Clerk would register with the Police for Community Messaging on behalf of the Council which will help with any advance warning of community watch issues.

 

Pip Walker was invited to hold a Police ‘surgery’ for the Hagbournes in the village on the same day as the Annual Parish Meeting.

 

 

The meeting opened at about 8.20 pm.

 

1.         Minutes of meeting on 11th January 2007

 

            The minutes were passed as a true and correct record.

 

2.         Matters arising

 

            There were no matters arising

 

3          South-East Plan – Additional housing for Didcot

 

a)         EIP

 

            The Council expressed its thanks to Sue Totterdell for her work in connection with the EIP which she attended as ‘speaker’ on behalf of the Western Villages Alliance.  A report on the EIP session is attached to these minutes.

 

b)         Phil Taylor and Bernard Mead had attended a meeting with Cllr John Cotton and Anna Robinson and representatives of East Hagbourne Parish Council at SODC which intended to be part of an ongoing discussion. 

 

c)         Bernard Mead had attended the first of a series of Didcot community involvement events arranged by SODC.  A report on this is attached to these minutes.

 

4          Contribution to PCC for lopping trees at cemetery

 

The Council will not need to make a contribution.

 

5          Land opposite the Horse and Harrow

 

Rowan Napper has cleared the land.  He will also plough and seed the land, repair the bank and remove some elder trees on the boundary.

 

Phil Taylor has written to Greene King to request progress on the land transfer but has had no reply.

 

It was decided to ask Jeff Powell to provide a quotation for post and wire fencing.

 

6          Clerk’s job description, contract of employment and salary

 

            Phil Taylor will discuss these with Marion Judd then circulate to other members.

 

7          Risk management

 

            The Council decided to adopt the proposals circulated by the Clerk in December 2006 and review and adapt the document on an ad-hoc basis during the first year.  Possible risks in connection with work by volunteers, e.g. litter collection and tree planting, will be added.

 

8          The Government’s proposed new Code of Conduct for councillors

 

            The Council had no comment to make on this document.

 

9          Village tidy-up

 

            The Council decided the tidy-up would be pm on April 14th and the Clerk will liaise with East Hagbourne Parish Council for the use of SODC’s facilities.

 

10        Problems with sewer

 

            The Council noted that there had been no sewage flooding despite the tankering operations having stopped and the recent prolonged rainfall.  The Clerk was asked to obtain an update from Thames Water.

 

11        Traffic issues

 

a)         Removal of white lines, etc.

 

            No further information has been received from Oxfordshire Highways.  The Clerk was asked to remind them.

 

b)         Other traffic issues

 

            There were no other issues.

 

12        Planning applications

 

            There have been no recent planning applications.

 

13        Village maintenance

           

a)         The Council decided to organise a working party to cut back the vegetation over the Moor lane ditch between Thatch Cottage and Enard Cottage and clear out some of the debris.

 

b)         Other traffic issues

 

            There were no other issues.

 

14        Finance

 

a)         Monthly report on expenditure

 

The Council accepted and approved the monthly report.

 

b)         Cheques

 

            Tracey Anderson (newsletter printing) £72.00, Richard Evans (gardening) £100.00, Roger Sweet (salary/allowance, postage and admin) £382.69, Chilton Waste Services (skip hire) £129.25, Sue Totterdell (parish plan expenses) £62.57

 

15        Communication

 

The County Council has advised that the stopping up order dated 29th March 1968 gave them responsibility for the maintenance of the stopped up road adjacent to Little Acorns Nursery (as an unclassified road) except for a 10 yard length at the Chilton end, which is to be used as a footpath.  They will advise the Rights of Way Office about the footpath.

 

The Council asked the Clerk to forward a copy of the County Council’s letter to Rowan Napper for his information.

 

 

 

Date of next meeting – 10th May 2007 at 7.30pm

 

 

 

 

 

Chairman………………………………………   date…………………………………..