WEST HAGBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL                                                          MINUTES

 

 

Meeting in Hagbourne Primary School                                                    8th November 2007

East Hagbourne

 

 

Present:  Phil Taylor, Marion Judd, Sue Totterdell, John Thornhill, Tom Barker

 

Cllr Patrick Greene attended during the meeting to give his report to the Council.

 

There were no members of the public present.  The meeting commenced at 19.30

 

 

1          Minutes of meeting on 13th September 2007

 

            The Council passed the minutes as a true and correct record.

 

2          Matters arising

 

            There were no matters arising

 

3          Finance

 

The Council deferred acceptance of the audited Annual Report and the auditor’s report to the next meeting as they have not yet been received from the external auditor.

 

The Council decided the budget for 2008/09 (copy attached).  The precept for 2008/09 will be £4,100.

 

The Council decided to increase the Clerk’s salary by 2% to £1,530 and reinstated the £50 additional allowance paid from July 2006 but omitted in the revised contract of employment agreed earlier this year.  Both will take effect from April 2008.

 

The Council accepted and approved the attached monthly report on expenditure and the report on cheques signed since the last meeting.

 

The cheques on the attached schedule were duly signed.

 

4          Traffic issues

 

The Council discussed the schedule of suggested highways improvements / outstanding highways maintenance items previously circulated.  Phil Taylor and Marion Judd will now amend and re-circulate the schedule.  When completed and approved by the Council the schedule will be kept updated and will be the basis for ongoing discussions with Highways and act as a record for future councils to refer to.

 

One pole at the end of York Road has been removed, after it was run over by the Tappins School bus.

 

Safety at Coscote corner was raised by Phil Taylor, who will attempt to gain concensus on action from East Hagbourne Parish Council.

 

There were no other traffic highways issues.

 

5          Revision to Standing Order 1.16

 

            The Council approved the minor revision to Standing Order 1.16 included in the October 2007 amendment to the Council’s Standing Orders and Operational Procedures.

 

            The Council approved the revised attached detailed procedure for responding to planning application and other consultations. 

 

6          Review of subsidised bus services

 

            The results from the survey of local bus usage have not been received from ORCC and, as no information has been received from the County Council on their proposals.  It was agreed that the Clerk would submit a response, if the feedback from ORCC arrives before the next meeting, and the date for submission to SODC requires it. 

 

7          Planning applications

 

            There were no new planning application consultations.

 

            The Clerk reported that the Council’s response to the planning application for a double garage with home office space over at Downs Farm was that the Council had no strong views.  This had been the unanimous view of members.

 

8          Land opposite Horse and Harrow

 

Phil Taylor has again written to Greene King about the purchase of the land but there has been no response.  Phil Taylor has been told it will now have to be discussed by the company’s board.

 

9          Dissatisfaction with Barclays Bank

 

The Council decided to take no further action despite the unsatisfactory reply to the Clerk’s letter of complaint received from the bank. 

 

10        Village maintenance

           

a)         Work to ditch in Moor Lane

 

The contribution from Mr Cocozza, the riparian owner, has not yet been received despite the Clerk having sent a reminder.  The formal quotation from Rowan Napper for carrying out the work has not yet been received either, despite the Clerk having reminded him more than once.  The need for the work to be carried out is now urgent.  Phil Taylor will contact Mr Cocozza and Rowan Napper.

 

b)         Work to Moor Lane ditch beyond Enard Cottage

 

Phil Taylor advised the Council that neither Jeff Powell nor Chris Lay, as adjacent landowners, expressed any objection to improvements being carried out.  They supported the improvement to the hedge, and would take some initial action themselves.  The Council would be interested to know whether the Village Improvement Group has any thoughts on the matter, and has included the subject in the newsletter.

 

c)         Other matters

 

Sue Totterdell pointed out that the Foxglove Lane end of the School path needs clearing again and will be worse after the leaf fall.

 

A small party of members collected litter from Brook Lane last weekend.

 

Tree planting will be carried out in January.

 

The next village tidy up will be on the first Sunday in April 2008.  The Clerk was requested to obtain from SODC a supply of refuse sacks for use as and when they are required.

 

The Clerk was asked to request the Countryside department to supply or replace missing footpath/bridleway roundels where they are missing.

 

11        Amendments to Clerk’s job description

 

The Council approved the amendment to the Clerk’s job description which enables the Clerk to take day-to-day decisions in connection with the grass cutting and other contracts.

 

12        Planning training for members

 

Marion Judd will circulate the notes of the OALC training course she attended.

 

The Clerk was asked to request copies of the latest planning design guide from SODC.

 

13        Communication

 

The Council decided to allow some advertising in West Hagbourne Newsletter to offset the printing costs.

 

The Council decided that West Hagbourne Newsletter should include a footnote saying it is published by the Parish Council.

 

14        Any other business

 

The Council decided that the report of the District and County Councillor(s) should in future be a short agenda item, and bullet points from the reports included in the minutes.

 

Phil Taylor, Marion Judd and Sue Totterdell will attend the next meeting of the Didcot Community Forum.

 

Sue Totterdell advised the Council that SODC have now carried out a scoping process of all recent parish plans.  They say it is to ensure they consider the main local issues when they develop their plans and policies.

 

 

 

The meeting ended at 22.00 pm. 

 

 

Date of next meeting – 10th January 2008 at 7.30pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

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