WEST HAGBOURNE
PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES
Meeting in Hagbourne Primary School, East Hagbourne 10th
January 2008
Present:
Stewart Lilly of Stewart Lilly Associates addressed
the Council before the meeting started about the possibility of development in
the garden of Broomsticks. Marion Judd
was not present for this presentation as she has a prejudicial interest in this
property.
There were no other members of the public present. The meeting commenced at 19.50
1 Minutes of meeting on 8th November 2007
The Council passed the minutes as a true and correct record.
2 Matters arising
The Clerk has contacted SODC about a
supply of refuse sacks and is waiting for a response.
The Clerk has contacted the Countryside
department to supply or replace missing footpath/bridleway waymarkers. Phil Taylor pointed out that
they are only needed on the bridges that OCC have replaced/repaired.
The Council
decided to charge advertisers in West
Hagbourne Newsletter £20 pa for businesses operating within the parish, and
£40 pa for others, the purpose being to make the newsletter self funding.
3 District and County Councillor’s
reports
OCC:
·
The Government grant for next year is 2%. Council tax is likely to rise by 4%
·
Cllr Greene has asked for an officers meeting
to discuss the Transport Needs Survey
·
All likely contractors favour energy from incinerating
waste. No council decision yet.
·
New 40 mph speed limit will be introduced on
Haddon Hill. Will be reviewed after 3
years.
SODC:
·
The Government grant for next year will be
1.9% and 0.5% in subsequent years.
·
The Arts Centre in Didcot will be called the
Cornerstone. Phil Taylor pointed out
that he felt the money spent on an unnecessary naming could have been better
used.
·
Total recycling for year ending March 08 will
be 40%
Other:
The Council raised the South
Oxfordshire Core Strategy and complained about insufficient time for the
response which included the Christmas period.
4 Finance
The Council approved and accepted the
audited Annual Report for 2006/07.
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.
5 Public participation at
Council meetings
The Council
decided to adopt the procedures recommended by the OALC and revisions to
clauses 2.3 and 2.22 of the Council’s Standing Orders, all as set out in the
attached summary.
6 Planning applications
There were no new
planning application consultations.
The Clerk reported that
the Council’s response to the planning application for a conservatory at Rosland,
Main Street was that the Council had no strong views. This had been the unanimous view of members. John Thornhill had declared that he had a
personal interest because he lived next door.
7 Consultations
a) New consultations
South
Oxfordshire Core Strategy:
The Council
decided to respond to this important consultation. Councillors will meet informally to formulate
the draft response and the Clerk was asked to request more time from SODC. Copies of the questionnaire will be given to
some members of the public who it is thought would like to respond.
Referral of planning applications to
the planning committee:
The Council
decided unanimously that it did not support SODC’s proposals.
Community Safety Strategy:
There was no information on this to
enable discussion.
b) Earlier consultations
Your Vale –
Your Future:
Sue Totterdell
prepared the draft. The Council’s
response was made before the deadline
Review of
subsidised bus services:
Marion Judd
prepared the draft. The Council’s
response was made before the deadline
Harwell Site
West Best Practicable Environmental Options: Decision made at last meeting not to respond.
8 Traffic issues
The Council
discussed the latest schedule of suggested highways improvements / outstanding
highways maintenance items previously circulated.
There were
no other traffic highways issues.
9 Land opposite Horse and Harrow
There has been no response from Greene
King, and it was proposed that if nothing was heard by March they should be
contacted again.
10 Village maintenance
a) Work to ditch in Moor
Lane
The Council approved
a decision taken in December to request Blewbury Construction to carry out the
work to the ditch as it was considered urgent and Rowan Napper had not
responded. Blewbury Construction’s
quotation was £350, i.e. within the expenditure authorised by the Council in
July 2007. The Council decided some
further hand finishing is necessary, especially near Enard Cottage. Jeff Powell has helped clear the green
debris.
The bank
will be seeded and planted with daffodil bulbs in due course.
b) Further
work to Moor Lane
A working party will be asked to work
in the footpath and undergrowth on 6th April (the same day as the
litter collection). The Clerk was asked
to ascertain the availability of fly ash from the power station to improve the
surface.
c) The Council expressed concern about the
litter problem in Brook Lane again. John
Thornhill offered to take some action before the village tidy up arranged for 6th
April.
11 Possible improvements to
Manor Close
In line with
the overall feedback from residents of Manor Close, the Council decided to take
no further action other than to thank residents who returned questionnaires and
to advise them of the information gathered.
12 Representation on other bodies
The Council decided not to appoint
specific representatives to the Didcot Forum and Western Villages Alliance.
13 Grass cutting contract
The Council decided to request Scion
Estates to quote for the grass cutting again this year and not to seek
competitive quotations.
14 Provision of skip for use of the public
The Council decided to hire a skip
for the week end of 8th / 9th March. The location will be announced after
discussion with the landowner and publicised in the newsletter and on the
notice boards.
15 Neighbourhood Watch and communication
with residents
No discussion – deferred until the
next meeting
16 Council meetings in 2008/09
The Council decided on the following
dates for ordinary Council meetings:
8th May, 10th
July, 11th September, 13th November, 8th
January, 12th March
The AGM will be on 8th
May
The Annual Parish Meeting in future
will be on the Saturday after the FA Cup Final.
This year the meeting will be on 24th May.
17 Communication
The Clerk had received a letter from
Doreen Watling which will be circulated.
The Clerk had received some
information from the Land Registry about titles to the ownership of parts of
Moor Lane, but payment is required before more information can be
provided.
14 Any other business
None
The meeting ended at 22.20
pm.
Date of next
meeting – 13th March 2008 at 7.30pm
Chairman………………………………………
date…………………………………..