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May AGM 2016

Morebath Parish Council

Annual General Meeting 2016

Chairman’s Report

Summary of Key Policies 2015/6

 

A) Council Priorities

The primary concerns of Morebath Parish Council will reflect the priorities established by the public consultation exercise held in July 2012, which were:

  • New Village Hall,
  • Traffic Speeding
  • Creating A Scenic Village
  • Development Control

 

B) Parish Communication

The Council will normally communicate its activity to parishioners through the Morebath Parish Website, the Parish Council Noticeboard, Signpost Magazine and the Annual Parish Meeting. Volunteers from the community will be actively encouraged to join working groups and to take part in projects. Parishioners are also able to communicate their views or put forward their ideas, either at the public session of each council meeting or by contacting an individual councillor.

 

C) Use of the Annual Parish Precept

The Council will ensure that public money is used appropriately, and that the annual parish precept is spent primarily on parish council business. If there is a surplus at the end of the year, this will be allocated to Reserves, in order to fund long term projects or to support other community groups in the parish.

 

D) Funding other Community Groups

The Council will support local community groups and consider any requests for one-off grants from its Amenities Fund. It can also assist with applications to other sources of funding, such as the TAP (Town and Parish) Fund. Each application will be considered on its merits, based on the contribution it can make to the amenity of the parish. The Council will not favour any one particular community group over another

 

 

Summary of Key Decisions 2015/6

 

June 2015

Council Priorities

  • That the Council priorities for 2015/6 are Development Control, Road Safety, New Village Hall and the Environment. This was in accordance with the key findings of the parish wide consultation in 2013.

Abandoned Vehicles

  • That a notice is put on any unwanted car, giving a time limit for it to be removed. If there is no response, the matter would then be passed to the Police and necessary authorities.

 

July 2015

Road Safety

  • That a Working Group on Road Safety is delegated to set out priorities, and formulate an action plan.

Environment

  • That a Working Group on Environment is delegated to set out priorities, and formulate an action plan.

Morebath Village Hall

  • That the Council supports the principle of a new Village Hall for Morebath.

 

September 2015

Communication

  • That, after each council meeting, the Chair should submit a summary of Council activity to Signpost, as well as post a copy on the Parish Council Noticeboard.

 

November 2015

Play Area

  • That the current Play Area Management and Maintenance Plan is withdrawn, as it was judged to be too complicated for purpose, and has resulted in creating a barrier for the Play Area Working Group to take an active management role.

Car Park

  • That a maintenance plan for the Car Park is drawn up, and that funds are allocated to Reserves on an annual basis towards the cost of its maintenance and repair.

Road Safety

  • That the Road Safety Working Group is allocated a budget of no more than £1000, which is to be taken from Reserves.
  • That the Parish Council asks to join the Community Speedwatch programme, and that the Chair should call for volunteers in his next Signpost article. (No one in the parish has so far come forward to run the scheme.)

Environment

  • That a fund not to exceed £750 is allocated for landscaping the area around the Old Railway Bridge.
  • That the overall budget for grass cutting across the Parish for 2016/7 is capped at £1100. This would need to cover the cost of routine grass cutting, as this is being devolved to parishes by DCC and MDDC. It would also have to fund other grass cutting in the parish, such as the Car Park, Church Path, the newly landscaped Bridge Area and basic upkeep of the Play Area.

Morebath Cricket Club

  • That the Parish Council applies for TAP funding to the value of £300 to assist with the renovation of the cricket club pavilion, and that upon receipt of that sum the Council would provide an additional £100 from Reserves.

St George’s Church, Morebath

  • That the Council supports a request from the church to contribute £650 towards grass cutting in the church graveyard for this financial year only.

 

January 2016

Environment

  • That the Council accepts the proposal in principle that there are 6 cuts of roadside grass in 2016/7, to be carried out by MDDC, and that MPC pays for 5 cuts, at an expected annual cost of £636.50 payable to MDDC.
  • It was also agreed that there should be a twice yearly Litter Pick to keep the village tidy. John Brydon volunteered to act as the Coordinator.

Footpaths

  • That Cllr Bob Hatton and Carla Dawes discuss the work to be done in the coming year and put their proposals to DCC Rights of Way, and that Cllr Hatton has the power to complete and return the forms. (MPC has subsequently received P3 grants totalling £1170 for 2016/7, which will enable all the proposed work to be completed).

 

March 2016

 Environment

  • That Bill Dart is contracted to provide the grass cutting service for the Car Park in 2016/7.
  • That a grass cutting contractor is sought for additional areas that fall outside of the MDDC contract, such as the Old Railway Bridge, the Play Area, (others to be named) up to a maximum expenditure of £400 per annum.
  • That two traffic bollards are purchased, in order to discourage unauthorised access to the Old Railway Bridge or illegal occupation of the site.
  • That Cllr Brian Smeeton would head up a working party to carry out the initial work at the Old Railway Bridge, and that. It would decide on the selection and location of planting on the cleared area. The Chair would again invite volunteers from within the parish to join the team.
  • That as far as possible purchases should be made from Cove Garden Nursery, in order to support a local business severely affected by the lengthy road closure at Cove on the A396.

Morebath Village Fete

  • That the Council makes an application for TAP funds in 2016/7 for replacement of the canvas for the Village Fete marquee, up to the value of £625.

Chair's Reports