November 2011
MINUTES OF MEETING Held on 17th November 2011 at the Village Hall, Uplowman, starting at 7.45pm. Approved at meeting of 19 January 2012
I member of the public plus Cllrs Hull (Chair, MDDC), R Radford (MDDC) and D Hannon (Councillor, DCC) present. PCSO Simms in attendance. Minutes taken by R Hodgson, Clerk. Action points in bold.
1. MEMBERS PRESENT
1.1 Present: Mr T Milner (Chairman), Mr R Norman, Mrs V deHann, Mr R Adcock, Mr R Branton and Mr A McCombe.
2. PROCEDURAL MATTERS
2.1 Apologies for absence had been received from Mrs K Lovell.
2.2 Mrs DeHann confirmed that she and Mrs Lovell had submitted their registers of interest to MDDC.
3. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING (1st September 2011)
3.1 The Minutes of 1st September had been circulated previously. No errors or omissions were reported and the Minutes were duly signed as a true record of that meeting.
4. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
4.1 There were no matters arising that would not be discussed under Agenda items.
5. FINANCES
5.1 Current Balance: £ 7,844.03
Income since last meeting(Donation + Churchyard Grant)£ 640.00
5.2The following payments were approved and cheques signed to effect the disbursements:
W J Veen, for grass cutting (£27.00)
Audit Commission, for Annual Audit (£342.00)
To Uplowman PPC, for maintenance of Churchyard (£350.00)
To R Branton, reimbursement for Remembrance Day wreath (£20.00).
To Tiv and Dist Community Transport Assn, contribution to Ring & Ride (£25.00)
5.4 The Annual Audit had been again completed without comment from the Auditor. The PC expressed its thanks to the Clerk for maintaining the accounts so satisfactorily.
5.5 The process for review of the Clerk's salary was discussed. It was noted that the review would be needed by the end of the present financial year, 31 March 2012. the Appraisal process inaugurated in 2010-1 had been helpful and would be repeated but this was not directly contributory to the review.
5.6 The Budget and Precept requirement for the coming year 2012-3 was discussed. The Clerk had prepared a summary of the past two years to guide discussion. Cllr Milner said that the budget was indicative and should be balanced and that a significant reserve should be maintained as at present. It was likely that money would be needed for further work on the leat from time to time and some of the reserves should be allocated to that purpose. Money would be needed to fund celebration of the forthcoming Jubilee. Mr Branton felt that it would not be politic to raise the Precept at this time of economic austerity. On a vote, it was agreed 4-1 to raise the Precept request by £100 to £2,500. It was agreed that the DAPC subscription could be deducted at source by MDDC.
6. PLANNING/LICENSING APPLICATIONS
6.1 11/01372/F: Greengates Cottage Extension Revised: UPC had no objection, MDDC Approved
6.2 11/01331/F: 1 Locks Cottage Extension: UPC No Objection, MDDC Approved
6.3 11/01657/F: Meadow View Retaining wall. UPC inspected, no objection made.
6.4 'How to respond to Planning Applications booklet. A recent applications had drawn attention to the need for clarity when councillors mediated in Planning matters. A process was needed to ensure that it was clear that they were doing so as councillors rather than in a private capacity. Mr Adcock took the booklet.
6.5 Proposals for Community Infrastructure Levy - This replaces Sect 106 respond by by 5 Dec and provides opportunities for UPC to apply for grants form levies made anywhere in MDDC
7. CORRESPONDENCE
A list of correspondence received and sent had been circulated. Attention was drawn to the following items of interest that were not covered elsewhere:
7.1 The Clerk drew attention to a leaflet on proposals for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, to be celebrated in 2012. This would be further discussed.
7.2 Cllr Norman took the consultation on Community Infrastructure Levy for consideration.
8. HALL AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION
8.1 There had been a couple of parties that resulted in disturbances. The committee would be taking care to avoid further problems. Chinese lanterns and fireworks would not be permitted at private functions.
9. EMERGENCY PLANNING AND NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
9.1 PCSO Simms presented his report. A burglary had been reported on 20 Sept, during which computers and household things had been stolen. CID were investigating a case of GBH outside a party at the Hall. PCSO Simms repeated a request that all vehicles acting suspiciously should be reported as a precaution. He noted that the police were trialling a scheme to lend farmers sensors to guard gateways etc. If the set-up is effective the farmer would then buy sensors, typical cost about £200.
9.2 It was agreed that the Emergency Plan needs updating and that this should be done between meetings.
10. VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
10.1 It had been reported that there were sometimes problems with children running into the road from the school path. The school governors had asked whether additional electric signs could be erected. Some had been costed at £1850 each. Cllr Hannon (DCC) thought that these could not be justified on Highways grounds and that more care was needed in the use of the pen at the end of the path. He would consult with Highways. If PC could raise part of the cost there was some possibility of Highways agreement, Cllr Hannon thought.
10.2 The website was developing. The new councillors were now listed on it.
10.3 A proposal on use of the money donated to the village would be taken by the next meeting.
10.4 Neighbourhood planning proposals would be discussed at a future meeting.
11. STATE OF ROADS IN PARISH
11.1 The state of the roads had not changed much.
11.2 The parish paths P3 scheme would be discussed at a later meeting.
12. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting would be on Thursday 19th January 2012, in the Hall starting at 7.30pm with public discussion.
The meeting closed at 10.15pm
Public discussion: There was discussion of the operation of the school path, reported above.
Cllr Mrs Hull, Chair, MDDC, was in attendance and presented an outline of the operation of MDDC. She explained that there were 42 councillors with 6 cabinet members, including Ray Radford. Geraldine Talbot was appointed to liaise with the Parishes and she hoped that this arrangement was producing improvements in District-Parish relations. Cllr Hull noted that planning matters were changing in line with the Localism Agenda, which would give Parishes more say. She reported that a budget saving of £900,000 was being sought for the coming year. MDDC had 3,200 council houses at present and paid out £20m in benefits so it was a major enterprise. Cllr Hull's aim was to make Tiverton 'Devon's Grand Western Town'.