Minutes of the Meeting of Freshford Parish Council

held on Monday June 22nd 2009

Present; Hugh Delap, Chairman

Stuart Campbell, Rowena Wood, Nick Stevens, Claudia Towner, John Adler, Guy Ritchie, Mary Stanhope, Mandy Knowles and Stephanie Jenkins, Clerk.

1. Apologies for Absence; received from Neil Butters

2. Declarations of Interest; SC as member of Shop Committee (item 9c). It was noted that various other Councillors had made or promised donations to the shop project. The Clerk told Councillors that Electoral Services would not need Councillors who had made financial contributions to the Galleries Shop project to fill in new Register of Interests forms. A list of the Councillors involved would suffice. The Clerk to forward the names; Councillors Hugh Delap, Stuart Campbell and Rowena Wood.

3. Minutes ; the minutes of the meeting of May 18th 2009 were agreed to be an accurate record and were signed by the Chairman.

4 Finance

Retrospective Payments Approved

Leigh Park Machinery, repair strimmer for street cleaner, £35.74

Leigh Park Machinery, purchase of new strimmer and accessories, £329.63

Came and Co., Annual Insurance Premium, £736.70

Payments needing to be made in June; approved

Ian Croker, Street Cleaning, £210.97

Stephanie Jenkins, Clerk’s first quarter salary, £750

Countrywide Grounds maintenance, 2/4 payment for grass cutting, £316.25

Candy Harrison, publicity boards for Affordable Housing meeting, £10

Street Lighting

Photocells; The Clerk reported that SEC had been fitting these, but had not yet completed the job.
Demolished Lamp-post and Light; this had been set up but was awaiting connection.

Grass Cutting

The Clerk reported that she and the Chairman had met Stuart Jones of Countrywide Grounds maintenance to discuss the Parish Council’s dissatisfaction with the company’s standard of work. It had been mutually agreed that the Parish Council should seek an alternative contractor for the work.

It was agreed to re-write the job specification, splitting the work into two parts, the Tyning Grass Cutting and the Cemetery Maintenance and to seek three further tenders for these. The Clerk was asked to action this.

Audit Documents for Approval

Councillors inspected the year-end financial documents, including the final banking reconciliation, the Annual Return, the Explanation of Variances and the Receipts and Payments Summary, all of which had been approved by the Internal Auditor, Paul Reynolds. They were then able to answer the questions making up the Annual Governance Statement in the affirmative and the Chairman and the Clerk signed the audit document to this effect. The Clerk was asked to forward the completed documents to Mazars, the Auditors, and to advertise the audit to the general public.

Village Fete; the parish Council stall made a profit of £126

5. Correspondence

B&NES Planning Policy; Local Plan, set of proposals maps

Land Registry, query about PC intentions with regard to registering the cemetery

Open Spaces Society; AGM notice, Annual accounts and reports 2008, summer edition of magazine

Wiltshire County Council, letter about Statement of Community Involvement Consultation

ALCA; Newsletter, NALC Legal and Policy briefings

Glasdon; catalogue of street furniture products for local councils

Somer Times; magazine

CPRE; Fieldwork magazine

Avon and Somerset Police Authority; Policing Plan and Policing Pledge

B&NES Planning Services, Tree Works; two “no objections” for work at The Old Parsonage and Sharpstone House; two notification of proposed works at The Surgery and 2 The Orchard.

Fiona Saunders, resident, email, problems about parking on The Hill and near the pub.

Merlin Hyman, resident, copy of letter to police following tow-away of parked car from outside pub

B&NES Electoral Services; updates for Electoral Register

Parish Councils Airport Association; letter requesting support for the Association’s response to Bristol Airport’s latest planning application (Clerk to email round full details for Councillors’ response)Complaint about rubbish from bin collections, scattered by animals. (HD to write Bulletin item, alerting residents to the problem) 6. Planning Matters

Decisions

Freshford Mill ( 09/00772/VAR) variation of condition 13 from application 05/02563/ FUL; PERMITTED.

Fairlawn, Park Corner (09/01056/FUL) erection of single storey porch to replace existing; PERMITTED..

New Applications

No new applications

On-going Items

Walnut Grove (09/ 00625/FUL) erection of single storey side extension, detached two storey double garage/office and extension to first floor front balcony; decision pending.

Parking at The Inn/ internal alterations/car park; action by B&NES enforcement team still ongoing.

General Items

SSSI Sites; SC reported that there is only one Site of Special Scientific Interest in Freshford; bat roosts at Iford.

Guide to Councillors on background and system for Planning Applications; ongoing.

War Memorial; RW reported that, thanks to Alan Dodge, she had been able to provide English Heritage with historical background information. She would also cover the possible restoration of Pillboxes in an article for the Bulletin in case a resident might wish to take on such a project.

Morris’s Lion; although the Parish Council apparently agreed (according to Alan Dodge) to look after the listed lion when it was moved to its present arch, and it features on the Assets Register and the Insurance Schedule, there seems to have been no legal arrangement on ownership. It was agreed that Mr and Mrs Followes should be approached for their views, as owners of the arch.

7. Parish Council Aims and Objectives

Councillors, a number of whom had not been party to the discussions at the May meeting, agreed that the five named objectives, drawn up by NS, did indeed cover the Parish Council’s activities. These objectives were unanimously adopted and it was agreed to work on the more detailed strategies and groupings under each heading, incorporating points from the Parish Plan. NS was thanked for his work on clarifying the objectives.

8. Emergency Planning

The Chairman reported on a paper presented at a recent Parishes Liaison Meeting by Richard Look, B&NES Head of Emergency Planning. Parishes are expected to provide an up-to-date list of the resources, which would be available in the event of an emergency. HD had provided Councillors with the current 42 page template in advance of the new form to be issued later in the summer.

Limpley Stoke have appointed a Councillor with special emergency planning responsibility.

The general feeling was one of some scepticism about the usefulness of such a document when set against the time and effort needed to compile it. However, there was an acknowledgement that the PC ought to be ready for an emergency and when the new template is issued it will be examined carefully with a view to its being completed. HD will enquire of Richard Look whether there are any legal requirements imposed on PCs in this respect. 9. Updatesa. Freshford Mill

Ongoing Matters; RW reported that site manager, Ken Moore, has been replaced by Peter Hitchen (mobile number for contact 07786 566885). YRD had been present at the village fete and had distributed a newsletter detailing the progress of the project. Later in the year they would like to circulate information on an Open Day in September, at the site. He offered to show members of the PC round at any time.

Richard Chaplin has agreed that the company would sponsor the December issue of the Bulletin. In an email, Phil Desmond had indicated that YRD would not be averse to the idea of slewing the entrance to the site to deter traffic use of Rosemary Lane. Councillors agreed that the Parish Council and the Shared Space Group (now under the acronym SIPV Group, the Freshford Safe Integration of People and Vehicles Group) should meet to formalise views on the whole issue of additional traffic from the Mill Site, before approaching Highways and YRD for solutions. See also item 9g below.

b. Affordable HousingNS stated that the public meeting held on June 3^rd had been attended by some 40 people. Housing Facilitator, Carol Southall’s presentation had been well-received A full report had been placed on the website. It was hoped to distribute the Housing Needs Survey form at the beginning of July, possibly alongside the next edition of the Bulletin. Limpley Stoke residents would receive their copies at the same time and the survey results should be ready in September. It was suggested that a brief Bulletin article should urge residents to return their surveys whether or not they had a need for Affordable Housing, as a negative response was as valuable in assessing the situation as a positive. NS is to take forms to the Stone Mine and Rentokil, as local employers

RW made the point that the message that Affordable Housing was not the same as sheltered housing for the elderly needed to be re-stated to avoid confusion. Carol Southall had stated that information on file about the wish for such housing could make a difference should a commercial developer submit a planning application.

c. Community Shop; SC reported that shop matters were proceeding apace, with the opening of the shop anticipated towards the end of July. Councillors discussed the matter of representation on the board of trustees of the Freshford and Limpley Stoke Community Association (FLiSCA). SC had felt that, before making any decision, it was vital that the Parish Council established clear principles, which would apply to PC representation on any external body. Currently the PC is represented on the School and the Memorial Hall governing bodies. Councillors agreed that a presence within such organisations was valuable and that SC’s criterion of “an organisation which has parish-located property, including land, which is used exclusively for for public (not association, club or private) purposes, or property/land in neighbouring parishes used substantially by Freshford parish residents” provided a sound starting base, from which any other relevant circumstances could be considered. RW stated that there would always be a need to consider and react to each new situation, individually. General opinion concurred that serious conflicts of interest arising from an individual being a Parish Councillor as well as a Trustee of an organisation were unlikely and could be resolved if and when they occurred. The matter of corporate or individual liability would be covered under the parish Council’s insurance, if not by the organisation concerned. Having agreed on these principles, Councillors felt that a PC presence on the board of FLiSCA would be a useful relationship. NS stated that he was prepared to undertake the role. Freshford Parish Council agreed unanimously to accept the invitation from FLiSCA to nominate a Trustee, Nick Stevens, (proposed by JA, seconded by SC) to represent the Parish Council on the board of FLiSCA, with the issue to be reviewed within twelve months.

d. Footpaths, Walls and Trees; A number of Tree Orders had been received and reviewed without any potentially controversial issues arising. An accident on the footpath to Avoncliff had led to B&NES requesting their Structure Repair Team to deal with the dangerous section of river bank ASAP. The complaint, by a resident, about over-vigorous hedge-cutting by a B&NES team during the nesting season had been followed up and MS stated that no obvious damage had resulted. There seemed to be a grey area regarding nesting dates, but she stated that it was not possible for the Council to inform individual landowners when a stretch of hedge was to be cut. Councillors were asked to contact MS if they became aware of any hedge causing problems through being overgrown.

e. Street Cleaning and Dog Matters;

The Pound; MK had undertaken clearance of the site and had installed notices asking residents not to tip garden refuse. The possibility of removing a small section of wall to open the site to pedestrian access was discussed. The matter is ongoing.

Groundsman’s Equipment; MK stated that Ian Croker had been provided with a new strimmer and disc cutters. She would shortly be undertaking an inventory of his tools

Gullies; the Clerk was asked to establish with B&NES the current timetable for emptying these.

Dog fouling; arrangements for the provision of two bins, by B&NES, were underway. MK felt that the bins on offer (without cost) were not particularly suitable for the sites in Freshford. She had established that, should the PC decide to order their own bins, B&NES would still be prepared to install and empty the bins without charge. One bin is to be installed on the drystone wall on Ashe’s Lane at the junction with the Stanley Hill driveway and one, freestanding, at the High Street end of the Tyning, nearer to the road than the existing bin. The installation rules are that the bins must be on Highways land and easily accessible from the road. Councillors asked whether it would be possible to request a third bin by the phone box at the end of the High Street. MK to investigate.

f. Railways; RW stated that she was still actively pursuing the matters of additional cycle stands, lighting timings and the disappearance of the Freshford information boards with Pete Jobson, Station manager.

Wessex Water had removed their temporary parking barriers at the Station and the works were due to finish, on target, by September.

Possible extension to the car park; a meeting is to be set up with Andy Strong of B&NES and a representative of First Group to measure out the area and see how many additional cars could be accommodated. RW to inform Councillors and NB of the date when known.

g. Highways

NS reported that, as newly designated Chairman of the Highways Committee, he was still in the process of compiling a list of the problems within the village for presentation to B&NES and of apportioning areas of Highway responsibility to individual Councillors . RW asked him to involve NB in the compilation process, so that Neil is completely clear about the PC’s concerns, one of which is the fact that some Highways Officers make no attempt to involve the Parish Council in possible solutions to problems presented by individual residents. Currently the two key areas for concern are the difficulties experienced with HGVs, particularly in Ashe’s lane and Rosemary Lane and the problems experienced by residents in Rosemary Lane caused by the general increase in traffic volume, which can only be set to worsen when the Mill development is operational.

Ashe’s Lane; there have been no further details forthcoming from Tasos Papaloucas about the proposal to set up a one-way system, a solution rejected by the SIPV Group as it would encourage drivers to use the route as a “rat run” and increase vehicle speeds. The PC’s strong feelings on the matter were that any such change would need also to be considered in the light of the effect on the village as a whole, particularly residents of Park Corner and Pipehouse Lane.

Rosemary Lane; the SIPV Group have reached the conclusion that any solution to the increase of traffic on this single-track lane would involve increasing traffic on other, already-congested routes through the village. The Sharpstone and Rosemary Lane Action Group had proposed the closing of the bridge by the Mill, but the Parish Council’s less drastic preferred option had been the slewing of the entrance into the Mill site, so that traffic would be encouraged to use the Crabtree Lane access (see item 9a). Councillors agreed that RW should set up a meeting with the SIPV Group so that, together they could agree on a position before approaching YRD and B&NES to ask them to decide on a course of action well in advance of the completion of the housing scheme. HD agreed to approach Phil Desmond of YRD 10. Parish Plan Implementationsa. Shared Space; the Group has not met since the previous Parish Council meeting, but see comments under 9g, relevant to the Highways Group.b. Railing Renovation; HD reported that the final stretch of the work was in hand. c. Getting About; nothing to report.

d. Communications;

Notice boards; NS reported that progress had been slower than anticipated and that, because each board would need to be a different size, the costs might exceed the original estimate. He would shortly be meeting the maker, Richard Smith, to finalise arrangements. The work would have to be finished by September to qualify for the grant from the Quartet Foundation. NS warned that, because the specifications for the boards had changed, the costs might be significantly higher against the grant agreed by the Quartet Foundation. Councillors agreed that, to avoid delay and consequent possible loss of grant, the Parish Council would bridge the funding gap, which was not great, but would attempt to recover costs through sponsorship.

Bulletin Funding; GR reported that sponsorship for the next three issues of the bulletin had been secured. Bath Stone Mine had agreed to sponsor the Summer edition (£195), David Richardson Lettings, the Autumn (£195) and Ypres Rose Developments the Winter (£200). Councillors thanked him for his efforts in achieving this goal.

e.Police and Neighbourhood Watch; ongoing

f. Children and Youth

Pre-School Plans; CT told Councillors that arrangements were proceeding very satisfactorily and that the numbers of children registered for the next academic year meant that almost all places were filled.

g. Natural Environment

Village Ramble; GR reported on the finalised arrangements; the ramble will take place on July 12^th, starting at 2.30pm from the Village Hall. It will last one hour, finishing back at the Hall when cream teas and refreshments will be available to purchase. Alan Dodge will lead the walk and the Hall has been booked for teas at a cost of £40. Candy Harrison will create information boards for publicity and the costs for the event will be recouped through the sale of refreshments Beating the Bounds; still under investigation. 11. A.O.B.

None

12.Date of next meeting; MONDAY July 20th

Freshford Village Website (PC Minutes 22nd June 2009)