Minutes of a Meeting of the Parish Council held at 8pm on Thursday, 7th January, 2016

at the Fairford Leys Community Centre, Hampden Square, Fairford Leys

Present: Cllrs Lambert, Cole, Baughan, Wilde, Poland, SA Jarvis, Eastwood

K Gray (Clerk to the Council)

1 ResidentChloe Lambert (Bucks Herald)

With the absence of both the Chairman and Vice-Chairman it was proposed by Cllr Lambert and seconded by Cllr Poland that Cllr Andrew Cole chair the meeting.

RESOLVED: Cllr Cole to chair the meeting of the parish council.

  1. Apologies for Absence

RESOLVED: To receive and accept apologies for absence from Cllrs S Jarvis (work commitment), Pattinson (illness), Harper (illness).

  1. Declarations of Interest

To receive any pecuniary or non-pecuniary declarations of interest

To receive written requests for dispensations for disclosable pecuniary interests (if any)

To grant any requests for dispensation as appropriate

  • Cllr Cole declared an interest in planning application 15/04169/APP as the applicant is a neighbour.
  • Cllrs Baughan and Eastwood declared an interest in any matters for decision on agenda item 6.
  1. Minutes of the Previous Full Council Meeting 3/12/15

RESOLVED:To accept and sign the minutes of 3/12/15as a true record.

  1. Clerk’s Report

To receive a report from the Clerk on matters dealt with and taking forward.

  • The clerk reported that the main square, car park and associated business and apartment block premises has been sold to another company. The clerk is seeking to meet with the new owners to ensure continuity of management and maintenance for the main public areas by the parish council; as per the agreement under the Fairford Leys Management Company.
  • The Joyce Trust requires additional trustees and the Clerk (who is Chairman of the Trust) asked councillors to contact him should they be interested.

RESOLVED: Chairman to suspend Standing Orders to allow questions from the public and any reports from councillors

Haretwell

  1. Questions from the Public & Reports
  • Cllr S Lambert - County Councillor Report

County Council Budget freeze: The County Council is going through the process of setting its budget for 2016/17 and I am a member of the select committee reviewing the proposals. Following the announced a freeze on non-essential spending in December, the projected in year budget shortfall risk of almost £6m by March 2016 has mostly been mitigated. However, the Government settlement from the ‘Comprehensive Spending Review’ announced on 17th December by the Chancellor, while broadly in line with expectations, the methodology for Government grant funding of the County has changed significantly, meaning that the County financial position is much worse than expected for the coming four years. This year’s budget will see a reduction is all spend except for social care for both adults and children.

The county will increase their council tax by 2% on top of their assessed Council tax budget needs to meet increased Adult Social Care pressures each year for the next four years. This year there are proposals for a 1.99% incr3ease in council tax as well. This means that the Bucks County Council are proposing that their element of Council Tax will increase by 3.99% this year. The Council’s Budget proposals will be put forward for a three day scrutiny review between 20th and 22nd January 2016 and will be webcast from 10am at:

Dementia Support - new provider: Over 6,500 people in Buckinghamshire have been diagnosed with dementia, and this is expected to rise to over 8,000 in the next four to five years. Buckinghamshire residents who are concerned about their memory or who have been diagnosed with dementia will be now able to benefit from the county's new Memory Support Service. Buckinghamshire County Council and the Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (Aylesbury Vale and Chiltern), have awarded the Alzheimer's Society with a contract for the new service to start on 1 April. The service aims to offer one-to-one support for individuals and their carers, from their initial concerns about memory loss, through diagnosis, to planning for the future.

The new support service means that people can expect to get an initial diagnosis within two weeks wherever they live in the county. Their GP will refer the individual to the local Alzheimer’s team who will make an initial assessment. When someone is diagnosed with dementia the support will focus on planning for the future and enable the person to live well at home, as well as signposting to support services for the person caring for them. The service replaces the memory advice service currently split between Age UK Bucks and the Alzheimer's Society.
British Legion appeal for helping unemployed ex-service Personnel: The Royal British Legion Pop in Centre in Aylesbury High Street is running a project from January to December 2016 for up to 15 unemployed ex-Service personnel and their families to help produce a World War Two commemorative magazine for Buckinghamshire.

This is an opportunity to gain valuable training and experience in the media industry from graphic design to photography and publishing as well as Journalism – planning, researching, interviewing and professional support to update CVs with career advice and guidance to former service personnel. To find out more and register your interest, please contact Gemma by 8th February 2016 at: or call Gemma on 07796 244335

Safer Bucks Plan: Bucks CC would like resident’s help in identifying Crime and Disorder priorities Countywide for 2016/17 by completing a short on-line survey to help produce ‘The Safer Bucks Plan’. This will identify what our priorities are and how we will work with our partners to address them. They will also look at a minimum of one year of crime and disorder data and trends, emerging areas, changing nature of crime etc. This culminates in a detailed analysis looking at victims, offenders and locations of crime. The survey closes on 17 January and can be found at: The Priorities will be finalised at the end of January.

  • Cllr Eastwood reported that street lights had been repaired quickly but that a number of electricity boxes on properties were damaged (This is for the individual property owner to repair). She also reported on the success of the Christmas in the Square 2015 event as well as arrangements for the Fair in the Square 2016 event.
  • Cllr Poland thanked the Clerk and Mr Webb for the quick response to his emails and ensuring that the various broken fences were now repaired.
  • Cllr Baughn thanked Cllr Eastwood for her work regarding the Christmas in the Square event.
  • Cllr Cole (AVDC) gave the following report:

Domiciliary Care Home: Unfortunately it would seem that anti-social behaviour is on the increase again at the Wren Path home. There have been numerous calls and emails made concerning Noise, Foul Language and Threatening Behaviour. These have been passed on to the Anti-Social Behaviour Officer, Benjamin UK and the Environmental Health Team.

Mediation meetings are scheduled to take place next week; an independent arbitrator will host these at AVDC’s offices. Those that are involved with the mediation have been informed and been advised of the process.

The feedback from the resident who has finally been contacted by victim support has pointless with very little in the way of moving forward with a solution. As previously advised I do not see the point of this if the cause of the problem has not been removed.

Planning: I am still waiting for further updates with regards to the action AVDC’s planning enforcement team will be taking with regards to the un-authorised work at Longdown Mews.

RESOLVED: Chairman to reconvene meeting under Standing Orders.

  1. Care Homes – Fairford Leys

To receive any further updatesand agree any further actions.

Nothing to report, discuss or decide.

RESOLVED: This item will be removed as a standing agenda item.

  1. Decisions by the Resources & Personnel Committee and Leisure Committee Meetings

Council is asked to receive and approve the minutes & decisions of the above Standing Committees. Minutes of the committees have been copied to all councillors.

RESOLVED: To receive and agree the minutes of 23/11/15 and decisions made by the Resources and Personnel Committee.

  1. 2016 Precept and Budget

To discuss and agree the proposal from the Resources & Personnel Committee on the 2016 precept and budget.

After discussion and consideration of the services provided by the parish council to Fairford Leys it was proposed by Cllr Lambert and seconded by Cllr Cole that the parish council request a precept of £163,118.00 from AVDC. Councillors also agreed the budget for 2016 and the various category amounts as presented by the Resources and Personnel Committee.

RESOLVED: To agree and request a precept figure of £163,118.00 from AVDC and to agree the budget for 2016 as presented to Council by the Resources and Personnel Committee.

Milton Keynes & Bucks Association of Local Councils (MKBALC) Membership

RESOLVED: As part of the overall consideration for the budget and precept for 2016, to unsubscribe to MKBALC due to the lack of engagement and cost associated with the organisation. The parish council do not access MKBALC services and fail to see the need, and necessity, to be a member of MKBALC.

The Clerk was asked to inform MKBALC of the parish council’s decision.

  1. Finances and Orders for Payment

RESOLVED: To agree and authorise the following orders and retrospective orders forpayment:

  • Haddenham Garden CentreMaintenance£25.88
  • Aylesbury Concert BandXmas Event£200.00
  • City Electrical FactorsXmas Lights£27.26
  • Fresh Design & PrintPrinting£92.00
  • Sally PattinsonReimbursement£23.00
  • The Party PoppersXmas Event£150.00
  • HMRCContributions£2,953.63
  • Butler FuelsFuel£299.43
  • Ernest Cook TrustAllotment & Barn Rent£1,254.00
  • Briants of RisboroughMaintenance£33.12
  • Jones & CocksMaintenance£324.23
  • Window FlowersPlanting£2,022.30
  • George Browns LtdMaintenance£31.80

To receive, note and agree/accept the Councils Financial statements, income and expenditure report

  1. Main Car Park

Discussion on the use of and vehicle flow through the main village car park.

To receive an update from the Clerk after discussion with Brown & Lee and the FL Management Company.

RESOLVED: To await further discussion with the new owners of the property portfolio.

  1. Hs2

To receive an update, if available, and agree any further actions necessary

RESOLVED: The clerk to ask Mr Rogers to approach the MP and share whatever information is needed to ensure the MP can speak at the select committee for Fairford Leys.

Cllr Cole left the Chamber

Cllr Lambert took the Chair

  1. Planning Applications
  • To receive, comment and to either object, support or oppose the following planning

Applications.

  • To consider late applications presented by the Clerk.
  • To consider Ernest Cook Trust Permission on all planning applications

All applications are sent to councillors electronically and cllrs should look at the AVDC website for details of all applications prior to decision at parish council meeting.

  • 15/04169/APP4 Dalwood Mews

Rear extensions and conversion of garage

RESOLVED: No Objections but to ask planning officer to consider the implications of the garage conversion in light of the garage covenants on al Fairford Leys properties, managed by AVDC.

ERNEST COOK TRUST COVENANTS

Permission is sought from the following residents regarding their properties:

  • 4 Dalwood Mews (15/04169/APP)

Rear extensions and conversion of garage to living accommodation

RESOLVED: Agree to give Ernest Cook Trust Covenant permission as long as the garage conversion was acceptable to AVDC regarding the parking of vehicles within the curtilage of the property.

Cllr Cole returned to the Chamber and took the Chair

There being no further business of the Council, the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.43pm

Signed: ______Date: ______

1