SUTTON HEATH PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 13 March 2017

In the Barnsdale Centre

Present: Cllrs Colin Wearmouth (Chairman), Stirling Askew (Vice Chairman), Penny Fish, Chris Hall, Roy Hirst, Dawson Pratt, Nick Ward.

In Attendance: District Councillor Jim Bidwell, Louise Chalklen.

Apologies for Absence: County Councillor Andrew Reid.

Absent: Cllr Claire Paxton

  1. Appointments: Penny Fish was appointed Parish Clerk and Louise Chalklen was elected to the parish council. CW welcomed both appointees to their respective appointments. DP said he had been acting parish clerk for the past fifteen months and the four paid hours a week allocated to our parish clerk were insufficient. He had spoken to other parish clerks and SALC and the standard was six paid hours a week. Proposed by CW and seconded by DP to increase the parish clerks paid hours to six a week.
  2. Amendments to the Councillors Register: Nil.
  3. Declarations of Pecuniary and Non - pecuniary Interest: CW stated he was an allotment holder and would not speak on item 16 of the agenda – Allotments.
  4. Approval of Minutes of Parish Council meeting held on 09 January 2017: Approved. Proposed SA and seconded by CH.
  5. Public Questions: Nil.
  6. Reports:
  1. County Council: Cllr Andrew Reid submitted a written report. SCC was promoting mental health and suicide prevention as two health issues to be given priority by SCC. The new Heritage Centre building for Suffolk will be designed by Pringle Richards Sharratt. There have been over one hundred gritting runs so far this winter by Suffolk Highways to keep Suffolk’s roads safe and 12,232 tonnes of salt and grit has been used, which is equivalent to 1,750 male African elephants. The County Council elections will be in May 2017.
  2. District Council: Cllr Jim Bidwell reported the new SCDC offices at Melton were fully operational but, as forecast, there were parking and traffic congestion problems. The problems would get worse when the office accommodation for external use were completed and open. The Deben swimming pool was being rebuild and would be called the Deben Leisure Centre when completed. Council tax would rise by 3.2% on 01 April. SCDC would be raising funds by building more beach huts to rent. Suffolk Armed Forces Day will be held at Felixstowe this year to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Battle of Landguard Fort when the Dutch landed and attacked the fort. Anglo-Dutch Wars.
  3. SALC: The next SALC meeting is in June 2017.
  4. Sandlings Primary School: CP is the parish council representative on the school board of governors. Meetings are held weekday afternoons. CP works full time and cannot attend. SA suggested Maxine Hammond, welfare Officer 23 Para Engr Regt was on the school board of governors and would include the parish council in her brief.
  1. Planning Applications: CH reported he had received four applications relating to Sutton Village and none for Sutton Heath. Sutton applicants may face a problem if their application is mis-directed. {DP has spoken to the planning department at SCDC and the error has been corrected}.
  2. Correspondence Received by the Parish Clerk and Drop-Box. Nil.
  3. Alan Crompton Community Hall:
  1. Power supply to cooker has been connected.
  2. CW is investigating closing off the kitchen area for H&S reasons.
  3. NW is investigating the showing of films in the hall.
  4. CW is planning a dining facility now the kitchen is operational. The first event is a St Georges Day lunch on 23 April when the parish will host those who have helped establish and develop the council from formation in 2012 to today. Guests will be those who have contributed to the fund raising and provision of our excellent recreational and social facilities. It was agreed in council to allocate £350 to the St Georges Day lunch. Proposed DP and seconded NW.
  1. Overhanging Trees 1-3 Greenways: SA said DIO had inspected the trees, and others overhanging private gardens and remedial action would be taken, including the removal of trees behind 1-3 Greenways. CW thanked SA for resolving the matter.
  2. Blood Donor Sessions: RH had approached the Blood Donor Organisation but there was no interest in opening another collecting point. RH would try again.
  3. Newsletter: It was agreed that the parish now had an improved Newsletter under PF editorial. PF said printing could now be done in house with the new parish clerk’s printer. CW thanked PF for her ideas and hard work on the Newsletter. PF is now looking to upgrade the web site.
  4. Mobile Post Office: DP said the parish application for a mobile post office to visit Sutton Heath once a week had again been refused. He had now appealed by letter to the Post Master at head office.
  5. Defibrillator Training: Clare Thompson has agreed to run a training course. The parish council had to agree a date.
  6. Allotments: The Allotment Constitution has been cancelled due to lack of military holders which is below the 51% stipulated by DIO. This meant civilian holders would lose their allotments. DP approached DIO to put the allotments under a new constitution which gave all residents of Sutton Heath the right to apply for an allotment. A new constitution was written and passed to DIO. The constitution has been accepted by DIO and the ground leased to the allotment holders for a pepper corn rent and a licence fee of £150. The allotment holders, under the collective Sutton Heath Allotment Society, are now responsible for maintenance of the paths, gates and fences. SHAS has formed a management committee under chairman Dan Lever and will take over the plot as soon as the licence is received. The outstanding issue to be resolved is the metering of water and DP is negotiating with DIO. DP proposed the licence fee of £150 should be paid by the parish council. Many facilities had been provided for the young but little for the older generation. This was agreed in council; approved NW and seconded RH.
  7. Empty Army Families Quarters: SA said 55 married quarters were unoccupied. The long term use is unknown but short term it is possible a housing association could take on the management of the empty quarters and rent them on the open market. The parish council expressed concern at a housing association having access to the properties. SA said the Commanding Officer 23 Para Engr Regt, as Garrison Commander, had strong views on who should rent properties on what is essentially an army base.
  8. Social Survey: The commanding officer 23 Para Engr Regt has asked AS to conduct a survey into the needs of military and civilian residents. SA and Maxine Hammond, UWO, have drawn up a survey which will be delivered to all properties in Sutton Heath. The survey lists existing facilities, social events, clubs and organisations and asks recipients to suggest other activities. It is essential to get the survey correct before distribution and DP handed councillors a copy of the draft survey with a request for observations by Friday 17 March.
  9. Community Pay Back Scheme: DP has arranged a litter pick for Thursday 16 March. He has access to the scheme should councillors identify other needs.
  10. Annual Parish Meeting: The Annual Parish Meeting will be at 1900hrs on Monday 10 April in the Community Centre. This is an invitation for the public to meet the council and to raise matters and give ideas. The chairman gives a resume of the past year. PF will put the event in the March Newsletter.
  11. Parish Statutory Documents: The following statutory documents have been written and approved in full council – Standing Orders, Asset Register, Code of Conduct, Communications Policy, Complaints Procedure, Disciplinary Policy, Finance Regulations, Internal Control Policy, Risk Register, Transparency Code.
  12. Accounts: The parish bank account was in credit by £10,687 on 28 February with a VAT refund of £560 waiting payment.
  13. AOB: It was agreed to give Just 42 a grant of £200 on receipt of an application. Proposed NW and seconded SA. This is a national youth club type organisation which visits Sutton Heath on Monday evenings.

NW reported fly tipping on the other side of Heath Road. He had reported it to SCDC.

The next parish council meeting is on Monday 08 May 2017 together with the AGM.