Gerrards Cross Town Council

South Lodge, East Common, Gerrards Cross SL9 7AD 01753 888018

Clerk to the Council - Mrs S Moffat

www.gerrardscross.gov.uk

Minutes of the Full Council Meeting held on Monday

18th January 2016 7.30pm at the Memorial Centre

Present
In Attendance / Cllr C Brown (Chairman), Cllr M J Baker, Cllr C Bitram, Cllr I Bayliss,
Cllr. M T Berntson, Cllr J Chhokar, Cllr P Grimes, Cllr N Holmes, Cllr M Lawson,
Cllr P Roberts and Cllr J Woolveridge.
Mrs S Moffat (Town Clerk), Cllr Duncan Smith (SBDC) and Stephanie Wareham from the Bucks Free Press.

Would Councillors please give any declarations of interest at the beginning of the item.

84/16 / Apologies for absence were accepted from Cllr S Chhokar from SBDC.
85/16 / To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on the 14th December 2015.
CB proposed the minutes and these were approved by the Council and signed.
JW welcomed the new Town Clerk, SM, to her first Full Council meeting.
86/16 / Public speaking from residents regarding matters relevant to the meeting’s agenda with time allowed 5 minutes per person.
No members of the public were in attendance.
87/16 / To confirm the minutes of the following meetings:-
1. Commons Committee held on the 4th January 2016
It was reported that (i) CB/SM are having a meeting with Dowdy this Wednesday to discuss East Common footpath and dropped kerb by bus turning circle; (ii) Phil Mooney has been contacted and is satisfied with the arrangements of the football pitch being used by St James Church on a Saturday. The ‘Fitness Group’ has started using the Common again and need to be checked.
2 Highway Committee held on the 4th January 2016
ML reported that (i) The Packhorse Road consultation has finished and the results were advertised in the local papers. The next step is to ensure the results are implemented as soon as possible; (ii) CB/SM are having a meeting with BP Collins regards the sculpture. CB emphasised that BP Collins wanted to give the community a sculpture as a donation that would benefit the town and not as a means of advertising; (iii) The Parking Restriction consultation ends on 22nd January and; (iv) CB/ML/SM are having a meeting with the Bucks CC Officer this Wednesday to discuss Mill Lane and West Common pinch point.
3 Planning Committee held on the 11th January 2016.
JC reported that (i) One member of the public attended to object about the planning application in South Park Crescent and; (ii) 8 Elmwood Park planning application, which was causing confusion about the 1 metre rule, has now been withdrawn.
JW attended a meeting on the emerging Local Plan at SBDC today. The Local Plan consultation starts 5pm on 19th January and ends on 14th March. CDC and SBDC are carrying out a joint Local Plan as it was deemed more suitable for SBDC to join forces with CDC when looking at housing needs rather than join with the Windsor, Maidenhead and Slough Group. SBDC needs to put forward Green Belt (GB) options to be tested otherwise the Government will fail the plan. Therefore we need to produce evidence why the GB options should not be used and that they fulfil the national function. It is our duty to cooperate with other organisations and authorities in responding to the consultation. It is the housing and employment needs that are the driving force for updating the Local Plan. The housing need is allocated at 15,100 dwellings ( a set proportion of this must be affordable), care beds at 1,100 for older people, a set need for travellers and 15ha of land needed for employment. If we are unable to meet our own needs then we do not have to meet the needs of other authorities. These numbers may be changed by Government whilst the plan is emerging. The Local Plan also includes a Heritage Strategy to include what is important within the parishes and the green spaces that need protecting. If there is no Neighbourhood Plan in place these issues can be included under ‘Local Measures’.
The consultation ends on 14th March and another consultation will take place starting in October to consult on the proposals being put forward.
It was agreed to discuss the way forward in responding to Local Plan at the next Planning meeting. In the meantime it is vital to advertise this consultation and ensure that as many local groups and residents in GX respond.
88/16 / Communications Working Party Update
MJB has just sent out the Minutes of the first meeting. The first draft of ‘Voice’ has been completed with the aim to have it ready for publication and distribution by the end of January. It was agreed that the Local Plan Consultation should be advertised in this edition.
89/16 / To agree payments in accordance with the budget.
IB went through the payments and the Council approved.
90/16 / Report from County and District Councillors
DS is now Chairman of SBDC and is raising money for the Chairman’s Charity fund to donate money to local charities. DS’s chosen charity is South Bucks Hospice but he would also welcome applications from other local bodies.
91/16 / Report on Meetings – members update on where they have represented the Parish Council since the last meeting.
IB reported that he has, together with PR, attended a councillor’s training course which he found very useful. PR agreed. The question of the opportunity to attend ‘planning training’ was raised. DS will make enquiries with SBDC and CB will ask about this at the next SBALC meeting this week.
MJB has (i) Attended St Mary’s School on 3 occasions where he is involved in a project that is being carried out to consider ways of making improvements in Gerrards Cross and there are some good ideas being discussed. The School will have a presentation on this project in April and MJB will inform the councillors of the date if anyone wishes to attend; (ii) Attended Active Bucks which was held in the library to promote health and well-being. He met Stuart George from Chiltern CCG who indicated that it is the responsibility of GP’s to establish a new surgery in a town and not the NHS; (iii) Attended the last Trading Association meeting. Attendance appears to be dwindling.
ML reported that he has attended meetings of the Communication WP and Traders Association. Any ideas of how to support the GX Traders would be welcomed. He is also organising the next meeting of Boost.
NH attended the GX Youth AGM and its monthly meetings. He is now a Committee member on behalf of GXTC. More committee members are needed and volunteers to help with the youth work.
MTB reported that he attended Camp Road and Bulstrode Road Board meeting where concerns were raised about drainage and residents getting planning permission to enlarge their properties close to their boundaries. The Board were grateful for the pond being cleared and it is now full of water.
JW reported that she has been to the Local Plan meeting at SBDC as discussed above. The Conservation volunteers have been cutting back holly and clearing litter on the Common.
CB reported that he has attended:- (i) The Traders Association meeting; (ii) A Wapsey Wood meeting, notes of which have already been circulated. This landfill site still looks on target to close by 2017 when the land will then be suitable for grazing sheep. It would seem that a planning application is in the pipeline for a Waste Transfer Station on part of the site. CB would strongly object to this as it is not an industrial site and such permission would set a precedent. It was agreed that CB will write a letter of objection on behalf of the Council if planning permission is submitted.
92/16 / To note general information received in the correspondence at the Parish Office
Response from Dr Annet Gamell the Chief Clinical Officer of the Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Group to the request for a medical centre in GX. Dr Gammell stated that an additional practice is not warranted. Members still believe that there must be a business case for a GP to set up a practice in GX.
Youth Speaks is being held this Friday if any councillor would like to attend.
ML offered to head up the BKV Group as the issues involved do overlap with work of Boost.
93/16 / To confirm that the Parish meeting of Gerrards Cross Parish Council will be held on Monday 15th February 2016 7.30 pm at the Memorial Centre.
The meeting opened at 7.30pm and closed at 9.07pm