KINGTON ST MICHAEL PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING HELD ON 24TH APRIL 2014 AT THE VILLAGE HALL, KINGTON ST MICHAEL

The Parish meeting is called annually by the Chairman of the Parish Council but it is a meeting of the people of Kington St Michael, where matters brought to the notice of the Clerk in advance of the meeting can be considered by the parishioners in attendance.

Present: There were 17 people present, including Cllr Maureen Hall (chairman), Cllr Cole, Cllr Durno, Cllr Wicks, Cllr Sealy and the Clerk

M I N U T E S

1 / Welcome from the Chairman
The Chairman (Maureen Hall) welcomed all and thanked them for attending
2 / Apologies
Apologies were received from: Cllr Isaac, Cllr Allen, Cllr Kallaway, Kay Sambell (Village Hall Committee), Maria Merry (KSM Club), Sue Wilkinson (Netball Club), Lee Churchill and Yvonne Cole (Acorns), Louisa Oldfield (Friends of KSM School) and Cllr Greenman (Wiltshire Council)
3 / Minutes
The minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on the 25th April 2013 were distributed. These were approved as a true record and signed.
4 /

Chairman’s Report

Kington St Michael is known as a pro-active Parish and often promotes projects for the benefit of the village and Parish as a whole. The emergence of the Community Shop started with the Parish Council. The Community Plan has provided guidance for small scale development in the Parish such as the Tor Hill Footpath and the additional provision of affordable housing within the village. The two additional houses plus parking at Honeyknob Hill were very much the brain child of the Parish Council, with consultation with Green Square, and the new development at Town Close has been the subject of scrutiny by councillors since its inception. The maintenance and improvement of the playing field is also within the Parish Councils remit.
Councillors divide up the responsibilities for these various projects amongst themselves, and together with the clerk, progress and monitor each situation. Councillors also attend meetings at Wiltshire Council to understand County projects as they might affect our Parish and also to improve our understanding of the rules and regulations and changes that apply to us as they are brought in by government.
This year we were faced with the inevitable task of setting the budget, and you may have noticed that our precept had increased. Percentagewise is seems quite a large increase at 19.9%, but in actual monetary terms it is actually quite small at £8.08. The increases were in part due to the change in legislation as to how rates were paid. An unforeseen outcome of some legislation meant that the rates base, i.e. the number of houses paying rates has decreased and the grants from central government have also been stopped. The projects to continue the Tor Hill Footpath to make a safe crossing lower down the hill, to improve if possible the road between the Village Hall and the Manor Gates, to continue to maintain and repair equipment and fencing on the Recreation Field, as well as to improve facilities, all cost money. Even if we manage as with the Rekk Shelter to pay for this entirely out of grants, there are still areas where we need to make a contribution such as with the postal grant, grants to the Church for the burial ground, and other smaller projects that parishioners ask help for. These plus paying the really quite small salary bill for the Clerk use up our Precept. Any major projects have to be budgeted over several years, the first phase for Tor Hill footpath took 2/3 years, and the second phase once we can get quotes for the work involved may take just as long. We have to put money aside over a number of years as we are too small to pay for such projects out of one year’s income. Our precept this year is some £13,000.
We are currently looking at the cost of an all-weather pitch on the Recreation Field to see how this, together with the first Section 106 money we have ever had, £7,400 from the Honeyknob Hill houses, can be managed. Section 106 money is specified as to where it can be used, in this case the Recreation Field.
I hope this explains a little of what we do, and how and why we make our decisions as to the precept.
5 / Reports from Wiltshire Council
Cllr Greenman was unable to attend, so a report was not given.
6 / Reports from Local Organisations
·  Almshouses
·  Parochial Church Council
·  Kington St Michael Primary School
·  Autumn Club
·  Book & DVD Recycling Scheme
·  Kington St Michael WI
·  Kington St Michael Community Shop
·  Women Out Walking
·  FOSMAA
·  Acorns Pre-school
·  Kington St Michael Club
·  Kington St Michael Netball Club
Meeting closed at 8.40pm

Note: Copies of reports are attached to the master of these minutes; however copies can be forwarded on request.

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