HORSFORD PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES
Date of Meeting: June 5th.2017
Present: Brian Blythe (Chairman) Chris Brown Virginia Sokalsky
Alan Wright Mark Smith Melanie Smith
Neil Medler Joanne Keeler Kathryn Clarke
Malcolm Makins
Apologies: Peter Hunnam John Starling
Members of the public expressed concern at the state of a few of the allotments and the need for clearing the path between Horsbeck Way and Dog Lane.
a) Police Report PC Dye was present and reported that there had been 12 crimes reported during May which was average for the parish and predominantly domestic related. The new reporting system did not single out individual parish statistics and the Clerk was asked to write to the police to express concern.
b) Planning No objections were raised to a dwelling at Norfolk Saw Services, a garage conversion at 15 Gordon Godfrey Way and an extension at Grenville Court. Concern was expressed at an outline application for 8 dwellings on land off Mill Lane. The concerns were that this would be a further addition to traffic in Mill Lane, no clear indication had been given on proposed vehicular access to a pumping station, the development ought to be bungalows to be in keeping with the neighbouring development and there ought to be a tree buffer to screen from existing properties.
c) Allotments The Clerk reported that he had let one further plot at Corner Lane with one remaining with a resident who would possibly be interested. The inspection was arranged for Saturday 10th. at 10.00 a.m.
d) Full Council
1. Apologies were noted as above
2. Declarations of Interest were noted from Chris Brown and Joanne Keeler as HVHMC members and Joanne Keeler as Broadland DC member.
3. Minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed and signed.
4. Reports The Clerk reported that NCC had confirmed that re-surfacing Mill Lane was in the 2017 summer programme and that the Drayton Lane junction would be reviewed after local NDR work had been completed. He had been in touch with both Broadland Planning and DW Homes lighting designers to insist that the recommendations of the ecological report submitted with the DW plans were followed. Progress on a re-aligned roundabout was slow with Broadland waiting for a report from the District Valuer on the land which would be needed from the two fuel allotment charities to complete the scheme. Solar lighting columns would not be approved by NCC for the bus stops on Crown Hill and the Clerk would investigate other more tailored alternatives. The Clerk had enquired about the maintenance of the buffer strip between the Shrublands and Butterfly Mill and would chase for a response from Broadlnd DC.
5. Neighbourhood Plan All members had been given an update prior to the meeting. The Steering Group were congratulated on the progress being made.
6. Play Equipment The cost of phase 2 would be in the region of £45,000. Prior to the meeting all members had been appraised of the current balances held by the Council. It was resolved to use the £20,000 earmarked for future amenities and £25,000 from the CIL earmarked for car park repairs as the repair proposals being put forward by the HVHMC were substantially less than previously thought. It was resolved to make a grant of £45,000 available to the HVHMC to enable phase 2 to proceed.
7. Street Names Following the request for road names for the new DW Homes development, members put forward a list with predominantly woodland, heath and butterfly connotations which the Clerk would submit to Broadland DC.
8. Norfolk Association of Local Councils After further consideration it was agreed to renew the annual subscription.
9. Community Engagement Chris Brown said that he had been impressed at the engagement with residents at the recent neighbourhood plan meetings and suggested that the Parish Council should have a presence at the next consultation meeting and that in future the Council should consider some informal “surgeries” to engage with the parishioners.
10. Local Contractor for casual use The Council authorised the use of a local contractor for small maintenance jobs and the Clerk confirmed that he had inspected the public liability insurance certificate. It was agreed that the first small project would be notice board re-furbishment.
11. Clerk’s Salary The Clerk left the room for this item and stated that the Council would be considering remuneration for the job and not the current holder of the post. It was agreed that following the last review in 2005 that with the increase in size of the parish the Clerk should be paid on scale point 27 on the national pay scale agreed annually between NALC and SLCC for a nominal 14.5 hours/week. This would be reviewed at such time as the electoral roll increased to the next band. This decision would take effect from July 1st.2017.
12. Building Sustainable Communities The Council had been invited to send delegates to a conference at the John Innes Centre ob June 29th. Virginia Sokalsky agreed to represent the Council.
13. Green Infrastructure Opportunities An invitation from Broadland DC to attend a meeting on June 13th. found no volunteers and the Clerk was asked to extend the invitation to the neighbourhood plan steering group.
14. Correspondence Anglian Water had written to inform the Council that the stand pipe taps on the Corner Lane allotment field did not comply with current regulations. The Clerk had put matters in hand to get these replaced. Tenjy Darcy from NCC would attend the next meeting to give a short presentation on the travel plans for the DW Homes developments.
15. Accounts passed for payment Norfolk ALC Subscription £612.71 Came & Co. Parish Insurance £1.017.62 Scouts N/Plan Leaflet Distribution £200.00 Hussey Knights N/Plan Printing (inc.VAT) £38.40 Horsf. Church Room N/Plan meeting £40.00 SSE Lighting DD (inc.VAT) £304.01 SSE Lighting DD (inc.VAT) £312.76 A.C.Leigh Allotment Keys (inc.VAT) £36.00 A.Makinson N/Plan Refreshments £13.15 Horsford PTA N/Plan stand at fayre £10.00
16. Clerk’s and Councillors’ Reports The Clerk would contact the Fringe Project ref. strimming the Dog Lane path. Trees on Crown Hill were obscuring the speed sensor. The Clerk would enquire about any further drainage improvements prior to re-surfacing Mill Lane. The Clerk would make further enquiries in to the possibility of light controlled crossings on Holt Road.
17. Next Meeting July 10th.
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