Lubenham Parish Council
Minutes of the Council Meeting
held at Lubenham Village Hall
on Monday 3rd December 2007
Present
Councillors Diana Cook, Richard Poyner, Neil Stout and Alistair Twynham attended the meeting. Also present for some of the time were Mr Mark Andrews (Harborough District Section 106 Co-ordinator) and nine members of the public.
812 Apologies for Absence
Councillor Leeder was indisposed and Cllr MacPhail held up by business affairs in London. Their apologies were accepted.
813 Minutes of the Previous Meeting
The Minutes of the meeting held on 15th October 2007 were agreed to be an accurate record and were signed by the Chairman.
814 Clerk’s Report
The report submitted by the Clerk is shown as an appendix to these Minutes. Matters arising from it and the previous meeting comprised:
· The Clerk’s Contract and Conditions of Employment had been drawn up. They would be circulated to all Councillors and then to the Clerk enabling him to take advice from his professional association.
815 Section 106 Funding from Badger Motors Development
Mr Andrews gave a clear explanation of how the sum of approximately £80,000.00 (including interest and the building costs price index), for “off site play space” might be spent, confirming that the Parish Council would be able to make the final decision. The developers would forward the money once the tenth property was occupied. Initially the money will be banked with the District Council and must be spent within seven years.
The developer could refuse to pay the money if a use other than that agreed was suggested. But the “play space” was not necessarily for children and schemes with limited access (such as in the school grounds) would not be allowed.
It was decided that the ideas mooted in five letters received by the Council would be circulated to all Councillors before the next meeting, when they would all be discussed.
816 Other Correspondence
· The Chairman had attended the District Council’s annual State of the District event.
· The Clerk will send to all Councillors the internet link for the Changes to the Adopted Harborough District Local Plan so that they may make comments.
· The Clerk will send dates of the 2008 Scarecrow Weekend to the RCC for its Diary of Village Events and will ask, via the Newsletter, if there are any others.
· Details of Messrs Came & Co’s insurance schemes will be circulated in the General File.
· The Chairman promised to send a copy of the RCC Rural Service survey to all Councillors.
817 Accounts
The Clerk presented a statement of the Council’s two accounts and it is shown as an appendix to these Minutes. The Council adopted the accounts.
It was decided (Prop: Cllr Poyner, Sec: Cllr Stout) to make a donation of £250.00 to the South Leicestershire Citizens’ Advice Bureau.
It was decided (Prop: Cllr Stout, Sec: Cllr Cook) to demand the same total Precept – £11700.00 – as in previous years.
818 Planning Matters
[Correspondence on planning matters received since the previous Meeting are shown as an appendix to these Minutes.]
· The Chairman described the meeting she and Cllr MacPhail attended with members of the HDC Planning Department regarding applications for development in Laughton Road.
The applications were withdrawn before they were due to be brought before the Planning Committee.
Cllr Twynham said that only three neighbouring properties received invitations to comment on the proposed development yet five objections were necessary for a Planning Committee hearing.
· The Clerk would find out what development was taking place to the rear of No 3 Laughton Road.
819 Street Lamps
According to Messrs ABB two street maps – one in Paget Road, the other in School Lane – need to be replaced and two others straightened. The Clerk was instructed (Prop: Cllr Stout, Sec: Cllr Poyner) to authorise ABB to carry out the work.
A discussion about street lighting in general would take place at the January meeting.
820 Bramfield Park Concerns
A number of Bramfield Park residents were present at the meeting and, having described two accidents that took place recently nearby, presented a petition calling for a speed limit along the stretch of the A4304 running past the site. It was suggested that double white lines or ‘Concealed Entrance’ signs could be supplied.
The Clerk would ask LCC Highways to make a site visit to assess what might be done to help.
821 Possible Parish Plan type Project
This item was deferred until a future date.
822 Possible Provision of a Third VAS
The Clerk would ask Leicestershire Highways for their survey and comments of the effectiveness of the existing VADs.
823 Defra Document on Climate Change
Discussion of climate change and its implications and how parishioners might be advised to help save the environment would take place at the January meeting.
824 Water Flow down The Undle and Flooding
The Clerk would write to Leicestershire Highways asking them to check the drains and drainage in this area of the village. He would also write to the owner of the land bordering The Undle.
825 Provision of a Bus Stop in Marston Turn Lay-by
The Clerk would ask Leicestershire County Council to provide a bus stop here so that Marston residents would not have to walk all the way into Lubenham to catch a bus.
826 Lubenham Trust
The Clerk would follow up his enquiries to Great Bowden Parish Council.
827 Dates of 2008 Meetings
With one alteration the proposed dates were accepted. The Clerk would circulate them so that Councillors could book them in their diaries.
828 Matters for the Next Agenda
· Heritage Warden
· Lubenham Newsletter
· Clerk’s Contract and Job Description
829 Date and Time of Next Meeting
The meeting concluded at 9 p.m. The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday 14th January 2008.
Signed Diana M. Cook Date 3rd December 2008
Chairman
Correspondence between October and December 2007 Meetings
Letters Received [31)
1. HDC: Invitation to annual State of the District event
2. Clerk’s postal and telephone expenses, June to October 2007: £26.31 PAID
3. LRP: Parish website ‘MOT’
4. Village Hall and Village Green Trustees: acknowledgement of grants
5. UHY Hacker Young: Receipt and VAT Invoice
6. HDC: Return of copies of Members’ Interests forms
7. HDC: Changes to the Adopted Harborough District Local Plan
8. RCC: 2008 Diary of Village Events
9. HDC: Standards Committee material
10. Standards Board: Adopting the Code of Conduct for Members
11. LRAPLC: October Newsletter
12. NALC: Legal Briefing – Parish Polls
13. Came & Co.: New Parish Council Insurance Scheme
14. NALC: Legal Briefing – Guidance relating to Licensing Act 2003
15. Leicestershire Constabulary: Hallowe’en and winter advice
16. HDC: Parish Precept requirement – return by 14th December
17. NALC: Clerks’ revised scales of remuneration
18. ABB: Estimate and reminder of earlier one
19. Mr Buckland: re work to pavement
20. Village Hall: Invoice for September and October – check rates
21. Heritage Group: suggestions for 106 funding
22. Village Hall Committee and Mr Corbett: suggestions for 106 funding
23. Village Green Trustees: suggestions for 106 funding
24. HDC: re Stock Transfer
25. Citizens’ Advice Bureau: request for grant
26. HDC: Planning Committee re Laughton Road development
27. Veolia: Invoice for dog bins, April to September 07 – £152.75
28. RCC: Rural Service survey – return by 18th January
29. HDC: re Consultation on Draft Harborough District Economic Development Strategy ‡
30. LRALC: Charter
31. Mr Martin: suggestions for 106 funding
: = Details notified to Councillors * = Copy distributed to Councillors
= To be included in next Agenda @ = Response by date shown
† = Too large for file ‡ = Will be in General File
- = Has been put on notice boards 4 = Questionnaire enclosed
Letters Sent to . . . [12]
1. Village Hall Committee: cheque for sound system
2. Village Green Trustees: cheque for mowing costs
3. Village Green Trustees: request to trim holly around damaged lamp standard
4. Chase Homes: re bulbs lost due to development
5. Mr Burrows: re Speedwatch volunteers
6. Letter sent to Speedwatch volunteers
7. Letter re Section 106 Funding sent to all village organisations
8. Mrs Guy: re footpath linking School Lane and Old Hall Lane
9. Mr Spiers, HDC: re Section 106 Funding
10. ABB: re damaged lamp standards
11. Mr Buckland: re pavement outside his home
12. Mr Howe, HDC: re possible Pedestrian Crossing and Bramfield footpath
Publications received to be included in next GENERAL File
1. Public Consultation on Draft Sustainable Community Strategy
2. HDC Economic Development Strategy Consultation Draft
3. HDC Year Book 2007-8
4. HDC Parish Contacts 2007-8
5. Highways: Winter Salting Routes Leaflet 2007-8
6. Citizens’ Advice Bureau Annual Report 2006-7
7. Clerks & Councils Direct, November 2007
8. Emda News, October 2007
9. Village Retailer, November 2007
10. Leicestershire Matters, November 2007
Accounts – December 2007
The Clerk presented the breakdown of bank balances and transactions since the last meeting.
Balances at 12th October 2007
Community Account £368.30
Business Premium Account £13984.32
Total Balance £14352.62
Bank transactions since the October Meeting comprised:
Payee Amount £ Cheque No
Lubenham Village Hall (July meeting less credit) 3.00 100715
Powergen (quarterly charge) 77.40 100720
W.H.C. Johnston (October stipend) 150.00 100721
UHY Hacker Young (audit fee) 158.63 100722
Lubenham Village Hall (grant) 1500.00 100723
Village Green Trustees (grant) 500.00 100724
W.H.C. Johnston (expenses, June-October 07) 26.31 100725
Total of Cheques presented to Bank by 3.12.07 £2415.34
Interest Received
3rd December 50.74
Transfers
From Business Premium Account £2000.00 16th Oct
£500.00 1st Nov
Balances at 3rd December 2007
Community Account £452.96
Business Premium Account £11535.06
Total Balance £11988.02
Spending to Date Under Receipts & Payments Book Headings,
Financial Year Ending 31st March 2008
£ From Forecast of £
Staff Costs 1050.00 2500.00
General Administration 808.33 1200.00
Audit Expenses 158.63 300.00
Village Hall 95.00 200.00
General Expenses 152.75 2500.00
Street Lighting 438.49 1000.00
Grants 7750.00 3000.00
Elections 0.00 1000.00
10453.20 11700.00
Planning Matters between October and December 2007 Meetings
PLANNING APPLICATION LISTS Nos 1638-43
Planning Applications
None
Decision in Respect of Proposed Work to Trees
07/01421/TCA
Mr P. Abell: Works to trees, 12 Tower Court.
The trees affected by the proposed work are not protected by a Tree Preservation Order but are situated in Lubenham Conservation Area.
The Harborough District Council consents to the work proposed in the notification referred to.
Refusal of Planning Permission
07/01400/FUL
Mr and Mrs L. Roundhill: Erection of a dwelling, Flagstone House, 24 Foxton Road.
Clerk’s Report, 3rd December 2007
More than the required number of Speedwatch volunteers have agreed to offer their services now that we are a permanent Speedwatch community and I have contacted Mike Wilson, the County
Co-ordinator, to inform him. Acceding to my request that he next, four-week, period takes place when there are more daylight hours than before (December 2006) Mr Wilson confirms that it will be in March or April and the team will use hand-held equipment rather than the speed display board.
Despite every village organisation receiving a letter about the Section 106 Funding available from the Badger Motors development just four responses were received – and two of these were from individuals not representing any group. That from Mr John Martin would, if acceptable, accord very closely with the Chairman’s suggestion of a Village Trust and would benefit from discussion.
Mr Mark Andrews, HDC’s Section 106 Officer, has kindly offered to attend the December meeting to answer the points in my letter of 31st October.
Mr Buckland replied to my letter about the pavement outside Piper’s Piece by enclosing a quotation for attending to the wall in two different ways. He is still awaiting a reply from Mr Howe about the other work (to the pavement) – and I have received no reply from Mr Howe to my letter of 13th November about a possible Pedestrian Crossing in Main Street and a Footpath from Bramfield Park.
Four street lamps need attention, according to Messrs ABB who maintain them. Two are not vertical and need realigning and a further two should be replaced (at a cost of £1216.00 plus VAT). The total amount is easily affordable since less than half the sum budgeted for public lighting has been spent. (See next item.)
Study of the latest Statement of Accounts shows that the Council still has a larger sum in the bank than it has spent in the current financial year – even though it has been more generous with grants than planned. I would suggest that in the coming months – and certainly by the March 2008 meeting – thought should be given to spending or earmarking much of this sum for specific projects.
It is assumed, from the lack of feedback, that the 2008-9 Precept request will be for the same amount as the previous year.
The South Leicestershire Citizen’s Advice Bureau has sent its annual request for a donation towards its work. Last year the Council gave it £250.00.
The RCC is undertaking a Survey of Rural Services and has sent a questionnaire that should be returned by 18th January 2008. All parishes completing the survey will be entered into a draw for a prize of £100.00!
Your comments on HDC’s Draft Economic Development Strategy are solicited. The document will be in the General File and Councillors may make individual comments.
LRALC (the new acronym for LRAPLC) would appreciate views by mid-January 2008 on its Draft Charter between Local Councils and the County Council. The draft will be included in the General File.
Last month I attended a short course of Parish Web Sites at BBC Radio Leicester. Stephen Butt, the Open Centre Manager, suggested ways in which parish news could be more vividly displayed, using short sentences and separate paragraphs to make easier reading.
I have incorporated some of his ideas – and some of my own – on the Parish News page and hope Councillors will agree that it is an improvement. Due to the vagaries of computers, I am now able once again to access all pages on the Lubenham site and have updated them all. I should like to add a photograph of each Councillor on the page giving your details and am negotiating with Cllr Leeder’s son to provide email access for her.