Harmston Parish Council
MINUTES OF HARMSTON PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
HELD AT HARMSTON MEMORIAL HALL.
Tuesday 3rd November 2015 at 7.30 pm
Meeting 4 of the 2015/16 year
Present
Frances Mannsåker, Chair
John Martin-Hoyes, Vice Chair
Jonathan Chaplin
Anita Fox
Brian Hamilton
Mark Jones
M A Overton, County Councillor joined the meeting at 8.40pm
Gail Dixon, Clerk to the Council
Three members of the public and Two PCSOs
1 / Open ForumThree residents of Blacksmiths Lane attended to raise concerns about the increase in non-resident traffic using that and Vicarage Lane as a ‘rat run’ to avoid the lights on the main road. The cars drive too fast for the road conditions; there had been one recent accident and at least one car had been damaged.
Councillors concurred that it was a serious problem. Possible actions canvassed were:
- Speed stickers on wheelie bins, as had been used effectively in Aubourn
- Volunteers to monitor traffic and take numbers
- A one-way system introduced; it was noted this had been investigated in depth during 2003 and found unviable
- Sleeping policemen (speed bumps) to be installed on both Blacksmiths Lane and Vicarage Lane
- To put the S.I.D. back on Blacksmith’s Lane
- To write the LVV Highways Department to explore the possibility of having sleeping policemen installed
- To write formally to request increased police surveillance at the busiest times.
2 / Apologies
Apologies had been sent by Cllr. Laura Conway and Cllr I Edgar
3 / Police Report
The PCSOsreported that there has been no crime in Harmston since the last Council meeting.
They further noted that speeding is the number one problem across the county, but catching speeding motorists was challenging as all police cars now operate from the East Midlands area. PCSOs cannot issue speeding tickets but do hand out letters fromthe Police & the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership to make drivers more aware of their speed. However, they would report the issue of Blacksmiths Lane to PC Hanson.
4 / Reports from County and District Councillors
Cllr. Laura Conway reported by email on the Further Draft of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan:
The Consultation for the Further Draft Local Plan for Central Lincolnshire began on Thursday October 15th and will run for six weeks, finishing on Wednesday 25th November.
During this six-week consultation period, there are a number of other related documents which are also open for consultation, all of which can be found on the Central Lincolnshire website (), together with the Further Draft Local Plan itself. Locally, hard copies of these documents can also be viewed at Navenby Village Office at the Venue.
These related documents are:
Local Plan Integrated Impact Assessment
Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)
Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP)
Housing Growth Delivery Plan
Economic Growth Delivery Plan
Community Infrastructure Levy Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule
Draft CIL Regulation 123 List
Draft CIL Installments Policy
Draft CIL Payment In-Kind Policy
The full range of evidence reports that underpin the Further Draft Local Plan are available to view on the Central Lincolnshire website. These documents include the Strategic Housing Market Assessment and the Economic Needs Assessment, which are key documents in arriving at the Objectively Assessed Need figure for housing development in the area over the Plan period.
It is now up to us all to comment on the Further Draft of the Plan to ensure we get the very best for our communities over the Plan period.
Any comments you may wish to make can be submitted in the following ways:
- using the on-line portal on the Central Lincolnshire website
- using the Consultation Response Forms available at Navenby Village Office at the Venue or available to download from the Central Lincolnshire website
- writing to the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan Team, c/o North Kesteven District Council, District Council Offices, Kesteven Street, SLEAFORD, NG34 7EF
- emailing
C Cllr M Overton arrived at 8.40pm, from the Planning meeting considering the Navenby Top Farm development. She reported that the development had been refused, with councillors taking into account the proposed policies underpinning the Draft Plan
Commenting on the Draft Local Plan, she noted her concern that there was a £200 million shortfall for necessary infrastructure development. She distributed paper response forms for individual residents, encouraging them as well as the Council to respond to the Plan.
5 / Minutes of the Previous Meeting
The notes of the previous meeting (7th September 2015) had been distributed to council members.
Cllr J Chaplin, seconded by Cllr Hamilton, proposed that they be accepted as Minutes. Agreed
6 / Actions undertaken since the previous meeting
All council members had been provided with a list of actions that had been undertaken since the last meeting. The following were noted:
- Salvation Army Brass Band has been booked through Malcolm Andrews for the Harmston Christmas tree lights switch-on on Saturday 5th December at 5pm. Christmas tree ordered from Doddington Hall, at a cost of £180 including VAT and delivery. It will be delivered on 1st December. Father Christmas had been alerted.
- Website has been up-dated
- £150 from the petty cash has been banked. Petty cash now is reduced to £200.
- Chair attended Chair’s briefing and Clerk and Chair attended Cliff Cluster meeting on the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan [agenda item 8a]
- Cllr Fox has investigated possible grant funding agencies for the proposed Play Area. Chair has ascertained costs of Astroturf and fencing for Play Area and has approached NKDC over any planning issues, but has received no response to this last [agenda item 8b].
- Chair has spoken at length with NKDC Refuse Department over:
b] the wheeled bins on the green at the junction of School Lane and High Street; NKDC has agreed to approach the owners of both cottages and try to find a way forward, recognising that some compromise will have to be made by all.
7 / Financial Matters
Councillors considered the following:
a)A current statement of account, together with a bank reconciliation.
b) Outstanding invoices:
Payable to / Reason / Amount
18.09.15 / NKDC / Election Expenses / £105.66
01.10.15 / EON / Supply / £306.35
03.10.15 / Doddington Hall / Christmas Tree / £180
May-Oct / Clerk / Refund of expenses / £62.79
Payments made in between meetings:
28.09.15 / Gail Dixon / Clerks wages now paid by standing order / £193.34
14.10.15 / HMRC Q2 / Clerks Tax / £121.80
Cllr J M-Hoyes, seconded by Cllr A Fox, proposed that all invoices to be paid. Agreed.
c) The Petty Cash reportfor the period September to November
No petty cash had been expended. As agreed petty cash has now been reduced to £200.
d) Preliminary Budget figures for the Precept.
The Clerk had prepared a budget for 2016/17, based on the current year’s figures, for Councillors to make a preliminary assessment for the precept for the coming year. The forecast showed that a very small increase would be needed to cover current costs. Councillors were reluctant to increase the precept, but it was noted that the Harmston precept is very significantly lower than that of the other Cliff villages, and the Council, while not being extravagant, had to ensure it had the funds to deliver its responsibilities. A final decision would be taken at the meeting on 19th January 2016.
e) Renewal price of the maintenance contract.
Acorn maintenance has tendered for the contract again at the same price as last year - £1570. Cllr M Jones, seconded by Cllr A Fox, proposed that the council renew the contract. Agreed.
The Clerk would circulate thefull schedule of the maintenance work, prepared in 2014, to new Councillors for their information.
f) Computer Equipment.
Councillors agreed to the purchase of a new lap-top for the Clerk, at around £500, as the one currently in use is very old, slow and not fit for purpose.
8 / Matters for Consideration
a) Central Lincolnshire Draft Local Plan.
The Chair had prepared a paper for the meeting on the Further Draft Central Lincolnshire Local Plan, summarising its contents and suggesting line of response. Cllr Conway had sent her support for the paper and its recommendations.
Councillors’ major concerns were over whether necessary infrastructural support could keep pace with the proposed developments, and likely future over-crowding of schools and health services. It was noted, however, that the Plan proposed good policies for encouraging local character and distinctiveness, the green agenda, and controlling undesirable development. On balance it was important the Plan was supported, as without a Plan the region has no protection against random and unplanned development.
The paper can be read on the Harmston Parish website (parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk>Harmston) and all residents are invited to send their suggestions to the Clerk before 20th November 2015.
b) Village Play Area.
Cllr A Fox circulated an update of grants she has been looking into. Two grant bodies that she has been looking into have deadlines looming; for the other bodies, she has emailed an initial request for contact.
The Council’s preferred supplier has been contacted to quote for imitation grass and for fencing. The imitation grass would add a further £10,000 to the costs and the fencing approximately £5,000. Cllrs agreed that as much as possible should be applied forfrom grant funding bodies.
A meeting had finally been arranged with Peter Sowerby to ensure that as the owner of the playing field, he was happy with the proposals and the design. If this were the case, the Chair would prepare another leaflet for all village residents to up-date them on the project.
c)Electricity supply to the Christmas tree.
It was agreed that the electricity supply to the Christmas tree be dealt with now as a matter of urgency. Cllr M Jones agreed to organise an appropriately qualified electrician to do the work.
Cllr I Edgar would arrange for the usual PAT testing of the lights themselves.
d)Christmas Tree lighting up event on December 5th 2015.
The Clerk had drawn up a list of jobs to do, both before and during the event, and this was circulated. Good planning was essential as a number of Councillors were unavailable on the day to help. It was agreed that this was done outside the meeting.
e) Local Government Boundary Commission Review Response
No draft response had been prepared as the proposals had been delayed. They would be published in early December with a consultation period of 15/12/15 to 8/02/16. The item would therefore be held over until the January meeting.
f)Roads – planning for a bad winter
The Council had a contingency fund in place. Cllr J M-Hoyes kindly offered to clear the roads if needed.
g) TrafficMirrors on Church Lane.
Cllr A Fox stepped aside for this item as a potnetially interested party
Cllr M Overton had written to the Chair suggesting that she use some of her discretionary funds to provide a traffic mirror to help residents of Farm Cottages egress onto Church Lane. The funds had to be channelled through a public body such as the Council. In preparation for the debate, the Chair had written to the Church Committee to seek its views, as any mirror would have to be placed in the churchyard.
It was noted that
- the Council could not support a mirror for Farm Cottages without also supporting ones for Honeysuckle Cottage and Corbieres, as they all suffered from the same problem if visibility
- LCC Highways did not approve of traffic mirrors as they were often unreliable and gave users a false sense of security
- traffic mirrors were entirely a private matter between the residents and the landowner on whose land the mirrors would be placed, and the Council could do no more than facilitate such an installation, without any liability
- the Council had looked into the use of traffic mirrors previously and rejected the idea.
g)Citizens Advice donation letter.
In response to a letter from the Citizens Advice, Councillors agreed to send a donation of £50 for a second year.
9 / Planning Applications during the period July to September
No applications for planning.
Tree Work:
Ref: 407899/CA3060 School House, High St. – Work has been approved.
10 / Correspondence
A schedule of correspondence received from July to September had been distributed.
In response to a request from other local councils and interested bodies, it was agreed to add Hamston Parish Council’s name to those opposing the Fulbeck Airfield Wind Farm proposal.
11 / Matters to be Raised at the Next Meeting
a) The Precept for 2016/17
b) Progress on the proposed Play Area
c) Response to the Local Government Boundary Commission Review
12 / Date for the next meeting
TUESDAY 19th January 2016 at 7.30pm.
The Chair thanked all who attended and closed the meeting at 9.20pm
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ChairDate
Harmston Parish Council