Bradwell Parish Council Minutes, 2013/14 Year. Page 40
Minutes of the Business Meeting of Bradwell Parish Council
held on Monday 14th October 2013 at 7:30 p m at
Bradwell Parish Council Office, 21 Glovers Lane, Heelands, Milton Keynes
Members present:
Councillor Brian King (chairman)
Councillor James Alexander
Councillor Marie Bradburn
Councillor Leon Gilpin
Councillor Caroline Godfrey
Councillor Paul Lewin
Councillor John Newbury
Also attended: Harold Atkins, parish clerk/RFO, June Bryant, Administrative Assistant, PCSO Bianca James, and Nana Oguntola for item 7.2 grant application.
1 Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received and accepted from Councillors Rex Exon and Marc Hairsine
2 Disclosures of Interest. Cllr James Alexander as a trustee of Bradwell Memorial Hall for item 11.
3 Minutes
The minutes of the meeting held on 23rd September were accepted as true record and signed by the chairman.
RESOLVED: To accept the minutes of the meeting held on 23rd September 2013 as a true record.
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4 Chairman’s Announcements. No separate announcements made.
5 Police and Crime Report.
PCSO Bianca James gave a report indicating reasonably low crime figures for the last month. She advised that she would be locally training new male PCSO Rui de Sa who had been assigned to the parish area, and that a further female PCSO was under initial training at the police college. The demand for double yellow lines in Glovers Lane outside the shops was reinforced by members and agreed by the PCSO. A problem with vans in the Quinton Drive area, so far, had been partly dealt with, There were complaints about several large East European lorries regularly parking in and obstructing Deltic Avenue, Rooksley.
6 Public Open Forum. No members of the public were present.
7 Presentations in Support of Requests for Parish Council Grants
7.1. Milton Keynes Women and Work. The applicants did not attend this meeting.
This was caused by the mislaying of the invitation due to their moving offices, and the item will be reinstated at the 4th November meeting.
7.2. This item was taken out of order due to the late arrival of the presenter.
JCC Media - Junior Filmmakers. Under the grant awarding rules, as this grant exceeded £1,000, if approved it would have to go forward to the 2014/15 budget.
Ms Nana Oguntola gave a presentation requesting £2,400 to train ten young people aged 9 – 17 living within the Parish to undergo a 12-24 week training course to learn the necessary skills leading to their producing a film about Bradwell Parish. Ms Oguntola reported that JCC Media had the equipment necessary to do this at their studio in Central Milton Keynes. A large number of questions followed, the main points from which are:
· JCC stands for the Jesus Celebration Centre. Ms Oguntola reported that the church has no influence in selecting participants and that Junior Filmmakers is open to all irrespective of their race or beliefs, religious or otherwise..
· What other parishes are involved? Stony Stratford and talking to Woughton and Campbell Park.
· The accounts submitted were for the Jesus Celebration Centre. Concern was expressed about the amount of money spent on JCC administration to the extent that it did not seem to be a financially viable organisation.
· If approved, the course could start in January 2014, although the grant would not be paid until April.
· Local schools would be requested to nominate participants, half from junior schools and half from secondary. The presenter had no knowledge of the schools within the parish and knew of only one student from Stantonbury Campus.
· The course would be free to children once the Council had given a grant.
· When completed, the film would become the property of the Parish Council.
This matter was considered under item 14 below.
8 Report from the Clerk / RFO
a) The name of the Parish Council’s bank has reverted to “Lloyds Bank,” formerly Lloyds TSB.
b) The residents of 46 Abbey Road, Bradwell, have threatened to take legal action over the Council’s decision not to fell lime tree reference T3 on the Marishal Thompson plan.
c) The Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner will be holding a public meeting at Fishermead Trinity Centre on 11 November 2013 from 19:00 to 21:00.
d) The “Dippy the Dolphin” springer for Bradwell Common Square is on order.
e) The clerk was advised to contact Jane Reed of Safer MK over the failure of that organisation to respond to the Council’s request for a street lamp on a path in Bradwell Common Boulevard by the Local Park.
f) No further communication had been received concerning the non-attendance at the grant application presentation from “Young People are our Future” so the application has been shelved.
9 Community Parking Partnership Fund
The Parish Council had requested a parking bay for five cars on the grass verge in Arncliffe Drive, Heelands, between its junctions with Ormsgill Court and Langcliffe Drive. Milton Keynes Council’s highway engineers advised that there was only room for a bay for three cars, parallel parking, due to the presence of underground services under some of the affected grass verge. The estimated cost would be £7,135 plus a 10% management charge. The Parish Council would be liable for half the cost. Members agreed to proceed with the bay for three cars and allocated £4,000 to the project. They requested Milton Keynes Council to consider marking double yellow lines along this part of the road which will not be covered by the parking bays.
RESOLVED: To allocate £4,000 under the Community Parking Partnership Fund as half the cost of constructing a bay for three cars, parallel parking, on Arncliffe Drive, Heelands, between its junctions with Ormsgill Court and Langcliffe Drive.
10 Complaint against the Parish Council from Mr & Mrs R (name and address withheld from public documents at their request) of Bradwell Village.
Under the Council’s Complaints Policy, councillors considered a response to the complaint from Mr & Mrs R regarding a planning application from Bradwell Sports & Social Club for an extension to the clubhouse which is leased from Bradwell Parish Council. They had complained that the Parish Council:
a) Had not notified them of the planning application and had not included mention of it in the last newsletter.
b) Should have observed that the extension, if built, would encroach upon their land.
c) Was not addressing problems regarding car parking and speeding, anti-social behaviour and vandalism in the area, and that the building of the extension would attract more visitors, thereby exacerbating these concerns.
d) Was alleged to be contributing financially to the extension project, presumably from its Council tax precept.
e) Failed to realise the alleged distress and inconvenience the behaviour of the Club’s members cause the complainants.
Mr & Mrs R also believed that the Sports & Social Club was not financially viable and felt that it was being subsidised.
The complainants had also sent a copy of their formal objection to the planning application itself which would be considered by Milton Keynes Council.
The Council’s response was discussed at the meeting, but it was agreed that the reply would be formulated subsequently by Cllr Caroline Godfrey and the clerk. It is attached as Appendix 1.
11 Bradwell Memorial Hall
Cllr James Alexander reported that the trustees of Bradwell Memorial Hall had received a grant of £50,000 from the Landfill Tax, distributed by WREN. The total raised to date is £87,000. The WREN grant is mainly for internal renovation, but does include some external work which may overrun budgeted costs. The Parish Partnership grant of £20,000 may not cover the full cost of replacing the kitchen extension because new foundations will be required. Works has to be scheduled to cause minimum disruption to users, particularly the pre-school group. Members agreed to congratulate the Memorial Hall on achieving the maximum grant and resolved to release the £10,000 special grant awarded in the 2013/2014 budget.
RESOLVED that the £10,000 special grant, awarded in the 2013/14 budget be now paid.
12 Co-option of a parish councillor to represent Heelands parish ward.
All members present agreed to give the interviewing panel comprising councillors King, Alexander and Gilpin delegated powers to appoint the successful applicant as a parish councillor.
Subsequent note: A fourth applicant was added to the candidates to be interviewed after the advertised closing date due to the late delivery of the autumn newsletter throughout Bradwell Common. He is Mr Fredua Asare of Booker Avenue, Bradwell Common.
RESOLVED: To give delegated powers to the interviewing panel to appoint the successful candidate as parish councillor for Heelands.
13 Winter Newsletter
June Bryant gave details of the contents of the next newsletter. It should be ready for members to view by 28th October and be authorised for printing at the 4th November meeting.
14 Consideration of a request for a Parish Council grant exceeding £1,000 from the 2014/15 Budget following the presentation in item 7.2 above.
There was a divergence of views on the merits of this application. Members felt that there had been inadequate research of the project and the presenter should have been better prepared with more knowledge of the parish and especially of the schools in it who would nominate the participants. Members were concerned about the safeguarding of children who participated and about the high level of administration expenses at the Jesus Celebration Centre.
Cllr Paul Lewin proposed and Cllr Leon Gilpin seconded the motion that the Council considers that there is merit in the application, but would like to see engagement with schools in the parish and to ensure a safe environment in which children who participate are properly looked after. This was passed with four councillors in favour, two against and one abstention.
RESOLVED that the Council considers that there is merit in the application, but would like to see engagement with schools in the parish and to ensure a safe environment in which children who participate are properly looked after.
The clerk was requested to advise JCC Media of the outcome of the application and suggest they do more research into their project as it affects Bradwell Parish.
15 Payment of Accounts.
Please see Appendix 2 attached.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY MATTERS
16 Planning Applications
16.1. To consider new planning applications
13/01942/FUL – Erection of fence to front elevation (retrospective) at 93 Langcliffe Drive, Heelands
13/02021/FUL – Demolition of existing garage and the erection of a detached 3 bedroom dwelling at land to the west of 28 Streatham Place, Bradwell Common.
13/02046/FUL – Rear conservatory at 4 Vicarage Road, Bradwell Village.
No objections were raised to the above planning applications
16.2. To note Planning permissions granted
Ref. 13/000536/FUL – Modification of previous consent at Go Outdoors, Rooksley.
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17 Licensing Application
Portway Filling Station, Bradwell Common, had applied to MK Council for the supply of alcohol off-sales between the hours of 06:00 and 22:00 daily. Members were concerned about this but under the Licensing Act 2003 objections can only be made under four headings: Crime and disorder, public safety, public nuisance and protection of children from harm. An objection would be made under the probability of crime and disorder. PCSO Bianca James would investigate past figures. The police and fire authorities are automatically requested to advise their views on licensing applications.
18 Environment and Community Matters
a) A resident had asked what was being done an apparently redundant telephone kiosk at the junction of Loughton Road and Primrose Road, Bradwell. It was suggested that a photograph be published in the newsletter asking residents what they thought about it.
b) A complaint had been received about refuse left on the sports grounds after football training sessions. Assistant groundsman Peter Baldwin would be asked to comment on this.
The business having been completed the chairman closed the meeting at 9:37pm.
Signed: ….….……………………chairman. Date…………………………….2013
Following: Appendix No. 1: Parish Council response to formal complaint, dated 21.10.2013
Appendix No. 2: List of Accounts presented at the meeting on 14.10.2013.