South Lodge, East Common, Gerrards Cross SL9 7AD
Gerrards Cross
Parish Council
South Lodge, East Common, Gerrards Cross SL9 7AD
Clerk to the Council - Mrs. Diana Hepburn-Park
Minutes of the Full Council Meeting held on Monday
17th February 2014 7.30pm at the Memorial Centre
Present: / Mr C Brown(Chairman), Mrs M May, Mr I Bayliss, Mrs H Orme,Mr I Gordon, Mr M Lawson Mr M Shiman, Mr J Chhokar,
Mr I Bayliss, Mrs J Woolveridge and Mrs D C Hepburn-Park( Clerk) .
Mr N Holmes (Associate Member)
Would Councillors please give any declarations of interest at the beginning of the item.
99/13 / Apologies for absence – Ms S Aga and Mr Peter Grimes.Cllr S Chhokar Cllr R Pope.
100/13 / To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on the 20th January 2014.
CB proposed the minutes and these were agreed by the Council and signed.
101/13
102/13
103/13 / Public speaking from residents regarding matters relevant to the meeting’s agenda with time allowed 5 minutes per person.
Mr & Mrs Blackdene and Mr B Lewis attended on behalf of Layters Way residents.
Mr Blackdene :We are very concerned about the parking in Layters Way. It is a rat run with a large number of probably commuters going to the train. There are also a number of inconsiderate people parking in the road, they drive too fast and safety is always a concern; we would like to impress on the Council the problems and we would like to assess if we have your support.
Mrs Blackdene: I have found the Station car park sometime has 50 unused parking places and because of the exorbitant price people would rather park in our road and walk.
MR B Lewis asked Sgt S Price if he would be prepared to organise spot checks on cars in Latyers way and drivers using phones? See police report below.
Police report from Sgt Steve Price
I am aware that you have asked me to come because of the seemingly large increase in the numbers of Thames Valley alerts. This is entirely due to a new policy to ensure all incidents are now put on. Before you were only getting about one in ten.
We are working very hard on communications and hopefully will get a better response when we ask for help or witnesses and this will reduce crime.
Generally all the statistics are good, crime burglaries are down by 30% 21 so far, 27 non dwelling and car crime 57 with no cars stolen.
Assaults without injury 16, 11 of which were domestics and the remainder road rage – no street crime. ABH 9, 4 of which were domestic the other were assaults on police and road rage.
JW asked about Raves and how they were dealt with.
SP there is a dedicated team with riot training, that trace and deal with them but it is the wrong time of the year for them.
IB asked about the Gerrards Cross Police Station enquiring about the times and the recent attempt to work out of a shop in the high street.
SP The Police Station is used as the offices are very large but it is not manned by Police just a volunteer. He has been advised that the Police station is to be sold but he does not know when and there will be an alternative location for the Station but this time he hopes there will be parking with the site.
SP In reply to Mr B Lewis he will ask his PC’s to organise visits to Layters Way two to three times a month.
104/13
105/13 / To confirm the minutes of the following meetings:-
1. Commons Committee held on the 3rd February 2014
JW proposed the minutes which were agreed and seconded by IG and agreed by the Council.
2. Highway Committee held on the3rd February 2014
ML proposed the minutes which were agreed by the Council.
Members were very concerned about a crash on the Mill Lane bridge and contacted BCC. There is a report from BCC Traffic Management saying they have visited and listing their suggestions for additional signage.
Marsham Lane residents concerned about large trucks using the road going over the bridge and as members will remember in December 2013 the committee authorised a feasibility study on Marsham Lane to establish the best way forward.
We have had a letter back from Tesco on the traffic lights, saying that they are in dialogue with BCC but saying little more..
The Voice put out a questionnaire about parking and there seems to have been a good response.
A40 intersection improvements. The project is still on target for a start in the second week of March, they will be taking the lime tree down during February. Bulstrode Court residents have agreed to allow BCC to transfer a 1 metre by 7 metre strip of land on their boundary down the Windsor Road which will help with the width of the pavement.
SPWP IB we are still waiting for the toolkit from BCC but it has been promised by the end of this month. We are working on West and East Common and Layters Way first. But we have been advised that with all the legal work and advertising it will take at least 24 months to get any changes through. Regarding Layters Way we had 23 replies at the closing date most of which agreed with the proposal to have 1 hour parking restrictions during the week and in specific areas of concern double yellow lines.
CB Explained the reasons that the Parish Council had not been involved in the past was that BCC organised all the changes to speed limits and parking but there is now civil parking and BCC have advised us they are unable to finance these changes at the moment. The Council has agreed limited finance to gradually look at the problems areas within the Parish but we have to pay for it. The toolkit that BCC are to supply is supposed to reduce the cost by half.
3. Planning Committee held on the 27th January 2013 & 10th February 2014.
JC proposed the minutes which were agreed by the Council.
4. Communications Committee27th January 2014
ML proposed the minutes, they were seconded by NM and agreed by the Council
Invited Paul Fisher and I Everett the new chairman of the traders association to ensure we continue with good lines of communication .
MM Has had an outstanding number of comments from residents saying the Newsletter very well received by them.
The Council thanked MM for all her hard work on the Voice.
Annual Parish Meeting 7th May 2014
Members agreed the time table but asked that the actual meeting was only to last for one hour giving more time for questions.
Agreed time table 7.30 – 8.30 meeting.
8.30 to 9.30 questions.
106/13 / To agree payments in accordance with the budget.
JC went through the payments and recommended their approval, seconded by IG and the Council agreed.
Fineland Forestry / 95.00
Shire Gardens / 250.00
Pyramid Consulting / 247.50
Southern Electric / 508.78
Leigh / 1145.66
GC Community Assoc. / 1639.27
Viking / 264.27
GX Community services / 321.40
BNP Paribas / 393.42
Chess / 88.28
Affinity Water / 393.42
GPEX / 632.00
Nexus / 120.00
Salaries / 3649.58
107/13 / Report from District Councillors.
JW Is representing the District Council organising “the green deal”. This encourages Councils’ to join together to raise finance to pay for installers of green energy . Residents are then allowed to borrow money to pay for the installation.
They are having a British Rail presentation about the new rail service in Iver.
SC finances are as always a concern, there is less money coming in to SBDC and members are working to minimise the effect on residents. South Buckingham Golf Course should open soon.
RP has taken on the role as Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and they are targeting certain areas, the proposed reduction to 28 members in 2015, members communications with Parishes and Wexham Park Hospital.
108/13 / Report on Meetings – members update on where they have represented the Parish Council since the last meeting.
IG Police meeting explained how they were concentrating on stopping crime rather than detecting it. They had a £400million budget –but he will have a 21% cut .
CB South Bucks Association of Local Councils. CB chaired the meeting, the information on Vehicle Activated signs was informative and showed how that can give you a lot of statistical information.
The meeting voted to merge with Chiltern DC.
JW 27th February 2014 – rural crime at SBDC and scrap metal sales have now to be licenced by SBDC.
CB BBC interview was shown on the evening news discussing the proposal to have a Garden City near Gerrards Cross. He also attended a “Youth Speaks” event organised by GX Rotary at Gayhurst School with school children practicing their presentation skills.
109/13 / To note general information received in the correspondence at the Parish Office.
None
110/13 / To confirm that the Parish meeting of Gerrards Cross Parish Council will be held on Monday 17th March 2014 2014 at 7.30 pm at the Memorial Centre
The meeting opened at 7.30pm and closed at 8.45pm