South Luffenham Parish

Annual Parish Meeting

on Wednesday 10 May 2017 at the Village Hall, South Luffenham

commencing at 7.00 pm

Agenda

  1. Present at the Meeting
  1. Minutes of the Last Meeting on 11 May 2016
  1. Matters Arising from the Last Annual Parish Meeting :-
  1. Chairman’s ReportCllr C Welch

(paper marked ‘A’ of APM’)

  1. Financial Report Clerk to the Parish

(verbal report and paper to be circulated at meeting)

  1. Report on Sapcote CharityCllr C Cockburn

(verbal report )

  1. Any Other Business
  1. Close of Meeting and Date of Next Meeting : 9 May 2018

Paper ‘A’ of APM

South Luffenham Annual Parish Meeting

10 May 2017

Chairman’s Report for the year 2016/17

Movement of Councillors

At the Annual Parish Council Meeting on 11 May 16, the current Parish Councillors were co-opted to serve another term and the roles and responsibilities were re-assigned with Councillor Welch elected as Chairman and Councillor Wright as Vice Chairman. The full list of roles and responsibilities was published on the website.

During the year, Mrs Carol Breden ceased to be a member of the Parish Council and our appreciation and thanks go to her for her valuable service over many years.This left a vacancy, which was advertised, then filled by Mr Victor Bacon, who had returned to live in the village.

Mr Ken Bool and Ms Gale Waller remained County Ward Councillors for the parish.

Financial Management

Malcolm Hunt has audited and passed the accounts forthe financial year 2016/17and the Clerk to the Parish reports a balance of £5,833.95in credit.

The precept for the financial year 2017/18 was set at £11,000.00.

NALC Code for Smaller Authorities

The review of Parish Council practices in compliance with the Transparency Code for small authorities operating with finance under £25,000.00 per annumwas reported last year. As stated, the Parish Council also elected to stay within the NALC audit scheme (ie the Sector-led Body) as more cost efficient than opting out, but also, for the sake of good practice, decided to carry out an audit each year along the lines of Grant Thornton’s procedures.

South Luffenham Village Website

The website has been further developed and, although ‘take-up’ has been slow, now includes other village organisations and interest groups. The costs associated with setting up and maintenance during the year were circa £120.00. Again, our thanks go to Mr Doug Cutmore for his advice and assistance throughout the year.

The Parish Council and Committee continue to publish formal business(ie. Agenda, Minutes, papers, financial documents, Important Documents & Assets Register, Risk Assessment and Permit Application) in a section, which is password protected. There is also the Welcome Pack for new residents in the parish.

Work is also ongoingto see if website technology can underpin such functions as Community Response, Neighbourhood Watch and Good Neighbour Scheme.

Assets Register & Important Documents

The ‘Assets Register’, with a list of original and/or copies of important documents (such as the Deed of Gift of Pond Close, Inclosure Award 1882, Village Green (1973) and Land Registry (2014) registrations) islodged for safe-keeping at Daltons Solicitors, Stamford. Updated this year to show a bench donated by Cllr Bacon and installed in Jubilee Woodand other minor amendments, the new version is now at Daltons.

Consultations & Reviews

Replies representing the Parish Council’s views were sent in response to various consultations and review documents received throughout the year, for example :-

  • Mobile Post Office (PC Meeting Sep16) : a mobile post office service is now available at the Village Green 11.00 – 12.00 pm on Fridays;

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  • Central Government (PC Meetings Sep/ Nov 16/ Jan 17) : application of capping and referendum for smaller authorities – no requirements applied;
  • LRALC Strategic Plan (PC Meetings Jan/ Mar17) : review of consultation document completed;
  • Police Commissioner’s Framework Consultation (PC Meeting Jan/ Mar 17) : on-line survey completed;
  • RCC Draft Homelessness Review (PC Meeting Jan 17) : PC members to return their own views on-line direct to Rutland County Council.

Representation

Representatives of the Parish Council have attended five out of six meetings of the County Council Parish Forums (28 Jan; 18 Apr; 18 Jul; 12 Oct 16; 24 Apr 17) held in the year: apologies were sent for 30 Jan 17.

A list of topics and points of concernwas formed and sent in for incorporation into thesubmissions from all parishes for the Forum on 24 Apr 17 which was dedicated to the planning function. Councillors Wright, Bacon and Welch attended.

Planning Applications

There were 35 planning applications in the year: all were checked with reports submitted to Rutland County Council Planning Department and a copy to the Clerk for records. Of these:-

14 related to tree work;

15 - to extensions and alterations to private properties;

1- to retrospective approval to retain a building;

1- to listed building approval;

1 -to change of use of a plot of land;

1 - to the erection of a warehouse at Wireless Hill IE;

1 - to erection of a telecommunications mast;and

1- to building of a new Village Pavilion/ Hall on the Recreation Ground.

South Luffenham Pavilion/ Hall Project

Following on the report last year, new plans were submitted to Rutland County Council Planning Authority in line with the Development Control Committee’s provision for a further (no fee) application for approval within twelve months of the last (refused)submission.

In a notice dated 9 Nov 16, the Planning Authority refused to grant permission for the new set of plans. The Village Hall Trustees’wish to appeal against the decision was notified to the Parish Council and subsequently submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 2 Feb 17. A notice dated 2 Mar 17was received from the Planning Inspectorate to the effect that the appeal had been assessed as valid and would be dealt with when a suitable Inspector could be allocated to the case.

The Planning Inspectorate sent a further notice dated 19 Apr17 to the effect that the appeal procedure started from that date and would be dealt with through written representations and a site visit.

The Natural Environment Committee of the Parish Council

Following the Parish Council’s approval of the drafted policy framework and Terms of Reference in 2015, the first meeting of the Natural Environment Committee was held on 13 Apr 16 and Councillor Sewell was elected as Chairman with eight members in total. A second meeting was held on 9 Jun16.

The important annual meeting was held on 3 Nov16, when NEC members approved the drafted Action Plan with budgetary requirements for the next financial year 2017/18. This was submitted to the Parish Council for approval at the meeting on 22 Nov16 and subsequently taken into account in setting the precept 2017/18. At £4,045.00, the budget requested was slightly less than the sum total of the equivalent budget items in the previous year.

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Pond Close

Funds continue to be allocated each year for the nature conservation area, as an important village asset and amenity. The funds are used primarily to meet the costs (annually) of 2/3 days’ essential maintenance by the Leicester-basedTrust Conservation Volunteers (TCV). Arrangements are being made for TCV to spend 2 days in general maintenance in Oct 17 – this will include work on the willow tree at the southern edge of the pond and coppicing of the hazels.

The Plymouth Brethren community continues to give volunteer assistanceto maintain the footpaths and the main and Pinfold Lane banks – the latter divided into sections for rotational cutting back, so that new and old growth of plants are available for wildlife. In 2016, they also gave valuable assistance in cutting back the bed of reed-mace. Our thanks go to them for all their volunteer work.

The bed of reed-mace is a major concern since controlling its spread is costly in terms of time and effort. The Wildlife Trust Senior Reserves Manager for Habitats was called in to give advice on management - the species is Typha, described as ‘pioneering’ and ‘invasive’ and, if left uncontrolled, would spread within a few years to cover the entire pond with the area again becoming marshy land: the value to wildlife and as an amenity would decline. His opinion was that the best means of retaining the actual pond and avoiding continual outlay was total clearance. However, subsequent enquiries with contractors have so far revealed that total clearance would be unfeasible due to the size and weight of equipment, the restricted access and the lack of a site to dump the volume of waste.

Further advice is being sought and, in the meantime, arrangements have been made for the TCV volunteers to spend another day (27 Apr 17)in cutting down the reed-mace now growing at the margins of the pond. Our thanks go to Mr Clive Forty and his team for their continuing assistance.

Trees

Following on the professional survey completed in 2016, Councillor Hall, as parish Tree Wardencontinues to assess and manage the work which needs to be completed.

Several visits have been arranged with Mr Stuart Kidd (RCC Forestry Officer) to assess the trees for which the County Council is responsible and to consider additions for the village. A number of trees on the Parish Field and about the village were severely damaged or blown down in storm Doris and replacements for these are also being considered.

A County Tree Assessment Service has been proposed by the RCC Forestry Officer. Although the details have not yet been finalised by the County Council, it is clear that the service would have many benefits for the parish if the price is competitive. Our interest has been conveyed to Mr Kidd.

The development of Jubilee Wood on the lower part of the Recreation Ground to commemorate the Queen’s Jubilee in 2012 continues. More trees have been donated and planted - two English oaks (c 12ft), one to become the centrepiece of the Wood in place of the oak sapling which failed to grow; a cherry, an evergreen oak and a crab apple.

Many donations have now been made in memory of a deceased family member. This practice can be encouraged as a beneficial facility for parishioners and for the development of the Wood.

Village Green Project

The condition of the mature chestnut tree on the Village Green declined to the extent that over a third of its growth had succumbed to canker disease and, despite judicious pruning in recent years, the risk of falling branches had increased. Expert advice from the RCC Forestry Officer and other arboriculturalists confirmed that, at this time, removal was the best course of action.

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A project was therefore undertaken to fell the chestnut and replace it with a tree of a different species to form the centrepiece of the Village Green. An application was made to Hanson Cement Ketton who awarded a grant of £1,100.00 to remove the chestnut and a Hornbeam (approx 12 ft Betulus Carpinus) was donated and planted in the same location. The circular oak seat was re-installed and, as a memorial of the Chestnut, the trunk has been carved to create another seat on The Green. A plaque will be fixed to the seat to commemorate the grant from Hanson Cement Ketton and the supply of the Hornbeam from Barcham Trees Ltd – this being the only cost (£45.50 plus VAT) of the project to the parish.

Annual Village Spring Clean 8/9 Apr 17

This followed on from the ‘Clean for the Queen’ in Mar 16 and it is clear that this will become an annual national event to encourage residents to engage in higher levels of care for their environment. As such, the event was supported by Rutland County Council and members of the Natural Environment Committee undertook work in their own areas of the village, Church Lane and Pond Close.

Community Response Plan

The Parish Council made the decision to renew the arrangements for emergency situations, which mainly consist of dovetailing into provisions at county and national level. Councillor Chapman has continued to work on the Community Response Plan in liaison with Mr Andrew Murr (Emergency Planning Resilience Officer for Rutland).

An exercise simulating an emergency situation will be held, following which the Plan can be finalised and ratified by the Emergency Resilience Officer.

Again, It should be noted that the nature of the plan is not to put in place general arrangements for community welfare but to address what needs to be done and what material provision is essential for the entire parish in a major crisis.

Neighbourhood Watch Scheme

Gemma Sharp (Harries) has unfortunately resigned from the role of Co-ordinator. Our thanks go to her for her work and effort in re-introducing the Scheme for the village.

At present, the flow of information from the Police service is still managed by E-mail and the Village Newsletter by the Clerk and Councillor Sewell.

Subsequent items in the Village newsletter calling for a volunteer to fulfil this function have been unsuccessful. There is no separate report this year therefore on this Agenda.

Parish Field Play Area

As reported last year, since the lapse of the three year contract with Wicksteed Leisure Ltd following the refurbishment of the Play Area, RoSPA has now been engaged to carry out inspections and submit reports on findings to the Parish Council. An inspection has been arranged for mid to late May 17.

In the interests of children’s safety, repairs to the play equipmentare regarded as a high priority. This year the cost amounted to £3,157.30, which includes 2,461.20 for major work to the ‘wet-pour’ surface under the doubleswings, arranged with Wicksteed Leisure Ltd.

Our thanks go again to Mr Mark Waikfor his expertise in carrying out minor works.

Pinfold Lane Bank

As previously reported, the maintenance of the steep bank along the upper end of Pinfold Lane remains the responsibility of David Wilson Homes, but all efforts by the Parish Council over many years to secure an annual maintenance programme on the part of the company have not been successful. Rutland County Council conducted a survey of the bank and, finding it to be ‘secure’, declined further support.

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However, there has been further erosion of the bank and the road surface from vehicles passing and parking on the narrow Lane in the area opposite the cottages. A formal letter dated 15 Feb 17 was sent to Mr D Brown (RCC Director of Places, requesting “a full inspectionof Pinfold Lane, particularly along from the bridge to the junction with the main A6121, as we feel that some prompt action needs to be taken to restore the road” and for advice “asto whether we should submit an application to the ITCP for a more permanent solution of widening the road and structurally securing the bank.”

To date, the County Council has indicated that a full inspection of the Lane will be carried out and notification has been received that the application to the RCC Integrated Transport Capital Programme for a lay-by to be installed on the left before the bridge has resulted in a feasibility study.

Applications to the RCC Integrated Transport Capital Programme (ITCP)

As previously reported, a letter was sent to the Rutland County Council Director responsible for Highways,giving notification of the Parish Council’s great concern for safety on the A6121 through the village and applications have been made to the RCC ITCP for additional measures to improve and control the flow of traffic through the village, as follows :-

  • full review of traffic on the A6121 main road through (in light of the increased crossing of the road by parents and children to catch the bus to St Mary St John school, North Luffenham and the inadequacy of the existing crossing points):RCC cabinet agreed to feasibility study this year;
  • traffic calming measure : road markings (dragon’s teeth’) on the main road through the village from the roundabout:RCC cabinet agreed funds for works this year;
  • traffic alleviation measure : widening of junction of A47 / Wireless Hill to allow access for HGVs with purpose of reducing the need to traverse village on A6121 for the industrial estates of Wireless Hill, Higgins and Linecross on the road to North Luffenham:RCC cabinet agreed to feasibility study this year;
  • constructionof lay-by at Pinfold Lane bridge to complement the lay-by on the other side: (RCC cabinet agreed to feasibility study this year;
  • installation of Speed Indicating Devices (SIDs) which are ‘super-powered’ to flash up drivers’ number plates as well as speed; unsuccessful.

The Parish Council’s continued concern for safety on the roundabout was also conveyed to the County Council and in Jul 16, a report was received from the County Highways Departmentoutlining the survey and proposals for alterations. At a meeting on 18 Apr 17, the RCC cabinet agreed funds for works to improve the roundabout this year.

Community Lighting

During the year, the new system for street and community lighting was installed and the County Council became responsible for all maintenance and parishes became responsible for the actual costs of their community lighting. The increase in operating efficiency and removal of maintenance costs will be of benefit to parishes.