- Screen Colours:
- Normal
- Black & Yellow
Minutes of the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the WICKHAM MARKET PARISH COUNCIL held on
Monday 18 May 2009 at 7.30PM in the Wickham Market Village hall
PRESENT
Mr Argent, Mrs Bell, Mrs Breese, Mrs Evans, Miss Johnson, Mrs Lewis, Mr Manning, Miss Pizzey, Mr Plater, Mr Revett, Mr Ridd, Mr Roseveare and Mr Tucker
Mr Hall (District Councillor)
1. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN
. It was proposed by Mrs Bell and seconded by Mrs Breese and
RESOLVED
That Mr M Argent be appointed as Chairman of the Council for 2009/2010
2. APPOINTMENT OF VICE CHAIRMAN
It was proposed by Ms Pizzey and seconded by Mr Manning and
RESOLVED
That Mr G Plater be appointed as Vice-Chairman of the Council for 2009/2010
3. MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 16 March 2009 were signed as a true record.
4. MATTERS ARISING
Mrs Bell gave an update on the situation regarding the provision of day care services at Lehmann House which had ceased at the end of March 2009. These changes were being implemented as part of a rationalisation programme by Suffolk County Council.
Day Care services had to be cost efficient and whilst the local community could provide these the same criteria would apply. So consideration had been given to the use of the day care facility and garden at Lehmann House as a cafe/club open to all older residents. This would be driven by members and supported by local volunteers. Suffolk County Council (SCC) had agreed that there would be no charge for the facility and catering would be at cost.
Local transport schemes were to be approached to transport clients from home to local facilities and back and SCC had agreed to provide funds to subsidise costs.
Training in dementia care and other specialist skills would be given to provide a reservoir of skills in the community.
The next step was to invite local organisations etc to a briefing on the “Wickham Market Adult Support Initiative” to gauge support and obtain ideas on the use of resources.
The Parish Council welcomed the pump-priming and maintenance funds offered by SCC and asked Mrs Bell to report back on the progress of the initiative.
5. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Mrs J Evans declared a personal interest in Item 8 Car Parks. Mr Manning declared a personal interest in item 18.1 (War Memorial) as a member of the British legion.
6. ELECTION OF COMMITTEES AND REPRESENTATIVES
RESOLVED
That the following committees and representatives be appointed for 2009/2010
Cemetery G Plater, M Argent, M Roseveare, M Manning
Finance S Lewis, C Tucker, P Revett
Planning S Lewis, J Evans, J Breese, M Roseveare, P Revett
Allotments P Johnson & P Bell (Glebe), B Catchpole (liaison Simons Cross),
Village Hall rep S Lewis
SALC rep G Plater
Tree Warden T Peake
Footpaths T Peake
Campaign to Save
Our Rural Roads J Breese & V Pizzey to share role
7. BOUNDARY REVIEW
The Council was advised of the current timetable of the Review and that if they wished to comment further then these had to be submitted direct to the Secretary of State by 15 July 2009.
Mr Hall reported that Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) had called for a judicial review of the Boundary Committee's procedure and recommendations. This might delay a final decision.
It was agreed to resubmit the Parish Council's original submission if necessary and indicate to SCDC this Council's concern at the likely cost to the council taxpayer of a judicial review in these difficult economic times.
8. CAR PARKS
8.1 On the matter of vehicles queuing to get on to the Hill car park, it was noted that SCDC were going to lower the signs indicating the 30 minute free spaces in the Percy Mason car park to see if, by making the signs more obvious, this would divert waiting cars away from the Hill.
8.2 Car Park Income - following a request to SCDC under the Freedom of Information Act the Clerk reported that in 2008/09 income from all the car parks in Wickham Market was £23,860, expenditure was £4,202 leaving a net income of £19,568.
The Parish Council noted that expenses did not include such items as maintenance and enforcement costs and asked that these should be obtained.
8.3 Hanging Baskets - the Chairman reported that in view of the inability to find a contractor to take over the watering of the hanging baskets at a reasonable cost, he had decided that there would be no hanging baskets in 2009. Every effort would be made to find a major sponsor for 2010 onwards and, in fact, a local businessman had come forward with an offer to sponsor the baskets. This would be pursued and a report made back to the Council.
9. OPEN SESSION - COMMENCED AT 8.10PM
A member of the public expressed concern about the original Garden of Rest in the cemetery and the fact there was no path to it from the car parking area and that it was not clearly designated. It was agreed to make a site visit and report back.
Mr Hall reported that SCDC were looking at the medium long term plan and there was likely to be a 20% reduction in the Council's income from government sources over the next three years. This would mean some difficult decisions on staff, departments etc.
He continued that the Youthbus was doing well with 233 registered users, 40 from Wickham Market. Funding was beginning to run out and he asked that the Council consider this issue in the Autumn at budget time. The bus was likely to move to the village hall car park in the summer months but he wanted to check out the suitability of the access. The Parish Council wanted to see this as it felt that the village hall site was a much better site for the summer and asked Mr Hall to pursue this arrangement and give the village hall all the appropriate details. Mr Hall also agreed to provide the youthbus costings for the first 4 months of operation.
The public session closed at 8.25
10. POLICE MATTERS
Mr Hoe presented his report on crime statistics for April 2009, a Day of Action on 19 June 2009 organised by the local police officer, PC Rebecca O'Neill, which would include the mobile police station on the Hill, representatives from appropriate organisations, hopefully some traffic officers and some graffiti removal/litter picking.
He stressed that parking outside the Co-op was illegal and could only be done by a disabled driver if they got out of the car. This issue would be enforced.
There was also going to be a crackdown on the illegal riding of off road motorcycles.
Finally he reported that some of the existing alcohol designation signs were to be moved to better positions and the new ones were to go up soon.
11. WICKHAM MARKET PARTNERSHIP
The Chairman reported on a meeting between the Parish Council and local businesses on 6 April 2009. SCDC had funds available to assist local initiatives to help local business generally and the first project was to try and get brown tourist signing to the village from the A12. This was progressed at a later smaller meeting on 12 May 2009.
He also reported that the Area Manager for Co-operative Stores had confirmed that the Co-op had bought the old garage site and a new store was likely to be about 18 months in construction after all necessary planning approvals have been received.
12. SPORT AND LEISURE
12.1 Work on extending the basketball court was now complete and the full court was in use. Mr Hall had obtained funding for an 8 week coaching course for youngsters in the evening during the Autumn. The Council thanked Mr Hall for all his efforts in this matter. Mr Hall was working with the contractor to get the ruts, adjacent to the court, filled in.
12.2 Wickham Market Youth Football Club - work had started on the new pavilion.
13. PLANNING
Since the last meeting planning permission had been given for:
The erection of a two storey extension at 15 California, Wickham Market IP13 0JL and the construction of a manege at Valley Farm Riding School, Wickham Market (IP13 0EZ) (see note below)
Applications dealt with since the last meeting were:
Valley Farm Riding School, Valley Road, Wickham Market IP13 0EZ - application for the construction of a manege (no objection to the application) and 6 Featherbroom Gardens, Wickham Market IP13 0JH - application for the erection of extensions (no objection to the application)
14. ALLOTMENTS
14.1 Ms Johnson reported that on the Glebe site there were now 41 full plots and 21 half plots, all plots were taken and there were 6 people on the waiting list. A digger had been hired to remove bramble roots and one of the allotment holders had driven the digger without making any charge. The Council asked that a letter of thanks be sent to him. SCDC had removed 2 lorryloads of non-combustible waste at no charge. Potential income could mean that the Glebe site could be self funding by 2010.
It was agreed that notices be erected on both sites reminding plot holders that only hand held hoses could be used.
14.2 The 2009 Allotment Competition would be judged on 30 June 2009 and the prizes would be presented at the July 2009 Council meeting.
15. CEMETERY
Mr Plater reported that there might be a pair of owls in the barn owl box that was put up on site some weeks ago.
16. HIGHWAY
Bus Shelter - The Clerk reported that following the Council's last meeting a letter was written to Suffolk County Council (SCC) expressing your view that the shelter should be erected outside 177/179 High Street as was the original intention.
SCC responded that objections had been received to the siting of the shelter outside 173 High Street, including those of the Parish Council. The conservation officers had objected to the shelter being erected outside Nos177-179 High Street as this was a listed building with no frontage and this would not look appropriate. Also there was already a street name plate and phone box outside the property which was considered as street clutter.
As a consequence, SCC had been unable to reach a conclusion which met with approval of all of the parties involved and had decided that the request for a shelter would not proceed. SCC would make arrangements to remove the pole from outside 177 High Street and the existing bus stop would remain in its current form outside173 High Street.
The Council noted the latest position and expressed the hope that the matter might be raised again at a later date.
17. FINANCIAL AND LEGAL
17.1 Bi-monthly accounts - March /April 2009 - these were received and noted.
17.2 Annual Accounts 2008/2009 - it was proposed by Mr Manning and seconded by Mr Tucker and:
RESOLVED
That the Annual Accounts for 2008/2009 be adopted and submitted to the Internal Auditor.
17.3 Wickham Market Youth Football Club - It was agreed that the Annual Licence should be renewed.
18. CORRESPONDENCE
18.1 War Memorial - Correspondence had been received from the Secretary of the Wickham Market Royal British Legion that the railings around the Memorial needed painting. The Council agreed that the work should be carried out at a reasonable cost.
18.2 It was reported that Cllr Clare Aitchison would not be standing for re-election at the forthcoming elections. The Council thanked her for all her efforts in assisting Wickham Market in her term of office.
18.3 The Clerk agreed to ask Suffolk County Council to clear the public footpath around the White Bridges area.
The meeting closed at 9.10pm
==============================================================================
Minutes of the meeting of the WICKHAM MARKET PARISH COUNCIL held on Monday 20 July 2009 at 7.30pm
PRESENT: Mr M Argent (Chairman), Mr G Plater (Vice Chairman), Mrs J Breese, Mrs J Evans, Miss P Johnson, Mr M Manning, Miss V Pizzey, Mr P Revett, Mr J Ridd, Mr M Roseveare, Mr C Tucker
Also present: Mr B Hall (District Councillor)
Mr M Bond (County Councillor)
In attendance: P.C. Rebecca O'Neil
(Prior to the start of the meeting the Chairman awarded the Best Kept Allotment prizes for 2009. Mr G Garnham won the prize for the Glebe site and the Holland Challenge Cup for the best overall allotment and Mr J McLoughlin won the prize for the Simons Cross site.)
- APOLOGIES were received from Mrs P Bell and Mrs S Lewis
- DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Mrs J Evans declared a personal interest in Item 7 Car Parks.
- MINUTES
The minutes of the annual general meeting held on 18 May 2009 were signed as a true record.
- COUNTY COUNCILLOR
The Chairman welcomed Mr Michael Bond as the newly elected county councillor for Wickham Market. Mr Bond reported on a meeting of the County Health Scrutiny Committee that he had attended concerning Ipswich Hospital and the provision of emergency heart treatment. The NHS were to conduct detailed time for distance measurements in East Suffolk to validate the assumptions made about getting to Norwich or Papworth hospitals. He felt that any final decision would be based on financial considerations.
He also welcomed any input about the out of hours doctors surgery in Wickham Market.
There were no questions on Mr Bond's report.
- MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
5.1 Mr E Walker was to supply a price for the painting of the railings around the war memorial.
5.2 Suffolk County Council had cleared the public footpath around the White Bridges area.
5.3 Barn Owls had nested in the cemetery and there were five eggs.
- POLICE MATTERS
P.C. Rebecca O'Neil reported that in the last calendar year 74 crimes had been reported, 2 more than in the previous calendar year.
The Day of Action on 19 June 2009 had been very successful and given rise to two main issues. Firstly many people wanted a 30mph speed limit on Border Cot Lane. The County Council were reluctant to do this at the moment. Secondly was the antisocial behaviour of some youngsters. She was hoping to enter into some anti social behaviour contracts with some young people in the next few days.
She was meeting the Ipswich street drinking officer to discuss mutual problems and illegal parking outside the Co-op was an ongoing problem.
She stressed the importance of reporting any crime to the police at the time of the offence. This would give her a more accurate picture of the situation in the village. Finally she was hoping to start “street meets” on the Hill in the near future.
- CAR PARKS
The Council received figures showing the cost of maintenance and enforcement on the Wickham Market car parks over the last three years. It accepted that the fall in occupancy of the Percy Mason car park was probably due to the fact that local workers were no longer parking there.
- OPEN SESSION - COMMENCED AT 7.59PM
A member of the public reported that the horse trough and pump near Spring Lane was in poor state of repair and asked if they could be renovated. The Clerk was asked to try and find out who owned, and was responsible for, the two items before any decision to renovate was taken.
The public session closed at 8.04pm
- WICKHAM MARKET PARTNERSHIP (WMP)
The Partnership was very concerned at the lack of progress on the improvement of the out of hours doctors service. Hopefully the Patient Panel could get local doctors to take a more active role. The Panel would welcome any report from a patient who had been disadvantaged because the service was no available. Patients should also contact the Panel if they had difficulty in getting an emergency appointment. The Council noted that when the Resource Centre was built specific provision was made for out of hours service and it was a pity that the rooms were not being used to their full potential.
All the ruts around the basketball court were now filled in and ways were being looked at to improve the WMP website and encourage more local businesses to have their own page.
The WMP was pursuing brown tourist signs and a tourist brochure and ways of extending the use of the resource centre by other organisations.
10. SPORT AND LEISURE
10.1 The official opening of the basketball court had taken place on 10 July 2009.
10.2 Wickham Woods was still searching for approximately 2 acres of land that could be turned into a local woodland nature reserve and amenity.
11. PLANNING MATTERS
Since the last meeting permission had been given for the erection of extensions at 6 Featherbroom Gardens, Wickham Market IP13 0JH. No new planning applications had been received.
12. ALLOTMENT MATTERS
12.1 Notices were being put up that only hand held hoses could be used.
12.2 Increases in water rate payments might make an increase in allotment rents necessary in the near future. The Clerk would investigate.
13. CEMETERY MATTERS
13.1 Following a meeting of the Cemetery Group a decision had been made that a surfaced path to the Garden of Rest was not appropriate as it was a lawned cemetery. The Council asked that the possibility of plastic pathing integrated into the grass be investigated.
13.2 It was estimated that the cost of planting a box hedge around the Garden of Rest to mark the area more clearly was £250.
RESOLVED
That expenditure of £250 be approved for the provision of a box hedge.
14. HIGHWAY MATTERS
14.1 All street nameplates previously removed had been replaced.
14.2 There was still flooding of the highway outside the primary school in Dallinghoo Road in heavy rain.
15. FINANCE AND LEGAL MATTERS
15.1 Bi-monthly accounts - May/June 2009 - these were received and noted.
15.2 Internal Audit Report - the accounts for 2008/2009 had been internally audited and sent on to the external auditor. Any issues arising from the internal auditors report would be dealt with.
15.3 Mr Hall reported that Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) were seeking to reduce expenditure by 20% over the next three years. It had gone through all its services and put them into priority order. Parish councils would soon be consulted on the services they felt were of highest and lowest priority. This would be discussed at this Council's September 09 meeting.
Two Council members would also be invited to attend a parish liaison meeting to discuss this issue.
16. CORRESPONDENCE
16.1 Information had been received from Suffolk Coastal District Council on the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 that encouraged councils to work with the communities to identify what was needed to improve the economic, social or environmental well being of the area.
Proposals needed to require Government action and had to be in by 5 June 2009 but further submission dates would be issued at regular intervals. The Parish Council noted this for the future
16.2 The Campaign to Save Our Rural Roads (SORR), of which Wickham Market Parish Council is a member, had submitted a request under the above Act, to change the procedures for the granting of Goods Vehicle Operators Licences. The request recommended that appropriate local parish councils and individuals be consulted before reaching a decision.
A letter supporting this proposal had been approved by the Chairman and sent to Suffolk Coastal District Council.
16.3 East Suffolk Travellers Association (ESTA) has indicated that National Express East Anglia was asking the Department of Transport to change its franchise agreement so that it could withdraw its Lowestoft to Liverpool Street through service. This would be replaced eventually by an hourly shuttle between Lowestoft and Ipswich.
Comments have to be submitted by 11 September 2009. Mr Hall accepted there would be change but felt that many travellers did not want to change trains either because of age or being late at night. He supported the view of ESTA
16.4 Mrs Evans reported that Simon Farr who was behind the Italian Market had visited the village and asked that the market be allowed on Saturday 14 November 2009. The Clerk was asked to approach SCDC.
The lack of a power supply on the Hill might mean that a generator had to be used and the promotion of the event needed to be thought out.
Mrs Evans was putting a working group of four people together to see the event through. She was asked to report back in detail to the September 09 meeting.
16.5 Mrs Bell had submitted a brief report on the latest developments at Lehmann House. Progress with the County Council was good and it had agreed to provide a fund of £2,500 per annum for three years as a social amenity fund to provide opportunities to make contact with older people in Wickham Market and adjoining villages.
The Parish Council supported the idea but asked for more details before making a decision on whether it should administer the fund.
16.6 Anne Westover reported various ideas for planting next winter. She was going to approach some local landowners about new planting and was looking to go out towards Pettistree/Hacheston. The cemetery also had some dead trees in it which would need looking at. She was always looking for younger people to help with planting and would welcome any ideas for new planting in the village.
17. EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC
RESOLVED
That the public be excluded for the item below in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.
HANGING BASKETS
The Council was advised that a local businessman had offered to sponsor the hanging baskets for 2010 and organise the watering by his own staff. The Council welcomed the assistance with the watering and the baskets but agreed that sponsorship should still be sought from local shopkeepers in the normal way towards the cost of the baskets.
The Clerk was asked to accept the offer and continue negotiations