Draft Minutes

BAYDON PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

MONDAY 26th June 2017 - AT 8.00PM IN THE BYPA HALL, MANOR LANE

 

In Attendance: Councillors: Tamsin Witt (Chairman), Amy Bryan, Brian Billington, Sarah Chidgey, James Lawrence, Sarah Hancock, Wiltshire councillor, James Sheppard, the clerk Charlotte Booth and 4 members of the public

1. APOLOGIES

Mark Austen (Website)

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Cllrs Witt and Lawrence declared an interest in item 8.3.

3. MINUTES OF LAST PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

The minutes of the meetings held on:

15th May 2017

12th June 2017 (Extraordinary Meeting)

Both were agreed and signed as a correct record.

4. POLICE REPORT

No report has been received.

Clerk explained that the police contact Antony Boardman has left the force and emails requesting another have not been responded to.  

5. SUSPENSION OF MEETING FOR PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

Cllr Witt said that item 8.3 was no longer being discussed as the request from Little Crickets had been withdrawn.

No questions were raised.

6. CORRESPONDENCE

All correspondence was circulated to the councillors.

June 5 2017– A resident emailed regarding a fallen branch from the Chestnut trees on Manor Lane.

This fell from a privately owned tree onto private land so is not an issue for the council.

June 19 2017 – A phone call with a Downsmead resident regarding the path between Downsmead and Ermin Street.

Mr Moxon treated the weeds on the path, but the responsibility lies with the homeowners who have been informed. Thanks were extended to him for carrying out the work.

7. PLANNING

a) Appeal by Mr Kelvin Orchard regarding Land at Top Field Farm, Aldbourne Road, Baydon Marlborough,

Wiltshire. The appeal was dismissed.

8. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION

8.1 Clerk’s Report 

a) The Clerk’s resignation was due to getting a full time job, meaning working at the BPC has become too much. Additionally, as a reporter for the Newbury Weekly News, there is a potential conflict of interest between the two roles.

Regarding the Cilca training, the clerk requested either a refund on the remaining two sessions, or a councillor can go instead as the information will be valuable.

Adverts have been placed on Facebook, the noticeboard, WALC website and a clerk colleague is circulating the advert and job description. Suggestions were made for adverts in Marlborough News Online, Penny Post, Baydon Scene, and as inserts into the free papers. 

b) The insurance has been renewed for the 3 year period with Ecclesiastical.

c) Idverde made an error with their invoicing, as they had been invoicing monthly for bi-monthly inspections but had not been invoicing us for emptying the bin on Manor Lane. The July invoice will be reduced to bring it up to date with the bin emptying, and the next invoice will be September.   

8.2 Review of Council Documents

The Code of Conduct was agreed and approved by all.

8.3 Little Crickets Funding Request

An email was received by the council from a member of the LC committee to say they no longer wished BPC to discuss this request.

This had not been relayed to a different committee member in attendance. He did not raise this issue until item 8.12 had been discussed, and he requested the item was discussed in lieu of a meeting of the LC on 27 June.

Cllr Bryan took over the chair, and Cllrs Witt and Lawrence withdrew from the discussion due to their interest.

A discussion took place, but councillors felt as they had been informed before the meeting that this would not be under discussion they did not feel in a position to make the decision before a new request had been made.

It was decided that should the Little Crickets still require the funding following their meeting, an Extraordinary Meeting would be called for the BPC to give it the consideration is deserves.  

Following this discussion Cllr Witt took over again as Chair.

8.4 Parish Steward Scheme

Questions were raised by Cllr Lawrence as to what exactly the Parish Steward does, as requested jobs such as cleaning the bollards at the chicane have still not been done.

Action: Cllr Bryan will ask the Parish Steward to provide a list of what has been carried out and will copy Cllr Sheppard into the answer. She will also circulate the dates of the expected visits so any councillors in the village can meet him and talk to him. 

8.5 Allotments and Playground

a) Cllr Hancock provided an update on the swings. She contacted Idverde and they assured her the moles would not be able to affect the sub-structure of the swings. All councillors agreed to make the swings available for use.

Action: Cllr Hancock to remove the tape and the sign on the swings.

Cllr Hancock raised the issue of rotten matting under the equipment which was raised in the last playground inspection.

Action: Cllr Witt to check the guarantees from Miracle playground equipment.

b) Clerk provided an update on the moles. The pest control company will provide a quote for gassing them but as the ground is so dry they say it is not worth doing until October. When the ground is dry it takes longer for the gas to dissipate. Normally it takes 48 hours but during the summer this can take longer. No vegetables can be planted 7 days prior to gassing, and 2 days afterwards but there is no danger, according to the pest control company, to vegetables already planted.

8.6 Highways Update

Cllr Witt provided an update on moving 30mph zone on Aldbourne Road. CATG have agreed it and it has been ratified by the Marlborough Area Board, Highways will now carry out the work although there are no scheduled dates at the moment.

8.7 Manor Lane/Ermin Street Footpath Damage

Cllr Billington reported the damage to Highways using the online app but there is no update.

A member of the public raised the issue of the pothole in the road near the pub. Mrs Moxon had already reported it but had not heard anything from Highways.

Action: Cllr Billington to also report this pothole using the app.

8.8 Pittams Contract

Pittams are happy to renew for three years but there will be £150+ vat per year increase. All councillors agreed  to go ahead with the 3-year renewal.

Action: Clerk to confirm with Pittams that the contract will be up for renewal in May 2020.

8.9 Ermin Close/Ermin Road Verges

The damage is barely visible anymore after the resident did a rudimentary repair and all councillors agreed not to go ahead with the professional repair at £250 + VAT.

Action: Clerk to write to the resident who did the repair to thank him as well as contacting the water board about the mains on the verge which may have been damaged.

                8.10 Village Plan

Cllr Sheppard answered questions about the importance of a village plan, and how the 2009 one we currently have is no longer legally binding whereas a new one would be could be advantageous in planning discussions.

Cllr Lawrence raised issues of timing, thinking starting a village plan now when the clerk is due to leave may not be the best course of action.

It was decided that Cllrs Hancock and Witt will proceed with the initial scope of the village plan and will put a questionnaire for the villagers into the Baydon Scene and try to form a team from residents to help. Rob Butcher, an attendant resident said he was happy to help in the planning section of the village plan.

Action: Clerk to find out the deadline for the funding application

8.11 Reducing speed on Manor Lane

An investigation into making Manor Lane into a 20mph zone is to go onto the CATG list soon, although it will be at the bottom of the list and may take some time.

To start the process a metro-count needs to be requested so the scale of the problem is clarified.

Action: Cllr Witt to request a metro-count for Manor Lane.

8.12 Items for the Baydon Scene

The deadline is on the 19th July.

a) Advert for Clerk’s position (Clerk)

b) Village plan – Pros/cons (Clerk), priorities questionnaire (Cllrs Hancock and Witt)

c) Update of Parish Steward’s work (Cllr Bryan)  

d) Advertisement for the website (Clerk)                                                                             

9. FINANCE                                                                                                                      

9.1 Annual Return

a)       The Annual Return was received by Grant Thornton and is currently being processed.

b)       Period of Exercise of public rights (26th June 2017 – 4th August 2017) the public are welcome to look at the council accounts and will need to contact the clerk to make an appointment to view them.

 

9.2 Income                                                                                                                                                                             

Cricket Fund (interest)

£0.25

VAT refund

£1653.40

BAA water payment

£46.36

Allotment plot

£10

 

9.3 Bank statements                                                                                                             

Barclays Community

£22,265.84

General reserve

£19,500

Cricket Fund

£1,205.91

Petty Cash

£20

PC Total

£42991.75

 

 

                9.4 Payments approved between meetings                                                                                   

MA Hill (church raffle tickets)

£66

Pittams (one off cut payment)

£180 (£150 + VAT)

SSE

£21.40

 

9.5 Payments to approve

Clerk – Printer Cartridges (B & W /Colour)

£35.30

Clerk -  phone

£10

 

All approved

10. ITEMS TO NOTE

10.1 – Cllr Bryan wanted to extend her thanks to the Clerk for her service to the council over the last 17 months in the role.       

11. ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING

11.1 Venice Marriot’s request for help with Citizen’s Advice Wiltshire

To decide whether to donate to them and how much.

 

The meeting was closed at 21:54

 

Signed                                         Tamsin Witt/Chair                Date 

 

 

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