Denton Parish Council
Minutes of the Meeting Held on Tuesday 12th January 2010
at 8pm at Denton Village Hall
Present: Liz Cargill (Chairman), Terry Hanner (Vice Chairman), Roger Gibson, Peter Hill, Adrian Hipwell, Eddie Winter, Annie Whiteman, Pauline Sandell (Clerk)
Also Present: Dr. Murray Gray (District Councillor)
1. Apologies
None.
2. Declaration of Interest None
3. Minutes of the Last Meeting
Item 5, fifth line should read Breckland not Broadland. The minutes were agreed and signed.
Minutes of the Planning Meeting on 30.11.09.
The minutes were agreed and signed.
4. Matters Arising:
a) Playing Field; Liz Cargill reported that the bark chippings were still low. She had spoken to Malcolm and the bark is on order. The load will be shared with Alburgh Parish Council. The Clerk was asked to renew the notices. The concrete tunnel is quite exposed, Terry will speak to Malcolm about filling it in. Something needs to be done about the toddler swings, but it was agreed that it was not urgent but would be dealt with in the next six months. Adrian Hipwell will complete the January report.
b) Play Area Project; Annie reported that she had put in an Expression of Interest for Playbuilder Year 2 grant and had been successful in the first stage of the application. The criteria was for 8-13 year olds and although this did not fit in with stage one of the project, it was too good an opportunity to miss. Annie had applied for £25,500. A Workshop had been planned for January but due to the bad weather was cancelled and rescheduled for 22nd January. Peter said that another source of funding could be COMMA where the community applying for the grant needs to be within 10km of aggregate extraction. Eddie Winter thanked Peter and Annie for their hard work.
c) Any Other Matters; None
5. District and County Council Matters
Murray reported on the following:
Local Government Reorganization; in today's EDP there was an article regarding the possibility that there will be a unitary Norwich on existing boundaries. Public consultation period up to 19th January. Councils are being asked for their views by 2nd February.
Five Acre Lane Travellers; a court hearing has given the travellers three months to leave the site.
Bad weather; refuse collection had been disrupted but people have been advised to put bins out and they would be emptied although maybe a day or two late.
Breckland Council shared services; still under discussion, although perhaps not relevant because of the possibility of Local Government Reorganization. It will be expensive to put in place, but in the long term the aim is save money.
Grove Farm; Liz Cargill and Roger Gibson attended a planning meeting in December when an enforcement notice was reissued. Mr. Elliot had been fined £300 for allowing people to live there.
Roger Gibson asked Murray about the size of the proposed Traveller sites. Roger said that in the Joint Core Strategy it states that the sites will contain 10-12 pitches, whereas previously Roger had understood that the there would only be 5-6 pitches. Murray said that other Councils had not taken this up and SNC will want smaller sites of 6-8 pitches.
6. Questions from the Public
None.
7. Affordable Housing
The Chairman reported that two objections to the planning application had been received; one from Highways because of the lack of a 30mph speed limit and the other from a local resident regarding the non-linear design, car parking and lighting. Saffron Housing Trust had applied for a Traffic Order for a speed limit and the planning application had been adjusted accordingly. The Planning meeting is to take place on 3rd February at 1.30pm, Eddie, Peter and Liz will attend. Peter will draw up a statement to read out at the meeting. It was agreed that it is important to mention in the statement that the design is in keeping with the village. The Clerk had received a schedule from the showing that if the planning application is approved in February then the work will go out to tender, the budget will be reviewed and if all goes well work could start on the housing in the middle of May.
8. Village Survey
The Survey is a face to face questionnaire to identify what are the real problems of the village. The Chairman reported that it is not finished yet but will be completed as soon as possible and will then be passed to Harleston Police.
9. Sponsored School Governor
The Chairman of Alburgh Parish Council has informed Liz Cargill that they have somebody who would like to be nominated for the position of sponsored school governor. Her name is Jane Marlow and she has an existing link with education. Liz Cargill read out a letter from Jane Marlow.
Proposal: Accept Jane Marlow's application. Six for, one against. The motion was carried.
Jane Marlow will be asked to report back to Denton Parish Council.
10. Grit Boxes
The Clerk had received a telephone call from a resident of Roundhouse Hill who had asked if it was possible to have a grit box on the hill because the hill was very difficult to negotiate in icy/snowy weather. The Clerk informed the Councillors that although Highways would fill the box, the Parish Council would have to purchase the box and the cost would be £125.
Proposal: To purchase a grit box for Roundhouse Hill. Proposed by Liz Cargill, seconded by Roger Gibson. Unanimously agreed.
11. Telephone Box
The telephone does not work and the box has been vandalized a number of times. It was agreed that it is very rarely used and therefore it was decided to ask BT to remove the box. The Clerk to action.
12. Contract Between DPC and Rogerson Trust for Playing Field
It was established that a contract does not exist between Denton Parish Council and the Rogerson Trust for the lease of the playing field. It was agreed that it is necessary to have a contract and Eddie said that the Trustees would be happy to cooperate. He will discuss this with the Trustees and they will approach David Sprake to organize a lease. This needs to be done as quickly as possible.
13. Planning Applications
The Clerk had received a letter from SNC regarding the New Dwelling next to Street Farm which said that the matter of the height of the garage and house had been investigated and was found to be built in accordance with the approved plans. Further action will not be taken.
14. Correspondence
Boundary Committee: an alternative proposal has been submitted for consideration; a unitary county comprising the whole of the existing two tier area of Norfolk. Comments to be made by 19th January. It was agreed to send in the DPC previous comment of preferring the status quo.
SNC: Leaflets for the Home Options Scheme, one on the notice board, Liz Cargill took one. Publish in the Parish Magazine and Web Site.
15. Finance
a. Accounts summary; the Clerk circulated the accounts summary showing the expenditure for the year so far and the expected expenditure for the remainder of the financial year. The Councillors would like there to be a separate paper account for projects fund showing monies and expenditure other than the precept. Outney Common and mini recycling money should be included in the precept account.
b. Pay the Clerk £89.19 for January 2010
c. Pay J.C. Macrae £82.25 for grass cutting at Pool Meadow
d. Pay CCN £25 subscription (this had already been paid in November after the last parish council meeting)
Proposal: Pay b and c. Proposed by Eddie Winter, seconded by Annie Whiteman, unanimously agreed.
e. Received £115 from Bungay Outney Common. Noted.
16. Any Other Business
Peter Hill: the EDP Pride of Norfolk Competition has established another part of the competition called the 'ambition award'. The prize for this is £50,000. Peter sent an expression of interest and has received further details. Peter would like to see a community shop in the village, although the criteria for the award calls for intergeneration schemes. The deadline for application is 19th April. Peter will copy out the details and pass on to the Councillors. This award could be entered for by any individual or group. Peter will also put a piece in the Parish Magazine about it.
The meeting closed at 9.50pm.