Clipstone Parish Council Meeting Minutes November 2014

Present

Councillors - Cllr Mark Dabbs (Chair), Cllr Rebecca Power, Cllr Sheila Soar, Cllr Robert Vilinskis.

Jennifer Lowe (Clerk)

11 members of the public.

1. Welcome by Chair


2. Apologies for Absence

   Cllr Dave Thompson, Cllr Gary Adams, Cllr Rose Keeton, Cllr Barbara Brownley (Vice Chair).



3. Declarations of Interest

   Cllr Rebecca Power item 10.b



4. Declarations of Confidentiality

   Item 13.b & 10.d placed in section 22.



5. Approval of Minutes from October Meeting

   Proposed Cllr Sheila Soar, seconded Cllr Robert Vilinskis, approved unanimously.



6. Matters arising from minutes

   Cllr Sheila Soar cancelled the meeting with Mike Keeling, but raised the issue about the School with Cllr John Peck; on Notts County Council agenda to make the yellow lines outside the School enforceable.

   Cllr Soar raised the issue about Greendale with the Police & Crime Commissioner to see what he could do.

   Cllr Soar thinks we should consider a Neighbourhood Plan, as the parishioners keep asking for a supermarket, and the Ritz would be an ideal place for one. Cllr Dabbs said there would have to be consideration for other local shops nearby.



7. Reports from County & District Councillors

   None.



8. Questions and Petitions from Public

   Question about the roads; Cllr Soar commented that Cllr Peck knows more about this, but due to spending restraints, they will probably only be patched in the future.

   Cllr Halfpenny was mentioned, and if there had been any more developments, doesn't he have to come to these meetings? Cllr Halfpenny had not sent in his apologies for the meeting, Cllr Dabbs said protocols have to be followed before anything else can be done.

   Any development with the height of the trees on South Crescent, as branches were falling on the road? Cllr Dabbs said the local Welfare had had their trees cut, so others should have theirs done.

   Cllr Dave Thompson had said at the last meeting, that he would report it to Newark & Sherwood Homes.

   Concerns were raised about the amount of wet leaves on the pavement, it was suggested that the residents get in touch with NSDC to send the road sweepers out to gather them up. Clerk to ring for road sweeper to clear leaves.



9. Feedback from Committees and Working Parties

   None.



10. Finance Matters
    
    
    • Approval of payments in November 2014
      A laptop had to be purchased as the desktop was acting erratically. Cllr Soar said that the council had previously had a laptop, the present clerk had no knowledge of this, Cllr Soar was concerned where it had gone to.
      Some late payments were presented also. Approved unanimously.
    
    
    • Approval of one free hire in exchange for additional tower usage
      The tower had been used for the Parish Workers to apply the second load of acoustic tiles to the hall walls. Wayne Power, who owned the tower wants to hire the hall on New Year's Day for a family party in exchange for an hire payment. Approved unanimously. (Cllr Power was excluded from the vote due to relationship to the owner of the tower scaffold).
    
    
    • Purchase of Pruner and Powerhead for cemetery and other areas
      The current Honda Powerhead was of the 'Handle bar' type, which could not have a pruner attachment fitted. Quotes were shown. Approved unanimously.
    
    
    • Lease concerns (to section 22.)


11. Planning and Licensing Matters
    
    
    • Demolition of Methodist Church, erection of 4 semi-detached bungalows
      Cllr Soar enquired if what was happening with the sale of the land at the back of the Church, the clerk replied that the last she knew nothing had been arranged. No objections.


12. Legal Matter

    None.



13. Burial Grants

    David John Vickerstaff deed, approved unanimously.
    Jennifer Elizabeth Vardy deeds, approved unanimously.



14. Correspondence
    

    • Scouts

      Letter in response to the decision not to award any grants this year.

    • Alison Pringle / CCRG / C.I.C.

      Email thanking the Council for donating hire of hall for McMillian Coffee Morning.

    • NCC

      Inviting comments on draft transport Integrated Ticketing Strategy.
      Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan additional consultation.
      Consultation on Spending Proposals 2015/16 - 2017/18.
      Grant Aid awards from July 2015 - June 2018.

    • Mansfield DC

      Update to the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.

    • The Local Government Boundary Commission

      Electoral Review of Nottinghamshire.

    • Nottinghamshire Voice - Campaign to Protect Rural England

      Parish Council News.

    • GOV.UK

      Press release - Brownfields sites to be prioritised for development.

    • Better Broadband

      Update session for Parish and Town Councils

    • Girton & Meering Parish and Charitable Conservation Trust

      Asking for support for flood risks both written and financial

    • Police & Crime Commissioner

      The Beat newsletter

    Cllr Dabbs suggested that correspondence could be placed on the council's website so it would reach a wider audience, plus some items could go in the latest newsletter, clerk to arrange.



15. Consideration of small end store room use, for possible return of Rabbit Club

    The Rabbit group who used to use the village hall wants the council to consider their return with the intent of having five events a year at £100 each, but they would require storage.

    Councillors were concerned about the amount of possible storage needed, the opening and closing times needed for the shows, and the mess involved.
    Cllr Soar said the storage of their equipment was a 'nightmare' in the past.
    The council decided that the organiser of the Rabbit group was welcome to come in and discuss this further at another council meeting.



16. Discussion re Skate Park bid

    Cllr Soar contacted NSDC to see it there was any possibility of having a Skate Park at Vicar Water. NSDC said there was nowhere suitable. Cllr Soar spoke to Jan at LIS who said it was too late now to use the £50k that had been awarded originally for the proposed Skate Park. The fund will be available again next year, she thinks it will be reduced by 2/3rds and the criteria will be more around employment.

    Cllr Soar has sent Mr Kelly his four pages of questions back; he was concerned that different councils have not given consideration for CISWO and its aims, and it was all one way traffic. Cllr Soar said the council had given monetary support to the youth club and Cllr Soar has supported Richard Clarey many times.

    Cllr Soar asked if she was wasting her time, Mr Kelly said no, but the sticking points were that the land was used for leisure and sports (SP8), but could be developed if there were enough other leisure and sports facilities in the area.
    Also, 106 monies of £120k from the Cavendish development is still being negotiated, with money being earmarked for community facilities.
    Cllr Soar asked Mr Kelly for a reply for tonight, but nothing has appeared.



17. Gifting of Land - KATHRYN HENSHAW Service Manager - Estates Nottingham Community Housing Association

    Kathryn gave an overview. The Housing Association took over the houses and along with them came some plots of land. Due to cutbacks, NCHA does not have enough money to maintain these plots as they would wish to. Last year, an agreement was arranged with the council to look after three of these plots. The clerk informed her that the invoice had not been paid for £850, but £2000 for repairs had been paid, and this money was being held for now, as no contracts were in place for work to begin on the land. The £2k refers to the roadside oasis at the bottom of Third Avenue. It is in very poor repair, and NCHA's responsibility ends at health and safety considerations, so would probably result in it being fenced off. The agreement was that the £2k would be used by the Parish Council to make it safe. NCHA would then gift this land and several smaller plots to the council. Kathryn Henshaw went to their solicitors to have something drawn up, but none of the land is properly registered.

    Cllr Soar thought it would be a really bad idea for the council to take this on. There are drainage issues and flooding with some of the bays, and one of the bays needs major repairs. A local improvement scheme would have helped.
    Cllr Power commented that just because there are not many tenants left in NCHA homes, the bays still need to look nice. Cllr Power has rung NCHA many times on the standard of health and safety of their property and land.
    Cllr Soar commented that they should have had some money come in from the sale of some of the homes to private buyers.

    Kathryn needs to know is, if the decision is not to go ahead, what to do with the bays?

    Cllr Dabbs said that £2k will not cover anything really; we need to know what land registry reveals, as we have had trouble recently with land issues costing the council money.



18. Adopt Model Publication Scheme

    Approved unanimously to adopt the Model Publication Scheme from the Information Commissioner's Office.



19. Update on Gary Adams group and their chairs for our use.

    The Clerk advised that the Friendship Club said they paid £1800 for their chairs; the group paid £8 per week for hire of the meeting room on a Wednesday 1pm-4pm and storage in the kitchen. The clerk did not know why they had only been charged this amount which is less than the rate of £24 and storage, but the previous clerk charged only £8 per session. Cllr Soar said they are a very rich group, Cllr Dabbs said the charges had been revised because the council needs to get some money back on the hall. Cllr Power said that they get storage free, and they want money for the chairs as well? Cllr Dabbs suggested it to be brought to a finance meeting to review the charges. Clerk to add to finance agenda.



20. AOB

    Cllr Dabbs asked why the cemetery gates were left wide open Friday night, Saturday morning, clerk to investigate.



21. Date and time of next meeting - Wednesday 10th December 2014 at 7pm.

    Jim Gibson (Scouts) congratulated the Chair, Cllr Mark Dabbs on the arrival of his new baby girl this week, named Poppy.

    The public was asked to leave at 8.35pm.



22. Exclusion of Press and Public

    The meeting ended at 8.50pm

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