Draft Minutes
Gaydon Parish Council
Tuesday 7th May 2019
| Present | Apologies |
| J Davies - Chairman A Claxton E Leadbetter M Lewis M Bourne S Middleditch C Hill 14 members of the public |
Cllr C Williams Cllr C Kettle |
| In Attendance | Absence |
| Joanna Wain – Clerk |
The meeting was quorate throughout
The meeting opened at: 19:32
Annual Parish Council Meeting
| Item | Action | |
| 1 | Welcome new Council: Cllr Davies welcomed everyone to the meeting. |
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| 2 | Chair election Cllr Hill proposed and Cllr Middleditch seconded Cllr Davies for the position of chairman. Cllr Claxton proposed and Cllr Lewis seconded Cllr Bourne for the position of chairman. The clerk queried whether the nominees should leave the room, Cllr Davies confirmed that this was not required and Cllr Hill confirmed that the nominated Cllrs are entitled to vote. The vote was taken and 3 votes were received for each Cllr Davies and Cllr Bourne as the vote was tied the current chairman cast the deciding vote and Cllr Davies was elected as chair. Following the election there was confusion as to whether that was right as a Councillor had not voted; Cllr Davies confirmed that as previously stated nominees were able to vote. Some Councillors requested the vote be taken again, but as the vote had been taken following the correct procedure this request was refused. |
Ordinary Meeting
| Item: | Action: | |
| 1 | Apologies for Absence: Apologies were received from Cllr Kettle and Cllr Williams. |
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| 2 | Declarations of Interest: Cllr Lewis and Cllr Leadbetter declared their personal interest in KOG. Cllr Hill declared personal interests in agenda items 6a, 6b and 16 b. Cllr Middleditch declared a financial interest in matters concerning the Village Hall and Parish Magazine, |
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| 3 | Questions from the Public: A member of the public raised concerns regarding the travellers that had illegally gained entry to a field and urged residents to take care as antisocial behaviour had been witnessed. Cllr Claxton confirmed that he had cleared up mess from the travellers from behind St Marks following a post on Facebook about travellers defecating in the street. Cllrs thanked Cllr Claxton for this. Cllr Claxton expressed his disappointment that Cllr Williams was not at the meeting and in the lack of correspondence from Warwickshire County Council regarding this matter. Cllr Hill informed the Councillors that she had been working with Neighbourhood watch and outlined the work she had been doing since the travellers’ arrival to try and get the situation resolved. Cllr Hill asked the Councillors if she could ask the Neighbourhood watch representative to liaise with the police on behalf of GPC as Neighbourhood Watch have better resources / connections. Cllr Hill also confirmed she had messaged Cllr Secombe from Warwickshire County Council regarding the illegal encampment as she was aware Cllr Williams has health issues and may not be able to address the issue immediately. Cllr Davies confirmed that WCC would be visiting the site to serve notice on Friday. A member of the public notified Councillors that when they tried to report the encampment and the anti-social behaviour to the police on 101 they were on hold for 45 minutes and the call was never answered. Cllrs discussed how the police were handling the situation and acknowledged the lack of resources available but agreed that it was WCC responsibility and all were disappointed in the lack of response and action. A Councillor queried whether the local military police could assist with this and Cllrs discussed this and noted they did not have the authority to do so. Cllrs discussed how they believe WCC should address the situation and what the law dictates regarding providing alternative sites. A member of the public raised concerns that this was an illegal encampment and the residents of it were breaking the law and causing distress. The members of the public expressed their frustration that the police did not seem to be doing anything to help. A member of the public raised a question regarding the gate to the field the travellers were in, and whether they would need a new one and if so could it be made so the travellers could not gain access. Cllrs confirmed that a new gate was installed after the last illegal encampment and noted that the travellers had not damaged the gate but had cut the lock. Cllrs acknowledged all concerns raised and assured the residents that they were doing everything they can. Cllr Davies asked for any other questions. A member of the public informed GPC that he had been in charge of the flag in the village for 20 years and would like stop and for someone else to take this over. Cllrs thanked the resident for all their hard work and for doing this for so long and confirmed they would find a replacement. Cllrs noted this could be put in the village newsletter. A representative from the Millennium Group asked whether the Parish Council Insurance would cover the Village fete. Cllr Davies confirmed that it would only be Public Liability insurance and the organisers would need to put warning notices up to warn of the uneven ground in the field. A member of the public asked if the grass cutting contracts had been renewed and if the field would still be cut as often. Cllrs confirmed that the contract had been renewed but the amount of cuts had been reduced to reduce the cost. A member of the public raised concerns regarding the environment and asked GPC to consider “green options” and “sustainability” when making any decisions that could impact the environment. Cllrs discussed whether there was an accreditation to get “Green Parish Status” but were unsure of this but agreed to keep the comments in mind when making decisions. A member of the public asked if the cemetery had a green bin. Cllrs discussed the bins available in the cemetery and confirmed there was no green bin but there was a composting area. Cllr Davies confirmed he would look into getting a green bin put in there. |
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| 4 | Councillor Portfolios: Cllr Davies would be responsible for the cemetery along with Cllr Middleditch. Cllr Claxton would be responsible for Drains, Footpaths and Footways. Cllr Bourne and Cllr Claxton will be responsible for Street Lighting. Cllr Leadbetter would take the lead on the Neighbourhood Pan but all Councillors would assist with this. Cllrs noted that Cllr Leadbetter would start the process and then a Neighbourhood forum would be created with delegated responsibilities. Cllr Lewis would take on the Website portfolio but the new clerk should be responsible for updating the website with agendas and minutes. Cllr Lewis informed Cllrs that she would like to develop an online Welcome Pack for new residents and is happy to take this responsibility. Cllr Hill informed Cllrs that the website holds incorrect information and Cllr Lewis asked Cllr Hill to inform her of what needs to be removed / added. Cllrs noted that this again would be the responsibility of the new clerk. Cllr Hill would take on the role of Community Liaison and would like Orbit to be included in this. Cllr Davies, Cllr Claxton and Cllr Lewis would share the Speed Watch / Traffic calming portfolio. Cllr Lewis would take on Community Space and suggested new portfolio for Play this was agreed and Cllr Bourne to assist with these. |
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| 5 | Acceptance of the minutes of the previous meeting: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved and accepted as a true and accurate record, Cllr Davies signed these. |
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| 6 | Matters arising from the minutes of the previous meetings Orbit update regarding Lease agreement Cllr Davies confirmed that he was still researching this and Orbit had not provided all the requested information. Cllr Hill of the history around the play area and detailed information given to her by a resident and how they believed this had been gifted to GPC. Cllrs discussed this and the options they had to follow this up. Cllrs discussed that Land Registry had confirmed that the play area is owned by Orbit, however Land Registry only hold details of who had registered it and not the legal owners. A Cllr queried whether GPC would incur any legal costs to find out about the legal ownership and whether the play area had previously been gifted. Cllrs discussed and believed they would not. Cllrs noted previous discussions regarding Orbit and agreed it seemed Orbit had changed their mind and discussed the possible reasons for this. Cllrs asked if the lease agreement was available for them to see. Cllr Davies confirmed that at present it was all verbal and explained the difficulties he had had with communicating with Orbit and that Orbit had failed to respond to letters. Cllr Hill requested that Cllr Davies forward all correspondence from Orbit. Action – Cllr Davies to forward Orbit correspondence. Insurance – confirmation it will cover the Village Fete Cllrs noted this had been discussed briefly and that the only insurance would be Public Liability. Cllrs discussed whether there would be any trade stalls that should be made aware of this. Cllr Hill believed there would only be 3 trade stalls. Cllr Hill confirmed the parking arrangements for the Village Fete. Cllrs questioned whether there would be alcohol at the fete. Cllr Hill confirmed the correct licence would be obtained by the Millennium Group. A Cllr questioned whether they knew who owned the access to the field. Cllrs confirmed they were still unaware of this and the only access allowed was for agricultural vehicles. Cllrs discussed what would happen if they were ever refused access and Cllr Hill confirmed that that taken out indemnity insurance a number of years ago which covered for this. Drag racing A member of the public confirmed the B4100 was used for drag racing on a previous Friday / Saturday night however he was not aware this had happened again. Cllrs requested the resident report this to 101 if it happened again. JLR pond Cllrs asked residents to keep GPC updated regarding the condition of this Cllr Claxton wanted to address the issue of the lack of life vest and informed Cllrs that he had informed JLR of this risk and asked them to take the appropriate action. Cllr Claxton noted that as the pond is on private property with no public right of way so nobody should be near it. GPC will assume that JLR have done a risk assessment. White lines Cllrs Hill confirmed she would like Cllr Williams to confirm when the white lines would be repainted. Cllr Davies will put forward these questions to Cllr Williams. Action – Cllr Davies to ask Cllr Williams about the White Lines Traffic calming contributions Cllr Davies confirmed that the Haywood developer would be providing a letter to confirm the donation. Overhanging hedges A Cllr asked if a letter had been written to residents about this yet. Cllr Davies confirmed not yet as they had been trying to find a letter template. Cllr Hill confirmed she would speak to the residents regarding the overhanging hedges. Cllrs discussed road safety within the village and steps that could be taken to improve this. Cllrs asked for Road Safety to be added to the agenda for the next meeting for discussion. Action – Add Road Safety to the agenda |
Cllr Davies Cllr Davies Clerk |
| 7 | County Council Matters To receive report Cllr Williams sent a report which the clerk read to the Cllrs. Cllr Hill wanted the following questions asked to Cllr Williams – “How much is in the community grant and how is this applied for?” “If a new gate is required fur to the travellers would WCC be willing to aid with this through the road safety grant” Action – Cllr Davies to convey questions to Cllr Williams |
Cllr Davies |
| 8 | District Council Matters: To receive report Nothing to receive as Cllr Kettle sent his apologies. |
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| 9 | To receive planning applications: No applications received. |
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| 10 | Review of Financial Regulations: Cllrs confirmed this item would be carried forward to next meeting as this needs to be reviewed annually but from previous discussions they believe that they are up to date and want to go online with BACs payments and need to amend this. ACTION – Add review of financial regulations to the agenda Cllrs requested to see the financial regulations and Cllr Davies confirmed this would be sent round Action – Send financial regulations to all Cllrs |
Clerk Cllr Davies |
| 11 | Tidy up of Village areas: Dog Foul Bin, jct Kineton Rd/Banbury Rd Cllrs discussed the concerns raised by the residents during the litter pick that the hedges had a number of bags of dog poo in them. Cllrs discussed the bins available and whether they could change the location of the dog foul bin currently on the Warwick Road – a resident commented that this bin was used frequently so did not think it would be a good idea; Cllrs agreed. Cllrs noted the cost of a new dog foul bin including the cost to empty this and agreed it would be more cost effective to move an existing (regular) bin from the village that wasn’t used as much. Cllrs queried whether dog poo could be put in a regular bin and it was confirmed that it could. Cllrs agreed to move a bin from Church Road and relocate this, Cllr Claxton offered to carry out this work. Village Areas in need of attention Following the litter pick Cllr Lewis believes there are a number of areas in the village that could use some “TLC” including the bus stop. Cllr Lewis suggested they should do a walk around the village and identify the areas in need of sprucing up. Action – Cllrs to identify areas in need of attention in the village Action – Add this to the agenda for the next meeting. |
All Cllrs Clerk |
| 12 | S106 funding: To agree draft contract and draw down on Land South of Kineton Road off site open space contribution to offset COU application cost £251 (including £20 admin charge) and to begin project Cllr Lewis confirmed that the SDC solicitor had not yet completed the contract so it could not be agreed at this meeting; Cllr Lewis will send this round once received to be discussed at the next meeting. Action – Cllr Lewis to send all Cllrs S106 draft contract once received Action – Add S106 funding to the agenda. |
Cllr Lewis Clerk |
| 10 | Councillors Reports Cemetery Cllr Davies confirmed that the tap had been fixed and thanked the resident for this and confirmed there was nothing else to report. Street lighting/litter/street furniture; Cllr Claxton informed Cllrs that he had identified 3 street lights on the Banbury Road which he believed were now redundant and could be removed. Cllrs discussed these street lights at length and suggested that the residents should be consulted before any street lights were removed. Cllr Claxton discussed the options available for replacing any broken streetlights with more aesthetically pleasing lights that would fit with the village. Cllr Claxton confirmed he would cost up the project and present this to GPC when all the figures are known. Cllrs discussed the lights that are in need of refurbishment or replacement. Drains Cllrs noted there had been a leak in Church Road but Severn Trent were aware and dealing with this. Footpaths/Footways Cllr Claxton informed Cllrs that he would like to order a kissing gate for the footpath going out towards Island farm. Cllr Davies requested that Cllr Claxton request this from the Council, Cllr Claxton confirmed that this would be gained from WCC with no cost to GPC. Neighbourhood Plan Cllr Leadbetter confirmed they did not have a current map of GPC showing the change of boundaries but that she had emailed WALC and is hopeful to get this soon so they could submit the application. Cllrs queried why there was no map and Cllr Davies noted that only Lighthorne Parish map had been updated and did not know why this was the case. Cllr Leadbetter queried what needed to be done to arrange the Parish meeting on 28th May. Cllrs discussed this and noted that they would need to write to all business and local groups and invite them to do a brief presentation of themselves. Community Liaison - A request had been made to a previous councillor from KOG querying whether the Village hall could be used for a youth club. Cllrs discussed this and did not believe this was a matter for GPC and suggested KOG contact the Village hall committee directly as they believe it would be covered by the Village hall insurance. Website Nothing to report Defibrillator A Cllr raised some concerns regarding the handle and the box suggesting it may cause an obstruction to the pavement. Cllrs noted the concerns but did not think it would be an issue. Cllrs agreed to send a letter of thanks to the electrician for fitting the defibrillator and to the pub for allowing the wall to be used. |
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| 11 | Financial Report/Administration: Bank balances No updated bank statements had been received and unsure who is receiving these, believe still would be received by Cllr Hill but Cllrs would look into this. Cllr Hill confirmed she had done the return for HMRC this month and although it was a nil return it needed to be done or else GPC may be fined. Cllr Hill confirmed the new clerk would need to take this over. |
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| 12 | Passing of any accounts for payment: J Wain – Clerks Salary: £179.20 £952.39 – Chris Pickering plus £30 grass seeding. Cllr Hill proposed and Cllr Middleditch seconded the approval of the accounts and all Cllrs agreed. Cllrs discussed the draft accounts and noted these would need to be discussed at the June meeting. Action – Add Accounts to the agenda for the next meeting |
Clerk |
| 13 | Correspondence: Application for Parish Clerk Cllrs confirmed they had seen the application and agreed that they should interview the applicant as the CV was impressive. Cllr Davies confirmed he would invite the applicant for an interview. Cllrs thanked JW for stepping in to clerk for them while they found a suitable replacement. Email from C Hill re Severn Trent Cllr Davies requested that Councillors look into the Severn Trent website and if anything of interest raise It via email. . |
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| 14 | Date of next meeting Tuesday 4th June at 19:30 |
The meeting closed at: 21:35
Gaydon Parish Council Meeting on 7th May 2019
County Councillor’s Report
April is the last month of the council year and is traditionally very quiet. Steps are being taken to implement new procedures and obviously all Council Members are getting to know the new Officers that have recently been appointed. Add to this the uncertainties of Brexit and the political purdah as a result of the recent District Council elections in four of the five District/Borough Councils within the county of Warwickshire, I am pleased to report that no decisions have been taken that would impact upon Gaydon Parish Council.
One important issue that we, at the County, would like resolved is the long-awaited Green Paper by parliament on the importance of social care which should give guidance as to the financing of this vital ingredient in all aspects of community welfare. The issue of this guidance has been delayed for two years during the domination of parliamentary time due to Brexit.
I have little to add at this time of year but am sure that my next report after our Annual Meeting on 21st May will contain a comprehensive review as to how the council will proceed for the next twelve months.
If there are any specific queries requiring my attention, please let me know. However, I will be happy to answer any immediate questions this evening.
Cllr Chris Williams
Member for Kineton and Red Horse Division
06.05.2019