MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
HELD ON
WEDNESDAY 26TH MARCH 2008
AT 7 30PM AT THE OLD POST OFFICE

Present
Mr G Brown (Chairman)
Mrs M Shaw (Vice Chairman )
Mrs M Wannell
Mr R Bartlam
Mr J Sant
Mr J Larroucau (Clerk)

Apologies for Absence
Mr D  Andrewartha (County Councillor)

In Attendance
Mr D Wride (Disrict Councillor) (after 8.30PM)

Owing to an interruption  of the electricity supply to the Village Hall, the meeting had to be held at the Old Post Office Cottage.
Chairman welcomed Councillors to the Meeting and noted that Mr Wride, District Councillor had been delayed and would join the Meeting at 8 30PM.

1-Approval of Minutes of Meeting held on 6th February 2008
The Minutes as previously circulated were found to be an accurate record of the Meeting and signed by the Chairman.(22/08)

2-Matters arising from Minutes
-Bund at Clingre Farm- Clerk has written to the Highways Agency regarding the concerns of Residents on Motorway Noise. The reply has been circulated to Councillors. Results of the national survey of Motorway noise are being posted on the Defra website. It was agreed that a Meeting of Parish Councillors with Representatives of the Highways Agency should be arranged prior to the annual Assembly of the Parish Meeting on 7th May .(23/08)  Action-Clerk

-Green Waste Recycling Bins-Clerk reported that the old style containers had been reinstated. (23a/08)

-Highways Issues-Clerk has again written to Gloucestershire Highways regarding the deterioration of highways in the Parish.  No reply has been received. The resurfacing of Taits Hill Road between Echo Lane and the A38 has been completed but flooding problems have recurred. (24/08)

-Community Safety-Mr Sant attended the SDC Meeting on Emergency Planning Response. Clerk was asked to circulate the presentation. (25/08)               Action-Clerk

-Grass Verge on Taits Hill Road- Clerk visited Highways records at Shire Hall. Unfortunately records of verge ownership are held by Legal Department. A search would be long undertaking and would only be carried out following a formal request. The view of the officials was that the particular verge is most likely to be County property as it forms a bank rising from the edge of the pavement to the boundary hedge to the adjacent properties. (26/08)
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3-Report by District Councillor
Mr Wride noted that the Council Tax had been fixed and that the demands will shortly be posted. (27/08)
An anonymous letter of complaint has been received regarding the activities taking place at the Car Dismantlers on lower Taits Hill Road. (28/08)
He also expressed concern at the large number of Retrospective Planning Applications covering alterations etc which had been completed without prior planning permission. He urged Councillors to remain vigilant in the matter of unapproved building work. (29/08)

4-Planning Matters
Current Applications were reviewed. It was noted that Application S07/1448 was still under consideration (Post Meeting Note-The Application has been withdrawn)
The only current active Enforcement Action concerns the fencing at Melksham Court. It was not possible to give an update on progress as the Officer concerned is away on leave. (30/08)

5-Special Item-Adoption of Parish Plan
Mr Bartlam proposed and Mrs Shaw seconded the motion that the Parish Council actively consider each item of the Action Plan with a view to implementation as appropriate.
This was unanimously agreed. The Parish Plan is thereby formally adopted. (31/08)
Chairman then noted that the future Parish Council Meeting Agenda could either include a separate section dealing with Action Plan items or that alternatively they could be considered as part of the usual headings in the Agenda. This latter mode was agreed. (32/08)
Chairman also intends to update Parishioners on the Parish Plan in the course of the next Annual Assembly of the Parish Meeting and to raise the issue of the preparation of a Village Design Statement. (33/08)
Mrs Shaw agreed to contact SDC (Krista Harris) on the Welcome to Stinchcombe Pack and the Village Design Statement. (34/08)                                                  Action-Mrs Shaw
Clerk raised the issue of potential future financial liabilities falling on the Parish Council resulting from the activities of the Parish Plan Steering Group and the support given by the Parish Council for recent Grant Applications from the Group. Chairman did not think any such liabilities were likely to arise. Clerk nevertheless reminded the Meeting that a similar situation had arisen  some years ago. (35/08)
Finally Clerk was asked to approach GCC and explore the practicality of switching off street lighting during late night hours. (36/08)                   Action-Clerk

6-Footpaths and Rights of Way
Nothing to report (37/08)

7-Highways
Clerk reported that an E mail has been received from a Resident of Lower Taits Hill Road deploring the unsafe state of the road near the Car Dismantlers and asking for advice on an application for a speed limit. Clerk was asked to reply to the enquiry pledging the support of the Parish Council. It was also agreed that the speed survey which the Parish Plan Steering Group are conducting at the end of April / early May should be extended to include lower Taits Hill Road. Chairman agreed to approach the Steering Group on the matter. (38/08)
                                                                                   Action-Chairman
Clerk will also ask the Resident to participate in the survey. (39/08) Action-Clerk

8-Facilities
-Repairs to Bus Shelter-The first quotation received was unacceptably high. Clerk agreed to explore cheaper alternatives. (40/08)                          Action-Clerk
-Junior Swings- Chairman reported that at a recent meeting with Officials of DRFC it had been agreed that the climbing frame would be uprooted and the swings moved to the vacated site. Since then members of the Club had signalled that they were unhappy with taking down the frame in which case a new location will have to be agreed for the swings.(41/08)
                                                                                 Continuing Action-Chairman

9-Community Safety
Nothing to report (42/08)

10-Correpondence
The latest schedule of correspondence was circulated. (43/08)

11-Financial Matters
-The Statement of Receipts Payments and Authorisations was approved and signed and the Building Society Balance verified. Copy is appended to the Minutes. (44/08)

12-Reports by Councillors
-Mrs Shaw  has attended the recent Meeting of the Trustees of Stinchcombe Hill Recreational Ground Trust. Clerk will circulate the Minutes when available (45/08)
                                                                         Action-Clerk
-Mr Sant commented on the activities of the Neighbourhood warden as described in his monthly report. (46/08)
-Mr Brown reported on the recent Meeting of Chartered Parishes at Shire Hall, which he had attended with the Clerk. (47/08)
Other Councillors had nothing further to report.

13-Dates of Future Meetings
-Annual Assembly of the Parish Meeting-Wednesday 7th May 2008 at 7 30PM
-Annual General Assembly of the Parish Council- Wednesday 21st May 2008 at 7 30PM
-Meeting of the Parish Council-Wednesday 2nd July 2008 at 7 30PM

J Larroucau
Clerk to the Council                                                            min 208