Minutes 9th March 2009

PRESENT

Chairman: Cllr Mr A Manship
Councillors: Mr J Chapman, Mrs J Chase, Mr R Page, Mrs P Sharpe, Mr G Tull

County Councillor: Mr P Mason
District Councillors: Mr R Humby
Clerk: Mrs E Manship

30/09 APOLOGIES

Councillor: Mrs T Meads
District Councillor: Mr L Ruffell
PCSO Ralph Akehurst

31/09 DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS FOR AGENDA ITEMS

None

32/09 CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 9th February 2009 had been circulated. The Chairman signed the minutes.

33/09 POLICE CONSTABLE REPORT

None

34/09 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

a) Whaddon Lane - To ascertain implication of financial year end on the project (AM)

Cllr Manship reported that he had received an e-mail from Mr Burns confirming Colin Taylor had ring-fenced finance for the project and it now did not have to start before financial year-end. Mr Burns would continue to liaise with Colin Taylor on the Council’s behalf.

 

b) Strip of Land next to garages in Beech Grove – To take project forward (AM)

Cllr Manship reported that he had dug the plot, removing weeds, bottles and rubble. He requested support from any councillor with a trailer to deliver manure. He would contact those who volunteered to help him plant, once this was dug in.

 

c) Rural Services Network – To make a recommendation as to whether the Council should join (JC)

Cllr Chapman reported that some City / County Councils had joined the network, but not many. WCC had not done so. There is little evidence to date as to the impact of the network and his recommendation was that we should wait and see how the network develops in the first instance. All agreed.

d) Parish Policing Partnership Forum – Feedback (RP/GT)

Sharing Crime Information – The Police recognise many Neighbourhood Watch groups and Parish Partnership Forums are not joined up. Every week Neighbourhood Watch groups receive a list of local crimes. The recommendation is that to better enable individuals in the community to support the Police, information should be shared with Parish Councils and placed on local websites.

 

The Police are setting up a website to record crime information for this purpose. When this is up and running a link from our website will be set up.

Police Presence at Parish Council Meetings – The Police believe there should be a Police presence at every Parish Council meeting. The Police to investigate why this does not always happen.

 

Community Safety Forum – There is not a Community Safety Forum in our area, though in other areas these are doing well. To be taken forward.

 

Crime Figures – Overall there is a decrease in crime figures. House burglaries are down, though non-dwelling burglaries are up.

 

Reported Incidents – As from 1st April the Police will feed back to individuals who have reported an incident within 48 hours to confirm the outcome.

 

Parish Website – Cllr Tull asked Cllr Manship why information regarding our local Neighbourhood Watch isn’t on the Parish Website.

 

Cllr Manship confirmed that information about Neighbourhood Watch in general had been attached to the Owslebury website and that the local Neighbourhood Watch group had been offered an invitation to input information helpful to the community onto the site at no cost. As yet this offer has not been taken up but it would be most welcomed.

 

Country Watch – A meeting is to be held on Wednesday 11th March 09 – Cllrs Page and Tull to attend.

e) Annual Audit 2007/08
The Clerk confirmed that the External Auditor had signed off the Annual Audit. The Chairman thanked the Clerk for her work in this regard.

 

f) Grips – To write a specification to clear the grips in Longwood Road and Hensting Lane (GT)
Cllr Tull confirmed that he could not do this. In order to remove the water from the road it had to run onto someone’s land. He would need to discuss this with individual landowners and they would not welcome this. He felt the only way forward was to raise the issues again with Hampshire Highways.

35/09 PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

a) Planning Application – 09/00187/FUL – Beech House, Whaddon Lane
The owners talked through their planning application, confirmed they had consulted with neighbours and no adverse comments had been received.

 

b) Parking in Field Gateway to Footpath 49
A resident reported that cars are parking in the field gateway in Beech Grove. People have horses on the land and this is causing problems. No parking signs are ignored. Difficulties arise during the day but particularly in the evenings.

36/09 COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLOR REPORTS

a) Hampshire Highways
Cllr Mason reported that Hampshire Highways had run out of money for new projects until the next financial year. With regard to the Parish Council not being given dates for completion of agreed jobs e.g. kerbing in Longwood Road, he explained that they do not plan ahead as they do not know what manpower they will have at any one time. He had a meeting with Colin Taylor in 10 days time and he would raise this with him.

 

b) Fieldfare Local Action Group

Cllr Humby spoke on Fieldfare Local Action Group, which has been awarded £2million LEADER funding from SEEDA on behalf of Defra and the EU.  The funding comes from the Rural Development Programme for England and is aimed at assisting rural businesses, especially farming and forestry related businesses and the communities around them. 

 

The money is available to applicants in the East Hampshire and Winchester Districts, apart from the urban centres of Winchester City, Alton, Whitehill-Bordon, Petersfield and Horndean.

To date, 31 enquiries have been received asking for over £420k. Projects include farm diversification, establishing new or developing existing rural businesses, developing and/or expanding food production businesses, modernisation of agricultural buildings, wood fuel, village development and enhancing the tourism offer.

 

The Programme Manager, Ken Brown, has been helping local farmers, foresters and rural enterprises to explore how the Fieldfare LEADER funding opportunity might be able to help them get the project ideas off the ground. Current applicants include Parish Councils, Landowners, owners of small businesses and people interested in growing fruit and vegetables.
 
Members of the Local Action Group will be making the first round of grant support recommendations at their meeting on the 28th April.

 

Find out more information about LEADER funding on www.winchester.gov.uk/leaderfunding or contact Ken Brown on 01962 848 588 or email kbrown@winchester.gov.uk

37/09 HIGHWAYS

a) Hurst Lane

Cllr Chapman reported that he was meeting with Rod Bould on Thursday 12th March 09 to walk/discuss Hurst Lane.

Action:	By When:	By Whom:
To place on May agenda.	11/05/09	Clerk

 

b) SLR’s
The paper from HCC outlining the revised price structure had been circulated. The Council felt that whilst the initial purchase price of the SLR could be met from the Kerbing fund, particularly if joint purchased with neighbouring parishes and supported by a grant, the cost of moving the SLR from place to place on a 2-weekly basis, which was significantly higher than initially discussed, was prohibitive.

 

Action:	By When:	By Whom:
To advise the Clerk’s of Durley, Curdridge and Upham that Owslebury Parish Council would like to go ahead with the joint purchase of an SLR but regrettably, unless the cost of moving the unit was significantly reduced they were not able to go ahead.	ASAP	Clerk

 

c) 30mph sign in hedge outside Underacre

 

Action:	By When:	By Whom:
To raise again with Hampshire Highways	ASAP	Clerk

 

38/09 RIGHTS OF WAY

a) Bridleway 42A

Action:	By When:	By Whom:
To discuss the mud on the bridleway with the zoo	ASAP	Clerk

39/09 WEBSITE

a) Advertisement fees
The Council agreed to leave the cost of advertising on the website at £50 per annum

 

b) Ordnance Survey Licence
The Clerk reported that the webmaster advised that the Rights of Way maps could not currently be published on our website owing to an ongoing dispute between HCC and Ordnance Survey. The Council therefore agreed not to renew our Ordnance Survey licence at this stage. To review when the dispute is settled satisfactorily.

c) Local Businesses
Some businesses have confirmed that advertising on the website has proved most beneficial, though for others it is recognised that the annual fee is a method of contributing to community projects and the website running costs.

 

The Council would like to encourage further businesses within the Parish to advertise on the site. The Clerk asked for volunteers of help with this from all, as word of mouth is by far the best method. Cllr Chapman agreed to support the Clerk in this.

Action:	By When:	By Whom:
To contact existing businesses re: 2009/10 advertising fee To seek further businesses within the Parish of Owslebury to advertise on the site	ASAP Ongoing	Clerk J Chapman

40/09 PLANNING

a) Planning Applications

 

09/00187/FUL	Beech House, Whaddon Lane, Owslebury. SO21 1JJ
Proposal:	Ground floor rear extension; new first floor to the whole building; new attached garage; solar panels
Closing Date WCC:	12th March 2009
Closing Date OPC:	Monday 9th February 2009 (OPC Meeting)

OPC: No comment

b) Planning Decisions
None

Further to discussions with Nigel March, Enforcement Manager – WCC, Tom Patchell, Principal Planning Officer (Enforcement) - WCC, District Cllr Laurence Ruffell and Cllr Anthony Manship, the Clerk briefed the Council on the current situation regarding properties on the March 09 Enforcement list.

42/09 TO CONSIDER MATTERS ARISING FROM CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED: FOR INFORMATION ONLY

None

43/09 FINANCE

Payments were approved in accordance to the budget.

44/09 DATE OF THE NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING and ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Monday 6th April 2009 at 7.45pm
(changed from Monday 13th April owing to the Bank Holiday)

The meeting closed at 10.00pm.