White Colne
Parish Council
White Colne
Parish Council
White Colne
Parish Council
White Colne
Parish Council
Parish Council Minutes
Meeting held on 16 July 2007
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held at The Village Hall, Bures Road, White Colne
on Monday 16th July 2007 at 7.30 pm.
Present : Cllr S Adlem, Cllr J Brace, Cllr K Nolan (Chairman), Cllr C Pearcey, Cllr J Taylor, Cllr J Watt
Also Present: Clerk D Williams, District Cllrs R O’Shea & G Spray, the Community Warden
and 4 members of the public attended.
The chairman welcomed Cllr Brace to the parish council.
835. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE – Cllr Abrahams, Essex CC Cllr J Pike
836. DECLARATION OF INTEREST – Cllr Taylor declared an interest in minute 847 if Boley Road is to be discussed, as she is a resident of that road.
837. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
The minutes of the last parish council meeting of 21st May 2007, which had been previously circulated, were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.
PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
The meeting was suspended for questions and statements.
(a)The Community Warden said that dog mess on the Meadows is getting worse. She can issue a fixed penalty notice to owners of offenders, and said that she patrols the area regularly.
(b)Have we heard the results of Village of the Year Competition?
The meeting was resumed.
838. CONSIDERATION OF ISSUES RAISED AT PUBLIC QUESTION TIME.
(a) It was agreed that a notice regarding the dog mess be placed in the newsletter, asking parishioners to advise the community warden or dog warden if they see offenders. Consideration would have to be given to closing the Meadows to dogs for a month or two if the problem persists.
(b) Judging has taken place and we have not been advised of the results.
839. ELECTION OF SUB COMMITTEES
The following sub committees were agreed:-
Footpaths – Cllr Watt
Transport – Cllr Pearcey and Cllr Watt
Meadows Management Committee – Cllr Nolan, Cllr Taylor and Cllr Watt
Village Hall Management Committee – Cllr Adlem, Cllr Pearcey and Cllr Taylor
Allotments – Cllr Brace
Newsletter – Cllr Taylor
It was agreed that a single sheet newsletter would be prepared as soon as possible inviting parishioners to be involved with these sub committees. Cllr Nolan and Cllr Taylor said that they would attend the inaugural meetings of the sub committees.
840. PLANNING APPLICATIONS
07/01205/FUL – Woodfields, Bures Road – erection of annexe extension to provide accommodation
alongside and attached to existing house for applicant’s son and family – the council
accept the application subject to three clauses which are:-
07/01445/FUL – Colneford House, 40 Colneford Hill – removal of lean-
07/00990/FUL – Part OS 8830 Land Adjoining 30 Colne Park Road – change of use of land, erection of private stables, hard standings, access road, landscaping and fencing – Cllr Nolan said that this application was considered at the previous meeting and the council objected to the application. It has recently been approved and the meeting was suspended whilst he invited the Braintree District Councillors to comment. District Cllr O’Shea said that she attended the planning meeting and made a statement, and District Cllr Spray said that she wrote to members of the planning committee. She will investigate why we have not received details of the conditions of approval and will also investigate our request for advice of any future amendment of the plans before a decision is made by the planning officer.
841. BRAINTREE DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORT
Cllr Nolan welcomed the new District Councillors.
District Cllr Spray reported that she had been appointed to the planning committee, Halstead Crime Prevention Panel and Halstead Area Committee which now deals with wider issues than planning. Currently a fund of £50,000 is available and if we have requirements we are to contact the District Councillors.
District Cllr O’Shea said that she had been appointed to the Scrutiny Panel, Halstead Area Committee and the Traffic Liaison Committee. The meeting resumed. It was agreed that the parish council would write to District Cllr W Scattergood, Chair of the Planning Committee and express disappointment at the planning decision in view of the objections made. A draft letter would be prepared by the clerk for approval by the chairman and vice chairman.
842. white colNE meadows project
Cllr Taylor said that she had met with the new River Colne Project Officer in June and we hope that he will lead some of our working parties in the autumn. We shall be carrying out some extra works to the pond, which will depend on permissions from the Environment Agency. The pavilion opening mornings on a Sunday have proved successful and the next one will be on Sunday July 29th. Everyone is welcome. As these are well attended family mornings she suggested that allotment holders may wish to sell produce.
She proposed that the clerk investigates whether horses and or motor bikes have access rights to the Meadows and this was agreed. Cllr Watt said that parishioners have signed the proposal supporting the footpath and he was to meet with Essex County Council (ECC).
843. village hall
Cllr Taylor advised that on behalf of the hall committee she has applied for two grants, one for £4,600 from BDC Rural Development Grant to provide replacement windows for the rest of the building, and energy saving measures for the hall. Matched funding of £690 will be required and this will be met by monies from the hall management committee and possibly the 50 club. If we are successful the work could commence in September. The second grant application is to Awards for All for £3,880 which will match the funds offered by ECC Initiative fund of £6,500 and allow us to completely refurbish the kitchen. Again these works could start in September if we are successful with our bid. Lettings remain good with two and perhaps three new regular weekly hirers starting in September.
She said that sadly we shall be losing Peter Norris sometime in the next few months as he and his wife plan to move from the area. Not only has Peter done a tremendous amount of work on the maintenance side but he has also kept the accounts – thus we shall need to seriously think about appointing a new treasurer in the near future.
844. FINANCIAL MATTERS
The Clerk reported that since the last meeting, the following payments
had been made:-
Cheque Payee Details Amount £
982 Mrs J Taylor – Meadows egg hunt costs 133.91
983 White Colne Parish Council – Meadows, cash used for egg hunt-
984 Play Safety Ltd – ROSPA report for play area 70.50
985 Claire PB & Jonathan PR Ltd – printing for newsletter 80.00
986 Eon Energy – Street lighting 49.01
987 R A Mortimer – Meadows grasscut 122.20
988 R A Mortimer – grasscuts – village green, village hall & emptying bins 185.65
989 R A Mortimer – Meadows grasscuts 122.20
990 R A Mortimer – grasscuts – village green, village hall & emptying bins 185.65
991 R A Mortimer – sweeping footpaths & cleaning telephone box 70.50
992 Rural Community Council of Essex – annual subscription 40.00
993 D Williams – clerk salary June and July 693.33
994 Braintree District Council – election fee for uncontested parish election 23.12
995 P Norris – balance of reimbursement for broadband costs 16.69
D/D Powergen – electricity for village hall 103.20
D/D Anglian Water – water for village hall 124.76
S/O P Norris – reimbursement for broadband costs 22.99
TOTAL PAYMENTS £ 2,069.71
2.Funds Received
Since the last meeting, the following funds have been received:-
Newsletter advert 25.00
Braintree District Council – street cleaning 685.36
Meadows donation 26.00
TOTAL RECEIPTS 736.36
3. Financial statement & Bank Reconciliation
Following the above transactions there is a credit balance of £ 12,938.24 of which £ 272.29 is the current balance held in reserve for the White Colne Meadows project. VAT of £ 5,272.01 has been claimed, of which £2,272.26 is due for the Meadows project. There is £ 4,987.64 held in reserve for the Local Heritage Initiative Fund. Thus the balance of unallocated funds is £ 7,678.31
Bank Balance 21.05.07 £ 14,271.59
Plus total receipts £ 736.36
Sub Total £ 15,007.95
Less Total Payments £ 2,069.71
Bank balance 16.07.07 £ 12,938.24
The annual accounts for the year ended 31st March 2007 were presented to members having been circulated beforehand. The accounts, including the Meadows project, show total receipts of £26,349.24 and totals payments of £31,042.53. Cash in bank as at 31st March 2007 was £10,424.89. The clerk said that these accounts cannot be audited until the previous years’ accounts since 2002 had been audited, and he will now liaise with the internal auditor regarding this. It was agreed that the accounts be accepted and signed by the chairman and the clerk and this was done.
The clerk had been asked to obtain details of an interest bearing account from the council’s bankers in order that consideration could be given to transferring some of the credit balances to earn interest. Cllr Taylor said that the Countryside Agency had in the past made it clear that they did not wish the council to make money on their grants and it may influence receipt of grants in the future. Cllr Nolan said that it could be considered that the council was protecting the funds from inflation, and it was agreed to consider this as an agenda item at the next meeting.
845. contact summer roadshow
Cllr Adlem said that the parish council had been asked whether we wished to book evening visits at a cost of £60 per visit for the month of August. She had established that there was no real interest in this previously and Earls Colne parish are booking the roadshow. She proposed therefore that we did not proceed and this was agreed.
846. code of conduct
Cllr Nolan said that members had been circulated with details of the new Model Code of Conduct prior to the meeting, and after discussion it was agreed that this be adopted. It was also agreed that paragraph 12(2) be adopted. A new Code of Conduct will be sent to members together with a new Register of Interests Form which has to be completed by members within 28 days of adoption of the new Code.
847. highways
Cllr Pearcey said that the council had received a further response from Highways
Department dated 5th July regarding various outstanding issues:-
1.Regarding the extension of the Colchester Road footpath, they state that they cannot maintain a minimum width of 1.5 metres and cannot provide a footpath. Cllr Watt said that consideration could be given to providing a footpath inside the hedge and he will provide some information to the clerk to formulate a response on this issue.
2.They advise that Bures Road does not meet current County policy for gritting. It was agreed that this would be discussed at the sub committee meeting when ECC Cllr J Pike would be invited.
3.Regarding the damage to the village green by HGV vehicles at the bottom of Colne Park Road, they consider that the parish council is to blame as they do not want double yellow lines placed there, and so the HGV vehicles do not have enough space to manoeuvre safely because of the parked vehicles near the junction. It was agreed that Cllr Nolan would try to establish contact details for the Lord of the Manor to involve him with this issue, and a search fee of £25 was approved if necessary to find the Lord of the Manor’s details.
4. The request for a 40mph speed limit on Bures Road from the finish of the existing 30mph limit to beyond the last property, Orchard House does not meet the necessary criteria. It was agreed that we would respond by requesting an advisory 30mph speed limit from Little Pannels to Orchard House as this would incorporate Whites Farm Kindergarten
5. Regarding our enquiry on whether width restrictions could be applied to Boley Road, they advise that there is no set criteria, and they do not intend to apply width restrictions to this road. Cllr Watt said that the Nursery had asked suppliers to reduce the size of vehicles where possible, and at this stage only one has done so. It was agreed that the sub committee would discuss and make recommendations.
6. Regarding the request that broken white lines be reinstated on Colne Park Road to mark the junction with the road along the top of the green to deter vehicles from turning left when coming down the road from outside the village. This is because vehicles do go the wrong way along the top of the green from Colchester Road despite the road signs. This request was refused as there are two large No Entry signs and road markings on Colne Park Road, and if these are ignored then further road markings would also be ignored. Also it is policy to reduce road markings to a minimum in a rural area. It was agreed that Cllr Watt would photograph road markings at a similar location nearby and the sub committee will review and recommend.
7. The request for a warning sign to warn traffic from Colchester of the right turn at Boley Road was also refused for the same reasons as the previous request.
Cllr Pearcey said that there were some agreed works still outstanding, namely:-
a. 30 mph repeater signs travelling north up Bures Road adjacent to The Willows and The Village Hall
b. A ‘Reduce Speed Now’ sub plate under the double bend sign on Bures Road just prior to the junction with Boley Road when travelling south.
c. Pot holes to be filled in on the road that forms the entrance to the Sewage Works from Colneford Hill
d. The gulley in the vicinity of No 25 Colne Park Road has not been installed.
e. The Vehicle Activated Sign has not been installed, although the post for it has been installed.
It was agreed that we would ask them when these agreed works will be done.
It was also agreed that a copy of emails to Highways Department be sent to ECC Cllr J Pike asking him whether he can also request that these works be done, and ask whether he can attend our sub committee meeting.
Cllr Watt said that training will shortly start for the Community Speed Watch volunteers.
848. web site
The clerk reported that if the hosting of the site was changed into the parish council’s name then the site would need to be redesigned, and whilst he considered that he could maintain the site once it was running, assistance would be needed to design the site. Cllr Watt agreed that he would approach Mr Alderman regarding this.
849. parish council meeting dates
Cllr Taylor said that the parish council had not convened meetings in the month of August in the past, and after discussion it was agreed that this practice would continue, emergencies excepted.
850. CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED WHICH IS NOT DEALT WITH ELSEWHERE
From Braintree District Council (BDC) enclosing Ward Profile booklets. These have been distributed to members.
From BDC enclosing a copy of the updated Emergency Plan, suggesting that the parish council may wish to update the Parish Emergency Plan. Cllr Nolan said that the role of the emergency planning officer for the parish council should be an agenda item for the next meeting.
From the BDC Planning Policy manager regarding our enquiry regarding the land at the village hall designated for community use. They advise that this will be deleted from the new Core Strategy and Allocations Document which replaces the Local Plan Review, as the land designation has been completed and the project implemented.
From Lambert Smith Hampton, replying to our enquiry to ECC regarding the fallen trees on their land at the rear of the village hall. They acknowledge public liability but do not propose to incur expenditure on removing the trees as they do not present an immediate danger and the public are not authorized to use this part of the site.
From Essex Police sending details of a Neighbourhood Watch update.
From The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents forwarding a play area safety inspection report. There are some items that require attention and it was agreed to send the report to Mr P Norris who has kindly agreed to attend to the items.
851. ANY OTHER URGENT BUSINESS
Cllr Taylor advised that there had been two responses to the newsletter articles regarding the provision of street lights, one saying that they do not want an increase in general lighting, and one saying that they do not want the Bures Road light replaced. The matter of street lighting will be an agenda item in September.
852. consideration of A REPORT ON THE amended DRAFT HEADS OF AGREEMENT FOR THE
TRANSFER OF WCPC LAND TO ESSEX CC IN RETURN FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE VILLAGE
HALL AND LAND TO WCPC.
Cllr Nolan reported that he had met with our solicitor Ms J Cooper of Holmes & Hills at the site. There were discrepancies in the boundary which were being amended. Our solicitor has not yet received the draft heads of agreement from ECC solicitors. ECC have agreed in principle to pay her full fees.
The parish council confirmed approval of the completion of the deed withdrawing the Section 26 notice.
There being no further business the parish council meeting was closed at 10.03 pm.
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