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Parish Council Minutes 2009
WHITE COLNE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held at
The Village Hall, Bures Road, White Colne on Monday 19th January 2009 at 7.30 pm.
Present : Cllr M Abrahams, Cllr S Adlem, Cllr J Brace, Cllr K Nolan (Chairman),
Cllr C Pearcey, Cllr Taylor, Cllr J Watt
Also Present: Clerk D Williams, PC Andrews and 4 members of the public attended.
12. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE -
13. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS – Cllr Taylor declared an interest in minute 22 regarding Boley Road if the road is mentioned as she is a resident of that road.
14. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF LAST MEETING -
PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
The meeting was suspended for questions and statements.
(i)What progress has been made with the installation of the new street light in Bures Road?
(ii)What is the position with the Welcome Pack for new residents of the village?
(iii)Our postman is retiring on Saturday, does the council want to write to him and wish him well in retirement?
The meeting was resumed.
15. CONSIDERATION OF ISSUES RAISED AT PUBLIC QUESTION TIME.
(i)Cllr Watt said that he was making arrangements for the solar light to be installed on the pole shortly.
(ii)Cllr Adlem said that the format for the Welcome Pack had been agreed. Cllr Taylor said that the council are undertaking a transfer of information from the web site and once done will be able to proceed with the Welcome Pack.
(iii)Cllr Taylor said that it was a good idea to write to the retiring postman, and Cllr Watt agreed to advise the clerk of details so that the council could write accordingly.
16. HIGHWAYS
PC Paul Andrews, Neighbourhood Specialist Officer, was present for this item. He said that there was very little crime in the area and the main issue raised was speeding traffic. He said that Essex Police are operating more speed traps and collisions are recorded only when there are injuries. Cllr Abrahams said that in reading the new draft speed management strategy document there is a new definition of a village which means that our village’s speed limits can extend to ‘Upper White Colne’. He proposed that when the draft strategy is approved that the council ask for inclusion. Cllr Nolan suggested that the council reply to Essex County Council (ECC) approving the draft and that the council look forward to ECC fulfilling the implementation of the draft. The reply would be subject to any further points raised by the cluster meeting next week. This was agreed.
Cllr Watt said that he met with Ms O Cowell from ECC Highways Department and agreed on the site for the Speed Initiated Device poles. The temporary Variable Activated Sign is being installed very shortly. He is waiting for contact from ECC Highways for further advice on the progress of the bus shelter installation. He said that the wall on Colneford Hill has now been repaired, and ECC Highways have written to the council advising that the proposed footpath on Colchester Road is at project stage and that they will proceed as and when funds become available.
PC Andrews then left the meeting.
17. PLANNING APPLICATIONS
(a) 08/02240/FUL – Great Catleys Farm, Catley Road – re-
18. 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 said that the council had signed the agreement for the transfer of the land, but the other parties have to obtain the signatures of their mortgage companies. ECC are still insistent that they put a limit on the amount of our fees that they pay. If we had not signed the agreement there would have been a likelihood that they would have withdrawn from the agreement and we would have been liable for solicitors’ fees of £4,600. Our solicitors have sent to us an invoice for £1,172 plus VAT representing the balance of their expenses in excess of those that ECC have agreed to pay. Cllr Taylor proposed that we write to to Lord Hanningfield and ask that ECC pay it in line with the draft agreement. Cllr Nolan proposed that he and Cllr Taylor prepare a letter to send to Lord Hanningfield and that in the meantime we defer agreeing to pay the invoice. This was agreed.
19. WHITE COLNE MEADOWS
Cllr Taylor said that forthcoming activities on the Meadows included a pancake race on 21st February and a spring working party on 15th March. She proposed a formal vote of thanks to Cllr Adlem for preparing the Calendar of Events for this year and all councillors agreed and thanked her.
20. VILLAGE HALL
Cllr Adlem said that there was a good level of bookings and that the next large project was the toilet refurbishments, which will cost £20,000 and the management committee will seek to undertake in July or August. Gabrielle Spray has indicated that Braintree District Council (BDC) would look favourably on an application for funding for £10,000, and an application for £5,000 has been made to Essex County Council CIF fund, with the balance being found from management committee funds. The clerk said that a letter had been received from BDC advising that the system for Mandatory or Discretionary relief for council tax is being reviewed. At present the village hall receives full relief from council tax under this system.
Cllr Taylor proposed that the budgeted figure of £1,000 in the council budget for this financial year is drawn in full, and any figure in future years is also drawn in full. A full discussion followed and it was agreed that costs up to £1,000 would be paid but a transfer of this amount to the Village Hall funds was not agreed. If large costs over £1,000 are involved then they would be considered sympathetically. Cllr Nolan said that if the Village Hall wish to have any balance carried forward into a new financial year then they present their budget requirements at the next meeting together with a copy of the annual accounts. This was agreed
Cllr Abrahams left the meeting.
21. THE TELEPHONE BOX
Cllr Adlem said that a flyer had been circulated in the village seeking views on the retention of the red telephone box at an annual cost of £500. There had been 37 written replies and 3 verbal responses to the 200 flyers delivered. Of these 15 would wish to see retention of the box at no cost to the parish, and 22 supported retention of the box agreeing to an increase in the parish council tax of approximately £2.50 pa for each household. It was noted that BT may not wish to remove the red box and thus the cost of £500 pa may not be payable. Cllr Brace proposed that the parish council adopts the red box at an annual cost of £500 if necessary, supporting the villagers’ wish to keep the working red box. This was agreed.
Cllr Taylor left the meeting.
22. FINANCIAL MATTERS
23. TREE WARDEN’S REPORT
Cllr Watt said that he would arrange for some members to walk the route of the report to view the trees and then
report back. Cllr Pearcey said that Braintree District Council is to place tree preservation orders on some trees at Coney Byes, Colchester Road.
24. WHITE COLNE COMMUNITY DESIGN GROUP
Cllr Adlem said that the group are to arrange monthly meetings, and to have a workshop on 9th May. They aim to complete the village design statement by 2010.
25. SHOE RECYCLING BANK
Cllr Nolan proposed that this item is deferred until the next meeting and this was agreed.
26. CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED WHICH IS NOT DEALT WITH ELSEWHERE
From Essex County Council enclosing the Mineral and Waste Strategy Report. Cllr Watt agreed to study this and to report back if any items affected the parish.
There being no further business the parish council meeting was closed at 10.20 pm.
Chairperson…………………………………………………. Date……………………………………….
1113 White Colne Village Hall -
1114 White Colne Village Hall -
1115 S Adlem -
1116 P Adlem -
1117 P Norris -
1118 S Adlem -
1119 S Adlem -
1120 S Adlem -
1121 S Adlem -
1122 S Adlem -
1123 C Pearcey -
1124 Brian Alderman -
1125 D Williams -
1126 R A Mortimer -
1127 Claire PB & Jonathan PR Ltd -
1128 JRB Enterprises ltd -
1129 White Colne Village Hall -
D/D Anglian Water -
D/D Eon -
D/D British Gas -
TOTAL PAYMENTS
6.00
12.00
28.13
101.20
67.36
53.18
88.02
10.00
40.50
6.00
10.00
140.00
714.00
148.80
10.00
63.02
6.00
109.72
101.25
150.53
£ 1,966.31
a) Payments -
Cheque Payee details Amount £
Nat West -
Rural action re Community Design Group
Various allotment holders -
TOTAL RECEIPTS
( c) Financial Statement & Bank Reconciliation
Following the above transactions there is a credit balance on current account of
on reserve account
Total
of which the balance held in reserve for the White Colne Meadows project is
and the balance held in reserve for the Local Heritage Initiative Fund is
and the balance held in reserve for the Community Design Group is
Thus the balance of unallocated funds is
29.08
500.00
58.00
£ 587.08
£ 4,802.52
£ 10,165.29
£ 14,967.81
£ 1,308.17
£ 1,706.36
£ 488.00
£ 11,465.28
The bank statements were signed by the chairman accordingly.
(d) The budget for the financial year from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 was discussed. After some discussion
total expenditure of £14,761 was agreed. This included the clerk’s salary set at £4,391, audit fees of £800, legal
fees of £600, telephone box of £500 and village hall maintenance of £1,000. Cllr Nolan proposed a precept of
£9,788, a reduction of £100 on last year’s figure. This was agreed and total income of £12,864 was agreed, resulting
in an excess of expenditure over income of £1,897. The council tax for each band D property will be £49.58, the same
figure as last year.
(e) The clerk reported that the grasscutting contractor has requested an increase of £1 for each cut at the various
locations and an increase of £2 per time in the footpath sweeping contract. This was agreed.
Bank Balance 17.11.08
Plus total receipts
Sub Total
Less Total Payments
Bank Balance 19.01.09
£16,347.04
£ 587.08
£16,934.12
£ 1,966.31
£14,967.81
(b) Funds received -
