Child Okeford Parish Council
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Minutes of the last Meeting
The ORDINARY MEETING of this Parish Council was held at the Community Centre on Monday the 4th June 2007, at 7-30pm.
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| 035 |
Attendance |
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All Councillors attended with the exception of Jackie Yard and Marion Carpenter who sent their apologies for their absence. Deborah Croney (part time), Angus Campbell (part time), three parishioners and the Clerk also attended. Sylvia Holdeman presided. |
Noted | |||
| 036 | Declarations of Interest |
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No declarations of interest were received at this point in the meeting although during the course of the proceedings declarations were received for particular items as follows:
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Noted | |||
| 037 |
Minutes |
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The Minutes of the Annual Meeting held on the 14th May 2007, having been previously circulated, were confirmed and signed after a correction was made to item 022. |
Clerk | |||
| 038 |
Matters Arising |
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| a | A letter was read from Dorset Police advising that the situation pertaining in Child Okeford was not of sufficient severity, having regard to recent SID readings and accident records, as to require speed checks to be made but local officers would be made aware of the situation when they are in the area. It was agreed to bring to their notice two recent accidents that have occurred in the Gold Hill area. | Clerk | ||
| b | A letter was tabled from the County Council that a number of small remedial works would be carried out shortly. | Noted | ||
| 039 | Public Participation |
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| a | It was agreed to investigate the problem of overhanging hedges on the path leading from Homefield to the Post Office. | Clerk | ||
| b | It was agreed to request that a traffic census is carried out on the Hanford/Child Okeford Road, where traffic movements have increased recently and the surface is in poor condition. | Clerk | ||
| c | It was agreed to challenge the recently implemented changes to the No. 83 bus service, formerly 183, whose re-scheduling is proving highly inconvenient and more costly to students. | Clerk | ||
| 040 | Reports |
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| a | Deborah Croney reported that she has been appointed to the Development Control and the Policy Review Committees of NDDC. She said that at a recent Cabinet Meeting that development policy had been reviewed and that in thirty parishes future development would be severely limited and that in ten, which includes Child Okeford, there would be the possibility for some limited infill development in accordance with the RSS. She also said that negotiations for a traveller’s site at this year’s Steam Fair were well in hand. | Noted | ||
| b | Carrie Lewis reported that the recent DT11 Road Show on the Local Initiative (Tough Choices) was very poorly attended, but it did highlight the need for talks on devolving the discretionary services to proceed with more vigour. | Noted | ||
| c | Derek Duke reported that following the appointment of Charles Frazer as Chairman of Sturminster Newton Town Council, he had accepted the chairmanship of SturQuest, for which he was warmly congratulated. He said that SturQuest would shortly be split into two parts - one to deal exclusively with the development of the town and the other to concentrate on the surrounding rural area. | Noted | ||
| d | Angus Campbell, our County Councillor, reported that a number of local bus services are being withdrawn and that the County is carrying out a review with the re-organisation expected to cover a larger geographical area. During this six month process temporary services are in place. | Noted | ||
| 041 |
Appointment |
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| It was proposed by Wendy Addley, seconded by Carrie Lewis and carried unanimously that Sylvia Holdeman is re-appointed to serve on the Hall Management Committee. This appointment was inadvertently omitted from the agenda of the Annual Meeting. | Sylvia | |||
| 042 | Local Initiative (Tough Choices)/VDS |
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a |
Derek Duke gave each Councillor a copy of the VDS. Whereas NDDC had agreed to pay the cost of printing this document, this would only extend to producing basic black and white copies. Council agreed to cover the extra cost of producing coloured copies for the local consultation process. |
Derek | ||
b |
Further discussions on the devolving the discretionary services would continue shortly, following the delay caused by the May Council Elections. |
Noted | ||
| 043 | Highway Matters |
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a |
Spot speed checks recently carried out in the Hollow to decide whether a Speed Indicating Device (SID) could be effectively deployed there revealed average speeds of 33/34mph in the uphill and downhill directions respectively. Thus, the site had met all the criteria and arrangements are now in hand for a SID to be installed for a period of about a week. |
Clerk |
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| 044 |
School Path |
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a |
Following a request from Lady Tavener, Chairman of the School Governors, it was agreed to attend a meeting to discuss access across the Recreation Ground to the School. Sylvia Holdeman, Carrie Lewis and the Clerk to attend. Suggested dates are the 15th or 16th June 2007 at 6-00pm. |
Clerk | ||
| 045 | Planning |
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| a | The following decisions were tabled: 2/2007/0367&0370 – Improvements to Little Thatch, High Street – Approved. |
Clerk | ||
| b | Consideration was given to full application 2/2007/0457 to demolish existing buildings and erect two dwellings on land at Thompson’s Cottage at Little Hanford. It was agreed to recommend refusal on grounds of impact in the environment, road safety and increased size. | Clerk | ||
| c | Consideration was given to full application 2/2007/0524 to erect a first floor extension above the single storey annexe at The Bield in Rectory Lane. It was agreed to recommend approval conditional upon the ridge line being lowered over the new work to more aptly balance with the existing dwelling. | Clerk | ||
| d | Due to time restraints Angie Schwier advised Council that the committee had recommended refusal of application 2/2007/0328 to carry out modifications and erect a garage at 5, Homefield, on the basis that the garage would adversely affect the adjoining property. This decision was endorsed. | Clerk | ||
| e | The Clerk’s response to the complaint over the processing of application 2/2007/0320, to provide accommodation over the garage at Okeford Cottage in Gold Hill, having been previously circulated was accepted. Following discussions between the Clerk and the Planning Officer, it was agreed to challenge the District Council’s interpretation that the proposed development, being within the residential cartilage of the property, takes precedence over the fact that it is shown to be outside the established settlement boundary. | Clerk | ||
| f | It was agreed to progress the outstanding violations of planning procedure in the parish. | Clerk | ||
| 046 | Finance |
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| a
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It was proposed by Carrie Lewis, seconded by Angie Schwier and carried unanimously that the following cheques are signed:
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RFO | ||
| b |
The following are the details of both accounts: |
RFO | ||
| No 1 account Opening Balance |
£13,451.24 |
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Less cheques as above |
£312.24 £15.75 |
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| Balance in hand |
£13,154.75 | |||
| No 2 account balance @ 02 04 07 | £235.36 | |||
| Total Closing Balance | £13,390.11 | |||
| c | It was agreed to establish with NDDC if they will empty any new doggie bins provided before a purchase is made. | RFO | ||
| d | It was proposed by Peter Riley, seconded by Carrie Lewis and carried unanimously that the agreement on Connecting Dorset, having been previously circulated, be accepted and signed by the Chairman. | RFO | ||
| 47 |
Code of Conduct 2007 |
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| a | It was agreed to defer discussion on the new Code of Conduct, which had been previously circulated to each Councillor, pending further advice from DAPTC and the Standards Board. | Noted | ||
| 048 |
Working Party |
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| a | It was agreed that a working party, to undertake odd jobs in the Recreation Ground, will meet at 10-00am on Saturday the 16th June 2007 | All | ||
| 033 | Correspondence |
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| a |
A number of items of correspondence were left on the table. |
Noted | ||
| 034 | Other Business |
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| a | It was agreed to request that the bus stop pole at Gold Hill is straightened and a time table added. | Clerk | ||
| b | It was agreed to ask the Tree Officer of NDDC to investigate the condition of the decaying tree along the road to Fontmell Parva. | Clerk | ||
| c | It was agreed to ask for the annual verge trimming to be carried out. | Clerk | ||
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The Chairman declared the meeting closed at 9.50pm. |
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Signed ………………………………… Presiding Chairman Date ……………………
(To be signed and dated by the presiding chairman after approval at the next Parish Council meeting)
