ARLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

A QUALITY COUNCIL

(QC-12-06-00359)

Tel: 01323 811870

www.arlington-parish-council.org.uk

 

Minutes of a meeting of Arlington Parish Council held in Arlington Village Hall at 7.30 pm on Thursday 11th June 2009. (Paragraphs 09.56 – 09.69)

 

PRESENT: Councillors Mike Garner (Chairman), Paula Ertl, Doreen Goodchild, Carolyn McCutchan and Mark Yeoman.

 

In attendance: Katrina Larkin (Clerk); Councillor G Carter (WDC Standards Committee) (items 09.56 – 09.59); Wealden District Councillor John Blake (items 09.56 – 09.61), and five members of the public.

 

09.56 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Cllr Helen Proctor.

 

09.57 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST. None.

 

09.58 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING. The Minutes of the meeting held on 14th May 2009 were confirmed and signed subject to the following correction: page 2, para 3, end of line 5, for ‘The school’ read ‘The D.R.A’.

 

09.59 PUBLIC ADJOURNMENT. The Chairman welcomed Cllr G Carter of the WDC Standards Committee to give a training session on the Code of Conduct. Cllr Carter explained the current membership and remit of the Standards Committee, and the changes introduced in 2007 whereby referrals are now made locally and come direct from the WDC Monitoring Officer to the Standards Committee. He outlined the assessment process and dealt with frequently asked questions concerning the nature and implications of personal and prejudicial interests, special circumstances; the procedure and cost of an actual hearing; and the context in which complaints were most likely to arise (planning matters). The Chairman thanked Cllr Carter for his presentation.

 

District Cllr Blake reported that the LDF Core Strategy would go out to consultation very soon, and that the eight week consultation period would roughly span July and August. Housing Needs Survey questionnaires were also being sent out to a sample of households throughout the District, and the returns would feed into the LDF Core Strategy, and provide important information for the planners, especially where exception sites came up for consideration. WDC officers had now submitted an interim Transformation Programme report to the Council’s cabinet, and were working on a full report to be ready in October. Despite the need to cut a great deal of cost (£1m in 2010 out of a budget of £20m, largely due to the collapse in interest rates) there was as yet no suggestion of resorting to car parking charges, which was important given the depressed state of many town centres.

 

The Safety and Environment Group reported on the SID results for April/May 2009, the first to be gathered since the revised 30 mph speed limit was introduced. The readings were taken outside the Dicker Village Hall, opposite Park Mead School and opposite The Plough public house. They indicated that 69% of vehicles were exceeding the speed limit. Despite this, the great majority of people were in fact driving more slowly than when the previous survey was undertaken in November 2007, so progress was being made. SEG would continue to liaise with ESCC, WDC and the police. It was agreed in discussion that the stretch of Coldharbour Road between the 40 mph limit and the A22 should be brought within the 50mph limit in force on the A22 instead of being a 60mph zone as at present. 

                The Coronation Seat: some of the special bricks had now been obtained with the help of the Clerk, and a site meeting would be convened to decide how best to use them.

                Neighbourhood Watch: a recent panel meeting had revealed that the main issues of local concern were speeding (especially by motorcycles); antisocial behaviour (especially fly-tipping near the stadium, and noise); and car parking outside the schools. These issues would be prioritised.

 

Some residents enquired about the progress of the Stud House proposals. The results of the second DRA survey were not yet available. Some questionnaires had been delivered to houses at the top of Coldharbour Road which were not in fact in the parish.

                In discussion it was clear that ‘the village’ had no single opinion. Some residents were very concerned that the growth in numbers at St Bede’s had already reached saturation point, and that the proposed new boarding houses would simply bring more. Others argued that the new boarding houses were needed to replace old and outdated accommodation and would not bring extra boarders into the village: current expansion was purely in day pupil provision. This key point remained controversial. Objection was also raised to the aerial photograph of the Stud House site which accompanied the proposals, but which did not show the full extent of the development already there. APC would now await receipt of the actual planning application.

 

09.60 CASUAL VACANCY. WDC Electoral Services had confirmed that no-one had responded to the Notice inviting parishioners to call for an election. The Parish Council should now follow the co-option procedure.

 

09.61 PLANNING. APC noted the following planning decisions by WDC:

WD/2009/0796/F – The Yew Tree Inn, Arlington BN26 6RX, proposed external decking and paving to rear garden area of public house; APPROVED.

WD/2009/0695/FA,  Bushywood Farm, Main Road, Hailsham, TN27 3LZ, condition no.2 from WD/2008/1364/FA;  REFUSED.

APC noted that the following applications had been WITHDRAWN:

 WD/2009/0777/0 Robin Post Stables, Arlington Road West, Hailsham BN27 3RA, equine enterprise dwelling; 

WD/2008/3117/F, Raylands Farm, Tye Hill Road, Arlington BN26 6SG, conversion of barn into residential accommodation, and former feed store into holiday let accommodation.

APC considered whether to request that Tree Preservation Orders should be imposed on the row of mature oaks on the northern boundary of the paddock behind Dicker Village shop. Postponed while further information was gathered.

Stud House: the Clerk read out a letter of response from Mr Newton to the outcome of the May meeting of APC.

Enforcement: negotiations were continuing with ESCC Rights of Way over problems concerning the Weald Way. However, the Clerk had been advised that St Bede’s School probably did have planning permission for the use of the field east of the Dicker Village shop for sports purposes.

 

09.62 APPROVAL OF ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2008-2009. The statement of accounts for 2008-2009 was approved and signed. The Annual Governance Statement for 2008-2009 was approved and signed.

 

09.63 APPOINTMENT OF INTERNAL AUDITOR 2009-2010. It was resolved that Mr Graham Parish should be appointed as Internal Auditor for 2009-2010.

 

09.64 FINANCE. The following accounts were approved for payment:

 

11.06.09

101150

Cllr P Ertl

Annual Parish Meeting -  expenses

£66.50

11.06.09

101151

Cllr M Garner

Expenses – retirement dinner/gift

£96.39

11.06.09

101152

Polegate Town Council

Photocopying

£27.60

11.06.09

101153

Mrs K Larkin

Salary

£247.83

11.06.09

101154

Mrs K Larkin

Expenses

£95.23

 

The bank reconciliation for the period from 1 April 2009 to 31 May 2009 was approved.

 

A draft risk management statement relating to financial matters was approved. A risk assessment of the Clerk’s office should also be prepared. The Clerk would bring this to the next meeting. A Financial Statement for the first quarter of the current financial year should also be brought to the next meeting.

 

09.65 ALLOTMENTS. A letter had been received from an allotment holder complaining about the neglected state of plots 12 and 14, and about the two beehives on plot 14. The bees had become increasingly aggressive, and people had been stung. Strictly speaking, bees were not supposed to be kept on the allotments, but APC had turned a blind eye so long as there were no problems. Now that the bees had become a nuisance, it was resolved that the conditions of the tenancy agreement should be enforced (clause 4b – no nuisance or annoyance to be caused; clause 4c – no livestock to be kept; clause 4i – allotment garden to be used only for the production of fruit, vegetables and flowers for domestic consumption).

                The tenant of plots 12 and 14 had previously been given until the end of May 2009 to bring the plots under proper cultivation, after which the situation would be reviewed (February Minutes, 09.22).  There had been very little change. It was agreed that the tenant should now be asked to suggest a date and time for a review meeting at the allotments, at which the possibility of her relinquishing one of the two plots would be discussed.

 

09.66 TABLES ON THE VILLAGE GREEN. A request had been received from the village shop to put tables on the village green. In discussion it was agreed that it could be legally anomalous for a private business to have regular use of a village green. Permanent picnic tables for use by anyone would avoid this problem but would make it difficult to cut the grass, and would reduce the already small amount of space free for children to play on. The request was refused.  APC would however be glad to see the green used by people picnicking on the grass or on the existing bench, and for one-off events.

 

09.67 CONFERENCES AND REPORTS.  Gypsies and Travellers – consultation on draft site criteria. Cllr Goodchild would attend the consultation on 22nd June in Uckfield Civic Centre.

                Eastbourne and Hailsham Local Accessibility Assessment – draft Report and questionnaire. Cllr Yeoman would respond.

                NHS Primary Care Trust – decision-making workshop invitation. Cllr Ertl would attend if there were a suitably timed event.

                Planning Seminar 27th May. Cllr Goodchild reported that this had covered much the same ground as other recent planning-themed events. A note on Permitted Development Rights was circulated to councillors.

                Planning Panel 30th June. Cllr Good child would attend. Councillors would appreciate a review of the criteria to be kept in mind in responding to planning applications. The next Cluster meeting would be held in the autumn.

 

09.68 INTEMS OF INFORMATION. ESCC – Supporting People in East Sussex. Information events on housing related support services for older people would be held in the summer. Details would be put on the notice boards.

                Sussex Safer Roads Partnership – young newly qualified drivers could apply for a free extra driving lesson. Email Communications@SussexSaferRoads.gov.uk. This should be publicised in the village.

                The July APC agenda would include both cooption and the sharing of councillors’ responsibilities.

                Sign for the village green. A good design had been produced by the contractor. Cllr McCutchan would liaise with him.

 

09.69 DATE OF NEXT MEETING. The next meeting would be held on Thursday 9th July in Upper Dicker Village Hall.

 

The Meeting closed at 10.00 pm.

 

Katrina Larkin, Clerk, 16th June 2009

 

 

 

 

Signed …………………………………………………………….Chairman