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Minutes are draft only, and are not yet approved by the Parish Council.
WROXTON & BALSCOTE PARISH COUNCIL
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
AGENDA
WROXTON VILLAGE HALL
Wednesday 1st September at 7.30p.m.
1. Minutes of Parish Council Meeting on 7th July 2010
2. Apologies
3. Declarations of Interest
4. Chairman’s Report
5. Finance Report
Annual Audit
6. Updates
Hedge Trimming: Horley Path Road: Cemetery:Cemetery Footpath
Highways report
Balscote Village Hall/marquee
Affordable Housing
FOI
NAG: volunteers
Grit bins
H3G report
Wroxton School Governor
7. Discussions
Apollo
Parish Medical Cover
Parish Magazine
8. Planning Applications
Land behind Wroxton House Work on 3 Sycamore 10/00169/TCA
Grange Farm, Balscote Re-build chimney 10/01405/LB
Grange Farm, Balscote Move oil tank 10/01205/F
Wroxton Village Hall Replace 5 windows 10/00959/F
North Arms, Wroxton Replace thatch ridge 10/01273/LB
9. Planning Decisions
Land behind Wroxton House 10/00169/TCA Granted
Grange Farm, Balscote 10/01405/LB Granted
Wingtree Cottage, Wroxton 10/00883/LB-84/F Refused
10. Correspondence
11. Date of next meeting
Wednesday 3rd. November 2010 at 7.30p.m. at Wroxton Village Hall
In camera: Discussion of Stone Pit no 6 rent review
The public are invited to attend the meeting. If anyone has any questions they would like
addressed at the meeting, please inform the Clerk prior to Wednesday 1st September 2010.
Mrs Patricia Jesson 738640 clerk.wroxton@yahoo.co.uk
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WROXTON & BALSCOTE PARISH COUNCIL
DRAFT MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD IN WROXTON VILLAGE HALL
Wednesday 7th July 2010
Present: In Attendance:
Carl Nicholson – Chairman Patricia Jesson – Clerk
Barry Allen
David Endicott Apologies:
Bob Jesson Cllr Reynolds
David McNaught
Michael Robarts Also Present:
Mike Whelan 2 Members of the Public
32/10 Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council on 2nd June 2010
The Minutes were accepted as a true record and duly signed by the Chairman
Proposed: Cllr McNaught Seconded: Cllr Whelan
33/10 Apologies
Cllr G Reynolds
34/10 Declarations of Interest
Cllr Robarts re cemetery footpath materials.
35/10 Finance Report
Arqiva: T Mobile, H3G and Orange are merging; the lease is so structured that it does not prevent T Mobile effectively allowing their mast to be used for the merged company. H3G has been lost to the PC as an independent operator, and therefore the £4,700 income, but the mast income has been retained.
Arqiva expect that in future, Orange will also transmit from the mast, although none of this is guaranteed, and financial caution needs to be exercised.
Action: Clerk to check with Tony Baldry the latest Government thinking on PC precept capping. Also check with Cllr Reynolds & CDC
Budget: Cllr McNaught presented the budget/s for 2010/11/12, with emphasis on the need to retain funds against the loss of mast income and the possibility of a ban on increased Council Tax/Precept. After extensive discussion a surplus of circa £12,000 over the two years was established, and that £6,000 would be retained as a contingency against further loss of mast income. Therefore, only £6,000 will be allocated to projects beyond that already committed.
Proposed: Cllr Robarts Seconded: Cllr McNaught
Specific action agreed:
Balscote play equipment: £600 removed
Wroxton pond - weeping: £1,700 new estimate
Action: Cllr Allen to cost
Wroxton trees on A422 - planting £600 still needed
Action: Cllr Nicholson to check
Cemetery footpath: £1,000
Action: Cllrs Nicholson & Robarts to assess cost
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Wroxton All Saints Church heating: Although the PC has allocated £5,000 towards the proposed heating costs, and will continue with that commitment, it was agreed that the PC should ask the PCC to try to fund beyond their current targets so that, if possible, the PC allocation could be reduced.
Action: Clerk to write to Ian Brough re this allocation.
Projects: Wroxton:
Tree trimming: this has to be the responsibility of the landowner, not the PC.
Provision of 3 hardwood benches: sites to be decided. Approx cost £1,000
Pond: Cllr Allen proposed replacing the tarmac pathways around the pond with stone blocks/natural paving. The “weeping” is deemed a low priority and needs costing.
Action: Cllr Allen to liaise with Highways and CDC Conservation Officer
Church fabric: This has to be the responsibility of the PCC, not the PC.
Balscote:
Balscote Village Hall: Cllr Jesson reported that, at the moment, there is a £5,000 short-fall. The foundations are finished, and the building is being made in Estonia, and expected to be erected in September.
Cllr Jesson requested £1,500 to be added to the existing allocation of £8,500, totalling £10,000 net, £2,000 of which has already been spent.
Proposed: Cllr Jesson Seconded: Cllr Endicott
Planting of specimen tree on Village Green triangle: postponed as deemed cosmetic.
The projects put forward for Wroxton will be costed and brought to the next meeting for priority assessment, alongside all other project ideas. Given the fiscal difficulties, “cosmetic” suggestions will not be considered.
36/10 Updates
Hedge Trimming: The quote of £90 to be accepted for trimming hedging on Horley Path Road & A422; and cutting back ivy on Mills Lane.
Proposed: Cllr Allen Seconded: Cllr Jesson
Action: Clerk to write to C Jarvis asking for this work to be carried out.
Action: Agenda item for meeting between Cllrs Nicholson & Allen & Geoff Arnold of OCC on 15th July.
Cemetery Footpath: Costs to be assessed. See 35/10
Balscote Village Hall: Extra costs have been incurred due to Ground Heat Source pipes running too close to water mains, thus creating the possibility of freezing the water main. Therefore there is a need to redirect the pipework, or have vertical pipes.
A fund-raising Garden Party is being held at Cllr Robarts, the final “push” to close the gap for VH monies required.
Wroxton Sports Pavilion: Final details of the lease conditions are expected in September, thus enabling the Committee to make a decision re Charitable Status.
Affordable Housing: A survey of both villages will be delivered w/c 12.07.10 as assessment of need. They are to be returned by 19.07.10.
Action: Cllrs Endicott & Nicholson to organise delivery
Highways: Cllr Allen reported that no budget exists for clearance of gutters, and no spraying will take place this year.
37/10 Meeting Reports
NAG: Needs within the Parish which need targeting are to be identified, to enable them to be co-ordinated. Thames Valley Police will be carrying out a survey of a selection of households within the Parish via NAG, to establish priorities for NAG
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focused policing for the forthcoming 12 months. This may require the assistance of other Councillors to process the survey within the Parish: 30 are to be completed.
The Chairman of NAG has written to the Officer in charge of Banbury Police Station regarding what NAG consider to be a lack of resources available to the Community Policing Initiative. The lack of resources is in grave danger of jeopardising the effectiveness of NAG as an undertaking. The reply received was considered to be unacceptable and the Chairman will be writing to the Chief Constable to escalate matters.
OALC AGM: A talk on “Participatory Budgeting” was given; Norwich County Council allocated money to its Parishes, and parishioners identified areas where the money would be most beneficial to their community, which was later judged. However, since the economic downturn, this is not now seen as a viable project.
ORCC Awards: The renovation of the Wroxton Fingerpost was the PC entry for achievements in the community, and is mentioned in the ORCC booklet. A “networking” morning was spent discussing Affordable Housing, car scheme for doctor’s visits, & fundraising for building projects.
Apollo: Cllrs Nicholson & Jesson spoke with OCC to register a complaint re exclusion of the PC from the initial planning process. They reported that the invitation should have come from CDC. They were told that the 106 agreement has to be applied to mitigate the effects of a planning grant; this payment has been loosely tied in to Banbury traffic problems. The numbers which have been given as to how many people will be using the new facilities on the Apollo site are purely speculative and highly questionable. It was resolved that a strongly worded letter should be sent to CDC planners, seeking a review of the decision to widen Ironstone Lane, as this would destroy a country lane, and propose that lay-byes are reconsidered. It was agreed also, that the PC should involve the local MP.
Action: Clerk to write to Philip Clarke at CDC, Cllrs Reynolds & Webb, & copy Tony Baldry
Cherwell Parish Liaison: Cllr McNaught reported that the meeting comprised of workshops, and presentations included TPOs and proposed housing development in North Oxfordshire. The latter has been thrown into confusion following the election, and CDC is unable to indicate how many houses will be required to be built or where they will be sited.
Banburyshire Community Transport: Cllr Jesson reported his attendance at this meeting and will circulate the Chairman’s annual report. Use of this service has dropped since CDC disallowed the use of the free bus pass. The administration of the bus pass system is to be handled by OCC, and it is hoped that use of the free pass will be re-instated. He also explained the difficulties of attendance at Shenington Surgery and dispensary, using public transport. It was agreed that there would be an attempt to establish a list of volunteers to cover both these problems, and this would be publicized in the Gazette, Balscote News and the web sites.
38/10 Discussions
Correspondence:
A list of Correspondence to be circulated bi-monthly, with Agenda, to all Councillors:
Proposed: Cllr Endicott Seconded: Cllr Whelan
The Clerk to continue to exercise discretion on the paperwork circulated:
Proposed: Cllr Whelan Seconded: Cllr Endicott
Red envelopes: for urgent documentation, to be returned within the given time-frame.
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Urgent Business:
Where a decision is required before the next meeting of the Council, or if there is insufficient time for an extra-ordinary meeting to be called, decisions shall be taken by the Chairman of the Council. In all cases, the Clerk will ensure that details of the decision will be circulated to all members of the Council within seven days and reported to the next appropriate meeting and recorded in the Minutes.
Wherever possible, the Chairman will contact all members of the Council to canvas views prior to a decision being taken.
Proposed: Cllr Robarts Seconded: Cllr McNaught
Courses: Emergency Planning 20.07.10; Cllr Robarts booked on course:
Planning 19.10.10; Cllr Robarts:
Charity Commission Trustees Seminar 09.11.10; Cllr Allen interested.
Action: Clerk to book Cllr Robarts on Planning Course
NHS “Come & Talk” Registration:
Proposed: Cllr Robarts Seconded: Cllr Whelan
Action: Clerk to register PC
Parish Medical Cover: See 37/10 above
Action: Cllr Jesson to establish list of volunteers.
39/10 Planning Applications:
Wingtree Cottage, Wroxton Glass enclosure to rear 10/00883/LB-84/F
40/10 Planning Decisions
Orchard Banks, Wroxton Fell 3 Sycamore 10/00100/TCA Granted
Grange Farm, Balscote Planning Conditions 10/000075/DISC Confirmed
Wroxton House Hotel Reduce 2 Yews 10/00123/TCA Granted
41/10 Correspondence
A list of all correspondence for June has been circulated to all Councillors
42/10 Date of next meeting
The next Wroxton & Balscote Parish Council meeting will be held on Wednesday
1st September 2010 at Wroxton Village Hall at 7.30 p.m.
Parishioners Comments
Mr Neil Bower stated he wishes to help the police with the using of “speed guns” in Wroxton, but has been told that two people are necessary for this task.
Action: Cllr Whelan to liaise with NAG
There being no further questions, the meeting closed at 9.45p.m.
Signed:
Chairman
7th July 2010
"It has come to the notice of The Parish Council that some residents are experiencing difficulties getting to medical appointments and/or collecting repeat prescriptions. Public transport does not cope and the Voluntary Bureau transport or the Banbury Community Transport Association (BCTA) are sometimes unavailable or costly.
We are seeking to establish a list of volunteers who will take neighbours and collect prescriptions. In the first instance please call 738640 if you are able to help. When we have a full list of names we will establish a system to cope.
It is important that we retain Shenington Surgery and especially the Dispensary for the sake of our Rural Community."