The draft minutes of Chadlington Parish Council meeting on 11 January 2016 and the budget for 2016/2017 are now available.

The 11 January 2016 minutes can either be downloaded here or be read online below.

The CPC Budget for 2016/2107 can be downloaded here

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DRAFT Minutes of Chadlington Parish Council meeting in Chadlington Memorial Hall on Monday 11 January 2016

(Start 7:30 pm. Finish 9:20 pm)

Present

Councillors Brian Hamblin (Chair), Tony Allan (Vice-Chair), Liz Woolcock, Howard Rowley, Cllr R Rodney Rose, Cllr N Owen, Fil Stocker (Clerk). No members of the public were in attendance.

Apologies

1. Apologies from Z Townsend and M Philips were accepted.

Declaration of Interests

2. Register of Interests – Councillors are reminded of the need to update their register of interests and to declare any pecuniary & other interests in items on the agenda & their natures. T Allan declared an interest in the planning application south of Anvil Cottage as he is a neighbour.

Minutes

3. The minutes of the meeting of the Council on 9 November were amended at Point 161 to read as “badger” as opposed to “badge” and the minutes of 30 November were amended to remove duplicate point so point numbering has now been corrected accordingly. Both minutes were then agreed. Agreed and signed

District & County Councillors reports – In order to help Councillors manage their meetings, this item was brought forward on the agenda.

4. Oxfordshire County Councillor report from R Rose –
5. Cllr Rose advised that, due to unexpected changes by national government in central government funding to South East Councils, an extra £20 million of cuts now needs to be made by OCC over the next 4 years in addition to the known cuts. This means OCC will set a one year budget in order to be legal rather than the usual four year budget, which will allow them time to make adjustments. 26^th January Cabinet meeting will propose new budget and February 16^th is when full Council will vote on it.CPC attended the recent Oxfordshire Together meeting that Cllr Rose had convened for his parishes and town councils. He said that there was no likelihood of OCC not implementing the removal of bus subsidies but they are open to discussions about the Charlbury bus and possible resource pooling by parish councils for reduced services. T Allan raised the issue of people who depend on that bus to get to and from work, of which there are at least 5-6 he personally knows of in Chadlington. R Rose advised that, once the OCC budget is finalised, he will re-convene his parish council meeting to discuss. H Rowley said that it was a shame that OCC were unable to get any money from HS2 train line development.  [Infographic of OCC Budget 2016/2017 provided subsequent to the meeting by Cllr Rose is available here]
6. West Oxfordshire District Councillor report from N Owen – Cllr Owen reported that WODC report is much more positive than OCC. Their budget is small in comparison at only £10 million but Councillors were keen to keep Council Tax to one of the lowest in the country. This year the rate will show a modest Council Tax increase from £81.63 to £83.25. The WODC draft Local Plan has been rejected by the Planning Inspector as insufficient house building proposed. The process will start again in two weeks and WODC intends to add more housing to the existing areas selected for housing development. Also mentioned that Aylesbury DC is starting a lottery to raise funds for good causes. B Hamblin raised the issue of the budget consultation that is happening on-line and that CPC has posted on the village website. He wondered was surprised that the possibility of renting unused council office space to others which is proposed hasn’t been done already. He also declared an interest as his wife is a volunteer for WOCAB who are threatened with a 10% cut in their funding, and he was concerned that the people who use the service desperately need the help much if which is provided by volunteers, so not a lot of savings can be made there.

Matters arising & action points

7. Grass encroachment on pathway between Brook End and Green End – The Clerk advised that this issue – seeking a co-ordinator and volunteers to clear back path – was still to be posted on the website when the editor was able to do so, , L Woolcock might be able to arrange removal of waste as needed.
8. CPC pensions auto-enrollment position – The Clerk advised that the Pensions regulator had confirmed receipt of required CPC contact information and no further action needed at present
9. Silt traps – B Hamblin reported that these have been emptied but OCC bridge engineer still won’t authorise contractors to clear under the bridge itself.
10. Allotment hedge on Church Road side – B Hamblin wanted recognition that T Brice had done a brilliant job and the Council wished to thank Mr Brice for his excellent work. He asked that this was expressed on the website and in the Parish magazine. Agreed. Action Clerk to post on website and T Allan to put in next parish magazine issue.
11. Mill End drainage – The Clerk reported that she had nothing further either from the resident who had raised the issue or Thames Water and didn’t feel that any more could be done until there is another incident reported to the Council.

Public participation

12. No members of the public present

Communication

13. Correspondence – See Annex 1 for full details. HGVs -The Clerk stated that N Morgan was the only person who had emailed her and provided details of HGV vehicles passing through the village. Home Cinema equipment donation from Spelsbury. L Woolcock informed the meeting that although she collected the equipment kindly offered, it transpired that the equipment was not really suitable for the Memorial Hall. Since Spelsbury itself also expressed a keen desire to have the equipment but weren’t as quick responding to the offer as Chadlington had been, CPC have offered to pass on the equipment to Spelsbury with the permission of Hugh Sherbrooke and they have accepted. I Ogilvie speeding in East End – Clerk advised that she had updated him on the efforts made so far by CPC to address the problem. Agreed to ask the police to return to do another speed gun session. Action Clerk to ask M Phillips to liaise with police re speed gun session
14. Website – nothing to report. The Council are very appreciative of the great job being done by Nicky Lloyd, the website editor.

Land Issues 

15. Planning applications – 15/03680/FUL Land South Of Anvil Cottage, Horseshoe Lane, construction of detached dwelling together with associated works; 15/04236/HHD Baymeade Cottage Horseshoe Lane, conversion of garage to form playroom;
    Applications approved: 15/03846/HHD Candlemas, West End, Erection of single storey side extension and addition of parking space to front garden; 15/03995/FUL Curdle Hill Cottage, refurbishment of Curdle Hill Cottage, including single storey extension and partial conversion of adjoining barn
    Applications refused:  15/03342/HHD 10 Chipping Norton Road, removal of existing extension and erection of 2-storey side and rear extension, application refused. Appeal: APP/D3125/W/15/3097912 for 15/00156/FUL Barley Hill Farm, Chipping Norton Road, appeal dismissed by Planning Inspectorate.
    Application withdrawn: 15/03444/HHD 1 Ashcroft Close, To change existing assisted pedestrian wheelchair access to disabled assisted vehicle
16. Allotments – new plot markers have been put in and after a complaint regarding safety, now further into the ground and covered with protective padding; New padlock and chain to go on Eversley Close gate tomorrow, allotment tenants have been advised. Action Clerk to print up ‘no throughfare’ signs for B Hamblin to laminate put up on Eversley Close and main gate;. There were two vacancies (1 full, 1 half plot) which have been advertised and the Clerk reports that the half plot has now been taken; A Ware request for 6x5ft shed and 6x5ft Perspex greenhouse was agreed. Agreed A Ware to be permitted to put up both 6×5 feet structures.

Finance

17. Income – None received
18. Expenditure approvals requested –
    Standing order (monthly) Clerk’s salary £248.33 for January and February 2016
    C No. 100116             B Hamblin, playground maintenance, £25.38
    C No. 100117             F Stocker, stationery expenses and allotment padlock
    C No. 100118             Zurich Municipal, annual insurance 2016-2017, £593.57
    C No. 100119             HAGS two swing seats replacement, £361.68 (cheaper than estimate)

19. Bank statement verification – H Rowley verified the last two bank statements and initialled.
20. 2016/2017 Budget £9,570 and 2016/2017 Precept £9,865 (£9,432+£433 parish grant). Agreed and approved
21. Clerk’s hours approval – Nov & Dec – 40.25 hours & 18 hours leave taken = 58.25 hours. Approved
22. Risk Review & Asset Register annual review report for 2015 – H Rowley provided a written report. He advised that he had conducted a thorough review with the Clerk and CPC was compliant with all requirements of local authority risk reviews. He offered his congratulations as a job well done.
23. Resilience Funds – H Rowley advised that he had contacted the funding body with an outline of suggestions for improving the Memorial Hall facilities for emergency situations. He had been advised that these would not be eligible and therefore he proposed that no further action be undertaken by CPC. However, Great Brook Run has agreed to fund two new dishwashers and ongoing maintenance costs. B Hamblin raised issue of need for some electrical work to be done to use generators in the Hall and to mount some LED lighting if there were an emergency loss of power supply. He estimated that this could cost £400-500. After some discussion, it was agreed that the likelihood of such an emergency occurring was low and therefore this should not be considered a priority for CPC funds. If the Hall was to get a re-vamp, then this could be considered then.Agreed CPC should no longer consider applying for Resilience Funds.
24. Setting up savings account – Agreed Clerk to set up an Easy Access account with the TSB in Chipping Norton with all account holders as signatories.
25. New external audit arrangements from 2017/2018 – opt-in to sector-led procured auditor or opt-out. Clerk advised that going with local-authority led audit arrangements would be more cost-effective for CPC than trying to procure independently. Agreed Clerk to advise OLAC that CPC will opt-in to sector-led arrangements
26. Other Issues
27. Youth facilities in Chadlington – Rebecca Abrey had emailed today to say that, due to insufficient support to set up a committee to set up a youth group, she was pulling the item from tonight’s agenda and the project will not be proceeding at this time.
28. Memorial Hall update – L Woolcock advised that there was now a Project Group beginning to form, M Phillips has said he wants to represent CPC on this group. She advised that Great Brook Run has also offered to fund the insurance and would like to target any future funding at specific items. The Council thanked the organisers of the Great Brook Run for the funds raised and the spirit in which the funds have been donated. L Woolcock advised that S Myatt is organising a ‘soup and puds evening’. H Rowley asked if the Project Group had a target date to make some progress on the first phase of the project. L Woolcock advised that they will be doing fact-finding on budget and costing the financial picture.
29. Resilience Funds – As discussed above under Point 23

Information Exchange

30. Donations and subscriptions – The Clerk advised that she now had a number of requests for donations and subscription renewals. Donations sought from Oxfordshire for the Blind, Volunteer Link-Up, West Oxfordshire Citizens Advice Bureau (WOCAB) and Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC). Subscription renewal from Community for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) for £36.00. B Hamblin, T Allan and H Rowley declared an interest as wives are volunteers for Chadlington’s Good Neighbours which they felt was more useful to local residents but no funds currently requested from Good Neighbours. Agreed to make a £50.00 donation to WOCAB to reflect the help they give local residents but with the proviso that the donation must be used to fund Chipping Norton branch services which are those used by Chadlington residents. Agreed Clerk to offer £50.00 to WOCAB on the condition it is used only to fund services in Chipping Norton and renew subscription to CPRE for £36.00. No funding for Oxfordshire Association for the Blind, ORCC, Volunteer Link-Up.
31. Date of next meeting – confirmed as Monday 14 March 2016 at 7:30 pm

Annex 1

Correspondence details

Oxfordshire County Council

• Highways Dept : M Timms email response on whether gullies have been cleared when Clerk has asked about when silt traps at Brook End will be emptied as they were due to be cleaned at end of October; G Hunt email confirming silt traps will be emptied in November
• Corporate Services email re Subsidised buses and Dial-a-Ride – publication of the consultation findings and accompanying cabinet paper can be found at http://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=115&MId=4344(the subsidised bus proposals are listed under item No 6). These documents will be considered by the County Council’s decision-making Cabinet on 10th November.
• Cllr D Nimmo Smith email re Cabinet decision to end subsidies to buses and Dial-A-ride
• Cllr R Rose emails: clarifying that he is asking Charlbury & Wychwood parish councils if the Chair and Clerk wish to meet with him to answer any questions on the “Oxfordshire Together” agenda, which is loosely asking parishes if they wish to continue with any services being stopped by Oxfordshire County Council. An officer from OCC would also be present if there was sufficient interest in holding such a meeting. It is also possible that some groups of parishes may wish to band together in some areas; asking OCC Drainage to action clearance of Brook End silt traps as should have been emptied in October
• Better Broadband for Oxfordshire email requesting publicity on latest roll-out to go in the next parish magazine

West Oxfordshire District Council

• Weekly Planning lists
• Planning Dept emails: M Kemp email re initial problems viewing planning application 15/03680/FUL Land south of Anvil Cottage online and if Councillors have made any recommendations or wish to raise concerns; A Berrow email re Planning appeal APP/D3125/W/15/3097912 decision for 15/00156/FUL which dismissed the appeal; J Bamsey to advise WODC is now consulting on a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) modification, closing date 20 December 2015; A Thomson email re CIL modification consultations
• Publicity Dept press releases emails re: Local Plan examinations dates; residents survey on waste and recycling collections, closing date 12 noon 7 Dec 2015; email invitation to workshop on review of refuse and recycling contract and possible changes to service; Planning Inspectorate has asked WODC to review their draft Local Plan to increase new homes numbers
• Communications email re 2010 Vision Guide about the shared services beween WODC and three other district councils.
• Cllr R Courts email invitation to annual meeting of parish and town councils and WODC on 1 Dec
• M Smith email re presentation given at 1 Dec WODC Town and Parish liaison meeting
• Finance Dept W Hu email re precept setting letter and form which needs to be with WODC by 8 January; telephone discussion with P Lelliott advising of problem CPC will have meeting precept submission deadline& asking for 3 day extension or provisional submission after 30 Nov meeting or else CPC will have to hold an extra-ordinary meeting in Dec to approve budget and precept
• Legal Dept K Butler: email clarifying that CPC will be invoiced for 2016 election expenses in advance of 2017/2018 financial year and budget setting timetable; email re Councillor Nigel Colston new Cllr on Cotswold Conservation Board and advising about allocation of £1.998m for the delivery of a new Cotswold LEADER Programme covering significant parts of rural Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. Leader funding is focussed on job creation, sustainable economic growth and community development.
• Leisure Services M Holland email to advise of Tesco’s community scheme funding stream
• Waste and recycling Dept L Morley email re Christmas and New Year waste collections publicity
• Electoral Services S Ellison email re Electoral Register 2016 information
• R Wheeler Conservation Officer email re design consultation, closing date 22 January 2016

Miscellaneous

• C Heath emails to confirm acceptance of allotment Plot 13, then to advise unable to take up
• L Partridge email re planning application for land south of Anvil Cottage Horseshoe Lane
• K Heath email to change vote on locking of gate from against to in favour if lock can be opened by allotment tenants
• OALC email: October, November and December 2015 Members Update; B Osborne email advising CPC contact Pensions Regulator regarding Clerk position; External Audit procurement information and decision by end of January 2016 required by CPC
• ORCC emails re: OCC Cabinet Members pack for 10 November Cabinet meeting to decide on future of subsidised buses and Dial A Ride services; email notification that Cabinet decided to withdraw all subsidies to bus and Dial A Ride services and advising that CPC could lobby its County Councillor to review this before final budget decision in February 2016; notification that ORCC has changed its name to Community First Oxfordshire
• Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment R Therivel email re logs for labour programme and seeking publicity on website and parish magazine
• J Simkins emails thanking Clerk & CPC for chasing up with Thames Water re sewage problem at Mill End
• Thames Water Customer Services emails on behalf of Mark Taylor saying CCTV of Mill End has been done and it is customer abuse problem, correct CCTV survey map now provided & confirmation that records going back to 2009 indicate only customer abuse problem and no record of sewage issue.
• N Morgan email re HGV sightings, Pullman Travel bus on 11 Nov at 11:10pm; AJ Fothergill 4 Dec by school at 8:55am;
• CPRE email re Campaigns update re more funding to make homes more energy efficient; Winter 2015 Newsletter; annual subscription renewal request £36.00
• H Sherbrooke email re offer of home cinema equipment to CPC
• D Hotham email copies of correspondence with Cllr N Owen regarding waste recycling survey and need to maintain free recycling as no local recycling centre, and requesting a reply
• R Abrey email apologies for not attending 9 November meeting
• Pensions Regulator emails re: reply regarding CPC obligations as an employer on auto-enrollment and request for information about CPC; confirming receipt of required CPC information
• Zurich Insurance letter to advise account handler will shortly be in touch to discuss renewal cover;policy papers and renewal cover for £593.57
• C Hanks email advising that he has removed the new metal plot markers as he feels they are potentially dangerous to allotment tenants. He would like CPC to respond on this issue.
• Oxfordshire High Sheriff email nominations request for new High Sheriff
• K Mitchell email monthly playground inspection report
• B Nobbs email reply to Clerk re poor state of allotment. She said she wishes to keep allotment, currently has cataract problems but plans to work with her son when weather improves and do heavy work to improve plot
• Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire letter asking to be notified if CPC plan to organise any celebrations for Queen’s90th birthday 11-12 June 2016
• R Fairhurst email asking to be kept up to date with any changes to X9 route in light of removal of bus subsidies
• J Greer emails re: against decision to padlock allotment gate at Eversley Close entrance as feels dog owners will let dogs on allotment and not be able to get in to clear up dog mess, and asking CPC to keep decision under review; unhappy with positioning of new plot markers and suggesting it would have been better to have informed tenants first; advising that there is a gap between gate and hedge at Eversley Close allotment entrance
• N Prickett email re interested in submitting quote for grasscutting in Chadlington
• BGG Garden and Treecare D Harris email re interested in submitting quote for grasscutting in Chadlington
• I Ogilvie email re speeding in East End and the loss of 3 cats and some near misses for him from speeding cars
• C Arthur email re relinquishing allotment tenancy as moving away from Chadlington
• Katherine House Hospice email re donation
• A Ware email request for 6×5 ft shed plus 6x5ft perspex shed for Allotment Plot 6c.