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An Ordinary meeting of Odstock Parish Council was held on
9 February 2011 in The Barker Room, Nunton.
Present: Rod Poynting (Chairman), Ray Martin (Vice-Chairman), Nigel Start, Colin Berry, Stephen Stapley, David Williamson-Jones, Richard Parsons (Clerk) and eight members of the public.
Councillor Resignation: Cliff Whitley on 4 February 2011.
1/11 Open Public Forum:
1. A Parish Elector expressed concern that the Parish Council is carrying forward high monetary reserves which do not appear to be allocated to any particular projects scheduled for completion within twelve months.
2. The Radnor Hall has qualified for inclusion in the Hallmark accreditation scheme and the Parish Council Chairman has agreed to be the PC representative on the Radnor Hall Committee.
3. A Parish Elector asked about the procedure for advertising a Parish Council vacancy. The Clerk replied that notices would be displayed on the three Village Notice Boards which would invite parishioners to request an election. If after 14 days, a request for an election has not been made, OPC will co-opt an eligible person.
4. A Parish Elector expressed concern that a request to Wiltshire Council for a Grit box to be positioned at Shepherds Close had not been responded to.
2/11 Declaration of Interest: None.
3/11 Minutes of the Ordinary PC meeting held on 8 December 2010 were agreed and signed by the Chairman.
4/11 Matters Arising: Pavilion Project: With the exterior redecoration finished, the project is now complete. Cllr Stapley advised that the cost of materials for both internal and external decoration amounted to about £500 and the Community Payback Team would be seeking reimbursement for their travel expenses of about £7 per day.
5/11 Nunton Recreation Field:
a) Management Sub-Committee: Cllr Start agreed to join the Chairman and Cllr Stapley on this sub-committee.
b) Pavilion Facilities: There was a discussion about the way in which the Terms and Conditions of use could be worded and whether the provision of tables and chairs would make the Pavilion more usable.
c) Hedge Cutting: This has now been completed.
d) Play Area Safety Inspection: Members agreed to maintain a record of regular inspections and a ROSPA approved safety inspection will be arranged.
e) Play Area Weed Treatment: An approved contractor will be engaged to regularly control weed growth.
f) Control of Mole Infestations: Mole activity is most prevalent in the spring and it was agreed to use the services of a mole catcher if there appears to be too many molehills which will disrupt grass cutting.
g) Signage: The Chairman and Cllr Berry agreed to bring this requirement to a conclusion.
6/11 Community Initiatives:
a) Radnor Hall Committee: It was reported that a booking had been made by the organisers of a children's party to celebrate the marriage of HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton on Friday, 29 April 2011. The Radnor Hall Committee has agreed not to charge for the use of the hall on this historic occasion.
b) An Evening Event on 29 April: It was agreed that the PC would make available a grant of £250 to the organiser of an evening event on the day of the Royal Wedding. This will be publicised in News & Notes.
c) Cranbourne Chase and West Wilts Downs AONB: Historic Environment Action Plan launch event at the Ancient Technology Centre on Wednesday, 16 February, 11:00am - 2:00pm. Cllr Start expressed an interest.
d) Wiltshire Council Training Events: A Community Leadership Workshop at Monkton Park, Chippenham on 24 February is an example of a training event organised by Wiltshire Council. More info at Wiltshire.gov.uk.
7/11 Transport, Roads and Footpaths:
a) WC Parish Steward Report: New priorities on the Odstock road appear to have been well received and some of the signage has been realigned. Resurfacing of the C12 will be subject to budgetary constraints.
b) Parking Near the Hospital: Britford PC has written expressing their concern and is seeking OPC's opinion of how this issue might be resolved. OPC will reply that everything is being done to resolve the problem which is being delayed by budgetary constraints. There is a possibility that the NHS trust may have some influence with Wiltshire Highways and it may be that a resolution is imminent.
c) A338/C12 Junction: A preliminary safety plan has been prepared by Wiltshire Highways and this was reviewed. The objective of the plan is to enforce a single carriageway which the current white lining is unable to achieve. There were a number of comments from local people which included a concern that traffic priorities at the junction were not clear. The safety plan will be implemented in March and Wiltshire Highways will be asked to ensure that the drains are cleaned and that priorities at the junction are more clearly defined. A copy of Downton Parish Council's response to the proposed alterations was mainly concerned with a suggestion that speed limits needed to be reduced and lighting at night needs to be considered.
d) Footpath at Jubilee Gardens: Cllr Start will attempt to progress this project with Wiltshire Highways.
e) Bollards at Jubilee Gardens: Cllr Berry confirmed that in no circumstances could the bollards be moved closer to the highway.
f) Kissing Gate near Nunton Church: Awaiting a response from the Wiltshire Rights of Way Officer.
8/11 Planning: No new planning applications to consider.
9/11 Reports and Correspondence:
a) Street Naming and Numbering: Wiltshire Council Policy will be amended in line with the results of the consultation. Developers will now liaise with the relevant Parish Council to agree suitable names before submitting a street naming and numbering application to Wiltshire Council.
b) South Wiltshire Area Board: The next meeting is in Morgans Vale Village Hall on 7 April at 6:30pm.
10/11 Finance:
a) Capital Expenditure Projects for 2011-2012: There was a discussion about how the unallocated PC funds might be spent. The general guidance is for local authorities to not hold significantly greater reserves than 12 months expenditure. The opportunity for Parishioners to suggest projects which the PC might want to consider implementing, is the Annual Parish Meeting which is required to be held between 1 March and 1 June each year. In Odstock Parish, this has usually been held on the same evening as the Annual Parish Council meeting. Some suggested projects were,
1. Salt/Grit Boxes; 2. Funding towards the construction of a roadside footpath between Jubilee Gardens and the layby opposite the Church;
3. Repairs to the riverbank at Jubilee Gardens.
b) Pavilion Re-building Costs and the PC's Insurance Policy: There was a discussion about how much the Pavilion would need to be insured for on a New for Old basis. Suggestions ranged from £25,000 to £50,000. Cllr Martin agreed to examine the PC's insurance policy and advise the PC on its effectiveness.
c) Budget Review for 2011-2012: The prepared budget was reviewed which indicated that current reserves to be carried forward at April 2011 would amount to about £12,000.
d) Salt/Grit Boxes: It was agreed to incur up to £250 on a grit box to be sited at Shepherd's Close, Odstock.
e) Payments: The following were approved:
Bawden Contracting Services Ltd - Grass Cutting
- 348 - £396.63p
R Parsons - Clerk's fee and expenses, on account
- 349 - £464.00p
SP Stapley - Cash Receipts for Materials
--------- 350 --- £33.51p
Wessex Water - Nunton Field Water Supply
------ DD --- £11.73p
11/11 Any Other Business (for information only): None.
12/11 The Annual Parish Meeting is scheduled to be held at 7:00pm on Wednesday, 11 May 2011 in the Barker Room at Nunton and will be followed by the 2011 Annual Parish Council Meeting.
The meeting closed at 9:40pm
Signed without amendment by the PC Chairman, Cllr Rod
Poynting, on 20 March 2011.
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