Northwold Parish Council Minutes TUESDAY 2nd September 2014 at 7:30pm

December 2014

Councillors present: Cllr. R. Crisp – Chair (RC), Cllr. Alan Collins (AC), Cllr. A. Jenkinson (AJ), Cllr. F. Eglington (FE) & Cllr. Alison Muir (AM).

Present: Vicky Bright – Clerk.

Item

14/09/1

Cllr. Crisp welcomed all to the meeting.

Public Forum – LGA 1972, Section 100(1):

Three Members of the Public were present.

The residents of 1 High Street expressed concern that the issue of their van being parked illegally had been reported to the Police and an article had been placed in the Village Life, before they were approached informally by the Parish Council. They advised that they had been visited by the police and informed that the Parish Council had received complaints and were advised where to park in future. The residents wanted to advise that there are plans to increase parking at the location and they did not wish to cause an obstruction, but that they would have appreciated an informal visit or letter before involving the Police or the newsletter. The Chairman advised that she had called round on one occasion, but that no one had been home. The Clerk confirmed that the decision to hold off on sending a letter had been decided, after the van had subsequently been moved following the meeting and it was deemed no longer necessary. The Clerk also confirmed that the Police had not been contacted by the Parish Council regarding this issue directly, and that the article in the newsletter was from the approved minutes of the June meeting and that these would have been published after the July meeting. The Parish Council advised that they are trying to address the issues of parking within the Village as a whole with the Police, and were not trying to single anyone out or make examples. The Chairman apologised for any upset caused and welcomed the residents to the Village.

Action

14/09/2

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iii)

14/09/3

Local Authority Reports:

Norfolk County Council

No one present and no report received.

Borough Council of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk

No one present and no report received.

Norfolk Constabulary - SNT

No report received and apologies sent.

Accepted Apologies for absence - LGA 1972, Section 85(1) & (2):

Cllr. Mick Peake, Cllr. George Gillett, Cllr. Stephen Gillett & Cllr. Sue Leet.

Absent:

None.

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14/09/5

14/09/6

14/09/7

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iii)

14/09/8

14/09/9

Members Declaration of Interest ( items on the agenda) – LGA 2000 Part III:

Cllr. Muir declared a personal interest in Item 8.

Highways Matters:

Parking Normandy Close

The Clerk confirmed that she is trying to confirm a date to meet with the Head Teacher, Carole Reich and PCSO Claire Law, to review the school’s Parking Policy and to organise a ‘Walk to School Program’.

Minutes of the last meeting held on 1^st July 2014- LGA 1972, Schedule 12, para 41(2):

Resolved 14/09/6.01

The minutes of the last meeting held on 1^st July 2014 were adopted as a true statement and signed by the Chairman (RC).

Reports and Matters Arising from the Minutes of the Last Meeting (For Info Only):

Chairman’s Report

Cllr. Crisp advised that a burial scheduled for Plot Number: ?? had highlighted that a shrub on the plot was severely overgrown and the grave diggers were unable to prepare the plot for the burial. It had been agreed that the shrub be removed at a cost of £40.00, and this was approved by the Clerk and Chairman before the meeting, in order to have the plot ready for the burial.

Resolved 14/09/7.01

That the shrub on Plot Number: ?? be removed at a cost f £40.00.

Cllr. Crisp advised that the judging of the school Art Competition had taken place. She advised that the school had contacted her and given only one day’s notice of the date of judging and that the projects produced had not met the criteria for the competition, including models and computer projects. She confirmed that the projects had not been named and that the Council had not been invited for the presentation of the prizes, so she was unaware of who the winners were. It was suggested that the Clerk write to the school advising of the criteria for the Competition and advising that this criteria is in place due to the projects being stored at the Records Office. It was also suggested that we request at least ten days notice for the judging and that we would like to be present at the prize giving.

Clerk’s Report and Updates from previous minutes

NCC Rangers Visit

The rangers visited Northwold on the 28 July 2014. The items that they were able to carry out are as follows:

Little London Road - Filled pothole.

The parish will be contacted again three weeks before the next scheduled visit.

Northwold High Street

Andy Wallace at Highways NCC has confirmed that there are no plans to make the High Street One Way.

Signs

Flashing 30 Sign on Little London Rd has been reported to Westcotec; Andy Wallace is to chase Westcotec again this week regarding timeline for repair. The Little London sign has been re-erected and Andy Wallace is looking into the possibility of replacing the pole or sign.

The school signs in Northwold, opposite the Church and Pub have been requested to be removed and Highways has this on their program of works to do in the near future.

Councillors Reports

Cllr. Collins advised that the floods at the junction of Hovells Lane/Church Lane had been improved slightly by the installation of the drain last year, but that it was still an issue and that Highways had been contacted regarding this.

Cllr. Collins confirmed that the Victorian Lamp outside the Manor House had been installed by Mrs. Meredith’s son without her permission. The electric feed and post are on the Manor House’s land. He confirmed that the cobbles will be removed and a new system will be put in place and at this time the lamp will be moved forward by 1ft. Professor Rodwell has agreed that at this time he will refurbish and re-glass the lamp at his own cost as a donation to the Council and Village.

Correspondence:

The Clerk read out a letter from Mrs. Mary Daniel from Bulldog Barns advising that there had been issues with gaining approval from Highways for the mobile coffee bar at the Barns. Mrs. Daniel was looking for support from the Parish Council in her application. It was suggested that the Clerk write to Mrs Daniel advising that the Parish Council has no jurisdiction or say in formal planning issues, but that of course we support her and wish her Good Luck with her application.

Planning Applications

The Clerk advised that she had received a letter from Norfolk County Council Environment, Transport and Development Department advising that the Public Highway of Riverside from its junction with High Street, northwards to the end, near the Ford. Previously this Highway had dual status as a registered public footpath and a vehicular highway, but under new Government Legislation introduced in 2006 all roads with a dual status automatically lost the right to be used by motorised vehicles Therefore, Riverside is currently only registered for use on foot, and the general public no longer have a legal right to pass along Riverside in a motorised vehicle, on horse back, on a bicycle or with a horse and cart, with exception for residents/land owners living alongside Riverside who require vehicular access. It was suggested that the Clerk place an article in the Village Life regarding this for information purposes.

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ii)

Finance:

Parish Council Bank Balances and Reconciliation

The Payments and receipts from 2^nd July to 1^st September 2014 were scrutinised and approved. The Lloyds Treasurer account balance was confirmed as £31,397.69 as of 12^th August 2014.

Resolved 14/09/10.01

That the Bank balances and reconciliation of payments & receipts be received and adopted and initialled as such by the Chairman (RC).

Cheques for signing and approval and to authorise payment of outstanding invoices

Resolved 14/09/10.02

Payee	Net	VAT	Cheque No	Gross
CGM	£503.20	£100.64	001893	£603.84
Eon	£47.95	£2.40	001894	£50.35
K&M Lighting	£48.54	£9.70	001895	£58.24
Mrs. V. Bright (Mileage)	£26.51	£0.00	001896	£26.51
CGM	£251.60	£50.32	001897	£301.92
Green Balance UK Ltd	£315.00	£0.00	001898	£315.00
Total	£1192.80	£163.06	£1670.86
Income from July- September
TOTAL INCOME	£0.00

Invoices were checked, payments were approved and cheques signed by Cllr. Crisp and Cllr. Collins, all Councillors agreed.

Resolved 14/09/10.03

Cheques payments since the last meeting. Signed by Cllr. Crisp and Cllr. Collins, all Councillors agreed.

Payee	Net	VAT	Cheque No	Gross
Mrs. V. Bright (Office Allowance)	£100.00	£0.00	001886	£100.00
St Andrew’s Church (Annual Donation)	£200.00	£0.00	001887	£200.00
Mrs. V. Bright (Mileage)	£41.86	£0.00	001888	£41.86
Collier Turf Ltd	£1650.00	£330.00	001889	£1980.00
Northwold Care Group	£107.05	£0.00	001890	£107.05
K&M Lighting	£24.27	£4.85	001891	£29.12
Eon	£46.40	£2.32	001892	£48.72
Total	£2169.58	£337.17	£2506.75

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14/09/11

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14/09/12

Quarterly Asset Risk Assessment Report

Cllr. Eglington and Cllr. Jenkinson reported the following items on the risk assessment performed this month;

Play Equipment – Waxham Four Unit needs wood replacing. The fence needs new gate closures. The swings need re-painting. The Roundabout needs some slats replacing.
Sports & Social Club – There are pot holes in the car park.
Litter Bins – The bin on the High St. (Churchyard wall) and the one outside West End, No. 4 needs re-fixing. The bins on School Lane and High St. (Churchyard wall) need replacement liners.
Grit Bins – The grit bin on Methwold Road has a vandalised lid, but is still in good working order.
Cemetery’s – Gate at Closed Cemetery (Church Lane) does not close fully.
Bus Shelter – Fascia rotten needs replacing.
Benches – The bench on Methwold Road has minor graffiti scratches, no action required.

Cemetery Maintenance (CGM Contract)

It has become apparent that CGM do not appear to be adhering to the terms of the contract regarding maintenance of the cemetery, the following issues have been raised;

Strimming out to boundaries not being carried out
Pruning of shrubs and bushes not being carried out
Herbicide has not been sprayed to pathways the required four times (only once recorded so far)

It has been necessary for the Council to carry out some of this work themselves, including incurring costs. It was agreed that the Clerk would withhold the last 3 invoice payments until CGM agree to meet and discuss the issues and find a suitable resolution to meeting the terms of the contract.

It was discussed that some further maintenance was required in the cemetery, namely;

The ashes plots need to be extended and the shrubs adjacent to this need to be removed
Several tree branches need pruning and removing
Two gravestones need clearing of vegetation and shrub

It was agreed that the Clerk should obtain quotes for these works and report back at the next meeting.

Cllr. Collins advised that the Cemetery fees needed revising. It was suggested that the Clerk research into local cemetery fees and report back to Cllr. Collins and Ann Howarth.

The issue of removing the soil from the grave digging was raised and it was agreed that the Clerk look into options and solutions that may be available.

Parish Matters:

Play Area Repairs Update

The Clerk confirmed that David George was having difficulty finding a reasonable quote for Liability Insurance. It was suggested that the Clerk look into whether the Council’s insurance would cover David George carrying out the works needed.

Allotments – Change of Use

The costs involved with changing the allotments use and installing hard standing parking were discussed. Councillor’s agreed that at this time it was not financially viable for the Council to pursue this idea.

Street Lighting Maintenance quotes

The Clerk reported that Westcotec had been instructed to replace the remaining street lights with LED, and that the start date for the works had yet to be confirmed. The Clerk presented a quote provided by Westcotec for annual maintenance of all street lights once the LED had been replaced in all lamps. It as suggested that the Clerk approach K&M Lighting and ask them to provide a similar quote, t be reviewed at the next meeting.

Defibrillator Funding Update

The Clerk advised that there is currently an award programme to part fund the cost of an AED from the British Heart Foundation. There are two parts to the application form:

Section A – to be completed by the applicant

Section B – to be completed by the local ambulance service

Upon receipt of the application you will receive an acknowledgement email and will be notified of the outcome within 8-10 weeks. Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. There is a required £400 contribution per defibrillator and the British Heart Foundation will meet the remaining cost, they supply the unit only with no additional housing for the unit. The Clerk will go ahead and submit an application.

Cllr. Collins advised that the Chairman of the Village Hall has agreed in principal to the cabinet being located on the outside wall of the cabinet.

It was suggested that the Clerk contact Dr. Nesbitt and ask if he would write a short article on Defibrillator’s for the Village Life and perhaps attend the Parish Council meeting in November to give a talk, to gage the residents feelings and views about installing a defibrillator in the village.

Items for next meeting and Date of next meeting: Confirmed as Tuesday 7^th October 2014 at 7:30pm, in the Village Hall.

The Chairman advised that she had been informed by the Clerk before the meeting that she was pregnant and would be taking 6 month’s maternity leave at the end of February next year. The Clerk advised that she is in the process of arranging a locum Clerk to provide cover for her maternity leave and would keep the Council updated.

There being no further business the Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance and declared the meeting closed at 21:15pm

Signed: R. Crisp, Chairman Date: 7^th October 2014