West Dereham Parish Council - March

DRAFT MINUTES OF THE WEST DEREHAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT WEST DEREHAM VILLAGE HALL AT 7.30 pm ON THURSDAY 2 MARCH 2017

PRESENT (four Councillors): - Pam Bullas (PB), Claire Cann (CC) – Chair, Paula Kellingray (PK) and Pam Walker (PW) Locum Clerk: Helen Richardson Eleven members of the public were in attendance. Cllr Sandra Squires attended. The Chairman welcomed everyone present and opened the meeting.

01/17 Apologies for absence. Apologies were received and accepted from Claire Williams, Tom Foy and Lorraine Hunt.

02/17 Declarations of Interest. PK declared an interest in an item in correspondence involving the cemetery.

03/17 Use of social media, audio recording of meeting and invitation for public contributions. CC asked “Will anyone present be filming, recording, blogging, or tweeting during this meeting?” No member of the public present at this stage advised that they would. CC advised members of the public that if they wished to comment on any item, before a decision was made, they should raise their hand and they would be invited to speak.

04/17 Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 2 February 2017. CC confirmed all Councillors had seen the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 2 February 2017. There was one minor amendment from CC in item 9.2 to say that there was a ‘possible purchase of a piece of land’ which was amended by hand on the signed copy. The minutes were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

05/17 Chairman’s Report

Clerk Vacancy – The Chair advised that there was currently a vacancy for the position of Clerk as Helen Carrier had resigned as she had been offered a full time post. She advised that Helen Richardson would be covering the post as Locum Clerk and the vacant position was being advertised within the Village Pump Magazine, Norfolk Association of Local Council’s website and Indeed. Cemetery – The Chair advised that part of the cemetery’s long grass had been cut and cleared. She added that after further grounds maintenance it will start to improve in appearance. Lime Kiln Road – There had been a report of fly tipping on Norfolk County Council’s land and the Locum Clerk agreed to report.

RESOLVED: Locum Clerk to report fly tipping to Norfolk County Council Highways along Lime Kiln Road.

06/17 Locum Clerk’s Report

30mph signs on Village Gateways - Karl Rands had informed the Locum Clerk that the signs were to be installed by 9 March. Damaged Village Gateway – Lime Kiln Road - The Handyman had been informed about the repair required and would be collecting the piece of wood from CC. The Locum Clerk advised that the Handyman had agreed to keep a separate timesheet and receipts for the work to be claimed back from the farmer who damaged it. Farm Tenancy - The Locum Clerk had written to the tenant to remind them that the farm tenancy ended on 10 October 2017. Transparency Code Funding - The grant had been approved and the funds were to be paid directly into the bank account within the next couple of weeks.

07/17 Handyman’s Report. Both noticeboards had been oiled recently and the Handyman reported a padlock was missing from the Church Road noticeboard, however, when the Locum Clerk posted the March agenda it was in place. The Handyman had cleared the Garden of Remembrance of leaves around the flower beds. He had also removed goal posts from the Recreation Ground and cleaned the entrance to the drain and weeded planters in Church Road. During the meeting a parishioner queried concrete left from the removal of the old goal posts on the recreation ground and CC assured them that the Handyman had placed them in the safe location before removal. The Locum Clerk agreed to pass onto the Handyman and check removal. A parishioner reported that the path that met Lime Kiln Road and Bath Road was covered in moss and algae and their relative had slipped over. The Locum Clerk agreed to report to the Handyman in order for him to resolve as a priority. RESOLVED: 1) Locum Clerk to report to the Handyman regarding goal post concrete removal on the recreation ground. 2) Locum Clerk to report to the Handyman slippery path at Lime Kiln Road/Bath Road. 08/17 Police Report PK reported that there had been a recent theft from the allotments of a length of timber and tools from which the shed in question had been unlocked. PK shared that the shed now had a lock fitted and was unsure if it had been reported to the Police. CC shared that there had been a recent Police Inspectorate report that highlighted the need for local policing as a level of prevention, and the Parish Council were sharing the recent newsletters produced by the local police on their website.

09/17 Village Hall Report. PK shared that the Village Hall was doing well and there had been lots of bookings including some that had been turned away. PK advised that the Village Hall was advertising for a Secretary and there had been some interest from a couple of people who attended events. CC shared that the Parish Council requested a report from the Village Hall as part of its role as Custodial Trustee and from the supply to them of an annual grant.

10/17 Broadband Report. PW shared that at a previous Parish Council meeting a few parishioners had advised that they had no connection to broadband in Basil Road. PW had discussed the issue for the parishioners with Karen O’Kane a Broadband adviser at the Norfolk County Council and they had passed her some very useful information for people to investigate when having issues with their Broadband. PW advised them how to investigate and improve their broadband using the information from Norfolk County Council and hoped it had been successful but she hadn’t received an update from the parishioners so was unsure the outcome. CC asked PW to seek feedback from them.

PW continued to share that she had a device that enabled her to receive an internet connection whilst in further reaching rooms at home that her WIFI couldn’t, including out and about. After discussion the Parish Council agreed for the Locum Clerk to place a request in the Parish Notice asking for Parishioners to contact the Locum Clerk with their address and connection speed in order to get an overall picture of coverage within the Parish.

RESOLVED: 1) PW to update with the Parishioners about their Broadband in Basil Road. 2) Locum Clerk to place a request in the Parish Notice for information on speed and location of Broadband within the Parish.

11/17 Glazewing Report. PB advised that there had been no report received from them and the Locum Clerk had reminded by email the week before. PB shared that residents continued to have issues with smells and noises from the site and there was due to be an inspection by Norfolk County Council on 13 March with a view to compiling a report. After a query from CC, PB advised that more may be known about the current situation with the fire piles left from the Norfolk County Council report.

PB shared that parishioners continue to be concerned about the rubbish generated by Glazewing within the location of their depot.

The Parish Council discussed the issues around Glazewing and other Lorries using Bath Road and other small country lanes within the Parish, where it results in destruction of verges and affects village life. It was also noted that often lorries follow their SATNAVs often getting them stuck along rural roads that are not suitable for HGV’s. Cllr Sandra Squires shared that whilst Highways don’t install signs that say not to follow a SATNAV, she believed there was a way to flag up certain roads on map routing services. CC thanked Cllr Sandra Squires for this information and asked the Locum Clerk to investigate.

RESOLVED: Locum Clerk to investigate the flagging of non-use of SATNAVS on mapping routing software and devices.

12/17 Finance.

Accounts for approval and the monthly financial management report were submitted by the Clerk. She advised that the income and expenditure for January 2017 and February 2017 had now been confirmed and estimated figures for February had been inserted based upon invoices received.

Payee Cheque No Net VAT Gross Helen Carrier (Salary & Expenses Feb 17) (approved but cheque not authorised) 491.56 0.00 491.56 Helen Richardson (Salary & Expenses Feb 17) 91.16 0.00 91.16 Roy Poole (Handyman) 85.25 0.00 85.25 Westcotec - SAM 2 brackets x two 100.00 0.20 120.00 West Dereham Village Hall - Three months Hire 180.00 0.00 180.00 Glasdon - Dog & Litter bins 307.20 76.80 384.00 Post Office Limited (PAYE) 92.40 0.00 92.40 Total 1347.57 96.80 1444.37

CC highlighted that the SAM 2 brackets were in order for the Parish Council to maximise movement of the speed management sign. CC also shared that Dog and Litter bins were replaced due to firework damage and the Parish Council had agreed not to claim on insurance as not worth the cost.

It was noted that Helen Carrier’s timesheet needing adjusting before payment could be made by cheque. The Locum Clerk agreed to contact her for a new timesheet to be approved at the April meeting.

The Parish Council noted that there was no income for January.

The payments were considered and approved. Cheques to be signed at the end of the meeting.

RESOLVED: That the Locum Clerk to liaise with Helen Carrier on her final payment to be approved at the April meeting.

13/17 Consideration of placing Clerk position ad in SLCC

CC shared that this item on was on the agenda for the Parish Council to decide if it also wished to advertise the vacant Clerk post with the SLCC. She shared that West Dereham Parish Council was a Quality Council and it was a requirement to have a qualified CiLCA Clerk, but as in the past it had proven difficult to recruit Clerks with this qualification, including current Clerks to be attracted to undertake the CILCA training. CC added that the Parish Council in previous years had advertised in the Lynn News but it was expensive with no positive response.

CC shared that the current recruitment for applications closed on 31 March 2017 and the SLCC fees for one week’s advert was £90 plus VAT.

PW and PB felt that it was a lot of money for something that may not provide a lot of outcome but agreed that the Parish Council needed to explore all avenues in recruiting the Clerk position. CC proposed that the Parish Council advertise the vacant Clerk post in SLCC for one week at £90 plus VAT and the Parish Council agreed to this resolution.

RESOLVED: That the Clerk position be advertised for one week as soon as possible before the deadline of 31 March for £90 plus VAT.

14/17 Planning. 17/00225/LDP - Application for a Lawful Development Certificate for a change of use of an area of barn into a staff room/rest room for employees to have their breaks and the proposed installation of a toilet and kitchenette area at 1 Grange Farm Lynn Road Crimplesham Norfolk PE33 9ED was discussed.

The Parish Council considered the application that was reviewed as a printed copy displayed within the Village Hall during the meeting. During discussions the following was highlighted by the Councillors:

a) That the address on the application was Crimplesham though the Farm was within the Parish of West Dereham. b) It was felt that the applied area could be seen from the main road contrary to where it was stated within the application. c) That the information relating to the size and number of employees using was not included making it difficult to consider the application on the whole. d) Noted that it was a lawful development certificate.

It was agreed after review that the Locum Clerk would contact the Planning Officer to advise that the Parish Council was unable to comment on the application without details of its size and number of employees that was going to use the barn area and it be noted as an observation.

RESOLVED: That the Locum Clerk contact the Planning Officer and observe that there were no details of size and employee numbers within the application and therefore the Parish Council were unable to consider.

15/17 Public Notice of Goods Vehicle Operators Licence

(United Agri Products Ltd trading as Agrii of Station Road Andeoversford, Cheltenham, GL54 4LZ) applying to change an existing licence as follows: to add an operating centre to keep 5 goods vehicles and 0 trailers and a second (Masstock Arable (UK) LTD trading as Agrii of Larkwhistle Farm Works, Larkwhistle Farm Road, Hants, SO 21 3BG to add an operating centre to keep 3 goods vehicles and 3 trailers both at Hill House Farm, Bath Road, West Dereham, PE33 9TP. Written representations can be made to the Traffic Commissioner, Leeds.

CC shared that all Parishioners of Lime Kiln Road and Bath Road had been hand delivered a copy of both advertisements relating to two Public Notice of Goods Vehicle Operators Licences with Traffic Commissioner’s guidance on making a written representation for each by the deadlines of 17th February and the most recent one by 10th March. CC explained that the first notice requested an operating centre to keep 5 lorries and the second for 3 lorries and 3 trailers, both under the name of Agrii but different addresses from Cheltenham and Hampshire.

CC stated that the process of making representations concerning the applications for a Goods Vehicle Operator’s Licence was not straightforward and the way in which these two were advertised separately but within days of each other was not a good example of transparency. This was most unfortunate due to the considerable effect it could have on a parish by changing the nature of an area without adequate provision for proper notification or scrutiny thus making a mockery of the democratic process. An applicant only need include a small, undetailed notice in the back pages of a local newspaper on any number of occasions and before a parish could do anything about it, there was real potential for multiple HGVs and trailers passing through the area en masse. A PC was unable to make an objection or representation and that was why those who lived in the affected area had been contacted to advise them of the Operators’ Licences applications. B Cllr Squires and C Cllr Long had already highlighted some of the concerns of WD parishioners’ to the appropriate agencies concerning the first application and would do so again regarding the second.It was felt that the HGVs and trailers proposed would be unsuitable for WD’s lanes where two way traffic was already an impossibility, would increase noise and reverberation levels to the detriment of surrounding houses, would be likely to lead to increased intrusive security lighting and could endanger residents with the transportation and/or storage of chemicals. The Chairman pointed out that Glazewing was a prime example of a small village business which had been allowed by NCC Planners to increase in size and operation bit by bit until it caused far reaching disruption and distress to a number of village properties. While the PC supported rural development there was a place for industrial and commercial HGVs and it was not within an historic, tiny residential hamlet such as West Dereham; such vehicles could be more appropriately and quite easily accommodated at Bexwell Industrial estate a couple of miles down the road

RESOLVED: 1) Locum Clerk to include advert and wording on the Parish website for the 10 March deadline. 2) Cllr Squires to discuss the issue with Cllr Long and speak to appropriate agencies on behalf of West Dereham Parishioners.

16/17 Defibrillator

CC advised that the Locum Clerk from Wereham had been involved with the recent funding and installation of a community defibrillator. The Locum Clerk highlighted the following for the West Dereham Parish Council to be aware of:

• Funding was received from Lottery Awards for All for the amount of just under £4k. • Wereham’s defibrillator project was fully funded. • Community Heartbeat Trust was the organisation used in partnership to deliver it, for all equipment, information and training required including the system installation. • Awareness training could be booked via the Community Heartbeat Trust but it was not compulsory for users to have. • The Ambulance Service register the system, and therefore it is important good governance is followed otherwise they would deregister. • Any emergency would still require a person to call 999 and the ambulance service would provide a code and direct that person to the nearest defibulator if this was quicker that the ambulance. • An emergency cell phone option was also available. • Wereham’s was installed in a meter supplied telephone box but they could be installed elsewhere. • The system comes under Section 137, and West Dereham’s annual threshold for 369 electors at £7.50 each was £2767.50, so the Parish Council needed to bear in mind as the entire system including VAT was £3400. If there was funding this would still apply. • The Clerk would be the appointed person for ongoing checks and maintenance, and following any incident the download of data with the Community Heartbeat Trust.

A Parish Councillor commented that they would be concerned about the potential distance some may have to travel to collect the defibrillator in an emergency.

It was agreed that the Locum Clerk would email the Parish Councillors information about the Community Heartbeat Trust for future consideration.

RESOLVED: Locum Clerk to email Councillors information for future consideration.

17/17 Goal Posts

CC shared that the Parish Council had agreed to replace the goal posts on the recreation ground with one basketball/football galvanised unpainted goal post.

CC advised that the latest quotes received included high costs for shipping from Europe. She added that the Locum Clerk had provided an up to date quote from Bonnetts of an unpainted version which was almost the quote previously supplied in 2015. CC reminded the Parish Council that funding had been received from the Village Trust of £1500. It was felt that the Parish Council should consider two more quotes and it was suggested that the Locum Clerk contact Sovereign Essex and ESPO for further consideration.

RESOLVED: Locum Clerk to retrieve two further quotes for consideration at the next meeting.

18/17 Review of Parish Council Policies and Internal Affairs.

• Equal Opportunities – “Reviewed”. There were no changes, Locum Clerk to amend to reviewed and update logo. • Media Relations – “Revised”. There was minor change from ‘of’ to ‘or’ at 3.1, Locum Clerk to amend and update logo. • Cemetery Fees and Regulations – There was discussions around the term headstone and tablet as opposed to memorial, and it was decided to consider further at the next Discussion Group meeting at the end of March and bring to the April meeting. Following a recent tablet installed in the Garden of Remembrance before the Locum Clerk could pass to the Parish Council for approval, it was agreed for the Locum Clerk to email the funeral director involved. • Disciplinary and Grievance – “Reviewed”. There were no changes, Locum Clerk to amend to reviewed and update logo. • Co-option - “Revised”. There was minor error within a sentence amended at 2b, Locum Clerk to amend to reviewed, and update logo. • Lighting within the parish - “Revised”. There was minor error with the final sentence on the third paragraph to the word impact, Locum Clerk to amend to reviewed, and update logo. • Members’ Code of Conduct - “Reviewed”. There were no changes, Locum Clerk to amend to reviewed and update logo.

RESOLVED: 1) That the Locum Clerk includes the Cemetery Fees and Regulations Policy in the Discussion Group agenda for further discussion 2) That the Locum Clerk remind the recent funeral director that all memorials must be approved by the Parish Council in advance. 3) That the Locum Clerk amend and update the remainder policies on file and the website.

19/17 Correspondence.

There was none received.

20/17 Other Business – Any additional reports and items for inclusion on the next Agenda.

PW advised that she had received a letter from the Internal Drainage Board with an invitation to anyone who wished to join the Flood and Coastal Committee. CC asked the Locum Clerk to add to the Website.

PB advised that during the Open Surgery a Parishioner from Lime Kiln Road had attended to share concerns and worries about the dyke near their property and risk of flooding. The Parish Council asked the Locum Clerk to contact the Parishioner to assist them to resolve with appropriate agencies.

RESOLVED: 1) That the Locum Clerk add the IDB Invitation to the Parish Website. 2) That the Locum Clerk follow up on the dyke concerns from the Parishioner at Lime Kiln Road.

The official meeting concluded at 9.10 pm, and was opened to the floor for general comment.

21/17 Open Forum.

• Pot Holes – Ryston Road near the bridge at 9/10 Ryston Road bungalows - the Locum Clerk agreed to report to Highways. • Pot Holes – at 8/9 Church Road - the Locum Clerk agreed to report to Highways. • Royal British Legion Prize for West Dereham - Nick Cann (West Dereham Branch Secretary RBL) advised that at the Norfolk RBL Annual Conference at County Hall in Norwich West Dereham had been awarded a large silver cup for the branch showing the most innovation during the year. The cup, which had already been engraved with West Dereham’s name, is on display in the Village Hall until February 2018. The Parish Council thanked those involved for recognition of West Dereham’s work for the charity.

RESOLVED: That the Locum Clerk report the pot holes to Norfolk County Council Highways.

Closure. The Chairman thanked everyone for attending, and final closure of the meeting was at 9.25 pm.

Next PC meeting is on Thursday 6 April 2017 at 7.30pm with Open Surgery from 7.00pm.

Locum Clerk: Helen Richardson Email: clerk@westderehamparishcouncil.uk Telephone: 0779 5006811

Chairman’s signature …………………………………… Date ……………………………