Gaydon Parish Council

Draft Minutes

Tuesday 9^th April at 19:30

Present	Apologies
J Davies - Chairman J Chitty A Claxton E Leadbetter M Lewis M Bourne 10 members of the public	Cllr C Williams Cllr C Kettle
In Attendance	Absence
Joanna Wain – Clerk

The meeting was quorate

The meeting opened at: 19:35

Item:		Action:
1	Welcome and Apologies: Cllr Davies welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies were received and accepted from Chris Williams
2	Declarations of Interest: There were no declarations of interest made.
3	Questions from the Public (maximum 10 minutes) A member of the public wanted to make the Council aware of antisocial behaviour occurring at the weekends regarding young people “drag racing” along the main road outside his home. A member of the public asked Councillors to raise his concerns to JLR regarding the pond area as this is now covered in weeds and is looking a mess. The member of the public also raised the concern that there was no life vest for the pond area so presented a danger. Cllr Davies noted that he would raise this at the next meeting. A member of the public commended on the website and expressed their view that it looked good but asked if the Cemetery Fees could be added. Cllr Lewis noted the comments and informed them that it was still early days for the website and there were still additions to be made but was pleased it was up and running. A member of the public queried the billing information on the website as held the previous RFOs details, Cllr Lewis confirmed the billing information had been updated and the old details had been removed. A member of the public queried whether the accounting information was up to date and correct. Cllr Lewis confirmed that they were going through website compliance to ensure that everything was correct. A member of the public questioned the LED lights and informed the Council that they had responsibility for any pole with a light on it. A member of the public commented that the white lines needed repainting and asked if there was a schedule regarding this. Councillors confirmed they would ask Cllr Williams for an update. A member of the public raised concerns regarding ruts on the grass area of St Marks close believed to have been made by refuse trucks. Cllrs confirmed that as this was Orbits land it was Orbits responsibility. A member of the public questioned the donation regarding traffic calming and noted they believed it was for the gates on the Kineton Road. Cllr Davies confirmed this was correct. Councillors confirmed that they were not aware of this. A member of the public queried the legal advice the Council had received regarding the S.106 funding as the previous council had already been given advice which contradicts what was recorded in the minutes. The member of the public asked if they could see copies of the advice given, Cllr Lewis confirmed that they had received advice from the Council and noted that they would look at whether this information could be shared due to GDPR / Legal privilege. A member of the public queried the change of use mentioned in the last minutes and raised concerns that there was no mention of surveys. Cllr Lewis confirmed that surveys were not a legal requirement and they had received advice from the planning department at SDC. Councillors discussed that the new advice supersedes old advice; Councillors also noted that if surveys are not done they might get a lot of complaints. Cllr Davies confirmed the change of use was on the agenda and would be discussed later in the meeting. A member of the public noted that the field was an archaeological site potentially containing historic items and suggested the surveys could be done as a community project. A member of the public asked when the defibrillator would be sorted. Cllr Davies confirmed this was on the agenda and would be discussed later. A member of the public expressed their concerns and disappointment that the Council were not using a consultant for the Neighbourhood plan and noted it needed to be a rigorous process while taking into account the core strategy. Cllr Leadbetter confirmed they had not ruled out the decision to use consultancy but also noted that the Council wanted to add value to the survey and ensure the right questions for Gaydon were asked. Cllr Davies confirmed they were taking the Neighbourhood plan step by step and would be looking at every option and getting advice from reliable sources. A member of the public informed Councillors that the Millennium Group would be meeting the following evening regarding the village fete and informed Councillors that a risk assessment had been done. The member of the public also confirmed that the Millennium Group bank account s would be finalised next week and they would sort out the financial arrangement with parish council for defibrillator. A member of the public queried the 9.9% raise in the Councils Precept and would like an item in the newsletter confirming why it was raised. Cllrs confirmed it was noted in the minutes but they would also put something in the newsletter. Action – Newsletter item to be done regarding the precept A member of the public raised concerns regarding overhanging hedges within the village and especially Church Road. Cllrs confirmed it was the landowner’s responsibility and the Council would write to the owners and request it is cut back. Cllrs noted that the hedges owned by WCC would be the responsibility of WCC and they would raise this with Cllr Williams. Action – GPC to write to owners of overgrown hedges	Cllr Cllr Davies
4	Acceptance of the minutes of the previous meeting The minutes were agreed and approved as a true and accurate record.
5	Matters arising from the minutes of the previous meetings Orbit update regarding Lease agreement Cllr Davies confirmed that following feedback from the Cllrs they were not happy with the lease agreement and asked the Cllrs what they would want from a new lease agreement. Cllrs confirmed they would want at least a 20 year lease with no claw back clause. Cllrs also noted they needed more clarification regarding the grass verges. Cllr Davies confirmed he would be meeting with Orbit and would raise the Cllrs concerns. Cllrs confirmed that if they did receive the 20 year lease, GPC would get access to the play area for this time and would be responsible for the grass cutting.
6	County Council Matters Cllr Williams sent his apologies. Cllr Davies read Cllr Williams report which is attached to the end of the minutes.
7	District Council Matters: - Cllr Kettle not at the meeting. To receive report Cllr Kettle was unable to attend the meeting.
8	To receive planning applications 18/01382/OUT – Site at The Old Vicarage , Warwick Road, Gaydon, CV35 0HD: the erection of a new detached dwelling within the curtilage of the existing property (APPEAL) Cllrs discussed that they had previously rejected this and a member of the public informed Cllrs that it was going to the inspectorate. Cllrs agreed to object on the same grounds as last application.
9	Open-space considerations To include but not limited to consideration for provision of a play area Change of Use for Parish Field Cllrs discussed whether the field could be used for the village fete before the change of use had been requested. Cllr Davies confirmed that as an agricultural field it could be used for a fete as temporary use and GPC insurance should cover this. Cllrs queried whether their insurance would cover the village events and Cllrs Davies confirmed that under the new insurance policy it should cover larger events that the council organises regardless of where the event takes place. Cllrs discussed the reasons for wanting to apply for Change of Use and noted that it was something the previous Parish Council had also expressed an interest in doing. Cllrs noted they wanted to be able to provide the facility for play and to justify the cost of the grass cutting. Cllrs noted that the field was an agricultural field so was uneven so could potential be a risk to people using it especially for village events. Cllrs queried whether this could be agreed during purdah and agreed that it could. Cllrs discussed whether the S.106 funds could be used for surveys and they noted that it could be if needed. Cllr Lewis confirmed that the cost for the Change of Use application would be £231 plus fees and this could also be taken from the second S.106 fund which had been confirmed by the solicitor. Cllrs noted this had been discussed at the previous meeting and agreed in principal. Cllr Bourne proposed and Cllr Leadbetter seconded the proposal for Change of Use from Agricultural to Recreational for the Parish Field and all Councillors agreed. Cllrs discussed that payment should be drawn down from the second S.106 fund and all agreed. Village Fete Cllrs questioned if there was a date confirmed for this. Cllr Davies confirmed it was planned for 15^th June 2019. Cllr Lewis confirmed that the “Fields in Trust” encourage councils to celebrate their big fields and had provided a pack with bunting decorations and materials to use at any events, Cllr Lewis offered this to the Millennium Group for their fete. A representative from the Millennium Group was unsure whether they would want to accept this from KoG however they will pass this information to someone involved in the Village fete. Cllr Lewis confirmed it was nothing to do with KoG but a Nation Wide incentive from “Fields in Trust”.
10	Upcoming elections Cllr Davies confirmed that the elections were coming up on the 2^nd May and there was a notice on the notice boards detailing the candidates. Cllrs discussed the idea of holding drop ins at the Village pub and adding pen portraits to the newsletter or website.
11	Annual Review of Financial Regulations Cllr Chitty confirmed that the review had been done and did not believe there were any immediate changes to be made. Cllr Chitty suggested that they roll over the information to the new council to discuss and it should be referred to the next meeting. Action – Clerk to add Review of Financial Regulations to the agenda for the next meeting	Clerk
12	Appoint an Internal Auditor Councillors discussed and agreed to appoint the same internal auditor as last year.
13	Councillors Reports Cemetery Nothing to report Street lighting/litter/street furniture; MB confirmed that he had received a response regarding the payback calculation for the LED lights, and noted that the previous figures were slightly incorrect. MB informed Councillors that the light would be quite a white light but it could be switched off from midnight to around 5am – Cllrs agreed this would be the best idea for the village. MB noted that he could not confirm the payback as they do not know the rates. Cllrs discussed the lamps in need of replacement soon and how much this would cost. Cllr Bourne confirmed he did not have the exact figures but would be around £250 per street light and there were no reductions for multiple purchases. Cllrs noted there were not aware of any needing replacement. A member of the public stated the street light on Pimple Lane was in need of repair. Cllrs confirmed they would look into this. Cllrs discussed the street lights that were no longer operational and noted they need to officially inform the relevant authorities that they were no longer in use to ensure they were not being charged for these. Cllrs discussed how they are charged for the street lighting and noted that they are charged based on the post and the efficiency rating. Cllrs agreed they need to have an audit to reconfirm the number of lights in use. Drains Nothing to report Footpaths/Footways Cllr Bourne confirmed he had reported the stiles that needed repairing or reinstating. Cllrs discussed the stiles. Neighbourhood Watch / Plan Cllr Leadbetter confirmed that they would be takin the residents’ concerns into account and asked all members of the public to get involved with the Neighbourhood plan. Cllrs discussed the application and noted they leave this until after the meeting with JLR to keep them informed. Cllr Leadbetter confirmed that a draft project plan had been created and the application letter ready to send which is ready to hand over to the new council in May. Cllr Leadbetter confirmed that she would need a map showing the current boundary and noted the WCC website was out of date.. Action – Cllr Davies or Clerk to find a map showing the current boundaries. Defibrillator – Cllr Davies confirmed that they had not been able to confirm the electricity for the defibrillator however the Malt Shovel had offered to put it on one of their walls. Cllrs confirmed that this was a good idea. Cllr Davies confirmed it would hopefully be fitted in the next couple of weeks. A member of the public informed that there was a charge of £50 to register the defibrillator. Cllr Davies confirmed that this was incorrect and there was no fee. Cllr Davies noted that they would rearrange another training session.	Cllr Davies / Clerk
14	Financial Report/Administration: Bank balances £10,632.48 as of 27^th March £11,711.14 as of 29^th March Cllr Chitty confirmed that there was no RFO from the 1^st April. Cllrs asked if they would still have the accounts presented to them at each meeting, Cllr Chitty confirmed that if he has sight of the bank account statements in time he would be able to present the incomings and outgoings each month. Cllrs discussed the budget setting and the 9.9% precept increased and what this was based on. Cllrs noted the new RFO would need to find out about the electricity bill and any unbilled usage to date.
12	Passing of any accounts for payment: J Wain - Clerk’s gross salary (March based on 4 hours per week) - £179.20 Previous cheque bounced so cheque will be issued for the £179.20 and the previous payment. Insurance – £344.74 payable to Camen Company. Cllr Davies confirmed he had gained quotes from the companies recommended by WALC and the Camen Company had provided the most cost effective quote covering larger village events. Cllrs discussed whether the Parish insurance would cover the village fete and confirmed they would need to look into this. Action – Cllr Davies to confirm if the Parish Council Insurance would cover the village fete and any possible injuries from the uneven ground. Cllrs briefly discussed the Village fete and noted that the grass would be cut prior to this. Cllr Claxton confirmed that following the Litter Pick he disposed of a tyre and this cost him £7 which was reimbursed. Addendum: WALC subscription of £163 – approved following the meeting All payments were approved; proposed by Cllr Leadbetter and Seconded by Cllr Lewis.	Cllr Davies
13	Correspondence: Email from John at WALC Cllr Davies confirmed the email from WALC confirmed that there would be no grant next year. Email – Great British Spring Clean Cllrs formally thanked Cllr Lewis for organising the litter pick and everyone for joining in and noted it was a success. Cllr Lewis notes that some of the areas within the village were in need of tidying, Cllrs noted that as this was not on the agenda they could not discuss so requested it be added to the next meeting agenda. Action – Clerk to add – Tidy up of Village areas to the agenda Letter acknowledgement from Orbit Cllr Davies confirmed he would be discussing the matter with a representative from Orbit later in the week and would present any further information at the next meeting. Merlin Developments Cllrs discussed the correspondence and the consultation that had been arranged and noted the Parish Council were not aware of the meeting and that it had been poorly attended.	Clerk
14	Date of next meeting Tuesday 7^th May Cllrs confirmed that the meeting of the 7^th May would be the Annual Parish Council meeting followed by the first meeting of the new council. Cllrs confirmed that they would provisionally book Tuesday 21^st May at 19:30 for the Parish Meeting.

The meeting closed at: 21:20

Gaydon Parish Council Meeting on 9th April 2019

County Councillor’s Report

Children and Family Centres – During the past year negotiations have taken place for Barnardo’s to take over the management of Warwickshire County Council’s Children and Family Centres across the county. Barnado’s will officially start delivering pre-birth to age 19/25 health and wellbeing support services at all 14 of the county’s centres from 1st September this year. The service specification for the new contract was developed based on the service offer and delivery model agreed by the County Council’s Cabinet, following engagement with children and families, and detailed work with a broad range of partners to design a cost effective and quality service that will meet the needs of children and families in Warwickshire. In addition to the 14 dedicated centres there will be a wide variety of pop-up support hubs and outreach activities in local communities. This model puts in place flexible, accessible, local services that will meet the needs of whole families now and into the future.

Administration - Five senior Officers are retiring from the County Council before the end of April. The most significant of these is the change in the Chief Executive’s Office where for the past two years Warwickshire County Council was administered by Joint CEOs, David and Monica Fogarty. David Carter is one of the five retiring and the decision has been taken that the County will now be administered by the sole CEO, Monica Fogarty, from the 1st April. Brexit uncertainties and the political purdah as a result of the forthcoming District Council elections in four of the five County’s District Councils in May, the routines of the Council have been altered.

Public Health and Adult Care – The County Council held a Public Interest Debate recently on the subject of combined working between Health and Adult Services. This topic has been on the national agenda since Public Health was transferred back to local government nearly 10 years ago. It was clear that one of the major problems is communicating between authorities and the conflict between sharing information and breaching personal privacy (Human Rights). There are moves towards integrated working which will need support and legislation from the government.

Highways - It is noticeable that a number of road closures and traffic disruptions are currently taking place. There are a large number of housing developments, all requiring additional utility services and road improvements, which are adding to the congestion.

I must end my report on a good news story in as much as Warwickshire County Council has been named the Country’s Joint Top Performing County Council for Highway Maintenance. Warwickshire was among 113 highway authorities, including 28 County Councils, which took part in a national independent survey which looks at satisfaction with Highways and Transport Services.

Warwickshire came out joint top for public satisfaction amongst County Councils for Highway Maintenance, condition of road surfaces and the quality of repair to damaged roads. The Council also ranked amongst the best in other areas, including condition of road markings, speed of repair to damaged roads, keeping drains clear and dealing with potholes.

This is an excellent result and reflects the continued hard work and commitment of Warwickshire County Council’s Highways Staff.

Cllr Chris Williams

Member for Kineton and Red Horse Division

07.04.2019