WICKHAMBREAUX PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 17 APRIL 2018

Present: Parish Cllr Robin Treacher Parish Cllr Martin Twyman Parish Cllr Faith Wright Parish Cllr Caroline Rees Parish Cllr Linda Lodge Parish Cllr Gary Bradford Parish Cllr Catherine Holland

City Cllr Stuart Walker

Miss Chenice Sparkes, Clerk to the Council 2 Members of the Public

1. CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received and accepted County Cllr Michael Northey. Cllr Treacher wished to thank everyone who has wished him a speedy recovery following his recent operation.

Cllr Treacher also confirmed that Steven Boyle, Monitoring Officer at City Council, has recently concluded the Code of Conduct complaint against himself and Cllr Rees and has determined that there has been no breach.

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Cllr Twyman and Cllr Bradford declared an interest in planning application CA/18/00315/FUL at Undertrees Farm in Stodmarsh as a neighbour and contractor. Cllr Bradford also declared an interest in Item 10 on the agenda as a potential contractor.

3. MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 14 MARCH 2018 The Minutes were accepted as a true record of the meeting with one minor amendment.

4. INFORMATION FROM MATTERS ARISING Adjournment – Cllr Lodge reported that she and Cllr Wright attended the School’s Easter service on Wednesday 28 March 2018 and the parking arrangements were managed well. The School encouraged car sharing before the event and, due to the adverse weather conditions, some vehicles were given permission to park on the playground. Cllr Twyman wished to record his thanks to Matt Collins for personally marshalling the event and Cllr Wright reported that she sent a thank you email to the School and via the School’s parent email system on behalf of the Parish Council after the event. The School representative explained that the School would try to have marshalling at all future events, but it would depend heavily on being able to obtain volunteers.

Cllr Wright reported that she attended a meeting with Mrs Campling and Iona Rogulski on Tuesday 20 March 2018 to discuss the latest travel plan and concerns the Parish Council had with a number of points. Cllr Wright raised that the speed limit through the village is 60pmh, which Mrs Campling and Iona were not aware of, and this was confirmed after further investigation with Highways. The statement that military families attend the School was clarified and refers to two children in Year 6 who parents are serving abroad. Cllr Wright also queried the statement that the School is a single use site, given that is uses both the Village Hall and the Playing Field, and this was clarified as being correct for Kent County Council purposes as funding is not given for the use of the School to use the Village Hall and there is no charge to use the Playing Field. Cllr Wright reported that the travel plan cannot be amended on the Jambusters website and any changes will instead be incorporated in the next travel plan. ~ 1 ~

A number of initiatives were discussed with regards to the current traffic situation, including the use of walking buses, etc. No new suggestions were put forward at the meeting that had not been discussed before and it was acknowledged that the School seemed to be trying to alleviate the current situation. The School has also been allowing parents to wait inside the gates on the playground in an attempt to keep the roadway outside clear, although this is dependent on the secretary being available to monitor for safety reasons. Cllr Wright reported that some parents prefer to stand outside the gates to chat and Kent Highways has suggested it might be safer to have parents wait outside the gates to ensure that vehicles are slowing down more.

Cllr Treacher reported that he is waiting for a date to be confirmed to look around the School. The School representative expressed that she did not think the School were aware he still wanted to look around but would raise this with them and get a date arranged.

5. REPORTS FROM COUNTY AND CITY COUNCILLORS None

ADJOURNMENT The owner of The Rose Inn wished to discuss the recently submitted planning application for a single storey rear extension to contain the toilets. The previous two applications for similar schemes have been refused due to the impact on the catslide roof and that there are too many “add on” extensions already at the rear.

The latest scheme is for a larger extension to accommodate a disabled toilet, but will involve digging down and siting the extension lower than the current ground level to ensure the catslide roof is still visible.

The owner explained that the main purpose behind the application was to move the toilets into the extension to be able to expand the restaurant to accommodate an additional 20 covers. The current situation means that not everyone who comes to the pub for a meal can be catered for, except for the summer months when the seating outside can be utilised. The current eating area is not fit for purpose and without the additional income this could bring, the pub may not be viable.

Cllr Wright felt the scheme would improve the space at the rear as it would be brought into use but questioned whether the Parish Council should object due to the potential increase in traffic as it had objected to the School’s proposed increase in pupil numbers for the same reason. Cllr Treacher felt that the increase in traffic for both applications should be considered separate as the School pick up and drop off times are at completely different times in the day to the normal lunch time and dinner service. Cllr Treacher also felt that the application would provide a service that the village needs and part of the charm of Listed Buildings is the way in which they have evolved over the years to accommodate the needs of the changing users, in particular buildings like a Public House, and had no objections to the addition of another single storey rear extension.

As the majority of Councillors had not had the opportunity to look at the submitted plans, it was agreed that all Councillors should send their views to Cllr Wright after the meeting in time for the 11 May 2018 deadline for comments.

6. HIGHWAYS (i) Cllr Twyman reported that there are a number of potholes on Grove Ferry Bridge on both sides of the road. The Clerk was asked to report this to Kent Highways. (ii) Cllr Holland reported that the potholes just before the bridge heading to Stodmarsh on the left hand side has been repaired.

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(iii) Cllr Twyman reported that the electricity box has been installed on the village green but has not been connected up yet. Cllr Wright enquired whether the standing charge for the electricity has been established yet and Cllr Treacher confirmed that this would be dependent on the electricity provider the Parish Council choose. (iv) Cllr Twyman reported that he cannot attend the next A257 meeting due to other engagements. No other Councillors are able to attend. (v) Cllr Wright reported that an email has been received from residents in The List complaining about the flooding of the road when it rains, resulting in members of the public walking over their property to avoid the water. The Parish Council has attempted over a number of years to get the issue resolved and informed Kent Highways that the change in the camber of the road following resurfacing works seemed to be the cause. Kent Highways suggested that the flooding was due to low lying land and being close to a water course and undertook clearing of the nearby drains and the Black Hole Dyke in 2016, but agreed to monitor the situation. This has not resolved the issue and Cllr Wright suggested if funds could be obtained for realigning the kerb on the corner of Spicers Place, that consideration be given to changing the camber of the road back to its previous position as Kent Highways does not have the funds. No approximate cost has been obtained yet and Cllr Wright agreed to make some enquires. (vi) Cllr Twyman reported that he attended a meeting with UK Power Networks and Kent Highways regarding the corner of Spicers Place and the possible kerb realignment by 1m to make it easier for large vehicles to negotiate the corner. Neither Kent Highways nor UK Power Networks has the budget for the project and have estimated the cost between £12,000- £15,000. Kent Highways has agreed to obtain a quotation for the works should the Parish Council want to pursue the project from other funding sources. However, Cllr Treacher reported that since the temporary plastic bollards were erected by UK Power Networks, no vehicles appear to have mounted the kerb suggesting lazy/inconsiderate driving is the main cause rather than inability to gain access to the road. This could result in the kerb realignment not being successful at addressing the problem entirely. Cllr Treacher reported that UK Power Networks have filled in the hole by the post box due to the license running out, not due to works being finished. Cllr Twyman and Cllr Treacher are liaising with UK Power Networks to make good the works on the small green, especially with regards to re-seeding as the footpath entrances will need to be cordoned off to allow the grass seed to establish.

7. PLANNING KCC/CA/0327/2017 – Primary School, The Street Cllr Wright reported that the application has been deferred to the next Kent County Council Planning Application Committee meeting being held on 16 May 2018. The reason for the delay is that the Case Officer is not ready to submit their report. Cllr Wright also reported that an email has been circulated from County Cllr Northey from the Education Officer explaining the School’s role and the additional need for space following changes in the curriculum, including the need for a one-on-one space. In addition, there are a number of pupils with mobility issues at the School requiring corridors to be kept clear at all times, necessitating the need for additional storage. Cllr Treacher reported that he had personally responded to the email as a resident, not on behalf of the Parish Council.

Cllr Wright reported that the email also clarified that no Developers Contributions would be used towards the new proposed extension and storage facilities. The Developer Contribution arranged in 2016 towards Wickhambreaux School cannot be used in that capacity but could be changed to, for example, School, should Canterbury City Council and the developer be in agreement. A resident from Littlebourne reported that Littlebourne Parish Council have reported in their minutes they are aware that the agreement can be changed are in the process of pursing this further.

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CA//18/00387/FUL – Little Puxton Farm, Puxton Road Cllr Holland reported that 19 objections have been received from residents in Stodmarsh with concerns over the proposed replacement dwelling. The Parish Council has sent a letter to the Case Officer in objection to the proposals on the grounds of its impact on the adjacent Grade II listed building.

CA/18/0686/LB – The Rose Inn, The Green Please see discussions under Adjournment above.

CA//18/00550/FC – Newborn Farm, Grove Road Canterbury City Council has granted the application for prior notification for agricultural office building.

8. REMEMBERANCE BEACON 2018 Cllr Bradford reported no further plans have been made for the event and requested assistance from other Councillors to push the project forward. Cllr Wright reported that she made contact with a bagpipe player, who is affiliated with the RAF, who may be interested in attending the event for the national 6am playing of “Battles O’er’. The bagpipe player informed he does not normally charge for his services in relation to remembrance but advised that he may make a small charge of £150.00. Cllr Bradford reported that normally bagpipe players charge between £200.00 and £250.00 so proposed the bagpipe player be approached to see if he would still be available. The Parish Council unanimously agreed with this suggestion and Cllr Wright agreed to contact the bagpipe player.

Cllr Treacher questioned whether holding a commemorative event for the end of WWI at a WWII pill box would be appropriate. Cllr Bradford reported that in the absence of a WWI memorial, the pill box would be the most logical location outside of the churchyard itself. The Parish Council agreed to hold the event at the pill box.

9. APPOINTMENT OF DATA PROTECTION OFFICER The Data Protection Act has been updated to give individuals more control over their personal data and all organisations, including Parish Councils, have until 25 May 2018 to become fully compliant. This includes carring out an audit on all information held, decide what needs to be kept and what can be destroyed, and undertake a risk assessment of all data proposed to be kept.

As part of the new regulations, a Data Protection Officer (DPO) needs to be appointed. NALC (National Association of Local Councils) have taken the view that Clerks cannot be designated as a Council’s Data Protection Officer as they may have conflicts of interest through their responsibilities and may lack the expert knowledge of data protection law to effectively provide advice.

Cllr Treacher reported that he attended a conference session at Canterbury City Council on 14 March 2018 where it was determined to be in breach of the regulations for Clerks to become DPO for neighbouring parishes.

The Clerk obtained two quotations for consideration as follows: • Company A - £150.00 (annually) • Company B - £360.00 (annually)

The Parish Council unanimously agreed to appoint Company A, Satswana, as Data Protection Officer.

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10. CONTRACTOR FOR MOWING STODMARSH Cllr Bradford put forward a proposal at the last meeting on 14 March 2018 under Any Other Business that he could undertake the grass cutting in Stodmarsh, following volunteers Mr and Mrs Birt ceasing from this year, for the cost of £20.00 per hour. Cllr Holland reported that she has tried to obtain competitive quotations for the grass cutting in Stodmarsh but no other contractors are interested due to its small size.

Cllr Rees felt that having a local contractor would be useful as the grass will only be cut when required rather than having to be scheduled in advance. Cllr Wright reported that at a recent KALC planning training course, it was advised that all contractors have Professional Indemnity Insurance in place before being appointed. Cllr Bradford confirmed that he has Professional Indemnity Insurance and agreed to provide a copy of this should he be appointed. The Parish Council unanimously agreed to appoint Cllr Bradford to undertake the grass cutting in Stodmarsh.

11. CLLRS’ REPORTS Tree Representative Cllr Wright reported that the following applications have been received: • TRE/18/00159 – Forge House, The Street – Fell a decaying laburnum located by the garage. • TRE/18/00158 – Cornerways, Stodmarsh Road – Removal of dying Alders located to the rear of the property. • TRE/18/00163 – Flagstone, The Street – Fell 2no Leilandii and trim 4n Leilandii at the rear of the property. • TRE/18/00166 – Flagstone, The Street – Fell 4no Leilandii at the rear of the property. • TRE/18/00169 – The Red Lion, Stodmarsh – Fell Ash tree in pub garden

Cllr Holland reported that she inspected the ash tree in the garden of the Red Lion and it appears to be suffering from ash dieback. Cllr Wright reported that Aiden Potts at Canterbury City Council has inspected the tree but doesn’t believe the tree is suffering from ash dieback, however the base of the tree is being killed at he recommended the application for approval.

The Parish Council has no objections to the felling and maintenance works listed above.

Cllr Wright reported that the Conservation Society may be interested in replacing the tree on the small green in the autumn as they are celebrating their 50th anniversary. If not, Cllr Wright reported that she would be arranging a replacement for the autumn when it is advised to plant new trees. A member of the public asked if it could be moved to another location in the village but Cllr Wright advised that, due to the previous tree having a TPO, the replacement tree needs to be in the immediate vicinity to the previous tree as it was deemed to contribute to the character of that particular area. Cllr Wright agreed to look into whether siting the replacement tree onto the larger green opposite would be acceptable under the TPO regulations following a suggestion from a member of the public.

Cllr Wright also reported that it would be prudent to get the trees in the village surveyed again in this financial year, especially considering a number of court cases surrounding accidents around trees in the public eye at the moment. Advice is to get trees within “high risk areas” surveyed but the majority of the trees owned by the Parish Council could be considered to be within high risk areas. The Parish Council unanimously agreed and £500.00 was allocated to undertake the survey (please see finance section).

Cllr Twyman reported that the owner of the cricket bat willow trees on Wickham Court Lane contacted him to report that maintenance work will be carried out in the next month.

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Law and Order Cllr Lodge reported that are trialling an online reporting scheme for low level crimes, such as road traffic accidents where no injuries occurred and fraud, to respond to requests to reduce waiting times for people calling the 101 non-emergency number. To report a low level crime, please visit Kent Police’s website www.kent.police.uk.

Cllr Lodge also reported that Neighbour Watch have launched a new smart water system for marking property. The tool costs £20.00 and marks up to 50 items of property. More information will be supplied at the Annual Parish Meeting on Tuesday 24 April 2018.Cllr Lodge also reported that she has invited the PCSOs to the Annual Parish Meeting.

KALC Cllr Treacher reported that KALC are holding their meeting tonight and he has sent his apologies. When the minutes are available from the meeting, he agreed to circulate to all Councillors for their information.

Village Hall Committee Cllr Lodge reported that the date for the AGM has been changed to Tuesday 01 May 2018.

Cllr Lodge also reported that there have been some recent resignations following questions surrounding the running of the Committee and the School rental agreement review. These matters will be discussed at the AGM and are in the process of being resolved.

Playing Field Committee Cllr Rees reported that the new signs have been installed by herself and Mr Rees to both pedestrian gates to the Playing Field with anti theft bolts.

Cllr Rees also reported that an email was received from residents nearby to the Playing Field asking what will happen if the new signs are ignored and who will effectively enforce the requests. This will be discussed at the next Playing Field Meeting.

An application to use the Playing Field was received from the School on 13 April 2018 for the school annual sports day, followed by a rounders match and fund raising BBQ on 25th May 2018. A Public Address system will be in use from 1pm until 3pm.The application has been approved and the school notified today (17 April 2018).

The Frank Montgomery Playing Field Meeting will be on Tuesday 22nd May 2018 at 19.30 hours in the Village Hall.

The Playing Field Bank balance is £2354.12.

Village Greens Cllr Bradford reported that he has instructed Matt MacKay to replace the agreed posts on the village green and is awaiting a confirmed date for installation.

Cllr Lodge enquired whether there are any forms or guidelines for residents wishing to hold events on the village green, similar to those in place for the Playing Field. Cllr Treacher confirmed that there was not but that there were very few events requested for the village green. It was agreed to judge each event on a case by case basis due to the small nature of the events requested.

Cllr Wright reported that the footpath sign opposite The Rose Inn will be replaced in timber, similar to the existing signpost, but this will not be replaced before the summer due to the replacement signposts going out to tender. The signpost along the footpath along the river bank will also be replaced in the summer. ~ 6 ~

Flood Protection Cllr Twyman reported that water levels have risen since the last meeting and the Bewl Water reservoir is now full. Cllr Twyman also reported that he spoke with MP Rosie Duffield at the National Farmers Union Meeting to make her aware of flooding issues in the constituency.

12. FINANCE The expenditure totalling £865.90 was authorised, made up of: • Open Spaces Society – Annual Subscription - £40.00 • Cllr Martin Twyman – Reimbursement for electricity cabinet - £410.99 • Chenice Sparkes – Clerk salary April 2018 - £220.36 • HMRC – Employee and PAYE April 2018 - £50.40 • Hayward Design & Print – Printing of APM invitations - £44.15 • Cllr Holland – Reimbursement for thank you vouchers to Mr and Mrs Birt - £100.00

The Finance Sub-Committee met on 03 April 2018 to discuss the current financial position of the Parish Council and ways in which additional funds could be spent to benefit the village. The full list of recommendations was circulated to all Councillors prior to the meeting.

Cllr Treacher reported that since the Finance Sub-Committee meeting, a possible opportunity for obtaining some land for the betterment of the village has arisen. Cllr Treacher requested permission for himself, Cllr Twyman and Cllr Rees to enter into negotiations with the land owner, with the provision that no decisions would be made on the purchase without the full Parish Council voting on any potential offer. The Parish Council unanimously agreed to delegate negotiations to Cllr Treacher, Cllr Twyman and Cllr Rees.

With the new potential land purchase to consider, the following items were put forward for possible funding: 1) As the likelihood of being able to realign the kerb on the corner of Spicers Place is slim, mainly due to cost implications, it was proposed that the Parish Council purchase timber white posts with black chains to match the ones on the village greens. The temporary plastic bollards erected by UK Power Networks have not been knocked down for several weeks suggesting that vehicles are able to negotiate the corner without having to mount the kerb. The Clerk was asked to seek permission from Kent Highways. 2) It was proposed to set aside £500.00 to undertake a tree survey in the parish. 3) It was noted that to connect up the new electricity supply on the village green, an additional cost of between £200.00-£500.00 will be required (within the £1000.00 previously allocated sum for the project). 4) It was proposed to refurbish the old footpath map and noticeboard near Bell Cottage. Cllr Wright reported that Christine Le Jeune is liaising with Angela Hamilton to get an accurate OS Map and confirmed that Littlebourne Woodcraft installed the original noticeboard. The sum of £300.00 is proposed to be set aside for the project. 5) Russ Jordan, Chairman of the Village Hall Committee, provided an update on the expenditure allocated to the Village Hall Committee on 21 November 2018. The items are in hand, with some coming in over budget and others under budget so the overall costs should balance out. A request was put in for a Hive heating system at the revised cost of £400.00 compared to the previous £600.00 estimate. 6) Cllr Rees reported that the cost of removing the concrete base on the Playing Field has come in under budget so it was proposed to resurface the footpath and entranceway to the Playing Field. Cllr Wright reported that she has arranged for photos to be sent to Kent County Council of the raised drain on the footpath as this is their responsibility.

The Parish Council unanimously agreed the above proposals.

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The Parish Council agreed to appoint Lionel Robbins as Internal Auditor for 2017-2018.

13. CLERK REPORT AND CORRESPONDENCE None not covered on agenda.

14. ANY OTHER BUSINESS (i) Cllr Twyman reported that the flytipping on Drill Lane has been reported. (ii) Cllr Twyman reported that the Four Villages and Post Office group have their AGM scheduled for 30 April 2018 at 7.30pm in Littlebourne Village Hall.

CONFIDENTIAL ITEM Cllr Wright requested a confidential item be discussed at the end of the meeting with regards to a possible donation to Liz Jones, a long serving volunteer of the parish, who has recently declined to continue mowing the village green but still plays an active role in the community. It was agreed to provide a donation of £100.00, in line with a similar donation to Mr and Mrs Birt.

The meeting closed at 9.00pm

Signed………………………...... (Chairman)

Date…………………………......

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