Cranmore Parish Council

CRANMORE PARISH COUNCIL Parish Clerk – Vickie Watts [email protected] | 07971 516916 | Gallant Hill Farm, Foxcote, Radstock, BA3 5YB

MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PARISH HELD IN THE MEMORIAL HALL, CRANMORE, ON 10TH April 2017 AT 7.00PM Present Grant Bolton (GB, Chair),

In Attendance Vickie Watts (VW; Clerk) and 5 members of the public.

Presentation by John Lapwood. Village Agent for Cranmore John Lapwood attended the meeting and introduced himself as the Village Agent for Cranmore and 16 other Parishes. John explained that he works part time for the Community Council for Somerset, funded by the Nations Lottery. Funding is secured until March 2018. The main objective of the Village Agents is to improve the standard of living for individuals living in Somerset. The role is one of sign posting facilities and services and is offered free of charge. Village agents will help anyone and have helped with a variety of different queries since the start of the scheme. John said that news of the service has been spread by word of mouth, using parish magazines and attending coffee mornings and other village events. He was therefore keen to hear of any dates as and when they arise

Cllr Crowcombe suggested that the Friendship Circle would be a good place to start and also to contact Helen Burge who runs the Grapevine to place and advert to raise the profile within the Parish.

1 Apologies for Absence Apologies were received from Jacqui Gallo, Gwenda Brock, Di Reader, Cobi Snelson and PCSO Nicola Housley

2 Agreement of the minutes held on 11th April 2016 and matters arising The minutes had been distributed and it was agreed that they were an accurate record of the meeting so were then duly signed by the Chair. There were no matters arising.

3 Meeting open to the public It was reported that the padlock donated by Cllr Mitchell had been removed and replaced with a different padlock which the members of the Tennis were not able to access. Cllr Price AP to action.

4 Parish Council report The Chair Grant Bolton reported that the Parish Council has been settled over the last year. My thanks foe to Ann Crowcombe, Davide Van Dyk, Jacqui Gallo, Karen Mitchell, Alan Price and the Clerk Vickie Watts who continue to give up their time and efforts to ensure that Cranmore PC is running in a smooth fashion. So much so we are looking for permission to entertain another Councillor in order to smooth over any future comings and goings on the Council.

A special mention to Brian and Vera Pike who do such a great job looking after the Memorial Hall.

My thanks also go to all the groups and organizations that give their time willingly and continue to make Cranmore a vibrant and active village.

This year seen our second litter pick which has perked up the area. Thanks, must go to David Van Dyk and the Fayre committee for their sterling work on getting the Summer Fayre back on track, which this year was based back in its rightful home at Jill’s Close.

Jill’s Close has been the center of some activity this year seeing new play equipment, gym equipment and benches for the more lethargic. It will continue to be the focus of our attention in the near future as we continue to push for improvements to the entrance and 7 CRANMORE PARISH COUNCIL Parish Clerk – Vickie Watts [email protected] | 07971 516916 | Gallant Hill Farm, Foxcote, Radstock, BA3 5YB

look at a possible expansion of the field.

The Sports field must of course get a mention as we look for opportunities for funding improvements which should rightly be amongst our main concerns.

Sadly, this year we have seen the passing of a pillar of our community and generous soul David Dixon. His efforts and constant optimism will be sadly missed. Last month Helen Burge joined us at our meeting to introduce herself as the latest guardian of the Grapevine and whilst she looks at the task as a tribute to David, we look forward to seeing its progress and development which I am sure will all help Helen to see happen.

The defibrillator continues to be an asset to the village. The next training session will take place on 29th April 2017 starting 9.30am for 10am.

The relocation of the red phone box to its new home outside the Memorial Hall will be undertaken this summer.

Finally, a thank you to David Crowcombe for championing the speed watch group. He has attended several meetings, which I have of late been unable to do and we are pleased to say that we are joining forces with Doulting. Combined with new signs and the introduction of a village speed indicator device (SID) I hope that this will show that Cranmore PC is committed to the safety of its residents and their enjoyment of the village.

5 Reports from: 5.1 Jill’s Close committee A report was provided which was duly read out. It said: “ Jill’s Close Committee (JCC) has 4 committee members - Diana Reader (Chair), Jenny Short (Secretary), Teraza Connock and Mark Knight. Ann Crowcombe joins our Committee as the Parish Council Representative. Our meetings are held quarterly in the Strode Arms. JCC is responsible for the safe operation and enhancement of the village playing field, Jill’s Close. We produce a monthly inspection report to check the equipment and send this directly to the Parish Council. Our inspection involves picking up litter, emptying the bins and of course, carefully inspecting the play equipment to ensure it is safe to use.

We are delighted that the old wooden fort has been replaced with a new and enhanced wooden play structure. This includes a covered den, a climbing wall, a fireman's pole, a rope wall, a picnic table and a blackboard. In addition, adult exercise equipment and a recycled bench has been installed. Our thanks, go to Ann Crowcombe and Vickie Watts who were instrumental in securing funding from the Legacy Fund and Clarks. Thanks also to Jill's Close Committee and the Parish Council for financially supporting this project.

We ran our Silent Auction at the village fayre raising £429. The fly past by the microlight was appreciated by visitors to the fayre and this experience was auctioned.

Our key focus this year is to repair the benches in the playing field. They are structurally sound but need some cosmetic work. Jill's Close is an important green space in our village and we want to ensure it is kept in the very best condition to be enjoyed by all residents. We are particularly pleased to see the new equipment in place and to see both children and adults making good use of the enhanced facilities.”

5.2 Memorial Hall committee John Reakes attended the meeting and reported as follows: “ The Memorial Hall has once again had a good number of bookings with the pre-school continuing as the best hirer still using the building on 3 afternoons each week as well as 5 mornings a week during the term time.

We have a good working relationship with the pre-school and any problems that arise are quickly settled. 8 CRANMORE PARISH COUNCIL Parish Clerk – Vickie Watts [email protected] | 07971 516916 | Gallant Hill Farm, Foxcote, Radstock, BA3 5YB

WI & Tai Chi are using the building on a regular basis.

Hirers generally leave the Hall tidy and remove any rubbish they generate with very few exceptions.

The hall over the Christmas holiday saw some decorating repairs with the toilets and kitchen receiving complete redecoration – thank you to the Committee for giving up their spare time over the holiday.

After the death of Pam Mitchell who acted as our valued treasurer for many years we have appointed a new treasurer Vickie Watts of Cranmore who kindly agreed to fill the post.

The hall will 100 years old in a few years time and the committee feel it’s time to replace the roof covering and any rotten or defective timbers found and update the insulation. We have had several leaks in recent months. This will cost a great deal of money. It has come to the attention of the committee that if we apply and receive the Hallmark certificate from the Community Council of Somerset it will then open up a series of grants available to us. In this way, we hope to achieve our goal.

As some of the committee members are reaching a more senior age and will not be able to serve on the committee forever, they feel that they would like to retire with the hall in good order for the younger inhabitants to take over the responsibilities of the running of the hall.

The committee appreciate very much the hard work that Brian and Vera put in taking the bookings, looking after the building and carrying out regular cleaning also not forgetting the treasurer and secretary.

A couple of extra committee members to add to our small number would be helpful to help spread the work load.

5.3 Community group David Van Dyk said that the committee has been focused on distributing grants, which will help to keep activities within the village moving. The money raised through the 2016 Summer Fayre has been distribute as the following grants, however it has been stipulated that they will be expected to volunteer at the 2017 Summer Fayre:

Friendship circle £200 Sports field and Tennis courts £100 St Bartholomew’s Church TBC Tai Chi £150 Jill’s Close £350 Cricket Club £300 Memorial Hall £650

David went on to thank the Committee for their continued support.

5.4 Summer Fayre David Van Dyk reported that the 2016 Summer Fayre was a huge success, supported by a good number of volunteers and was very well attended. The first meeting will take place on the 25th April 2017 at the Memorial hall starting at 6.30pm. David said that there is always a need for more volunteers to help put together the 2017 event which will follow the same sort of plan as last year. It is hoped that fewer meetings will be required this year as much of the hard work was done last year in sourcing suppliers, stall holders etc. The Fayre will take place on the 13th of August 2017.

9 CRANMORE PARISH COUNCIL Parish Clerk – Vickie Watts [email protected] | 07971 516916 | Gallant Hill Farm, Foxcote, Radstock, BA3 5YB

5.5 Friendship circle Apologies were received from Gwenda Brock who provided a report which was read out. It read: “ Although we consider ourselves to be a small village, a high number of our senior parishioners live alone and without a shop and post office as a common meeting place – many don’t see each other and can become lonely especially if disabled through age or illness. Our aim is to keep these people in touch in a social and happy environment and we are grateful to Cranmore Parish Council, the hall committee and the Community Group for their support.

We meet for coffee mornings or special birthday celebrations and the occasional Bingo which is always a fun afternoon. At these meetings, we have raffles or bring and buys which bring us in funds which we put towards our Christmas lunch. Last year 50 of us sat down to a marvelous lunch prepared by Suzette Thorner and her sister Lee; after which we were entertained by Trevor Hoddinott and the St Adlhelms Singers based at Doulting. We are hoping to repeat the event again this year.

Unfortunately, this last year we have lost members and they are greatly missed.

I am grateful for the friends who so willingly and cheerfully turn up and help at meetings. Very much appreciated.”

5.6 Cricket club No report received.

5.7 Tennis club Marie Pitman attended and reported that the Tennis Club currently has 24 members. The broken fence has recently been repaired but further work is needed to repaint the courts and repair the net. Maria thanked the Community Group for the grant which will help to fund this work.

Maria also raised concern about the number of people (in particular men) who are using the hedgerows to relieve themselves. She also highlighted that the Tennis club do not have any access to facilities at the sports field. Alan Price said that the toilet door should be left open all the time. Maria will investigate. It was agreed that David Van Dyk will speak with Darren Butt to try to restart discussions regarding the improvement of the facilities at the Sports DVD field.

5.8 Cranmore pre-school No report had been provided.

5.9 Dean Methodist Church Colin Brock did not attend but provided the following report which was read out: “It is with regret and sadness that we are closing Dean Chapel for Worship. Unfortunately, number attending services have decreased mainly due to age and health reasons, as well as the ever-increasing funds needed in property maintenance. In due course the building will be sold by and for the Mendip Circuit of Methodist Church.

5.10 St Bartholomew’s church No report had been received. David Van Dyk said that he was hoping to meet with Helen and Jonathan to see how the Church can be supported at this difficult financial time.

5.11 Neighbourhood watch Vickie Watts the Parish Clerk had spoken with Lindsay Stone who is the Watch Scheme administrator for Somerset. She explained that there was one scheme in Cranmore with the coordinator looking after 12 properties. She is unable to pass on contact details for the coordinator but has passed on our details so that they can contact the Parish Council if they wish to. 10 CRANMORE PARISH COUNCIL Parish Clerk – Vickie Watts [email protected] | 07971 516916 | Gallant Hill Farm, Foxcote, Radstock, BA3 5YB

Lindsay went on to say that there is no village scheme as such. Schemes are established from the grass roots upwards. Schemes comprise roughly of 10 – 20 houses per coordinator. Anyone interested in setting up a scheme should contact Lindsay so that she can send an information pack and hep get the scheme set up. A poster was provided for the notice boards and for submission in the Grapevine magazine.

5.12 Strawberry Line Women’s Institute No report had been received.

5.13 Police Community Support The monthly report had been received from Nikki Housley which highlighted: 15/03 – An old unexploded bomb was found in a delivery of rubble in Waterlip which was safely disposed of. 29/03 – Report of excess mud on road. 01/04 – Noise complaint of motorbikes in Merehead quarry.

5.14 District Councillor report District Cllr David Van Dyk reported that during the last year Mendip District Council has worked hard to start protecting what services we have. Central Government funding is disappearing so MDC have been working hard to find options to save money or increase income. The redistribution of services and outsourcing to Davinchi and Capita has saved a considerable amount of money and hence protected services.

The Phoenix Group has been set up by MDC and they are looking to borrow money at very low rates of interest to invest into certain projects as a way of boosting revenue.

In comparison to other councils, Mendip DC is looking positive and so should be in a strong position come 2020 when Central government funding will stop.

5.15 County Councillor report County Cllr Ham did not attend and no report had been received. David Van Dyk highlighted that on the 4th May 2017 the County Councillor Elections would be taking place. The deadline for registering to vote is this Thursday.

5.16 Grapevine It was suggested that the method of distributing the Grapevine should be reviewed with maybe an email list being compiled of residents that are happy to receive the report electronically. This would reduce the number of hard copies required, which would help to costs down.

6 Date & Time of next Annual Parish meeting Monday the 9th of April 2018.

The Next Parish Council meetings are: Monday the 8th May 2017 at 7pm for the Annual Parish Council meeting followed by the usual monthly Parish Council meeting

It is agreed that this is a true and accurate record of the meeting

Signed ______Dated: ______