Preston Bissett Parish Council Meeting

Parish Councillors are summoned to attend the Parish Council Meeting to be held on Thursday 4th April 2019 in The Old School Preston Bissett, the meeting will commence at 7.45pm. Members of the Public are welcome to attend

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AGENDA

Apr419/001 Apologies

Apr419/002 Declaration of Interests

Apr419/003 Approval of Minutes from 14th March 2019 Meeting

Apr419/004 Payments and Finances for Approval by the Parish Council

Apr419/004-1 Clerks Salary £108.00 Payable to Mrs H Nethercleft (March) (18 hours worked)

Apr419/004-2 HP Printer Cartridge refill £5.49 Payable to Mrs H Nethercleft

Apr419/004-3 Tree Surgery – Survey and works in Recreation Ground £570 Payable to Tree Solutions

Apr419/004-4 Streetlighting Maintenance – Quarter ending 31/3/19 £78.30 Payable to E.On

Apr419/004-5 BMKALC Annual Membership fee (Inc. NALC membership) £45.06 Payable to Bucks & Milton Keynes Association of Local Councils

Apr419/004-6 Microsoft 365 Annual Subscription – Paid by Clerk £59.99 Payable to Mrs H Nethercleft

Apr419/004-7 Printer Paper – 500pgs £6.99 Payable to Mrs H Nethercleft

Apr419/004-8 Telephone Calls Oct 2018-April 2019 £20.04 Payable to Mrs H Nethercleft

Apr419/004-9 Salvation Army Clothing Bin Payment received £2.28

Apr419/005 Planning Applications received prior to the meeting

Apr419/006 Yearly Planner Action

Apr419/006-1 Clerk booked Melanie Rose (Clerk to PC) to audit our accounts, Standing orders, policies and risk assessments, Thursday 25th April, 7pm.

Apr419/006-2 Register of interests to be completed annually by Councillors. Clerk distributed forms for Councillors to complete. Once all received, Clerk will submit to ADVC. Clerk still to receive from Matt Killick and Nic Wheble.

Apr419/006-3 Quarterly Finance update from RFO

Apr419/006-4 Annual VAT return to be submitted – Clerk submitted claim for period March 2018 to March 2019 for £885.66

Apr419/006-5 GDPR, Publications policy and Freedom of Information policy annual review

Apr419/006-6 Office 365 renewal £59.99 per year – Clerk renewed.

Apr419/006-7 Accounts submitted to PKF Littlejohn once audited, with exemption noted.

Apr419/006-8 Insurance review required . Apr419/007 Correspondence

Apr419/007-1 PBPC received a msg via the website from Sally Gulliver, noting a lot of rubbish around the village and asking whether a working party will be set up to collect it. Council to consider adding rubbish collection around the village to the renovation checklist and working party schedule?

Apr419/007-2 Information added to the Noticeboard: • Stowe NT – Support Head Gardener Barry’s Hike, with free entry to the Park and Visitor Centre 23rd March 2019. • Mission Mud for the British Legion • Notice of Review of Polling Stations – PC to respond separately.

Apr419/007-3 Jackie Woods, Village Liaison has been approached with a complaint about Dog Walker picking up their dogs droppings, but leaving the bags hanging on trees of in hedgerows. Clerk noted that we have added a page on the website re: walking including a map of the public rights of way, and we've attached a link to the Country Code, which also states that you should pick up your dogs droppings. This information has recently been sent out to all. It is a concern that Villagers are not picking up their dogs droppings/picking it up, but leaving bags hanging around. Jackie would like to ask the PC’s advice on how best to tackle this issue.

Apr419/007-4 Jackie Woods, Village Liaison noted that charity bags of clothes were being left out by Villagers for collection, and requested that a reminder of our Village Clothing Bin was re- circulated. This was done 26/3/19.

Apr419/007-5 Mark Payne has kindly chased Gigaclear to get an update on the status of the Village Broadband connection. It would appear that the connection date has once again been put back, this time until end of Q2. Notice has been added to the website.

Apr419/007-6 Church Wardens have informed the PC that the School Hire Fee will increase to £10/hour after our block booking has ended (January 2020).

Apr419/008 Meetings and Training

Apr419/008-1 Local Area Forum - Thursday 13th June 2019 6.30 pm. Proposed venue: Village Hall, Main St, Tingewick, Buckingham MK18 4NN – Nic Wheble unable to attend. Councillor to take his place?

Apr419/008-2 AVDC is introducing a new planning portal and we were invited to a demonstration on 25th March 2019. Neither the Clerk or Planning officer (Graham Gulliver) were able to attend.

Apr419/009 Action List See list attached for updates

Apr419/010 Items for the next Agenda

Apr419/011 Date of next meeting - May 2nd 7pm Cheryl Snudden from HS2, then 7.30pm Village annual Meeting, 8.15pm PBPC meeting

Note changes to future meeting dates below: 6th June 7.45pm 11th July 7.45pm

Apr419/012 Close of Meeting

Apr419/013 Open Forum

Meeting end:

Hollie Nethercleft, Clerk:[email protected]

Preston Bissett Parish Council website www.prestonbissett.co.uk Email: [email protected]

Action List

Reference Issue and Background Action required Person Actioning

Dec618/007 - Review of Street lighting monthly cost, To Investigate possibility of simply NW 1 quarterly maintenance fee, and option to replacing current bulbs with LED bulbs, transfer to solar power. Streetlighting is one which would be the cheapest option, to see of our largest costs. The Chairman asked if this is viable, and to see if there is a local Nic Wheble and Clerk to investigate Electrician who is interested in the ownership of current ‘lampposts’, any maintenance contract of the street lights. limitations we have regarding options to Nic to report back. Clerk has contacted switch providers, obtain quotes from other E.On for light fitting information for Nic, providers and look into all options available who has made enquiries regarding LED for the Village, and report findings. (See options appendix of 6/12/18 Minutes for full details of Clerk’s findings). Clerks findings discussed, Pat Webb has started investigations into PW and decision made to investigate options via the options available and types of Grants, EDF Energy and report back and has put together her findings to report. Dec618/007- Offer of woodcarving for the Village. Close once bench arrived – chased for Clerk 2 Woodcarver has said that they will update 22/1/19. Due February. Close; endeavour to get the bench delivered before Bench not arrived. Christmas.

Dec618/007- Finances & Banking – PBPC has three bank New mandate needs to be completed, GE 3 accounts bank has NOT change any of the details • Statements to be sent to Clerks or Nic’s as requested in January. GE to complete address and submit new mandate, and re-submit • Account 3 – does it still have money in it, again, clerk posted 19/3/19. can this be transferred to account number 2, and then closed? Clerk to re-apply for internet access once Clerk • Account 1 & 2 then need internet banking new mandate processes (10 days after (not for payment set up, but to be able to submitting). do account to account transfers so that one account can be for our Precept and Once Clerk has access online, she will re- Clerk regular payments, and the other for any assess what needs to be done, such as income we receive (clothing bin, etc), for change of address, savings account savings) so that we can accurately view balances. Can we also check how far balances, old account closures, etc. internet banking takes us, ideally we need 7 years. We can also then cancel paper statements, which will save on storage and make us more eco-friendly! • Account 1 we need to change the cheque book signatories from Graham G to Nic W and new cheque book ordered. • Account 2 – can this be a savings account i.e. can we earn some interest on this? Dec618/007- Buckingham Landscapes had quoted for Matt contacted Buckingham Landscapes, Clerk 15 monthly cuts of the grass surrounding the who claim to have untaken work at the Rec play areas, and bin emptying, but to our ground three times this year. Matt has knowledge no work has been done and no requested and invoice and terminated the invoices have been received (Estimated cost contract. Clerk awaiting invoice was £640 +Vat)

Dec618/007- New Homes Bonus Grant – Grant submitted keep monitoring log and submit final Clerk 9 13/11/18 photos and invoices to NHB scheme. Actioned Grant of £1000 received, Clerk to collect from Greenbarnes Ltd, arrange installation, Matt suggested try to sell the old MK noticeboard. Clerk photographed and Matt advertised. Clerk gave dimensions to Matt. Sold for £35.00. Closed. Dec618/007- Village Website Graham Gulliver requested that Church GG 4 Warden details be listed on the website. Clerk asked that these details be sent to her to be added. Mar1419/007-1 A letter of Complaint has been received Clerk to send response as per PC’s Clerk/GE regarding the works carried out by the Tree instructions. Letter sent. Further Surgeons to the Recreation Ground on 27th response received. GE met with Mr. February 2019. D’Silva and agreed a process going forward. (See Appendix 1). Closed. Mar1419/007-2 Recreation Ground Works GE has updated the renovation list and MK & Clerk asked that Clerk arranges dates in April and to request help from the Village in clearing and tidying the rec. ground and playground before the new contractors

start work in maintaining it over the

summer. – Clerk to arrange once Matt has inspected the site and reported whether any work is required.

New works rota for Maintenance; Clerk to Clerk put out a ‘call for help’, detailing the work required is mowing of the strip of grass between the Tennis Courts and the play area, the grass behind the tennis courts, the goal post areas and underneath the zip

wire. Matt, Nic and Graham Ellis kindly

agreed to add their names to the rota. Graham Ellis stated that the PC have a Lawn Mower, currently stored at Graham Gullivers, which can be used by all member on the rota, petrol to be supplied by the PC and stored with the Lawn Mower. All volunteers to be made aware of the fact that they are volunteering and PC is unable to offer any work related

insurance. Clerk msg’d Village 2/4/19.

Obtain quotes for signage. Also add MK signage regarding overnight parking, and gate closure at Councils discretion.

Bin lids to be removed – Mick Webb has kindly offered to do this. Mar1419/007-6 S106 funding - ADVC currently holds Richard Gulliver will remove a section of GE £841.83 from the Pound Lane Farm fence in the play area, and replace it with a development, which has a spend date of gate and to fix the new table tennis table in 01/04/2026. place once it arrives.

The original plan for this money was for an outdoor table tennis table and a new gate. The Chairman has made enquiries regarding updated quotes for the Table tennis table, and gained approval to purchase this, plus 72 table tennis balls and 6 Tacteo bats at a cost of £652+VAT. The delivery will be made 19-21st March or 27/28th March via Graham Ellis.

Mar1419/0013- Clerk was informed that a centre section of TfB has informed the Clerk that a large Clerk 1 Bushey Lane road appears to have been area will need to be patched / torn up. Clerk called emergency TfB hotline reconstructed and will involve a temporary to report it and to question when the re- road closure. Clerk will be notified of road scheduled road re-surfacing would be closure date(s). carried out.

Appendix 1

Future Tree Survey and Works at Preston Bissett Recreation Area

I met with Kevin D’Silva on 27th March 2019 to understand his concerns about the tree works the Parish Council had commissioned and had carried out in late February 2019 at the boundary between his land and the Council’s Recreation Area. These works were required in order for the Council to fulfil its obligations under Health and Safety Legislation. Whilst Kevin understood the need to meet this legislation and would not unreasonably withhold permission necessary to carry out the works, he pointed out several approval/permission processes that were not followed and for which I apologised and which I agreed needed to be put in place when next the Council wishes to carry out similar works. These are: • Recognising that Kevin’s property is within a conservation area, then any works that need to be carried out within his property or to his property must have the appropriate permission from the planning authority (currently AVDC). This needs to allow 6 weeks before works commence. • Must obtain Kevin’s permission well in advance to come on to his land to carry out works including climbing his trees and to erect any structures to carry out works. Such permission will not be unreasonably withheld.

As good neighbours should do, Clerk to the Council or Councillor will inform Kevin ahead of submitting to the planning authority the intended works on his property. If there are to be similar works carried out on the Council’s property which bounds his property then Kevin will be advised in a like manner. Kevin now understands that the Council’s property lies outside the conservation area and planning authority permissions are not normally required.

Graham Ellis Chairman 28th March 2019