Shipley Parish Council Chairman: Mr Jamie Coad, Vine Cottage, Thakeham Road, Coolham, West Sussex, RH13 8QD. Tel: 07808 918847 Email: [email protected] Clerk: Mrs Fiona McNeile, 17 Barrow Close, Billingshurst, West Sussex, RH14 9SW Tel: 07481 803124 Email: [email protected] The Minutes Of The Ordinary Council Meeting of Shipley Parish Council Held On Thursday 21st January 2016 at The Andrew Hall, Shipley at 7:30pm Cllr Coad stated that item 018/16 would be closed to the press and public due to confidential staff matters. 001/16 Attendance and Apologies For Absence Those Present: P Baxter, W Beckett, J Coad (Chair), J Emrich, N King-Tours and L Lovett. Also Present: Cllr A Jupp, Cllr N Jupp, Kate Rowbottom, 1 member of the Public and Parish Clerk F McNeile. Apologies: Cllr G De Zoete (Family Commitment, Cllr G Lindsay (Away), Cllr P Sinton (PCC Meeting), Cllr T Hayes (Illness) 002/16 To Receive Declarations of Interest, Notification of Changes to Members’ Interests and consider any requests for a dispensation. None received. 003/16 Approval Of The Minutes of the Ordinary Council Meeting held on Monday 7th December 2015 The minutes having previously been circulated were taken as read. Cllr Coad proposed that the minutes be accepted and signed as a correct record, this was unanimously AGREED. 004/16 Matters Arising from Item 003/16 (For information only) 189/15 The Clerk attended a Local Clerks Meeting on Tuesday 19th January. At this meeting Manny Singh from HDC reported that in the next three weeks a charter from HDC under ‘Q Code13’ would be released to Parish Councils. The Charter will set out how HDC propose to introduce the paperless planning system. HDC are hoping to have paperless planning in place by April. Parish Clerks were told that there is no funding available for a projector/laptop to ease the burden of the new system on Parish Councils. The Clerk informed Council that the two new benches had been placed in the upper play area at Coolham Playing Fields for the time being. The new goal posts have not been installed due to poor weather. This will take place over the next month weather permitting. 195/15 The Clerk confirmed that the Parish Council’s application for CIF funding of £4,000 for the Pavilion Restoration had been approved by the North Horsham Committee. The Clerk thanked Cllr A Jupp for supporting the application and Debbie Cannons for speaking about the fund raising that had taken place at the meeting. The Clerk reported that Cllr Lindsay had also donated a further £200 to the FOSP account for the pavilion and so the £7,000 target has been achieved. No further news has been received from the Tesco Groundworks Open Spaces Grant. The Clerk has been in communication with the Broadbridge Heath Store Manager and will contact him directly regarding funding in September if further funding is required should any other parish projects arise. The Clerk attended the AGM of Coolham Village Hall Management Committee and has forwarded the notes to Council members. Whilst three members stepped down from their roles in the committee, five new members joined and the new contacts for the Parish Council are Tania Barnes as Chair, Iain Gibbs as Treasurer and Bridgett Huggett as Secretary. Ann Roberts remains as Booking Secretary. The Parish Council were thanked by the committee for the new gate installation and for removing the brambles in the carpark area. The Clerk did enquire whether the management committee meetings could be held on a Monday to accommodate Cllr Coad’s work hours but the meetings have been set on a Thursday evening due to committee members own commitments. The Clerk confirmed that an email of support was issued to Itchingfield PC regarding the parking problems discussed. 199/15 The Clerk has written to the three suppliers who submitted tenders for the annual grounds maintenance work. Grasstex were delighted to be appointed the supplier for 2016 and the Clerk will be in contact with them in the next 6 weeks regarding first cuts in the Parish. 200/15 The Clerk confirmed that the precept request had been submitted to the Corporate Accountant at HDC. 201/15 The Clerk issued a list of Council meeting dates for 2016 as agreed at the last meeting. One change was made for the April meeting due to The Andrew Hall availability. 005/16 Report from the Police Following the meeting on 29th October 2015, the Clerk contacted Highways regarding speeding through Coolham crossroads. Highways emailed a response on 4th January stating that as this was a matter of enforcement they could not help any further and that the Council had been correct to take it up with the PCSO and suggested that a Village Speed Watch might be organised. This response was forwarded to PCSO Julie Green who confirmed today that she will investigate further. 7:48pm Cllr Emrich entered the room. Cllr Coad stated that the last time the Council had the CID, figures were submitted and an investigation took place and more accurate figures were recorded. These results were not progressed further. Cllr Coad suggested that the Council write to the Police Commissioner and West Sussex County Council Chairman with concerns surrounding the speeding problems. Cllr A Jupp said that she would email Chris Stark and see if any further information could be ascertained. Cllr Rowbottom will ask her contact, Richard Davies if there are any processes to help the Council with this issue. A member of the public offered a battery operated speed monitoring device (which monitors up to 100mph) to assist with a parish speed watch. The Clerk to write letters to the Police, WSCC Chairman and email other clerks for advice. The Clerk noted on the last police report that there had been a catalytic convertor stolen from a Mitsubishi Shogun parked in Brooks Green Road sometime between Monday 4 January and Monday 11 January. Cllr N Jupp added that a burglary had taken place last weekend at a property in Countryman Lane with over £30,000 of jewellery having been stolen. 006/16 Report from the County Councillor Cllr A Jupp referred to December minutes item 191/15 regarding Shipley School and Keep Clear markings. Cllr A Jupp has been in contact with the officer responsible for the work and she has said that she will contact the school and work to the school preferences. Cllr A Jupp updated Council on S106 funds being held by WSCC. A policy and procedures have been drafted regarding S106 monies which is to be considered by the Cabinet Minister for Finance. This will be drawn into a report to be considered by a committee on 10th February. Papers will be published and the Cabinet member will release information in March. The Andrew Hall committee will be meeting in the next few weeks and will update the Parish Council regarding its request for a projector screen and internet provision as soon as this meeting has taken place. The presentation to Bob Phillips will take place on 27th January 2016 at County Hall and no Parish Council representation is required. Cllr A Jupp has passed the query of the defibrillator installation at The Andrew Hall to a colleague and is waiting to hear back. Cllr A Jupp reported that WSCC will be increasing rates by 2%. This is specifically to deal with Adult Care in the community as the County has one of the highest populations of older people in the country. Budgets have not been cut and it is likely that the general rates will increase by 1.75%. 007/16 Report from the District Councillors Cllr Rowbottom reported that HDC will be increasing Council Tax rates by 1.2% and the Police will be increasing their rates by 3.4%. Rises are required as the provisions given by Central government have reduced all round. Cllr A Jupp commented that all authorities will need to be self-sufficient. Cllr Rowbottom commented that in 4 years’ time, there will be no Central Government funding and district authorities will have to raise all monies themselves. Cllr N Jupp has sent a note to the Clerk but wanted to congratulate the Parish Council on the Neighbourhood Planning Recruitment event. 008/16 Report from Representatives on Outside Organisations None. 009/16 Public Session (Members of the Public may speak for up to 3 minutes at the discretion of the Chairman). A member of the public reported that there is a gentleman whose given address is 25 Church Close, Shipley who receives rent allowance payment from HDC but does not live at the address. Affinity Sutton are aware that he is not living at the address and that the ground floor flat has been empty for two years. Affinity Sutton are not worried about the empty property as the rent has been paid. Cllr Rowbottom will report the one bedroom ground floor flat to Andrew Smith, HDC Housing Manager. Cllr A Jupp reported that Affinity Sutton would not be responsible for Church Close in the near future. It was reported that the overgrown shrubs in Church Close have not been cut back. The Clerk to investigate. Parishioners are querying the long term plan for the maintenance of Shipley Windmill from a Parish Council/District Council perspective. Cllr Rowbottom confirmed that work is being carried out regarding the Windmill but it would help if a letter from the Parish Council was put forward to Dr Chris Lyons requesting an update. Three parishioners are interested in donating commemorative bench seating to Coolham playing fields to remember loved ones.