TOLLESHUNT MAJOR PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting held on 5.11.2019 in St Nicholas Hall Tolleshunt Major

PRESENT: CHAIR – COUNCILLOR A PAYNE VICE CHAIR – COUNCILLOR T DEER COUNCILLORS M COSTER, W FROST, A TAYLOR AND N WOOD THE WARD MEMBER COUNCILLOR M THOMPSON The parish clerk Miss V Banyard One member of the public

Public session. No issues were raised.

4178.19 To receive apologies for absence and Declarations of Interest in the Meeting’s agenda items There were no apologies for absence. No Declarations of Interest were made.

4179.19 To consider and make any co-options to fill the current vacancy on the Parish Council. It was RESOLVED to co-opt Karen Neath onto the Council. Councillor Neath then signed a Declaration of Acceptance of Office as a member of Tolleshunt Major Parish Council. The Chairman welcomed Mrs Neath onto the Council.

4180.19 To approve the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 1.10.2019. It was RESOLVED to approve the above Minutes.

4181.19 To receive information on items included in the above Minutes. No issues were raised.

4182.19 Planning a) The following decisions by District Council were noted:

19/00623/HOUSE and Rockleys Farm Church First floor side extension and new pitched roof 19/00624/LBC Road Tolleshunt Major over existing flat roofed addition. Approved and Listed Building Consent granted. 19/00757/HOUSE and Wicks Manor Witham Refurbishment of outbuilding and link to main 19/00758/LBC Road Tolleshunt Major house. Approved and Listed Building Consent granted. b) Latest planning applications – the following application was considered:

19/01040/HOUSE 3 Highams Farm Cottages Single storey front extension. PP-08187359 Maldon Road Tolleshunt It was RESOLVED to make no comment on this Major application. c) To consider any responses received from Council concerning enforcement issues. No updates have been received. e) To consider any other planning issues. Mill Lodge Mill Lane. Condition 2 stated that the eastern side of the house should not be used as a drive but this may be in the process of being breached. It was RESOLVED to monitor this situation. 4183.19 Finance a) The financial report for November was received. b) It was RESOLVED to authorise the following expenditure:

1. £ 206.00 Miss V Banyard Clerk’s salary and allowance Nov 2. £ 47.00 HMRC Clerk’s tax Nov 3. £ 6.80 Miss V Banyard Expenses - internet; postage 5 x 2nd

Maldon District Council will again be asked to provide an itemised bill for all work on playing field maintenance. It will also be pointed out that the hay field has not been cut.

4184.19 Amenities a) To consider any issues concerning the grass cutting, hedges and trees, and work in the play area and car park. ROSPA inspection report: It was noted that all the items prioritised in the report has now been done. Some work needs to be done to tidy the car park area, and it was suggested that the surface of the car park could then be gravelled. A resident had asked when the cradle swings could be replaced. As it will be some time before a grant can be obtained for new swings it was RESOLVED that for now one cradle swing could replace one of the junior swings so that there is one of each type, and the sum of £500 could be used to finance the work. Councillor Mr Deer agreed to find a competent person who could do this work. b) To consider other issues concerning the playing field and amenities. Councillors Mr Coster and Mr Payne undertook to make the grant applications for the new cradle swings and the adult gym equipment. A separate grant application will be made for a path from the car park to St Nicholas Hall. Councillor Mrs Thompson will find out if the scheme for the walkable verge from the car park to St Nicholas Hall has been verified by the Local Highways Panel. c) To consider any other issues. It was RESOLVED to defer for the time being the scheme for a permanent war memorial in the village. The Solitary Soldier has now been relocated to his original position opposite the bus shelter and a poppy wreath will be laid on Remembrance Sunday. Councillor Mr Wood has carried out some research on Sergeant Willie Redgewell, a local man who died in the First World War, and this will be placed on the notice board and the Council website. The Garden Club is to discuss schemes for planting in the village and this will then be brought to the Parish Council.

4185.19 Highways matters a) Update on the use of Trucam for monitoring speeding in the village and for setting future dates. There was no recent report on the number of captures. The patrols will continue as before, as early as light allows. b) To consider any further responses to speeding issues in the parish. It was reported that Police has yet to recalibrate the Speedwatch Group’s gun. Once this is done patrols will begin again. c) Local Highways Panel issues – No updates were available. d) Update on parking outside Beckingham Business Park – to consider any progress on making a formal request for parking restrictions. Councillor Neath declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item. It was reported that a formal request for speed restrictions was made in September, and the next stage is for a report to be made by Highways technicians. Councillor Mrs Thompson will seek the support of Councillor Mark Durham on this matter. e) To consider any other highways issues which may arise. The damaged signs at the junction of Mill Lane/ Beckingham Street and at the junction outside St Nicholaas Hall have been reported to Highways, but the response is that these signs are not a priority. A damaged speed limit sign just before the Witham Road/Loamy Hill junction will be reported to Highways. It was reported that there are a number of potholes in the village which could cause damage to vehicles and cyclists. 4186.19 Public rights of way – to receive any reports. No issues were raised.

4187.19 To consider any issues concerning the Common land. No issues were raised.

4188.19 To consider any items of correspondence received. There was nothing to consider.

4189.19 To consider the process for the review of the Council’s Standing Orders and Financial Regulations. It was RESOLVED to adopt the draft set of Financial Regulations based on the 2019 model from NALC.

4190.19 Progress report on any issues concerning the defibrillator. There was nothing to report.

4191.19 Issues concerning the Council’s web site and reporting of Parish Council meetings in the Maldon Standard. A discussion was held on the way forward in setting up a new website following the closure of essexinfo.net in March 2020. Councillor Miss Neath undertook to investigate possible options and she will present a report at the next Council meeting.

4192.19 Data Protection Regulations: Any issues arising, including storage of Parish Council papers and filing cabinets. It was noted that Emma Holmes is now the new Data Protection Officer at Maldon District Council. Nothing has as yet been heard from Village Hall Management Committee regarding the storage of a Parish Council filing cabinet in the Hall. In the meantime Councillors Mr Deer and Mr Payne will securely dispose of all old planning application documents held by the clerk, and Councillor Mr Frost will sort through the material that he holds.

4193.19 To consider arrangements for the seting of the budget for the year 2020-2021 (precept to be set at the January 2020 meeting) It was RESOLVED that Councillors Mr Payne and Mr Frost and the clerk will work on the budget for presentation at the December meeting.

4194.19 To consider other items for information or for inclusion on future agendas. No issues were raised.

As there was no further business the meeting was closed at 9.00 pm.