Approved 27 February 2014

Worplesdon Parish Council

Minutes of the General Purposes and Finance Committee meeting held Thursday 13 February 2014 at 8.20pm in the Conference Room, Memorial Hall

65-14 - Present: There were present Chairman Dr P Cragg, Mr R Clark (arrived 8.06pm) Mrs E Nagle, Mrs S Morgan, Mr C Venables, and Mr R Welch.

The Clerk and Mr M Havler were also in attendance.

66-14 - To accept apologies and reason for Absence in accordance with the LGA 1972, Sch12, para 40

Mr Watson was absent from the meeting.

Mrs Morgan substituted for Mr R Watson.

67-14 - Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests by Councillors on any of the agenda items below in accordance with The Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012. (SI 2012 No. 1464)

No declarations were made.

68-14 - Declaration of Non-pecuniary interests in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct

No declarations were made.

69-14 - Invoices for payment

It was proposed Mrs E Nagle, seconded Mr R Welch and resolved that payments to the value of £ 2,141.96 be approved and signed.

Chq. No: Payee: Details: £

500193 CD Surveys Ltd Topographical survey - Nevins Copse 1,380.00 500194 Getmapping PLC Parish online subscription 151.20 500195 Scribe 2000 Ltd Subscription 294.00 500196 VOID VOID 0.00 500197 Viking Stationery 305.76 Debit card Guildford Borough Council Promote Your Event Seminar 17 March 11.00

Total £2,141.96

70-14 - Worplesdon Commons Report – Mark Havler

Mr Havler gave the following report:

 Unsurprisingly, this winter has been all about water and fallen trees, however, due to the success of the Flood Forum there are no major flood issues on the commons. 38

Approved 27 February 2014

 Heathland clearance continues to be carried out in phases – The existing HLS Agreements for and Broad Street commons still have 5 years to run. The tree felling licences normally last five years but an officer from the Forestry Commission had agreed a rolling programme to run in synchronisation with the HLS Agreement. That officer has now left and so the Wildlife Trust has to re-apply for a new felling licence.  At present only dead, dying and dangerous trees can be dealt with on Chitty’s Common and Whitmoor Common.  Only 5 cubic metres of land can be cleared without a felling licence, which is inconsequential given the size of Whitmoor Common.  The current work is being grant funded and is working to plan.  SCC commons without an HLS Agreement can continue to involve the community via the wood licence scheme.  SCC is currently carrying out an overview of its woodland but has not yet clarified their definition of woodland – Whitmoor Common e.g. is heathland but has large swathes of woodland.  SCC is trying to find economic ways to manage their land with a view to increasing their revenue e.g. selling their wood once felled – this may have a negative impact on volunteers who carry out work and are rewarded with logs to burn.  After half term SCC will be looking at the possibility of introducing parking fees – They will start at – Whitmoor Common is fifth on the list.  Living Commons Initiative – Funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund – This is a five year project looking at the heritage of the commons. The work is carried out on a piecemeal basis at present. Mark would like to create a historical archive which could be stored at the History Centre. He would also like to provide a joined up map of cycle routes, permissive horse rides and Rights of Way together with walks and events. The SCC officer who was dealing with this matter has now left. As the original application was submitted 18 months ago it will now need to be updated. It would be helpful if the Parish Council is willing to submit a letter of support.  A National Heathland Conference is being held later this year. Confirmation of the date will be provided in due course.  I continue to liaise with Merrist Wood College.  The Travel-Smart project is coming to an end but funding is still available. A new officer has been appointed to deal with applications named Ian Ross. I intend to look at which tracks need re-surfacing.  The board walk on Chitty’s Common needs to be repaired/replaced.  FISH carried out an environmental project – “den building”  The sewage leak on Broad Street Common has still not been repaired. Thames Water is unable to address the issue until the worst of the surface water flooding has eased.  Britten’s Pond – The silt trap is to be de-silted in the near future subject to weather conditions. Water pumps are required but due to the current flooding crises in the South East and South West water pumps are not currently available.  Dr Cragg thanked Mark for his assistance with the clearance work at Nevins Copse.  Mrs Morgan advised that children have again tried to dam the stream that runs around the back of the sports field at Fairlands into Littlefield Common and asked that Mark also keeps an eye out for any blockages.  Dr Cragg advised Mark that the bamboo growing beside the Brook in Jacobs Well had been cut down by members of the Parish Council’s Land Management Working Party. If the bamboo would be helpful to the Wildlife Trust he was welcome to take it. If not, the working party would need to either burn it on site (an Exemption Licence enabling bonfires to be burnt at this site having already been obtained from the Environment Agency) or it will have to be transported to the Municipal tip.  Mr Venables asked when the further pond clearance work will be carried out at Rickford pond and reiterated that the Parish Council was willing to give £500 towards the work.  The Clerk advised that the proposed safer crossing at the railway bridge Salt Box Road is being delayed due to the possibility of bats roosting in the six trees that would need to be felled and enquired whether Mr Havler could assist with this matter. It would be tragic if the funding for the scheme were lost due to the

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Approved 27 February 2014

delay of a BAT survey being undertaken given that there are so many trees on Whitmoor and Stringer’s Commons.

Dr Cragg thanked Mr Havler for his report. Mr Havler left the meeting at 9.05pm.

71-14 - Digital recorder for meetings

It was proposed Mr R Clark, seconded Mr C Venables and resolved that the Parish Council purchase a Phillips DVT5000 PC Dictaphone to enable meetings to be recorded. Total cost £53.99 & VAT.

72-14 - Quotation for playground repairs, Jacobs Well and Fairlands

Quotation received from E J Services Ltd for the following work:

New bearings for the roundabout, Jacobs Well and various wet pour repairs, Fairlands – Total cost £1,230 & VAT. It was proposed Mrs S Morgan, seconded Mr R Clark and resolved that the quotation be accepted.

73-14 - Quotation to remove a False Acacia tree from Jacobs Well play area

A self-seeded tree is growing within the play area. It is potentially hazardous due its proximity to the play equipment and it causes shadowing which encourages the growth of moss on the wetpour.

It was proposed Mr R Clark, seconded Mrs S Morgan and resolved that T&S Tree Surgeons quotation be accepted – Total cost £140 & VAT.

74-14 - Various SALC training events – 1 May and 15 October

The Committee recommended to the full council that all members who wish to attend these events should be permitted to attend. Cost 1 May £22 & VAT per delegate. Cost 15 October £10 & VAT per delegate.

This item to be added to the agenda of the next full council meeting.

75-14 - Investment policy in accordance with the Local Government Investments Section 15(1) (a) of the Local Government At 2003

The RFO had prepared a draft Investment Policy for members’ consideration.

It was proposed Mr C Venables, seconded Mrs S Morgan and resolved that the draft Investment Policy be approved and adopted.

Appendix 1 – Investment Policy.

76-14 - TSB account

The RFO advised that there was no longer sufficient funds in the current account to honour the £30,000 cheque made payable to the TSB. If the Council wishes to invest £30,000 in a one year bond with the TSB money would need to be transferred to the current account from the Nationwide.

In addition the Clerk had been disappointed with the slow service in the TSB on the last two visits to the Branch.

It was proposed Mr C Venables, seconded Dr P Cragg and resolved that the resolution to invest £30,000 in the TSB be revoked as it was creating an additional workload for the RFO. The point of investing the money was to protect

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Approved 27 February 2014 tax payers’ money. With the money now invested in the Nationwide and Skipton and the current account balance likely to be spent over the next 2 – 3 months it was no longer necessary to invest in the TSB.

Meeting closed 21.24pm

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