Draft MINUTES OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD WEDNESDAY 14 January 2015, 6.30PM Elvington Community Centre, St John’s Road, Elvington

1. PRESENT Cllr M Ledger (Chair), Cllr R Hansell, Cllr W Hansell, Cllr Pellitt, Cllr Morgan-Lovett and Cllr Howe, Cllr Whitehead, Cllr Sluder, DDC Cllrs Ovenden and Walker, KCC Cllr Manion and 3 members of the public. Also in attendance S Collins clerk

Apologies Juliet West, Community Warden

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST None

3. APPROVAL AND SIGNING OF MINUTES – 10 December 2014 Proposed Cllr Morgan-Lovett, seconded by Cllr R Hansell agreed as a true record and signed by Cllr Ledger (Chair)

4. AND DISTRICT COUNCILLOR'S REPORTS DDC Cllr Walker gave the following report: i. Monkton Court Lane is ongoing, the latest consultation has ended. Cllr Walker’s main concern is the Local Development Framework, took 3 years to compile and has been agreed, but the planning department are making decisions which do not adhere to the Framework. Pentland Homes are still pushing to build houses. ii. Tides and Leisure Centre have had a change in hours for swimming, there will be a scrutiny meeting to ask ‘Your Leisure’ who run the swimming pools, why the public was not consulted. iii. Parking charges have been frozen at the present rate. iv. Cabinet and Scrutiny meeting papers are in the public domain after the meeting has been held. Cllr Walker is offering the papers for the PC to look at.

DDC Cllr Ovenden gave the following report: i. Coxhill Road will be closed on 15 January for essential drainage work, there is a long diversion. ii. There is petition for saving the Central Government grant to Action for Communities in Rural Kent, Cllr Ovenden detailed work they have completed in the local area, and asked for support by signing the petition either as a Parish Council or individually. iii. The Community Warden numbers are to remain at their present level after a public consultation, this U-turn is down to the number of response received. iv. The scrutiny meeting attended by Cllr Ovenden was on homelessness. v. There is no news on the wind turbines at or . vi. There are rumours that there will be a planning application for change of use at the White Horse Eythorne.

KCC Cllr Manion gave the following report: i. Cllr Manion reiterated that the Community Wardens have been saved, it was the biggest response to a public consultation on-line and the Councillors objected heavily. Other options to save the money are now being considered. ii. KCC will increase their part of the Council Tax by 1.99%, Cllr Manion thought DDC were going to keep their part the same as this financial year. iii. There will be a Lottery funding pilot in Doncaster to look into an increase in the take up of lottery grants.

Cllr R Hansell asked if KCC or DDC are objecting to the Local Government Financial Settlement. Cllr Manion said it was DDC’s concern and Cllr Ovenden agreed to look into the matter.

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S Collins gave a verbal report on behalf of Juliet West: This last month the Community Warden has been dealing with the following: lots of welfare issues, theft, burglary and noise nuisance, waste issues and nuisance youths, environmental health including litter, dog fouling, and pot holes. Also, community engagement, partnership working with and Trading Standards.

Juliet also confirmed by telephone that the Cherry Grove Community Allotment Group had a meeting with the Community Engagement officer Una Mills in December. They are now looking for the right person to become the treasurer, open the bank account and work out signatories.

5. PUBLIC CONTRIBUTIONS AND QUESTIONS None

6. FINANCE MATTERS AND AUTHORISATION OF PAYMENTS Authorisation of Payments were proposed by Cllr Morgan-Lovett, seconded Cllr Sluder and agreed for payment.

Finance Report 14 January 2015 Payee Cheque number Amount S Thomson 300260 £63.92 S Collins 300261 £1,164.71 HMRC 300262 £410.41 SLCC 300263 £161.00

7. BUDGET 2015-2016 S Collins took the meeting through the draft budget for the financial year 2015-2016. After queries and questions had been answered, the budget was voted on. Proposed Cllr Sluder, seconded Cllr Morgan-Lovett with a unanimous vote.

8. PRECEPT 2015-2016 S Collins took the meeting through the precept options. After a discussion of the options, it was proposed by Cllr Morgan-Lovett to keep the Parish Council’s part of the Council Tax the same at £46.99 for a Band D house. Seconded Cllr W Hansell with 7 votes for and 1 abstention, the vote was carried.

9. PLANNING i. DOV/14/01134 – Installation of roof light windows to facilitate a loft conversion. The Squire, 9 Green Meadows, Eythorne, CT15 4PG. After a site visit, no objection. ii. DOV/14/01138 – Reserved matters application for the design and external appearance of industrial units (class B2) details pursuant to condition 40 of planning permission DOV/13/00654. Site of former Tilmanstone Colliery Tip, Pike Road, Tilmanstone, CT15 4DJ. No objection, positively support regeneration of the site. iii. DOV/14/01143 – Erection of a single storey rear extension, attached garage, extension of existing driveway with associated landscaping works (existing garage to be demolished). Shooters Dene, Shooters Hill, Eythorne CT15 4AX. No objection.

10. MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES 10 December 2014 NOT ELSEWHERE ON THE AGENDA S Collins gave the following report: i. The Nest Swings have been ordered and a site visit completed by Sutcliffe Play, the new swings

2 should be in situ by the Easter Holidays. ii. Kingston Tree Surgeon has taken down the dead trees in the area and started work on clearing the cutting by the MUGA court. iii. Sandwich Technology School replied to concerns about children walking down the unlit section of Sandwich Road; they were to tell the children to request being dropped off at the War Memorial end of the road and to check with Stagecoach that is was a designated stop. iv. A letter was sent to Future View Landscapes Ltd. thanking them for the donation of turf on Monkton Court Lane. v. The salt bags have arrived from KCC and are being held at Barfrestone Court Farm vi. The Landscape Group have signed a ‘specification of works’ for mowing work undertaken, an outstanding action on the Risk Assessment. vii. Ongoing work – audio equipment quotes, picnic table quotes for Elvington Recreation Ground, Cycle Equipment at , CCTV in operation sign and Community Resilience Planning meeting.

11. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES i. Wind Turbine – waiting for inspector to visit, there is nothing the PC or Working Group can do. ii. Cllr Morgan-Lovett said the local newspaper said there had been an earthquake due to drilling and that the Government is looking at changes to policy to allow companies to drill under your property without consent. Cllr R Hansell said the European Parliament has stated they are against drilling for oil. Cllr Sluder said the local geology makes a difference with the coal mining and aquifer, houses would need to be underpinned.

12. PROVISIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE SETTLEMENT 2015/2016 Cllr R Hansell explained that Central Government grants money to Local Government each year. KCC and DDC are having their grants cut year on year, so cannot provide services as they are capped. Therefore they are looking to Parish Council’s to increase their precept to help pay for services. Cllr R Hansell proposed that that Eythorne PC write to MP’s as requested by NALC and KALC objecting to this practice.

"Due to the substantial consequences of this consultation, we wish our Government to heed the advice of NALC, KALC and Local Government Agencies on this issue."

Proposed Cllr R Hansell, seconded Cllr Howe, carried. S Collins to action emails and hard copies to MP’s and KALC before deadline.

13. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION POLICY S Collins informed the meeting that the Parish Council required a Freedom of Information policy. Once adopted the policy would be published on the website along with other necessary policies and documents (namely Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Complaints). Proposed Cllr W Hansell, seconded Cllr Morgan-Lovett with 7 in favour and 1 abstention the policy was adopted. S Collins to action publication on website.

14. FENCING QUOTES The 3 quotes were discussed, Cllr W Hansell proposed Phil Penfold, seconded Cllr Morgan-Lovett, carried unanimously. S Collins to action.

15. WAR MEMORIAL Cllr Morgan-Lovett had a quote from DDC for a bench with inscription for the war memorial. It was discussed that 2 more quotes are required before a decision can be made. It was decided that the inscription would read “In memory of the fallen” proposed Cllr R Hansell, seconded Cllr Pellitt with a unanimous vote.

Paul Boiston had received a quote from a stone mason to clean the whole memorial, clean the

3 face for inscription and an amount per letter for the names. The work would be done on site, Mr Boiston mentioned that last time the memorial was cleaned, the depth of the letters was taken down. The Council will make a decision when the other 2 quotes have arrived.

16. EQUIPMENT FOR HANDYMAN Stuart Thomson has requested some new gardening equipment, a mower and a strimmer. Stuart is using his own equipment as the Parish Council’s equipment is not suitable for his current use. There was a discussion about risk assessments and insurance implications. Stuart also needs some way to dispose of green waste, Cllr Ledger said he can put waste from Barfrestone at his farm. It was also discussed that when the allotment group set up, there will be composting facilities available on Adelaide Road. S Collins to go through equipment details and get quotes as well as risk assessments with Stuart.

17. CORRESPONDENCE i. Land Allocations Local Plan – DDC press release ii. Local Government Boundary Commission for electoral review of Kent – on website iii. KALC Legal Topic Note on LGPS Funding Deficit and Future Arrangements iv. Flooding conference – 6 February 2015 v. Invite from Lord Lieutenant of Kent to civic service – 10 March 2015 vi. Consultation on future delivery of Library, Registration and Archive services in Kent – on website

18. COUNCILLOR VACANCIES No applications have been received at present.

19. ANY OTHER MATTERS Cllr Morgan-Lovett told the meeting that her car has been vandalised 3 times since October, with the last time looking like a fire arm was used to shoot out the windows. CCTV footage shows the car but not the number plate. Cllr Morgan-Lovett feels that the police are not taking the vandalism seriously, or the use of a fire arm. S Collins advised that Juliet West can help.

A closed session to discuss HR matters followed this meeting.

Meeting closed at 8.20pm.

4 Eythorne Parish Council Budget 2015-2016

RECEIPTS Precept 35,980.00 KCC Grant 1,803.00 VAT 3,000.00 Bank Interest 250.00

TOTAL RECEIPTS 41,033.00

PAYMENTS Staff Salary – Clerk 11,000.00 Expenses – mileage etc. 550.00 Wages - Gardener 4,160.00 Expenses – mileage etc. 200.00 Pension 1,000.00 PAYE + NI 1,600.00 Training – Clerk 350.00 Training – Gardener 100.00 Admin Office Expenses 320.00 Stationery, Books, Postage 100.00 Rents – Meeting room hire 500.00 Office Rent 730.00 Office Equipment 500.00 Professional Services inc legal 1,000.00 Insurance 2,000.00 Chairman’s Allowance 50.00 Subscriptions – ICO, KLAC, SLCC 900.00 Training – Councillors 500.00 Election Expenses 1,700.00 Running Costs Eythorne Playing Field 400.00 Elvington Recreation Ground 400.00 Adelaide Play Area 400.00 MUGA Electricity 600.00 Repairs and Maintenance 1,000.00 War Memorial Maintenance 500.00 VAT 3,000.00 Contingency 7,000.00

TOTAL PAYMENTS 40,560.00

Variance 473.00

Capital Spend Eythorne Playing Field 1,000.00 Elvington Recreation Ground 1,000.00 Youth Expenditure 2,000.00

4,000.00

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