HORNTON PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING HELD IN THE PAVILION ON MONDAY 30 APRIL 2012 AT 7.30PM

Present: Chairman Cllr Miles and Cllrs Burden, Cross, Jarrett, Offord and Short. Clerk: Alan Cater County Councillor George Reynolds and District Councillor Douglas Webb also attended for part of the Meeting. Residents present: Jean Burden

1. Apologies Cllr Griffiths.

2. Minutes of previous Annual Parish Meeting held on 9 May 2011 Cllr Short proposed that the minutes be adopted. Cllr Jarrett seconded this. This was agreed unanimously.

3. Matters Arising 3.1. As raised at the last Annual Parish Meeting, the footbridge across Sor Brook has been repaired and the gate to the Motocross field has been painted and improved. Reports from the Church and the Chapel are included this year.

4. Chairman’s Report Cllr Miles presented his Report. “I would like to start by welcoming everyone to the meeting and introducing you to George Reynolds our County Councillor and Douglas Webb our District Councillor. I would now like to give a short report on planning. Since the last Parish Meeting I am please to inform you that the Affordable Housing Scheme has now been completed and all four of the houses have been occupied by people with a Hornton connection. The only other developments in the village have been extensions and alterations to existing buildings. I would now like to thank everyone who helps to maintain the village by mowing the greens picking up the litter etc. and ask them to keep up the good work. It is down to their hard work that Hornton is such a beautiful village.”

5. County Councillor’s Report Cllr George Reynolds advised that some schools, with the support of the County are seeking Academy status. There is no further news on the closure of Alkerton Tip. It has been announced that Neithrop Library will remain open although the future of libraries is uncertain. There has been a further meeting with the applicants for quarrying around Shenington referred to as Shenington ROMP. This affects Hornton near Quarry Road. The applicants appear very demanding and seem reluctant to listen to the objections raised by the Parishes and the County Council. The loss of Dial-a-Ride for Hornton is disappointing and it is acknowledged that the communication has not been good. Staff cuts at the County Council have probably not helped.

6. District Councillor’s Report Cllr Douglas Webb advised that the District Council continues to face cuts. Officers are being shared between Cherwell DC and South Northants DC and he hopes that the cuts do not become too severe and affect services. He stressed the importance of Parish Councils adding their voices to consultations to counter the tendency for priorities to favour towns rather than villages. There are new planning proposals with a National Planning Framework likely to be introduced. This could make it more difficult to find specific reasons for objecting to a Planning Application.

7. Finance & G.P. Report 7.1. The Clerk distributed copies of the Parish Council’s receipts and payments for the year (including notes on any significant variations from last year) together with a Consolidated Summary of all the Parish Council’s Accounts. The Parish Council has continued to control normal running costs (£4,337 compared to £4639). This was helped by lighting costs being reduced by £64 due to the Street Lamp in Bell Street being out of action for several months. The Precept will remain at £5,500 for the coming year. Significant expenditure this year has been £11,880 on the new Pavilion Car Park. Under the terms of the sale of the land for Affordable Housing the Parish Council was due to receive £12,000 from the Housing Association when the Car Park was complete. Unfortunately this was not received until early April in the new financial year. Had this been received on time, total balances would be £16,040 compared to £16655 the previous year. A transfer of £6,000 is due to the Pavilion Account from the £12,000 as previously agreed. The other significant payment was £2,300 to the Playground Account being the first of five annual transfers to repay the loan of £10,000 for the purchase of the Allotments.

8. Roads and Highways Report The Clerk presented the report. Three new grit bins have been purchased and installed. Fortunately we did not have so much snow this year and Oxfordshire Highways were well prepared and cleared the roads fairly quickly. Thank you to Roy Tew for clearing Quarry Road along to the Stratford Road. Roy is also looking after a supply of grit/salt for clearing the roads. Potholes have been filled in during the year but once again there are a number around the village and surrounding roads. These have been reported.

1 The Parish Council has received complaints about vehicles being parked on the Green near the School. Letters have been written to try to resolve this. Hart View was not offered to Oxon CC for adoption by the builders, which means that ongoing maintenance will be the responsibility of the Housing Association and the Parish Council. Thames Water has also agreed to consider a contribution as and when repairs are necessary. The Parish Council will need to maintain a cash reserve. The Lime Trees on the Green were pollarded in the Autumn. Cllr Miles has received a comment that the stile at the end of West End is in poor repair, as is the adjoining gate. The Clerk will enquire of Oxon CC Countryside Service as to whether this could be replaced, perhaps by a kissing gate.

9. Allotments Report (John Fox Charity) Cllr Burden presented the report. “The allotments, at the moment, are looking really well, with all of them being under cultivation and enclosed with various forms of fencing. Some crops are under glass and some left to the elements. The rents have all been collected, £20 for a full plot and part, set proportionally. A big first for Hornton this year is that the allotments are to be included in the open gardens for the Queen`s Jubilee week, on Tuesday June 5th, so we are hoping that the rain will have stopped by then! I would like to thank Bill Jeffs for once again mowing the paths, and hope that we will all have a good gardening year.

10. Playground Report Cllr Miles presented the report. “The Playground Committee consists of Don Wain (Chairman), Neil Shadbolt, David Jarrett, Paul Burden and David Miles (Secretary and Treasurer). The Committee has been fairly active again this past 12 months mowing, strimming and generally keeping the playground tidy. We have now completed the new access ramp and railings thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery Fund of £6,000 which helped fund this. We held our Annual Coffee Morning in the playground last September and raised £241.75 for Helen & Douglas House Hospice. We intend to hold our Annual Coffee Morning this year in the playground in September and the proceeds will again go to the Hospice. We also intend to do some maintenance in the playground this year such as painting some of the equipment and levelling some areas of uneven ground. Other than this no other big projects are envisaged. We have been carrying out weekly inspections and ROSPA carried out our annual inspection in September. There were no major issues and our Risk Assessment was Medium Risk. I would like to close by thanking Kevin Wain who helps us by taking a turn on the mowing rota and Steven Wain who has recently moved back to the village and has asked to be put on the mowing rota. It’s nice to have other people helping as it takes some of the pressure off the committee.”

11. Pavilion Report Julie Stanley sent in the Report. “Since the refurbishment of the kitchen and main hall last year, the Pavilion has been well used by the village. The two sets of double doors have been a great asset making the main hall a more versatile space for weddings and large parties. The new heating system has really come into its own, and creates a very welcoming atmosphere. Parking near to the Pavilion can be a problem for big events and more people are parking in Bell Street and sometimes on the field as a result. The new car park at the far end of the field is perhaps a little too far for many users of the Pavilion. Our next project is to renew the rest of the roof and install more solar panels to help with heating costs. We are applying for grants for this project. But our main priority is to resurface the access road from Bell Street, which is in very poor repair and is very uneven for pedestrians. In the future we plan to revamp the entrance hall and refurbish the showers rooms but this will need more major fundraising. Over the last year lettings have come to approximately £3,500, which is considerably more than in the past. Fundraising is ongoing. We had a very successful Pantomime this year, which raised over £2,000, a progressive dinner and also May Day. These events are a big help in keeping the Pavilion in the black. Thank you to everyone who raises funds for the Pavilion. Without these events, improvements would be impossible.”

12. JUMPA Report Ian Donaldson prepared the Report. “Maintenance - A report has been received from Blakedown Sport & Play Ltd with recommendations and costs. As recommended by Blakedown, the JUMPA Committee jet washed and cleaned the surface to remove moss and swept the surface on Saturday, 24 March before the hose pipe ban. Ollie Fickling to get a comparison quote to present with Blakedown’s to the Parish Council for approval so that the final repair works, re-spray and new lines are carried out ready for the Olympics on Sunday, 17 June 2012. Present quotation £3580+Vat. Fund Raising - A plea for donations has recently been put on the website and in the Banbury Guardian, we will continue to ask for donations and promote JUMPA events at every available opportunity. A stall will also be set up on May Day to promote JUMPA, Diamond Mile and JUMPA Olympics. It was agreed that the Golden Mile would be renamed the Diamond Mile in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. This will take place on 17 June followed by the JUMPA Olympics at the Pavilion. Ian Donaldson has spoken to Duncan Dawes and he has agreed to move his cows and let us use his land. Insurance has been discussed with Ian Harris and Parish Council. 19 kids (young and slightly older!) met on 21/4/12 to rally support and get all involved in making arrangements for 17 June.”

13. Hornton Primary School Report The Report was presented by Councillor Miles in his capacity as School Governor. “I would like to start my report by saying what a roller coaster of a year it’s been at Hornton School. We started the year with the promised School Hall project shelved, a cut in the school budget and falling pupil numbers. At present there are 65 on the school register . 2 So after a review of the finances it was decided that the School would have to be re-organised for the start of the 2011 - 2012 school year. This involved taking the Reception Class out of the Foundation Stage Unit and putting them with Year 1. Putting Years 2 and 3 together and then forming the third class out of Years 4, 5 and 6. This meant that the School went from a four class school to a three class school and sadly one of the teaching staff had to be made redundant. Then in September just as the School was settling down from all this upheaval Ofsted arrived and we were one of the first school‘s to be assessed under the new criteria. Anyway we got a satisfactory which would have been a good under the old criteria, but the Inspector said that we came within a hairs breadth of getting a good. Sadly the next thing to happen was that our Head Teacher Mrs Hilary Childs announced her retirement at the end of this school year. In light of this the governing body decided to review all the options for the future viability of Hornton School because Oxfordshire Education Authority are now actively encouraging school’s to become Academies and there may not be a Local Education Authority in the future. So the School Governors had a strategy meeting to decide which course of action would be in the best interests of the pupils of Hornton School and there were five options on the table. The first option was to close Hornton School and send the children to a larger Primary School because they would have better facilities and be more financially viable. This was quickly rejected because the children seem to enjoy the learning experience at Hornton School. We have no truancy at all at Hornton School. The second option was to recruit a new Head Teacher and give that person all the responsibilities Hilary had. This person may be very difficult to find. The third option was to share a Head Teacher and Management Team with a large Primary School. This was rejected because the larger school would in effect take over Hornton School. The fourth option was to share a Head Teacher and Management Team with a Primary School of a similar size to Hornton School. This was rejected because in the long term the two schools together may not be large enough and extra partners may have to be found. The fifth option was to become a satellite of the Warriner School, Bloxham. This is a large Secondary School and Hornton School is already in a loose partnership with them. The Head Teacher of the Warriner would also be the Head of Hornton School and there would be a Deputy Head at Warriner who would have special responsibility for Hornton School. In addition a new Deputy Head would be appointed at Hornton School to take on the day to day running of the School. This would give the pupils at Hornton School all the benefits of being taught at a small school, but with all the back up and resources of a large school. The best of both worlds and this was the option chosen. So it looks like there are exciting times ahead at Hornton School.

14. Ironstone Liaison Committee Representative Report Cllr Miles presented the report. “Peter Bennie Ltd. have now mothballed the Wroxton Fields Quarry and the Alkerton Quarry due to a lack of orders. The masonry products division of the business which is sited at Hornton Grounds has been sold to Marshalls a large national quarry products manufacturer and they have extended the lease on the premises for a further ten years. They have also increased the import of block stone from 4,000 tonnes to 12,000 tonnes per annum and the staff from 18 to 24. There has been an application made by the Needler Trust for new conditions on an old mineral extraction permission. The application has been entitled the Shenington ROMP and consists of various sites around Shutford, Epwell, Shenington, Balsote and Hornton. There are two sites in Hornton Parish one is the field behind Varney’s Garage and the other is the field behind Uplands Farm House. All of the Parish Council’s affected by this application got together and drafted similar responses to the application and sent them to Oxfordshire County Council who are the planning authority for mineral extraction and it seems that they have upheld all of our objections.”

15. Church Report – Hornton PCC 15.1. Sally Tweedsmuir and Alan Cater prepared the Report. “The 5 yearly architect's visit took place in 2011 and his report was quite positive though the stonework round some of the windows will need to be rebuilt in the future. The PCC was asked to consider installing a lightning conductor. Given that the Church has stood for centuries, it was concluded that the estimated cost of £5,000 could not be justified! This year the Area Dean inspected the church records and artefacts and gave a good report. The Ladies Working Party has very generously paid to have the church cleaned throughout. Having the windows cleaned has made the church so much lighter and brighter. The 2011 Palm Sunday service with donkey procession was very well attended with over a hundred in church. The open air service with the Hook Norton brass band and a picnic afterwards was also very popular. Outgoings on the running of the Church continue to increase and for the second consecutive year there has been a deficit of around £2,000. All support for fundraising is greatly appreciated and the PCC is particularly grateful to the many people who contribute to the Annual Gift Day. The evening with Felix Francis and the Hornton Choir was a very enjoyable event and raised approximately £600. The sale of the Church Room was the end of an era as it had very happy memories for residents who were regular users. For many years it was the main meeting place in the Village and was used for all sorts of occasions such as dances and wedding receptions. Unfortunately, the cost of bringing the building up to standard for present day use was beyond the financial capability of the Church and the building had been moth-balled for some time. It was going to be increasingly difficult to obtain insurance as the building continued to deteriorate. Under Trust Law, the proceeds have to be invested by the Diocese with the income only coming to the PCC. However, the investment income and the removal of insurance premiums will mean a welcome benefit of approximately £1,000 per annum for the Church.”

15.2. Cllr Cross commented that the investment income from the sale of the Church Room appears very low compared to that being received by John Fox’s Charity for Hornton School.

3 16. Methodist Chapel Report Jean Burden presented the Report. “The chapel continues to thrive and looks forward to the future, trying as far as possible, to welcome people into the building for a variety of reasons. Because the building is used so much more these days, the out of date, kitchen and toilet facilities have caused many unfavourable comments. It is mainly for this reason, and also the lack of disabled access, that the stewards are now pressing forward with grant applications towards funding a new build of the existing single storey at the side of the main chapel. We are continually fundraising for this purpose but also, due to our well supported coffee mornings, we have raised money for several charities. This last week we made £115 for Katharine House. We are always grateful for the continued and invaluable support from Hornton and the surrounding villages.”

17. Neighbourhood Watch Report Jenny Bowes sent in the Report. “Last year has been a departure from the norm as we regrettably were targeted by vehicle thieves who not only stole cars but broke in to the houses for the car keys whilst the occupants were sleeping. It has been a harsh reminder to us all to check our own security and to keep watch for anything or anyone unusual in the village. PCSO Angela Alford attended a drop in session on 26th April 2012 at The Dun Cow to answer any queries that villagers may have had in light of the recent burglaries and to promote the new 101 phone number for non emergency calls. It was nice to see old and new faces and to have the chance to form links with the rural Police team. The summer barbeque was again well attended and £99.65 was raised, thanks again to everyone who supported the event. Due to the Diamond Jubilee it was decided that the barbeque should be put aside this year and that the Neighbourhood Watch team would work with the Parish Council in organising a Big Lunch Street Party on Sunday 3rd June. The current balance held in the NW account is £541.53. We would still like to buy a bench for outside the pavilion in memory of Ruth Griffiths. A contribution towards commemorative Jubilee mugs and the Street Party has also been agreed. The Neighbourhood Watch Team received a lovely letter from the Parish Council thanking everyone for their efforts which was greatly appreciated. We look forward to a better 2012 and ask everyone to keep looking out for one another.”

18. Hornton History Group Report Rosemarie Cater sent in the Report. “Throughout the year the Group has continued to collect information of the history of the village. In July we had a trip by mini-bus to Oxford. We were dropped off at the Ashmolean Museum where we had lunch and looked at the exhibits. We then met up with our guide Danielle, who gave us a lot of information on the history of Oxford and the universities. We wandered down Broad Street towards New College, where we spent some time looking around the fascinating Chapel and lovely gardens and given insight to the life of a University student. Afterwards we walked around the outside of the Sheldonian Theatre, the Radcliffe Camera and the Bodleian Library. Our two hour guided tour was soon over and everyone said how much they enjoyed the day. We had a very interesting evening in October. The speaker, Andrew Baxter (who is a structural engineer), used a variety of models to show how the Romans constructed bridges and a range of slides showing examples of these bridges and how they constructed other buildings in various parts of the world. During the second half he concentrated on the local area. Some of the experts think that a Roman road by-passed Hornton and using the lines of hedgerows on Google Earth he believes that a Roman road ran from Shutford, Balscote the Stratford Road then across to Hornton down through Holloway then up to Eastgate across to Warmington ,via D’Arcy Dalton Way. He then showed slides of how a group of excavators found a huge hoard of hundreds of Roman coins near Warmington. They had only two weeks to photograph and catalogue them before having to advise the British museum of their treasure trove. The British Museum paid them £65,000 and then arranged for the coins to be kept in Warwickshire Museum. From the pictures of the coins, they were in a truly remarkable condition. It was a very informative and interesting evening. In March, a coach party of thirty two people from Hornton visited The Imperial War Museum in London. There was so much interesting and informative information and everyone felt that one day did not really do it justice. With the Diamond Jubilee in mind, work is now being undertaken as to how the village celebrated the Coronation.”

19. Hornton Football Club Cllr Cross presented the Report. The 2011/12 season has not been successful on the field with the team finishing below half-way in the Banbury Lord Jersey Football League. Being knocked out of all the Cup Competitions at an early stage resulted in a short season. In contrast, off the field the team spirit has been excellent. Chairman John Naysmith is to sponsor a new kit for next season. Many thanks to Glen Walther for preparing the pitch on Saturday mornings and to Dan Campbell for managing the playing side. The Club has approximately £1,500 in the Bank and shares worth approximately £800.

20. Hornton & Horley Brownies Report Claire Bottoms prepared the Report. “The Brownies have gone from strength to strength over the last year with 21 Brownies currently attending meetings and 5 on a waiting list. We have a varied programme doing loads of badges and different activities. We have in the past year gone to the Warriner School to do activities such as Orienteering, felt making and natural dyeing. We have also been on dipper days in Oxford, where everyone gets very wet!!! We hold most of our meetings in the pavilion but take as many opportunities as we can to go out and about. We have a busy time planned for this summer with lots of thing to do towards the Diamond Jubilee including a beacon event at Horley Scout Camp. We currently have Liz Hirst who is Brown Owl, Claire Bottoms who is Tawny Owl and Laura Short is in the process as taking over as treasurer.”

4 21. 3 H’s Gardening Club Report Cllr Cross reported that there are approximately 50 members. The Plant Sale is on 12 May and there is an outing to Wisley on 20 May. On the second Tuesday in July there will be a visit to gardens near Clanfield.

22. Hornton Choir Report Pete Whitehead prepared the Report. “Did we copy Gareth – or did he copy us?.....Either way, the Hornton Choir started up in September 2011 and has already performed at the school, the pavilion and the Dun Cow (twice) and, thankfully, has been well received on all occasions. Most importantly, everyone who comes along to sing at our regular Friday sessions (7 to 8.15pm at the pavilion), seems to really enjoy it and that is what it is all about. The repertoire has been varied and interesting – including songs by The Beach Boys, Lou Reed, Jessie J, Joni Mitchell, Sting and John Rutter – eclectic is the word! We welcome any new members - no previous experience, (or singing ability) necessary, and there are strictly NO AUDITIONS involved! Please come along if you would like to. Next performances planned are for the Jubilee celebration picnic on June 3rd plus another Dun Cow performance pencilled in for June 1st.”

23. Hornton Gossip Report Julie Stanley sent in the Report. “The contents of The Gossip have grown quite considerable recently. People have sent us interesting and varied articles for inclusion. We hope the contents reflect what is happening in the village and is informative as well as entertaining. Thank you to everyone who contribute, and to the Parish Council for financial support. The deadline for the next issue is May 8th – hopefully this will also be a bumper issue.”

24. Keep Fit Club Cllr Cross reported that he Club continues to run successfully although numbers are low and new members will be very welcome. They meet on Wednesdays at 7pm at the Pavilion.

25. Hornton & District WI Rosemarie Cater sent in the Report. “The past year had some very interesting speakers and the group numbers climbed to 36 members. In January we had a very interesting Quiz which John Turner had put together. Then in February Ann Allen demonstrated the making of sugar craft models for cakes which members then attempted. Martin Sethsmith gave a very informative talk on The Life of a Bee Keeper. He brought along a hive to demonstrate the process involved with the making of honey. In March Jacqui Furneaux gave insight into her travels in India and in April we had a Fashion Show at the Pavilion and three committee members became models for the night. Penny Varley Ceramics from Tysoe gave an interesting talk on Hand crafted creations in Clay and brought along some of her own creations. In June were had Tea and Cakes at The Yews (thanks to Angeline Turner), where we spent an enjoyable evening sipping Pimms, tea and a lovely choice of cakes and sandwiches. In July we had a lovely Orchid Walk at Emma Hamers farm meadow in Horley. Refreshments then followed at Meadowsweet Farm Shop. A River Cruise and Dinner on the Countess of Evesham in August was an enjoyable evening. In September Julie Fergusson explained the History of Knitting and provided members a lot of fun trying to attempt their own knitting skills. In October it was the Sibford Group Meeting. Hornton & District were the hosts for this event at the Pavilion and our guest speaker was Roger Corke who gave a very interesting and informative talk on Life behind the Camera. November was a Christmas Crafts Evening and Ann Allen returned to demonstrate Christmas Cake Sugar Craft models. The year ended with an enjoyable meal at the Dun Cow.”

26. John Fox’s Charity for Hornton School Alan Cater prepared the Report. “The Trustees are two School Representatives (Duncan Raper and Simon Harris), two Parish Council Representatives (Paul Burden and Malcolm Cross) and a co-opted Trustee (David Harwood). The proceeds from the sale of the allotments and adjoining land have now been invested in to a Fixed Income Fund designed for income for Charities. This is currently producing income of £733 per quarter so that the School should benefit by approximately £2,900 a year.”

27. Dial-a-Ride Bus Service Alan Cater prepared the Report. “Having successfully campaigned last year for Bus Passes to be accepted on this Service, it is disappointing to report that, following the take over of the Service by Oxfordshire County Council, many of our residents will no longer be able to use it. The communication between the County Council, residents and the Parish Council has been poor throughout. A letter of complaint has been sent but to no avail. Fortunately the former manager of BCTA which used to operate the scheme has agreed to provide a service at £5 return”

28. Resolutions or Questions The Clerk will enquire about the replacement of the stile at West End – See Section 8 above.

29. Any Other Business None

The meeting closed at 9.15pm.

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