WICKHAMBREAUX PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 26 NOVEMBER 2014

Present: Parish Cllr Tony O’Sullivan Parish Cllr Martin Twyman Parish Cllr Christine Le Jeune Parish Cllr John Joice Parish Cllr Angela Hamilton Parish Cllr Faith Wright Parish Cllr Linda Lodge

Miss Chenice Sparkes, Clerk to the Council

1. CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Cllr O’Sullivan welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies were received and accepted from City Councillor Brian Staley and County Councillor Michael Northey.

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST None.

3. MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 21 OCTOBER 2014 The Minutes were accepted as a true record of the meeting with some minor amendments.

4. INFORMATION FROM MATTERS ARISING 4(3) Cllr Wright reported that she had still not received a response from the trustee to the letter sent regarding the remaining ash trees along Wickham Road. She agreed to chase the trustee. 4(6i). The Clerk reported she had still not received the plans of the sewage and water in the Parish. 4(6). The Clerk reported she had received a response to the complaint letter to the Planning Department at City Council dated 06 November 2014.Louise Reid, Head of Planning, noted that the Parish Council were happy with the refuse of Rosemary Cottage and the reasons for the refusal. She confirmed that the planning application documents were sent to the Clerk on time on 25 July 2014 and cannot give a reason for the delay in the Clerk receiving them. Neighbour consultation letter had a longer date because it was decided two further neighbours needed to be consulted. She apologised for date of the posting of the notice not appearing on the website, this has now been rectified. Louise Reid explained Canterbury City Council had fulfilled its obligation to display the notice even though it did not last very long against the elements. Lamination has been considered in the past but was deemed too costly, not environmentally friendly and too time consuming, stating that majority of notices last their full 21 day period. 4(6,Trees) Cllr Wright reported that Jon Lambourne, Arboricultural Officer at Canterbury City Council, made a thorough inspection of the trees at the Hallowes, The Street. Tuesday, 04 November, 2014. He felt that the three trees proposed for felling were neither in good enough condition nor significant to warrant TPOs. Mr Lambourne agreed that the area needed to be tidied and managed. Consequently he recommended that the owner submit a new application to fell the trees plus trim and remove dead wood from other trees. 5(i). Cllr Twyman reported he had contacted Highways with regards to the sewage manholes on Wickham Road which have still not been repaired. He was informed that there was no record of his conversation reporting the damage despite the fact that Cllr Twyman was able to provide a reference number he was issued. The manholes had also been previously marked up following the initial reporting. He has now been issued a new reference number and will be monitoring the situation. 5(ii). The Clerk reported that she had received a response to the letter sent on behalf of the Parish Council, to the owners of Court, to ask them to please cut back the

overhanging yews. A prompt response was received assuring the trees would be dealt with and a tree surgeon was coming out to inspect and carry out the necessary work in the near future. 7. Cllr Wright reported that Paul Kelsey has taken responsibility for the tree which partially snapped off and blocked Wickham Court Lane. He wishes to save the tree if possible and was booking in a tree surgeon to inspect the remaining part of the tree to make sure it is safe. Cllr Wright agreed to investigate to find out the outcome of the inspection. 12. Cllr O’Sullivan reported that he had recorded the Parish Council’s support for the Wingham Parish Council proposal to become statutory consultees in the application process for Vehicle Operator Licenses. 14. Cllr O’Sullivan reported he had chaired the Four Villages Post Office and Shop award ceremony with £6500.00 has been distributed to worthy causes in the local area.

5. REPORTS FROM COUNTY AND CITY COUNCILLORS Cllr Northey sent a report through to the Clerk to convey at the meeting. He had two main points to raise, one with regards to Kent County Council’s budget and the other to do with medical care.

The NHS Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is supporting a winter national campaign called ‘Feeling Under The Weather?’. The main aim of the campaign is to get older people, especially those over 60, to seek medical advice for minor illnesses from their local pharmacy. Many people believe they have to go to the Doctor for advice but the pharmacist will be able to advice the best course of treatment for minor coughs and colds. The elderly are more likely to develop more serious medical conditions if minor illnesses are left untreated.

With regards to Kent County Council’s (KCC) budget, an additional £206m needs to be saved and KCC want to know residents views on how best to achieve this. By Monday 03 November 2014 there had been over 1,500 responses from the public but more are more than welcome

6. HIGHWAYS (i) Cllr Le Jeune reported that Ickham are not planning on pursuing the installation of more road safety signs. The response from Kent Highways was not as positive as Ickham Parish Council were hoping for. Kent Highways have said they have a limited budget and as there have been no serious accidents along the proposed stretch of road, the project will not gain priority funding. (ii) Cllr Twyman reported that he has received the Transport Report from Kent County Council. He agreed to fill in the questionnaire on behalf of the Parish Council. (iii) Cllr Hamilton reported that large pot holes were starting to develop at the start of Grove Ferry Bridge. The Clerk was asked to report these to Kent Highways. (iv) Cllr O’Sullivan reported that there is a large pot hole on Hollybush Lane, after the bend coming from . The Clerk was asked to report this to Kent Highways. (v) Cllr Twyman reported that he had been asked whether any more salt/grit was required for this winter. He reported that most of the salt bins have a substantial amount in them and he is storing a further large bag at his farm if anybody runs out. (vi) The Clerk reported that she had received a phone call from someone at Kent Highways following up installing a new drainage gully in The List. They asked a few questions and said they would be inspecting. Cllr Wright agreed to chase.

7. PLANNING CA//14/02224/FUL – The Red Lion, Stodmarsh Road – The Parish Council have no objections to the proposed extensions ad internal alterations to the existing public house.

8. ICO NOTICE OF APPEAL AGAINST ITS DECISION RE FOIR/EIR The Parish Council agreed to respond to a Subject Access Request from parishioners relating to the period 05 September 2013 to 19 March 2014. A resolution was raised whether the Parish

Council should apply to be joined in the tribunal defending the notice of appeal by the principle objector. Cllr Lodge proposed, Cllr Hamilton seconded the resolution and it was unanimously passed.

A second resolution was put forward whether the Parish Council should appoint two Councillors, Cllr O’Sullivan and Cllr Le Jeune, to deal with the matters relating to the Information Tribunal and to grant them authorisation to seek legal advice and possible legal representation if felt necessary. Cllr Wright proposed and Cllr Joice seconded the resolution and it was unanimously passed. I

9. COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLAN AND INFORMATION CARDS Cllr O’Sullivan reported he had attended the Community Resillience meeting course last week in the led up to this meeting. Although there was very little new information, some important additional information was gained to benefit the Community Emergency Plan and it was encouraging to see that the Parish Council were on the right track. The final draft of the Community Emergency Plan was presented to the Parish Council for ratification. Cllr Twyman proposed and Cllr Le Jeune seconded to adopt the Community Emergency Plan. The information cards for all residents will be distributed by every Councillor in the next couple of weeks in preparation for winter.

A resolution was proposed to authorise continued expenditure on this project to ensure the Community Emergency Plan is kept up to date and information cards are distributed to new residents who move into the village. Under S142 of the Local Government Act 1972, money is allowed to be spent providing information to residents in an emergency. Cllr Twyman proposed and Cllr Hamilton seconded to justify the expenditure under S142 of the Local Government Act 1972.

10. KENT COUNTY COUNCIL BUDGET PROPOSALS Kent County Council have to deliver £206m in savings over the next three years. Although they are on track to deliver the target of £81m this year, indications from the Government suggest budgets will be squeezed until at least 2018. Kent County Council are proposing to increase council tax by 1.99%, in line with inflation, to raise £10m extra a year to prevent the need to cut services. They are encouraging other views and ideas for saving this money from local people. The Parish Council discussed the proposals and noted the increase.

11. PARISH COUNCIL MEETING DATES 2015 The Parish Council meet on every third Tuesday evening of each month except from August and December. The following dates were agreed for the year 2015: 20 January 2015, 17 February 2015, 17 March 2015, 21 April 2015, 19 May 2015, 16 June 2015, 21 July 2015, (No meeting in August), 15 September 2015, 20 October 2015, 17 November 2015, (No meeting in December)

12. POSSIBLE PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN THE PARISH Cllr O’Sullivan reported that a parishioner had contacted him to express their concern at the increasing number of people parking in front of their driveway due to inconsiderate parking. More importantly they have noticed an increased number of people driving round the one-way system around The Green the wrong way. Cllr O’Sullivan responded on behalf of the Parish Council before the meeting, advising that the Parish Council have no parking enforcement powers and she should consider contacting the Police with regards to the mis-use of the one- way system which is illegal.

The Parish Council discussed possible measures within the Parish, but after some lengthy debate and strong views, it was decided that no restrictions should be applied for. There are too many pinch points within the Parish it would be impossible to choose which ones should get restrictions. There is also the question of where all the cars will end up going, shunting the

problem to another area within the Parish. It would be very difficult to enforce any new restrictions and the majority of the busy periods surround school drop off and pick up times which only cover a small portion of the day, very little weekends and not in school holidays.

13. CLLRS’ REPORTS Tree Warden – Cllr Wright reported that Jon Lambourne had clarified the position with regard to Tree Preservation Orders (TPO) and tree works in Conservation Areas. The City Council have a duty to record all tree work notifications and this is passed on to Parish Councils for their information and comments. A TPO is applied only when the tree meets the relevant criteria in terms of its age, condition, visibility, contribution to the local scene etc.

Neighbourhood Watch – Cllr Lodge reported there had been no local incidents that she was aware of. She enquired whether the Church still had protection in place for their roof following a school in Hoath having their led stolen recently. Cllr Le Jeune reported that Church has alarm systems in place.

Cllr Twyman reported he had £3,000 worth of machinery stolen from his barn very recently. The Police were called but unfortunately they were unable to apprehend the people responsible. He did manage to take down a number plate for the vehicle involved but no further news on the case. Cllr O’Sullivan reported that a tool box was stolen from a van overnight in Stodmarsh recently too. Unfortunately an opportunist found the tools, despite the advice to never leave tools in a looked vehicle overnight.

Village Hall – Cllr Joice reported that during the recent school half term all the safety checks were carried out in the Village Hall, including the electrical, gas and fire extinguishers. In addition he has also applied for renewal of discrepancy rates for business rate – the Village Hall currently get 100% relief rates but have to reapply for the status every five years.

Cllr Joice reported he had submitted an application for a further years funding from the Single Grants Gateway, reduced down to applying for only the one year compared to two years previously. A new dual energy deal has also been negotiated with Eon for the next three years which should save the Village Hall £300.00. He also reported that the ash tree outside the Village Hall has now been felled. He proposed that in future, although the Village Hall paid the costs of this felling, that the trees outside the Village Hall should be included under the same remit of the Parish Council like the other trees in the Village. The Parish Council agreed.

Village Greens – Cllr Twyman reported that the mower will be sent for inspection over Christmas to get a quotation for the repairs needed. The mower is 15 years old and the grant for £500.00 will help considerably with the costs. However, if the cost to fix the mower is going to be incredibly high, a decision will have to be made whether it will be more cost effective to purchase a new one.

Flood Protection – Cllr Twyman reported that he had attended a meeting on Saturday 22 November 2014 with 11 Parish Councils, the Environment Agency and Southern Water. The Head of the Environment Agency could not attend but Ray Foster took his place to present their appraisal and what repairs have been carried out so far. Many were critical of the speed they are making the repairs and how little has been achieved to prevent flooding in the future

The Nailbourne is still flowing and the springs are building up quickly. Cllr Twyman issued an article for he gazette a couple of weeks ago with some damning information for the Environment Agency showing is in serious danger of flooding this year from the Great Stour. There has been no de-silting of the river in at least one year if not two and although repairs have been carried out between Grove Ferry and Port Farm, this will only hold a certain amount of water before it will overfill. The tree clearing schedule will not be started until December, and even

then only half the clearance will be carried out. This is not enough to protect Fordwich from flooding this year, especially if there is another winter like the last. Julian Brazier MP got in contact with Cllr Twyman to express his concern at the article, not realising how dire the situation is, and promised to press for more action. It is however too late now to take action, flooding will occur this year if the weather continues to deteriorate

The wall at the home for the elderly in has not seen any improvements. The entire wall will have to be redesigned and it is highly likely water will come through Littlebourne and flood them again. The water levels are six weeks ahead of this time last year, an alarming figure when the weather is set to deteriorate further.

Clearing of Black Hole Dyke has been carried out from the white bridge to just past Reynolds Place. A new sluice will be installed shortly to allow water that overlapped last year to flow into the gully instead. In Wickhambreaux Lane, a new grill has been installed to catch the weeds that float downstream to prevent the, clogging up the pipes. The Environment Agency will empty this grill every day to ensure maximum water flow.

Cllr Twyman also reported additional clearing of the Black Hole Dyke from Wickham Lane to Seaton may be required, but overall it is in a reasonable condition. The stretch of river behind Seaton Road Cottages is clogged up and will need clearing. The owners of the cottages have riparian ownership which means they have a responsibility to keep the river clear and flowing. The Environment Agency have taken responsibility for repairs to Seaton Weir, located towards the gravel pits, and have allocated funding.

In regards to sewage, new pumps are already failing from Barham to Littlebourne. Southern Water have accepted responsibility and have rectified all the problems that have occurred so far. With water levels rising, new pressure points will develop which will put additional pressure on these pumps. The Environment Agency have already put contracts in place to provided pumps in various positions along the river. Concrete basis have been added to the pumps already in place. Cllr Twyman also reported he has approximately 1500 sandbags in storage if anybody needs any.

14. FINANCE The expenditure totalling £405.73 was authorised, made up of: • Stripy Lawns – Mowing recreation ground 04 April and 18 November 2014 - £70.00 • Chenice Sparkes – Clerk salary November 2014 - £142.08 • HMRC – Employee and PAYE November 2014 - £31.00 • Cllr O’Sullivan – Copying of draft Emergency Plan - £16.25 • Hayward Design and Print Ltd – Printing of information cards - £146.40

The Parish Council discussed at length what figure to set for the Precept for the financial year 2015-2016. The Precept for this year was set at £11.773. The Clerk has been advised that out of the £3765.00 the Parish Council have applied for under the Concurrent Function Grant, only £1276.27 is expected to be awarded. This leaves a short fall of £2488.73 for important maintenance items including grass cutting, RoSPA inspections of the play area and urgent tree works. This amount will have to be made up under the Precept. With the possibility of having to purchase a new mower for the Village and unexpected expenditure, it was decided to keep the Precept level exactly the same as last year.

15. CLERK REPORT AND CORRESPONDENCE (i) Open Spaces booklet, Autumn 2014 was received (ii) SLCC November 2014 magazine was received

16. ANY OTHER BUSINESS (i) Cllr O’Sullivan reported that he and Cllr Tywman attended the IT Clinic meeting to seek possible solutions to data handling issues. They presented the solution of all Councillors to use domain names for Parish Council work, separate from their personal email. The IT Clinic are working out the details then will be back in contact with the Parish Council. (ii) Cllr Twyman reported that he had placed a sign advertising the School Christmas Fair on Friday 05 December on the Small Green by the pub. They did originally request a sign on the Large Green but this was declined.

The meeting closed at 10:35 p.m.

Signed………………………...... (Chairman)

Date…………………………......