HACKINGTON PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF HACKINGTON PARISH ASSEMBLY HELD AT TYLER HILL MEMORIAL HALL AT 7.00pm ON THURSDAY 14th March 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Present: Cllr. R Evison (Chairman); Cllr. B. Fitter-Harding; Cllr. A. Cover; Cllr. T. Hulks; Cllr. N. Cronin and D Horswell (Clerk). Also present: Ward Cllr. G. Metcalfe; County Cllr. Robert Thomas and twenty two residents. Apologies for Absence: Ward Cllr. Amy Baker. The Chairman opened the meeting by welcoming everyone to the Parish Assembly. An update was given by Paul Leary (KCC Highways Officer) on the traffic survey which had been carried out by KCC on Canterbury Hill. This had been conducted on 27th November 2018 and had recorded data on the stretch of the road from Calais Hill to Giles Lane. The average speed of the traffic had been found to be well within the 40mph speed limit, however, Members of the Parish Council pointed out that the rush hour traffic obviously skews the average speed. Residents had the opportunity, through the Chairman, to ask questions and voice their concerns to Paul. Suitable measures which would be allowable for traffic calming were discussed and KCC were asked for recommendations that could be put before the Parish Council for discussion. The problem of the narrowness of the footpath on Canterbury Hill and a suggestion of the hedges and vegetation being needed to be cut back and removed to allow for extra width for the safety of pedestrians was expressed. Paul is to take all the issues and suggestions by the Parish Council and residents back to KCC for implementation. The Chairman gave thanks to Paul for his attendance at the meeting. Many of the residents left the meeting at this point unhappy at the seemingly lack of solutions to their concerns over highway matters in the village. (1) MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING: The minutes of the Parish Assembly March 2018 were agreed as being accurate and signed as such by the Chairman. (2) CHAIRMAN’S REPORT: Cllr. Evison The Chairman gave his Annual Report (printed below), of the Parish Council’s work over the last year, copies of which have been circulated to all Councillors: The Chairman of the Parish Council’s report to the Parish Assembly, 14th March 2019 The Council has met on its customary six occasions over the past year, considering the particular matters pertaining to the parish which are its responsibility; These are the highways, footpaths, street lighting, safety and security, and the conservation area. The Council continues to enjoy good working relationships with the City Council and with other bodies and individuals serving the community in the parish. HACKINGTON PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF HACKINGTON PARISH ASSEMBLY HELD AT TYLER HILL MEMORIAL HALL AT 7.00pm ON THURSDAY 14th March 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Council has used its training budget to send the Clerk to training and updating conferences designed to update Clerks generally. The Council is always represented at the Canterbury Area Committee of the Kent Association of Local Councils and at the Rural Area Members Panel meetings of the City Council. The City Council has introduced a much more open format to its discussions at the Panel meetings which Parish Council representatives welcome. The Council still awaits the publication of a revised version of the Parish Charter. Perhaps more than usual, Highways and road traffic matters featured prominently in the Council’s work, the topics having been raised by residents both in correspondence and at meetings. The Council recognises and shares the concerns expressed by residents and does all that it can to influence decisions which would improve safety on our roads and footways. The Council has invited residents to recognise the advisory capacity in which Council members work. Yellow lines have been installed along both sides of the whole length of Link Road following numerous incidents of the road being blocked due to parked vehicles. Whilst the lines have been respected for the most part, occasionally workmen’s vehicles have been parked and blocked the road. Whilst most of the Parish roadsides are clear, Canterbury Hill, Calais Hill and Tyler Hill Road are invariably strewn with litter thrown from cars. We have invited the District Council to help us resolve this matter. With the government’s austerity programme continuing, the Council has continued with its plan to increase our annual precept on ratepayers up to 2020 by 7%, slightly more than it has in the past. This is approximately 31p/ year increase for a Band D property. The council has always been prudent in its management of our finances and it will continue to be so. It continues to be realistic in its management of the services it provides for our residents. The Council’s finances were approved at audit and show a healthy working balance. The proposed Resilience Plan for the village has somewhat stalled whilst we are waiting on clarification about the legalities of Data Protection on the information held on volunteers to the scheme. It is hoped that the scheme will be completed before summer this year. The Parish has again enjoyed a year in which there were very few crimes committed but sadly the speed indicator sign was vandalised and the lithium battery stoled again. We have replaced the lithium with a cheaper material. The Council is grateful to Robin Whiting for his work as Neighbourhood Watch reporter for the village. Robin, despite his wish to give up this role, has continued with it. Our PCSO meets with our Clerk regularly and we are pleased to note that his active service has not been required in the village. Although the proposal a for semi-detached pair of buildings to replace Hillside Cottage was lost at Planning last year nothing yet is evident that the proposal is to be realised. HACKINGTON PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF HACKINGTON PARISH ASSEMBLY HELD AT TYLER HILL MEMORIAL HALL AT 7.00pm ON THURSDAY 14th March 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are pleased to note that planning applications refer to our Design Statement which summarises our expectations of those who are seeking to change buildings, add to buildings, or create new buildings in the parish. In almost all instances the applications acknowledge the importance of our Conservation Area status and the advice in the Design Statement The Council continues to welcome commentary on the Design Statement. The text is available on the Parish Council’s website www.hackingtonpc.kentparishes.gov.uk. The Tyler Hill Meadow Local Nature Reserve, which has ben in place for more than 10 years, has again benefited from the voluntary efforts of the management team and some of their families who have tidied the Reserve. During the year a team from the Kentish Stour Project again returned to the Reserve to undertake a clear-up of all parts of the Reserve. It is now restored to its former appearance. The Management Team continue to look for local people to join in the surveys especially of invertebrates, mammals and birds. Footpaths in and across the parish continue to be very well used. The footpaths to the east, which are mainly in our woods, continue to be well used and were in very good condition throughout the dry summer of 2018. Kent Footpaths have removed the old ramshackle stiles from footpath junctions and have installed in their place ‘kissing gates’, steel curved barriers which have internal swinging arms. They are not as attractive in the countryside as the former wooden stiles but they are maintenance free, sturdy and allow easy use by dog walkers. The banks of the Sarre Penn stream both in our own and neighbouring parishes are in a poor state. Over 50 years, trees growing close to the banks have fallen in and across the stream making the official line of the footpaths unwalkable. It is proposed that Kent Footpaths be invited to undertake a major improvement scheme for the environs of the stream along its whole length. We repeat, as we do annually, that the Council has placed the following documents on its website: The Parish Design Statement is available for scrutiny and commentary. A document called ‘Who we are and what we do’ is a statement about the The Parish Council’s constitution and activities. Agendas and Minutes of all Parish Council meetings Minutes of the management committee for the Tyler Hill Meadow Reserve. The Annual Report to the Parish Assembly. The Council again wishes to thank and congratulate all those members of the community who have generously given their time and efforts to enhance the appearance of the village in the flower beds at the junction of Hackington Road and Summer Lane, on the ‘village green’ near the village sign, around the entrance to the Memorial hall and in the attractive ‘Greening’ projects. It is also pleasing to report that the Council has been offered the free advice of a trained horticulturalist on the enhancement of the three flower beds at the heart of the village HACKINGTON PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF HACKINGTON PARISH ASSEMBLY HELD AT TYLER HILL MEMORIAL HALL AT 7.00pm ON THURSDAY 14th March 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Members of the Council again wish to record their thanks to their Clerk, Mrs Denise Horswell, who is retiring at the Annual General meeting in May of this year. Her service to the council has been outstanding. She has been efficient, considerate and enormously helpful to Councillors and electors alike. The whole parish is very grateful to her for her dedicated service. During the year the Parish Councillors have taken the following lead responsibilities Footpaths Ray Evison Highways Ben Fitter-Harding Street Lighting + Security Nigel Cronin Liaison with the Memorial Hall Annie Cover committee and with KALC Conservation and stream, river and Trish Hulks riparian matters The Council is grateful for the advice it receives from the Chairman of B, H & T H Society, Penny Reilly, and from the Tree and Pond Warden, Lynne Evison RE 8th March 2019 Cllr.