Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting Monday 13th January 2020, 7.30pm New Inn Present: Parish Councillors Janice Hughes (Chairman), Keith Alderman, Jenny Roberts; Clerk Susan Turner; Guest Mark Holliday (having expressed interest in Parish Councillor vacancy) 20.01 WELCOME & APOLOGIES Apologies Parish Councillors Adam Knight, Douglas Wheeler; PCSO Nick Greenwood, Ward Councillor Anne Crampton; County Cllr David Simpson; Guy Chessell. 20.02 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING of 18th November agreed and signed 20.03 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST in items on the Agenda All Councillors re Precept request. Dispensation granted via the Clerk as per s33(2) of the Localism Act 2011. 20.04 NEW PARISH COUNCILLOR Apologies received from Guy Chessell who came to the November meeting. Interest in councillor role expressed by Mark Holliday attending. Two other expressions of interest received. Notice received from Hart that there has been no call for a bye- election and the Parish Council is free to co-opt. ACTION Councillors to discuss re co-option. 20.05 FINANCE i Payments Nov / Dec regular payments made 28/11/2019 PGGM Maintenance Contract £274.00 28/11/2019 New Inn – meeting room £20.00 28/11/2019 Clerk Salary £319.50 30/12/2019 PGGM Maintenance Contract £274.00 30/12/2019 New Inn – meeting room £20.00 30/12/2019 Clerk Salary £319.50 Payments for approval None ii Draft budget for 2020/21 & Precept request Considerations - as minuted November meeting. Agreed ‘to bring Precept up to level of routine expenditure’. AGREED Precept request of £12,000.00. SEE APPENDIX I The Parish Council agreed a Precept increase of £2,260 (on 2019/20 Precept of £9,740.00) to ensure funds to meet maintenance commitments for trees on Hound Green and other projects - and to close the present gap (deficit) in income compared to regular and committed expenditure. This amounts to an increase of £6.91 per annum per band D household £12,000 / 325.19 (estimated tax base 2020/21) = total £36.90 per annum per band D household. Bearing in mind for a band H it will be double that and for a band A will be halved. For signature ......................................... MPC 13th January 2020 page 2 20.06 HOUND GREEN i Phone box ACTION FROM NOV MEETING Adam Knight to confirm with phone box volunteers and mark out the position required for the concrete base adjacent to the Owl Noticeboard. (The phone box is 3ft by 3ft and requiring additional c 8 inches around.) Also to indicate where door – and so back wall with electricity metre – is to be. AGREED Residents requesting a defibrillator should complete a SJA training course. ACTION To liaise with Anne Crampton re course. ii Goal posts installation – To record the Parish Council’s thanks for a grant received from Cllr Simpson’s devolved budget. PGGM to install asap as per agreed estimate. Awaiting confirmation of date - weather / ground conditions permitting. iii Tree work – Inspection of Hound Green trees is due, some work required. ACTION FROM NOV MEETING Adam Knight and Doug Wheeler to seek tree surgeon estimates. iv Old bus shelter ACTION FROM NOV MEETING - Clerk to make further request to Merronbrook. 20.07 GLEBE WOOD i Maintenance ACTION FROM NOV MEETING - Doug Wheeler will request Sparsholt consider contributing to Glebe Wood management as a training venue. 20.08 HAZELEY HEATH i Oak trees Jenny Roberts raised concerns with RSBP because their tree felling programme includes Oak trees. Councillors agreed this is counter intuitive given the environmental value normally assigned to Oaks and the agreed Climate Emergency policy for tree planting. However in a Heathland environment, RSPB consider Oaks to be ‘weeds’, and their presence changes the Heathland ecosystem. This felling programme is according to Natural England guidelines. Agreed that arguing against it is unlikely to achieve any positive result. Jenny noted that the cutting programme involves about 30 Oaks but working to a 10- year plan. Contractors have been drafted in to clear sections of the leggy gorse. ACTION Requested RSPB provide information boards across the Heath advising of the felling and maintenance programme. AGREED To include an article in the Whitewater Magazine. 20.09 TRAFFIC & HIGHWAYS i Hound Green Close - request for double yellow lines Letter sent to Hart requesting double yellow lines on corners of Hound Green Close at junction with Vicarage Lane & Hudson’s Meadow SEE APPENDIX II. Hart’s response I ‘Any restrictions, such as double yellow lines, are generally expected to largely be self- enforcing and not rely for their effectiveness on continuous enforcement and, ideally, should automatically command the respect of the majority of the general public. ‘It seems that the parking is overnight by residents ie between 6pm and 9am As this is the case, if restrictions were to be installed, then they would not be enforced, because during the morning period our priority is enforcing roads at schools, and in the evening period, we will not be in a position to enforce restrictions in Hound Green. As a result, residents will quickly establish they are not enforced, and so will not have respect for the restrictions. For signature ......................................... MPC 13th January 2020 page 3 ‘I can see how annoying this is to residents, especially those living in Hudson’s Meadow having to negotiate vehicles parked close to its junction with Hound Green Close, but it is not stopping access; if it were, then that would be a police matter. ‘Unfortunately we are unable to assist on this occasion, as it would not be enforced and residents would be aware of that fact and continue to park in the same manner.’ Hart’s response II ‘Car parks are enforced on a Saturday, but not Sunday outside of Fleet. Restrictions such as the one we're discussing are enforced all the time, but it comes down to resources and priorities, very much like the police; we have few resources, and at the weekends have to put them in the areas of most need, which is the roads and car parks of Fleet, and the car parks and critical road areas of Hook, Hartley Wintney, Blackwater and Odiham. ‘So, should restrictions be implemented at Hound Green Close, it is very possible that a patrol would not be able to get to the location at a time to see anyone parked, so future patrols would quickly fall away and the location would then not be patrolled. ‘I know this is not the answer residents were hoping for, but on this occasion, there is nothing we could do that would solve the problem.’ ‘A different approach could be for the parish to work with the county on a small traffic scheme under the Community Led Traffic Management scheme. This could be a scheme to widen the footpath in the area of the junction, and then to place bollards to stop parking on the footpath; the widening would stop parking about the junction, as that would make the road too narrow.’ ACTION Clerk to pursue re Community-funded Initiative. ii Lengthsman Schedule ACTION To draw up a plan for road sign clearing and cleaning. iii Bottle Lane Road closures for ‘operation resilience’ carriageway and verge repair. iv Public footpaths 1. Footpath 13 ACTION FROM NOV MEETING - Clerk to follow up with Mark Thompson (developer) who has suggested the metre strip of land at the Glencoe eastern boundary - fenced off for the route of Mattingley FP 13 - be transfered to Parish Council ownership 2. Hazeley Bottom To log the steps up to the footpath in need of repair. 20.10 PLANNING i Parish Planning applications No new applications for consideration. SEE APPENDIX III for list of current applications relating to the Parish. ii Bramshill House Jenny Roberts reported Bramshill applicants arranged another information day for residents regarding development proposals. To note Bramshill is a Grade I listed Jacobean House, and the only one of its type in the country. Planning requirement is to remain as a house. Use as a hotel would be inappropriate due for one thing to the need for en-suite bathrooms. 20.11 FURTHER REPORTS i Police Liaison Meeting Next meeting 30th Jan 7pm, Jenny Roberts to attend. ii Hants recycling centre / tip Hants residents need to register cars to avoid charges. SEE APPENDIX IV 20.12 NEXT MEETINGS 17 Feb, 16 Mar, 20 April (Parish Assembly), 18 May (AGM), 15 June, 20 July 17 Aug, 21 Sept, 19 Oct, 16 Nov Meeting closed at 8.30pm with thanks to all present For signature ......................................... Date ................................................. MPC 13th January 2020 page 4 APPENDIX I – PRECEPT REQUEST 2020/21 PARISH PRECEPT 2020/2021 For financial year ending 31 March 2021 PARISH OF MATTINGLEY The amount of the Precept for the year is: £12,000.00 Amount of pounds in words: TWELVE THOUSAND POUNDS Your Parish Precept will be paid via BACS and Remittance advice will be sent on the email we have in our records. If you have changed your bank details since your last precept payment or would like to confirm them with us please complete below. Name of Bank: TSB Name of Account: MATTINGLEY PARISH COUNCIL Account Number 07266599 Sort Code 30 9 629 Email: [email protected] If the Precept requirement is greater than £150,000.00 please provide details below. Expenditure Item/Service Amount Environment & Recreaction Youth Provision Cemeteries Street Lighting Voluntary Organisation Grants Office & Admin Costs Professional Fees Wages & Salaries Projects & Capital Costs Democratic & Elections Other Expenditure (Please specify below) Income Fees and Charges Other Income Net Expenditure £ - Transfer to (from) bals.