Ticehurst Parish Council

The Village Hall, Lower High Street, Ticehurst, East Sussex, TN5 7BB 01580 754 090

Draft Minutes of Ticehurst Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 6 December  2011 

Present:  Cllrs.  Goodall (c), Maynard, Cook, Yeo, Rigby, Burley and Young.
In attendance:  C. Cllr Barnes   D. Clllrs. Elliston and Barnes.

Matters raised:

• The Bell Field – Request for information – turned down.
• Flimwell Hall  - Public unhappy at proposal to spend £50,000.
• Parking in the Village has got worse since the Bell opened.
• CCTV – both cameras now operational.                  

AGENDA

685.0 Declarations of Interest: Cllr. Cook declared a personal interest in any matters that might affect the Beatrice Drewe Trust and as a neighbour of the Bell Field.

686.0 Apologies for absence:  Apologies were received from Cllrs. Cocking, Hastings, Burnham, Langdown, Jones and Spencer.  Their reasons for absence were accepted by their colleagues and entered into the attendance register.

687.0 Minutes of the meeting held on 8th November  2011:  -Proposed by Cllr. Rigby, seconded by Cllr. Young and signed as a true record of those proceedings by the Chairman.

688.0 Additional Agenda Items:  There were no additional items.

689.0  Power of Well Being:  The prescribed criteria for adopting this power has been met, specifically:
a)  80% of Councillors are trained in the Power of Well Being – (MG, SB, PC, DM, AC, CH, IS, LY, MY, PL, RR)
b) The qualified Clerk is trained in the Power of Well-Being  - having passed Section 7 of the Certificate in Local Council Administration.
c) A minimum of two thirds of the Councillors were elected at the last poll – May 2011.
d) The Council has published a statement of community engagement (attached) and to confirm that the Council is now eligible to exercise the Power of Well Being until the day before the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Council.
The power of Well-Being was formally adopted – Clerk to inform SALC and NALC.

690.0 Flimwell Survey Update:  It was resolved that this issue be placed on the January agenda due to the public reaction to this proposal.

691.0  Traffic Calming Group: Report from Cllr. Young.  Notes of meeting held at ESCC Heathfield with Colin Davis on 24th November 2011 circulated.  Amended plans are to come from Mr Davis and ESCC will commission a safety audit about the proposals put forward.  It was felt that the planters could be instigated earlier than the rest of the scheme and it would be a useful exercise to ascertain their level of effectiveness.

692.0  Appendix of Outstanding Matters:

ROSPA                               Clerk is now an approved Operational Inspector of playgrounds
Hedging for Pond               Ticehurst  Village Pond  - approval for hedging – Clerk to speak to David Maynard.

693.0  Lighting:  Cllr. Young to reported her  meeting with Keith Bonner of Direct Technical Services to cost up each option open to the Council.  Report was circulated and tabled at the meeting.  There was much discussion about which type of lighting would be most effective and efficient.  It was decided that all Cllrs. should consider the report before the next meeting when a decision will be needed due to the budgeting implications. 

694.0 District Council Report:  D. Cllr. Barnes reported that Roger Scott has retired from RDC Planning Department and that there will more emphasis on the enforcement departments work.
RDC have signed up to a disposal strategy and will amalgamate with Eastbourne, Wealden and ESCC to run the waste and recycling services.
It was reported that the response from Ticehurst Parish Council to the Core Strategy consultation was good.

695.0 County Council Report: Cllr. Barnes reported that he is continuing to pressure ESCC with regard to the possibility of changing the priority of the Lower Platts and Pashley Road junction.
Cllr. Barnes reported that infrastructure provisions were highly successful and there would be funding for the Link Road if the Government gives the go ahead and monies for broadband provision in the rural areas.  It is aimed to generate 6500 new jobs.

696.0 Reports: Cllr. Rigby reported that he had attended the Broadband  Conference.  The aim is to get rural areas up to speed which will be good if it is done via fibre optics but not if it is a wireless system.  Cllr. Rigby to circulate a note about the merits of each option.

697.0 Environmental Report: Cllr Young reported that Wendy Fidler has produced a report on the farthing Hill plot and a meeting has been set for 19th January 2012.

698.0 Finance Report: 
Report from the Financial Advisory group.  Notes and updated precept were circulated to all Councillors after meeting on 18th November 2011.  It is anticipated that there will be a saving on the emptying of the dog bins in the coming year.
Finance group to consider the implications of the lighting report before the next meeting.
The list of cheques were sanctioned for payment.

Update on Co-operative Bank.  Forms have been sent off – awaiting new accounts.

699.0  Three Leg Cross Phone Box:  Phone box has now been adopted by the Parish Council.  The group who have taken on responsibility for maintaining it have applied to ESCC to plant up the island.  Clerk has details of the type of paint used by BT and supplied sign for the box informing the public of its status. ESCC have stated that they expect the landscaping scheme to be sympathetic with the rural environment.

700.0  Car Park:  The Chairman reported that she and the Clerk had addressed RDC at a meeting on 30th November and requested that consideration be given to allowing the Parish Council to run the Pickforde Lane car park.

701.0 Planning Report:
Planning applications considered since the last meeting and the recommendations forwarded to RDC:
RR/2011/2203/P – Newington House – swimming pool and plant room - approved
RR/2011/2282/P –  Briar Croft Stonegate – garage for two cars – approved with conditions
RR/2011/2287/P – Briar Croft – single storey extension – approved.
Cllr. Maynard reported that there are currently three appeals against planning decisions at Rother and these would be discussed at the planning meeting on 8th December 2011.  It is likely that one appeal will be supported and for two comments will be sent to the planning inspector against their applications  (Bathams Farm and Hollands Farm House).

702.0  Diamond Jubilee:  Consideration was given to  whether the Council should organise a beacon, plant an Oak tree or request that a woodland is designated as a Jubilee Woodland.  The ancient woodland between Upper Platts and the golf course was suggested as a possible site.

703.0 Correspondence: 

704.0 Recreation Grounds  – CCTV:   It was reported that the system is now working well.  Three complaints regarding use of the multi-court on 19th, 20th and 27th were made to RDC.  Environmental Health Officer visited the Institute to view activities on the area throughout the three days and between two and twelve people were seen for periods of time on the afternoons of the days in question.  Times of activity and number of people there were recorded in detail by RDC officer and Parish Clerk.

705.0 Items for the January Agenda:    
Diamond Jubilee Celebrations                      Allotments
Lighting                                                          Funding and Enterprise meeting report
Precept                                                           Flimwell Hall

706.0 The Bell Field:  (Confidential). The Council will move to exclude the press and public for this item on the agenda by reason of the confidential nature of the business, as stated in section 1 of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 and amended by Section 100 of the Local Government Act 1972.  The reason for the confidentiality is due to on- going litigation matters.

NALC advice: Councillors are reminded that forwarding on correspondence received is not acceptable.  Advice should always be sought from the Responsible Officer of the Council.

707.0  Date of the next meeting:  3rd January  2012