WADHURST PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING AND ORDINARY MEETING HELD AT THE DAVID JAMES BUILDING, UPLANDS
ON TUESDAY 8 MAY 2007 AT 19:30

Present: Councillors Bell, Berger, Mrs Colvin, Doyle, Miss Gadd, Miss Gates, Kent, Mamlok, Mrs Pearman, Phipson, Price, Standley, Miss Whatmore and Wheeler.
Also in attendance: District Councillor Wells.

1.             TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES AND REASONS FOR ABSENCE
Apology received from Cllr. Mrs Monaghan; reason noted and accepted. Apology received from County Cllr. Tidy.

2.             ANNUAL MEETING
To elect a Chairman – Declaration of Acceptance of Office to be signed.
Cllr. Price was unanimously elected as Chairman and the Declaration of Acceptance of Office signed.

To elect a Vice-Chairman – Declaration of Acceptance of Office to be signed
Cllr. Standley was unanimously elected as Vice-Chairman and the Declaration of Acceptance of Office signed.

Members to sign Declarations of Acceptance of Office
Members signed their Declarations of Acceptance of Office. It was agreed that Cllr. Mrs Monaghan will sign her form before she attends her first council meeting.

To Elect Committees
Committees were elected as follows;
Environment – Cllrs. Mrs Pearman (Chairman), Miss Gadd, Miss Gates, Kent and Mamlok.
Finance Committee – Cllrs. Price (Chairman), Doyle, Mrs Monaghan, Mrs Pearman, Standley and Wheeler.
Highways & Lighting – Cllrs. Mrs Monaghan (Chairman), Berger, Mrs Colvin, Doyle, Miss Gadd and Miss Whatmore.
Planning – Cllrs. Berger (Chairman), Bell, Kent, Mamlok, Mrs Monaghan, Standley and Miss Whatmore.
Recreation Ground Management – Cllrs. Doyle (Chairman), Standley, Miss Whatmore and Wheeler.
Personnel – Cllrs. Wheeler (Chairman), Bell, Kent and Mrs Monaghan.

To Elect Council Representatives
Council representatives on other bodies were confirmed as follows:

Belmont Surgery – Cllr. Mrs Colvin.
Link Cllr. for Wealden Strategic Partnership – Cllr. Mamlok.
Wadhurst Partnership – Cllr. Phipson.
Emergency Co-ordinator – Cllr. Miss Gates.
Institute, Hall and Field – Cllr. Standley.
St. George’s Hall – Cllr. Miss Whatmore.
Police Representative – Cllr. Phipson.
Wadhurst Local Action Team – Cllrs. Doyle and Standley.
Wealden District Association of Local Councils – Cllr Doyle with Cllr. Mamlok as the cluster planning representative.
Uplands Governors Development Sub Committee – Cllr. Mamlok.

Cllrs. Bell and Mrs Colvin are Councillor Trustees of the Bocking Collection.

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
None.

3.             POLICE REPORT
None.

4.             PUBLIC FORUM
None.

5.             TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING AS A TRUE RECORD
Resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held 10.04.07 as a true record.

6.             TO DETERMINE MATTERS ARISING FROM THE PREVIOUS MINUTES FOR UPDATING AND NOTING
Kebab van – this has now been repaired and is no longer parked permanently in the lay-by opposite the fire station.

7.             TO RECEIVE REPORTS OF COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS.
County Council
None.

District Council
Cllrs. Standley and Webb elected as Wadhurst District Cllrs. The conservatives have retained control as the majority party with the same number of seats. There are 18 new District Cllrs.

8.             CHAIRMAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE FOR NOTING.
To review format for Annual Parish Meeting 30.05.07
Format for forthcoming APM discussed. It was agreed to cut back on the number of formal reports in order to open up the meeting to residents. There will be exhibitions on the work of committees with Cllrs. answering questions.
The principle of serving refreshments as a way to engage with the public was approved by a majority with expenditure of up to £200 from Chairman’s expenses to be ratified at the next meeting.

9.             HIGHWAYS, TRANSPORT AND LIGHTING MATTERS
To review Report and Minutes of Committee meeting 26.04.07
Minutes reviewed. The replacement lanterns in Deepdene will be fitted with energy saving bulbs and part night cells.
Site meeting held with ESCC to agree siting of VAS in Cousley Wood Road.
To approve recommendations for advising start date for changes to street lighting and agree schedule for post implementation review. [list here]
Resolved to approve recommendation to publicise date when some rural lights will be switched off and to undertake an on-going review using Police statistics and other information with a formal review in April 2008.

To approve lighting repairs
None.

Other Highways and Lighting issues
The new bus contractor has improved the service and is working on cleaning issues. Bus drivers have complained that it is difficult to exit the station safely due to vehicles parked on the opposite side of the road; bollards are due to be installed.
A raised manhole cover in the Lower High Street resulted in a lady falling and breaking her hip; the service provider has repositioned the cover.
Comments received at the Fire Station Open Day that there could be safety issues if proposed car park shares access with fire station.

10.          PLANNING MATTERS

Report on Planning Committee meeting 21.04.07

Minutes of Planning Committee meeting held 21.04 reviewed and noted.

Other planning issues
WDC has advised that planning permission is not required to install concrete on the site of the unauthorised camper van in Monks Lane.
Cllrs. asked to considered buildings and structures of local interest for inclusion on the WDC Local List.
Planning application WD/2007/0099/F for a sand school at Maplesden was refused; WDC Enforcement to be advised that work continues at this site.
No news on the Appeal for the mast at Chrome Tech.

11.          RECREATION GROUND MATTERS
To review Recreation Ground Management Committee Minutes 19.04.07
Minutes reviewed and noted. Discussion on Junior Football income and the payment to Uplands for use of sports hall for indoor practice.
To approve recommendations for Junior Football rental 07/08 and revised letting policy.
Resolved to approve recommendation to continue annual rental a £500 (inclusive of VAT) for a further year from 1.08.07.

To consider maintenance items/improvements and authorise expenditure
Resolved to approve repair of urn up to £50 under LG(MP)A 1976 s19.

12.          ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
The British Legion is to plant new roses at war memorial this week. A suggestion for the provision of bark chippings to contain weeds will be considered by the Environment Committee.

Report that hedge is still overgrown between Church and allotments; Clerk advised that hedges cannot be cut at this time of year due to nesting birds.
Sign for Greyhound Lane is still outstanding; this will be installed as part of the national street naming project.
Request for a recycling site in centre of the village as many older residents cannot get to the waste disposal site at Faircrouch Lane. Enquiries on finding an additional site have not been successful. All households will have a kerbside collection of two recyclable materials by 2010.

13.          FINANCE
To approve Annual Return 2006/07
Resolved to approve Sections One and Two of the Annual Return 2006/07.

To approve expenditure for new Cllr. training
Resolved to approve SALC training course 22.05 for Cllrs. Miss Gadd and Miss Gates at a cost of £50 + VAT each.

To approve accounts payable

Payments authorised as follows:
TWFP agreed at Recreation Ground Management Committee meeting 19.04.07 item 9 under LG(MP)A 1976 s19.
Drainage & Treatment agreed at Recreation Ground Management Committee meeting 14.03.06 item 14 under LG(MP)A 1976 s19.

14.          PARISH PLAN
Working party to undertake further consultation using suggestion boxes at key locations in the village prior to the public meeting 7.07 at the Commemoration Hall.

16.          URGENT ISSUES AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN FOR NOTING OR INCLUSION ON FUTURE AGENDA
A French Mayor will be visiting Wadhurst and talking about Local Government in France at an event being organised by the Twinning Association 11.07.

15.          PERSONNEL – TO REVIEW STAFF SALARIES
Resolved to exclude the public under Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s1 in view of the confidential nature of discussion.

Unanimously resolved to increase Clerk’s salary to SCP 33 + 1 point for qualification in accordance with terms agreed 11.10.05. Increase to be backdated to 1.04.07
Salaries for caretaker and litter picker will be reviewed once clerical cost of living increase known.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 21:27.