Cutcombe Parish Council
Meeting of Cutcombe Parish Council to be held on Tuesday 18th March 2008 at 7.30 pm (or as soon thereafter as public questions and statements are concluded) at the Moorland Hall
Questions and statements from parishioners will be taken at 7.30 pm prompt, before the parish council meeting begins, for a maximum of 15 minutes.
AGENDA
1 Apologies for absence
2 Declarations of interest
3 To approve the minutes of the meetings held on 19th February 2008, and any matters arising
4 Planning Applications and related business
4.1 Consideration of planning applications
4.2 To note ENP decisions on previous applications
4.3 Other relevant matters
5 To consider highways and transport matters, and related items
5.1 The Luckwell Bridge Triangle Improvement Scheme
5.2 Any other Highways/Transport matters
6 Snowdrop Valley Report
7 Dunkery Pre-School Presentation
8 Wheddon Cross Post Office: proposed closure
9 Exmoor National Park Local List of Validation Requirements for Planning Applications: Consultation
10 Finance
10.1 To consider and, if approved, pay the Clerk’s quarterly salary from 01/01/08 to 31/03/08 in the sum of £444.06
10.2 To consider and, if approved, pay the Clerk’s quarterly expenses in the sum of £219.19
10.3 To consider and, if approved, pay the SALC invoices for training events (Freedom of Information Act and Document Retention (27/02/08) and Audit and Accounts Update (10/04/08) in the sum of £15 per invoice
10.4 To consider and, if approved, pay the SALC Annual Affiliation Fee of £87.57
11 Correspondence and meetings
11.1 Clerk’s report on correspondence received
11.2 Clerk’s report on meetings attended
11.3 Councillors’ reports on correspondence received
11.4 Councillors’ reports on meetings attended
12 Items for the next Agenda
Minutes of the Meeting held at 7.30pm on Tuesday 18th March 2008 at the Moorland Hall
Councillors Roger Webber, Eric Clarbull, Maria Davies, John Davis, Tim Gardner and Susie Sanders were present as were County Councillor John Edwards and seven parishioners
109.1 An apology of absence was accepted from Cllr Linda Atkins. WPCSO Sue Hurley had sent a message that she was unable to attend this month due to work commitments.
109.2 Cllr Gardner expressed a prejudicial interest in Item 6 as the bus operator for the Snowdrop Valley Park and Ride Scheme and a prejudicial interest in item 8 as the owner of Wheddon Cross
Post Office but did not leave the room as no financial matters were discussed nor were any votes taken on either item.
109.3 The minutes of the meeting held on 19th February 2008 were approved and signed by the Chairman as a true record. There were no matters arising.
109.4 109.4.1 There were no planning applications for consideration.
109.4.2 6There were no ENP decisions on previous applications to report.
109.4.3 There were no other relevant planning matters for discussion at this point (but see Agenda Item 9).
109.5 109.5.1 Luckwell Bridge Improvement Scheme: There had been a recent site meeting and final quotes are awaited from CJ Lynch and Sherrins for the work involved; the hedge still needs trimming.
Cllr Sanders reported that there are problems with the bridge due to its weight limit being unknown and larger lorries refusing to deliver.
109.5.2 Cllr Webber had been talking with Highways regarding the quality of tarmacing by the school; Highways would like a list of roads/highways matters to be worked on in the Parish during 08/09: Councillors requested to bring these back to the April meeting; work on the widening of the entrance to the car park at The Rest & Be Thankful Inn had now started; Cllr Edwards had been trying to solve the problem at Roundwater Dip, Exford PC have asked Cutcombe to co-operate on this matter; flooding problems to be reported at the top of Thorne Lane and Codsend Lane. The Clerk reported on The Betta Somerset Stages Rally to take place on 26th April.
109.6 The Clerk reported on the Snowdrop Valley Park and Ride Scheme, information having been passed to her from Sally Parish, the
co-ordinator to whom a vote of thanks is to be recorded. A meeting of the main parties linked with the scheme had taken place the previous Thursday, some costs are still awaited. The Clerk is to meet with the bus operator next week and it is hoped that final figures can be brought to the April meeting. Concern was expressed that no funds have yet been received form the SDF or ENPA. It was resolved that the Parish Council will co-ordinate the scheme again for 2009.
109.7 The Chairman of the Committee of Dunkery Pre-School had passed a comprehensive Business Plan 2008-2013 to Council for consideration. The Clerk is to summarise this for the Annual Parish Meeting of Electors (2nd April) and for discussion at the April PC meeting.
109.8 110 people had attended the meeting at the Moorland Hall on 6th March and it was agreed that the Clerk would draw together points from this and others in the Parish into a response to the proposed closure of the Post Office: this to be circulated to Council and others who had commented so that a final submission could be made before the 9th April deadline. Our local MPs have been asked for support and support is forthcoming from Co Cllr John Edwards, ENPA and WSC.
109.9 The Clerk circulated Response Forms for the ENPA Local List of Validation Requirements for Planning Applications, together with the report. Councillors to report back to the Clerk asap: deadline for response is 11th April. Co Cllr Edwards expressed concern that professional help would be needed to complete a planning application if most of the proposed Requirements were to be accepted and perhaps training sessions for the public should be organized.
109.10 109.10.1 It was resolved to pay the Clerk’s quarterly salary (01/01/08 to 31/03/08) in the sum of £444.06.
109.10.2 It was resolved to pay the Clerk’s quarterly expenses in the sum of £219.19.
109.10.3 It was resolved to pay the two SALC invoices for training events (FOI Act & Document Retention and Audit and Accounts Update),each in the sum of £15.
109.10.4 It was resolved to pay the SALC Annual Affiliation Fee in the sum of £87.57.
109.11 109.11.1 The Clerk had circulated a list of correspondence received prior to the meeting; various items were debated including the ENPA Annual Monitoring Report 2006-07 (circulating among Councillors) and a letter from WSC Planning manager; it was reported that no further funds are available 2008/09 from the WSC Amenity Grant.
109.11.2 The Clerk reported on the SALC FOI and Document Retention training event which she had attended.
109.11.3 Cllr Webber read out a report from the Parochial Church Council regarding issues surrounding Village News in the Parish magazine and the siting of the Church Noticeboard. The Clerk agreed to contact the PCC to see if more of their notices could go on the Parish Council noticeboards in the village. Any suggestions for resiting the Church noticeboard to be brought to the April PC meeting.
109.11.4 Cllr Webber had spoken with Somerset Waste Partnership who had apologized for the non-emptying of bins in the car park and had cleaned up around the bins. The Clerk to report that there is still a lot of rubbish between the bins and the hedge. Cllr Webber reported on the March Exmoor Panel Meeting and his disappointment that it now appeared that WSC would not be able to contribute to the proposed Parish Lengthsman Scheme after such a lot of hard work had been put in by Parishes and all those involved. Cllr Davis reported on the implementation of the locally managed framework of the Standards Board for England and that the mobile skate park would be at Wheddon Cross on 11th May between 11am and 1pm. Co Cllr Edwards reported that he still did not have any information on the restructuring of the Area Working Panel for 2008/09.
The next meeting of Cutcombe Parish Council will take place on Tuesday 15th April at 7.30 pm in the Moorland Hall. There being no other business the meeting closed at 8.52 pm.
Members are reminded that the Council has a general duty to consider the following matters in the exercise of any of its functions: Equal Opportunities (race, gender, sexual orientation, marital status and any disability), Crime and Disorder, Health and Safety, and Human Rights.
Marlene P Allinson, Parish Clerk
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