Minutes 1 March 2016

HATFIELD AND DISTRICT GROUP PARISH COUNCIL

4/16

MINUTES OF THE TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTH PARISH COUNCIL MEETING OF HATFIELD AND DISTRICT GROUP PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON 1 MARCH 2016 IN PUDLESTON VILLAGE HALL AT 7PM

In Attendance

Councillor T Brooke [Chair]  Councillor R Hanson [Vice chair]  Councillor M Thomas Councillor C Price  Councillor E Griffith  Councillor A Lewis

Clerk A Billinge    6 Members of the public

  1. 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE. Apologies had been received from Ward Councillor Bruce Baker.
  2. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND WRITTEN APPLICATIONS FOR DISPENSATIONS by Parish Councillors. None were reported.
  3. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING, were approved and signed.

4 OPEN SESSION [10 Minutes] – with local residents present at meeting. Questions were asked regarding the Neighbourhood Development Plan, and a long and heated discussion followed. The state of the roads and potholes were also raised. The mud on Whyle lane was also discussed.

  1. FINANCE                                                                                                                                           5.1 Invoices and payments, the following cheques were approved and signed, Parish Council expenses £40.58 Claire Rawlings £174. HALC £180 and £412.88, Pudleston Village Hall £43.20, and Councillor Thomas’s travel expenses £19.80.   Cheques were signed for the following pre-agreed expenditure clerks wages, and HMRC. A cheque was signed for £91 for uncontested Parish Council election fees from last May, but it was pointed out that we still have not received an invoice for the Ward elections.

5.2 Website grant and website maintenance [as agreed 1 Sept, 2015 Minute item 9.2.d] The clerk reported that the £1200 website grant cheque had been paid into Lloyds bank, as per statement 56. The grant was to fund set up fees for the website, new laptop, software and hours spent maintaining the website. She explained that it would be necessary to spent at least half a hour a week on the website, this would bring her hours up to six and a half per week. The other alternative was to pay the provider £20 per hour to keep the site updated, or a Parish Councillor could take the task on. The clerk highlighted a problem with paying for the new laptop, PCWorld, would not accept any cheques, only cards. At the recent training it was stated clerks should not pay by personal credit cards. After ringing HALC it was agreed the only way forward was for clerks to pay on their credit card, and immediately get a cheque from the parish council for reimbursement. It was agreed to give the clerk a cheque for £489.98, so the purchase could go ahead, via the clerks credit card. It was suggested that provision for a laptop be made within the precept budgeting, spreading a third of the cost per annum, so the website laptop could be updated as required. A cheque for £489.98 was signed. It was also reported that copies of all the website invoices had to be sent to the grant providers as part of the audit trail, as the grant was ring fenced.

IT WAS RESOLVED THAT THE CLERKS HOURS BE INCREASED TO SIX AND A HALF PER WEEK

IT WAS RESOLVED THAT THE CLERK PAY FOR THE LAPTOP WITH HER CREDIT CARD

  1. PLANNING

Applications received: 153730 and 153713 Adam and Eve Lodge Pudleston Court. Alterations to external and internal colour of wooden parts of glass windows: NO OBJECTIONS

5/16

153713 The Gaggles, Pudleston Court. Replace PVC windows NO OBJECTIONS

6.2 To note – planning applications approved. None

133173 Burnt Mill, Hampton Wafre, Docklow. Erection of 2 turbines on 27m tubular towers. Appeal dismissed.

Bilfield Farm, No Prior concent necessary, for change of barn to residential use. [Previous application 152905]

  1. HIGHWAYS

7.1 Ditches and drainage. Due to budget cuts, sandbags have to be ordered from builders merchants and funded by Parish Councils, although the clerk had received no official confirmation of this. The Lengthsman scheme was closed for 2016/17.

  1. TRAINING REPORT Councillor Thomas reported on the full days training on 30 January, attended by himself and the clerk. Future training for the clerk was available, which would lead to the Parish council acquiring the General Power of Competence, with this the Parish council could move forward. It had been an informative day, and Councillor Thomas recommended it to the other Parish Councillors.
  2. PLANNING POLICY The planning policy was discussed and reviewed.

IT WAS RESOLVED THAT THE PLANNING POLICY STAYS THE SAME.

  1. NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN – It was reported that 3 meetings would be held at Pudleston Village Hall, starting at 7pm on 5 April, [Docklow], 7 April [Hatfield] and 12 April, [Pudleston] these had been widely advertised.
  2. CLERK’S REPORT AND UPDATE – The clerk had circulated details of “Have a say about engaging with Herefordshire Council”, and this and other items of interest had been circulated. The chair reported that celebrations for the Queens 90th birthday had been organized by one or two residents. There would be a beacon on 21 April, registered as one of 250 all over the country, and on 23 April, there would be a celebration, including Pig roast and other attractions, with the proceeds to the Air Ambulance. Correspondence – The chair had received a letter from Balfours who were acting regarding the proposed alterations to the bridleway at Highfield Cottage, Pudleston.
  3. TO CONSIDER MATTERS RAISED BY MEMBERS AS AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING [NO DISCUSSION] – None
  4. DATE OF NEXT MEETING 3 May 2016, subject to hall availability.   It was agreed that the Annual Parish Meeting, start at 7pm, followed by the Annual Parish Council Meeting.