Nash Parish Council
In
Attendance:
Mrs M S Hedges (Clerk)
All members of the Council completed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and the Register of Interests Forms.
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2.
Appointment
of officers
(i)
Chairman: Cllr
Tomkins left the meeting. Cllr
Taylor took the Chair. It was
proposed by Cllr Taylor, seconded by Cllr Gillow, that Cllr Tomkins be
re-elected as Chairman. This was
agreed unanimously. Cllr Tomkins
then re-joined the meeting and signed the Declaration
of Acceptance of Office Form.
(ii)
Vice Chairman: It was proposed by Cllr Tomkins, seconded by Cllr Culverhouse, that Cllr
Taylor be re-elected as Vice-Chairman. This
was agreed unanimously. Cllr Taylor signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office Form.
(iii)
Responsible Financial Officer: It was proposed by Cllr Tomkins, seconded by Cllr
Culverhouse, that Cllr Taylor be re-elected to the position of Responsible
Financial Officer. This was agreed
unanimously. Cllr Taylor signed the Declaration
of Acceptance of Office Form.
(iv)
Internal Auditor: Cllr
(v)
Emergency
Planning Officer:
Cllr
The Council noted that the
Government had issued a new Code of Conduct on 3 May and that each Council was
expected to adopt the model code. AVDC
had supplied an electronic version of the document but, inadvertently, had
supplied the Clerk with the wrong version. Mrs
Hedges explained that the intended code for Parish Councils had several
paragraphs deleted from the version circulated and indicated those paragraphs.
After discussion, the Council agreed to adopt with effect from 17 May
2007 the Model Code of Conduct set out in the Local Authorities (Model Code of
Conduct) Order 2007 as it related to Parish Councils, to include optional
paragraph 12(2) enabling members to make representations to meetings as a member
of the public (where public speaking is allowed) despite having a prejudicial
interest, and to annex the ten general principles governing the conduct of
members. The approved version is
attached to the Minutes. The Clerk
was asked to notify the Standards Board and the monitoring officer of Aylesbury
Vale District Council of this decision.
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4.
Use
of cars by Members and Officers: insurance cover
Members
were advised to check with the providers of their car insurance that their cover
defined as “use for social domestic and pleasure purposes” included cover
when travelling on Nash Parish Council business including driving other members
of the Council to meetings.
5.
Internal arrangements for considering
planning applications
The Council agreed to continue the existing arrangements whereby the Chairman plus two other Councillors approve the comments made to AVDC on planning applications.
The
Minutes of the meeting on 15 March 2007 were approved as a correct record and
signed by the Chairman.
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Matters arising
from the Minutes
(i)
Motocross
activities at Barnhill Farm
(Minute 81(i)): The Council discussed
the letter dated 11 May from Mr Dales that had been circulated.
Nash Parish Council was concerned about the veracity of the signed
statement by Mrs Lowe in response to AVDC’s Planning Contravention Notice but
recognised that, unless Nash Parish Council could provide hard evidence of the
date of erection of the mounds, it was reasonable for AVDC to regard the matter
as closed.
Nash
Parish Council noted that AVDC was taking legal advice on the response from the
Lowes’ solicitors that the area should be regarded as two separate units for
planning purposes. Councillors were
concerned that AVDC would agree to this and leave Nash open to 28 Motocross
events each calendar year, rather than the current fourteen.
Two residents had been particularly concerned about recent noisy
events. Nash Parish Council agreed
that the 4x4 events were not intrusive though they caused other problems like
mud on the road. Nash Parish Council
agreed to ask Cllrs Gillow, Southby and Taylor and the Clerk to draft a response
to AVDC without waiting to learn of their response to Mr Lowe’s solicitors.
(ii)
(iii)
Emergency
Plan (Minute 81(iii)): Cllr
Gillow reported that the first draft of the Nash Emergency Plan was almost
complete. When a few more pieces of
information had been collected, then the EPO planned to conduct a table-top
exercise to identify potential problems.
(iv)
Parking at the Pond (Minute 88 (i)): Cllr
Culverhouse reported that there was no longer a problem with the parking of cars
associated with Weir Cottage. However,
he was concerned about the car and van regularly parked outside Cornerview
Cottage (the house built in the
(v)
Reeds at the Pond (Minute 88(iv)): Cllr
Watts reported that he had spoken to Mr Madkins who will do the work before July
when the water is low enough.
(vi)
Ducks
(Minute 88(v)):
Cllr Gillow reported that the Drivers were willing to continue to be
responsible for breeding ducks to live on the Pond if Nash Parish Council was
willing to meet the cost, which was likely to be cost of feeding the ducklings
until they were old enough to live on the Pond.
Because of the imminent work on the reeds, it would not be appropriate to
put additional ducks on the Pond at the moment.
(vii)
Litter Collection (Minute 89): Cllr Southby
reported that three Councillors, the Clerk and two residents had turned out for
the litter collection on Saturday 21 April.
Cllr Southby expressed disappointment at the low turn-out and said he had
written an article for the next Newsletter to this effect.
The Council recorded its thanks to AVDC for the loan of the litter
pickers and for collecting the rubbish the following Monday.
(viii)
Muck heap off
(i)
Parish
Council Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2007: These had been circulated. Cllr Taylor explained that
the main variations from the previous year resulted from the Parish Council
taking responsibility for the Street Party, the fact there was no comparable
repair work to what had been required on the pumps or the installation of the
new gate into the Recreation Ground, together with less work on the elimination
of moles in the Recreation Ground.. After noting these points, on a proposal by
Cllr Gillow, seconded by Cllr Taylor, Nash Parish Council agreed unanimously to
approve the accounts for 2006/07.
(ii)
Audit
2006/2007: The
Council noted the letter dated 27 March 2007 from the Auditors UHY Hacker Young
including the paper 2007 Annual Returns –Important Practical Points” that
had been circulated. The Council
noted also the different format of the forms that had to be submitted to the
external Auditor. The council
approved the submission that had been signed by Mr Kelsey.
Cllr Taylor reported that Mr Kelsey had advised that if the Council took
responsibility for an event such as Street Party in future then a separate bank
account should be opened for this purpose. Mr
Kelsey also pointed out that the Council had not undertaken its customary review
of its insurance schedule and other facets of its risk assessment during
2006/07.
(iii)
Payments
authorised/approved: The following payments were
authorised/approved:
a)
Powergen
Retail Ltd (electricity supply to 31/03/07)
£83.23
b)
NJ
c)
NJ
d)
Allianz
Cornhill: Annual Insurance premium
due 1/6/07 £1062.70
(iv)
Financial
position: The Council had received
the first part of the precept (£4,000) and the total funds in the Parish
Council accounts were
Current
Account
£340.54
General
Reserve
£5,361.69
Recreation
Ground Reserve
£5,580.58
Total
£11,282.81
(v)
Insurance
schedule:
The Council noted that their insurance was due for renewal on 1 June and that
they had not undertaken their normal annual review in March.
In view of the updating of most items that had been undertaken in recent
years the Council was satisfied with the current level.
The Council would review the level of insurance for the equipment in the
playground after the planned new piece of equipment had been purchased. The
Council confirmed that, as a matter of policy, risk assessments were carried out
for individual events for which it was responsible.
(vi)
Donations:
After noting that the Council had given donations to
Victim Support in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire in 1997 and 2000, the Council
agreed, on a proposal by Cllr Taylor seconded by Cllr Gillow to make a donation
of £25 in response to their recent request.
Nash Parish Council agreed to defer the question of a further donation to
All Saints’ Church towards the rebuilding of the churchyard wall until the
autumn.
a)
07/00101/APP
Yew Tree Farm,
b)
07/00538/APP
Land at
With regard to the second application the Council had made no
objection but said that this was conditional on any cables running from the
meter box to the stables or other facilities being placed underground.
(ii)
Other
planning matters:
a)
b)
Public
Exhibition for Western Expansion Area Design Codes:
The Council noted that
exhibitions would take place on Friday 18 May from 2 to 7pm in Stony Stratford
Library and on Saturday 19 May from 10am to 3pm at Two Mile Ash Community
Centre. The Council agreed that Nash
was not particularly interested in the design – its interest lay in
consequential matters like construction traffic and “rat-running”.
(i) Annual Fete: The Council noted that the Chairman had given permission for the Annual Village Fete to be held in the Recreation Ground on Saturday 16 June 2007. The Recreation Ground would be closed for normal use from 8am to 6pm.
(ii) Equipment in the Playground: Cllr Southby reported that the Youth Club supported the proposal for any additional equipment to be of the adventure type assault course. He now had a catalogue and so could prepare detailed, costed, proposals. The Council agreed that, as a guide for preparing his proposals, Cllr Southby could assume that the Council was prepared to spend about £2,500 on the new equipment.
(i)
Top End of High Street
(Minute 91(i)):
The Council noted that the hedge had been cut.
The Council agreed further not to pursue the matter of the installation
of a pavement as it would not be possible to make the pavement continuous and so
any such project was unlikely to get support from BCC.
(ii)
Water Leak outside
(iii)
Local Area Committee Meeting 12
April 2007:
Cllr Culverhouse reported on this meeting. There had been an interesting
presentation by the Waste Procurement Manager on recycling.
The target was to increase this to 45% by 2010.
The Council agreed to make no comments on the paper on the Winter
Maintenance Review, Priority One Setting Network document that had been
circulated.
(iv)
Buckinghamshire Minerals and Waste
Local Development Framework:
Submission Draft Statement of
Community Involvement: Cllr
Watts agreed to look at the document and see whether Nash Parish Council should
respond. The deadline for responses
was Friday 22 June.
(v)
(i) Nash Conservation Area (Minute 92(i))): The Council noted that this document was working its way through the various AVDC Committees. Cllr Watts raised a matter in connection with Bass Hill Farm and it was suggested that he contact the Conservation Officer direct.
(ii)
Village Freighter Service:
The Council noted that the next visit of the Freighter Service would be
on Thursday 5 July from 7.30am to 11am.
(iii)
Children’s Entertainment:
The Council noted that this would be on Thursday 16 August 2007.
Cllr Gillow had agreed to be the responsible adult present on behalf of
Nash Parish Council.
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(i)
The Council noted the
dates of the remaining meetings in 2007/08
19 July; 20 September; 15 November
2007; 17 January 2008; 20 March 2008.
(ii) The Council approved the dates of the Annual Parish Meeting and Annual Meeting of the Council in 2008 as: 8 May 2008 and 15 May 2008 respectively.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 10.05 p.m.