Nash Parish Council

Minutes of the Meeting of Nash Parish Council held on Thursday 15 November 2007 at 8pm in the Village Hall.

 

Present:             Cllr C G Tomkins (Chairman), Cllr G F Culverhouse, Cllr D Gillow, Cllr T Shadbolt, Cllr Sir John Southby Bt, Cllr A Taylor , Cllr E Watts .

In Attendance:   Mrs M S Hedges (Clerk)

51    Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting on 20 September 2007

The Minutes of the meeting on 20 September were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

52    Matters arising from the Minutes

(i)          Motocross activities at Barnhill Farm (Minute 41(i)): Cllr Southby reported that, according to his records, there had been twelve motocross and eight 4x4 events so far this year.  The situation would continue to be monitored.

(ii)        North Bucks Way (Minute 41(ii)):  The work had still to be undertaken. 

(iii)      Emergency Plan (Minute 41(iii)):  Cllr Gillow reported that only a small number of details remained to be added to the plan and the group would meet shortly.  Cllr Culverhouse said that Mr King has raised the question of flooding on the Beachampton Road recently.  Mrs Hedges agreed to contact the Clerk to Beachampton Parish Council to see if they wished support in making a case to BCC.

(iv)      Parking at the Pond (Minute 41(iv)):  The Council noted that the occupants of Corner View Cottage appeared to have moved out and the house was up for sale.  Cllr Culverhouse would monitor the situation and speak privately to any-one who parked on the pavement.

(v)        Reeds at the Pond (Minute 41(v)):  The Council noted that the work had still not been done despite several reminders to Mr Madkins and promises that the work would be done. Cllr Watts had obtained an alternative quote.  As this quote was slightly higher than Mr Madkins and was based on a daily charge, the Council agreed to continue to ask Mr Madkins to do the work but if it was not done by the spring, they would pursue the alternative quote.  Some Councillors queried whether the Pond belonged to the Council or was part of Wood End Farm.  The Clerk was asked to study the Land Registry.

(vi)      Drainage of water from the Pond (Minute 41(vi)):  The Council noted that Mr Madkins had not undertaken the work on the Waterhouse’s land either.  The Clerk was asked to contact the Waterhouse’s land agent again.  The Committee noted the correspondence between the Clerk and BCC, which had been circulated and agreed to continue to monitor the situation.

53    Finance

(i)          Payments authorised/approved:  The following payments were authorised/approved:

a)     NJ Blackwell Garden Services: Grass-cutting, September 07             £235.10

b)     NJ Blackwell Garden Services: Grass-cutting, October 07   £266.55

c)     Powergen Electricity Supply quarter to 30/9/07                                   £86.93

d)     IT Watts :  Hedge cutting Recreation Ground                                        £42.50

e)     Wicksteed Leisure Ltd: New seats for small swings                            £167.09

f)    Powergen Electricity Supply,1/10/07 to 6/11/07                                  £33.29

(ii)        Financial position:  Cllr Taylor reported that the funds in the Parish Council accounts were

Current Account                                                                  £143.35

General Reserve                                                               £5,415.58

Recreation Ground Reserve                                                   £97.13

Total                                                                                 £5,656.06

Cllr Taylor reported that the second half of the annual precept (£4,000) had been received on 24 September 2007.  The application for grant-in-aid in respect of the new play equipment of £1,347 (30% of the total) had been provisionally approved by AVDC but not yet received. The VAT reclaim would be made in February and received before the end of the financial year.

(ii)        Requests for donations:  Cllr Taylor reported a request from Aylesbury Vale Dial-a-Ride.  Nash Parish Council had previously made donations in 1998 and November 2006.  The Council agreed that this was a worthwhile service although there were no current subscribers in Nash.  The Clerk said that she had encouraged them to advertise in the forthcoming Nash Newsletter.  After discussion, the Council agreed to make a further donation of £50, but would not necessarily continue to support this service if Nash residents did not make use of it.

(iii)      Annual Accounts of village societies:  Cllr Taylor reported that no further accounts had been received.  Cllr Southby said that he knew that the church was taking steps to complete the inspection of its accounts.  Mrs Hedges said that she would contact the Treasurers of the Village Hall and Youth Club.

54    Planning

(i)          New Applications:  The Council noted the new applications and the comments made on them as follows.

a)  07/02372/APP  Elm Farm, Stratford Road : Erection of Stable Block and creation of new access:  Nash Parish Council opposed this application because the Council objected to a second entrance onto the Stratford Road . “This is the main road into Nash from the north and traffic is usually travelling fairly fast. Traffic from the proposed stable should use the main farm entrance

b) 07/02887/APP  3 Wood End: Erection of stables and a haybarn.  Nash Parish Council made no objection.

(ii)        Application approved:  The Council noted that the following application had been approved:

a)  07/02306/APP  Land adjoining 20 High Street : Erection of two storey dwelling

(iii)      Causter Farm, Winslow Road: The Council was reminded that, at its July meeting, it had noted  that, under planning application 04/01750/APP, approval had been given for the demolition of agriculture buildings and the erection of 3 looseboxes, store and barn but the new barns were being used to store a racing car.  The Clerk reported that this breach of the planning application had been investigated by AVDC and the car had now been removed from the site.  If there was a recurrence of the breach, then Nash Parish Council should contact AVDC again.

55    Milton Keynes Expansion/ North Bucks Parishes Planning Consortium

The Council noted Cllr Culverhouse’s report from NBPPC about the final phases of the South East Plan.  The Consortium was concerned that the government would increase the number of houses from those proposed in the plan following the examination in public.  The Consortium had been lobbying the local MP, John Bercow, who had agreed to ask for a debate in the House.  Mr Bercow had also agreed to meet with parish council representatives and this meeting had been arranged for Thursday 29 November in Winslow.  Cllr Taylor hoped to join Cllr Culverhouse in representing Nash.

56    CPRE

Cllr Culverhouse tabled a copy of Buckingham branch of CPRE’s comments on AVDC’s core strategy development plan document – preferred option (July 2007).

57    Recreation Ground and other maintenance (Cllr Watts declared an interest)

(i)          Repairs following the Play Area Safety Inspection Report (Minute 28(i)& (iv)):  Cllr Southby reported that the new gates to the play area would be installed when the work on the church wall was finished.  The work on the safety surface would be done when the weather was warmer.

(ii)        Little Swings (Minute 46(iii): Cllr Southby reported that, after consultation with Cllr Taylor, these had now been replaced (See also Minute 53(i)(e)).

(iii)      Recreation Ground Hedge: The Council noted that this had been done.  Cllr Watts reported that Mrs Collings had asked that the top of the hedge not be cut.  The Council accepted this and agreed to consider the matter further the next time the hedge was cut.

(iv)      Use of Recreation Ground by Milton Keynes Play Association (Minute 46(vi)): Cllr Southby reported that he had now fitted an additional padlock to the Recreation Ground gate so that the Play Association could let themselves in.  He reported further that he had shortened the chain so that it was not possible for the owners of any of the three padlocks to lock the others out of the Recreation Ground.

(v)        Seat on path to Pond (Minute 46(vii)):  The Council noted that work was in progress to install a new base and to strengthen the sides of the seats that had been starting to crack. The Council agreed that the height of the seat should be at least 23 inches.

(vi)      2008 Annual Inspection: The Council agreed to ask RoSPA to carry out the 2008 inspection.

(vii)    Emptying of the dustbin during 2008: Councillors completed the volunteer rota to empty the bin in the play area of the Recreation Ground during 2008.

(viii)  Grass Cutting arrangements for 2008: The Council agreed that, if possible, three quotations should be obtained for cutting the grass twice a month from March to October with the debris should be removed after the first and last cuts and the cut immediately prior to the fete.

(ix)      Mrs Luland’s tree: Cllr Southby reported that he had replaced the strap for the tree planted at the Green to celebrate Mrs Luland’s long life because the original strap had been chaffing.

58    Buckinghamshire County Council

(i)          Water Leak outside 43 High Street (Minute 47(i)):  The Council noted with pleasure that the work had been completed – most of the work related to solving the drainage problem in the High Street that had been a regular agenda item some years previously.  The Clerk was asked to thank BCC for there work but to point out the poor quality of the brickwork outside 43 High Street .

(ii)        AV Local Committee: 4 October 2007:  Cllr Gillow reported that the speed review for Nash would take place in 2009 with any agreed changes being implemented in 2010.  He also said that, for the 2007/08 winter, the main route through Nash to Beachampton would be salted.

(iii)      Local Area Forum Meeting with County Councillors , 25 October 2007:  The Council noted that no-one had attended this meeting.

(iv)      Aylesbury Vale Transportation Symposium 2008:  The Council noted that the next symposium was on 18 February and that further details would be available nearer the time.

(v)        Transport Action Plans:  The Council noted that these were available at www.buckscc.gov.uk/transportmatters

(vi)      Buckinghamshire Waste and Minerals Plan:  The Council  noted that, in view of the number of responses (2,500) to this consultation, the timetable had been extended and the next consultation phase would be in February 2008.

59    Aylesbury Vale District Council

(i)          Freighter Service:  The Council noted that the freighter service would visit Nash on 17 January 2008 from 7.30am to 11 am.

(ii)        Conservation Area Management Plans: The Council noted that AVDC had established a Steering Group to prepare an over-arching Conservation Area Management Plan for all Conservation Areas in the District.  A Consultation document would be produced in February 2008. The Council agreed that it would be important that the generic issues covered in the overarching plan which would become part of the AVDC’s planning policy covered all the issues likely to arise in the Nash conservation area.

60    Dates of meetings

(i)          The Council noted that the remaining meetings in 2007/08 were: 17 January 2008; and 20 March 2008.  (Minute 18)

(ii)        The Council agreed to meet on the following dates in 2008/2009:  15 May 2008; 17 July 2008; 18 September2008; 20 November 2008; 15 January 2009; 19 March 2009.

The Annual Parish Meeting in 2008/09 would be on 8 May 2008.

61    Internet connection for the village

Cllr Southby outlined the problems that residents in the high Street had been having with their broadband connections.  He had made contact with an alternative supplier who was holding an open meeting in Nash Village Hall on 22 November to explain the proposal and to see if there would be enough subscribers to make it economically viable.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.25 p.m.

     MH  19.11.07