18/46. Declarations of interests.
Cllr Matt Harris lives on Norris Close should this be discussed during the meeting.
18/47. Approval of minutes from 13th August 2018
No changes
A proposal was made by Cllr Rawlings that these minutes be therefore accepted; Cllr Hill seconded this and all Cllrs were in favour.
18/48. Matters arising and action points:
Matters arising:
None
August – SUMMARY OF ACTION POINTS.
Clerk
17/76 Ask Ward Cllrs to chase cutting back of trees obscuring sign on A346 Plough Hill. ONGOING, WAITING FOR HIGHWAYS. UPDATE – HEAD OF HIGHWAYS HAS CHASED THE DEPT HEAD FOR THIS WORK.
Ward Cllr Foley & Mattock
17/133 Request information from SBC on what constitutes a breach of safety specific to Highways. ONGOING. CLERK HAS EMAILED WARD CLLRS WITH SPECIFICS REQUIRED FOR THIS ACTION.
18/49 – Katie Fielding from WALC
Katie had been invited to the meeting to advise the Council on the benefits of joining WALC. (Wiltshire Association of Local Councils)
WALC is affiliated to NALC, the National Association of Local Councils.
When you join WALC there is a build in fee to join NALC also
The cost is based on a fee per the number of electorates in the parish.
For up to 1999 electorates the fee is 35p per person. From 2000 and over the fees are capped.
The cost for the current year ending April 2019 would have been £823.33. Katie will email this information over in full.
This gives access to:
Over 80 legal guidance notes on all areas of council
10 newsletters per year
Training for local councils, subsidised for members and sometimes only available for members. Also cover the CiLCA training course for Clerks.
They will also respond to demand for training and carry out bespoke training.
They provide templates for policies and standing orders etc
They have an advice service that also links to the national legal team in NALC.
Katie will network with other county bodies, to find out information.
More complex legal issues are sent straight to NALC legal for advice
There is guidance and toolkits on new legislation which is only available to member councils
Publications are cheaper for member councils
They work with principle councils and officers who can lobby, take on new initiatives, and provide feedback to consultations
A WALC member sits on the NALC national council
NALC supports local councils at Government level. 9000 local councils are represented. They protect Cllrs rights and interests.
NALC worked to lobby the gov. for a 3 year deal to defer the capping of precept increases. There is now no need for a referendum due to their work.
NALC recently lobbied for Parish Councils to not need a Data Protection Officer due to GDPR.
They also run a local councils award scheme with 3 levels. This can show that a council are working within approved national principles.
Cllr Mills asked how in-depth the legal advice is.
Katie advised it doesn’t extend as far as legal representation. They wouldn’t write new contracts but would look at existing/draft contracts to ensure they are legally sound.
Cllr Clarke asked if the assistance was unlimited – Katie confirmed it was. They aim to respond to all queries within 4 working days, may be longer if goes to NALC.
The Clerk is usually the point of contact for information, but Katie can talk to Cllrs if needs be. They would not get involved in any internal disputes.
Cllr McDonald asked after local member levels. 80/85% of councils in Wiltshire are members, and within SBC only Chiseldon PC are not members.
The normal joining period is April but they could draft a part way membership to start in Oct for the remaining months.
There were no further questions so Katie was thanked for her time and she left at 19.56
Cllr Sunners asked about the next steps in making the decision on whether to join NALC. Cllr Brady confirmed it will be discussed at Finance and then brought back to Full council.
Cllr McDonald does not believe it is worth the expenditure to become members.
Cllr Sunners is in favour of joining. The quality scheme looks worthwhile and will show the public that we are accountable for parish matters such as precept.
Cllr McDonald doesn’t believe residents will be interested in such an award.
Cllr Michelle Harris is in favour. As a newer Cllr she feels the assistance and training would be worthwhile and also the representation offered at national level.
Cllr Matt Harris suggested that perhaps a yearly membership may be a good idea, to test the membership and see what benefits are received.
Cllr Brady believes it is a good support mechanism for the Clerk, and it is our responsibility to update the community on what we are doing and how we do it. It demonstrates due diligence to the community. The work of the PC is more complex now than ever before.
Cllr McDonald asked how often other PC’s talk to WALC and and how often legal matters are resolved by them. The Clerk is to ask other Clerks.
The Clerk is to ask Katie for more information of what is covered and some practical examples of help given.
The Clerk commented that at Clerks forum meetings, information is shared that she is not aware of, which has originated from WALC & NALC and training is also missed out on.
Cllr Hill reminded the council that it is election year near year so a lot of assistance may be needed from other bodies such as WALC.
Cllr Sunners suggested that all Cllrs look at the WALC website for their services.
18/50 Planning Committee only. Vote on application S/LBC/18/1265 internal staircase at Whichway Cottage, Badbury
The staircase is being added in the same location in an almost “like for like” situation.
A proposal was made by Cllr Rawlings that these plans be approved; Cllr Mills seconded this and all Cllrs were in favour.
The Clerk will report back to SBC.
18/51 Community Safety
Cllr Sunners reporting.
Crime Stats for June showed 1201 crimes within South Swindon police sector.
29 crimes were reported in the Chiseldon area, 19 of which were at the Esso Station.
Of the 10 around the community, there were amongst them:
4 burglaries
Criminal damage and arson.
Area’s affected were Saxon Mill, School Close, Castle View Road, High Street.
The Clerk will contact PC Sophia Best in regards to the 4 burglaries which represent a spike in monthly figures.
The Clerk will also remind residents on FB to lock homes, vehicles and out buildings.
Ward Cllr Foley advised that Badbury Park were experiencing car crime, with suspects trying all vehicles in street to find open vehicles.
PC Sophia Best was unable to provide any further stats on this to Ward Cllr Foley.
Ward Cllr Foley commented that she could not remember the last time there was a police presence at a Parish Council meeting. She suggested a formal approach to the ¼ visits the council used to receive.
Cllrs McDonald and Brady were concerned at how busy the police are, and maybe it is better to only invite them if there is a specific need.
Cllr Sunners advised that the next Neighbourhood Watch meeting is in 2 weeks’ time with a 6.45pm start. 8-10 people normally attend.
The Clerk and Cllr Summers will remind parishioners of this meeting.
Chiseldon are also hosting the next Community Safety forum meeting on 27th Sept at 6.30 in the Rec Hall. Cllr Brady and Cllr Bates confirmed they would attend along with Cllr Sunners.
18/52 Ward Councillors reports.
Ward Cllr Foley reporting:
SBC have confirmed the cutting back of the hedge at Draycott Foliat. Housing own some of the properties but others are privately owned. There is therefor the question of the costs of this. The PC may have to provide some of the funds.
They will do a sweep of the parking area but will not do any more to this area.
Ward Cllr Foley confirmed that she had reported the missing post on the green at Norris Close to SBC
Cllr Bates commented on a tree that was blocking the traffic lights on Hodson bridge over the M4. Ward Cllr Foley will report and the Clerk will follow up with an email.
Cllr Sunners commented on the white road markings on Plough Hill that are in need of re-painting. It was confirmed this has already been reported. The cats eyes on this stretch of road are also not working which has been reported as well. The dressing on the road from 2 years ago has already worn away.
Any other road issues were asked to be sent to the Clerk in the first instance.
Ward Cllr Foley then updated the council on SBC’s waste strategy consultation.
All info can be found on www.sustainableswindon.gov.uk
It asks the public questions on recycling. The rates have decreased yet 2000 new recycling boxes have been provided free of charge. The campaign will launch on 24th Sept to advise what can go in these boxes.
SBC waste does not go to landfill. Waste is dried and churned and a magnet takes all metal out. However metal can only be sold if it is in its recycling box. It is more expensive to treat metal in general waste and it sells for a lower price if its within refuge.
The waste is then packaged up and shipped away. SBC have to pay for this waste to be removed. It is then burned, instead of fossil fuels.
The 4% which cannot be burnt is sent to landfill.
The council plan to get tougher on what goes into the black bins for general refuge. It is also illegal to put green waste in black bins. They will be reviewing all black bins. 54000 tonnes of waste is sent away each year.
One plan is to get all plastics back into black bins, as countries like China no longer accept plastic waste.
When the plastic is recycled the council have to pay for this and it is sent to the Far East. The government is looking at bottle return schemes and the use of single use plastic.
The recycling boxes cost £7.00 each, the consultation will ask residents if they are willing to contribute to the cost of these.
Larger cardboard items were commented on. Ward Cllr Foley advised that cardboard needs to fit in the lorry hoppers and buying new equipment to take larger cardboard is not possible.
Recycling centres in carparks were also mentioned. Ward Cllr Foley advised that people living near these schemes complain and ask for them to be removed.
Cllr Michelle Harris noted that in Manchester all items have separate bins and the literature for this is excellent so home owners know exactly what to place in what bins.
Cllr Brady urged everyone to read the information on the website.
18/53 – Review of Committee minutes and documents
Finance from Cllr Harris: Cllr Matt Harris advised that the Finance committee had declined to propose an allowance for the Council Chair but this can be reviewed in future years if needs be.
The draft budget has been created and will be reviewed on 20th Sept at extra Finance meeting. This draft will then be published for comments from residents and Cllrs alike. It will either be the same value as last year or contain a small inflationary increase.
The August financial figures had been circulated prior to the meeting. Cllr Hill queried the grass cutting amounts – the Clerk confirmed this is the standard monthly payment.
Cllr Summer proposed this as an accurate representation of the figures for August 18. Cllr Brady seconded and all Cllrs were in favour.
Environment, General Purpose and Amenities (EGPA) from Cllr Rawlings:
The table tennis team met with some of the committee and have entered a discussion on new flooring and extra lighting for the Rec hall. The club are looking for funding.
The Tennis Club attended the last meeting and advised their membership levels are static. They didn’t get many new members after their summer events. They are looking at ways to raise income.
Transport report from Cllr Hill: Cllr Hills advised that the service 80 sponsored by Wiltshire Council and the service 81 are on a split timetable meaning that Chiseldon gets an hourly service still.
There is 1 two hour gap in the afternoon when passengers will need to use the X5 service on the main road. There is a new Saturday morning service at 7.30am going into Swindon. The last X5 is sponsored by Wiltshire and goes around some of the village but will not go along Draycott Road.
80 service tickets can be used on the last X5 service.
The school bus contract has changed this term. Barnes have the contract going through Badbury. One of the residents is concerned that the large buses are being used and will write to SBC to ask why.
There has been some confusion over young persons railcards but refunds have been available.
It was confirmed that the 9.39 service is the first one that can be used with a travel card bus pass.
Cllr Brady thanked Cllr Hill for his hard work in answering all the recent bus queries on FB.
Planning, Transport Development and Highways from Cllr Brady: Nothing to report
Risk Assessment from the Clerk: The Clerk reported that the allotment risk assessment had been carried out. A unsafe structure that was reported had already been removed by the time a check was carried out.
The water tank lids were installed and the Clerk needs to talk to the contractor about some improvements.
Strategy from Cllr Brady:
The actions from the last meeting were reviewed and ideas were brainstormed for future recommendations. This committee doesn’t vote on any actions. Norris Close parking was discussed and also future parking plans for Windmill Piece and Castle View Road. Looking at speeding implications which will then go to planning.
A visionary document was discussed for what the parish needs moving forwards. Gather a group of residents for input into this. Advise on what has been done already and ask for feedback.
Also working on updating the parish plan. This committee will go back to the other committees for assistance.
Cllr Sunners asked for an update on New Road buildout. It was advised that Head of SBC Highways Jason Humm has confirmed SBC will not remove this and that CPC would need to fund the funds to do any changes – with SBC permission.
Cllr Matt Harris posed whether funds from reserves could be used to do this. We would need to see any result from the New Road planning application first as this would change the usage of the road and may mean the build out has to be removed anyway for the new entrance/exit to the development should it go ahead.
Cllr Mills advised he has some details from Highways and has produced a report. This will be presented at the next planning agenda.
18/54. AOB
Cllr Sunners advised that the BIOS van is back each Thursday and is may start earlier for the winter months.
Cllr Hill commented on the SBC “Beat the Street” scheme to encourage walking/cycling and running. Ward Cllr Foley advised this had been successful so far.
Cllr Hill referred Cllrs to the correspondence from the Clerk, stating that councils are all trying to save funds. Wiltshire Council are looking to save funds and this may cause an issue with our bus services as they pay for 50%.
Ward Cllr Foley will be investigating a Council property on New Road that is driving across the grass verge into a self-made parking area on their front garden.
Ward Cllr Foley advised that in October new laws will come into effect that will mean it is an offence to park over a driveway or dropped kerb. If reported to SCB this can be enforced with a parking ticket.
On 20th September Ward Cllr Foley will be standing down as a cabinet member.
Meeting closed at 21.11
SUMMARY OF ACTION POINTS.
All Actions to be completed by the next Full Committee meeting unless otherwise specified.
Clerk
17/76 Ask Ward Cllrs to chase cutting back of trees obscuring sign on A346 Plough Hill. ONGOING, WAITING FOR HIGHWAYS
18/49 Ask other Parish Clerks how much they use WALC for advice and what legal matters are resolved by them.
18/49 Ask Katie Fielding at WALC for more specific information on joining benefits
18/50 Report back to SBC on decision from planning application
18/51 Contact PC Best for information on 4 break ins during June to see if there is a pattern to be aware of.
18/51 Remind on FB ref locking homes, vehicles and outbuildings.
18/51 Remind on FB and website of next NHW meeting
Ward Cllr Foley & Mattock
17/133 Request information from SBC on what constitutes a breach of safety specific to Highways. ONGOING