Stanhoe Parish Council

Draft Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 14th November 2019 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Miss R. Brown (RBR)
Mrs J. Lord (JL)
Mrs R. Birkin (RB)
Mr M. Wilson (MW)

Apologies:

Mr B. Gorton (BG)

In attendance:

Nil

1. To consider apologies for absence: Apologies had been received from BG.

2. To consider approval of the minutes of the last meeting held on 26th September 2019: No queries were raised and the minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation: No members of the public were in attendance.

5. Parish Council Meeting Dates 2020: The following Parish Council meeting dates were agreed for 2020:

9th January
12th March
21st May (Annual Parish Meeting to follow)
9th July
17th September
12th November

6. Parish Council Budget Setting for 2020/21: All Councillors were in agreement that the budget for 2020/21 should remain the same as for 2019/20.

7. Upkeep of the Village Pond: The two willows had now been removed. The outcome of the survey on the remaining trees was still awaited.

8. Village Gates: The village gates had now been installed. It was hoped that, in addition to being aesthetically pleasing, the village gates would act as a further measure to reduce speed in the village.

9. Go to Town Transport Update: The Chairman had written to the service provider of the Go to Town service requesting further consideration be given to the re-instigation of the Saturday service. A response was still awaited.

10. SAM 2 Update: The SAM 2 continued to operate without issue. The fastest recorded speeds within the 30mph limit for September and October 2019 had been:

Date Time Speed Sign Position
10th September 07:45 90 mph Pond facing Burnham Market
11th October 13:35 85 mph Leo facing Burnham Market
During September over 37,000 vehicles passed the speed sign, in October the figure was over 19,000 vehicles.

11. Better Broadband for Norfolk – Update: Solution 2 of the programme, covering Bircham Road in the main, was still on track be live by the end of the year. Any issues encountered during installation could delay this.

12. Permissive Paths in and around the Village: MW attended a seminar on 28th October to research the issues regarding establishing Parish Paths in Stanhoe to enhance pedestrian safety. Details have been entered in the Council’s Project File which can be found on the website or through the Clerk.

13. Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Payment: The Parish Council had received a CIL Parish payment of £594.00 from the BCKLWN. The payment was in relation to a new development at Arline on the Docking Road.

14. Children’s Play Equipment – Update: BG and MW had replaced a number of missing screws on the play equipment. In addition, MW had arranged for the Toddler Tower to be professionally inspected as it was showing signs of significant wear and tear and weathering. Playscape Playgrounds had inspected the tower and reported that the deck boards and steps required replacement and the roof required removal and replacement. An informal quotation indicated that the total cost would be in the region of £1150 plus VAT. Councillors were keen that the quotation be formalised and that the repairs be carried out. MW would arrange this.

15. Planning Applications and Information: The following planning applications had been received or decided upon since the last meeting:

Application Number Proposal Decision
19/00095/TPO Crowning to a number of trees.
Lindens, Bircham Road. Awaited

16. Financial Report and Approval of Payments: Up to date income and expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the Clerk. The Clerk advised Council that the VAT for 2018/19 had been refunded by HMRC. In addition, a £594 CIL Parish payment had been received from the BCKLWN. No queries were raised.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100777 W. Leighton Salary Sept/Oct 317.92
100778 HMRC Tax Sept/Oct 79.40
100779 D. Yeomans Remove 2 x Trees 140.00

17. Resident’s Concerns/Issues Raised after the Agenda was Published:

Dog fouling on the playing field, and in particular around the children’s play equipment, was reported by MW. Whilst a reminder to dog walkers would be placed in Saints Alive, the Chairman would also write to the Chair of the MEHM Trust.

18. Items for the Next Agenda – Meeting of 9th January 2020:

Permissive Paths and Rights of Way
Upkeep of the Village Pond

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.25pm.

Draft Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 26th September 2019 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Miss R. Brown (RBR)
Mr M. Wilson (MW)
Mr B. Gorton (BG)

Apologies:

Mrs J. Lord (JL)
Mrs R. Birkin (RB)

In attendance:

2 members of the public

1. To consider apologies for absence: Apologies had been received from 2 Councillors.

2. To consider approval of the minutes of the last meeting held on 26th July 2019: No queries were raised and the minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation: One member of the public in attendance, Mr Don Bridge, the previous deputy Chairman, wished to express his thanks for the vast amount of work that had been undertaken to improve the appearance of the village pond and its surroundings.

5. Community, Well-being, Environment and Parish & Town Councils: An email had been received from the Chairman of the Norfolk ALC Well-being Task and Finish Group requesting details of any Parish Councillors who would be interested in championing well-being and the environment. The initiative was discussed and it was felt that in view of the current make-up of the village, and the duties and responsibilities already in hand, the Council could not commit further in the manner requested. The Council will continue to review any further information from NALC.

6. Children’s Play Equipment: The children’s play equipment had been cleaned on 25th September by BG and DL. MW would now inspect the equipment and obtain quotations for any repair work that may be required.

7. Upkeep of the Village Pond: Norfolk County Council Highways Department had confirmed that they would be unable to assist with the removal/pollarding of 2 trees around the pond. A local arborist had provided a quotation to carry out the work at a cost of £140.00. In addition, the arborist would conduct a free survey of all the remaining trees surrounding the pond. Councillor’s agreed unanimously to accept the quotation. DL would advise the arborist.

8. Village Gates: Norfolk County Council Highways Department had advised that they had received the village gates and installation should take place in mid-October.

9. Go to Town Transport Update: RBR advised Council that the Go to Town service was being used by parishioners and students on a regular basis. RBR requested therefore, that the Chairman contact the service provider with a view to the re-instigation of the Saturday service. The Chairman agreed to do this. RBR would draft an article for Saints Alive regarding the service.

10. SAM 2 Update: The SAM 2 continued to operate without issue. The fastest recorded speeds for July and August 2019 had been:

06.50 30th July 65mph Sign Position: Longwall Barn facing the pond
23.05 2nd August 65mph Sign Position: The pond facing Burnham Market

11. Better Broadband for Norfolk – Update: It was anticipated that Solution 2 of the programme, covering Bircham Road in the main, would be live by the end of the year. Any issues encountered during installation could delay this.

12. Permissive Paths in and around the Village: MW had produced a map showing a route around the village detailing where the ‘path’ would encroach private land. However, before taking this any further, MW agreed to attend a Parish Paths seminar, hosted by Norfolk Local Access Forum, on 28th October. MW would report back at the November meeting.

13. Parish Partnership Scheme 2020/2021: Councillors were in agreement that no funding requests would be made under the Parish Partnership Scheme 2020/2021.

14. Planning Applications and Information: The following planning applications had been received or decided upon since the last meeting:

Application Number Proposal Decision
19/00820/0 Construction of dwelling, Beulah Cottage, Bircham Rd. Application refused by BCKLWN, 13th August 2019

16. Financial Report and Approval of Payments: Up to date income and expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the Clerk. The Clerk advised Council that the VAT return for 2018/19 had been submitted to HMRC. No queries were raised.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100774 W. Leighton Salary July/August 317.92
100775 W. Leighton Expenses July/August 9.65
100776 HMRC Tax July/August 79.40

17. Resident’s Concerns/Issues Raised after the Agenda was Published:

None.

18. Items for the Next Agenda – Meeting of 14th November 2019:

Parish Council Meeting Dates 2020
Parish Council Budget setting for 2020/21
Permissive Paths

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.05pm.

 

Draft Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 11th July 2019 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Miss R. Brown (RBR)
Mrs J. Lord (JL)
Mrs R. Birkin (RB)
Mr M. Wilson (MW)
Mr B. Gorton (BG)

Apologies:

Nil

In attendance:

Nil

 

1. To consider apologies for absence: All Councillors were present.

2. To consider approval of the minutes of the last meeting held on 16th May 2019: No queries were raised and the minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation: No members of the public were present.

5. Welcome to Brian Gorton: The Chairman welcomed Brian Gorton to the Parish Council and to his first meeting. Brian was a retired builder and had lived in Stanhoe for many years.

6. Councillor Responsibilities: The Chairman proposed to Council that responsibilities for a particular area/activity be allocated to individual councillors. The responsibility would be to ‘monitor’ and highlight any issues to full Council; by email/phone if an early response was required or at the next Council meeting for routine matters. With Council in agreement, the following responsibilities were allocated:

SAM – DL
Go to Town Transport – RBR
Children’s Play Equipment – MW
Main Village Pond, ‘The Pit’ – BG

7. Upkeep of the Village Pond: A huge amount of work had been done by BG, assisted by DL, on clearing the overgrowth that had impacted on the overall appearance of the pond and restricted the walkway to the rear of the pond. The ‘new look’ was a vast improvement and now made the area much more appealing. The Clerk would contact Norfolk County Council to see if assistance could be provided to clear the cuttings that had amassed. Finally, BG had noted that the quality of the water in the pond appeared quite poor, so agreed to monitor.

8. Village Gates: The order for the village gates had now been placed. It was anticipated that installation would take place in late summer 2019.

9. Go to Town Transport Update: Nothing further to report.

10. SAM 2 Update: The SAM 2 continued to operate without issue. The fastest recorded speeds for May and June 2019 had been:

08.30 13th May 95mph Sign Position: Docking Rd facing Docking
12.50 29th June 90mph Sign Position: Bircham Rd facing Bircham

11. Better Broadband for Norfolk – Update: It was anticipated that Solution 2 of the programme, covering Bircham Road in the main, would be live in late 2019/early 2020.

12. Permissive Paths in and around the Village: MW agreed to produce a ‘sectional‘ route around the village detailing where the ‘path’ would encroach private land, requiring consent of the landowner. This would then be further discussed at the September meeting.

13. Proposed Half Pipe Skate Ramp: The Chairman had discussed the subject with the Chair of the MEHM Trust. MEHM interest in the project appeared to have waned so there was no further need for the Parish Council’s support with respect to planning.

14. Parish Partnership Scheme 2020/2021: Norfolk County Council had confirmed that the Parish Partnership Scheme would continue in FY 2020/2021. Stanhoe had benefitted from the scheme in recent years with the SAM 2 and the soon to be installed Village Gates. Council agreed to consider other improvements that could be funded under the scheme and report back at the September meeting.

15. Planning Applications and Information: No planning applications had been received or decided upon since the last meeting.

16. Financial Report and Approval of Payments: Up to date income and expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the Clerk. No queries were raised.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

 

Chq No Payee Reason £
100767 Information Commissioner Annual Fee 40.00
100768 NALC Annual Subscription 95.36
100769 Glasdon UK Dog Waste Bin 310.83
100770 Borough Council Kings Lynn Election Expenses 47.80
100771 W. Leighton Salary May/June 317.72
100772 W. Leighton Expenses May/June 67.97
100773 HMRC Tax May/June 79.60

17. Resident’s Concerns/Issues Raised after the Agenda was Published:

Planning Update Sessions: Planning update sessions would be held at the Town Hall in Kings Lynn on 25th September 2019 at 2.00pm and 6.00pm. Each session would last for approximately 2 hours. Councillors wishing to attend one of the sessions should notify the Clerk, who would then make the necessary arrangements.

18. Items for the Next Agenda – Meeting of 26th September 2019:

Parish Partnership Scheme
Children’s Play Equipment
Permissive Paths

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.05pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting/Annual Parish Meeting
Held on Thursday, 16th May 2019 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:
Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mrs. R. Birkin (RB)
Mr M. Wilson (MW)

Apologies:
Miss. R. Brown (RBR)

In Attendance:
1 Member of the Public

1. Signing of necessary documents by new Councillors: All members signed and submitted to the Clerk the following documents which were witnessed as appropriate:

· Acceptance of Office

· Register of Pecuniary Interest

· Dispensation for those with disclosable personal interests

· Codes of Conduct

2. Appointment of Chairman and Vice-Chairman: DL informed Councillors that, subject to their approval, he would be willing to serve a further term as Chairman. MW proposed that DL continue to serve as Chairman, seconded by RB and unanimously agreed. Whilst Don Bridge, the previous Vice-Chairman, had decided not to stand for re-election, Councillors agreed that, for now, a Vice-Chairman would not be appointed. Councillors were unanimous in their praise for the extraordinary contribution that Don Bridge had made during his many years of service on the Parish Council.

3. To consider apologies for absence: RBR had given her apologies.

4. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 7th March 2019: No queries were raised and the Minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

5. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

6. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation: The member of the public in attendance did not wish to raise any issues.

7. Co-option of Councillor(s): Mr. Brian Gorton, a long-standing resident of Stanhoe, had expressed an interest in joining the Parish Council. Mr Gorton had spoken with Councillors at a previous meeting so it was agreed unanimously that Mr. Gorton be co-opted on to Stanhoe Parish Council. The Clerk would arrange for the necessary paperwork to be signed by Mr. Gorton.

8. Upkeep of the Village Pond: The Chairman advised Council that Brian Gorton (BG) (co-opted at 7.) had some knowledge regarding the maintenance and upkeep of ponds. It was agreed therefore that a fuller discussion would take place at the next meeting when BG would be present. This discussion would include anything that may be able to be done to improve on the ‘green’ look of the water.

9. Village Gates: The Clerk confirmed that the bid for funding submitted under the Parish Partnership Scheme had been successful. Councillors agreed unanimously to take the project forward and instructed the Clerk to make the necessary arrangements.

10. Go to Town Transport: The Chairman advised Council that he had received a response from WNCT acknowledging that consultation should have taken place before the removal of the Saturday service. Nevertheless, the letter reiterated that the reintroduction of the Saturday service would not be possible. In addition, WNCT confirmed that no further funding would be requested from Stanhoe Parish Council. In view of the confirmation that the Saturday service would not be reintroduced, Councillors did not consider it appropriate to write to WNCT again requesting the same. This position will be reviewed depending on further ‘usage information’ RBR is able to produce to restate any case for the need and reintroduction of the Saturday service previously discussed.

11. SAM 2 Update: The Chairman advised Council that a further fault had occurred with the SAM 2, resulting in no data being downloaded, and it had to be returned to Westcotec for further repair. It had subsequently been returned but had been set for use in a 20mph zone! The Chairman had obtained instruction from Westcotec on how to change this.

12. Better Broadband for Norfolk (BBfN) – Update: A number of residents covered by Solution 1 had upgraded their Broadband to FTTP and, despite delays in installation, were pleased with the huge increase in speeds. The Clerk would request a progress update for Solution 2 from the BBfN Programme Director.

13. Permissive Paths in and around the Village: MW circulated a map of the village highlighting a route that could be walked around the village without the need to walk on the highway. The Clerk would scan the map to all Councillors so that they could consider the proposed route, and the implications, and discuss at the next meeting.

14. Proposed half pipe Skate Ramp: MW requested an update on the half pipe skate ramp. The Chairman explained that this was originally a MEHM Trust initiative which was supported by the Parish Council in respect of any planning requirements. The Chairman agreed to contact the new ChParish Council neither support nor object to application.air of the MEHM Trust to discuss.

15. Planning applications and information: The following application had been received.

App Number Proposal Council Response
19/00820/O Outline application some matters reserved.
Construction of dwelling.
Beulah Cottage
Bircham Road Parish Council neither support nor object to application.

16. End of Year Accounts, Financial Report and approval of payments: Year End accounts as at 31st March 2019 were circulated by the Clerk. The accounts had been inspected by the Internal Auditor and no observations had been raised. Council agreed unanimously with the End of Year Accounts so the Chairman signed the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2018/19.

Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the Clerk. No queries were raised.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100760 Gooch Pest Control Mole Control 72.00
100761 R. Canwell Internal Audit 35.00
100762 Came & Co Ltd Annual Insurance 415.85
100763 W. Leighton Salary March and April 2019 373.51
100764 W. Leighton Expenses March and April 2019 73.18
100765 HMRC PAYE March and April 2019 93.20

17. Resident’s Concerns/Issues raised after the Agenda Published: The following items were brought to the attention of the Clerk after the Agenda had been published:

Nothing to report.

18. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 11th July 2019:

· Upkeep of the Pond
Village Gates
· SAM 2 Update
· BBfN Update
· Permissive Paths around the Village
· Half pipe Skate Ramp

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.00pm.

The meeting was immediately followed by the Annual Parish Meeting at which approximately 15 members of the public attended.

 

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 7th March 2019 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:
Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Miss. R. Brown (RBR)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mrs. R. Birkin (RB)
Mr M. Wilson (MW)

Apologies:
Mr M. Roche (MR)

In Attendance:
5 Members of the Public

 

1. To consider apologies for absence: MR had given his apologies.

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 8th November 2018: Item 14 of the minutes of 10th January 2019 – The May Parish Council meeting and Annual Parish meeting would now take place on 16th May 2019. No further queries were raised and the Minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation: The members of the public did not wish to raise any issues.

5. Parish Council Elections 2019: Parish Council elections would be held on 2 May 2019. The Clerk issued Parish Councillors present with Nomination Papers which would require completion should Councillors wish to stand again. Completed Nomination Papers would need to be delivered, by hand, to the Returning Officer, BCKLWN, between Monday 18 March and 4pm on Wednesday 3 April. The Clerk agreed to do this.

The Chairman felt this an opportune moment to advise Councillors that MR had tendered his resignation from the Parish Council and would not be standing in the forthcoming elections. Unanimously, but with regret, Council accepted the letter of resignation and expressed their sincere gratitude for the huge contribution that MR had made, both to the Parish Council and the village in general, during his tenure as a Parish Councillor.

6. Upkeep of the Village Pond: The Chairman and DB has inspected the pond and surrounding area and agreed that some general housekeeping was required. This included cutting back of branches and brambles, cleaning of the benches and some general tidying. RB and her husband had kindly removed part of the tree that had fallen in the pond and had agreed to remove the remainder. The Chairman would choose a date for the general housekeeping to be undertaken and this would be advertised by the Clerk on Stanhoe.org and in Saints Alive inviting villagers to assist should they so wish. Councillors acknowledged that the Stanhoe pond was more ‘informal’ than the pond in Bircham and would therefore appear to look less tended.

7. Go to Town Transport: The Chairman had written to WNCT expressing the Council’s displeasure at the sudden removal, in January 2019, of the Saturday service, without consultation. A response was awaited.

8. Village Gates: A decision on whether the bid for funding submitted under the Parish Partnership Scheme was expected towards the end of March 2019.

9. SAM 2 Update: The Chairman advised Council that a fault had occurred with the SAM 2 and it had to be returned to Westcotec for repair. The fault had been identified as failure of the ‘radar’ and this had been replaced under warranty. The SAM 2 was now operational again. Whilst data for February 2019 had been lost, the fasted recorded speed in January 2019 was 55mph, recorded on the 7th at 11.10am with the SAM positioned at Longwall Barn facing Bircham.

10. Playing Field:

Dog Bin Provision: The proposed siting of the Dog Bin had received final approval from the BCKLWN following a site inspection on 7th March 2019. The Clerk would now order the Dog Bin and mounting post.

11. Better Broadband for Norfolk (BBfN) – Update: Councillors were aware that some residents had taken advantage of the improved speeds (approx. 60 mbps) available under FTTP (Solution 1) and others were awaiting upgrades towards the end of the month. It was now hoped that the service would be more reliable than in recent months and that Solution 2 would be completed on schedule and with fewer issues.

12. Highways Update: The Clerk had contacted the Highways Department to request an update on a number of issues and had received the following response:

I will get my inspector to check the grips & back ditches on Cross lane to see if they need cleaning, we do these on an as need basis rather than a regular programme now.

I will check to see where the ‘unsuitable for HGV’ signs are (for Church Lane), I asked my technician to organise them but obviously from what you are saying they have not been installed, I apologise for this.

The small scheme to replace the palisade fencing (opposite the pond) had to be postponed until 2019/20, so has yet to be programmed, once it does I will let you know, but my best guess at this point in time is late summer, autumn time.

13. Great British Spring Clean 2019: The Great British Spring Clean 2019 will take place between 22nd March and 23rd April 2019. Following the success of last year’s event Council agreed to take part again this year. Councillors able to assist should bring themselves and their gloves to the Reading Room at 10.00am on Saturday 13th April. The Clerk would advertise the event on Stanhoe.org and in Saints Alive inviting villagers to assist should they so wish.

14. Annual Parish Meeting 2019: The Annual Parish Meeting would take place at 7.00pm on 16th May 2019, following the Parish Council meeting. Whilst the Chairman would formally invite village organisations, the Clerk would attach an invitation to all residents to the April edition of Saints Alive

15. Planning applications and information: The following applications had been received/approved.

App Number Proposal Council Response
18/01636/F
Demolition of existing dwelling and outbuildings and erection of replacement dwelling with attached carport.
Arline*
Docking Road

Application permitted by BCKLWN
19/00010/TPO
Church of All Saints
Stanhoe
TPO Partial.

Delegated decision
19/00011/TPO
Church of All Saints
Stanhoe
TPO Partial.

Delegated decision
*The new property to replace Arline* would be known as Field View. This new property address had been approved by the BCKLWN.

16. Financial Report and approval of payments: Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the Clerk. No queries were raised.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100755 D. Scales Village Maintenance 160.00
100756 BCKLWN Dog Bin Emptying 90.48
100757 W. Leighton Salary January and February 2019 303.86
100758 W. Leighton Expenses January and February 2019 60.53
100759 HMRC PAYE January and February 2019 76.00

17. Resident’s Concerns/Issues raised after the Agenda Published: The following items were brought to the attention of the Clerk after the Agenda had been published:

CPRE: An email had been received from CPRE on 6th March 2019 regarding a pledge campaign for the current consultation for the Local Plan Review for the BCKLWN. On this occasion Councillors did not wish to add Stanhoe to the list of Parish Councils who had signed up to the pledge.

18. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 16th May 2019:

Upkeep of the Pond
Village Gates
SAM 2 Update
BBfN Update
Go to Town Transport Update

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.05pm.

Draft Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 10th January 2019 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:
Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Miss. R. Brown (RBR)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mrs. R. Birkin (RB)
Mr. M. Wilson (MW)

Apologies:
Mr M. Roche (MR)

In Attendance:
2 Members of the Public and Councillor Andrew Morrison

1. To consider apologies for absence: MR had given his apologies.

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 8th November 2018: No queries were raised and the Minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation: A member of public in attendance requested an update on the BBfN upgrade. The Chairman explained that BBfN was an agenda item and would be covered during the meeting.

5. Budget Setting for 2019/20: Councillors agreed unanimously that a budget increase, from £6500 to £7000, would meet the proposed expenditure for FY 2019/20. The Chairman advised Council that due to an increase in the number of properties in Stanhoe since the last budget increase, the likely annual increase for residents, reflected in their Council Tax, would be around 60p per household.

6. Precept Request for 2019/20: The Clerk would now complete the Precept Request for 2019/20, based on the agreed budget of £7000, and return it to the Borough Council.

7. Upkeep of the Village Pond: The Clerk had contacted the Bircham Parish Clerk and ascertained that the Bircham Pond was owned by the Sandringham Estate. The landscaping had been undertaken by the leaseholder with assistance from CITB students. In terms of the Stanhoe Pond, which Councillors agreed was a focal point of the village, the Chairman suggested that a sub-committee be set up to look at options and costings for landscaping and general aesthetic improvements. The Chairman, DB, RB and the Clerk agreed to form the sub-committee. A sub-committee meeting would be arranged and would report back at the next Parish Council meeting.

8. Fly Tipping in Cross Lane: DB had been informed by a resident that fly tipping had taken place in Cross Lane. DB had spoken with the householder responsible. A note would be placed in Saints Alive reminding residents not to fly tip in the village. The Clerk will ask the Rangers to clear the storm drain blockage affected by the tipping.

9. Checking on those Not Seen: DB questioned what responsibility the Parish Council may have in relation to checking on permanent residents in the village, particularly those living alone, who had not been seen for some time. The Clerk was requested to contact the NALC to establish whether any guidance was in place. In addition, a note would be placed in Saints Alive.

10. Playing Field:

Play Equipment Inspection: The Clerk confirmed that the annual inspection of the children’s play equipment took place on 5th December 2018. The Inspector provided a comprehensive report which highlighted some very low/low risk issues which would require monitoring. MW volunteered to carry out the monthly inspection of the play equipment and would he monitor the risks raised and advise the Parish Council should remedial action be required.

11. Better Broadband for Norfolk (BBfN) – Update: The Programme Director for BBfN had confirmed that the 1st Solution of Fibre to the Property was now live and residents could check availability using the following link: https://www.homeandbusiness.openreach.co.uk/fibre-broadband/when-can-i-get-fibre.
Notwithstanding, a resident in Parsons Lane had reported to the Chairman that, despite ‘upgrading’, speeds remained very low (1-2 Mbps). The Chairman would contact the Programme Director to highlight this significant issue and seek an early resolution.

12. Go to Town Bus: Councillors were extremely disappointed that the Saturday service had been withdrawn with effect from 7th January 2019. In addition, one Councillor, a regular user of the Service, did not feel that the statistics provided by West Norfolk Community Transport (WNCT) on the use of the Service were 100% accurate. The Service user would record personal future usage so it could be double checked against future statistics. The Chairman agreed to write to WNCT regarding the loss of Service.

13. Request for Support – Wells Community Hospital: A request for financial support had been received from the Wells Community Hospital. At the present time Councillors were in agreement that they were not in a position to offer any financial support.

14. Setting Parish Council Meeting Dates for 2019: The following dates were agreed for 2019:

7th March
[9th May (Parish Council Meeting and Annual General Meeting)] – Subsequently proposed to be 23rd May
11th July
26th September
14th November

15. Planning applications and information: No applications had been received.

16. Financial Report and approval of payments: Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the Clerk. No queries were raised.

The Chairman recommended to Council that the Clerk’s salary rise from £9.34 to £9.77 per hour with effect from 1st April 2019, in accordance with the pay scales set by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services. Councillors agreed unanimously to this increase.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100750 Burnham Market PC Training for 3 x Councillors 48.00
100751 D. Bracey Playground Inspection 96.00
100752 NPFA Subscription 2019/20 20.00
100753 W. Leighton Salary November and December 2018 303.86
100754 HMRC PAYE November and December 2018 76.00
17. Resident’s Concerns/Issues raised after the Agenda Published: The following items were brought to the attention of the Clerk after the Agenda had been published:

SAM 2 Update: The Chairman advised Councillors that the following speeds had been recorded:

Date Time Speed SAM 2 Position
31 October 2018 5.20pm 85 mph Leo Facing Burnham Market
29 December 2018 11.10am 85 mph Long Wall Barn Facing Bircham
Village Gateways: Following a visit by the Highway Engineer on 16th November 2018, a Preliminary bid for funding had been submitted to the Parish Partnership Scheme for the provision of 3 sets of village gates. In essence, whilst the overall cost for the supply and installation of 3 sets of gates would be in the region of £5300, the net cost to the Parish Council would be approximately £1200.

Dog Bin for Playing Field: The Clerk was requested to order a dog waste bin, to be located by the Reading Room away from the children’s play area, and arrange installation and emptying.

18. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 7th March 2019:

Upkeep of the Pond
Village Gates
SAM 2 Update
BBfN Update

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.40pm.