WPC Minutes December 2017

Weybourne Parish Council
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on
Wednesday, 6th December, 2017 (7.30pm) at the Village Hall, Weybourne.

Present: Pat Floyd (Chair), Walter Wood, Janice Rose, Peter Gallally, Ruth Gallally,
David Heley, Andy Crawford, Penny Taylor, and the Clerk. Also present were D.Young (NNDC), S.Butikofer (NCC), and two members of the public.

1a. To receive and consider apologies.
Apologies were received and accepted from R.Woodhouse.
Apologies were also received from the Police.

1b. To receive Declarations of Interest on Agenda items.
No declarations of interest.

2. To approve the minutes of the meeting held 1/11/17.
The minutes, which had already been circulated, were agreed as a true record.

3a. Public Participation (requests to speak on agenda items)
No requests to speak on agenda items.

3b. To receive reports from County & District Councillors.
*** D.Young (NNDC) reported on the following :- (a) Overview & Scrutiny Committee had asked “double-hatters” to fight for second homes council tax to come back to District (b) O. & S. Committee had also raised objections re the recent PCSO announcement (c) Police Commissioner is consulting on what the public is prepared to pay extra to support the police budget (d) reported re the Vattenfall and Hornsea windfarms (e) spoke re the plans for a new Splash etc. in Sheringham and a sports hub based around the Cromer Tennis Club (f) Holt TC planning to move into other accommodation and take over the tourist information centre from NNDC (g) car park charges are to remain the same next year and there will be free parking during the Christmas period.
*** S.Butikofer (NCC) reported on the following :- (a) plans to stop cutting the mobile library service (b) NCC web consultations on gritting reductions and bus subsidy reductions (c) hoping to purchase a VAS for the A148 from her county councillors highways financial allowance.

3c. To receive Police Report.
Reported via email :- (a) four calls to the police and two recorded crimes since the last meeting (both criminal damage). No further news re PCSOs.

4. Finance:
(a) To approve invoices for payment:-
P.Bullimore £248.69 (clerks salary), HMRC £62.20 (tax on clerks salary)
Weybourne V.Hall £16.00 (hire of hall), P.Bullimore £33.52 (clerks expenses)
E-on £53.10 (electricity), Anglian Water Business Ltd £49.83 (allotment water).
*** The payments, as scheduled on the agenda and listed above, plus one urgent payment were approved. The urgent payment was in the sum of £12.60 payable to S.Meakin for copying paper. This money would be recovered from BRPC and MPC.
(b) To consider Budget & Precept for 2018-19.
The Clerk reminded members regarding not voting on the precept if they were two months or more in arrears with their council tax. NNDC was giving £758 to WPC for the Local Council Tax Support Scheme in 2018-19. It was agreed to adopt the Clerks working papers and notes as the basis for discussion which showed very healthy balances at the present time. Projected commitments to 31/3/18 were £3,589 and the new year (2018-19) showed an annual budget of £13,568. The Clerk reminded members that the figures were for the normal “running expenses” of the parish council and no consideration had been given to future projects which might require financing. (e.g. pond project and village hall car park donation). The Chair intimated that whilst balances looked good she was inclined to ask for the same precept as last year (£15,000). After discussion it was agreed that the precept be fixed for £15,000 in 2018-19 and to accept the grant of £758. The Chair and the Clerk duly signed the Precept form for transmission to NNDC.
(c) To note new External Audit arrangements w.e.f. 2017-18.
Small PCs (with a turnover of £25k or less) will not need to submit their annual returns to an external auditor w.e.f. 2017-18. The Clerk will still have to complete the returns but will only have to submit them for inspection if an enquiry or objection is received.

5. Planning:
(a) To note information/decisions received from NNDC since last meeting
Nothing received.
(b) To consider planning applications received since agenda was printed.
None received.
(c) To receive & consider update re 25 & 25a Pine Walk.
There was nothing further to report and members agreed to remove this item from the agenda.
(d) To receive update re consultation by Dong Energy on Hornsea Windfarm
A further consultation was now taking place but this did not change the basic objections and comments made by the parish council and submitted to Dong Energy. There was to be a further briefing at the NNDC offices on Wed.13/12/17 and DH agreed to represent the PC. D.Young (NNDC) stated that the “3rd route” for the cable, via Kelling, now looked the most likely option. DH would report back to members at the next meeting.
(e) To receive update re Affordable Housing
The Clerk had no further news and DY stated that he thought that the Station Road site was no longer an option.
(f) To receive update re “paperless” planning consultation system.
The Clerk informed members that a reply had been received from NNDC regarding this matter. Whilst suggestions from NNDC were taken “on-board” it was agreed that the way forward was for the Clerk to request paper plans/information from the applicants architects/agent.

6. Highways & Footpath matters:
(a) To consider extension of 20 mph speed limit in the Church St/Holt Rd area.
A request for support from S.Butikofer (NCC) to extend the 20mph area in Church Street further south up the Holt Road was received positively by members. It was agreed to support this project and assist with survey work if and when necessary.
(b) To receive update re the restoration of the pond in Beach Lane
The Chair and the Clerk had attended a meeting (2/11/17) organised by the Norfolk Coast Partnership and attended by representatives of the Norfolk Rivers Trust, NCC, Sir MS, Dr.M.Taylor, and NNDC. It had been a positive meeting with all interested parties agreeing a further session was needed to draft a detailed plan in order that grants and finance might be acquired. Sir MS had intimated that he would part-finance the project and agreed to public access when the project was completed. The group was encouraged by a photograph showing what was a lagoon/lake back in the 1940s-50s. The PC would need to consider whether it could contribute financially when costings were available.
(c) To receive update re white lines at western end of Station Rd & Church Street
There was no further news and S.Butikofer (NCC) would follow this up with Highways.
(d) To note/consider the beck overflowing nr.All Saints Cl., & Rosedale Bns.
Following work carried out by the Environment Agency the Nfk Rivers Trust had informed the Clerk that they wished to wait and see if the problem had now been rectified. The NRT and the PC would monitor the situation during the winter months.

7. Meetings & Conferences (to receive reports and announcements)
Hornsea Project Three Windfarm Update – Wed. 13/12/17 at NNDC – DH to attend.

8. Allotments:
(a) To receive report re allotments (RW)
RW had offered his apologies. The Clerk was instructed to sent reminders to the two tenants yet to pay their rent. AC referred to the huge pile of rubbish in the middle of the allotments which was probably from the lopping of trees and hedges on the southern boundary. Following ACs suggestion it was agreed to again consider hiring a skip.

9. Village Hall:
(a) To receive report re Village Hall (PF)
PF reported on what had been an oil leak creating smells around the building. Hopefully this had now been rectified. PF expressed her concerns re the old trust deed and floated the idea that in the long term it may be better for the PC to take on the responsibilities for the village hall rather than trustees/committee members from the organisations using the village hall. Members agreed that this needed much consideration and legal advice would need to be taken.

10. Cemetery & Churchyard:
(a) To note damage & receive update re churchyard wall.
The Clerk was still waiting for an invoice from the builders.

11. Harry Dawson Playing Field:
(a) To receive report re HDPF (PT).
PT had nothing to report.

12. Weybourne Community Fund: To receive report re WCF (RW)
The childrens party was to be on 10/12/17, and the tree in the churchyard was being decorated.
13. Governance: (a) Review Code of Conduct.(b) To note new Data Protection Regs.
(a) A copy of the Code of Conduct had recently been circulated to members and the Clerk stated that it was basically split into two areas (i) Councillors behaviour based on seven principles that originally came out of the Nolan Report and (ii) Councillors Interests; these had already been submitted to the Monitoring Officer at NNDC but an item at the beginning of each months agenda allowed members to declare anything further appertaining to that agenda. The Clerk stated that it was not for him to remind members re their interests, or make judgements on individual cases, but generally he thought that the golden rule should be that if in doubt declare an interest.
(b) The Clerk summarised what was entailed with the new regs and stated that he would be making a report for members over the next few weeks.

14. To receive General Correspondence. (not included on agenda)
N.Nfk Parish Forum enquiry re NNDC concession opportunities – noted; no comment
Letter from NORSE; costs of maintaining HDPF rising by 8.5% next year – noted.

15. Public Participation (comments/other matters)
No comments or other matters.

16. To confirm date of next meeting – future agenda items
This was confirmed for Wednesday, 3rd January, 2018 – (7.30pm)

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