DORCHESTER ON THAMES
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Parish Council Minutes March 2008
Home > Parish Council > Minutes > March 2008
The Monthly Meeting of the Parish Council was held in the Village Hall on Wednesday 12th March 2008 commencing at 7.15 p.m. The Chairman, Cllr K Bryan, presided; present were Cllrs Mrs M Metcalfe (Vice-Chairman), M.Day, S Gibbons, C. Hill, Mrs J Nudds, M Stevenson and M Williams with G Russell in attendance. Also present for part of the meeting was Mr David Herlihy, chairman of the Governors of Dorchester, St Birinus CE Primary School
1 Chairman's opening remarks and discussion about the Village School
The Chairman welcomed Mr David Herlihy and invited him to tell the Parish Council about the current Schools Review process. Mr Herlihy said that the school numbers are good but that an important part of the review is an assessment of the importance of the role of the school within its local community. It is therefore essential to be able to demonstrate to the inspectors that Dorchester, St Birinus CE Primary School is held in high esteem by the village. The community is defined in its widest context so that, for example, the Abbey, the Hurst Water Meadow Trust, use of school buildings by the pre-school and by other community groups are all relevant.
It has been suggested by ORCC that the County Council needs Parish Council input by the end of March. The school has a committee of governors which is currently working upon its response and it was agreed that members of the Parish Council could meet with this group later in the month, if required, and agree the text of the Council’s letter of support for the school.
2 Declarations of Interest
The Chairman said that he had a personal and prejudicial interest in matters concerning the application to develop land adjacent to 86 High Street.
3 Minutes of the Meeting held 13th February 2008
The Minutes as circulated were approved and signed as a true record.
4 Matters Arising from the Minutes
a. The meeting to discuss the provision of a disabled parking space outside the school had not yet taken place but the Chairman and Mr David Herlihy will have a site meeting within the next few days.
d. Professor Malcolm Airs has given the names of two contractors who may be able to undertake the repairs to the Abbey perimeter wall and the Clerk will contact these companies in due course.
5 District Councillor's Report
Cllr John Cotton was attending another meeting and had sent his apologies
6 County Councillor's Report
Cllr John Howell was unable to attend the meeting in person but had submitted a report in writing. He said that the County Highways have confirmed they are happy with the proposal for Watling Lane.
Cllr Howell has seen the Highways Inspector’s comments about giving low priority to repairs to the footpath from the Bridge to Meadside. He is not happy with the response and will pursue this further.
The County’s Countryside team have made a second visit to the Hurst and Overy Mill. There is no change of opinion by the Council and Cllr Howell expects a kissing gate to be installed at the Hurst end of the path. In the meantime, he has received a letter from Mrs Butcher but has not yet composed his response.
Finally, Cllr Howell was able to confirm that the work for the build-out and moving forward of the give way line at Bridge End has been ordered and this includes the necessary improvements to drainage that had been identified in earlier visits.
7 Finance:
NatWest Reserve Account at 29th February £24,092.90
NatWest Current Account at 29th February £15,635.06
£39,727.96
The following accounts were approved for payment.
Behind Closed Doors Ltd £5,433.91
Total Pest Control (UK) Ltd £176.25
Oxford Green Belt Network (sub) £15.00
Thames Water Cemetery for year £81.70
SODC Dog Bin Service £588.13
Fred Cherrill (bus stop and shelter) £121.51
Berinsfield Community Business (Cemetery work) £505.25
P C Keable (Recreation Ground hedge) £141.00
G F Hobbs (ditches in Drayton Rd and around rec) £775.50
Chris Drewett Signs (Hidden Britain signs) £334.88
Carbon Colour (Millennium Map CDs) £1,176.18
John Metcalfe (Hidden Britain posters) £50.00
Margot Metcalfe (Hidden Britain reception) £90.96
Dorchester Abbey PCC (Hidden Britain tours) £100.00
GGD Russell – Clerk’s salary £425.43
Geoff Willis Handyman – 5weeks - (February £352.50) £257.50
The Council discussed a proposal that it should join CPRE. The cost is modest but councillors felt that for the Parish Council membership of such an organization was not appropriate. There was, of course, no reason why individual members of the Council could not join CPRE in a private capacity, although such membership would need to be included in individual declarations of interest.
The Council discussed a proposal for making a contribution towards the production costs of Dorchester News. The Clerk was asked to contact the Abbey Treasurer and find out what happens to any surplus of advertisement revenue over production costs. The Council would like to be assured that if it did make a contribution towards funding the publication the money would be ‘ring-fenced’ so that it would only be spent for the benefit of the production and/or distribution.
8 Hidden Britain Event 24th March
Cllr Mrs Metcalfe outlined the plans for the day. All councillors are invited to support the event and to join the Village Hall reception which will commence at 5.30 pm.
9 Correspondence and Other Business
i). Sports Club Pavilion & Playground;
Now that the roller shutters are in place, quotations are being obtained for the repair and/or replacement of the windows and doors on the playing field side. It is hoped to have at least two quotes for comparison at the April meeting. The Sports Club have organised a skip for the last weekend of March and a general tidying up and cleaning of the pavilion’s interior has been arranged.
The Clerk has been in correspondence with Oxford Archaeology about making good last year’s excavation site. The company has again reassured the Council that it will ensure that the area is completely repaired.
The Abingdon & Oxford Angling Alliance has confirmed in writing that it is unwilling to make a financial contribution towards the cost of controlling the rat population. The Council agreed to go ahead with treatment along the lake side of the road to Willowfields but will only agree to a maximum expenditure of £300 after which the situation will be reviewed.
ii). Footpaths;
The Hurst Water Meadow Trust has been successful in raising the funding necessary for the purchase of its new mower and Dr Pritchard has offered its services to the Parish Council to assist in the maintenance of the footpath leading from the Village to the Hurst. The Trust has written to thank to Council for its donation and this letter, which contains details of what has been purchased, will be circulated.
iii). Cemetery;
The new paling fence has been installed and is satisfactory. The new sack-holders have been delivered and BCB have been asked by the Clerk to fasten them to wooden posts driven into the ground to provide a secure anchorage.
The pedestrian access gate near Martin’s Lane is reported to be sticking. The Chairman said that he would see what is causing this problem.
iv). Allotments
The Council approved an application from Christine Dance for a shed on her new plot near the sign half way along the path from Rotten Row; the shed to be a maximum of 6 foot by 4 foot and made of wood.
Orchard Archaeology has written to the Council seeking its approval for the excavation of part of the uncultivated area of the Allotments during the summer of 2008. The Council has no objection to this idea in principal but it does want to be sure that the area will be properly made good afterwards. The project will also require Scheduled Ancient Monument Consent.
v). Other letters to Chairman and Clerk
a. The Council agreed with several residents who have been in contact with both the Parish and District Councils that the noise from Queenford Lake is excessive. The problems are caused by the public address system rather than the motor boats. Cllr. John Cotton has been made aware of the problem.
b. Council noted proposed changes to airspace over parts of London, southern and eastern England which are now out for consultation. Dorchester on Thames is on the very edge of the affected area and the changes are not likely to be noticed.
c. Thames Water has written confirming that the sewer in the village had been cleaned in February 2008. The schedule is for this to happen every two years, depending upon reported blockages and the frequency of any flooding
d. Details of SODC’s review of the Design Guide will be circulated.
10 Planning
a. Applications
The Council was unable to make a decision on the following applications because hard copies of the documents had only just become available. These will be circulated to the planning group for comments. If members of the group are unable to make a decision a full meeting of the Council will be called:
P08/W0104 The Thatched Cottage 12 Wittenham Lane
Erection of a single storey extension and a single storey outbuilding
P08/W013/LB The Thatched Cottage 12 Wittenham Lane
Erection of a single storey extension and internal works.
P08/W0226 Virginia Cottage 21 High Street
Extension to the rear
P08/W0183/LB Virginia Cottage 21 High Street
Extension to the rear.
b. Other planning matters
The Council agreed that it wished the District Council to continue supplying hard copies of applications, plans and decisions and the Clerk will write to SODC.
Cllrs Mrs Margot Metcalfe and Mark Stevenson will attend the South Oxfordshire Design Guide workshop on Monday 31st March.
The Council noted that the Planning Inspector will be making a site visit to The Chequers on 17th March.
(Cllr Ken Bryan took no part in the following discussion). The Council has been informed that the planning officer intends to recommend refusal of PO8/W002 for the erection of single detached 3 bedroom dwelling on land adjoining 86 High Street. The Parish Council feels that this application should be approved and that the planning officer’s reasons for refusal are incorrect. Cllr Stevenson will represent the Council at the Planning Committee meeting and argue the case for approval of the application.
PO8/W0048 8, The Limes; Demolition of conservatory and erection of garden room
Planning permission was granted on 27th February.
11 Watling Lane repairs
Subject to approval of the proposed works by the County Council, which Cllr John Howell says will be forthcoming, the residents’ group plan to ask each household with a frontage onto the Lane for a contribution towards the cost of the scheme, now estimated by Tim Fisher to cost just under £5,000. Cheques will be requested, made payable to the Parish Council, but these will only be cashed in the event that the target sum is raised. The Clerk is liaising with the residents’ group.
12 Tree Maintenance
It was agreed that the recommendations of Paul Jenks should be accepted and the estimated costs included in the Council’s budget for 2008/9. It was agreed that quotes for carrying out the work should be invited from Tom Cottrell, Ringrose and Benson sawmills.
13 Any Other Business
b. The Clerk was asked to request that SODC remove the white van that has been abandoned in Queen Street.
c. Cllr Hill said that he had been told that the standard of cleanliness in the Bridge End public lavatories was unsatisfactory.
d. Cllr Stevenson reported that approximately 170 people had attended the ‘Living Lightly in Dorchester’ event, which was very encouraging. Another event will be held later in the year.
e. Dan Haines has left Chris Drewett Signs and set up on his own. Contact details are as yet unknown but he will be asked about preparing an additional sign in the play area and some more signs indicating the car parking on the Recreation Ground.
f. The Clerk said that Scion Estates had declined to cut the grass in the reduced number of sites that had been allocated to them but that BCB had been able to take on the extra work, which includes The Green at Bridge End and the War Memorial. The impact upon the Council’s grass cutting costs should be favourable.
The meeting closed at 9.50 pm
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