Minutes of a meeting of STANTON ON THE WOLDS Parish Council

held on Wednesday November 12, 2008, at 7.30pm, at the Parish Church, Stanton on the Wolds

Couns.  Mrs Margaret Healy (Chairman)                    Jim Goodman (Vice chairman)

Roy H Butler             Bryan Baines             Mike Sheriston

Alex McKee              Mrs Angela Benney (A)

      Also in attendance: The clerk Mike Elliott and Coun. John Cottee (Nottinghamshire County Council). 

      The chairman thanked Couns. Butler and Baines for their part in the Service of Remembrance at the parish church. 

321/8] APOLOGIES were received from Coun. Mrs Angela Benney and Coun. Mrs Fiona Mason (Rushcliffe Borough Council). 

322/8] DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were none. 

323/8] MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 21, 2008, were accepted as presented and signed by the chairman. 

324/8] CLERK’S REPORT FROM PREVIOUS MEETING There were no matters to raise. 

325/8] CORRESPONDENCE

      Nottinghamshire Association of Local Councils gave the date of their Annual General Meeting as November 19 and also wrote in regard to a training seminar on November 26 at Epperstone Village Hall on the subject of budget and finance, and which the clerk said he would attend. Members agreed to meet part of the cost.

      Nottinghamshire Association of Local Councils wrote in regard to the Freedom of Information Act – New Model Publication Scheme which the clerk said he was working on. Rushcliffe Borough Council issued an invitation to their First Annual Town and Parish Council Conference on February 27, 2009, at The Carriage Hall, Plumtree and the chairman and clerk said they would attend.

      Rushcliffe Community Partnership advised of their Community Strategy 2005 – 2020 and sought comments. It was agreed the items covered were correct. Both Coun. John Cottee and Nottinghamshire County Council wrote to confirm the parish council bid for the  Building Better Communities scheme to improve the entrance road to the parish church had been received and would be decided upon during January 2009.  

      Rushcliffe Borough Council advised of an extension of the provision of legal services they could offer to parish councils. Rushcliffe Borough Council wrote in regard to the parish council application for funding for the Parish Planting and Landscape Scheme 2008/2009 and said up to £250 was being allocated to Stanton on the Wolds. The chairman would continue to obtain prices for the scheme. Coun. McKee agreed to seek £60 worth of daffodils for planting elsewhere in the village, as a different project.

      Midlands Rural Housing wrote in respect of Local Housing Needs which they were working on with Rushcliffe Borough Council and asked if the council would wish to be involved. The matter was to be an agenda item for the next meeting.

      Clement Keys gave an unqualified opinion on the Annual Return for the 2007/2008 Financial Year. The clerk made reference to a letter from them which had been received in which they had asked for an explanation of the level of funding held by the council. He had reported the plans to improve the village entrance areas. 

326/8] PLANNING MATTERS

      Discussion took place on how planning applications should be dealt with and it was agreed to form a Planning Committee. Members elected to it were Couns. Mrs Healy, Butler, McKee and Goodman. It was agreed it had executive powers and would meet as and when necessary, in the parish church. It would operate on a trial basis until the Annual General Meeting in May 2009. 

      Planning Applications There were none. 

      Rushcliffe Borough Council Decisions

      08/01403/FUL   Mr Eric Jackson; Proposed conversion of barn to dwelling, erect detached double car port / cart shed and ground source heating (revised scheme); Laurel Farm, Browns Lane. Grant Permission

      08/01644/FUL   Mr M Johnson; Single storey front extension; 150 Browns Lane. Grant Permission 

      08/01668/FUL   Mr S Glennon; Single storey rear extension to replace conservatory; 168 Melton Road. Grant Permission

      08/01769/ADV   Mr Matt Swindles; Two internally illuminated free standing advertisement display units; The Wolds Service Station, 198 Melton Road. Grant Consent

327/8] VILLAGE AMENITIES / ENVIRONMENT

      The council agreed it could not support a suggestion made from Widmerpool Parish Council in regard to an extension of the bridleway network as it was expected there would be too many difficulties in obtaining support from landowners.

      The chairman commented on the clean appearance of the village name sign on Stanton Lane. It was unclear as to who had cleaned it.       

      It was agreed a newsletter be published prior to Christmas. 

328/8] FINANCIAL MATTERS

Members authorised payment of the accounts. 

329/8] ESTABLISHMENT OF SPEED WATCH GROUP

      Coun. Goodman reported on the success of the campaign to obtain volunteers for the scheme and said 11 people had come forward. He had made contact with Insp Francis Meylan, the officer in charge of the scheme, and training would be organised following a meeting Coun. Goodman was planning to have with him. The council would need to meet the cost of purchase of three Community Watch vests to be worn by the operatives and the signs needed to be erected to announce it was a speed watch area. A Risk Assessment would be carried out at the suggested points where speeds would be checked – on Melton Road, Browns Lane and Stanton Lane. It was agreed that to start with the council would make use of the speed monitor unit kept at Bingham Police Station.

      Coun. Goodman was thanked for his work in relation to the project. 

330/8] STANDING ORDERS

      Couns. Mrs Healy and Goodman were to study the various Standing Orders held by the council and make suggestions for the future content of them. The clerk would be consulted. The matter would be finalised at the next meeting. 

331/8] WEBSITE UPDATE

      Coun. Sheriston gave an update on the website and spoke of the amount of work that Mr Alan Hunt undertook. A vote of thanks was extended to him. 

332/8] PUBLIC SESSION No members of the public were present. 

333/8] AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING to be held on January 14, 2009

      No items were put forward. 

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.03pm.