Minutes November 2008
Clerk: Mrs Joanna Otte, Little Manor, Thursford Road, Little Snoring, Fakenham, NR21 0JN
Tel. 01328 822 366
e-mail kettlestonepc@googlemail.com
Present: G Ashby, C Cole, D Burgis, R Townsin, A Long, B Wyvill, M Hoad
And six members of the public
Meeting of the Parish Council on
Monday, 17 November, at 7.45 p.m. in the Village Hall
MINUTES
1. Apologies from A Green
2. No declarations of interest by the Councillors in any of the agenda items listed below. The Code of Conduct for Members requires that declarations include the nature of the interest and whether it is a personal or prejudicial interest.
3. Minutes of the previous Meetings were approved and signed as a true record.
4. Matters arising: Progress on items from previous meetings for information or reminders only. Items not on this agenda requiring decisions will be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.
i. RT: Report on Joint Area Parish Conference on 13 Nov. It was a well attended conference.
• The main topic was the Local Govt Review and the importance of individuals and organisations to write to the Minister Hazel Blears to express their opinions.
• There was also some discussion about Quality Councils and there was assurance that not becoming a Quality Council would not affect the role of such parish councils.
• The District Council Supporting Communities Team was introduced and a list of contact details provided. It was noted that only 15% of council tax goes to the District Council. One of the initiatives is to encourage more people to stand for election and become involved in local communities. A leaflet had been produced called 'Branching out in your community'. The contact person is Maureen Clarke.
• The future of the Area Forums was discussed and it was hoped that they would continue along side the Area Partnerships. The relationship is currently being worked out.
The Parish Council discussed the next steps for the Local Govt Review and how to encourage parishioners to respond. It was decided that information should be put in the newsletter once the proposal had been submitted to the Minister.
ii. BW: Report on Cut your Carbon Conference. It had been a worthwhile event, providing lots of contacts and ideas. It emerged that it was preferable to conduct a proper campaign rather than a simple survey of carbon use.
iii. The Clerk is to write to Fakenham Town Council to request its policy on lighting and light pollution.
5. The meeting was temporarily closed:
i. for Parishioners to express any concerns they may have;
• Hedge and verge by Old Rectory are impinging on the road.
Action: Clerk to contact Highways again and suggest a meeting with a councillor.
• Concern was expressed that other authorities e.g. NNDC are making decisions following consultations on a simple count of the number of letters received. It was suggested that if this were the case then the Parish Council could put draft letters in the newsletter for individuals to sign and post.
This raised a number of concerns including the role and function of the Parish Council as a representative body not a campaigning organisation. If this were to be done, then each issue would have to be considered when it arose.
ii. for a question and answer session in respect of the Parish Plan
• A member of the public praised the Parish Plan and thanked the group for producing such good work.
• A councillor noted that one comment that she had heard was that there should be footpaths to a number of different locations when in fact these paths were already in existence. The footpaths need to be more 'visible'.
• The Chairman proposed a vote of thanks to David Harrison for coming to this meeting to answer questions, for chairing the steering group and for bringing the Parish Plan to such a great conclusion.
• David Harrison replied with a accolade to the members of the steering group and added that he had been told that this Parish Plan was a most professional and useful document.
6. Parish Plan Actions
i. Litter Day of Action Sat 6 December. GA to make a flyer for a leaflet drop.
The kit has arrived from Keep Britain Tidy and includes green visibility vests, badges etc
NNDC will provide tools and rubbish sacks.
AL and CC will go to Cromer to collect and return the tools before and after the weekend
The full sacks will be left in the village hall car park for the arranged collection by NNDC.
The Parish Council is covered by its insurance as long as tools are checked over before use.
ii. The Parish Plan will be available on the website soon.
iii. AL and MH will work with BW to co-ordinate actions from the Parish Plan. They will prepare a list of priorities for the Parish Council to make further arrangements. Parish Plan to be on the agenda for each meeting.
7. Progress towards Quality Status
i. The list of mandatory requirements to achieve Quality Status were read out and it was noted which ones the Parish Council had already.:
Mandatory requirement Comments
Electoral Mandate Yes
Qualifications of the Clerk Almost
Council meetings Yes
Communication & community engagement Yes
Annual Report Will do at annual meeting
Accounts Yes
Code of Conduct Yes
Promoting local democracy and citizenship BW will draft a policy for the next meeting
Terms and conditions Yes
Training Training plan will be discussed early next year
ii. It was agreed to keep this on file in case it became necessary to achieve Quality Status.
8. Financial business to consider payment of invoices and other financial business
i. The following invoices were considered and it was agreed to pay them
Clerk salary standing order payment for Oct £107.06 paid
Clerk salary (salary increase back date to 1 April 2008), allowance for broadband use and expenses £45.18
Shades of Green (bus shelter repairs) £340.00
total £ 385.18
Balance as at 31 Oct 08:
in current account £1082.54
in savings account £ 2255.52
ii. Transfer £400.00 to cover payments
9. Annual Return is completed and the necessary notices have been put on the notice board.
10. Planning to consider planning applications and any other planning matters:
i. Kettlestone House: change of use to tennis court and erection of fence. Permission granted.
ii. Gypsy and Traveller site. Following the NNDC meeting the Parish Council wrote to NCC and NNDC requesting that 50mph speed limit should be introduced on A148 between Fakenham and Little Snoring if the site is granted permission.
11. Boundary Consultation: Response submitted to Boundary Committee and a copy sent to Hazel Blears.
12. Highways and footpaths: RT will contact Sarah Price about the footpath at Langor Bridge.
13. The making and enforcement of byelaws consultation. It was decided that the Clerk should respond to the consultation stating that the Parish Council is in agreement with the proposals but would like a couple of comments to be taken into consideration viz.:
• 'resolving challenges' (page18 para 2.29) will need fleshing out with guidelines to help authorities decide what action is appropriate, i.e. less reliant on 'opinion'.
• Detailed training will be required to help authorities make and enforce bye laws.
14. Freedom of Information Act
i. To resolve to adopt the new Model Publication Scheme.
Proposed by RT, seconded by BW and agreed by all.
ii. Clerk to complete the Guide to Information for the next meeting.
15. Consultation on Model Code of Conduct
i. To consider whether the Parish Council would like to make a formal response (by 24 December 2008).
• Major amendment is the clarification of members' conduct in their non-official capacity and a new general principle 'Duty to abide by the law. Members should not engage in conduct which constitutes a criminal offence'.
• Second part relates to a mandatory code of conduct for employees and should this extend to employees of parish councils?
The Parish Council agreed with the proposals. The Clerk will send the response.
16. To note correspondence from:
i. Norfolk Young Offending Team is trying to recruit volunteers. An item has already been put in the newsletter. Mike Cundy is willing to give a presentation about the NYOT including restorative justice. It was agreed that BW should invite him to give a presentation before the next Parish Council meeting (start time 7.30pm).
ii. Letter of thanks for help with clarification of a land-ownership issue.
iii. NHS Pharmacy changes. There is currently a consultation about pharmacy changes which includes removing the facility for doctors to dispense medicine at surgeries. D Harrison, who is the local representative on the Patient Practice Group explained that this would adversely affect people who live in rural areas as they would be required to make an extra journey to a pharmacy to collect medicine.
The Parish Council agreed that the Clerk should write to the Chief Executive of the Fakenham Medical Practice requesting that the status quo is retained in regard to dispensing from surgeries.
iv. Recycling at Costessey
Scott Martin (NNDC) is arranging a visit to the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) at Costessey in Norwich, where all of North Norfolk's recyclables from the green bins are processed. The date for this visit is 27 January 2009 at 2pm.
Six of the councillors are able to go. Clerk to inform Scott Martin of names.
17. Any other business for placing on the agenda for the next Meeting
18. To confirm dates & time of next meeting at 7.30 p.m. on Monday 2 Feb 2009
Meeting closed at 9.15pm