MARCH 2013 PARISH COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES

MINUTES 116                                                    Page 530

Minutes of the Ordinary Parish Council Meeting

held at The Bluebell Centre, Hothfield,

on Monday 11 March 2013 at 7.00 pm

[ DRAFT - to be formally accepted at next meeting ]

PRESENT:  

Mr L Krause (chair), Mrs D Hogben, Mrs P Sutcliffe, Mrs E Turner, Mr J Collins, Mr M Cook, Mr P Howard, Mr B Saxon. 

Mr D Beckley, Community Warden

There was one Member of the Public present for part of the meeting.

1.     APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

An Apology for Absence has been received from Mr D Parker (prior engagement), PCSO Peel and Borough Councillor Robey

2.       DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Declarations of Pecuniary Interest

There were no Declarations of Pecuniary Interest.

Declarations of Significant Interest

There were no Declarations of Significant Interest. 

i)    Updating of Declarations of Interest for the Code of Conduct

Councillors are reminded that they should update their Declarations of Interest with the Monitoring Officer if necessary.

3.    PUBLIC INTERVAL

The meeting was opened to the Members of the Public present from 7.03 to 7.12 for questions and comment. 

4.     ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Minutes 115 were accepted and it was unanimously agreed that Mr Krause should sign them as a true record of the meeting.

         Proposed  Mr Collins                   Mr Saxon

5.     MATTERS FOR REPORT ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES

The Clerk contacted EDF who were not prepared to change our quarterly payment.

They advised us to read the meter ourselves each quarter to ensure we pay the correct amount.  The Clerk will email councillors when she received the quarterly request for payment and arrange for the meter to be read.

6.    CORRESPONDENCE AND OTHER GENERAL COUNCIL BUSINESS

HMRC re paying electronically

Sovereign

Fenland Leisure

Kent Men of Trees

Ace Services

Came & Co

Plantscape

Clerk and Councils Direct

KALC Agenda for 20.03.13

Email Correspondence

ABC re New Recycling and Refuse collection services

Mr Graham-Matheson

Mrs I Deeley

The Clerk was asked to contact the voluntary litter pickers and ask whether they would be prepared to clear the complete length of Coach Drive.

Councillors agreed to ask an officer from ABC to the APM to discuss the new recycling and refuse services in the borough which take effect from 1 April.

Update on issues arising during discussion with PCSO Christine Peel

              Nothing to report.

Bus Shelter

Mr Collins reported that DATA tooling quoted him £150 to brace the bottom panels of the bus shelter to try and alleviate the problem of youths annoying local residents by constantly kicking the panels.

Resolution:  Councillors unanimously agreed that Mr Collins should ask  DATA Tooling to complete the work as soon as possible.

              Proposed  Mr Howard             Seconded  Mrs Hogben                                                             

Public Footpath AW166

Councillors would like a site meeting with the landowner to discuss the possibility of a Permissive Path across his land.  Mr Howard will contact him to arrange a date.

Depending on the outcome of a site meeting we will ask the landowner to attend the May meeting to discuss this further with the full council.

7.    FINANCE

The following payments were omitted from the minutes in error as the cheques were written outside of a meeting by councillors with the verbal agreement of all other councillors:-

Mr P Howard £25.74 – Diamond Jubilee expenses

Mr H Grenfell Banks £39.00 – Diamond Jubilee expenses

KCC £350.44 – Diamond Jubilee expenses

Mr H Grenfell Banks £800.00 - Newsletter

Mr K Marden £72.80 – Salary December

Total £1287.98

            Accounts to be Paid

            Resolution:  Councillors unanimously agreed to pay the above accounts.                

            Proposed Mr Collins                            Seconded  Mrs Sutcliffe

            Bank Balance per Cash Book                                       Balance at Bank   

            Earmarked Funds 

           Councillors agreed to carry the money earmarked for a Halloween Party forward

           in case a party is arranged in 2013.

8.        FUTURE OF YOUTH PROJECT

           Mrs Sutcliffe has been in contact with the Area Youth Officer for the South East and

           he has arranged for the Youth Tutor from the North School to work with Mr Barnes and

           get the Youth Club re-established.  The Area Youth Officer for Ashford told

           Mrs Sutcliffe that the Club was going re-open last Friday and run bi-weekly with the

           support of the Community Warden and PCSO.  Mrs Sutcliffe did not think it ran last week

           and said she would contact the Area Officer to find out what was happening if she

           did not hear from them. 

           A resident of Hothfield has offered to help with the Club on a voluntary basis.  She is CRB

           checked and can start immediately.  We need more volunteers as the village should be able

           to sustain the club. 

           The current funding comes to an end in the summer and we will have to look at ways of

           funding the club if we wish it to stay open.  It has been suggested that we

           could combine funding and resources with neighbouring parishes.

             Mrs Sutcliffe investigated the youth activities run by the Police and found that they do

             not run any activities in this area.

             Mr Krause thanked Mrs Sutcliffe for all her work with the Youth Project.

  9.    VILLAGE FETE AND GARDEN COMPETITION

           Mr Howard updated councillors on the progress of the arrangements for the Fete and

           Garden Competition.  Mr George Sainsbury and a volunteer gardener from Godinton

           House will judge the competition on 8 June.  If anyone is interested in helping with the

           Fete they were asked to volunteer as soon as possible.

10.       RISK ASSESSMENT/RISK INSPECTION

            The only issues of concern are the lack of warning signs in the Village Hall and the

            condition of the surface of the MUGA.  The Clerk will email the Risk Assessment to

            Mr Saxon.

11.          PLANNING

               Please see attached list.

12.      PLAN-IT-ASHFORD

 An officer from Ashford Borough Council will attend the April meeting along with Borough Council Robey to explain this to councillors.

13.    FORUM FOR EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION BETWEEEN COUNCILLORS  

           A date needs to be arranged for the APM.

             A councillor reported that she had been approached by a resident about the parking problems

             in Tufton Road.  Ashford Borough Council is aware of this issue and solutions considered.

             The Clerk was asked to report the overhanging hedges along Station Road from the A20 to

             Coach Drive.

             A quiz to raise money for the Village Hall has been arranged for 27 April.  Councillors

             were asked to support the event.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.00 pm.

HOTHFIELD PARISH COUNCIL

PLANNING APPLICATION RECORD

2013

March 2013

12/00212/AS     Hall Farm, Little Chart Road, Hothfield, Ashford, TN26 1EX

                                  The conversion of a stable block to extend the existing dwelling,

                        alterations to outbuilding including the provision of a new pitched

                        roof for use as a domestic garage, workshop and store. The erection

                        of new stable block/hay barn, the removal of redundant agricultural

                        buildings and change of use of land to residential curtilage

                          Parish Council:  Support

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