WHEATLEY PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
HELD ON MONDAY 9th JANUARY 2012 IN THE MERRY BELLS AT 7.30 PM
PRESENT: Councillors: E.M. Stacey (Chairman), J Reilly. R Old, G Stephens, P Willmott, A Knapp, R Bell, D Lamont, C Dalton. G Birks, S Coleridge, J Carr & J Coveley
OFFICER: Gareth Morris Clerk to the Parish Council
Also present: County Councillor Anne Purse, PC P Gregory, PCSO K Cooney and 8 members of the public
84. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE had been received from Cllrs Anderson and Fyffe
85. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None
86. MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON 7th NOVEMBER 2011 which had been circulated with the Agenda were signed as a correct and accurate record with the addition of Cllr S Coleridge to those present.
87. UPDATE ON ITEMS ARISING FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON 7th NOVEMBER 2011
i) MINUTE 73(iii) – SODC Core Strategy – Examination in Public Inspector’s conclusion. The Inspector’s conclusion was that the area at Wheatley should be taken out of the Review of the Green Belt
ii) MINUTE 75 – Big Society Funding – Youth Provision in Wheatley – Report on meetings with Mr Neil Holman, Oxford City Council. The Clerk had met with Mr Holman, and Mrs Stoker (Maple Tree Family Centre) at the Youth Club to look at the facilities. The refurbishment was to start in the next two week and should take around six weeks to complete. Mr Holman will send the Parish Council
a Schedule, laying out the Agreement between his organisation and the Parish Council.
With the permission of the meeting Item 7 (Youth Shelter at Church Road Recreation Ground) was now taken.
88. TO CONSIDER THE SITING OF THE PROPOSED YOUTH SHELTER IN CHURCH ROAD RECREATION GROUND. Referred form the F&GP Committee of 12th December
All the correspondence received on this matter had been circulated with the Agenda. Two further pieces of correspondence received that day was distributed to the Councillors present.
The clerk further reported that in response to his question on calls to the police re anti social behaviour on Church Road Recreation Ground the reply had been: 5 calls in 2008; 2 calls in 2009;1 call in 2010 (the last one so far); No calls in 2011.
7.59pm – The Chairman declared the meeting out of session so that members of the public might speak on this item
A number of residents from Templars Close and Church Road, Mr Davies, Mr Schmidt, Mrs Gandy, Mr Morrish and Mr Lewis expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of consultation on the issue and their objections to the siting of the youth shelter in the proposed position on the grounds of encouraging youths to gather, noise, use of drugs and alcohol, litter and general anti-social behaviour. The police officers present responded to the questions asked to them.
8.30pm – The Chairman declared the Council back in session
Following discussion on the issue Cllr Birks proposed and Cllr Carr seconded the motion:
‘That the PC proceeds with the erection of the Recreation Ground Shelter at the site near the entrance to the Church Road Recreation Ground, with maximum sound-proofing and planting for the benefit of residents; the Shelter to be reviewed at 6 months and again at 12 months, local residents to be invited to the Reviews’.
The motion was Agreed by 8 votes in favour with none against and five abstentions
8.45pm The Chairman declared the meeting out of session and asked those present if they wished to speak
County Cllr Anne Purse – Brookes student parking.- she believed that there needed to be an overall plan for parking and that double yellow lines along Waterperry would push the parking into Wheatley and Holton. Also the City Council’s plans for Barton may cause greater hold-ups at the Green Road roundabout and that would cause more traffic cutting through Wheatley
PC Paul Gregory – if double yellow lines were put down on Waterperry Road where would the 80 or so cars that park there go?
He also reported that the owner of the land south of Muddy Lane where two caravans had recently been parked had been in contact with TVP and told them that he had given the occupants six week to vacate the land.
District Councillor Janet Carr said she wanted to pay tribute to the work Cllr Birks had put in to the Parish Council’s submission to the Examination in Public of SODC’s Core Strategy.
District Councillor Bell said that whilst the ‘Localism Act was now in place it was still unclear how it would affect the Council
9.02pm The Chairman declared the Council back in session
With the permission of the meeting item 10, (Proposal for double yellow lines along Waterperry Road)
was now taken)
89. TO DECIDE A RESPONSE TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL’S PROPOSAL FOR DOUBLE YELLOW LINES ALONG THE WATERPERRY ROAD.
The County Council is asking for an initial response before it formerly goes for a Traffic Order for double yellow lines between the Oxford Brookes Waterperry entrance and the M40 motorway bridge.
Parish Councillors were extremely concerned that should yellow lines be deployed along Waterperry Road the parking displaced (anything between 50 and 100 cars) would finish up on the streets of Wheatley which were already congested with parked cars and traffic.
Cllr Reilly proposed and Cllr Knapp seconded that ‘the Parish Council would object, in the strongest possible terms, to the installation of further double yellow lines along the Waterperry Road.’
This was Agreed unanimously. This resolution to be sent to Oxfordshire County Council Highways Department.
90. THE MINUTES of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on the following dates were received
i) Wednesday 9th November 2011, circulated previously
ii) Wednesday 14th December 2011, circulated with the Agenda
91. THE MINUTES of the meetings of the F&GP Committee meeting held on the following dates were received:
i) Monday 21st November 2011, circulated previously
ii) Monday 12th December 2011, circulated with the Agenda
92. TO RESOLVE TO APPROVE THE PARISH COUNCIL REVISED BUDGET FOR 2011-2012 AND THE PARISH COUNCIL BUDGET AND PRECEPT FOR 2012-2013 AS RECOMMENDED BY F&GP ON 12TH DECEMBER.
The F&GP Committee has recommended that the precept for 2012-2013 be maintained its 2011-2012 level of £104,619. See enclosed papers.
Cllr Reilly proposed and Cllr Carr seconded that the F&GP’s recommendation be accepted.
This was Agreed unanimously.
93. TO CONSIDER A PARISH COUNCIL INITIATIVE FOR THE DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS.
This item was referred to the next Finance and General Purposes Committee
94. REPORTS FROM OUTSIDE BODIES
a) The Howe Trust – Cllr Dalton reported that 320 saplings had been planted recently and that thenumber of allotments would be going up to 116.
b) Merry Bells Management Committee – Cllr Carr reported that the refurbishment of the Coffee Room was well under way.
95. TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATING TO WHEATLEY PARK SPORTSFIELD MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
i) Report on last meetings.- No meetings had been held since the last parish Council meeting. The paper on the Projected Income and expenditure for 2012-2013 had been circulated with the Agenda. Cllr Bell asked about the fall in projected income from the rugby lettings, Cllr Willmott replied that the Rugby Club now only runs 2 teams and not the 4 or 5 as in past seasons. The paper was noted
ii) Update on the redevelopment of the pavilion. Cllr Willmott reported that a Finance Officer of the Rugby Football Union would attend the next meeting of the Committee along with other stakeholders. It was hoped that more information re the chosen architect would be available at the next Parish Council.
96. CALENDAR OF MEETINGS. – NOTED
a) Planning Committee – Wednesday 11th January2012 – 7.30pm
b) F&GP Committee – Monday 16th January – 7.30pm
c) Planning Committee – Wednesday 8th February 2012 – 7.30pm
d) F&GP Committee – Monday 20th February 2011 – 7.30pm
e) Parish Council Meeting – Monday 5TH March 2012– 7.30pm
f) Planning Committee – Wednesday 14th March 2012 – 7.30pm
g) Traffic and Roads Advisory Committee – Wednesday 1st February 7.30pm
The meeting closed at 9.45pm