WHEATLEY PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL

HELD ON MONDAY 11^th MAY 2010AT THE MERRY BELLS AT 7.30PM

PRESENT: Councillors: J Reilly (Chairman), J. M. Carr (Retiring Chairman), C .M. Dalton,

G. Birks, R. T .Bell, P Willmott , M Fyffe ,E. M. Stacey, J Coveley, P Devlin (until 9.30pm), C Sprent, N Messenger, S Coleridge & A Knapp (from 8.05pm)

OFFICER: Gareth Morris Clerk to the Parish Council

ALSO PRESENT: County Councillor Anne Purse and one member of the public  

The Retiring Chairman welcomed all to the meeting. She then thanked the Councillors for their support she had received from them during her three year term of office.

1          ELECTION of Chairman for 2010 – 11 and Acceptance of Office

Cllr Reilly was proposed by Cllr Birks and seconded by Cllr Stacey. There being no other candidate Cllr car was declared elected and signed the Acceptance of Office after the meeting

Cllr Reilly thanked Cllr Carr for her hard work as Chairman of the Council. This was echoed by the whole council.

2          APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE – none

3          ELECTION of Vice-chairman

Cllr Carr was proposed by Cllr Dalton and seconded by Cllr Birks. There being no other candidate Cllr Carr was declared elected.

4          FORMAL ADOPTION OF STANDING ORDERS (INCLUDING CODE OF         CONDUCT)

Cllr Dalton proposed and Cllr Willmott seconded that the Standing orders (including the Code of Conduct) be adopted. This was Agreed

5          APPOINTMENT of Committees;

` The chairman and vice-chairman are ex-officio members of every committee

a)  Standing Committees

i)   Finance & General Purposes

Cllrs Bell, Devlin, Fyffe, Birks, Coleridge, Carr &Stacey

ii)  Planning

Cllrs, Coveley, Sprent, Willmott, Messenger & Dalton

b) Advisory Committees and Working Groups

i) Traffic and Roads Advisory Committee (TRAC)

Cllrs Dalton, Fyffe, Bell, Reilly, Coveley, Sprent, Stacey, Carr, Birks & Messenger

ii) Recreation Areas Working Group

Cllrs Fyffe, Reilly and Dalton

6    CONFIRMATION of representatives to outside bodies:

i Merry Bells Management Committee; Cllr Carr

ii   Oxfordshire  Association of Local Councils; Cllrs Janet Carr.& Ellie Stacey

iii   Wheatley Sports Field Management Committee; Messrs Peter Bayliss, Richard Cosier, and Paul Edson, and Cllrs Roger Bell, Messenger & Paul Willmott.

Cllr Bell proposed and Cllr Dalton seconded that

iv Howe Trust; Cllrs Caroline Dalton and Gwendolen Birks and Janet Carr

v Park Sports Centre Advisory Committee; Cllr Roger Bell

vi   Wheatley Charities; Mr Peter Targett, (until 2013) and Mr Graham Colverson (until 2011)

vii   Public Transport Representative; Mr James Dalton.

Mr Dalton was given a vote of thanks for the work he puts in to his role as Public  Transport Representative

viii   Wheatley Windmill Preservation Society; Cllr Caroline Dalton

FIRST STATUTORY MEETING OF WHEATLEY PARISH COUNCIL

for council year 2010 – 11

7   APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE – None

8   MINUTES of the meeting of the Parish Council of Monday 1st  March

2010, circulated previously, were signed as a correct and accurate record

9  CO-OPTION OF NEW PARISH COUNCILLOR

It was Agreed to take item 15 – Co-option of new parish councillor

Mrs Angela Knapp was present at the meeting and she explained that she wished to stand for co-option to the Parish Council. Mrs Knapp gave details of her address and occupation.

Cllr Birks proposed and Cllr Carr seconded that Mrs Knapp be co-opted on to the Parish Council. Agreed unanimously

Cllr Knapp joined the meeting (8.05 pm) and signed the acceptance of Office

There remains one vacancy on the Parish Council

10  MATTERS ARISING from the meeting held on Monday 1st March 2010

i)    Minute 97(i) – Waiting restrictions etc on Church along Church Road – nothing to

report

ii)   Minute 97(ii) – Review of 2004 Village Plan – Cllrs present at the March meeting would present a report to the wider Village Plan Group 9including The Wheatley Society) on Tuesday 8^th June at 7.30 pm

iii)    Minute 97(iii) – update re Cullum Road Recreation Area project. Cllr Fyffe reported that the refurbished recreation ground opened for the second week of the Easter holidays. There were issues of alleged anti-social behaviour such as motor cycle riding etc. which would be addressed. Signs, seats and tables would be provided and ROSPA had made comments which meant that extra costs would be incurred. She was also trying to address the problem of cats using the sand pit

iv)    Minute 97(v) – Shotover Estate’s policy on public access. Cllr Carr had had a site meeting with Alexander Stanier and his agent. The Estate would drain the area by the Westfield entrance; provide a wider ‘Kissing Gate’ at the entrance and one to replace the stile across the field. There was still the issue of the locked gates at the Park Hill entrance but Cllr Carr was hopeful that a compromise might be reached on providing access at least for mobility scooters.

v)    Minute 99(ii)(b) Horse Chestnut tree in St Mary’s Close – in reply to a question from Cllr Bell the Clerk replied he hoped to set up a site visit with the tree surgeon and Cllrs Dalton, Devlin and Reilly either the coming Saturday or the Saturday after. Residents would be informed of the date and time.

11 THE MINUTES of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on the following dates were received:

i.)    Wednesday 10^th March 2010, circulated previously

ii.) Wednesday 31^st March 2010, circulated previously

iii.)    Wednesday 21^st April 2010, circulated with the Agenda

a)      The Planning Committee recommends that future meetings are held every calendar month rather than every 3 weeks as at the moment (as SODC’s Planning Committee is now going to meet monthly not every three weeks as previously).

Agreed

12. THE MINUTES of the meetings of the F&GP Committee meetings held on:

i)        Monday 15^th March 2010, circulated previously

ii)        Monday 19^th April 2010, circulated with the Agenda

a)    Minute 5 – Parish Council website – to consider going live at the start of June – Agreed

b)    Minute 8 – Wheatley Park Sportsfield Management Committee. The Parish Council can see no objection why the new contract should not be offered to M J Watts and to confirm that the Parish Council is bound by the current agreement.- Agreed

8.30 pm The Chairman declared the Council out of session and asked the County and District Councillors to speak

County Councillor Anne Purse – the plan for the extension of the Park and Ride car park at Thornhill was to go ahead. A plan for differentiated charging, for those parking and travelling to London might be introduced.

A new stage in the consultation process on the OCC Local Transport  Plan 3 had just started. She felt that a second meeting of the attendees of the first meeting on A40 road noise should be convened.

District Councillor Carr – SODC had agreed to clear the grit that had been left during the winter on High Street and surrounding roads in the village.

8.50 pm – The Chairman declared the Council back in session

Agreed that the Clerk, in consultation with Anne Purse, convene a second meeting of the interested parties re A40 road noise.

13. TO CONSIDER PLANNING APPLICATION P10/W0461/O(Outline)(Minor) Land Adjoining Little Worth Park Coopers Close  Development of 2 x 2 bedroom houses, 4 x 3 bedroom houses and 1 x 3-4 bedroom house

The Clerk reported that a number of residents had written directly to SODC, only one had copied their letter to the Parish Council. These mainly reiterated the objections made to the previous objections.

Cllr Bell read out a number of points he felt should be made to SODC about the failure of the new application to meet the Inspectors reason for dismissing the original one.

Cllr Dalton proposed and Cllr Carr seconded that the Parish Council recommend to SODC that this application be refused. Agreed unanimously. It was further Agreed that the points made by Cllr Bell, with emphasis on the footpath being integral to the Primary School’s Travel Plans, along with the original objections made by the Parish Council be incorporated into the parish’s reasons for recommending refusal.

14.  TO RECEIVE A PETITION ON THE PROVISION OF TOILETS IN THE VILLAGE   PRESENTEDTO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PARISH COUNCIL AT THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

A petition of some 97 signatories had been handed to the Chairman at the end of the Annual Parish Meeting in March. It requested ‘that plans are made and quickly proceeded with to provide toilet facilities in the village’.

The Council carefully considered the Petition and Agreed

• The expense of providing toilets would be substantial and beyond our means

• The Police objected to the previous toilet provision (provided and now withdrawn by the District Council) on the grounds of public policy and safety
• The Council is unable to provide the requested toilet facilities

15.  REPORTS FROM OUTSIDE BODIES

i)        Neighbourhood Action Group – Cllr Reilly reported that following the recent consultation issue for Wheatley were, on top of the usual ones of speeding and parking: vandalism and Anti Social Behaviour; Litter and Flytipping. 116 out of the 213 responses said there were ‘no issues’. The Police welcomed the parish Councils intention to place a Youth shelter in Church Road recreation Ground.

9.30 – Cllr Devlin left the meeting

ii)        The Howe Trust – Cllr Dalton reported that the Howe Trust now owned the strip of land in Howe Close leading to the Howe.

iii)        The Park Sports Centre Joint User Group – Cllr Bell reported that the changes to the gym would be started in the near future. Usage of the centre overall continued to rise

iv)        Meeting with the Primary School re the School Travel Plan

Cllr Birks tabled a report of the meeting held on 24^th March, between Parish Councillors, School Governors, the Headteacher and Mr Early (OCC School Travel Plans Officer). It was Agreed that the report be attached to the minutes of the Parish Council meeting and that it be sent to the Headteacher and Chairman of Governors

16   TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATING TO WHEATLEY PARK SPORTSFIELD  MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

i)         Cllr Bell reported on a meeting between Members of the Management Committee with Mr Uzzell (WPSFMC planning consultant), District Councillor Carr and Sharon Crawford (Planning Officer SODC) at the site of the proposed pavilion development on the sports field at Holton. The feedback received from the Planning officer was encouraging.

9.50 pm Cllr Carr proposed and Cllr Birks seconded that Standing orders be suspended for 10 minutes in order to finish the Agenda – Agreed

17  CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED AND NOTED

i)   Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association Spring 2010 Newsletter*

ii)   CPRE – Members’ Guide 2010 & “Countryside Voice” Spring 2010*

iii)   The Haseleys –May 2010*

iv)   Oxfordshire nature Conservation Forum –“ Oxfordshire Biodiversity News”*

v)   Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association – Spring 2010 newsletter*

vi)   Wheatley URC May 2010 newsletter*

vii)  Little Milton May 2010 newsletter*

* on display in Parish Council

18.   CALENDAR OF MEETINGS – Noted

i)    Planning Committee  – Wednesday 12^th May 2010 – 7.30pm

ii)    F&GP Committee – 24^th May 2010 – 7.30pm

iii)    Planning Committee  – Wednesday 9^th June 2010 – 7.30pm

iv)    F&GP Committee – Monday 21^st June 2010 – 7.30pm

v)    Parish Council Meeting – Monday 7^th July 2009– 7.30 pm

21.   RESOLUTION TO EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC

Cllr Dalton proposed and Cllr Carr seconded “ that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph X of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act, namely private contractual and employment matters.”

Agreed

22. THE MINUTES OF THE CONFIDENTIAL SESSIONS OF THE FINANCE AND GENERAL PURPOSES MEETING OF 15^th MARCH &19th APRIL 2010– circulated with this Agenda were received

Meeting closed at 9.53 pm