Balderton Parish Council
Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held in the Council Hall on Wednesday July 6th 2005 at 7.00pm.
PRESENT: Councillors Colman (Chairman), Mrs Brooks, Brooks, Fletcher, Gibson, Mrs Hind, Mortimore, Mrs Newstead, Miss Oram, Mrs Scott, Scott, Mrs Walker and White.
with County Councillor Walker, a member of the local press, three members of the public, and the Clerk.
The Chairman welcomed Cllr Mortimore who had recently been returned as a Parish Councillor following an uncontested local election on Balderton West Ward which arose following a casual vacancy. Cllr Mortimore had signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office and of compliance to the Council’s Code of Conduct.
2830 Apologies
Apologies were accepted from Cllrs Ms Atkinson and
Hind who had advised that they would be able to attend later during the meeting,
and from Cllr Sheppard. Cllrs Jarvis and Spencer were attending the Parish
Council Conference at Kelham Hall on behalf of the Council.
2831 Declarations of Interest No declarations were made.
The meeting was closed to hear a parishioner’s comments regarding the recent casual vacancy on the Council, the Boundary Commissions’ review of electoral boundaries and the proposed development of Lakeside land. Members noted these comments and the meeting re-opened.
Cllr Hind and County Councillor Mrs Saddington joined the meeting at approximately 7.07pm.
2832 Minutes
County Councillor Mrs Saddington advised that her
apologies had been submitted for the May meeting but were omitted from the
minutes. County Councillor Walker advised that minute reference 3264d was
incorrect, and that it should show ‘South Herts Waste Management’ rather than
the County Council as the applicant to extend the recycling centre at Quarry
Farm.
These were duly agreed and corrected in the minute book The minutes of the Annual Parish Council meeting held on May 26th 2005, having been circulated previously were then confirmed as a true record and signed.
2833 Clerk/Chairman’s
Update
An update of ongoing matters from the minutes of the
previous Council meeting and subsequent committee meetings was circulated and
noted. Updates circulated prior to each committee meeting had been included
with the minutes. The following issues were discussed:-
a) Council
1. Re Minute 2822.4 Building Better Communities The County Council fund does not cover projects such as the Pavilion re-build. An alternative project for submission could be the Cemetery extension - enquiries will be made regarding this option. Members were encouraged to submit any projects or suggestions for the scheme - there is no limit to the number of bids that a Council can make. Cllr Mrs Walker asked for, and received support from members in bidding for parking bays along Wolfit Avenue.
2. Re Minute 2824 Hydrotherapy Pool Cllr Fletcher asked that appreciation be extended to The Newark Advertiser in highlighting the situation at the pool. Members were very pleased that the pool is to be refurbished and will once again be in use.
Cllr Ms Atkinson joined the meeting at approximately 7.30pm.
b) Amenities
1. Re Minute 1213 Pavilion Re-build The Clerk advised that although the bid application to the Football Foundation is virtually complete, KAM have now advised that it may not be the optimum time to submit the bid - it is anticipated to be better to submit it in 6 months time. The proposed costs for the new building are considered to be too high. The whole project will be discussed by the Pavilion sub committee during the summer recess to consider different options.
2. Re Minute 1215 Twitch Farm The District Council Planning Department should be encouraged to consider alternative permissible use of the site in order to allow it to be used without a detrimental affect upon the locality.
b) Finance & General Purposes
Re Minute 3259 Audit Annual Return Following the Internal Auditor’s comment enquiries will be made regarding increasing the Council’s amount of fidelity insurance cover. The Council’s Accounts for 2004/05 and the completed Annual Return and Statement of Assurance, previously approved in committee were endorsed. Authorisation was given for the Chairman and Responsible Financial Officer to sign the documents.
2834 Financial
Statement
The statement was approved. The details as published
were correct, there being a cheque requirement of £2810.32 for June 2005.
Payment reference no.s 43 and 52 were queried; the new padlock for the
allotment gate was considered expensive but the Clerk explained it did include
40 new keys for distributing to the tenants, and the fuel storage container was
necessary following a health and safety risk assessment.
2835 Reports from Representatives
1. County Cllr Walker advised;
a) that Balderton Library is scheduled to be re-furbished during the current financial year.
b) that there are no plans to sell Balderton Resource Centre and that the County Council are looking to increase attendance at the Centre.
c) that the Department of Education has pledged future funding for The Grove school.
d) that the County has pledged £7,000 to the St. Giles Church Hall project.
e) that a public exhibition will be held in Newark Town Hall on 20th and 21st July for the A46 duelling project between Newark and Widmerpoole.
2. County Councillor Mrs Saddington advised that the Assistant Director of Education is attending the Fernwood Residents Association meeting on August 12th to discuss issues.
Cllr Brooks left the meeting at approximately 8.10pm.
2836 Clerk’s
Additional Information
The following items of correspondence/information have
been received:
a) Two planning applications which were reviewed immediately before the meeting; no. 1463 Conservatory at 14 Simpson Close which was approved, and no. 1493 a Hoarding Sign at Fernwood on the old clock tower - this was objected to as members considered it to be out of keeping with the character of the listed building.
b) Notice that planning permission has been refused for a bungalow at the rear of 42a Queen Street, and Siting of a mobile home at Plot 3 Coddington Road.
c) Notice that permission has been granted for work to a London plane tree subject to a preservation order at 6 Gilmores Lane.
d) An invitation to attend the District Council planning meeting on Tuesday July 12th 2005, where applications are being considered for a property at the rear of 93a Main Street and variation of Section 106 condition at Fernwood. Cllr Ms Atkinson undertook to attend the meeting to represent the Council on these two applications.
e) An invitation to attend the County Council Civic Service on July 17th 2005 at 11am in Southwell Minster. Cllrs Mrs Brooks, Brooks, Colman, Fletcher, Mrs Scott, Scott and Sheppard undertook to attend.
f) A reply from the District Council advising that they intend to employ a planning consultant to take the matter of The Hollies site on Barnby Lane forward, thus differentiating the Council from landownership and planning functions.
g) A copy of Southwell’s Town Plan.
h) Notice that the County Council Local Government Pension Scheme Annual Meeting is to be held in Kirkby in Ashfield on Friday October 7th 2005 at 2.00pm.
i) Notice that the section of Public Footpath no.1 from Macaulay Drive to the existing path has been added to the Definitive Map.
j)
The Balderton Festival which was to be held on the Playing Field in August 2005
has had to be cancelled because the Balderton Business Club cannot get enough
active support from members.
They hope to ‘defer’ the event to a Christmas Festival in conjunction with
switching on lights, but this will be dependent upon more active membership.
The press were asked to highlight their situation and urge local people to be
involved.
k) A complaint regarding the spare piece of land on Church Lane. The land is very overgrown and shrubs/trees encroach onto the pavement. It was agreed that a letter be sent to the owner asking that action be taken to tidy the area.
2837 Councillors Questions
1. Cllr Mortimore asked that the future implications of Fernwood facilities on the Council’s budget be discussed at the September Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting.
The meeting closed at approximately 8.10pm