Balderton Parish Council
Minutes of the Amenities Committee meeting held in the
Balderton Village Centre Council Hall on Wednesday February 20th 2008 at 7.00pm
PRESENT Councillors White (Chairman), Allsopp, Hind, Mrs
Jarvis, Mutter,
Mrs Newstead, Radley, Miss Watson and Mrs Walker, with Councillor Fletcher,
County Councillor Walker, Head Groundsman Mr Brown, five parishioners, a
representative of the local press and the Clerk.
APOLOGIES were received from Cllrs Colman, Gibson, Gosling,
Mortimore, and Sheppard.
1444 Declarations of Interest
Cllr Mrs Jarvis declared a personal interest to minute reference 1451 – Gamage
Close highways issues. Cllr Mrs Newstead declared a personal interest to minute
reference 1451 – Lowfield Lane.
1445 Clerk/Chairman’s Update
A printed update of ongoing matters was circulated and noted. The update is
published with the minutes. The following issues were discussed from the update:
1. Re Minute 1436.1 Headstone safety Members welcomed the news that some
progress has been made in arranging a meeting with the vicar to discuss
headstone safety.
2. Re Groundstaff Following a disappointing response to the advert for a third
groundsman, discussion has taken place with the staff and village grass cutting
contractor to ascertain if he could undertake further grass cutting work when
the groundstaff are on annual leave or during excessively busy times. Staff pay
and conditions will be reviewed in light of this.
3. Re Minute 1433 Shower Screen The trial shower screen has been installed and
some feedback has been received. It is considered that the shower area is too
large reducing the changing room area – if a further set of screens is purchased
and installed it could be installed nearer to the shower wall. A suggestion has
been made to try one room with a simple pole and curtain – this would be far
cheaper but more vulnerable to damage. Members considered that this option
should be trialled - if damage occurs the team responsible will be charged .
Signs will be installed in the changing rooms advising that any damage must be
paid for, and home teams should be responsible for opposing away teams.
The meeting was closed to take public comments. Parishioners present raised
their objection to the application to make the Acacia Road access into a public
footpath. They were thanked for their comments and the meeting re-opened.
1446 Acacia Road Access
Members noted receipt of the County Council’s notice of a modification order for
the Acacia Road access, to become a public footpath. The Parish Council has a
deeded right of way over the land from Acacia Road to the playing field and can
see no benefit to the access becoming a public footpath when the right of way is
already protected by a local authority. The order is for the original 12 feet
despite this Council legally allowing the access to be narrowed to 6 feet in
1995. Members expressed their extensive disquiet at the County Council’s
pursuance of this application which will have no further benefit and cause
difficulties to the two adjacent property owners. A formal, further objection
will be lodged with the County Council.
1447 Cemetery Extension
A local contractor has been contacted to dig the trial pits on behalf of the
Council – this should be undertaken imminently. Some initial costings for the
Cemetery extension work have been obtained. The work is split into elements
–i.e. landscaping, fencing, road laying, wall building etc. It was considered
more cost effective to go to individual specialist companies for each element of
the work as needed. Mr Brown advised that he estimates the existing Cemetery
area will be full within five years.
The parishioners left the meeting.
1448 Planning Decisions
To following planning decisions have been made by the District Council and were
noted:
1464 Signs to building and freestanding Sainsbury’s, London Road (refused)
1662 Two storey rear extension 12 Shakespeare Street (refused)
1449 Pavements
Consideration was given to a Councillor’s suggestion that the pavement between
Sibcy Lane and Main Street be considerably widened – the existing path is very
narrow and muddy with little or no tarmac top surface. A complaint was also
noted from a parishioner regarding the state of the London Road pavement and
lack of a pavement along one side of Sibcy Lane. County Councillor Walker
undertook to invite Highways Manager Mr Charnley to carry out an inspection of
the area and meet with the Chairman and Clerk to discuss issues. A reply will be
sent to the complainant advising of the proposed action.
1450 Playing Field Turf
Consideration was given to undertaking specialised mechanical treatment to the
playing field to break up the ‘pan’ which has compacted over many years. The
cost is £1400 for the whole site and the work would take approximately 2 days by
outside contractors. This should ease the occasional flooding of the pitches and
it is estimated that the process would be beneficial if carried out every few
years. It was,
AGREED that the process be undertaken.
1451 Highways Issues
A letter of complaint was noted regarding highways issues in the Gamage Close
and Spring Lane area – inadequate lighting, poor road and pavement surfaces, and
the unreadable road sign (a District Council issue). County Councillor Walker
again undertook to ask Mr Charnley to look at these issues during his site
visit. A reply advising this will be sent to the parishioner concerned. Cllr Mrs
Newstead reminded Councillor Walker that Lowfield Lane/Belvoir Road should also
be looked at.
1452 Information/Correspondence
The following items of information/correspondence have been received and were
noted:
a) Notice of a premises application for a licence at the Young People’s Centre
on the Grove site.
b) A request from the County Council for the Council’s comments regarding the
appeal against the refusal for an operational licence for a dismantling scrap
yard at Twitch Farm, Hollowdyke Lane. This Council’s objections to the
application will be re-iterated.
c) Notice of training on the Code of Conduct at Kelham Hall on Thursday February
28th
from 10am to 12 noon. Cllr Fletcher advised that he would be attending.
d) Notice of a change in County Council training dates for surveying public
footpaths – the new date is Tuesday March 4th 2008 from 10am to 2pm at Rolleston
village hall. Cllrs Allsopp and Miss Watson hope to attend the event.
e) Notice of County Council extinguish and modification orders for public
footpath no.s 5,6,& 7.
f) Enquiries have been made with Land Registry about the small piece of land
between the post office and Turks Head car park and is not registered with them.
The post office proprietors would like to tidy the area up. It was suggested
that the shop owners erect signs advising that they would like to do this,
ultimately claiming the land if an owner is not forthcoming.
g) A copy of the County Council Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2007-2012.
h) A section of the Catkin Way fence has been damaged and left in the adjacent
ditch. The groundsmen hope to be able to remove the damaged fence and panels and
replace as necessary .
1453 Future agenda Items
No items were put forward.
The meeting closed at approximately 7.45pm