Balderton Parish Council
Minutes of the Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting held in the Council Hall on Wednesday February 22nd 2006 at 7.00pm
PRESENT: Councillors Colman (Chairman), Ms Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Allsopp, Mrs Brooks, Brooks, Fletcher, Gibson, Mortimore, Miss Oram, Mrs Scott, Scott, Sheppard, Miss Watson and Mrs Walker with County Councillor Walker, one parishioner and the Clerk.
APOLOGIES were received from Cllrs Hind, Jarvis and Mrs Newstead.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST none were made.
Cheques presented were signed and wages payments approved.
The meeting was closed at approximately 7.01pm to take public comments. One parishioner stated his concerns about speeding traffic in the village, particularly in the Hawton Lane area. He asked that the Council instigate some form of preventative measure to help combat this problem. The Chairman thanked him for his comments and the meeting re-opened at approximately 7.05pm.
3307 Clerk/Chairman’s Update
A printed update of ongoing matters were circulated and noted. The update is published
with the minutes. The following item was discussed from the update:
1. Re Section 106 Funding The Clerk was asked to write a further letter to the District Council asking where funding has been allocated to from previous Section 106 agreements which were generated from developments within the village.
3308 Planning Applications
The following planning applications were considered and approved subject to any comments detailed below:
0182 Erect 112 dwellings, garages & car parking (re-submission) Phase 4a Fernwood
0197 Erect side and rear extension Woodlands, Barnby Rod
0249 Erect conservatory 3 Laburnum Close
0282 Rear extension 24 Collinson Lane
3309 Planning Decision
The following planning applications have received conditional approval and were noted:
2605 Remove west facing window, internal alterations 74/74a Main Street
2606 Erect wooden fence between properties 74/74a Main Street
2722 Two storey side extension 40 Jericho Road
2746 Single storey front extension 35 Bullpit Road
3310 Fernwood Postal Address
Members gave further consideration to a request from Fernwood & District Residents Association that the Council support a proposal for the name ‘Fernwood’ to be included in the postal addresses to ease understanding for postal deliveries and emergency services. It was,
RECOMMENDED that a letter of support be drafted to the Association stating that Fernwood should be added to the postal address.
3311 Traffic Speed Calming
Discussion was given to the problems of speeding vehicles in the village. The benefits were discussed of warning signs which light up when triggered by a vehicle exceeding the limit, such as those in Upton village. County Cllr Walker advised that certain criteria must be met before the County Council would consider such installations and that County officers are presently checking the situation for Hawton Lane, London Road and Main Street . It was,
AGREED that the matter be included on the Council agenda, and County Cllr Walker would expedite the County Council’s findings and response in readiness for the meeting.
3312 Planning Gain
Consideration was given to a previously circulated letter from the District Council outlining proposed changes to the planning gain system (commonly known as Section 106
agreements). The proposed changes would effectively take control away from the local planning authority to central government. Responses to the document are invited for submission to HM Treasury by February 27th 2006. It was,
AGREED that control should remain with District Councils rather than
Central Government and that Parish Councils should be granted automatic right of negotiation with the District Council for any agreement generated within its village.
3313 Council Charges 2006/07
Members considered the Council’s charges for room hire, and burial/memorial and sporting fees for the next financial year. A copy of the present charges had been previously
circulated and was reviewed. It was noted that the District Council charges for football are approximately £100 higher per season for Saturday teams and £50 higher per season for
Sunday teams. It was,
RECOMMENDED a) that an increase of 3% on all fees be introduced with effect from
April 1st 2006 except football season fees which be increased by
£20 each.
b) Room hire charges for the new Playing Field Hall will be reviewed
when the new building is nearing completion
3314 Internal Auditor
Members discussed the appointment of a new Internal Auditor to the Council. Though the Council has been appreciative and satisfied with the present Internal Auditor, it was considered appropriate to appoint a new Auditor in order to prevent complacency and familiarisation. Enquiries will be made to find a suitable person.
3315 Correspondence/Information
The following correspondence and information was noted:
a) A letter of objection regarding use of Twitch Farm as a scrap yard. A reply will be drafted explaining the situation and that the current application is being considered by the County Council.
b) Notice of a District Council Planning Meeting where two applications within Balderton are being considered; Site a mobile home at The Bungalow, Lowfield Lane, and a Tree Preservation Order for 50 Bullpit Road.
c) A copy of the Newark & Sherwood Partnership’s Proposed Vision and Strategic Priorities.
d) Details of approved works to trees at Fernwood as part of Phase 4a at Fernwood from the District Council Trees Officer.
e) An invitation from Newark & Sherwood Primary Care Trust for Council representatives to attend a turf cutting ceremony for the new health centre on Lowfield Lane on Friday March 31st 2006 at 12 noon. Cllrs Allsopp, Ms Atkinson, Colman and Sheppard undertook to attend.
f) Notice from the Transport and General Workers Union of intention to ballot members for industrial action over the retention of the Local Government Pension Scheme 85 rule.
g) Notice of the District Council Standards Committee meeting which was held on Monday February 20th 2006.
h) A request for recompense from a parishioner for a damaged manhole/inspection culvert on County grass land which he claims has been caused by this Council’s mower. The groundstaff have inspected the area and advised that the mower straddles the manhole cover and is not heavy enough to have caused damaged.
i) An invitation from the Nottinghamshire Police Authority to a meeting explaining policing policy and a question & answer session at the Holy Trinity & Partnership Centre on Boundary Road, Newark on Monday February 27th 2006 from 7-9pm.
j) Initial advice from the District Council Health & Safety Department regarding action to be taken in the event of an avian flu pandemic.
Cllr Brooks left the meeting at approximately 7.45pm.
3316 Future Agenda Items
1. Cllr Mortimore asked that consideration be given to the County Council’s suggestion that the area’s three secondary schools including The Grove, merge into one. This item will be included on the next committee agenda.
2. County Councillor Walker reminded members that individual letters should be sent to the County Council regarding historic use of Twitch Farm on Hollowdyke Lane in order that the authority is in a position to fully consider the present applicant’s claims that the site has been used as a dismantling scrap yard for the past ten years.
The meeting closed at approximately 7.55pm