MINUTES OF BUXTON WITH LAMAS PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
held in BUXTON VILLAGE HALL on MONDAY 19 OCTOBER 2009 at 7.30pm

PRESENT
COUNCILLORS:
Mr C. Tomlinson (Chairman)
Mrs B. Rix (Vice-Chairman)
Mr G. Breeze
Mr G. Forster
Mrs P. Goodman (later)
Miss S. Partridge
Mrs C. Pearce
Mrs Y. Powell
Mr C. Shaw
Mrs M. Wickham
District Councillor Rix (also Parish Councillor)
County Councillor D. Harrison
CLERK: Mrs R. Rose
Four members of the public

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1. APOLOGIES were accepted from Mr E. Nichols and PCSO T. Frost

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Councillor Breeze: Items 7.2 (payment to 1st Buxton with Lamas Seas Scouts and 10.2 (lease to Scouts).

3. THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING held on 7 September 2009 had been previously circulated; proposed by Councillor Rix, seconded by Councillor Powell, these were AGREED, and signed by the Chairman as a true record.

4. MATTERS ARISING

4.1 Amendment to Entertainments Licence, Black Lion PH
An amendment to the conditions set out at the previous meeting had been received.
The outdoor refreshments element had been removed, and outdoor entertainments would be reduced to a maximum of 4 occasions per year to finish by 10.30pm.

In order to avoid an unnecessary hearing at the District Council for the objection to the original application, the Clerk had circulated details of the amendment to all Councillors, and they had collectively agreed to withdraw the objection.

4.2 Parking at shops on Crown Road (5.2 of previous minutes)
Councillor Forster reported a potentially serious incident that had occurred on the weekend prior to the meeting involving a conflict in parking. Space for parking was severely lacking near The Old Crown PH, McColls stores and the Fish & Chip Shop, especially at weekends.

The Parish Council had in the past sought to purchase a strip of the adjoining Picto Charity land to provide further parking space, but the Charity Commissioners had stated that this did not accord with the purposes of the charity.
As a Parish Council-nominated Trustee of the charity, Councillor Wickham agreed to speak to the Trustee Chairman further about the matter.

4.3 Application for Bungalow, Lion Farm
The Vice-Chairman reported that she had spoken against the application at the District Council Planning Committee meeting, but it had been approved contrary to the Officers’ recommendation.

5. POLICE MATTERS

5.1 Crime Statistics
PCSO Frost had sent a report to the Clerk. There were no crimes recorded from the previous meeting to date. Calls made to the control room would no longer be provided as it was considered a disproportionate representation of crime and disorder in the parish.

5.2 Matters to report to the Safer Neighbourhood Team
No matters were raised, but Councillor Forster asked that thanks be expressed to Police Officers and District Council personnel for the sensitive handling of a recent incident.
The next SNAP meeting would be held in Hevingham Village Hall on 10 December.

5.3 Speedwatch Team
Further members had been trained, and the Buxton Lamas Team now had its own equipment. Sites for monitoring speed had been agreed with the Police Traffic Section. Mr Tinsley of Lamas was co-ordinating monitoring sessions, and he would be asked to arrange agreement with the Police for a further site along Brook Street.

A statistical report of three sessions by the SAM speed monitoring equipment in Lamas had been circulated.

With the meeting’s agreement, the Chairman brought forward item 11 on the agenda.

11. REPORTS FROM DISTRICT/COUNTY COUNCILLORS

County Councillor Harrison reported that a new strategy was being introduced to bring Meals on Wheels to more of the needy population in the county through localised contracting. This would make the service more flexible.

St Michael’s Hospital at Aylsham should now be retained as a flexible resource; 8 further beds had been restored, bringing the maximum number of patients that could be accommodated up to 32. The associated new care home would have 9 beds paid for by the NHS Trust.

He reported briefly on his and Councillor Rix’s visit to HMP Whatton in Nottinghamshire, which housed about 480 prisoners all in the sex offender category, as would HMP Bure. Both Councillors had been impressed with the establishment, which had a good relationship with the surrounding parishes. Councillor Harrison was confident that HMP Bure would pose no security threat to the local area when it opened very shortly.

District Councillor Rix supported this view, and reported on the good security measures. There was an excellent staff/prisoner relationship, and she had been particularly impressed with the educational and occupational ethos at the prison.
(Councillor Goodman entered the meeting at this point.)

The governor at HMP Bure had already established a relationship with the staff at the adjoining Bader school on the former RAF Coltishall site, and he hoped to form a liaison group with the surrounding parishes from North Norfolk and Broadland, meeting once per month initially and subsequently reducing to half –yearly.

It was agreed that the Clerk should ask the new governor if he wished to contribute an article for the next edition of ‘The Round’.

With the Council’s agreement, the Chairman adjourned the meeting to allow members of the public to speak. No matters were raised; the adjournment ended.

6. PLANNING MATTERS

6.1 Applications
2091171: 1 Levishaw Close: Single storey side extension
DECISION: Supported

20091198: 56a Stracey Road (Old Waiting Room): Alterations & extension
DECISION: Supported

6.2 Permissions and Enforcement Matters
No further cases to report.

6.3 Any Other Planning Matters
6.3.1 A Tree Preservation Order had been placed on a beech tree in the curtilage of 23 Brook Street.

6.3.2 Councils were reminded of the consultation period for the Greater Norwich Development Partnership Joint Core Strategy.

6.3.3 North Norfolk District Council was allowing the parish name of Scottow to be added to the Badersfield address for the properties in that newly-named community, contrary to the preferences of Royal Mail. It had asked the local MP, Norman Lamb, to take up this matter with Royal Mail.

Once a suitable conclusion had been reached, North Norfolk District Council (as the lead authority in the matter) would inform Broadland District Council so that a uniform policy could be adopted for those properties in the Broadland District ward.

7. FINANCE

7.1 Clerk’s salary
The meeting AGREED the Clerk’s pay award as agreed by the National Joint Council backdated to April 2009.

7.2 Payments
Proposed by Councillor Forster, seconded by Councillor Rix, payment for the following was APPROVED:

Wicksteed Leisure Ltd: Recreational facilities, BALAY Park 76,178.30
Barnwell Print Ltd: October Round 235.00
Mazars: External Audit fee 460.00
Norfolk Parish Training Partnership: Initial Councillor training 35.00
SLCC Enterprises Ltd: Delegates fee, SLCC Conference 56.35
1st Buxton Lamas Sea Scouts: Waste paper collection 60.00
Buxton Playgroup: Little Teds Hall hire fees 50.00
Norse Commercial Services Ltd: Grounds maintenance 1,462.58
Apex Signs & Engraving: BALAY Park Sign 387.49
Public Works Loan Board: Loan repayment 1,260.33
Clerk’s October salary by STO: 484.66
+ 6 months backdated increase 28.74
less 6.5% pension contribution (33.37) 480.03
R.A. Rose:
BALAY Park expenses 22.98}
Telephone charges 8.42} 31.40
Norfolk Pension Fund: October return 121.67

7.3 Application for Financial Assistance
A donation of £25 was AGREED to Norfolk Lowland Search and Rescue (S. 137, LGA 1972)

7.4 External Auditor’s Report
No matters were raised by the Auditor requiring the Council’s attention. Thanks were expressed to the Clerk for maintaining the accounts efficiently.

7.5 Adoption of telephone kiosk, Sandy Lane
BT was offering to transfer ownership of the kiosk for £1, once all telephony equipment had been removed. Statistics indicated that an average of up to 3 calls per week had been made from the kiosk over the previous 12 months. It was decided to place the item on the agenda again for the next meeting.

7.6 Funding Opportunities
The Clerk outlined two schemes currently offering funding for community and physical activity schemes. Details had been placed in the November edition of The Round.

7.7 Office Computer
The meeting AGREED the expense of up to £350 to upgrade the computer.

8. CORRESPONDENCE & REPORTS OF MEETINGS ATTENDED

8.1 Correspondence List
A list of the correspondence received had been circulated, and was updated at the meeting; all items were available from the Clerk. A list is attached to the signed copy of these minutes.
The Clerk would attend the Broadland District Council Annual Meeting with Parishes and the Larger and Quality Councils meeting.

8.2 Meetings Attended
The Clerk reported on her attendance at the SLCC Regional Conference.

9. VILLAGE MAINTENANCE & HIGHWAYS MATTERS

9.1 Maintenance Matters
9.1.1 The Clerk would report a pothole in Manor Close, and would seek installation of a dog bin in Back Lane at the junction of Vicarage Lane.

9.1.2 The Clerk reported that wooden posts at the junction of Church Close and Crown Road would now be installed at the County Council’s expense.

9.1.3 The seat at Lamas Hill would be installed in the near future now that supports with the correct fixing holes had been delivered.

9.2 White Lining in Sewell Road
Councillor Partridge asked that this matter be placed on the agenda again for the January meeting so that she could continue to monitor the situation.

10. BALAY PARK

10.1 BALAY Park Committee
The meeting RATIFIED the minutes of the Committee meeting held 5 October 2009.

10.1.1 The meeting AGREED the employment of a person for £8 per week to clean the pavilion and/or litterpick the Park. The Clerk would place a notice in The Round.

10.1.2 The meeting AGREED the expenditure for a solicitor to draw up the lease of part of the BALAY Park to the Scout Group.

10.2 Site for Affordable Housing
It had been suggested by a Housing Association Officer that an area of the BALAY Park be allocated for 6 units of affordable housing. The meeting rejected this suggestion.

There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.45pm.