Shipton Gorge Parish Council

SHIPTON GORGE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of meeting
3^rd March 2010.

Please note these minutes must be read as draft until approved by the full council at their next meeting in May.

In attendance
Tom Grace Clerk (TG)

Meeting opened by DS at 7.30pm.

Item 650:  Apologies for Absence :
TG asked all apologies should come to him.
Messrs Parsons and Coatsworth had a clash with Burton Bradstock but hoped to arrive later (Coatsworth did)
Robert Langran asked the Clerk to explain his absence due to a mix up on dates. He had company and could not attend.

Item 651: Declarations of Interest. DS invited all councillors to declare any possible interests. There were none.

Item 652 Minutes of last meeting. Proposed by PG Seconded by JA passed unanimously.

Public Forum with Clerk moving to Floor to speak as Resident.
DS reported the clerk had sent out three tenders to local builders two of whom replied indicating their inability to tender. So no one other than village gang (Larcombe’s Labourers).

Please note these minutes must be read as draft until approved by the full council at their next meeting in May

Discussion led by AS that she objected to heavy expenditure on a field shelter but supported the scheme by Larcombe’s Labourers produced by TG.
Graham Rosumond spoke passionately about his love for the Playing Fields but his earnest wish to see any shelter open sided. This was for the security of the site to ensure this was no misuse of the site by drug addicts or other undesirable outsiders from the village.
A proposal was put that the Council should proceed with a shelter. Proposed RC Seconded JA. Vote unanimous
The discussion then moved to whether the building should be stone in keeping with the hut or wood as proposed by AS.

A second proposal was put that Larcombe’s Labourers with TG should be authorised to agree a form of the shelter and to commence work once exact costsings had been submitted and these did not exceed £2500. Put by DS seconded by RC. Passed unanimous vote.
DS indicated a special meeting would be called if there needed to be any other decision before the commencement.

JA raised the matter of lottery funding suggested by AS that appeared not to have been pursued. AS explained as nothing had been agreed no application had been made. No decision was made but the view expressed forcefully that an opportunity had been lost.

Item 653  Clerk’s Report:
TG reported paperwork for a new deposit account with Scottish Widows was circulating to be signed by all (JM excepted.. no space on form.) This was to replace the account where Scottish Widows had stopped paying interest last year.
TG reported he had discovered a place to locate one large salt bin at the foot of Rockway. He was authorised to approach the Highway Department to get permission to locate the bin there. The price was £131 plus vat and the bins were used by a number of large companies and East Dorset D.C. manufactured by Glasdon in Blackpool.

Please note these minutes must be read as draft until approved by the full council at their next meeting in May

Ideas to get village volunteers to spread the salt in the event of poor weather was not adopted.
TG to write for authority.

TG reported he had spoken to Townsend Engineering (Paul Townsend to do additional security work on the playing field hut. This was required by our insurers. TG instructed to write.

TG commended to Councillors DATPC training courses. JM had attended a “new councillors course”. TG and RC attended a Clerks and Chairmen course in Dorchester. He commented he found DATPC very helpful as well.

Item 654: Other matters arising from Minutes:
None.

Item 655: Arrangements for Annual Parish Meeting: DS pointed out TG had got the date wrong. This will take place on 28^th April and he will arrange refreshments. Minutes of last years meeting will be displayed at the meeting but DS wanted two Councillors who attended to sign them at the end of the meeting rather than have them read.
TG asked to write to all previous invitees and the new head of Burton Bradstock School. RC to do a report on Peas Hill development as one item.

Item 656 Councillors Reports:
Planning:
RC reported two matters had been considered by his Committee since the last meeting. Peas Hill Cottage and New Inn. They had recommended acceptance of both but the latter had been withdrawn.
He added an enquiry had been made about unauthorised occupation of Blackthorne Farm and WDDC Enforcement Officer would be made to the Clerk .

Please note these minutes must be read as draft until approved by the full council at their next meeting in May.

General Finance:
TG  asked for two cheques to be authorised Cheque Number 539 for £20 to DAPTC for JM training course. The second cheque is for £56.69 to Richard Hullet’s Company Contract Monitoring Ltd for provision of copying and stationary during 2009.
Proposed
Proposal put by PV seconded by JA was passed unanimously.
Playing Fields:
A proposal to spend £200 to include delivery on a mobile picnic table were put. Proposed by AS. Seconded by RW. Passed with one abstention.
A work gang for maintenance of the playing fields will meet on Saturday 17^th April at 10.am and all villagers are encouraged to assist. This replaces the proposed date of 27^th March.
Dorset Association Of Parish and Town Councils DAPTC
No comment from JA.
PACT:
RC reported two  police officers attended the New Inn Car Park and then had a meeting at his house the last Thursday of the month and encouraged all to use this facility to discuss any matter with the police.
BLAP:
DS reported his enthusiasm for this organisation was waning. He attended the meetings but found he learnt nothing that he needed to bring back to the Council and he suggested the future co-operation with BLAP should be reviewed at the end of the Council year.
Village Survey and Plan :
PG reported he was awaiting editorial comment from Simon Cleveland . TG had obtained two quotes for copying the document sufficiently for each house to have a copy. One was over £1000 and another £750 such expenditure could not be justified out of Council funds. Simon Cleveland had been asked to enquire if distribution costs were covered in the grant and his reply to that awaited. A presentation was to be made at the Village Hall on 27^th March between 2pm and 5pm with a talk at 2pm 3pm and 4pm each talk taking some 30 minutes.

Please note these minutes must be read as draft until approved by the full council at their next meeting in May

Rights of Way:
TG indicated he had seen RL that afternoon and he had nought that could not wait till the next meeting.
Village Hall:
JA reported the Hall had renewed the heating system. The existing system would be left for the present.
She was aware there had been discussion about awards from sums paid by the developers of Peas Hill to WDDC (known as Section 106 payments). The Village Society was of the opinion applications had to come through the PC and she was advised this was not the case.
Highways:
PV reported he had had cause to try to contact the police about parking . He had discovered 01305 222222 was best and that went to Dorchester. He was advising he had reported the situation where Magna had been working both at Peas hill site and the existing properties causing more traffic chaos. He had reached a tacit agreement that our CSO police lady would push for a cutting back of the Peas Hill verge to increase parking. Besides there has to be a solution to disabled access to the site.
Until the development was finished and heavy lorry movements virtually ceased he felt unable to push for more highway repairs.

Web Site:
A report was circulated and DS wanted to take the opportunity to express his thanks to Ernie Thomas for the extra work he had put into the web site and the assistance given by Vikki. A copy is attached.
Village Green:
DS

Item 647 Clerk’s Correspondence Log:
TG reported he would like to see better access to this log and undertook to forward a copy to all councillors more frequently. In return it is hoped more people will ask for copy correspondence not just the Clerk.
DS reported he had been contacted by Simon Cleveland asking for the Council to note the emphasis on better communication via all
Methods especially Notice Boards. It seems the Village Society, who is in the process of replacing three Notice Boards and adding one new site outside the new Peas Hill site, feel the Council should own the boards. The Village Society has asked if the Council would purchase these new boards with a contribution from their own funds. This was agreed after debate and it was agreed the Council would be the owners of such boards.

Item 648: Annual Parish Meeting.
A date was fixed for the Annual Parish Meeting of 28^th April and the Clerk is to circulate interested parties before the next meeting.

Item 649: Next Parish Council Meeting: 12^th May 2010
Meeting closed 9.25pm

 

Shipton Gorge Parish Council Meeting on 3 March 2010

Web site report from Ernie Thomas

The upgraded Shipton Gorge web site is now up and running.  It is accessed at the same internet address as before, namely www.shiptongorge.org.uk.

As mentioned in my web site report for the January Parish Council meeting, the Joomla operating system is a very considerable improvement over the old obsolete system.  It allows me to add or update material very rapidly.  Victoria Maxfield and I have devoted considerable time and effort to getting the web site to its present state.  However, we feel this effort has been worthwhile and that the site is a definite improvement on what went before.  The time we have invested has also helped us to learn the basics of the quite complex Joomla software, although we still have more to learn.  Time will be spent on further enhancements to the site over the coming weeks and months.

Ernie Thomas

2 March 2010