Minutes published unapproved for ratification at the meeting on 1 May 2012
MINUTES OF OKEFORD FITZPAINE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
HELD AT THE PAVILION ON 3 APRIL 2012
PRESENT: Cllr M Burt (Chairman)
Cllr Fox (Vice-Chairman)
Cllr R Corben
Cllr S Corben
Cllr M Paine
Cllr Wood
Also present: – Mrs Sandra Deary (Clerk), Cllr A Burch, NDDC and 6 members of the public.
1. APOLOGIES: Cllr H Cox, DCC
2. THE MINUTES OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING 6 MARCH 2012: The Chairman pointed out that the page numbering on the minutes was incorrect. Signing the minutes was deferred until the next meeting so that the page numbering could be corrected
3. POINTS FROM THE PUBLIC RELATING TO ITEM 6 ONLY. None
4. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllrs Burt as member of the Village Hall Management Committee.
Cllrs Burt & Wood as members of the DAPTC.
Cllr Burt as member of CPEND and LDWG.
Cllrs R & S Corben as members of Okeford United Football Club
Cllrs R & S Corben as members of Okeford Fitzpaine Allotment Society
5. District & County Councillors’ Report: Cllr Cox was unable to attend the meeting, the following report was received by email from her:
The Olympics coming to Weymouth has helped bring in Government funding for the Relief Road and other improvements in the town. Portland’s Osprey Quay has been transformed since the Royal Navy left. Durlston Castle in Swanage has been completely refurbished as an introduction to the Jurassic Coast with an exhibition centre and a superb restaurant for visitors, a fitting 10 year anniversary celebration in recognition of the World Heritage Site managed for and by residents of Dorset. Our services for children have been rated as excellent by Ofsted, adult social care continues to improve and performs well and there has been a dramatic reduction in road casualties on our roads. The Dorset Waste Partnership was launched last April and has already proved that we can save by joining up collection and disposal. Within the next two years a new and better collection service will be rolled out across the whole county. We have joined with Bournemouth and Poole to form a whole Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership which aims to improve our economic health.
The dreaded Council Tax bill has now arrived along with the useful booklet which sets out some financial information. Dorset relies on residents providing £204m of our total revenue spend of £274m which is an unusually high ratio. Many less favoured areas have closer to 50:50. However we have historically managed our finances very carefully. We have found £28m savings for the next year and frozen Council Tax, however over the next three years we will need to find a further £30m savings which will mean some very radical new ways of providing all our services.
As communities we will have to help ourselves more, not relying on the State to act for us all of the time. There is a Canadian joke which sums this up, when a visitor complained that somebody ought to do something about a problem….a local replied ‘round here somebody is us’. We will be looking for communities or other organisations to work with us to provide some of the services we can no longer fully fund. We are already working with seven communities to help run their own libraries, and I suspect many other similar services will soon need more volunteers to help keep them going. As an authority we aim to provide the best we can within the budget available, that budget just gets smaller, so we need to be move innovative.
My portfolio has several very vulnerable services within it; Libraries, Archives, Arts, Museums, Sport, which already have small budgets but provide much loved services. Other statutory services in the portfolio include Community Safety, Trading Standards and Registration which have also had to find savings.
As Eric Pickles has stolen and bowdlerised my JFDI motto we are being actively encouraged to just do it. I am confident that we will adapt to the times we live in and that DCC will do its part to reduce the amount spent by local government whilst providing the best services possible.
Cllr Burch advised that the school was thriving and although only small the aim is to make it and excellent school. The OFSTED inspectors were due to attend in the near future.
6. MATTERS ARISING
6.1 Recreation Ground/Pavilion: Cllr Burt advised that the extension was moving forward, the doors and floor needed completing and he hoped this would be carried out in the next couple of months. He advised that the cost of the work compared well to the original quote received even though additional work had been carried out.
He also advised that the new ‘No Dogs Allowed’ signs for the recreation ground had been received and would be fitted soon. Cllr S Corben advised the Cllr Frampton had recently been nominated and won the County Groundsman of the Year, he had now been nominated for the National Groundsman of the Year.
6.2 Bowey Field: Cllr Fox advised that photographs of the new play equipment had been taken and forwarded to the Lottery organisation as stipulated in the grant. She advised that the ‘Friends of Bowey’ group were keen to look into the possibility of using part of the recreation ground for skate/bmx/scooter ramps if they funded it. Council agreed to look at the area at the top of the car park to assess how much land could be assigned. Cllr Paine advised that the local children had been told that if they would like a skate/bmx/scooter park then they would need to carry out fundraising. A member of the public advised that the stop through fence on the southerly side was damaged, Cllr Burt agreed to talk to the owners to find a way to rectify this.
6.3 Village Hall Extension and Car Park: Cllr Burt advised that at present funding is being sought to progress the extension with the help of Cllr Fox.
6.4 Community Planning: Cllr Burt advised that the AGM of the DT11 Partnership would be taking place on 17 April 2012.
6.5 Belchalwell & Fiddleford Items: None
6.6 Actions Highlighted in the Parish Plan: None
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Home Watch: Cllr Wood advised that a successful co-ordinators meeting had taken place in March. He also advised that due to the Olympic Games being held in Weymouth the police presence locally would be reduced for the duration of the games. Cllr Burt advised that a number of emails had been received with regard to the theft of metal, including gas cylinders. It was also reported that 3 horses had gone missing from Okeford Hill.
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Land at top of Back Lane: N.F.T.R.
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Land at bottom of Okeford Hill: N.F.T.R.
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6.9 The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge: Mrs Deary was asked to write to the Fields in Trust to advise that a ‘Field Day’ would be taking place on 27 May 2012, this would include a football tournament and BBQ. She was asked to enquire if the plaque showing that the field was a Queen Elizabeth II Field would be ready in time for this event.
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Okeford Fitzpaine Housing Survey Results: Mrs Deary advised that she had written to NDDC. Ms J Rickman had agreed to attend the Parish Council meeting to be held on 12 June to provide an update.
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Queens Jubilee Celebrations: Cllr Fox advised that a meeting had been held and 10 volunteers had come forward, the final meeting would take place in May. She advised that the committee would like to purchase paper plates and bunting and asked if the Council would be able to make a donation towards this. Cllr R Corben proposed a donation of £100, this was seconded by Cllr S Corben and agreed by Council. Mrs Deary advised the Council of the cost of purchasing 300 commemorative mugs for all the children of the Parish. Cllr Wood proposed purchasing the mugs, this was seconded by Cllr S Corben and agreed by Council.
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6.13 Beacon Sign: Mrs Deary asked if anyone present has any photographs of the wording on the Beacon sign as she had misplaced them.
7. PLANNING MATTERS:
7.1 Applications: 2/2012/0196/PLNG – Banbury Cross Farm, Angers Lane, Fiddleford, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 2BY – Continue to station 1 x mobile home in connection with business use (retrospective). Cllr Wood presented the application advising that the mobile home had been approved in 1991 and there had been no problems. Cllr Burt proposed supporting this application, this was seconded by Cllr S Corben and agreed by Council.
2/2012/0254/PLNG – Land at E377833 N 111009, Fifehead St Quinton, Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset – Installation and operation of solar farm. Cllr Wood presented the application advising that it was for 5860 solar panels at a maximum height of 2.2m. He advised that there would be no view of the panels from the roadway and that the nearest house was 1 field away and that screening was in place. Members of the public raised concerns that the screening was not sufficient and that the panels could be seen through it therefore there was a visual impact from their property, they felt that a solid bank of earth should be placed along the west/northern end of the site to better screen it. Also if additional work was required to upgrade the transformer then this should be moved to the adjoining field. Cllr S Corben spoke in favour of renewable energy but felt that the number of panels would be an eyesore. Cllr R Corben agreed that renewable energy was important but felt that this was not the right place for the solar farm.
Cllr Wood proposed no objection to the application on condition that sufficient banks were put in place to screen the site and that the invertor be housed in an acoustically lined cabin to reduce noise, this was seconded by Cllr S Corben and agreed by Council with a 5 – 1 majority.
7.2 Decisions: 2/2012/0125 – Garlands Farm, Garlands Lane, Okeford Fitzpaine, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 0RT – Erect extension to existing agricultural building – GRANTED
7.3 Any other planning matters: Cllr Burt advised that he had received a query with regard to the planning approval for 26 and 28 Castle Avenue, the resident had queried the siting of the access. Mrs Deary was asked to clarify the situation with the planning officer.
7.4 Updates: None
8. CORRESPONDENCE FOR 3 APRIL 2012 PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
DAPTC – Chief Executive’s Circular 3/12
Winterborne Division Report 2011-12 (Cllr H Cox)
Funding Alert Email
9. REPRESENTATIVES’ REPORTS:
Rights of Way/Footpaths: N.F.T.R.
Football Club: N.F.T.R.
Village Hall: N.F.T.R.
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POINTS FROM THE PUBLIC: A member of the allotment group requested the Council seek approval for the use of Tillers on the allotments. Cllr S Corben advised that there was a strict condition on the use of the land for allotments that stated no mechanical equipment must be used to dig the land and that all the allotment users had signed a form to comply with this. Cllr Burt felt that if tillers were used then this may risk the landowner reclaiming the land, therefore losing the allotments altogether. If any changes to the conditions were required then a request would need to be put to the landowner.
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FINANCIAL MATTERS:
11.1 Annual Accounts: Mrs Deary distributed copies of the annual accounts to members.
11.2 Accounts paid since last meeting: None
11.3 Accounts to be paid:
Mrs Sandra Deary – Salary & Stamps
£299.21 Chq No 672
HMRC – PAYE
£114.60 Chq No 673
British Gas Business – Pavilion Gag
£331.53 Chq No 674
Southern Electric – Bus Shelter Electric
£16.91 Chq No 675
NFU Mutual Insurance – Tractor Insurance
£368.75 Chq No 676
J A Beale – Extension Works
£1352.58 Chq No 677
Gordon Wells – Extension Works
£1995.00 Chq No 678
Mr M Burt – Extension Sundries and Strimmer Parts
£111.21 Chq No 679
Multi-Signs – ‘No Dogs Allowed’ signs
£275.87 Chq No 680
It was proposed by Cllr Paine and seconded by Cllr S Corben that these be paid. This was agreed by Council.
The Council received a donation of £250 from the Allotments Group.
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ANY OTHER BUSINESS: Cllr Burt advised that a carpenter was required to hang the doors in the extension, Cllr S Corben agreed to contact the carpenter.
It was agreed that a present should be purchased for Fred Gray who will be celebrating his 100th Birthday on 14 April 2012.
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THE NEXT MEETING will be held on Tuesday 1 May 2012 at the Pavilion, Castle Lane at 7.30 pm. The Chairman thanked all present and closed the meeting at 9.30pm
