4th September 2007

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4th September 2007

Published unapproved for ratification at the October 2nd meeting.
565
MINUTES OF OKEFORD FITZPAINE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
HELD AT THE PAVILION ON SEPTEMBER 4TH 2007

Present:- Cllr M Burt (chairman)
Cllr E Horton (vice-chairman)
Cllr T Burt
Cllr R Corben
Cllr S Corben
Cllr A Frampton
Cllr B Trowbridge
Also present:- Mrs D Burt (clerk), Cllr Mrs H Cox (DCC), Cllr Mrs A Burch (NDDC), Paula Clover (Gypsy & Travellers Liaison Officer DCC) and 7 members of the public.

1) APOLOGIES None

2) THE MINUTES OF JULY 31st having been circulated to councillors and notice boards were taken as read. It was proposed by Cllr T Burt and seconded by Cllr Frampton that they be signed by the chairman, this was agreed.

3) POINTS FROM THE PUBLIC RELATING TO ITEM 5 ONLY None

4) DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllrs A Frampton, R Corben and S Corben as members of Okeford United Football Club.
Cllrs A Frampton and M Burt as members of the Village Hall Management Committee.
Cllrs M Burt and E Horton as members of the Dorset Association of Parish & Town Councils (DAPTC).
Cllr M Burt as member of North Dorset Community Partnership Steering Group (NDCPSG) and Local Delivery Working Group (LDWG).
Cllr E Horton as member of NDDC Standards Committee.

It was proposed by Cllr M Burt and seconded by Cllr Trowbridge that item 5xi be brought forward to accommodate DCC, this was agreed.

5xi) Travellers
Ms Clover outlined the problems for traveller groups such as the one now at Conygar Copse saying that there are no permanent sites available in Dorset, she said that there would always be unauthorised sites as they keep moving around and do not wish to live in houses. Cllr Mrs Cox said that it is the duty of Dorset County Council to find permanent transit sites. Land for these has to be identified by 2010. It is an impossible situation which must be solved. This is an illegal encampment and the eviction process will be gone through, but DCC has a duty of care to the children. Planning permission will be required for permanent sites and travellers will be charged for using them. There are no facilities at the Conygar Copse site and as it is privately owned and is only leased by DCC, none can be built.
A member of the traveller group said that they did not want to cause trouble but there was nowhere else to go until DCC found them sites. She said that if any problem occurred that was related to them it would be sorted out as soon as they were told.
Cllrs appreciated that members of the traveller group had come to talk to the meeting but the fact remains that they are breaking the law and shouldnï¿½t be treated differently from the settled population. The Parish Council cannot condone law breaking. Historically traveller encampments have caused a lot of problems during their stays in certain areas leaving rubbish and sometimes old vehicles when they leave and they should not be surprised that the settled population are not happy about the situation.
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The chairman said that pressure must be kept on DCC to solve the problem.
Ms Clover and the traveller representatives left the meeting at 8:03pm. Cllr Mrs Cox left at 8:12pm. The chairman thanked them all for coming.

5) MATTERS ARISING
i) Recreation Ground
o It was proposed by Cllr R Corben and seconded by Cllr Horton that topsoil be purchased to cover the roundabout site, this was agreed.
o Cllr Trowbridge has offered to paint the slide, red and green paint to be purchased.
o A tractor tyre has had to be repaired and another replaced.
o The recycling bank sign has now been ordered by NDDC, clerk to follow up on the bin.
o Cllr S Corben reported that Police had been doing a survey on speeding vehicles.
o Cllr Frampton reported that the field had now been sprayed with weed killer.
ii) Bowey Field
o Cllr Horton reported that the climbing frame has now been sanded down by Peter Hall and is ready to be painted. The chairman said that the paint and brushes are available to a volunteer.
o As the hedge and undergrowth has now grown out again Cllr Frampton suggested another day of work be arranged.
iii) Chicken Processing Factory NTR
iv) New Cross
Awaiting response from DCC, clerk to follow up again and copy correspondence to Cllr Mrs Cox.
v) Community Planning NTR
vi) Belchalwell and Fiddleford Items
Belchalwell ï¿½ the grass on the green area near the notice board is being kept cut.
The finger post at the Garlands Farm of the road junction is broken, clerk to inform DCC.
vii) Code of Conduct
The clerk, chairman and vice chairman had attended a training session on the revised code of conduct. After some discussion it was proposed by Cllr Horton and seconded by Cllr Frampton that Okeford Fitzpaine Parish Council adopts the revised code of conduct including paragraph 12(2), a vote was taken the result was 5 in favour with 2 abstentions, the proposition was therefore carried. Advertisements have to be placed in the parish magazine and another local publication and the Standards Board has to be informed. New forms for notice of registrable interests were given to councillors to be returned to the clerk as soon as possible.
viii) Parish Plan
Cllr Horton reported that a meeting of the steering group would take place soon.
ix) Village Hall Car Park Sign
The lettering has been done and the board to mount it on is awaited.
x) Bus Shelter/Museum
The chairman reported that Doug Corben had been asked to paint the inside and outside of the museum. However he had been approached with a view to allowing Army members to do the job for no charge with materials supplied by the PC.
Cllrs R Corben and S Corben declared an interest in that they are brothers of Doug Corben.
It was felt that as long as they were competent the chairman should follow this up (having first talked to Mr Corben) also he should ask if they would be interested in doing other work in the community such as the work at Bowey Field.
It was agreed that whoever did the work the building should be painted in white.
xi) Travellers item brought forward to before item 5.
xii) Lower St Play area sign
This has now been cleared.
xiii) Mary Gardens sign
Clerk to follow this up.
xiv) Any Other Matters Arising None
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6) PLANNING MATTERS
a) applications 2/2007/0799 (LB) ï¿½ Mr & Mrs Nezami, Rosehill Farmhouse. Erect porch and carry out internal and external alterations. Renovate landing (retrospective). It was proposed by Cllr Trowbridge and seconded by Cllr Horton that there be no objections, a vote was taken with 5 in favour and 2 against and the proposition was therefore carried.
2/2007/0849 ï¿½ Mr & Mrs Bentley, Conygar, Shillingstone Lane. Erect 2 single storey extensions, double garage/workshop/store, form new pedestrian and vehicular access and erect 2 x 3 metre high walls. (Demolish existing single storey extension, conservatory, greenhouse and shed). It was proposed by Cllr Horton and seconded by Cllr S Corben that there be no objection this was agreed.
2/2007/0957 ï¿½ Mr H Miles, 9 Mary Gardens. Erect single storey rear extension. It was proposed by Cllr R Corben and seconded by Cllr Trowbridge this was agreed.
b) decisions 2/2007/0688 ï¿½ Garlands Farm ï¿½ form new access drive to existing dwelling. WITHDRAWN.
2/2007/0672 ï¿½ Church Walk Cottage, Belchalwell ï¿½ single storey extension to garage block to form studio. GRANTED.
2/2007/0702 ï¿½ 21 Nether Mead ï¿½ erect 2 storey extension. REFUSED ï¿½ due to insufficient area, cramped development, poor relationship with adjoining properties.
c) other From NDDC development control, details of minor changes to delegation scheme. Clerk to copy to Cllr Horton.

7) TOUGH CHOICES AT NDDC
The councilï¿½s proposition had been put on the September 6th agenda for the DAPTC, Cllrs M Burt and Horton to attend. A further meeting hosted by Sturminster Newton TC has been arranged for September 12th Cllrs M Burt and Horton to attend. The TC also wish to discuss SIDï¿½s and a lengthsman scheme, details copied to Cllr Horton.

8) CORRESPONDENCE
o DAPTC ï¿½ circular 09/07 Tony Gibb now employed by DAPTC has stepped down as chair, June Salt taken on post for time being.
o ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ï¿½ Flood Warden Seminar ï¿½ October.
o NDDC ï¿½ supplementary planning document adopted July 27th.
o DCC ï¿½ structural maintenance draft list of schemes 2008/2009.
o NDDC ï¿½ ï¿½Shaping our Futureï¿½ community strategy 2007/2016.
o DCC ï¿½ survey of highway maintenance.
o RINGMASTER ï¿½ Homewatch notice ï¿½ on notice board.
o RINGMASTER ï¿½ consultation on drugs ï¿½ go to www.drugs.gov.uk/publication-search/drug-strategy/drug-strategy-consultation.pdf closing date for comments October 19th. To be put in parish magazine.
o Sarah Brown, Chapel Cottage ï¿½ requests permission to erect scaffolding on Chapel Green whilst repair work is done to the building. Also to take approx 1 foot width of turf away from the building wall to facilitate work below ground and to replace with shingle to aid drainage. It was proposed by Cllr Horton and seconded by Cllr Frampton to agree to the requests a vote was taken with 6 in favour with 1 abstention, the proposition was therefore carried. It was also thought that when the work is done edging stones be placed on the grass edge to make grass maintenance easier.
o LCR ï¿½ magazine.

9) REPRESENTATIVES REPORTS
Rights of Way Liaison Officer ï¿½ Cllr Horton proposed and Cllr M Burt seconded that a letter be written to Vanessa Penny at DCC expressing concern at the bad condition of the footpaths and bridleways caused by lack of funds and staff, Cllr Horton to write and copy the letter to Cllr Mrs Cox, Terry Sweeney and the clerk. (Cllr Mrs Cox had said that there shouldnï¿½t be a problem).
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Village Hall Management Committee ï¿½ Cllr M Burt reported that the porch had now been erected. The hand rails are still to be installed and work on the soakaway in the car park is to be done, it was proposed by Cllr S Corben and seconded by Cllr Horton that the car park work is paid for by the PC as already agreed, this was agreed.
Public Transport ï¿½ Mr Gillingham outlined some changes to bus services and said that timetables could be seen at local Post Offices and the Tourist Information Centre, Blandford. (Cllr Mrs Cox had reported that all bus services were being reviewed at present).

10) DISTRICT COUNCILLORï¿½S REPORT
Cllr Mrs Burch, having spoken to the factory manager, reported that there will probably be no movement at the Chicken Processing Factory until the New Year.

11) POINTS FROM THE PUBLIC
A member of the public reported that an overhanging hedge in Castle Lane had now been cut back.

12) FINANCIAL MATTERS
Accounts to pay:-
Mrs D Burt, clerkï¿½s salary for August ï¿½379.60 plus expenses ï¿½17.84 - chq no 340 ï¿½397.44
It was proposed by Cllr Horton and seconded by Cllr R Corben that this is paid, this was agreed.
The clerk reported that the annual return had been sent to the Auditor by August 24th.
A receipt had been received from NDDC for the PCï¿½s 1st payment to the local delivery project.
A donation ï¿½15 had been received from a group holding a meeting at the Pavilion.
The first draft of the 2008/2009 precept would be ready for the next meeting.

13) ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Cllr Horton asked about the allocation of the houses on the new development ï¿½Ridoutsï¿½, clerk to write to Mr Pinkney for information. Also Cllr Trowbridge was concerned about water which appears to be draining into the lane to the south. The chairman also asked for an update on the path to the recreation ground.
Cllr S Corben said that the war memorial is in need of cleaning and asked who was responsible for this, clerk to talk to the PCC and then the British Legion.

14) THE NEXT MEETING was set for October 2nd at the Pavilion, Castle Lane at 7:00pm.
There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 9:34 pm.