Minutes published unapproved for ratification at the meeting on 4 October 2011

MINUTES OF OKEFORD FITZPAINE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
HELD AT THE PAVILION ON 6 SEPTEMBER 2011

PRESENT:      Cllr M Burt (Chairman)
 Cllr Fox (Vice-Chairman)
 Cllr R Corben
 Cllr A Frampton
 Cllr M Wood
Also present: - Mrs Sandra Deary (Clerk) and 2 members of the public.
1. 1. APOLOGIES:  Cllr Paine, Cllr S Corben and Cllr A Burch, NDDC
2. THE MINUTES OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING 9 AUGUST 2011 having been circulated to Cllrs and noticeboards were taken as read. It was proposed by Cllr Fox and seconded by Cllr Wood they be signed by the Chairman, this was agreed.
3. POINTS FROM THE PUBLIC RELATING TO ITEM 6 ONLY.    None
4. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllr 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 Corben & Frampton as members of Okeford United Football Club
Cllr R Corben as a member of Okeford Fitzpaine Allotment Society
5. District & County Councillors’ Report:  None
6. MATTERS ARISING
6.1  Recreation Ground/Pavilion:  Cllr Burt advised that the window for the new extension would be ready for collection on Friday 9 September and that a temporary bolt had been fitted to the back door.  Although the post for the extended roof had been completed there was still a little more work to be done.  Once the windows are fitted the electricity company would be called to connect to the rest of the pavilion.  Cllr R Corben reported that work on the pitch barriers had been started.
6.2 Bowey Field:  Cllr Fox advised that she had been in touch with the ‘Friends of Bowey’ group.  She had made them aware that if we were to retain the grant money  a decision on what equipment was required was urgently needed and the equipment should be ordered in the very near future.  A member of the public suggested approaching the organisers of the steam fair and the cheese festival for grants, Cllr Fox agreed to look at this.
6.2.1 Skatepark request:  N.F.T.R.
6.3  Village Hall Extension and Car Park:  N.F.T.R.
6.4  Community Planning: Cllr Burt advised that he would be attending the next meeting of  CPEND to be held on 14 October 2011.
6.5 Belchalwell & Fiddleford Items:  None
6.5.1 Traffic Calming Strips at Fiddleford:  Mrs Deary reported that she had passed on the information to the residents concerned as requested at the last meeting.  As no further correspondence had been received it was proposed by Cllr Fox that this item be discharged from the agenda, this was seconded by Cllr R Corben and agreed by Council.
6.6 Actions Highlighted in the Parish Plan:  Cllr Wood agreed to negotiate with the school regarding the possibility of holding I.T. lessons there.
6.7 Blandford PACT and Home Watch:  N.F.T.R
6.8  Parish Grit Bins:  N.F.T.R.
6.9  Traffic using Back Lane (including hedges at corner of Back Land & Pound Lane):  Cllr Corben advised that the hedges had not yet been cut.
6.10 Land at top of Back Lane:  Mrs Deary was asked to contact Mr S Graeser at NDDC for  an update on the enforcement action.
6.11 Land at bottom of Okeford Hill: Mrs Deary was asked to contact Mr S Graeser at NDDC  for an update on the enforcement action. 
6.12 Wooden Building in field adjacent to the Pavilion: Mrs Deary reported that an email had  been received from Mrs Rogerson at NDDC to advise that all the required alteration had  been carried out.
6.13 Allotments:  N.F.T.R.
6.14 Grass cutting around the village:  Mrs Deary reported that she had received the plan  showing what grass is the responsibility of DCC as requested from Mr Beckett.  Following  discussion Mrs Deary was asked to write to DCC explaining that the work carried out by  their contractors was not upto an acceptable standard and that the residents were having to  cut the grass themselves to keep it tidy.  Also she was asked to enquire about the cost of  the contractors carrying out the work.
6.15 Ridouts – Proposed Mutual House Exchange:  Following a complaint received regarding  a mutual house exchange between a resident in Ridouts and a resident in the Midlands  area Mrs Deary was asked to enquire if the S106 agreement with regard to local connection  would apply in this matter. The following response was received from Mrs Goodall, Chief  Executive, NDDC: 
 I have looked into the local connection issue.  I understand that there is a ‘mutual  exchange’ happening in the Ridouts Affordable housing.  This is governed by national  legislation whereby people in affordable housing elsewhere in the country can arrange a  ‘mutual exchange’ with a tenant here. The local authority and the Housing  Association are powerless to require the local connection to be implemented.  The Housing  legislation stipulates 10 reasons a Housing Association may us to prevent it but ‘local  connection’ is not one of them.  The S106 is powerless in this instance.
 The Parish Council felt that an agreement had been broken with the landowner as the land  had been sold at a reduced rate because it was intended for local people and that  legislation needed to be changed to include ‘Local Connection’ as one of the reasons for  refusal in the instance of a mutual house exchange.  It was decided that we should write to  the local MP and to ask the DAPTC to approach NALC to try to get the changes as  discussed.
6.16 Polling Station Review:  Following discussion on the North Dorset Polling Station Review  the Council agreed that there were no concerns in Okeford Fitzpaine that needed  addressing.  Mrs Deary to inform NDDC.
6.17 Seat near Reservoir:  Cllr Wood advised that he had inspected the seat and found it in  good solid condition.  However, it would benefit from a tidy up and varnish.  Cllr R Corben  agreed to carry out this work.
6.18 The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge:  The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge,  operated by Fields in Trust, is a new campaign to protect 2012 outdoor recreational  spaces in communities all across the country as a permanent living legacy of the  Queens  Diamond Jubilee. The Parish Council had been asked to nominate the Okeford Fitzpaine  Recreation Ground to be a QE II field.  If it is declared a QE II field then it will always  remain a sport facility and any alternative use of the area would need to be decided by the  Fields in Trust.  The Council agreed that this should be looked into further and discussed at  the next meeting.
7. PLANNING MATTERS:
7.1 Applications:  NONE
7.2 Decisions: 2/2011/0787/PLNG – Poppy Bank Farm, Okeford Fitzpaine, Blandford Forum,  Dorset, DT11 0EE – Erect agricultural building and electrical plant store (Retrospective) -  GRANTED (Please see minute 7.3)
 2/2100/0703/PLNG –Thornhill Farm House, High Street, Okeford Fitzpaine, Blandford  Forum, Dorset, DT11 0RQ - Remove and replace soffit board on east elevation and carry  out external alterations in association with this – REFUSAL OF LISTED BUILDING  PLANNING CONSENT
7.3 Any other planning matters:  2/2011/0787/PLNG – Poppy Bank Farm, Okeford Fitzpaine,  Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 0EE – Erect agricultural building and electrical plant store  (Retrospective) – Following the granting of planning permission Mrs Deary emailed Mrs  Smith, Planning Officer, NDDC to enquire why the view of the Parish Council had been  disregarded.  A reply was received from Mr J Hammond stating that the Parish Council do  not have any rights to enter the land and due to the fact that the Highway Department had  no objections to the application a decision was made after consulting Cllr Batty-Smith,  Chairman of the Planning Committee that this application should be a delegated decision.   Mrs Deary has written to Mr Hammond for clarification on why the other points raised have  not been addressed. Following discussion the Council was very annoyed that their  concerns were not taken into account. They were disappointed that Cllr Burch didn’t  request that the application go before the Planning Committee, having been advised of the  application via the weekly list she receives from NDDC.  Cllr Burt to look into the  possibility  of writing to the Inspectorate with regard to the mineral extraction that had taken place. 
7.4 Updates: 2/2011/0074/PLNG – Land at Okeford Hill, Back Lane, Okeford Fitzpaine,  Blandford Forum – Erect 1 x dwelling, 1 x mobile home and stables to house 30 horses –  Concerned had been raised to the Parish Council that although this application had been  refused work had been carried out.  Mrs Deary emailed Mrs Smith, Planning Officer, NDDC  and Mr Graeser, Enforcement Officer, NDDC to inform them of the concerns.  Mr Smith had  responded that she had visited site and was awaiting confirmation from the land owners as  to the current use of the land so that she can ascertain if there has been a change of use  requiring planning permission.
8.   CORRESPONDENCE FOR 6 SEPTEMBER 2011 PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
 Polling Station Review
 DAPTC – Chief Executive’s Circular 11/11
 DAPTC – Chief Executive’s Circular 11/12
 DAPTC Extraordinary Chief Executive’s Circular
 DAPTC – Newsletter Summer 2011/2
 Countryside News
 Dorset Countryside
9. REPRESENTATIVES’ REPORTS:
Rights of Way/Footpaths:  N.F.T.R.
Football Club: N.F.T.R.
Village Hall: N.F.T.R.
10.  POINTS FROM THE PUBLIC:  None
11.  FINANCIAL MATTERS:
11.1 Accounts paid since last meeting:  None
11.2 Accounts to be paid:      
 J A Beale – Works to Extension/Garage
 £775.00        Chq No 635
 Mrs Sandra Deary - Salary          £289.37        Chq No 636
 Glaze for Trade - Extension/Garage Windows
 £382.99        Chq No 637
 Cllr A Frampton – Pitch Rails      
 £129.60        Chq No 638  
It was proposed by Cllr Fox and seconded by Cllr Wood that these be paid.  This was agreed by Council.
11.3 Receipts: None
12. ANY OTHER BUSINESS:  Mrs Deary reported that she had received a letter from  Southern Electric advising that the existing contract was due for renewal.  As a micro  business they could offer a 24 month contract with a quarterly charge of £13.02 and a unit  price of 10.69 p/kWh.  It was proposed by Cllr Frampton that the contract be renewed for 24  months as per the letter, this was seconded by Cllr Wood and agreed by Council.
 A letter of thanks had been received from Mr James Okeford Fitzpaine Church for the  grants from the Parish Council.
 Cllr Burt reported that the sign at the Beacon had been stolen.  An unnamed resident had  offered £50 towards the cost of a replacement.  Cllr Burt to look into the wording and cost of  a replacement.
13. THE NEXT MEETING will be held on Tuesday 4 October 2011 at the Pavilion, Castle Lane at 7.30 pm.  The Chairman thanked all present and closed the meeting at 9.35pm.