Sunningwell Parish Council

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF SUNNINGWELL PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 29^th OCTOBER 2008

Present: Cllrs E Bennett (Chairman), T Foggin, D Graham, H Lynam-Smith and C Wise.

In attendance: M W Rothery (Clerk)

100/08 Public Forum
(a) Mr Charles Frost reported that the ‘out of commission’ red telephone box in Sunningwell had recently been vandalised. It was agreed to report this to the community police officer. Action: Clerk
(b) VWHDC Cllr Wise reported on:

• the closure of the Wootton Post Office was being fought by Evan Harris MP and himself
• a 20 mph speed limit was proposed for Oxford City centre
• a new joint CEO for both VWHDC and SODC had recently been appointed to head a combined management team, to save costs
• the project to refurbish the Wootton and Dry Sandford Community Centre is now expected to cost £1.25m, including a £300k Childrens Centre to be funded by the Government; other funding includes a £500k grant from the lottery fund. The Chairman and Clerk of Wootton PC had asked to attend and address the next PC meeting; this was agreed. Action: Clerk

101/08 Apologies for Absence
Cllr J Russell; OCC Cllr B Johnston

102/08 Declarations of Interests
There were no declarations of interests.

103/08 Minutes of the Meeting held on 17^th September 2008
The Minutes of the meeting on 17^th September 2008 were approved, and signed by the Chairman.

104/08 Matters Arising from the Minutes

90/08 Cricket Field The Clerk reported that copies of relevant correspondence had been supplied to Bob Evans; Nr Evans has undertaken to discuss this with the Rector, Pam McKellen shortly and respond before the November PC meeting. Members were concerned that no legal costs should be incurred unnecessarily in this matter. Mr C Frost said there would possibly be an issue over ownership of the access road to neighbouring properties .
90/08 Local Roads OCC have investigated the surface water problem at the entrance to 69 & 71 Sunningwell. The entrance driveway was raised by the owner to try to stem flow of water onto no 69. The gulleys do not drain into the ditch but the developer of no. 71 has apparently undertaken resolve this on his side of the driveway. The surface water draining from the pub car park is believed to be a major source of standing water; it may require a new gulley to intercept this water before it crosses the road. OCC have asked the PC to monitor the problem to assess whether further action will be required. Action: Cllr Lynam-Smith to monitor.
90/08 Ditches etc The letter requesting that riparian owners clear their section of ditches was sent to 23no. owners on 7 October.
90/08 Pothole opposite entrance to Manor House has been repaired.

90/08 Land adjacent to village hall
(ii )Car park repairs - Clerk has written to the council’s insurers, Zurich, regarding possible repairs to the car park, and followed up with a reminder but has received no reply to date.
(iii) Registration of land The Clerk reported that he had ordered the appropriate forms from the Land Registry. There would be some Land Registry costs.

Action: It was decided not to obtain a quote from a solicitor for doing the registration application, but that the Clerk examine the Land Registry forms with Bob Warne’s to see what needed to be done.

91/08 Play area Cllr Foggin reported that he was awaiting quotes for replacement swings from four suppliers. The annual ROSPA report had again identified the risk of injury from cricket balls; Cllr Graham advised that the chance of cricket ball being hit that far and in that particular direction was remote and had to his knowledge never happened. Nevertheless the risk can not be eliminated entirely. The cricket club maintains public liability insurance cover and it was believed that this would extend to the play area.

Action: Clerk to write to the Cricket Club asking for details of the club’s public liability insurance; in the meantime the council decided that the risk was minimal, and that no further action was required at this time.

It was also agreed that the suggestions that the play area might be relocated to The Glebe, and the possibility of using some of the land for allotments, be floated in the Sunningwell Scene to gauge the level of public support for the idea.

Actions (i) Chairman to include in her next article for the Sunningwell Scene; (ii) Cllr Wise to consult with Lord William Goodhart

92/08 Sunningwell Pond The Clerk reported that Mike Woodward has undertaken to commission the water chemistry test from the Environment Agency. Cllr Graham agreed to provide liaison between the parish council and the Pond Committee.

93/08 BT Payphone Cllr Graham reported that he had consulted some residents of the Triangle and that there was no objection to its removal.

96/08 (e) Development at 71 Sunningwell The Clerk reported that the VWHDC planning enforcement team had visited the site and concluded that for that stage of the project, work was in accordance with the approved plans; however they had reminded the developer that he had not yet complied with the planning conditions regarding approval of the slab height and that this must be rectified as a matter of urgency.

105/08 Dog Waste Bin in Bayworth
Cllr Graham reported that the cost of acquiring a dog waste bin and its installation would be in the region of £200; the cost of monthly emptying by VWHDC would be around £72 pa. It was unanimously agreed that a dog waste bin be acquired and installed in Bayworth.

Action: Clerk to order; also to arrange installation and monthly emptying by VWHDC.

106/08 Public Footpaths, and Rights of Way
It was agreed to defer discussion of this item until the next meeting.

107/08 VWHDC Consultation Paper on the review of Statement of Community Involvement on planning issues
Members were generally of the view that whilst in theory the consultation procedure in principle was sound there was a widely-held perception that in practice the council and its officers paid ‘lip service’ to its operation. Specifically it seemed that the comments of the parish council, which generally supported local residents on planning issues, were not always taken seriously; more importantly there was inadequate time provided for people who had taken the time and effort to speak at planning meetings; there was a strong perception that councillors and officers did not really listen and that decisions were taken in advance. The recent experience of the Boars Hill Association was cited as a prime example.

Members were concerned also that local communities might not be fully consulted when the proposed new procedure for dealing with major strategic planning applications is operational.

Action: Clerk to submit these views to the VWHDC; and suggest to the Boars Hill Association that they might do the same.

108/08 DCLG Consultation Paper on the making and Enforcement of Byelaws
The consultation paper proposed that future byelaws made under certain statutes should not be confirmed by the Secretary of State, that a seven-stage process for drafting and confirming byelaws (including community consultation) be introduced, and that some penalties for failure to comply with byelaws be changed to a fixed penalty system. Members had no major concerns in principle with the proposals, noting particularly that byelaws under the Highways Acts including those relating to footpaths and rights of way would continue to be referred to the Secretary of State for confirmation.

Action: Cllr Foggin to study the detail of the consultation paper and advise the Clerk if any further comments need to be made.

109/08 Finance
(a) The council resolved:
(i) to apply the national interim salary and car expenses scales for parish clerks, with effect from 1 April 2008; the salary points are increased by an average 2.45%; and
(ii) to increase the weekly fee paid to Mr Cross for litter picking, to £22 w.e.f. 3 November, 2008.

(b) The following accounts were approved for payment, and the cheques signed:

Cheque no.	Payee	Details	Total	VAT
1166	B Cross	Litter Warden – October	101.72
1167	M W Rothery	Clerk Salary & exp Aug & Sept 08	973.18

110/08 Planning
a) Applications dealt with between meetings - none

b) Decision Notices received

SUN/10425/2 demolition of outbuildings/garage and erection of garage and store. Whitsun Meadows, Berkeley road, Boars Hill PERMITTED
SUN/10425/3 demolition of existing conservatory and erection of garden room. Whitsun Meadows, Berkeley road, Boars Hill PERMITTED
SUN/14567/2 demolition of existing kitchen extension and addition of new two-storey extension incorporating new kitchen with new bedroom suite over. Bretton, Lincombe lane, Boars Hill PERMITTED

Application no. SUN/20643 demolition of existing dwelling house and erection of replacement dwelling house and garage block, at Hillsborough, Lincombe Lane, Boars Hill, has been withdrawn.

c) New Applications

SUN/20079/3. Two storey and single storey extensions, The Willows, Lincombe Lane, Boars Hill

SUN/12352/1 Erection of rear single storey kitchen extension and porch, and erection of a rear first floor bedroom extension and terrace on existing flat roof. St Bedes, Foxcombe lane, Boars Hill

Action: Cllrs Bennett and Lynam-Smith to carry out site visits the following weekend and advise the Clerk of the comments to be made.

d) General Permitted Development Order, 2008,

Members noted that this Order, permitting a wider range of developments to existing houses without the need for planning permission, was effective from 1^st October 2008, but that no guidance for parish councils had been published. The Clerk reported that the VWHDC was not planning to issue any guidance, and that its website referred readers to the government’s planning portal.

Action: Clerk to ask OALC if any guidance on the effect of the Order is available now, or likely to be shortly. Cllr Lynam-Smith to arrange copies of the excellent article in the Sunday Times.

111/08 Correspondence
The full list of correspondence received had been circulated to councillors by e-mail. The Clerk highlighted the following matters not already discussed earlier in the meeting.
Item 179 A copy of the licence between Wootton PC and cricket club regarding the use of playing field, has been received; it could provide a model for a future agreement for Sunningwell.
Item 185 OCC Bus Strategy & Transport Issues – Clerk to ask Mrs May Hall if she wishes to continue as Passenger Transport Rrepresentative.
Item 191 Early notification of Abingdon Air & Country Show, Sunday 3 May 2008. To be included in Sunningwell Scene.
Item 202 Oxford Green Belt Network - Agenda for AGM on 17 November. Cllr Graham is not standing for re-election to the Committee.

112/08 Other Business
(i) New Notice Board This has been delivered and ready for erection along Bayworth Lane outside the Beaumont. It was agreed to accept Mr Geoff Cross’s quote of approx 3 hours at £25ph plus minimal expenses, for its erection.
(ii) Wootton & Dry Sandford Community Centre It was agreed to accept the offer from the Chairman and Clerk of Wootton PC wish to come and address the next PC meeting about the project.

113/08 Next Meeting
The next meeting will be on Wednesday 26 November at 7.30pm in Sunningwell Village Hall.


The Chairman closed the meeting at 10.05pm.