HORTON KIRBY AND
MINUTES of the MEETING of the PARISH COUNCIL held on
4 September 2006 in the Village Hall,
Present: Cllr P Bradley (Chairman)
Cllrs
A Burchmore, G Piller, M Powsey, D Snape, G Tripp,
R
Valentine and I Wescombe
In attendance: C Allart, Parish Clerk
P McGarvey District councillor left during
Minute 60
T Searles, District councillor
R Gough, County councillor arrived after
Minute 61
PCSO Peter Hylands
PC Geordie Laidlow
Insp Allen
2 members of the public
Apologies for Absence: Cllr D Payne (illness)
Declarations of Interests: None
60 POLICE MATTERS
South Darenth
resident Julia Stevenson attended the meeting to discuss the anti-social and
criminal behaviour of youths in
1
the possible use
of surveillance cameras – private individuals can put them up to survey
their own property only, not public areas; CCTV would be prohibitively
expensive for the Parish Council to install and would not necessarily achieve a
positive result
2
curfew for under
18s
– only possible for under 16s; Insp
Allen would look into this
3
diverting youths
to more positive activities – already done by South Darenth Village Society
Rewards Scheme
4
bringing pressure
to bear on parents – already done by PCSO
5
persistent
offenders – there are 7 who are well-known
6
the community
must be prepared to stand together and come forward to give evidence – the Police
would like to see more Neighbourhood Watch schemes set up
7
PC Laidlow has
suggested that we might wish to apply for a Dispersal Order as a tool for
officers to deal with youngsters in
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005
It was reported
that Sevenoaks District Council had recently approved powers for fixed penalty
notices for dog fouling, littering and graffitiing using PCSOs. The income, which was expected to be small as
the process was seen as a deterrent rather than a money maker, would be
retained by the District Council.
Members were
unhappy with this as the Sevenoaks District Council does not pay for any part
of our PCSO.
RESOLVED that
Sevenoaks
District Council be informed that this Parish Council is not pleased to hear that
the District intends to keep the proceeds of these fines using the Parish’s
PCSO; and
Sevenoaks
District Council be requested to pass any proceeds from fixed penalty notices
in this parish to this Parish Council.
61 REPORTS
OF DISTRICT COUNCILLORS
Planning
Development Control Re-Organisation
Cllr Searles
informed the Council of various recent staff changes.
Listening Day –
Saturday 23 September
This consultation
process on the Local Development Framework would take place here at the village
hall in conjunction with the consultation on the proposed village hall
extension.
62 REPORT
OF
Cabinet Member
Roger Gough informed the Parish Council
that he had been appointed to the KCC Cabinet as Member for Regeneration and Supporting
Independence.
Primary Schools Strategy
Roger Gough reported that
amendments had been made to this strategy and that as a result
Member’s Grant Fund
Roger Gough reminded the
Council that he was still looking for a scheme in this parish to help fund.
Dropped
Kerbs
Cllr
Wescombe asked for help in finding out whether a dropped kerb which extended
across the whole width of a property in
Tree Jumpers, School Lane
Director Steve Etherton explained the activities which
are taking place on site which was now only about 20% paintballing and mostly
survival, orienteering and camping by school groups as part of the National
Curriculum with peak time being the last 4 weeks of the Summer Term. He emphasised the improvements to the
woodland management from the company’s activities and said that traffic problems
from coaches using the narrow lanes had been solved by imposing a ban on them
and requiring all groups to use minibuses instead. He also stated that there were no residential
buildings as part of the application. He
concluded by offering a site visit or an invitation to members to an open day
in the future.
The following applications have been received for
comments:
06/02080/WTCA
Wingetts, The
Street
Remove Pollarded
Poplar
No comments
SE/06/01823/FUL
Two rooflights to
rear pitch of main roof.
No comments
SE/06/00919/FUL
11 Coopers Close
Amended
description full planning application for detached 3 bedroom house with
integral garage and parking space
The Parish
Council objects to this application on the grounds that it is overdevelopment
of the plot and will lead to an increase in parking problems in this area. Parking problems are already acute and
additional cars in the road plus the loss of parking in front of the garage and
parking space will make things worse
SE/06/01981/FUL
Boyneswood,
Demolition of existing
bungalow and build new single storey cottage
No comments
SE/06/02090/FUL
Additional first
storey to flank to provide 2 ensuite bathrooms
No comments
The following decision notices have been received
for information:
SE/06/01023/FUL
Rear
conservatory, first floor side extension and rooflights in front and rear
elevations
GRANTED
SE/06/1753
Timber shed
GRANTED
The following application has been referred to the
district councillor as the officers at SDC would like to approve it under
delegated powers:
SE/06/01633/FUL
External staircase and door
to provide loft access.
The Parish Council maintains
its objections to this development.
64 MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETINGS
RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meetings
held on 3 and 13 July be approved and signed as a correct record.
65 MATTERS ARISING
Shrubbery
Road Green Questionnaire
RESOLVED that approval be
given to the document produced by Cllr Wescombe for public consultation.
Overhanging
Hedge by Hop Field,
Members noted that this
hedge had been cut and the clerk affirmed that information obtained from a
defra website showed that farmers were allowed to cut hedges from the end of
August.
66 VILLAGE HALL &
RECREATION AND OPEN SPACES COMMITTEES
RESOLVED that the
Minutes of the last meetings be received for information.
67 VILLAGE
HALL FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT
A draft fire risk
assessment document for the Village Hall was received for comment.
Cllr Wescombe
suggested that a plan showing the locations of all fire exits and extinguishers
should be included in the document and given to all hirers of the hall along
with the various instructions mentioned in the document concerning necessary
action in the event of fire. The risk
assessment would be agreed at the next Village Hall Committee.
68 VILLAGE
HALL EXTENSION – FEASIBILITY STUDY
1 Initial Consultation Process
The clerk
reported that Sevenoaks District Council officers had arranged a consultation
opportunity on the proposed village hall extension on 23 September in
conjunction with a Listening Day for residents and a consultation exercise on
the Local Development Framework document at our village hall. One of their members of staff is producing all
the necessary boards and questionnaires and she will be in the hall on that day. Parish councillors were requested to attend
for at least some of the time between 11 am and 2 pm to assist. Jean Wood, admin assistant would also be
able to help if authorised.
RESOLVED that an
additional 4 hours work be authorised for Jean Wood on Saturday 23 September.
2 Next Steps
The clerk
explained that a great deal of work would need to be carried out following the
consultation and that it needed to be done within a restricted time frame as the
£5000 award for the feasibility study had to be spent by the end of December. It was suggested that Jean Wood be asked to
carry out this task as an addition to her existing duties.
RESOLVED that
Jean Wood be authorised to carry out follow up work to obtain and record
information needed to prove or otherwise the feasibility of a village hall
extension up to a maximum of 40 hours at her normal rate of pay.
69 NEWSLETTER
Members were
asked to consider any items which needed to be included in the next newsletter
covering the period October 06 to January 07.
The following
subjects were mentioned:
Crime and
Anti-Social Behaviour – the need for the community to support the Police by
being prepared to stand up and be counted;
Asking the public
not to put their refuse out more than one day in advance;
Reminders about
the need to use lights on bikes;
Fixed penalty
notices;
Dog walkers to
please use dog waste bins;
Additional cuts
of the river path by the Parish Council.
70 SWANLEY
AND DISTRICT CAB – AGM THURSDAY 5 OCTOBER
Members received
notice of the CAB AGM at the Clocktower Pavilion St Mary’s Road.
71 TWO
MINUTES SILENCE
RESOLVED that maroons
for this ceremony for Saturday 11 November be purchased at a cost of £37.75 +
Vat.
72 CLEAN
Members received
details from
73 THE
FUTURE OF TRANSPORT IN THE SEVENOAKS DISTRICT
Members received
an invitation to attend this inaugural conference in Swanley on Wednesday 20
September.
74 ALLOTMENTS
The clerk asked
whether different rents should be charged to allotment holders that do not live
in the parish. Members also considered
whether the plots should be only provided for residents of the parish.
RESOLVED that
75 SCHEDULE OF ACCOUNTS
RESOLVED that the schedule of accounts, as submitted, be approved and payments made accordingly.
76 ANY
OTHER BUSINESS
St Mary’s Church Flagpole and Weathervane
Cllr Burchmore
informed Members that the church flagpole which was unsafe and in need of
replacement had been further damaged in the recent strong winds. He said it would cost £5000 to replace and that
now the weathervane needed straightening as well.
Refreshments at Council Meetings
Cllr Powsey asked
that this matter be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.
The meeting ended at 10 pm
Chairman
Date