Members of the public: 15
Minutes of the Annual Parish meeting 2011 - These were agreed and signed 12.07.11
Matters requiring attention - Cllr K Newell gave a brief outline onthe Neighbourhood Plan vs Parish Plan – Information about plans, their pros and cons.
Parish plan
This would be produced by a Steering group, consisting of Councillors and parishioners.
A Parish plan would typically include: Brief history of the village Community details such
as number of parishioners, how many were born here etc. Transport-details of transport
available and suggested improvements, Road use, Community amenities ,Development
– type, numbers, potential building sites, Village appearance, maintenance, Economy.
The Parish plan can cost up to £2000.00 to produce.
Neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development plan
This has come about from the Localism Act and the National Planning Policy framework
and specifically deals with planning and development of the parish. Basically devolving
power and decisions from central government to local councils and communities.
The neighbourhood plan becomes a statutory document and therefore has to comply with
a lot of legislation. It is optional; the Parish do not have to undertake this. It is particularly
suitable for large Parishes or towns. To produce a plan can take two years and be very
costly. Cllr Newell suggested an open day to inform all Parishioners of these ideas and to
enable the Council to get comments from the public.
Public comments and discussion
The Chairman welcomed any public comments or issues to be raised The members of
the public present held a brief discussion regarding the neighbourhood vs parish plan.
Members of the public wished to know the costs of training which the Council have
undertaken. Cllr P Norris wished to thank Mr Brian Bruce for replacing the gap in the
hedge alongside the playing field and also Mr Bob Goodston for cleaning up the mud
from around the village pond. Cllr P Norris will look into the missing wire along the playing
field boundary.
The Village hall committee should consist of at least one Parish Councillor, Cllr G Key will take on this role. Meeting closed 8.00pm
Space prevents publication of the minutes in full, but a complete copy can be obtained from the Parish Clerk: Mrs N E Clifford-Everett 33 Lynn Road Southery Downham Mkt PE38 0HU, 01366 377799 werehampc@gmail.com
Chairman’s update:
A reply has been received from the insurance company confirming the situation relating to volunteer workers.
Anglian water has confirmed that they have no objection to the planting of a new Willow tree in the chosen location.
Council have confirmed that they will plant a Salix Caprea Perdula. A tree preservation order is not required as the trees around the pond are in a conservation area.
Confirmation has been received from Bennett’s homes stating that any damage which they cause to existing grass road verges will be reinstated to their former condition.
Financial standing orders and standing orders need to be discussed and adopted by Council at the next meeting.
Quotes for new salt bin received. Review of requirement to take place.
Mrs B Stubbins has been appointed as the internal auditor.
The Council discussed the insurance cover and quotes received. Clerk was
given permission to pay this once third quote has been obtained.
Proposer: Cllr G Koopowitz, 2nd: Cllr G Key
The Council discussed reviewing the burial fees. Cllr K Newell proposed that
they stay the same as 2011, as Council have had to increase the precept this
year.
Proposer: Cllr K Newell, 2nd: Cllr C Humphries
Cllr K Newell and Cllr C Humphries will carry out a safety check/inspection of the grave stones.
Correspondence:
Received concerns from parishioners with regards to the Old Post office and
concerns over the safety of the structure. Building control officer Karl Gay from
Borough Council of KLWN has inspected the building and it is not thought to be
immediately dangerous, therefore no further action can be taken at this time.
Although the loose roof tiles are cause for immediate concern and Mr Gay is
dealing with this. Clerk has written to Maxey Grounds to request that the area at
the front of the structure is cleared of weeds and kept tidy.
Big Jubilee Lunch Sunday 3rd June 2012. For more information and what is involved in organising one go to www.thebiglunch.com or call 08458508181 The playing field – Norfolk playing field association newsletter is available to read from the clerk.
Anglian water have announced a hosepipe ban for Anglian water customers, this will take effect from Thursday 5th April 2012.
Letter received from Mr Mrs Rye with regards to tree issues and draft minutes, this was discussed with Mr Rye and the Councillors. Mr Rye confirmed that he was satisfied with the decision made of planting the Salix Caprea Perdula tree, providing that it is a small tree.
Mr Rye was concerned that not everything was recorded from the previous meeting, Cllr G Key informed public that the minutes do not record everything said but must record decisions made and actions taken.
Mr Rye also requested that the Council reply to a letter sent to the Council from Mrs Roberts, Mr & Mrs Bliss, Mr & Mrs Vout.
Planning applications:
Conservatory extension at Windy Willows Cavenham Road, no objections noted
by Parish Council.
Payments for approval/Resolutions:
BCKLWN election costs, Hodson office supplies ink, St Margrets Church hire,
Norfolk playing field association, Norfolk association of local councils, Haward
horological ltd, Norfolk Parish training partnership, West Dereham village hall
hire, Clerk wages and expenses, Insurance premium to be paid once third quote
received, Mrs B Stubbins Internal audit, Norfolk Rural Community Council,
Wereham Village Hall Hire
Total payments: £1886.65
All payments approved by Council Propser: Cllr G Koopowitz, 2nd: Cllr G Key
Matters requiring attention:
Cllr K Newell will discuss Neighbourhood Planning at the next meeting of the
Council.
Cllr K Newell gave thanks to Mr Pickston for painting the memorial bench
Cllr K Newell reported that the footpath alongside the playing field is overgrown with brambles Clerk will report to Highways.
Cllr K Newell has 4 wooden footpath/bridlepath signs.
Cllr G Koopowitz discussed section 106 development money. Information regarding this is available on the BCKLWN website.
A sign is required at the play area to state that the Parish Council maintain this area. Cllr G Koopowitz will give the Clerk the correct wording required and Clerk will obtain quote.
Cllr P Norris reported following heavy rainfall water lying on the footpath on the approach to Wereham/A134 pedestrian railings close to Flegg Green. Reported to Highways.
Norfolk Rural Community Council membership is due, Council agreed to continue with membership. Proposer: Cllr G Koopowitz, 2nd: Cllr J Bruce
Public comments/ question time:
Public requested that copies of previous months minutes and agendas be
provided at the start of the meetings.
Public voiced concerns that decisions made by the Council regarding the choice of tree purchased were changed.
Public requested that the Councillors sit more openly so that the public can hear.
A Jubilee lunch is being organised by the after school club.
Public reported a tree in the post office yard which is dangerous and the post office windows are fully of dead wasps/bees. Clerk will write to the relevant parties.
Pot holes reported between Queens Close and A134, and also near the bus stop east bound towards Stoke Ferry. Clerk will again report to Highways.
The trees in the church yard are being trimmed soon by CGM.
Confirm appointment of the Clerk. New Clerk to Wereham Parish Council was introduced, Mrs Natasha Clifford-Everett. Proposer Cllr K Newell, 2nd Cllr G Key.
Minutes of last meetings
Minutes for meeting held on 10th January 2012 were approved. Proposer Cllr G
Koopowitz, 2nd Cllr K Newell.
Minutes for meeting held on 24th January 2012 were discussed and it was suggested that the wording was be changed to could have been in section 6/11 a. Proposer Cllr G koopowitz, 2nd Cllr D Deighton. Full Council voted in agreement with this action. Following these changes the minutes will be signed as a correct record.
Declarations of interest
Members are invited to declare personal or prejudicial interests in items on the agenda. It
is a requirement that declarations from a member include the nature of the interest and
whether it is personal or prejudicial. None declared.
Chairman's reports/Matters arising
Borough Council of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk have approved the name of Springs
Court, Wereham for the former The Springs, Flegg Green.
Cllr G Koopowitz gave a full report on the issues regarding the replacement of a willow vigorous growing tree. Clerk has obtained maps of sewerage/clean water pipes in area from Anglian water. Clerk will write to Anglian water to state tree is being replaced on advise from Borough Council, conservation area, and that the replacement is to be of a smaller variety. Anglian water will be asked to confirm that they are happy with the proposed siting of the planting (Midway between the tree at the Margaret’s Hill end of the pond and the old willow midway around footpath. Tree to be planted 1 meter inside pond edge of the footpath.)Await reply from Anglian water before tree is planted (April ideal month.) A regular maintenance/pruning schedule will be suggested, and a tree preservation order applied for, for the remaining trees. Proposer Cllr G Key, 2nd Cllr J Bruce. Council suggested Clerk to compose a letter with regards to obtaining quotes for village maintenance.
Cllr J Bruce discussed quotes received from CGM and Wickstead for repairs to play area and equipment. The repairs required have been prioritised in order to comply with health and safety standards. It was proposed to accept quote from CGM of £986.00 + vat for the repairs and four visits per year at a cost of £18.50 + vat per visit to kill the weeds in this area. Free of charge CGM will assess the Oak tree at the end of the play area and quote for any required work. It was agreed to accept this quote and Cllr J Bruce will contact CGM to inform them of the decision.Proposer Cllr G Koopowitz, 2nd Cllr P Norris A quote has been received from Peter Hurrel for future painting jobs.
The date for the Annual Parish meeting will be 8th May 2012 at 7.00pm in Wereham village hall. Proposer Cllr G Koopowitz, 2nd K Newell, all councillors voted and agreed. Elizabeth Truss MP will be visiting Wereham on 23rd March 2012 at 6pm until 7pm in the church. Issues to be discussed includes village hall fund-raising, high speed broadband, railway and bus services and the proposed incinerator at Kings Lynn.
Actions to be taken by Cllr/clerk as a result of points raised at the meeting will be highlighted in the minutes.It was proposed that a draft copy of the minutes will be sent to Group 4, Village Pump and put on the website. Proposer Cllr J Bruce, 2nd Cllr G Key. Full Council agreed to this action.
A report was received from Highways, the roundabout at the junction of B1160 and A134 is Highways responsibility. The repairs requested have been passed onto the Highway Engineer for inspection.
Cllr K Newell attended a training session on Neighbourhood planning. This session discussed the latest changes to the planning system and how it affects Parish Councils. A new national planning framework comes into force on April 1st 2012 and Parish Councils are advised to quote relevant sections of the framework to back up their comments. Parishes are being encouraged to draw up neighbourhood plans which can be very useful, but will take a large amount of time to prepare, up to 2yrs. Cllr K Newell requested that this be on next meetings agenda.
Cllr K Newell and Cllr P Norris attended a Parish Council update session, the paperwork is not yet available from this session. Will be circulated as it becomes available. Council training session will take place on Tuesday 20th March 2012 at 7pm in West Dereham Village Hall with Sue Lake form the Norfolk Association of Local Councils. Council will seek advice from Norfolk Association of Local Councils up to and including legal advice on how to deal with vexatious behaviour and bullying, intimidation and harassment .
Correspondence
Master composter training Thursday 22nd and 23rd March 2012 at Swaffham Ecotech
Centre. Affordable housing seminar 20th March 2012, Walsingham. 2 of 4A request for a
donation to Norfolk Lowland Search and Rescue has been received. The Parish Council
have previously agreed not to support any charities with Parish Council funds.
Information regarding The Willows, Power and Recycling centre (A.K.A the Incinerator).
Planning applications None received
Payments for approval Hodson office supplies £155.38 Temporary clerk £581.44 HMRC £134.40 Clerk expenses £206.75Haward Horological LTD – Two invoices are being investigated by Cllr P Norris due to two ad hock repair visits from this company in five weeks. All payments approved proposer Cllr G Koopowitz, 2nd Cllr G Key
Matters requiring attention
Issues raised by the Council to be addressed at the next meeting of the Parish Council,
no decisions will be taken at this meeting. Cllr P Norris reported that the salt/grit bin is
missing from the East End of back Lane. This will be raised in the next Group 4
magazine. The Council appreciate offers of help from the parishioners, Clerk will check
that the insurance will cover voluntary work. Cllr G Koopowitz on behalf of the Council
thanked Cllr D Deighton for the loan of a laptop computer to the Clerk for Council
business and also thanked Shelia Goodwin temporary clerk for her help. Cllr G Koopowitz
announced that the hedge infill has been completed. Cllr C Humphries proposed that we
request a brown dust bin for the cemetery as food packaging and greenery was being put
in the current black bins. Clerk will contact BCKLWN to request free of charge a green
and brown dustbin. Cllr C Humphries will monitor the rubbish. Cllr K Newell requested an
item for the next agenda be to discuss Neighbourhood planning. Cllr K Newell requested
dog fouling signs, Cllr C Humphries will investigate. Cllr J Bruce reported that the hedge
needs trimming on the West end of Back Lane/A134. Cllr P Norris has spoken to
Highways and they plan to deal with this issue. Cllr J Bruce clarified to members of the
public who have been concerned that the current cul-de-sac at the top of The Row (near
A134) has not been approved by the highways agency for an entrance to a housing
estate should the site at the rear be suggested as one of the preferred sites by the LDF
team at the Council. The LDF team have their own advisers who would check the site out
to ensure 3 of 5 it did have an adequate entrance before it could be considered as a
potential site & they have suggested this is the most obvious choice of entrance.
If it’s an approved site in the months ahead & the owners wanted to put in a planning application then the villagers, parish & borough councils would have their say at that point. The important fact is that nothing has been decided yet. Cllr D Deighton reported a that there is a bicycle warning sign on the A134 (approximately 100 metres west of the Church Road/The Row/A134 crossroad and beside the east facing carriage-way), which is unreadable. The "100 yards" rectangle on this sign is correctly positioned and therefore fully readable, but the triangle containing a bicycle picture is 90 degrees out of position so completely unreadable. Highways have been advised twice.
Members of the public comments/question time. No decisions will be made by the Council regarding these issues; any matters will be brought forward to the next meeting. At the meeting on the 10th January 2012 a parishioner offered to trim the new willow tree beside the village pond. This has been done but was not minuted. Parish Council thanked parishioner for his work. Parishioners would like the agenda and copies of the minutes to be put out on the tables before the meetings. Pot holes reported on Queens Close and A134 close to the filling station, These will be reported to Highways.
Members of the public felt it was appropriate to obtain 3 quotes for any maintenance work to be carried out to ensure a competitive price is secured. Parish Council fully support this approach. Parishioners have reported a lot of incidents of dog fouling in public areas, dog waste bins are available to purchase, prices range from £133.74 + vat for a 25l bin up to £291.71+ vat for a 50l bin. The bins have to be emptied weekly at a further cost of £1.13 per bin.
A request was made for a notice to be put in Group 4 magazine to politely ask people to clean up after their dogs. Members of the public discussed why the precept has been increased for Wereham. At the meeting of the Parish Council on the 10th January, the Parish Council considered the funds required to operate through the coming year. Beyond the known fixed costs for the parish there are a number of essential maintenance activities that need to take place to ensure that the play equipment and surrounding area and the cemetery meet required standards plus the need to consider more extended and proactive tree management. Additionally with the resignation of the long standing Clerk, there are extra costs for recruitment, temporary cover and salary. Cash reserves are extremely low; they do not meet best practice guidelines and this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
With these factors In mind the Parish Council saw no option but to increase the precept for 2012/13. Council are happy to review the ongoing income, expenditure and bank balance at Parish Council Meetings.
Public suggested Council look at ways to get external funding such as grants. Grants may be available to assist with projects such as purchasing new equipment, but not for maintenance.
Public bridleway sign is missing from the West end of Lammas Meadow Lane, it appears to be chopped off by a flail mower. Clerk will inform Highways.
Parishioner stated that machinery and vehicles working at the Bennett’s site Flegg Green
are parking on and destroying the grass verge and the road is very dirty. Clerk will write
to Bennett’s and Highways.
Meeting closed 9.45pm
Next meeting will be 8th May 2012