Challock Parish Council Annual Meeting minutes
Memorial Hall, Audrey Allen room
Thursday 22nd September 2016, 7.30pm
Members of public present: 7
Apologies
Community Warden Dave Beckley & Police Community Officer Angie Burden.
Both send their apologies.
Angie Burden says looking at September’s call list, apart from the travellers on the Lees, nothing to report, apart from a few calls of suspicious activity at Squids gate such as cars turning up late at night.
Angie says she will be keeping an eye on the properties on late shifts.
Dave Beckley is working at the Community Safety Unit at the Police Station Monday to Friday with a 0730hrs start, and is unable to attend PC meetings as often as he used too. If there are any issues that you feel need to be raised then please do let Angie and Dave know so they can deal with them. He is made aware of any crime occurring in the Challock area at the meeting that he attends each morning and is able to discuss any actions required with Angie.
Present
Fisher (Chairman), Annabel Burden (Vice Chair), Max Thomas, Emma Fox, Trevor Smith, Tony Aitken, John Ramsden, Di Sandy (Clerk) & Cllr Larry Krause (ABC Downswest Ward).
Welcome
Mick Fisher thanked everyone for attending.
Declarations of Interest
Councillors no new changes to the declarations of interest.
Minutes of Last Meeting
Minutes of 21st July 2016 meeting were signed by Mick Fisher as an accurate record
Clerk’s Report
Highway
Clerk has chased up outstanding drop curb at the entrance to Clockhouse Park. Job was cancelled and now raised as a new one. This has now been completed this week.
Burlington House overgrown shrub. Reported this previously. Still poor visibility with hedge sticking out making it difficult to enter from Church Lane onto Canterbury Road.
Reported multiple pot holes along Church Lane – Kiln Close entrance, Church End.
Vandalism/Crime
On the 26th - 27th July between the hours of 1600 and 0730, a gap was made in a garage door at a new build in Buck Street, Challock. Various tools had been taken.
On the 5th - 8th August between the hours of 1830 and 0730, items were taken from a white Ford Transit van parked in The Lees (off Canterbury Road, between Green Lane and Church Lane), Challock. Items include; various yellow DeWalt power tools - SDS drill, electric screwdriver, circular saw, jigsaw and mobile battery charger. Also, a green Bosch wall scanner, black/yellow Stanley Max tool bag, Stanley spirit level, assorted hand tools and an ID card. There is no sign of forced entry and the vehicle was possibly insecure.
Between 07.30 and 10.30 on August 18th a caravan parked on a farm in Challock was burgled. Entry was gained by forcing open the front door with some form of implement. The farm is located on Canterbury Road, approximately halfway between the junction with Green Lane and Faversham Road.
Between 01.09.16 02.00 am and 01.09.16 05.00 an attempted break in happened at a property situated on the Canterbury Road in Challock on the A252.
The owner had heard a noise at the time but did not think anything of it at the time on getting up and checking the house it seems the lounge French windows had been forced but no entry was gained.
Funding
None to report
Play Park
Received annual inspection report from ROSPA. Groundsman has replaced broken pole for activity trail. The Groundsman has trimmed surrounding hedging, tilled the bark and weeded play area. Groundsman has replaced worn rope on activity trail.
Under the play park inspection it is recommended further bark is needed to fill area near slider activity and see saw. It is also recommended to consider replacing the toddler slide activity as the wooden legs are showing signs of decay along with the matting on the decking. It is recommended to replace some of the fencing posts as they are starting to rot.
Clerk arranged for Clean Cut Trees (tree surgeon) to cut down oak tree by Play Area and tidy area. The cherry tree on the lees was also cut back to make safe.
Landscaping
Groundsman has strimmed area around the Lees Post Office area. Cut back hedges around bus shelter, speed sign and strimmed along pathways. Strimmed along pathway and cut back hedge by Barn Shop. Cut hedge by High Snoad Wood.
Correspondence
- An email from Michelle Byrne ABC inviting Challock Parish Council to attend the Parish Forum on the 7th September and to do a presentation on the village confines. Annabel Burden gave a brief account of the Parish Forum:-
Ashford Borough Council presented their 5 year corporate plan – main objective for a safer and improved Borough. ABC have launched their landscape company named Aspire. ABC launched their littering campaign and people can be fined £75 for littering. There was an interactive session with K.A.L.C (Kent Association for Local Councils, ABC and representatives from Parish Councils to consider ways of improving communication. ABC talked about the lorry parking in Ashford and Hothfield and said it’s a bit like squeezing a balloon but to bare with them. There was a session from ABC regarding Broadband and funding available for people who live in far reaching areas who are receiving limited or no broadband. Dianne Sandy (Parish Clerk) and Annabel Burden did a presentation of the village confines. There was a presentation from Vicky (Clinical commissioning group) regarding NHS undergoing a massive change with less funding. Finishing with a stop smoking campaign in Ashford from ABC requesting full backing from parish councils.
- Trevor Smith attended KALC Meeting on 21st September.
Trevor gave a briefing of the meeting he attended. Simon Cole Head of Planning Policy Neighbourhood Plan was present. Discussions took place regarding the Omission Sites and the Local Plan.
- An email from UK Power Networks informing the Parish Council that on 6th September a new national phone number “105” will be launched by electricity network operators for customers to call should they need to report or get information about a power cut in their area.
- An email from Kevin Funnell confirming his retirement and recommending his replacement Lionel Robbins who is willing to carry out Parish Council’s internal audit.
- Received annual play park inspection report.
- An email regarding Kent County Council’s consultation on its Local Transport Plan 4. The consultation deadline is 30 October 2016.
- An email from Highways England regarding consultation of Lorry Park at Stanford West. The deadline for comments by 23rd September 2016
- Email from BT confirming decommissioning of the telephone box is now complete and the Kiosk is the property of the local community.
- Councillors agreed for flowers to be sent Mrs Myrtle Newman congratulating her on her 101st Birthday.
- Received an email from a parishioner regarding bonfires at anti-social hours during hot summer evenings.
- Email from Carly Petit regarding omission sites to be considered for inclusion in the Local Plan 2030. (To discuss later under items for information.)
- Email from KCC Highways invitation to attend Parish & Council Seminar on 3rd November 2016.
- Email from NALC referring to the term referendum principles refers to the requirement to hold a local referendum if the proposed council tax increase exceeds a set threshold; the consultation is considering setting the threshold at which the referendum principles would take effect for a rise in precept of 2% or £5 per year, whichever is higher, as currently applied to principal councils.
Finances
Finance update for July & August 2016 attached.
The current account balance on 31st August 2016 £15,453.80
The NS&I account balance is £11,614.87
Cheque Payments to be signed for the following:
Landscape Services £1339.04 for Grounds Maintenance The Lees (First Half Yearly)
ABC Printing of August/September’s issue of the Forester £258.00
Di Sandy Stationary & Flowers for Myrtle Newman £56.97
Josh Buggins Tree Surgeon £450.00 for removing of oak tree, trim cherry tree & clear & tidy.
Planning
Applications discussed at meeting:
Under declarations of interest Mick Fisher left the room whilst following application was discussed.
16/01393/AS Location: Land Rear of Crossways, Canterbury Road, Challock
Proposal: Resubmission of planning permission 15/01582 (Application for amendments to house approved under 14/01303/AS)
The Parish Council supports this application.
Ratification of following Planning Applications
16/01111/AS |
11th August 2016 |
The Old Vicarage, Canterbury Road, Challock, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4BJ |
Challock Parish Council supports this application. Displayed signage should be in keeping. |
16/01169/AS |
8th August 2016 |
Land between Tollgate Cottage and The Firs, Buck Street, Challock |
Challock Parish Council supports this application. |
16/01143/AS |
3rd August 2016 |
Leeway, Canterbury Road, Challock, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4DL |
Challock Parish Council supports this application. |
16/01093/AS |
19th July 2016 |
Land Between Hurstwood and Haverbrack, Canterbury Road, Challock Construction of a single detached dwelling (Plot 4) and detached garage, revision to 15/01102/AS (construction of a single detached dwelling (Plot 4) and detached garage). |
Challock Parish Council does not support this application. The dwelling is too large in respect to comparison with the other planned properties within that development. I have no objections providing the conditions are met ensuring a hedgerow planting scheme to act as a barrier between the buildings and the Lees |
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Items for Information
Play Park Equipment:
The ROSPA report suggests the toddler slide activity be replaced in the near future. Clerk recommends the Councillors consider approving a new toddler slide to be installed. Clerk to obtain design and price and present samples to the Councillors at the next Parish Meeting in November.
Omission Sites:
Further to recent correspondence from ABC regarding Omission Sites to be considered for inclusion in the Local Plan 2030. Councillors referred to the document from ABC and parishioner’s comments regarding the Village Confines. Discussion took place. Larry Krause suggested using the email from the parishioner commenting on the village confines as a mandate for representing Parish Council’s response to the omission sites. The response to ABC needs to be no longer than 3 minutes and the email to be condensed down. It is important to hold a public meeting to get parishioners to endorse Parish Council’s response as soon as possible. The local plan is supposed to be legal and in place by April 2017. Larry Krause warned of predatory developers who are keen to purchase land and build lots of small houses in a small plot. A traveller site has been proposed at Westwell in a location classed as ANOB (Area of Natural Outstanding Beauty).
Clerk to arrange village hall hire for October for public meeting and to publicise on the notice boards and in October’s Forester.
Telephone Box:
The telephone box is now the responsibility of the Parish Council. Clerk to commence arranging for the telephone box to be painted and for the defibrillator to be installed.
Open Forum
The Lees – Emma Fox says she has received a number of comments from parishioners regarding vehicles parking on the edging of the Lees. Further comment received regarding a property on the Lees planting shrubs. Clerk to send out letter to property owner requesting they remove shrubs from the Lees. Clerk to contact land registry for title plan.
Buck Street Pathways – A parishioner has requested the pathways along Buck Street to be trimmed back as shrubs/weeds are covering half the pathway in places, making it difficult to walk along especially with a pram etc. Clerk to arrange for groundsman to trim edging on pathways.
Notice Boards – A request for the notice board Perspex to be replaced as they are becoming dis-coloured is making it difficult to read the notices. Clerk to make enquiries in purchasing Perspex sheeting and for the groundsman to replace.
Dog Fouling – John Ramsden has received comments from parishioners regarding increase dog fouling on the Lees and Cricket Field. Clerk to enquire with ABC Dog Warden as to acquiring a no dog fouling notice.
Clerk to put a public notice in the Forester regarding dog fouling, parking on the Lees and bonfires consideration to neighbours.
Kiln Close Car Parking – A parishioner says there has been an increased number of cars parking in Kiln Close during school drop off/pick up. Annabel to notify school and request a letter to be sent out to parents regarding parking in Kiln Close.
A parishioner attended the parish meeting regarding a neighbour dispute. The Parish Council are unable to comment on this matter as it is a neighbour dispute. Clerk to contact the parishioner to offer apologies to parishioner as this matter could not be discussed and to give information regarding organisations that can assist with dealing with neighbour disputes.
The meeting closed at 9.15 pm
Parish Council Meeting dates for 2016
Thursday 17th November