Parish Council Minutes - February 2003

366 PRESENT
Cllr M Barraclough (Chairman), Cllr K Adams, Cllr B Allen, Cllr Mrs P Bacon, Cllr J Banham, Cllr Mrs I Darby, Cllr A Moffat, Cllr Palmer, Cllr Mrs J Priestley, Cllr Mrs Smith, Cllr Dr J Warder, Cllr Mrs A West, Cllr Wood and the Clerk.

367 TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from Cllr Mrs Maunder and Cllr N Collins. Cllr Mrs Priestley and Cllr Banham would be arriving later after the Village Appraisal meeting at CDC.

368 DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
None were received.

369 CHAIRMAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
No announcements were made.

370 MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
The Minutes of the last meeting held on 27th January, 2003 were considered and signed by the Chairman as a true record.

371 MATTERS ARISING
Minute 361 – Siblet’s Wood Inquiry – The Inquiry was postponed at the last minute. Cllr Mrs Bacon would be writing a letter of complaint to the Inspectorate.

372 CORRESPONDENCE
• Booklets for borrowing;- Chalk and Trees from the Chilterns Conservation Board, Planning Update from CPRE, Rural Matters from CPRE, Journal of Trading Standards.
• Approved Minutes of the Denham Aerodrome Consultative Committee (DACC) Meeting of the 11th September, 2002 - Noted.
• Public Notice of Licensing Act 1964 – Notice is given of the Annual General Licensing Meeting to be held at the Law Courts in High Wycombe at noon on 19th March, 2003 when a proposal will be considered for modifying, within prescribed limits, the general licensing hours to commence at 10 a.m.
• Notice from defra – Licensing Bill - It is the Government’s intention not to impose unnecessary regulatory burdens on village halls, community facilities and church halls. Such facilities will be exempted from the fees associated with the provision of entertainment under the licensing regime (including places of public religious worship). Cllr Allen asked the Council to send a vote of thanks Cllr Meacock for instigating this Bill

8.07 p.m. Cllr Mrs Darby joined the meeting.

• Thames Water – notice of sewer improvement works in St Peter’s Court commencing 3rd March for approx. one month between 7.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and 8 to 1 on Saturdays.
• Siblets Wood Inquiry – notice from the Inspector that it has been deferred to a later date.

373 REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
Policy and Finance on 3rd February, 2003
Reports and recommendations were accepted on the proposition of Cllr Mrs Smith, seconded by Cllr Dr Warder.
Matters Arising
Minute 107F - Cllr Mrs Smith thanked Cllr Palmer for all the work he had done on the building plans of the HayWardens shed.
Amenities and Planning on 10th February, 2003.
Reports and recommendations were accepted on the proposition of Cllr Palmer, seconded by Cllr Mrs Darby.
Open Spaces on 17th February, 2003
Reports and recommendations were accepted on the proposition of Cllr Moffat, seconded by Cllr Mrs Bacon.

374 ACCOUNTS
On the proposition of Cllr Barraclough, seconded by Cllr Wood, the following accounts were agreed:-

Inland Revenue 1245.20
Bucks CC – superannuation 957.47
CDC – car park 2277.24
NALC – Quality Parish status seminar 141.00
D.Palmer – Planning and building drawings for the hay Warden’s shed 1750.00
M&G Book-Keeping Services – internal audit 117.50
CSP Com Ass – room rental 62.00
SLCC - subscription 78.00
Grant + Stone –Inv No. 347863, 347838, 347891, 347951, 347890, 348057, 348158,348231, 348349
249.07
Glasdon UK Ltd – brake unit for space liner 29.78
Neil Curtis Funeral Contractor – grave digging 480.00
Green brothers – signs for Commons, cemetery and Mill Meadow 517.00
A&A Sims Lawnmowers – machinery repairs 226.43+336.05+799.41 1361.89
WH Carden Ltd – timber supplies for bus shelter 137.14
Southern Electric – unmetered supply 357.36
Artisan Tree Specialist – tree work to make trees safe in Austenwood Common 250.00

Imprest – return to 1900 1100.00
Standing Orders and Direct Debit
1.2.03 Council Room rates DD 59.00
25.2.03 salary SO 1035.25
25.0.03 salary SO 930.31
25.2.03 – salary SO 1236.41
Imprest
28.2.03 Cash -wages 213.25
3.3.03 Sollatex –Office furniture 43.50
3.2.03 Cash – wages – 213.25
Petty - 100 313.25
11.2.03 Cash – wages 213.25
18.2.03 Cash - wages 213.25
18.2.03 Cash - petty 100.00

Petty cash checked

Cllr Mrs Maunder and Cllr Moffat to sign the cheques in March.

375 TO CONSIDER LETTING AN ALLOTMENT TO A PERSON WHO RESIDES OUTSIDE THE PARISH
Due to the lateness of the request, this matter arose under information items of the last Open Spaces meeting. Under the allotment tenancy agreement such a decision must be at the Council’s discretion. Members of the Open Spaces Committee recommend this tenancy due to the large number of allotments available. The proposition was agreed unanimously.

376 CHALFONT ST PETER FEAST DAY
The Feast Day will be held on Saturday 28th June with the ecumenical service and reception the Friday evening of the 27th June. The intention is that the theme for the Feast Day should focus on the Village and the organisers have asked the Parish Council if there are any themes they wish to promote. It was agreed that the Parish Council’s stand would promote the Village Appraisal, in-keeping with the theme proposed by the organisers.
Cllr Mrs West informed members that the Chamber of Commerce will have the new flags in place for the first time during the Feast Day celebrations.

377 TO CONSIDER A COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE FOR AGE CONCERN
Age Concern have asked again if there is someone available to join their committee to represent Chalfont St Peter who need not necessarily be a councillor. Cllr Barraclough volunteered to be the representative and it was agreed unanimously

378 TO LOOK AT THE ROLE OF CHALFONT ST PETER YOUTH COUNCIL AND CONSIDER WAYS THAT THE PARISH COUNCIL MAY ASSIST
The Youth Council will be attending the Democratic Quarter of an Hour at the next Council meeting in March to up-date the Council on their achievements and progress. It was agreed to ask the Youth Council to join the Parish Council’s Stand at the Feast Day to promote its own cause and/or help with the Village appraisal.

379 TO CONSIDER ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN SUPPORT OF THE SIBLET’S WOOD APPEAL
Due to lateness of the request, this proposal was too late for an agenda item at the last Policy and Finance meeting. Committee members did recommend an additional £300 should be proposed. On the proposition of Cllr Palmer, seconded by Cllr Mrs Darby this was agreed unanimously.

380 TO CONSIDER THE PARISH COUNCIL’S ROLE IN THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF A VILLAGE APPRAISAL
It was resolved that Chalfont St Peter Parish Council should prepare a Village Appraisal in association with the ‘CSP Village Appraisal Group’ and seek funding available to assist this.
It was agreed that the role of the Parish Council would be to support the Village Appraisal Group but not control it and to ensure that it remains an independent group incorporating all sections of the Community. Cllr Mrs West pointed out that the results of any surveys must be supported. In the past, after the Peter Heath report had carried out a survey on behalf of the Development Group, the need for a coffee shop was highlighted yet nothing happened as there was no provision in local authority’s infrastructure to support such a request. It was pointed out that as the District Plan is in the process of being altered and in order to change it to meet the needs of the Community, representation must be made to ensure that these drawbacks do not happen in the future. It was decided to invite Mrs Castle to the next Amenities and Planning meeting, if possible, to discuss the Village Centre in relation to the District Plan and all councillors would be invited to attend.

381 TO CONSIDER THE FORMAT OF PARISH MEETING (WHEN THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED).
It was agreed that all the chairmens’ reports would be kept to a minimum and the topic for this year to be ‘The Village Appraisal’. It was suggested that a separate meeting to invite a representative from Thames Water to speak on the problems of flooding and sewers could be held before a Council Meeting (with a Section 32 map of all the sewers for reference).

INFORMATION ITEMS

9p.m. Cllr Mrs Priestley joined the meeting.

382 FOOTPATH ADJACENT TO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Cllr Adams expressed concern about the behaviour of school children who frequent this footpath during school hours. Contact to be made with the School to discuss the matter.

383 CAR PARKING
Cllr Dr Warder asked that the map of possible car parking areas produced by the Development Group to be discussed at the next Amenities and Planning meeting.

9.10p.m. Cllr Banham joined the meeting.

384 FLOWER POTS OUTSIDE THE SHOPS IN MARKET PLACE
Cllr Allen asked if the Chamber of Commerce could take some action to prevent elderly people grazing their legs on these pots. It was reported that Mr Arton was looking in to the matter

No other business being raised, the meeting closed at 9.27 p.m.

Dates of Meetings for March

Amenities and Planning 3rd March at 7p.m.
Amenities and Planning 24th March at 7.30 p.m
Council 31st March at 8p.m.