Chalfont St Peter Parish Council Minutes - November 2007

MINUTES OF THE DULY CONVENED MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL OF CHALFONT ST PETER HELD IN THE COUNCIL OFFICES, CHALFONT ST PETER, ON MONDAY, 26th NOVEMBER, 2007 AT 8P.M.

65. PRESENT
Cllr R Allen (Chairman), Cllr Adams, Cllr B Allen, Cllr Mrs Bacon, Cllr Beane, Cllr Mrs Brooke, Cllr Mrs Darby, Cllr Harper, Cllr Heath, Cllr Miller, Cllr Nowell, Cllr Quigley, Cllr B Smith, Cllr Mrs Smith, Cllr Warder and S Moffat (Clerk)

66. APOLOGIES
None were received.

67. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
None were declared.

68. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
Minutes of the last meeting held on 29th October, 2007 were considered and signed by the Chairman as a true record.

69. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
Minute 58 – Cllr Adams has agreed to organise the stall for Fun Night on the 7th December, 2007. A rota was circulated for councillors to volunteer to man the stall on the night. The stall is usually outside the ‘Tile’ shop in Market Place.

70. CHAIRMAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
• The Chairman invited councillors and their wives/husbands/partners to join him for drinks and nibbles at 9 p.m. after the next Council meeting on 17th December, 2007.
• The Chairman bought the following two items forward due to the presence of Bucks County Council Officer, Carol Bursley, attending the meeting to assist Cllr B Allen’s with his presentation.

71. PRESENTATION BY CLLR B ALLEN ON ‘GETTING CLOSER TO THE COMMUNITY’ (GC2C)
Cllr B Allen first gave a presentation on Chalfont St Peter Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) which was initiated by the Police and is not coterminous with GC2C. Cllr Mrs Bacon pointed out that Chalfont Common area is connected with the Coleshill, Seer Green NAG’s Group. This would seem rather irrational and Cllr B Allen will point this out to the Police at the next NAG’s meeting.
Cllr B Allen went on to give his presentation on GC2C. Although the origin of GC2C was started by Bucks County Council in 2003, the first formal meeting will be held in January, 2008. The meeting is not a public one and will consist of members from Parish, District and County levels to take in the needs of the community.


72. PRESENTATION BY CLLR MRS SMITH ON THE ‘VILLAGE APPRAISAL GROUP’
Cllr Mrs Smith gave a presentation on the Village Appraisal Group. District Councils were empowered by the Government to help set up these Groups in order to consider the needs of local communities. Chalfont St Peter Village Appraisal Group was started in 2003 and is an important method of obtaining funding from outside bodies. Chalfont St Peter has a successful Village Appraisal Group with six sections being Youth, Safety, Elderly People, Traffic and Transport, Environment and Business. Unfortunately the Disabled Group was disbanded but many of their issues are taken on board by the Elderly Group. Recently the Heritage Group has formed receiving funding to set up the Heritage Centre in the Foyer of the Council Premises. A representative from each of these groups is on the Steering Committee which oversees the Village Appraisal.

73. CORRESPONDENCE
• Booklets for borrowing :- VOICE from CPRE – Noted.
• Invitation to the AGM of Chiltern and South Bucks Primary Care Mental Health Forum at 2 – 4 p.m. on 19/12/07 in Conference Room 2 at Amersham Hospital. Cllr Mrs Brooke volunteered to attend.
• Minutes of Denham Aerodrome Consultative Committee held on 13th June, 2007 – Noted. Cllr Nowell informed the Council that the Greater London Assembly is carrying out a report on helicopter noise and movement which may be of interest to the Denham Aerodrome Consultative Committee.
• Chiltern Accessibility Partnership – Information on the points raised at the Chalfont’s Accessibility Workshop have been received and were noted.

74. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
Amenities and Planning on 12th November, 2007
Reports and recommendations were proposed, seconded and accepted as a true record.

75. ACCOUNTS
The following accounts were examined and, upon being found in order, cheques were signed on the proposition of Cllr Nowell, seconded by Cllr Mrs Smith:-
Cheque No. Payee Details £
5521 Inland Revenue Tax & NIC 1797.09
5522 Bucks C.C. Superannuation 1909.92
5523 Southern Electric Unmetered electricity 357.08
5524 Local Government Employers Yearly subscription for LGE agreement 145.07
5525 Jacobs UK Ltd Street lighting Services 1406.48
5526 Fitzpatrick Contractors Ltd Street light repairs – 20.47+108.62+59.34+78.56+108.23+59.34+179.95+96.23+181.77+78.56= 971.07
5527 Phj Solutions Ltd Connecting remote mouse, setting up BT PC backup service and synchronizing computers 188.00
5528 Golf & Turf Equipment Ltd Machinery parts 265.93
5529 Neil Curtis & Sons Funeral Contractors Ltd Grave digging 1350.00
5530 Wheatley Dyson & Son Ltd Stationery and camera 189.87
5531 DSG Retail Ltd Computer screen 122.12
5532 Screwfix Direct tools 60.48
5533 Farnham Common Nurseries Ltd Shrubs and tree 205.86
5534 Sheriff Amenity Services Knap sack spraying course for Stevens and Barham 963.50
5535 J Parker Dutch Bulbs WS Ltd Bulbs 306.44
5536 Wicksteed Leisure Ltd Playground inspection 47.00
5537 Gemini Memorial plaque 82.84
5538 Grant & Stone Ltd Materials 28.68+3.70+3.70+3.36+5.76+12.58= 57.78
5539 Harlequin Fireworks Moroons for Remembrance Day 90.00
5540 BT plc Internet Services 108.47
5541 Phj solutions Computer repair 47.00
5542 BT plc BT PC Back up charges 23.26
5543 Three Valleys Water Hill House allotments 171.10
5544 Streetmaster Memorial bench 837.78
5545 Delta Synergistics Security Group Call out charge 110.45
5546 A & A Sims lawnmowers Machinery repairs and parts 615.71
5547 M & G Book-Keeping Services Internal audit 211.50
5548 Teleshore (UK) Ltd Burial equipment 345.68
5549 Chalfont Web Design Co. Uk. Web hosting and front page extensions 83.50
5550 K Adams- 60 miles to Cheshunt (meeting with Three Valleys Water) at 40p/mile = 24.00
5551 Imprest 300.00
IMPREST
1973 M Alderton Cleaning 107.56
1974 Cash petty 100.00
STANDING ORDERS AND DIRECT DEBIT
25.10.07 Salaries 5525.17
13/11/07 British Gas electricity 128.50
8/11/07 BT plc Office phone 101.79
22/`11/07 BT plc Rental for second phone line 48.89
RECEIPTS
101668 Donation for use of Common 300.00
Allotment rental 6.00
101669 Allotment rental 6.00
101670 Donation for use of Common 800.00
101671 Burial fees 470.00
Village appraisal reimbursement for photocopying 51.50
Allotment rental 20.00
101672 Burial fees 1220.00
101673 Burial fees 780.00
101674 Burial fees 470.00
Allotment rentals 11.00

76. TO AGREE THE WORDING ON THE PLAQUE FOR THE CORONATION CLOCK
Cllr B Allen and Cllr R Allen declared an interest and abstained from voting.
The following wording was proposed and seconded. The plaque to read:-

‘Renovated in 2007 by the Parish Council
with donations from
the Buckinghamshire Building Society on its Centenary and
the Community Leader’s Fund of County Cllr Bruce Allen’

After a vote the motion was carried. Cllr Nowell requested it was minuted he had voted against the motion.

77. TO APPOINT PARISH COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE NEXT VILLAGE GUIDE
Cllr Mrs Darby co-ordinates the production of the Village Guide on behalf of ‘Pride in the Village’ with help from representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and the Parish Council. Cllr Mrs Harper and Cllr Mrs Brooke volunteered to be the Parish Council’s representatives.

78. COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS
Cllr Mrs Brooke
Cllr Mrs Brooke reported she had attended the last meeting of Age Concern on 16th October, 2007 and this Group seemed to be functioning satisfactory.

Cllr Quigley
Cllr Quigley reported the tarmac in the precinct is becoming very shabby and the car parking spaces need remarking. The Clerk informed the Council she had recently supplied a list of local tar macadam contractors to the Land Agent who was in the process of organising the repair work.

Cllr Mrs Darby
Cllr Mrs Darby reported that Cllr Quigley and she had attended the AGM of BALC. Amersham Town Council has achieved ‘Quality Status’ and the next BALC subscription will increase by 4.5% due to NALC increasing its part of the subscription.

Cllr Mrs Bacon
Cllr Mrs Bacon reported she has been in contact with a group involved with the elderly called ’50 Plus’. This is a new title for people getting ready for retirement. There is also a new group starting called ‘SHAPE’ sponsored by Bucks County Council looking at travel and transport problems associated with the elderly and disabled.
Cllr Mrs Bacon has also attended the last meeting of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust where she raised the point regarding the sale of Debenam House. There has still not been any agreement but there is a meeting about this next week.

79. CLERKS REPORT
Clerk’s report noted. The Clerk will organise the advertising of the ‘Free Parking’ in Church Lane car park on the 7th, 8th, 15th, and 22nd December.

INFORMATION ITEMS

80. A & E SIGNS
Cllr B Allen reported Wycombe Hospital Trust wanted to change the ‘A & E’ signs to ‘Emergency Centre’.

81. 10 P.M. FINISH
Cllr Quigley asked if it was possible in the future to finish council meetings by 10 p.m.

82. TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
Cllr Mrs Smith reported there were still traffic problems at the junctions of Rickmansworth and Chesham Lanes. Residents were asking for better road signage at the junctions.

No other business being raised, the meeting closed at 10.13 p.m.