November 2003
Minutes of the Meeting of Chipperfield Parish Council, held in ‘The Upper Room’ at St Paul’s Church extension, Chipperfield, on Monday 11 November 2003 at 8.00 pm
Present: Councillor Miss EA Holliday (Chairman)
Councillor MD Joseph (Vice-Chairman)
Councillors: DJ Nobbs, Mrs BA Berners-Price,
Mrs RV Wakeman, MJD Jarrad
Borough Councillor Mrs J Bradnock was present as an observer.
At 8.00pm before commencement of the official agenda, Mr Duncan Adams, Hertfordshire Rural Housing Enabler for CDA Herts, gave a brief summary of the findings of the Chipperfield Housing Needs Survey, Summer 2003. The report concluded that there is a clear need for further affordable housing in the village and that the greatest need is for rented and share-ownership homes. He also suggested that the Parish Council encourage people sharing accommodation in owner-occupied homes in the village and wanting their own affordable property to put their names on the Housing Register.
Cllr Holliday said she was confident that the Parish Council would wish to pursue the project. Mr Adams said that once this had been formally agreed, the appropriate next step would be for a Parish Councillor to be nominated to indicate to him potential sites within the village.
AGENDA
PART 1:
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: were submitted on behalf of the Parish Clerk and Councillor Nichols.
102/03: THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING OF 13 OCTOBER, 2003: were approved and signed, with the amendment of deleting the sentence on page 3, item 2 “Chess Valley Bridleway Association are pressurising the Highways Department to re-open this bridleway.”
103/03: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Representatives from the Chipperfield Youth Football Club came to ask if the Council would consider turning 6 of the allotments behind the tennis courts, rather than the previously requested 4, into an Astro-turf football pitch for use by themselves and St. Paul’s School. Councillor Holliday said that the Council would put this item on the agenda for discussion at next month’s Parish Council meeting.
104/04: REPORTS FROM BOROUGH AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS
Councillor Bradnock advised that the “Investing in Your Health” Consultation had gone for Option 2 regarding hospital development, which means that Watford would be the major accident unit and that Hemel would provide only 80% of A&E needs. Heart attacks and diabetic emergencies would have to be dealt with at Watford – see A) 1. below.
105/05: DECLARATION OF INTEREST FROM MEMBERS
None were declared at the meeting.
106/06: REPORTS FROM THE CLERK ON BEHALF OF COMMITTEES:
A) FINANCE AND GENERAL PURPOSES
See report No 058/03 from Clerk, items 1 – 15.
1. Ref item 1: Public Meeting of Dacorum Primary Care Trust meeting in the
Church Extension on 25 November.
A number of Parish Councillors will attend and ask
1) What does 80% A&E mean?
2) What does a Paediatric Assessment Unit provide?
2. Ref item 2: ‘‘The Local Channel’ also CPC Website and e-gov & domain names’.
Cllr Nobbs advised that the Web sub-committee would be meeting with
Messrs Evans and Kingston and Mrs Breen on Monday 17th November to
discuss the way forward.
3. Ref item 3: ‘The State of Biodiversity in Hertfordshire 1992 – 2002
This is a very full and diverse report requiring no further action on the part of
the Parish Council.
4. Ref item 4: ‘Major Incident Plan’
The major incident plan had been issued in error and was of no relevance to
Chipperfield. The fire brigade and police would handle any major incident
here.
5. Ref item 5: ‘To consider an earlier time to commence CPC meetings,
alternating an afternoon meeting with an evening one’
Resolved
The December 8th meeting would be held in the Parish Rooms from 2.00- 4.00pm.
6. Ref item 6: ‘Audit Commission meeting with DBC 19 – 24 January 2004’.
Resolved
Questionnaire to be filled in by the F&GP committee by December 4th, 2003.
7. Ref item 7: ‘Dacorum Environmental Forum’
Resolved
Cllr Nobbs to send copies of the Street Care presentation to Cllrs Holliday and
Carter.
8. Ref item 8: ‘ Year 2002/2003 MOVEMENT ON RESERVES to date 31 March 2003, with statement on PURPOSE OF RESERVES and supplementary notes’
It was noted that the Auditor in the past had suggested that our reserves are too
high.
Resolved
The Statement of the Movement of Reserves and the description of their
purpose are approved.
9. Ref item 11: ‘HAPT’
Notification of training sessions and development courses has been received.
Resolved
Cllr Jarrad has signed up to a course on 22nd January.
10. Ref item 12: NALCO ‘Employment Bulletin’
It was noted that the minimum wage has gone up from £4.20 per hour to £4.50
per hour, a point relevant to Council’s plans to review staff salaries.
11. Ref item 13: ‘DBC Independent Remuneration Panel 2003
DBC is prepared to consider a scheme for Town and Parish Councillors’
allowances at its Panel Meeting on 24-25 November. Participating councils
would share the cost of £1500 a day.
Resolved
The Council agreed not to participate in these panel meetings, but CPC would
use any schedule of payments fixed by the DBC as a guideline.
12. Ref item 14: ‘Next Parish/Town Clerks Meeting with DBC Officers, 27 Nov
As the Clerk would be unable to attend, after consultation with Cllrs Holliday and Nobbs, he submitted the following two agenda items on behalf of CPC:
1) Update on DBC Budget proposals and implications for Parish/Town councils
2) Future plans for distribution of Dacorum Digest to EVERY household
Resolved
This action was endorsed.
B) HIGHWAYS, ROAD SAFETY & PUBLIC TRANSPORT
See report No 059/03 from Clerk,
1. Ref item 1:Jasmine Safety Track – proposal for re-opening Langley Road
bridleway.
Deferred to Part 2, Item 1
C)OPEN SPACES & FOOTPATHS
See report No 060/03 from Clerk, items 1 –
1. Ref item 2: The Countryside Agency – Countryside & Rights of Way Act.
Cllr Holliday reported that evidence to support Council’s concern about the
extent of the common has to be gathered. She is contacting Peter Hart to find
out about the extension of the Churchyard and has details of conveyance of
the allotment field. The Dell area of Dunny Lane has still to be researched.
2. Ref item 3Chipperfield Common/Bridleways/Heritage Trail Map
Cllr Holliday reported that there are large quantities of this map freely available.
C) ALLOTMENTS
See report No 061/03 from Clerk
1. Ref item 1:Cllr Holliday reported that the owners of the White House were
being asked to cut their boundary trees. The Junior Football Club’s request
regarding 6 allotments would be an agenda item for the December 8th meeting,
as reported above (Report 103/03).
D) PLANNING
See report No 062/03 from Clerk, items 1 -2
1. Ref item 1: Cllr Nobbs reported that the Didsbury Cottage & Croft View
Appeal had been dismissed for two reasons. Firstly, there were concerns the
condition requiring occupancy by over 55s was not strict enough, and
secondly that the lines of sights for the car park exit were not up to standard.
2. Ref item 2:Planning Applications. As Appendix D with the addition of DBC’s
verdicts on The Birches,Wayside –( refused), 19 Tower Hill – (approved) and
work to trees, Broughton’s Cottage, The Common - ( approved).
107/03: REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES
a) Youth Club
The Youth Club is holding its AGM on the 25th November, 2003 at 8.00pm. A new club for 11-14 year olds had been set up.
c) School Governor
Cllr Wakeman reported that the New Building came in under budget and extra work is being done in lieu of the payment of an over-run time penalty. The opening ceremony took place on Oct 1 and was a great success.
d) Chipperfield Care
Cllr Berners-Price reported that Chipperfield Care are looking for new volunteer drivers and duty officers.
e) Chipperfield News
Cllr Holliday reported that Chipperfield News would be having their AGM in December.
108/03: CORRESPONDENCE
All correspondence is circulating in the November bundle
109/03: REPORT OF THE CLERK
No report.
110/03 PAYMENTS DUE
No list available, but payment of cheques is up to date.
111/03: EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC
To consider passing a resolution in the following terms:
Under item 61 of Standing Orders ‘That in view of the special nature of the business about to be transacted, it is advisable in the public interest that the public be temporarily excluded and they are instructed to withdraw.
If members of the public were present during these items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information to proposed expenditure by the Council.’
Resolved
Approved.
Part 1 meeting closed 9.45. Part 2 meeting closed 10.00pm
DATE OF NEXT MEETING – Monday, 8 December at 2.00pm