Allington Parish Council

PRESENT Cllrs. P.J.Lathey, G. Stansfield, T.Gruitt, I. Gay, M.A.Wrighton, D.C.Hitt. Mr A. Georgiou Play Area Supervisor. Plus 9 members of the public.

The Clerk Mrs Stansfield recorded the minutes.

The meeting commenced at 7.31pm. The Chairman [Cllr. Lathey] welcomed everyone to the meeting; he requested members of the public who had come with regards to the Woodland Trust, they ask questions when the Woodland Trust item is discussed and not under public participation.

1. APOLOGIES - Apologies had been received from District Councillor A. Alford.

2. DECLARATION OF MEMBERS INTERESTS. – None to declare.

3. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING. The Chairman asked Councillors if they had all received and read the minutes of the last meeting, they all replied they had. He then asked if it was their intention that he signed the minute book as being a true record ALL AGREED. The minute Book was duly signed and dated.

4. MATTERS ARISING. We had the clerk informed council still not received a reply from Weller’s Scaffolding regarding our complaint of Lorries speeding along North Allington at the junction Hospital Lane and North Allington leading to the former Allington Stores. The police had replied and Cllr Gay said an officer had with speed gun been at the scene in early evening. However, this was not the times when the Lorries were going past. The pot holes in Hospital Lane had been reported to Clarence, as the Parish Maintenance Units are only able to carry out work that does not entail it lasting more than 1 hour. On the day of the day of the meeting work on the aforementioned potholes had begun. The gully drain by the hospital was also reported at the same time and we wait to see if this is being attended to. Councillors to monitor the situation. Every other item under matters arising had its own item on the agenda, with, the exception of the co-option of a Councillor. Since the agenda had been sent to Councillors a lady had come forward saying she was interested in becoming Councillor. She was in the Body of the meeting.

5. Mrs Karen Hitt was asked by the Chairman, if, she still wished to be Co-opted as a Councillor. She replied she was. The Chairman then reminded Cllr. David Hitt he could take no part in the following vote. The Chairman asked councillors, if, they were in agreement that Mrs Karen Hitt is co-opted onto the council. Cllr.Lathey proposed and Cllr Stansfield seconded the motion that Mrs Hitt be co-opted upon the Council. ALL AGREED. Mrs Hitt read out The declaration of acceptance signed it and it was witnessed by Cllr Lathey. She was given the folder all councillors receive and at 7.45pm took her place at the council table.

6. Public Participation. Mr Georgiou told Council that Magna had promised to clear up any grass cuttings they have when the lawns are mowed at Cherry Tree. Clerk to confirm this is correct. A member of the public asked if Council had heard any more about the abandoned property in Cherry tree, the Clerk reported it was in Magna’s hands. A Sherpa Vehicle was reported as thought to be abandoned on Hospital Lane causing a nuisance. The Clerk to notify the Community Support Officers after being given the registration number of the vehicle.

7. FINANCE REPORT. The clerk read out the balance of the accounts at the present time – as usual the bank statements were there for anyone to peruse. The ordinary account stood at £2,213.77p. From this sum the clerk reminded councillors we had to pay 2 accounts that had been tendered plus petty cash. Also the legal bill for the Woodland Trust litigation which at present stands at almost £800. At this juncture Cllr Gay asked had not the council agreed to a maximum of £500 several months ago? The Chairman replied we had but as the extent of the legal work required was more than we first knew of it was agreed to continue as the solicitor did not envisage it raising much above this amount. We also had the clerk continued to pay out the audit fee of over £100.00, the S214 payment to St Saviour’s Church Dottery which will be £312.00. The two accounts tendered where for the ROSPA inspection at £69.33 which is paid by BACS system and the cost of a toner and other items for the printer which came to £63.03 – Both of these items we can reclaim the v.a.t. £50 petty cash was also requested. Permission was given for the clerk to pay these accounts and receive petty cash. PLAY AREA ACCOUNT The play area account balance stands at £6,555.13p.. which when broken down shows we have £1,000 given to us by Magna for play equipment on Cherry Tree play area. £1,600 for the remainder of the fencing at Cherry Tree. £2,500 for fencing/goalposts for Woodland Trust Play Area. This, leaves us very little in our reserves until September precept payment; when we can put another £1,000 into this account. The Clerk had received letters from everyone we had given a donation to for the S137 and S142 payments thanking us for a generous donation. FINANCIAL REGULATIONS The clerk gave all councillors the new financial regulations and asked councillors to read them and at the next meeting to put them to be adopted or to have them cater to our own requirements. ALL AGREED.

8. PLANNING APPLICATIONS. The Clerk explained that as a result of our objection to the Bridport Community Hospital Car Parking Space application, this had gone to committee. The committee had listened to our concerns and although we had not got the site visit we requested the committee had passed the planning application on the understanding that the Design Partnership of the Hospital adhere to certain criteria. The Chairman explained what the new layout would entail as we had received the approval of plan and amended design in the same post. He then read out the criteria the hospital authority had to adhere to. Councillors asked that we monitor the situation as it was still felt that no one staff or visitor would reverse into the space if they were in a hurry. It was so agreed to monitor for accidents near or fatal.

9. WOODLAND TRUST PLAY AREA The Chairman told the members of council and the public that he would outline the situation at present leading up to were we stood. He explained that despite many emails, telephone calls etc., we were still not able to sign the lease. We had first began proceedings in June 2002 and by August of that year had seen Ms Staley of the Woodland Trust the area was agreed upon, we had submitted a plan of the site. WE had adhered to the Woodland Trust’s request for a risk assessment from our contractor. We had contact Wessex Water had a site visit with them to ensure no pipes were in the vicinity of the purposed play area. Following this plus, many telephone calls and emails it was to be February 2004 before the lease arrived. We had been told via email that we had to have the fencing in by February. Quotes had been applied for and one chosen giving best value. The lease arrived and was incorrect as it related mainly to a building and landlords fixtures and fittings. The councillors at the time had received a copy of the original lease as it stood. The Chairman read out relevant parts of the lease as there were councillors on the committee now that were not on in February. The peppercorn rent was for a one off payment of £25 and the council to clear the area of litter. The clerk explain why in the light of new legislation we are unable to clear the litter as it would mean employing someone to perform this task and the extra insurance this involves and would mean in future years additional problems for future council members. The Chairman went on to explain we had involved the solicitor because of the complexity of the lease and that we could not get anywhere at present. We were not able to do anything on this area until the lease was in place. We heard back that instead of the one off payment of £25 the rent without council clearing the litter would be an annual payment of £250. This council felt was too much. We had tried to answer their questions about a building on the land – there was none, The Woodland Trust had suddenly told us about an option clause, which had not been divulged previously. However, this clause left us spending public money when in theory we would have less than 20 working days to get off the land. As the previous owner had this option clause and the Woodland Trust had agreed to this. The solicitor whose email was read out] pointed out that this would mean technically council could sign the lease and then next day be given less than 20 days to get off. Also there now had appeared from the Woodland Trust the fact that thee was an area with our play area in it that was part of the buy back clause, we were unaware of this 2 years ago. The length of land option was in dispute The Chairman and a member of the public measured the land in question and it was not inside the play area boundary. The area measured by the Chairman is as follows. From tree to the trough 5 metres.70 . However, from tree to line of 1st fence post is 9 metres 40. Also 12 metres 50 to the optimum line. This is totally different to the measurement given by Helen Billing of the legal department. The Clerk to telephone the solicitor tomorrow to notify him of this. And also to ask if Ms Billing has indeed visited the area in question, as Ms Billing took advice previously that there was a building etc., on the area where the play area was proposed. There has never been a building on this area. We now await the Chairman said the Woodland Trust getting back to us with their reply. There then followed a lengthy and detailed discussion by members of the public in a question and answer session. The clerk promised to take down their concerns and email them to the Woodland Trust as Council were unable to answer the questions regarding disabled access to the hill, the state of the grass on the hill and other queries, the public mood was of the opinion that it was the Woodland Trust that had not maintained the hill as they had promised to do at the first meeting. The general consensus of the public at the council meeting was that the Woodland Trust had gone back on their promise and they did not feel that they should have to pay twice to the Woodland Trust. Once through their donations when the Woodland Trust asked for public subscription and again through rent for the play area. We were asked if we would be cutting the play area grass. The Chairman replied YES. When once we had the legal right to go onto the area. We hoped to have the Chairman replied more information at the next meeting in August, if we heard earlier than another meeting would be convened.

10. PARISH PLAN The Clerk outlined the Parish Plan, the grant of £2,000 allotted to us by the Countryside Agency to fund this application for a Parish Plan. The meeting for the discussion about moving forward and the formation of a steering group would be held at St Swithun’s Vestry Extension on July 23rd at 7.30 – The Bridport News would be giving us some space in their publication advertising this venue and meeting.

11. CHERRY TREE PLAY AREA The ROSPA was read out, Councillors already had received a copy of this report. The Play Area Supervisor reported to Council that he had spoken with the Inspector at the time and mentioned the gates closure. The swings still had a few more years’ life in them and the seats were regularly checked. The replacement fencing to be put up as soon as TMH Fencing was able to do it due to weather conditions.

12. FLAXHAYES PADDOCK The Chairman gave a report to the Council on the meeting he and the Clerk attended last week. WDDC were given food for thought regarding affordable housing on this site. The best way forward was to form a Trust. This had been completed with success in other areas. The house owner’s would never own the land, thereby always being affordable. ~When they sold the house then they would only keep 70% of the selling price the other 30% goes back into the trust to be deducted from the next purchaser. The homes would be offered to key workers or 100% local people i.e. with 10 years minimum living in Allington Parish Area. There would be 52 units. 9 people had objected to this land being affordable housing – they felt it should be used as allotments. This was now going to the Ombudsman – 2 property developers also objected to it being low cost housing. A Question and Answer session followed amongst which were questions about Eco friendly homes. The Chairman asked if anyone was willing to be a Trustee on this new venture. Two people after the meeting agreed to be Trustees their names were passed on.

13. CORRESPONDENCE. The Clerk read out a list of correspondence received and reminded everyone that the Local Council Review, The D.C.A. magazine and Clerks & Councils Direct magazines were all on the table for anyone to read. The WDDC Composting leaflet was read out.

14. A member of the public reported a stopcock outside of No. 36 Cherry Tree being dropped 1 ½ inches – Clerk to notify Wessex. Water

15. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING WAS AUGUST 10TH 2004.

The Chairman thanked everyone for coming and the meeting closed at 9. 32pm