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Minutes of a meeting of Clifton Parish Council held on Thursday 14 th May 2009 in Clifton Community and Sports Centre, Whiston Crescent, Clifton at 7. 30 pm
Present: Mr B. Livesey
Mr D. Bullen
Mr M. Ephgrave
Mr S. Fish
Mrs P. Livesey
Mr S. Melia
Mr I. Pacey.
Mr B. Padgett
Dr R. Puritz
Councillor T. Rogers, District Councillor P. Carne and Pc S. Busby.
• Public Forum: There was none.
2. Apologies: Apologies were received from Mrs I. Cook and Mr J. Stevens
3. Election of Chairman: Mr B. Livesey was unanimously elected Chairman for the forthcoming year 2009/2010. He then took the Chair.
4. Election of Vice Chairman: Mr S. Fish was proposed by Mrs Livesey, seconded by Mr M. Ephgrave. There being no other nominations Mr Fish was unanimously elected.
5. Casual Vacancy: It was noted that the Casual Vacancy following the resignation of Mr A. G. Burnage had been advertised but no requests for an election had been received. Therefore the Parish Council was required to fill the vacancy by co-option as soon as possible. Accordingly Mr B. Padgett was proposed by Mrs P. Livesey, seconded by Mr D. Bullen and elected. He was then welcomed to the meeting.
6. Minutes: . The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 9th April 2009, a copy of which had been circulated to each member of the Council were agreed to be a true record and signed.
7. Matters arising from the minutes :
7.1 War Memorial: Mr Livesey reported that the carving of the stone had begun, but it would not be in place by the end of the month. The Council was asked to clarify the form in which entries for those killed in action post 1945 should be recorded. It was agreed that these should be listed as “ Other Conflicts “ recording the date and name. The stonemason should be informed of this decision. It was further noted that there was a broken slate on the roof of the memorial. .
7.2 Allotments : - There was nothing further to report.
7.3 Anti-glare- It was reported that MBJ had now measured the windows and intended fitting it shortly.
7. 4 Playing Field Committee were in favour of installing a Lincat hot water boiler and were seeking further estimates.
7.5 Village of the Year. It was noted that Clifton had been shortlisted and the 3 judges would visit the village on Tues. 19 th May meeting at10 am in the Community Centre. Mr Livesey circulated a draft schedule for the visit and invited comments.
7.6 Resignation of Mr Alan Burnage: It was noted that the Bishop of Bedford was unable to attend to re- dedicate the War Memorial on the date suggested when it was proposed to make a formal presentation of picture. Tentative arrangements had been made for this.
7.7 Ditch on S Bend This had recently been cleaned out. It had been requested that this should be filled in and this request was being considered by the Highways authority.
7.8 Traffic feasibility Mr Livesey drew attention to recent e-mail correspondence with the Highways authority on the subject.
8. Outstanding Matters: List 108 had been circulated and would be presented at the Playing Field and Highways committee meetings
:9. Correspondence
9.1 T. Cobb: The Chairman submitted a letter of resignation from Mr T. Cobb, 15 Knolls Way, Clifton on the grounds of ill health. This was accepted and the Clerk was asked to notify Central Bedfordshire of the Casual Vacancy and to write a letter of thanks to Mr Cobb
9.2 L. Martial: Appointment as Community development Officer Central Beds
9.3 Crime Figures
9.4 “Vitalise” Letter requesting financial aid. It was agreed that no further action should be taken.
9.5 Arnold- Baker: Local Council Administration: Eighth edition: It was agreed that a copy of this should not be purchased.
9.6 Henlow and Clifton Scouts: Invitation for a representative to attend on 17.5.09. Mr S. Melia undertook to attend this function.
9.7 Cliff Andrews: Green Infrastructure plan for Clifton: It was noted that following the District level GI plan it was intended to produce further plans in 20 of the larger settlements of the area. It was proposed that work on Clifton's would start in September and co-operation of the Parish Council was requested. It was agreed to support this.
9.8: Mr S. Nott: Estimate for revising the switching method for the main hall heaters at a cost of £435.00. It was agreed that this estimate should be accepted.
9.9 Cooker: The Chairman notified the Council that it was necessary to replace the cooker in the Community Centre and whilst considering the purchase of a larger model he, Mrs Livesey and Mr Stevens had realised that if two standard sized cookers were purchased there would be more oven space and rings at less cost. Accordingly two cookers had been purchased. The second cooker would be installed adjacent to the other one Mr Harvey had provided an estimate of £130.00 for this and this had been approved.
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10.Community Centre and Playing Fields Management Committee:
The report of the meeting held on Wednesday, 15 th April2009, a copy of which had been circulated to each member of the Council was presented and discussed. It was noted;-
10.1. Trees Mr Mayor is to be approached about removing the dead wood .
10.2 Anti-glare on windows .It was reported that MBJ Windows had measured the windows and had stated they would be fitting it shortly ..
10.3. Water heater in Gents Toilet. Mr Stevens reported that Mr Good could obtain the necessary replacement part at a cost of approximately £30.00 + VAT and there would be a charge for installation. He had been authorised to go ahead and was expected to fit the replacement part shortly.
10.4 Sweeping car park :. It was agreed that another visit might be necessary.
10.5 . Football Matters .The Chairman reported that he and Messrs Bullen and Cobb were considering a solution to the problem of the muddy slope. from the changing room. Action on this was deferred until later in the year.
10.6 Xerscape fitness equipment project . It was noted that a revised quotation from Wicksteeds had been provided to supply and install the equipment, safety surfacing, outdoor furniture and signage at a total cost of £37,360.00 + VAT Mr Melia undertook to investigate possible sources of grant aid.
10.7 Safety lights Mr Stevens reported that he was discussing the matter with Steve Knott and would report the outcome of these discussions at a later meeting.
10.8 Installation of a hot water system which would eliminate the use of kettles and the urn. A quotation to install a Lincat EB3F model at a cost of £466.99 + VAT had been received from Colin Hill, Peckworth Industrial Estate and all were agreed that the purchase and installation of this should be recommended. However in view of the cost it was agreed that further quotations should be sought.
10.9 Bedfordshire Playing Fields Association: Play Training /Information Day on Sat 21 st March in the Briefing Room and Jubilee Play Centre, Shuttleworth, Old Warden. Mrs Dawson and Mrs Cook had attended this event and reported on an interesting session..
10.10 e-mail from Clifton Football Club requesting that the football pitch should be spiked and rolled. Mr Stevens had discussed this with Adrian Crawley who advised him that the pitch drained easily and that spiking was not necessary. At that time owing to the wet conditions it was not advisable to roll the pitch but this had now been done.
10.11. Electricity Meter: It was noted that at present the meter has a maximum capacity of 48 kva but this is not being fully utilised. It was agreed to investigate this
10,12 It was noted one of the tables in the hall was broken. A replacement leg had been received and Mr Stevens undertook to fit it
10.13 Dog fouling Following the resolution passed at the previous meeting Mr Stevens had obtained guidance on Dog Control Orders which he had circulated to members with a request that all read them and considered them carefully. Henlow Parish Council had successfully implemented these but the orders were not enforced. Mr Stevens had been in touch with Mr Whittaker with a list of questions and proposed to have a meeting with the latter and report back to the Committee..
10.14 Clifton Football Club had 2 awards and asked if these could be displayed at the Community Centre. It was agreed that this should be done.
10.15 Flood-lighting: It had been suggested that the floodlighting on the netball court might be relocated and a quotation had been sought from Steven Knott. The football club would be willing to contribute towards the cost of using them. Mr Stevens reported he had further discussions with Stephen Knott
10.16 There had been no further complaints by residents in Whiston Crescent about footballers parking on Saturdays. This was noted
10.17The hole in the changing room floor was increasing in size.
10.18Notices asking users of the Community Centre to clean tables before putting them away and also to use the proper equipment for moving chairs were to be put up in the store room
10.19 . Finance (a) Mrs Yarwood's, Mr Ansell-Carter's and Mr Ferguson's accounts had been authorised.
(b) The end of month balance was £2294.73. This seemingly low figure was largely caused by an accumulated electricity account and fewer accounts settled since the last meeting.
10.20. Correspondence; ARG: Estimate for the replacement of the gutters with seamless aluminium guttering at a total cost of £995.00 + VAT (£149.25) Further estimates had been sought but not yet received.
The report was then adopted
11. Highways Committee: .
The report of the meeting held on Thursday, 16 th April 2009, a copy of which had been circulated to each member of the Council was presented and discussed. It was noted;-
11.1 War Memorial: It was reported that the Conservation Officer of Central Bedfordshire had inspected the new stone and approved it. Work on carving the inscriptions would be put in hand and it was expected that the stone would be in place by the end of May. It was suggested that the Clifton Open Gardens would be taking place during the weekend of 6 th /7 th June and the re- dedication of the War Memorial should take place during Sunday afternoon on June 7 th . The Clerk was asked to arrange with the Rector to invite the Bishop of Bedford.
11.2 Allotments. There was nothing further to report..
11.3 Hedgecutting in Broad Street, New Road and Pedley Lane: It was agreed to continue to pursue the matter with the appropriate authority.
11.4 Trees: It was noted trees had been replaced in the village. Mrs Livesey submitted a letter from Mr D. Alderman who would continue to be employed by Central Bedfordshire as a Tree Inspector on a part time basis and the contents of the letter were noted.
11.5 Grassed Area at entrance to Community Centre. It was reported that Mr James Hall from Mid Beds had inspected the area and agreed that action was necessary but this would not take place in the 2008/2009 financial year. A letter suggesting that if bollards were installed that it would be necessary to have a lockable one to allow for access by mowing machines had been sent..
11.6 Litter Pick. There was nothing further to report on the recent litter pick except to note that the village appeared to have been tidier since the event..
11.7 Pot holes Pot holes in Whiston Crescent had been filled but owing to bad weather others had opened up.
11. 8 Village of the Year; Copies of the questionnaire had been distributed and returned with further comments. These would be collated into the final draft which would be submitted before the closing date for entries.
11.9 Free Tree Clifton's acceptance of the offer of a free tree had been noted and the Committee was advised that this would be planted on a site of the Council's choice during the autumn.
11.10 Litter bin It was reported that Councillor Rogers had a litter bin and would arrange for this to be installed by the new seat near the village sign. .
11.11 Bollards outside Admiral PH . It was reported that Mr C. Siddle from Central Beds was investigating the cost to replace the concrete bollards with those similar to the recently installed bollards at the site of the War Memorial.
11.12 It was suggested that the presentation to Alan Burnage should be combined with the occasion of the re-dedication of the War Memorial
11.13. Forward Planner; The Forward Planner was submitted and expenditure noted.
11.14 . Other Matters ; (a) 8.1 Mrs Livesey noted that there had been an omission in thanks recorded in Clifton Chronicle s . Mr Bullen ought to have been included. The latter and Mr Cobb had repainted all the seats around the village and were thanked for this.
(b)Traffic calming: The Chairman and Mr Livesey reported that there had been an exchange of e-mails concerning traffic calming in the village and discussion ensued. Clarification of various points was necessary and Mr Cobb undertook to raise these queries. Action would not be taken unless there was evidence of need and consequently he was encouraging the general public to report any incidents to the police. It was further reported that the police would be doing speed checks once a week down New Road and once a month in other locations highlighted by the Council. It was agreed that safer driving and traffic calming within the village should affect both schools and a letter should be sent to the Chairman of the Governors of Samuel Whitbread enlisting their support in the matter.
(c)Mr Bullen asked when the next round of SID checks would be done
(d) Pedestrian access to Clifton Fields It was noted that this was being used by vehicles. Central Bedfordshire should be asked to erect a bollard to prevent this in the future.
The report was then adopted. It was noted that Mrs Livesey and Mr Bullen had replanted the planters.
12. Planning:
The undermentioned plan had been returned to Central Bedfordshire Council with no objections noted:-09/00586/TPO Removal of 2 No sycamore trees and reduction of crown by 15% of 1 no. Sycamore tree at 1 Clifton House Close (Mr P. Stephens)
Central Beds approved the following application 09/00225/TPO: Works to trees at 45 Church Street (Mr S Langton
13. Election of Committees and Representatives: It was agreed that the Committees should be appointed en bloc for the coming year. Mr B. Padgett was appointed to the Planning and Highways Committees.
14. Reports: Clifton Lower School : Mrs Livesey made a short report noting inter alia that this may be the last year in which the Parish Council is represented on the Board of Governors.
(b) Central Bedfordshire Council Councillors Carne and Rogers reported briefly noting that the transition from Mid Beds District Council had been smooth. Councillor Carne had been making exploratory investigations into the possibility of the erstwhile dump at the bottom of the Joint being used for allotments.
(c) Police: Pc Busby presented the crime figures for the past month noting that in April there had been 3 crimes reported with a further two recorded to date.
(d) Mr and Mrs Livesey reported on an interesting Forum meeting held at Priory House at which they had been able to raise several matters with officers and Councillors. The present condition of Elm Farm gave rise for concern and it was recommended that these should be raised with the Hale Trust and also with Central Bedfordshire Council.
15. Finance
: Current bank statements at 30.4.09 show balances of:-
Community Account £4327.45
Instant Access Business Premium Ac £96367.00
Outstanding accounts : There were no outstanding accounts.
Receipts: The following receipts were reported; Central Beds Council: ½ Precept £17000.00; Mrs D, Wilson £48.00; Clifton Parents and Toddlers £100.00; Coeliac UK £78.00; Henlow Badminton £88.00; Clifton 1 st Brownies £30.00; Clifton Elder People £195.00; Mr R. Dickens £104.00
Payments Payment of the following accounts was authorised:_
B, Livesey: Refund of cost of cookers & of weedkiller . £803.97 ( Ch 101565 )
J. Ferguson 1 Month's Litter collection £60.00 ) (Ch 101566)
Mrs J. Yarwood: Wages for April(less tax and NI ) £598.51 (Ch101567/68)
I. Ansell Carter; Wages for April ( less tax ) £94.80 (Ch101569)
Adrian Crawley: Playing Field maintenance in April + cutting dogwood £442.50 (Ch101570)
Allianz Insurance Co: £4714.36 (Ch101571 )
Southern Electric £599.87(inc VAT ) (Ch101572)
D. J. Granger: Grass cutting in village x 2 + VAT £703.50 (Ch101573)
Herts CC Cleaning Materials + VAT £65. 47 (Ch101574)
Anglian Water (Jan-April) £9.46 (Ch101575)
TR Cobb refund of woodstain & paint £64.97 (Ch101576)
Bedford Borough Council, refuse collection for a quarter (+ VAT) £58.90 (Ch101577)
B. Livesey: Refund for cost of plants, compost +VAT £58.90 ( Ch101578)
Authoritywas given for the transfer of £5,000 from the Instant Access Business Premium Account to the Community Account.
Dates of next meetings : Thursday, 11 th June 2009 , Thursday, 23 rd July 2009 , Thursday 10 th September 2009