January 2013

13/01

Apologies for Absence – Cllr Hayward

13/02

Chairman’s Announcements

The Chairman wished everyone a Happy New Year.

13/03

Minutes of Previous Meeting held on 13 December 2012 and Matters Arising

It was proposed by Cllr Hicks and seconded by Cllr Watkins that the minutes of the previous meeting on 13 December 2012 be accepted as a true and accurate record and this was passed unanimously.

13/04

Declarations of Interest – There were none.

13/05

13/05/1

13/05/2

13/05/3

13/05/4

Report of the Planning Co-Ordinator on Planning Applications Received

During December the Parish Council received five planning/TCA applications, including two which the Parish Council had objected to.

Cherwell District Council granted the following applications:

• 12/001516/F Layton, 35 The Bourne, single storey rear extension – granted 7 December

• 12/01514/F Sinclair, Brooke Barn, single storey side extension – granted 12 December

• 12/01420/F Bobrow, Scotland Mount, Round Close, renovation of existing house, demolition of modern extension, restoration and conversion of ruins of an agricultural building – granted 11 December

• 12/00333/TCA Evans, Netting Cottage, Netting St, Fell Acer – granted 18 December despite objections from Parish Council to the mature tree being felled

12/01676/F Transport 2000, 4 Heath Court – the Parish Clerk had received a copy of a letter from Mr A Walsham to Cherwell District Council complaining about this retrospective planning application. Mr Walsham raised a number of issues, including the size of the new widow, the fire escape route, lack of frosted glass and ventilation to top opening window. The Parish Clerk will write to Cherwell District Council asking them to clarify the matter.

12/01049/F Shires, 25 Ironstones. The Parish Clerk received a letter from Mr Shires on 10 January asking for permission to fell 1 x Ash and cut back 2 x Oak. The Parish Council owns these trees and it was agreed that permission would not be considered until after the professional survey of Parish Council owned trees has been carried out in April. The Parish Clerk will write to all residents in Ironstones advising them that the trees in Ironstones were planted as a landscape barrier when the ‘estate’ was first built and that they are a covenant of the original build. Permission to carry out work to any of these trees must be sought from the Parish Council. Permission to carry out work to any of these trees will not be granted before the tree survey has been carried out in April.

13/06

To Invite Members of the Public to Comment on Planning Applications

There were no comments from the member of the public attending.

13/07

Reports or Working Groups

13/07/01

Recreation

• Cllr Leader reported that a good deal of broken glass and rubbish had to be cleared from the play area over the Christmas period.

• Last month Oxford City Council gave a quotation of £2,999 for laying a new path from the gateway to the play area. Councillors thought that this was expensive. Cllr Shepley- Cuthbert reported that he was waiting for a quotation from Pete Hibbert. Cllr Casson had received a verbal quote from a contractor in Chipping Norton of £2,250. He will ask the contractor for a written quotation.

13/07/2

Cemetery and Allotments

• The Clerk reported that she had sent an eviction notice to Mr Dunning, High Street for non-payment of allotment rent.

13/07/3

Environment

• Cllr Millar reported that the Parish Clerk had received a letter from Mr Goldsmith of ‘Birch Lea’, The Shearings stating that his solicitor had confirmed that he did not own the wall running alongside his house which is in need of repair. Councillors agreed that this implies that the Parish Council owns the wall and therefore the Parish Council will have to pay for the repairs. Two quotations are needed.

• The Parish Council also needs to repair the wall along the path at the playgroup side of the playground. Again, two quotations are needed.

• R C Baker vehicles continue to use The Bourne, leaving a trail of mud. The Parish Clerk will write to the company again asking that their drivers use an alternative route.

13/07/4

Hook Norton War Memorial Hall

• Cllr Brotherston reported that nearly £400 of oil had been used in the Memorial Hall since 1 December and the tank is now empty. Users appear to be over-riding the thermostat whichhas resulted in the heating being left on almost continuously. This cannot continue. The matter will be raised at the User Group meeting to be held in the near future. If the situation continues, the thermostat will have to be secured to prevent misuse. The Parish Clerk will order another supply of oil immediately.

• The Parish Council has been made aware of some movement in the building and has instructed a structural engineer to provide a report that will enable the Parish Council to gain costings for the remedial work. A survey will take place on 11 January. Repairs are expected to cost tens of thousands of pounds.

13/07/5

Neighbourhood Plan Sub-Committee

• Cllr Hicks reported that a steering group meeting will be held on 14 January at 7.00pm at The Brewery.

13/08

Report on District Council Matters – District Cllr Irvine had not submitted a report.

13/09

Report on County Council Matters – County Cllr Jelf had not submitted a report.

13/10

13/10/1

13/10/2

Finance/Schedule of Receipts and Payments for Authorisation by the Council

The Clerk presented the schedules of receipts and payments and sought approval to pay the cheques itemised on the schedules totalling £2,460.59 for the Parish Council and £76.50 for the Memorial Hall. Cllr Hicks moved acceptance of the payments detailed, this was seconded by Cllr Watkins and approved unanimously.

Prior to the meeting the Parish Clerk had submitted a report on spend to date/over budget. It was noted that spend was on track, with no serious under or over spends.

13/11

13/11/1

13/11/2

Heath Allotment Trust

Cllr Shepley- Cuthbert had received a reply from his broker regarding liability insurance for the Trust. The broker could not produce a materially better policy for the Trust than the tailored package supplied by Zurich Municipal. The broker could not obtain a quotation from anyone to combine the two legal entities into one policy (i.e. the Trust and the Parish Council). The quotation given for a stand-alone policy is £195 for £1M cover, £248.50 for £2M cover and £275.50 for 5M cover. Cllr Cooke proposed that the Parish Council should pay the cost of any insurance if it is needed. This was seconded by Cllr Brotherston and unanimously agreed. Cllr Shepley- Cuthbert will contact the Trust to ascertain what insurance cover the two farmers have who rent the land.

The Parish Clerk reminded Councillors that the Trustees need to be elected/re-elected at the March meeting.

13/12

Affordable Housing

Cllr Cooke reported that work on this project continues.

13/13

The Bell Inn

Cllr Cooke reported despite planning application 12/01496/F having been withdrawn by Mr & Mrs Shapland, work continues on the inside of the pub. He is in contact with Cherwell District Council’s Planning Department about this on a daily basis. Cherwell District Council is taking the matter of planning breaches seriously and officers will meet the Shapland’s agent on 11 January to discuss these matters. The agent refused the Parish Council’s invitation to address either the January or February Parish Council meetings.

13/14

Appeal on the Proposed Bourne Lane Development

The Appeal started on 18 December 2012 at Bodicote House. The Inspectorate’s decision will not be made know until mid-February at the earliest. The Parish Council wishes to thank Rob Gardner and Julia Edwards for representing the Parish Council at the Appeal and for the enormous amount of work they put in to producing the Parish Council’s presentation. Councillors also wish to thank Sir Tony Baldry for attending the Appeal and for his continued work on the matter since.

13/15

Correspondence – The Parish Clerk passed emailed correspondence to Councillors during the month.

13/16

To Invite Questions and Comments from Members of the Public

A member of the public asked for clarification of the role of the Heath Allotment Trust. Cllr Shepley- Cuthbert explained that 40 acres of land had been put into charitable trust around 1900. The land is rented out by the Trust and the income given to good causes in the village (e.g. supporting primary school children from low income families going on school trips). The trust, despite its name, has nothing to do with the allotments in the parish.

13/17

Date and Time of Next Meeting

Due to a number of Councillors being busy on 14 February, the next Parish Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, 13 February 2013 in the Memorial Hall at 7.30pm.