July 2012

12/90

Apologies for Absence

Cllrs Hayward, Millar, Brotherston, Leader, Casson and County Cllr Jelf

12/91

Chairman’s Announcements

Cllr Shepley- Cuthbert reported that a bench commemorating Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee had been ordered.

12/92

12/92/1

Minutes of Previous Meeting held on 14 June 2012 and Matters Arising

It was proposed by Cllr Hicks and seconded by Cllr Kane that the minutes of the previous meeting on 14 June 2012 be accepted as a true and accurate record and this was passed unanimously.

12/93

12/93/1

Declarations of Interest

Cllr Usher declared an interest in planning applications at 13 Beanacre and 2 Round Close. Cllr Shepley- Cuthbert declared an interest in a planning application at Badger Farm, Cow Lane, Swerford.

12/94

Code of Conduct – Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI)

This Regulation was published by Cherwell District Council on 8 June 2012. Members are required to complete a Declaration of Members’ Interests (DPI) form. This covers the disposable pecuniary interests of a Councillor and their spouse/civil partner/co-habitee. Deadline for returning to Cherwell DC is 31 July 2012. Failure to disclose is a criminal offence. Forms to be returned in the first instance to the Parish Clerk. A DPI Register will be published on the Cherwell District Council website and must be published on the Parish Council website.

12/95

Report of the Planning Co-Ordinator on Planning Applications Received

Three planning applications and a TCA had been received during the month; Cllrs had no objections to any of these. Cherwell District Council granted a 5-Day Notice on 6 July to fell a T1 unspecified tree on grounds of safety at 2 The Green. Cherwell District Council had granted four planning applications and refused one at Spring Barn, Berryfield Farm. Oxfordshire County Council had granted one planning application at Hook Norton Primary School.

12/96

To Invite Members of the Public to Comment on Planning Applications

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

12/97

12/97/1

Reports of Working Groups

Recreation In the absence of Cllrs on the Working Group there was nothing to report.

• Path at the side gate entrance into the play area: the Clerk was asked to contact Cllrs Casson and Leader to ask for a progress report.

12/97/2

Cemeteries and Allotments

• Cllr Usher reported that he had received a cheque for £25 from Mr Coppage for dealing with the wild garlic around his family’s grave (cheque tabled).

• He and Cllr Hicks had received telephone calls complaining that the grass in the cemetery was not being cut as often as usual. Cllrs sympathised with the Contractor having to deal with the continuous rain this season.

• The church was concerned about an area in the churchyard maintained by the PC becoming overgrown. Unanimously agreed that Cllr Usher should contact Tim Burchell to arrange for the area to be sympathetically tidied up.

• Some allotments are not being fully utilised and are becoming overgrown. Tenants will be contacted by the Allotments Association . The Clerk reminded Cllrs that invoices for 2012/2013 will go out to tenants at the end of September. Unanimously agreed that allotment rents, effective 1 April 2013, will be reviewed at the PC meeting on 13 September.

12/97/3

Environment

• Cllr Cooke said that week after week of rain this season had prevented Cllrs making a proper inspection of walls in the village. The matter was high on their priority list and would be dealt with as soon as possible.

• Cllr Kane reported that a replacement metal bin had been purchased for the plastic one recently vandalised by arson. Mr Doug Marshall had asked whether or not Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) were concerned about a metal bin being attached to a metal lamppost. Cllrs agreed that Cllr Kane should contact OCC to discuss any risks associated with this.

12/97/4

Hook Norton Memorial Hall Cllr Kane read Cllr Brotherston’s written report:

• The emergency exit sign has been repaired. It is a fully maintained unit and will provide light when the other hall lights have been turned off. It can be overridden if users need the hall in darkness.

• Two toilet seats have been replaced.

• The faulty switch for the overhead heaters has been replaced in the kitchen meter cupboard.

• The main meter cupboard door now has hinges so that it does not fall out when opened.

• The wall heaters have been replaced with new higher efficiency units.

• The oil tank has been emptied, cleaned and refilled. The boiler itself has had a number of major parts replaced that had been damaged by the flow of contaminated oil.

• Replacement screens have been ordered.

• An order to replace two panes of glass has been made.

• New coat hooks have been ordered.

• A verbal offer of £2,000 from Hooky Players has been made towards the refurbishment.

12/98

Report on District Council Matters

In the absence of District Cllr Irvine there was nothing to report.

12/99

Report on County Council Matters

The Clerk reported that County Cllr Jelf had telephoned her to say that there was nothing to report to the meeting.

12/100

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 £6,600.39 for the Parish Council and £468.02 for the Memorial Hall. Cllr Shepley- Cuthbert moved acceptance of the payments detailed, this was seconded by Cllr Hicks and approved unanimously.

12/101

Proposed Bourne Lane Development

This application was due to be considered by CDC’s Planning Committee on 21^st June, with CDC Planning Officers recommending it be approved. Approximately 100 people from the village attended Bodicote House unaware that the application had been deferred at the last minute thanks to a letter from Sir Tony Baldry querying CDC’s position on the five year land supply, to lobbying by District Cllr Irvine and the appeal decision received that week on a greenfield site in Adderbury. The Parish Council thanks those members of the public who attended Bodicote House, those people who have put so much time and effort into helping Cllrs produce a concise argument against the application and those who successfully publicised the proposed planning meeting around the village

Cllrs Kane and Cooke have carried out further work since then, with two motivated residents pointing out the numerous “deficiencies” in CDC’s recommendations. The PC also has the benefit of the expertise of a retired planning barrister, for which it is also grateful.

Areas under discussion:

• The five year land supply – figures are still being investigated by CDC. The PC has queried these figures, pointing out that Hook Norton has had 22 new houses in the last 10 years and that there is already permission to build at least 12 more, including nine on the Stanton Engineering site.

• Highways – there is no mention in CDC’s report that OCC Highways had recommended refusal. The PC has pointed this out to OCC highways as well as asking OCC to consider the effect the development will have on the primary school.

• Correspondence between CDC and Barton Wilmore seems to be missing on the CDC website. Cllr Cooke has submitted a FOI request asking CDC to supply copies of all correspondence between CDC and Barton Wilmore for the last six months.

• The PC believes that CDC are not putting enough weight behind the importance of new planning policies and that they are under-estimating, or even ignoring the negatives. CDC’s approach centres on the five year land supply but Cllrs believe that even without a five year land supply there are good grounds for turning the application down and for winning any appeal.

• The meeting with ORCC and CDC regarding Affordable Housing was cancelled by ORCC due to illness and ORCC has since suggested that the PC leave the meeting until more is know about the Bourne Lane development. The PC, however, believes it is the interests of the village to pursue this matter separately, as the village has clearly recognised the need for affordable housing but does not want the Bourne Lane development. ORCC has finally agreed to meet Cllrs on the 25 July to discuss further. Cllrs Hicks and Usher will represent the PC. HNLC has asked to attend if possible, as it has its own aims in this direction.

12/102

Stanton Engineering Site

Cllr Cooke reported that A C Lloyd Ltd has revised its plans for the site. Three houses have been taken out including two plots (5 & 31) which residents and the PC had specifically objected to. They have made minor changes to the layout and reduced the height of some properties by about  1 metre. Planners have indicated that some trees running alongside Austin’s Way, which residents had asked to be felled, must remain. The Consultants believe that the revised plans will be considered by CDC Planning Committee on 16 August.

Cllr Kane proposed that Cllr Cooke write to CDC stating that the PC would not object to the revised plans since they met most of the needs of those residents who had attended the public meetings. This motion was seconded by Cllr Hicks and unanimously approve.

12/103

Correspondence

• Thames Valley Police – Banbury Neighbourhood Monthly Update July

• Heath Trust Land – Pauline Walters had emailed the Clerk to ask if the PC would consider insuring the Trust’s land against public liability claims. Cllrs unanimously agreed that as the PC had no insurable interest in the land it could not agree to this request. Cllr Kane suggested that the Trust take legal advice with a view to making alterations to its Trust documentation which would limit Trustees’ liability to 1p. This had been done by another trust in the village.

12/104

To Invite Questions and Comments from Members of the Public

A member of the public said that his garden backed on to the graveyard and he was concerned that the current allocation of plots might soon move on to unconsecrated ground. Cllr Usher will contact Reverend Ackerman immediately to ascertain which areas of land are consecrated and which areas, if any, are not.

The hand-drier in the gentlemen’s’ lavatory in the Memorial Hall is not working properly. Cllr Brotherston to address this issue.

1/105

Date and Time of Next Meeting

There being no Parish Council Meeting in August, the next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday, 13 September 2012 in the Memorial Hall at 7.30pm.