MINUTES OF A MEETING OF PUBLOW WITH PENSFORD PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 13TH MARCH 2017 AT MEMORIAL HALL PUBLOW LANE PENSFORD

Present: Chairman: Mrs J Stephenson Vice-Chairman: Mr T Heaford
Mr P Baxter, Mrs S Grimes, Mr J Kelly, Mr S Filer, Cllr P May, Mrs J Gully, Mrs T Jones, Mrs D Custance. Clerk: Mrs J Bragg. Rosemary Naish Clutton Parish Council.
There were three other members of the public present.
Mr Barton, Head teacher Pensford Primary School, Nigel Chambers Governor and Liz Hine were also present.

1. Members of the Public: Mr Chambers spoke as Governor of the School and reported that the following the appointment of the new Headmaster and new staff the school is working hard to get out of “Improvement” Ofsted Inspection before October. Pupil numbers could be higher. The school suffers with three issues 1) Parking 2) Pupil Numbers 3) Perception of Traffic. There have been two recent accidents outside of the school and recently a car went into the school wall. Safety of the children needs to be enhanced.

Welcome Mr Barton Head teacher: Head teacher reported poor OFSTED reports in the past. A high level of education and a high set of results is required from the children for the school to continue to receive its funding year on year. There is currently room for another 30 pupils. Families need to be encouraged to use the school. The school would like the Railings extended to improve the safety at the school. The 20mph limit at school time is reasonably effective. Cllr May will add this to the requests for BANES.

Pensford Hill & Traffic on the A37: Liz Hine attended the meeting to ask for an update on the position of improvements to the A37. The bollard outside of her property is knocked down at least once a fortnight. Cllr May gave an update following a recent meeting with Kelvin Packer. Kelvin will attend the next Parish Council meeting to address concerns. The vegetation on the hill needs to be cut back as it would widen the road slightly.

2. Apologies for Absence: There were no apologies.

3. To receive notification of any Members’ personal or prejudicial interest in any item on the Agenda: Mr Baxter declared an interest in item 9) Planning – Tree Works application.

4. To confirm Minutes of the previous Meeting held on Monday 13th February 2017 as a true and fair record: The minutes were altered to read 4k, 9 houses and were then signed as a true record.

5. To receive an update on District Matters from Cllr P May:
Pensford Play Area: The Application and the money (4K) has been processed.
Ward Councillor Initiative Money: This will be committed to Pensford.
Whitchurch JSP Feedback: Issues around the Park & Ride and the proposal of the 3,500 houses. JSP Planners are behind schedule.
Short Lane: BANES have asked for figures of an estimated number of users per week who cross from Short Lane to the Bus Stop. Tracy Jones offered to take this forward and carry out a survey. A notice will be placed on Pensford News to encourage responses.

6. To receive any updates on current matters:

a) Neighbourhood Plan – Referendum Date: The Referendum will be held on 4th May 2017. Articles will be placed in the Parish Magazine in April & May. Posters will be placed in the Café, Post Office and Pubs to raise awareness of the Referendum.
Cllr P Baxter informed the Parish Council that he will be voting against the Neighbourhood Plan and will be holding meetings in the Parish to offer the “pro side of this Neighbourhood Plan”.

b) Tennis Club: The Courts will be re-surfaced Wednesday 15th March 2017 by First Serve Tennis Courts Ltd. 15% of the cost had to be paid prior to the start of the works. A total of £2002.50 (net of VAT). A Grant of £2,500 has been confirmed by the LTA and a loan of £2,500 will cover the works. The courts will be closed for one month after the tarmac has been put down. Thanks were extended to the Community for their support with the fundraising.

c) Playground Hall Committee Meeting: A Hall Committee meeting had been held to decide what pieces of equipment to purchase. Quotes had been received for new equipment. The committee would like to increase the age range to 10/11 years. Discussions have included installing a zip wire, trampoline and obstacle course. The possibility of extending the play area along the back of Tennis Courts could be considered however vandalism remains a concern and there is a need for CCTV. Concerns were raised by Parish Council regarding raising the age of the children using the Play Area.

d) Fingerposts: The Forge will be painting the fingers for the post by the A37. A further fingerpost has been located at Hursley Hill Lane where it meets Woollard Lane.

e) Acker Bilk Bench: The bench had been installed by the Lock Up. It was then requested that it was removed until such time as a celebration of it had been arranged. Discussion was undertaken regarding the ownership and repairs of the Wall by the Lock Up and should the bench be installed here at all. Suggestions were made that should the bench be put on the Village Green? The old metal bench has now been put in the churchyard at St Thomas a Becket. It was agreed to wait until June for the installation of the bench.
Insurance for the Acker Bilk Bench will have to be provided. An invoice from G Tyler is needed before full payment can be made.

f) Pensford 10k 30th April 2017: This will be the 30th Anniversary of the Pensford 10K. It will be held on the 30th April 2017 at an earlier time of 11 am. There is a change of route for the 1K fun run. Entries are coming in. Marshalls are needed.

7. Matters for Discussion/Decision:

a) Play Area: It was reported that there is a source through BANES council to obtain new play equipment at a reduced rate. Cllr May had processed the 4K Ward Councillor Initiative money and it was asked if the Parish Council can match fund this. At present the Parish Council are not in a financial position to match fund this amount. A meeting will be held with the Chairman of the Hall Committee and the Parish Council Chairman to discuss the Play Area and any other costs which the Hall is likely to need, including Maintenance, safety issues and ongoing commitments. Mrs Gully stated that she would like the Play Area to remain for the younger children. Mrs Jones is concerned that a lot of money is being concentrated on the younger children and can we do something for the elderly.

b) Mr Breach Letter: Clerk had circulated to all Parish Council members a letter received from Mr Breach. It was agreed to respond to the letter re-iterating the Parish Councils comments made in relation to the Planning Application at Wick Lane.

c) Renewal of Payroll Services: Payroll services have issued a new schedule of rates for the next five years to April 2022. Proposal is to charge the Parish Council £73 per year an increase from £58 per year to carry out all of the Payroll Services for the Clerk. Parish Council supported the increase with a proposal from Tracy Jones seconded by Chairman.

d) Date for Litter Pick: It was agreed to hold the next Litter Pick on Sunday 23rd April 2017 at 9am, bags collected at Priestdown & Peats Hill will be put by the gate of Woodleigh, Peats Hill.
Thanks were extended to those who Litter Pick the village on a regular basis Ken in Church Street, Mr & Mrs Hunt – Hillcrest, Jenny Gully – centre of the village and Kerry Morgan who regularly litter picks Woollard Lane.

8. Reports:

a) Parish Liaison Meeting: Chairman reported a long meeting. Budgets were discussed and thanks extended to Cllr May for his hard work.
Parish Elections and the costs involved around £3,500
Libraries: A lot of discussion over the moving and demonstrations around Bath Library.

b) Keynsham Forum Meeting (Affordable Housing): A presentation was given on Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan. A discussion on Affordable Housing took place. There will also be a discussion on Affordable Housing at the next Chew Valley Forum Meeting.

C) Civic Reception: An enjoyable evening.

d) Clerks Progress Report Church Street:

BANES have again been asked about highlighting the white lines in Church Street.

Log Cabin, Woollard: BANES were asked last month for an update on the Log Cabin in Woollard Lane. The last update the Parish Council received was in May 2016 where it was reported that a meeting with the Legal Team was taking place to discuss the legal position in terms of prosecution or an injunction regarding the non-compliance with an enforcement notice. They have been asked again for an update.

Brown Direction Signs & 20mph Sign on corner of High Street adjacent to the A37: Clerk has contacted Stefan Chiffers and asked him to organise the re-location of the brown signs and asked if the 20mph sign can be moved further into the High Street and not on the corner in its present location. This is the reply from BANES in respect of the 20mph signs. The new 20mph speed limit signs at the junction of the A37/ High St provide demarcation for the start of the new speed limit. Whilst the placement of the sign on the left hand side was straight forward, the right hand side was less so, with a narrow footway and houses directly backing onto it. Provision of the sign in the footway would mean it is more or less in the middle, which would obstruct pedestrians/ wheelchair users and pushchairs and too near the front edge it could be knocked by passing traffic. A sign at any point at this location would need to be at the rear of the footway up against adjacent properties, which I am sure no resident living in this row of houses would be happy with. The decision was therefore taken to place the sign where it is at present.
The Brown Signs still remain in situ.

Pensford Viaduct: The Historical Railway Estate Team were contacted when masonry believed to have fallen from the viaduct was found on Stanton Lane. They have replied to say that they had an examiner attend the site and are also in discussions with the roped access team that recently undertook the examination just to verify whether this has fallen or was removed as part of the examination and deposited in this location. However they think the latter would be unlikely. The parapets appear stable at this time so there are no short-term safety concerns, however, they are programming a repair scheme as a priority for the structure and will keep us informed of any progress.

Crime Updates: There have been many break ins recently in the Chew Valley. There have been two recent shed break ins in Pensford one being during the night of Thursday 9th March when unknown person(s) have forced entry to a shed on High Street, Pensford, and have stolen a pushbike.
Police are asking if you have any information regarding these incidents, please contact them on 101. Alternatively you can call Crime stoppers anonymously on 0800 555111

Litter Picking: Although it is on the agenda for setting a date. Clerk has received an e.mail from a resident in Woollard Lane who is asking if the Parish Council have any Litter Picking Equipment which we could donate to her or on a loan basis. She has litter picked the area for many years … at present the clerk has bags and high viz vests and is in the process of trying to purchase some suitable litter picking equipment. Clerk has also e.mailed Sara Dixon at BANES and asked if BANES do have any equipment they can offer us.

Community Award – Rotary Club: Chelwood Bridge Rotary Club are asking for nominations for the 2017 Community Award. Persons nominated for this award must, in the Parish Councils opinion, have made a significant voluntary contribution to your community during 2016. There are no age restrictions. Examples may include voluntary youth work, caring for the aged or creating and delivering community initiatives. Closing date is 15th April 2017

Flooding Coombe House: Since the resurfacing of the A37 Coombe House has been suffering a slight flooding issue with excess water running off of the A37 and past their front door. This did not happen before the resurfacing took place. A video showing the water run off and an e.mail was sent to BANES asking that they look at this as a matter of urgency. They have reported that it is a drain issue and once the drains have been cleared out hopefully this will mitigate the concerns If there continues to be an issue beyond what clear drains can resolve BANES have suggested we speak to their drainage team to see if there is anything than can be done and then they can assess this against other priorities they may currently have. The owners of Coombe house have been informed and will monitor the rain run off….

Chew Valley Forum Meeting: Clerk attended the Chew Valley Forum Meeting on 27th February 2017.

Local Government Boundary Commission Review: A Presentation was given on Boundary Reviews: There will be no change to Parish Boundaries, the aim is to determine how many councillors BANES should have. The second is to have the same number of electors in each ward. The Council will decide in May 2017 the number of Councillors needed.

Community Empowerment Fund: Clerks will be receiving details of funding, 50p per head for every member of the parish to be matched by Parish Council to raise money for a specific project in the parish. Money will be available for one year.

Chew Valley School: The head teacher spoke about the possibility of using the School Library as a Community Library away from school hours maybe two hours a week and two hours at the weekend.
Children’s Centre will be used as an Adult Education Centre by the Wellbeing College and other community groups.
Flooding was discussed briefly……Small scale work will be undertaken to try and slow the flow of water….The Chew Magna Flood Team have been nominated for a Community Resilience Award.

Presentations were given on:

Review of BANES Ward Boundaries – Andy Thomas
Sustainability – Jane Wildblood and Micaela Basford from the Council’s Sustainability Team Chelwood Community Energy – Don Weston

Written Updates will be included in the minutes on:
Changes to Waste Services & the Joint Spatial Plan
The next Chew Valley Forum meeting is Monday 3rd July 6pm. It was agreed that the theme of this meeting will be Housing – meeting housing need in the local community, to include CIL and S106.
The meeting after this will be on Wednesday 27th September and the theme will be Health, with an opportunity to hear from Virgin Care.

Old Road: In addition to the Clerks Progress Report Cllr May reported that BANES have confirmed they will be providing the Vehicle Activated Signs to Old Road as part of the A37 Works.

9. Planning:

Applications to Consult:

17/00974/ADCOU J & R Padfield Southleigh Farm Birchwood Lane Publow. Prior Approval request for change of use from Agricultural Building to Dwelling (C3) and for associated operation development. Parish Council Support

17/00991/FUL Mr J Packer Valley View Blackrock Lane Publow. Erection of a two storey front extension. Parish Council Support.

17/00949/TCA Tree Works Notification. The Former St Thomas a Beckets Church Street Pensford. Fell 1 x Elm E1 Parish Council Support this application. Parish Council were informed that if the Root Ball of the Elm rots out then this may destabilise the wall. Question raised was who actually owns this wall?

Planning Outcomes:

17/00354/OUT Mr & Mrs C Smart Land between Lansdown View & Leigh Farm Access Old Road Pensford. Proposed Dwelling. Withdrawn.

16/03245/FUL Mr C Hill Knights Folly Farm Woollard Lane Publow. Provision of a new site access and agricultural engineering works. Withdrawn.

16/06194/FUL Clare Crossman The Wickets Blackrock Lane Publow. Provision of three front dormers. PERMIT

10. Financial Matters:

Payments to be authorised over £100.00

Mrs J Bragg Clerk Salary as per NJC Scale Point 26 744.37
HMRC Clerk NI & Tax 330.39
Titan Internet 2nd Cheque raised for renewal of services 240.00
First Serve Tennis Ltd 15% of cost of Resurfacing Tennis Courts 2403.00

Payments to be authorised:

Mrs J Bragg Clerk Imprest 28.00
CPRE Membership Renewal 36.00
ALCA Annual Subscription 211.87
Titan Internet 2nd Cheque issued Services Renewal 240.00
First Serve Tennis Court Resurfacing 2403.00

Receipts to note:

Pensford Tennis Club Donation to Resurfacing of Courts first 15% 2002.50

11. Items of Report to carry forward to the next Meeting:

Community Empowerment Fund: Discuss what the fund can be used for.

Allotments: Tidy up necessary. Rubbish bags have been dumped on site, brambles need clearing back.

HELAA Sites: Form a small working group. (Housing & Economic Land Availability)

Mrs Gully gave her apologies for the April Meeting.

12. To Note Future Meetings:

DATE OF NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING: MONDAY 10th April 2017 AT 7.15 pm