AVENING PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF MEETING OF AVENING PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON

THURSDAY 21^st June, 2012 AT 7.30 PM

The following Councillors were in attendance: Cllr Williamson (Chair), Cllr Catterall, Cllr G Parsons, Cllr J Parsons, Cllr T Beardsell.

Also in attendance: Julie Wickham, temporary Clerk to the Parish Council. Deborah Cook permanent Clerk to Parish Council.

The meeting opened at 7.30pm

32/12	PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
	There were no members of the public present.
33/12	TO RECEIVE A REPORT ABOUT CRIME AND ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
	Councillors received and noted a report from PCSO Paul Hancock and the other police officers about crime and antisocial behaviour in Avening. The recent bus shelter vandalism was discussed.
34/12	APOLOGIES AND REASONS FOR ABSENCE
	Apologies and reasons for absence were accepted from Councillors Mitchell, Slater, Conway, Reid and Beardsell. Apologies were received from PCSO Hancock.
35/12	TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
	Cllr J Parsons declared a personal interest in item 14 as one of the potential grant recipients is known to him personally. Cllr J Parsons also declared a prejudicial interest in item 12d) which related to the spending of grant monies for the Jubilee.
36/12	TO APPROVE AND SIGN THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL 17^TH May 2012
	Council RESOLVED to accept and sign the minutes from the Annual Council Meeting 17^th May, 2012.
37/12	MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
	Councillors gave a vote of thanks to Cllr Beardsell and Mrs Beardsell for their work in carrying out the Village Clean Up.
38/12	ACTION POINTS FOR REVIEW
	This month, most of the action points related to the Clerk and were covered in the Clerk’s report.
39/12	TO RECEIVE PROGRESS REPORTS FOR INFORMATION a) The Clerk gave a verbal report this month. As well as the routine work and the work for the agenda the Clerk had received and liaised with the groups and organisations around the village who had applied for grants. Action Points 25/12 Locate a Parish Map. This will be delivered next month. 28/12 The scope of the bus shelter maintenance contract is on the agenda 28/12 Community projects re: Avening Sign d) The Clerk had received one quote from Mr Newton. The item is on the agenda 28/12 f) Allotments – The Clerk had been charged with confirming allotment provision in Avening. Some people have garden space at the Cross Inn. This is like an allotment but they are not officially allotments. There isn’t much space left but if someone would like one, they should contact the Cross Inn. b) Cllr J Parsons informed the meeting of a new procedure at CDC which would inform Ward Members earlier in the planning process. Councillors welcomed this.
40/12	TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM THE VILLAGE HALL COMMITTEE WHO WERE IN RECEIPT OF A GRANT FOR 2011/12
	a) Simon Wheatley – Village Hall Committee Simon Wheatley had spoken with Cllr J Parsons in lieu of a report. The flat roof (above the Chamberlain room) had been repaired and paid for. The amount the Village Hall Committee receives from the school will increase in 2013/2014. The Village Hall Committee is planning to decorate the hall and the Chamberlain room. They are planning to repair the heating and install an audio loop. b) To hear the response about the Reading room from the Village Hall Committee and agree next steps. The Reading Room cannot be used by the public until a fire alarm is linked in with the school fire alarm and this will cost approximately. £400. In addition, the room is used for storage for the Youth Club. Council RESOLVED to put this item on the next agenda with regards to additional storage for the Council and the Youth Club and the reinstatement of the Reading Room as a meeting space. c) To consider and resolve upon Parish Council storage needs for the future. There is a great deal of paperwork that needs to be kept and safely filed and at present there is limited room. ACTION Cllr Beardsell and Mrs D Cook to liaise with regards to a filing cabinet.
41/12	TO RECEIVE ADVICE, DISCUSS AND RESOLVE UPON MATTERS RELATING TO FUTURE PRECEPT CHARGES
	a) Cllrs received and noted the paper which was attached to the agenda. Council RESOLVED to defer a decision with regards to the precept until the usual time for this to occur.
42/12	TO CONSIDER AND RESOLVE UPON MATTERS SET OUT IN THE (PERMANENT) CLERK’S REPORT ON TRAINING AND CONTRACT MATTERS (CLOSED SESSION)
	a) Paper sent by (permanent) Clerk. It was RESOLVED to vary the agenda and deal with this matter at the end of the meeting.
43/12	COMMUNITY PROJECTS
	Traffic and Highways a) To discuss the action to be taken in contacting the Wales and West Utilities about the gas smell on the B4014. The Clerk had reported the gas smell on the B4014 using the website for the Wales and West Utilities. They had arranged for an engineer visit the site within an hour. The engineer is obliged to report back to the person who reported the gas smell. b) To consider three quotes for repair of the May’s Lane Bus Shelter and to choose a preferred contractor; to decide whether or not to proceed with an insurance claim; to note work to date to make it safe. Council RESOLVED not to pursue an insurance claim for this item; Council RESOLVED to accept the quote from Mr P Savage; to use Perspex for the bus shelter in the future. ACTION Clerk to send the address of the third quote to Councillors. Following requests from Councillors the Clerk had used her delegated powers and asked Mr Savage to give attention to the bus shelter at Mays Lane, to make it safe and clean following vandalism and heavy rain. He will add the cost to the invoice for his existing work on the Hampton Hill bus shelter. c) To consider the specification for maintenance of Avening’s bus shelters and to resolve to obtain quotes for the work to be carried out annually. Council RESOLVED to amend the specification for the bus shelters to be looked at every 6 months and preserved with wood preserver once a year and to obtain quotes accordingly. The bus shelter near the school was discussed briefly but no resolution about it was made at this time. It was requested that Old Hill should be included in the grass cutting contract as it is never cut by the County Council and is very overgrown. ACTION Clerk to ask the contractor how much this would cost and bring it back to Council. Community Projects a) To hear a report of ‘The Village Clean Up’ . This happened on Saturday 9^th June, 2012. Cllr Beardsell and Mrs Beardsell were the only ones present for the village clean up. b) To discuss and agree next steps for implementing the Dog Control Order at the Recreation Ground Following discussions with Hilary Beach, Environmental Quality Manager from the Environmental Services Directorate at Cotswold District Council the Clerk had researched the procedure and a dog control order was possible but the Clerk had also discovered the following:- The whole of the Cotswolds is governed by a Dog Control Order which obliges residents to pick up after their dogs. If Avening Parish Council were to put a Dog Control Order in place they would need to specify the scope of it (ie dogs on leads). Council would need to issue their own fixed penalty notices; if fixed penalty notices weren’t paid Council would need to decide how to proceed and whether or not to take people to court to pursue the funds. The system would still rely on inspection from CDC unless Avening Parish Council were to provide their own inspectors and the cost for this would be prohibitive. CDC said that in the future they may be able to work with the school and the children with regards this issue to raise awareness; Council could consider a leaflet drop in the areas around the recreation ground emphasising the existing dog control order; CDC would continue to liaise with members of the public if they wished to report dog fouling at the recreation ground; CDC inspected the play area on a regular basis, inspections had taken place recently and would continue; Council could consider putting up metal signs to emphasise the existing dog control order and it may be possible to work with CDC on this. For a small Council it seemed more prudent use of resources to work within the existing powers. Council RESOLVED that the notices that had already been made should be put up. Council RESOLVED to work with the existing dog control order and bring the item to the next agenda. c) To report on the Annual Parish Meeting The Annual Parish Meeting had gone well. There were 12 stalls in place and 40 people attended. d) To report on the Jubilee celebrations and to note the spend of the grant monies. The Jubilee celebrations had gone very well and was well attended and a good time was had by all. In addition to the receipts already noted the Clerk was expecting further invoices which would come to the next meeting for payment. e) To note the progress with the work in order to repair the Avening Sign by the school. The Clerk was in receipt of one quote from Roger Newton. Standing orders require Council to strive for three quotes. ACTION: Clerk to seek a further two quotes, one from George Buchanan and one from another contractor. f) To consider action regarding the collapsed wall by the stream of the Memorial Hall and agree next steps if appropriate. Council felt unable to help in this instance and were concerned about the precedent that would be set in assisting an individual. g) To note the Volunteer of the Year proposed at the last meeting; to agree whether or not to raise the charity grant payable to £50 for this year and subsequent years for Volunteer of the Year. Derrick Ind had been voted volunteer of the year for his work as Chair of Governors at the school and his work with the cricket club and with the social club. Council RESOLVED to raise the donation to a charity of his choice to £50 for now and for future years. Passed 4 in favour with one abstention.
44/12	FINANCE
	a) Balance at Bank (Attached) The current balance at bank was £21,852.08 with £17,357.74 now in the deposit account. b) To approve bills for payment It was RESOLVED to instruct the signatories to sign the following cheques:- · Clerks’ Salary less income tax/NI plus expenses £1329.66 · HMRC quarterly payment £84.98 · Avendale Garden Services £630 · Graham Merricks Internal Audit £125 · Avening Memorial Hall monthly meetings 2011 £120 · Avening Memorial Hall monthly meetings 2012 £120 · Avening Memorial Hall Hire for Youth Club (Grant) 2011 £658.70 · Avening Memorial Hall Hire for Youth Club (Grant) 2012 £658.70 · Cheques written since the last meeting · Came and Co Insurance £371.40 · Eagle Plant amended total £148.20. Previous cheque cancelled as fewer toilets were used. c) To receive an amended Budget paper showing 10,000 reserves for 2012/13 (attached) The budget paper was received and noted. d) To note that the home working allowance has increased for this financial year from £3 per week to £4 per week or £18 p.c.m. Councillors noted this increase.
45/12	ANNUAL GRANTS
	To consider awarding and confirm amounts of annual grants for the year 2012/13 to the following: Avening PCC (grass cutting at the churchyard). The Council usually give a grant towards grass cutting in the Churchyard but this year had been asked to contribute to essential repair to a wall. It was RESOLVED to request further information on this request and bring it back to the July meeting. It was RESOLVED to request further information about the total cost of the Queen Matildas celebrations, and providing that this was satisfactory award the grant subject to an annual report of how the grant was spent being submitted to the Annual Parish Meeting in 2013. Council RESOLVED to award a grant of £300 to Avening Parish Church Council towards printing costs for the Avening Villager magazine subject to an annual report of how the funds had been spent being submitted to the Annual Parish Meeting in 2013. Council RESOLVED to award a grant of £1600 to the Avening Playing Fields Association towards the cost of insurance, tree maintenance, play equipment and its maintenance and a ROSPA safety inspection subject to an annual report of how the funds had been spent being given to the Annual Parish Meeting in 2013. Council RESOLVED to award a grant of £1500 to Avening Memorial Hall for help with day to day running costs subject to an annual report of how the funds had been spent being submitted to the Annual Parish Meeting in 2013. Council RESOLVED to award a grant of £500 to Avening playgroup towards insurance costs subject to an annual report of how the funds had been spent being submitted to the Annual Parish meeting in 2013. Council RESOLVED to award a grant of £658.70 to cover hall hire for the youth club for 2012 subject to a completed application form being filled in and an annual report of how the funds had been spent being submitted to the Annual Parish Meeting in 2013. Council RESOLVED to award a grant of £400 to CCVS (dial a ride) for a community grant for transport for the elderly and disabled subject to an annual report of how the funds had been spent being submitted to the Annual Parish Meeting in 2013. To consider awarding and confirm amounts of community grants to the following: Council RESOLVED to award a grant of £250 to Avening Silver Band towards the cost of instrument repairs, full sets of music and room bookings subject to a report of how the funds had been spent being submitted to the Annual Parish Meeting in 2013 and a balance sheet being received. Council RESOLVED to award a grant of £651.60 to the Friends of Avening School on the proviso that the trestle tables are used and stored at the Avening Memorial Hall. Council had received a late request from the PCC for contribution towards a jubilee flag pole to the sum of £300. The application had not been received in time for it to be included on the agenda and could not therefore be decided by Council. The application would be returned to the applicants requesting the grant form be filled in and returned in time for July’s agenda. A summary of the grants and the spending powers is attached to the minutes.
46/12	PROCEDURE/UPDATES
	a) To note progress on the expected repeal of s150(5) of the local Government Act 1972 This was awaited and would enable Council to use internet banking. b) To note progress/advice on the new Code of Conduct to be adopted shortly and to adopt a code of conduct. Council awaited a model code of conduct from the lead authority (CDC) in addition to one received from NALC and would make a decision on this item in July at the earliest opportunity when Council had received full advice.
47/12	OFFICE MATTERS
	a) To approve costs of purchase in the sum of £30 for the new inserts for the Clerks Manual Council RESOLVED that the permanent Clerk could purchase new inserts for the Clerks Manual at a cost of £30.
48/12	PLANNING
	Decisions Received Application: 12/01568/FUL Ward: Avening Date decided: 01 June 2012 Decision: Application Permit Location: 41 Nags Head Lane, Avening, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8NZ Proposal: Erection of single storey side extension Application: 12/01748/FUL Ward: Avening Date decided: 07 June 2012 Decision: Application Permit Location: Rushaven, High Street, Avening, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8LU Proposal: Raising the roof ridge level, rear dormers and single storey rear extension. Council noted these decisions.
49/12	TO AGREE/NOTE A RESPONSE TO THE CORRESPONDENCE LISTED WITH THE AGENDA PLUS ANY OTHER URGENT CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE AGENDA Council noted the correspondence which was listed separately.
50/12	TO CONSIDER AND RESOLVE UPON MATTERS SET OUT IN THE (PERMANENT) CLERK’S REPORT ON TRAINING AND CONTRACT MATTERS (CLOSED SESSION).
	The (temporary) Clerk , Cllrs J Parsons, and T Beardsell left the meeting at 10pm. The permanent Clerk took over the duties of Clerk for this item.
	It was unanimously RESOLVED that the meeting move into closed session under the terms of The Public (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 as the business to be discussed included staffing matters and contracts which were confidential and could be prejudiced by being in the public domain at this time, in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960.
	It was RESOLVED to suspend standing orders and continue with the meeting after 10pm. · To consider and resolve upon matters set out in the (permanent) Clerk’s report on training and contract matters. · It was RESOLVED to work towards obtaining the General Power of Competence. · It was RESOLVED to pay training fees in the sum of £300 (SLCC £150, GAPTC £150) for the Cilca training course and assessment. A bursary would be applied for to reduce the overall cost. · Contract matters were discussed and options explored; the matter would appear on July’s agenda to pass resolutions. A summary paper would be sent to Councillors. There being no further business the meeting was closed at 10.40pm

The Next Meeting of Avening Parish Council will be on Thursday, 19^th July 2012 in Avening Memorial Hall at

7.30 p.m. All welcome.