WEST TYTHERLEY & FRENCHMOOR PARISH COUNCIL
Chairman’s
Report for the period April 2004-March 2005
1.
The Parish
Council
(Figures refer to attendance record – out of a maximum of eleven Council
meetings)
Andy Bowditch (Chairman) 11
Tim Mousley (Vice-Chairman) 9
Lyn Bowditch 9
Stuart Dowding 9
John Guy 10
Andy McKenzie 0/3
Liz Marsden 7/8
David Rimmington 7
David Lyon (Parish Clerk/Tree Warden)
Jayne Edwards (Footpath Warden)
Andy McKenzie resigned in June because of other commitments and Liz Marsden
was coopted in July to fill the
vacancy, there being no other candidates. She agreed to take
particular responsibility for that part of the parish lying in the
The Council continued to meet on the second Monday of each month (except August) in King Edward’s Hall, West Tytherley, at 1930h. The Council is grateful to the Village Hall committee for making the hall available at a reasonable charge. The practice, introduced in October 2003, of starting the meeting with an Open Forum aimed at allowing members of the public to raise matters with councillors in open discussion was continued; this part of the meeting is not minuted. In spite of the Open Forum and the more central venue attendance at meetings by members of the public continued to be disappointing, averaging four over the year (although in June 16 children from the Primary School accompanied by two teachers attended the Open Forum to present a petition calling for more facilities for the recreation ground/play area).
Councillors Michael Woodhall (HCC) and Neville Whiteley (TVBC) attended as many meetings as they were able and the Council is glad to be able to record its thanks as their attendance is appreciated as a valuable way of maintaining contact with the County and Borough Councils.
Minutes of Council meetings are posted on the village web site and the Council is grateful to Tim Koetser for maintaining the site and editing the quarterly newsletter “What’s happening in West Tytherley”. Hard copy of the minutes and agenda is posted on notice boards in West Tytherley, Frenchmoor and West Dean.
2.
Finance
The Precept for 2004-2005 was set at £8500, the same figure as the previous year. Expenditure was budgeted at £11023 which implied cutting into reserves. As usual the major items of expenditure were insurance, including a contribution to the village hall’s insurance, the clerk’s wages and expenses, maintenance of the recreation ground and repayment of the council’s share of the village shop loan. In addition £2000 was budgeted to pay for the Council’s share of the costs of the build-out by the hall as the second and final phase of the traffic calming programme under HCC’s Parish Partnership scheme. The final expenditure outturn for the 31 March 2005 was estimated to be £10914 (to be confirmed at audit). The District Auditor signed off the
2003-2004 accounts without queries or qualifications. The Council is once again grateful to Robert Horsford for his services as Internal Auditor which he gave free.
3.
Police
The Police House at
carried out by mobile patrols operating out of Romsey Police Station. There has been a general feeling that under the new arrangements contact with the police at the local level has diminished. This is reflected in the fact that the police have indicated that they can no longer attend all parish council or neighbourhood watch meetings as a matter of course; the aim is now for a police attendance about once a quarter or if there is a specific issue the Council wishes to discuss with them. The Council values the Neighbourhood Watch and is glad to record its thanks to the late Capt. Peter Collinson for his work over many years as chairman of the Watch committee.
4.
Planning
The Council commented on some 16 planning applications
during the year. Two Tree Preservation Orders were imposed by TVBC, one on a
walnut tree at Yewcroft (Stony Batter) and the other
on woodland at Withey Copse,
The future of the MOD site at Dean Hill is still under discussion. The Council is represented on a Working Group comprising the three parishes involved, Salisbury District Council, TVBC, and Defense Estates and their advisers by John Guy and Tim Mousley. David Lyon acts as rapporteur for the group which held two meetings during the period under review. MOD housing on the site has now been sold and it is likely that the site will be put on the market in May/June 2005. Following public consultations in the summer of 2004 it emerged that people wanted to see as little development as possible, compatible with generating sufficient funds for clearing up the site, with public access and wildlife conservation being the main goals. Very limited new housing and reuse of some buildings for business use, and new uses for the tunnels is likely to be all that is to be permitted for the site. Specific reference to the site, with the force of Supplementary Planning Guidance, is likely to be included in the new Local Plan, currently subject to a public inquiry.
Progress with the Parish Plan is slow; an application for a grant from the Countryside Agency was refused.
5.
Recreation
Ground
The Play Area and associated equipment is inspected annually by RoSPA, but it has now become clear that weekly inspections, working to a formal protocol and recording the outcome of the inspections, are required to protect the council from possible insurance claims. It will also be necessary to retain these records for many years. Lyn Bowditch and Liz Marsden have agreed to take over responsibilty for these inspections and play area maintenance from Tim Mousley.
Following the visit to the June council meeting by a group of children from the primary school the Council canvassed local opinion on priorities for additional recreational equipment identified by the children. Sadly there was almost a nil response. The council has however looked into the cost of providing new equipment, in particular a basketball net and associated hard standing. The costs are very high and will need to be budgeted for, provisionally in 2006-2007. At present the cost of maintaining the play area surface with hardwood chippings, which seem to have a short life, is accounting for the major part of the cost of the play area. Alternative more durable surfaces are now being investigated, including rubber tiles through which the grass can grow, but again the costs are very high. The Council is grateful to Mike Eastwood for maintaining the recreation ground and the War Memorial garden. The mild winter made it necessary to cut the football field twice during the season.
6.
Highways
& Footpaths
The temporary buildout on the corner of
7.
Data
Protection Act 1998
The Council is now entered on the Data Protection Register.
A.Bowditch (Chairman)
9 May 2005