WEST TYTHERLEY & FRENCHMOOR PARISH COUNCIL

Chairman’s Report for the period April 2005 to March 2006

1. The Parish Council

(Figures refer to attendance record – out of a maximum of eleven Council meetings)

Andy Bowditch Chairman 10

Tim Mousley Vice-Chairman 8

Lyn Bowditch 8

Stuart Dowding 8

John Guy 9

Liz Marsden 5

David Rimmington 7

The Council continued to meet on the second Monday of each month at 7.30 p.m. in King Edward’s Hall. The Council is grateful to the Hall Committee for providing this venue. Meetings are started with an OPEN FORUM which allows members of the public to raise any matters they wish. It was hoped that this arrangement, plus the central location of the meetings would attract more members of the public, but once again this hope has been disappointed with average attendance by the public being below three per meeting.

Councillors Michael Woodhall (Hampshire County Council) and Neville Whiteley (Test Valley Borough Council) attended meetings whenever their commitments permitted and the Council is glad to record its appreciation of this and the access to the County and Borough Councils that this relationship facilitates.

Minutes of Council meetings are posted on notice boards in West Tytherley and West Dean and are available on the village web site. The Council’s thanks are due to Tim Koetser, the web master, who also edits the newsletter “What’s happening in West Tytherley” which appears as an insertion in the United Benefice Newsletter four times each year. The Agenda for Council meetings is posted on the notice boards already referred to plus a notice board at the end of Frenchmoor Lane, usually a week before the meeting.

The Annual General Meeting of the Council was held on 9 May 2005 when the Chairman and Vice-Chairman were elected and the Clerk, David Lyon, confirmed. This was followed by the Annual Parish Meeting which was attended by 18 members of the public, attracted perhaps by the free wine that was served. At this meeting reports were received from Councillors Woodhall and Whiteley, from Inspector Peter Funnell (Officer i/c Romsey Police), and Peter Robinson (Chairman, Neighbourhood Watch). The guest speaker was Andrew Douglas (Tree Officer, TVBC). The main points raised by the public were about road safety, with concern expressed about the safety of children crossing from the primary school to their dining hall and the village hall. This is a matter which the school is pursuing with the highway authority.

2. Finance

The Precept for 2005-2006 was set at £9000, this represents £32.49 per year for a tax base in the parish estimated to be 277 Band D equivalent dwellings. The budget was set at £12665, which included three ring-fenced items - £800 set aside for elections should they become necessary, £500 for the First Responders in a funding emergency, and £520 for part repayment of the loan for the village shop. The Council also contributed to the village hall’s insurance premium and the cost of a new oil tank. The Council also made small contributions to the Over Sixties, Test Valley School (prize), and St.Peter’s Church (churchyard maintenance). Insurance, including public liability, the clerk’s wages and administration costs accounted for much of the rest of the expenditure, including £2000 assigned to reserves to be used in the following year for projects on the recreation ground. The expenditure outturn for the year will be about £11000 (subject to audit). Under the new system for auditing parish councils the Audit Commission appointed external auditor is joined by an internal auditor appointed by the parish council. The Council is glad to record is thanks to Robert Horsford FCCA for once again fulfilling this latter role. The 2004-2005 accounts were signed off by the Audit Commission with no queries or qualifications.

3. Planning

TVBC has been under pressure from central government to improve its performance in dealing with planning applications and to achieve this TVBC has reduced the interval between planning committee meetings from four weeks to three. A consequence of this is that parish councils have less time to consider and comment on planning applications. The system in the parish is that the Clerk receives copies (including plans) of applications from TVBC and circulates these under a ‘rapid circulation’ cover to councillors for comment. On return to the clerk these comments are synthesised in a return to Test Valley in time to meet the deadline for comments. It is not usually our practice to discuss applications as a group, although they are noted in the minutes of meetings and the councillors’ comment sheet is recirculated so that everyone is aware of the various views expressed. It is rare for the substance of these to diverge by very much.

During the year the Council considered about a dozen planning applications in West Tytherley, West Dean and Frenchmoor and there were a similar number of applications for tree work for which the tree warden (David Lyon) has delegated responsibility to comment upon. Of note was an application to demolish Old Nails, a house of historic interest in the village. This went to appeal which was lost by the applicant.

The future of the former MOD site at Dean Hill has been an ongoing issue, and the Council has participated in a working group comprising representatives of the three parish councils with responsibilities for the site (West and East Dean and West Tytherley) together with Salisbury District and TVBC planning services and MOD representatives. It was announce early in 2006 that a buyer for the site had been selected, with completion expected in April. It was hoped that the working group would be able to work with the new owner to ensure that the interests of the parishes were kept on the agenda.

Work on the Parish Plan is proceding; but those involved already have a heavy load of commitments, both for the Council and private. A grant of £600 has been received which is ring-fenced for expenditure, including eventual publication, on the plan.

4. Recreation Ground

A delegation of 16 village children had earlier attended a Council meeting to request that facilities on the recreation ground designed for use by older children should be installed. Basketball was a favoured option and the Council agreed in principle to build a single net basketball facility in the 2006-2007 financial year. Also a decision was taken to replace the loose fill wood chip surface of the play area with something more permanent, and requiring less maintenance. During the autumn options were looked into, contractors identified and estimates obtained. Two possible solutions emerged, either a grass mat surface or a wet pour surface. A final decision will be taken early in the 2006-2007 financial year when sources of funding have been identified. RoSPA continued to carry out the annual inspection of the play equipment and, apart from some minor matters, produced a favourable report.

5. Highways and Footpaths

The only major problem relating to highways was the abandonment in Frenchmoor Lane of a mobile home, which partly obstructed the highway. For several months it proved difficult to ascertain who was responsible for its removal, with TVBC and HCC batting the issue back and forth between their legal departments. Eventually TVBC took responsibility and identified someone willing to remove the mobile home at no cost to the council and this took place at New Year.

There have been no major problems with footpaths, and the Council is grateful for the work of its footpath warden, Jayne Edwards, for continually monitoring the condition of the paths.

A.Bowditch

Chairman

8 May 2006