Councillor Mike Woodhall (MW) HCC
Apologies
Ron Warwick (Footpath Warden)
1. Minutes of Council Meeting held on 14 April 2003
Paragraph 10.2 was ammended at the request of TM to read (second sentence) "TM reported that the Primary School had no problems with...... ". It was then proposed by TM and seconded by DR that the minutes be signed by the Chairman as a true record of the meeting.
2. Matters Arising
6.1 SD reported that he had sent the Environment Agency an updated version of his end-February report. Action Clerk to circulate this to Councillors. Clerk reported that he had copied the HCC Highways Department letter to the occupants of Old Nails to other affected householders. Clerk reported that he had circulated Mrs Bowditch's letter to Councillors.
9.1 Clerk reported that he had asked Messrs Barker & Geary for a quotation for the Recreation Ground fence
10.1 Clerk reported that he had provided Mr Lindsell with details of the siting of the new road signs, which Mr Lindsell said would be erected after 11 August.
15.1 Clerk reported that he had completed the entry form for the Calor/Community Action Village of the Year Competition in consultation with Councillors and members of the community
3. Police Report Nil
4. Report from HCC
Michael Woodhall began his report by expressing his thanks to TM and his fellow Councillors for the work they had put in over the course of the year. He said he had 17 parish councils in his constituency and was disappointed by the general low level of public support and interest. He would like to see parish councils strengthened and given more responsibilities, however one constraint was the problem of indemnity insurance, which could be very
costly for a parish employing, for example, a lengthsman.
The HCC budget this year was £1.2bn (for a population of 1.265 million). The capital programme was £500 million - some of which would come from capitalising HCC's land holdings.
Plans were being prepared to extend West Tytherley's Primary School (which had a roll of about 71 children - in contrast many village schools reported declining rolls because young families could not afford to live in the villages). Test Valley School (650-700 pupils) would be building a new sports hall.
HCC would be spending £300 million on the care of the elderly, the disabled and the mentally impaired. There was an ongoing need for foster parents and adopters.
The county had suffered from the Government's policy of shifting resources from the south of the country to the north. The council budgets to the nearest £10 million; faced with the alternative of declaring up to a 1000 redundancies or increasing the council tax and getting on with its business it chose the latter, hence the 15 per cent increase in the tax. The Police Authority alone needed an increase of 27 per cent in its budget to meet its obligations. The new Visitors Centre at Hilliers Arboretum had cost £2.9 million but two benfactors had contributed £2.5 million.
The heavy winter rainfall had caused flooding and damaged road surfaces which HCC was endeavouring to cope with. In West Tytherley the drainage system will be surveyed to ensure it there are no blockages and new arrangements are being made to facilitate pumping by householders. It had been found that 90 per cent of all roadside ditches in the County belong to someone other than the Council.
MW conclude his report by saying that the county was under pressure from outside - for among other things more houses. He thanked Neville Whiteley for his work over the year.
In the subsequent discussion attention focussed on the flooding problems in the village, and reference was made to the report prepared by Dr Helliwell, which, it was claimed had been ignored by HCC Highways engineers. MW said that it was unlikely that ground water tables in the village could be lowered, at least not without major engineering works which would be disproportionately expensive, and any schemes for flood mitigation, which involved expenditure of HCC funds, would have to be prepared by qualified engineers. He suggested that the works now being put in hand in the village should be given a chance to show their worth when the next period of high water tables occurs. He requested that correspondence from the Parish Council to the Highways Department be carried out through the Clerk and should be copied to him. Mr Whitlock (a member of the public) reported that there were still road surface drainage problems at Stony Batter with some culverts blocked. MW was informed of the slow rate of implementation of the Traffic Calming scheme; he asked for a report on the Council's dealings with W.S.Atkins Action Clerk
5. Report from TVBC
Neville Whiteley congratulated the Parish Council on its work over the year. TVBC was funded by the Council Tax (which had increased by 4 per cent this year), by the grant from central government, and by its investment and rental income (both of which were large). The sale of council houses to Testway Housing had raised £75 million which had been invested for the long term, rather than being used to reduce the Council's £25 million debt. Spending this year will amount to £55.6 million, with £10.3 million net going on environmental health, leisure and refuse collection. Savings could have been made by, for example, reducing refuse collection to once a fortnight, but this was rejected. It was hoped that savings in this area would result from the partnership with the New Forest District Council.
Four Healthy Living Centres were to be set up, in Andover,Valley Park, Lockerley and Romsey, lottery funded. They were aimed at young people (12-19 years of age) and would be manned by the County Youth Service. Travellers were again causing problems at Critchell's Green in Lockerley.
NW expressed concern at the lack of action by planners in TVBC and Salisbury District Council who were supposed to be preparing a joint planning brief for the Defence Munitions site at Dean Hill, but had so far apparently done nothing. Meanwhile nonsensical ideas were being floated, such as that of the former CE of TVBC who suggested it could be the site of a complete new village.
Within TVBC a number of new partnership schemes were being developed, including various services, in anticipation of the introduction of e-government in 2005, (which should result in the seamless transfer of an enquirer to the relevant service). The former Best Value scheme had withered on the vine, and central government had now introduced CPA ( Comprehensive Performance Assessment).
6. Correspondence Nil
7. Finance & Cheques
7.1 It was proposed by DR and seconded by TM that the following cheque be signed
Clerk (D.Lyon) (Wages and Expenses) CQ.No. 000278 £222.23
8. Highways Nil
9. Defence Munitions Dean Hill Nil
10. AOB
10.1 TM said the Football Club proposed holding a fun day on 9 August and, on a date to be announced, a coaching session for youngsters. Action Clerk to confirm with the insurance company that the policy will cover the latter.
10.2 TM introduced for circulation the floor plan of the proposed extension of the Primary School, which it was hoped would be completed in 2004
10.3 SD referred to the cart barn on Standing Hill, which he wanted listed, together with its surroundings Action Clerk and NW to investigate
10.3 SD reported that the police had intervened to stop tree felling on the Norman Court estate at a time when birds were nesting
10.4 AB referred to the map of the village in the article in the May 2003 issue of the Hampshire Magazine (43 (7) 32-37) which could possibly be the basis of a public village map Action JG to investigate
10.5 AB reported that Mr J.Coggan had complained that the verges on the Old Coach Road had not been cut Action Clerk to report to Highways Dept. Mr Coggan had also reported a problem with a lilac on the recreation ground Action Tree Warden
10.6 There being no other business the Chairman closed the meeting at 2100h
Present: A.Bowditch (AB) Chairman; T.Mousley (TM) Vice-Chairman; L.Bowditch (LB); S.Dowding (SD); J.Guy (JG); D.Rimmington (DR). D.Lyon (Clerk)
Councillor Neville Whiteley (NW) TVBC
plus three members of the public
9.2 Clerk reported that he had informed Mr Eastwood that his quotation for maintaining the War Memorial had been accepted. Mr Eastwood informed him that he had pruned the two cherry trees three years ago.
9.3 Clerk reported that he had circulated a summary of the village children's ideas for the play area, and it was noted that a slide had received most support Action Clerk to obtain quotations for a slide
10.3 TM reported that he had not yet written to HCC Highways Department in view of the fact that work was now starting.