Baydon Parish Council Meeting

Monday 17th October 2011

 

 

The Parish Council meeting took place in the BYPA Hall from 8pm on Monday 17th October. All Parish Councillors and Wiltshire Councillor Chris Humphries were present and so there were no apologies. There were also several members of the public in attendance

 

There were no declarations of interest

 

The Minutes of the previous Parish Council meeting of 5th September were approved

 

The meeting was suspended for Public Question Time, during which sadly the Fireworks Committee reported that they are going to have to close the cricket field to people putting further burnable items on the bonfire as some people had out sacks of bottles, cans, a metal ladder, etc on the bonfire and the Fireworks Committee has now got to spend time the following weekend clearing all this away before further wood, etc can be accepted. Also some 200 wooden stakes had disappeared over recent months, believed to have been used for fires by campers. The Firework Committee is going to have to reassess the situation for next year and perhaps not have a bonfire but instead concentrate on having just a firework display

 

Planning :-

 

E/2011/1267/FUL - erection of single dwelling behind 1 Ermin Street. Owner Steve Webb was invited to discuss the planning application and that an initial survey had shown that thee was sufficient land behind their house for a 3-bedroom dwelling and so full plans had been created. The Parish Council were concerned re the general traffic issue near by at the junction of Ermin Street and Aldbourne Road and that vehicles take the junction at speed, but had no objections to the planning application

 

Baydon 11 Footpath - to discuss a current extinguishment request. The Parish Council had no objections to extinguishing part of Baydon 11 footpath

 

Election of a new Chairman - Andy Knowles was voted and seconded as Chairman taking over from Tony Prior who was retiring at the end of this meeting

 

Councillor Tamsin Witt gave a report on behalf of the Baydon Traffic Calming Working Group (TCWG) and mentioned the continued success of the Community SpeedWatch and the need for other traffic calming measures. It was agreed to write a letter to the Marlborough Area Board and the Community Area Transport Group about inaccuracies in their recent feasibility report re a new mini-roundabout at the junction of Ermin Street and Aldbourne Road, reiterate that the Parish Council remained fully behind the recommendations of the Safer Journeys to School project in the absence of now having a roundabout, and that related Marlborough Area Board ‘issues’ re traffic calming in Baydon should not be closed and such projects as moving the fixed Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) on Ermin Street currently near Ermin Close further towards the playground area and the start of the village from the East which has proved by far the worst speeding area in Baydon by numerous Community SpeedWatch sessions need to be considered further

 

Cricket field litter bin and old container / portacabin removal - Councillor Tamsin Witt had met a lady from Wiltshire Council on the cricket field but a Wiltshire Council representative had come out with the new litter bin but the wrong fittings and this still remained outstanding. The contractor previously selected to remove the containers appeared to no longer be interested and so the second lowest quote (Chris Duck at £600) would now be approached and asked to do the work

 

A new litter bin on the Parish Field near the playground area was also discussed, but this also was suffering from problems with the proposed supplier and Councillor Andy Knowles agreed to chase. The second playground inspection by Wiltshire Council had taken place but a formal inspection agreement had still not been provided and is to be chased again

 

It was agreed that the Parish Council did not want temporary advertising items to be placed on the village entrance white gates, and so this would apply to the request by the Friends of Baydon School for some Christmas Fair signs

 

The documentation provided by Aldbourne Youth Council (AYC) was discussed and agreed. Payment of £1,500 towards the costs of a youth worker for Baydon will be paid in three instalments of £500 and the Parish Clerk to finalise the documentation with AYC

 

There was then a discussion re which Parish Councillors would take over the outgoing Chairman’s responsibilities, with Councillor Michael Edmonds taking on the Marlborough Area Board meeting attendance, and grass cutting arrangements, Councillor Alison Tomkins taking on the allotment management, Councillor Andy Knowles taking on the Parish Forum representation, playground management, and Firework Committee membership

 

The dates for the 2012/13 Parish Council meeting dates were circulated and agreed, and will be published in due course

 

After the last village litter pick was cancelled a revised date is to be announced this side of Christmas

 

The Jubilee celebration arrangements were discussed, and after the initial meeting in the School Hall and a follow on meeting there were now lots of ideas and a forthcoming meeting on 7th November will hopefully summarise these in to feasible options, which included various events on the cricket field and the lighting of the beacon in the evening. Wiltshire Councillor Chris Humphries announced that there was likely to be an up to £500 grant available from the Marlborough Area Board for Jubilee celebrations (details to follow) and the Parish Council also agreed to fund £1,000 out of parish reserves

 

Councillor Tamsin Witt stated that the empty Downsmead garages had now been locked by the management company, and so preventing people sleeping in them overnight, etc

 

Wiltshire Councillor Chris Humphries left the meeting at this point, but before he left gave a vote of thanks to Councillor Tony Prior for all his hard work and efforts as Chairman of the Parish Council

 

Finance :-

 

The following payments were approved, playground risk assessment £90, fireworks donation £275, Christmas tree lights £293 and church clock maintenance £280

 

The second quarterly parish finances report was received and approved

 

The fixed asset register was approved, subject to the addition of the parish field benches and the village entrance white gates bringing the total asset value (at cost) to around £33,800

 

The 2012/12 Budget and Precept setting were discussed. Additional items to be added of emptying the cricket field bins, extra Parish Councillor mileage claims, playground inspections and repairs, Jubilee celebration funding, etc and the finalised Budget and setting of the Precept would be covered at the 28th November Parish Council meeting

 

Three quotes were discussed for the extra fencing on the Parish Field of £2,500, £3,360 and £5,750 and it was agreed to go with the cheapest being Chris Duck

 

Funding the £25 purchase of two new Neighbourhood Watch signs for Ermin Close was agreed

 

The Baydon Cricket Club’s request for financial assistance for new equipment was discussed at length, with it recently coming down from £3,594 to £2,762. It was felt that this was a lot of money but after debate was supported by the Parish Council

 

The Parish Clerk’s overtime claim of £76.73 was approved

 

It was agreed to pay up to £100 for the village Christmas tree (was £80 last year)

 

Items to note :-

 

Only two Wiltshire roads within the Marlborough Area Board (MAB) area will be included within the forthcoming C road review and so an urgent request will be made to the MAB that Baydon’s Ermin Street is one of these roads

 

Redcliffe Homes were in the process of revising their s106 agreement

 

It was agreed to write to the owners of Downs House about two dangerous trees overhanging near the church path

 

Mr Philip Dore was co-opted on to the Baydon Parish Council and was warmly welcomed by the Parish Councillors. Also a letter had been received by the Clerk from another resident interested in joining the Parish Council

 

Outgoing Chairman Councillor Tony Prior ended the meeting with a few words about his time as Chairman of the Parish Council, which he said had been both very enjoyable but also at times quite stressful, with such projects as the allotments, playground area whilst continuing with a low number of Parish Councillors

 

Incoming Chairman Councillor Andy Knowles gave a vote of thanks for all of Councillor Tony Prior’s hard work over the years. He said that the village was a better place and that Councillor Prior would be a hard act to follow. Councillor Alison Tomkins added that Councillor Tony Prior had put in so much time and energy and thanked him on behalf of the village

 

The meeting closed at 9.45pm

By Mark Austen

 

 

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