MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF SPIXWORTH PARISH COUNCIL HELD AT
7.30pm on TUESDAY 1 APRIL 2008 at SPIXWORTH VILLAGE HALL

PRESENT
COUNCILLORS: Mr Fitt (Chairman)
Mr Ward (Vice-Chairman)
Mr Barrell
Ms Cullum
Mrs Doy
Mrs Holdroyd
Mr Manning
Mr Mills
Mr Potter
Mr Sadler
Mr Watson
District Councillor B. Kular
County Councillor A. Williams (later)
CLERK: Mrs R. Rose
Two members of the public.

THE CHAIRMAN welcomed everyone to the meeting.

A note of the items raised in the Public Speaking session is attached to the signed copy of these minutes.

1. APOLOGIES were accepted from Mr Thompson and PC Lambert.

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor Sadler: as Chair of Broadland Standards Committee and a member Broadland Community Partnership (public bodies); a member of the Executive Committee of NCAPTC; Vice-Chairman of the Norwich Airport Joint Consultative Committee; a personal interest in any matter relating to the Code of Conduct or the bodies stated.

3. THE MINUTES of the previous meeting held on 4 March 2008, which had been circulated, were agreed, and signed by the Chairman as a true record, with the addition of apologies from District Councillor Kular.

4. MATTERS ARISING

4.1 Bus Shelters
The Clerk had ascertained that funding for new bus shelters might be obtained via the County Council and had asked for details. Councillor Mills had estimated that work on the bus shelter on Buxton Road would cost approximately £750. He was asked to obtain a firm price and the Council would consider it further.

(County Councillor Williams entered the meeting at this point)

4.2 Spixworth Post Office
The Postmistress had received notification that the Spixworth branch was not earmarked for closure.

5. POLICE MATTERS

5.1 Crime Statistics
The figures for March had been received and circulated; 43 calls had been taken by the Control Room from/regarding the parish, and 5 crimes had been logged.

5.2 Items for SNAP meeting
The next SNAP meeting would be held in Spixworth on 21 April. Items to be put forward included HGVs using Crostwick Lane, and under-age drinkers obtaining alcohol.

Items for the attention of the SNT included rowdy/nuisance behaviour in Sydney Road, and a scooter using the cycleway and adjacent field.

5.3 Any Other Police Matters
Councillor Sadler reported that the Chief Constable was keen to see neighbourhood policing in action, and asked whether the Council would consider inviting him to a Council meeting. It was AGREED to invite him to the June meeting.
Councillor Sadler further reported that Norfolk Constabulary faced capping, and that he had been approached by the Chief Executive of the Police Authority to see if he would be willing to represent Town & Parish Councils in making representations to central government.

6. FINANCE

6.1 Balances were noted.
Cheques and Payments detailed on the attached schedule and totalling £4,759.42 were authorised for payment.

6.2 Application for financial assistance
Proposed by Councillor Sadler, seconded by Councillor Ward, a donation of £250 was AGREED to the Broadland Responder Scheme Fund.

6.3 Finance & General Purposes Committee
The minutes of the committee meeting held 25 March 2008 and recommendations made were RATIFIED.

With the meeting’s agreement, Item 13 was brought forward on the agenda.

13. REPORTS FROM DISTRICT/COUNTY COUNCILLORS

13.1 County Councillor Williams confirmed that Highways investigation officers were awaiting a report on the last two accidents that had occurred on Church Lane and at the junction with Buxton Road. It was not yet known whether they would be designated as accident blackspots. Any work necessary at these two locations would take place once the results were known. Church Lane would be resurfaced in the 2008/09 financial year from the road safety /accident reduction budget.

The re-shaping of the Church Lane/Buxton Road junction was discussed, in the light of indications that the road layout as well as driver behaviour could be a contributory factor in the recent accidents. The Highway Manager had indicated that funding for such a scheme was unlikely until the impact of the Northern Distributor Route was known. However, the meeting affirmed that it would welcome investigation into the feasibility of a safer road layout or change of priority at this location.

County Councillor Williams would ascertain the definition of a ‘severe’ accident blackspot, and whether Lafarge would be liable to fund maintenance of that section of Church Lane which was crossed by the haul road.

He had that day attended a Local Government Association conference at which it was announced that the government was giving £21 million towards regional efficiency programs, in a bid to achieve 3% cost savings per year. He further reported that Norfolk Property Services and Norfolk County Services Ltd had returned £7 million of profits back into Norfolk in the year. This helped to reduce Council Tax levels.

The County Council Support Services review was ongoing and on track to produce savings.

The County Council meeting on 14 April was likely to support the County Council’s proposal that the whole of Norfolk be a single unitary authority.

13.2 District Councillor Kular noted the minutes of the Finance & General Purposes Committee meeting as it related to Amenities Matters and the amendment to the specification for grounds maintenance on Arthurton Road. He had spoken to the resident whose complaints had brought about the change. The Clerk and the Street Scene Officer were in communication about other measures designed to reduce the use of the land for ball games.

7. PLANNING MATTERS

7.1 Planning Committee
7.1.1 The minutes of the committee meeting held 4 March 2008 were RATIFIED.

7.1.2 The minutes of the committee meeting held 25 March 2008 were RATIFIED, with the addition of apologies from Councillor Potter. Councillor Mills as Chairman
of the Planning Committee enlarged on the matters discussed and the decisions reached.

7.2 Permissions and Enforcement Matters
No matters to report.

8. CORRESPONDENCE

8.1 Correspondence List
A list of the correspondence received had been circulated, and was updated at the meeting; all items were available from the Clerk. A list is attached to the signed copy of these minutes.

8.2 Consultations/Invitations
No responses required.

8.3 Meetings Attended
The Vice Chairman reported on his, the Chairman’s and the Clerk’s attendance at the meeting with Boundary Committee representatives. Proposals would be formulated for public consultation between July and September.
Councillor Sadler and the Clerk reported on their attendance at a meeting between Quality Councils and the Communications department of Norfolk County Council.

9. HIGHWAYS MATTERS

9.1 Maintenance Matters
The Clerk would report that removal of trees in St Peters Way had disrupted the footway.
The meeting instructed the Clerk to write to the Highways Manager regarding repairs that had not yet been carried out.

10. AMENITIES MATTERS

10.1 Greg's Meadow
10.1.1 The Chairman reported on a meeting held with the keyholder of the lockable bollard formerly installed in Russell Avenue. The latter had asked for some measures designed to prevent traffic using the road or the car park area adjacent to Greg's Meadow.
A letter from a solicitor acting on behalf of the keyholder and his wife had been received, seeking reinstatement of the bollard and questioning the planning legality of the use of the car park. The meeting AGREED that the Chairman and Clerk should formulate a response to the solicitor, indicating the council’s reasons for not reinstating the bollard.

10.1.2 The Clerk had ascertained that planning permission would not be required for occasional parking in the area between the Anglian Water pumping station and Greg's Meadow. A Broadland District Council officer would inspect the road name signs and if possible arrange for signs to include the cul-de-sac logo or wording which would be more obvious to drivers.

11. SPIXWORTH VILLAGE HALL

11.1 Spixworth Village Hall Management Committee
The meeting noted Councillor Potter’s report on the Committee meeting held on
25 March 2008.
There was discussion on the amount outstanding on energy bills.

12. NORWICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

12.1 Joint Consultative Committee
The minutes of the meeting held on 18 February 2008 had been circulated.
Councillor Sadler enlarged on them, and reported that the Planning Department of Norwich City Council had confirmed that engine testing was taking place on an area without planning permission.

The Airport Managing Director, the Strategic Director and Chief Planner (Broadland District Council) and the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Consultative Committee would meet to produce an operations code to replace the unenforceable Letter of Agreement.

12.2 Any Other Airport Matters
Councillor Barrell reported that, if a date and time were given, he had a contact for identifying all aircraft using the airport.

There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.10pm.