MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF SPIXWORTH PARISH COUNCIL HELD AT
7.30pm on TUESDAY 7 APRIL 2009 at SPIXWORTH VILLAGE HALL

PRESENT
COUNCILLORS:
Mr Fitt (Chairman)
Mr Ward (Vice-Chairman) (later)
Mr Barrell
Ms Cullum
Mrs Doy
Mrs Holdroyd
Mr Manning
Mr Mills
Mr Potter
Mr Sadler
Mr Watson
County Councillor A. Williams (later)
PCSO Watts
One member of the public
CLERK: Mrs R. Rose

THE CHAIRMAN welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1. APOLOGIES were accepted from Mr Thompson and District Councillor B. Kular.

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor Sadler: as a member of Broadland Standards Committee and 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. POLICE MATTERS

3.1 Crime Statistics
The figures for March had been received and circulated; 27 calls had been taken by the Control Room from/regarding the parish, and 4 crimes had been logged.
PCSO Watts commented that although the incidences of rowdy/nuisance behaviour seemed high (7), this related to one incident and the Police had received no calls during the month up to then. She reiterated that there were difficulties with imposing curfew orders due to the large amount of evidence that had to be collected.

3.2 Safer Neighbourhood Team
She reported that Sergeant Bell had been replaced by Sergeant Scott. The Sprowston/Old Catton/Spixworth Team was to be expanded by a further 4 Police Constables (one was in training at present) who would all deal with the same matters as PC Lambert. Unfortunately there was a shortage of Police vehicles for patrol use.
Councillor Sadler asked what effect the change to 8-hour shift patterns would have. PCSO Watts explained that it had only come into effect on the previous day and it was too early to tell.

3.3 SNAP Meeting
The next meeting would be held on Monday 20 April in Old Catton. Items to be raised for Spixworth would be the continuing rowdy/nuisance behaviour at the Village Hall. The Chairman encouraged members to attend.

4. THE MINUTES of the previous meeting held on 3 March 2009, which had been circulated, were agreed, and signed by the Chairman as a true record.

5. MATTERS ARISING

5.1 Annual Parish Meeting
Superintendent Fawcett could not attend the Annual Parish Meeting on 28 April but Inspector Allen had offered to come instead. The Parish Council accepted this offer.

6. FINANCE

6.1 Balances were noted.
Cheques and Payments detailed on the attached schedule and totalling £4,558.88 were authorised for payment.

6.2 Applications for Financial Assistance
A donation of £100 was AGREED to Norfolk Accident Rescue Service.

6.3 Adoption of Street Light
The Clerk explained that the light in Elizabeth Close had failed. The light was not on the Parish Council’s nor the contractor’s inventories, and both Wherry Housing Association and the County Council had denied responsibility for the light. As the Close was populated by elderly or infirm residents, the Clerk had instructed the contractor to repair the light and now sought approval for it to be adopted by the Parish Council. The meeting AGREED that it would pay for the repair but asked for further investigation into the matter.

6.4 Finance & General Purposes Committee
A meeting date was agreed for 21 April 2009.

7. PLANNING MATTERS

7.1 Planning Committee
7.1.1 The minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held 3 March 2009 were RATIFIED.

7.1.2 Councillor Mills gave a verbal report of the Committee meeting held immediately prior to the Council meeting and the Council AGREED the recommended responses to the planning applications.

7.1.3 A meeting date was agreed for 14 April 2009 to consider proposals made for the Broadland District Council Site Allocations and Area Action Plan Development Plan Documents.

7.2 Permissions and Enforcement Matters
A new case of operation of a business at 4 Elvina Road had been opened.

7.3 Planning Training
The Chairman would attend a further session on Changes to Planning Control on 22 April 2009.

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 form the Clerk. A list is attached to the signed copy of these minutes.

8.2 Consultation / Invitations
The Chairman, Councillor Sadler and the Clerk would attend a meeting at County Hall under the auspices of Norfolk ALC on 20 April 2009 to gauge fringe parishes’ response to the definitive proposals from the Boundary Committee on the future of unitary council government in Norfolk.

Councillor Cullum and the Clerk would attend training on playground inspection on 24 April 2009 in Dereham. The meeting AGREED the total course fees of £20.

9. HIGHWAYS MATTERS

9.1 Footway reconstruction works, Lilian Road
The Clerk reported that Lilian Road would be closed from 20 July 2009 for a maximum of 8 weeks for the completion of footway reconstruction works.

9.2 Maintenance Matters
9.2.1 Buxton Road/Church Lane junction
All safety signage planned for the area had been installed; the Clerk would enquire whether any structural works were scheduled. Flashing signs indicating actual vehicle speed had been installed for a few weeks by the safety camera partnership to monitor speeds; if necessary these would be followed up with the mobile enforcement bike. The Clerk would ask if any statistics on speed would be available to the Parish Council.

(County Councillor Williams entered the meeting at this point)

9.2.2 Grounds Maintenance
The Clerk had acquired a cutting schedule from the new contractors, which would be updated after each visit to the parish. The Clerk would email this to Councillor Manning to monitor the cutting.

With the meeting’s agreement the Chairman brought forward Item 14 on the agenda.

14. REPORT FROM COUNTY COUNCILLOR

County Councillor Williams reported that Norfolk Property Services had acquired the contract to build / maintain schools in North Lincolnshire, and had purchased a further firm in the south east of the country. Norse Commercial Servies contributed £5 million annually to the County Council funds, thereby reducing Council Tax levels. The cost of road gritting over the bad winter and pothole repair had each cost £700,000, so £1.4 million would have to be diverted from other sources. The County Council would spend £2 million on resurfacing roads in the Broadland district.
He sought the Parish Council’s views on the recent proposals from the Boundary Committee. The Chairman explained that he, other Councillors and the Clerk would attend meetings in April to enable the Parish Council to have an informed debate at the May meeting and respond before the end of the consultation period.
County Councillor Williams commented that the County Council might possibly demand a judicial review of the process which could delay a decision by the Secretary of State. Elections for the European Parliament and the County Council would be held on 4 June; it was likely that a General Election would be called in 2010, and elections for the unitary council(s) on 2011.
Councillor Sadler commented that the advice from the independent financial adviser published by the Boundary Committee was hard to understand. He reiterated that the priority of the reorganisation should be effective services for taxpayers regardless of cost.

County Councillor Williams was thanked for attending and he left the meeting.

9.2 3 General Maintenance Matters
It was agreed to revisit the matters already on the Council’s maintenance list to ascertain the current state of repair, and to review all roads in the parish to achieve an up to date picture. The Clerk would prepare a schedule for Councillors to monitor individual roads and if possible take photographs. White lining would also be included in this review.

(Councillor Ward entered the meeting at this point)

9.3 Any Other Highways Matters
Discussion took place on the cause of the recent accident on Church Lane near the resurfaced area. Councillor Sadler queried whether flashing chevrons could be installed.

There was discussion on the usefulness of requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act on the contract prices involved in completing the work on Lilian Road in two halves, and whether value for money had been achieved by this method. It was agreed not to pursue this.

10. AMENITIES MATTERS

10.1 Recreational Facilities at the Village Hall site
The Chairman, Councillor Cullum and the Clerk outlined the scheme chosen by the Working Group in collaboration with the Chairman of the Village Hall Management Committee. The Clerk outlined the funding involved, including a grant application from the Parish Council to Broadland District Council. It was hoped that the facilities could be installed by the school summer holidays.

10.2 Amenities Committee
A meeting date was agreed for 21 April 2009 at 7.00pm

10.3 Broadland District Council: Street Scene Spring Clean
Areas for a visit from the team were suggested.

10.4 Any Other Amenities Matters
Councillor Doy reported on problems with the recent landscaping on the Arthurton Road amenity area.

11. SPIXWORTH VILLAGE HALL

11.1 Spixworth Village Hall Management Committee
The meeting noted Councillor Potter’s report on the Committee meeting held on 24 February 2009.
He enlarged on the various matters, including the possible separation of the utilities provision for the main Hall and the Social Club.
He further reported on the progress with merging the interests of the Spixworth (Sunday) Football Club and AFC Norwich.
Councillor Potter was thanked for his report.

12. NORWICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

12.1 Meeting of Airport Consultative Committee
The minutes of the meeting held on 23 March 2009 had been circulated. Councillor Sadler commented on the 33% drop in passenger numbers from two years previously, which would address the concerns on airport expansion expressed by Mr Burrows during the public session of a recent meeting.

Consultation on the Airspace Change Project would take place between 14 April – 14 July 2009; a member of Air Traffic Services would be willing to come and speak to the Parish Council about this.

13. QUALITY COUNCIL STATUS

13.1 Welcome pack leaflet
The meeting approved the cost, estimated to be around £60, for photography for the leaflet.

13.2 Power of Well-Being
The Clerk explained that Councillors and Clerks of Parish Councils wishing to use the Power would need to receive training. The Clerk had booked a course for herself which included registration for the additional qualification module, and the Council AGREED the half cost of £17.50 (to be shared with Buxton with Lamas Parish Council).

Parish Councils could book training for Councillors on an individual Council basis costing £200 at a future date.

There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.55pm