MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF SPIXWORTH PARISH COUNCIL HELD AT
7.30pm on TUESDAY 6 MAY 2008 at SPIXWORTH VILLAGE HALL

PRESENT
COUNCILLORS: Mr Fitt (Chairman)
Mr Ward (Vice-Chairman)
Mr Barrell Ms Cullum Mrs Doy (later)
Mrs Holdroyd Mr Manning Mr Mills
Mr Potter Mr Sadler Mr Thompson (later)
Mr Watson
District Councillor C. Thompson (also Parish Councillor) (later)
County Councillor A. Williams (later)
PC Lambert
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 those Councillors stated above as arriving later in the meeting.

Councillor Doy entered the meeting at this point.

2. ELECTION OF OFFICERS 2008/09

2.1 Chairman
Proposed by Councillor Sadler, seconded by Councillor Manning, Mr Fitt was elected unopposed to serve as Chairman for the ensuing year. Councillor Fitt signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

2.2 Vice Chairman
Proposed by Councillor Fitt, seconded by Councillor Barrell, Mr Ward was elected unopposed to serve as Vice Chairman for the ensuing year.

2.3 Committees
All committee membership remained as for the previous year.

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor Sadler: as member 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.

4. THE MINUTES of the previous meetings held on 1 April 2008 and 29 April 2008, which had been circulated, were agreed, and signed by the Chairman as a true record.

5. MATTERS ARISING

5.1 Evening bus service
The County Council had found away to provide an evening service at 1930 from Norwich to Frettenham and Coltishall via Spixworth until at least the end of August.

5.2 Mobile Library
An experimental fortnightly Saturday morning service would commence on 10 May 2008, and would continue until 20 December 2008. The Spixworth stop was from 09.30 to 10.45 at Rosetta Road.

6. POLICE MATTERS

6.1 Crime Statistics
The figures for April had been received and circulated; 25 calls had been taken by the Control Room from/regarding the parish, and 11 crimes had been logged.
PC Lambert enlarged on the crimes recorded.
He reported that the PCSO for Spixworth might be changed in the near future.

6.2 Police matters arising from previous minutes
PC Lambert reported that the landowner had given his permission for a young person to ride his scooter on land adjacent to the Buxton Road cycleway. However, it appeared that restrictions had been put on this lately.

6.3 SNAP Meeting
The meeting noted the minutes of the SNAP meeting held on 21 April 2008 at Spixworth Methodist Church. Councillor Ward had chaired that meeting and had been disappointed that the attendance from the village was poor. It was acknowledged that the Parish Council newsletter had been distributed to some parts of the village after the meeting, but publicity through other means had been available a few weeks beforehand.

PC Lambert noted from that meeting that a school crossing patrol was needed on Crostwick Lane; there had been no patrol here for 9 years. He had spoken to colleagues in County Hall; a survey would be carried out in early June and he hoped to report back to the Parish Council after that.

6.4 Any Other Police Matters
6.4.1 There was discussion on the use of the amenity area on Arthurton Road for football games. It appeared that there was some disagreement amongst local residents as to the level of nuisance caused.

6.4.2 Councillor Sadler commented on the presence of a Police motorcycle speed trap in Old Catton and asked if it could be deployed in Spixworth. PC Lambert responded that he had tasked traffic police to visit the village periodically. He suggested that the Clerk write to Sergeant Atherton and invite him to speak to a Parish Council meeting.

6.4.3 Councillor Sadler had invited the Chief Constable to visit a Parish Council meeting, but his diary was busy until September. The Clerk would liaise with his Personal Assistant to find a suitable date.

6.4.4 Councillor Potter asked if there could be a Police presence at the village fete on 13 July.

6.4.5 Councillor Barrell commented on the praise PC Lambert had received on Radio Norfolk, and extended his own thanks for the greatly improved policing of the village.

7. FINANCE

7.1 Balances were noted.
Cheques and Payments detailed on the attached schedule and totalling £4,617.04 were authorised for payment.

County Councillor Williams entered the meeting at this point.

7.2 Applications for Financial Assistance
None received.

7.3 Pension Policy
The draft Policy as presented was ADOPTED.

7.4 Street Lighting
7.4.1 The meeting APPROVED a quotation from T.T. Jones Electrical Ltd of ££5,763.12 for replacement of 6 concrete columns in Jenny Road.

7.4.2 The contractor had inspected Column 613 in Buxton Road and found the lantern to be unserviceable and the parts for it obsolete. It was decided to defer a decision on accepting the quotation for its repair until more details of the fault had been obtained. There was concern that more of the lanterns on Buxton Road that were installed at the same time might suffer from the same fault.

With the meeting’s agreement, the Chairman changed the order of the agenda.

8. HIGHWAY MATTERS

10.1 Track from Rackheath Lane to Crostwick Common
The Vice Chairman reported that he had been approached by a parishioner who used this track on a regular basis. It had recently been closed by the landowner, reportedly because the occupants of the houses along the track (employees of the landowner) wished for more privacy.
The Clerk had ascertained that applying for it to be classed as a footpath on the Definitive Map would require proof that it had been used constantly for 20 years.
After discussion, it was agreed that the Clerk should write to the Chair of Crostwick Parish Meeting to ask if he had more information or if the Parish Meeting would object to Spixworth Parish Council pursuing the path being classed as a footpath. At the same time, the Clerk would write to Trafford Estates on behalf of Spixworth parishioners to ask if this access to Crostwick Common could be reinstated.

A member of the public, Mr Burrows, re-entered the meeting at this point.

10.2 Buxton Road/Church Lane areas
10.2.1 County Councillor Williams has ascertained from the Highways Area Manager that the junction of Buxton Road and Church Lane had been reassessed as an accident cluster site, with five slight injury accidents within a 30 metre radius in the last three years.

10.2.2 Church Lane, haul road crossing: The Area Manager did not consider Lafarge’s traffic movements were extraordinarily high, or sufficient to charge it for damage to the road surface. Accordingly, County Council personnel would continue to inspect and carry out any repairs necessary.

10.3 Bus stop infrastructure
Norfolk County Council was continuing its programme of improvements to bus stops to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. Five stops in Spixworth were programmed for imminent improvement in Arthurton Road, Giles Road and Crostwick Lane. These included sites that were raised at the Annual Parish Meeting.

10.4 Maintenance Matters Update
The Clerk had checked on repair items outstanding which Highways had indicated would be carried out in the short term. All except one had been carried out; the Clerk would ascertain the repair timescale for a replacement drain/surrounding surface on Crostwick Lane.

10.5 Any Other Highways Matters
The Clerk would pursue the following matters with the relevant authority:
query why several dropped kerb areas on William Peck Road had been replaced;
tree trimming on Buxton Road between Quaker Lane and No 318;
report areas of fly-tipping on Quaker Lane;
standard of grass cutting and trimming back of trees and bushes on the footway between Park Road and Arthurton Road

11. UNITARY STATUS

11.1 Response to Norfolk County Council’s proposals
The meeting agreed the wording of the response to Norfolk County Council as outlined in the minutes of the Council meeting held 29 April 2008.

11.2 NCAPTC: Boundary Committee Review
The Chairman and Clerk would attend a Presentation of Concepts Day arranged by the NCAPTC, where the various authorities in Norfolk could present to representatives of parish and town councils the options proposed to the Boundary Committee.
County Councillor Williams confirmed that communications between the County Council and the Boundary Committee were ongoing.

8. PLANNING MATTERS

8.1 Planning Committee
8.1.1 The minutes of the committee meeting held 29 April 2008 were RATIFIED.
Councillor Mills as Chairman of the Planning Committee enlarged on the matters discussed and the decisions reached. The Committee had objected to an application for back garden development at 148 Park Road, reiterating the Parish Council’s policy in these cases. It was felt that continual loss of garden space would change the face of the village. The resultant cramped development would lead to social problems, and if Broadland District Council granted permission it would set a bad precedent.

8.2 Permissions and Enforcement Matters
No matters to report.

9. CORRESPONDENCE

9.1 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.

9.2 Invitations/Consultations
Councillor Sadler would attend the Norfolk Planning Conference in June. The meeting AGREED the delegate’s fee of £20 and expenses.

12. AMENITIES MATTERS

12.1 Greg's Meadow parking area
The Chairman and Clerk had composed a letter in response to the one received from the solicitor for Mr & Mrs Glasspoole. A further letter had been received from the solicitor insisting on reinstatement of a heavy duty lockable bollard, otherwise he would commence proceedings for an action in nuisance, claiming damages and compensation.
Councillor Sadler reminded the meeting of the free legal advice available from NALC through its subscription to NCAPTC, and accordingly the Clerk was instructed to acknowledge receipt of the letter and to copy the correspondence to NCAPTC for advice from the NALC solicitor.

12.2 Greg's Meadow central path
The refurbishment of the path had been completed but it was noted that there were some rough areas. The Chairman had spoken to the contractor, who would inspect the path and bring it up to specification if necessary.
Councillor Thompson entered the meeting at this point.

12.3 Any Other Amenities Matters
Councillor Manning commented on the poor maintenance of the perimeter areas of Greg's Meadow. It was acknowledged that this had not been a high priority on the Council’s budget, and that the surrounding properties, by locally fly-tipping, did nothing to help maintain the look of the park. There was general discussion on maintenance of the Council’s assets.

It was AGREED to hold a Working Party site meeting on 20 May at 6.30pm. Councillor Manning would also attend.

13. SPIXWORTH VILLAGE HALL

13.1 Spixworth Village Hall Management Committee
The meeting noted Councillor Potter’s report on the Committee meeting held on 29 April 2008.
£2,000 was still outstanding on the energy bills.

13.2 Parish Poll
Following the request for a Poll at the Annual Parish Meeting, arrangements had been made for this to be held on 3 June between 1600 and 2100. This coincided deliberately with the next Parish Council meeting, and the count would take place immediately after closure of the Poll so that the Parish Council would know the result straight away.
Notice of the Poll would be published using as many methods as possible, and the Councillors agreed to share delivery of leaflets to every household in the week preceding the Poll.

14. NORWICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

There were no matters to report. The next meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee would be held in June.

15. REPORT FROM DISTRICT COUNCILLOR

Councillor Thompson reported on his attendance earlier in the evening at a Broadland District Council Local Development Framework meeting. There would be a gateway review of the Northern Distributor Route held between 13-15 May to assess its impact on the Local Development Framework.

He reported that the application for back garden development at 148 Park Road had been refused. He confirmed that refusal of these cases was the policy of Broadland District Council, but in the past these had been granted on appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

16. AOB

Councillor Watson asked if weed killing on the county’s roads would be carried out soon. The Clerk would ascertain the timescale.

There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.45pm.