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

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 Mrs Holdroyd, Mr Thompson and Mr Watson.

2. ELECTION OF OFFICERS 2009/10

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

2.2 Vice-Chairman
Mr Ward spoke on the role of Vice-Chairman as a preparation for Chairmanship, and of the need to open up the opportunity for other members in this role. He proposed Councillor Doy, which was seconded by Councillor Barrell. Councillor Doy was elected unopposed to serve as Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year.

2.3 Committees
Committee membership was agreed; a list is attached to the signed copy of these minutes.

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Councillor Sadler: as a member of Broadland Standards Committee and Broadland Community Partnership (public bodies); a Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee of Norfolk ALC; 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. POLICE MATTERS

4.1 Crime Statistics
The figures for April had been received and circulated; 24 calls had been taken by the Control Room from/regarding the parish, and 8 crimes had been logged.
The Clerk would enquire as to the location of the traffic accident with personal injury.

4.2 Matters for the Safer Neighbourhood Team
Due to the recent change in shift patterns, no Police Officer was available to attend the meeting. Councillor Potter reported the extreme disturbance from nuisance behaviour experienced by users of the Village Hall on 30 April. The Police were called but no-one was available to attend. Graffiti targeted at a local officer had to be washed from a Village Hall wall, and on 4 May one of the CCTV cameras had been stolen from outside the Village Hall. He suggested that the problem be brought to the attention of senior officers with a view to more positive action being taken.

There was discussion on the seeming worsening situation with rowdy/ nuisance behaviour. It was always the category with the highest number of calls on the monthly statistics, though these could sometimes refer to the same incident. The meeting felt strongly that this had become an acute problem and more stringent action should now be taken by the Police.

Councillor Ward suggested inviting the new sergeant, Pete Scott, to a meeting with representatives of the Village Hall Management Committee and Parish Council. Sergeant Scott had spoken on this matter at the recent SNAP meeting and had had previous experience of dealing with this type of problem.

A comment was also made that the telephone operators who filtered the calls at the response centre sometimes did not appreciate the seriousness of the problem.

County Councillor Williams entered the meeting at this point.

5. THE MINUTES of the previous meeting held on 7 April 2009, which had been circulated, were agreed, and signed by the Chairman as a true record with factual amendments to Item 14 (County Councillor’s report).

6. MATTERS ARISING

6.1 (None not covered by the agenda)

7. FINANCE

7.1 Balances were noted.
Cheques and Payments detailed on the attached schedule and totalling £3,243.21 were authorised for payment.

7.2 Application for Financial Assistance
The Headteacher of Woodland View Junior School sought funding to purchase a defibrillator for the school’s and community’s use. The school had raised £602, leaving a shortfall of £271. The Clerk was asked to seek answers to questions regarding the availability of the equipment out of school hours. The meeting delegated authority to the Chairman and Clerk to release the money on receipt of satisfactory answers.

District Councillor Kular pledged £21, leaving a shortfall of £250. County Councillor Williams suggested writing to Norse Commercial Services to seek funding for this cause.

7.3 Finance & General Purposes Committee
The meeting RATIFIED the minutes of the meeting held 21 April 2009.
The Clerk reported the figures obtained from the current insurance provider for the increased premiums to cover the new recreational equipment and the street lights for impact only. These were AGREED.

8. PLANNING MATTERS

8.1 Planning Committee
8.1.1 The minutes of the committee meetings held 7 and 14 April 2009 were RATIFIED.

8.1.2 Councillor Mills gave a verbal report of the Committee meeting held immediately prior to the Council meeting; the Council AGREED the recommendations on applications made.

8.2 Permissions and Enforcement Matters
No further progress on cases already reported.

9. CORRESPONDENCE & REPORT OF MEETING(S) ATTENDED

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 Response to consultations / invitations
The meeting AGREED Councillor Sadler’s travel expenses to attend the Norfolk Planning Conference (CPRE with Norfolk ALC) on 18 June at Swaffham.

10. HIGHWAYS MATTERS

10.1 Maintenance Matters Update
Footway reconstruction, Lilian Road: Slight amendments had been made to the work scheduled to start on 20 July; Saturday working would now be required.

Buxton Road / Church Lane junction: The Highways Engineer was awaiting clarification of the design of a ‘ghost island’ to ascertain that it would conform to traffic signing regulations.

Church Lane: The Council had requested Highways to consider flashing chevrons near the site of several accidents. The Project Engineer (Casualty Reduction Section) had responded that these were being trialled at another location and Norfolk was unable to provide any of these expensive signs until the full results of the trial were known.

10.2 Any Other Highways Matters
10.2.1 Councils close to Horstead with Stanninghall were invited to send a representative to a meeting on 21 May to discuss the local fly-tipping problem with officers of Broadland District Council. The Chairman and Councillors Sadler and Ward expressed an interest in going; the Clerk would attend if they were unable to do so.

10.2.2 The Clerk would contact the Rector to see if measures could be taken to stop churchgoers parking on the grass triangle at the Buxton Road/Church Lane junction.

10.2.3 The Clerk would pursue replacement of the road name sign at the junction of William Peck / Julian Roads.

10.2.4 The Clerk would pursue clearance of the footpath from the B1150 to the Village Hall on Crostwick Lane.

10.2.5 Roads were allocated to each Councillor to inspect for highways problems. The Clerk should be informed of any urgent problems immediately.

11. AMENITIES MATTERS

11.1 Amenities Committee
The minutes of the meeting held 21 April 2009 were RATIFIED.
Action was ongoing with the matters raised at that meeting. The Clerk was pursuing estimates for repair and/or replacement of the equipment in the Orchard Road playground.

11.2 Any Other Amenities Matters
Questions were raised about the standard of grass cutting, particularly on the cycleway. Councillor Manning responded that the standard of cutting was much better with the new contractor, including the cycleway. It was acknowledged that the grass at the edge of the carriageway would be difficult to cut since the County Council workmen had deposited the spoil from clearing the grips and ditches on the verge.

12. LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITARY STATUS

The Chairman recapped on the situation, in that the Boundary Committee had presented two final options for unitary status government in Norfolk; these were a whole county option and a Greater Norwich/ Rural Norfolk option. He explained that he, Councillor Sadler and the Clerk had attended a number of meetings and received several background papers setting out the research into the financial aspects of both options. Other factors such as delivery of services, social/environmental issues and working with parish and town councils had also been discussed.

After debate, it was proposed by Councillor Ward and seconded by the Chairman that the Council respond in support of the whole county option, but also make clear that the status quo was preferable to any of the other options.

On a suggestion from the Clerk, it was agreed that she pursue what transfer of assets would be possible from the District Council should unitary status be imposed.

13. SPIXWORTH VILLAGE HALL

13.1 The meeting noted Councillor Potter’s report on the Management Committee meeting held 28 April 2009. There was nothing further to report. Confirmation was still awaited of the transfer of trusteeship to the Parish Council.

14. NORWICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

14.1 Controlled airspace in the vicinity of Norwich International Airport
A letter from the General Manager of Air Traffic Services had explained the background to the consultation but the implications for Spixworth were not clear. Councillor Sadler would try to gain more information and present it at the next meeting.

15. REPORTS FROM DISTRICT / COUNTY COUNCILLORS

15.1 District Councillor Kular reported on his support for the application by Spixworth Infant School for installation of solar panels.
He made an offer of financial support for the defibrillator for Woodland View Junior School (see 7.2) and also offered to attend any meeting arranged to discuss the rowdy/nuisance behaviour problem in Spixworth.

15.2 County Councillor Williams suggested that the Parish Council write to Norse Commercial Services for a contribution to the shortfall in funding the defibrillator (see 7.2).
A County Council partnership with Enfield Council for facilities management should realise £3.8 million each year for the next 10 years. Event Guard (75% of which was purchased from Norwich City FC) would be used on the City College site.
The County Council’s nett annual budget was £550 million; the end of year figures for 2008/09 showed a £750,000 underspend.

16. AOB

Councillor Potter reminded the Council to report any ‘Sold’ signs outside houses to the Clerk so that a welcome leaflet could be delivered.

There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.15pm.