MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF SPIXWORTH PARISH COUNCIL HELD AT
7.30pm on TUESDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2007 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 Thompson (later)
Mr Watson
District Council B. Kular
District Councillor C. Thompson (also Parish Councillor)
County Councillor A. Williams (later)
CLERK: Mrs R. Rose

MR FITT welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1. APOLOGIES were accepted from Mr Thompson and Mr Ward who were attending the Safer Neighbourhood Team inaugural meeting.

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; a personal interest in Item 5.2 as a collector for East Anglian Air Ambulance; a prejudicial interest in Item 13.2 as a candidate standing for election.
Councillor Fitt: a personal interest in Item 12 as a member of a user group of the Village Hall.
Councillor Potter: a personal interest in Item 12 as a former employee of the Social Club and a member of a user group of the Village Hall; a prejudicial interest in Item 5.2 as Secretary of the Spixworth (Sunday) Football Club.
Councillor Watson: a personal interest in Item 12 as a member of the Social Club Committee.

3. THE MINUTES of the previous meeting held on 7 August 2007, which had been circulated, were AGREED, and signed by the Chairman as a true record.

4. MATTERS ARISING

4.1 Standing Orders
The amendment to Standing Orders as proposed and seconded at the previous meeting was CONFIRMED.

5. FINANCE

5.1 Balances were noted. Cheques and Payments detailed on the attached schedule and totalling £3,362.98 were authorised for payment.

5.2 Applications for Financial Assistance
5.2.1 Spixworth (Sunday) Football Club
In accordance with Standing Order 69, with the meeting's agreement the Chairman adjourned the meeting to allow Councillor Potter to answer questions about the application; he left the room whilst the matter was decided.
Proposed by Councillor Fitt, seconded by Councillor Sadler, a donation of £500 was AGREED.

5.2.2 East Anglian Air Ambulance
There was discussion on a recent article in the local press stating that senior management staff had received bonuses. In view of the fact that the Ambulance was maintained solely through donations, the Council felt unable to contribute on this occasion. However, the Clerk would write to the board Chairman for clarification, and if assurances were given that this action would not be repeated the matter would be reconsidered.

5.2.3 Millennium Bench for Churchyard
The Rector and PCC had chosen a suitable style of bench, leaving it to the Council to decide on type of wood, treatment and inscription. The meeting AGREED the cost of an oak bench treated with teak oil, and the Clerk would clarify with the Rector a suitable inscription.

6. PLANNING MATTERS

6.1 Planning Committee
6.1.1 The minutes of the committee meeting held 7 August 2007 were RATIFIED.

6.1.2 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.

6.2 Permissions and Enforcement Matters
No matters to report.

6.3 Any Other Planning Matters
6.3.1 Lafarge Processing Site
Councillor Watson reported that damping down had again been overlooked on the site, contrary to planning conditions, and local residents were complaining of an excess of dust in the air. The road surface at the haul road crossing on Church Lane appeared to be sinking.
Councillor Barrell reported that when damping down had occurred, and after rain, mud and sand from the site was migrated onto the highway. Further, a sign on the haul advising drivers to stop before crossing Church Lane was absent. The Clerk would report this to the appropriate County Council Planning Engineer.

6.3.2 Affordable Housing
Councillor Watson put forward the proposition that no further extensions be allowed on affordable housing stock which might add value to the dwelling and enhance the price out of the range of many first-time buyers. District Councillor Kular agreed to take up this point with planning staff at Broadland District Council.

7. CORRESPONDENCE & REPORT OF MEETING(S) ATTENDED

7.1 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.

7.2 Consultations / Invitations
The Chairman, Councillor Sadler and the Clerk would attend the Broadland District Council AGM with Parishes on 10 October 2007.

7.3 Harvest Newsletter
The Rector had approached the Council suggesting that it might like to have space in the newsletter going to every household at the end of September, and that it might be delivered by the Council's General Assistant. Councillor Potter raised concerns about using Council personnel for essentially non-Council activities, and the insurance implications this raised.
After discussion, it was proposed by Councillor Watson, seconded by Councillor Fitt and AGREED that the Council take up the offer of space in the newsletter, provided that it would be delivered to every household, but offer £50 to support its production in lieu of delivery services.

7.4 NCAPTC Meeting regarding Norwich Unitary Status
The Chairman reported on his attendance at a meeting held on 23 August 2007 under the auspices of NCAPTC. Those parishes invited to send representatives were those that were likely to be absorbed into a Greater Norwich area should the Boundary Committee's potential review recommend this action.
The Chairman had found it difficult to establish the aim of the meeting, but had agreed to be part of a working party to collect further information on the effect that unitary status for Norwich would have on the parishes concerned, so that the full impact could be gauged.
County Councillor Williams entered the meeting at this point. He reported that the Government had given guidance to the Boundary Committee, asking it to
investigate the feasibility of unitary status for Greater Norwich and unitary solutions for the rest of Norfolk.
He further reported that the County Council meeting on the previous day had again voted against a motion for unitary status for the county. Of the 1500 submissions received in the consultation for the Norwich unitary, 95% had opposed the proposition. County Councillor Williams felt that, when the opportunity to be consulted was given, the best way to get the parish view represented to the Boundary Committee would be via bodies such as the NCAPTC.

8. HIGHWAYS MATTERS

8.1 Maintenance matters update
As reported at the last meeting, the Clerk had submitted a large report of areas where it was felt that repair or attention was needed. The Highways Engineer had carried out an inspection and responded on each, commenting that there appeared to be "a difference in expectation of the standard of maintenance."
Councillor Potter gave a detailed analysis of where work was programmed, but deplored incidences where work of a preventative nature could be carried out were only to be monitored.
County Councillor Williams confirmed that the department was under budgetary constraints but promised to look into the circumstances, particularly of the postponement of the resurfacing work to the footway in Lilian Road to the next financial year. This was of particular importance now that the Playgroup and Pre-School group were housed in the First School premises, as the footway would undergo a significant increase in usage.
A meeting of the Highways Committee was agreed for 13 September to prioritise the work that had not been programmed for immediate attention.
Councillor Barrell reported that he had cut a hedge in Church Lane where the contractor had left foliage obscuring important road signs; the 30mph sign on that road was still missing.
The Clerk would ascertain the correct signage for Beeston Lane.

8.2 Any Other Highways Matters
8.2.1 The County Council Speed Awareness Team had placed monitors in Park Road in the previous week during mid-morning, and Councillor Manning had spoken to the personnel, indicating that monitoring was not taking place at the time of day when speeding problems occurred. The Clerk would ask if the results were available.

8.2.2 The Clerk would ascertain when the extra flashing sign would be installed in Buxton Road near the Park Road junction.

9. AMENITIES MATTERS

9.1 Broadland Play Strategy Working Group
The meeting noted the minutes of the meeting held on 22 August 2007, which was principally to ascertain the equipment that would be proposed in the portfolio for the Broadland bid to the Big Lottery fund. 10% of the funding for each of four projects in the District would be top-sliced to fund a Project Manager to oversee ordering and installation of all the equipment, and liaison with the parishes involved.

9.2 Basketball goal on Greg's Meadow
The meeting noted the transfer of ownership of the basketball goal to the Parish Council. Spare parts were still available through the suppliers.

9.3 Any Other Amenities Matters
The Clerk would investigate why a litter bin on Greg's Meadow had not been emptied.

(Councillors Thompson and Ward entered the meeting at this point)

10. POLICE MATTERS

10.1 Crime Statistics
The figures for August had been received and circulated; 26 calls had been taken by the Control Room from/regarding the parish, and 7 crimes had been logged.
Councillor Potter related the experience of Police response when the football field had again been damaged by joyriders.

10.2 Safer Neighbourhood Team
The Vice-Chairman reported on the meeting held earlier that evening at Old Catton. He had agreed to be the parish representative on the Safer Neighbourhood Action Panel (SNAP), with Councillor Thompson as his deputy. Meetings would be held quarterly to bring forward local issues seen as requiring community policing. The public would be allowed to contribute for the first half, and thereafter the Panel itself would decide on the priorities for the area of Spixworth, Sprowston, Old Catton and Beeston, and what agencies would be required to tackle the problem. The following meeting would analyse the success of the action, and decide on the next set of priorities.

11. NORWICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

No matters to report.

12. SPIXWORTH VILLAGE HALL

12.1 Spixworth Village Hall Management Committee
The meeting noted Councillor Potter's reports of the July and August Management Committee meetings.
The Chairman reported on the tri-partite meeting held on 29 August 2007 with representatives of the Village Hall and Social Club Committees; the Council was represented by himself, the Vice-Chairman and Councillor Potter; the Clerk attended to minute the meeting.
He had made it clear that the Council had asked for the meeting because it had been concerned that, with the difficulties in achieving a properly constituted management committee, and the loss of revenue caused by the pre-school groups moving to the First School, there could be a risk to the material and fabric of the Village Hall, and ultimately the facility might be lost to the village. He suggested that the Parish Council might be the best body to ensure the viability and sustainability of the whole complex. The Village Hall and Social Club representatives accepted this approach, and asked to see a draft scenario of how the management structure might work.
The Chairman circulated a draft to the Council, who agreed that this could be put to the Village Hall and Social Club Committees at their next meetings. The matter would then be discussed at a further tri-partite meeting on 4 October.

13. NCAPTC

13.1 AGM, Saturday 15 September, East Tuddenham Village Hall
Councillor Sadler would attend on behalf of the Parish Council. The meeting approved the attendance fee (£5) and travelling expenses.

13.2 Election of Broadland representatives on Executive Committee
(Councillor Sadler left the room during this item)
The Council AGREED to vote for Barbara Lashley, Jack Sadler, Ann Spelman and Basil Tibbenham.

14. CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

The Clerk had prepared a draft Policy, required to be adopted to support the Council's bid for funding through the Broadland Play strategy. Councillor Cullum had identified some areas for improvement, and agreed to meet with the Clerk to re-draft the Policy for consideration at a subsequent meeting.

15. REPORTS FROM DISTRICT / COUNTY COUNCILLORS

District Councillor Kular reiterated his concerns over the potential unitary status for Norwich City, and recommended a piece outlining the repercussions for parishes in the next Council newsletter.

County Councillor Williams expressed his concern that, in the unitary debate, some schemes and policies already planned by the County Council would be put on hold.
The Modern Social Care strategy, allowing costs to be saved by Social Workers working from home, would be launched in October.
He further reported that the profits of Norfolk County Services Limited and NPS Property Consultants Limited were up at the half-year; 30% of their business came from outside Norfolk. Norfolk Environmental Waste Services Ltd (NEWS) had lost the contract for household waste recycling, but there was progress on the new recycling plant to be built at Costessey.

16. AOB

Councillors Holdroyd and Watson reported recent shortcomings in the bus services to Norwich.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 9.50pm