10 May 2007 - PARISH COUNCIL - MAY 9 2007
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING The Shenington with Alkerton Parish Annual Meeting on May 9 was attended by all seven councillors and over 40 members of the parish with Keith Hainsworth as chairman. The minutes were taken by Margaret Coles as no parish clerk has been successfully appointed.
The chairman opened the meeting with a tribute to Di Parker who had died as a result of a tragic accident and had been buried the previous day.
The minutes of the previous Annual Parish Meeting were read, approved and signed.
Tim Dowdeswell made a verbal presentation of the accounts for the year ending 31 March 2007. There had been expenditure of £2,226 out of the precept of £5,000, the variance arising largely due to not having a clerk's remuneration for part of the year. Cash in the bank at the year-end was £7,303 and the Council's assets remain unchanged, including the bus shelter, notice boards and mowers. He thanked John Evans for acting as Finance Officer in the absence of a Parish Clerk.
Keith Hainsworth, in his annual report, noted the Council's wish both to inform and consult using both two open forums at meetings of the Council and potentially a ballot to determine village opinion on specific items. He commented that the Council's major expenditure was on its own administration, the Local Development Framework planning by Cherwell District Council was at a standstill and that he understood that there was still a risk of mineral extraction taking place near the village school. He had received a letter of thanks from the Parochial Church Council for the successful working party in Shenington Churchyard and hoped that further work there and at Alkerton could be carried out. The Council will discuss kerbing of the Green, the plant trough and street lighting at its meeting in July. He concluded his review with an expression of thanks to Colm Gibson for his work as Parish Clerk.
He then referred to an anonymous letter relating to the conduct and performance of the Parish Council that had been circulated around the parish. He refuted the assertion in the letter that residents regard the Chairman and Vice-Chairman as having prejudicial interests particularly relating to discussions on the Cherwell Site Allocation Plan, pointing out that the Council had voted against all the proposed sites. He pointed out also that the system of portfolio holders was not a common feature of Parish Councils and at a later stage in the meeting apologised for not introducing it more quickly. However he could not agree that this had resulted in extra meetings of the Kart Club in 2007. He concluded by saying that he would make no further statement but that it was open to members of the Parish Council to take legal action should they wish.
Matters raised in the open discussion included the large gap in the field wall on Rattllecombe Road opposite The Level; the care of the Green in front of the Bell Inn; the setts edging the roads across the main part of the Green; the 2007 programme of meetings of the Kart Club; the plant trough on the Green, and the limits on the number of powered take offs by the Gliding Club. In discussion on the conduct of the Parish Council the chairman announced that a new code of conduct was being issued by central government but comments were made that councillors should, like Caesar's wife, be beyond suspicion.
The Annual Parish Meeting closed at 9.20 pm and was followed by a meeting of the Parish Council at which some 14 members of the public were in attendance.
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
The chairman Keith Hainsworth and the vice-chairman Tim Dowdeswell were re-elected with one member of the Council voting against.
Discussion on the minutes centred largely on the removal of stone from walls at the Stone Pit. Tim Dowdeswell agreed to submit the proposed agreement with Mr. Nunneley for approval by the Council at its next meeting and the Council will review the costs of recovering the stone at the same meeting.
The Council agreed to be a third party in the Village Hall Trust's application for a grant to SITA and to provide funds of £1,055.70 for this purpose.
After some misgivings had been cleared up, Wendi Court has accepted the position as Parish Clerk for a three-month probationary period. Tim Dowdeswell will prepare the contract of employment for approval by the Council at its next meeting. Gillian Crabb's objections to the appointment have been recorded in the minutes.
The Council have been notified that the early morning bus from Banbury to Stratford used by children attending schools in Stratford and Warwick is being discontinued. Keith Adams will write to the appropriate authorities to record the Council's dismay and objection to this move.
Items for discussion with the County Highways Department on June 6 include the quality of the roads, the walls alongside and the provision of school signs to induce more careful driving through the village. The provision of better signing at the beginning of Stocking Lane was discussed both to have a name readable from vehicles arriving from the direction of Banbury and also to provide guidance to the surgery and school.
Developments at Long Acre and the relevance of a retrospective planning application were discussed. Members of the village have expressed concern over the wooden building erected on the site
The Chairman reported that he had received a document relating to minerals. He had completed a return and would circulate this to members of the Council.
In the Open Forum Tim Dowdeswell indicated that he was still examining sources of interest bearing banking, details of which had been provided at the previous meeting of the Council. There was also comment that the financial report to the Annual Parish Meeting should have been a written document so that the report could be scrutinised more carefully.
The Council have received a letter from Mr M. Cuming which the Chairman felt should not be discussed at this meeting.
In view of the obvious antagonism within the Parish Council a conciliator is being sought from Oxfordshire to attempt to remove the friction.
The meeting finally closed at 11 pm.
The chairman opened the meeting with a tribute to Di Parker who had died as a result of a tragic accident and had been buried the previous day.
The minutes of the previous Annual Parish Meeting were read, approved and signed.
Tim Dowdeswell made a verbal presentation of the accounts for the year ending 31 March 2007. There had been expenditure of £2,226 out of the precept of £5,000, the variance arising largely due to not having a clerk's remuneration for part of the year. Cash in the bank at the year-end was £7,303 and the Council's assets remain unchanged, including the bus shelter, notice boards and mowers. He thanked John Evans for acting as Finance Officer in the absence of a Parish Clerk.
Keith Hainsworth, in his annual report, noted the Council's wish both to inform and consult using both two open forums at meetings of the Council and potentially a ballot to determine village opinion on specific items. He commented that the Council's major expenditure was on its own administration, the Local Development Framework planning by Cherwell District Council was at a standstill and that he understood that there was still a risk of mineral extraction taking place near the village school. He had received a letter of thanks from the Parochial Church Council for the successful working party in Shenington Churchyard and hoped that further work there and at Alkerton could be carried out. The Council will discuss kerbing of the Green, the plant trough and street lighting at its meeting in July. He concluded his review with an expression of thanks to Colm Gibson for his work as Parish Clerk.
He then referred to an anonymous letter relating to the conduct and performance of the Parish Council that had been circulated around the parish. He refuted the assertion in the letter that residents regard the Chairman and Vice-Chairman as having prejudicial interests particularly relating to discussions on the Cherwell Site Allocation Plan, pointing out that the Council had voted against all the proposed sites. He pointed out also that the system of portfolio holders was not a common feature of Parish Councils and at a later stage in the meeting apologised for not introducing it more quickly. However he could not agree that this had resulted in extra meetings of the Kart Club in 2007. He concluded by saying that he would make no further statement but that it was open to members of the Parish Council to take legal action should they wish.
Matters raised in the open discussion included the large gap in the field wall on Rattllecombe Road opposite The Level; the care of the Green in front of the Bell Inn; the setts edging the roads across the main part of the Green; the 2007 programme of meetings of the Kart Club; the plant trough on the Green, and the limits on the number of powered take offs by the Gliding Club. In discussion on the conduct of the Parish Council the chairman announced that a new code of conduct was being issued by central government but comments were made that councillors should, like Caesar's wife, be beyond suspicion.
The Annual Parish Meeting closed at 9.20 pm and was followed by a meeting of the Parish Council at which some 14 members of the public were in attendance.
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
The chairman Keith Hainsworth and the vice-chairman Tim Dowdeswell were re-elected with one member of the Council voting against.
Discussion on the minutes centred largely on the removal of stone from walls at the Stone Pit. Tim Dowdeswell agreed to submit the proposed agreement with Mr. Nunneley for approval by the Council at its next meeting and the Council will review the costs of recovering the stone at the same meeting.
The Council agreed to be a third party in the Village Hall Trust's application for a grant to SITA and to provide funds of £1,055.70 for this purpose.
After some misgivings had been cleared up, Wendi Court has accepted the position as Parish Clerk for a three-month probationary period. Tim Dowdeswell will prepare the contract of employment for approval by the Council at its next meeting. Gillian Crabb's objections to the appointment have been recorded in the minutes.
The Council have been notified that the early morning bus from Banbury to Stratford used by children attending schools in Stratford and Warwick is being discontinued. Keith Adams will write to the appropriate authorities to record the Council's dismay and objection to this move.
Items for discussion with the County Highways Department on June 6 include the quality of the roads, the walls alongside and the provision of school signs to induce more careful driving through the village. The provision of better signing at the beginning of Stocking Lane was discussed both to have a name readable from vehicles arriving from the direction of Banbury and also to provide guidance to the surgery and school.
Developments at Long Acre and the relevance of a retrospective planning application were discussed. Members of the village have expressed concern over the wooden building erected on the site
The Chairman reported that he had received a document relating to minerals. He had completed a return and would circulate this to members of the Council.
In the Open Forum Tim Dowdeswell indicated that he was still examining sources of interest bearing banking, details of which had been provided at the previous meeting of the Council. There was also comment that the financial report to the Annual Parish Meeting should have been a written document so that the report could be scrutinised more carefully.
The Council have received a letter from Mr M. Cuming which the Chairman felt should not be discussed at this meeting.
In view of the obvious antagonism within the Parish Council a conciliator is being sought from Oxfordshire to attempt to remove the friction.
The meeting finally closed at 11 pm.