DPC MINUTES

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DOWNSWOOD PARISH COUNCIL

HELD ON TUESDAY 1 JULY 2008 AT 8.00 PM IN

THE COMMUNITY CENTRE

Present: Cllrs Cheesman (Chairman); Bevan; Clark; Butler; Greenhead; Laing; Mrs Irving (Clerk); Cllr Marchant (MBC); two members of the public (part).

1 APOLOGIES: Cllr’s Ladds (prior commitment); Chainey (work commitment); Weeks (prior commitment); PCSO Stevens (holiday).

2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: None.

3 POLICE REPORT

Report received from Jaime Martin as PCSO Stevens is on holiday.

Crime figures from 01/06/08 to 01/07/08.

01/06/08. Criminal damage under £5,000 - Grampian Way.

05/06/08. Motor vehicle taken without consent - Longham Copse.

06/06/08. Theft from motor vehicle - Longham Copse.

4 ADJOURNMENT FOR QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC – One question was raised regarding the availability/practicality of Downswood FC using Mallards Way Open Space. Resident was advised to contact MBC.

5 APPROVE & SIGN MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 3 JUNE 2008: The minutes were signed by the Chairman as a true and accurate record of proceedings

6 URGENT MATTERS:

• Part of the cycling barrier located by Foxden Drive Play Area has been removed (detailed on a list of faults given to Debra Collick by Cllr David Marchant).

• Graffiti on Climbing Wall at Mallards Way & on ‘Drive Carefully’ sign in Church Road

• Still no developments re empty house Reinden Grove.

• Cupboard where litter picker stores equipment has been vandalised again. Jim Noyce has been thanked for providing replacement padlock.

7 KENT INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY: Cllr Laing attended meetings on 17 and 19 June. At 19 June meeting he was appointed to serve on a JPG committee (the minutes of this meeting have been circulated to Cllrs). Cllr Laing to attend next meeting on 02/07/08.

8 MATTERS ARISING:

• Mallards Way Open Space. Further to the meeting held on 29/04/08; Clerk to make enquiries with MVCP regarding progress of damaged gabions & the installation of new wildlife signs. MBC to be asked to return damaged roundabout or reimburse the Parish Council to enable a replacement to be purchased. MBC to be informed that a BT van & a Fiesta car have been parked inside the main gate on a regular basis.

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Youth Huddle. MBC have been approached regarding CCTV coverage. Due to holidays, a site meeting is not likely to take place until September. Richard Wingett (MBC Community Safety Team) & John Grant (Police Architecture Liaison Officer) have been contacted & will attend meeting to advise on position of huddle.

Cllrs Bevan/Greenhead made the following recommendations; two huddles to be placed either side of football pitch, home owners overlooking the huddles to be consulted, item to be placed in newsletter.

Clerk to make enquiries re. Armstrong Road huddle.

Ideas for Roundabout. Cllr Laing’s floral landscape suggestion was circulated. Clerk to establish whether KHS have any objections to landscaping roundabout and if there are likely to be constraints on height etc.

• Foxden Drive Play Area – Cllr Greenhead/Clerk attended a site meeting with two representatives from Wicksteed Leisure. It was agreed a small section of the play area would not have replacement fencing installed as a bush at the bottom of the steps (situated by the gate) was too well established to be able to remove the existing fence, which is running through the middle. All further fencing to be replaced as agreed. MBS to be requested to carry out survey of equipment & advise on what needs replacing/repairing.

As requested by Cllrs Bevan/Greenhead, Clerk to request site meeting with Sutcliffe Play to establish feasibility/cost of cable ride equipment (2009/10 budget).

• Traffic Calming – Paul Carter has acknowledged receipt of Clerk’s email & has promised to contact officers & investigate. At the request of Cllr Butler, a copy of traffic calming emails has been sent to John Wilson (Maidstone Area Committee Chairman KALC) for information.

• Gardening Competition. Shortlist of gardens will be prepared by Cllrs in time for September meeting.

• Youth Achievement Award. Advertisement placed in Two Spires - No further entries received as yet.

• DCA Fete. It was agreed this year’s fete was a superb community event. Letter received from the DCA thanking DPC for their help and stating ‘proceeds of £1,400 will be used to purchase new, much needed furniture for the centre’.

• Solar Panels. Planning permission has been granted. The DCA are awaiting news from grant applications.

• Newsletter - Photograph of Cllr Marchant to be included in next edition. Tree Warden to be invited to write a brief article.

Further to talks regarding update of website, Cllr Laing volunteered to assist Cllr Greenhead.

9 CLERK’S REPORT:

• MBC advised the plastic fencing has not been removed from Spot Lane as it is attached. Cllr Marchant has forwarded photographs to MBC requesting further investigation.

• KHS requested to complete line painting - no response to date.

• Mr Gordon Newton has kindly repainted the gold lettering on the Downswood Stone but would not accept payment as he said costs were negligible.

• Concrete litter bin, near Spot Lane Bridge - MBC have removed.

• KHS have stated that they will not be installing bollards on the grass verge at Mallards Way as ‘these will be knocked straight out by rubbish carts’. Suggestion to be made for concrete or matting slabs (Grasscrete). KHS Community Liaison Officer to be invited to future meeting.

• Report received that EDF have been working outside The Orchard Spot, but following completion of works did not replace several wooden posts from the grassed area.

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10 ANNUAL PARISH MEETING: Cllrs requested to give some thought to speakers for next year’s meeting. Cllr Cheesman reminded Cllrs that they will need to be proactive to increase attendance.

11 COMMITTEE REPORTS – None available.

12 REPORTS FROM SEMINARS ATTENDED – Cllr Butler attended Maidstone KALC Meeting on 23 June. A report was issued to the Chairman and Clerk: John Wilson is keen for Maidstone to push the Kent Committee into action - he feels they should be acting on behalf of Parish Councils as well as being a source of advice. He would like a more coherent approach taken to things e.g. HGV’s passing through villages are a problem but a lorry ban only passes the problem onto the neighbouring village - Kent as a whole needs to come up with a strategy of where lorries can/cannot go that gets them where they want to go and with proper funding for those roads designated HGV routes.

Everyone has problems with Kent Highways and parishes are being encouraged to write to Paul Carter saying that enough is enough (see also item 18).

13 PLANNING

New Applications

MA/08/0986 - 22, Foxden Drive

Erection of rear conservatory.

The Parish Council has no objections.

MA/08/0906 - Land Adjacent 47, Foxden Drive.

Erection of a single dwelling.

The Parish Council will object on the following grounds; over development, insufficient parking & removal of large tree.

14 FINANCE

i) Donation Requests; Vitalise - It was agreed that a donation would not be made this year as local charities are receiving priority. BTC, Tree Warden Scheme - Cllr Butler proposed the suggested amount of £100 is paid, seconded by Cllr Clark and unanimously agreed. David Nuttall to be consulted on trees to be purchased; suggested location is hedgerow alongside The Spires Surgery.

ii) Items for payment.

Balance of Current Account £ 25,183.46 credit, after all cheques sent.

Balance of Investment Account £ 9,586.14 credit.

The council confirmed approval of the following payments. £

The Maidstone Trust Gurkha Statue Donation 150.00

KALC Cllr Training (Cheesman/Greenhead/Clark/Ladds) 282.00

DCA Proceeds from Fete 30.00

Auditing Solutions Internal Audit Fee 141.00

J.A. Noyce Litter Picking (June) 225.00

T.A. Irving Clerk’s Salary & Expenses (June) 672.07

HM Rev & Customs PAYE re. Clerk 199.85

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Cheques received

MBC Concurrent Functions Scheme (1st Payment) 6,385.00

Cash (DPC) Proceeds from DCA Fete 30.00

iii) Other matters to report. Actions arising from the internal audit include: staff costs on the Annual Return (see below). Suggest use of spreadsheet to record accounting transactions. Identification of specific powers i.e. Section 137. All payments should be supported with a receipt or, where none of these are available, a proforma invoice duly certified by the chairman approving the payment. Consideration should be given to reducing the level of fidelity guarantee insurance cover. Asset register/inventory to be updated (items discussed at meeting include; CCTV, Christmas lights, piece of land, computer, play equipment, notice boards, Chairman’s board, Parish map).

Prior to submitting the Annual Return, the Clerk checked the staff costs figure. Although the new figure did not agree with that calculated by the previous RFO, or that calculated by Auditing Solutions, the auditors agreed the Clerk should use her new figure on the return as this was considered to be the most accurate. The Annual Return has now been submitted to the Audit Commission.

Letter has been sent to Marion Ring - Cabinet member for Community Services, requesting plans to deduct 10% from the Concurrent Function scheme is reconsidered.

In accordance with National Joint Council for Local Government Services, Clerk’s car allowance has been increased from 55.8p to 58.7p.

15 REPORTS FROM OUTSIDE BODIES – None available.

16 CORRESPONDENCE.

• Donation request from Downswood Football Club. Deferred until next meeting due to the uncertainty of whether the club will be able to continue if it cannot find a new pitch.

• Kent Air Ambulance Trust thanking the Parish Council for their donation.

17 BOROUGH COUNCILLOR’S REPORT.

• Cllr Marchant attended the Maidstone KALC Meeting on 23 June and stated that despite the wonderful report KCC have received, the majority of the meeting did not think they were performing very well. Although John Wilson is on the Joint Transport Board he was not approached regarding the Sat Nav email that was sent to parish clerks, and neither Downswood nor Otham were highlighted on the email.

18 ADDITIONAL MATTERS TO BE DISCUSSED AT NEXT MEETING: Additional CCTV in Chiltern Close.

DATE OF NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING – 2 SEPTEMBER, 2008. (Cllr Bevan to chair the meeting as Cllr R. Cheesman gave apologies for absence due to holiday).

There being no further business the meeting closed at 10.00 pm.

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