Minutes of the Wardington Parish Council Meeting  

Location:  Wardington Memorial Hall

Date: Tuesday, 5th September 2017, (7:30pm)

In Attendance: Mr G Page, Mr M Patterson, Mr G Martin, Mr A Crossley, Mr B Jarrett (Clerk), Mrs A Gordon-Finlayson

Apologies: Mr N Bankes, Mrs A Pascoe, Cllr G Reynolds, Mr I Franklin

In the absence of Mr Bankes, Mr Patterson chaired the meeting.

Agenda Items

  1. Minutes of previous meetings: 25th July 2017 approved and signed
  1. Matters arising from previous minutes:

2.1  HS2 Update: Meeting with OCC Highways & Police (full notes from the meeting available for perusal upon request)

  • The proposed 20 mph limit in the village has been deemed unenforceable and unnecessary due to low incident rate; speed cameras too expensive
  • Police will monitor average speed through the village at 4 key points
  • Potential road widening at 3 points (Old Bonhams, Old Vicarage and Hare and Hounds) to ease HGV passage and reduce incursion on footways – concerns were raised about Old Vicarage corner relating to visibility when pulling out
  • Provision of a ‘puffin’ pedestrian crossing at the bus stop subject to a road safety audit; vehicle activated speed signage; chevron markers on the bend before entering the village
  • Impact of HS2 to be measured against mitigation measures mentioned in previous point
  • White lines also requested and under review
  • Concerns raised about air quality, road condition, noise and vibration – County Council to be consulted
  • WPC are concerned that the priority seems to be lorry access rather than pedestrian/village safety – HS2 informed OCC that WPC requested the road widening. This is not the case!

2.2  Village uptake and appearance

  • The quote for post insertion in the village was agreed to be reasonable and given the go ahead.
  • Rowan tree at the entrance to Greensward is dead – whether WPC or Highways responsible to be investigated: who would pay for a replacement?
  1. Planning

New:

  1. 17/01606/LB – Mr Simon Paxton, Sadies Cottage, Williamscot               Damp proofing works to the cellar. –  WPC NO OBJECTION
  2. 17/00261/TCA – Mr William Pease, The Bishops House, Wardington, Reduce crown on 2 Beech trees by up to 3m – WPC NO OBJECTION
  3. 17/00269/TCA – 17/00278/TCA via. Western Power Distribution, to cut back, prune, reshape and pollard several trees, in 10 locations of Upper Wardington. WPC NO OBJECTION

CDC Decisions:

  1. 16/02041/F – Cooper 1949 Trust, Back Cottage , Wardington House.

Emergency repairs to chimney stack and re-roofing.  PERMISSION GRANTED

  1. 17/00225/TCA – Mr Clayton, Wardington Lodge, Wardington 1 * Hazel Coppice – reduce height by 50% and shape PERMISSION GRANTED
  2. 17/00226/TCA – Mr Clayton, Wardington Lodge, Wardington                                  Unknown species, Crown Raise, northern crown by 6.0m. reduce upper northern crown by up to 4.0m –  PERMISSION GRANTED.
  3. 17/01033/LB – East Wing Williamscot House – WITHDRAWN

 

  1. Finance

4.1 External Audit

Annual return approved and accepted and certificate circulated

4.2  OCC Grass cutting agreement

Process for claiming the grass cutting grant has changed with an agreement specifying minimum requirements. The agreement has been signed and returned.

4.3  Invoices – cheques for authorisation

100897            N R Prickett – Grass Cutting  (July)                           £360.00

100898            BDO External Audit Charge                                       £240.00

100899            DM Payroll Services                                                    £40.50

100900            Clerk’s Pay (Aug 2017)                                              £350.02

100901            HMRC –  PAYE  (Aug 2017)                                        £87.60

100902            N R Prickett – Grass Cutting  (Aug)                           £360.00

100903            Parish Magazine Print ing – Warbler                           £212.00

100653            Playsafety Ltd – RoSPA Inspection                           £105.00

 

4.4  Playground donation

Clive Hunt advised that Mrs Gillian Turl donated £250 to the playground fund (a further £250 was donated towards the church lighting). Council would like to thank Mrs Turl for her most generous donation.

4.5  Playground 200 draw

September Draw

100651      £20 Sandra Atack

100652      £10 Maggie Wilkinson

 

  1. New business

5.1  RoSPA –  Play Area Safety Inspection report (full report visible on request)

  • Overall Risk = HIGH due to stilt next to wobble board being broken below ground. Other low risk problem to be fixed
  • All will be attended to
  • Litter bin responsibility is CDC but they might need reminding or perhaps increased frequency or more litter bins.

5.2  Play Area use and disclaimer

  • Complaint about an adult using the playground.
  • Appropriate signage drafted – one for each gate and the noticeboard
  • New board to be purchased out of the playground fund and moved to within the playground bounds (small and weatherproof)
  • Suggested that it would be good to find someone to organise the checking and maintenance of the playground – perhaps place an advert in the warbler and announce at harvest supper?
  • Suggested that playground raffle draws should be done at village events (harvest supper, village cinemas) to raise profile
  • Potentially responsibility for it could be added on to the Village Hall Committee or the Sport’s Field Committee? Certainly seems feasible that the cricket club could take over the grass cutting
  • The quote for the remaining old fence replacement was agreed to be a little high and another quote for comparison will be sought. A requote will also be sought for fencing with metal spike as bases (as suggested by RoSPA)

 

  1. A.O.B.

6.1  Correspondence

  • Letter written in support of Cropredy Surgery’s Controlled locality determination (their ability to have a pharmacy on site) at their request. This was deemed important by WPC especially in the light of the ageing population in the village and the bus service cuts
  • Letter received from charity Cleanslate (Victims of Abuse in Oxfordshire) regarding a £100 donation – declined as WPC would rather support more local charities

6.2  Broadband update for Wardington Parish

  • Broadband for outlying farms (near Thorpe Mandeville) and Williamscot still not sorted – several postcodes partially complete – in process up to December 2018. To be checked and OCC emailed.

6.3  Road signs available to be erected

  • Various speed check signs available for distribution in the village
  • Decided that they would have most effect closer to commencement of HS2 traffic.

6.4  Williamscot conservation area

  • What was the outcome of the conservation area change meeting? Outcome to be investigated.

6.5  Benches renovation

  • Metal benches to be painted and wooden ones to be varnished in the Autumn.

6.6  Warbler

  • Mrs Lexi Gordon-Finlayson and Mrs Amanda Thompson have volunteered a partnership to take over the editing of the Warbler – Mr Patterson to speak to Mr Steve MacKenzie-Laurie

6.7  Bob Jarrett

  • The WPC wish to thank Mr Bob Jarrett for his work as clerk – for being so organised and willing.
  • Mr Jarrett will remain part of the HS2 action group and was co-opted as a WPC councillor.

The meeting closed at 8.40 pm

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 10th October, 2017 at 7:30pm