Harrietsham Parish Council

Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 30^th September 2= 009 at 7.30pm in the Booth Hall.

Public Discussion

Cllr Morris wel= comed all present including the two new co-opted Councillors. <= /p>

Discussion took place regarding the need for a play area for the children of the village. The process of purchasing the Glebe Field was explained along with the procedure that is now underway to purcha= se play equipment.

Cllr Morris introduced the new PCSO Dave Rowley.

Police Report: PCSC Dave Rowley rep= orted that there had been 21 crimes since the last meeting in July. Six of which = had been solved to date. He expla= ined the actions that are currently being undertaken to deal with the issues aro= und the village. Cllr Clifton tha= nked the Police for their support but noted that the damage to the Christmas lig= hts and flowers on the Green did not seem to be recorded. PC Kemsley informed all present th= at he would discuss this matter further with the Clerk.

Community Warden Report: Colin Davey reported that the summe= r had generally been quiet. He expl= ained that the YMCA would be in the village for 2 weeks and he had supplied names= of the children that they would need to see.&= nbsp; He added that he had recently been co-opted onto MBC’s Anti So= cial Behaviour Team which would assist him in his work around the village.<= /o:p>

134.= Present

Cllr S Morris, Cllr D Clifton, Cllr D Oversby, Cllr T Sams, Cllr J S= ams, Cllr A Laffan, Cllr M Thompson, Cllr T Finch, Cllr D Marshall, RFO Mr M Cuerden, Clerk Mrs A Broadhurst, PC M Chapman, PC P Kemsley, PCSO D Rowley, PCSO J Baulph, Colin Davey and Darren Bridgett (MBC)

7 members of the public

135.= Apologies for absence

Cllr C Willis a= nd Cllr J Whittle

136.= Minutes of the last meeting=

Parish Council Meeting 29^th July 2009 – The minutes were proposed as accurate by Cllr J Sams, secon= ded by Cllr A Laffan with all in favour. The minutes were duly signed.

Cllr Oversby commented that he should have been involved in the discussion that took place regarding the benches that he did not have an interest in at the last meeting.

137.= Disclosures and confidential items

Cllr Morris reminded all present of the importance of declaring interests.

CouncillorsR= 17; prejudicial and/or personal interests were declared as follows:<= /span>

= Cllr S Morris Prejudicial interest in 11.2 = (Playscheme) as his children attended the scheme. He has been given dispensation to talk on this subject.

= Cllr J Sams Perso= nal interest in 11.1 (Remix) as her children attend all Remix groups and she is= a volunteer.

= P= rejudicial interest in 11.2 (Playscheme) as she is employed as the Playscheme Manager.=

= Cllr T Sams Perso= nal interest in 11.1 (Remix) as his children attend and he is a volunteer.=

Prejudicial & Personal interest in 11.2 (Playscheme) as his wife = is employed as the Playscheme Manager and his children attend.

Cllr A Laffan Personal interest in 11.1 (Remix) as his son attends.

&= nbsp; <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif";font-weight:no= rmal; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Prejudicial interest in 11.2 (Playscheme) as his= son attended the scheme. He has b= een given dispensation to talk on this subject.

Cllr T Finch = Personal interest in 11.1 (Remix) as her children attend all Remix groups and she is= a volunteer.

Prejudicial interest in 11.2 (Playscheme) as she is employed to work= on the Scheme and her children attend.

138.= Matters Arising<= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif";mso-ansi-langu= age: EN-GB'>

Cllr Morris sta= ted that the Standing Orders had now been revised as required. Cllr Clifton felt that the Financi= al Regulations 2005 should be incorporated into the Standing Orders. He commen= ted that having read the regulations, invoices should be placed with the cheque= s to be signed and that the RFO should annually review the asset register. He also noted that the Financial Regulations should be reviewed every 4 years and that this was now due. It was agreed that the Financial Regulations should be reviewed at the next F&GP meeting in November and discuss them being incorporated into the Standing Orders. The Standing Orders can then be am= ended further and brought back to the Full Parish Council meeting in January. It was proposed by Cllr Clifton to= adopt the recently amended Standing Orders, until they are updated further, this = was seconded by Cllr T Sams with all in favour.

139.= Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)

Darren Bridgett, Planning Officer (Spatial Policy) from MBC explained about the housing shor= tage within the Maidstone Borough and how the SHLAA was assisting with finding realistic housing sites.

&nbs= p;

Action<= /i>

140. &nbs= p; Planning

140.1

140.2 – Cllr Clifton informed all present that it was important that the Parish Council check that the developers are complying with all regulations to ensure minimum disruption for the surrounding residents.

141. &nbs= p; Highways/Transportation

Cllr J Sams reported that there had been a meeting with Ben Hilden= and Jenny Whittle regarding the pedestrian refuge. Ben is to investigate why differ= ent designs are being funded in 2010/11 against the Parish Council’s request. Cllrs T & J Sa= ms have been looking at the outstanding highways issues and there is now a n= ew spreadsheet with photos and this will be emailed around the Highways Committee members. Cllr J S= ams reported that the filter lane at the West Street junction is ongoing.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> With regards to the problem of c= ars parking along the A20 at night, Jenny Whittle is trying to assist with the extending of the clearing zone.

Cllr Morris commented that there had been no news with regards to = the Speed Review which had taken place 2 months earlier.

141.1 – Cl= lr Clifton stated that HGV’s are constantly using Fairbourne Lane which is becoming= a major problem. He felt that= this was partly due to satnav equipment that the lorry drivers use. Residents have been asked to con= tact the PCSO with details (time, date & registration numbers etc).=

141.2 – Cllr T Sams reported that he = had written to Hugh Robertson who has confirmed that no work will take place = for the next 3 years due to budget restrictions. After discussion, it was agreed = that no further action would be taken until the KIG hearing has finished. Then the working party, that had previously been formed, will be able to start taking action and be in a position to ask for assistance from Lenham and Hollingbourne.

142. &nbs= p; Environmental

142.1 Environmental recommendations

<= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif";mso-ansi-lan= guage: EN-GB'>Renewal of Amenity Contracts – Cllr Morris reported that the Amenity Contracts were due for renewal in March = 2010 and the process of retendering is now underway. If the Councillors have any quer= ies, they are to contact the Amenity Manager.= Cllr Morris explained that the Clerk has been trying to purchase detailed maps of Harrietsham which would show all of the verges. This would stop any confusion regarding certain areas of the contracts. Kent County Council can provide = the relevant maps at a cost of £155.&n= bsp; It was proposed by Cllr Clifton to pay the £155 for the maps= to assist with the tendering process. This was seconded by Cllr Oversby with all in favour.

142.2 Mid Kent Downs meeting – Cllr= J Sams reported on the Mid Kent Downs meeting which included a presentation= on the Million Ponds Project. = There had also been discussion regarding the fact that no Highways Officers had attended the meeting for the past 12 months.

142.3 Louverne – Cllr Morris explained the ongoing issue regarding this footpath and the discussions that had taken place with the Public Rights of Way Officer. The PROW had explained that 8 gates would be required to enforce the original footpath. It was resolved to keep the new alignment of the path as long as Kent County Council agree to resurface the footpath. This was proposed by Cllr Clifto= n, seconded by Cllr Laffan, with all in favour. The Clerk was asked to contact t= he PROW to inform him of the Parish Councils decision.

142.4 Lake= Dam – The work required around the dam is in hand and a provisi= onal price for the gates that were required had been given of £850. The Senior Engineer from Bureau Veritas felt that if the work was combined with the trash screens, the co= st of the work may be able to be reduced.&n= bsp; It was agreed to agree a maximum cost of £850 for the two gates. This was proposed by= Cllr Oversby and seconded by Cllr Clifton with all in favour. The Clerk was asked to contact D= ave Rose to progress this further.

142.5 Lake= Byelaws – Cllr Morris reported that the Byelaws department at MBC h= ad been chased several times, but no reply had been received to date.

143. &nbs= p; Finance

143.1 The Income/expenditure finance sheets were proposed as accurate by Cllr Oversby and seconded by Cllr Clifton.

Cllr Clifton commented on the phone lines that are being paid for = by the Parish Council and it was agreed that this should be reviewed at the = next F&GP meeting in November.

Cllr J Sams asked if items that are purchased for Youth groups cou= ld be shown on the expenditure sheets under the club title not as expenses.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>

Cllr Morris reported that the Financial Regulations needed to be formally accepted and should therefore be approved for recommendation at = the next F&GP meeting.

143.2 Finance Information Day – Cllr Morris informed all present that there is to be a Finance Information Day= at Lenham Community Centre on Saturday 17^th October. Any Councillors or employed staf= f who wished to attend should speak to the Clerk.

144. &nbs= p; Youth Provision

144.1 Remix – Cllr T Sams reported that Cllr Laffan h= as started a new Warhammer Club on a Thursday night.

144.2 Playscheme – Cllr Morris reported that he had receiv= ed a report from Satpal at Kent Play Clubs.&n= bsp; It stated that the club had run well and on one day had nearly been filled to capacity. There h= ad been an independent visit from KCC’s Children, Families & Educa= tion Advisory Service and they had reported that the scheme was well run and t= hat no recommendations were required. Cllr Morris congratulated Cllr J Sams and the staff for their hard work.

145. &nbs= p; Speedwatch

Cllr J Sams reported that Cllr Davidson from Lenham Parish Council= has money promised for the scheme. A meeting is currently being arranged with the police for training.

146. &nbs= p; Almshouses

Cllr Morris informed all present of the meeting that had been held with David Jones from Bristol Charities and Eleanor from The Fishmongers. David Jones ha= d said that no one would be moved out of the Almshouses until the new unit has b= een built. The company is curre= ntly trying to find a site within Harrietsham and will report back to the Pari= sh Council again in December. = Cllr Morris also added that the Charity Commission had made the Parish Council consultees in any future developments.

147. &nbs= p; Signs & Signposts

147.1 Finger signs – The Clerk showed a picture that had been supplied by the Royal British Legion.&nb= sp; Cllr Oversby offered to assist the Clerk in progressing this furth= er.

147.2 Street name/Development list – Cllr Clifton asked all present to bring ideas to the next meeting.

148. &nbs= p; Kent= International Gateway

Cllr Morris reported that a letter objecting to the amended plans = had been sent on the 4^th August and another letter had been sent t= his week to MBC regarding a Section 106 request for traffic calming measures = and a pedestrian refuge for the residents as they will be trying to cross a v= ery busy A road. Cllr Morris re= minded all present that the Public Enquiry begins on Tuesday 13^th October. If anyone wishes t= o speak in opposition, they must go to the first day of the enquiry.

149. &nbs= p; Village Appraisal

Cllr J Sams reported that there is to be a meeting of the working party on 13^th October. It is hoped that residents and other groups will also attend.=

150. &nbs= p; New Seats (Including bus shelter seat) & bin on Church Road

Cllr Morris reported that the bin had been burnt out but had been replaced again with a metal bin. With regards to the seating, it was hoped that funding from the Borough Councillor would be forthcoming.

151. &nbs= p; Footpaths

Cllr Clifton asked for the Public Rights of Way Officer to be invi= ted to the next Parish Council meeting.

152. &nbs= p; Street Lighting

Cllr T Sams reported that he had spoken to Alptekin Tanriverdi (Al= ) from KCC regarding street lighting for lights from Church Lane to St Welcumes Way. Al has said that the lights woul= d be £1500 each and 10 would be required. He has offered to supply some commander sockets. Cllr Mor= ris asked for this to be deferred to the next F&GP meeting to review the funds that are currently available.

153. &nbs= p; Christmas Lights

Cllr Morris reported that Gala lights, who had supplied the Christ= mas lights, had been out to assess the damage and they felt that the lights m= ay need to be replaced. The RF= O has spoken to the insurance company to begin the process of putting in a clai= m. Cllr Morris commented that it ma= y be possible to have Gala remove the lights each year and put them into stora= ge at a cost of approximately £350.&n= bsp; After further discuss it was suggested that the question of having Christmas lights could be put into the village appraisal. It was agreed by all present to progress the insurance claim.

154. &nbs= p; KALC

Cllr Oversby reported that there had not been a meeting.

155. &nbs= p; Glebe Field

Cllr T Sams reported that several companies are currently quoting. A meeting is to be rearranged with MBC to discuss the planning issues. Cllr Clifton reported that the Section 106 agreement will go to the solicitor very soon as the payment has now been approved.

156. &nbs= p; Lenham Parish Council

Defer to the next meeting.

157. &nbs= p; PACT<= /b>

Cllr T Sams informed all present that following on from the last meeting, dog signs were required around the village. He also reported that discussion= had taken place with regards to employing a part time road sweeper for the village.

158.     &nbs= p; Policing

Cllr T Sams felt that the Parish Council needed to receive reports when Police speed checks have been completed.

159.     &nbs= p; Village Hall Trust

Cllr Oversby had nothing to report. Cllr Morris reported that there had been a meeting between the VHT and Parish Council to discuss various outstanding issues.

159.1      Post box for the Parish Council - Cllr Morris reported that during the meeting with the Chairman of the VHT, there had = been discussion regarding having a post box inside the village hall for any Pa= rish Council post that residents might want to drop off. After discussion the idea of the= post box was agreed in principle.

160.     &nbs= p; The Weald of Kent Rotary Club parking request

Cllr Morris reported that The Weald of Kent Rotary Club had asked = for permission to park on the Glebe Field on Sunday 20^th June 2010. Discussion took place regarding the possibility of byelaws in the future along with the risk to children when play equipment is finally in place. It was proposed by Cllr Oversby, seconded by Cllr T Sams with all in favour that they should be granted permission, subject to the weather conditions on the day. The Clerk was asked to respond t= o the Rotary Club.

161.     &nbs= p; Correspondence - Noted

162.     &nbs= p; Available for Inspection - Noted&n= bsp;

163.     &nbs= p; Future Events

Harrietsham In Bloom AGM 16^th October 7.30pm in the Booth Hall

KIG Enquiry starting 13^th October

Remix film club showing ‘Skins’ 23rd October

164.     &nbs= p; Items for Future Consideration

   Public Rights of Way Officer, John Pelham to attend the October meeting - Cllr

       &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;              &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;    Clifton

   Parish Council events using the G= lebe Field – Cllr T Sams

Need for Poli= cies on dealing with the Press & Anti Social Behaviour – Cllr Oversby
Bus shelter on the A20 towards Lenham – Cl= lr Laffan

Graffiti arou= nd the village – Cllr Laffan

165.     &nbs= p; Date of next meeting

   Full Parish Council Meeting - Wednesday 28^th October 2009 at 7.30pm

Meeting closed at 9.57pm

Points for action from the subsequent Public Discussion:

Discussion took place regarding the use of the police car. The clearance of the stream was = also discussed and this matter was passed to the Amenity Manager and Environme= ntal Committee.

Clerk

F&GP Committee

D.O./Clerk

All Cllrs

Clerk

F&GP Committee

RFO/Clerk

T.S.

Clerk