Parish Council Notes

The following matters were amongst those discussed at the
Parish Council Meeting in the
Village Hall on 18th January 2001

Matters Arising

The Manager at Jewsons will provide drivers with a map or directions to their depot, and advise suppliers of their location.

Planning Officers will undertake a review of the premises of BKG transport. Photographs have been taken of the verges and entrance, and will be compared to those taken some years ago. There have been more problems with lorries reversing in Common Road and trailers using the old milk depot site.

Hop Gardens - Six responses to he resurfacing issue have been received by Malcolm Simmons. He will prepare and circulate a questionnaire to all residents.

 

Rights of Way/Transport

Two new stiles at the junction of footpaths 4 and 8 at the top of Dove's Lane have been rebuilt by South Wiltshire Ramblers on behalf of WCC.

The grit bin in Highlands Way has still not been filled. A reminder will be sent to WCC

DOG DIRT

There has been a substantial increase in the amount of dog dirt on pavements in the village. Dog owners are kindly requested to clear up their pet's waste. Woopsie bags are available free of charge from the PO.

Correspondence

A letter from SPLASH thanking the PC for their donation.

A letter from the PCC asking for a donation towards the maintenance of the churchyard. It was unanimously agreed the contractor does an excellent job, and a decision was made to give the PCC £500 in two instalments.

The A36 has not yet been de-trunked and it is unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future. An agreement needs to be reached between the Highways Authority and WCC over the sum required for maintenance.

The Census Office reminded the PC that house calls would be made to all dwellings during April. Officers would not require entry into the property.

A letter, unfortunately received too late, has been received objecting to the provision of a dome over a swimming pool.

A number of questionnaires aimed at different individuals/groups have been received from the Community Initiatives Unit of SDC asking for information for their Arts Database. Any artists in any medium in the village who wish to be included should contact either the undersigned or Rachel Efemey on 01722 434307

An email asking if the PC had any objection to Bedmin Spray's premises being used for a lawnmower repair business.

Planning

Westland Motors have produced sworn affidavits by employees to say car repairs have been undertaken at their premises in the past.

Enforcement Officers will ensure visibility splays are constructed so that emerging vehicles can see and be seen outside Cowesfield Nurseries.

Planning permission for a revised scheme at the White Hart has been refused after a site visit, on the grounds there is not enough parking and too many houses.

New levels of R2 money for developments of less than 10 dwellings have been announced. The figures are £638, £1002, £1366 and £1730 for one to four bedroom houses respectively.

Finance

A substantial rise in the Clerk's salary was unanimously agreed, as no increase has been made for the last four years despite an ever-increasing workload.

 

Police Presence

Sgt Munday, who has been the Section Commander for four years, came to the meeting to introduce PC Alan Day. He will be the beat officer for at least the next year. After spending 12 years in the Police Force, five of which were with the CID, he particularly requested this community posting. He is keen to meet all sections of society and plans visits to the school, churches and other organizations. Alan will spend most days in and around the village, including the pubs and shop. He asks that anyone with any information shouldn't hesitate to talk to him in person, by phone, fax or email. (See the Police Report elsewhere in S&S) Sometimes a tiny snippet of information can lead to the completion of the jigsaw.

Alan also hopes to hold a property marking/crime prevention day in the village.

School Governor

It was suggested a grant of £5000 from central government could be spent on providing a path along Common Road. However, Councillors agreed that it was impractical, as narrowing the road would cause greater traffic congestion than already exists.

Whiteparish Charity

This little known organisation was formed in the late 1980's from four separate bequests from various villagers dating back to the 17th Century. The income generated from the capital is given to the old and needy, decided by the three trustees.

Public Comment

Prior to the beginning of the meeting, the Chairman invited comment from the public.

The biggest bone of contention was the lack of a speed limit from Cowesfield to the County boundary. It was stated the PC do all in their power to have speed limits implemented.

There have been a huge number of complaints about the smell emanating from the Biffa waste site. The temporary gas flare, approved for 6 months has alleviated the situation.

The 18m telecoms mast on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border has now grown to 21m with a 2m aerial on top. The PC has objected and suggested that existing masts in the area should be utilized.

Village Hall

Electrical wiring repairs have been completed at a cost of around £700.

Most playgroup apparatus has now been removed from the stage.

Three large and four small new lightweight folding tables have been purchased to replace those falling apart.

A letter has been written to the Memorial Ground Trust requesting that a VH member may sit on their committee.

Discussions over the new Village Hall and Pavilion took place. It was felt politic to await the outcome of the MGMC application for funding and planning consent for a new pavilion. The views of the VH committee will be put before the next MGT meeting.

SDC have requested storage facilities for polling booths to save collection and delivery costs. It was agreed they could be stored in the roof space.

Next Meeting

Villagers are very welcome to attend the next meeting on March 1st at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, which is the Annual Parish Meeting where they will be able to speak on any matter that concerns them at the Chairman's invitation. Alternatively, if you can't attend but wish to raise any village matter, please contact any Parish Councillor whose details are here.

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