MINUTES OF ORDINARY MEETING
MADRON PARISH COUNCIL
HELD AT MADRON COMMUNITY ROOMS
THURSDAY 7th MARCH 2013 AT 7.30pm
Present:
Cllr S. Pritchard (chairman) Cllr Mrs C. Roberts (vice chairman)
Cllr Mrs A. Jenkin Cllr. M. Scoble
Cllr D. Westlake Cllr V. Peake
Cllr R. Matthews Cllr C. Bone
Cllr R. Mann Cllr I. Phillips
Cllr S. Bates
Cornwall Cllr W.Maddern
Clerk, Mr W.E. Wilkins and four members of the public
1.Apologies
Cllr Christopher, PC Thomas
2. Acceptance of Minutes
The minutes of the Ordinary Parish Council Meeting held at Trythall CP School on Thursday 7th February were unanimously accepted subject to the following amendments: – page 7/13, item 8, Cllr Mann proposed and Cllr Westlake seconded that the minutes should not be circulated until approved and this was carried – page 8/13, item 11 Cllr Westlake informed members that an exhibition re. mining would take place at Trythall School and not a talk.
3. Declarations of Interest
Item16 Finance – Cllr Pritchard in relation to Chairman’s travelling expenses.
Item 16 Finance – Cllr Bates in relation to Madron Playing Fields as a committee member – dispensation previously agreed.
Item 11- Clerks Report and Correspondence. Clerk agreed that dispensation should be allowed for Cllr Roberts in relation to Trythall School as a school governor, as he agreed that dispensation was in the interest of people living within the area.
Item 15 – notice board repairs and removal of notice board from church wall to cemetery wall – Cllrs Scoble, Mann, Jenkin, Roberts and Phillips declared interests as either neighbours, friends or business associates with Mr Pearce, the blacksmith at Badgers Cross.
Item 4 – Public Participation and item 7 Councillors Comments in relation to Carfury Antiquarians as friend of the organisers.
4. Public Participation
Mr Ken Wood addressed the meeting as treasurer of a group called the Carfury Antiquarians who now have given talks and exhibitions to local people and organisations in relation to the history of the area. (Cllr Roberts declared an interest) This started as a group of enthusiasts meeting together but it has expanded and the group now include genealogy work for local residents and other similar historical research.
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They have now produced their first journal which they intend to print on a regular basis and sell at cost. This contains history of mining, local plans and local history and as interest is expanding they have estimated the cost of setting up their organisation with printing, administration, fees to various genealogy and research sites is in the region of £760.00. Mr Wood asked for assistance towards these costs and he can be contacted on 01736.368108 for any further information required. Clerk pointed out that a proper committee with appointed officers in place and a proper bank account must be in place before any donations can be considered. Mr Wood assured councillors that all this would be in place very shortly.
Councillors asked Mr Wood to bring his group for a proper presentation to the next meeting to last for about 15 minutes at Trythall School on 4th April and then the matter of a donations towards costs can be considered and Mr Wood agreed to this.
5. Police Report
On behalf of PC Thomas, clerk gave the police report for February which was very brief and he had no further details. Seven crimes had been reported, the same number as in February 2012. There were two reports of criminal damage to vehicles, one criminal damage to property, two thefts and two public order offences involving harassment, alarm and distress. PC Thomas had added that during half term sheds and the boiler room at St Maddern School and church had been damaged and enquiries were being made among local youths in an effort to determine the offender(s).
6. Chairman’s Comments
Cllr Pritchard reported that he had represented this council at NHS consultation regarding the new service development at Roche Committee Rooms on 12th February and Community Emergency Plans at the Eden Project on 13th February 2013. The NHS meeting was well attended by people from various organisations concerned with health care and the meeting concentrated on acute care at home with the facilities from schemes to support this process. The second meeting with in the region of 100 people present, was concerned about plans for emergencies, particularly assistance to flooded areas as this is becoming more prevalent. The plans should include details local knowledge listing people with medical experience, vehicles to operate in these conditions and all aspects of facilities which may be of assistance. Consideration of such information could be included on local websites.
7. Councillors’ Questions and Comments
Cllr Westlake had asked for the activities of the Carfury Antiquarians to be included on the agenda but he felt that this subject had been covered adequately in Public Participation.
8. Comments from Cornwall Councillors
Cornwall Cllr Maddern informed members that he would be accompanying members of Devon and Cornwall Housing to the Madron area on 18th March and he was requested to draw their attention to the problems on the Woodwalk from Church Road to Trelawney Estate where the surface was a danger and requests had been made to have the surface repaired but no work has been done.
Cornwall Cllr Maddern updated members concerning the decision to retain the council tax at the same rate as in the previous year which had resulted in the loss of some jobs. He pointed out that at the formation of the Unitary Authority far fewer jobs had been lost than planned and the present losses in no way came near to the losses planned by the formation of the new authority. He added that as the council had been able to retain the same council tax it had earned them a bonus of £5 million from the government.
Cllr Roberts pointed out to Cllr Maddern that when the work was done to repair the road from New Mill to Trythall School the mud which had been dug out was dumped on the roadside by the houses and it would have been more satisfactory to have left the discarded mud on the moor side. Cllr Maddern agreed to take this up with the contractors.
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9. Planning
Applications
PA11/06449 – retention of campsite at Noongallas, Gulval. Clerk reminded members that Jeremy Content from Cornwall Planning had attended the last meeting and discussed the alternative to objecting to this application by recommending approval with conditions, which he considered to be more easily enforceable by Planning Enforcement as opposed to refusal.
Cllr Mann proposed and Cllr Westlake seconded and it was unanimously agreed to object strongly to the application as in previous years on the same grounds as previously stated. They also asked the matter to go to committee should approval be considered.
Results
PA12/10806 – erection of agricultural barn and toilet/welfare units to be used for storage of forestry equipment, processing of Christmas trees and packaging, retention of and greening up of hard-core track and retention of septic tank at land southwest of Castle Gate Farm, Castle Gate Ludgvan – approved.
PA12/12026 – erection of an agricultural store and a block of three boxes at Hellangove Farm, Gulval – approved.
Other Planning Matters
Enforcement EN10/04043 – alleged unauthorised building works and demolition of section of hedgerow at field at Castle Farm, Ludgvan – closed, planning permission granted’
Cllr Roberts informed the meeting that three caravans had left Demelza Farm which had been the subject of earlier Enforcement matters, and only one was left
10. Public Rights of Way
Cllr Westlake stateed that paths were still messy but quite passable.
11. Clerk’s Report and Correspondence
Clerk reported that all instructions had been completed but in spite of further contact the surface of the Woodwalk path between Church Road and Trelawney Estate had not been repaired by Devon and Cornwall Housing. There has now been a report of an elderly lady falling there and Devon and Cornwall Housing have been informed of this incident. (This has now been referred to Cornwall Cllr Maddern earlier in the meeting)
Cornwall Council has advised that there will be a road closure in Castle Road, Ludgvan between Eglos Road and Bowglass Close between 18th and 25th March. Details have been circulated by email.
Cornwall Council is asking for representatives from parishes to consider appointment to the Standards Board and any interested councillors should reply by 25th March 2013. This has been circulated by email
CALC ‘This Week’ issue 02 has been circulated by email
Trythall School – (Cllr Roberts declared an interest with dispensation and remained in the room to explain the detail of the proposed change to a foundation school) The head of Trythall School has written to advise members that it is proposing to be a foundation school with other schools to be a part of Penwith Education Trust. For full information members are advised to look at www.trythall.cornwall.sch.uk. There will be a public consultation meeting at Trythall School at 4.30pm on 13th March 2013. Cllr Roberts pointed out that this was protection against closures and it gave access to better all-round standards. Clerk read out a questionnaire from the school and it was agreed that councillors were unable to complete this but clerk and was instructed to liaise with Cllr Roberts to draft a letter of support for the school to become a foundation school as it is the policy of this council to support anything which benefits the community.
Clerk will receive election posters which he will distribute to be posted on notice boards at New Mill, Badgers Cross and Madron after 20th March and he will collect election packs from Penzance on 15th March containing nomination packs.
CALC –‘The Week’ issue 03 (circulated by email)
Penwith Town and Parish Forum will be held at St Johns Hall on 21st March at 7pm when Inspector Jean Phillips will give an update on policing activities and Corine Dyke, the Principal Development Officer for Planning and Regeneration, will give a talk on Community Infrastructure Fund.
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12. Madron Parish Council Policy concerning Circulation of Emails received Daily by Clerk and CALC Advice Regarding Circulation of Minutes, etc.
Clerk referred to matters discussed at the February meeting where councillors were of the opinion that this council is wrong in circulating minutes on website and notice boards before being approved even if the clerk endorses the minutes that they are awaiting approval at the next meeting. In view of this there has been no circulation of minutes from the last meeting.
However, the clerk has made enquiries with CALC and they agree that the clerk is quite in order to take this suggested action in circulating minutes showing they are to be approved.
Cllr Mann reminded members that no alteration can be made to any decision under standing orders for 6 months, but standing order 29 also states that three councillors can write to the clerk to allow this matter to be discussed again prior to the six month period.
The clerk then came to the point that he circulated emails and email messages received on a daily basis to the ten councillors who had email facilities but the other two councillors were unable to receive messages at that time. He stated that it is not feasible to circulate all email correspondence to non IT members as hard copies as some of the messages were lengthy and the cost of printing and postage mean that this is impractical. Clerk also pointed out that his incoming post had reduced enormously and well over 90% of his messages now come by email. Clerk asked for a firm policy and it was agreed that clerk should continue to circulate mail on a daily basis by email and a précis of anything particularly relevant to the non IT councillors can be forwarded by hard copy with their agendas for the next meeting. The non IT members accepted this and it was agreed to review the policy if necessary at the Annual Meeting in May when a new council will be in office.
13. War Memorial Repair
Cllr Pritchard reported that he had been in contact with Long Rock Memorials who will be delighted to do the work and will do it as cheaply as possible whilst ensuring a good job. They will look at the Memorial and give advice and an estimate of the costs involved and Cllr Pritchard will report back to the next meeting.
14. Litter Bins
Clerk has been in contact with Zoe McAden at Cornwall Planning to confirm that planning permission is not required for installing the bins as this is a permitted development by a local authority. Cllr Pritchard has looked at the locations with Cllr Scoble and they have decided that it will be practical for them to be sited by the cemetery notice board and the chapel. It was agreed that Cllr Scoble will contact Mr Pearce from Badgers Cross and ask him to install the bins if it is accepted that he will be requested to complete repairs to the boards (please see item 15 below)
15. Notice Board Repairs and Removal of Board from Church Wall to Cemetery Wall
Cllr Scoble reported that he had received an estimate from Mr Pearce, the blacksmith at Badgers Cross for installing tin backs to all four boards – on the board to be moved to the cemetery, and the boards at Fore Street, Madron, New Mill and Badgers Cross. Also included is the moving of the board from the church wall to the cemetery, as requested, and the full cost would be £632.48 plus VAT of £126.50 = £758.98. (Cllrs Mann, Jenkin, Phillips and Roberts declared interests) Cllr Westlake asked for a new lock to be attached to the board at New Mill – this was agreed. It was proposed by Cllr Peake, seconded by Cllr Bone, and unanimously agreed that Mr Pearce be requested to complete the work after the elections as it was important that election notices be displayed.
16. Finance
It was proposed by Cllr Jenkin, seconded by Cllr Scoble and unanimously agreed that the following accounts be paid: – W.E. Wilkins, clerk – salary £520.46, office allowance £30.00, mileage £22.00, disbursements which include a replacement toner for the printer £82.98; HMRC – PAYE £130.00; Information Commissioner – Data Protection annual fee £35.00.
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Chairman asked members to consider a contribution towards the cost of using his own vehicle for meetings at Roche and Eden Project. (Cllr Pritchard declared his interest and left the room and Cllr Roberts took the chair) After discussion it was agreed that 40 pence per mile was an appropriate payment for the 302 miles travelled and it was proposed by Cllr Scoble, seconded by Cllr Matthews, and unanimously agreed that £120.80 be paid to Cllr Pritchard
Clerk reminded members that this was the last meeting of the financial year and it was the agreed time to consider requests for donations.
It was agreed to defer any donation to Carfury Antiquarians until the next meeting as discussed earlier at item 4.
Madron Playing Field Committee treasurer has forwarded their accounts for 2012 to the clerk and these show that the total income for the year was £658.05 including grants from Madron Feast and this council, but in fact only £135.00 was raised by the committee from Halloween bingo and other fundraising. (Cllr Bates declared his interest dispensation)
It was proposed by Cllr Jenkin, seconded by Cllr Mathews, and unanimously agreed that the sum of £135.00 be donated to the Playing Field Committee. (Section 19 Local Government (Misc. Prov.) Act 1972)
Clerk reported that he had received requests for donations during the year from Cornwall Blind Association, Cornwall Air Ambulance, Cornwall County Playing Fields Association Helston/Lizard Multiple Sclerosis Club and Victim Support. It was unanimously agreed that donations should be made to all with the exception of Cornwall Playing Field Association. Cllr Mann proposed that £100.00 be paid to the remaining four applicants but he withdrew this proposal after discussion and it was proposed by Cllr Bone, seconded by Cllr Mann, and unanimously agreed that in pursuance of the power conferred by Section137 of the Local Government Act 1972 and being of the opinion that the expenditure satisfies the requirements of that section , the council approves the payments to Cornwall Blind Association, Helston/Lizard Multiple Sclerosis Club and Victim Support of £100.00 and Cornwall Air Ambulance £200.00
17. Time and Date of Next Meeting
7.30pm, Thursday 4th April 2013 at Trythall CP School.