MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE STOKE POGES PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 13 MARCH 2017 AT 7.30 P.M. IN THE LIONEL RIGBY ROOM AT THE VILLAGE CENTRE, ROGERS LANE, STOKE POGES, SL2 4LP
Present:- Cllr Bagge (Chair), Cllr Carter, Cllr Cox, Cllr Crocker, Cllr Finan, Cllr Fox, Cllr Lynch & Cllr Taylor
In attendance:- Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)
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MINUTES
217/PC/17 – Police
RECEIVED a report from the police which was tabled.
218/PC/17 – Public Session Time (7.30 pm-7.45 pm)
The meeting is open to the public and press and fifteen minutes will be reserved, if required, for public comment.
None
219/PC/17 – Apologies for Absence
APOLOGIES were received from Cllr Hoskins and Cllr Egleton.
220/PC/17 – Declarations of interest
Members to declare any personal interest in any item of business as defined in the Code of Conduct 2012. If that interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest as defined in the Code; the member should withdraw from the meeting for that item.
None
221/PC/17 – Minutes
REOSLVED to approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 13 February 2017 which were signed by the Chairman.
222/PC/17 – County Councillor’s Report
Councillor Egleton not present but had informed Council there was nothing to report.
223/PC/17 – District Councillors’ Report
Cllr Bagge reported that the District Council had been busy with the Local Plan and assessing the impact of the new Government White Paper, ‘Fixing our broken housing market’.
224/PC/17 – Chairman’s Update from last meeting.
Nothing to report.
225/PC/17 – WW1 Memorial
RESOLVED to agree all in favour of a soldier with a gun pointing down and that the working party be left to agree the final details on WW1 memorial and seek a final quotation to be brought back to the April meeting for decision and approval.
226/PC/17 – Jogging Path
Councillor Carter confirmed that two quotes had been obtained and that a third is on its way. Defer.
227/PC/17 – Beeches LAF/Bollards
The Council discussed the proposals and since setting our priorities we have learnt that the verge on Pennylets Green is actually included in the residents’ title deeds so is privately owned. Therefore, we should not spend public money on private property. The Council also noted that the costs quoted (£1740 per 20 installed) was high in relation to the product cost of £12.50. The Council did not approve of the suggested bollard design and would prefer a wood (oak) or composite wood effect bollard style as a standard across all schemes in the parish. The revised priorities were: Hastings Meadow as this is a prominent location at the village entrance, Bunby Road (bollards to the footway on the corner with Pennylets Green) and Vine Road grasscrete to the verge at the first spur on the right from the junction with Gerrards Cross Road.
Clerk to inform the LAF.
228/PC/17 – Litter Picking
Update from Cllr Bagge regarding the SBDC volunteer scheme shows that the litter picking weekend supported by SBDC has passed, however Stoke Poges could arrange their own. RESOLVED to agree all in favour that a litter picking evening would take place by all Parish Councillors available on 26 April 2017 at 6 pm, meet at the Village Centre, residents welcome to join in informally and notices would be put on boards, website and the Facebook page.
229/PC/17 – Bucks Districts proposal to modernise local government
Cllr Taylor proposed that Stoke Poges Parish Council fully support the districts’ proposals for a two unitary council, this was seconded by Cllr Carter, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
230/PC/17 – Christmas Lights
Clerk obtaining quotes for a new feeder pillar to be installed on Bells Hill opposite side to the green, last time the costs were £451 for the pillar and £1250 for the SSE connection. To resolve to agree an amount for the clerk to go ahead and get this installed once quotes are received.
Quotes for more lights in trees at car park £1190 and more mistletoe lights at green and in trees across the road on Bells Hill cost per mistletoe is £285 including installation. To decide whether to install more lights this year and how many, and if so to vire the additional costs from reserves, or to wait until next year. Total budget for this year in Christmas lights is £4356.
Cllr Carter proposed that a budget of up to £6000 be agreed so that the clerk can go ahead and arrange the pillar, connection and more lights without bringing this back to another meeting, extra funds to be vired from the general fund, this was seconded by Cllr Cox, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
231/PC/17 – Meeting Dates
RESOLVED to agree meeting dates for 2017/18 all in favour.
232/PC/17 – SLCC – National Conference 2017
Cllr Fox proposed to agree to the clerk’s attendance on 18/19 October 2017, this was seconded by Cllr Lynch, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
233/PC/17 – Outdoor Cinema
DISCUSSED the viability of doing this as a village summer event, needs to be dark enough to show the film, so agreed on a date of 8 September 2017, Cllr Carter to gather all information and costs and bring back to April meeting for agreement.
234/PC/17 – Bells Hill Green Slopes
Letter from resident asking for painted ‘Please Keep Clear’ signs. Cllr Finan proposed that sign be put up on the railings to remind people not to park across the sloped areas, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
235/PC/17 – RECEIVED and ADOPTED minutes from previous meetings of sub committees and working parties:
(1) Planning Minutes – 16 January 2017 – Signed 20 February 2017
(2) Recreation & Environment Minutes – 7 November 2016 – Signed 27 February 2017
236/PC/17 – Finance
(1) NOTED Statement of Accounts – February 2017
(2) RESOLVED to approve list of cheques/Bacs for signature February 2017
(3) RECEIVED Bank reconciliations, February 2017
(4) RECEIVED Budget monitoring, February 2017
237/PC/17 – Circulars List/Correspondence and Items received by clerk but not on agenda.
List appended to the agenda of all circulars received in the office and available to view for one month after this meeting.
Correspondence:-
None
238/PC/17 – NOTED Dates of Future Meetings
Parish Reception –17 March 2017
Planning Meeting – 20 March 2017
Full Parish Council – 10 April 2017
Annual Parish Meeting– 20 April 2017
Meeting ended at 9.05pm