MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE RECREATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE OF THE STOKE POGES PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 7.30 P.M. IN THE LIONEL RIGBY ROOM AT THE VILLAGE CENTRE, ROGERS LANE,
Present:- Cllr Carter (Chair), Cllr Bagge, Cllr Cox, Cllr Crocker, Cllr Fox & Cllr Lynch.
In Attendance:- Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)
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MINUTES
021/RE/17 Items by Members of Public Present 7.30pm-7.45pm
The meeting is open to the public and press and the first 15 minutes will be reserved, if required, for public comment.
None
022/RE/17 Apologies for absence.
APOLOGIES were received from Cllr Hoskins.
023/RE/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 prejudicial interest as defined in the Code; the Member should withdraw from the meeting for that item.
None
024/RE/17 Minutes
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the R&E Committee held on 5 June 2017 which were signed by the Chairman.
025/RE/17 Football Bells Hill
NOTED WWLFC did not renew for 17/18. Instead Stoke Poges Saints Football Club have secured the pitch on Sundays to start a youth team.
CONSIDERED and Cllr Bagge proposed a 3% increase to the annual rent costs for 2018/19 for all team’s, this was seconded by Cllr Lynch, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
026/RE/17 Nettleship Wood
NOTED that a new tenant in the Frank Solari field is working well. Ditches cleared in the other grazing fields and new walkway put down between Templewood Lane entrance and the Frank Solari field.
CONSIDERED and Cllr Bagge proposed a 3% increase on rent costs for grazing contracts for 2018/19, this was seconded by Cllr Cox, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
027RE/17 Bells Hill and Plough Lane Recreation Grounds
NOTED Veolia grant received for new Jogging Path in Bells Hill Rec. Paperwork is being prepared to put grant in place so that work can start.
DISCUSSED and decided to defer until next year about cutting the hedge along the houses at the rear of Bells Hill, to monitor if yearly is required or maybe every couple of years.
Playground Inspections – to discuss and decide whether to continue with RoSPA inspections yearly or to use a different company. Cllr Bagge proposed that we change to Playground Inspections next year, this was seconded by Cllr Lynch, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Pond – NOTED information regarding possibility of selling our share of the pond and it was AGREED all in favour not to proceed and to leave everything as it is for now.
Request to look into responsibility of tree roots in way of sluice gates. AGREED clerk to request location of sluice gates and report from residents showing that our roots are causing problems.
028/RE/17 Pavilion
NOTED that all that’s left is the water issue to sort out with Heighways Associates before they ask the
PC to sign off the retention fee. Investigations still ongoing.
Cllr Crocker proposed that the cleaning of the pavilion be brought in house to the Parish Council and that this role be added to the current caretakers duties and the charges made to the uniformed groups quarterly, this was seconded by Cllr Bagge, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Cllr Bagge proposed to agree to place lockable toilet roll holders in all toilets to prevent whole toilet rolls being placed down the toilets, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Cllr Bagge proposed a 3% increase on the annual rent costs for 2018/19 in new pavilion for all uniformed groups.
029/RE/17 Bells Hill Green
Cllr Carter updated the committee on Friends of Bells Hill working party. Blubs planted, Christmas lights in trees, pyracantha planted, edging delivered, planting for circular area on order, baskets and troughs have been replaced with winter plants and a meeting with the bee keeping society been held. It was reported that home owners from surrounding blocks were putting household rubbish into the litter bins on the green, clerk to write to each property to ask them to use the bins provided in the underground car park.
030/RE/17 Grass Cutting Contracts
DISCUSSED proposal from current contractor to continue all four contracts on a rolling yearly basis.
Cllr Carter proposed that this be an acceptable way forward and that the current contractor does a fantastic job without any issues for the clerk to deal with, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker,
RESOLVED to agree and accept the quotation for 2018/19 all in favour.
031/RE/17 Allotments
Cllr Cox updated the committee on the allotments which were mostly tidy and being looked after.
DISCUSSED email from an allotment holder. It was AGREED that the allotment plot in question was not originally ever a proper plot and therefore not maintained as such by the Parish Council. It was AGREED that due to the small amount of rent for this half plot it was not financially viable for the Parish Council to pay to add the surrounding area to the grass cutting contract. It was therefore AGREED to write to the plot holder to give two options, either they could strim a pathway to their plot themselves to make it accessible and if they wish to strim other parts of the no-man’s land as well they can, or they have the option of moving to an alternative proper allotment plot when one becomes available.
It was also AGREED that the Parish Council would install bollards at each end of the car park to prevent cars and other vehicles from driving around the site. Clerk to get quotes and bring to next meeting. The allotment agreement would be updated to reflect this change. Clerk to inform holders when sending out next year’s renewals in December. Cllr Cox assured the committee that the pathways between the plots were satisfactory.
DISCUSSED request from an allotment holder to allow the trenches to be re-dug to drain of the water and to ask the bee keeper to move to the other side of the allotments. Request also for this holder to drive right around to their plot as they are a blue badge holder. AGREED that no more trenches are to be dug at the allotments, as it is proven that this will not make any difference to the water flooding issue. AGREED that asking the bee keeper to move was a matter between that holder and the Parish Council and was not deemed a necessary thing to do. AGREED already that driving around the whole plot is to be stopped so no need for a resolution on this item. Clerk to write to holder.
NOTED that there has been a lot of fly tipping of chippings and other tree related debris and the gate is being forced open by cutting off the locks. Reported to police! SBDC fly tipping cannot help because it is private land. DISCUSSED either replacing the gate with something stronger or putting in and extra bar gate like the one at Templewood Lane, or something else, however none of these options appear to be the answer to the problem, therefore the council will look into another option and bring back to discuss further once implemented and trialed.
Cllr Bagge proposed that a full plot be increased to £35 and a half plot to £18 for 2018, this was seconded by Cllr Fox, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
032/RE/17 Tennis Club
Cllr Crocker proposed a 3% increase for 2018/19, this was seconded by Cllr Cox, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
033/RE/17 Playground Inspections/Litter Picking
Cllr Crocker proposed a 3% increase for 2018/19, this was seconded by Cllr Lynch, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
034/RE/17 Finance Budgets 18/19
Cllr Carted proposed to AGREE the R & E budgets for 18/19 as circulated and submitted by the Clerk and take to Finance for ratification on 13 November 2017, this was seconded by Cllr Cox, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
035/RE/17 – Weed Killing
Update given by the clerk and Cllr Carter. Agreed to get a further quote from current contractor using a different method of application, and to also get a further quote from elsewhere.
036/RE/17 Litter Picking Event
RESOLVED to agree next date for litter picking event to be Saturday 13 January 2018 at 10am.
037/RE/17 Trees
Brought back from last meeting to agree a quote to inspect the trees yearly on our land on Duffield Lane/Templewood Lane and carry out any necessary works required, to prevent prosecution if there are any damages caused by falling trees onto the road. Cllr Bagge proposed to accept the quote from R.Watts & Sons at £250 per year, this was seconded by Cllr Cox, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
038/RE/17 Outdoor Cinema
NOTED 8 September event cancelled and resolved to AGREE to bring back to January 2018 Full Parish meeting to decide a new date for next year.
039/RE/17 Working Party for Xmas Lights Ceremony/Bells Hill Green
NOTED that electricity should now be in place for lights on the other side of the Bells Hill. Lights have been installed in time for switch on 1st December. Tree being supplied and installed by Pinewood Nurseries. Cllr Carter confirmed that the agreed charity from the collection would be the local branch of Bucks Vision.
040/RE/17 NOTED Date of next meeting:-
26 February 2018
Meeting ended at 9.05pm.