MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE
STOKE POGES PARISH COUNCIL TO BE HELD ON
MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2020 AT 7.30 P.M. VIA ZOOM USING THIS LINK: – https://zoom.us/j/98967170647?pwd=Z0FVT1l0a3VDNUJtVjlhaHJrSGdwdz09
Meeting ID:- 989 6717 0647 Password:- 460165
Present:- Cllr Bagge (Chair), Cllr Carter, Cllr Cox, Cllr Crocker, Cllr Egleton, Cllr Finan, Cllr Fox, Cllr Knox-Scott & Cllr Lynch.
In Attendance:- Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)
Also present:- 3 Members of Public.
_______________________________________________________________________________
MINUTES
090/PC/20 – 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.
One member of public read out a statement in relation to agenda item 097. Cllr Bagge reminded her that the R & E committee were tasked with working on the item and it would be brought back to the next R & E meeting in February 2021.
One member of public asked the council about speed limits on Hollybush Hill and what could be done to reduce speed, Cllr Bagge explained that a Community Speedwatch Group was set up but unable to function at present due the data not being uploaded to the police due to Covid-19. Cllr Cox would look up data from the MVAS on Hollybush Hill.
091/PC/20 – Apologies for Absence
None
092/PC/20 – 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
093/PC/20 – Minutes
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 12 October 2020 which will be signed by the Chairman.
094/PC/20 – Buckinghamshire Council Report
Cllr Egleton reported:-
- The Council have responded to the Governments consultation on “Planning For the Future” and a press release was issued today with the brief details on the proposed reforms and the Council’s response which are mainly negative and express their grave concern on the centralising nature of these and the pro development approach without any regard to the local views or protection for residents. The only good news is that the duty to cooperate with neighbouring authorities to assist in their housing need is to be abolished. We await to see if this is finally included in legislation.
- The Pinewood Experience Hub planning application will be decided by the Strategic Sites Planning Committee and has been called in by two Iver Councillors so it will go to the committee and be heard in public. Cllr Egleton has registered to speak at the committee meeting and awaits to see how many councillors are allowed to speak. The Wexham & Ivers Community Board have set up a Pinewood Working Group to consider what mitigation we would like to see should the application be approved. It will comprise representation from Buckinghamshire Councillors, adjoining Parishes, Iver resident groups and Pinewood employees. I have been appointed Chairman and Stoke Poges Parish are invited to send a representative.
- The Beeches Community Board has asked the members to ratify setting up an emergency fund of £20,000 to provide supplies and support to vulnerable residents in our area during the current lockdown with a maximum grant of £2000 per request. It will be reviewed by the chairman and support officer so to avoid any delay I suggest Ralph and myself apply for a grant for the Stoke Poges store cupboard and delivery service thus avoiding going through the process with the Parish Council as the news was too late for the agenda.
- The Buckinghamshire Council has started the process of developing a council wide Local Plan and briefing for members are scheduled for the near future. A working party has been set up to oversee the process and I have been invited to be a member.
- The South Buckinghamshire Planning Committee last meeting refused a planning application for five houses on land south of Rowley Lane in the green belt, supported the officer’s recommendation to refuse an infill house in the green belt in Burnham. Clearly demonstrating that the committee is taking any development proposals in South Bucks Green Belt very seriously and that they are opposed to its development. We are throughout the area now seeing increasing challenges to the boundaries of the green belt by developers as our local plan has been withdrawn.
Cllr Bagge reported:-
- The Beeches board for infrastructure and highways subcommittee group have invited me to Chair the committee. Two items discussed at the last meeting were flooding on the roads, and major highways improvements required which can’t be funded from community board funds. The subgroup is asking representatives to notify the coordinator of recurring flooding locations and to submit details of transformational road schemes which can be assessed for developer infrastructure payments. The board coordinator will compile a register.
- An application has been submitted for the Covid Relief Fund on behalf of the Stoke Poges Store Cupboard.
095/PC/20 – Chairman’s Update from last meeting.
Next year the Stoke Poges Society will be commemorating the 250th anniversary of Thomas Gray’s death in 1771, and Art Exhibition is planned to be hosted at St Giles’ Church.
Wreaths and posies were laid at the church on Remembrance Sunday 8 November and another wreath will be laid at the flagpole on Wednesday 11November. All socially distanced.
096/PC/20 – Zoom Meeting Rules
Complaint received from a member of the Planning Committee about behaviour and conduct by a member of public at the last Planning Meeting. Cllr Carter proposed that during Zoom meetings unless dialling in from a telephone the video of attendees must be on and must show the person and not be a blank screen, failure to do so will result in that person being put back into the waiting room by the host. That conduct must be the same as expected in a face to face meeting and will remain respectful, this was seconded by Cllr Egleton, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
097/PC/20 –Allotment Contract.
NOTED that this item is being worked on by members of the Recreation & Environment Committee and as per last month’s decision will be taken back to the next Recreation & Environment meeting which is in February 2021 for further discussion and a decision/proposal from the committee to be taken back to the following Full Parish Council meeting. NOTED Work is on going
098/PC/20 – Allotment Agreement
Cllr Cox proposed to resolve to agree to ratify wording changes to item 14, 18, 18.1, 18.2, 23 and 25.5 also Schedule 1 and Schedule 2, as agreed to change by the Recreation and Environment committee in time for the allotment renewals in January 2021, this was seconded by Cllr Lynch, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
099/PC/20 – Making Councillors’ addresses public’
DISCUSSED about councillors’ information being public including notice boards and the directory in SPN. Cllr Finan proposed that phone numbers, addresses and email addresses no longer be published on the website, notice boards or in the SPN, and anyone wanting to contact a Parish Council must contact the Clerk in the first instance, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
100/PC/20 – Notice of Withdrawal of the Publication Version of the Chiltern and South Bucks Local Plan 2036.
NOTED.
101/PC/20 – Neighbourhood Plan
DISCUSSED and DECIDED to invite the consultants that Denham and Iver Parish Councils used to come to a meeting with a proposal to develop a Neighbourhood Plan, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
102/PC/20 – Khalsa School
Cllr Carter reported that a response had been received to the letter that was sent to Dame Dethridge but received too late to circulate with the agenda.
103/PC/20 – Beeches Community Board
Update from Cllr Egleton. NOTED that the Application for funding for projects in 2021/22 was not applicable for the scheme suggested of supporting the elderly with technology, it was for highways and transport schemes only. However the Beeches have other schemes and are happy to look at helping via another route.
104/PC/20 – Litter Picking
NOTED litter picking poster and dates for 2021.
105/PC/20 – Resurrection of home deliveries for the vulnerable.
NOTED working party have met to look at continued support during lockdown 2 and have recruited five new volunteers.
106/PC/20 – Carols on the Green
Update by Cllr Carter on ways to still make Christmas as special as possible – singing on doorstep on 28 November to be persued by Cllr Carter, as agreed at last meeting.
NOTED that a Christmas display is being erected on the green. Lights and Tree should all be lit around 18 November 2020. NOTED the admins of the We All Live in Stoke Poges Facebook Group have organised a virtual Christmas Market for Fri 20th Nov
107/PC/20 – 11/11 Service on Green
Cllr Bagge to lay a wreath at the flagpole on 11/11.
108/PC/20 – Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Association of Local Councils (BMKALC)
NOTED that Cllr Carter was unable to attend the last Parish Liaison meeting and is awaiting details of the next one.
109/PC/20 – Bus Service
Cllr Egleton not heard back yet about updating the timetables at the bus stops.
110/PC/20 – Grass Cutting/Maintenance Contract
Cllr Egleton proposed to accept that the current contractor who is happy to proceed on a yearly rolling contract with reduced rate of 1.5% increase to current charges for 2021 be accepted, this was seconded by Cllr Finan, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
111/PC/20 – Bells Hill Green Maintenance Contract
Cllr Cox proposed to accept that the current contractor happy to proceed on a yearly rolling contract with a 0% increase to current charges for 2021, and then continue on with the increase based on the RPI from each previous December, this was seconded by Cllr Egleton, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
112/PC/20 – Weed Killing 2021/22
Cllr Bagge to update whether County are now carrying out this work, if not to agree to continue with verge weed killing twice yearly at £450 per application. Quotation through current contractor and via our preferred method. Agreed to bring back each October for decision. Cllr Bagge does not have the information yet, bring back to next meeting.
113/PC/20 – RECEIVED and ADOPTED minutes from previous meetings of sub committees and working parties:
- Planning Committee Minutes 21 September 2020 – Agreed/Signed 19 October 2020
- Recreation & Environment Minutes 6 July 2020 – Agreed/Signed 19 October 2020
114/PC/20 – Finance
(1) RECEIVED & NOTED Financial Summary & Statement Cashbook – October 2020
(2) RESOLVED to approve list of cheques/Bacs for signature October 2020 – £10862.10
(3) RECEIVED & NOTED Bank reconciliations – October 2020
(4) RECEIVED & NOTED Income & Expenditure Heading Detail/Budget Monitoring – October 2020
115/PC/20 – 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
116/PC/20 – NOTED Dates of Future Meetings
Planning Meeting – 16 November 2020
Full Parish Council Meeting – 7 December 2020
Meeting ended at:-9.05pm