Full Parish Council - Meeting Minutes

Monday 3rd April 2023

Introduction

MINUTES OF THE FULL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE STOKE POGES PARISH COUNCIL ON MONDAY 3 APRIL 2023 AT 7.30 P.M. IN THE MAIN HALL AT THE VILLAGE CENTRE, ROGERS LANE, STOKE POGES BUCKS, SL2 4LP.

Present:- Cllr Bagge (Chair), Cllr Bassi, Cllr Carter, Cllr Cox, Cllr Finan, Cllr Knox-Scott, Cllr Moore, Cllr Pritchard.

In Attendance:- Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)

Also Present:- One member of public

Agenda Items

230/PC/23 – 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 on items on the agenda.

One member of the public complained that the school marshalling had stopped and asked why. It was explained that after one year of marshalling the marshals had been subjected to much abuse, stalking and even followed home by some parents. They had decided that it was too dangerous. The Police do not have the resources to be at the school all of the time and neither do the parking enforcement officers which are short across the county. The member of the public asked who was responsible. They were informed that Buckinghamshire Council are responsible for the catchment area, the Police for anti-social behavior, Enforcement for illegal parking, the parents for their own behaviour, the school also has a responsibility. It was clearly explained that the Parish Council have no remit or powers to get involved in this issue but had done so to try to help alleviate matters, but sadly this had not been supported sufficiently to warrant continuing.

231/PC/23 – Apologies for Absence

APOLOGIES were received from Cllr Crocker and Cllr Flower.

232/PC/23 – Declarations of interest

Members declare any personal interest in any item of business as defined in the Code of Conduct adopted 2021. If that interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest as defined in the Code, the member should withdraw from the meeting for that item.

None

233/PC/23 – Minutes

RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 13 March 2023 which were signed by the Chairman.

234/PC/23 – Resignation/Vacancy

NOTED resignation from Cllr Egleton to the Chairman and NOTED that Electoral Services have been notified.

235/PC/23 – Beeches Community Board

No Update due to Cllr Egleton resignation.

Cllr Bassi offered to take on being the new representative to the board, which was AGREED unanimously.

NOTED request from the board to nominate a location for an air quality sensor RESOLVED to agree all in favour that outside the school by the caretaker’s house would be a good place.

236/PC/23 – Buckinghamshire Council Report

Cllr Bagge reported that the new Highways contract has started today. He is attending a Finance and Resources meeting this week and one of the topics being reviewed will be staff attendance and absence.

237/PC/23 – Chairman’s/Councillors’ Update from last meeting.

Cllr Carter reported that along with the Clerk and Cllr Cox they had met the new grass cutting contractor at the allotments today, all is in place for the contract to now start. Cllr Carter reported that she had received an email from a resident saying that the Parish Council are appalling for walking away from the School Marshalling. Another email about pigeon poo in the underground parking at the shops, the resident has been signposted to RMG the managing agent.

Cllr Bassi reported that she had managed to obtain £100 from a local business for the piece of land being worked by volunteers behind the shops.

238/PC/23 – Neighbourhood Plan

Update on Neighbourhood Plan and meetings held with working party and make any decisions necessary.

Cllr Carter updated on various sites that may be suitable to accommodate small stock housing. A green infrastructure meeting will take place along with members of Farnham Parish Council to discuss linking footpaths together as they are also doing a Neighbourhood Plan. A meeting will take place with them and the consultants on 25 April prior to the consultant’s presentation at 7pm.

The Design Coding is coming along, and we have unlocked an extra free grant from Localities to look at design in more detail.

The HNA had a couple of amendments that were being worked on but in it but has now gone to Localities for agreement.

The NDHA resulted in 163 letters being sent out by the clerk to houses that could warrant NDHA listing.

The formal consultation to the Parish Council is taking place on 25 April 2023 at 7p,m and it is hoped that formal consultation to the village will be by the end of June 2023.

239/PC/23 – Pond

Cllr Carter updated on the meeting held with residents on 29 March to discuss quotes and percentages. The percentages had been confirmed by the GIS officer at County for free using Land Registry maps.The residents were not entirely happy with them so advice was given for them to obtain their own Land Registry PDF maps and send them to the clerk who would ask the GIS officer to look at them again. It is unlikely that their maps will be different to the ones obtained by the GIS officer. It was agreed by all present that the original quote was the best one and it has also been agreed which parts of the quotes would be covered by whom by going through each item one by one. It was agreed that a check with the company to see if prices had increased and to see if they would still be prepared to take on the job as they currently have said that any contract under £80k they are not taking on. Cllr Carter advised that the directors of the company are considering this.

The Clerk has confirmed that it would be unlawful for the Parish Council to pay for the whole job and the VAT and then invoice other owners without VAT. The contractor would have to split the invoicing accordingly.

NOTED The other owners did not get back to the Clerk in time for this meeting so no decision on quotes will be required to be taken in Part II this evening.

240/PC/23 – School Traffic/Traffic Watch Update

Update from Cllr Bagge and Buckinghamshire Council on the camera option which is being trialed in Derby.

Cllr Bagge has had no reply and out of office replies each time he has tried the officer, will keep trying.

241/PC/23 – Reception 2023

Update on reception held on 31 March 2023

Cllr Bagge thanked everyone for attending, it was a great turnout and councillors received good feedback.

242/PC/23 – Bells Hill Green

Cllr Carter met with the contractor and the Chairman of the Horticultural Society on site to discuss and decide on what was required, which is digging out borders and around the trees and planting each year. Cllr Carter proposed that the current contractor adds further works to the existing contract to carry our remedial works and new planting to the beds at the green for a one-off payment of £500 and proposed to agree to add £500 to the existing yearly contract to carry our ongoing maintenance of same. Cost of plants extra, this was seconded by Cllr Bassi, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.

243/PC/23 – Heritage Walk

NOTED Request from Heritage Walk committee to set this up as part of the lease with Stoke Park which has not taken place since Covid and the sale of Stoke Park. Cllr Moore agreed to be appointed as representative from the Parish Council, AGREED unanimously.

244/PC/23 – Future Land Sales

Cllr Carter proposed that the council agree to ask the Clerk to write to the Director of Property & Assets at County asking for a list of land which is owned/leased by Buckinghamshire County in this area as requested by the Parish Planning Committee, this was seconded by Cllr Finan, RESOLVED to agree unanimously.

245/PC/23 – Coronation/Bunting/Flags

NOTED that the bunting has been ordered and to AGREED by all that the 17th of April 2023 onwards to put up the bunting and the flags. AGREED for Clerk to send locations out and get agreements from councillors which area they will do.

246/PC/23 – MUGA/Play Equipment

NOTED that due to the wet weather the cleaning and re-painting of the MUGA and installation of new play equipment has been pushed back to at least May/June 23.

247/PC/23 – RECEIVED and ADOPTED minutes from previous meetings of sub committees and working parties:

Planning Committee Minutes 20 February 2023 – Agreed/Signed 20 March 2023

248/PC/23 – Finance

RECEIVED & NOTED Financial Summary & Statement Cashbook – March 2023 which was emailed today.
RESOLVED to approve list of cheques/Bacs for signature March 2023 £11220.92 which was emailed today.
RECEIVED & NOTED Bank reconciliations – March 2023 which was emailed today.
RECEIVED & NOTED Income & Expenditure Heading Detail/Budget Monitoring – March 2023.

249/PC/23 – 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.