Full Parish Council - Meeting Minutes
Monday 8th April 2024
Introduction
MINUTES OF THE FULL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE STOKE POGES PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 8 APRIL 2024 AT 7.30 P.M. IN THE LIONEL RIGBY ROOM, THE VILLAGE CENTRE, ROGERS LANE, STOKE POGES BUCKS, SL2 4LP.
Present: - Cllr Bagge (Chair), Cllr Bassi, Cllr Carter, Cllr Cox, Cllr Crocker, Cllr Fina, Cllr Flower, Cllr Moore, Cllrs Pritchard & Cllr Webster.
In Attendance: Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)
Also Present: Four Members of Public.
Agenda Items
214/PC/24 - Public Session Time (7.30 pm-7.45 pm)
The meeting is open to the public and press and 15 minutes will be reserved, if required, for public comment on items on the agenda.
One member of the public asked for any information on the lorry movements and works at Brockhurst Wood. Councillors updated with what they know which there is a covenant on the land which does not allow change of use, and no planning permission is required for any works which have been granted by the Forestry Commission. Lorry movements are at the moment a rumour and the notice that was put up was unauthorised.
215/PC/24 - Apologies for Absence
APOLOGIES were received from Cllr Knox-Scott.
216/PC/24 - Declarations of interest
Members to 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
217/PC/24 - Minutes
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 12 February 2024 which were signed by the Chairman.
218/PC/24 – Beeches Community Board
Cllr Bassi said the next meeting was June 2024. She is not sure of the exact date
NOTED that the Beeches have awarded us £15000 for the Jogging Trail in Plough Lane Recreation Ground, thanks to the hard work of Cllr Carter and support of Cllr Egleton..
NOTED that the planning application has been submitted for the trail at a cost of £353.00.
NOTED The clerk and Cllr Carter met with the Highways Area Manager and asked for advice regarding possible purchase and installation of a VAS to be located along GX Road.
We were told that they are not supported by Highways, the Road Safety Team or Thames Valley Police as not being effective and have the opposite effect by encouraging some drivers to use them to time themselves in speeding up and share on Social Media. Any installation would need to be approved by the Road Safety Team and Highways who are likely to say no.
VAS are also expensive and have a life span of around 10 years due to weather conditions and require continuous maintenance. As there is no infrastructure near possible sites it would need to be solar powered. Any nearby trees would need to be a minimum of 50m away from the VAS as they are reliant on sunlight. We would need to regularly liaise with any landowners to ensure that their trees did not interfere. It was advised that the MVAS, which we already have, is the best option all around and the most effective.
AGREED AND DECIDED by all that due diligence had been carried out and there was no proposal to continue with this and get two further quotes, therefore agreed not to bring back.
219/PC/24 - Buckinghamshire Council Report
Councillor Bagge reported that the last newsletter was rather doom and gloom due to the wettest 18 months on record. Highways prioritise any reports made on ‘Fix my Street’ and the app works well. The Buckinghamshire Council magazine is now being delivered and has been received by the majority of councillors around the table.
Councillors asked Cllr Bagge about the Country Park and why works had ceased. Cllr Bagge was unaware of this and relied on previous information that it was on track to be open by the end of the year, so Cllr Bagge will investigate further and bring back.
220/PC/24 – Chairman’s/Councillors' Update from last meeting.
Cllr Carter reported that work had already started on the Carols on the Green event by the Clerk behind the scenes.
At the meeting with Highways Team manager the following was reported:
Highways have employed a Highways Enforcement Officer who is an ex-police officer.
The sign for Bells Hill shops was reported again and will be looked at.
The crashed-into bollards and unlit bollards along the Gerrards Cross Road will be looked at.
Perished Pavements on roads such as West End Lane and others are not classed as safety critical and therefore will not be repaired anytime soon.
Buckinghamshire councillors can nominate one road to be re-surfaced each year, this year will be Vine Road.
Collum Green Lane and drivers not stopping was looked at and reported back that there is over and above the usual Give Way Stop Signs leading up to the junction with Gerrards Cross Road, there are three, which are the biggest you can get and usually used on motorways, any accidents there are driver error.
School Lane blocked gully they are dealing with.
Potholes cannot be fixed properly due to the water table in this area being the highest ever, the brief is to do a ‘Make Safe Carriageway Repair’ and then return to fix it properly later in the year when the water table has dropped sufficiently so they can then do a permanent fix.
It was agreed by all to write some of these facts in the next Stoke Poges News to make residents aware.
Unauthorised work at a property on Park Road has been dealt with by the new Highways Enforcement Officer and the homeowners have been told to put the area back to how it was.
221/PC/24 – Neighbourhood Plan
Cllr Carter reported that Buckinghamshire Council had missed their deadline for comments to regulation 14 draft which was 21 March 2024, therefore the consultants advised to press on and submit the final draft to apply for regulation 15 which has been done and we are waiting for a list of external
examiners.
222/PC/24 – Bus Shelter Hastings Meadow
Quote not available, agreed to defer until received.
223/PC/24 – Music Event
Cllr Finan and Cllr Webster explained that the logistics of this event was not possible this year, it was AGREED by all not to pursue.
224/PC/24 – Pennylets Green Junction
NOTED the licence has been paid for and granted.
Cllr Carter and the Clerk met with the Highways Area Manager who explained that any proposed works must be submitted and would require approval by Highways. It was identified while on site that there is no sign that cars are parking on the verges in that area as they are intact, there are also significant utilities under those verges therefore planters are not suitable for that area corner, plus they are very costly and require constant ongoing maintenance. Other suggestions of bunds or approved bollards would also be unsuitable. Small posts are a possibility but need to be agreed by the LAT and paid for by the Parish.
AGREED by all that there is not a problem at the moment in this area and there is no evidence that the verges are not in good order, therefore, not to do anything other than monitor going forward.
225/PC/24 – Buckinghamshire Council - Stoke Poges School rear exit path.
NOTED that Cllr Carter and the clerk met with the Highways area manager and discussed the barrier request and did a site visit. Due to the siting of a soak away and utilities the barrier cannot be extended.
The bend is blind due to hedgerows growing outside of the Highway boundary line. Highways will check available maps. Highways are saying that extra care needs to be taken when crossing the road on a blind bend and it is the responsibility of pedestrians to decide safety when crossing.
NOTED that the highways manager is looking at maps of the area and will decide if they are to ask the homeowners to do anything with the hedgerows.
226/PC/24 – Reception 2024
Cllr Bagge reported that the reception on 22 March 2024 went really well and thanked the Clerk, Cllr Carter and Cllr Crocker for the administration and all other councillors who helped on the night.
Cllr Bagge was disappointed that a couple of residents that had previously been vexatious towards the council had been able to attend and felt that residents who had been vexatious to the council should not be invited.
227/PC/24 – D-Day 6 June 2024
NOTED that a wreath has been offered by the British Legion for D-Day, to agree to lay at the beacon lighting event on 6 June. AGREED to lay.
Cllr Carter proposed that the council purchase bunting up to £600 maximum to put up in the usual places, provided there was enough offers of help to put it up, this was seconded by Cllr Webster,
RESOLVED to agree, 9 for and 1 against.
DISCUSSED about 11/11 posies which are placed at graves in the Churchyard. They are
really hard to find, and take up to two hours of a councilor’s time. To agree to decide to lay the wreaths only from now on, or continue with the posies as well. DECIDED that it was a difficult task and to explore other options other than posies to remember, to bring back.
228/PC/24 – Licence Application Hollybush Hill
NOTED that the Parish Council have submitted objections as agreed for this licence. The hearing is on 24 April 2024. Circulated.
229/PC/24 – Friday Club
Update on Friday Club finances and any monies being donated to the club from the carols event as they do not have a separate bank account from the Church.
AGREED by all to defer this item.
Cllr Carter reported that the last Friday Club meeting last week was an excellent success.
230/PC/24 – Pavilion
R & E agreed to get the pavilion checked and any maintenance works required carried out since none have been done since it was built. A company recommended by a local surveyor has been and worked out the work required and quoted.
Cllr Webster proposed to agree to the works which were overdue and accept the quote of £14380.00 from Matters Property Services, to be taken from the Pavilion Maintenance budget/reserve this was seconded by Cllr Finan, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
NOTED that Cllr Carter and the clerk are meeting with the original architect on 17 April to check some cracking and roofing issues and get clarification that the solar panels will not compromise the 25-year roof guarantee.
231/PC/24 – Pavilion Solar Panels
NOTED Two quotes have now been obtained and AGREED to defer it until after the clarification in item 230 has been sought.
232/PC/24 – Tennis Club Fence
NOTED that the insurance claim for the tennis club fence was accepted and paid in full, the work has now gone ahead and been completed, and the club are very happy. The insurance company also paid for the tree works.
233/PC/24 – Pond Insurance Claim
NOTED that an insurance claim has been put in for the pond works, however this is could prove
difficult as there are two insurance companies involved as the issues started before we switched companies.
234/PC/24 – Request for parking
NOTED the request from the Fete Committee and the Horticultural Society committee to use the recreation ground for parking at their events on 8 June 2024 and 27 July 2024. RESOLVED to agree to both requests subject to the usual conditions which are provided that the gate is not left open or unlocked at any time during the day, that it is manned and the parking properly organised by marshals, especially when driving onto the recreation ground which will be being used by residents as usual with children and dogs, and that it will be locked up at the end of the day. If the weather is particularly wet, then cars must not be allowed to drive onto the recreation ground at all and only the immediate car parking area is to be used.
235/PC/24 – RECEIVED and ADOPTED minutes from previous meetings of sub committees and working parties:
Planning Committee Minutes 15 January 2024 – Agreed/Signed 19 February 2024
Planning Committee Minutes 19 February 2024 – Agree/Signed 18 March 2024
236/PC/24 – Finance
RECEIVED Financial Summary & Statement Cashbook –February 2024/March 2024.
RESOLVED to approve list of cheques/Bacs for signature February 2024/March 2024
RECEIVED Bank reconciliations – February 2024/March 2024.
RECEIVED Income & Expenditure Heading Detail/Budget Monitoring – February 2024/March 2024
RESOLVED to approve the internal auditor Mr Barrie Dancer for the next three years to 2027.
Cllr Finan proposed to approve the Financial Risk Assessment to satisfy the auditors, this was seconded by Cllr Webster, RESOLVED to agree, all in favour.
NOTED that the internal audit will take place 22/23/24 April 2024.
237/PC/24 – 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.
1. NOTED Thank you letter from a resident for the yellow lines in Rogers/Duffield Lane.
2. NOTED Buckinghamshire Council Licensing Policy consultation.
3. NOTED Thank you letter from a resident for the yellow lines in Hollybush/Broom Hill.
4. NOTED Health and Wellbeing Fayre 24 April 2024 – Beeches.
5. NOTED Thank you letter from a resident for the yellow lines in Rogers/Duffield Lane.
6. NOTED Thank you letter from a resident for the yellow lines in Rogers/Duffield Lane
238/PC/24 – NOTED Dates of Future Meetings
Planning Committee Meeting – 15 April 2024
Full Parish Annual Council Meeting – 13 May 2024
The meeting ended at 8.50pm.