Minutes Detail

PRESTON CANDOVER AND NUTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL

Discussion		Action
1	To receive apologies for absence.
1.1	Apologies were received from: Judy Brine and Charles Bradshaw.
2	To sign and confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council
2.1	The minutes of the meeting held on 7^th December were confirmed and signed, subject to two textual amendments.
	The order of the Agenda was changed to permit PC Reid to present information from the Annual Policing Report, to permit him to leave early to attend other meetings. An extract from the detailed report, relating to the Parish is attached as Appendix A to these Minutes.
3.	To consider matters arising from the previous minutes.
3.1	Recreation Ground. No reply had been received from BDBC (Noel Preece) regarding the grass cutting at the Recreation Ground . Clerk to follow up.	RD
3.2	New Councillors. KK had been asked to book SG, KG, and J.B on the next available core skills course.	*RD to follow up*
3.3	Bus Shelter. Concerning the repair of the bus shelter, MM will get Graham Turner, a local craftsman to look at the problem and provide a quote for the work needed.	*MM to get a quote*
3.4	HCC had been contacted and responded regarding the closure of the Oxdrove.
3.5	A public meeting had been held to the consult the Village on plans for Dickers Field. The proposals were accepted by and large. Fencing is to be considered to prevent dog nuisance to local residents.
3.6	The Clerk confirmed that action had been taken to press BT to retain both K6 phone boxes, but that if unsuccessful, the Axford box would be sponsored and the Preston Candover box adopted
3.7	It was confirmed that the suggestion of moving the skate ramp to behind the village hall had not been well received, and the proposal was not to be pursued.
4	Financial Matters.
4.1	A new style Finance Report & Bank Reconciliation, to be prepared monthly by the Clerk, which showed balances of £8,637.48 on the Business Instant Access Account and £117.89 on the Treasurer’s Account, was noted.
4.2	A matrix showing budget comparison year on year, income & expenditure to date, with a projection to year end against current year budget, to be prepared quarterly by the Clerk, was noted.
4.3	The Council’s noted that Reserves are currently higher than intended, and a number of items of expenditure for the benefit of the community were discussed. The Clerk explained the principle of projects being funded out of Section 137 (limited to £6.15 per head of population per annum) & advised that not all projects could not be funded within that limit. The Clerk is to review and advise how a number of proposals might best be funded. These include: A contribution towards replacing flooring and cooker. Grass-cutting at the recreation ground. Dickers Field (benches etc). Refurbishment of the bus shelter. Replacement of posts damaged during the heavy snow. Funding of Youth Club activities. Funding towards school activities. Funding of costs incurred by Friends of Nutley Church yard. {Cllr Owencroft declared an interest in this latter item, and took no part in the discussion}.
4.4	There were no cheques for signature.
4.5	It was agreed to ask HMRC to set up an employer record in the name of Preston Candover & Nutley Parish Council to administer PAYE deductions.	RD
	RW brought up the need to repair the bus shelter, which was agreed. RW also suggested that the Parish Council buy two benches for the Dickers Field landscaping scheme.
	RW said we may have to pay BT to keep the Axford telephone kiosk in working order. (please see Chairman’s report)
	SG wondered about moving the skate ramp from the Recreation ground to behind the village Hall by the Tennis Courts as it would get used more and parents would feel their teenagers were safer.
5	Planning Matters.
5.1	New planning applications: None had been received.
5.2	Planning Decisions: BDB/71555 &6 Lower Farm, Alresford Rd, Preston Candover, Basingstoke RG25 2EP. Conversion of barn and adjoining stable to ancillary guest accommodation, internal and external alterations and refurbishment. Application withdrawn by Applicant
	BDB/71550 &51 Lower Farm, Alresford Rd, Preston Candover, Basingstoke, RG25 2EP. Erection of two storey side and rear extensions and rear conservatory, construction of new entrance to North elevation. Application withdrawn by Applicant.
6	Correspondence A schedule of correspondence, e.mails and publications received by the Clerk since the previous meeting had been circulated in advance to Members. Further information was provided on the following:
6.1	Possible withdrawal of HALC from NALC
6.2	Notice of requirement to file PAYE returns online
6.3	Appointment of External Auditor – Proposed Wayne Rickard
6.4	Access for All Capital Programme for 2010/2011: (Footway works)
6.5	Governance Toolkit	*(Available to all members)*
6.6	Risk Assessment systems & other templates offered for purchase	*Filed*
6.7	Publications. Copies of Kingfisher Housing and HARAH reports to be passed to Chairman.
7	Highways & Rights of Way
7.1	Daphne Prosser reported blocked ditches, potholes on Wield Road, near the Purefoy, and missing cat’s eyes. Some of these have been made to the Highway Engineer (Colin Hooper) with no success. HCC to be chased.	RD
8	Reports from Chairman & Members
8.1	The Chairman reported: That a fence, erected in Moundsmere Close, as stipulated in a planning condition, is to be removed at the request of BDBC. A letter of thanks had been received from the Village Hall Committee acknowledging a grant of £100 made by the Council. That he had contacted BDBC (Barber) regarding listing of memorial (s) in the parish. This will be pursued. Daphne prosser reorted that the Preston Candover war memorial requires attention.	RW RD
9	Preston Oakhills
9.1	Options for disposal, comprising a wood of about 1 acre were discussed. Alternative options were (i) sale of the land and (ii) a deed of exchange involving land in the area of Dickers Field. A decision was deferred until the next meeting.
10	Meeting Closed at 8.25pm. Date of next Meeting 22^nd February 2010 at 7pm due to double booking of the hall. This is a draft copy awaiting agreement at the next meeting.

Appendix A to Minutes 18.01.2010
Extract from Annual Policing Report: Prepared by PC Andy Reid

The below graph details the amount of actual recorded crime per Parish has occurred since 1^st January 2000 to 31^st December 2009

I am pleased to report a reduction in reported crime in this parish during the year. Four crimes were reported, a reduction of two on 2008. We began with the theft of three tops from staddlestones from the front of a house in the centre part of the village in March. The following month a stable block was broken into and a quad bike was placed in a transit van and stolen. Police were on the scene within a short time and a van was chased ending up in Cliddesden where it was recovered with the quad bike inside. His accomplice in another vehicle picked up the driver of the van. A suspect has been identified and arrested. The same premises were broken into a further two times during the year; we believe to steal a quad bike.

In October a reported dwelling burglary was reported but after investigation it appeared to be a false alarm and no crime had actually taken place.

I attended to a report of a road sign being seen in the middle of the road and a danger to traffic, although off duty I attended straight away but no trace was found. Also, whilst off duty, I attended to a broken down school bus on a sharp bend in the lashing rain, thankfully after about an hour a recovery unit came and sorted the vehicle out.

We also had reports of damage and two injury road traffic incidents (accidents) in the parish. As well as the broken down bus we had a report of a broken down car. We also attended two burglar alarm activations both of which were False / Fault, a report of an over loaded pick-up with bales on board and a report of a prowler at The Crown Public House.

Also during he year the new 30 mph limit was introduced into the village, certainly slowing some vehicles down but we are aware of the concerns from several residents regarding speeding vehicles through the village, and during he year several complaints were received about speeding traffic.

During 2009 one crime was reported in the Parish, on March 19th at 4.15 am the alarm on the farm workshop was activated, the farm worker went to investigate and found that an attempt had been made to force entry into the farm workshop, thanks to the alarm no entry was gained. This crime happened only an hour or so from a similar incident at a Bradley Farm.

Other incidents in the parish included two road traffic incidents (accidents), one was damage only and the other involved a deer. We had two reports of dead deer hit by motor vehicles, two reports of suspicious vehicles, three false burglar alarm activations and reports of two abandoned cars.

I am pleased to report that this parish saw a decrease in reported crime during the year with four crimes being reported. We began the year with an outbuilding being broken into and a sprayer backpack being stolen. We also had a dog bite incident in which a dog in the village bit a man in the face; the owners of the dog subsequently had the animal put down. The man was bitten in the face and was sent from Basingstoke Hospital to Guildford for treatment.

We had a theft reported of York stone, this stone is highly sought after and extremely expensive, hence it is frequently stolen from gardens.

The most despicable crime reported during the whole year also occurred in Preston Candover when two men called on the home of an elderly female stating they were from the water board and as the local building site had hit a water main they were required to check it out. One went upstairs and the other went into the rear garden and let the ladies dog out, whilst she went off to get it back they stole about £600 from her, including both her pension and money that her and her late sister had been collecting to buy a headstone for their parents.

At this point I wish to commend the community spirit shown, I am aware that Rob and xxx who had recently taken over the village shop provided a gift of food, and a whip round was organised in which sufficient money was raised to both help the lady and buy out right the headstone for her parents. The Parish Council also assisted within fund raising.

We also received reports of four suspicious vehicles or people including a male in the churchyard lying on a bench. We had two false burglar alarm activations in the village, one I could hear from my home at the school at 11.45 pm, so went and found that it was the school and that all was in order. I received calls on a variety of issues including a female with a water leak at her home, and a report at 11.35 pm of cows having got out of their field and into a residents garden. Whilst rendering assistance to the farm manger they went back into the field. We had a report of a domestic dispute and three damage and one very slight injury road traffic incidents (accidents), along with a complaint of dangerous driving. We also had reports of a tree across a road and flooding on the B3046 outside The Purefoys public house. I also received a call regarding a car parked in the village, enquiries showed that it came from The Wye Valley in West Mercia, I arranged for an officer to make enquires and found that the owner had moved to Preston Candover but had at that time no updated the DVLA.

I also reported a local driver for having an expired tax disc, details being sent to the DVLA for further action.

In December I received a complaint regarding inconsiderate parking at the village school and issued several non waiting cones to reduce the problem, which it did.

I also had the pleasure of attending the village Remembrance Service with children from the village school and the village firework display held in November.

A short while after the distraction burglary three men from Margate in Kent were seen in the village illegally trading from door to door, all three were removed back to Basingstoke railway station with suitable advice.