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A meeting of Grimstead Parish Council was
held at 7:30pm on 5th April 2004 in East Grimstead
Reading Room.
Present: Mr R Britton (Chairman), Mr R
Amor (Vice-Chairman), Mrs R Clark, Mr G Bayford, Mr M
Emmerson, Mr C Wilkinson, Mr R Parsons (Clerk) and seven
members of the public.
45/04 Public Question Time: A
parishioner from East Grimstead asked if the PC was aware
of the House of Lords Judgement in respect of easements
that was published on 1st April. The Chairman replied
that he was aware that a judgement had been made but he
had not had an opportunity to examine the detail.
46/04 Candidates for Co-option: There
were no candidates to fill the single vacancy for a West
Grimstead Ward Member of Grimstead Parish Council.
47/04 Declaration of Interest: None.
48/04 Minutes: The minutes of the PC
meeting held on 23rd February, having been circulated,
were approved and signed by the Chairman, subject to a
note being made that there was no record of the
discussion about the A36 junction with Windwhistle road
or the new weight limit signage. The Clerk confirmed that
this would be rectified within the minutes of the current
meeting.
49/04 Management of Maypole Village Green in East
Grimstead: The Chairman reported that the full
implications of the House of Lords Judgement would need
to be assessed before the PC would be in a position to
determine how it will effect the PC's management of
registered Common Land. Cllr Emmerson reported that he
had been unable to meet with any contractors to discuss
the proposed improvements to Maypole Green. Action:
Cllr Emmerson agreed to contact contractors
before the next meeting.
50/04 Warning Notices in West Grimstead
Recreation Field: The Chairman reported that he
was awaiting appropriate information about the proposed
warning notices. Action: The Chairman.
51/04 West Grimstead Playing Field: Members
noted that the Goalpost net was missing. Action: The
Clerk will ask SDC if a replacement can be purchased with
funds from the PC's R2 account.
52/04 Recycling Centre at West Grimstead: Cllr
Clark reported that villagers were disappointed with the
concrete ramp and surface constructed to service the mini-recycling
skips in the West Grimstead Playing Field. Action:
Cllr Clark agreed to liaise with SDC
Environmental Services to resolve the problem.
53/04 Flower Barrels: Members agreed
that the PC would not provide flower barrels during 2004.
54/04 West Grimstead Chalkpit: The Clerk
reported that he had written to the Development Lawyer
living in West Grimstead but had yet to receive a reply. Action:
The Clerk will initiate a new approach.
55/04 De-silting the pond at West Grimstead: Cllr
Clark reported that this would be completed in August.
56/04 Dog Fouling: Cllr Clark reported
that signs erected to advise owners to pick up their
dogs' faeces in public places throughout the parish had
been removed. Members resolved to devise an alternate
method to inform parishioners. Dog fouling in public
places is a widespread problem.
57/04 Noticeboards: Cllr Bayford
reported that adjustments to the Noticeboard in the West
Grimstead Playingfield were in hand and Cllr Amor is in
the process of arranging the installation of the third
noticeboard in East Grimstead.
58/04 R5 Designated Land behind West Grimstead
Village Hall: The Chairman reported that he had
drafted a letter in reply to the landowner's letter of 7-May-03
but that a reply had yet to be received.
59/04 Finance: * Members considered the
appointment of an Independent Internal Auditor. Action:
The Clerk will seek appropriate candidates. *
The following payments were approved:
Sodexho Land
Technology Ltd - Grass Cutting - 214 - £193.11p
R Parsons - Clerk's
fee and expenses ----------- 215 - £227.21p
60/04 Wiltshire Association of Local Councils: Members
noted that the Clerk, in his capacity as area
representative of the WALC executive committee, was also
a member of the WALC General Purposes Committee and the
WALC representative to the Salisbury District Community
Safety Partnership. This was likely to involve him
attending up to twelve meetings per year. Members would
be concerned if the travel expenses of attending these
meetings did not provide a direct benefit to the electors
of Grimstead Parish. Cllr Amor proposed that the Clerk
should provide details of the meetings over the next six
months to enable members to evaluate their effectiveness.
Action: The Clerk agreed to arrange for
this to be done.
61/04 WCC Parish Lengthsmen: Members
noted that the next visit will be on 7-8 July and that a
meeting to discuss the effectiveness of this initiative
had been scheduled for 21st April in Downton Memorial
Hall.
62/04 Roadside Hedgerows: * Members
noted that the Butterfurlong hedge was no longer a
problem.
* Members were of the opinion that damage caused to the
roadside bank at Bugmore Green was due in part to the
overgrown state of the Laurel hedge opposite. Action:
The Clerk was instructed to draw this to the
attention of the owner and consider how the bank might be
reinstated.
63/04 Junction of Windwhistle Road and the A36: Members
were concerned at the increase in traffic using this very
narrow road. The Clerk reported that the new weight limit
signs that had recently been erected had not altered the
size and weight of vehicles permitted to use Windwhistle
road. A letter from the Highways Agency indicated that
the PC's concerns regarding the junction would be taken
into account when Atkins and the Salisbury Joint
Transportation Team discuss the modification of road
markings on the A36. This scheduled improvement is due to
be completed during the current financial year.
64/04 Rights of Way: Cllr Bayford
reported that he had prepared a response to the DEFRA
consultation on the use of mechanically propelled
vehicles on Rights of Way. He had also written to Robert
Key MP about the continued use by 4x4 vehicles of paths
along the top of the escarpment to the east of Pepperbox
Hill. These had been acknowledged by DEFRA and MP Robert
Key's Office respectively.
65/04 Finger Signposts: Members noted
that the fingerpost at East Grimstead had still not been
replaced.
66/04 Road Surfaces throughout the Parish: Members
were concerned at the apparent failure of WCC to apply
adequate maintenance to the Parish's roads. Action: The
Clerk was instructed to write to the Transport Portfolio
Holder, District Cllr Denis Brown of the Salisbury Joint
Transportation Team requesting that greater attention be
given to the Parish's roads when maintenance schedules
are planned.
67/04 Planning: * Members noted that a
tree preservation order had been made in respect of a
Pine tree on the western boundary of land at Laurel
Cottage, East Grimstead. Ref. TPO 130.
* The following planning applications were considered by
members:
68/04 S/2004/0584 - FULL APPLICATION -
ERECTION OF HOUSE ADJOINING LAUREL COTTAGE FORMATION OF
NEW ACCESS AND CLOSURE OF EXISTING ACCESS at LAND
ADJOINING LAUREL COTTAGE LONG DROVE EAST GRIMSTEAD -
Recommended for refusal.
69/04 S/2004/0583 - O/L APPLICATION -
DEMOLITION OF "HIGH RIDGE". CONSTRUCTION OF TWO
NEW DWELLINGS AND FORMATION OF VEHICULAR ACCESS at HIGH
RIDGE WEST GRIMSTEAD - Recommended for refusal.
70/04 S/2004/0607 - FULL APPLICATION -
REPLACEMENT DWELLING AND ALTERATION OF EXISTING ACCESS at
CHERRY TREE COTTAGE FARLEY ROAD EAST GRIMSTEAD -Recommended
for refusal.
71/04 Correspondence: Members noted the
schedule of correspondence and reports and resolved that
these should be circulated and comments brought to the
next meeting.
72/04 P&TC Liaison meetings: These
had helped to clarify the procedures that the SDC
Planning department hope will lead to faster planning
decisions as required by Central Government.
73/04 SDC Skip Grant: Cllr Clark
suggested that the PC should consider deploying skips in
the villages to make use of the annual SDC grant of £398.
Community Skips can be difficult to manage but members
agreed that this warranted further consideration.
74/04 The Annual Parish Council meeting
will be held on 20th May in West Grimstead Village Hall
and will follow on from the Annual Parish meeting that
will commence at 7:00pm.
The meeting closed at 9:25pm
Signed by the Chairman, Cllr R Britton, on 20th May 2004
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