|
A meeting of Grimstead Parish Council was
held at 7:30pm on 8th November 2004 in West Grimstead
Village Hall.
Present: Mr G Bayford (Chairman), Mr R
Amor (Vice-Chairman), Mrs R Clark, Mr C Wilkinson, Mr R
Parsons (Clerk), Salisbury District Cllr Richard Britton,
WCC Community Planner David Bunting and eight members of
the public. Apologies were received from County Cllr Bill
Moss.
170/04 Public Forum: * A West Grimstead
parishioner reported that elderly villagers were having
difficulty using the recycling bins in the West Grimstead
Playingfield. SDC had constructed a hardstanding to
accommodate the bins but because this was 8 inches above
ground level, it was difficult to negotiate. Cllr Clark
explained that she had expected the hardstanding to be
constructed level with the ground but that the SDC waste
minimisation officer had failed to make this clear to the
installation contractors at the time. He further
threatened that if Grimstead Parish persisted with their
complaint that the hardstanding was too high he would
publish in the Salisbury Journal a report blaming
Grimstead for wasting £1,000 of public money. GPC
members agreed to try the new facility and it is now
becoming apparent that this is a significant safety
hazard. Action: The Chairman agreed to
pursue this matter with Environmental Services at SDC.
* Another West Grimstead Parishioner was concerned that
minutes of meetings were not being published promptly on
the Internet. The Clerk explained that minutes are only
published after they had been approved. He acknowledged
that the minutes for the PC meeting held on 5-Jul,
although approved, were not available online and that
this would be corrected. Once approved, the minutes of
the meetings held on 16-Aug and 27-Sep would also be
published.
* Salisbury District Cllr Richard Britton queried whether
draft minute no.147/04 should identify the West Grimstead
parishioner who is making allegations about the honesty
and integrity of some un-named members of Grimstead PC. Action:
The Chairman agreed to temporarily close the
meeting after the minutes of the last meeting had been
approved to enable a public debate about this
controversial issue.
171/04 Candidates for Co-option: The
following candidates were co-opted as members of
Grimstead PC:
WOODLEY, Alexander Stewart
of Orchard House, Chapel Hill, West Grimstead.
PARAMOR, Eluned (Lindy) R
of Hollyville, West Grimstead.
GREVILLE-WILLIAMS, Anne of
Maypole Farmhouse, East Grimstead.
Declarations of Acceptance of Office were signed and each
will complete a Register of Member's Interests.
172/04 Declaration of Interest: None. 172a/04
The WCC Community Planner was welcomed.
173/04 Minutes of the PC meetings held
on 16-Aug had been amended as requested. The Chairman
queried the registration fee paid to HM Land Registry.
The Clerk explained that the application had been made
under Section 3(2b) of the Land Registration Act 2002 and
that the specified fee was £30. The minutes of the 27-Sep
meeting, having been circulated, were also approved. Both
sets of minutes were signed by the Chairman.
174/04 Management of Maypole Village Green in
East Grimstead: Cllr Wilkinson reported that he
had arranged a meeting with a local contractor on Monday,
15-Nov. Cllr Amor agreed to attend this meeting. At least
two quotes will be obtained for the proposed work.
175/04 Dog Fouling: The Chairman
reported that Environmental Services at SDC had provided
some dog fouling signs and some leaflets to explain to
dog owners about the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996.
176/04 R5 Designated Land behind West Grimstead
Village Hall: A reply to the Council's letter of
4-Jun-04 had been received. The owner of the land had
decided not to continue with negotiations for a lease of
the field and also confirmed that the land was not for
sale. The Chairman reported that he had been in
consultation with a solicitor living in the village who
would be contacting SDC on the PC's behalf.
177/04 Warning Notices in West Grimstead
Recreation Field: These have been made and
installed.
178/04 West Grimstead Playingfield Safety: Cllr
Clark reported that the equipment suppliers, Playdale,
had indicated that on receipt of the RoSPA Safety Report
they would advise how best to resolve the identified
faults. There is a possibility that some items of
equipment may still be under guarantee.
179/04 West Grimstead Playingfield Maintenance:
The Chairman proposed that the West Grimstead parishioner
who has cleared the brambles and shrubs etc should
receive the Council's thanks.
180/04 West Grimstead Play Equipment: Cllr
Clark reported that equipment and fencing would be
ordered to the value of £2,729 and funded from the R2
development funds held by SDC on behalf of the Parish. An
item of play equipment called a 'Spring Rider' will be
installed, a three-metre chain-link fence will be erected
along the northern boundary and extra Play Bark safety
surface will complete the improvements.
181/04 Procedural Matter: The Chairman
adjourned the meeting to enable an open Public Forum.
182/04 Open Public Forum: Salisbury
District Cllr Richard Britton was surprised and concerned
that the PC did not appear to be rebutting adequately
minute no.147/04 alleging dishonesty and lack of
integrity. He took exception to the inference that his
resignation from Grimstead PC might have been influenced
by these allegations which he believed to be unfounded.
He suggested that the complainant should either produce
specific evidence to support the allegations against
named individuals or formally withdraw the same. Mr
Graham Read, the complainant, reaffirmed that in his
opinion the behaviour of PC members sometimes fell short
of what he believed everyone had a right to expect from
people holding public office. He stated that he was not
proposing to make a formal complaint but hoped that his
opinions would be respected in future. He had confirmed
his opinions in a letter, which had been read to the
meeting. Cllr Amor queried minute no.147/04(4) where it
was alleged that Councillors failed to support a planning
application knowing that the applicant had been operating
an agricultural business in the area for 50 years. He
believed that knowledge of an applicant's status was not
a material consideration in determining a planning
application.
183/04 Procedural Matter: The Chairman
closed the Open Public Forum and resumed the PC meeting.
184/04 Allegations of Dishonesty: Members
discussed the content of minute no.147/04 and views of
individuals in the Open Public Forum. Cllr Amor proposed
that the PC should accept Mr Read's letter, that he did
not wish to make a formal complaint, as being the end of
the matter while Cllr Wilkinson proposed that Mr Read
should be asked to either substantiate his allegations or
withdraw them. The Chairman proposed that under Section 1
[2] Public Bodies [Admissions to Meetings] Act 1960,
members of the public should be excluded from further
discussion on this matter that would be resolved at the
end of the meeting.
185/04 West Grimstead Chalkpit: A letter
from HM Land Registry explained why the PC's application
for First Registration of the Chalkpit had been cancelled.
Members agreed to consider an alternative application.
186/04 Request for Access: A letter from
an East Grimstead parishioner explained why it would be
necessary for contractors to cross the Common Land at
Bugmore Green to carry out water pipe repairs. Members
considered that there would be minimal damage to the land
and therefore raised no objection. Action: The
Clerk was instructed to write confirming that the PC had
no objections to the request.
187/04 SDC Independent Parish Remuneration Panel:
Members agreed to adopt the recommendations.
188/04 Payments: The following were
approved:
Stadia Sports Int Ltd - Goalpost net ----- 228 -- £52.58p
R Parsons - Clerk's fee and expenses ---- 229 - £172.17p
The Original Signworks Co Ltd - notices - 230 -- £29.38p
189/04 Parish Clerk's Contract: Members
noted that NALC and SLCC were in the process of updating
the National Agreement for defining salaries and
conditions of service of Local Council Clerks. The Clerk
produced copies of an exchange of emails between himself
and an employment law solicitor. Cllr Clark reminded
members that this matter had been discussed before and
that those discussions should be the basis for any future
changes in the relationship between Clerk and Council.
190/04 WCC Parish Lengthsmen: Cllr Clark
was concerned that identified maintenance was not being
fully dealt with by the Lengthsmen's visits. Members
resolved to prepare a full schedule of maintenance
requiring attention, immediately prior to the next WCC
Lengthsmen's visit.
191/04 Autumn Hedgecutting: The Clerk
reported that the owner of the woodland to the East of
the road from East Grimstead to Farley had agreed to
arrange for the roadside hedgerow to be cut back.
192/04 Footpath No.10 at East Grimstead:
Cllr Amor reported that a stile off Bugmore Lane needed
maintenance. Action: The Clerk will report the matter to
the WCC Rights of Way Warden.
193/04 Planning: * S/2004/2341
- FULL APPLICATION - NEW DWELLING DETACHED GARAGING NEW
ENTRANCE at BUGMORE LANE EAST GRIMSTEAD - Members agreed
to support this application.
194/04 Correspondence and Reports: Members
noted the schedule of correspondence and reports and
resolved that these should be circulated and comments
brought to the next meeting.
195/04 Youth Activities: Nothing further
to report.
196/04 The next Parish Council meeting
will be held on 13th December in East Grimstead Reading
Room.
197/04 Allegations (Confidential item): Members
resolved to write a letter to Mr Read inviting him to
provide evidence of his allegations or to withdraw them.
The meeting closed at 8:56pm
Signed by the Chairman, Cllr Bayford, on 13th December
2004.
Return to index
|