Kingsley Parish Council
Minutes of the Full Council Meeting
Thursday 27th March 2008 - 7:30pm
in the Kingsley Centre

Present:
Cllr M. Herbert - Vice Chairman (acting Chairman)
Cllr S. Carryer
Cllr L. Dennison
Cllr C. Rigden

 In Attendance:
1 Member of the public
Reporter from the Herald Newspaper
07/171 Chairman’s Opening Remarks:
  Cllr Herbert welcomed everyone to the meeting.
The Chairman acknowledged with sadness the death of Hamish Renton, and all Councillors wished to record condolences for Wendy Renton.
07/172 Public Participation
 

There was no public participation.
07/173 Apologies for Absence
  Cllr C Neville
Parish Clerk Peter Hunt - In his absence Cllr Rigden acted as Minutes Secretary for the meeting.
07/174 Declarations of Interest
  None
07/175 Approval of Minutes of Meeting 28th February 2008
  Proposed: Cllr Carryer
Seconded: Cllr Dennison
The minutes were duly authorised and signed as a true record of the meeting.
07/176 Matters Arising
(a) Registration of all Parish Council owned land with Land Registry
 

Cllr Herbert reported that St. Nicholas Church was in the process of being registered and all documents have been sent to the Land Registry.
07/177
(b) Consultation with HCC Rights Of Way Department on Footpath 6
 

Nothing further to report.
07/178
(c) Update on 30 mph Speed Limit Campaign
 

Cllr Herbert reported that Hampshire County Council have put a Traffic Regulation Order for the new speed limits under consultation.
07/179
(d) Update on the progress regarding the replacement of main doors at St Nicholas Church
 

No progress to report.
07/180
(e) Update on the progress of the proposed footway beside B3004, tarmac to C90
 

Cllr Herbert reported that she had written to the EHDC but they are unable to help since this falls outside their area of responsibility.

Cllr Herbert also reported that it is the responsibility of Hampshire County Council to fund such projects, and a very good case will be needed to be argued in order to get funding. It is necessary to get the support of the County Councillor and encourage as many villagers as possible to express support for the project.

In the first instance villagers should send letters of support to the Parish Clerk.
07/181 To consider the use of Developer Contributions for Open Spaces
 

Further suggestions were put forward at the meeting for possible projects to be considered for Developer Contributions. These were:
Planting gorse or something similar on the roadside of the playground on Upper Green to enhance safety;
Picnic Tables or benches with accessibility for disabled persons – Cllr Dennison undertook to look into this;
A Youth Shelter;
A ‘Keep Fit Area’ on Upper Green, made of natural materials;
Allotments for the village – Cllr Rigden undertook to contact both Alton and the newly formed Alresford Allotment Societies to see what costs, responsibilities and maintenance would be involved in setting this up;
Car parking for St Nicholas Church.

Cllr Herbert reported that a Multi-Surface play area for Upper Green could cost in the region of £12k ex VAT.
In discussion, Cllr Carryer cautioned against putting too much on Upper Green as this is public area and needs to be available for other public uses.

Cllr Rigden offered to draw up a simple table listing all the suggestions made, with information on costs as these become known, and for Councillors to record their views on the merits and disadvantages of each. This would then provide background information for a decision in due course.
07/182 To consider the Parish Council responsibility for the pavement beside Upper Green
  All Councillors wished to record thanks to Sid and Ivy Newman who have cleared the brambles from the pavement beside Upper Green after being asked by Cllr Dennison.
07/183 To consider the current parking arrangements at St. Nicholas Church
  In discussion it was agreed that the current parking is very limited, and that the best way forward would be to extend the current area further up the road towards Binsted.

Cllr Herbert undertook to raise this issue with Mr Moss of Tarmac, during the visit of villagers to the Kingsley Quarry on Monday afternoon.
07/184 To consider the Parish Meeting April 2008
  The theme of the Parish meeting is Countryside Matters, with two guest speakers and displays of posters and leaflets.
The speakers are Alex Cruickshank from the Hampshire Wild Life Trust talking about its partnership with the MoD with particular reference to Kingsley Common, and Margaret Paren from CPRE explaining the role of CPRE and the South Downs National Park.

Cllr Herbert will be setting up the displays.

At the suggestion of the Chairman, Cllr Rigden agreed that his wife, Isobel, would organise refreshments for the meeting.

The meeting will be publicised through an article by Cllr Herbert in the Parish Magazine; the Notice Board; email to people on the current email list (Cllr Herbert will ask Peter Hunt to do this); and by Councillors delivering leaflets to all households in the village.

Cllr Herbert will prepare the leaflets for distribution, and handed out a suggested list of houses for each Councillor to deliver to.

In discussion Cllr Dennison suggested that the leaflet could have a section at the bottom asking villagers for their email addresses.

Cllr Rigden offered to draft this section with a statement about how the email information will be used, and forward this to Cllr Herbert for inclusion in the leaflet if it is acceptable to Cllr Neville and the Parish Clerk.
07/185 To consider the footway adjacent to Bakers House, junction of B3004 and Oakhanger Road
  Cllr Herbert reported that HCC have put up new road signs and markings in recent weeks, and whilst doing this have unearthed a pavement adjacent to Baker House. Cllr Herbert is going to ask HCC to re-discover and re-instate this path.
07/186 To consider a donation to the Kingsley Centre for the purchase of an Audio/Visual Projector
  Following discussion, it was agreed that the Parish Council will authorise the Parish Clerk to spend up to £600 on the purchase an Audio Visual Projector, and to donate the projector to the Kingsley Centre with the condition that it is made available for use by others using the Centre but not loaned outside the Centre.
Proposed Cllr Dennison
Seconded Cllr Rigden
07/187 To consider the repair of the Parish Council noticeboard outside the Kingsley Centre
  Cllr Herbert reported that water gets into the Notice Board during bad weather, and that a weather shield on the top of the board is needed to prevent this happening. It was agreed to commission this work, and that Cllr Herbert would ask Andy Cox to do it.
Proposed Cllr Carryer
Seconded Cllr Dennison
07/188 To consider the possible replacement of the fencing around the SSI of the Tower Mustard neat St. Nicholas Church
  Cllr Herbert reported that this fence is down. During discussion it was considered that it is not essential to repair it at the moment, but it might be in the future if the nearby footpath is upgraded.
07/189 Planning Applications:
  Responses to applications
Application 22/32/009 – Sandyfield Farm, Agricultural Replacement Building – Objection
Application 24911/012 – Stannards West, Groom Farm Lane Extension to stable block to form store – No Objection
07/190 Report from District Councillor
  No report.
07/191 Report from Chairman
 

No report.
07/192 Reports from Councillors
 

Cllr Carryer wished it to be minuted that after about 15 years the electricity meter in St Nicholas Church has actually been read by the Electricity Board. Cllr Carryer had been taking the readings all this time, as the Electricity Board has been reluctant to arrange a date and time to meet with her in the church to read the meter.

Cllr Carryer also asked if the Parish Clerk could contact Nick Woodage about repairs to the seat in St Nicholas Church. Cllr Herbert will bring this up with Peter.

Cllr Dennison - Nothing to report

Cllr Rigden -Nothing to report

Cllr Herbert -reported that two events have been organised for April. There will be a Village Litter Pick on 20th April, meeting in car park near Kingsley Pond at 11-30 am, and a Kingsley Circular Walk on 19th April starting at 10.30 am in car park near Kingsley Pond.
07/193 Payments to be made
 
Cheque payments listed on the agenda were authorised and countersigned as follows:

(a) Chq No 00027 - Open Spaces Society
07/194 Date of next meeting
 

The next Council Meeting will be on Thursday 24th April 2008 at 7-30 pm in the Kingsley Centre, followed by the Parish Meeting at 8-00 pm.

There being no further business the Meeting closed at 9:15pm