Minutes January 2008

PRESENT: Mr R Webb (Chairman), Mr J Marshall (Vice-Chairman), Mr B Saville, Mr T Speakman, Mrs D Tyrie, Mr P Wigg

One member of the public was present

APOLOGIES: None

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS: None

PUBLIC TIME: Cllr Wigg advised the meeting that there had been an accident at the crossing of the Bradwell Pit Road and the Lane. The police did not attend as no-one was hurt.

Cllr Wigg outlined the revised proposals for the former Silver End Pumping House and asked for comments via the Parish Clerk.

MINUTES
The Minutes of the last Meeting were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

COUNCIL VACANCY
It is for the Council to co-opt as soon as practical. A decision will be taken at the next meeting.

FEEDBACK FROM STISTED SCHOOL
The minutes of the meeting with Stisted School have not yet been received. The Clerk had made further enquiries of the LEA and had sent the notes of the Open meeting and the script of the representation made to the Governors to the LEA for consideration.

GRANTS AND POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
It had been suggested that solar-powered street lighting might be an appropriate use for a grant from the Community Initiative Fund, but it was agreed that this route was too expensive.

Notice-board - The Parish Clerk had inquired of the new garage owner and is awaiting a phone call from him.

VILLAGE HALL IMPROVEMENT
There has been no progress. The Parish Clerk was asked to write to the Rector on behalf of the Village Hall Committee and the Parish Council seeking confirmation that the Village Hall Improvement can go ahead.

PLAYING FIELD
The Chairman will inspect the playing fields twice during January and Cllr Wigg during February.

The new picnic table / bench and see-saw have been installed.

A quote for a waterproof meeting place has been received at £1,289 and was accepted. The Clerk was asked to progress the order and to progress the base.

The Council agreed to proceed with the Wicksteed  quote for £1,100 to extend the playing surface around the basketball area by 20 sq m and to provide an additional 5 sq m as base for the meeting place £275, if appropriate.

The Clerk was given delegated authority to complete the Playing Field improvements within the CIF grant allocation.

The Clerk was asked to feedback on the poor state in which Wicksteed had left the Plating Fields after the last installation.

Clearance of brambles on land adjacent to the Playing Fields – the Clerk had asked for two quotations.

FINANCE
ECC Community Initiatives Fund Grant
A grant up to £7,500-00 has been awarded to the Parish Council for installation of additional equipment on the Playing Field for use by March 2008. £4792-68 has been invoiced. Decisions at this meeting committed a further £1100 + £1289 + £275 = £2664. Total committed = £7456-68

The grass cutting tender is awaiting feedback from Fr Corbyn on the work required in the churchyard. The Council noted that Cllr Speakman was managing the Common Land on the opposite side of the road to the Church and accepted Cllr Speakman’s offer to clear the Common Land in front of the Church with the help of the Parish Councillors during February.

PLANNING
The Council has been advised that Application number 07/02108/FUL, Cashel, Church Road, Bradwell has been granted.

The Council noted that there had been no visible progress on Planning Application 07/01551/FUL Bridge Hall Barn. The Clerk was asked to chase Braintree District Council.

ESS/07/98/BTE Condition 15 Bradwell Pit & Rivenhall Airfield. The Minerals Planning Authority is willing for noise monitoring at intervals to cease.

ESS/53/05/BTE Condition 11 Bradwell Quarry. Amended tree and shrub planting proposals approved.

STREET SCENE PARTNERSHIP
Litter pick will go ahead in the spring in co-operation with Karen Keepence. Litter picking equipment will be hired (free) from Braintree District Council.

PUBLIC PATHS PARTNERSHIP
Bradwell and Stisted Footpath Officers are investigating Bradwell 7. They have made a preliminary visit to the site.

The provision of a new stile for the junction of Footpath 35 and Church Road is being discussed with Essex CC and Bradwell Estates.

ROADS: A120  - Pelican crossing – The Clerk has been advised by the Atkins that they will be bidding to design a Puffin Crossing to replace the bollards near the Swan on the A120 during 2008/9 with an installation date of 2009/2010 subject to budget.

The Clerk was asked to inquire of the Highways Agency whether a yellow box could be placed on the A120/The Street junction as part of the Puffin crossing development.

The Clerk had inquired whether the footpath along the A120 LHS facing West could be made into a combined footpath and cycle track and awaits a reply from the Highways Agency.

The Clerk has written to ECC Highways regarding the extension of the double yellow lines at the junction of The Street and the A120.

STANDING ORDERS
The Parish Clerk had reviewed the Sanding Orders and recommended no change. He did recommend changes to the Financial Regulations to remove reference to petty cash as the Council no longer held petty cash. Council agreed.

The Clerk also submitted a Publication Scheme under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Council recommended a fee of £5 per FOUR pages.

CONSULTATION PAPERS
None

EMERGENCY PLANNING
The Clerk had provided the Councillors with a draft revised Emergency Plan. Councillors agreed to review the document and help complete the gaps.

The Clerk had obtained quotes for the provision of a telephone line, with broadband and secure NTE to the Village Hall, so it could be used as a Communications Centre in the event of an Emergency. The Council decided that £538-92 for the first year and £439-92 per year thereafter was too expensive at this stage, but that a telephone line should be provided once the proposed improvements had been completed.

Cllr Wigg and Cllr Speakman were provided with 100 empty sandbags each.

POLICE
The report detailing the Community Warden’s work up to 30 November 2007 had been received and distributed.

RECYCLING
The new locked bins have yet to be delivered to the Recycling Area.
MOBILE LIBRARY
New times and dates have been published on the Village notice-boards

PAYMENTS
The Council decided to approve the following payments:
    E-On Energy for street lighting            £54-04

The meeting closed at 9.04 pm

FUTURE MEETINGS
Commencing at 7.00pm in the Village Hall
11 February; 10 March; 14 April; 12 May
PARISH MEETING: 12 May 2008