1

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

To RECEIVE any apologies for absence.

2

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

To APPROVE the minutes of the meeting of the parish council held on 9 January 2013 as a correct record.

3

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

3.1

Councillors to DECLARE any disclosable or other pecuniary interest or other interest in any items on the agenda, in accordance with the adopted Code of Conduct.

Pecuniary or other interests should be declared at this time, or at any point in the meeting where they become apparent.

Councillors must inform the Monitoring Officer of Chelmsford City Council, via the Clerk, within 28 days of becoming aware of any change in their pecuniary or other interests.

3.2

DISPENSATIONS

To CONSIDER any requests for dispensation from the provisions of S31(4) of the Localism Act 2011.

S31(4) states that a member may not participate in any discussion or vote upon a matter, at the meeting, in which he/she has a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Requests for dispensation must be made in writing to the Clerk.

4

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

To RECEIVE questions from members of the public.

In accordance with the agreed procedure public questions will be taken and shall be limited to a maximum of 15 minutes or such other period as may be determined by the Chairman of the meeting.

5

REPORTS

To RECEIVE brief reports on the following matters.

Chelmsford City Council

City Cllr N Chambers

Essex County Council

Cty Cllr J Aldridge

Police

Police representative

Village Agent

Brenda Smith

Play park, Edney Common

Following the resignation of Cllr Cook, a new volunteer is required to carry out play area checks.

Village Hall

Cllr A Pipkin

Parish Magazine

Cllr J Heginbotham

There are some matters Cllr Heginbotham would like the council to consider.

Footpaths/Public Rights of Way

D Taylor

6

REPORT OF THE CLERK

To RECEIVE the report of the clerk

1

Councillor resignation

Following the resignation of Cllr Lyn Cook from the council, the statutory notice was posted on noticeboards informing residents of the casual vacancy and offering electors the opportunity to call a by-election. No by-election has been demanded so the council is now free to co-opt a new councillor.

The vacancy will be advertised on parish noticeboards and in the parish magazine, with the intention of considering the applications for co-option at the May meeting of the council.

2

Litter pick

The event is due to take place from 10am-12 noon on Sunday 24 March 2013. Sue Mitchell and Jenny Forster are co-ordinating the event with support from Cllr and Jean Latham. I have assisted with completing forms, carrying out risk assessments, drawing up a procedure for future use and other administrative tasks.

All councillors are requested to encourage friends and neighbours to help with the litter pick.

3

Purchase of land and buildings from CCC

Chelmsford City Council was informed of the parish council’s comments on the Heads of Terms and has been considering these. The clerk was invited to attend a meeting on 6 March and will circulate a report for consideration at the council meeting.

4

Use of Edney Common play area

The request by the organiser of the Waltham Walk to use the play area at Edney Common as a check point for an orienteeering event on Saturday 18 May was agreed, with conditions attached to protect the council’s interest.

5

Section 106 contribution

The legal agreement, now signed by all parties, has been received from CCC and the amount of £1,250.80 is in the council’s bank account.

6

Precept

Following the changes required by the government to the method of calculating the tax base, the parish tax base reduced from 291.02 in 2012/13 to 276.31 in 2013/14. The effect of this is to increase the amount of council tax paid by households. Chelmsford City Council passed on the grant received from central government to help mitigate the effects of the reduction in tax base and this amounted to £959. This means that with its net requirement of £25,515 and a grant of £959, the council’s precept was £24,556. The parish council element of the council tax for a Band D property in 2013/14 will be £88.87, an increase of £5.37 over the previous year. Much of the increase is due to the requirement for funds to service the loan which will be taken out to purchase the property from CCC, but part of the increase is due to the reduction in tax base.

The reduction in tax base will have an ongoing effect as the grant CCC receives will not increase, and the amount it hands over to the parishes is entirely discretionary so that may change in the future too.

7

Grants

St Paul’s Church has requested payment of a grant of £440 for the upkeep of the churchyard, and £1,376.78 for the printing of the magazine, both in 2012.

8

Affordable Housing

Cllrs Heginbotham and Latham and the clerk attended a meeting at CCC on 8 February 2013. Various possibilities for a site for affordable housing were discussed but as the housing needs survey was now three years old, it was agreed that it needed to be updated to establish current need. Moira Groborz of RCCE will do this and will be distributing a new survey with the parish magazine going out at the end of March. A letter normally accompanies the survey and the council is ASKED if it wishes the letter to come from the council or the RCCE.

10

Review of Standing Orders

The council has already agreed that its standing orders require revision and should subsequently be reviewed annually. However new model standing orders issued by NALC are expected later this year which will take account of recent changes, so I recommend the council postpones the revision until after the new model is available.

11

Rest Centre

The Village Hall Management Committee has been asked if the village hall could be used as the emergency rest centre; a reply is awaited.

12

Code of Conduct training

Attended by Cllrs Cameron, Heginbotham and Latham and the clerk on 6 March.

7

FINANCE

7.1

Accounts for payment

To APPROVE the accounts for payment (list will be available at the meeting).

7.2

To NOTE the account balances as at 4 March 2013.

7.3

Internal audit

The council is asked to appoint the internal auditor for 2012/13. Mrs Powell-Davies is happy to carry out the audit again.

8

HIGHWAY MATTERS REPORTED BY COUNCILLORS

1          Speeding Traffic (standing item)

            ECC Highways has advised that a request for a Speed Indicator Device can be made to the Local Highways Panel for consideration. The form which has to be completed is attached.

2          Highways and drainage matters – follow-up from last meeting

3          Cycle events – follow-up from last meeting

9

COMMUNICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE

To RECEIVE such communications and correspondence as the Clerk may place before the Council.

1          CCC “Love where you live” – CCC is running Parish Cleansing Days again in 2013 and the council is invited to suggest particular areas which might need a tidy up e.g. litter picking, footpath sweeping, channel sweeping, cutting back hedges and vegetation overhanging footpaths.

10

DISTRIBUTION BAG

EALC mailing January & February 2013

Edible Essex

Essex Heritage Trust

CCC Best Kept Garden competition

11

DOCUMENTS ON DEPOSIT

To RECEIVE notice of the following documents received by or deposited with the Clerk.

None.

12

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

a)

To NOTE the parish council’s comments made on planning applications between meetings.

None.

b)

To CONSIDER the following planning application

App. no.

12/01788/FUL

Location

Oak Lodge, Loves Green

Proposal

Retrospective application for the erection of 2m high fencing

c)

To CONSIDER any other planning applications received since the agenda was prepared. N

d)

DECISIONS BY CHELMSFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL

To NOTE the following planning decisions by Chelmsford Borough Council.

GRANTED

App. no.

12/01679/FUL

Location

Awes Farm, Ingatestone Road

Proposal

Conversion of barn to 4 bed dwelling

App. no.

12/01708/FUL

Location

Schoolfield Cottage, Radley Green Road

Proposal

Single storey side extension and alterations to first floor side fenestration

App. no.

12/01794/FUL

Location

Oak Tree Cottage, Nathans Lane

Proposal

Construct new conservatory to the rear of the property

App. no.

12/01861/FUL

Location

Hunters Lodge, Chelmsford Road, Blackmore

Proposal

Orangery to the rear of the existing property

e)

PLANNING CORRESPONDENCE

i           To NOTE any planning correspondence received and respond to             consultations as appropriate.

            None

13

OTHER URGENT BUSINESS – for information only

To NOTE any matter of an urgent nature which a Member or the Clerk may wish to draw to the attention of the Council, and/or request to be included on the agenda for the next meeting of the Council.

Note: no decisions may be taken during this item as the required statutory notice of the business will not have been given.

14

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

7.30 p.m. Wednesday 8 May 2013, Annual Meeting of the Council, preceded at 7.00pm by the Annual Parish Assembly.

15

EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

To RESOLVE to exclude the press and public from the following items under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 as they contain confidential information relating to the council’s property affairs.

16

LAND AT REAR OF VILLAGE HALL

Report to follow.

17

ALLOTMENT SITE, RADLEY GREEN

No requests for allotment plots on the site in Radley Green have been received. The council agreed that it would discuss further the future of this piece of land at this meeting.