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 13 November 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

Cllr D Cameron

Village Hall

Cllr A Pipkin

Footpaths/Public Rights of Way

D Taylor

6

REPORT OF THE CLERK

To RECEIVE the report of the clerk

1

Purchase of land and buildings from CCC

CCC is still discussing boundary responsibilities for the pumping station site with Anglian Water. AW has agreed to be partially responsible for maintenance costs of the roadway from Sparrows Close to the gate and fully responsible for maintenance costs of the roadway within the grassy area.

2

Precept 2014/15

The parish council’s tax base for 2014/15 will be 274.57. The grant from CCC will be £814. With the parish council’s standstill net requirement of £25,515 this means the council tax for a Band D property will rise from £88.87 p.a. to £89.96 p.a. (1.23%).

This information was supplied after the November council meeting where the precept was agreed subject to any further significant information being received. It was not considered necessary to change the amount of the precept which is therefore set at £25,515.

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 6 January 2014.

8

HIGHWAY MATTERS REPORTED BY COUNCILLORS

1          Speeding Traffic (standing item)

2          From Cllr Horsnell: overhanging vegetation, blocked drains

9

GRANT APPLICATIONS

The council is asked to consider the following grant applications.

9.1

Parish Magazine 2013

See attached letter of 2 December 2013 from the Treasurer of St Paul’s Church and the accompanying list of magazine costs for 2013. The council is asked if this list is sufficient to constitute the accounts for the magazine or if it wishes to see the invoices and/or the income from advertisements.

Please note that in addition to the costs paid by the church, the council has already paid eleven months’ worth of editors’ costs amounting to £275, so the total cost of the magazine in 2013 is £1,428.08.

The church requests a grant of £1,153.08 for the parish magazine for 2013.

9.2

Parish Magazine 2014

See attached letter of 18 December 2013 from the Treasurer of St Paul’s Church.

On the basis of the costs for 2013, the grant payable in advance for 2014 would be £1,428.08.

9.3

Churchyard maintenance

In his letter of 2 December 2013 the Treasurer requests a grant of £635 for churchyard maintenance.

10

LITTER PICK EVENT

To consider arrangements for a litter picking event in 2014.

11

COMMUNICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE

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

12

DISTRIBUTION BAG

EALC County Update and Calendar of Events 2014

13

DOCUMENTS ON DEPOSIT

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

None.

14

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

a)

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

App. no.

13/01781/CLEUD

Location

Old Barns, Chelmsford Road

Proposal

Construction of a car port

Comment

No comment

App. no.

13/01732/FUL

Location

Eton Lodge, Loves Green

Proposal

Raising part of roof to create first floor habitable accommodation with rear balcony. Pitched roofs to replace existing roofs on both side elements. Alterations to fenestration.

Comment

Council objects to the application, as the works will create an unsightly mix of roof designs (hip and gable). The property is clearly visible from the road and the elevated roof will be even more so if the application is permitted. The resulting multiple shapes and designs are not in keeping with other properties nearby nor with the village environment.

b)

To CONSIDER the following planning application

App. no.

13/01387/CLEUD

Location

The Woodyard, Metsons Lane

Proposal

Storage retail and wholesale trade of timber and timber goods, office portacabin and storage sheds

c)

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

d)

DECISIONS BY CHELMSFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL

To NOTE the following planning decisions by Chelmsford Borough Council.

None.

e)

PLANNING CORRESPONDENCE

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

ii          Street naming and numbering: Development at the Nest to be called Woodland Way – CCC consulted Royal Mail on this (as with all street naming proposals) and RM had no objection. By the time the parish council raised the possible duplication with a road in Broomfield the matter was already concluded and the name could not be changed.

15

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.

16

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

7.30 p.m. Wednesday 12 March 2014