A Meeting of Upton Parish Council in the Meeting Room, Village Hall on Thursday 30th May 2013 at 8.00 pm

AGENDA

1. Apologies received: Cllr Stewart Lilly

2. Co-option to Council

3. Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman

4. Ratification of Appointment of Parish Clerk

5. -

6. Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any personal interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting. Any Member arriving after the start of the meeting is asked to declare personal interests as necessary as soon as practicable after their arrival even if the item in question has been considered.

7. Minutes of meeting of Upton Parish Council held on Tuesday 19th March, the Annual Parish Meeting held on Monday 16th April 2013 and the Extraordinary Parish Council Meetings held on 13th April & 3rd May 2013

8. Matters Arising

Parish Council Meeting on 19th March:

(i) update on Bike Jumps

Annual Parish Meeting on 8th April

(i) Additional dog bin

(ii) Footpath and Cycle track to Blewbury

(iii) Revision of Local plan

Extraordinary meetings held on 8th April & 3rd May – to be taken under Item 13.

9. PCSO’s report

10. Villagers’ Forum

11. County Councillor’s Report

12. District Councillor’s Report

13. Planning:

(i) Planning Application: P13/V0585/LB Stocks, Stream Road

(ii) Retrospective Planning Application: P13/V0702/FUL, Livery Stables at Wattle Cottage Farm.

(iv) Notice of Planning Appeal: APP/V3120/A/13/2196375 – Outline application for demolition of existing dwelling and erect three dwellings (respond by 18th June)

14. Reports from Councillors on areas of responsibility:

(i) Roads and Footpaths:

(ii) Young Parishioners: vandalism and repairs to Play Area

(iii) Village Hall

(iv) Communications

(v) Volunteer Group:

(vi) N.A.G.

(vii) UKAEA Stakeholders Committee

(viii) Parish Transport Rep

15. Finance:

(i) Adoption of accounts

(ii) Ratification of Annual Governance Statement

(iii) Change in Bank Signatories

(iv) Invoices for payment since last meeting*

i) Clerk’s salary: Gross £321.12, less PAYE £ 64.22 = £21.45 expenses

ii) Sundry purchases: Grass seed, Pickets, BG Sports International, Postfix, Shoretrax, Kompan

iii) OALC Invoice for Clerk training course £42

*chqs sent since last meeting

(iv) Receipts since last meeting: HMRC repayment of VAT: March £4.07, April £137.39

VoWH £14.56, £3,625.00

(v) Bank interest April 68p,.

16. Documentation 2012-2013

(i) Aims & Objectives

(ii) Risk Register

13. Correspondence:

(i) OALC – Invitation for Clerk to attend training course on Meetings and Minutes at a cost of £42.

(ii) ORCC – email poster on “Make your community more dementia friendly” – circulated.

14. Meeting Dates: agree dates for 2013-2014

Angela Hoy, Clerk
Tel: 01235 851726

23rd May 2013

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheTeaBirdsWI
Follow us on twitter: @TeaBirdsWI
For any questions and queries we can be emailed at ku.oc.liamtohnull@iwsdrib-aet.
As well as the monthly meeting we also have some spin off groups. We have a knitting and crochet group that meets in the Fleur De Lys in East Hagbourne and a walking group. Dates/details will be confirmed via facebok and
twitter as these are not currently scheduled at set times.
Jo Christie
(President – Tea Birds WI)

Dates for June;

• Wednesday 5^th; Lyn’s walk, (with Sandra instead) meet at the village hall at 9.30am, for a circular walk to Chilton, with coffee stop. All welcome!
• Wednesday 12th; Blewbury Village Hall, 7.30pm, Festival event, Jason Prior tells us about what it’s like to be the architect for the London 2012 games. Delicious desserts & wine or juice. Tickets from the Post Office.
• Summer Auditions.
• Friday 28^th; RAL lecture, “The Universe and how to Explain It”

For more details, or to join the Mah Jong or Scrabble group, or if you wish to join us, please ring Judy on 850381.

Karen Brooks

We will also be the Box Office for ALL Blewbury Festival tickets or events, the WI are also offering to meet up with “onesies” who would like to join in with events but have no one to go with, the lists for each event are with us too!

We are closed for the Bank Holiday Monday on the 27^th; allowances paid on Monday will be paid on Friday 24^th.

Love from Karen & Angela

Blewbury Post Office

We don’t have a talk on Wednesday 5th June, but we are going to visit the Adwell estate, I visited in March to see the daffodils, which had been hit badly by the bad weather, but I am sure that the June gardens will be spectacular, please ring if you would like to come, I don’t have the final details of where we are meeting up yet, but see me in the Post Office, call 851777 during the day, or email me!

Show schedules’ available for the show on 14^th September, are now available in the Post Office, or email me, moc.liamgnull@skoorbcnerak and I will email one to you!

We also have a plant stall on the family day at the festival, and are running the tea stall, with homemade scones & jam! Offers of help greatly appreciated, and donations of plants too!

We also have a trip to the Whitchurch Silk Mill on Saturday 6^th July; please contact me to be put on the list or for more details!

Happy gardening

Karen Brooks.

Ellie Bunston

Present: Dr B Lott (Chairman), Mr S Fraser, Mrs L Shaw, Mr B Shaw, Mr S Norman, Mrs A Hoy (Clerk)

+ Four members of the public

1. Apologies: Mr J Dickens

2. Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any personal interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting. Any Member arriving after the start of the meeting is asked to declare personal interests as necessary as soon as practicable after their arrival even if the item in question has been considered. There were no declarations received.

3. Retrospective Planning Application: P13/V0702/FUL, Livery Stables at Wattle Cottage Farm.

Open Forum

The Chairman for the Meeting invited members of the public present to give their views on this revised application.

Several concerns were raised including:

• Access issues with an unknown number of slow-moving vehicles exiting onto the busy main road;
• Permanent nature of the structure, believed to be contrary to AONB legislation
• Number of horses to be kept at the stables inappropriate for the available pasture.
• Impact of bad odour on the village pub, given the proximity of the building (up wind) to the Beer Garden
• The blatant disregard for planning rules displayed by the applicant

On the positive side:

• it was felt that a single building would be better than the collection of ramshackle buildings currently on site.

The meeting was reconvened, and further discussion ensued. The PC was in agreement with the issues raised from the floor with the exception of access, which was felt to be adequate. The principle concerns of the PC were:

• Inappropriate permanent development with a detrimental impact on the AONB;
• Detrimental effect of bad odour on the village pub;
• Insufficient pasture for number of horses;
• Permanent structure outside the curtilage of the village.

A vote was held and returned a unanimous “Objection”. Clerk to notify Planning accordingly before the 8th May deadline.

4. Signage for Children’s Play Area

Dr Lott advised that he had obtained a quote for a new sign for the Children’s Play Area in the amount of £180 + VAT. After discussion about the height and make-up of the sign, there was unanimous agreement that this should go ahead, proposed by Dr B Lott, seconded by Mr B Shaw.

5. Gate for Children’s Play Area

The fence surrounding the play area had been vandalised on or about 25th April. Dr Lott reported that the culprit had been identified as a young boy in the village. On taking it up with the family an offer to repair the fence at the child’s cost was offered. They were also happy for the boy to receive a visit from the PCSO.

Mrs Shaw proposed the PC accept the family offer, seconded by Stuart Fraser.

The option to insert a small (3ft) wooden gate to improve access was discussed. Mr Brown thought this would cost in the region of £30 plus £15 for ironmongery and a spring closer. It was agreed that Mr Brown should go ahead and purchase materials for the gate and install it as soon as convenient.

6. Rolling of Play Area

Dr Lott had received a quote for £180 + VAT from Didcot Plant Hire for the hire of a roller to be used on the play area after the Bank Holiday weekend to flatten out ruts cause by the recent pump track development. It was unanimously agreed that this should go ahead, proposed by Mr Shaw and seconded by Dr Lott.

It was noted that a working party needed to be put together to tidy up the ground around the play area.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 9.45pm.

Date of Next Meeting: Several Councillors were unable to make the planned date of 21st May and the date was therefore changed to Thursday May 30th at 8pm in the Village Hall.

ACH 09.05.13

An Extraordinary Meeting of Upton Parish Council in the Village Hall

On Friday 3rd May 2013 at 8pm

AGENDA

1. Apologies

2. Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any personal interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting. Any Member arriving after the start of the meeting is asked to declare personal interests as necessary as soon as practicable after their arrival even if the item in question has been considered.

3. Retrospective Planning Application P13/V0702/FUL Livery Stables at Wattle Cottage Farm.

4. Signage and Gate for the Play Area.

Angela Hoy

30th April 2013

Between 7pm on Friday (26/4), and 11am on Saturday (27/4), a four wheeled horse carriage was stolen from a shed at a farm in Grove Bridge, Grove.

It is believed the offender(s) gained entry to the property by climbing over a locked gate and then lifted the carriage over the gate to steal it.

If you have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area or have any information relating to this message please call the police on 101 and state you are responding to a Thames Valley Alert message.

Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or gro.ku-sreppotsemircnull@enilno.  No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Members of Blewbury Brass Band volunteered to play at the Blewbury service (very fitting, because one of the founders of the Band was a Methodist local preacher and chapel trustee for 35 years). The chapel was full to overflowing and the singing raised the roof. Richard asked us not to feel sad at the closure of the chapels but to remember everything they had done in the past, in particular revolutionising the Victorian attitude to children’s education by building their chapels with a school room. Methodism thrived in Oxfordshire Villages through the two world wars, but times have changed and the number of members has fallen, so we have to accept that it is time to move on. “Even as we let go of these cherished places, God remains with us”

For those who wish to continue to attend Methodist Church services the nearest churches are in Didcot and Wallingford, or if you prefer to attend a smaller chapel, the nearest is in Milton village. See www.wantageandabingdoncircuit.org.uk/ for details of services.

We would like to thank everyone in the community who has used our buildings in the past few years – your financial support enabled us to continue as long as we have.

Members of the Spring Line Church