UPTON PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting
Date: Wednesday, 23rd April 2025
Time: 19:00
Venue: Small Meeting Room, Upton Village Hall
- Present
Chair: Françoise
Councillors: Brendan, Emma, David, Chris
Clerk (Outgoing): Lisa Heneghan
Clerk (Incoming): Benjamin Shaw
Members of the Public: Ashley Simms (Ladies Football), Ronnie Markham (late arrival)
- Apologies for Absence
No formal apologies received. Cllr. Chris arrived late.
- Declarations of Interest
No declarations were recorded at the beginning of the meeting.
Cllr. CS (not present at the start of the meeting) later declared an interest in agenda items concerning facility use due to overlapping activities.
- Open Forum
Item deferred and moved later in the meeting to accommodate external speakers.
Vote: Approved unanimously.
- Minutes of the Previous Meeting
The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 19th March 2024 were approved as an accurate record.
Proposed: Françoise | Seconded: Emma | Vote: Unanimous
- Planning
Application P25/V0811/HH – Tadcombe Bank Farm
Proposal: Detached outbuilding for garden storage, carport, and log store.
Decision: No strong views or objections submitted.
Vote: 3 in favour, 1 abstention
Proposed: Francoise| Seconded: David
- Village Matters
7.1 Village Survey
Delivery expected June 2025. Final draft to be reviewed before public release.
The overall plan and any document to be sent to councillors for comment before the next meeting.
7.2 Emergency Plan & First Aid Training
Volunteers confirmed: Alan Griffiths and Chris
Council agreed to book both for training. Emergency Plan to be updated upon completion.
- Finance & Administration
8.1 Financial Summary (as of 31st March 2025):
- Treasurer’s Account: £21,008.56
- Business Bank Instant Account: £12,969.60
- Total: £33,978.16
8.2 Authorisation of Payments
All listed payments were approved, including training, clerk salary, and hosting fees.
Proposed: Brendan | Seconded: Francois | Vote: Unanimous
8.3 Bank Reconciliation
Circulated to all Cllrs. Unanimously agreed and completed, and signed off by Cllr. FY.
8.4 Alternative Banking Provider
No change agreed at present.
8.5 Budget 2024/25
Acknowledged overspend in key areas and underspend in others due to unforeseen circumstances and accepted. Underspend noted overall of (~£5,000), largely due to delayed playground surfacing.
Vote: 4 in favour, 1 abstention
8.6 Clerk’s Expenses (B. Shaw)
Expense claim for clerk-related expenses was approved.
Proposed: Brendan | Seconded: David | Vote: Unanimous
- Recreation Ground
9.1 Playground Surfacing
- Material Chosen: Woodchip (£5,745)
- Vote: 4 in favour, 1 against
- Installation: Volunteer labour accepted ; professional installation preferred pending quotes.
9.2 Ladies Football – Use of Field
- Training Sessions: Approved for one session per week; possibly two, subject to hall availability.
- Actual dates for training days and times for Ashley to agree and book with UVHAT and confirm back to PC
- Games: Denied due to parking limitations.
- Fee: £25 per session
- Conditions: Formal agreement required, parking restricted to car park only, no toilet access without prior hall booking. Plus, a clause the PC can terminate for any reason at any time.
Vote: 4 in favour, 1 against (games section)
9.3 Storage Container
Still awaiting formal response from SSE. Clerk authorised to pursue via social media if necessary.
9.4 Nature Garden
Positive progress noted. Monthly reports resumed, and a structured volunteer schedule was established.
Francoise to send out the update and plan of activities. The Parish Council to read and vote for the plan to be delivered
9.5 Camping Request (Post-Cycle Event – “Up to No Good”)
Request approved with the following conditions:
- No tents erected before 16:00 on Saturday
- Campers to vacate by 12:00 on Sunday
- No fires or barbecues permitted
- Camping restricted to far end of the recreation ground
- Rubbish removal required
- Organiser (Bob) to manage the site and participants
- Clerk to confirm insurance cover and assess risk.
9.6 Recreation Ground Bordering and Security
Discussion held on use of folding security posts and sleepers. Decision deferred pending further quotes and supplier evaluation.
BH and CS to measure the length to be posted and send to the Councillors.
Quotes to be sent out with a recommendation to Councillors to vote on options.
- IT Systems Update
Clerk reported ongoing transition to .gov email domain and improvements to the parish website. Cllrs. DB, CS & EWL yet to activate new accounts. Clerk to ensure that all Cllrs use new .GOV domain by end of April.
CS and BH to own the migration project and repost back with options and costs
- Overflow Parking Request – 11th May 2025
Request from parishioner for overflow parking during a private function was discussed.
The Council discussed a request from a local resident, Caroline, to use the recreation ground overflow car park for a private event. Concerns were raised about setting a precedent, the requirement for someone to be present to enforce any permissions, and the potential for unfairness if permission was denied to those who asked, while others used the space without approval.
It was noted that the Parish Council had previously voted to object to the use of the overflow car park until it was properly established. Given that, the Council agreed to maintain consistency and fairness by continuing to deny use of the area for private events.
Additional concern was raised regarding two recent unauthorised uses of the car park over the preceding weekend – one involving dog training classes, and another a private party hire. It was emphasised that enforcing the policy equitably is essential to maintain community trust and avoid future conflict.
The Village Hall Committee was discussed as the responsible body for communicating restrictions to hirers. It was noted that although they claim to have informed all hirers not to use the overflow area, at least one regular hirer reported never being made aware. The Council acknowledged that their contractual relationship is with UVHAT (Upton Village Hall Amenities Trust), not individual hirers, and any enforcement or claims must be directed through UVHAT.
Resolution:
- It was unanimously resolved to deny Caroline’s request to use the overflow car park for her private function.
- The Parish Council agreed to write to UVHAT regarding the two incidents of unauthorised parking.
- The Clerk will draft the letter to be sent formally by the Chair to Rob Traynor (Robert Traynor <ronyart5@hotmail.com) the Chair of UVHAT following review and approval by the Council.
- The PC Chair to follow up and request a meeting with Chair UVHAT after the UVHAT AGM next Tuesday 29th April after the AGM to discuss letter on issues, overflow parking update on fencing around tarmac car park.
- A request will be made to the Village Hall Committee to retain the full deposit for hirers who breached parking rules specified on the two occasions noted recently following the reporting by a member of UVHAT (Nicola) to the Clerk.
- Signage was discussed. While permanent bollards are forthcoming, a temporary laminated sign stating “No Parking on the Grass” will be displayed to deter misuse.
- A follow-up meeting is proposed after the upcoming AGM to formally discuss the ongoing management of the recreation ground, enforcement of parking rules, and cooperative efforts with UVHAT.
- Action Points:
- Clerk to draft communication to UVHAT for Council review.
- Chair to send the formal letter to UVHAT.
- Temporary signage to be installed near the recreation ground entrance.
- Post-APM meeting with UVAT to be arranged for formal discussions on incident management and site control.
- Upton News Contribution
Clerk to include notice regarding the Ladies Football team and any other relevant updates before the 29th April newsletter deadline, including advertising the APM.
- Annual Parish Meeting – 7th May 2025
Promotional measures approved:
- Printed Leaflets: Yes
- Social Media Promotion: Yes
Vote: Unanimous
Event to be hosted at Upton Village Hall, with refreshments provided.
- Date of Next Meeting
Next Meeting (Annual Parish Council Meeting):
Date: Wednesday, 28th May 2025
Time: 19:00
Venue: Upton Village Hall, Small Meeting Room