Minutes of Meeting of Upton Parish Council in the Village Hall on Tuesday 17^th May 2011 at 8.00 pm

Present:  Mr J Dickens (retiring Chairman),  Mr S Fraser, Dr R Lott, Mr B Shaw, Mrs L Shaw, Mrs C Lightfoot (clerk).
Part time: Mr S Lilly, Ms J Shelley, PCSO D Clements

1.  Apologies received from Mr S Norman

2. Cooption to Council

Mr Dickens opened the meeting by saying that 5 nominations had been received for the 6 vacancies for Parish Councillors.  Mrs Shaw proposed that Mr Dickens be co-opted to fill the vacancy, this was seconded by Dr Lott and agreed unanimously.

3.  Councillors “Declaration of Acceptance of Office”

Declaration of Acceptance of Office forms were duly signed by all councillors.  It was recorded that Mr Norman had signed his declaration in advance of the meeting.

4.  Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman

The following appointments were made:

Chairman:  Mr Dickens was proposed by Dr Lott, seconded by Mr Fraser.

Vice Chairman:  Dr Lott was proposed Mr Fraser, seconded by Mr Dickens.

5.  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.  None recorded.

6. Minutes of meeting of Upton Parish Council held on Tuesday 15^th March, the Extraordinary Parish Council Meetings held on 11^TH April & 4^th May 2011 having been previously circulated were signed as a true record by the Chairman.

7. Matters Arising

a)   Parish Council Meeting on  15^th March

i) High Voltage Cable:  the Deed has now been received from Mr Barrett and was signed by Mr Dickens and Mrs Shaw.

ii) Roundels in Chilton Road:  this matter is still ongoing.

b) Annual Parish Meeting, 11^th April

i) Speed Limit through village: in order to lower the speed of vehicles in the village a number of ideas were discussed and it was agreed that this item should be incorporated in the review of the Parish Plan (item iii)

ii)  Upton News:  after discussion it was agreed that Upton News should be kept to 4 pages and that contributors be asked to keep their articles to a prescribed length.

iii) Update Parish Plan:  it was agreed that some revision to the Parish Plan is required and that this be an “Aim and Objective” of the current Parish Council. Mr Dickens to write PC aims and objectives 2011/12.  JD

8. PCSO’s report

PCSO Clements reported that a digger had been stolen from the building site at Hitherto.  This was the second such  occurrence at Hitherto.  She said that theft of machinery is prevalent and extra patrols and stop and searches were being carried out.  TV Police recommend that trackers be fitted to heavy machinery.

9.         County Councillor’s Report

Mr Lilly reported that the 23% reduction in the County Council’s budget had now come into effect.  He said that  since Didcot is a “growth town”  additional funds are allocated thus cushioning the impact of cuts.

He noted that Didcot Station Forecourt work will commence in August, with completion at Christmas.

Despite £3m being made available for County Highways, these funds are not for repairs and the pothole situation remains an embarrassment.

Mr Lilly reminded the meeting that the Highways Reporting Line is 0845 310111.  He said that a reference number will be given.  If after a reasonable time no action is taken, Mr Lilly will take up the matter on our behalf.

It was noted that there are a number of potholes in the village which have been marked for repair but no action takes place.  Since Upton’s roads are also our pavements concern was raised about injuries to pedestrians caused by potholes.  Mr Dickens and Mr Lott will make a list of potholes throughout the village.                       JD/RL

10.  District Councillor’s Report

Ms Shelley introduced herself as our newly elected District Councillor.  She said that the Annual meeting of the Vale District Council was being held on Wednesday 18^th May when her allocation of duties would be agreed.  With regard to our concern about the lack of leaf clearing, she said that this was the responsibility of Verdant and she will pursue this.  Ms Shelley will arrange for the clerk to receive information on “Slow down in our Village” signs.

11.       Planning

i)  UPT/368/4 – Erection of 4 bedroom house adjacent to Kameki.

ii) UPT/11998/5 – Solar panels supported by “A” frames, Pointers Piece, Chilton Road.

These applications have both been approved by the Vale.

iii)  UPT/20226/2 – Hitherto:  a query has been raised about the terracotta ridge tiles used on the new builds at Hitherto.  The Vale have passed the Clerk’s  enquiry to their Enforcement Officer.

12.  Villagers’ Forum – inthe absence of villagers there was no discussion

13.  Delegation of Duties

Finance – Mr Norman (to be confirmed JD)

Communications – Upton News & Website: Mr Shaw will write Upton PC’s contribution to Upton News. Mr Dickens to discuss requirements further with current editor and website managers. JD

Roads and Footpaths – Mr Norman.  Dr Lott will support the Cycle Path to Blewbury initiative

Planning – Mr Dickens and Mrs Shaw

An “Effective Responses to Planning Applications” course is being held on 6 July.  Clerk to register Mrs Shaw, Mr Shaw & Mr Fraser to attend. Clerk

Village Hall – Mrs Shaw

Amenities including Recreation Ground – Dr Lott

Young Parishioners including the Play Area – Mr Shaw (to include playground safety checks).

Volunteer Group Rep – Mr Fraser

UKAEA Stakeholders Rep. – Mr M Brown (Mr Dickens to discuss with Mr Brown)    JD

N.A.G. Rep.- Mrs C Davies

Parish Transport Reps – Mr G Homer & Mrs J West

14.  Reports from Councillors on areas of responsibility

i) Roads and Footpaths: a meeting is to be set up with the Sustainable Blewbury Group regarding the cycle path to Blewbury.   It was noted that OCC have not, to date, committed to paying the PC for cutting the village footpaths in the current year. Feedback required from Mr Norman.  SN

ii)  Amenities including Recreation Ground:

Caravan Rally: Some comments have been received by the PC, although viewed as a positive event there were some issues raised.  A review of the caravan weekend is to be carried out.

An article is to be entered in the June edition of Upton News to canvass village opinion. BS

iii) Young Parishioners including Play Area: in her progress report Mrs Caffyn said that a grant application has been prepared and is being sent to WREN.

iv) Village Hall – Mrs Shaw said that the new Trust Deed and Land Transfer were ongoing.

v) Communications  )

vi) Volunteer Group  ) nothing to report

vii)  N.A.G.                     )

viii)  UKAEA Stakeholders Committee        )

ix)  Parish Transport Rep:  Mrs West reported on the public meeting to discuss the subsidised bus review held in Grove on 12^th May.  The Assistant Public Transport Officer had given assurance of the funding available for the Vale’s transport services.

The clerk reported that the 24 responses from the questionnaires were being analysed by ORCC.  She said she will liaise with the Sustainable Blewbury Group in order to make a coordinated response to OCC by the 3^rd June deadline. Clerk

15.       Finance

i) Effectiveness of Internal Audit.  A statement prepared by the Chairman setting out the effectiveness of Internal Audit was circulated.  It was unanimously agreed that this be adopted.

ii)  Ratification of Annual Governance Statement:  copies of the Annual Governance Statement were circulated to members.  The Council unanimously agreed that the Annual Governance  Statement be signed by the Chairman.

iii) Adoption of accounts:  the accounts, having undergone internal audit, were circulated to members in advance of the meeting.  Mr Dickens proposed the accounts be adopted, all were in favour.

iv)  Invoices for payment since last meeting

a. Clerk’s salary gross £321 (less PAYE )

b.  Came & Company – annual Insurance premium – £304.33.  The clerk had obtained a second quote (£398) from Suffolk ACRE.  It was agreed to negotiate best price with Peter Came before renewing cover.

c.  Mr Brown – fuel for mowers – £88.02

d. ORCC annual subscription – £30

v)   Receipts since last meeting:

a.         Precept (half year) £3,625

b.         Bank interest March 31p, April 37p

c.         VAT refund March £37.85, April £29.56

d.         Income from Caravan Rally £338 (half net takings)

The above receipts were noted.

16. Correspondence recently received

A letter has been received from St John’s Ambulance requesting a donation.  It was agreed that since Uptonogood  would be making a donation no action would be taken by the Parish Council.

17.  Set dates for future meetings

It was agreed to continue holding meetings on 3^rd Tuesday of alternate months.  Clerk to issue a list of dates.

Clare Lightfoot, Clerk

Tel:  01235 850486

18^th May  2011

UPTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of Extraordinary Meeting of Upton Parish Council in the Village Hall on Wednesday 4^th May 2011 at 8.00 pm

Present: Mr J Dickens (Chairman), Mr M Brown, Mr S Norman, Mrs C Lightfoot (Clerk)

1. Apologies received from Dr R Lott, Mr D Mason, Mrs L Shaw

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. None recorded

3. Planning Application: Sine Nomine, Church Street – UPT/2187/2 – to remove existing roof, replace with attic trusses to form 3 new bedrooms within roof space. Replace and enlarge existing entrance porch. Amend style and character of the front elevation by rendering existing brickwork and adding contrast colour. Reposition existing flat roof garage. Applicants Mr & Mrs P Fletcher.

The plans, having been circulated, were discussed. The Parish Council agreed that the overall concept of improving the property was good. However it was viewed the design appearance of the pod and materials, ie the Red Marley cladding, were not in keeping with the character and appearance of the village scene, being immediately opposite the 11^th Century 2* listed church.

The clerk to advise the Vale that the Parish Council object to this application. Clerk

The meeting closed at 8.25 p.m.

Clare Lightfoot

Clerk/Upton Parish Council

9^th May 2011

UPTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting of Upton Held on Monday 11^th April 2011 at 8.00 p.m. in the Village Hall

Present: Mr J Dickens (Chairman), Mr M Brown, Dr R Lott, Mr D Mason, Mr S Norman, Mrs L Shaw, Mrs C Lightfoot (clerk)

Mr R Farrell (District Councillor) Mrs J West (Upton Village Hall Amenities Trust)  5 members of the public

1. Apologies for absence: received from Mr B Shaw and Mr B Simpson

2. Minutes of the annual parish meeting held on 10^th April 2010 were read. The minutes were agreed to be a true record and signed by the Chairman.

3. Discussion on Annual Reports:

(i) Parish Council Chairman

Mr Dickens opened the meeting by welcoming those present. He thanked Mr Brown for his many years service to the Parish Council and for the support which he had given to Mr Dickens during the past year. The regularisation of land on which the village hall stood has now been formally completed. He went on to thank the many volunteers who undertake tasks around the village including the Volunteer Work Group and those who cut the recreation ground and play area. During the past year the Parish Council has negotiated a contract with OCC enabling the PC to cut the village footpaths. This has resulted in the footpaths being kept neatly cut. The Chairman went on to say that the Volunteer Work Group had been largely responsible for laying the extension to the village hall car park. He concluded by saying that the bus service was under review and he urged parishioners to use it or lose it.

(ii) Parish Council Finance

Copies of Payments and Receipts for 2010/2011, and a status report prepared by Mr Brown and the Clerk were circulated. The accounts showed a reserve of ~£7000k. Mr Brown said that £5k had been earmarked towards the playground improvement.

(iii) District Council: Mr Farrell said that this would be his last report as our District Councillor as he intended to stand down after 16 years. He said that the Vale had been forced to slash expenditure on front line services following cuts in central government grants. He told the meeting that savings had been achieved by the Vale sharing services with SODC. He mentioned the Localism Bill which is supposed to give local communities greater control over the way in which their neighbourhoods develop. However in reality few communities are going to volunteer to have 300 houses built “at the bottom of their gardens.”

Mr Joel remarked on the appalling state of the roads. He said that the roads are never swept: one year’s leaf fall meets the next. Potholes are in need of attention. Mr Farrell said that roads are the responsibility of the County Council.

(iv) County Council: no report to hand

(v) Parish Transport Representative. The clerk noted that Mr Graham Homer had taken over the responsibility of Parish Transport Representative. Mrs West agreed to substitute for Mr Homer at PTR meetings if necessary. A review of subsidised buses was currently being undertaken. A questionnaire had been circulated to each household to establish bus usage and responses will be coordinated in order to make a response to OCC.

(vi) United Charities: Mrs Whitmell, in her report, said that if anyone wished to nominate a recipient for a grant she should be contacted.

(vii) Blewbury School: a report was circulated, no questions raised.

(vi) UVHAT: Mrs West reported that a growing number of people are using the newly refurbished hall. Short mat bowls in particular is gaining a following. As funds permit additional refurbishment is required to the toilets and the kitchen, shelving in the store room and the room next to the kitchen needs an overhaul. Mrs West paid tribute to Mr Simpson, the retiring treasurer, who had been pivotal to the success of the village hall extension project.

(vii) Neighbourhood Watch: Mrs Davies said that there was little to report this year, apart from the theft of a digger from a building site in Church Street at the beginning of April. The SID speeding machine is regularly used on the A417 outside the fruit farm and at the top of Station Road.

(viii) St. Mary’s Church: no questions raised.

4. Open Forum

(i) Improvements to children’s playground:

Mr Mason said that since the existing playground is “tired”, it was hoped to provide a new facility to appeal to a wide age range. A small group had been formed to look at funding for this project; the ball park figure for this is £50k. Mr Mason said that in order to apply for funding the need for this new facility needs to be established and a survey carried out. A “Drop In” will be organised to get children’s involvement in the design. He went on to say that there was keen competition for grants. WREN and the Big Lottery Fund are two possible sources of funding.

Dr Lott has agreed that some of the proceeds of the Uptonogood bike challenge will go to the Playground appeal. The Parish Council has £5k earmarked for the project.

(ii) Cycle Path to Blewbury

Mr Norman said that the project to improve the path between Blewbury and Upton had temporarily stalled. This is partly due to the landowners at both ends of the footpath being reluctant to change. The meeting agreed that we should not give up on this. (Clerk’s note: The group Sustainable Blewbury have been in touch and are keen to meet with representatives of UPC to take this further.)

(iii) Upton News

Mr Brown said that Upton News has historically been printed by the Churn Benefice Office, primarily as a Church newsheet. It is now difficult to contain all the articles in 4 pages and he questioned whether we should accept advertisements in order to cover the cost of the printing. The consensus was “no”. It was proposed that the new Parish Council consider making a payment, say £200 per year, to the Church Office to offset the cost of the printing. It was agreed that parishioners enjoy reading the Upton News as it is.

(iv) Village Roads Speed Limit

The question of whether it was feasible to install 20 MPH signs in residential areas in the village was raised. It was agreed that traffic calming measures be an agenda item for the new Parish Council.

(v) Update of Parish Plan

Mr Brown suggested that the Parish Plan be revisited in order to get a better idea of what parishioners want.

Mr de Wilde commented that since the Parish Plan had been conducted the village had become more empowered, he cited the BT Infinity Challenge which demonstrated this.

Revisiting the Parish Plan should be an agenda item for the Parish Council. Clerk

(vi) Roads and Footpaths

The following questions were raised:

· Who takes responsibility for trimming hedges which overhang footpaths?

· The road outside the Hitherto building project in Church Street is breaking up. Who should take responsibility for carrying out repairs?

The clerk will write to Highways to seek answers to these questions. Clerk

5. The Chairman’s Closing Remarks

The Chairman thanked those present for their attendance.

The meeting closed at 9.45 p.m.

6. Date of next meeting – Monday 9 April 2012

Clare Lightfoot

Clerk Upton Parish Council

19^th April 2011

Upton Parish Council

Minutes of Extraordinary Meeting held on Monday 11^th April 2011 at 7.40 pm in the Village Hall

PRESENT: Mr M Brown (Chairman), Dr R Lott, Mr D Mason, Mr S Norman, Mrs L Shaw,

Mrs C Lightfoot (Clerk)

1. Apologies – there were no 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. None recorded.

3. Planning Application UPT/12955/4, Elms Rise, Chilton Road. This proposal is to render elevations to main house and minor alterations to approved application UPT/12955/2. Applicants

Mr & Mrs M Amos. The plans, having been previously circulated, were discussed. There were no objections to the application. The clerk to advise the Vale accordingly. Clerk

Meeting closed at 7.45 p.m.

Clare Lightfoot

Clerk/Upton Parish Council

16^th April 2011

Minutes of Meeting of Upton Parish Council in the Village Hall on Tuesday 15^th March 2011 at 8.00 pm

PRESENT:

Mr M Brown (Acting Chairman), Mr J Dickens, Dr R Lott, Mr D Mason, Mrs L Shaw,

Mrs C Lightfoot (Clerk)

Mr R Farrell and Mr S Lilley (part time)

1. Apologies received from Mr Norman and PCSO Clayden

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. None received

3. Minutes of meeting of Upton Parish Council held on 18^th January and Extraordinary Parish Council meetings held on 22^nd February 2011, having been previously circulated were agreed to be a true record and signed by the Chairman

4. Matters Arising:

(i) high speed internet – this issue is ongoing

(ii) Scottish & Southern High Voltage Cable: Mr Barrett has agreed to act on behalf of the PC

(iii) Signage in Chilton Road. New 30 signs have been erected on entering the village from Chilton Road. A letter of thanks to be sent to Highways. The roundels are still awaited. Clerk

5. PCSO’s Report

A written report had been received from PCSO Clayden. Following the clerk’s discussion with him regarding illicit motorcycling on a piece of land in Upton parish, located south of the Ridgeway, co-owned by 43 persons, he confirms that the police are aware and 2 bikers have been issued with Section 59s. Smoke from bonfires in the field at the rear of the George and Dragon has caused visibility problems on the A417. He requests that if this hazard continues the police should be made aware.

6. County Councillor’s Report

Mr Lilley reported that a grant of £1.2M is being made by Central Government towards repairing Highways. OCC is making £600k available for local communities and he will put us in touch with the appropriate person in County Hall so that we can investigate whether our playground scheme can attract a grant. He said that cabinet had now approved Local Transport Plan 3 – which encompasses the Harwell relief road. It is likely to be several years before finance is in place.

WRG are applying to build a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant north of the Power Station in Sutton Courtenay parish.

Bus Subsidy Review: Mr Lilley said that this is of vital importance to this rural community, he suggests that Upton and Blewbury make strong representation and he is willing to lend his support. (Clerk to contact Mr Homer, PTR, to enquire if he would like to help us make a case.) Clerk

He noted that the rail bridge project at the Milton interchange is overrunning, the knock on effect being that the time frame for the Didcot Station Forecourt project will slip.

7. District Councillor’s Report

Mr Farrell reported that the Vale has now set its budget with Council Tax remaining unchanged. The process was difficult as the grant from Central Government had reduced from £7.1M to £5.98M.

Front line services have been largely preserved. Pain had been felt during the past 2 years with the introduction of joint service arrangements with SODC which necessitated redundancies. A number of senior officers had taken retirement with the net result that the Vale’s staffing levels are thin and less experienced.

Reservoir: Mr Farrell said that the Government’s inspector had not given the green light. The recommendation had been made that more work is required on the water plan.

Localism Bill: the bill is complex but at its heart are powers that will fundamentally change the role of parish councils. Under Power 1 PCs will have the right to produce Neighbourhood Plans, ie the future development of a community will be determined by the PC. He said that in reality this was unrealistic for small PCs as professional help would be needed and the cost of this would be ~£18k.

8. Villagers’ Forum – none

9. Planning

UPT/21353 – proposal for single dwelling at rear of 3 Fieldside. It was noted that this application has been withdrawn

UPT/3451/12-CM – extending time period to 31 December 2010 for use of 2 storey office building without complying with conditions 2 of planning permission, at Prospect Farm. It was noted that permission has been granted.

UPT/11998/5 – Solar panels, supported by “A” frames, in rear garden at Pointers Piece, Chilton Road. Applicant Mr & Mrs Thomas. The plans were discussed and there were no objections. Clerk to advise the Vale accordingly. Clerk

10. Status reports from Councillors on areas of responsibility

i) Roads and Footpaths

· Maintenance of footpaths

Mr Norman has emailed Mr Mark Sumner of OCC to seek a contract for the Parish Council to continue with cutting village footpaths. The PC agreed that by cutting the footpaths “in-house” we achieve a much better result.

Clerk to remind Mr Norman that that there is a safety issue which OCC need to address concerning a slippery foot bridge near the old railway line towards Chilton which needs to be covered in wire. Clerk

Dr Lott has spoken to Mr Bucknell to ask permission for a working party to clear fallen tress and debris along Common Lane. RL

· Update on Sewerage Pipeline from Chilton to Upton:

Mr Brown said that no one on the Parish Council had been aware of the implications of this scheme until a vast number of heavy lorries, laden with hardcore, were seen proceeding up the Lynchway. He telephoned Optimise who admitted they were in error in not having contacted us. All their negotiations had been with the Chilton PC although in reality Chilton was virtually unaffected by the work.

Mr Brown has been told that the project, scheduled to be completed by end of June, should be completed by end of May. The Parish Council have a number of serious concerns:

i) The Lynchway, which will be closed towards the end of the project, could be unfit as part of the route for our annual Uptonogood cycle ride;

ii) Inconvenience to local parishioners whilst the A417 near the G&D is controlled by traffic lights;

iii) The Frog Alley pumping station may not be able to cope with the additional volume;

It was agreed that the PC will write to Optimise setting out our concerns. MB/Clerk

ii) Amenities including Recreation Ground

· Uptonogood

Dr Lott said that Uptonogood would he held on Saturday 18^th June, with camping in the Recreation Ground on Friday 17^th & Saturday 18^th June. A note will be put in Upton News to ensure that residents are made aware. There are some concerns about using the Lynchway

and also permission being granted to use Common Lane which is classified as a footpath.

· Goal Posts

Dr Lott reported that one of the small goal post was broken, Mr Brown agreed to replace it the next day. MB

iii) Young Parishioners including Play Area

· Playground

Mr Mason said that 2 grant applications had been unsuccessful and the applications need refocusing and the vision statement revising. The PC agreed that the committee should pursue the proposal made by KOMPAN who can arrange help with grant applications. Should this be successful KOMPAN would either carry out the work or charge £1k for the input made.

iv) Village Hall

· Land Regularisation: the deeds have now been signed off by the PC and UVHAT and the matter is being completed by Mr Simon Barrett, solicitor.

v) Communications – Nothing to report

vi) Volunteer Group

· Work on Common Lane will be organised as quickly as possible, if sufficient effort is available the overhanging ivy in Post Office Lane will be cut back but this is not seen as important.

vii) N.A.G. – No report

viii) UKAEA Local Liaison Committee – The next meeting is scheduled for 18^th March.

ix) Parish Transport Report – No report

11. Finance

i) Payments since last meeting:

M Brown/purchases from Staples for document storage system £44.27

Clerk’s Salary: £321

Subscription to Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils – £133.07

Subscription to Oxford Playing Fields Association – £35

The above payments were agreed.

ii) Receipts since last meeting:

Bank interest January 39p, February 35p

VAT Repayment: January £12.24, February £15.27

Annual payment from OCC in respect of footpath cutting, £450

The above receipts were agreed

iii) Agree charitable donations

A number of requests had been received during the year including: Air Ambulance, CAB,

South & Vale Carers, Oxfordshire Association for the Blind, CPRE, Sue Ryder “Chair Appeal” for Nettlebed Hospice, Ryder-Cheshire Volunteers, Oxfordshire.

Whilst these charities were all deemed to be worthy, it was agreed that donations would be made as follows:

£200 – St Mary’s Church (towards upkeep of cemetery and production of Upton News)

£25 – Mr Churchman (gratuity for locking recreation ground gates). This payment is justified under para 8 of the Local Govt Act 1972.

£50 – Air Ambulance

£50 – South & Vale Carers

£50 – Upton Methodist Church

12. Risk Assessment & Asset Register

A Risk Assessment and Asset Register, compiled by Mr Brown, had been circulated in advance of the meeting. The Parish Council ratified both these documents.

13. Parish Council Administration

· Document Storage

Mr Brown said that the document storage system was now complete and had been done in accordance with the Government’s Model Publication Scheme. The clerk expressed thanks to Mr Brown for having achieved this excellent system.

· Registering PC as an employer with HMRC

The clerk noted that under a new directive from HMRC the Parish Council is required to register as an employer. Clerk

14. Correspondence recently received

· Didcot Volunteer Centre car scheme: a letter had been received advising that the DVC’s grant from OCC is being reduced and requesting our support. The clerk was asked to write supporting DVC which provides transport for hospital and doctors appointments. Clerk

· Vale on Line Communications

· Meeting Everyone’s Needs – Vale Survey

· Rural News Digest – February & March

· Oxfordshire Car Share

· OALC February Issue

· British Legions 90^th Birthday – invitation to organise an event 10-12 June

· Electoral Review of Oxfordshire

All correspondence had been circulated either by email or in hard copy.

15. Dates for noting:

The following dates were noted: Annual Parish Meeting – Monday 11^th April at 8.00 p.m.

Election of Councillors – Thursday 5^th May Nominations to be made by noon on 4^th April.

The next meeting is to be held on Tuesday 17^th May at 8.00 p.m.

Clare Lightfoot, Clerk

Tel: 01235 850486

20^th March 2011

UPTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of Extraordinary Meeting held on Tuesday 22^nd February 2011 at 8.15 pm in the Village Hall

PRESENT: Mr J Dickens (Chairman), Dr R Lott, Mr D Mason, Mr S Norman, Mrs L Shaw,

Mrs C Lightfoot (Clerk), Mr B Simpson.

2 members of the public attended for item 3.

1. Apologies – Mr M Brown

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. None recorded.

3. Planning Application UPT/368/4 – Erection of 4 bedroomed detached house, detached garage and new access on land adjacent to Kameki, Chilton Road. Applicant Mr I Ross.

The plans, having been circulated to members in advance of the meeting, were discussed. It was agreed that the plans met planning criteria and the Parish Council had no objections. Clerk to advise the Vale accordingly. CL

4. Land Regularisation: Following legal advice Upton Village Hall Amenity Trust (UVHAT) has resolved that the land presently owned by UVHAT should be transferred back to the Parish Council in consideration of a conveyance from the Council of the land occupied by the extended hall and patio, plus a border of 0.5 Metres. In order to execute this, Mr Mason proposed that Mr Dickens and Mr Brown be given delegated power to sign the deed on behalf of the Parish Council. Mr Norman seconded the proposal and all were in favour.

Meeting closed at 8.40 p.m.

Clare Lightfoot

Clerk/Upton Parish Council

25^th February 2011

2010-2011

UPTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of Meeting held in the Village Hall, on Tuesday 18^th January 2011 at 8.00 pm

Present: Mr J Dickens (Chairman), Mr M Brown, Mr D Mason, Mr R Farrell (part time), and Mrs C Lightfoot (Clerk)

1. Apologies received from Dr R. Lott, Mr S Norman, Mrs L Shaw & Mr S Lilley

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. None recorded.

3. Minutes of meeting of Upton Parish Council held on 16^th November and Extraordinary Parish Council meetings held on 7^th December 2010, having been previously circulated, were signed by the Chairman as a true record.

4. Matters Arising:

(i) high speed internet: it was noted that there had been 100% response from the Blewbury exchange to the BT initiative, thus subject to survey, we qualify for an upgrade of our internet connection.

(ii) Scottish & Southern High Voltage Cable. The clerk has been in touch with Mr Simon Barrett (solicitor), asking if he will act on our behalf in connection with the Easement. We await his response.

5. PCSO’s Report – in the absence of a PCSO there was no report.

6. County Councillor’s Report – Mr Lilley has been in touch with the clerk saying that he is holding a quarterly meeting with Highways and if there are any issues we wish to raise these can be forwarded to him.

7. District Councillor’s Report

Mr Farrell suggested we visit the Vale’s website and comment on the Chief Executive’s initial budget. He noted that the Vale’s grant from central Government had been reduced by 16%, with a further reduction of 11% next year.

Bin Collection: Councillors raised the issue of non-collection of bins when adverse weather coincided with the Christmas holiday period with the upshot that 4 weeks elapsed between collections. Mr Farrell said that there is no contingency in the contract for back up collections. He will raise our complaint with the Vale.

Localism Bill: Mr Farrell was asked if the Vale would be disseminating information to Parish Councils on this Bill. He said that he was not aware of any plans for the Vale to do so since its policy department probably does not have the spare capacity to do this.

Planning: Mr Farrell mentioned that in a recent appeal decision in the Vale, relating to building in a garden, the Inspector had upheld refusal by the Vale suggesting that following a recent directive from the government it may become more difficult to obtain permission to build in gardens that are seen as being a valued open space to the community.

8. Villagers’ Forum – no villagers present.

9. Village Hall

The Clerk noted that the minutes of a recent UVHAT meeting stated that the land regularization issue is still ongoing.

UVHAT, together with the Parish Council, had agreed to a Caravan Rally to be held on the Recreation Ground over the Easter weekend from Thursday 21^st – Monday 25^th April. The clerk was asked to contact UVHAT to enquire whether some of the receipts from the rally could be passed to the Parish Council to be used towards the upgrading of the playground. Clerk

10. Planning

The outcome of the following planning applications was noted:

UPT/368/368/3-X – proposed erection of 2 dwellings in the garden of Kameki.

Vale have notified that this outline planning application has been withdrawn.

UPT/21068/2 – 5 Fieldside: application approved.

11. Status reports from Councillors on areas of responsibility

i) Roads and Footpaths

Signage in Chilton Road

Mr Brown reported that residents in Chilton Road had for sometime been requesting some measures that would reduce the speed of the traffic coming down the road. The Highways department has now offered to erect more visible “30” signs and to place a 30 roundel in the road. It was agreed to accept this.

Road safety in village

A discussion ensued on the merits of reducing the speed limit to 20mph on village roads, and who would subsequently police them. It was agreed that villagers should be consulted and this should be done as part of a review of our Parish Plan. This will be an agenda item for the Annual Parish Meeting. Clerk

ii) Amenities including Recreation Ground – Nothing to report.

iii) Young Parishioners including Play Area

Location of playground & progress on Playground improvements

Mr Mason reported that the working group had made 2 grant applications. The ball park figure for the new playground is £50k to include safety matting. He said that community support is vital and an “open day” will be held when children can help draw up ideas and explore the siting of the playground. In keeping with the rural location, timber play equipment will be considered. A phased approach might have to be adopted.

Cycle jumps: reshaping the jumps will be dealt with by volunteers in the spring.

iii) Communications

Inserts in Upton News: Becci’s mobile shop has requested putting a flyer in the next Upton News. The Parish Council had no objection since the shop is seen as an added amenity for the village and we should take action to support it.

iv) Volunteer Group:

Dr Lott had sent a note suggesting that the time was right to tidy up Post Office Lane. The Council agreed to the proposal.

v) N.A.G. – no report

vi) UKAEA Local Liaison Committee: Mr Brown is still not receiving communication from UKAEA and will chase up the Secretary. MB

vii) Parish Transport Rep: nothing further to report

12. Finance

i) Agree estimates and set precept for 2011/12

Copy of the proposed estimates and reserves for 2011/2012 having been previously circulated, were discussed. Following discussion Mr Dickens proposed an amendment that the precept be kept at £7,250, seconded by Mr Mason. All were in favour of the amended proposals.

Clerk to complete the Precept request form as appropriate. Clerk

ii) Payments since last meeting:

Kalehurst Garden Machinery, mower annual service, £254.14
Half year repayment to PWLB (Dec 2010) £412.91
Clerk’s Salary: £321
Donation to village Christmas tea party £40
Subscription to Society of Local Council Clerks – £61

Payments were agreed.

iii) Receipts since last meeting:

Bank interest November 36p, December 37p
VAT Repayment – November £42.20
Annual payment from OCC in respect of footpath cutting, £450

Receipts were noted.

13. Risk Assessment and Assets Register 2011/2012

Mr Brown reported that he had made a first attempt at revising the Parish Council’s Risk Assessment document. He concluded that the Parish Council’s insurance policy appeared to be anomalous and clarification should be sought. The Chairman will seek further advice on the current policy. JD

The revised Assets Register is with Mr Mason for updating of replacement values for the play equipment.

DM

14. Correspondence recently received

• Copy of letter from parishioner to Vale planning department re Hitherto
• Berinsfield Community Business offering grounds services
• Local Govt Boundary Commission: Electoral Review of Oxfordshire
• Clerk to Didcot Town Council: closer working relationships with neighbouring parishes.
• South Oxfordshire proposed submission core strategy: Consultation ends 21 January – visit www.southoxon.gov.uk/corestrategy

All correspondence had been circulated.

15. Date of next meeting: The next meeting is to be held on Tuesday 15^th March 2011

Clare Lightfoot, Clerk

Tel: 01235 850486

25^th January 2011

Minutes of an Extraordinary Meeting held on Tuesday 7^th December 2010 at 8.00 pm

Present: Mr J Dickens (Chairman), Mr S Norman, Mrs L Shaw, Mrs C Lightfoot (clerk)

1. Apologies received from Mr M Brown, Mr D Mason and Dr R. Lott

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 (please refer to the notes at the end of agenda). Reminder to Members of the requirement to complete and return the Register of Members’ Interests and the Gifts/Hospitality Register. There were no declarations of interest.

3. Planning Application

(i) UPT/21353 – proposed development of a single dwelling on the land to the rear (east) of 3 Fieldside, and widened access to the site to serve both properties.

Applicant: Mr K O’Donoghue.

The plans having been circulated to members prior to the meeting were discussed. The Parish Council unanimously agreed to object to this application which sets a precedent not beneficial to the character of the village and is detrimental to surrounding properties. There is an issue of loss of light, overshadowing and loss of privacy of neighbouring properties. The Parish Council has concerns regarding the over dominance of the property on the plot, traffic generation, car parking provision and noise disturbance.

The clerk to respond to the Vale accordingly. Clerk

(ii) Permission for the continuation of the use of two storey office building without complying with condition 2 of planning permission UPT/3451/12-CM to allow extending the time period to 31 December 2012 at Prospect Farm, Chilton.

The Council had no comment on this application.

The meeting closed at 8.45 p.m.

Clare Lightfoot (Clerk)

7^th December 2010

UPTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting of Upton Parish Council held in the Village Hall

on Tuesday 16^th November 2010 at 8.00 pm

Present: Mr M Brown (Chairman), Dr R Lott, Mr S Norman, Mrs L Shaw, Mrs C Lightfoot (clerk),

PCSOs Baker and Deane

1. Apologies – Mr J Dickens and Mr D Mason

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. None recorded.

3. Minutes of meeting of Upton Parish Council held on 22^nd September and Extraordinary Parish Council meetings held on 16^th October and 1^st November 2010 having been previously circulated were agreed to be a true record and signed by the Chairman.

4. Matters Arising:

(i) The clerk reported that the John Deere tractor mower is now RTA compliant

5. PCSO’s Report

PCSO Deane reported that poachers had recently been arrested in the Village Hall car park. “Operation Migrate”, targeting illegal hare coursing, is about to commence.

6. County Councillor’s Report

In his absence, Mr Lilley has agreed to email his report to be forwarded to councillors in due course. Clerk

7. District Councillor’s Report – no report received

8. Villagers’ Forum – in the absence of villagers there was no discussion.

9. Village Hall:

i) Update on land regularisation.

Mr Brown said that Mr Barrett, the acting solicitor, has recommended that the land comprising the footprint of the hall and the patio be sold to UVHAT for £1. A plan of the land involved has been drawn up by Mr Potter and passed to Mr Barrett to progress the matter.

10. Planning – nothing to report

11. Status reports from Councillors on areas of responsibility

i) Roads and Footpaths:

It was noted that the village footpaths had been well maintained by our volunteer work force.

Mr Norman had raised an invoice for £450 for the clerk to send to OCC. A complaint had been received about the slippery footbridge on the path at the rear of the George & Dragon. As this is a health and safety issue Mr Norman will ask OCC to deal with the problem. There are some fallen trees along Common Way, it was agreed that this needs to be dealt with before next summer either by volunteers in agreement with the landowner or by OCC. SN

Coffin Way: as the fields on both sides of Coffin Way have been planted it was agreed that Mr Norman, Dr Lott and a representative of Blewbury Parish Council hold a site meeting with the land owner in February 2011 with a view to the path being levelled such that the PC would be able to keep the path mown. SN,RL

ii) Amenities including Recreation Ground

Scottish & Southern Electricity – high voltage cable

Mr Brown and Mr Dickens had met with a representative of the SSE who wished to discuss re-routing a high voltage cable through the recreation ground. The cable is currently running within the boundary of Mousehouse. A channel would need to be dug in the recreation ground around the perimeter of Mousehouse and Lonicera and out to the road alongside the cherry trees. SSE will produce a schedule of work to be agreed by the Parish Council. Mr Brown reported that he had asked SSE to hand dig the required trench alongside the cherry trees to prevent damage to them.

iii) Young Parishioners including Play Area

Progress on Playground – A note had been circulated by Mr Mason detailing actions taken towards playground improvements. A committee has been formed, a questionnaire has been delivered to each house; grants are being sought. Mr Brown congratulated Mr Mason on the progress so far. As suggested in Mr Mason’s email, Mr Brown asked members to give consideration to the location of any new playground equipment such that it can be fully discussed at the next meeting. Comments have been made that during the winter the existing play area is dark, damp and slippery. Mr Brown suggested that removal of the overgrown shrubs and trees in that area would alleviate this problem. ALL

Dirt jumps – Dr Lott said that he will be contacting Cyclox to see if they can help with plans for sculpting jumps. If plans are available these will be brought before the PC. The young people have raised £100 towards the cost of doing the work, one of the parents is willing to undertake the work which will necessitate using a mini digger. It was agreed that this work will best be done in the spring after the ground has dried off. RL

iv) Communications

Formalisation of communication routes:

With external agencies: Mrs Shaw said that she felt that the recent teething trouble with the new waste collection scheme could have been more professionally dealt with as 3 councillors had taken it upon themselves to contact the District Council although one was acting as a resident not as a councillor. Mr Brown said that the councillor who takes the lead on each topic should be the one to follow up issues. In the past he has dealt with all waste problems from the village including litter collecting, fly tipping and previous missed collections and as a result immediately dealt with the problem this time. It was agreed that at the next allocation of duties in May, dealing with waste problems would be an area to be allocated.

Within the Parish Council on Planning Matters: It was agreed that the most important task that the Parish Council performs relates to planning. Since planning applications have to be discussed within 21 days of their receipt an extraordinary PC meeting is usually convened at fairly short notice and concern was expressed that it is often the case that not all councillors are available to be present and that this put additional pressure on those that do attend. After discussion it was agreed that every effort must be made to ensure:

As many councillors as possible attend planning meetings.

The lead member for Planning investigates local issues and reports on them at the start of the meeting.

That all members attending the meeting ensure they are familiar with the details of the applications prior to the meeting. (All the details are on the District Council web)

Where meetings have to be arranged at fairly short notice the clerk contacts neighbouring property owners to make them aware of details of the meeting.

To the residents on Planning Matters (ie website and Upton News). Mrs Shaw asked that a full statement of the Parish Council’s response to the District Council be published in the Upton News. Mr Brown said that due to the usual pressure on space in Upton News it would not be possible to print the full reply but every word is published on the village web and on the District Council web for those who may be interested. It was agreed in future to publish in the Upton News just the title of the box that the P.C. has to tick when it returns its responses and reference to further details being on the village web site.

v) Volunteer Group

Dr Lott said that the major outstanding task is Post Office Lane. Tidying Common Lane, with the landowner’s permission, might be a task for Spring 2011.

vi) N.A.G. – no report

vii) UKAEA Local Liaison Committee:

Mr Brown had attended a recent meeting that was primarily concerned with reorganisation of responsibility for the de-commissioning work, there was little of interest to Upton. He will circulate the minutes of the meeting when they become available: MB

ix) Parish Transport Representative:

The Local Transport Plan 3 2011- 2030 Consultation document is now on the County Council website.

12. Finance

i) Review of half yearly accounts. The half yearly accounts were reviewed, it was noted that we are close to budget with no matters of concern.

ii) Payments since last meeting:

Clerk’s Salary: £321 + DVLA registration of mower £55.00 & number plate £20

M Brown, expenses: fuel for mower £40; replacement parts for goal posts £42.19

Request for donation for Village Tea party – say £40. It was agreed to support this.

The above payments were agreed.

iii) Receipts since last meeting:

Vale of White Horse, 2^nd half year precept – £3625

Prize from ORCCs 90^th birthday draw – £100

Bank interest September 23p, October 40p

VAT Repayment – September – £697.82

The receipts were noted.

13. Correspondence recently received:

• Mobile shop visiting village hall car park commencing Tuesday 23 November
• SLCC Berkshire Branch October newsletter
• CPRE Campaign briefings: September & October
• High Speed Internet
• Rural Intelligence Foundation – raising the profile of key rural issues
• Town & Parish Council newsletter

All the above correspondence is in circulation.

There being no other business the meeting closed at 10.10 p.m.

14. Date of next meeting: The next meeting is to be held on Tuesday 18^th January 2011

Clare Lightfoot, Clerk

Tel: 01235 850486

18^th November 2010

UPTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of Extraordinary Meeting held on Monday 1^st November 2010 at 8.00 pm

Present: Mr J Dickens (Chairman), Mr M Brown, Dr R Lott, Mr S Norman, Mrs L Shaw,

Mrs C Lightfoot (Clerk)

6 parishioners

1. Apologies received from Mr D Mason

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 (please refer to the notes at the end of agenda). Reminder to Members of the requirement to complete and return the Register of Members’ Interests and the Gifts/Hospitality Register. The following declarations of interest were made: Mr M Brown item 3(i) and Dr R Lott item 3(ii). Mr Brown and Dr Lott took no part in the discussions relating to these respective items.

3. Planning Application

(i) UPT/9435/3 – Erection of a detached 3 bedroom chalet dwelling and single garage at land adjacent to Jasmine, Chilton Road. Applicant Mr A Hetherington.

The Chairman suspended the meeting to enable comments to be made from the floor. The meeting then resumed, with Mr Brown taking no part in this agenda item. The Parish Council, having examined the plans concluded that the Parish Council did not object, however the following observations are to be made to the Vale’s Planning Officers: the proposed building appears to be disproportionately large for the size of the plot, there is a potential loss of privacy to the neighbouring property, Ridgewood Grange. The Parish Council suggests that the outlook from patio be of a different orientation and that landscaping be incorporated in the design to assist with the privacy issue.

The Clerk to advise the Vale accordingly.

Dr Lott then left the meeting.

(ii) UPT/21068/2 – double storey extension with offset to side. Single storey rear aspect and to side comprising of garage. Porch to front. Applicant Dr R. Lott.

Two iterations of the above plans have been previously approved by the Parish Council. Members noted two minor changes/improvements in the current plans, ie the roof height of the proposed extension has been raised to align with the existing property, the width of the garage is increased, with the kitchen internal walls remaining as is at present.

The Parish Council had no objections.

The clerk to advise the Vale accordingly.

The Chairman declared the meeting closed at 8.45 p.m.

Clare Lightfoot (Clerk)

6^th November 2010