Minutes of the Upton Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 19th March 2020 in the village hall.

In attendance:- Cllrs B Shaw (Chair/BS), D Beckles (DB), B Heneghan (BH). Miss E Cooper (Clerk/EC), Mrs J Reid (UVHAT/JR)

Clerk’s note:- The council agreed via email to operate emergency measures for this meeting. The meeting was quorate with three councillors in attendance. The Clerk and a representative from UVHAT were also present and occupied the main hall and sat a safe distance apart. 

1. Apologies for absence

Cllrs P McLaughlin, I Sykes, District Cllr H Gascoigne, County Cllr M Fox-Davies

The council acknowledged the resignation (by email) of Cllr Ian Sykes with immediate effect. Clerk to instigate notice of vacancy. ACTION Clerk.

2. Declarations of interest in the items on the agenda

BH declared that he could not take part in the discussions on the contractor for the garage doors as the contractor was known to him.

Clerk’s note:- The council agreed to bring to the top of the agenda item 18. Coronavirus & its effects on the village and the working of the Parish Council.

3. Coronavirus and what current guidelines mean for the council and community

The council and Mrs Reid (JR) on behalf of UVHAT, discussed the situation in

the village. Clerk to provide JR with details of how the Blewbury community

helpers  are supporting those in need at this time. The council agreed to set

aside a £1000 discretionary emergency fund, which will be reviewed regularly.

 

JR confirmed that the hall was closed to all hiring events, with other uses under

discussion (as of date of meeting). UVHAT and the Parish Council would

continue to share information and help within the community as necessary and

within government guidelines.

 

JR also stated that there used to be a ‘Welcome to the Village’ information pack

for new comers and she would look in to this with a view to helping community

relations. Action JR.

 

The council agreed (proposed BS, seconded BH), that the emergency measures

would include delegation of decisions to one councillor and or the Clerk should

this situation arise. The holding of physical meetings was subject to review prior

to agreed dates (at the time of the meeting). Clerk to look at adding Emergency

Measures to the Standing Orders. ACTION Clerk.

 

4. Approve the minutes of the following meetings & note any matters arising:-

UPC 16.01.20

The minutes were approved by council with no changes and signed off by the

Chair.

5. Report from the County Councillor

Not provided other than information on the Coronavirus, which had been

circulated.

6. Report from the District Councillor

Provided in advance of the meeting and included at Appendix A below.

7. Representations from the public

None present.

8. Outstanding actions carried forward from this and previous

meetings:-

 

No.	Action Points from March Meeting	When by
1.	JR to look in to previous Welcome to the Village’ pack.	May meet
2.	Clerk to look at adding Emergency Measures to the SOs.	May meet
3.	BS to confirm any immediate remedial actions to play area equipment.	ASAP
4.	Clerk to nominate other contractors to quote for new toddler play area.	o/s
5.	JR to look in to documentation held by UVHATconcerning the village hall / PC history	May meet
6.	Clerk to contact MB & CL re PC / UVHAT history	May meet
7.	Clerk to instigate councillor vacancy procedure	ASAP
8.	BS to provide Clerk with details of residence to write to regarding detritus on rec.	ASAP
9.	BH to write para for Upton News for volunteers for Speedwatch.	ASAP

 

No.	Action Points from previous meetings	When by
1.	Clerk to instigate mandate papers to change Lloyds Bank signatories – Second signature added to paperwork & returned to Lloyds 23.3.20	ASAP
2.	Clerk to incorporate large project reserves in budget for 20/21	End fin year
3.	IS to confirm any current maintenance required within the play areas – BH provided an update on remedial measures required.	March meeting
4.	BH to speak to Bob Lott regarding the pump track resurfacing & costs.	C’fwd ASAP
5.	BH to contact Cllr H Gascoigne for an update on tree records held by the DC – BH confirmed information obtained. To share with council.	ASAP
6.	PMcL to draft the start of a re-located toddler play area.	C’fwd ASAP

  

8. Agree the council’s response to the following planning applications:-

8.1 P20/V0267/HH Fernwood, High Street, Upton

Retrospective application – windows arrangements

Deadline noon 20.3.20

The council agreed no objections to this application. 

9. To receive an update on UPC Finances

9.1 Update on Lloyds bank accounts

Change of signatories paperwork had been returned from Lloyds Bank,

requiring a further signature. This was duly signed by BH & returned to

Lloyds Bank by post on Monday 23 March.

9.2 Ratify the agreement made by email to proceed with a quote for

replacement garage doors from Mr A Hamey in the sum of £1000 on the

grounds of safety & security.

The council confirmed its decision to instigate this work due to security and

safety concerns.

9.3 Agree the following payments listed in the table below.

The council agreed all payments. 

Date	Payee	£
28.02.20,28.03.20	Clerk’s salary SO	Not publicly disclosed
19.03.20	Clerk’s expenses	£28.55
Feb, Mar	HMRC PAYE SO (@£44.80pm)	£89.60
19.02.20, 19.03.20	Microsoft Office365 Feb & Mar DD @£3.80pm	£7.60
24.02.20	OALC Planning training – B Heneghan	£60.00 inc VAT
20.03.20	OALC annual membership	£140.42 inc VAT
19.03.20	Home Start donation	£25.00
	TOTAL	£351.17 + Clerk’s salary SO above.

 

9.4   Receipts

Bank interest (Jan, Feb, Mar) .55p, .57p, .50p

Annual wayleave payment £2.00

9.5  Sign off bank reconciliation to date

The Chair duly signed off the bank reconciliation.

10. Update on the Play Areas maintenance, upgrades and inspections

In the absence of IS, a full update was not available. BH to confirm any

Immediate remedial requirements on the adventure play area. ACTION BH

11. Update on the ‘rec regeneration plan’

11.1 Toddler play area

A quotation had been received for the decommissioning of the toddler play

area and creation of a new area on the rec. This was under scrutiny by the

council.

Clerk to nominate other contractors for quotations. ACTION Clerk

11.2 Pump track

Discussion postponed.

11.3 Grounds maintenance contractor

One quotation had been received for regular maintenance of the rec and

other areas of the village. A further two quotes were expected.

11.4 Any other areas requiring attention within the recreation area

BS to provide details of residence to write to regarding detritus dumped on

rec. ACTION BS

12. Update on car park extension suggestions

The council acknowledged the correspondence received from residents. The

council also acknowledged that the decommissioning of the toddler play area,

creation of additional car parking spaces and creating different green/garden

spaces would all form part of a five year plan. Options will be at a future meeting.

However, in the current climate this subject would be postponed until further

notice.

13. Update on the progress of the village web site

The Clerk reported that significant progress had been made in updating the

Parish Council element of the village web site and the Cllr McLaughlin was doing

a good job in improving all aspects of the site.

14. Update on proposed Speed Watch activity in Upton

A meeting had taken place with the PCSO & a Blewbury PC representative. The

cost of equipment is expected to be less than first thought. However, as training

cannot currently take place, this will be reviewed at the earliest opportunity in the

future. BH will write para for Upton News to ask for volunteers to join

Speedwatch. ACTION BH

15. Discuss information gathered on the history of the rec & village hall & any

subsequent actions required.

The council agreed that with information uncovered so far (from previous

minutes) the relationship between the council’s ownership of the rec and

UVHAT’s ownership of the hall was not clearly defined. JR agreed to look in to

documentation held by UVHAT to help establish the history and confirm any

results via BH. ACTION JR

Clerk to speak to M Brown and C Lightfoot to see what historical information

may be gained. ACTION EC

16. Discuss any required plan of action to:-

16.1 Create a five year parish council plan

While it was agreed that this was required, in view of the current health

situation and with two councillor vacancies, its creation would take some

time.

16.2 Revise the Parish Plan (2015/16)

While it was agreed that the plan was in need of revision in line with 16.1

above, for the same reason given above, this would take some time.

17. Agree the format of this year’s Annual Parish Meeting (APM) scheduled for 7pm

on Thursday 23^rd April and the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for

Monday 18^th  May 7.30pm.

The council acknowledged that in the current COVID-19 crisis, no in person

meetings could take place until further notice following government guidelines.

Following advice from OALC, the APM would be conducted by email only with

distribution and publication of any reports submitted in the normal way.

The AGM would take place in a to be agreed format as late in May as possible

(date TBC).

18. Discuss any actions or advice to be taken in light of the Coronavirus

Discussed at start of meeting.

19. Resignation of Cllr Ian Sykes.

Acknowledged at start of the meeting.

 

The meeting finished at 8.40pm.

 

Date and format of next meetings:- 

To be confirmed.

 

APPENDIX A

Upton Parish Council – Thursday 19th March 2020

Report from District Councillors

Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne and Cllr Sarah Medley

Our News

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update from the Vale of White Horse

The situation with the Coronavirus update has escalated in the past few days and is having an impact on everyone across the community. See webpage for up to date information as it affects the District councils’ services and residents. www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/news-events/coronavirus-covid-19-information

Vale of White Horse Council is in constant contact with partner organisations across the county who are doing everything they can to stop the virus spreading and ensure the people of Oxfordshire are protected.

For specific help for parish councils, please contact the Oxfordshire Association for Local Councils

You can find out more information on the Public Health website, which is kept up to date daily.

Severe weather advice

The Vale website has a Severe Weather page for anyone looking for advice on where to find assistance or more information on floods, snow and ice, loss of utilities or storm damage:http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/weather During the winter months, the pages are kept up to date with any latest information, including any disruption to our waste collections.

Climate Emergency Advisory Committee

The Climate Emergency Advisory Committee (CEAC) has not met since our last report, however the next meeting will be held on Monday 30th March 2020 at 6.30pm at 135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, OX14 4SB. The agenda and information pack will be available on the following page: http://democratic.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=608&MId=2697

To find out more about what the council is doing to tackle climate change visit the website pages http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/services-and-advice/environment/climate-change

New: Leader’s Blog

Cllr Emily Smith, Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, has started a new Leader’s Blog to give residents more of an idea about all of the things the District Council is involved in. Her first blog post discusses International Women’s Day, the recent Big Botley Green Day, Grove Station and Climate Change. Click here to read the Blog.

Vale News

Survey on planning consultations

We’ve launched a public consultation to find out what residents, businesses and community groups think about how we can run our planning consultations in the future. Once adopted, our Statement of Community Involvement will form part of our Development Plan and will set out how communities will be able to influence new planning policy documents, such as the Local Plan. It also sets out the ways in which residents can comment on planning applications. The consultation is open for comments until 5pm on Thursday 9 April. You can find more information on our website here.

Tackling violent crime and supporting vulnerable young people

The Community Safety team recently hosted a conference to raise awareness about how partner organisations can work to tackle violence in our districts, particularly those involving people under the age of 25. Thames Valley Police delivered presentations on youth intervention in schools, and on how they are using local policing to tackle exploitation and county drug lines. Local charity SOFEA (South Oxfordshire Food & Education Alliance) spoke about how they help young people by combining educational programmes with work, focusing on boosting self-esteem and emotional intelligence. The team also manage a monthly ‘Joint Tasking Meeting’ to tackle complex cases that need to be considered by more than one agency. This brings together staff from district councils, police, social care, mental health teams, drug and alcohol services, and housing providers. The aim is to provide targeted support for vulnerable people who may be a victim of county drug lines, sexual exploitation, domestic abuse, and anti-social behaviour, whilst dealing with any offending behaviour. This work, and the feedback provided at the conference, will feed into the South and Vale Community Safety Partnership Plan 2020/21, which will be published this June and is likely to have a strong focus on reducing violent crime.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

MINUTES of the meeting of Upton Parish Council held at 7.30pm on Thursday 16th January 2020 in the village hall meeting room.

In attendance:- Cllrs B Shaw (Chair/BS), P McLaughlin (PMcL), B Heneghan (BH), I Sykes (IS) & E Cooper (Clerk/EC)

 

1. Apologies for absence

Cllr D Beckles, District Cllrs H Gascoigne & S Medley.

 

2. Declarations of interest in the items on the agenda

None declared.

 

3. To approve the minutes of the following meetings & note any matters arising:-

UPC 28.11.19

The council accepted the minute as they stood & these were signed off by the Chair.

 

4. Report from the County Councillor

None provided.

 

5. Report from the District Councillor

Provided in advance of the meeting. See Appendix A below.

 

6. Representations from the public

None present.

 

7. Outstanding actions carried forward from previous meetings :-

 

No.		Action Points from January meeting	When by
1		Clerk to instigate mandate papers to change Lloyds Bank signatories	ASAP
2		Clerk to incorporate large project reserves in budget for 20/21	ASAP
3		IS to confirm any current maintenance required within the play areas.	ASAP
4		BH to speak to Bob Lott regarding the pump track resurfacing & costs.	ASAP
5		BS to speak to Graham de Wilde to obtain a full list of grounds maintenance requirements	ASAP
6		BH to contact Cllr H Gascoigne for an update on tree records held by the DC	ASAP
7		PMcL to draft the start of a re-located toddler play area.	March meeting
8		IS to confirm play area maintenance requirements	ASAP
9		PMcL to open a Krystal account to aid the transfer of Parish Council element of village web site.	ASAP
No.		Action Points from November meeting		When by
3		Clerk to pursue Defib training		Early 2020
4		Cllr Gascoigne to see if plan of Upton village trees exists within the DC.		January meeting
6		Planting of trees in old/new cemetery. Question of ownership to be raised with Upton church. Clerk also to respond to requestor.		January meeting
No.	Description – O/S Action Points				When by
7.	Rec ground signage discussion – EC to resend info to PC for discussion at January meeting				C’fwd

 

8. Agree the council’s response to the following planning applications :-

8.1 P19/V3240/HH Stowe House, High Street, Upton

Two storey side extension

Deadline 17.01.20 (extended from 14.1.20). UPC no objections.

8.2 P19/V2967/LB As above

No response required.

8.3 P19/V3231/HH Pointers Corner, Chilton Road, Upton

Add a small utility room extension to the east side of property. Rebuild the terracing

to support new utility room. Deadline 18.01.20. UPC no objections.

8.4 P19/V3305/HH Vale House, High Street, Upton

Proposed conversion of curtilage listed storage barn into ancillary accommodation.

Deadline 24.1.20

UPC no objections, but commented on clarity of change of curtilage, together

with concerns over egress to and access from properties in this area.

8.5 P19/V3306/LB

Vale House, High Street, Upton

See 9.5 above. UPC no objections.

8.6 P19/V3307/HH

Vale House, High Street, Upton

Proposed two-storey extension, conversion of the attached garage & associated

Alterations. Deadline 28.1.20. UPC no objections.

9. Update on UPC Finances

9.1 To receive an update on signatories with Lloyds Bank

PMcL agreed to be a new signatory on the Lloyds bank account. Clerk to

instigate mandate papers.

9.2 To agree the following payments :- 

Date	Payee	£
28.12.19,28.01.20	Clerk’s salary SO	Not publicly disclosed
16.01.20	Clerk’s expenses (increased from £5.40 as per agenda, due to further mileage incurred)	£9.00
Dec, Jan	HMRC PAYE SO (@£44.80pm)	£89.60
19.12.19, 19.1.20	Microsoft Office365 Dec & Jan DD @£3.80pm	£7.60
10.12.19	OALC Website Accessibility training course 22.1.20 (to be ratified paid 10.12.19)	£60.00 inc VAT
10.12.19	Cllr P McLaughlin expenses (to be ratified, paid 10.12.19)	£6.00

9.2  Receipts

Bank interest (Dec) £.50

9.3  Budgets

9.3.1 Half yearly results for 19/20

Payments & Receipts to date sent ahead of meeting. The council

agreed that funds for larger projects (car park extension, new toddler play

area, grounds contractor) should be listed accordingly, funds accumulated

as reserves & reserves transferred to business bank instant account. Clerk

to action.

9.3.2 Draft budget for 20/21

The budget for 20/21 was agreed by the council, with changes for

large projects as in 10.3.1 above.

9.4 Precept for 20/21

The council unanimously agreed to increase the precept to £10,136, an

increase of 7.5%, equating to .29p per household, per month (based on a band D

property). This will help meet a small proportion of planned costs in the new

financial year.

9.5 Bank reconciliation to date

The Chair signed off the bank reconciliation.

 

10. Update on the Play Areas maintenance, upgrades and inspections

10.1 IS confirmed that weekly inspections were ongoing. IS to confirm

current maintenance requirements within the play areas (inc. De-mossing

(chemical free), bark turnover & sturdy repairs to play equipment).

10.2 BH to speak to Bob Lott regarding the pump track resurfacing & costs.

10.3 BS to speak to Graham de Wilde to obtain a full list of grounds

maintenance requirements in order for comprehensive quotations to be obtained

from grounds contractors.

10.4 PMcL to draft the start of a re-located toddler play area.

 

11.‘Rec regeneration plan’ following the APM & RoSPA report in 2019

The council agreed that a 5-year plan covering the following should be written:-

– A grounds contractor needs to be appointed asap. Three names had been

put forward. Dependent on 11.3 above.

– Car park extension – location & costs

BH to speak to UVHAT to re-establish formal links with this group and open

discussions regarding help with car park extension.

– Relocation of toddler play area

 

12.Update on car park extension plans

PMcL / BH had worked on obtaining quotes & understanding the full implications of

creating a car park extension. Current costs are c£25k if taking up part of the rec,

largely due to drainage costs. Acknowledging discussions from the previous  Annual

Parish Meeting, the council will look at the alternative of creating an extension to the

existing car park by using the space that will be left vacant when the toddler play

area is relocated.

 

13.Parish Council web site plan of action

PMcL updated the council on his progress in the transfer of control of the PC

element of the village web site to the PC. This transfer was imminent at the time of

the meeting. The Chair proposed & was seconded in opening a Krystal account to aid

the transfer. PMcL to action. BS also to speak to Brian Rippon re transition and any

further actions required.

 

14.Changes to UPC Standing Orders

Minor changes & updating to UPC’s Standing Orders were agreed and signed off

by the Chair and Clerk.

 

15.Update of Defibrillator training

Clerk is progressing this.

 

16.Regular tree inspections

Clerk to contact Cllr H Gascoigne for an update on tree records held by the DC.

 

17.Speed Watch activity in Upton

BH confirmed a meeting to be held on 3^rd February 2020 with the PCSO &

representatives from Blewbury Parish Council.

 

18.Village annual litter picking day

PMcL to speak to R Traynor re any arrangements.

 

19.UPC meeting dates for 2020

The council unanimously agree to hold regular bi-monthly meetings on Thursdays

at 7.30pm. UPCX meetings as they arise, but same start time. APM & AGM

are scheduled for Thursday 23 April and Thursday 21 May respectively and will

be confirmed nearer the time.

 

The meeting closed at 10.35pm.

 

Date of next meeting:- Thursday 19^th March 2020 at 7.30pm, in the meeting room of the Upton village hall. 

 

Appendix A

 

District Councillor Report Upton Parish Council Thursday 16th January 2020 hayleigh.gascoigne@whitehorsedc.gov.uk , sarah.medley@whitehorsedc.gov.uk

Upton Parish Council Thursday 16th January 2020 Report from District Councillors Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne and Cllr Sarah Medley

 

Happy New Year! We hope that all the residents of Upton enjoyed a peaceful and restful Christmas break. Due to purdah rules during the General Election at the end of 2019, we were unable to publish council policy news over the past few months, so this report contains an extensive update on recent developments. Our News December Council Meeting At a busy Council meeting on 18 December, district councillors in the Vale voted to approve motions on a number of topics, including agreeing the council’s commitment to exploring planning polices which encourage sustainability, updating the council’s equality policy and support for the

voting age to be lowered to 16. Councillors agreed that Vale of White Horse District Council would commit to exploring planning policies which positively encourage all renewable sources of energy, including onshore wind farms as part of the next Vale Local Plan and Oxfordshire Plan 2050. The council also agreed to:

• condemn all hate crimes and deplore the rise in hate crimes against members of the Jewish and Muslim communities in Britain
• condemn all inflammatory rhetoric in political discourse: including anti-Semitic and Islamophobic tropes used by politicians and public servants.
• adopt the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of anti-Semitism in full and without amendment
• adopt the APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) definition of Islamophobia in full and without amendment. • ask council officers to update this council’s equality policies to this effect

The council requested that the Leader write to relevant ministers and local MPs requesting that all elections be run using Proportional Representation and also expressing this council’s support for the Votes at 16 campaign; calling for the extension of allow 16- and 17-year olds to be allowed to vote in all elections and referendums across the UK and asks the Electoral Returning Officer to consider participating in any pilot scheme. The council agreed to request that:

• officers make contact with the MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) to assess the views of the new Secretary of State when it comes to the re-organisation of local government
• the Chief Executive and Leader bring a report on this matter to full council by Summer 2020
• officers bring forward proposals for the Vale of White Horse to consider a formal merger with South Oxfordshire District Council creating a single district council based on their combined geography with increased financial resilience.

Climate Emergency Advisory Committee Hayleigh is a member of the Climate Emergency Advisory Committee, which had its first meeting in October. The committee listened to several speakers from across the Vale, including Miriam Jacobs from Blewbury Parish Council. The speakers raised different areas we should look at when considering the Climate Emergency at the Vale, and the committee agreed recommendations to commission work to be done by officers and to establish a communications plan to engage the community. Finally, they debated and set target dates for a carbon neutral council by 2030 (75% by 2025) and a carbon neutral district by 2045 (75% by 2030) Work is now being planned and prepared

around seven themes: council business, housing, partnership, infrastructure, transport, biodiversity and behaviour change.

The Insight and Policy team at the council are now evaluating these plans and working with other service areas to look at the feasibility of some of the options. As part of an Oxford University programme, the team has also secured student consultancy support to capture their creativity and fresh ideas on strategies and techniques to help achieve the challenging targets set out by the committees. The students will create a data pack of information around the urgency of climate change and adaptation. Both committees will discuss the consultancy report and data pack at their next meetings. In the December meeting of the Vale of White Horse District Council, Leader Cllr Emily Smith confirmed to councillors that the cabinet had agreed the council would aspire to become carbon neutral by 2030 and become a carbon neutral district by 2045. The next meeting of the Climate Emergency Advisory Committee is scheduled for 28 January 2020 and members

of the public are invited to attend and speak at the meeting. A reminder about the function of this new committee:

• The council declared a climate emergency in February 2019.
• In response to this, the council voted to establish a Climate Emergency Advisory Committee in July 2019, which meets in public to advise the council’s Cabinet on matters relating to the climate emergency.
• The role of the committee is to make recommendations on how Vale of White Horse District Council can reduce damage to the global and local environment through its policies and practices. It aims to work with and advise and influence partner organisations.
• The committee will research ways in which the council can contribute to national and countywide targets on climate and ecological issues and identify sources of external funding relating to the climate emergency.
• Members of the public can speak to the committee or ask questions about items on the agenda. To be allowed to speak, you must register with democratic services (email democratic.services@southandvale.gov.uk or call 01235 422520) by 5pm on the last working day before the meeting.

October Council Meeting Local Plan Part 2 The October Full Council meeting saw Council vote to adopt the Vale’s Local Plan Part 2 (LPP2), and motions were passed covering EU citizens’ rights, investments in low carbon funds, the A34 and changes to working with regional development organisations. Hayleigh spoke on LPP2 to highlight that despite our reservations about the plan, adopting it was the best option to prevent more speculative development, which we know that the villages we represent have hugely suffered from in the past.

Council motion on EU citizens’ rights Sarah used her maiden speech at Council to propose a motion (which passed unanimously) asking officers to prepare a report on what more the council could do to mitigate adverse impacts of the UK leaving the EU on the rights of non-UK EU nationals. The motion also instructs the Leader of the Council to write to the Home Secretary to ask for important clarity on deadlines, evidence and rights of individuals under the current European Settlement Scheme. The Leader of the Council has also written an open letter to all the non-UK EU nationals in the Vale – please help us reach all affected residents by sharing the letter with any friends, family, neighbours or colleagues who might be affected. For more information, and to download a PDF copy of the letter, visit http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/services-and-advice/community-advice-and-support/brexit-%E2%80%93-adviceresidents/brexit-advice-eu-national.

Local News

Didcot Garden Town Project Throughout 2019, council officers have been working hard to move ideas for the Didcot Garden Town from the visionary stage to real-life project plans. As all the parishes we (Hayleigh and Sarah) represent lie within the Area of Influence of the Didcot Garden Town, we are actively interested in the project and we intend to keep parish councils and residents up to date about the next steps and upcoming meetings that will support the garden town. Didcot Garden Town governance matters will be discussed by the Joint Scrutiny Committee on 16 January 2020. The committee will be considering a proposal for a simplified governance structure to form a DGT Advisory Board and three Sounding Boards. The Sounding Boards will consist of a parish council board, a business board and a resident board. We hope that Upton Parish Council will be able to participate on the Parish Councils Sounding Board when the governance for Didcot Garden Town is approved. Papers for the Joint Scrutiny Committee meeting are available at the

following link: http://democratic.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=549&MId=2687&Ver=4. Questions or comments from parish councils ahead of the meeting are encouraged – please contact the Didcot Garden Town project manager, Marybeth Harasz: marybeth.harasz@southandvale.gov.uk. For more information on the Didcot Garden Town Delivery Plan, published in October 2017, please see the website www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/didcotgardentown for details.

UTC Oxfordshire Public Art Installation In November 2019, a new sculpture was installed at the UTC Oxfordshire on Great Western Park. ‘Reach’ is a threemetre-high human hand that features individual glass discs, made by students and residents, to celebrate the ground-breaking science and engineering taking place in our local area. More information can be found in the following article: www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/news/2019/2019-11/hand-sculpture-reach-installed-great-westernpark?fbclid=IwAR3RmxgU-rCJ4X1uauwgYnCOP5nIp2E8Ywek_TOI7jspysPb15HmFYhibgo

Vale News

Christmas Tree Collections What to do with your Christmas tree now that the festive sea is over: If you’re a garden waste customer… Bin crews will come and collect it on your first brown bin collection after Christmas, which start again on Thursday 9 January – just put it out next to your brown bin. Please don’t put it in the bin as it’s often difficult for the crews to get out. Trees larger than 6ft must be cut down. Don’t worry if you missed the collection during this week – please simply put your tree out before the end of January on your brown bin collection day. If you’re not a garden waste customer… Drop it off at one of these special collection points: Location Latest date to be left at collection point Chilton village hall 20 January Harwell recreation ground 20 January Milton burial ground car park 8 January If you want to get rid of it later, you can also take it to these locations in South Oxfordshire. For more information visit http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/services-and-advice/recycling-rubbish-andwaste/christmas-waste/what-do-your-christmas-tree District Councillor

Pop-Up Business School in Didcot Would you like to learn how you can make money from your passion for FREE? We’ve arranged for the Pop-Up Business School to come to Didcot Civic Hall on 27-31 January to teach you how to start your own business! Sign up now via https://www.popupbusinessschool.co.uk/didcot.html Future Homes Standard Consultation The government wants to hear opinions on options to increase the energy efficiency requirements for new homes. It is running a consultation on the “Future Homes Standard”, which is open for comments until early next year. All new homes will be required to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and higher levels of energy efficiency from 2025 and this consultation is the first stage of a two-part survey to change building regulations. The consultation is open until 7 February 2020 for comments via their website.

Landscapes review

An independent review, commissioned by the government, has found that National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) across the country are not doing what they’re intended to do, especially in relation to nature conservation. The review, known as The Glover Report, has set out a number of positive proposals which aim to make National Parks and AONBs more effective. Included in the proposals are measures to help ensure that everyone can access these special areas and that the local communities that are an important part of these landscapes continue to thrive. The review supports giving greater status to both National Parks and AONBs. It recommends that AONBs are given greater recognition in the planning system, making sure local councils have to consult with AONB management groups on local planning applications, and while developing planning policies. It also suggests that they should be provided with help when working with planning authorities on the preparation of new local plans. To find out more please see:

• a summary of the report, including what it means for our districts

• the full report.

UPTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Upton Parish Council, Upton Village Hall, held on Tuesday 14th May 2019 at 7.00 pm 

Present:-  Cllrs Mr S Norman (SN), Mr I Sykes (IS), Miss E Cooper/Clerk (EC). Cllr Mr M Fox-Davies, Cllrs S Medley & H Gascoigne. Mr P McLaughlin. Cllr B Heneghan joined the meeting at 7.30pm. 

1. Apologies for Absence

            Cllr J Fidgen (JF), PCSO G Kirby

2. Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

Mr S Norman was proposed and seconded as Chair. The council also agreed to rotate the chair

from meeting to meeting, in order for others to gain experience. No vice-chair was elected.

3. Acceptance of Office – All Members

            All members present completed their Acceptance of Office form and handed these to the Clerk.

4. Register of Interests – All Members

            All members present completed their Register of Interests forms and handed these to the Clerk. 

5. Co-option of New Councillor

Mr Peter McLaughlin was co-opted as a new councillor and duly completed his Acceptance of Office and Register of Interests forms, which were handed to the Clerk.

6. Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any personal interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any items under consideration at this meeting.

No declarations of interest were made. 

7. Adoption of minutes of previous meetings:–

14th May 2018 (AGM)

29^th April 2019 (APM)

16^th April 2019 UPCX

21^st March 2019 UPC

The above minutes were signed by the chair and adopted as read, with the exception of the APM

minutes, which were deferred to the next meeting.

8. Matters arising:

8.1 Annual General Meeting on 14^th May 2018

     8.2 Annual Parish Meeting on 29^th April 2019*

      8.3 16^th April 2019 UPCX

      8.4 21^st March 2019 UPC

There were no matters arising from the above minutes, except for the APM 2019.

*8.2.1 The problem of mowing in and around trees and shrubs could be alleviated by creating either a bark chipping floor or planting specific weed reducing plants.

*8.2.1 The PC acknowledged that new footpath wardens would need to be found following the resignation of two footpath wardens at the APM. 

9. Public Forum (maximum 15 mins, 3mins per person)

No members of the public were present.

Cllr MF-D presented his OCC report (see Appendix B below).

Cllrs Medley & Gascoigne introduced themselves as new District Councillors and answered questions from the PC. 

10. Business to be transacted:

10.1 To discuss completion of Annual Governance Statement

     This item was deferred to a UPCX meeting for audit documentation to be held in early June (tba).

10.2 To discuss Aims and Objectives for 2019/20

SN agreed to review the Aims and Objectives for the PC.

     10.3 To note Standing Orders review July 2019

Clerk to forward Standing Orders to all for review prior to July meeting, with a view to agreeing any changes at the July meeting.

     10.4 To note Financial Regulations review July 2019

Clerk to forward Financial Regulations to all for review prior to July meeting, with a view to

agreeing any changes at the July meeting.

10.5 To agree Clerk’s salary for FY 2019-20

     The Clerk was asked to leave the meeting whilst this discussion took place. BH to review Clerk’s

hourly rate & report back to PC. The Clerk was asked to record her hours wef 14^th May.

10.6 To accept/reject Adoption of Accounts (2018-2019 circulated in advance)

     The Parish Council accounts for 2018-19 were accepted as a true and accurate record of the

transactions that took place.

     10.7 To agree timetable for completion of 2018/2019 audit

This item was deferred to a UPCX meeting for audit documentation to be held in early June (tba).

10.8 To discuss potential items of expenditure / project work for 2019/20 as per the budget:-

1. Garage door repairs
2. Defibrillator training

iii. Pump Track resurface

1. New / old toddler play area
2. Overflow car parking

The above items were deferred to the July UPC meeting.

10.9  To discuss PC future IT policy

Deferred to the UPC July meeting.

10.10  To discuss and formalise the Roles and Responsibilities of the new PC.

1. Recreation ground signage (take over from SCF) – deferred to July meeting.
2. Play area inspections – IS had previously agreed to take this over and would draft a new process to improve the system of reporting and coordinating work required.

iii. Financial scrutiny, VAT, pay – SN

BH agreed to be added as a signatory/authoriser on the PC bank account. SN to arrange.

1. Toddler play area(s) – JF
2. Car park overflow area – JF
3. Asset and risk register responsibility – SN

11. Planning

There were no planning applications to discuss.

BH agreed to take on responsibility to co-ordinate Planning for the PC. This would include:-

• Meeting to discuss planning applications if possible
• If no meeting possible, agree response to planning application by email & forward decision to Clerk
• BH also urged all other councillors to attend the Planning training.

12. Correspondence

To discuss any correspondence received prior to the issue of the agenda.

• Home Start response to donation. The Clerk read out a letter from Home Start thanking the PC for their donation of £25.
• OALC Nominations to stand for executive committee. The PC did not put forward any nominations.
• OCC Annual Community Emergency Planning Survey. This was carried forward to the July meeting. 

13. To discuss Financial Business Considerations:-

    13.1  Summary of receipts in previous financial year

• Total Payments 2018-19 = £9782.95
• Total Receipts 2018-19 = £17069.99
• Lloyds Bank Gross Interest 2018-19 £6.55 (compared to the previous year of £6.35)

The PC acknowledged the summary above and were mindful of future costs of potential work to be carried out on the play areas and the recreation ground itself.

    13.2  To accept/reject the Schedule of Payments (see Appendix A below)

All payments were accepted. Clerk to raise payments online for SN to authorise.

    13.3  Receipts to date this financial year:-

• VOWH precept £4688.00 (April 2019)
• HMRC VAT repay £48.28 (April 2019)
• Bank interest April .52p
• Donation from Upton News £75.00

The PC acknowledged the Receipts to date this year.

   13.4 To discuss training for Councillors

The PC asked the Clerk to forward details of upcoming training courses for this year to the councillors.

14. Date of next AGM

TBC Monday 18th May 2020 7pm.

The meeting concluded at 9.30pm.

 

 

Action points from this meeting:-

No.	Description	When by
1	Clerk to arrange UPCS meeting to finalise Audit documentation. Clerk’s note:- Arranged for Monday 10th June 7pm	Early June
2	All Cllrs to review Standing Orders prior to July meeting	Prior to July meeting
3	All Cllrs to review Financial Regulations prior to July meeting	Prior to July meeting
4	BH to review Clerk’s hourly rate following meeting discussion	July meeting
5	IS to draft new process for play area and rec ground inspections	July meeting
6	SN to add BH as a signatory and authoriser on PC bank account	July meeting
7	All councillors to consider Planning training course and arrange with Clerk	ASAP
8	Clerk to forward details of training courses to PC	Actioned
9	Clerk to arrange online payments for authorisation as per Appendix A below	Actioned

  

Action points from March meeting:-

No.	Description	When by
1	BH to investigate krystal.co.uk	ASAP
2	BH to spk GdeW re new mower spec.	ASAP
3	Rec ground signage discussion – all (details from SCF)	Post elections

 

 Appendix A – Schedule of Payments

 

Description	Amount
SCF APM Expenses (auth sig required)	£65.21
Andrews Computing Ltd – IT support for PC laptop (paid to be ratified)	25.00
Motor Mower Insurance came&co (expired 30.4.19). Paid to be ratified.	£147.00
Microsoft April 2019	£3.80
PC liability insurance due for renewal 1.6.19. (last year £625.57, 3rd year of 3-year deal).	£644.34
Clerk expenses 22.3.19 – 14.5.19 (tbc see submitted expenses sheet)	£33.00
Clerk salary & HMRC PAYE paid monthly by SO.	Not publically disclosed.
Kalehurst invoices x 2 services & repairs £347.47 / £85.11	£432.58
TOTAL	£1325.93

 

Appendix B – from Cllr M Fox-Davies

 

REPORT TO UPTON PARISH COUNCIL MAY 2019 FROM CLLR MIKE FOX-DAVIES

GENERAL OCC REPORT 

DISTRICT COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS           

Cherwell

Remains under Conservative control.

South Oxfordshire

Moved from Conservative to No Overall Control; Liberal Democrat/Green coalition likely.

Vale of White Horse

Moved from Conservative to Liberal Democrat control.

West Oxfordshire

Remains under Conservative control.

SIX RECYCLING CENTRES SET FOR SPRING CLEAN IN MAY 

During May six of OCC’s Household Waste Recycling Centres will be closing for two days to carry out a deep clean and essential maintenance at the sites. This is part of the council’s planned approach to maintenance, and is designed to keep sites safe, looking clean and fresh and helping improve the customer experience when using these much valued facilities. Only one site will be closed at any one time and all other sites will be open on those days. Residents are asked to plan ahead for these closures, ideally holding on to your waste until the site reopens or if that is not possible visiting one of the neighbouring sites. Site Closure Dates:

• Alkerton – Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th May
• Ardley – Tuesday 14th & Wednesday 15th May
• Drayton – Thursday 16th & Friday 17th May
• Stanford – Tuesday 21st & Wednesday 22nd May
• Oakley Wood- Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th May
• Redbridge – Wednesday 29th & Thursday 30th May

For those residents with permits, please note that these can be used at any of the sites.

MORE THAN 93 PER CENT GET THEIR FIRST CHOICE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR 2019 

More than nine out of ten parents whose children are set to enter the classroom for the first time this September have been offered their first choice of primary school in Oxfordshire. A total of 93.39 per cent of the 7,125 applicants have received their first choice – above all recent national averages across the UK. The consistent high number of first choices achieved in Oxfordshire is due to the county council’s careful forward planning to make sure the right numbers of school places exist – since 2010 the council has created more than 10,000 new primary school places. That means that since 2010 the number of primary school places in Oxfordshire has risen by 22 per cent. About a fifth of that has been achieved via the building and opening of new schools and the rest through expansions of existing schools – new buildings, making better use of existing accommodation, or marginal increases in admission numbers. This year’s figure of 93.39 per cent for first preference offers compares with the 2018 figure of 92.77 per cent. Although the national average for 2019 will not be published for some time, Oxfordshire remains ahead of the averages for 2018 (91 per cent) and 2017 (90 per cent). 

AMBITIOUS NEW OXFORDSHIRE PARTNERSHIP IS BREAKING NEW GROUND 

Residents in Oxfordshire are already benefiting from the impact of an ambitious and innovative new partnership between two councils – with plans being explored to develop closer working over coming months. Cherwell District Council and Oxfordshire County Council set up a joint working partnership in October 2018 – it is one of a very small number of examples of a district and county council sharing staff and services in the whole of the country. The county council’s cabinet approved the continuation of the partnership at its meeting on April 23. 

HENLEY-ON-THAMES REVEALED AS START LOCATION FOR WOMEN’S CYCLING RACE

Henley-on-Thames will be the start location for stage three of the OVO Energy Women’s Tour professional cycling race. Full details of the Oxfordshire route were revealed at a ceremony at the town’s Leander Club – home to rowing greats like Sir Steve Redgrave CBE and Rebecca Romero – on Monday 15 April. The famous South Oxfordshire town will host a Big Bike Breakfast on the morning of the race, Wednesday 12 June. Crowds will line the streets, cheering off participants on the 145 kilometre-leg that will finish outside Blenheim Palace in West Oxfordshire. Elite cyclist Sophie Wright announced that Oxfordshire’s race section will start from Market Place in the centre of Henley. Oxfordshire’s county, city and district councils announced last month that a stage of the OVO Energy Women’s Tour, the UK’s most prestigious women’s cycle race, had been agreed to race through the county for the next three years, in partnership with event organisers SweetSpot Group. From Henley, stage three will traverse the Chilterns via Pishill to Watlington, before returning via the climb of Britwell Hill to Sonning Common and Goring. Crossing the River Thames at Wallingford, the route will pass through Didcot, Harwell and Wantage, crossing the Vale of White Horse to Faringdon, before looping through the West Oxfordshire towns of Burford, Charlbury and finally Woodstock in the closing kilometres. Oxfordshire is expecting economic and health benefits from hosting the prestigious event, with cycling fans expected to visit the county to watch the race, generating additional business for restaurants, bars, hotels, B&Bs and shops.

 

Minutes of the Upton Parish Council Annual Parish Meeting held on Monday 29^th April 2019. 

Present:- Cllrs Stuart Fraser (Chair/SCF), Mr Stuart Norman (Vice Chair/SN), Mr Brendan Heneghan (BH), Mr Ian Sykes (IS), Miss K Marshall (KM), Ms Jo Fidgen (JF), and 30+ villagers. 

The following reports were made available for attendees to read from 7pm 

Chairman’s Report (Annex 1)

Parish Council Finance (Annex 2)

District Council (Annex 3)

Parish Transport Representative (Annex 4)

United Charities (Annex 5)

UKAEA Stakeholders Meeting (Annex 6)

Parish Footpaths/Village recreational grounds – Graham de Wilde/Mike Brown (Annex 7)

County Councillor Mr M Fox-Davies (Annex 8)

 

The meeting started formally at  7.30pm 

1. Welcome and opening remarks – Parish Council Chair Stuart Fraser

The Chair welcomed everyone to the 72^nd Annual Parish Meeting and read key extracts from the Chairman’s Statement (Appendix A, below), including the main focus of this meeting (see 3. below). The Chairman also explained that changes to the play areas and recreational ground would involve raising money, applying for grants and may take a few years to accomplish.

Mr M Brown handed a donation of £75 to the Clerk for the Parish Council from Upton News.

2. Apologies for absence

Cllr M Fox-Davies, PCSO Mr G Kirby

3. Open Forum

Upton Recreation Ground and Play Areas – suggestions for future improvements.

      3.1 Toddler Play Area (currently situated behind the village hall)

The Chairman explained that the slide in the toddler play area was in need of replacement. This gave the opportunity to review the usage of the toddler play area and to consider creating a new toddler play area near to or in the same area as the newer play area on the field. Some considerations were:-

1. line of sight for parents with children of different ages playing in either play area;
2. old equipment cannot be moved and used, so new, up to date  equipment would need to be sourced;
3. Not all equipment was suitable for toddlers in the new play area

In creating a new play area, the following comments were also made.

1. The Upton rec already attracted people from outside the village. Making the facilities ‘too good’ may draw more than the village is comfortable with.

If more people were drawn to the village, could refreshments be made  available at least during the summer to take advantage of visitors, e.g. volunteers or suitably aged children (for pocket money) potentially operating out of the village hall for tea, coffee, soft drinks, biscuits, snacks?

1. Multi-generational facilities could also be provided if the need was identified.
2. The adventure play area cost c£50,000, with the help of a grant from WREN. SCF confirmed grants would need to be applied for once a plan was agreed.
3. An increase in visitors may also mean an increase in rubbish left on the rec.
4. Any new installation must be mindful of residents whose properties border the rec.

A show of hands was taken for those in favour of decommissioning and moving the toddler play area closer to the adventure play area, with the majority of those present in favour.  It was also noted that all that would be needed were toddler swings and a slide or easier access onto the existing slide in the play area on the rec.

3.2 What to do with the ‘old’ Toddler Play Area

SCF asked for suggestions as to what to do with the space behind the village hall that would be created by decommissioning it as a play area. Most of those present were against the use of this area as:

1. additional car parking;
2. use as a ‘picnic area’ with the provision of wooden tables/benches;
3. use as a dog run.

It was felt that 1. and 2. may encourage unsociable use, and iii. may increase the level of dog waste, which was already an ongoing issue.

However, the use of this space as a wild flower area / community orchard / managed woodland /planted area of some kind was seen as positive by a majority of those present. The question of who would manage this area was raised, and whether it could it be left to manage itself.

3.3 Additional car parking

Whilst most of those present were not in favour of creating more car parking, they were in favour of making the current area of additional parking more distinguishable.  The PC agreed to look into various options.  It was  agreed that marking the area out in some way was definitely required.

3.4 Main area of the rec

It was strongly felt that the football/rugby pitch area should be left as it was.

Additional trees/plants could be used around the edges, with consideration given to how these areas would then be maintained/mowed. It was noted that few were in favour of this.

The provision of tables on rec was also considered – again this presented a problem for mowing. Tables might need to be bolted down. The PC was aware that this could create an unsociable element on the rec. The majority of those present were against picnic tables.

However, the provision of benches (fixed in place), possibly near the play areas, was seen as positive The majority of those present were in favour of this idea.

Less than half of those present were in favour of a Boules Pit (although there was some confusion as to what was meant by this).

The majority of those present were against the provision of keep fit equipment.

The potential increase in rubbish left on the rec was a concern.

Additional / better signage on the rec was already being looked in to by SCF.

3.5 Other questions from the floor

3.5.1    The contents of a report written by Mrs L Shaw, who was unable to attend the meeting, were taken in to account and largely covered above.

3.5.2    Mr M Brown asked that a training session be offered to villagers on the use of the defibrillator. The majority of those present thought this was a good idea. It was noted that there are no longer any community responders in the village. The PC would look in to the training.

4. Chairman’s Closing Remarks

SCF appealed for people to consider becoming a parish councillor and explained the current situation and the need for more people to become involved.

SCF thanked everyone for taking the time to come to the meeting and for their input and for guiding the PC as to what the village wanted for the rec, toddler play area and the car parking.

Finally, SCF thanked all the organisers, volunteers and those that support the village in a variety of ways, stating that there were far too many to name individually, but that he hoped they knew who they were. He thanked them for making Upton a great place in which to live.

5. Date of next APM meeting – TBC April 2020

6. The meeting closed at 9.05pm.

 

 

 

Annex 1 – Upton Parish Council – Chairman’s Statement 2019

Good evening everyone and thank you for coming to the 72nd Annual Parish Council Meeting.

We will be changing the format of this evening’s proceedings.  Rather than reading out individual contributor’s reports after the Chairman’s Statement, we have arranged for copies of these reports to be available here tonight for your perusal, and copies will also be available on the Upton Village website at a future date.

This year we would like to use this meeting as a forum for gauging the village’s opinions on what to do with the toddler play area, the recreation ground and parking outside the village hall.

Before we do this, I would like to give you a quick update on what the Parish Council has been up to over the last year.

In last year’s Chairman Statement I stated I would be stepping down, as you can see that didn’t happen.  However, I can confirm this will be my last meeting for Upton Parish Council.  It will also be the last meeting for Karen Marshall, who has also reached the end of her tenure.  Karen has been a fantastic asset for the PC with her calm and reasoned approach.  Karen, thank you for all your time and hard work with the PC.

I would like to thank our remaining Councillors, Jo, Brendan and Stuart, for their continued hard work and support over the last year.  It gives me great pleasure to welcome Ian Sykes to the PC and thank him for putting himself forward.  Last but not least, my thanks go to Liz Cooper, our most amazing and hardworking Clerk.  Liz, thank you for all your help, support, enthusiasm and drive over the last couple of years.  The PC is lucky to have you.

With Karen and myself stepping down this leaves two vacancies that urgently need to be filled.  Raise your hand if you are interested in becoming a member of the PC…  Before you do, perhaps I should tell you what the requirements for the role are:

To be over 18;

To have lived in the village for the last 12 months;

No criminal record;

A love of the village; and

Common sense.

If you match the criteria, and are interested, then please speak to one of us at the meeting tonight and we will give you more information.

So, what has the PC been up to?

Planning

Planning has been relatively calm this year with no controversial applications to deal with.  Planning applications are usually the main reason for additional meetings.  Some of these meetings can be as quick as 15-20 minutes.  Normal meetings are held every other month.

Finances

The PC is responsible for setting the precept.  The precept is the amount of money given to the PC from the Council Tax.  This year there was a small increase of £1.04 based on a band D property.

This money is used to fund various works.  The largest expenditures this year were for tree work and for the Cushionfall wood chip for the large play area.

There was another large expenditure this year, the defibrillator cabinet and its installation.  The funding for these items came from money donated by Uptonogood?  The defibrillator itself was kindly donated by the Lime Walk Gospel Hall Trust.

There is a financial report and accounts on the wall for your perusal.  Please feel free to have a read.

The PC is currently in a comfortable position financially, but we may have some big expense over the next couple of years depending on what is decided later when we discuss the play areas and car parking.

The PC has had a couple of successes this year:

A new dog bin was installed and is getting good use.  It is now being emptied on a regular basis! All at no cost to the PC.

The top part of Stream Road has had some work done to reduce flooding and tidy up that section of Stream Road.  This is an issue dating back to the 1990s.  So I am very pleased the PC has finally got a positive result and has hopefully resolved the situation.

The latest success has happened over the last week and that is the white lines being refreshed on the roads around the village.   There will also be “unsuitable for HGV” signs going up on the access routes to Chilton Road.

On that positive note I will close the Chairman’s statement of 2019 by thanking everyone on the PC, all the villagers that help in so many ways, from the organisers to the volunteers who all give up their time to make Upton the wonderful village it is.  There are too many to list.  You know who you are.  Thank you.

 

Annex 2 – Upton Parish Council – Annual Parish Meeting

Finance Report

The Parish Council funds are in a reasonably healthy state in consideration of potential large expenditures to come over this and future financial years – especially in reference to play areas and the recreational ground itself.

Total funds held at the end of the last financial year were £17,070. The emphasis in the past year was the continued maintenance of the recreation ground, the play areas and the green areas in the village. The largest expenditure in the past year was the new floor covering in the adventure play area.

There is also the ongoing servicing and maintenance of the equipment used to maintain the green areas and in this financial year careful consideration will be given to the further maintenance or purchase of a new ‘push’ mower.

The village is fortunate that whilst new and major items such play area equipment must be paid for, the labour is provided free of charge by volunteer villagers.

The parish council has also purchased the defib cabinet to house the donated defib machine, and also paid for the installation of it at the village hall.

The Parish Council remains grateful for the donations from Upton News, via Mike Brown, which helps to pay for the printing of the Upton News.

This year, more substantial work may be needed, but not before consulting with the good people of Upton to find out what they want from the recreation ground and it’s play areas.

Please also see the end of year Payments and Receipts details attached.

ClerkUPCAPM2019

 

 

Annex 3 – Upton Parish Council Annual Report for Parish Councillors on Monday, 29th April 2019 from Cllr Janet Shelley & Cllr Reg Waite

Introduction:

Upton Parish became part of the larger ward, Blewbury & Harwell Ward in May 2015 and we have certainly seen a number of changes and challenges during that time.

The number of dwellings within the Ward, and indeed within the Vale of White Horse District, has increased significantly, particularly in the Harwell Parish section of Great Western Park.  However, your delightful small village falls in the category where no housing developments well arise.

The last four years have been particularly challenging in many ways, but Janet and Reg are pleased to report that none of the Vale’s front-line services to residents have been reduced as has happened in so many local authorities throughout the country.

The past year:

Janet has continued to be a hard-working member of the demanding Planning Committee and was appointed Deputy Chairman of that Committee.

Reg completed his year as Chairman of the Council in May 2018 and attended numerous formal and informal functions, which provided considerable learning.  The number of people I met from all walks of life in the Vale was tremendous and the number of residents suffering from one illness or another was staggering and highlighted the huge number of carers in the area. We are extremely fortunate to have substantial numbers of volunteers in the district, who give up so much of their time to play important roles in parish councils, clubs, societies and organisations of such a wide range of activities.  With the support of so many residents I raised just more than ten thousand pounds for my two chosen charities – the Alzheimer’s Society and the Children’s Air Ambulance.

Since then my District Council duties have been no less busy and on behalf of the Vale, I am also involved as Chairman of Milton Park Liaison Group and local council member of Harwell Campus Site Stakeholder Group

Despite ongoing cuts in Government grants, the Vale has demonstrated good management throughout the year without any reduction in the standard of services to the residents and naturally have been under continual scrutiny.

With the introduction of a new fleet of vehicles the collection of our waste has been very good, and our success in being one of the top Councils in the country for recyclable waste is down to our residents, and particularly to all of you here in Chilton for which we are very grateful.

Fly-tipping remains a national problem.  The Vale has suffered too but the employment of a first-class team has resulted in several large fines.  The Government’s introduction of on-the-spot fines should assist in the number of incidents.

The waste littered everywhere, and particularly along our main thoroughfares, the A34. A417 and A420, has caused major concerns – the whole matter is closely monitored.

Dog poo is another headache, and residents are requested to report any culprits to us so action can be taken.

Planning applications have been demanding throughout the year but following the adoption of our Local Plan 2031 Part 2 this will ensure speculative development applications will no longer succeed.

So many villages, parishes and towns have been affected by the need for additional housing and a planning application for 4,265 dwellings in Valley Park was granted.  These properties fall mainly in Harwell Parish and it is expected the first tranche will be under construction later this year.

The Vale’s annual survey of 1,000 council tax payers is important.  Feedback illustrates the majority of the Vale’s residents are happy with the Council’s services.  Around three quarters of them said the Council offered good quality services, and seven out 10 agreed they provided good value for money – the best result since the surveys began in 2012.

The year ahead:

This will be another challenging year without any doubt, calling for caution and prudent approach with its finances.

With further central financial cuts expected, the Vale will continue to explore means of reducing costs and expenditure.

Further discussion will arise with the Didcot Garden Town status concept with firm decisions made how it will affect the town and the surrounding villages.

Oxford to Cambridge Expressway – the unknown remains but public consultation is planned later this year.

District Council elections are being held throughout the Vale on Thursday, 2nd May 2019.  Reg will be standing for this ward again and will be joined by Mike Johnston, whilst Janet will be standing for the Hendreds Ward as she resides in East Hendred.

Finally, we wish to especially thank Upton Parish Councillors and Parish Clerk, Liz, for all their committed and unstinting work on behalf of all the residents of the village.

JS & RWW 29 April 2019

 

Annex 4 – Downland Villages Transport Group

We continue to enjoy a good daily bus service at least while the present subsidy lasts.

There have been a few more users across the route but not sufficient to maintain a service without support.

The early morning service had to discontinue.

However those who required transport to get to the railway station have joined together on a shared taxi basis. (Please make enquires through the Parish Council if interested)

We don’t lose heart and might in the future have to make similar arrangements for transport for the shoppers.

Maybe not daily as we now enjoy and perhaps limited times.

Who knows anything could happen!  Better public transport!  Fewer cars on our roads!  Cleaner fuels!  Less pollution. We would all like that wouldn’t we?

 

Annex 5 – THE UNITED CHARITIES OF THE ANCIENT PARISH OF BLEWBURY

Registered Charity No: 203538

The charity’s origins date from the C17th with the bequeathal of land and of investments by several gentlemen; followed most significantly by the endowment of two almshouses by James Bacon in 1747. The ancient parish comprised the three now civil parishes of Blewbury, Upton and Aston Upthorpe. The charity is managed by a board of seven trustees and their clerk.

The main functions of The United Charities are firstly to help people of all ages who live in these parishes and who may need financial help, and secondly to be responsible for the maintenance of the two almshouses in Blewbury. The charity takes very seriously the care and upkeep of the almshouses in the churchyard (Grade II Listed Buildings) which are gifted to local residents in exchange for a maintenance contribution. This is one source of the charity’s income as is some wise investment from the sale of land. You may have noticed that we have undertaken significant work on Almshouse No. 2 as a consequence of severe flooding in October 2016. We are very pleased that the work is now complete and that the house has a new resident.

The charity aims to remain up-to-date with the needs of those within the villages who may require assistance and also to make everyone aware of the valuable work it does close to home in the community we share. Anyone needing help, or who knows of someone in need, should get in touch with the trustees via the charity’s clerk. Self-referrals are very welcome. The charity is able to give financial gifts to more people than currently request help. It may be that people are sometimes reluctant to ask for help. However, all applications are treated in the strictest confidence.

As well as small monetary gifts at Christmas the charity is able to help in other circumstances such as assisting with transport costs for frequent hospital visits, breaks for carers, items to help cope with disabilities, school uniform and many other instances where people are having difficulties paying for essential items as well as unexpected events. The charity can also provide emotional support and in many cases give advice on dealing with a range of issues such as finding tradesmen or carers. All applications are looked at entirely on a case by case basis and any gifts are made at the trustees’ discretion. Amounts will vary depending on levels of need.

The trustees are:

Blewbury:

Sheila Loy (Chair), Mark Palethorpe (Vice-Chair), Ann Dendy, Jill Willison, Jackie Maguire

Upton: Liz Hardy

Aston Upthorpe: Louise Brimacombe

The clerk is Sarah Donne, to whom initial enquiries should be sent sarahdonne@btinternet.com

IF THE TRUSTEES DO NOT KNOW – THEY CANNOT HELP

 

Annex 6 – Report to the 2019 Upton Parish Annual Meeting

On The Harwell Site Stakeholders’ Meetings.

I have continued to attend the Harwell Site Stakeholders’ Meetings on the behalf of Upton Parish Council. The purpose of the Stakeholders Group is to provide a forum between the nuclear activities on the site and interested local organisations. Three meetings a year, chaired by an elected local councillor, are held where the Site Closure Director, the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency (NDA), the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agency (EA) present reports. We also hear from other organisations such as the Rutherford Lab from time to time.

Work is continuing to decommission the nuclear facilities and to treat radioactive wastes. The new Intermediate Level Waste store is nearly complete and will be used to store concrete blocks containing ILW on site. The decommissioning of the old liquid waste treatment plant is proceeding well, with the aim to restore this area to Green Field conditions. Waste material is being recovered from the old stores and repackaged for long term storage. None of the nuclear activities have had any impact on the Upton Parish.

Attention is drawn the Magnox Socio-Economic plan which provides small grants to encourage education, the development of employment and other similar investments in the local area. Upton has received a grant in previous years to contribute to the cost of staging in Upton Hall. At the time of writing some funding is still available.

I am happy to continue to represent Upton Parish Council if the members so wish and I will continue to report on any issues that might affect the parish.  Please contact if you want any further details of activities on the Harwell Licensed site.

Derek Whitmell

 

Annex 7 – Parish Footpath Report

We are not aware at the moment of any serious problems with any of the footpaths in the parish.

There are two broken stiles on Footpath 389/8 but neither is a problem as there are adequate gates alongside both and the path is perfectly usable for both pedestrians and dogs. The landowner has been informed of the problem next to the railway cutting and in the case of the stile next to the George and Dragon the landowner is denying that he owns the path. If the Parish Council wants this stile repaired then one of us (Mike) will repair the damage. There is also recent animal damage to the section of the path near to the pub which will need to be repaired. The future of this section of the path, which is very well used, needs to be discussed by the P.C. There are early signs that maintenance work will soon be needed on the bridge over the stream bed on the same path.

Since Footpath Wardens were introduced about 8 years ago we have shared the duty. Unfortunately we are both about to tender our resignations at the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council in May. If anyone is interested in taking on one of the most pleasant voluntary roles in the parish then either of us will be pleased to explain the duties to you. 95% of the job is enjoying strolling around our very pleasant footpaths looking out for any problems.

Mike Brown and Graham de Wilde

Parish Footpath Wardens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annex 8

 

 

 

Upton Parish Council 

Minutes of the Upton Parish Council extraordinary meeting held on Monday 8^th July at 7.30pm. 

In attendance: – Miss E Cooper (Clerk/EC), Cllrs Mr P McLaughlin (PMcL), Mr I Sykes (IS), Mr B Heneghan (BH). Mr D Beckles attended as a member of the public. 

1. Apologies for absence

Cllr J Fidgen

2. Declarations of interest in the items on the agenda

None declared.

3. To agree a Chair for this meeting

Cllr Mr B Heneghan was proposed & seconded as Chair for the meeting.

4. To approve the minutes of the following meetings & note any matters arising: –

UPC APM 29.04.19

UPCX 10.06.19

The above minutes were agreed without any changes or matters arising and were

signed off by the Chair.

5.    To hear representations from the public

None made.

6. To agree actions following the death of the Chair, Cllr Mr S Norman: –

6.1 Notice of Casual Vacancy (published 20.06.19, expires 10.07.19).

EC would contact the election office at the Vale on 11.7.19 to obtain results

from the casual vacancy notice and report to the council accordingly.

6.2 To reassign areas of responsibility previously held by SN: –

– Review of UPC Aims & Objectives

EC to send to all for review.

– Financial scrutiny, VAT, Pay

EC that financial scrutiny would be the responsibility of all with the cashbook

continuing to be made available ahead of each regular meeting.

EC would continue to submit quarterly VAT returns as now.

EC would devise her own payslip.

 

482

 

– Asset & Risk Register

EC stated that the work on this was completed ahead of the audit and would

not need reviewing until prior to next year’s audit.

 

7. To report on the progress of changing bank signatories / authorisers

With the passing of Cllr Norman, this has left the PC with no signatories/authorisers.

IS provided the information required to EC to action with the bank.

BH to provide EC with the necessary information to become a signatory/authoriser.

EC to remove SN as a signatory/authoriser.

 

8. To agree the PC’s response to the following planning application: –

 

P19/V1243/HH Donwyn, Stream Road, Upton

Proposed new first floor & two storey front elevation.

Deadline 12 noon on 10^th July 2019

 

The PC agreed ‘no objections’ to this application with the following comments: –

• The finish to the new build is not included in the plans and must be in keeping with it’s surroundings and the village in general.
• The new build could be considered overbearing as it is much larger than the existing dwelling.
• The situation regarding the keeping or removal of trees is not clear.

 

The meeting finished at 8.30pm. 

 

 Date of next meeting:-

 Tuesday 23^rd July at 7.30pm, in the meeting room of the Upton village hall.