Beckham East and West Parish Council

DRAFT Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council

Held on Thursday 28^th January 2016

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.32pm

Present.  Cllrs. R. Wilson, (chairman),B. Powell,  J. Dovey.  G. Place,  R. Lewis,
R. Moreton   A. Sweeney   Dist.Cllr M. Knowles         J. Stibbons (clerk)

1. Apologies     PCSO Guy Slade

2. Declarations of Interest.
Cllrs. Dovey, Lewis and Sweeney declared at interest in item 7 on the agenda.(Community Fund)

3. Minutes.
The Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 19^th November 2015, having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Lewis that they be accepted as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Powell and approved by the members present. The chairman then signed the minutes

4. Matters arising from the Minutes.
Cllr. Powell felt the West Beckham allotments should not be ploughed too early as the daffodils can be picked for fund-raising and charity. Discussion of allotments will be included on the March agenda.

5. Reports.
Dist. Cllr. M. Knowles. The full report is attached to these minutes.

Cllr. Knowles apologised for missing the last two meetings.

Job Centre staff are to be based in the council offices. The Dept. of Works and Pensions will pay a good rent.

A boundary review is to be undertaken in the near future.

A backlog is building up in the planning office due to shortage of staff. Planning applications will go paperless in the near future.

6. A148 Lodge Corner.
The members were unanimous in their agreement that the Trigger should be installed at the same time as the VAS, not at a later date. If this is in place drivers on the main A148 will know when traffic is joining from a side road.

The VAS will be more noticed if it is not flashing at every vehicle on the main road as drivers familiar with the road will tend to ignore it after a time.

Real safety for pedestrians will only be achieved by imposing a 50mph speed limit.

It was also reported that cars have now started parking on the verge which was recently widened to give a better view of oncoming traffic.

The members were very concerned at this development. It can only get worse as the summer approaches.

It was agreed that Highways should be contacted to see if  NO PARKING signs similar to the ones on the other side of the main road could be installed.

7. EWB Community Fund.
It was reported that two grit bins had been delivered and one was positioned at the Abbey Farm corner, East Beckham.

The War Memorial records the names of all who served. The vicar feels that only the men who died should be on the memorial.

It was proposed by Mr. Wilson that the names on the new memorial should remain the same with no change of names. This proposal was seconded by Mr. Place and carried unanimously.

The Fund Committee suggested that the provision of notice board types of maps for walkers should be investigated further.

An opinion was given that the Hall Farm Solar money should be used for a big project and not be frittered away. This point will be discussed at a later meeting when more funds have come in.

8. Insurance Review.
The insurance is due for renewal at the end of April. The existing cover was discussed and the meeting felt the present amount of cover was adequate.

A letter from the Zurich Insurance, in reply to a query, confirmed that the Parish Council are covered for accidents to third parties, provided all reasonable care is taken. This query was raised because it was unclear what would happen in the event of a tree or branch falling on a passer-by. Any obvious dangers should be reported to the council and action taken to render them safe.

9. Financial Matters.
A copy of the cash book to date was circulated to members. This showed the following balances:-

• Community account of £2816.08
• Premium account £22455.43
• Scottish Widows Investment account £2908.73   A letter was signed at the meeting requesting a transfer of £2700 to the business account to cover the cost of the VAS at Lodge Corner.

Payments for Grit bins (£287.98) and Printing (£90) were approved by the meeting and cheques signed.

It was proposed by Mr. Wilson that the Parish Plan Committee be authorised to spend up to £100 without prior reference to the Parish Council. This was seconded by Mrs. Powell and carried.

10. Correspondence.
A request for a donation from AgeUK   The meeting decided not to make a donation at present.

11. Matters for information or the next agenda.
Allotments are to be included in the next agenda for further discussion and progress report.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.07pm

DRAFT Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council Meeting

Held on Thursday 19th November 2015 

The meeting opened at 7.38pm

Present.  Cllrs. R. Wilson, (chairman), B.Powell,  J.Dovey.  G.Place,  R.Lewis, R.Moreton, A. Sweeney, J. Stibbons (clerk)

1. Apologies

County Cllr. M. Baker. Dist.Cllr. M. Knowles PCSO Bridges

2. Declarations of Interest.

Cllrs. Dovey and Sweeney declared at interest in item 7(Community Fund) on the agenda.

3. The Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 10^th September 2015, having been previously circulated, were approved by the members present and signed by the chairman.

4. Matters arising from the Minutes.

It was noted that the goal posts have been removed from the playing field and put in the shed.

5. Reports.  There were no reports.

6. A148 Lodge Corner.

A letter from Upper Sheringham has been received asking if the E&W Beckham parish council would share the cost of a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS). with The National Trust and Upper Sheringhgam PC.

Quotations for two solar signs with corner flashers and including ten years  maintenance were £13544. Norfolk County Council would fund half leaving £8126 split three ways giving a sum of £2708 to be paid by Beckham parish council.

The closing date for a bid for the grant is 15^th December 2015.

It was proposed by Cllr Wilson that Beckham PC should contribute to a triangular sign saying either Slow Down or Cross Roads, but not a sign showing the speed. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and unanimously approved. It was agreed that payment for the signs should be taken from the Scottish Widows account.

7. Community Fund Committee.  Report.

The meeting was handed a summary of the results of the survey. All the comments and votes have been analysed. There were over 100 replies to the survey.

The main findings were that there was no wish to spend money on the church at present. This may change in the future, but the on-going running costs could cause difficulty.

The War Memorial – there could be a grant available and this is being followed up.

Cemetery – A volunteer group has shown interest in making this into a wildlife site.

The cemetery gates will not close and the gate posts need replacing.

The trees on the common and the village green need inspecting. Advice is to be sought from North Norfolk District Council.

There was hope that an allotment committee could be established to make the best use of the East Beckham allotment for food production. It was hoped other uses could be found for West Beckham allotment, i.e. dog walking or a wildlife area.

There was support for grit bins to be placed in East Beckham.

There was support for a Defibrillator.

A proposal for the provision of Street lights was not supported.

There was an offer to design and host a web site.

It was proposed  by Cllr. Powell that two grit bins should be purchased for East Beckham and the War Memorial should be renovated. This was seconded by Cllr. Place and approved. It was agreed that up to four hundred pounds could be spent on the grit bins.

Further enquiries are to be made of the PCC in order to progress the repair of the War memorial.

The following proposals are to be investigated further and reports given at the next Parish Council meeting.  Namely, The Web Site, Defibrillator,  News Letter, Tree Survey and  Parish Map.

The council members thanked Mrs. Dovey and her committee for all their hard work.

8. Allotments.

The allotments are now being administered by the parish clerk.

The chairman proposed that the allotments at East Beckham should have some improvements made and all the allotment gardens consolidated here for the time being.. The tenants of the West Beckham allotments, which are in a poor state, should have their tenancy agreements terminated and be offered alternative plots at the improved East Beckham allotments. This proposal was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and carried by five votes with two abstentions.

Mr. Wilson offered to plough the West Beckham allotment field and plant  pollen and nectar perennials. This should improve the land over the next two or three years. The suitability of providing allotment gardens at West Beckham could then be assessed again.

9. Finances.

The budget proposals for 2016-2017 were discussed and approved. It was proposed by Cllr. Powell that the precept for 2016-2017 should be £2800. this was seconded by Cllr. Lewis and carried.

Cheques approved and signed:-

Bodham Village Hall Hire fee £72

J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £448.23

HMRC PAYE £92

10. Correspondence.

A late planning application had been received after the agenda had been published.

Planning ref. PF/15/1486  Variations of conditions 2,10 and 13 of PF/13/0772 to permit additional lights, to remove scrapes and amend site layout on Land at Hall Farm, East Beckham.

The council did not object to this application with the comment that there should be no light pollution.

Letter: NCC Highways – Improvement in partnership wit Parish Councils to allow Rangers to repair pot holes on minor roads. Cost about £300 for half a days work.   Noted.

Norse Services – offer of grounds maintenance.

11. Matters for information or the next agenda.

It was noted that no hedging has yet been put in place at the solar farm at Pond Farm, Bodham.

The seat at the Village Green needs replacing.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 10.17pm

EWB Minutes 10th September 2015

DRAFT

 Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Held on Thursday 10th September 2015
The meeting opened at 7.32pm

Present. Cllrs. R. Wilson, (chairman), J. Dovey. G. Place, R. Moreton
Mr. P. Donnachie, (NCC) J. Stibbons (clerk)

1. Apologies
Cllrs. B. Powell, R. Lewis, A. Sweeney County Cllr. M. Baker. Dist.Cllr. M. Knowles PCSO Bridges

6. A148 Lodge Corner

Item 6 on the agenda was taken first to allow Mr. Donnachie to leave after he had given his presentation and answered questions.
Mr. Donnachie said he did not attend the meeting called in August to discuss the Lodge Hill junction.
He was informed that the meeting wanted to reduce the speed limit but this is not an option. Speed limits are set by the speed management strategy. Funding for this is not an issue.
Local safety improvements were implemented in 2009.Vegetation was cut back to the East of the junction. The Advanced direction signs were moved back to improve drivers view and a SLOW road marking and other markings refreshed.
Following a site meeting in 2011 increased verge maintenance was agreed for the south side of the junction.
There have been three injury accidents at the A148 Lodge Hill junction in the last three years, including the tragic death of Martha Seaward. This does not include a collision on 24th August 2015 where full details are not yet available from the Police.
The extent to which improvements can be delivered is governed by available funding.
Provision of a roundabout costing between £500,000 and £1million or the provision of a “D” shaped pedestrian refuge are not viable options.
Improvements considered are to lower the speed limit – an option which finds most favour with local residents- but there is no proposal to do this at present as the 60mph limit, based on the NCC Highways agreed speed management strategy, is appropriate for rural roads of this kind.
Proposed improvements by NCC Highways include a short section of “Trod” on the North side of the A148 from the bus stop, directing pedestrians to a suitable crossing point, as well as a short section of TROD on the south side between the crossing point and Sheringham Road. Information signs will be in place to remind bus users to take care when crossing the road.
There will also be some localised verge lowering to enhance visibility. These measures could be implemented in the next few months. Visibility to the west from Sheringham road could be
Improved by localised hedge cutting but the agreement of the landowner would be necessary. The Trustees of the land are to be contacted.
It was suggested that a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) would warn drivers of the function. This could be funded by a 50% grant. The remaining 50% could be shared between E&W Beckham, Upper Sheringham parish councils. and the National Trust, who have volunteered to contribute. Total cost would be in the region of £10,000.
The meeting felt that Sanders are keeping to the main road because of the caravan site.
NCC subsidise the bus operators to service rural routes which are not profitable. I the service came through the village people from the caravan site could use the footpath to catch the bus on Sheringham Road, West Beckham
Following the recent fatality the Coroner found concerns raised earlier with NCC concerning buses stopping on the A148 and suggested there should be a lower speed limit.
A Vehicle Activated Sign had been suggested. Accidents at this junction mainly involve vehicles but the proposals put forward are biased towards pedestrians. If the details of vehicle collisions are studied it will be seen that most of the accidents occurred when vehicles on the A148 were coming from the right.

It was pointed out forcibly to him by the members present that the bus service through the village has been lost because of the dangerous junction at Lodge Hill Corner. Why was the Fakenham to Swaffham road, which was open country for much of its length restricted to 50mph?
The meeting repeated that the requirement of the local community was for a reduction in the speed limit.
The chairman thanked Mr. Donnachie for his presentation. Mr. Donnachie left the meeting at 8.57pm.

2. Declarations of Interest. Mrs. Dovey declared an interest in item 7.

3. The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 9th July 2015, having been previously circulated, were approved by the members present and signed by the chairman.

4. Matters arising from the Minutes. There were no matters arising

5. Any reports from the Police, County or District Councillors
A written report from the Police stated that there were three calls to the police, two concerned malicious communications and one suspicious circumstances.
7. EWB Community Fund. The walk in East Beckham had been completed.
E available for the next Parish Council meeting in November. These can then be published.

8. Playing field. The RoSPA safety inspection report was presented and discussed. Most of the inspection was satisfactory but the goal posts need securing as they could fall on a player. It was agreed that the goal posts should be put in the shed until a safety surface and a secure base could be provided.

9. Financial matters.
It was noted that the Community account balance at date of meeting was £2890.07
The following invoices were approved and cheques signed

No 100414  Playsafe Ltd       Inspection                  £78
No 100415  J. Stibbons         Salary and expenses £471.99
No 100416  HMRC                 PAYE                           £92
No 100417  Chevertons         printing                       £65
No 100418  S. Thurtle           Grass cutting              £20
No.100419  Mazars                Auditors                      £150

10. Correspondence
Request for donations from Citizens Advice Bureau and Tapping House.
These will be considered at the end of the financial year.

11. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.
The West Beckham allotments are not being looked after and this is to be included as an item on the next agenda

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 9.28pm

The next Beckham parish council meeting will be held on Thursday 12th November 2015

 

Minutes 9th July 2015

Page 128

 Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council

Held on Thursday 9^th July 2015

Present    Cllrs. R. Wilson, (chairman),   J. Dovey,   R. Moreton   G. Place. A. Sweeney             R. Lewis,     Dist. Cllr. M. Knowles          J. Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.34pm.

1.  Apologies   B. Powell,   County Cllr. M. Baker.  PCSO G. Bridges
2. Co-option of new member. Mr. Bob Lewis, a retired Police Officer has lived in East Beckham since 2002 and has expressed a wish to become a member of the parish council.

He wishes to represent the interests of East Beckham residents.

The members unanimously agreed to co-opt Mr. Lewis. He then signed the necessary Acceptance of Office form.

3. To receive declarations of interest.

It was noted that some members present were serving on the Parish Plan committee.

4.  Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 14^th May 2015.

It was noted that the name of the new District Councillor was incorrect. It is in fact Mr. Mike Knowles, not as stated. This error, having been corrected, the minutes were approved by the members and signed by the chairman.

5. Matters arising from the Minutes.

There were no matters arising from the minutes.

6. Any reports from the Police, County or District Councillors

PCSO Bridges (written report) There had been six calls during the period from 14^th May. Including a dog attacking a postman and wood being stolen.

Dist Cllr. Mike Knowles: – there had been two full council meeting since the election. The Chairman and other officers have been appointed. The financial reserves are in a healthy state.

7. A148 Lodge Corner.

All proposed suggestions put forward so far are said by Highways to be impossible to implement.

This is an exceptional junction as the vehicles visiting Sheringham Park are not included in the figures used to justify the Highways objections.

A 50mph speed limit should be the primary objective rather than several different proposals.

Woodland clearance on the West side of the junction has been requested but has not yet been carried out. The verge cutting by the Highways contractor has not been carried out sufficiently well. The view is still obstructed by the overgrown hedgerow.

Mr. Norman Lamb. M.P. is calling a public meeting on 5^th August to try and find a solution.

D.C. Mike Knowles will liaise with Upper Sheringham parish council

Page 129

8. Parish Plan The committee has held its first meeting (minutes attached).

A draft questionnaire was produced, to be further discussed and approved at the next

Committee meeting on 30^th July. This will go to every household during September

The committee walked all the assets in West Beckham on 7^th July.

The assets in East Beckham will be walked in the near future.

9. Planning.

Ref PF/15/0690 Variation of conditions at 4, The Loke, East Beckham.

The Parish Council had no objection to this application.

10. Financial matters.

It was noted that the Community account balance on 9^th July 2015 was   £2707.07

There were no cheques due for approval.

11. Correspondence

Barclays Bank. Cllr. Geoff Place has been approved as a cheque signatory.

12. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.

Mr Stuart Thurtle is to be asked to cut the grass on the Village Green.

NNDC are to be contacted to cut the playing field.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 9.10pm

The next parish council meeting will be held on Thursday 10^th September 2015