Beckham East and West Parish Council

Present.  

Cllrs. R. Wilson, (chairman), J. Dovey. K. Lord, G. Place,  R. Moreton   A. Sweeney

,              J. Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.33pm

1.    Apologies  Cllr. R Lewis,  Dist Cllr. M. Knowles

2.    To receive declarations of interest. Cllrs. Dovey, Lord and Sweeney declared an interest in item 6.

3.    The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 14^th July 2016 having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Place that they be accepted as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Lord and approved by the members present.

The chairman then signed the minutes.

4.    Matters arising from the Minutes.

Prices are still awaited for the defibrillator. It was decided to install a locked cabinet and an emergency phone at West Beckham.

An application is to be made for lottery funding as a second defibrillator can be installed at East Beckham, on the wall of Manor Farm barn. This is by kind permission of Mr. Clifton-Brown.

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

A written report from Dist Cllr. M. Knowles was read to the meeting.

6.     Community Fund.  Committee report

The toilets at the Bodham and Beckham village hall are in immediate need of replacement. It was suggested that a donation should be given as the quotation for the work was £17,000 and so far £15,000 had been raised. It was understood that other quotes were to be obtained and the financial help required could be discussed further when the final figure was known.

The cost of repairing the War Memorial would be £2274.

It was proposed by Cllr. Dovey that this quotation should be accepted with the condition that if the church ever became redundant, the memorial is moved to the churchyard.

This was seconded by Cllr. Lord and approved by a majority of five in favour, with one

abstention.

The East Beckham mission hall is being advertised for sale.

W. Beckham Nature Area is very overgrown with dangerous branches and needs clearance work to be carried out. It was agreed to use the Conservation Volunteers for one day to get things started.

Supply of water to the E. Beckham allotments. It was agreed to ask the East Beckham Produce Co.(Mr. G. Clifton-Brown) if it were possible to fill a large tank at the top of the allotments from the irrigation system, for a suitable fee. The tank would have a push button tap to regulate supply.

Page 147

Norfolk County Council are to be asked for a site visit with the parish council at  St. Helens Church, East Beckham to see the problems on the ground as this is a grade 2 listed site.

Big society grant for playing field. (Cllr. Dovey to progress)

The bus shelter roof is in need of repair. It was agreed that work should proceed and the quotation of £120 was accepted.

The establishment of a trust fund to further travel and education is to be included in the next agenda.

7.   Financial matters.

Bank Balances at 9/9/2016:-  Community a/c £1548.86  Premium a/c £18806.80

The above figures are after the following invoices have been approved and paid:-

Cheque 441 K. Lord Paint for bus shelter £19.78

442RoSPA Playing field safety inspection.£79.80

443  Glasdon Four seats £1960

444NALCsubscription £98.51

445 J. Stibbons salary and expenses £483.89

446HMRC PAYE £92

447  Mazars Auditors £120

448  S. ThurtleGrass cutting£300

449  R. Wells  War Memorial (50% deposit)£1137

8. Planning :-

Ref: PF/16/1107 Woodlands Caravan Park, Holt Road, Upper Sheringham.

Provision of 8 static caravan pitched and siting of 30 touring caravans. Object.

It was felt that this application was inappropiate as the proposal was on common land.

The following decision were noted

• PO/16/0771 Erection of two dwellings at land off Sheringham Road, W. Beckham.  REFUSED
• NCC ref:- C/1/2013/1012 (variation) revise office/weighbridge/welfare unit

 

9. Playing Field

Area Inspection Report by RoSPA was presented to the meeting. There are no areas of

immediate concern.

The Grant application to NNDC for equipment purchase has been refused as the playing

field is owned by the district council. It was agreed to make further enquiries to see if the

playing field is included in the Community Asset Transfer scheme as it may be possible to

purchase or have a long term freehold agreement.

10.    Correspondence

• NNDC – Planning – re 1, Lodge Farm, Sheringham Road. Application for prior approval. Application withdrawn.
• Parish and Town Councils Forum.- Noted

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

The VAS signs are now in place and working at Lodge Corner. A letter of thanks is to be sent to all involved in their installation.

It was noted that there have been a large number of Break-In`s at village halls recently.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 9.41pm.

Present.  

Cllrs. R. Wilson, (chairman), J. Dovey. G. Place, R Lewis, R. Moreton   A. Sweeney

Dist Cllr. M. Knowles,  Mr. M. Render (The Heart Foundation) and eight members of the public.       J. Stibbons (clerk)

Defibrillator. (item 3 on the agenda)

The chairman welcomed Mr. Martin Render of The Heart Foundation  and asked Mr Render to give the meeting some background and details of installation and use of a defibrillator.

To put heart attacks into perspective there were 200 deaths in the UK per year from fire while there were between 70,000 and 100,000 deaths from Cardiac Arrest many occurring in the early morning.

Defibrillators are designed for untrained people to use. They are a long-term project and may not be used for years. They are guaranteed for ten years and the annual costs are around £120 per year. The cost of the machine is between £1600 and £2000. An emergency phone would cost £350 to £400 to install with a £50 per year for a sim card.

The chairman thanked Mr. Render                       Mr. Render left the meeting at 7.58pm.

The Chairman opened the E. and W. Beckham Parish Council meeting at 8.00pm.

1.  Apologies  County Cllr. M. Baker   PCSO Guy Slade  PCSO N. Jonas

2.  Co-option of candidate to fill the casual vacancy.

Kathryn Lord was the only applicant to the advertised vacancy for a parish councillor. She moved from London to live in the village in 2013  and wishes to have more input into village life. She has experience in business management.

The chairman called for a written vote and it was unanimously confirmed that Kathryn Lord should be invited to become a parish councillor.

4. Declarations of Interest.

Cllrs. Dovey, Lewis, Lord and Sweeney declared at interest in item 8 on the agenda.  (Community Fund)

Cllr. R. Wilson declared and interest in item 7 (Allotments)

5. Minutes.

The Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 24^th May 2016, having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Place that they be accepted as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and approved by the members present. The chairman then signed the minutes.

6. Matters arising from the Minutes.  None

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

Dist. Cllr. M. Knowles

North Norfolk District Council do not wish to continue with devolution. Shared services may continue on a permanent basis with other local district councils as a cost saving exercise.

8.  Community Fund.

Allotment holders will notify the council if major work is needed on the track in future.

There could be five village entrance signs but the actual number will be decided when the total cost has been obtained from Highways  Highways will provide a grant for half the cost.

It would be beneficial to replace the “Give Way” signs at the corners of Long Lane with “Stop” signs.

The owners of the barn at Manor Farm, East Beckham are to asked if a Defibrillator could be placed on the end of the building as this is central to that part of the village.

It was proposed by Cllr. Sweeney that two “Elwood” seats should be placed in West Beckham and two in East Beckham. The cost quoted for supply being £2089.

This proposal was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and carried. The clerk was instructed to order four seats and attempt to agree a discount on the price.

The formation of a Trust Fund was discussed and it was agreed that this should be an item on a later agenda.

9. Financial matters.

Invoices for approval and signing:-

R. Harrod Allotment roadway £1080

Aylsham Computers Supply laptop and printer £494.80 (refunded by grant)

An revised budget was presented to the members which showed an increase in the use of the Solar Grant funding in order to progress some of the proposals from the Solar Fund Committee.

It was proposed by Cllr. Place that this revised budget should be accepted. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and carried.

10. Planning.

Ref PO/16/07771  Site for erection of two, two-storey detached dwellings Land off

Sheringham Road, West Beckham.  The Parish Council supported this application. 

11. Correspondence.

(1)  Wheatsheaf. Request for letter from parish council to assist in a grant application. This has already been dealt with by the chairman and clerk due to time restraints.

(2)  Upper Sheringham Parish Council. Re. a planning application for change of use at Lodge Farm from agricultural to the storage of building material. Upper Sheringham PC are opposed to this application because of increased industrial use and more traffic at the Lodge Hill junction.

E&W Beckham parish council agreed to write to NNDC planning opposing this application and asking that, as Lodge Farm was virtually in West Beckham, they should be kept informed of any new applications.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 9.22pm.

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.32pm

Present.  Cllrs. R. Wilson, (chairman),  J. Dovey.  G. Place,  R. Lewis, R. Moreton

Dist.Cllr M. Knowles   J. Stibbons (clerk)

1. Apologies  County Cllr. M. Baker,  Cllr. A. Sweeney  PCSO Guy Slade

2.To elect a chairman for the coming year.

It was proposed by J.Dovey that R. Wilson should be asked to stand on as chairman. This was seconded by R. Moreton and carried. Mr. Wilson then signed the declaration of acceptance of office.

It was proposed by R. Wilson that G. Place should be elected as vice-chairman. This was seconded by R. Lewis and carried.

3. Declarations of Interest.

Cllrs. Dovey and Lewis  declared at interest in item 8 on the agenda.  (Community Fund)

Cllr. G. Place declared and interest in item 8 (Allotments)

4. Minutes.

The Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 10^th March  2016, having been previously circulated, were approved by the members present and signed by the chairman.

5. Matters arising from the Minutes.  None

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

Dist. Cllr. M. Knowles N.N.D.C. The full text of this report is attached at the end of these minutes.

7. Planning. (Revised design)  to PF/15/0102 Glabri, Back Lane, W. Beckham

The Parish Council have no objection to this application.

8. Allotments.

Quotations for the improvement of the track and provision of a car park are still not complete. Five companies have been asked to quote with only two responses so far. A third quote should be in hand within the next week.

The members agreed that it was important to get the work done as soon as possible. The council gave the clerk authority to put the work in hand when the last quotation was presented.

Mr. Place was given permission to erect a shed and greenhouse on his allotment.

9. Solar Community Fund Committee.

Report by SCFC chairman.

A reply from the Church regarding the War Memorial  quotation will be sought by the Fabric Officer to dress and re-engrave the inscriptions exactly in the format they are now. The chairman asked if a new stone could be erected in the church yard?

The deeds of the East Beckham mission hall were signed on 23^rd. May 1996. The Norwich Board of Finance is the Authority and the Parochial Church Council are the administrative Trustees.

Page 141

An inspection by the Fabric Officer revealed that the Mission Hall is in a very poor state of repair and completely overgrown and the cost of repair would not be justified. The Diocese will seek to sell the property, the proceeds to be placed in the Churches Fabric Fund.

It was agreed to write to the Diocese and register an interest in the purchase.

10. Financial matters.

The accounting statement and annual governance statement for 2015/2016 prepared for the External Auditors were discussed and approved. They were then signed by the Chairman and RFO

Bank Balances at 30/3/2015 Current a/c £4350.29  Savings a/c £22461.30

The following accounts were approved for payment and cheques signed:-

U. Sheringham PC (share of cost of VAS) £2708 Cheque signed 26/4/16 

G. WrightGrass cutting£50

Mrs. J. DoveyInk and Paper£42.50

D. McNeightWeb site reg.£53.14

ChavertonPrinting£90

J. Stibbons Salary/expenses£486.29

HMRCPAYE deduction£92

11. Correspondence

The Chairman had received a letter of resignation from Mrs. Barbara Powell.

All the councillors wished to thank Mrs Powell for all her efforts over the past years and agreed that she would be greatly missed.

• Parish Paths Seminar              noted
• AWA – Help reduce pollution  .Noted
• Norfolk Records Office.           Noted

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

It was noted that a representative from The Heartbeat Trust will address the next meeting on 14^th July

Full Text of District Councillors Report Item 6

May 2016

We recently held the Annual Meeting at NNDC, and we therefore have a new Chairman, John Lee from Cromer. The new Vice Chairman is Richard Shepherd, from Sheringham.

Page 142

The following is a brief summary of the major items that have come before Council in the past year, which may give your members a little more insight than is sometimes portrayed in the local press.

Planning.

The council has embarked on a three-year project to compile a new Local Plan to cover development policies and land allocations for the period to 2036.   The government has also introduced a “Duty to Co-operate” between neighbouring planning authorities in drawing up new Local Plans.   In this connection, the Call for Sites has been initiated.   Anyone can suggest a particular site for development, be it for affordable housing, market housing, commercial use etc.     The suggestions will then undergo a technical appraisal before being put to public consultation.   Forms are available on the council website.   The deadline for submissions is 31^st. May.

Shared Services.

In September members were advised that preliminary talks were under way with Great Yarmouth Borough Council to see if there is any scope for sharing some senior officers and back office work with a view to making savings.    A special meeting of the council was held on 21^st. October, and we were advised that Great Yarmouth had requested the secondment of certain personnel on an interim shared basis.   This would involve salary increases for both officers, who were keen to participate.  The sharing with GYBC of NNDC’s Chief Executive and Head of Finance went ahead as from the second week in November. The arrangements clearly benefit Great Yarmouth, and it is to be hoped that when the promised report on the potential for a permanent situation materialises, that benefit will also extend to NNDC. A business case for a longer term arrangement is scheduled to be presented to full Council in the near future.

NNDC has lent £3m to GYBC for 3 years, the first time NNDC has made an investment of this type, though we are assured that this was a straightforward commercial deal.

Devolution.

In September we learned that Norfolk had submitted a case to the government for the devolution of powers, only to be told that Norfolk was not big enough and that a joint bid with Suffolk was required, which was also rebuffed.   Ultimately a bid was submitted on behalf of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.  George Osborne announced in his budget on 16^th March that the Eastern Powerhouse was to go ahead.   In fact the document that was signed by all the local authorities, apart from Cambridge City Council, was simply an agreement to carry on talking.  The final details are still under discussion.

It now appears that there will be some kind of split authority, with Norfolk and Suffolk together, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough together.

There remains very little detail in the proposals so far and the leaders of the 22 councils are to set up various committees to generate specific-proposals to the Government.   What has been offered so far, £30m p.a. for 30 years, is far less than was originally requested.   In addition, the Government requires the setting up of another tier of local government, headed up by an elected mayor who will have some control over funding and will take specific responsibility for transport and major roads and have powers over planning and housing.   How this new Combined Authority will be staffed and funded has not been defined.

At the meeting of NNDC the leader was given the following brief:

“This council does not support the concept of a mayor or a mayoral authority in East Anglia, but is mindful of the potential benefits for the people of North Norfolk delivered under a sound and robust

Page 143

governance model on which all councils are represented equally and have equal voting rights; and recommends that the Leader of the council continues discussions with other Leaders and with government with a view to bringing developed proposals back to the council for further consideration.”

Boundary Review.

It appears that North Norfolk has gradually drifted away from the accepted norm in terms of population per ward, and therefore (in their view) proper representation at District level.  This has generated a full boundary review, covering all wards.    The process for this begins with an appraisal of how many councillors are required to run the council in terms of committees, etc. Currently we have 48 and it seems likely that there will be a move to reduce that number. In fact, it seems likely that the Council is to make a recommendation to the Commission that it can operate efficiently with 40 members. The second phase will almost certainly involve the redrawing of some boundaries. The final proposals are to take effect from the May 2019 elections.   The Review will not be able to take into account any future changes in population that could result from the current process of revising the district’s Local Plan, only Planning consents currently in place will be considered. My understanding is that Parish boundaries cannot be altered, but it may be that certain Parishes will be “transferred” to a different ward. For your information Chaucer currently has around 2000 voters, which is approximately 13% above the average (there are wards with only 1500), but of course if the number of councillors is reduced, that average will alter accordingly. The proposals will go out for consultation at the various stages, so I would suggest we watch this space.

In September Full Council formally approved the audited accounts for 2014/15.   After allowing for slippage of capital projects resulting from the disruption caused by the sea surge in December 2013, the accounts showed a surplus of £366k.   The General Reserve is nearly £2.3m compared to its recommended amount of £1.75m, but we have to consider that central government grants are all either reducing significantly or disappearing altogether over the next couple of years and that reserve may well stand us in good stead.

As part of its statutory requirements, Full Council agreed to the formation of an Independent Remuneration Panel to undertake the regular review of members’ allowances.   No increase had taken place since 2003.   Following the independent report an increase from £4,054 to £5,000 was recommended to take effect from May.   This figure is around the mid-point of allowances of all Norfolk and Suffolk councils, with some of those below that level already in the process of their own review.

Following the motion submitted to NCC Highways and the Police regarding road safety along the A148 several representatives each from NCC and the Police attended the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 18^th. May.   There were representations from members of the public and many questions from Councillors. Sadly, although our perception may be different, the statistics appear to indicate that the A148 between Holt and Cromer is not sufficiently dangerous to merit any major improvements, such as roundabouts, or even a review of speed limits.

At its recent meeting, the council agreed to maintain the Big Society Fund programme for a further year with a maintained pot of £225,000.   It also allocated £630,000 to fund the possible compulsory purchase of 5 domestic properties, 3 in Sheringham and 2 in Sculthorpe with a view to bringing them back into use.   The position of the former Shannocks Hotel in Sheringham will be discussed later this month.

Michael Knowles.
District Councillor – Chaucer Ward.
May 2016.