Friday 14 September 2007

Parish Council Minutes Aug 07

MIDGHAM PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Tuesday August 28th 2007 at 7.30 p.m.

Present were Mr. R. Disson (Chairman), Mr. S. Sawyer (Vice Chairman), Mr. D. Lombardo, Mr. J. Ormrod, Mrs. M. Rusbridge, Mrs. I. Neill, District Councillor, the clerk Mrs. M. Cowdery, and four members of the public.

Apologies were received from Mr. J. Goddard who had family commitments.

Declaration of interests:
Mr. Sawyer declared an interest in matters to do with Midgham Green, being a resident thereof.

Minutes of the previous meeting:
The minutes of the previous meeting were read approved and signed.

Matters arising:
Flooding in the parish - WBC has received some money from the Government to help the flood victims and will be inviting them to apply for grants.
Mrs. Neill proposed that a list of culverts within the parish be drawn up, and each Councillor take an area of the Parish and monitor the state of the said culverts.
The Clerk had been sent a map of the Parish and asked to show the areas worst affected by the July floods. This had been done.
Mr. Reynolds of WBC had replied to the Clerk’s letter about the culverts by the railway bridge and the balancing pond at Colthrop, saying he would contact Mr. Michael Goddard with a view to inspecting them.

District Councillor:
Mrs Neill reported that other parishes in the Aldermaston Ward were drawing up a list of vulnerable people within the parish in the event of any future emergency, such as flooding.
It was suggested that this could be done in Midgham also.
Mrs Neill also reported that the matter of Nursery Copse is progressing, albeit slowly.

Parish Plan up-date:
No progress to report

Clerks report:
Financial statement: c/a £195.46 d/a £14,573.90
The Clerk reported that the Audit for 2006/07 has been successfully completed
Bills to pay; UHY Hacker Young £141.00 Annual audit
BALC £74.00 new Councillors course
These amounts were approved for payment.
The Clerk reported that she has applied to have access to internet banking for the PC.

Planning:
New applications:
07/01579 Nevasa, New road Hill loft conversion no objections
07/01516 Hallcourt Farm change of use of land to build a tennis court
no objections subject to compliance with Policy ENV 22
Decisions:
07/01222 Wisteria Cottage, Old Acre extension approved
07/01178 Hallcourt Farm telecomms. compound refused


Appeals:
Spire Ridge kennels site - 3 live work units. The appeal will be heard on September 25th at 10.00 a.m. in the Council Offices. Mr. Disson to attend.

Correspondence:
WBC Antisocial Behaviour website
Area forum minutes
Berkshire West NHS Trust - 3 year Commissioning Strategy – Mrs. Rusbridge took to read.

Mrs. Caiger Smith re – information on Telecomm compound in New Road Hill
Report on Midgham Green from Edward Harris Solicitor
CPRE AGM 11th September Bucklebury Village Hall 7 pm
Reducing Light Pollution – Mr. Disson took to read

Capital bids:
For Highway and Transport Capital Programme:
Village Hall parking – WBC has drawn up plans for a proposed parking bay outside the Village Hall at a cost of £15,000. Mrs. Rusbridge will complete the capital bids proposal form for this.
Bus shelters – Mr. Disson will complete the capital bids proposal form for replacement bus shelters on the A4.

Maintenance of Midgham Green:
The residents of Midgham Green had been informed of the Parish Council’s proposals to install dragon’s teeth along the edge of footpath 7, to reduce the width of the footpath to 3m and to dig out the ditch. Correspondence had been received from the residents with counter proposals. Following much discussion it was agreed that Mr. Disson write again to the residents.


Mr. Sawyer raised concerns about the contractor leaving the grass cuttings on the Green. Mr. Ormrod suggested that the whole of the Green needs re-vamping with advice from a landscaper gardener. This will be put on the agenda for the next meeting, and Mr. Disson asked Councillors to give the subject some thought before then.

Repair of seat on Midgham Green:
The seat on Midgham Green, that was bought with public money for the Coronation of King George VI in 1937, is in need of repair. Similarly the seat by the Church that was bought with public money for the silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977, is also in need of repair. The clerk was asked to contact Mr. Pike of 32 Bath Road, and ask him to inspect the seats with a view to restoring them.

Midgham Website:
It was agreed that Mr. Sawyer act as webmaster for the Parish Council page on the Midgham website. Things to be included at this stage would be the current agenda, minutes, list of Councillors with contact email address, and area of planning responsibilities. Mr Disson would set up the email addresses using the Midgham domain name.

Village Hall:
Mrs. Rusbridge reported that there were problems with the contractor engaged to build the new access to the village Hall., but the Village Hall Committee were trying to resolve the matter.

Public time:
Dr Powell, from Water Oak on Midgham Green, raised concerns over the bank that the PC was proposing to construct along the edge of the ditch on Midgham Green. His fears centred around the fact that his house was flooded in the July flood, and he thinks that a bank along the edge of the ditch will exacerbate the problem in the future. Mr.Disson agreed that the PC would take these concerns on board when the final plans were drawn up.

There being no other business the meeting closed at 9.05 p.m.

The next meeting will be held in the Village Hall Tuesday 25th September 2007 at 7.30 p.m.

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