Attending: SCDC Cllr P Bellfield, the Clerk and 9 members of the public

3.1      Blocked pavement

A car regularly parked blocking the footpath opposite Myrtle Cottage was reported, which was considered especially dangerous as it is a route to the school. A direct approach will be taken to request the road is not blocked and the matter will be escalated if necessary.

3.2      Full dog bin

The dog waste bin on the recreation ground was reported as overflowing on the 27^th January. It will be checked and, if still in that condition, reported.

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JP

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5.1      Neighbourhood Plan

The Clerk reported that SCDC had explained that there are no specific numbers of houses required of Charsfield, as a Local Service Centre, and that only a broad guide was available because the requirements are based on many factors. The Council agreed to take up an offer of meeting an SCDC representative to gain further guidance.

The Clerk also reported that Charsfield was still within the criteria defined for Local Service Centres, despite the minimal bus service, and so cannot be moved to another classification.

5.2      Village Hall Car Park

The Council resolved to use Moyse to do the full car park and requested the Clerk negotiate on the price before ordering the work. Cllr Winkworth wished it noted that he voted against tarmacking the full car park and voted to tarmac only the entrance area. The Clerk will delay ordering the work until the income from the recovered NS&I account is received.

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6.1      County Councillor

Cllr Bellfield reported:

• Budget savings. SCC have to save £156m from their ~£600m budget and have found savings of £38.6m to balance the accounts for next year. No front line services will be lost and no cuts will be made to the Highways budget. 2 particular savings are of note, the waste incinerator at Great Blakenham, and the CSD contract. The former is projected to save £9m on landfill tax, to generate electricity to sell back to the national grid and to produce heat for very large greenhouses expected to grow 10% of the UK tomato crop. The CSD partnership with BT providing HR, IT and Finance services to SCC, is coming to an end and SCC will bring those services in house expecting to save £9m.
• Free school meal campaign. SCC have campaigned for those entitled to claim to do so, which has resulted in 2,500 more claims, for each of which the schools will get £900 additional funding. There are still 1,800 entitled children for whom no claim is made. SCC encourage anyone entitled to claim.
• Care homes. SCC sold all of its care homes to Care UK on condition that they build 10 new ones. The 9^th has received planning permission and the 1^st has topped out.
• Youth support. SCC have received a grant of £300,000 to support 80 apprenticeships throughout Suffolk and are also running twenty twelve week internships inside district authorities.
• Cross-border partnership. Districts have demonstrated savings by sharing services and SCC are talking to Norfolk CC regarding doing the same at county level. Cllr Bellfield is chair of the SCC pension fund and reports that the administration team are already talking to NCC to ascertain saving possibilities. SCC are also talking to Essex, Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire CCs.

The Council thanked Cllr Bellfield for the £5,000 contribution set aside for the speed reduction scheme. When asked why the original price had been £3,000, it had risen to £5,500 and now with KierMG involved it had again risen to over £7,000 Cllr Bellfield replied that a directive from higher level had dictated that as design time used within area offices was not being charged to jobs, design work would be carried out centrally. This case had been raised with Lucy Robinson (The Director of Economy, Skills and Environment), explaining that this directive added excessive cost to minor work, and there was now some easing of the directive but it was too late to help with this speed reduction scheme.

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Cllr Snell was not present but had sent a report, which is attached below.

PCSO Hassler was not present but had sent a report, listing 3 crimes related to a single incident.

The Clerk was asked to circulate police reports to the newly created email distribution list.

The current Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator would like to relinquish the post. The Clerk will circulate this news asking for a replacement to volunteer.

Clerk

Clerk

A possible management agreement was discussed but not deemed appropriate. The Recreation Ground Committee will investigate whether other Parish Councils and Recreation Ground Committees are in similar situations and how they may have resolved the situation.

As a representative was not in attendance the chairman summarised the minutes of this meeting (attached). It was resolved to request an agenda item be added to the next meeting to discuss the possibility that Charsfield Parish Council could join the Debach Community Speedwatch Scheme.

Clerk

7.1      DC/13/3362/FUL – Land rear of Highfield House and South Cottage, Chapel Lane, Charsfield: Erection of two timber sheds, both 5.6m x 5.6m with low pitched roof – permission granted

7.2      DC/13/2650/OUT – Use of land at junction of Chapel Lane and The Street, Charsfield for the construction of 9 dwellings and access road – sent to appeal with changes

The Council resolved to write to the appeal requesting that the adjustments made to the plans four days before the appeal was lodged should not be considered as the local authority have not had time to allow proper consultation on the changes and so the Council, as a statutory consultant, have not seen the adjusted plans.

7.3      C/13/1201 –  Outline Planning Application for a proposed new 5 bedroom house on land adjacent to Charsfield House, including a proposed new access – refused

Clerk

8.1      Drainage under the Chapel

The Clerk reported that a letter in reply had not yet been written as clarification of land ownership was being sought. It was resolved that a letter should be written explaining the delay.

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Clerk

9.1      Roundel (etc.) project funding shortfall

The Chairman explained the shortfall in funding that has arisen through SCC contracting out the work and SCC Cllr Bellfield being unable to fully fund the increase. The current cost is £7,236.61 and Cllr Bellfield is able to fund only £5,000.00 towards it. There is unexpected extra income due now that the recovered NS&I account has been transferred into the Council’s possession and the Council resolved to go ahead with the project using this income to fund the shortfall. The suggestion of not including the village gateways in the project, or delaying them, was discussed, with some support from the public in attendance, but after discussion a vote was taken and carried with none against and one abstention. The main reason for this was that the package was a recommended measure to achieve a reduction is speed on the B1078 through the parish and there would be no progress after a partial implementation. The Clerk will inform SCC Highways Dept. of the decision.

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Clerk

10.1   Required payments were approved.

10.2   Balance of Accounts as at 24/9/13

10.3   The proposed budget and precept were accepted. The precept will rise by £150 to £4000.

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The Clerk’s correspondence report had previously been circulated.

The Joseph Kersey Charity had asked for official approval of Cyril Kindred as the Parish Council representative which was given. There is also over £500 “for coal and bread for the poor of the parish” for which a request for suitable use was discussed. This request will be advertised on the website. The idea of funding benches was discussed, including the bench outside the Village Hall and those that are missing from the Recreation Ground.

The letter from Suffolk Preservation Society was discussed but in the absence of obvious benefits it was resolved not to spend public money on membership.

The hedge around the vicarage was reported as being over the footpath by The Street. The Chairman will knock and ask if it could be trimmed.

It was reported that the Recreation Ground Committee will be holding their annual event on 31^st May.

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EW