minutes 2004

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North Lopham Parish Council
Minutes of Meetings in 2004

14th January 2004
17th March 2004
12th May 2004 (Annual Open Parish Meeting)
20th May 2004 (AGM)
21st July 2004
15th September 2004
17th November 2004

14th January 2004
Time and Place	The meeting was held in the Methodist Schoolroom at 7.30pm on 14th January 2004.
Attendance	Council Members present were Mrs. J. Tate, Mrs. V. Garnham, Mr. B. Frith, Mr. R. Carley, Mr. C. Pierce, Mrs. J. Muncila, Mr. R. Vere. Also present were County Councillor Mr. J. Baskerville, Clerk Mr. A. Rednall, Minute Secretary Mrs. J. Rednall and Mr. M. McManus (member of the public).
Minutes of the Previous Meeting	It was proposed by Mrs. Garnham and seconded by Mrs. Muncila that the minutes should be accepted. This was unanimously approved and and the minutes were signed by the Chairman.
Matters arising	The hedge overgrowing the pavement had been cut by the occupier. Planning permission progress: Mrs. McManus' application had been refused by Brecklands Council. There was no news on the 'Hempland Cottage' application Nunn's Farm application had been passed to Breckland Council The Clerk was asked to contact Kenninghall Parish Council to enquire about the Gooderham site decision. Mr. Frith reported that the web-site was now in operation. Homewatch: Mr. Hodge had asked to be informed of the date of the next meeting, but it was decided to invite him to the Annual Parish meeting. Mr. Grimley (Breckland Council) was asked to look at the problem with the ditch adjacent to Ashes Farm.
Planning Applications	None new at this meeting.
Correspondence	A letter had been received from the Highways Dept. concerning the strip of grass at the front of Church Farmhouse. The Council asked whether a footpath could be constructed here to make a continuous footpath from the school to the corner. Mr. Baskerville said that a public enquiry would take a long time and be very expensive. The Council asked Mr. Baskerville to inform Mr.Millar that the parish Council would like a narrow path in front of Church Farmhouse (with trees felled or railings removed). Mr. Baskerville also said that he would also ask for a weight limit for vehicles (with access only). A letter had been received from CPRE re: 'Night Blight Campaign' desinged to tackle increasing levels of light pollution in the UK. A letter had been received from Mr. A Page of Anglian Water informing us that he regrets that they have not yet determined if they have a duty to provide first time sewerage usder Section 101A of the Water Industry Act 1991 - a previous letter had said that they agreed to provide a main sewer in April 2005.
Accounts	£45 to Mr. Carman for mowing the Cemetery. £32 membership fee for the Society of Local Council Clerks. £10 for hire of hall for the Council meeting It was proposed by Mr. Carley, seconded by Mrs. Muncila and agreed by the whole Council that all payments should be made as described.
A.O.B.	Mr. Baskerville was asked to contact the Highways Dept about the width of the hedge at the Cherry tree junction. An advert would be placed in the Lopham News for the position of new Clerk. It was noticed that the problem of dogs fouling the footpaths had grown recently and a request is to be made in the Lophams News asking dog owners to clear up after their dogs The Clerk was asked to write to the owners of Pond House to bring to their notice their obligation to keep the outlet clear from the Mere. It was felt that its present state could be extremely dangerous for small children feeding the ducks.
	There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.30pm

It was confirmed that the next meeting would be on Wednesday 17th March 2004 at 7.30pm

17th March 2004
Time and Place	The meeting was held in the Methodist Schoolroom at 7.30pm on 17th March 2004.
Attendance	Council Members present were Mrs. J. Tate, Mrs. V. Garnham, Mrs. J. Muncila, Mr. B. Frith, Mr. C. Pierce, Mr. R. Vere. Also present were Mrs E. Logsdail (representative of South Lopham Parish Council), Clerk Mr. A. Rednall, Minute Secretary Mrs. J. Rednall, and newly appointed clerk Mr. M. Cox.
Minutes of the Previous Meeting	These were unanimously approved and signed by the Chairman.
Matters arising	Mr. Grimley had reported on the ditch in front of Ashes Farm. It appears that effluent is collecting in the ditch from the house opposite. It was suggested by the Chairman that a letter should be sent to all householders explaining the situation and asking for a positive response. The letters would be collected from the householders. A letter has been received from Anglian Water stating that they have not yet decided whether public sewerage is appropriate in the village.. A letter has been received from Norfolk County Council advising the Parish Council that the maintenance of the outfall from the Letchmere rests with the owner of Pond House.
Planning Applications	Mr. McManus - refused, but going to appeal. Lilac House - given permission by Breckland. Nothing further on Kings' Head. Alterations at Church given permission by Breckland. No word yet on application for alterations at Beech House. Mr. Gooderham's application for Chicken Huts at Kenninghall had been approved.
Correspondence	Norfolk C.C. had informed us that it would be difficult to put a footpath in front of Church Farmhouse owing to the width of the road and the need to preserve the hedge and railings. It was decided to invite the Homewatch Administrator to the Open Meeting..
Accounts	Mr Carman jad asked for an increase in payment for cutting the grass at the cemetery to £55 per cut - this was agreed to a maximum of 10 cuts per year. A letter had been received from Victim Support Norfolk asking for a donation. Mrs.Tate proposed and Mr.Frith seconded that £25.00 should be sent. It was agreed to pay £8 to the Methodist Chapel for the hire of the room.
A.O.B.	There was discussion about the amount of parking and security light at Box Tree Farm.
	There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.00pm

It was confirmed that the next meeting would be on Wednesday 19th May 2004 at 7.30pm (later changed to Thursday 20th May)

The Annual Open meeting would be on Wednesday 12th May 2004

12th May 2004 (Annual Open Parish Meeting)
Time and Place	The meeting was held in the Methodist Schoolroom at 7.30pm on 12th May 2004.
Attendance	Council Members present were Mrs. V. Garnham, Mrs. J. Muncila, Mr. B. Frith, Mr. C. Pierce, Mr. R. Carley and Mr. R. Vere (Chairman). Also present were Mrs E. Logsdail (representative of South Lopham Parish Council), Clerk Mr. M. Cox, District Councillor Mr. W. Nunn and 10 Parishioners. Apologies were received from Mrs. J. Tate and Mrs. J. Vere.
Minutes of the Previous Open Meeting (8th May 2003)	These were unanimously approved and signed by the Chairman.
Matters arising	School parking: Letters sent to HGV operators and a mention in the newsletter has seen a marked improvement in the situation at the school. Tanns Lane: The potholes have been filled in. Brambles beside the footpath: Letters sent to the occupants of the those properties whose hedges etc. affected the footpaths and a general mention in the newsletter. Andy Doe (our local Postman): A letter of thanks was sent to him after he succeeded in delivering incorrectly addressed mail to the rightfal recipients. He was invited to attend at the War Memorial on the 11th November which he did in fact do.
Chairman's Report	The Chairman began his report as he did last year, discussing the Ashes Farm development. All of the houses have been constructed, sold and the pond has been reinstated. He pointed out that the ditch in front now fills with effluent, which comes as no surprise. The Gooderhams site on the Kenninghall road has been approved despite many objections, including our own. Footpath from the School to Church Farmhouse has been completed. No wayleave in front of the house. Our County Councillor has applied on our behalf for a weight restriction through the village but to date there is no further news. No.1 footpath by the side of the school playing field has been rescinded in preference to Primrose Lane. Mains Drainage: Despite requests in the Lopham News no-one volunteered any information regarding their personal situation so a letter was delivered to most households, and this resulted in 50+ replies. It is hoped that this will assist us in our quest with the authorities to get a main sewage system as soon as possible. Letchmere: The owners of Pond House have been informed by County Council Highways regarding the need to clear the exit of the mere. Trees: In the recent strong winds a willow tree was blown over, blocking the entrance to Pond House. This has since been removed by Bridge Farm Tree Services and the Callow boys. We are now looking into an insurance claim. North Lopham Website: Brian Frith has created a local website giving quite a lot of useful information and provides a number of photos as we were and as we are now. See if you can spot any improvements!! War Memorial: This is looking at its best for years thanks to John Bush. Cemetery: Roy Carman has maintained the grass cutting throughout the year but has now declined to continue. Sam Webb has now taken the reins using the old Parish Council mower with a replacement engine. Newsletter: This continues to be an asset to both villages. Our thanks go to Mrs Aston for her contribution and to her production team, including her distributors. Parish Councillors: The chairman thanked his fellow councillors for their support during the year which many people knew to be a difficult one for Alan Rednall with his declining health and reluctant resignation as Clerk after more that 25 years service in this community. His thanks also went to Janet for the assistance she gave to Alan in recording the minutes. The chairman said a very big thank you to Alan for the splendid work that he has done for the village both at the meetings and behind the scenes. These remarks were echoed by those persons present at the meeting. The Chairman sought permission to commission an illuminated address as a permanent reminder of all that Alan has meant to the local community. This was agreed. Parish Clerk: Two worthy candidates applied for the position and Mike Cox was offered and accepted the post. He has spent many hours with Alan in the past few months in preparation for his official start on the 1st April. We look forward to working alongside him for many years to come.
Accounts	The Clerk reported that these have been to audit but were not available for the meeting.
A.O.B.	This open discussion proved by far the lengthiest part of the meeting and revolved around the subject of mains drainage in the village, or at least the lack of it. A lively and sometimes heated discussion took place ranging from the health hazards to the long term problems that the village would suffer. The consensus of opinion was that the assistance given by the Environmental Health Officer could be further enhanced by informing his senior Mr.J.Haywood and the relevant information, a comprehensive breakdown of drainage problems within the village compiled by Mrs.J.Vere, was given to Mr Nunn to pass to him at Breckland District Council offices at the meeting. Mr. McManus gave the meeting the benefit of his knowledge in drainage and explained the reason why many of the septic tanks were not working as they should do. Other matters discussed were the situation with Ashes Farm, the receding footpaths through lack of maintenance, and concern over vehicles at Box Tree Farm. The latter was to be taken up by Councillor William Nunn with Breckland District Council. A fee of £8-00 was agreed for the hire of the Methodist Hall.
	There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.00pm

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of North Lopham Parish Council

held in the Methodist Schoolroom on Thursday 20th May 2004 at 7.3Opm.

1) Welcome from the Chairman.

2) In attendance were the Chairman, Richard Vere, Vice Chairman, Carlton Pierce, Valerie Garnham, Brian Frith, Joan Muncilla, Jan Tate, Robert Carley and Mike Cox, the Parish Clerk. Mr.McManus was the sole member of the public in attendance.

3) The minutes of the last Ordinary meeting held on the 17th March 2004, and the Open meeting held on the 12th May 2004, were presented and approved unanimously.

4) Matters arising: A brief discussion took place over the previous mention made in the Chairman's report about the no.1 footpath by the school.

The meeting was told that the letter to Mr Hayward had been delivered to his office by Mr. Nunn regarding the drainage survey.

5) Election of Officers:

·         Chairman: Richard Vere - proposed by Brian Frith and seconded by Robert Carley
·         Vice chairman: Carlton Pierce - proposed by Joan Muncilla and seconded by Brian Frith
·         Parish Clerk: Mike Cox - proposed by the Chairman
·         Responsible Officer: Jan Tate - proposed by Chairman.
·         All posts received unanimously.

6) Planning Applications:

·       The Beeches application was discussed. Points raised included the location of the extension.
·         Correspondence regarding 54 The Street (3PL/2004/0250/F) and 56 The Street (3PL/2004/0249/F) indicated approval.
·         Ringland House extension (3PL/2004/0291/F). A telephone call to Planning revealed this had been approved on the 26/4/2004.
·         Spinney Cottage, 18 The Street (3PL/2004/0279/F). The amended application was approved on 14/4/2004.

7) Correspondence: A letter from Albert Crook was read to the meeting and related to matters including sewage, footpaths and "an open attitude" towards Council business and decisions. Most of these matters have been addressed. A letter of thanks would be sent to Mr. Crook.

Brian Frith reported on the training day held in April 2004, part of which related to "Declaration of interest by parish councillors". He produced a resume of his understanding of the day and this is appended to the minutes.

8) Accounts: Brian Frith proposed that we pay £10.00 for the hire of the hall for every Council meeting and this was seconded by Robert Carley.

The Chairman reported that Bridge Farm Tree Services cut the tree at Letchmere blown down in the recent high winds. The fee was a very reasonable £75.00. This has been paid. A further £100.00 is owed to The Callow boys for their involvement in the operation.

The Insurance is due for renewal on 1^stJune 2004, a fee of £353.86. This is a few pence more than a £30.00 increase on last year. This was accepted by Jan Tate and seconded by Brian Frith.

9) Date and time of next meetings

            The following dates for future meetings were set (all at 7.3Opm in the Methodist School Room):
·         Wednesday 21st July 2004
·         Wednesday 15th September 2004
·         Wednesday 17th. November 2004
·         Wednesday 19th January 2005

There being no other business, the meeting closed at 2lOOhrs.

Minutes of North Lopham Parish Council meeting held on the 21st July 2004,

in the Methodist Schoolroom

1) In attendance were Mr. Richard Vere (Chairman), Valerie Garnham, Jan Tate, Brian Frith, and the Parish Clerk, Mike Cox. Mr. McManus attended as a member of the public. Apologies were received from Joan Muncilla and Carlton Pierce.

2) The minutes of the previous meeting held on the 20th May 2004 were presented and approved unanimously.

3) Matters Arising:

Brian Frith updated the meeting on footpaths and footways as previously mentioned. Following a number of telephone calls to Brian Lee at Norfolk Council Highways it was decided that the work on the footways (siding out) would commence the week commencing 26/7/2004.

Mr. Lee did give some general advice on hedging, foliage etc. that were causing problems.

4) Planning:

A renewal application for the property known as 'Dored', The Street, North Lopham was received setting out 13 conditions which were in line with previous applications (3PL/2004/081 6/0).
An amended application for Beech House, The Street, North Lopham, was received and approved by the meeting (3PL/2004/l 154).
A letter was received from Breckland District Council indicating that the application for an extension to 32, The Beeches, The Street, North Lopham, has now been withdrawn (3PL/2004/0630/F).

5) Accounts:

Brian Frith pointed out that the figure he identified at the previous meeting reference the hire fee for the Church rooms was in perpetuity, and not a one-off.

The Chairman asked for approval for certain accounts to be paid. These totaled £936.75 made up of the following:- £55.00, £50.00,£48.00 ( Grass cutting in the Cemetery); £10.00 and £15.00 (Grass cutting Letchmere); £58.75 (Audit Commission); £500.00 to the outgoing Clerk Alan Rednall for one years fee, and £200.00 for the first quarter relating to the new clerk Mike Cox.

6) Correspondence:
(i) Letter from Mr.Grimley received acknowledging receipt of our letter and survey regarding the ongoing sewage problem.
(ii) Letter from Norfolk County Council ref quiet Lanes identifying that work would commence 3 to 4 weeks from the 19^th July 2004. This involves the erection of wooden posts at predetermined points indicating the start and finish of those roads. We are fortunate that ours are already in place. Furtherliterature is on its way to make the motoring public aware of how to behave in these areas.
(iji) Letter received from Norfolk County Council Highways referring to Church Road Footway. Clerk to contact Bob Miller to arrange a site meeting*

7) A.O.B:
Jan Tate reported that a request had been made by Mrs. Daly regarding the acquisition of Duck warning signs from Norfolk County Council*

8) Date and time of next meeting - Wednesday 15th September 2004 at 7.3Opm.

There being no other business the meeting closed at 2lOOhrs.

*Contact made

Minutes of North Lopham Parish Council meeting held on the 15th September 2004,

in the Methodist Schoolroom

1) In attendance were Mr. Richard Vere (Chairman), Carlton Pierce (Vice-Chairman), Valerie Garnham, Jan Tate, Joan Muncilla, Robert Carley, Brian Frith, and the Parish Clerk, Mike Cox. In attendance was Mr. William Nunn (District Councillor). Mr. McManus attended as a member of the public. .

2) The minutes of the previous meeting held on the 21st July 2004 were presented and approved unanimously.

3) Matters Arising:

The duck signs that were requested are now in place within range of Letchmere.

A site meeting was held with Bob Skinner (Highways), Richard Vere, Brian Frith and Mike Cox on 27th July 2004 to discuss the issue of the continuation of the footpath between Church Farmhouse and No 1 Church Road. Measurements were taken and these appeared more generous than those which had appeared on the previous plans. To date no other feedback had been received (other than acknowledgment from Bob Skinner and indication that any problems would be the responsibility of the Highways Dept, and not the Parish Council.

Brian Frith had contacted Highways and arranged for the footways to be restored to their original condition. He had notified residents of the Council's intention to cut back overhanging shrubs and trees. The workmen operated on two of the hottest days of the year and made a very satisfactory job of it. On this occasion no charge had been made for cutting back the greenery, but Mr. Frith suggested that an entry be made in the Lophams News to remind residents that it is their responsibility to maintain hedges etc.

William Nunn gave the meeting a brief update on the current sewerage problems. He pointed out that the Council have no powers to make the water authority introduce a sewerage system. A short disussion took place on this topic.

4) Planning:

At the previuos meeting a letter had been received from Breckland Planning stating that the applicants at The Beeches had withdrwan their request fro planning permission. Since that date the applicants have a meeting with architects and planning department and invited the Parish Council to be represented at a site meeting to discuss the way forward. This meeting, attended by Richard Vereproved quite positive and we now await an amended application.
Beech House (52 The Street) has been granted planning permission subject to the usual conditions (3PL/2004/1154).

5) Accounts:

The meeting was asked to approve the payment of £98 to Richard Vere fro grass cutting at the Churchyard. Approved unanimously. This raised the issue of who should be cutting the grass. Mr. Vere declared an interest but it was pointed out that he was the third person this year to take on the task. Brian Frith suggested that Richard Vere should be asked to complete the work fro the rest of this season and that the post be advertised in time for next year. Agreed unanimously.

The Clerk reported that the current account shows a total of £582.04 balance and the investment account has £3795.17. the acccounts for 2003/2004 will be prepared and circulated to all members within two weeks The returns for the Audit Commission have now been completed and checked by Chris Stringfield, who raised a number of points. These included the way by which we came by our calculations of the annual precept, and the regular monitoring of the accounts through the year, which could be included in the minutes. This would satisfy him when completing the return, which seems to require more detail each year..

6) Correspondence:
(i) Norfolk Accident Rescue Service sent a request for a donation. Sum of £20 agreed unanimously.
(ii) An invitation had been receivedfrom Breckland District Council Group for the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) to attend a meeting on 5th October 2004. The object was to discuss drastic new developments in the way planning is approached. Mike Cox volunteered to attend with the Chairman if he is available.

7) A.O.B:
The Chairman told the meeting that Churchyard fees had remained static for the past nine years and suggested that we check with local undertakers to guage the fees at other churches in the area. Clerk to research this. The Chairman also raised the issue of levelling graves. Although not urgent this year it may be beneficial to find out how much the gravedigger would charge to carry out this task. At the moment around 15 graves need to be levelled.

8) Date and time of next meeting - Wednesday 17h November 2004 at 7.3Opm.

There being no other business the meeting closed at 8.50 pm.

Minutes of North Lopham Parish Council meeting held on the 17th November 2004,

in the Methodist Schoolroom

Present were Richard Vere ( Chairman) ,Valerie Garnham, Jan Tate, Joan Muncila, Brian Frith, Mike Cox (Clerk). Mick McManus was the sole representative of the public.
Apologies from Carlton Pierce and Robert Carley.

Minutes of last meeting were presented and signed as a true record. Approved unanimously.

Matters arising
Levelling of graves. The local gravedigger sub-contracting to Anglian Funeral Services and Rosedale Funeral Home has been contacted and is prepared to level the 12 raised graves that fall within the guidelines for £100. Proposed by the Chairman . Approved by full meeting.

Churchyard Fees. The current fees have not been revised and a check with the local undertakers revealed that we had fallen behind.
The Chairman and Clerk produced a revised set of fees and these were presented to the Council. Proposed by Jan Tate and seconded by Joan Muncila.

Planning Applications
Florence Cottage, No. 1. The Green. Approved by Breckland on the 9/11/2004.
Fortunes Well, 93. The Street. A meeting of the Development Control Committee is to be held at Dereham on the 29th November 2004 to discuss this application which was met with some resistance in the first instance. A discussion took place and no-one is available to attend, although Parish Council views have already been reported.

Accounts
The Clerk reported a balance of £1205.85 in the account, out of which we have to pay a further £400.00 to the Clerk, £60.00 for grass cutting, £134.00+ for the Lophams News and £30.00 for room hire. The grave levelling of £100.00 needs to be taken into account.
The precept was discussed for 2005/6 and broken down as follows:

Grass cutting	£660.00
Clerks fees	£820.00
Audit Commission	£60.00
Room Hire	£60.00
Insurance	£400.00
Total	£2000.00

These figures were based on an increase in the Clerk’s basic salary which were not accounted for in last years figures, an increase in insurance, and a possible increase in grass cutting. An untouched sum in the investment account had a bearing on these calculations also.
Proposed by Val Garnham and seconded by Joan Muncila.

Correspondence: None for discussion.

AOB
The Tanns Lane sign has been in a state of disrepair for some weeks and the Clerk reported that a call to Breckland proved fruitful and the sign would be repaired as soon as possible. Asked if it would be possible to have another sign on the opposite side of this road and he was informed this would take place in 6 to 9 weeks. Brian Frith reported that the sign had been repaired, which was only a few days of the phone call.
The meeting also heard that the footpaths between The Beeches and the Kings Head had been trimmed again.
Jan Tate reported that there were signs of what appeared to be foul water near to The Old Cherry Tree. The clerk to contact Mr Grimley at Breckland about this matter and to follow up the progress of enquiries of proposed sewerage scheme.
The Chairman asked if Mr Baskerville could be contacted by letter regarding any progress regarding a weight limit for the village.
Brian Frith asked if future Council meetings could be fixed and the following were agreed:
Wednesday 16/3/2005
Wednesday 11/5/2005
Open Meeting Wednesday 18/5/2005
AGM Wednesday 20/7/2005
Wednesday 21/9/2005
Wednesday 16/11/2005

Date and time of next meeting: 7.3Opm Wednesday 19^th January 2005 at the Methodist Schoolroom.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.35pm.