Charleton Parish Council.

MINUTES of a Meeting of Charleton Parish Council, held on Thursday 4^th March 2004, at 7.30 pm., in Charleton Village Hall.

PRESENT were:-       Wg. Cdr. Leigh (Vice-Chairman, presiding),  Mrs Hawkes, Mr. Smith, Mr. Faulkner, Mr. Conboy and   Mr. Brown

Also present was:-     Mr. Brazil (SHDC), Mrs Raymond (Clerk), and one member of the public

1. APOLOGIES for absence were received from Mr. Hoggart and Mr. Masters (DCC).

2. The MINUTES of the previous Meeting, held on Thursday 5^th February 2004, had been circulated, and were approved and signed as correct.

3. MATTERS ARISING:-

a) The Parish Plan:- Since the Parish is not preparing a Parish Plan as such, but only compiling a document to express the hopes and desires of the residents for the future of the Parish, this will be referred to from now on as the Parish Wish list.

The Clerk will divide the Parish into areas, from the Electoral Register, and the Parish Councillors will deliver copies of the Chairman’s flier to each household, as follows:-

Mr. Smith -      from the Post Office to the top of Lyte Lane

Mr. Conboy -    Charleton Way

Mr. Faulkner -   Church Lane, Charleton Court, Herons Reach

Wg.Cdr.Leigh - main road from Sicklemans Close to Curlew Drive,

Clerk - main road from Post Office to Sicklemans Close

Mrs Hawkes - East Charleton.

Fliers will be sent to outlying households by post.

b) Street lights in East Charleton:- Letters will be delivered to each household on the main road in East Charleton asking if they wish the Parish Council to request street lights. A decision will be made at the next Meeting.

c) Traffic calming:- The reply from Mr. Halliday to the Clerk’s letter asking for further advice about means of slowing traffic was felt to be disappointing, since he was pessimistic about the availability of funding. At the meeting in May 2003 when he came to brief the parish Council, Mr. Halliday said that he would offer further suggestions after consultation with his engineers. So far, no new suggestions have been forthcoming, and the pedestrian warning signs and warnings of the absence of a footpath in East Charleton have not been supplied. The Clerk was instructed to write again to Mr. Halliday, asking him what further action can be taken to alleviate the problem of speeding traffic.

4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:-

Mr. Brazil urged the Parish Council to support the arts project Villages in Action.

5. CORRESPONDENCE:-

 6.  PLANNING:-

 Applicant:                  Ms White

Application Number:    09/0089/04/F

Proposal:                    Erection of garden room

Location:                    31 Saunders Way, West Charleton, Kingsbridge TQ7 2BS

 After a site visit the Planning sub-committee recommended that this Application be refused because the proposed extension will be on the south side of the houses, will extend well beyond the existing building line, and will limit the neighbours’ outlook/views over the estuary.

 Applicant:

Application Number:

Proposal:

Location:                      7 Lyte Lane, West Charleton, Kingsbridge

 The Parish Council decided that a site visit is necessary before recommendations can be made to the Planning Officer regarding this Application. Results of the deliberations will be recorded fully at the next Parish Council Meeting.

 The Parish Councillors felt that some form of identification might be desirable when arranging and making site visits. The Clerk will consult SHDC to ascertain if some form of ID documentation is available for this purpose.

 7. REPORTS:-

 a) School:- Mr. Smith reported that the school could have access to some funding for projects to improve the school, and would like to investigate the possibility of having a lay-by opposite the school. This would involve merely removing kerbstones, digging out the grass verge, applying asphalt and replacing the kerbstones at each end of the lay-by. The Clerk was asked to make enquiries of Mr. Halliday as to whether such work would be permitted. If permission would be forthcoming, the school governors will then make enquiries as to costings.

 b) Footpaths:- Mr. Conboy reported that there is no further news about the proposed changes to Footpath 2. There have been some enquiries as to whether the footpath along the foreshore could be re-routed to the inside of the hedge, since it is only usable at certain states of the tide. Wire has been put across the gap at the bottom of the stile in Church Lane by the land owner, so that even small dogs are now prevented from using the path. This will be brought to the attention of Steve Malek. The proposal that this stile be replaced by a kissing gate may be brought up again in the Wish List to be complied in consultation with the parishioners.

 c) Village Hall:- The repairs to the wall are now finished. The fire extinguishers are regularly checked, but the firm which has done this in the past now charge a call-out fee of £30 plus materials. Mr. Smith has located a new firm to carry out the work at merely the cost of materials, and so this firm will check the extinguishers for the Village Hall and the church.

 d) Coleridge Association:- Nothing to report.

 e) Saltstone Group:- Nothing to report.

8. FINANCE:-

 a) Appeal for donation to Victim Support Group:-

 After discussion, it was decided not to make a donation.

 b) Cheques for payment:-

The following cheques were approved for payment:-

            Cheque no. 100616, £165.48 to F. Raymond for Clerk’s salary for Jan/Feb/Mar 04

            Cheque no. 100617, £5.00 to F. Raymond for petty Cash.

 c) Closure of Annual Audit:-

Notice of the satisfactory  completion of the Annual Audit for the year ended 31/3/03 was received, and a copy of the Notice of Conclusion of the Audit and Right to Inspect the Annual Return, with a copy of the Annual Return, will be displayed in the Notice Board.

 9. HIGHWAY AND COMMUNITY;_

 a) The Bus Shelter:- The ceiling has again been damaged by persons with cigarette lighters. Ashley Hawkes recommended that this be reported to the police as it constitutes criminal damage. In a reply to the Clerk’s letter mentioning the holes either side of the shelter, Mr. Halliday said that he would arrange for them to be made safe.

 b) The Road Sweeper:- Mr. Smith reported that the Road Sweeper has been leaving small piles of sweepings on the grass verges instead of removing them. This will be brought to the attention of his superiors through the regular reports.

 c) Dead badger:- A dead badger has been lying on the grass verge at the foot of Church Lane for several days. The Clerk will enquire of SHDC as to where this matter should be reported.

 d) Tree Warden’s report on Ash tree:- A copy of the report submitted to the Parish Council by the Tree Warden, Dr. Earl, following the surgery carried out on the tree, will be forwarded to the Planning Officer.

 e) Trafalgar Day 2005:- The celebrations envisaged will include the lighting of the beacon, and the firing of 13 rockets to represent a Vice Admiral’s Salute. Villagers will be invited to suggest what form the other celebrations might take, which could be funded from the balance remaining in the Jubilee fund.

 10. MATTERS OF URGENCY:- None.

 11. ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING:- None noted.

 12. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING:- Thursday 1^st April 2004.