None on known agenda items.

3. Public Participation

There were no members of the public in attendance.

4. The Minutes of the Meeting held on 23rd September were reviewed and signed as a true record.

5. Correspondence

a. Notice from North Somerset Partnership regarding an event on 23rd November at the Winter Gardens, Weston-super-Mare, entitled ‘Improving our communities together – delivering changing times’.

b. Letter from Mr David Marsh in response to the Parish Council’s letter regarding the possibility of siting a bus shelter adjacent to the front wall of his property. Mr Marsh responded that he had no objection to this. However, he mentioned that the weekly fish and chip van does cause him some problems, especially with the fumes that it produces. Members considered whether it would be possible to ask the van to move to a different location, but this was not felt to be practical. The Clerk suggested that she approach the owners to see if the fumes could be reduced, and this was agreed.

c. Parkinson’s Disease Society – letter confirming that they would be donating tulip bulbs to the Parish Council again this year.

d. North Somerset Council – notice of Local Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund Grant: application for the grant needs to be submitted by 11th November and any project completed by 31st March 2010.

Cllr Glynn suggested that a simple project such as providing seats at strategic points around the parish so that residents could enjoy the countryside views would be a practical option, in that completion within the timescale would be more achievable than a complex project. This was felt to be an attractive idea.

Cllr Berkley suggested that the Council might consider supporting a community horticulture scheme that is being set up, by providing equipment and tools. This was also felt to be a useful idea, although very little is known about this project as yet. It was agreed that Cllr Berkley would try to obtain more information about this, but if this turned out to be impractical, then an application would be submitted for seats.

e. Alcohol requests: Mendip Morris Men for their annual ‘Ale’ event on 18th December in the Memorial Hall. This was agreed.

f. Campaign to Protect Rural England: notice of Branch AGM on 14th November at the Sawmill, Tyntesfield, together with a copy of their Annual Report 2008/09.

6. Reports

a. Police Report: no report had been provided in advance of the meeting, and there had also been no contact from PC Tacchi.

b. Clerk’s Report & Finance Report

Both reports had been circulated previously, together with the accounts for September. The Clerk’s report included information on the Old Hill barrier, removal of yellow paint marks from pavements, work to remove old picnic benches and install new ones at the Mike Bush Paddock, and a list of publications and items of information received since the last meeting.

Finance: it was reported that the second instalment of the precept had been received during September, and the bank balances at 30th September were: Current/Reserve account £69,641.38; Capital Deposit account £7,824.62. Approval was sought for the following payments:

EDF Energy – street lighting electricity – 2nd quarter £1185.62
SEC Ltd – street lighting maintenance – 2nd quarter £638.49
Mazars LLP – fee for external audit £400.00
Scott Arrowsmith – village orderly – September £108.00
Fountain Timber Products Ltd – picnic benches £241.74
Cottage Garden Services – collection, assembly, and installation of £440.00
picnic benches, removal and disposal of old benches and concrete
Connaught Environmental Ltd – dog bins – August £44.00
A J Hynam - Church Walk Play area fence £398.00
Portrayal Ltd – photocopying fees £14.48
Clerk’s expenses – 2nd quarter:
postage £13.87; travel £30.65; stationery £7.34 £51.86
Clerk’s salary October – to be calculated

These were approved, with the exception that Cllr Glynn registered an objection to the payment in relation to the installation of new picnic benches, as he felt this had not been approved by the Council in advance. The Clerk explained that as the old benches were in an unsafe condition and needed to be removed, it had seemed more expeditious to install the new ones at the same time.

c. District Councillor’s Report

Cllr Yamanaka had circulated a report previously. It was noted that as part of the review of parish boundaries currently being carried out by NSC, residents of Downside Road between the A38 and Hyatts Wood Road, including Coombe Dale, will be consulted as to whether they wish to move to Backwell Parish or remain in Wrington.

d. North East Ward report

Cllr Turton had circulated a report in advance of the meeting. Since producing the report, the recommendations of the boundary review had become available, and Cllr Turton expressed concern that some residents may not be aware of the work that has been done recently to represent their interests. It was agreed that a letter should be circulated to the residents who are to be included in the consultation, emphasising the work that Wrington Parish Council have been doing in relation to the airport expansion in particular. This should enclose the responses to the recent planning application by both Wrington and Backwell Parish Councils. It should also be pointed out that Wrington Parish Council is a statutory consultee in matters relating to the airport, and that meetings are held between the senior management of the airport and the Parish Council. In addition, Wrington Parish Council is represented on both the Airport Consultative Committee and the Parish Councils Airport Association.

7. Working Groups

Finance: Cllr Gallop said that the Finance working group would be meeting before the November Parish Council meeting to start working on the precept for 2010 – 2011.

Highways: no report

Environment: a meeting is due to take place on 2nd November with John Inman of NSC.

8. Consultations

Severn Estuary Coastal Group – consultation on Severn Estuary Shoreline Management Plan Review. Cllr Glynn said he would probably be attending one of the presentations on this.

9. Wrington Vale Medical Practice

Cllr Robinson reported that a meeting had taken place with two members of Churchill Parish Council to exchange views on the proposed relocation of the surgery. It had been made clear that Churchill Parish Council would be prepared to make additional land available to enable the existing Churchill surgery to expand if necessary and to lengthen the term of the lease, and they are supportive of the concept of maintaining a surgery in both communities.

Consultation Reference Group: as this involved a confidential draft consultation document, the Chairwoman stated that this would be discussed as a ‘closed’ item, ie: members of the public would not be admitted, and the discussion would be minuted separately.

10. Regional Spatial Strategy and Core Strategy

Cllr Glynn had recently attended a briefing arranged by NSC, on behalf of Wrington Parish Council. Cllr Yamanaka stated that the Core Strategy consultation draft had been approved by NSC on the previous day.

11. Changes to Waste Collections

Cllr Irving had attended a briefing arranged by NSC on 20th October, and had provided a written report together with a document containing details of the proposed waste collections.

12. ALCA: review of relationship and membership

Cllr Glynn stated that he needed more time to prepare for this item and asked that it should be deferred until the November Council meeting.

13. Bus Shelter

The Clerk reported that she had met again with Paul Connolly of NSC to view the potential location in Broad Street. It was agreed that the information on the various types of shelter should be reviewed in detail by the Environment Group and a recommendation made at the next Council meeting. Cllr Ledbury agreed to take this forward, and the Clerk passed the literature to her. The project would need to be carried out during the current financial year in order to obtain funding from NSC.

14. Parish Plan

Cllr Glynn stated that he understood that Cllr Bigg has the matter in hand.

15. Parish Council meeting dates

It was agreed to adopt the ‘municipal’ calendar, such that meeting dates are fixed from May each year. Parish Council meetings will therefore remain as the fourth Wednesday of each month up to and including April 2010, with the matter being reviewed at the March meeting.

16. Role of Clerk

Four possible options for the future role of the Clerk were discussed:

a. to appoint an Assistant Clerk to work with the existing Clerk, with a view to appointing them as Clerk in July 2009, on the retirement of the existing Clerk, along with a new Assistant Clerk for a total of 25 hours per week.

b. to appoint a permanent Assistant Clerk now.

c. to appoint a new Clerk as in (a) above, to take on the role of Clerk on the retirement of the existing Clerk.

d. to make no change to present system, and to appoint a new Clerk on the same terms on the retirement of the present Clerk.

It was felt that there may be some difficulty in appointing an individual initially to be an Assistant, whilst ensuring that they had the skills and qualifications to become Clerk at a later date. It was suggested that it may be more appropriate to appoint a Clerk designate who would job-share with the present Clerk until her retirement, when an Assistant would be employed. The recruitment of an Assistant would overcome the present difficulties with a lack of holiday cover.

It was agreed that the options would be discussed more fully following the next Planning Committee meeting on 10th November.

17. Open Forum

a. Cllr Glynn spoke about the proposal to remove two of the trees on the Village Green in High Street. He suggested that, as The Plough is to be extended, the brewery should be approached to consider funding the cost of the work as it would improve access to the pub. It was agreed that the Clerk should write to Young’s Brewery accordingly.

b. The Clerk asked whether the Council would approve her attendance at the Regional Conference of the Society of Local Council Clerks on 3rd December at a cost of £49.00, as she had attended the same event last year and had found it very useful. This was agreed.

There being no other business the meeting was declared closed at 10.20 pm.