Cllr Bigg declared an interest in WVMP as Chair of LINK, Cllr Robinson declared an interest in ‘Crossroads’ under correspondence and Cllr Irving for the Pageant under correspondence.

3. Public Participation

Mrs Lorraine McKay and Mrs Jenna Wilson gave an informative talk on the possibility of Churchill Community School changing its status to that of an ‘academy’.

Mrs Mckay and Mrs Wilson explained that the main reasons behind the school wishing to change status were to achieve greater flexibility of operation and strategic development of the school. The school would have much more choice where to spend its money and be able to buy in expertise, particularly for areas currently under-funded, such as counselling and advisor services. There would also be more opportunity to collaborate with other secondary schools in the area with similar challenges and issues and to have more of a role in the primary ‘feeder’ schools to help the children prepare for starting at Churchill.

Some of the downsides to the proposal included issues with pensions for support staff and a concern for the state of the crumbling buildings in the school and the financial implications this may have for the future.

The Chair thanked Mrs McKay and Mrs Wilson for their talk and they left the meeting.

4. The Minutes of the Meeting held on 23rd February were reviewed and signed as a true record after a minor amendment was made under the NE Ward report, correcting Mike Middleton to Mike Littleton.

5. Correspondence

a. Letter re: use of the Glebe Land and the Recreation Ground for Wrington Fairs week, 5-13th May, 2012.
Resolved: to grant permission for the use of the land.

b. Response from WVMP to letter sent by Wrington Parish Council

concerning keeping patients informed of future developments.

Resolved: Clerk to email to accept Jose Tarnowski’s offer to give the Councillors an educational session on future changes in the NHS after the Planning meeting on 29th April or 3rd May.

c. Letter re: Accidents, B3134, Burrington Combe. This was noted.

d. Email from Carol Pike, housing development officer NSC, concerning empty properties in Wrington Parish.

Resolved: Clerk to write back and thank her for this and to ask to be kept informed.

e. Letter from Crossroads Chair requesting financial support.

Resolved: Clerk to write to them explaining that the Council is unable to help financially with this.

f. Request from Wrington Pre-school to consume alcohol in the Memorial Hall on March 25th. This was granted.

6. Reports

a. Police report: a report was circulated and reviewed. The lack of road infomation and airport data was commented on and it was pointed out that there is more information on the Police website about Wrington than in the report presented to the PC.

Resolved: Clerk to contact PCSO on this issue.

The Clerk read out a list of the speedwatch locations approved by the police. Cllrs were happy with these locations but Cllr Glynn requested the Westhay Road location be located away from his home.

b. Clerk’s Report: this had been received previously. The report is available for inspection in the minute book.

Resolved: To change the date of the May Council meeting from 27th May to 18th May to comply with legislation on the date of the Annual Parish Council meeting after an election.

All Saints’ Church Wrington Tower appeal request for financial aid.
Resolved: to donate £500 to the appeal.

Financial Report:

Financial Report and accounts for December (circulated previously): these were received. The report is available for inspection in the minute book.

The following accounts for payment were approved:

Echo Irving – reimbursement of Twinning present to Villeneuve Les Beziers £34.98
Memorial Hall & Recreation Field Committee – Grant, 4th quarter £3000.00
CommuniCorp (Clerks & Councils Direct) – subscription £70.00
Fountains – Dog Bins (January) £52.80
Scott Arrowsmith – village orderly – wages for February £96
HMRC – PAYE & NI 4th quarter – to be calculated
Clerk’s salary March – to be calculated
Clerk – reimbursement for photocopying £5.09
Tom Vowles – village orderly – wages for March £104
Admin assistant salary March – to be calculated
Admin assistant – reimbursement for Microsoft Office £89.99
Admin assistant – reimbursement for postage £3.84
Clerk’s Audit and finance Course – AlCA £30
Annual subscription to NALC and ALCA £490.93

c. District Councillor’s Report: Cllr Yamanaka had circulated a report prior to the meeting and this was received.

d. NE Ward Report: Cllr Turton had circulated the report prior to the meeting and this was received. Cllr Turton reported that she would no longer be writing in St Katharine’s magazine as the majority of residents who receive it are no longer in Wrington Parish. She will now email Wrington residents in her ward with updates.

e. WVMP Report: Cllr Robinson had circulated a report prior to the meeting and this was received.

Cllr Robinson reported additionally that the Save Our Surgeries group (SOS) was now winding down and will reconstitute themselves as a monitoring body to keep an eye on the promised upkeep of the secondary satellite surgery in Wrington.

7. Working Groups

a. Finance: The finance group had not met since the last P C meeting but Cllr Glynn reported that the Council had now received an explanation from Lisa Harrington, NSC, about why the precept had increased by more than the intended 4%. The main reason being that 53 houses had been removed from Wrington Parish because of boundary changes in Downside last year.

b. Environment: The group had not met since the last PC meeting, a date has been set for 5th April, 4pm.

c. Highways: No meeting had taken place this month.

8. Proposed Barrow Gurney bypass

Cllrs agreed that a discussion on this was no longer relevant as the South Bristol Link Road is likely to go ahead instead.

9. Old Bell Court – Street lighting

The lights in Old Bell Court had still not been switched on. Cllr Glynn reported he had entered into correspondence with Phil Braddick from Summerfield developments about this issue. The lights have not been adopted by Wrington PC or NSC so remain the responsibility of the developer.

Resolved: If Summerfield developers request Wrington PC to adopt the street lights we would need an adequate contribution from them to cover ongoing costs.

Action: Cllr Glynn to email Phil Braddick.

Cllrs discussed the Highway outside Richards. A plan had been supplied from NSC showing the possible use of metal studs to mark out a pedestrian area in front of Richards. It was agreed to discuss this further in the next planning meeting.

The possible removal of the small wall currently blocking the pavement just past the post office was discussed.

Resolved: Clerk to contact the owners of the properties either side of the wall on the ownership of the wall and whether they would have any objections to it being removed. David Glynn to provide contact details.

10. Twinning visit – verbal report

Cllr Irving reported on the trip with the Twinning Association to Villeneuve-Lès-Béziers. She reported that it had been a very successful trip and they had received a great welcome everywhere they went. The Twinning Association is now coming up with various ideas for generating more revenue from funding opportunities etc.

11. Open Forum

Cllr Irving reported that leaflets have been distributed about a street party in Broad Street for the Royal Wedding.

Cllr Moss questioned why the planting had not been completed on the Rickyard Road development. Cllr Glynn replied that the developer would not be planting any more trees as NSC had agreed that it didn’t need to plant there, despite the PC’s request it does.

Cllr Phillips asked if enquiries could be made into the possibility of having a cycleway from Wrington to Churchill school.

There being no other business the meeting was closed at 10.05pm