In attendance: Philippa Penney, NSC Parish Liaison Officer.

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1. To receive apologies from Members for non-attendance.
Apologies were received from Cllr Ledbury (prior commitment), Cllr Howells (illness) and Cllr Lankester (prior commitment).

2. To receive Members’ declarations of interests on known agenda matters and any amendments to the register of interests.

Cllr Rawlins as owner of Cooks, Broad Street, in relation to the proposed new bracket-mounted streetlight on that building.

3. To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held 20 November 2013.
The minutes were approved and signed as a true record.

4. To adjourn the meeting for Public Participation:
There were no members of the public in attendance.

5. To receive a report from the Police representative.
No police report had been received.

6. To note items of correspondence received and requiring possible action:

Letter from Sioux Isherwood, NSC Senior Licensing Officer, concerning an application for a Street Trading Consent for Lye Cross Farm Cafe, Lye Cross Farm, Redhill.
Resolved: The Council agreed to make no comment on this application.

Letter from Mike Herbert, NSC Highways Engineer, concerning pedestrian improvement works and widening the existing footway in Broad Street, Wrington.
This was noted. Cllr Glynn gave an update on the progress of the works.

Letter from Mike Herbert, NSC Highways Engineer, concerning pedestrian improvement works to the footways in Silver Street, Wrington.
This was noted.

Letter from Mr & Mrs House, Cowslip Green, concerning the A2 bus service and the proposal for safer pedestrian access to the bus bays and stops on the A38.
This was noted and it was agreed to submit the letter to the Airport Community Fund Committee in support of the application for grant funding.

Email from Mary Browne, Wiltons, concerning a dog-fouling incident at the Recreation Field.
This was noted. The Clerk reported that a larger ‘dogs on lead’ sign for the entrance to the Recreation Field had now been ordered and this would hopefully help the situation.

Email from Adrian Woolacott, NSC Rights of Way Access Officer, concerning the closure due to the poor condition of two footpaths to the east of Goblin Combe, nos. AX30/47 and 74.
Members questioned why these footpaths had been closed but footpath AX30/05, west of Wrington, was still in a very bad state and creating considerable difficulties for anyone attempting to use it.

Resolved: To contact Adrian Woolacott querying this issue.

7. To receive the Clerk’s report.
This was received and noted.

8. To receive the Finance Report, including payments recommended for approval.
Copies of the report circulated separately.

Approval for the following payments is sought:

SSE Contracting – relocation and installation of light C2 Brooklyn £1,473.47
North Somerset Council – Dog Bin emptying, November 2013 £124.80
Greenslade Taylor Hunt – Rent for the Glebe Field, 3rd quarter £100.00
Southern Electric – Broad Street toilets, electricity for November £14.79
Jayne Hitchborn – cleaning of Broad Street toilets, November (paid) £160.00
Southern Electric – Broad Street toilets, electricity for October (paid) £16.27
SLCC – Regional Conference for Cllr Glyn, Clerk and Assistant Clerk (paid) £224.40
HMRC 3rd quarter NI and tax – to be calculated
Village Orderly’s salary December - to be calculated
Clerk’s salary December - to be calculated
Clerk – reimbursement for travel to SLCC Regional Conference in Cheltenham £65.50
Assistant Clerk’s salary December - to be calculated

Resolved: To approve the payments as recommended.
Cllr Taylor proposed approval, Cllr Yamanaka seconded.

9. To receive and consider reports from:

a. District Councillor, Cllr Yamanaka
This was received.

b. WVMP report, Cllr Robinson.
No report had been received. Cllr Robinson queried the criteria under which patients are offered appointments at the Wrington branch surgery, suggesting that it had been reported that this sometimes appears to be age-related.

c. Sports & Social Club, Cllr Howells.
No report had been received due to illness.

d. Twinning Association, Cllr Rawlins
Cllr Rawlins had previously circulated the minutes for the last Twinning Association committee meeting, with no resulting questions.

10. To receive and consider reports from Working Groups:

a. Finance, Cllr Rawlins
Cooks light, Broad Street - Cllr Glynn reported that an alternative potential supplier had been asked to quote for the preferred replacement light as the price quoted by the Council’s contractor, SSE, was considered particularly high.

b. Environment, Cllr Bigg
No report was received.

c. Highways, Cllr Ledbury
The Highways report was received. Referring to the issue of inconsiderate parking in the Triangle creating an obstruction, Cllr Robinson suggested that signage should be considered as there were concerns about the need to maintain free access for emergency vehicles. It was agreed that possible signage would be considered by the Highways Group and that the Clerk would contact PCSO Mayo to request that she monitor the site and follow up any offending drivers.

11. To consider and approve the following recommendations from Working Groups:

a. To agree to the recommendation to install carpeting in the John Locke Room, with quotes to be obtained for a carpet fitted on the tiled floor.
Resolved: To agree to this recommendation and to proceed to obtain quotes.

b. To note the Parish Trust investment and income generated and to agree in principle to transfer an amount to be agreed from the Council’s general reserves to one or more higher interest earning investment funds, with this to be a total sum not greater than 50% of the precept.
Resolved: This was agreed, with potential income generating investment opportunities to be investigated pending further discussion.

c. To agree that Darren Dyer is appointed as the Parish Orderly for a six month period, with a permanent appointment then to be discussed. This is on the basis that the terms of employment are to be agreed, with payment at an equivalent level to that agreed with the previous Orderly.
Resolved: To agree to this recommendation, with payment to be made through the existing Caretaker agreement and with an equivalent sum transferred from the Council to the Hall Committee’s account.

d. To agree that an order can now be placed with Playdale Playgrounds Ltd for an adventure trail installation on the Recreation Field, as proposed and quoted at £8,006.10, with this to be funded through S106 payments and earmarked reserves held from the Playbuilder project funding. Note that there will be some adjustment to the price related to the equipment details, with the installed price to be confirmed. Other proposals and quotes have also been considered but have not been taken forward.
Resolved: To agree to this recommendation and to place the order, subject to confirmation of the equipment specification, terms & conditions and price.

e. To agree to the purchase one additional grit bin at £150, with this to be held in reserve.
Resolved: To agree to this recommendation.

f. To agree in principle to the purchase of one additional large bag of gravel for use on footpaths, should it be agreed by the Clerk that this becomes necessary.
Resolved: To agree to this recommendation with a provisional cost of up to £65.

12. To approve the Internal Audit report as prepared and submitted to the Council by Mr Ken Richardson, dated 18 June 2013, and as reviewed and recommended by the Finance Working Group.
Resolved: To approve the Internal Audit report and to note the Auditor’s recommendations and subsequent action by the Council.

13. To note the proposed draft budget for 2014/15 and any issues raised, with this to be agreed at the January meeting of the Council following further consideration and discussion with NSC on the tax base and adjustments.

The proposed draft budget for 2014/15 was noted. The Chair requested that Members should review the budget thoroughly before the January meeting when it would need to be adopted and the Precept agreed.

The Chair highlighted two particular issues for consideration:

i. The cost of emptying dog bins was very likely to rise from the current £2 to £6 per bin.

ii. The proposed budget included an allowance for major maintenance work on the Memorial Hall, John Locke House and building, this having previously been funded through the Memorial Hall & Recreation Field Committee budget

14. To agree to use Accounting Solutions from DCK Beavers Ltd for the year-end accounts close down, as in recent years, and that DCK Beavers should prepare the Council’s year-end financial report at an estimated cost of £600 plus VAT and mileage, as previously.
Resolved: To agree to this proposal.

15. Memorial Hall – to consider requests to serve alcohol as follows:
Simon Medd – to consume alcohol at a private party to be held on Saturday, 21 December 2013.
Resolved: To agree to this request.

16. Consultations:
Bristol Airport Draft Noise Action Plan 2013 to 2018. Closing date for comments 20 December 2013.

See: <http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/about-us/environment/noise-action.aspx>

Resolved: To reply to Bristol Airport noting the detailed comments submitted by both the PCAA and by Jeremy Gall, Consultative Committee Chair, and supporting the points made in their responses. It was agreed that the Council had nothing to add to these comments, with this subject to any further issues to be advised to the Chair by Cllr Yamanaka, an extension to the response date having been agreed.

North Somerset Council Flood Risk Strategy consultation, with closing date for comments 16 February 2014. For further information see: <http://consult.n-somerset.gov.uk/consult.ti/testest1/consultationHome>

It was agreed to consider this at the January Council meeting.

17. Items raised by Members for information and for possible consideration at the next meeting of the Council.

Cllr Yamanaka asked that a proposal for a traffic island and other measures on the A38 near Lye Hole Lane, Redhill, should be considered.

There being no other business the meeting was closed at 9.15pm.

Chairman