MINUTES OF THE MEETING
OF THE LYNEHAM AND BRADENSTOKE PARISH COUNCIL
HELD ON TUESDAY 12TH JULY 2005
AT LYNEHAM VILLAGE HALL

Parish Councillors M Petch (Chairman), K Pearce (Vice-Chairman) D Bunney, J Jardine, P Lightowler, C Pearce, I Plested, D Turner. Mrs S Copp (Clerk)

Parish Councillor D Bunney and District Councillor A Bucknell

Ms L Mitchell (RAF representative), District Councillor A Bucknell, twenty three members of the public.

The Meeting started at 7.00pm.

1. Apologies:

Parish Councillors F Ball, P Potter and T Webb, Wing Commander Faulkes (RAF)

2: Minutes of Last Meeting:

Minutes of the Council Meeting held on Tuesday 14th June 2005 having been circulated were signed as a true record of the meeting.

3: Register of Interests under the Parish Councils (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2001:

4: RAF Matters:

a) To welcome the RAF Representative - The Chairman welcomed Ms Mitchell.

b) To receive questions on RAF matters - Ms Mitchell agreed to pass on the following comments/objections: Speeding vehicles - Cllr Lightowler complained that RAF and MOD vehicles were speeding through the village; Cllr Plested asked for an update on the NAAFI building situation and said actions needed to be stepped up.

Cllr Turner complained about litter around the youth shelter due to the lack of a litter bin. Ms Mitchell said that the provision of a notice board and bin was being investigated. Cllr Turner had noted that the dog bins were not being used and suggested that awareness notices should be put up.

5. To welcome a pc from Wootton Bassett Police Station:

There was no pc in attendance but the Clerk read out a report provided by Sergeant Fortune. A copy of this would be attached to the minutes as an appendix.

6. Public Questions:

a) To respond to previous questions – There were no previous questions to answer.

b) To receive public questions:

Residents of Webbs Court found it difficult to exit from the street and asked if some form of traffic control such as a roundabout could be provided. The Chairman said the parish council had already asked for this but Wiltshire County Council had only provided a filter. There were also comments about the café customers taking up parking spaces in the street. The road would be adopted when the county council formally took over from Westbury Homes.

7: Matters Arising from Previous Meeting:

a) Lyneham Green- Awaiting further information regarding the plan of the land to be purchased.

The Chairman read out a letter from Clerks and Councils Direct which outlined the law on claims of injury brought by the public when using a village green. The advice stated that someone using an open space would have to accept that such risks may exist and take a fair share of responsibility for their own safety. However the council should make regular inspections and deal with any hazards which may be found.

Community First capital grant - The grant application has been successful and the council has been awarded £3,000 towards the purchase of Lyneham Green.

b) Village Websites - Sgt Fortune had informed the Clerk that the Crown Prosecution Service had looked at the unauthorised website and although there may have been offensive material there was nothing which would support prosecution.

c) Litter bins - Awaiting response from possible sponsors.

d) Youth Club - correspondence re. complaint - Awaiting comment from youth club.

e) Church yard upkeep - The Clerk reported that the Parochial Church Council is totally responsible for its own church yard upkeep.

8: Planning:

a) Update:

9: Highway Matters & Transport:

a) Pound Close traffic calming - Mouchel Parkman believed it was not in dispute that the brief was to design a traffic calming scheme for Pound Close, suitable for approval by the highway authority. To meet this requirement it was necessary to provide an upgrade design for the street lighting. Whilst the methodology provided with the proposal did not explicitly refer to street lighting it is implicit that this is required to complete a detailed highway design.

The council had never been informed of the possibility of upgraded street lighting and the resulting extra costs. The Clerk is to write back. Councillor Lightowler was still unable to find a contact at WCC but would continue to look. Action: Lightowler/Clerk

b) Bus shelter - report on progress - Of four contractors the Clerk had contacted only Mr Iles was interested in the work and his quotation was awaited. The bus shelter is due to be delivered week commencing 8th August but this might be delayed to fit in with Mr Iles’s work schedule.

The Vice-Chairman is to ask if the seat may be stored by the Church. Action: Cllr K Pearce

c) Request for signs on bend on A3102 - Awaiting a response from WCC.

d) Complaint re. School buses taking up residents’ access - County council had stated that this was only for a short time each day. Cllr Jardine believed that it was not allowed for access to be obstructed and she disputed that this happened for a short time only but throughout the day and night. It was suggested that the residents be asked to keep a diary of the problem. Action: Cllr Jardine The Clerk is to write back to WCC. Action: Clerk

e) Other maintenance issues - There were no other issues.

10: Play Area & Open Spaces:

The Chairman left the room for the following item and the Vice-Chairman took the chair

a) Extension/Relocation of play area: Result of residents’ questionnaire Over one hundred and thirty addresses in Webbs Court and Pound Close had been targeted for a referendum on the proposed new play area. A total of thirty four replies had been received and comments written by residents and accompanying the voting slips are included in the Clerk’s briefing document in the Appendix to the minutes. The briefing document was read out. The result of voting was as follows:-

a) "I agree with the proposed site for the new play area" 11 votes

b) "I do not agree that there is a need for a second play area" 16 votes

c) "I agree with the need for a second play area but believe the following site is more suitable" 7 votes

Total votes 34

Suggestions for item c) were as follows:-

1) Brownfield site between Pintail Court and Preston Lane - the Clerk reported that this is MOD land and not available to the parish council.

2) Green situated to left of entrance to Victoria Drive - this area has overhead cables and is therefore unsuitable.

3) Play area off Pound Close - this is the existing play area.

IT WAS MOVED THE CHAIRMAN AND RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

"To suspend Standing Orders to allow members of the public to speak"

A discussion took place on the parish council’s proposed site for a new play area as follows:- With regard to the suggestions for alternative sites, Ms Mitchell said that the brown field site between Pintail Court and Preston Lane need not be ruled out and suggested that the parish council should speak with the MOD.

District Councillor Bucknell explained the situation with regard to negotiations between North Wiltshire District Council and Westbury Homes on land for open space and on land for development and she stated that the parish council has no say in this. The parish council believes that the present play area is not large enough for older children and is therefore looking for an additional piece of land to the present play area.

Residents of Webbs Court complained that the council’s letter had been misleading and that they had not received the correct information. The Chairman apologised for this and suggested it would be more fair if the letter was redrafted and redistributed with a new vote taking place. Residents did not agree with this since the original vote had a majority in favour of abandoning the proposal to develop the land adjacent to Webbs Court and Pound Close. A resident said the council had been incompetent and the Chairman agreed and said that they would hope to put the matter right.

IT WAS MOVED THE CHAIRMAN AND RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

"To reinstate Standing Orders."

IT WAS MOVED COUNCILLOR TURNER, SECONDED COUNCILLOR LIGHTOWLER AND RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

"That the council should redraft and redistribute the letter regarding the proposed site for an additional play area, with a new vote being taken which would replace the original vote."

It was generally agreed to form a working party to draft a new letter which would set out clearly the issue to be resolved. Councillors Plested and Lightowler agreed to form the working party. Action: Cllrs Plested and Lightowler

It was also suggested that the letter include a comment from the North Wiltshire District Council to help clarify the situation.

Cllr Bucknell suggested that it might be helpful to consult residents in other areas by placing a request for comments on village notice boards, the library and so on. She also believed there was a lack of understanding where the play areas were located. It was generally agreed to post notices around the village and to provide a plan of Lyneham showing the play areas and the age group for which they cater. Action: Cllrs Plested and Lightowler

The Chairman returned to the meeting and resumed the Chair

b) Grass cutting contract and contributions - The White Hart’s grass cutting contribution had still not been received. The Chairman had spoken with the landlord again who had agreed to contact the Clerk to discuss the matter.

Members believed the standard of grass cutting had improved. Councillor Turner had noted that the tree outside the village hall required trimming.

c) Repairs to multi-climb - There was still no success in finding the play bark. The Chairman is to continue the search. Action: Cllr Petch

11: BT Proposal to re-align payphone provision in Lyneham

BT: Proposal to re-align payphone provision in Lyneham - Public use of payphones continues to decline and cash payphones are very expensive to run. BT proposed to convert one of the four payphones in the Lyneham area, the one sited at Britannia Crescent in Lyneham, to a cashless payment option as an alternative to its removal. It was generally agreed that although it would be preferable to keep the cash payphone the council would agree the conversion if necessary. Action: Clerk

12: Review of Electoral Arrangements NWDC:

Review of Electoral Arrangements NWDC - It was agreed to defer this item to the next meeting

13. Reports of Meetings Attended:

No meetings had been attended.

14: Finance & Administration

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a) Insurance schedule - Members considered the document and made the following changes:

The seven bus shelters are now owned by Wiltshire County Council;
The three sets of seats in the bus shelters are now owned by WCC as above;
The play equipment has no value to it now (Clerk to check policy re. New for Old).

The Clerk is to inform the insurance company. Action: Clerk

b) Accounts and Budget Update – The update was noted.

c) Receipt of Requests for Grant Aid - Victim Support Wiltshire requested grant aid. It was generally agreed not to support this charity due to lack of funds. Cllr Turner said St Andrew’s Church had asked for grant aid. She will pass a form to them to complete.

d) Payment of invoices -

IT WAS MOVED THE CHAIRMAN AND RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

"To approve for payment the accounts as follows:"

The following cheques were signed by the Chairman and Cllr Turner

15: Correspondence Received:

16: Allotments:

a) Water supply - An application form had been received from Thames Water and was being completed.

b) Update: Uncultivated plot - The plot had not been cleared. It was generally agreed to give the tenant until the end of the month to tidy the plot. Action: Clerk

17: Councillors’ observations & items for next meeting:

Planning enforcement re 67 The Folly - Cllr Jardine had ascertained that there are six dogs in kennels and four in the house. The Clerk is to speak with the Enforcement Officer.

Cllr Plested said that the ditch between Pound Close and the footpath had been blocked off by children, also the footpath parallel to 76 Pound Close adjoining Cllr Webb’s field is overgrown with thistles and thorns. Cllr Bucknell informed members that the hedge adjoining the gardens was also overgrown. Cllr Webb is to be informed. The Chairman said there had been complaints from Pound Close that several residents of the bungalows had seen rats in the ditch. It was agreed to contact the pest control officer.

The Chairman had found information on wind and solar powered lights which he thought might be ideal for use at the Bradenstoke T junction. It was agreed to seek information to pass to the Chairman.

Ms Mitchell asked when RoSPA undertook safety inspections of the play area since she thought it might be useful to have the youth shelter check at the same time.

18. Date of Next Meeting:

Date of Next Meeting Tuesday 9th August 2005 at 7 pm at Lyneham Village Hall.

The meeting closed at 9.05 pm