Monthly Meeting
Monday 7 April, 2003, 8.00pm – at
Tiddington Village Hall
Present: Mr J Nowell-Smith (Chairman) Mr K
Field, Mr I Malin, Mr G Morrish, Mr A Stratton, Mr W Tremayne and Mr C Neail
(District Councillor). Miss S Gibbins (ORCC) and two members of the public
attended for parts of the meeting.
1.
Apologies
Mrs A Purse.
1.
Approval of previously circulated minutes
Previously circulated minutes were approved and
signed.
1.
Affordable Housing in Rural Areas
Miss Suzanne Gibbins, Rural Housing Enabler for ORCC,
described the concept of affordable housing – rented or shared ownership
provided for those who can prove local connections, are on the District
Council’s Housing Register and who cannot afford to rent or buy on the open
market. Land made available may be an exception site which would not normally
get planning permission and whose value would be for its original use. Other
land would be bought at a little above agricultural use value. Houses are built
to a high standard and managed by a Housing Association.
To assess whether there would be a need in the
village, a housing survey would be required. Miss Gibbins will forward a
suggested questionnaire. She also stressed that she would be able to help to
ease the way through the inevitably long and complicated process.
The Chairman thanked Miss Gibbins for her
presentation and hoped the Council would be in touch again soon.
4.
Matters arising from previous minutes
a. Highway matters – there were still instances of lorries turning in the village.
It does not appear that the drains have been jetted.
Clerk to write to OCC and Mr Neail to email Mrs Purse.
b.
Freedom of Information
Act 2000 – publication scheme model code – previously circulated Clerk’s
contract of employment and job description were agreed and ratified.
c.
Road signs, Milton
Common – the request for a replacement sign on the Old London Road and a new
sign at the Sandy Lane junction had been agreed.
d.
Recycling collection,
Tiddington – SODC reported that the contractor, Grundon, had been made aware of
our complaints about throwing down the green boxes. However nothing could
really be done to help with the difficulties of collecting on the Thame Road.
e.
Litter blitz, 12/13
April – Clerk would provide sacks at 10.00am at the Village Hall. All urged to
come and encourage support from other residents.
f.
Parish Council
elections – nominations had been received from five residents and these were
duly elected without the need for an election on 1 May.
g.
Periodic Electoral
Review of Oxfordshire County Council – suggested reorganisation would move
Tiddington from the Wheatley division to the area centred around Great Milton.
Agreed that this might be more suitable for the rural parish. Unsure that there
is a need for an increase in the number of councillors for the County.
h.
Regional Assemblies
Bill consultation – SODC had responded to the Government by stating that it was
not in favour of a referendum being held in the South East.
5.
Planning matters
a.
P03/NO077 Tiddington Cricket Club – demolition of
existing clubhouse and replacement with new single storey pavilion, amendment
no 1: resiting further from brook.
Decision: approved.
b. Ash
Lodge, Oxford Road, has applied to include some agricultural land in the Parish
of Waterstock into the existing garden. It was agreed that the plans would not
be required.
6.
Correspondence
a.
SODC Community Waste
Service changes, June 2003 – there will be garden waste containers at Thame
Cattlemarket on Saturday mornings from April to October and also at Wheatley on
the 1st and 3rd Saturday mornings.
b.
The AGM of the Thame
branch of CPRE will be held on 10 April.
c.
Oxfordshire Transport
Networks Review – Halcrow is organising a second round of workshops in May. Mr
Nowell-Smith expressed an interest in attending as the previous workshop had
been very useful.
d.
SODC links with Parish
Councils - ideas for improving links are requested by the end of April. Agreed
to write suggesting improved communications through the Clerks with meetings
and a “route map” to responsible officers.
7.
Financial matters
a.
Appointment of internal
auditor – Mrs Papps had offered her services at a charge of £35.00 and it was
agreed to invite Mrs Papps to audit the accounts for 2002/03.
b.
Clerk’s salary 2003/04
– an increase to four hours per week, a nationally agreed rise and progression
to spinal column point 21, making a total of £1785.00 per annum was proposed by
Mr Stratton, seconded by Mr Malin.
c.
Tiddington Cricket Club
new pavilion – financial support. Mr Edmondson and Mr Maule presented a case
for support from the Council. This would be looked upon favourably by the
authorities who would supply grant funding. It was agreed that this would fall
within the S137 discretionary payments guidelines and it was resolved to support
the Cricket Club. The actual contribution will be decided at a later meeting.
d.
Payment of £20.00 for
membership of the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council proposed by Mr Stratton,
seconded by Mr Field.
e.
A request for a
donation to the NSPCC was declined.
f.
A request for a
donation to the Winged Fellowship Trust was declined.
g.
Payment of £5.00 to
Towergate Strovers for Neighbourhood Watch signs insurance proposed by Mr
Stratton, seconded by Mr Malin.
h.
Payment of £433.11 to
Gopak Ltd for Village Hall chairs proposed by Mr Tremayne, seconded by Mr
Malin.
i.
Payment of £136.08 to
Parchment (Oxford) Ltd for Newsletter printing April/May proposed by Mr
Stratton, seconded by Mr Malin.
j.
Payment of £23.98 to Z
M Knight for administration expenses proposed by Mr Tremayne, seconded by Mr
Field.
k.
Payment of £52.00 to
SODC for garden sacks proposed by Mr Tremayne, seconded by Mr Morrish.
8.
Open discussion
a.
Mr Neail expressed a
hope that the affordable housing project would be successful. He thanked
everyone for their help during his twelve years as District Councillor and
announced that he was not seeking re-election. It had been a privilege and
pleasure to serve the parish and he wished the Council good luck for the
future. Mr Neail was warmly thanked for his efforts over the years on the
Council’s behalf.
b.
Mr Tremayne asked for a
current budget statement as he had mislaid his copy.
c.
Mr Stratton regretted
that he had been unable to attend the cultural meeting but that he had been in
touch with the organiser and would be kept informed of progress.
Mr Stratton reported that he had attended the gang
show and it had been a good and professional production which had been much
enjoyed.
Mr Stratton asked that the Council provide further
bark for the play area. It was agreed that Mr Field would obtain a quote to be
discussed at the next meeting.
Mr Stratton felt that the grasscutting so far this
season had been well done, but could the mole problem be tackled. Following
discussion it was agreed that the high costs involved in employing a molecatcher
were a waste of money. Mr Field reported that Mr Richard Ilbery had harrowed
and rolled the field. He would be asked for a bill for doing the work.
d.
Mr Malin thanked the
Council for the opportunity to serve the village. Mr Nowell-Smith thanked Mr
Malin for all his efforts.
e.
Mr Morrish also
commented on the good grasscutting.
Mr Morrish said that the effectiveness of the Thame
Area Forums was being evaluated, and suggested that more publicity should be
given to the fact that they were open to the general public.
Mr Morrish reported that the hydraulically driven
trolley abandoned in Brookside Close had at last been removed.
Mr Morrish was thanked by Mr Nowell-Smith for all his
efforts while on the Parish Council, in particular his maintenance of the bus shelter
and his collecting of the rubbish from the play area each week.
f. Mr
Field expressed his concern that cosmetic changes had been made to laybys on
either side of the village but nothing had been done about the realignment of
the kerbing to the grass island.
9.
Date of next meeting
Monday, 12 May 2003 at 8.00pm.
There being no further business the meeting closed at
10.20pm.