TIDDINGTON WITH ALBURY PARISH COUNCIL

Monthly Meeting

Monday 3 November, 2003, 8.00pm – at Tiddington Village Hall

MINUTES

Present: Mr J Nowell-Smith (Chairman and District Councillor) Mr R Boughton, Mr W Tremayne, Mrs J Willis and Mrs A Purse (County Councillor)

1. Apologies

Mr K Field, Mr A Stratton.

2. Approval of previously circulated minutes

Previously circulated minutes were approved and signed.

3. Matters arising from previous minutes

a. Affordable housing survey –Mr Field, Mr Tremayne and Clerk will meet with Mrs Willers on 17 November to discuss the locations suggested. Mr Tremayne had heard that Mr Hedges of Lower Chilworth Farm had offered some land for housing in Great Milton Parish. This was confirmed by Chairman.

b. OCC Highway matters – Mr Field and Clerk met Gordon Hunt, Drainage Engineer, OCC, on 10 October and since then the Ickford Road drains had been jetted. Heavy rains during the previous week had not resulted in any appreciable flooding. Mr Hunt promised further remedies possibly spread into the next financial year and also advised on installation of extra drains outside Spring Cottage on Thame Road if there were more problems. He urged that photographs be taken of any floods that occur in the future.

As a result of the meeting with the Highway Inspector, Michael Dickerson, the island had been realigned and patching done outside the Fox. Clerk to discuss further patching outside The Garage with the Inspector.

Chairman reported two coaches turning round at the Waterstock Turn and Clerk had noticed a car doing the same. Mrs Purse indicated that OCC would be placing a sign at the turn showing access to London on M40 via Milton Common.

c. Oxfordshire Structure Plan 2016 deposit draft consultation – agreed to object to erosion into the Green Belt for housing at Grenoble Road, Oxford. Any change to Green Belt boundaries should be considered carefully and not done piecemeal as a special case. It was also agreed to object to the inclusion of a new sand and gravel extraction site at Stadhampton – Benson area.

d. Milton Common notice board – discussion took place regarding siting and a place near the telegraph pole was agreed. Clerk to inform OCC. A catalogue had been received from Greenbarnes but that from Filcris still awaited.

e. North Close parking – Mrs Willis thanked Clerk on behalf of the residents for the letter delivered to all properties in the Close. Cars were now being parked on one side of the road except for two which were still causing a problem. Agreed that situation should be monitored and reported back to next meeting.

f. Planning training sessions – Mr Tremayne, Mrs Willis and Clerk had found the sessions helpful and a training pack had been placed in November wallet for other Councillors to see. Clerk reported that Mr Field had attended the ORCC AGM and the presentation on affordable housing had been useful.

4. Planning matters

No planning matters.

5. Correspondence

a. Radio Oxford programme “Correspondents” participation invitation – Chairman reported that the Council had been invited to take part in a discussion for 10-15 minutes on air on a weekday afternoon to put forward the views of the village on rural matters. It was agreed that Mr Nowell-Smith should take part when required.

b. Oxfordshire Museum “Our Place” project – following the photographing of the village collage for the Oxfordshire Record Office, a CD-Rom had now been produced and a copy received. Mistakenly the “Tiddington WI” had been cited as the makers and this would be corrected to indicate that it was a village project. It was agreed to put it on the village website and also allow it to be put on the County Museum website.

c. Thame Area Forum will be held on Thursday, 20 November in Thame Town Hall. An agenda had not yet been received. Mr Tremayne, Mrs Willis and Clerk to attend.

6. Financial matters

a. Payment of £25.00 for membership of the Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association was proposed by Mrs Willis, seconded by Mr Boughton.

b. Oxfordshire Woodland Project donation request was rejected.

c. A donation of £50.00 to Thame and District Citizens Advice Bureau was proposed by Mrs Willis, seconded by Mr Boughton. Mr Nowell-Smith declared an interest.

d. A donation of £30.00 to South and Vale Carers Centre was proposed by Mr Tremayne, seconded by Mr Boughton.

e. Payment of £70.50 to Robinson’s Garden Care for grasscutting in August proposed by Mrs Willis, seconded by Mr Tremayne.

f. Payment of £10.00 for petty cash proposed by Mr Tremayne, seconded by Mrs Willis.

7. Open discussion

a. Mrs Willis reported that details of research done by a Councillor into better deals with different electricity companies had appeared in the Little Milton newsletter.

b. Mr Boughton reported that he would like to attend the Nuts and Bolts Training Day at Thame and it was agreed to pay from Council funds when the invoice is received.

Mr Boughton also reported that a tree near North Close was fouling an electricity cable. Clerk to report.

c. Mr Nowell-Smith reported that he had complaints of fireworks at midnight on Saturday.

Mr Nowell-Smith mentioned that any correspondence written on behalf of the Council should be drafted by the Clerk following agreement from full council, to ensure consistency, and signed by the Clerk or Chairman.

d. Mrs Purse mentioned the serious subsidence to major roads from the dry summer and cited the 30mph speed limit on the A329. Major repairs will be required and these will have serious implications for the budget.

Mrs Purse is to attend an OCC meeting on Tuesday to discuss GM crops and Charles Bennett of Sandy Lane Farm is to present a petition on behalf of organic farmers against the use of genetic modification.

e. Clerk asked whether she should contact the Rights of Way Office to enquire how the application for the footpath addition from Well Cottage to School Lane is progressing after 16 months. This was agreed.

8. Date of next meeting

Monday, 1 December 2003 at 8.00pm.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 10.25pm.