Jan PC Mins

HUNSDON PARISH COUNCIL

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Minutes of Parish Council Meeting held at

8.00pm on Monday 16th January 2012= in Hunsdon Village Hall

= Present: - = Cllr D Gibbs (Chairman)

= ; &= nbsp; = ; Cllrs D Kitching (Deputy Chairman), S Oliver, B Toll, H Brown,

= In attendance: - J Robinette (Clerk), Dist Cllr M Newman, J Ashley (PPP), Cty Cllr R Beeching, D Clark ( PP) 3 member= s of the public.

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= 7.15pm. Presentation= by Mrs. A. Thorpe ( B.T.) regarding the future of broadband within Hunsdon an= d how the government is proposing to ensure faster broadband within rural areas = in the next 3 years.

1. Apologies for absence.

None.

2. Approval of minutes of parish council meeting held on 21^st Nove= mber 2011.

Agreed & signed by the chairman.

3.&= nbsp; Matters arisi= ng.

None.

4. Reports from members representi= ng the Parish Council on outside organisations and

attending meetings on behalf of the Council

(a) Hunsdon = JMI School Governors. Nothing to report.

(b) Parish Paths Partnership. John Ashley in= formed the councillors that the Modification Order for the airfield roadways was = still being processed by HCC and had not yet been forwarded to the Government Planning Inspectorate.

= (c) Council fo= r the Protection of Rural England (CPRE). Nothing = to report. <= /o:p>

(d) Poor’= ;s Land and Stock Charity. N= othing to report.

(e) Village Hall Management Committee. Cllr H Brown informed the c= ouncil that new curtains had been hung in the hall along with 2 shutters at the f= ront.

(f) Allotments. Nothing to report.

(g) Police Liaison. Cllr D Kitching informed the co= uncil that there had been 3 crimes reported in Hunsdon. 1 Bu= rglary of a dwelling, 1 Drink Dr= ive and 1 Fraud.

(h) SHN. Cllr N Clark informed the council tha= t SHN were awaiting the publication of EH Preferred Options

(i) Dist Council. Dist Cllr Newman outlined that = there had been changes to the business tax relief for rural pubs, petrol station= s and village halls. It is thought that it could affect Hunsdon. Grants, at EH= , had been rationalised and organised into 3 specific categories. Major=3D £2k plus, Minor=3D under £2k and Revenue.

(j) Cty Council. Cty Cllr Beeching informed the council that the planning applicatio= n for Pot Hole Quarry had been refused. NHS reorganisation was to take place. A survey had taken place asking local residents within East Herts about their level of satisfaction with HCC. 79 % were satisfied. This was higher than the national average of 73%. The financial= objectives for HCC were outlined as a. freezing council tax. b. pay off debts as far as possible. c. save for a more difficult time ahead. d. Keep level of spending on roads, schools, localit= ies and key projects.

5. Parish Plan. Cllr B Toll stated that there had been no update from HASTOE.

6. Village Infrastructure.

= ; (a). Broadband. B Toll agreed to correlate the information needed with the clerk for Mrs.A.Thorpe concerning = parishioners= ’ technical problems. The “demand stimulation” form online would= be publicised to residents asking them = = to complete .The PC needs to make direct representations to Stuart Campbell of Herts CC to ensure that the &n= bsp; community is treated as a priority area.

(b) Herts Highways. 2 meetings had taken place with Cllr B = Toll and Chairman D Gibbs with Herts Highways to discuss ongoing maintenance pr= oblems and the dangerous bend at Rosella. The meetings have had little effect on = the ongoing maintenance problems in the village. Moreover, it appears that the accident record is not bad enough to warrant improvements to the dangerous bends at Rosella. It seems nothing can be done.

(c) Bus Shelter. Chairman D G= ibbs informed the council that the bus shelter will go ahead. A grant had been = recd from HCC. A contractor had been sought and the carpenter was building the shelter. The councillors agreed that it should be engraved for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

(d) Queens Diamond Jubilee. T= he councillors agreed on a village party to be held on the Playing Field. The= date would be finalised after ensuring that it would not clash with surrounding= villages’ celebrations. The clerk will also speak to the school with regards to the children receiving a commemorative souvenir from the Village. It was agreed that a flagpole would be erected in front of the Village Hall. It was agreed that the Parish Council would fund a flagpole to be er= ected in front of the Village Hall, subject to Planning Permission being granted= and the approval of the Village Hall Trustees.

= (e). Green Team Growing Committee. This team had volunteered its service= s to help with the any commemorative garden or planting that the village wished= to do for either the Olympics or the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The cllrs would consider this proposal further.

7. Planning

i. &= nbsp; Decision by EH= DC Development Control on earlier applications.

i. The Pump House. 16 High Stree= t. Internal alterations. Granted.

ii. New Applicatio= ns:

i. Development of 16 houses Acorn Street Hunsdon.

= Councillors have been asked to identity specific improvements they wish to make in the village that could be funded by &nbs= p; Sect= ion 106 Agreement from the Development in Acorn Street. A list will be drawn up and sent t= o Mr. M Plummer, &nbs= p; Planning Officer.

The Parish Co= uncil’s representation for all planning applications is available on the village website.

= 8. Finance= .

= (a.) Accounts approved for payment. The proposed spend was agreed. Ch= qs signed by H Brown and S Oliver

Clerk’s salary for Jan 2012	£296.10
St Albans Dio= cesan ( Rent for Playing field and Tennis court	£162.50
Cash for litter pickers wages	£150.00
Petty Cash	£30.00
V Patel (shop initiative Jan- Mar) Section 137	£80.00
VOTY sign post plaques	£96.00
Remembrance day traffic signs	£40.00
D Gibbs ( expenses)	£56.87
Hunsdon donation to Village News Section 137	£60.00

= =

= 9. Correspondence.

None recd.

10.= Any other business= .

&= nbsp;           &nb= sp;            New Computer= . The Councillors agreed t= hat a new computer for the solo use of the Parish Council would         =             &n= bsp;             =              =      be purchased. The clerk is to ask for Mr. J Felstead’s assistance in th= e set up.

&= nbsp;           &nb= sp;            Waste Transfer site. Cllr= N Clark asked for an update on the environmental and planning issues regardi= ng this site.      &= nbsp;           &nb= sp;       The clerk will contact East Herts.

&= nbsp;           &nb= sp;            Digital switch o= ver. Cllr B Toll was concerned that some residents may be vulnerable to con art= ists/scammers in the       = ;          next few months. An article will be written in the Village news to warn residen= s to be aware.

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   <= /span>   Meeting closed at 10.0= 0pm

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Minutes are always available on the village web sit= e - www.hunsdon.org.uk .