NORTH MYMMS PARISH COUNCIL

 

 

Minutes of the Annual Public Meeting held on Thursday 1st April 2010 at 8pm in the North Mymms Memorial Hall, Station Road, Welham Green

 

 

PRESENT:              Councillors              V W Weeks             Chairman

                                                            R Horrocks

                                                            W A Storey

                                                            C Everard

                                                            Mrs J Boulton

                                                            S J Boulton

                                                            Mrs M Race

                                                            Mrs T Travell

                                                           

                              Assistant Clerk        Mrs H Rook

 

 

1.     CHAIRMAN

 

The Chairman of the Meeting was Councillor V W Weeks, Chairman of the Parish Council

 

2.     ATTENDANCE

 

There were 5 members of the public present, plus eight members of the Parish Council and the Assistant Clerk.

 

3.     APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor K Pieri, Councillor P Hastings and the Clerk Mrs J Schettino.

 

4.     INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME

 

Councillor V W Weeks, on behalf of North Mymms Parish Council, welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced Mrs Helen Rook, the Clerk to South Mimms Parish Council, who was helping out in the Council Office on a temporary basis in the absence of the Clerk Mrs J Schettino.

 

He said that it was again proposed that the minutes of the last meeting – that of the meeting dated 29th March 2009 – should not be read in total by the Clerk, but in a ‘heading’ form only.  Complete copies of the minutes had been placed onto the chairs and any item could be read in full should any person present so wish.

 

5.     MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

 

        The minutes of the Annual Public Meeting held on 26th March 2009 were agreed as being a true record of the proceedings and signed by the Chairman.

 

6.     MATTERS ARISING

 

Q.   A member of the public asked if there would be an update on the Parish Plan.

A.    Councillor Mrs Boulton said she would give an update under Any Other Business.

 

7.     PARISH CHARITIES

 

        a)  NORTH MYMMS PARISH CHARITIES

         

Councillor Everard said that a meeting of the Trustees of the North Mymms Parish Charities was held at the Vicarage St. Mary’s Church North Mymms on Tuesday 16th February 2010.

 

Present were The Reverend Sally Davenport, The Reverend Steve Rees, Cyril Everard, Stephen Boulton, Keith Pieri, Jeremy Taylor, David Holford and John Potter the Clerk.  The Chair was taken by the Reverend Sally Davenport.

 

During the meeting the annual audited accounts were presented and formally approved.  A copy of the account is available for inspection. 

 

A summary of the account is as follows:

 

Balance b/f from previous year                                        £4,569.28

Dividends received from Charinco Investments                   4,573.82

Rents received from land at Roestock                                  427.50

Bank interest received                                                             2.73

Donations received                                                              424.40

Total                                                                           £10,000.13  

 

Disbursements:

Widows allowance:    3 North Mymms       £1,248.00

                                 6 Little Heath           £2,587.00

Easter Gift                 North Mymms          £     30.00

1932 Sch. 4 Application: North Mymms      £     70.00

                                      Little Heath         £     70.00                                  

(Vicars discretionary allowances)

Fees rent collection                                  £     24.58

Clerks fee and expenses                          £   156.99     £  4,186.57

 

Balance c/fwd                                                              £  5,813.56

Councillor Everard noted that during the year 3 North Mymms widows had died.

 

Q.     There were no questions regarding the report of the North Mymms Parish Charities.

 

b)         NORTH MYMMS RECREATION & CHARITABLE TRUST

 

Mr Jeremy Taylor said that at their Annual General Meeting in June last year the Trustees were again able to distribute funds to various organisations within the Parish.  The Trust’s investments with the Charity Fund had again performed fairly well in a rather precarious financial market. 

 

Again St. Mary’s School in Welham Green was the main beneficiary.  The Trust was able to help finance the various activities so important to a school but unavailable currently from Government funding.

 

Other beneficiaries included the North Mymms Cricket Club Colts for their coaching programme and the North Mymms Youth & Community Centre for funding towards the continuous cost of the upkeep of the building.

 

Finally the Trustees were able to contribute monies towards various activities in which the local Scouting Groups took part during the year.   Brookmans Park Scouts received a contribution towards refurbishment of the Scout Hut.  A group of Scouts from the Parish were selected for and received funding towards their expedition to Swaziland with the Hertfordshire Scouts.  The Trust had received lovely thank you letters in which the Scouts outlined what was obviously a fantastic experience. 

 

Funding towards camping and cooking equipment was contributed to the Silver Phoenix Explorer Unit to North Wales for their course for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

 

Finally more camping equipment and certain financial help was given to younger Brookmans Park Scouts and Beavers for their Summer Camp, again in Wales. 

 

In contributing towards these various organisations, the Trustees recognised how fortunate they were in this Parish, as by and large these recipients were dependent on volunteers who do such good work with the youth of the Parish. 

 

Q.    A member of the public asked if donations would be available to local apprentices.

A.    Mr Jeremy Taylor replied that no applications had been received from apprentices and the Trust was rarely contacted by individuals, however, it would be sympathetic to individual applications for support from apprentices.  Councillor Mrs Boulton suggested there might be a lack of awareness that donations could be made available to local apprentices and that it might be useful to have an article in the Chancellor’s News and details on the St Mary’s website and Brookman’s Park website.

 

8.     CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

 

Councillor Weeks began by saying that North Mymms Parish Council, founded in 1895, has ten councillors, representing three wards and employs a full-time clerk and three groundsmen. Being large by comparison with most surrounding Parish Councils, it is therefore not surprising that it encounters a wide range of problems in the management of its land, buildings and facilities.

 

The Chairman said he was most pleased to acknowledge the diligence with which the Chairmen of the three committees, namely Finance, Amenities and Planning, managed the diversity of their concerns.

 

Much of the Council’s activities involved enhancement of Community life, as shown by the following recent examples.

 

Thanks to receipt of several grants from Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Community Chest funds and Herts County Council grants, a refurbishment programme for playground equipment which has taken some years to effect was finally concluded

 

Severe parking problems in Hawkshead Lane due to student vehicles, is being tackled by support of the RVC’s planning policy to expand on-site parking while then penalising any students who persist in flouting the new regulations.

 

In common with other Local Councils, the 2010/11 Precept has been frozen by careful budget control

 

The Annual Civic Service, usually held in the North Mymms Parish Church of St. Marys, is organised by North Mymms Parish Council and attended by an invited congregation of some 60 or more leaders of local organisations-including County, Borough and Parish Councils. Likewise, the Council supports the British Legion in its mounting of the Annual Remembrance Service, also held in St Marys Church

 

Apart from their dedicated service to the various sports and leisure facilities throughout the Parish, the groundsmen assist the Rotary Club of Brookmans Park in mounting the Christmas tree on Bradmore Green as well as erecting seasonal lighting at the Council Office. Should the Rotary Club succeed in their current intention to instigate a Christmas tree ceremony at Welham Green, the groundsmen will obviously play a significant part.

 

Councillor Weeks concluded with an acknowledgement to the Clerk Jo Schettino, whose absence this evening is due to an injury sustained last December, she has been laid up ever since, often in significant pain.  Her recovery is still likely to be prolonged.  He said that it was on these occasions that Councillors become truly aware of how an expert Clerk constantly guides them through the official procedures but is never more missed than by the Chairman himself at such a difficult time.   However, he said that the Council have been very fortunate, both that Councillor Horrocks has had much previous experience in coping with the absence of a Clerk and that we have been able to engage the part-time services of the Clerk from South Mimms Parish Council, Helen Rook.

 

Q. There were no questions on the Chairman’s Report.

 

9.     FINANCE

 

Councillor W A Storey said that he reported last year that the Council had planned further investment in Play Equipment.  In the event, thanks to grants from the Borough Community Chest supported by the Ward Councillors for Welham Green and Brookmans Park & Little Heath wards and from Herts County Council’s locality grant scheme supported by the two county councillors whose divisions include the Parish, major replacement and improvement has been achieved.

 

He said in other respects there has been pressure on resources.  Unexpected repairs to the entrance road to the recreation ground and to some of the Council’s mechanical equipment for example, tractor tyres are expensive.  Despite this the precept has been kept at last year’s level.

 

The Parish Council’s Clerk has sadly been absent through injury followed by significant ill health. Some costs have arisen to maintain service to date. Councillor Storey expressed his thanks to other Councillors who have performed sundry admin. duties on a voluntary basis in this period especially Cllr. Horrocks who has mastered the computerised pay system and kept wage and salary payments up to date as well as dealing with invoices and preparing cheques amongst other things. To deal with the future the Council now welcomed a new assistant clerk who will I am sure help us to resolve these difficulties in 2010/11.

 

Some of these costs arose near the end of the budget setting process and it is probable that we shall need to draw on our reserves in the coming year, especially as interest on monies on deposit produces a much lower return than has been the case in preceding years. None of those with ambitions to be Chancellor encourage me much in that respect.

 

Councillor Storey concluded by thanking his colleagues and reported that even if you regard them as politicians none of them have claimed any form of expenses for their service to this Parish

 

Q.    A member of the public asked if there were any plans to replace the swings at Welham Green.

A.      Councillor Storey replied that the swings had been removed following an Inspection Report which had advised that the swings were unsafe.  He was hopeful that there would be sufficient funds to replace the swings in the future.

 

10.   AMENITIES AND BUILDING DEVELOPMENT

 

        LITTLE HEATH RECREATION GROUND

 

Councillor Everard said that following completion of the purchase of 1.5 acres of land forming the play area at Little Heath previously held on lease from Welwyn Hatfield Council, and the subsequent disposal of the adjoining site occupied by Jehovah Witness, accommodation work comprising construction of a vehicle cross over, access road and car park has been carried out by members of Jehovah Witness to the design and supervision of their Architect, Roger Dixon. 

 

The design, construction and materials were of the highest order.  Included in the work was the removal of the large concrete base, previously part of Welwyn Hatfield maintenance depot and the whole area regrassed.

 

Following completion of the construction work additional play equipment to the value of £15,000 has been installed. 

 

WELHAM GREEN RECREATION GROUND

 

New adventure play equipment has been installed to the children’s play area to the value of £26,000.

 

A metal storage unit to house football nets when not in use, has been located adjacent to the Bowling Green.  A sum of £1,000 was donated by Welwyn Hatfield Community Chest. 

 

The shelter erected at the recreation ground to accommodate and provide a meeting place for local young people has been subjected to fire damage last year. 

 

Fire damage has also been caused to the tennis court and a concrete litter bin destroyed. 

 

Following a call by the Clerk for a Police presence a number of visits have been made. 

 

A new turf aerator has been purchased for work on the bowling green following a generous donation of £2,500 by the Bowling Club. 

 

GOBIONS WOODLAND TRUST

 

Land forming the Trust adjoining Gobions Open Space has been formally handed over to the Herts Wildlife Trust who have undertaken responsibility for its maintenance and upkeep.  Following transfer of the land, footpath access from Leach’s field has been closed off. 

 

Gobions Woodland Trust has donated and installed a commemorative bench seat within the Council’s Moffats Open Space with views across the Trust land. 

 

WELHAM GREEN ALLOTMENTS

 

It has been reported that instances of theft and vandalism have occurred to certain allotments which have been followed up with the police. 

 

PLAY EQUIPMENT FINANCING

 

Donations have been received from Welwyn Hatfield Community Chest and Herts County Council amounting to some £25,000.

 

BEST KEPT FRONT GARDEN COMPETITION

 

It is proposed to hold a Parish best kept front garden competition with judging taking place within each of the three wards during the summer period. 

 

The judging criteria will be:

 

-        attractiveness of front garden;

-        environmentally friendly;

-        enhancement of the overall appearance of the street scene.

 

Awards will be by way of a laminated certificate bearing the North Mymms Parish insignia.   The prize giving will coincide with the annual allotment prize presentation in October each year. 

 

BEST KEPT ALLOTMENT COMPETITION

 

The judging took place on 17th June 2009 resulting in the following successful competitors:

 

1st         George Marlborough

2nd        Mark Springate

3rd         Henry Gilham

 

As usual the competition was very keen and the produce of a high quality.

 

There was a formal gathering of allotment holders on the 29th October 2009 at the Burns Pavilion where refreshments were served and the winner, George Marlborough, was presented with the cup together with a replica suitably engraved.  Certificates were presented to the runners up. 

 

BRADMORE GREEN

 

The annual Christmas tree planning and subsequent lighting took place on the 28th November 2009, organised by the Brookmans Park Rotary.  The occasion, as usual, was very well supported. 

 

The Rotary Club are considering running a similar event on the green at Welham Green.  This land is owned by Welwyn Hatfield Council who are being approached. 

 

In closing, Councillor Everard expressed his thanks and those of the Council to the three groundsmen, Ken Culshaw, Jon Payne and Carl Whybrow for their dedication, enthusiasm and hard work in maintaining the Councils land holding in spite of the extreme weather conditions.

 

Q.   There were no questions regarding the report of the Amenities and Building Development Committee.

 

11.   PLANNING

 

Councillor Horrocks said the Parish Council planning committee has met 21 times since 1st April 2009.  They have examined 139 planning applications, which was 11 more than in the previous year.

 

They have objected to 11 applications but only 3 were refused permission.  They have commented on another 38 applications drawing attention to a particular aspect of the application.  Half of them were refused permission or withdrawn.

 

In this last year there were four consultations.

 

Last April, the planning committee had commented on the consultation document issued by Welwyn Hatfield Council on its draft Core Strategy. The options included building up to 750 new homes within North Mymms, many having to be built on precious Green Belt.

 

Welwyn Hatfield Council have also consulted on how many homes might be built on urban land in the next 21 years.  The committee have replied at length.  Councillor Horrocks noted that one of our Parish Councillors, Stephen Boulton, is also a Borough Councillor on that council’s Planning Control Committee.  He did not take part in formulating our comments.

 

Hertfordshire County Council consulted on its waste management proposals.  Two of them would affect this parish being an incinerator at New Barnfield, and some other waste handling site on Travellers Lane in Welham Green.  The committee commented at length on both. One of our Parish Councillors, Bill Storey, is also a County Councillor on that council’s Waste Management Committee.  He did not take part in formulating our comments.

 

The East of England Regional Assembly consulted on four suggested levels of new housing in the region, and the committee said that all were unacceptable.  Last November, our Chairman, Vivian Weeks and Councillor Horrocks attended a meeting on this review of the East of England Plan.

 

During this last year Councillor Horrocks attended several Welwyn Hatfield planning meetings speaking against planning applications but with little success.  Next month he will be attending a Planning Appeal Inquiry about the refusal of 14 flats at Green Close, Brookmans Park. 

 

Councillor Horrocks said it had been another busy year for the planning committee and he thanked each and every member of the committee and the Clerk Mrs Jo Schettino for their diligence in carrying out this important role of a Parish Council.  He said we need to ensure that there is a line of succession for chairmen of our various committees and he was very pleased when Councillor Mrs Race agreed to become Vice Chairman of the planning committee.

 

Q.    A member of the public asked if there were any proposed gipsy sites in the Parish.

A.    Councillor Horrocks advised that there are currently no proposed gipsy sites in the Parish.

Q.     A member of the public asked what the status was of the planning application for a Waste Transfer Station in Travellers Lane which might cause further traffic in this already congested area.

A.      Councillor Horrocks advised that the Parish Council has put in an objection regarding this planning application.

 

 

12.   ANY OTHER BUSINESS

 

PARISH PLAN

 

Councillor Mrs Boulton reported that a Steering Committee has now been set up with Sheila King, a former Parish Councillor, as its Chairman.  Three questionnaires have been formulated for residents, businesses and the youth.  It was hoped that these would be delivered in the next month to the 4251 households in the parish and also to local businesses and youths.  It was hoped that youths would fill in the questionnaire on-line.   The aim was for the information received to form the basis of a Parish Plan to help improve the lives and well-being of those living in the Parish.

 

Q.  There were no questions regarding the Parish Plan.

 

ATTENDANCE AT THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

 

Q.  A member of the public asked why so few of the local residents attended the Annual Public Meeting.

A.  Councillor Horrocks replied that a Notice of Meeting was put on the 7 notice boards around the Parish and also in local shop windows and therefore the meeting was well publicised.  He also suggested that next year invitations could be sent out to local organisations eg. police, asking them to attend.

A member of the public replied that the lack of attendance may show that the local residents were happy that the Parish Council were doing a wonderful job and that she felt sure that if the local residents had a contentious issue to raise that they would attend such a meeting.

 

THE HISTORY OF THE MEMORIAL HALL

 

Councillor Storey gave an interesting insight into the history of the Memorial Hall. 

         

13.   CONCLUSION

 

In closing the meeting at 9pm Councillor V W Weeks thanked everyone present for attending and for their contributions to the proceedings.