Minutes of
the ANNUAL MEETING of the COUNCIL held in the Council Office, annexe to No 1
Bungalow, Bushwood Close, Welham Green on Wednesday,
28 May
2008.
PRESENT: Councillors Mrs J Boulton
Mrs
M Race
Mrs
T Travell
S
J Boulton
C
Everard
R
K
J Pieri
W
A Storey
Clerk Mrs J A Schettino
INTRODUCTION – CHAIRMAN
The Chair was taken in the first instance by Councillor K Pieri who welcomed
all members to the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council and also the Welwyn
Hatfield Borough Council representative for Welham Green, Doug Berry.
1.
ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN
Councillor
Pieri said that it was now necessary to elect a Chairman for the coming year,
2008-2009. Councillor Everard proposed
and it was unanimously agreed that the yearly rotation of wards (referred to in
Minute No. 4,
2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004
Brookmans Park Welham
Green Brookmans Park
2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007
Little Heath Welham Green
2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
Welham Green Brookmans Park Little
Heath
CHAIRMAN FOR 2008-2009
Councillor
Everard proposed that Councillor Mrs J Boulton be elected as Chairman of the
North Mymms Parish Council for the forthcoming year. This was seconded by Councillor W A Storey
and, there being no other nominations, was carried unanimously.
R E S O L V E D
That Councillor Mrs J Boulton is
elected as Chairman of the North Mymms Parish Council for the forthcoming year,
2008-2009.
ACCEPTANCE OF
OFFICE
Upon formally accepting the office of Chairman
for the forthcoming year, Councillor Mrs J Boulton signed the official
Declaration of Acceptance of Office Book and thanked all members for electing
her.
2.
ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIRMAN
In accordance with established rotation
procedures, two members were eligible to be nominated for the post of Vice
Chairman:
Councillor R Horrocks’ proposal to nominate
Councillor V Weeks was seconded by Councillor K Pieri.
Councillor C Everard proposed to nominate
Councillor R Horrocks but Councillor Horrocks was reluctant to stand.
Following a vote Councillor Weeks was elected.
R E S O L V E D
It was resolved that Councillor V Weeks is
appointed as Vice-Chairman of the North Mymms Parish Council for the
forthcoming year, 2008-2009.
Councillor Everard congratulated Councillor
Weeks on his appointment and offered his full support should it be needed. Councillor Weeks expressed his thanks for
this offer and for being nominated and elected
3.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received
from Councillor P Hastings.
4.
APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES
After appropriate discussion, it was resolved that the membership of the
North Mymms Parish Council’s Committees for the forthcoming year 2008-2009,
should be the under-mentioned Councillors:
a) Finance b) Amenities & Building Development
S J Boulton Mrs M
Race
C Everard Mrs T Travell
P
R
K Pieri V Weeks
W A Storey
c) Planning d) Boundaries
(With Executive Authority)
Mrs M Race S J
Boulton
Mrs T Travell W A Storey
C Everard
P
R
W A Storey
NOTE
The Council Chairman is automatically a member of the above Committees.
e)
Ward Committees
Membership of Ward Committees will be the Councillors elected for their
respective Ward:
Councillors
C Everard & P Hastings
Little Heath Councillors R
Horrocks & V Weeks
Welham Green Councillors K Pieri
& W A Storey
Councillors
Mrs M Race & Mrs T Travell
5. APPOINTMENT
OF REPRESENTATIVES
It was resolved that the following members be appointed to represent, or
continue to represent, the Council on the under-mentioned bodies and
organizations:
a) Hertfordshire Association of
Parish R
and Town Councils.
b) North Mymms Memorial Hall C Everard
Management Committee.
c) North Mymms Youth &
Community K J Pieri
Centre Management Committee.
d) CPRE/Herts Society Mrs J Boulton
Mrs
T Travell
e) Welwyn Hatfield Association of Council Chairman
Local Councils Vice-Chairman
C
Everard
W
A Storey
f) Welwyn Hatfield Environmental
Network R
g) Parish Charities
(Shown here for information purposes
only)
i) North Mymms C
Everard, K Pieri
H
M Trim, J
ii) North Mymms Recreation &
Charitable Trust Mrs J
Boulton
6. MINUTES
OF THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING
It was agreed that
the Minutes of a Meeting held on
Page 81 90h) Parish Environmental Action Plan,
1st line.. ‘ the steering group’ to be replaced with ‘He’.
7. MATTERS ARISING
a)
PARISH WEBSITE
Councillor Horrocks said that there had been 82
visitors, approximately 3 visitors per day since the last meeting; some from
b) ST
Councillor K Pieri
said he would try and obtain a copy of the plans linking the Nursery School
with the North Mymms Parish Council utilities as a matter of urgency.
c) PARISH
An invitation letter prepared by Councillors
Mrs J Boulton and R Horrocks had been circulated to all Councillors. It was agreed, with minor amendments, to send
the letter to local clubs and organisations inviting them to a meeting to
discuss the Parish Plan on
d) TRACTOR SHED ROOF
The Clerk said that
repairs to replace and reinforce the Tractor Shed Roof were now urgent as the
groundsmen needed to replace the stolen hedge trimmers as a matter of urgency.
It was agreed to accept the quotation from J Farenden for £8,750 for replacing
the roof and for the separate asbestos removal at a cost of £748.
8. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
a) FINANCE
Councillor Storey said that at a meeting of the Finance Committee held
earlier in the evening, a Schedule of Accounts due for payment totalling
£18,956.50 was presented and after careful consideration of each item it was
agreed that the total amount be recommended to Council for approval and payment
in full.
A Statement of Balances dated
Approval was given to the Clerks action in transferring £20,000 from the
Councils reserve account to current account as from
The Audit Return for the year ending
The Finance Chairman said that a local family had erected a horse chestnut tree
in memory of a loved family member some years ago but regretfully the tree had
died. They were asking the Parish
Council to fund a replacement tree. Following a discussion regarding the
viability of a small sapling surviving for any length of time, the Chairman
kindly agreed to donate a small Horse Chestnut to the council for this purpose.
Councillor W A Storey said the Committee had discussed works necessary
to the irrigation system on the
They had also discussed a request from a young man aged 16, known to
both groundsmen, who had written to the council requesting an opportunity for
work experience before attending horticultural college in September.
The Finance Chairman said that funds would be available for a 6-week
temporary contract of 30 hours per week and it was unanimously agreed by the
council that he should be offered employment during the summer.
Councillor Storey said that it was being recommended to Council that a
new Special Interest Bearing Account should be opened with the Nat West Bank to
replace the present Reserve account and it was unanimously agreed that the
Chairman of the Council and Chairman of the Finance Committee should sign the
mandate
Finally, Councillor Storey said that the Parish Council had received a
satisfactory VAT Inspection on
_________________________________________________________
Councillor Storey’s proposal that
the Report of the Finance Committee be adopted was seconded by Councillor C
Everard and carried unanimously.
The originals of the Schedule of Accounts for payment referred to above
were signed by Councillor Mrs J Boulton in her capacity as Chairman of the
Council.
b) AMENITIES
Councillor Everard said that a Meeting of this
Committee had been held on
The Following matters were discussed further:
Purchase of Land, Little Heath
The Clerk was asked to contact the Potters Bar
Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses to query when the work was expected to
start.
Youth Shelter
Councillor Everard said he had inspected the
youth shelter and there had been a lot of rubbish left. The Clerk was asked to contact Kerry Clare,
WHBC expressing this Council’s disappointment.
CLERKS NOTE:
The Groundsmen reported that the youth shelter
had been used by others and it was their rubbish left behind and not those of
the youths using the shelter.
c) PLANNING
Councillor Horrocks said that a Meeting of the
Planning Committee had been held on 16 April 2008 the Minutes of which,
together with notes of the decisions
reached and action taken, had been
copied to all Councillors and he had nothing further to add.
__________________________________________________________
Councillor Horrocks’ proposal that the Report
of the Planning Committee be adopted was seconded by Councillor Everard and
carried unanimously.
d)
WHBC had confirmed that the sucker growth at the base of trees in
Station Close would be attended to by the end of July.
e) LITTLE
HEATH
It was noted that
In response to a query by Councillor Horrocks the Clerk confirmed that
the staging delay of the traffic lights on the
f) WELHAM GREEN
i) Pooleys
Lane - It was reported that all verges in Welham
Green had been cut back and squared off but that this had left a hazardous
paving edge in Pooleys Lane.
ii) Knolles
Crescent - Councillor Pieri reported that ¾ of
g) REPRESENTATIVES
ON OTHER BODIES
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Standards
Committee
Councillor Mrs M Race said she had spoken to Graham Seale and agreed to
represent the Welwyn Hatfield Association of Parish & Town Councils on the
Standards Committee at Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.
h) PARISH ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
Councillor Horrocks said that the
9. CORRESPONDENCE
CORRESPONDENCE PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED
TO
1.
HAPTC
Newsletters for April and May 2008.
2.
Information
regarding the Kaleidoscope Festival
THE FOLLOWING CORRESPONDENCE WAS PLACED ON THE
TABLE :
3.
NALC
Local Council Review Vol 60, May 2008 – 36 pages
4.
SLCC
The Clerk Vol 40, May 2008 – 36 Pages
5.
CPRE
Newsletter May 2008 – 12 pages
6.
Three
Valleys Water Draft Water Resources
Management Plan 2010-2035
7.
RVC
Raffle Tickets for Summer Draw 2008
8.
Herts
Building Preservation Trust Newsletter Summer 2008 – 4 pages
9.
Isabel
Hospice Care News May 2008 – 8 pages
10. Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Corporate & Community Plan to 2021
10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
a)
EAST &
The Parish Council had received some time ago a
consultation document regarding the above becoming an NHS Foundation Trust.
Councillor Weeks had produced a synopsis which
had been circulated to all Councillors but it was felt that the questionnaire
was intended for individuals to become ‘members’ of the trust and have their
say. It was agreed that the Parish
Council would not make a response on this occasion.
b) HAPTC
GOVERNMENT MODERNISATION SEMINAR
The Clerk advised that there were still
vacancies on the above seminar on
c) GOBIONS
RECREATION GROUND
The Clerk reported that a parishioner had
e-mailed the Council with a request to remove the hedge surrounding the
recreation ground at Gobions.
Following a discussion it was agreed to reply
saying that the hedge had been planted to protect the original chain link fence
which was constantly being vandalized.
To install a fence all round the play area would cost £ 7,000 – £10,000,
however the Clerk was requested to obtain quotations for replacing the top
hedge with fencing in time for consideration at the Council’s budget meeting in
November.
d) YOUTH
SHELTER
An astonishing letter had been received from
the Governors of St Mary’s Church of England Primary School conveying their
concerns about the siting of a Youth Shelter on Parish Council land in fairly
close proximity to their school boundary.
It was agreed to respond to say that the Parish
Council made an informed decision regarding the placing of the youth shelter on
a trial basis following recommendations from the Police, the Anti-social
Behaviour Team at Welwyn Hatfield Council and the Welham Green As One group and
at the request of the local young people.
The shelter is
regularly monitored by the Police, Anti-social Behaviour Team and the Parish
Council and cannot be seen from St Mary’s School playground and according to an
article in the Welwyn Hatfield Times it has already drastically reduced the
crime figures in the area.
e) BEATING
THE BOUNDS
The Clerk said that the archivist for the
Historical Society had brought in a newspaper cutting from 1963 where it
described members of the Parish Council making a circuit of the parish
boundary. Councillor W A Storey was of
the opinion that ‘Beating the Bounds’ had been done since 1963
11. DATE
OF
A meeting has already
been arranged for
Meeting
closed at 9.35 pm