PRESENT: Councillors Mrs J Boulton - Chairman
Mrs M Race
Mrs T Travell
S J Boulton
C Everard
P
R
W A Storey
V Weeks
CLERK: Mrs J A Schettino
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39. APOLOGIES
FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Councillor K Pieri.
40. DECLARATION OF MEMBERS INTERESTS
Councillor Horrocks declared an interest as Honorary Secretary of the North Mymms Green Belt Society.
41. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
It was agreed that
the Minutes of a Meeting held on
Page 26 33.b) Residents Association should be Frontagers Association
Page 32 38.
42. MATTERS ARISING
a) PILLARS,
Councillor Horrocks said that at a recent meeting of the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Planning Committee enforcement action had been agreed for removal of these pillars.
b) PROPOSED
It was agreed that Councillor Everard would
raise the proposal for a one way system in
c) ALLOTMENT
JUDGING
A vote of thanks was proposed and recorded to
Councillor Mrs Travell for sourcing the 6 small allotment cups and to
Councillor Everard for gifting them, together with the engraving of one, to the
Council. Councillor Everard said he
would purchase a further 6 of these trophies to ensure an adequate supply for
the next 12 years.
Councillor W A Storey offered his apologies
for absence from the Allotment Presentation evening due to a prior engagement.
d) CALENDARS 2009
Councillor
Horrocks said that
e) METHI RESTAURANT, BRADMORE GREEN
It was noted that work was being done on the paving in front of the above restaurant and only a small area was still cordoned off to be completed.
f)
It was noted that the blue van parking near the top of the above road had gone.
g) CIVIC SERVICE
Councillor Mrs Boulton said she had been given two dates for the Parish Council to hold its Civic Service in the new year; 8 February or 15 March or alternatively it could be held one evening.
It was agreed to hold the Civic Service on
43. 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 for payment totalling £19,025.72 had been presented (and was being recommended for approval) split between £6,065.17 which had already been paid with the balance of £12,960.55 now being due for payment.
Consideration was given to a Statement of Balances held with the National Westminster Bank plc as at 23 October 2008 showing an income of £88,342.94 which includes £87,550, the second instalment of the precept.
Approval was
given to the Clerk’s action in arranging the transfer of £22,000 from the
Council’s SIBA Account to Current Account with effect from
Councillor Storey said that notification had been received from the National Joint Council that with the likelihood of further delays arising from the arbitration process, the two Sides of the NJC have now decided that the Employers’ final offer of 2.45% should be implemented with effect from 1 April 2008 and it was being recommended that the above increase should be paid, backdated to 1 April 2008.
It also advised
that the Section 137 expenditure limit for 2009/2010 will be £6.15 from
The Finance Chairman said that James Rudling had been working on a voluntary basis for the council one day per week while on his college course and was considered an asset by the groundsmen. The Finance Committee was recommending that he be offered three days paid employment during his half term holiday in February 2009 out of this year’s budget and was also suggesting that if the Council agreed, provision for paid holiday work in the 2009/2010 financial year could be considered at the next budget meeting.
Councillor Storey said that a Scribe Report for the six months to end of September 2008 had only just been received and following a minor amendment would be circulated to all Councillors. He asked all members to bring suggested expenditure to the next meeting for consideration prior to a budget meeting.
He reported that the Finance Committee had considered a briefing by NALC on the banking crisis and decided that their present arrangements for a Special Interest Bearing Account with the Nat West Bank were prudent and the interest on it, coupled with other incentives on the current account, represented a good return.
Councillor Storey said that the Finance Committee was seeking approval from the Council for the following expenditure:
·
3 x replacement signs at a
total cost of £216.80
·
Urgent tree work in Gobions
Woods at an approximate cost of £1,000
Councillor Storey’s proposal that the Report of the Finance
Committee be adopted was seconded by Councillor 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 the last Meeting of this Committee had been held on
__________________________________________________________
Councillor Everard’s proposal that the minutes of the Amenities and Building Development Committee be adopted was seconded by Councillor Horrocks and unanimously agreed.
____________________________________________________________
The following matters were discussed further:
a) St Mary’s School Drainage Easement
The Clerk reported that she had contacted the school and they had given permission for Councillors Mrs J Boulton and C Everard to survey the nursery building and its connections to the Council’s utilities.
b) North Mymms Bowls Club
The request by the North Mymms Bowls Club for a meeting with the full Amenities & Building Development Committee in the Burns Pavilion was denied. They were to be asked to put their reasons for such a meeting in writing for consideration by the Council.
c) Metal Storage Box for Football Nets
It was noted that a planning application would need to be submitted for the above container but it was suggested that the Parish Council need pay only half the usual fees for this. Councillor Everard agreed to complete the application form.
c) PLANNING
Councillor Horrocks said that Meetings of the Planning Committee had been held on 24 September and 15 October 2008, the Minutes of which, together with notes of the decisions reached and action taken, had been copied to all Councillors.
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Councillor Horrocks’
proposal that the Report of the Planning Committee be adopted was seconded by
Councillor Everard and carried unanimously.
d)
i) Gobions Recreation Ground
Councillor S Boulton reported that the signs excluding dogs from the recreation ground were missing and needed to be replaced.
e) LITTLE HEATH
Nothing to report.
f) WELHAM
GREEN
i)
Councillor Mrs T Travell reported that there had been an ambulance parked
on the new pavement opposite the shops for the last couple of weeks. It was agreed to obtain the registration
number and report it to Welwyn Hatfield Council.
ii)
It was noted that a number of trees in
g) REPRESENTATIVES ON OTHER BODIES
Nothing to report.
h) PARISH ENVIRONMENTAL
ACTION PLAN
Councillor Horrocks
said that a
44. PARISH PLAN
Councillor Mrs Boulton said that at a recent meeting a leaflet had been devised by members of the steering group, produced by the RVC and was presently being delivered to all parishioners. She had been asked to make clear that to date only £30 of the budgeted £4,000 had been spent as all services so far had been free of charge.
45. CORRESPONDENCE
CORRESPONDENCE PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED TO
1.
WHALC Minutes of a meeting held
on
2.
e-mail from Herts Highways 26
September 2008 advising of temporary closure of
3. Communities & Local Government – copy of letter sent to SLCC regarding moving the date of local elections to the same date as the European Elections in 2009
4.
e-mail
5. Hertsmere Borough Council 26 September 2008 re Local Development Framework Parking Standards & Affordable Housing supplementary planning documents.
6.
Notification from Herts
Highways regarding the temporary closure of Shepherds Way B157 in
7.
Letter dated
8.
HAPTC October 2008 – Planning
S.1. 2008/2362, new planning rules from
9.
Minutes of a meeting of
Borough. Parish and Town Councils on
THE FOLLOWING CORRESPONDENCE WAS PLACED ON THE TABLE :
10.
CAB Notice of
11.
12.
Chancellors Community
Newsletter Autumn 2008, Issue 58 – 39 pages
46. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
a) HUGO TRIM
It was noted
with great sadness that Hugo Trim, past Parish Councillor for Little Heath and
Chairman of the Parish Council twice, had passed away. His funeral will be at
b) DAVID EVANS
It was reported
with regret that David Evans, ex MP for the area, had passed away and his
funeral will take place at St Albans Cathedral on
c) COUNCILLOR TRAINING
Councillors Mrs
M Race and V Weeks said that they had attended HAPTC Councillor Training on
d)
ADOPTION SCHEME FOR
Councillor
Horrocks reported that an item in the Daily Telegraph recently advised that the
Parish Council in Lighthorne, Warwickshire would be the first village in
It was agreed to keep the information on file for future consideration.
e) FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
Although this Council has a Freedom of Information Act presently in force, HAPTC has advised that every public authority will have to adopt a new Publication Scheme issued by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) by 1 January 2009. It was agreed to defer the proposed adoption of this scheme until the next meeting of the North Mymms Parish Council to allow the recently circulated information to be assimilated.
f) BUSHWOOD CLOSE
The Clerk reported that she had received a message from Mike Storey, Welwyn Hatfield Council, who would be presenting a paper to the Corporate Proposals Management Group on Tuesday 28 October 2008, but that due to the absence of one important member, this paper might be deferred to the next meeting of this group in six weeks time and he would notify the Parish Council of the outcome.
g) ROTARY CLUB OF
A letter had
been received from the above club advising of the erection of the Christmas
tree on the village green in
The duty
groundsman would attend the morning of the 29 November at
CLERKS
NOTE: The Chairman of the Parish
Council, Mrs Jacqui Boulton, has agreed to attend the tree lighting ceremony
which is scheduled to take place at
g) GOBIONS OPEN SPACE
A letter has been received from a parishioner making a complaint in respect of dogs being allowed to roam in the above park without a lead on them.
The matter was considered by the Parish Council and although the Council’s by laws state that all dogs must be kept under control, the Parish Council has no way of enforcing this rule at present.
46. DATE
OF NEXT MEETING
A meeting has already been
arranged for
Meeting closed at 9.11 pm