Minutes 20th February 2024

KISLINGBURY PARISH COUNCIL

Website:  www.kislingburyparishcouncil.org.uk/wp

MINUTES of the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday, 20^th February 2024, at 7.00 pm,

 

PRESENT:               

Cllr Dr J. Hughes, Chairman                     

Cllr J. Mallett. Vice-Chairman

Cllr S. Deane            

Cllr S. Parkerson           

Cllr A. Ayres

Cllr R. Harvey

           

The Chairman opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and making the following announcement:

 

I would like to advise Councillors and members of the public that under the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 members of the public are permitted to photograph, film, broadcast and report on the meeting, subject to the efficient running of the meeting not being

disrupted.

APOLOGIES – Reasons for absence to be recorded.

• Cllr Goodman informed the PC office she would attend the meeting but due to work commitments she might be late. Unable to attend.

 

ATTENDING:           31 residents, Mr C. Clayson, Mr A. Lord, Ms J. Smith, Zoe Kemp, J. Dye.

 

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS:  Both interest & nature of interest to be declare.  None

 

PLANNING: –

 

• Mr Colin Clayson. Andy Lord, & Jennifer Smith – Beech Lane proposed development.
• Applications received & plans determined.

 

• The Chairman opened the agenda planning item by welcoming the speaker & his team and explaining to the 31 residents the format for the Beech Lane planning application item.

 

Andy Lord

• Mr Lord produced drawings of the application site explaining that Clayson Homes built quality housing having just completed a development in Towcester.
• The proposed development was for 1^st homes, affordable market homes & 9 up market homes with a % of them often having the price lowered before being developed. Preference is often given to local people wit a 30% discount for first reservations by Kislingbury residents. The development would be an ideal place for the young first time buyer living with family in Kislingbury.
• Clayson Homes has consulted on the potential of flooding risk and has been assured there is no problem.
• Clayson Homes has consulted West Northants Council regarding the design & lay-out who have no concerns and Highways have no objections. It should be remembered there is a huge shortage of houses.

The meeting was opened to the public with the following concerns:

• Beech Lane & Camp Lane do flood & the 44 Spitfire Homes development have made matters worse.
• A resident whose family had farmed this particular piece of land for 400 years stated that it was a ridge & furrow field and was full of underground springs making the land prone to flooding.
• Deep concern for the safety of children as 58 houses could produce well over 100 new vehicles. Beech Lane has no footpath on either side of the road which passes the children’s play area, the bowl club, cricket club, football club & allotments.
• Concern regarding the maintenance of the ditches where the overflow from the balancing ponds empty into. The landowners are not keeping up with digging out the ditches which causes flooding.
• Residents are constantly having to wear wellington boots due to the constant flooding.
• Foul water – the village has Victorian drains which are unable to cope with excessive water. Anglian Water have already been using tankers to relieve the present flooding.

The Chairman

• The village is deeply concerned about this proposed development and stated that the PC was working with poor services from West Northants Council and landowners. It is felt that there are plenty of houses being built close by.
• Mr Clayson stated he has taken onboard all that has been said and will consult his experts once again.

 

Discussion of following planning applications deferred until next month

 

 

FINANCE:     The Clerk (RFO), J. Hughes

 

Bank Balance                              Current Account                                  £47070.84

Deposit Account                                  £1526.28

Reserve Fund (in with balances)     £3,000.00

CIL fund – Spitfire Development   £94,167.15 – 2023/2024

CIL fund – village development     £869.12 – 2020/2021

                                                         CIL fund –   Millers Close                £2,973.65        £98009.92

 

It was proposed, seconded by S. Deane & J. Mallett & resolved to pay the following invoices:

 

• A Councillor commented on how the PC accounts were presented. There was a need to expand explanations.

At this point the Parish Clerk tendered her resignation.

To Note:

• 2022/2023 External Audit

1. New AGAR forms received from PKF Littlejohn for Chairman to sign & PC to agree.

• Internet Banking:

1. All 4 agreed signatures, A. Addison, J. Hughes, J. Mallett, S. Deane, have been confirmed by Barclays Bank as able to use the internet banking online system.
2. JH, JM, SD have received their card reader, PIN & cards.
3. AA has received card reader, no PIN number and two cards belonging to another bank all addressed to the Parish office under the name of another Parish Council, but enclosed correspondence correctly addressed.
4. Clerk has both written to Barclays Bank & phoned the complaints department.
5. 20/2/24 Clerk phoned Barclays complaints team again. Contact made with David a team member who has now taken responsibility for the case.  Some errors have been dealt with.
6. Internet banking membership number confirmed.
7. New authorisation cards to be sent.
8. Still waiting for the PIN number.

• Quotes received for repairing the Church driveway:

500. Labour & materials exclusive of VAT @ £19,500.00. It was agreed to consider this quote if match funding was offered by WNC.
501. Labour & materials exclusive of VAT @ £24,950.00
502. Report from J. Mallett & S. Dean who had a meeting with H. Howard, WNC

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING:    These had been previously circulated, were proposed,

seconded and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

PARISH CLERK’S REPORT – to include correspondence & communications.

• Grants policy – reference request from J. Saynor to clarify the present policy & application form.
• Bugbrooke PC – Heygate Mills, query if another mill is to be built on the site. Concerns raised regarding another increase of HGVs travelling through the village.

1. It is known that there are already 4 mills on the Bugbrooke site.
2. It is understood that it takes 4 HGVs of grain/wheat to make 1 HGV of four
3. The reported new electricity sub-station has been installed for about a year.

• Cromwell Green & bollards

1. Clerk contacted H. Howard & J. Mallett & S. Deane had a site meeting with her.

• Clerk has applied for some advisory 20 mph signs.
• Request received for archive material. Clerk has been in touch with Felicity Dunkley, the village archivist who will deal with the request.
• ACRE – warm packs & Friendship Visits information received.
• VAS / SID speed signs:

650. S50 application @ £650.00 for the three signs.
651. 1 x rounded pole for the Bugbrooke Road planter site.
652. Siting of the Rothersthorpe Road sign.

• Anonymous letter regarding Access & drinking at KPFA cricket club.
• Complaint received regarding flooding along Bugbrooke Road. Clerk has forwarded the complaint to Cllr Phil Larratt, WNC portfolio holder for highways.

MATTERS FOR REPORT

Casual Vacancies x 2 – Notice designed for the 3 notice boards.

Allotments – S. Parkerson

• Tenant’s 2024 rent requests completed, ready for delivery.
• The North hedge needs attention. Clerk requested to contact Zoe Kemp.

Defibrillator – S. Parkerson

• Both checked.
• Circulated service being offered by a private company appears to be a scam. On checking phone number & email address, no contact available.

Grass Cutting – J. Mallett

Environmental Items including hedges & trees – Z. Kemp

• Village tree report undertaken which states that only 4 trees throughout the village need work.
• Queries to be made regarding the ownership of the cops of trees at the end of Hall Close.
• Attended a tree course and found it well worth attending.

Website – R. Harvey

Street Lighting – S. Goodman / The Clerk

Out of order lights reported:

• PL2, Beech Lane
• PL outside 4/6/8 Bugbrooke Road. To note an elderly resident missed the footpath kerb due to the darkness.
• PL close to 10 Bugbrooke Road.
• PL 58 Riverside Court reported yet again.
• PL60 Starmer’s Lane
• PL66 High Street by the Dovecote Bend.
• Clerk to check on the Hall Close concrete replacement lamp.

Village Maintenance, seats, planters, litter picking – S. Deane

• Rubbish /litter bins – Replacement of 2 bins requested from WNC 5 months ago – still outstanding. Clerk to follow up.
• Stone Wall Dovecote bend – has been reported to fix my street, chasing phone call made on 16^th February 2024 & site has been revisited.
• School Lane hedge – WNC highways has not responded in spite of two reminders. Request for Clerk to ask Allseasons to trim & tidy up.
• Cromwell verge:

1. Lydon to be chased to make good.
2. Report on meeting with H. Howard regarding posts & cobbles on the Cromwell Green & the Church driveway.
3. To note: 2 quotes have been received for repairs to the driveway:

• £19,500.00
• £24,950.00
• Annual litter pick – Sunday 9^th June at 10.00 am.
• BIG HELP – following on from the Kings Coronation in 2023 another event to be held over that weekend. App to be launched in April with more details.

Highways, roads & footpaths – J. Hughes – no report

School Liaison – J. Hughes – no report

Kislingbury News – J. Hughes – no report

Bugbrooke Medical Centre PPG – S. Goodman

• February meeting to be held on the 19^th February 2024. SG unable to attend due to work commitments.

Police Liaison – S. Parkerson

• Shed break in on Bugbrooke Road on 5^th February 2024.
• Woman’s body discovered in the River Nene now identified and reported by the police as non-suspicious.

KPFA Representative – J. Hughes

• KPFA Chairman had meeting with retained landowners.
• PC has agreed to grant aid £2,137.00 for Ascot fencing to be extended from the cricket club to across in front of the bowls club, a cameral & improvement of the gate locks.
• Water leak – Kislingbury Community Group has agreed to pay the remaining water leak debt of £1541.00.
• Future meetings postponed until the strip owners have agreed to a longer lease agreement.
• The PC / KPFA Memorandum Agreement delayed.
• List of representatives supporting the KPFA:

1. Phil Beeston, Chairman & Minutes
2. David Lawrence, Treasurer
3. John Saynor Trustee
4. Sami Tutchener Member
5. Geraint Ffoulkes-Jones Play Area
6. Jonathan Hughes Kislingbury Parish Council (KPC)
7. Janet Mallett KPC
8. Sue Deane KPC
9. Rob Lewis Football
10. Ron Cornick Football
11. James Headford Trustee
12. Martin White Bowls
13. James Pritchett Cricket

Village Hall Representative – J. Mallett

• Grant application received from J. Saynor on behalf of the village hall for a dish washer and installation costs @ £2,688.00.
• Village hall committee requests name of PC representative for 2024. Mallett has agreed to continue to represent the PC.

Neighbourhood Watch – D. Topliss

• No report this month.
• Clerk to invite Mrs Topliss to the Annual Parish Meeting to give an annual update.

Flood & Snow Warden – C. Payne

• Draft Village Flood Plan containing:

1. Actions to be taken.
2. Existing issues.
3. Reporting via the village website & monthly reporting to the PC.

Footpath Warden – P. Beeston

• Flooding concerns.

1. Before the rain this week most of the field paths were fairly dry. However, the path from Camp Lane opposite the Pocket Park gate to the activity trail at Swan Valley was still under water. The path will be out of action for most of the year.
2. On investigating, the ditch looks blocked. It appears the ditch between the fields is the outlet from the new housing.

REPORTS FROM WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL

Cllr Ann Addison (Kislingbury lead), Cllr Karen Cooper, Cllr Adam Brown

• Thursday 22^nd February 2024 full Council meeting to agree the budget for 2024/2025 financial year.

There being no further business, the Chairman declared the meeting closed at: 10.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING:                     TUESDAY 19^th MARCH 2024, 7.00 pm

                                                           

 

 

Signed: