Draft Minutes of the most recent Council Meeting

Minutes of meetings held 15 and 21 February, having been circulated were taken as read, agreed by Councillors, and signed by Councillor T Farmer acting as chairman.

Following the resignation of chairman Councillor Edwards, and subsequent co-option of Councillor Worth, the committee nominated and seconded Councillor Mrs Roberts as chairman. Councillor Mrs Roberts signed the declaration of acceptance of office in the register, and took the chair for the meeting.

a   Councillor Farmer will attend the county surveyor's open day on March 28^th

b   The clerk has referred planning application BDB47045 67 Penwood Heights, back to the district council to investigate the original tree preservation order and impact on surroundings. No further correspondence has been received.

c   The fence at "Byeways" has been reported to the district council. To date no further correspondence has been received.

Councillor Hedgeland reported that Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council have currently in place a program to "Study the routes children take to school" in which he is participating.

He advised the committee that "Woodside" in Pantings Lane had been bought by Thames Vale developers. BDBC had looked at trees on the Tubbs Lane boundary to determine if a preservation order could be applied. The trees were however deceased and have now been removed. The clerk advised the council that she had written to Thames Vale requesting that current hedges be retained.

The following correspondence has been received

a   Details from HAPTC of 2 grants available. A Nature Biodiversity Grant and an Arts Grant. The clerk will keep details on file.

b   An invitation to submit projects for Basingstoke and Deane Design Awards including "Best Environmental Improvement scheme", with copy of brochure.

This brochure is being circulated amongst councillors for consideration. The Church wall was thought to be a possibility.

c   Advice from BDBC of "Public Participation" committee meetings.

d   Notice from Hampshire Constabulary of change of policing services for our area from Andover Division to Basingstoke division, but still through local policing from the Police Station at Whitchurch.

e   A request for payment of £75.07 for neighbourhood watch signs at Penwood. This had already been agreed for payment at February meeting.

f   Notice of closure of footpath no 5 finally received.

g   An invitation to the chairman to attend the Mayor of Basingstoke's Charity Ball on April 7^th.

h   An invitation for a representative to attend a "Reception for Parish Councils" in The Great Hall , Winchester on Thursday 23^rd March.

The following planning applications were considered:

BDB/47068 Single storey utility extension

Wayside Cottage,Andover Road, Washwater.

NO OBJECTION

A previous application had been refused, but councillors felt this was much improved and therefore had no objection

BDB/47191 Renewal, Extension to form showroom

Curridge Car Sales, Andover Road, Washwater.

OBJECTION

Amendments to the first application to provide a rear access to a workshop did not appear on this current application and this needs to be clarified. New plans should be submitted to reflect new road layout. Councillors require a legal obligation to plant and maintain hedges. All councillors felt this would be detrimental to the surrounding residential area

BDB/47241 Outline planning permission one house with detached garage

Briarwood, Andover Road, Highclere

OBJECTION

Councillors queried that the land was totally within the domestic curtilage as agricultural buildings used previously to house calves and currently housing lambs will have to be demolished. Although plan supplied shows a straight road, it is in fact a very difficult access on a blind gradual bend. If agricultural use is lost there is concern for future backfilling.

BDB/47299 Renewal, Outline planning permission one new dwelling

24 Penwood Heights

OBJECTION

Councillors felt this was an over-development of the plot and that not sufficient parking space within the boundary of the land had been identified.

BDB/47307 Outline planning permission for removal of existing dwelling and construction of 4 new dwellings.

STRONG OBJECTION

Half Acre, Tubbs Lane, Highclere

Councillors considered this to be over-development of the site and that the objections and reasons for refusal of the previous application BDB45701 still apply. The plot is considered overcrowded and will suffer vehicle congestion.

BASINGSTOKE AND DEANE LOCAL PLAN REVIEW

PENWOOD A meeting took place on 29 February between the management committee and officers of B.D.B.C and H.C.C. The cause of the damp has now been identified as water ingress from broken guttering. When the guttering is repaired the council surveyor will inspect, and if satisfied a grant may be available

HIGHCLERE The A.G.M. will be held on 26^th March. There will be a drive to increase attendance and attract more members.

The format of a financial statement was agreed. It will be available for Councillors to see the up-to-date financial position on demand at each meeting .

The council approved that the sum of £122.50 be spent to have loose-leaf minutes from 1977 to 1995 bound into 4 volumes. They will then be deposited together with the earlier minutes in the archives at Winchester

The council approved that the sum of £878.00 plus V.A.T. be spent on a new photocopier. In the current financial position however a cash flow problem could result until the V.A.T. had been reclaimed. The clerk would investigate the possibility of obtaining "trade" credit.

The clerk had sought and received written confirmation form HAPTC that although under vested powers, it may provide financial assistance towards cemetery maintenance, it did not have a duty to do so.

For this current financial year (ending 31 March 2000) the council has no surplus of funds to add to the donation of £400 already given, (£300 for sundial restoration and £100 towards mowing costs). For the financial year from 01 April 2000 until 31 March 2001 any donations towards cemetery maintenance would still have to be subject to funds being available.

The precept for the year 01 April 2001 up to 31 March 2002 will be determined in November 2000. A written resolution was presented and moved that the P.C.C. provide each November an estimate for Cemetery maintenance. The resolution was amended to be based on 4 mowings per year. This will be examined by the Council and if the figure is agreed, will be included in the precept for each year. The money can then be paid in installments to the P.C.C. The council believed that this arrangement would prove satisfactory. The amended resolution was passed.

Finally the Council extended an invitation to a representative of the P.C.C. to give a talk at the Annual Parish Meeting on 3 April so that increases in the precept for 2001/2002 could be put into context. The clerk will write to the P.C.C. to advise the council's decision and extend the invitation.

The agenda was finalised allowing for input from the P.C.C. as discussed in item 42/00 above. Also on the agenda are Highclere Village Website, and Tree Wardens, and talk on "Traffic Calming" by H.C.C.

The chairman stated that in "The Chairman's Report" she wished to explain to the assembly the possibilities of increasing the numbers of councillors and of the parish becoming 2 individual wards. She would also talk about how the council arrived at the precept figure.

It was decided to have the refreshment break before the talk on traffic calming.

A quotation of £150 for supplying and serving a finger buffet was received from Mrs E Edwards. The council approved the quotation.

It was considered that the Highclere Parish Society might display the photographs and information they had collected in their "project 2000"

It was reported that traffic noise on the A343 was still a problem, and the clerk would write to Mr S Goodall requesting that the road be re-surfaced.

W Bendle £92.00, C Corrall £92.00, Highclere V.H.£20.00 and £5.00,

M McQuillen £637.53, HAPTC £173.00, HAPTC publications £120.70,

S Roberts £17.04, J Pearson £75.07,

There were two candidates, Mr J Pearson and Mr I Davidson, for the casual vacancies which had occurred following the resignations of Mr B Gibbon and Mr M Harwood. Both candidates were adopted and the vacancies filled by a single composite resolution. Mr J Pearson signed the declaration of acceptance of office register. Mr I Davidson who was not present at the meeting will be contacted by the clerk.

There was general discussion on photocopiers and re-surfacing the A343.

An observation made that the land at Half Acre adjoined the land at Westfields.

A representative of the Parish Society agreed to display their "Project 2000"

A parishioner stated that he was still not clear what decision had been reached on Cemetery maintenance. The written resolution passed in minute 42/00 was shown to him, and the amendment explained by the chairman.

It was reported by the neighbourhood watch coordinator that more sheep had been killed by attacks from dogs.