Parish Councillors:
- Philippa Carter (Chair)
- Sandy Timms
- Mark Tribe
Parish Clerk:
- Angela Barnes
Members of the Public:
- Gerald Simper, Cotswold Voluntary Parish Warden
1. APOLOGIES:
Apologies received from Cllr Peter Rance.
2. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
The recorded Minutes from the Meeting held on 14 September 2015 were agreed, duly signed, dated and filed.
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
There were no declarations of interest to be recorded.
4. CO-OPTION
Cllr Carter reported that she had approached several parishioners, all of whom had declined. Ongoing.
5. FINANCIAL REPORT:
Authorisation of payments
Payments:
£559.66 Clerks quarterly salary Chq No.100982
£140.00 HMRC Chq No.100983
£4490.00 S Barnes Grass Cutting Chq No 100984
£123.73 Clerks quarterly expenses Chq No 100985
£71.63 WODC Commercial Waste Chq No 100986
Income:
£5.82 Interest
£15,535.21 WODC – Second half of the Precept
£44,557.96 Bank Balance
Precept Planning:
Cllr Carter presented a report on the PC’s current expenditure and income, which was discussed. Cllr Carter asked CCllr Rose if there were going to be more cuts which would affect parish councils – please refer to Item below County Councillors Report. The councillors were asked to give the setting of the precept some more thought and Cllr Carter would continue to work on this with Stuart Fox, the Responsible Financial Officer.
6. COUNTY COUNCILLORS REPORT:
CCllr Rodney Rose reported that reports on County Council potential cuts had been embargoed until 20 October when a consultation will be released. CCllr Rose reported that the Autumn statement should be released on or before 25 November. He reported that there will be further cuts – and suggested in excess of £50m
7. DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORT:
No Report.
8. PUBLIC TIME:
Cllr Carter welcomed Gerald Simper, Cotswold Voluntary Parish Warden and invited him to address the meeting.
Mr Simper explained his role, which included monitoring footpaths, one of which was the footpath on land owned by Pudlicote House. He reported that the new owners of Pudlicote House are keen to be reasonable about public access to their land but are no longer willing to allow walkers to turn eastwards along the northern riverbank at Ascott Mill. However, this route could be opened for special events upon application to the owners. They will turn a blind eye to walkers turning westwards along the northern riverbank in order to complete the circular walk back to Ascott, but this will remain an unofficial footpath. The public footpath running north to join the Oxfordshire Way will remain open and Mr Simper has explained to the owners that it should be maintained it at all times.
Mr Simper also reported that he was working closely with state schools in providing education about his role. He reported that there were approximately 50 to 60 walks throughout Ascott. Mr Simper was asked if his role covered stone walling. He explained that although he did not do this personally there could potentially be some funding for this. Cllr Carter reported on the state of the stone wall around the Pound. Mr Simper agreed to look into this and feed back to the Clerk.
9. MATTERS ARISING
(a) Wychwoods Working Together – Ongoing
(b) Oxford Depository Service – Ongoing
(c) Footbridge by Ascott Mill – No works had commenced Cllr Tribe to chase Ongoing
(d) Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) – Cllr Timms reported that the group will be meeting in November.
(e) County, District and Parish Council Surgery – the next Surgery is scheduled for 28 November 2015, 11.30-12.30pm at the Swan at Ascott.
(f) Church Lime Tree Project – Cllr Carter reported that she had met with the Rev Abrey. The ‘Adopt a Tree’ fundraising had been successful and there had been no local objections to the plan to pollard the trees in one season. In fact, expert advice is that it would risk the health of the trees to delay any longer. Rev Abrey is currently seeking all necessary permissions and inviting tenders for renewing the footpaths. It is hoped that work on the trees will start in January or February 2016.
(g) Cotswold Rivers Trust – Cllr Carter reported that she would attend.
10. PLANNING:
15/02516/FUL
Relocation of existing access and driveway at Honeydale Farm, Station Road, Shipton-under-Wychwood – No objections
11. MEMORIAL PLAYING FIELD – RECREATION & PLAYGROUND
(a) Replacement Sign – Ongoing
(b) Trellis – Ongoing
(c) Handrail – Ongoing
Timing of installation of all the above will depend on the decisions about the drainage project.
12. SPORT ENGLAND – DRAINAGE:
Cllr Carter reported that numerous parishioners had extended their thanks for the recent public consultation meeting. This had proved very informative. The final plan, cost and grant funding will be discussed at the November PC meeting.
13. ROADS:
(a) London Road South (Charlbury) private garden pond Mrs Beveridge
This will continue to be monitored.
(b) Standing water on the Shipton Road between Melplash Farm & Coldwell Brook
This will continue to be monitored.
(c) Pot-holes
Ongoing
(d) Drains High Street
Cllr Carter proposed writing to the residents of High Street and asking them to monitor the drains and any excess water from them over a 12 month period.
14. ASCOTT-UNDER-WYCHWOOD SPORTS CLUB:
Cllr Carter and Laurence Mellor had met up to discuss how the Club was being used. Cllr Carter reported that the football teams continued to be active and that more storage for kit etc may be necessary.
15. COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLAN:
Nothing to report.
16. HELPERS OF ASCOTT-UNDER-WYCHWOOD:
Cllr Carter reported that she would be inviting the Helpers to meet to work on the Signal Box bed.
17. PARISH PLAN
Ongoing.
18. RISK ASSESSMENT:
Cllr Carter and Cllr Timms agreed to meet up on Wednesday 14 October to discuss and review the document.
Tree Works – TreeTech have been awarded the contract – the Clerk was asked to confirm a start date for the works.
The Pound – stone wall – Ongoing (see report above from Cotswold Warden)
19. TRANSPORT:
Buses
It would appear that the local newspapers have not published the Wychwood PCs’ joint letter arising from the OCC public consultation on their bus subsidy reduction proposals. The PC is now awaiting the OCC decision on subsidised bus cuts and this will probably not be formally announced until the New Year. The PC will then consider its response and liaise with the other Wychwood PCs.
Trains
Alan Field of GWR franchise has confirmed that from Saturday 28 November for four weeks one Saturday train will run from Ascott to Oxford and two returning in the afternoon. A publicity notice will be issued shortly. He is also expecting similar news on the Worcester Christmas Market trains from Ascott on Saturday 28 November.
His pursuit of extra stopping trains on weekdays continues, but with no positive result yet! The Cotswold Line Promotion Group are pressing for this too.
Parishioner Juliet Craig has written and e-mailed Cllr Rance on the pressing need for a better train service and has suggested a means of preventing extra cars drawn into Ascott if the services were better, and thus clogging our already strained roads. This issue was discussed and it was agreed that Cllr Rance should reply accordingly.
Railway Culvert Drainage
On 6/10/15 Cllr Rance met at the station, Dean Jackson the Network Rail (NR) Asset Engineer for Drainage over the division extending from Bristol to Worcester and eastwards. He agreed that Cllr Rance would be the prime interface to him in NR on any culvert aspect of concern, and vice versa. He welcomed our contact as NR actively want direct contacts in local communities for the fastest exchange of info should problems arise locally. Also that having taken many on site photos of relevance, his team would undertake some vegetation cutting back and clearing to ensure culvert entrances and any blockage are easily seen. That said, he explained that all culverts are taken as of major structural and operational importance by NR and he will soon have access to a database survey of every culvert on the division from NR Structural Engineers.
20. WYCHWOOD LIBRARY:
Nothing to report.
21. VILLAGE CHARITY
Nothing to report.
22. CAROLS ROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE
It was agreed that the Tree should be ordered and delivered to the Village Green on the week commencing 30 November for erection on Saturday 5 December. The full Itinerary for this event was discussed and the Clerk was asked to update and circulate accordingly.
23. CORRESPONDENCE:
None
24. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Cllr Tribe reported on the vacant allotment plots and the amount of weeds growing on them and on the common areas. The Clerk was asked to ask Shane Barnes to arrange meeting up with Cllr Tribe to discuss how best to tackle this issue.
There being no further business, Cllr Carter declared the meeting closed at 10.00pm
Cllr Philippa Carter (Chairman)