Parish Councillors
- Philippa Carter
- Peter Rance
- Pauline Plant
County Councillor
- Liz Leffman
Parish Clerk
- Angela Barnes
Members of the Public
- None
1. Apologies
DCllr Jake Acock, Cllr Sandy Timms and Cllr Brian Leach.
2. Minutes of the Last Meeting
The Minutes recorded from the meeting held on 8 July 2019, were approved as a true record, duly signed, dated and filed.
3. Declarations of interest
Cllr Carter declared an interest in any discussions re Ascott Martyrs Educational Trust (AMET)
4. Financial Report
Income
WODC Precept 11,291.00
Expenses
20/07/19 Zurich Insurance to 31 May 2020 1901.12 200060
27/07/19 Clerks Salary 227.96 200061
27/07/19 HMRC 57.00 200062
22/07/19 Clerks expenses 18.94 200063
08/08/19 Playdale Playgrounds Ltd 2799.60 200064
19/08/19 GCL Products Ltd 4025.00 200065
20/08/19 P Carter – Proctors 396.90 200066
28/08/19 P Carter – Hickman Bros 33.44 200067
31/08/19 Clerks salary 226.18 200068
31/08/19 HMRC 58.80 200069
Cllr Carter presented the up-to-date Parish Forecast showing the status of ‘one-off’ projects. She explained the budgeting process which leads up to setting the 2020/21 Precept at the December meeting and asked Councillors to bring their requests for projects to the October meeting.
5. Reports from County and District Councillors
CCllr Leffman reported on London Lane re-surfacing and that the new officer / contact for highways was Jamie Smith.
6. Public Time
There were no members of the public present and so no public time recorded.
7. Planning
19/02321/HHD 25 Shipton Road Ascott under Wychwood – ongoing
19/02274/FUL Little Pips 53 Shipton Road Ascott under Wychwood – ongoing
8. Matters Arising
(a) Gigaclear –
The contractors have left the village but the project is not complete. Dwellings on Shipton Rd from Vine House to the level crossing and from the level crossing to the High St are not connected. Also connections have not been installed to Church Close. Cllr Carter has asked for the latest updates from Karl Whittaker (Gigaclear) and he has promised to investigate. Connection to properties north of the level crossing have always been planned when Gigaclear work on the Churchill/Lynham section. Manor Farm and Barn have not been included and Robert Gripper has confirmed that they do want to be connected if it is practical. He has asked Cllr Carter to follow this up with
(b) OCC Grasscutting Contract – Ongoing
(c) Footpaths
Cllrs Carter and Plant met with resident Sue Richards to walk the circular path from High St, over the Ascott Mill footbridge and turning left to pick up the Oxfordshire Way and return to the village. The exact route was agreed. Various options were discussed regarding the problem of the footpath not being on the Definitive Map. Cllr Plant will contact Mr & Mrs Wickens of Pudlicote. Cllr Leach reported by email that a resident was concerned that the new ‘Private Road’ notices on Gypsy Lane would discourage walkers and horse riders. Cllr Carter understood the concerns and will check that there is an official Rights of Way notice for Bridleway and that it is visible. She reported that she has seen walkers and horse riders using the lane since the signs went up. The signs are mostly to deter inconsiderate parking (the Lane can easily get blocked) and cars/vans driving down the Lane, having mistaken if for the main road. This happens quite often.
(d) Ascott Martyrs Educational Trust (AMET)
The Clerk reported that an Invitation had been received, to the unveiling of the new information plaques on 13 October 2019. Cllr Timms would be asked to reply accordingly.
(e) Tiddy Hall
The toilet renovation project has been delayed until the Easter holidays.
(f) Inconsiderate Parking
There has been some improvement to the pub parking as there are days when customers do park on the road but this is not consistent. The latest PC article in the Grapevine has called for all residents to be considerate and not park on the pavements. The article also called for residents to cut back all vegetation along pavements so that they are not blocked at all.
9. Risk Assessment & Ground Maintenance
Orchard Security Services has quoted for CCTV at the Pavilion. The company comes highly recommended and has recently installed CCTV in the church which has been very successful. Following 2 years of repeated petty vandalism the Parish Council decided that the cost of CCTV would be less than the replacement costs of outdoor lights, benches, downpipes, utility cabinets, topsoil. Cllr Rance proposed that the PC ask Orchard SS to install CCTV to survey the Playing Field, Playground and all sides of the Pavilion for the sum of £2,142 + VAT. Seconded by Cllr Plant.
Cllr Carter updated colleagues on progress on the Risk Assessment which included the latest RoSPA report. Completed items:
- Replacement picnic bench made of recycled plastic and sold as ‘vandal proof’ has been delivered and concreted in
- Senior goalposts have been painted by football club
- Winter salt has been re-bagged and re-sited at the side of the top car park. All maintenance materials have been stored carefully at the far side of the pavilion.
- The playing field has been fertilized and the drainage lines topped up with sand
- The grass matting has been delivered and is on site awaiting fixing, which has been promised for September.
- 2 Pavilion downpipes have been repaired
- 1 Pavilion soakaway is constantly blocked. The PC agreed to ask the contractor to repair this when he renovates the top car park. (promised in October)
- Nicholsons have pollarded the large willow behind the Pavilion, thus completing all trees needing attention under the Duty of Care Survey, December 2018.
- Notice boards – advice has been taken and plans made for the boards to be replaced in Nov/Dec.
The Clerk was asked to contact the contractors Newmans to cut the hedge surrounding the playing field during October / November
10. Community Emergency Plan –
Nothing to report.
11. Transport
Buses
Nothing to report
Trains
Forewarned at the July meeting, I regrettably can confirm through the Cotswold Line Promotion Group (CLPG) Chairman, that the radically revised GWR service timetable due to take effect in December, will downgrade, if that is possible on a minimal service, the evening return “halts stopping” train, to one starting from Oxford, ie a 2 car DMU. Furthermore, a number of Worcester bound trains will no longer stop at Reading! So a double impact for Halts users will be a multiple connection journey home! New timings and any impacts on other services have yet to be published, but the drive to accelerate trains between a Worcester and London will also see some running non-stop through Charlbury!
12. Roads
London Lane Road Closure – The Parish Council has been informed by OCC Highways that London Lane will be closed from 24 October 2019 for 12 days because of carriageway repairs. Cllr Plant observed that this was during half term. It was agreed that printed notices should be put up in the shop, on the notice boards and delivered to London Lane. C Cllr Leffman also reported that OCC will be putting up boards in advance.
Level Crossing Closure – OCC Highways has notified the PC that there will be 1 night closure of the level crossing from 23.23hrs on 9 November to 08.35hrs on 10 November.
SpeedWatch – Only 1 resident is keen to start SpeedWatch immediately. Instead there are increasing numbers of residents calling for a 20 mph limit throughout the village. Cllr Carter presented the process of applying for a change in speed limit as outlined by James Wright of OCC Highways. She also presented an idea of informal signs. Cllrs voted to ask OCC to undertake a speed check using cables in the road. This is the first step in making a change in speed limit and is not costly. The information will help the PC to decide if it is worth organising a village consultation amongst residents for a change to 20 mph.
13. Reports from Organisations
(a) Ascott-under-Wychwood Sports Club
(b) Wychwood Library – Nothing to report.
Cllr Timms reported (via email) on the Library and the email she had received with regards to funding: the current extensions on the Partnership Working Agreement that underpin the co-operative working between Library Friends Groups and Oxfordshire County Council are due to expire on the 31st March 2020 following the initial Partnership Working Agreement signed on 19th September 2014 for 3 years and the subsequent 2 year extension signed on 27th September 2017 between the Friends of Wychwood Library and the Library Service. We are happy to be able to announce that we have been instructed to increase the extension for another year, taking our new partnership working arrangement on largely the same terms as before, up to 31 March 2021. We have been asked to extend our working arrangements for another year so that our new Head of Service Marian Morgan-Bindon has time to properly review how we have been working in support of our Community Supported Libraries, and to hear your feedback, before any longer period of partnership working is agreed. We would also like to thank you for all your hard work in supporting our libraries for half a decade or more and hope that you, like ourselves, view this as a great achievement. The only change is that we have been asked to recalculate costs in the funding model to ensure that they are representative and up to date. There has been an increase in the cost of staffing over the period 2017-2019 which has been averaged out at 5%. This 5% increase works out, per Parish Council as;
Ascott-under-Wychwood £30
Milton-under-Wychwood £220
Shipton-under-Wychwood £106.
Over the extra year and the first instalment would be added to October’s invoices if you were in agreement to the extension. We will be posting two copies of the extension agreement to groups via the chair or main named contact. If you are happy to extend our partnership working please sign both copies of the extension letter and return one in the SAE provided. If you have any questions please do get in touch.
The above was discussed and unanimously accepted. Cllr Carter proposed accepting the extension, this was seconded by Cllr Plant.
(c) Helpers of Ascott-under-Wychwood – Nothing to report.
14. Correspondence
WODC Planning Applications
RoSPA Report
Invitation from Chipping Norton Theatre
OCC Deddington Depot Open Day 5/10/2019
OCC National Highway and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey – Member Consultation
Post
Clerk & Councils Direct
CLPG Summer 2019 Line News & Subscription renewal
15. Any Other Business
There being no further business, Cllr Carter declared the meeting closed at 9.15 pm.
Cllr Philippa Carter (Chairman)
Date: Monday 14 October 2019