Minutes of the extraordinary meeting of Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council held on Friday 29^th June 2018 at the Village Hall

The Chair opened the meeting at 6.58pm

• Present/Apologies for absence

Parish Councillors: James Fallon, John Peters (Vice-Chair), Madhvi Saini (Chair) and Mandy Rigault.

• Internal Auditor’s Report 2017-18

The Council noted the report and agreed to consider the recommendations at a future meeting.

• Annual Governance Statement 2017-18

The Council agreed to answer “no” to statements 1 to 7, “yes” to statement 8 and “N/A” to statement 9. The Chair and the Clerk then signed Section 1 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2017-18 Part 2.

• Statement of Accounts 2017-18

The Council unanimously approved the Accounting Statements 2017-18 as submitted by the Clerk as Responsible Financial Officer to the Internal Auditor. The Chairman and the Clerk then signed Section 2 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2017-18 Part 2.

• Certificate of Exemption from External Audit for

2017-18

The Council agreed unanimously to certify the Council as exempt from a limited assurance review and from the duty to submit the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2017-18 to the external auditor, Moore Stephens. The Chair and the Clerk then signed the Certificate of Exemption.

The meeting closed at 7.22pm.

Minutes of the 2018 annual meeting of Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council held on 8th May 2018 at the Village Hall

The Chair opened the meeting at 7.37pm
• Present

Parish Councillors: John Peters, Madhvi Saini (Chair) and Mandy Rigault
Also: County Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Geoffrey Ferres (Clerk) and two parishioners
Apologies: James Fallon and Sue Lawson.

• Election of Chair for 2018-19
Madhvi Saini was elected unanimously.

• Election of Vice-Chair for 2018-19
John Peters was elected unanimously.

• Declarations of acceptance of office
Madhvi Saini and John Peters signed declarations of acceptance of office.

• Co-option
James Fallon was elected unanimously to fill the vacancy on the Council.

• Declarations of interest
None

• Minutes of the last meeting
The minutes of the meeting held on 6th January 2018 meeting were approved, then signed on each page by the Chair.

• Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting
The minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting held on 26th March 2018 meeting were approved, then signed on each page by the Chair.

• Standing Orders
The Council reviewed the existing Standing Orders and many amendments were put forward.
Mandy Rigault proposed that the time designated for public participation be increased from 10 to 15 minutes. She also proposed that members of the public be required to identify themselves before speaking and that their comments be minuted against their name.
The Chair proposed that members of the public should be required to alert the Chair before the start of the meeting if they wished to address the Council.
Mandy Rigault proposed that the limit on the length of meetings be increased from two hours to two and a half hours.

Mandy Rigault proposed that new standing orders be drafted regarding the website and she suggested that the approval of two people be required before anything is added to the website.
It was agreed that the Clerk would bring to the next meeting a revised set of Standing Orders for approval incorporating all the amendments that had been suggested. Action: Clerk

• Financial Regulations
The Council reviewed the existing Financial Regulations and no amendments were put forward.

• Code of Conduct
The Council reviewed the existing Code of Conduct and no amendments were put forward.

• Register of Assets
The Register of Assets as at end March 2018 drafted by the Clerk was approved after clarification that the new Noticeboard had not been in place before the start of April 2018.

• Risk Assessment
The Council reviewed the Risk Assessment which had been drafted in 2015 by the (then) Clerk but not approved at that time.
The Chair offered to arrange for the Council’s electrical equipment to undergo Portable Appliance Testing. Action: Chair
The Clerk asked if the Council kept petty cash and the Council agreed that as it does not keep petty cash, that risk should be deleted from the table.
It was agreed that the Clerk would bring to the next meeting a revised Risk Assessment for approval incorporating all the amendments that had been suggested. Action: Clerk

• Review of Insurance
The Clerk said he had not been able to find a copy of the schedules detailing the Council’s current insurance. Mandy Rigault offered to see if she could find a copy of the policy and forward it to the Clerk. Action: Mandy Rigault

• Complaints Procedure
The Council reviewed and approved the Complaints Procedure which had been drafted in 2015 by the (then) Clerk but not approved at that time.

• Privacy Notice (and Data Protection Policy)
With regard to data security, the Clerk said he still needed to arrange for the Council’s laptop to be protected. The Chair expressed concerns about access to the Council’s Gmail account by unauthorised persons. Action: Chair and Clerk

It was agreed that the Council needed to deal with the material currently kept at the Village Hall. It would need to be examined and decisions made as to what needed to be kept and where, and what needed to be destroyed and how.
The Chair, Vice-Chair, Mandy Rigault, Lorraine Lindsay-Gale and the Clerk all expressed willingness to help with this task.
The Council approved the document drafted by the Clerk.

• Guide to Information and Schedule of Fees
The Council approved the Guide to Information and Schedule of Fees, which had been drafted by the Clerk using the template provided by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

• Dates and venues for Ordinary Council Meetings 2018-19
It was agreed the Council would meet on the first Tuesday of September and November 2018, the second Tuesday of January 2019 and the first Tuesday of March 2019.
The Clerk said the Council might have to meet in late June to consider the Internal Auditor’s report.

• Parishioners’ issues
Peter Brooks asked about a garden waste bin for the churchyard, a matter he had raised at the Annual Parish Meeting. The Clerk said it would not be appropriate for the Council to put a bin on land it did not own without the landowner’s written permission. Action: Clerk
It was agreed the Council would pay up to £30 for a garden waste bin to be put at the churchyard, provided the church gave permission in writing.

• Matters arising from the minutes of the last meeting held on 6th March 2018
It was noted that the obstruction discussed at the last meeting and the bollards have now been removed.
The Chair reported that she had spoken to Anthony Kirkwood from the County Council and he had told her there are two kinds of Vehicle Activated Signs, ones that flash:

• A message or image specific to the individual vehicle (for example, informing the driver of the speed of their vehicle), or

• A reminder of the speed limit.
The second type can, in theory, be operated continuously but not the first type.
There was a discussion about speed data and enforcement. Lorraine Lindsay-Gale offered to make further enquiries.

• Matters arising from the minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting held on 26th March 2018
None.

• County Councillor’s report
Lorraine Lindsay-Gale presented her report.

• District Councillor’s report
The Clerk said he had received no report.

• Planning Applications
The Chair had attended Planning Committee when it considered the application relating to 37 Nuneham Courtenay [P17/S1363/HH]. The committee had approved the application in spite of the various objections.
The Vice-Chair as Planning Champion took the Council through recent planning applications in the parish.

• The Old Smithy Road: Discharge of condition 1 on application P17/S0666/FUL; Variation of conditions 4 (additional details), 6 (contamination), 7 (internal doors) and 12 (rainwater goods) on application P16/S0544/FUL “Demolish existing A1 show rooms and workshop and remove/remediate contaminated soil. Build 4 new 2 bed flats using previously approved access and amended parking layout. Retaining listed building for conversion all as previously approved P14/S2431/FUL and P14/S2432/LB as amended to incorporate raised floor level to meet engineering requirements” [P18/S1271/DIS] [Not subject to public consultation].
The Vice-Chair said he found the handling of this planning application frustrating.

• Woodside Farmhouse, New Barn Farm, Nuneham Park: Part single-storey, part two-storey rear
extension to house, amendment (no. 1) on application P18/S0162/HH.
The Vice-Chair said he had nothing to say about this application.

• 12 Nuneham Courtenay: Use of detached outbuilding as a separate dwelling house with no reliance or dependency upon the host dwelling [P18/S1123/LDE] [Consultation deadline: 9th May 2018].
The Vice-Chair said Planning seemed to think there was nothing that could be done but to approve this because it had been going on for more than four years.

• Finance

• End year bank reconciliation
The Council noted the end year bank reconciliation for 2017-18 put forward by the Clerk as Responsible Financial Officer.

• Provisional accounts 2017-18
The Council noted the provisional accounts for 2017-18 put forward by the Clerk as Responsible Financial Officer

• Consideration of draft Budget 2018-19
The Council approved the draft budget put forward by the Clerk as Responsible Financial Officer

• Payments
The Council approved the following payments to staff made by the Chair and Vice-Chair since the last Council Meeting:
• £135.59, Stewart Deakin, Responsible Financial Officer’s pay and expenses, 2017-18 Quarter 4
• £620.31, Geoffrey Ferres, Clerk’s pay and expenses, 2017-18 Quarter 4
• £135.80, HMRC, PAYE Income Tax deducted, 2017-18 Quarter 4
• Grant applications
• £1,565, Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall Committee, whole cost of constructing proper disabled access
It was agreed that the Chair and Mandy Rigault could speak but should not vote on this application.
June Harris presented the grant application from the Village Hall Committee. She explained that the Village Hall had generated a surplus of less than £400 in the past year and that the money held by the Committee was primarily the residue following the payment of the insurance claim.
The Clerk advised the Council that it had the power to make the grant under section 19 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.
The Council approved a grant of £1,565 to the Village Hall Committee, the exception to the typical policy of paying no more than half the cost of a project being justified by the urgent need for the Village Hall to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act:
• £400, Nuneham Courtenay Adult Lunch Club
The Clerk advised that this application would be deferred to the next meeting at the applicants’ request as no one was available to present it at this meeting.

• Payments
The Council approved the following payments:
• £133.26, Baldons and Nuneham PCC, 30% share of 2017 Newsletter costs
• £30, Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall, one hour’s hire for Extraordinary Meeting on 26th March 2018 and two hours’ hire for Annual Parish Meeting on 20th April 2018 @ £10 per hour
• The Council agreed to pay for three hours’ hire of the Village Hall for this meeting and instructed the Chair and Vice-Chair to sign a cheque for £30 to the Village Hall Committee.
• £60.26, Madhvi Saini, cost of refreshments for Annual Parish Meeting. The Council agreed that the Chair could co-sign this cheque, although it was to herself, as she is currently one of only two authorised signatories.

• Internal Auditor
The Council approved the appointment of Arrow Accounting as Internal Auditor for 2018-18.
As the two hours’ limit was approaching, the Council agreed to extend the meeting by half an hour.

• Playing Fields Lease
The Council agreed to defer this item to the next meeting due to lack of time to discuss it.

• Proposal to apply for a grant from the SSE Resilience Fund to purchase an emergency generator and a secure shed in which to keep it
The Council approved Mandy Rigault’s proposal that it apply to the SSE Resilience Fund for a grant towards the cost of purchasing an emergency generator and a secure shed in which to keep it. Mandy Rigault offered to submit the application. Action: Mandy Rigault

• New parish notice board
The Council expressed satisfaction with the new noticeboard, the cost of which was not yet known. It was agreed that rather than the incurring the likely expense and delay of having the Council’s name added on the outside, it could be placed inside instead.

• Proposal to purchase four new litter bins to have two on each side of the main road, for which permission has been granted by SODC Waste team
It was agreed the Council needed to know the cost before it could make a decision. Mandy Rigault offered to find out how much the four bins would cost. Action: Mandy Rigault

• Correspondence
The Clerk reported that the Council has been invited to send up to two representatives to a series of town and parish events organised by the County Council which are taking place at different venues between July and November.
The Vice-Chair and Mandy Rigault had informed the Clerk they are willing and able to attend the event in Abingdon on Thursday 6th September between 2pm and 5pm.

• Proposal to plant bulbs in the verges in the Autumn
The Council agreed this proposal in principle and agreed it would discuss it further at a future meeting.

• Any other business
None.

The meeting closed at 9.52pm.

The Annual Parish meeting of Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council is to be held on Friday 20th April 2018 at 7:30pm in Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall.

This is your opportunity to meet with members of the council to raise any questions or problems regarding village affairs.

There will be refreshments and all villagers are invited to attend.

Agenda

1. Welcome
2. Introductions and apologies for absence
3. Notes from last Annual Parish Meeting
4. Annual Reports
5. Initiatives and Actions

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County Councillors Annual Report (Opens in a new tab)

PDF of Meeting Agenda (Opens in a new tab)

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Date of next ordinary meeting: Tuesday 8^th May 2018 at 7.30pm in Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall

Minutes of the extraordinary meeting of Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council held on 26^th March 2018 at the Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall

The Chair opened the meeting at 7.11pm

Agenda

1. Present

Parish Councillors: John Peters (Vice-Chair), Madhvi Saini (Chair) and Sue Lawson.

Also: June Harris.

Apologies: Mandy Rigault.

2. Declarations of interest

The Chair said she is a member of the Village Hall Committee so passed the chair to the Vice-Chair and said she would take no part in the discussion of the Village Hall Committee’s application for a grant.

3. Finance

The Chair and Vice-Chair signed the following cheques which had been approved at the Council’s meetings on 9^th January and 6^th March when the Council’s cheque book was still in Somerset:

• Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils, 2018-19 subscription, £135.06 (under section 143 of the Local Government Act 1972)
• Simon Gray, expenses relating to new website, £41 (under section 142 of the Local Government Act 1972)
• Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall Committee, hire of Village Hall for January and March 2018 Council Meetings, 2 x £30 = £60 (under section 133 of the Local Government Act 1972).

4. Grants Policy

The Clerk recommended that the Council amend the fifth paragraph of the current policy which had been amended in July 2015 to say the Council may not fund more than 50% of the total cost of any project.

The Clerk said that discretion is at the heart of good decision-making in local government so that a Council can respond to exceptional situations by varying its usual rules.

He advised the Council that the fifth paragraph of the Grants policy when approved in 2011 had stated “The council can award up to 100% of the sum requested, but will usually award a lesser amount. A typical award will be 50% of the total cost.”

The Clerk said he believed this was a far more appropriate wording which allowed the Council to tailor its awards to circumstances.

The Council agreed the amendment recommended by the Clerk.

 

5. Application for grant from Village Hall Committee towards the cost of provision of a disabled toilet

June Harris presented the grant application from the Village Hall Committee. She said it would cost £575 to provide a proper disabled toilet, based on the cheaper of two quotes obtained.

The Village Hall Committee requested a grant to cover the whole cost as it expected to contribute shortly to the cost of providing a proper disabled access ramp and needed to keep a reasonable reserve for contingencies.

The Clerk advised the Council that it had the power to make the grant under section 19 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

After discussion, in which the Chair took no part, the Council agreed to make a grant of £575 to the Village Hall Committee, the exception to the typical policy of paying no more than half the cost of a project being justified by the urgent need for the Village Hall to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

The Chair and Vice-Chair signed a cheque for £575, being now the only two signatories remaining on the Council’s bank account.

The meeting closed at 7.47pm.

 

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PDF of Meeting Agenda (Opens in a new tab)

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Date of next ordinary meeting: Tuesday 8^th May 2018 at 7.30pm in Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall

Minutes of the meeting of Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council held on 6^th March 2018 at 19:30 in Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall

Agenda

The Chair opened the meeting at 7.34pm

1. Present

Parish Councillors: John Peters, Madhvi Saini (Chair), Mandy Rigault and Sue Lawson

Also: Geoffrey Ferres (Clerk), Keith Stenning (Oxfordshire County Council) and five parishioners

Apologies: Jenny Ballam, County Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale.

2. Declarations of interest

None

3. Keith Stenning, Oxfordshire County Council

Lorraine Lindsay-Gale had arranged for Keith Stenning, Group Manager,
Area Operations (South) to attend the meeting. He introduced himself.

One parishioner expressed concern at the lack of a safe crossing. She said she was a mother and was especially concerned about the risks to children.

She said she understood that when the development took place at the north end of the village, the developer had given Oxfordshire County Council £20,000 towards the cost of a pedestrian crossing and she understood this money had since disappeared.

Keith Stenning said no money had ever been paid by the developer to the County Council, whatever might have been said to the village. Keith said that a crossing would require lighting. This did not require the whole street to be lit, just the crossing. It may be that the north end of the village would be the most obvious location for that very reason.

The parishioner said she understood a crossing might have cost about £55,000 at the time the developer promised £20,000. Keith said the cost now might be £80,000 or even £100,000 and this was money the County Council did not have available in the current financial climate.

If the money were to come from a developer as part of the approval of a new development in the parish, it would have to be quite a large development to warrant such a large sum.

Sue Lawson pointed out that, unlike Section 106 money, Community Infrastructure Levy money does not have to be spent exclusively in the parish where the development takes place and she said Lorraine Lindsay-Gale has been working hard to achieve recognition that developments often have impacts well beyond the parish in which they take place.

Parishioners were concerned about various obstructions in the village and Keith said he could arrange for these to be removed but suggested that first the Council should write to those responsible giving them a deadline for their removal, before referring the problem to the County Council.

Mandy Rigault said the village’s wooden gateways needed attention: one was overgrown with ivy and several needed repainting. Keith said he could arrange for them to receive attention.

Parishioners commented about the unevenness of the footways due to the tree roots. A parishioner asked about low-level lighting as an alternative to conventional street lighting. Keith said he believed such lighting has not been installed anywhere in Oxfordshire. He said he could arrange for a survey of the footways.

Another parishioner asked about an additional speed camera or a change to the existing speed camera to deal with traffic travelling northwards. Keith said speed cameras are now a matter for Thames Valley Police, not the County Council.

Keith said there are other measures that can be considered which do reduce speeding, such as vehicle-activated signs. He suggested one of these might cost around £8,000.

A parishioner said a give way sign on one of the side roads had been struck by a vehicle and was lying in a garden. Keith said he could arrange for it to be put back where it belonged.

The Chair thanked Keith for the recent work on the trees in the village which had been widely welcomed.

4. Parishioners’ issues

No other issues were raised by parishioners.

5. Minutes of the last meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on 9th January 2018 meeting were approved, then signed by the Chair.

6. Mattes arising and brought forward

None.

7. District Councillor’s report

Sue Lawson presented her report, which will be uploaded to the website along with the other papers for this meeting.

Mandy Rigault asked Sue about the reference in her report to grass cutting, which she had thought was a County Council responsibility. Sue said it was not SODC’s intention to take over this responsibility but it would be prepared in certain circumstances to “top up” what the County Council was doing.

The Chair thanked Sue for the grant she had approved to assist in establishing the legal title to the Village Hall.

8. County Councillor’s report

Lorraine Lindsay-Gale had sent the Council her February and March monthly reports, which will be uploaded to the website.

9. Planning applications

The Vice-Chair as Planning Champion took the Council through recent planning applications in the parish.

1. Old Post Office: discharge of conditions 3 (Joinery Details) and 4 (Samples) in application P14/S2948/HH – external and internal alterations to detached garage building to form ancillary residential accommodation [P17/S3512/DIS]

The Vice-Chair reported that SODC has discharged these conditions. The Council had not submitted any comment.

1. Lower Farm, Lower Farm Lane: removal of condition 4 (Highways) in application P17/S3381/FUL; outbuilding/garage, change of use to annexe ancillary to dwelling [P17/S4298/FUL]

The Vice-Chair reported that SODC has granted this application, on which the Council had not submitted any comment.

1. Woodside Farmhouse, New Barn Farm, Nuneham Park: part single-storey, part two-storey rear extension to house [P18/S0162/HH]

The Council agreed to support this application.

1. 37 Nuneham Courtenay: change the roof type from a hipped roof to a gable roof [P17/S1363/HH]

The Vice-Chair said he had already responded on the Council’s behalf asking that this application be refused, citing:

• amenity considerations
• overdevelopment
• scale & bulk leading to loss of light at no 36.

Sue Lawson said she has already called in the application for decision by Planning Committee, rather than by officers. She emphasized the need for a representative of the Council to attend the Planning Committee when the application is considered and to outline the Council’s objections.

1. Barclay Farms Nineveh Farm: Proposed forage barn [P18/S0574/AG]

The Council agreed to support this application.

1. Harcourt Arboretum: discharge of conditions 3 (sample materials), 4 (external ducts and flues) and 5 (joinery details) in application P13/S0326/FUL – construction of Woodland Barn and Composting Toilets [P18/S0639/DIS]

The Vice-Chair said he has not yet received details of this application.

10. Finance

The Council examined and approved the figures for the year to date submitted by the Responsible Financial Officer, Stewart Deakin. The Clerk advised that an auditor would be likely to question why the Council’s reserves were so high relative to its precept and annual expenditure.

The Council agreed to pay for three hours’ hire of the Village Hall and instructed the Chair and Vice-Chair to sign a cheque for £30 to the Village Hall Committee.

Mandy Rigault said she is a member of the Village Hall Committee and asked if the meeting could consider a grant to the Village Hall to cover the cost of a ramp for an accessible toilet.

The Clerk advised that such a proposal should not be raised at a meeting without notice, and that if the Council were to receive a request for help from the Village Hall Committee councillors who were members of the Village Hall Committee might be expected to declare an interest and not vote on the application.

It was understood the Village Hall Committee was also seeking funds for a hard surface for the car park.

Sue Lawson recommended that the Village Hall Committee consider an application to SODC’s Capital Communities Grants scheme once legal title to the Village Hall has been established.

It was suggested that the Village Hall Committee consider making an application to the next meeting of the Council.

11. Correspondence

The Clerk said he had nothing to bring to the Council’s attention.

12. Preparation for the year end

The Council instructed the Clerk to compile a Register of Assets which should include a litter bin, a laptop, a printer, and a set of tables in the Village Hall.

The Council voted to establish a Finance Sub-Committee of three members (the minimum required under its Standing Orders) and to delegate the following matters to it:

• Appointment of an Internal Auditor for 2017-18
• Consideration of the draft risk assessment
• Drafting of a budget for 2017-18
• Finalising and signing a contract with the new Clerk.

The Council agreed that the members of the sub-committee would be the Chair, the Vice-Chair and Mandy Rigault.

13. Playing Fields

Mandy Rigault had obtained quotations from four solicitors to provide legal advice to the Council in relation to the proposed lease. The Council agreed to instruct Royds Withy King to undertake up to four hours’ work at £215 per hour.

14. Conservation Plan

Sue Lawson had met with Sharon Crawford on 16^th February who is working on a conservation report for Nuneham Courtenay which will go to everyone when it is finished. Sue informed the meeting that the community was invited to contribute views via the Chair.

Sue said she was advised that if one thing is subject to enforcement, then everything similar must be. Enforcement cannot be selective or be targeted against particular individuals.

15. Communication

Since the last meeting Simon Gray, a parishioner, had agreed to design and maintain a new website as a volunteer. The new website was already available and could be viewed here:

The Council agreed to pay the cost of the domain name and instructed the Chair and Vice-Chair to make a payment for this and any other expenses reasonably incurred by Simon Gray in connection with the new website.

The Clerk reported that since the last meeting he had applied for a Government grant of £80 to purchase a scanner and the Council agreed he should arrange to purchase one as soon as the grant is received.

The Council agreed to adopt the Model Publication Scheme published by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

16. The Baldons Neighbourhood Plan

The Council agreed it was not ready to comment on this plan.

Sue Lawson encouraged the Council to do its own Neighbourhood Plan and said help was available from SODC. She acknowledged a Neighbourhood Plan would require a lot of work.

The Council voted unanimously to suspend Standing Order 3u “A meeting shall not exceed 2 hours” so the Council could complete all the business before it.

17. Oxford to Cambridge Expressway Action Group

The Council agreed to join the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway Action Group and instructed the Chair and Vice-Chair to make a payment for the one-off fee of £50.

The Council accepted Mandy Rigault’s offer to attend a meeting as the Council’s representative in the event that a meeting were called – Sue Lawson said only one meeting had so far been held.

18. Information Commissioner’s Office

The Council agreed to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office and instructed the Chair and Vice-Chair to make a payment for the registration fee of £35.

19. Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils

The Council agreed to re-join the Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils and instructed the Chair and Vice-Chair to make a payment for the 2018-19 subscription of £135.06.

20. Automated external defibrillator

The Clerk said he needed guidance from the Council as to the type of cabinet for which to obtain quotations and the type of cabinet to be purchased in which to keep it.

The Clerk explained that if the defibrillator were to be able to be used by an untrained person, it might be best if it were one of those that talked the user through what to do and showed the user what to do on a screen. He said that if the defibrillator were kept in a cabinet outside a building, it would probably need to be heated.

He said the other council for which he is clerk had budgeted £3,000 for the cost of a defibrillator, cabinet, sign and training; it had then raised about £2,500 from various sources, putting in only £500 from its own funds.

The Council instructed the Clerk to obtain quotations for a defibrillator with on screen as well as spoken instructions and for a heated cabinet on the basis the defibrillator might be housed in the porch of the Village Hall.

21. Dates of future council meetings

The annual meeting of the Parish Council is to be held on Tuesday 8^th May 2018 in the Village Hall at 7.30pm.

It was agreed to hold the annual parish meeting on Friday 20^th April 2018 in the Village Hall starting at 7.30pm and finishing by 9pm. It was agreed that up to £100 might be spent on refreshments.

22. Any other business

The Chair said Jenny Ballam has submitted her resignation because she is moving out of the parish so she had invited James Fallon to attend the meeting.

James introduced himself to the Council. He said he is aged 27 and is employed as a carpenter with a housing association. He said he had lived in the village for about two years.

The Council agreed that if the vacancy caused by Jenny’s resignation were to be filled by co-option, it would be very happy to co-opt James.

The meeting closed at 10pm.

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PDF of Meeting Agenda (Opens in a new tab)

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Date of next meeting: May 2018 [tbc] at 7.30pm at Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall

Minutes of the meeting of Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council held on 9^th January 2018 at 19:30 in Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall

Minutes

1. Present

Parish Councillors: Madhvi Saini (Chair), John Peters, Sue Lawson & Mandy Rigault

Also: County Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Geoffrey Ferres, and two parishioners

Apologies: Jenny Ballam (Parish Councillor)

2. Declarations of interest

None

3. Parishioners’ issues

Thanks were expressed to OxonCC for arranging the tree cutting.

The resident from no 6 expressed concern that not enough was being cut off the trees. She also was unhappy that the contractors had brought their vehicles onto her property without prior notice or permission. They have left the property with damage to the driveway and guttering. PC to take up with OxonCC and the contractor.

Concern was also raised by another resident about the speed of vehicles travelling south through the village at night. PC to take up with Highways Department. The Area Steward, Keith Stenning, is to be invited to the next meeting.

County Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale fed back on a meeting she had had with Mr Luciano (37) and Mark Francis from Highways on Monday 8^th January.

Mr Luciano has requested bollards be installed on the verge outside his house to prevent car parking, which he feels is damaging the grass.

Mark Francis does not feel the condition of the verge is such as to cause a concern to Highways so consequently does not support this request.

Further to this it has recently come to light that the covenant on the village covers not only the houses but also the footways and verges. The covenant expressly forbids the erecting of any structure on these.

Councillor Lindsay-Gale is awaiting confirmation from the legal team but in the meantime Mr Luciano has agreed to consult his own deeds. The Parish Council revisited the previous discussion on this and arrived at the same conclusion. It does not support the erection of bollards, were that to be a legal possibility, for aesthetic reasons.

4. Minutes of the last meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on 7^th November 2017 meeting were amended by hand to rectify an omission, accepted and signed.

5. Mattes arising and brought forward

Street lighting, road crossing and speed reduction measures to be discussed at the next meeting with the Area Steward.

6. Appointment of new clerk

Following the relocation of our clerk Stewart Deakin to Devon, Geoffrey Ferres was appointed as our new clerk, with immediate effect. Stewart will remain our RFO.

7. Parish website

Currently the domain name is NCPC. It is felt this needs to change to include the full title of Nuneham Courtenay. The website also needs updating so three quotes are to be sought for this work. Chair to progress. In the meantime, the minutes of PC meetings May 2017 – March 2018 will be uploaded to the current site by the end of March. Geoffrey Ferres is aware of sources of Government funding to support the creation of Parish Council websites and will work with the Chair to try to secure this before the end of March deadline.

8. Conservation Plan

Sue Lawson has met with a SODC Conservation Officer and a Senior Planning Officer to consider Nuneham Courtenay and the need to protect it. A meeting is to be set up for these to visit the village to walk around to assess the current situation. Date and time TBC but will probably be a Friday afternoon in February –  9^th, 16^th or 23^rd, depending on diaries. Results will be on the agenda of the next meeting.

9. Playing Fields

The proposed lease has been received from the solicitor and will be circulated to Councillors. The implications of what is proposed will be discussed at the next meeting prior to a decision on adoption.

10. District Councillor’s report

Sue Lawson presented her report, which will be uploaded to the website.

11. County Councillor’s report

Lorraine Lindsay-Gale presented her report. Following a communication error Cllr Lindsay-Gale will send her last six months of reports to the PC in order for them to be posted on the website. Residents are urged to read the reports as they contain details of proposals which could impact significantly on Nuneham Courtenay.

12. Finance

Accounts to date were examined and approved.

The precept is to remain at the same level as last year. Action: GJP to submit to SODC.

Three hours hire for this meeting was agreed to be paid to the Village Hall Committee.

13. Planning applications

No planning applications have been received.

14. Annual parish meeting

It was agreed to hold the annual parish meeting in April 2018, date/time TBC at next meeting.

15. Dates of future council meetings

Date of next meeting – Tuesday 6^th March 2018 in the Village Hall at 7.30pm.

The annual meeting of the Parish Council is to be held on Tuesday 8^th May 2018. Time TBC.

16. Any other business

There were no items raised under AOB.

The meeting closed at 9.50pm.

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Date of next meeting – Tuesday 6^th March 2018 in the Village Hall at 19.30pm.

Minutes of the meeting of Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council on Tuesday 7th November 2017 at 19:30PM in Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall

Agenda

Present:  Parish Councillors – Madhvi Saini, John Peters, Sue Lawson & Mandy Rigault.

Also, Present: County Councillor – Lorraine Lindsay-Gale & 3 representatives of SSE. Unfortunately, there were no members of the parish present.

 

1. Parishioners’ issues – None
2. Declaration of Interest – None
3. Apologies – Jenny Ballam
4. Minutes of the 05 September 2017 meeting were accepted & signed.

 

5. Vulnerability Register SSE.

A professional & illuminating presentation was given by Chelsie Bickford; Simon Olliffe & Lucy Anderson from SSE on how to get extra support during power cuts. A Register for Priority Services is readily available for people who might consider themselves at risk, [because of their young children; through illness, disability or age, etc.], in an emergency. It is hoped that members of the public will complete the attached form to register for extra advice & services, all of which is free of charge. It was stressed that the completed information will not be shared with any other agencies. It was noted that a PDF version of the form was available on the SSE website for those wishing to sign up on line. The current village issues with the Low Voltage Network were also addressed by SSE, explaining how the system was being upgraded to overcome recent faults & how extra protection devices were being fitted to help prevent any recurrences. The tree cutting programme was also discussed in the expectation of preventing further problems with the overhead network.

 

6. Matters arising & brought forward.

Council to meet SODC Conservation Officer to explain & preserve the uniqueness of the village. Councillor Sue Lawson will follow this up to re-establish a standard. Street lighting seems to be an important element with Highways Department in establishing a zebra crossing. Questionnaire needs to be produced & distributed to establish the current views of parishioners on this issue. Much misunderstanding & hearsay was raised regarding the possible funding of a crossing by a local developer. Clerk to review previous minutes to establish if any funding had been promised.  Regarding inadequate village car parking Councillor Sue Lawson suggested approaching SODC about support from Community funds. This is exactly the type of project that could attract funding.  Village & Neighbourhood Plans were discussed & while important for planning purposes & for retaining a village identity no quick fixes were readily available, just major consultative processes. Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale offered to assist with issues relating to trees on the main street & in clarifying the misunderstanding about the repairs & maintenance of the culvert.

 

7. District & County Councillor’s reports – were discussed with much time devoted to the exciting Culham Science Village development & any possible impact of extra traffic through Nuneham Courtenay. All villagers are advised to read the development plans & make their views known. It was also noted that community funding might be available to improve the village hall facilities, including disabled access & toilets.

8. Nuneham Courtenay Sports & Playing Fields Association [SPFA] advised that the Lease to the Playing Fields is still with a local solicitor but it is hoped that this will be made available soon. The Council needs to agree to take over the lease, & legal responsibility, at an annual peppercorn rent &, after adoption, fund raising can begin in earnest, with the support of the whole community.

9. Finance. The PC was reminded that the recent Audit report required the appointment of an Internal Auditor as soon as possible to independently review the ongoing financial processes.

The following financial commitments were paid on 7^th November 2017 –

• Zurich Insurance £257.60 – for insurance cover until 01 November 2018.
• Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall – £00 – rental to
• Parish Clerk – £20.07– expenses for 7^th November 2017
• Parish Clerk – £300.00– salary for September, October & November 2017

These payments were Proposed by Councillor Rigault & seconded by Councillor Peters

The Financial Accounts for 7 months ended 31^st October, excluding the above payments, were presented by the Finance Officer & noted by the Parish Council

10. Any other business. Clerk to obtain 3 quotes for a defibrillator to be sited outside Village Hall.

Councillor Lindsay-Gale enjoyed the meeting & asked to be copied into future agendas.                Stewart Deakin is moving outside Oxfordshire so has offered his resignation as Parish Clerk. Anyone interested in this remunerated role should contact Madhvi Saini directly for details.

A vacancy also still exists for an internal Auditor.

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Date of next meeting: Tuesday 9 January 2018 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

 

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Minutes of the meeting of Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council on Tuesday 5th September 2017 at 19:30PM in Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall

Agenda

Present:  Parish Councillors – Madhvi Saini, John Peters, Jenny Ballam.

Also Present: 10 members of the public.

 

Parishioners’ issues

Trees on the Main Road – Although the trees have preservation orders they overshadow the footpath & are a potential risk to property as they now nearly touch the houses in some cases. There are too many leaves making it slippery under foot & difficult to walk. It was agreed Highways Department was responsible for corrective action & PC was urged to chase them urgently.

Traffic Lights & a Crossing for Nuneham Courtenay continues to be a vexing subject. Luckily Jasminder Love was available to update the meeting on the action previously taken, & funding allocated, to introduce a 30mph zone; traffic calming; traffic lights & an essential zebra crossing. Highways Department have visited the village but declared all schemes impractical for various logistical reasons. PC agreed to invite Highways Representatives back to reconsider the options. Public session ended.

 

2. 2. Declaration of Interest – None
3. Apologies – Sue Lawson & Elizabeth Gillespie
4. Minutes of the 18 July meeting were accepted & signed.
5. Matters arising – None
6. District councilor

The District Councillor’s report for August was previously distributed, with no questions raised.

7. Nuneham Courtenay Sports & Playing Fields Association [SPFA] – has been a charity since 1948; is a member of Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association [OPFA] & has been ROSPA approved. Ron Benson has undertaken the grass cutting for 40 years & has a current rough cut in hand. Unfortunately, the uneven surface has meant that the playing fields can be dangerous & should remain closed to ensure that no children are injured. Jasminder Love related how the committee had taken on the task of raising funds to replace the rusted playing fields equipment & interviewed nearly 40 children to understand what their ideal equipment & site layout would be. The Lease to the Playing Fields is now with a local solicitor & it is hoped that this will be available to present to the PC at the next meeting. The Council needs to agree to take over the lease, & legal responsibility, at an annual peppercorn rent &, after adoption, fund raising can begin in earnest. The boundary fences & gates have been fully funded, but £80- £90K is still required to complete the project & SPFA continues to seek further financial donations, in the name of the charity & with the support of the whole community. The Parish Council thanked Jasminder Love for this comprehensive update & looked forward to receiving the lease to help move the project forward.

 

8. A Village Plan helps to establish a community by answering the question “what kind of village do you want to live in?” Money had been received from Oxford Community First to support a community lead plan but unfortunately this project has stalled & now is the time to restart it. Jasminder Love quoted from the Village Plan Committee minutes that there were 63 houses outside Main Road & the views of all villagers in the community are important.

The Village plan concept is different to a Neighbourhood plan, which is important from a Local Government planning perspective, but both concepts can co-exist & supplement each other. The Council thanked Jasminder Love for her valuable work on this project & would appreciate a further update, at the right time, once the process has been restarted.

 

9. Finance. The Audit report had now been received & action was required to appoint an Internal Auditor as soon as possible to independently review the ongoing financial processes.

Nuneham Courtenay Bank Account is now active with 3 new signatories authorised & Councillor Ballam has also agreed to become a signatory to provide extra cover in the event of absence.

The following financial commitments were paid by the end of August: –

• Zurich Insurance £253.00 – reimbursed to Councillor Peters who had paid the invoice in May.
• Harvard & Macaulay Ltd £102.00 – old Administration invoices
• Baldons CC £213.44 – Newsletter costs
• Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall – £115.00 – rental to Feb 2017
• Parish Clerk – £80.73 – expenses for June & July
• Parish Clerk – £641.25 – salary for June & July.

These payments were Proposed by Councillor Saini & seconded by Councillor Peters

The Financial Accounts for 5 months ended 31^st August, based on the above payments, were presented by the Finance Officer & noted by the Parish Council

 

10. New Councillors. Councillor Gillespie resigned from the Council, with prior notice, & Mandy Rigault was co-opted to fill the vacancy. Nominated Madhvi Saini & seconded by Jenny Ballam. Carried unanimously.

 

11. Planning Applications – The following applications were considered with no objections raised

P17/S2612/HH & P17/S2613/LB for garage alterations at the Old Post Office to form ancillary accommodation. No objections, since alterations are cosmetic & overall footprint not changed.

P17/S2887/LDE – retrospective, satisfactory, annex conversion at 31 Nuneham Courtenay.

Proposed Madhvi Saini & seconded by John Peters

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Any Other Business – Defibrillator – PC to consider options, particularly for outside Village Hall

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Date of next meeting: Tuesday 7 November 2017 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

 

 

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Minutes of the meeting of Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council on Tuesday 18th July 2017 at 19:30PM in Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall

Agenda

Present:  Parish Councillors – Madhvi Saini, John Peters, Sue Lawson, Elizabeth Gillespie

Also Present:  Jasminder Love, Jenny Taylor, Sheila Barratt & 6 other members of the public

Present:  Parish Councillors – Madhvi Saini, John Peters, Jenny Ballam, Sue Lawson, Elizabeth Gillespie

Also Present: 10 members of the public

 

1.Parishioners’ issues:                                                                                                                         Planning application for no 37 Nuneham Courtenay.

Much discussion on the height of the proposed single storey building, which at 5m high was considered excessive. Orientation changed in the plans, so right next to the boundary, affecting the privacy of the neighbours on both sides. Impact on the driveway and access: narrow drive in, very difficult getting more than two cars out safely. Possibly represents an over development of the garden. Conservation and Green Belt rules still apply & PC could mention that in any objections, if considered appropriate.  Roseanne Lillywhite is the contact for planning advice.

Playing fields: Appear overgrown, with the grass much too high & village children have nowhere to congregate. There is a general frustration that plans have been discussed over many years with no visible progress. A statement from Jasminder Love was read out. In response, it was asked if there is a timescale in place for the development of the playing fields.

Action: Jasminder Love and Mr. Benson be invited to the next PC meeting to discuss their plans & update about the registration of the land. Is there any help that the playing field committee needs?

Trees on the streets – They are a potential risk to property as they now touch the houses in some cases. Southern Electric have explained about cutting the trees & dangers to the electricity supply. Please phone SE if you need any high viz jackets, torches, advice etc.

Action: to be added to the agenda in the next meeting

Crossing for Nuneham Courtenay was discussed – Action: see what has been suggested historically, talk to the Highways Department, and bring the information to the village at the next meeting.

Public session ended.

 

2. 2. Declaration of Interest – None
3. Apologies – Stewart Deakin
4. Minutes of the 02 June meeting were accepted & signed.
5. Matters arising – None
6. District councilor

Unitary council bid has not been fully supported but the proposal has gone to the government anyway, but this is now considered a low priority.

5-year housing land supply proposals required for planning purposes, however this can cause problems where CC cannot meet targets & local Neighbourhood Plans are not clear on the issues. Action: DC to email documents/Guide to Neighbourhood planning & how to get funding.

                           

7. Playing fields – the matter had previously been addressed in the public session
8. Village plan. Money had been received from Oxford First to support a community lead plan. An email about the funding was read out and a written response from Jasminda noted.           Action: Jasminda Love to be invited to a future meeting to update the PC on its status.

However, the Village plan concept is now outdated while a Neighbourhood plan carries more material weight. Other local Neighbourhood Plans are well established eg Baldons, & Nuneham Courtenay Parish can learn from these. To start the formal Neighbourhood Plan process an SODC officer will be invited to a future meeting to explain the concept & what help is available.

 

9. Finance. Accounts were reviewed for audit purposes, approved & signed. Annual Audit statements were presented & signed off as no concerns expressed. It was explained that there is no access to the Bank Account currently but 3 new signatories are in the process of being authorised & any outstanding financial commitments are expected to be cleared by the end of August. The Clerk is dealing closely with the Bank on this issue.
10. New Councillors. It is anticipated that 2 new prospective Councillors will be available for consideration at the next meeting.
11. Planning – PC agreed to raise an objection to the development at 37 Nuneham Courtenay based on issues raised earlier in the meeting
12. Any Other Business

Website – Action in hand to update the website. Not fully sure of the protocol so will consult with Sandford and see how they manage their site/best practice.

Maintenance of the footpaths. Clerk to get in touch with Savills about the footpaths & invite the new landowners, or their representative, to come and talk to the village about their aims for the estate. Noted: Global Retreat happy to host.

Oxfordshire LEADER (funding from the EU) Has funds available to help rural community projects & could be a potential source to help with playing fields development; funds for a crossing or even a Village/talking shop like Sandford.

Crossing Status. CC/ Highways will be contacted to get clarification about the crossing status since there is a belief that £50K had already been made available for such a project.

 

Date of next meeting: Tuesday 5 September 2017 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

 

 

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Minutes of the meeting of Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council is on Friday 2nd June 2017 at 13:00PM in Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall

Agenda

Present:  Parish Councillors – Madhvi Saini, John Peters, Sue Lawson, Elizabeth Gillespie

Also Present:  Jasminder Love, Jenny Taylor, Sheila Barratt & 6 other members of the public

Parishioners’ issues:

1. The new developments had exposed the problem that there was inadequate parking in the village, since there are now more vehicles chasing the few available spaces. There are no yellow lines & limited village hall parking. Parking on the verges was dangerous because it blocked the view from individual driveways. The more recent developments have been approved by SODC without adequate parking included. Highways department & the Police claimed to have no responsibility. Only County Councillors could help. Control development to control parking.

 

2. Development in the Green Belt was a concern. Would a Neighbourhood Plan give more weight to restricting developments? There is a culvert running underneath the new developments & if that collapses who is responsible? The University of Oxford sold the land on to a developer who knew the culvert problem & claims to have made it safe, although the Parish Council is not happy.

 

3. Conservation in the village. It appears that new villagers are doing what they want in the village & not adhering to the rules. SODC has conservation plans but the wrong bricks were used on the new development & houses painted in the wrong colour. However, after a brief exchange, the exact colour scheme was not fully clear. A method of enforcement of the rules was required. It was agreed to meet with the SODC conservation officer; agree the rules & then the Parish Council will discuss & publicise to ensure consistency.

 

4. Planning Application P17/S1363/FUL for a single storey extension at number 37 Nuneham Courtenay was discussed. The separate building in the garden was bigger than anything else in the village & was thought to be inconsistent with the agreed village environment. This appears to be an over development of the site. While parking was supposed to be for 4 cars this was only possible by shuffling the vehicles onto the busy road.

 

5. Planning Application P17/S1383/FUL. Development at Old Smithy. The developer not able to attend the meeting since it was arranged at short notice. It was noted that it was possible  to arrange another meeting before consultations closed on 14^th June if necessary.

 

6. The issue of traffic speed & volume was raised. Villagers took their life in their hands simply trying to cross the road sometimes, particularly the elderly or mothers with toddlers. A highways crossing was urgently required & the 30mph speed limit extended.

 

Parish Council Meeting

Declaration of Interests: None.

Apologies: None.

Minutes of the meeting held on 22 May 2017 were accepted as a record of the Parish Council meeting & signed. However, disappointment was expressed that no mention was made of the meeting preceding the Council Meeting where more than 20 villagers confirmed that they wished to continue with a Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council & discussed several local issues including new building developments in the village – with views expressed for & against.

Matters Arising

• A Parish Clerk, Stewart Deakin, was appointed. Proposed Councillor Saini; seconded by Councillor Peters
• A new Councillor, Jenny Ballam, was appointed. Proposed Councillor Saini; seconded by Councillor Gillespie. The number of Councillors is now 5, with 3 being required for a quorum

County Councillor: No issues

District Councillor: No issues

Planning Applications

P17/S1363/FUL; for a single storey extension at number 37 Nuneham Courtenay. The Parish Council to object to this development on the basis of size & inconsistency with other properties in the village

P17/S1383/FUL; 3 Barn style, single storey retirement homes at The Old Smithy, Nuneham Courtenay. The Parish Council to object to this development on the basis that, if agreed, it would be extending building into the Green Belt; continuing concern about the culvert running under the development and with 10 houses & 4 flats already built or in progress on this site, it could be considered an overdevelopment of the location. Since the Parish Council could not support this application, any further public meeting on this issue should be organised by the developer.

Any Other Business

The next Parish Council Meeting will be on 18 July 2017 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.  Future meetings to be held every 2 months at 7.30 on 1^st Tuesday in the month being 5^th September & 7^th November 2017

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