SOUTH LEIGH AND HIGH COGGES PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
MINUTES
Thursday 30th May 2024
7.30 pm in the Village Hall
Councillors Present
Lysette Nicholls (LN)
Dick Pears (DP)
Peter Grant (PG)
Caroline Auger (CA)
Caroline Gane (CG)
Jacqui Napier-Munn (J N-M)
1 | Introduction of new councillors being – Caroline Auger (CA), Caroline Gane (CG) and Jacqui Napier-Munn (J N-M).
There were no apologies from parish councillors as all were present. Apologies from District Councillors – Carl Rylett and Andy Goodwin – they presented a report in advance which is summarised below. Cllr Dan Levy was present and presented a report which is summarised below. Introduction to the conduct of meeting. |
2 | Election of a Chair and Deputy Chair or Vice Chair
Proposed that LN should be chair – seconded and carried unanimously Proposed that DP should be Vice Chair seconded and carried unanimously LN referred to the Nolan principles which would guide the PC and would circulate to the new councillors and during subsequent meetings there would be the development of operating protocols. It was proposed, seconded, and carried unanimously that CG would be the PC’s representative on the playground committee and CA would be the PC’s representative on the Village Hall Committee There was to be a review and approval of the Annual Accounts 2023/4 and review and approval of the AGAR Forms to be submitted to the Auditors on item 7 on the agenda |
3 | Briefing by Chair to new councillors of issues facing PC and Village in the next year – Looking to continue with the work of previous councils and the dates of the meetings for the rest of the year will be the last Thursday of every month. We will need to be mindful of expenditure and will be reviewing the precept in November 24 for the following year. |
4 | Declarations of Interest – There were no declarations of interest |
5 | The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as being a true record of the proceedings – a copy having been circulated in advance to the Councillors |
6 | Opportunity for any parishioner to raise a matter of concern. There was the issue raised directly with Dan Levy about potholes that had been circled in red which still were not repaired after 21 days and the bigger issue of work done to the surfaces of the Barnard Gate Road and the Stanton Harcourt Road which it was the firm view was not required where there were other roads particularly Station Road and Chapel Road which were in greater need of attention.
Playground Association – the annual report was discussed and a meeting will be arranged to discuss the requests that have been made in the report including a wider discussion about the mower.
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7 | PC Business & Accounts –
The draft accounts have been produced and a series of resolutions were tabled:
7.1 Resolution to approve the Annual Governance Statement – proposed, seconded and carried unanimously 7.2 Resolution to approve the Internal Audit Report proposed, seconded and carried unanimously 7.3 Resolution to approve Accounting Statements in item 7.1 and 7.2 Proposed and seconded and carried unanimously
It was agreed that Draft Accounts and AGAR will be submitted to auditors if they are above are approved.
The above were approved and the PC will post a Notice of Public Rights of Unaudited Annual Governance & Accountability Return for Accounts Year Ended March 31st 2024. This will run from Thursday 13th June 2024 to Friday 13th July and be published on the website and placed on in the Parish Notice Boards.
New Banking arrangement discussion. It was agreed that given the complexity of dealing with Barclays and that there were any number of signatories on the present accounts, many of whom were dead who could not be removed without endless rigmarole such as producing death certificates, it was decided that new bank account(s) with internet banking and three authorised signatures was the way to go and LN was investigating a bank approved by OALC and used by at least two neighbouring parishes.
Payments to approve – a schedule of payments had been circulated in advance of the meeting and is annexed as schedule to these minutes.
The payments included our insurance, grass cutting, the plaque for Nicky Brooks, rates for WODC (LN Paid one of these so that we paid on time), newsletter publication x 3 The payments were approved.
The current balances of the two bank accounts are £15,197.76 + £5,423.27
There was considerable discussion about the loss to the village of reclaim of VAT Proposed resolution: For expenditure going forward anything more than £50 will need to be invoiced to South Leigh and High Cogges Parish Council so that PC can claim back VAT. The resolution was proposed, seconded and carried unanimously
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8 | Review of actions or discussions from last meeting:
The grant from the local flood authority of £5,000 after an application by PC would allow assessment in relation to the Lymbrook as start of a plan to try and counter flooding and other issues As for flooding in High Cogges – 4 identified problems had been identified and a further residents’ meeting would be organised In Station Road as Cllr Levy was present there was reiteration of the matters that had been raised with him in emails particularly ensuring all the drains and culverts were cleared – a sketch plan of their position having been sent to him. There would be follow up by LN of fly-tipping notices. The result of the survey from Vodaphone was still awaited and the issue of potholes is referred to in item 6 above.
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9 | Discussion and decision how Windrush Infrastructure Neighbourhood Group (WING) and neighbourhood plan revision will be handled. That had been decided at the last meeting and there were continuing meetings therefore of Ken Brooks and Nicky Brooks as the PC representatives with WING and periodic updates will be sought in relation to the neighbourhood plan. |
10 | 12 Acre Farm Solar Farm – community money –
an email had been received from Low Carbon recently and it is hoped that the site will be connected in mid-July, commissioning will follow “swiftly’ thereafter which should be the trigger for the release of the community money. As for landscaping all but the grass seeding has been completed and that is booked for early June (subject to the weather).
The other solar farm is on hold and might never come to pass.
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11 | Meetings with Parliamentary Candidates Update – Before last meeting it was thought we had time to have a social meeting with the candidate now that is not possible so DP was commissioned to contact all the candidates and invite them to come to the PC meeting in June which will an open meeting for the village
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12 | Traffic Calming consultation update – the Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) required for the chicanes/gateways ran for 4 weeks until Friday 3 May 2024 . A notice was published in the Witney & West Oxfordshire Gazette newspaper, and an email was sent to statutory consultees & key-stakeholders, including Thames Valley Police, the Fire & Rescue Service, Ambulance service, Bus operators, countywide transport/access & disabled peoples user groups, West Oxfordshire District Council, local District Cllr’s, South Leigh & High Cogges Parish Council, and the local County Councillor representing the Eynsham division. Letters were also sent to local residents.
Responses to the consultation 46 local residents, 4 local councillors (parish/district), 1 member of public, TVP, bus operator Of those figures there were 18 in total support, 12 in partial support, 13 objected and from 8 there was no objection and therefore the overwhelming majority were not opposed.
The PC was supplied with the comments by OCC but with no names identifying the comments and therefore the PC will do further work with OCC in trying to fine tune the plans particularly in the light of the observations both for and against.
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13 | Grass Cutting Update – Village Hall & Green, Football Pitch,
The contractor that had started cutting the village hall garden and village green had withdrawn and a new contractor was being sought but Martin Spurrier had had to step in twice to cut the grass in the village hall in advance of an event and thanks are due to him. The PC had access to a mower and were trying to sort out that issue. There was general appreciation of the quality of the work of mowing being done of the playing field organised through Mark Walker and his family and thanks are in order.
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14 | Update on Conservation Area application – The Heritage Consultant has been instructed who would produce a report |
15 | Tree planting on OCC land – the issue of the Gigaclear cables was still unresolved and Savills had been contacted but with no response |
16 |
Flooding Update – see above |
17 |
Recent Road Closure & Pothole update – see above |
18 |
Planning applicationsMW.0057/24.Planning application by Oxfordshire County Council, for planning permission: North Western Extension to Gill Mill Quarry involving Mineral extraction including conveyor link to processing plant with restoration to lakes including amenity and conservation afteruses with permanent diversion of Windrush path and network of additional footpaths upon restoration at Land North West of Gill Mill Quarry, Standlake Road, Ducklington, Witney, OX29 7UD. The above application has been submitted to this council for determination.There was no issue raised by the PC. |
19 | Hearing Loop for Parish Hall – on the last occasion it was decided that this should be proceeded with – there were grants available and the issue was whether it should be a portable or permanent and the effectiveness of each solution would be investigated. Martin Spurrier will be investigating the grants. |
20 | Nicky Brooks’ party report – About 60 people attended, it was a happy occasion with a cake which was applauded and had been organised by Liz Ashwell – well done her and our thanks to the Village Hall Committee. There would be a full account with photographs in the village newsletter |
21 | Recruiting a Parish Clerk – LN was continuing to work on this with a possible candidate being interviewed on Sunday afternoon |
22 | Discussion and start of formulation of village plan re crime – the report from Jackie Johnson and Nick Morley had been circulated in advance of discussion and J N-M agreed to start working on village planning.
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23 | Opportunity for any County Councillor and / or District Councillor to update the Parish Council on any matter of relevance or concern –
There were two reports that had been circulated (1) the District Councillor’s report dealing with the make-up of WODC after the election – Lib Dems 21, Conservatives 13, Labour 11 and Green 4 – with the Lib Dem, Green and Labour alliance renewed for 24 months. The Salt Cross inspector will be dealing with a very limited focus – carbon neutrality. The County Councillor in his report explained and apologised for the recent repairs on the parish roads and he accepts that OCC “could and should have done better’’. He explains the background to the seeming impasse about the opening of the Park and Ride at Eynsham and that money is awaited from “Homes England Fund” before junctions can open for the P&R to begin functioning
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24 | Date of next parish council meeting – Thursday 27th June 2024
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25 | Points of information – there had been concerns raised since the agenda was published about the removal of the hedge at Shuttles Cottage– LN and DP had visited the site and spoken to the owner and it was agreed that the PC would write an email to him pointing out that it should have been reported to the police that he had cut down a hedge during bird nesting season but the PC were reassured that he was replacing the hedge with a metal estate fence together with hawthorn hedge and he assured us that he was not altering the entrance to the property and was not intending to use the current field gate as the entrance. There was hope that he would plant bulbs and wildflowers. |