Public recess.
Mr J Huntley of Draycott Road asked about cars parking near the bus stops by the Patriots Arms, preventing buses from entering their designated box. This has been noted.
Mr W Bishop asked about the state of footpaths around the village. This is being looked at in conjunction with B.Cllr Shaw.
15/70. Declarations of interests.
None.
15/71. Presentation by PC Draper.
PC Draper stated that the crime figures for June were a little higher than anticipated but remain relatively low overall. They included four non-dwelling burglaries (outbuildings and one house undergoing renovation), twelve thefts (eight of which related to Chiseldon Garage) and three cases of criminal damage (two of which related to the Recreation Ground).
There were also a couple of incidents relating to vehicles – one set of number-plates was stolen, one vehicle was broken into and a cycle and a van were taken and subsequently recovered at a nearby location.
PC Draper emphasized the need for residents to secure all outbuildings and motor vehicles, ensuring that keys are stored safely and out of sight. Also, if residents spot anything suspicious they should report it using the 101 number. There has been one recent conviction in the local area (for burglary) that has resulted in a prison sentence.
PC Draper also noted a slight increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour, typical for this time of year. The police are aware of this trend and will be pro-active in tackling it wherever evidence exists. In addition, PCSOs recently visited the Ridgeway School where they spoke to years seven through 10 about the standards of behaviour that are appropriate in public places.
Cllr Dudman reported an ongoing problem with off-road vehicles in the Badbury area and this was noted.
15/71. Presentation by PC Draper (continued)
Cllr Sunners asked if there might be further opportunities for active engagement between police officers and young people, such as visiting the Wednesday MOBI van? This will be discussed at a future Neighbourhood Watch meeting.
Cllr Hill asked about a black fiesta that had been abandoned in New Road for several days and was informed that it had now been moved.
Cllr Jefferies asked about the profile of those involved in anti-social behaviour and was told that the groups vary both in terms of numbers and age range.
15/72. Approval of minutes.
Page 1 (First para under Public recess). Mr Huntley stated that the hedges in Draycott Road were encroaching on the roadside, not the pavement.
Page 2 (minute 15/65 – fourth para of B.Cllr Shaw’s report under Borough Councillors’ report). Cllr Hill pointed out that the golf club past which traffic has been queuing is actually Ogbourne Downs, not Swindon as stated.
Page 3 (minute 15/65 –first para of B.Cllr Foley’s report under Borough Councillors’ report). Cllr Bowles had actually asked about the possibility of signs to say certain roads were not suitable for HGVs, not about the number of such vehicles, and B.Cllr Foley was to investigate this option.
Page 5 (minute 15/69 – sixth para under Any other business). Softball was advertised on Facebook by those concerned with the league, not by Cllr Bowles, but Cllr Bowles has asked the Tennis Club for details of their open days.
Following these changes, the minutes of the meeting held on 8th June were approved by Cllr Bates, seconded by Cllr Bowles; all those at the meeting were in favour.
15/73. Matters arising.
Page 3 (minute 15/65 – second para under Cllr Foley’s report under Borough Councillors’ report). Cllr Dudman expressed a wish to see the Commonhead Liaison Committee continue. Cllr Brady stated that Cllr Foley had noted this point and will try to arrange a meeting with the developers to discuss the matter.
Page 3 (minute 15/66 – sixth para under Finance report). Cllr Dudman asked if figures relating to the PC’s spend on the Tennis Club had been circulated. Cllr Costigan replied that they had not and this would be dealt with under tonight’s Finance report.
Page 4 (minute 15/67 – first para under Recreation & Community). Cllr Sunners told the meeting that the issue with the area surrounding the Tennis Courts still needs to be dealt with and requires a degree of pragmatism as it is a cumulative problem caused by both the original contractor and some subsequent work. A donation is to be made to the Probation Service for the assistance they have provided. Cllr Bowles asked whether the Parish Council had withheld any money from the contractor and Cllr Costigan informed her that funds had been temporarily withheld but had now been paid. Cllr Rawlings observed that the work would have benefited from more regular management and Cllr Jefferies asked about the provisions within the contract for clearing the site and was told that the contract had been with the Tennis Club and not with the Parish Council. Cllr Sunners agreed to speak to the Tennis Club to establish the contract position but the meeting agreed that, if necessary, the Parish Council would arrange clearance and send an invoice to the responsible party.
This action was proposed by Cllr Hill, seconded by Cllr Wright; all those at the meeting were in favour.
Action points.
An advertisement for new Parish councillors had been placed in The Ridgeway Bell but may need to be followed up with a letter drop. Cllr Brady will monitor the situation.
Cllr Costigan explained that the final payment for the Tennis Club renovation had been made in June. Following the return of VAT the Parish’s contribution had been £6975 (out of a total spend of some £100,000). There was a small discrepancy of £30 between the original costings and the final sum paid and Cllr Costigan is waiting for a response from the Tennis Club in relation to that sum. Once this matter has been resolved, full figures will be circulated.
Cllr Sunners has met with three contractors concerning lights at the Recreation Hall. Two offered similar quotes and one suggested using one of the Tennis Club pylons. The matter will be put before the next meeting of the Recreation Committee.
A number of hedges within the village still require cutting and a list will be made at the next Environment Committee meeting, after which the Clerk will send letters to those concerned.
All other action points had been actioned.
15/74. Borough Councillors’ report.
Unusually none of the Borough Councillors were able to attend this month’s meeting. However, Cllr Brady was able to deliver the following update on behalf of B.Cllr Shaw.
Most of the verges have now been cut back, albeit to a varying standard. The verge along Hodson Road, from Home Close to the Washpool, will be the subject of a site visit, as will over-hanging branches in Saxon Mill.
Final plans for New Road are awaited and will be subject to a later review. Plans are also awaited for the Hodson Road junction into Hodson village and B.Cllr.Shaw has asked for the more expensive solution to be considered.
Yellow lines have been requested around the corner at Castle View Road and The Orchard, along with bollards along the Green. Funding might be an issue. With regard to the yellow lines at either end of Turnball we are waiting for the expiry of a statutory public response period and should know the result very soon.
The issue surrounding the location of the Chiseldon Camp war memorial in Ladysmith Road has now been resolved and a statement will follow shortly.
A resident has raised concerns about dropped kerbs in the area of Well Close and New Road and these will be addressed when the relevant office returns from holiday.
A discussion followed, concerning the proposals for New Road. Mr Harris of Norris Close was concerned about the proposals and had written to the Borough to express those concerns. Cllr Hill was also concerned that some residents who had written letters were yet to receive a reply.
Cllrs Brady and Costigan agreed that some further clarity might be useful with regard to the plans for reviewing any build-out and suggested a piece in the Ridgeway Bell. Cllr Jefferies also asked for any information to be shared on Facebook. Cllr Brady undertook to speak to our Borough Councillors and obtain further details, which would be passed to the Environment Committee.
Cllr Hill raised the issue of blocked drains near the Landmark by the doctor’s surgery and asked that this be considered by the Environment Committee.
Cllr Brady said that she would share a recent letter sent to Robert Buckland MP concerning traffic issues around Junction 15 of the M4 and a filter lane into New Road. This would also be picked up by the Environment Committee.
15/75. Chiseldon Security CCTV
Cllr Brady had begun an information gathering exercise concerning the use of CCTV as a deterrent/security measure. A report will be circulated for councillors to consider prior to the next meeting.
Wroughton use seven cameras and have reported some success in terms of deterring anti-social behaviour. However, Robert Walton, our local Crime Reduction and Prevention Officer, has pointed out a number of important considerations in terms of registration requirements, data protection and legal compliance.
The paper to be compiled will look at the problems we are trying to solve, options, costs, legal implications and requirements for consultation.
15/76. Bus Service Changes
Cllr Hill told the meeting that 450 leaflets on the new bus timetables had been distributed at the church fete and a further 250 had been delivered door to door. Unfortunately the bus companies are very disappointed at the usage figures for the new timetable and are likely to review the routes in September.
Feedback has been provided concerning matters such as reducing the waiting time at Great Western Hospital, improving signage and moving the relevant bays at the bus station so they are all together.
Cllr Hill will be writing a further piece for The Ridgeway Bell on these matters.
15/77. Financial report
Cllr Costigan presented the statements.
– Payments listing. The June list of payments totalled £17,501.96, including VAT of £2,078.65. There were a number of payments about which further information was required, namely £1,150 to Tree Life Care for work on the trees at the Recreation Ground, an electricity bill for £422.60 for the Recreation Hall and a PAYE payment for £1070.52. As these payments were made by the former Clerk, Cllr Costigan will need to work with the new Clerk to find out more.
– Receipts and payments. Income in the month totalled £3,711.62. However, an amount of £3,521.67 for the Tennis Club project has been removed. This was also done by the former Clerk and will be investigated prior to the next meeting.
As a result of these anomalies a decision was taken to defer approval of the June figures until the next meeting of the Full Council. This was proposed by Cllr Costigan and seconded by Cllr Hill; all present were in favour.
15/78. Committee reports.
Environment, General Purposes & Highways.
Cllr Rawlings presented the minutes.
Cllr Rawlings has met with the planner concerning a new noticeboard for Badbury and it could not be located on the public highway. An alternative location has been agreed. Cllr Sunners stated that the owner of Oakley’s Spar has agreed to site a new noticeboard in front of their newsstand but that is dependent on railings being put back in. This needs to be discussed by the Environment Committee.
Cllr Rawlings proposed that he goes ahead and gets costings for the noticeboards and this was seconded by Cllr Costigan; all present in favour.
Cutting of the grass in the cemetery remains an issue and the Clerk will look into this.
A volunteer has come forward to help move the Roll of Honour, although it is believed that Cllr Walton has this in hand.
Following a recent survey some remedial work is needed at The Old Chapel, namely the enlargement of the French Drain, the removal of some interior plaster and the replacing of some exterior pointing. This will be discussed at the next meeting of the Environment Committee.
Planning.
Cllr Rawlings presented the planning status.
There were some objections to plans for a two storey extension at 13 Butts Road and these had been passed to the planners.
Cllr Hill asked for an update on the agenda for the next Borough Planning Meeting, concerning 33 Meadow Way and the Clerk will check for information.
Recreation & Community.
Cllr Sunners presented the minutes and stated that the Recreation Ground is being well used. The Football Club is preparing for its new season, softball is going well and the new tennis facilities are also popular.
There are issues with both of the doors to the Recreation Hall. The emergency door is in a particularly bad condition and may present a safety risk. Cllr Sunners has received a quote for £380 to replace both doors and the meeting agreed that this seemed very reasonable.
Cllr Bates asked Cllr Sunners to check the specification and ensure that exterior quality doors were being installed. Subject to that Cllr Costigan proposed that the work be carried out. This was seconded by Cllr Jefferies; all present in favour.
Cllr Dudman queried an item in the minutes concerning a request for help with tree planting and signage from the Tennis Club. This was to be a Jubilee Fund application and would be discussed under that heading.
15/79. Jubilee Funds.
Cllr Brady informed the meeting that a number of Jubilee Fund applications were expected; including support for a fundraising day in support of a radiotherapy unit at the Great Western Hospital and support for a local man involved in promoting wheelchair sports. She stated that she felt it important to ensure any funding was spread across a range of groups.
Cllr Costigan explained that applicants are required to submit a short email or letter explaining the use to which they would put the funds (up to a limit of £500) and the potential benefit to the local community. A document outlining the purpose of the Fund was circulated at its inception and the Clerk will try to locate it prior to the next meeting.
Once this document has been found the Clerk will write a piece promoting the Fund to be placed in The Ridgeway Bell and on Facebook.
15/80. Correspondence.
1. Spring / Summer magazine from Community First.
2. The 50/50 Fundraising Guide from Community First, asking local organisations to organise a fundraising event for Community First’s fiftieth anniversary and split the proceeds with Community First.
3. Welcome booklet from Total Gas & Power.
4. Copy of the Wroughton Neighbourhood Plan for 2014-2026.
5. July magazine from Clerks & Councils Direct.
6. Weekly emails from the Rural Services Network, including RSN Rural Conference in Cheltenham on 8/ September.
7. Email from Ian McMurray from Three Trees Farm Shop about a possible Village Produce Show next year. Looking for volunteers to assist.
8. Email from Wroughton Parish Clerk concerning training for new councillors. Three locations suggested.
9. Weekly emails from Adjacent Digital with local government news.
10. Email from Kellogg College Oxford concerning a panel debate on transport solutions which took place on 11 June.
11. Email from MOD concerning Armed Forces Day which took place on 27 June.
12. June edition of Healthwatch Swindon e-news bulletin.
13. Email announcing Parish and Town Clerks’ Forum on 15 July.
14. Email from HAGS concerning a new range of playground equipment.
15. Email from Prepared Media: What’s New in Public Sector Today.
16. Communications from parishioners relating to vehicles parked in Downs Road, trees to the rear of Station Road, work at the recreation ground, the availability of allotments, the location of dog bins and speeding vehicles in High Street.
MEMBERS BULLETINS.
There is a new service from Swindon Libraries, offering free digital access to a range of magazines (via Zinio). Details can be found at: www.swindon.gov.uk/libraries
SBC is performing well above the national average with regard to allocating pupils to their preferred school.
A consultation on The Care Act is running until 4 September. It concerns services for adults and their carers. More details can be found at: www.swindon.gov.uk/careactconsultation
15/81. Any other business.
Cllr Sunners stated that there had been an increase in fly-tipping across the Parish and this was noted.
Cllr Sunners also stated that Waitrose were running a fundraising campaign to supply bikes to local police officers and asked the Parish Council to consider lending its support.
Cllr Hill asked whether the service of former Clerk, Dave Thomas, would be officially recognised. Cllr Brady told the meeting that she and Cllr Walton were taking care of this and a gift would be provided, along with a card that would be circulated for signature.
Cllr Hill also asked if any members of the council would be taking up the offer of training on the Code of contact and he was informed that Cllr Brady would be attending, along with the new Clerk.
Cllr Jefferies enquired about a bollard outside of her property which carried a sign saying ‘no road markings’. The markings have been in place for some time and the bollard is causing an obstruction so the meeting felt it would be appropriate to move it to one side.
The meeting closed at 9.35pm
SUMMARY OF ACTION POINTS
Borough Councillors
15/72 Investigate the possibility of signs stating that certain roads are not suitable for HGVs
15/73 Look into the possible continuation of the Commonhead Liaison Committee
Cllr Brady
15/74 Seek clarification about the plans for New Road and any subsequent review and pass information to the Environment Committee. Also, share recent letter to Robert Buckland MP regarding traffic issues
15/75 Prepare a report on the potential use of CCTV for circulation prior to the next meeting
Cllr Costigan
15/73 Circulate final figures for the Tennis Club project
15/77 Work with the Clerk to investigate anomalies in June’s financial statement and re-present them to the next meeting
Cllr Sunners
15/73 Speak to the Tennis Club to establish the contractual position with regard to site clearance and arrange further clearance if required
15/78 Arrange for the installation of replacement doors at the Recreation Hall
Cllr Rawlings
15/74 Ensure that the Borough Councillors are aware of the blocked drains near the doctor’s surgery
Clerk
15/73 Write to all home-owners with overgrown hedges
15/78 Look into the continuing issues with the cutting of grass at the cemetery in Butts Road
15/78 Establish the current position with regard to the planning application for 33 Meadow Way
15/79 Prepare a piece on access to the Jubilee Fund