Minutes of Parish Council Meeting 29th July 2017
Sidlesham Parish Council
Minutes of Parish Council Meeting 19th July 2017 in the Church Hall, Church Farm Lane 7.30pm
Present: Mrs C Ranjbar (Vice-Chairman), Mrs C Hall, Mrs U Pearce, Mr A Harland, Mr P Bedford, Mrs D Pound and Mrs M Monnington.
Cllr P Montyn (WSCC), 2 members of the public and the Clerk, Mrs T MacIntyre.
Members of the council and the public were informed that the evening’s meeting would be recorded.
1 Questions from the public present at the meeting on subjects other than those on the agenda. None
2. Apologies for Absence: Mr M Mellodey, Dr F Lewis and Cllr P Tull (CDC)
3. Declarations by councillors of personal interests in items on this agenda. None
4. Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 21st June 2017 to be signed as a correct record. Mrs Hall proposed and Mrs Ranjbar seconded that the minutes be signed. 3 councillors agreed with 4 abstentions.
5. Matters arising from the above minutes not dealt with in separate items below. None.
6. WSCC Councillor. Cllr Montyn briefed the PC on WSCC’s A27 Community Workshops. WSCC has held Workshops in June and July, one for Parish Council Chairmen and one for members of the business community. Business leaders had requested that business and the economy be moved up in the list of priorities. A meeting of both business and community participants has been called for Monday, 24th July 2017 to review progress. Cllr L Goldsmith, Cllr A Dignum and the Chief Executives of WSCC and CDC held a meeting with representatives from Highways England. It is expected that a report of that meeting will be given at the meeting on the 24th July. When WSCC has arrived at a set of requirements, agreed by the majority, these will be sent to the consultant and WSCC hopes that this process will have been completed before the end of the summer. Mr Mellodey will represent SPC at the meeting on 24th July.
7. Highways, footpaths and cycleways.
7.1 Broken finger post on junction of Highleigh Road and Rotten Row. The finger post has been repaired.
7.2 Selsey/Chichester Commuter Cycle Track.
Mr Bedford had attended a Cycle Track meeting on 17th July 2017. He reported that a £10,000 grant has been awarded by Selsey Town Council for an Environmental Impact Assessment. There was discussion on the diversion/alternative route along Golf Links Lane, by the sewage works and back opposite Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve. The decision had been made at the meeting to continue to pursue the B2145 online route which has Section 106 backing for land allocation. Therefore, if the Golf Links Lane route were to fail, the project would continue with the B2145 route. It is thought that Selsey Country Club is about to be sold and this raises a question over access to the Golf Links Lane route. The diversion would provide crucial access to Medmerry. However, as a commuter route, it was noted that this is a big diversion. An incremental approach to the route could be taken so that sections would be completed as funds become available. Next meeting in September.
8. Memorial Playing Field
8.1 Structural Survey of foundations of clubhouse on Memorial Playing Field. The survey has been circulated and will be fully discussed at the September PC meeting. Mr Bedford proposed and Mrs Pound seconded that the Clerk write to the surveyor to request a full written report. All councillors agreed.
Mrs Pound had consulted the architect employed by Sidlesham Community Association. He considered that the structural engineer’s investigation of the foundations should be sufficient to develop plans for a sport and recreation hall without the need for an architect. A member of the Football Club, who had been involved in the original building of the clubhouse, had seen the surveyor’s diagram but did not recognise the results of his survey.
The Chairman of the SCA requested that the SCA be sent a copy of the surveyor’s report. All agreed.
8.2 Architectural assessment of clubhouse footprint for sport and recreation building. This item was deferred until September.
8.3 Meeting with Mr and Mrs Mears of Woodlands, Keynor Lane re boundary fence on Memorial Playing Field.
A report of the meeting had been circulated to councillors. Mr and Mrs Mears, having suffered from trespassers entering their land from the Memorial Playing Field, had erected a fence on the Memorial Playing Field side of the ditch between their property and the field. The trespassers have left refuse on their land and been rude and intimidating when asked to leave. Mr and Mrs Mears agreed to put up signs warning the public about the barbed wire on the fence. A long term aim was agreed to plant vegetation which would create a natural barrier. If this is planted on the Memorial Playing Field side of the ditch, riparian responsibility for the ditch would be delegated to Woodlands by a legal document. Mr Bedford suggested that the Manhood Wildlife & Heritage Group may be interested in a joint project to plant a hedge with native species and create a habitat area. This could be maintained with the community orchard as one area. Mr Bedford will pursue this possibility with the MW&HG and report back to the council. It is envisaged that when a sport and recreation hall is built, a fence/barrier will be erected as part of the project, running from the boundary south of the hall, westward along the southern boundary of the MPF.
Mr Bedford reported that land on the northwest corner of the B2145 and Keynor Lane has been sold and, it is believed, may be used for stationing vehicles.
8.4 Damage to Barrier Gate.
The barrier gate has been hit again. The Clerk had spoken to the company who built the gate to enquire if supports could be built and installed. This could be expensive and they thought it might be easier to put in bollards either side of the gate, narrowing the access to the gate. This might slow traffic into and out of the car park. This was not thought to be the solution. The Clerk was asked to cost a board to be hung on a chain from the top bar. This would be clearly marked and should hit the windscreen of any vehicle approaching the gate before the vehicle hit the bar.
8.5 Repair of Zip Wire
The Clerk had obtained a quotation for the repair of the zip wire at £290.00 +VAT. The ‘trolley’ and break need to be replaced. It will then need to be reassembled. All approved the quotation and the Clerk will contact the contractor to carry out the work as soon as possible.
9. Assets and Amenities Workgroup
No A&A meetings have taken place since June.
10. Ferry Farm Grant Application.
10.1 Reconfirm Dr Lewis as representative for Sidlesham PC. Mrs Pound read out recent correspondence between her and Mr Mellodey which clarified misunderstandings. All agreed that Dr Lewis is Sidlesham PC’s representative on the panel.
10.2 Mrs Hall informed the PC that an application has been submitted to the Ferry Farm Community Company for a grant towards replacing the fence around the children’s playground. There had been a misunderstanding as to whether the PC was entitled to apply for a grant so the application had been submitted at short notice. The application had stressed that the playground was used, not only by the children of Sidlesham, but by children from the all over the Manhood Peninsula. It is expected that the outcome of the application will be known in early August.
11. A27 Consultation Community Workshop.
The Clerk had circulated the list of priorities agreed by the Chairmen of Hunston, North Mundham, Donnington and Sidlesham PCs following meetings between the 4 parishes. The Parish Council approved the document unanimously and this will be submitted to WSCC.
12. Neighbourhood/Village Plan.
Councillors were disappointed by the lack of parishioners willing to volunteer to help with the drawing up of the Plan. Any plan must be drawn up by the community, not just the PC. Mr Bedford will recirculate his paper on a Village Plan (which could form the basis for a Neighbourhood Plan) and asked that councillors respond by listing their priorities for a plan. It was suggested that an article be written for publication in the Sidlesham Parishioner and the Sidlesham Spread. Mr Bedford agreed to circulate a draft article before sending it for publication. The Chairman of the SCA suggested he raise it at the SCA’s AGM and all agreed.
13. Finance
13.1 Payments
13.1.1 OBE Fabrications (fabricate & supply lock shroud for gate) £192.00
13.1.2 M H Kennedy (mow Paddock Straight) £250.27
13.1.3 The Sign Shop Horsham Ltd (self-adhesive labels for playground bin) £36.00
13.1.4 T MacIntyre (June salary) £504.17
13.1.5 M H Kennedy & Son (mow Paddock Straight) £250.27
13.1.6 H B Collins (strim & litter pick) £720.00
Mrs Hall proposed and Mrs Monnington seconded that items 13.1.1 to 13.1.6 be approved en bloc. All agreed.
13.2 Approve expenditure against budget statement
A statement of expenditure against budget to 13th July 2017 had been circulated to Councillors. All approved the statement.
14. Reports.
14. Flood and Land Drainage Report.
Mr Bedford had circulated a report. He raised his concern over the willow copse and ditch opposite Littleton Barn. The ditch, crucial to the drainage system, is not maintained by the Environment Agency. Church Commissioners own the adjacent land but the tenant farming that land states that the ditch is not part of the field. WSCC denies any responsibility for the ditch. Mr Bedford informed the PC of a plan to line a section of the ditch with concrete sandbags and create an overspill into the coppice to avoid water building up before it goes under the B2145. Mr Bedford requested agreement from the PC to him making an application to Operation Watershed for a grant to carry out the work. All agreed. FLOW (Fixing & Linking our Wetlands) is planning work to clear the culvert under Ham Road (part of Keynor Rife). The PC has £14,457 remaining from its earlier Operation Watershed grant and he suggested that it be used to clear the Ham Road culvert. All agreed. A contents for the work is being put together to be sent to CDC. The quotation will be presented to the PC for approval before the PC releases the funds.
Mrs Hall raised the culvert under the road outside Thorverton; Mr Bedford replied that that is the responsibility of WSCC.
15. Correspondence.
15.1 The Clerk had received a letter from a resident of May Close. In it, she complained of people using the land on the Memorial Playing Field behind her garden fence as a toilet. They had left nappies and other refuse behind. Mrs Ranjbar will look at the area and report back to the PC. She did, however, inform the PC that no property backing on to the MPF has right of access to the field from their garden, without the consent of the PC. This consent is only given to the current owner of the property and is not transferrable should the property change hands.
18. Matters of urgent public importance. Items raised will stand deferred until the next meeting. None
19. Matters of Information. None
Meeting closed at 9.15 pm
