Minutes of the Maresfield Parish Council Meetings are available from here. This years minutes are accessible at this level and minutes for previous years are available by clicking the appropriate button to the left.

The DRAFT minutes of the last full council meeting are below

DRAFT Minutes of the Maresfield Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 20^th July 2010 at 7.30 pm in the Nutley War Memorial Hall

Present: Cllr W King (Chairman), Cllr K Ogden, Cllr D Barlow, Cllr D Finch,

Cllr R Galley, Cllr J Gutteridge, Cllr P Harris, Cllr Mrs. P Palmer, Cllr Ms C Reynolds, CCllr A Reid, CCllr F Whetstone, Asst. Clerk Mrs. K Larkin

There were four members of the public present.

PUBLIC SESSION

A.1 Co-option of Councillor to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Cllr Mrs. Valerie Taylor. .The Chairman welcomed two candidates, Ms Carol Reynolds and Mr Aidan Farrell to make statements and answer questions about their candidacy.

A.2 Other public matters:-

• Traffic Calming Scheme in Maresfield. Mr F Taylor reported that a meeting had been held on 17^th July between the Maresfield Conservation Group and the Maresfield Residents Group at which nearly all points had been agreed. A report of the meeting was being prepared and a copy would be sent to the Clerk.
• Provision of satellite/branch surgery in Nutley. Mr F Thorogood wished to lodge a complaint about references made to himself (though not by name) in correspondence on this issue between the Council and Dr Baxter of the AFHC. An erroneous impression had been given by Dr Baxter in an email to Cllr Barlow that ‘a certain resident’ had intentionally used emergency surgery time to raise an administrative matter, when in fact Mr Thorogood had made clear to the Receptionist when he sought the appointment that it would be to discuss the Surgery, and had repeated that to Dr Baxter when he saw him. Mr Thorogood explained that his situation fitted the description in the e-mail and that the ‘certain resident’ was him. The Chairman apologised to Mr Thorogood for the misunderstanding. Cllr Finch proposed that a letter should be sent to Dr Baxter setting the record straight. This was seconded by Cllr Barlow, and agreed unanimously. ACTION: the Chairman to write to Dr Baxter.  Mr Thorogood then raised the matter of ‘Plan B’ for the provision of a satellite surgery. Preparatory work had been done on this in anticipation of the difficulties which had in fact been encountered with the PCT on the original proposal. A number of Nutley residents had expressed a willingness to do all the ground work for the provision of a satellite surgery themselves, cost-free to the NHS. They would obtain planning permission, clear the site, do the footings work for the cabin and connect services to it, leaving the GPs (under the coalition government’s new philosophy of putting GPs in charge of local funding) to supply and pay for the cabin. This proposal had been made to Dr Baxter by letter, and his reaction was awaited. Mr Thorogood was disappointed that the proposal had not yet reached the Strategy Committee. In discussion it was agreed that the cost implications for MPC would need to be worked out, but that MPC should in the meantime offer moral support. Cllr Finch suggested that because of the delay which might have led to some loss of support he should have two months in which to consult residents and report back to the Council. This was agreed. ACTION: Cllr Finch to prepare a report for the September Council meeting.

1771. Co-option of a new Councillor to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Cllr Mrs. Valerie Taylor. It was resolved that a paper ballot should be held.

Ms Carol Reynolds was declared elected by a majority of one. The Chairman congratulated Ms Reynolds on her appointment and welcomed her to the Council. Ms Reynolds then signed a Declaration of Acceptance of Office and joined the meeting.

1772. Apologies for absence and other non-attendance: Cllr Brady, Cllr Handley, Cllr Stevenson, Cllr Street, DCllr Buck, DCllr Mrs. S Martin, and the Clerk Mr A Allen.

1773. Declarations of Interest:- None.

1774. Minutes of the previous meeting held on 15^th June 2010:-

• For adoption – DCllr Galley requested a correction to the paragraph on page 2 regarding the progress of the LDF, which should say that ‘Significant planning changes had been announced by central government’ (instead of ‘had been brought about’). It was resolved to adopt the minutes as corrected.
• Matters arising from these Minutes: – None.

1775. Reports by and questions to:

• County Councillors – CCllr Reid reported that the budget dominated discussion. The County Council had five sources of funding, namely council tax (70%); charging for services; a formula grant from central government (5%); specific grants from central government (used by the last government as an instrument of control); and capital funds. The last three in particular were under threat, and the capital grants required to build new academies in Hastings and Eastbourne, and the Bexhill link road, were all on hold. Cuts of £83 million, year on year, were projected over the next four years, though this had not been unforeseen, as capital cuts of 50% had already been planned by the previous government. The aim of ESCC would be to share out the cutbacks as widely and fairly as possible, and to encourage private citizens to seize the opportunity to support local, community projects and to drive them forward. In discussion a question was raised about possible effects on the North Wealden Community Transport Project. CCllr Reid advised that this would depend on government grants, but that the government so far seemed to be giving it a high priority.

• CCllr Whetstone stated that there had been a fire in the Ashdown Forest, caused by the crashing of a model aeroplane. Three-quarters of an acre had been burnt.
• District Councillors – DCllr Galley reported that the second edition of WDC’s ‘Parish Bulletin’ had just been published. Feedback from Councillors would be welcomed. The District Council, like ESCC, had cuts in grants from central government to contend with. A reduction of 40% was projected, which meant that up to £3 million of further savings would have to be made, year on year. The government had now revoked the South East Plan by statute and handed down advice to local authorities on how to proceed without it. The LDF could now be carried forward again, but with reasonable, evidence-based housing targets which took account of the local availability of jobs, transport, and other types of infrastructure.
•  DCllr Ogden reported that Maresfield residents would be eligible to apply for affordable homes in the Grampian development, subject to the usual scoring process. Seventy percent of the enquiries so far received had been from Londoners. In discussion it was agreed that this demonstrated the flawed nature of the former Regional Spatial Strategy. However, there was a division of opinion among Councillors as to whether more Affordable Housing in Maresfield was or was not desirable. The new recycling scheme had been rolled out in Maresfield but was still unable to take glass. A communal site for recycling glass was therefore needed within the village. In the meantime, residents would be permitted to send glass to landfill. Finally, DCllr Ogden reported that he had sought advice from Mr Vic Scarpa of WDC as to the legality of WDC awarding planning permissions in which it had an undeclared interest as a landowner (as at Park Farm). Mr Scarpa had confirmed that it was legal.
• DCllr Mrs Martin had submitted a written report concerning new housing numbers in Wealden; and on responsibility for cutting overgrown hedges next to footpaths and roads. This would be circulated to all Councillors.

1776.  Parish Wards – issues, needs and Councillors’ reports:-

• Fairwarp Ward – None.
• Maresfield Ward – The Chairman reported that PCSO Katie Breeds had recently run a very good Neighbourhood Panel meeting in Buxted which he had joined on behalf of Maresfield. Police strategy required that such meetings must be held somewhere in their patch by each PCSO every three months and that three priorities should identified. Top priorities on this occasion had been parking, crime prevention, speeding, and anti-social behaviour (the latter sometimes a problem in Maresfield in the summer months). Cllr King invited other Councillors to identify priorities for their own wards. Neighbourhood Watch was being re-introduced. About two-thirds of roads in Maresfield were not covered by NHW, and volunteers would be needed to achieve full coverage. A coordinator was also required. A similar situation would apply in Fairwarp and Nutley. ACTION: the Clerk to contact PCSO Breeds to find out which roads were not yet covered.
• Nutley Ward – Cllr Barlow reported that litter had become a problem, particularly close to the shop and the triangle, and along the main road, due to the carelessness of passing motorists. Speeding was also an issue. In discussion it was noted that a good new site for doing a Speedwatch exercise might be approved at the bus stop at Dodds Bank. Volunteers were needed for the next round of Speedwatch exercises and should contact Cllr Ogden. This would be all the more important because of the cancellation of the scheme for traffic calming on the B2026. Cllr Reynolds volunteered to help. Cllr Finch stated that the changes in speed limits across the Ashdown Forest were confusing, and that it would be preferable to have a uniform limit of 30 mph across the Forest – or, even better, 20 mph. It was thought that ESCC might soon produce a timetable for the review of speed limits on C-class roads. ACTION: Cllr Finch to speak to Ian Johnston about the next review of speed limits on C-roads. Cllr Harris reported that the ‘Stop’ sign at the junction of the Crowborough Road and the A22 in Nutley had been turned around by vandals.

1777.  COUNCIL BODIES – receipt of minutes and decisions, followed by Reports.

1. Environment Committee: –

(i) Draft minutes of the meeting held on 29^th June 2010. The Council took note.

(ii) Item 9 Grass verge cutting in the parish - Cllr Palmer and members of MCG had met the managing director of Countrymans Contractors Ltd to discuss the possibility of this company doing intermediate cuts of verges and roundabouts in Maresfield to supplement the work done by ESCC Highways. The company was already contracted to work for ESCC and WDC and carried all the requisite insurance and certificates. The company had quoted £650 per cut, but MCG had asked for a breakdown of this figure in order to prioritise and bring the cost down. In discussion, it was noted that the cost could be prohibitive as parallel schemes would have to be run for Nutley and Fairwarp. It would also be necessary to obtain alternative quotes for comparison. However, the possibility should be explored. ACTION: Cllr Palmer to liaise with Cllr Stevenson.

(iii) Item 15 Maresfield Parish Community Allotment Scheme – the Chairman reported that there was a fundamental problem to be resolved. The project in its present form could only work if the land offered for the allotments by the Cottingham family could definitely be returned to them, if required, when the initial ten-year lease expired. Allotments and allotment holders enjoyed a considerable degree of protection, and although various ways of circumventing that protection were known, they could not be depended upon as the underlying legislation was itself very unclear. However, research was continuing. ACTION: the Clerk to find out about community garden schemes.

2. Finance & Administration Committee:-

(i) Month 3 – 2010/11 Financial Reports. The Council took note. Attention was drawn to the only significant exceptional figure in the report, a payment £3,000 over budget which had now been made to the Parklands Residents Association, as previously discussed and approved.

(ii) Approval of the new lease for the Parish Office. A correction was required on page 2 of the draft lease, clause LR3, where under the sub-heading ‘Other parties’ should be inserted ‘None’.

It was resolved that the draft lease should be approved, subject to this correction.

(iii) Appraisal for the Clerk and related pay increment. The Chairman deferred this item until the end of the agenda.

For the Minute of this Item, see page 6 below.

3. Planning Committee:-

(i) Minutes of the meeting held on 1^st June 2010. The Minutes were received.

(ii) Minutes of the meeting held on 22^nd June 2010. The Minutes were received.

(iii) Draft minutes of the meeting held on 12^th July 2010.  The Council took note.

Cllr Harris as Chairman of the committee had presented a written report. The Council took note. In discussion it was noted that the application for a replacement dwelling at Strettons (WD/2010/1186), for which the Committee had recommended refusal had actually been approved by WDC but on stringent conditions including the retention of all screening hedges, and with the agreement of all neighbours. The outcome was therefore satisfactory. However, other recent decisions, particularly in Fairwarp (e.g. Arnolds; Fairmay; Rock a Nore) illustrated the difficulty of implementing coherent policies in the Ashdown Forest and the AONB in the face of a growing body of appeal decisions.

4. Strategy Committee

(i) Minutes of the meeting held on 15^th April 2010. The Minutes were received.

(ii) Minutes of the meeting held on 10^th June 2010. The Minutes were received.

(iii) Draft minutes of the meeting held on 8^th July 2010. The Council took note.

Cllr Barlow as Chairman of the Committee drew attention to the appointment of Cllr Mrs. Brady as Vice Chairman. He confirmed that Dr Baxter had yet to respond to the new initiative from Mr Thorogood and Cllr Finch. Cllr Finch confirmed that he would be pleased to take this project forward with the help of local people. The proposed traffic calming scheme for the B2026 was unfortunately a casualty of the ESCC budget cuts. It would be all the more important to proceed with Speedwatch exercises. Passenger numbers in the North Wealden Community Transport Scheme were up 70%. Despite this excellent progress there was real concern over the vulnerability of the service to future cuts. Cllr Barlow had inspected the Fords Green play area as requested by the Environment Committee and found that repairs were indeed necessary to the small slide in particular and that the affected equipment would need to be dismantled to get at the affected parts. He would liaise with the Chairman of the Environment Committee and report to the Finance & Administration Committee.

5. Maresfield Recreation Ground Access Sub-Committee report. No further progress as yet.

6. Parish Plan Development Working Party report. The Chairman reported that the draft Parish Plan papers were nearly finalised and would be circulated with next issue of The Parish Matters in September.  However, in consultations over the wording of the Questionnaire requests had been made for item B2 (the ‘transition town’ question) to be removed or made more specific as the answers might otherwise be too general to be useful. The underlying issues were the decline in the availability of fossil fuels, climate change, and water shortages. It was agreed that the question should be retained but clarified.

ACTION: any further suggestions to be made to the Chairman.

1778. Report from, and questions to the Chairman. The Chairman had submitted a written report. The Council took note.

1779. Report from the Clerk. The Clerk had submitted a written report. The Council took note.

1780. Payments to be made – for approval. It was resolved to approve the scheduled payments amounting to £6,960.19. The Assistant Clerk reported that three further invoices had been received, and approval was requested for these payments as follows:

• Wealden District Council – dog bin emptying (April – June 2010), £271.90, cheque no. 1103626
• R J Tester – placing woodchips in Maresfield Play Area, £56.40, cheque no. 103627
• Nutley War Memorial Trust – hall hire (1^st June 2010; 10^th June 2010), £16.00, cheque no. 103628.

It was noted that the payment to ICA Ltd for photocopier services would be the last.

1781. Maresfield Recreation Ground – approval of the 2009/10 MRG Accounts and the return to the Charity Commission. The Chairman drew attention to the fact that he had signed these prematurely in his capacity as Chairman of the Trustees (wrongly thinking that it was for the Recreation Ground Committee to approve them), but had immediately withdrawn his signature and explained to the Recreation Ground Committee that prior approval should have been obtained from the Parish Council. The Accounts and Return could be reprinted and re-signed. In discussion, however, it was agreed that this would not be necessary, and the signature was ratified.

It was resolved that the 2009-10 Accounts and return to the Charity Commission should be approved.

1782. Communications.

(i) Your Parish Brief – a new issue was needed. Points to be covered would include the fate of the B2026 scheme, and grass cutting. Cllr Ogden would help the Assist. Clerk to prepare it.

ACTION: the Assistant Clerk to prepare the next issue.

(ii) The Parish Matters - The Clerk had circulated a timeline and a draft list of topics and contributors for the next issue. The Parish Plan would be a major topic. Further suggestions would still be welcome.

(iii) Parish Magazines – the Chairman continued to supply a page to each magazine, each month.

ACTION: Councillors to forward any copy to the Chairman.

1783. Date of next meeting – 21^st September 2010 (Nutley)

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1777 (2) Finance & Administration Committee (see page 4 above)

(iii) Appraisal for the Clerk and related pay increment.

It was resolved that in view of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, i.e. an employment matter, it was advisable in the public interest that the public and press be temporarily excluded and that they should be instructed to withdraw (Standing Orders 3.1.1 – 3.1.2); they were asked to do so.

CCllr Reid, members of the public, and the Assistant Clerk left the meeting.

It was resolved that the Appraisal for the Clerk should be approved and adopted.

It was further resolved that the related pay increment should be awarded.

The Assistant Clerk rejoined the meeting to record these decisions.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 9.30 pm.