Minutes of the Maresfield Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 19^th December 2006
held in the Memorial Hall, Nutley

Present:            Cllr W King (Chairman), Cllr P Tester, Cllr R Street, Cllr J Gutteridge, Cllr R Galley,

Cllr H Fry, DCllr F Brown, DCllr Mrs S Martin, CCllr Tony Reid, Mr T Allen (Clerk) &
Mrs C Goossens (Asst Clerk)

Public:            Mr John Handley, Mr Fred Taylor, Mr Dan Frost (Kent & Sussex Courier)

The Chairman introduced Councillors, the Clerk and Assistant Clerk to the members of the public.

A.         Public Session         

A.1             Co-option of a Councillor to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of
Cllr Stephen Leaney.

Mr Handley’s resume was circulated with the meeting papers.

He confirmed that he has no prior experience of local government work but feels that he has sufficient time to work on Parish Council business especially as he no longer works in London.

A.2       Any other public matters.

Mr Taylor speaking in relation to the Downlands Farm planning application said that he hopes that when Councillors consider the proposal, they bear in mind that it is a vast scheme which will almost close the green area between Uckfield and Maresfield.  Furthermore, the development will undoubtedly create even more traffic which will affect not only Maresfield but also Nutley.  There are other Brownfield sites in Maresfield that could be used for housing development i.e. the land south of the recreation ground.

The Chairman closed the public session.

CCllr Whetstone joins the meeting.

1185.   To vote for the co-option of a new Councillor to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Cllr Stephen Leaney.

No Councillors requested a paper ballot.  Mr Handley was elected unanimously and duly signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

1186.   To approve apologies for absence and to note other non-attendance. 

Cllr G Hardy, Cllr K Ogden, Cllr C Stevenson, Cllr Mrs V Taylor, Cllr R Tester and DCllr N Buck.

It was noted that apologies had not been received from Cllr Cranfield and Cllr Stephens. The Chairman again explained that Cllr Cranfield is now frequently abroad on business and is unsure whether he will be able to continue to fulfil his responsibilities as a Councillor.

1187.            Declarations of interest:- Cllr Gutteridge as a member of the Maresfield Conservation Group.

1188.            Minutes:-

1.      Minutes of the previous Meeting (21^st November 2006) for adoption.

The minutes were Adopted.

2.      Matters arising from those minutes.

Re Item 1176.1 (6^th Bullet) – Cllr Street confirmed that he attended ESCC’s Transport and Environment Lead Member’s Meeting at which the issue of HGV’s passing through Fairwarp was discussed.  It was agreed that signs would be put on the B2026 at the entrance to The Street and on the A26 at Oldlands Hill stating “Road unsuitable to heavy vehicles”.  Cllr Street reported that this wording implies that it is possible for HGV’s to pass through Fairwarp when actually it isn’t.  The Lead Member is taking advice as to whether the wording can be changed.

Re Item 1175.2 (2^nd bullet) – Cllr Fry reported that he has now looked at the summary but still needs to read the detailed report. The Police have urged all Parish Councils and Town Councils to appoint a lead councillor who will be their Community Safety Officer and for Maresfield the representative is Cllr H Fry.  ACTION:  Cllr Fry to provide a written report of his findings for circulation prior to the next Council meeting.

DCllr Hollins joins the meeting.

Cllr Fry stated that he is still having difficulty in obtaining full access to the CADDIE system and that he is trying to gain access to the coded areas.  He also reported that speeding is still not recorded in official crime figures. ACTION:  Clerk to add link on Parish Council website to the Police CADDIE system.

1189.            Reports by and questions to:-

1.      County Councillors.

CCllr Reid made the following comments:

Budgeting:

o          Central Government has announced levels of grants to each Local Authority and ESCC has been allocated a 2.7% increase which is the minimum guaranteed for County Councils.  The average increase across all County Councils is 5% with the highest being Dorset at 9.9%. 

o          There will be a 4.3% increase on Council Tax for East Sussex in the next financial year.

o          The demand for funding for Adult Social Care has increased by 8%, the Education budget in respect of children with special needs by 10% and transport services by12%.

o          ESCC is looking at efficiencies and opportunities for income from S106 agreements and is also considering which services can no longer be offered or can be modified.  Savings of £8.6m need to be found.

o          County Councils in the South East will get together to discuss this unsustainable situation.

o          The financial unsustainability will work through to impossibility in 2008-09

Road Traffic Accident Data:

o          Accident record for the A272 shows that in statistical terms this road is more dangerous than the A27. 

o          The section of the A272 in East Sussex is 202% more dangerous than the national average road.  This figure is calculated according to the length of road, the number of vehicles using it and number of accidents.

o          In the three years to end June 2006 the statistics are as follows:

                              i.               Fatalities - 7 on the A21, 5 on the A27 and 0 on the A272.

                            ii.               Personal injury - 15 on the A21, 34 on the A27 and 12 on the A272.

                           iii.               Killed or seriously injured – 22 on the A21, 39 on the A27 and 12 on the A272.

o          The A26 also has a very poor record and CCllr Reid confirmed that he will also request data for this road.

S106 Benefits:

o          CCllr Reid has spoken with Cllr King regarding the need for ESCC to carefully look at S106 agreement provisions associated with local development.  CCllr Reid confirmed that ESCC Officers are currently looking at the proposals as requested by Maresfield Parish Council i.e. in terms of what they think will hold up and what can be negotiated with the developer(s).  Consultation with WDC will also be encouraged in this regard.

Unitary Authorities:

o          The White Paper on Local Government indirectly addresses the operation of Local Government.  The threat of unitary authorities has been shelved but in East Sussex it has been declared that a three tier level is favoured and this is being discussed.

o          S106 agreements and development are where all three levels of authority i.e. County, District and Town/Borough and Parish Councils have a common interest.

Mobile classroom/youth facility:

o          The Clerk reported that he has left a message with the relevant contact as provided by CCllr Reid in relation to finding a mobile building for the Nutley Youth Group.

CCllr Whetstone made the following comments:

o          Having made enquiries at ESCC regarding the possibility of providing a bus service in Fairwarp, it would seem that at present there is definitely no possibility of improving the situation.  A service from Uckfield to Edenbridge through Hartfield would allow for a bus in Fairwarp but no such service exists and there are no plans to introduce one.  Hartfield currently has a bus service travelling East to West but not North to South; it is subsidised by Kent CC.He paid tribute to Cllr Norcross and to the firemen who had died at Shortgate Farm, noting that their deaths on active duty seem to be the first for 30 years in the East Sussex Fire [& Rescue] Service

o          Cllr Fry enquired of CCllr Reid whether he had a comparative figure to that provided for the number of accidents on the A272 in relation to the National Average. Cllr King asked which stretch of the A272 is at the 202% level. CCllr Reid gave the comparative figures for the A27 and A21 which are as follows:

• A21 between Stone Cross and the B2089 - 224% of National Average.
• A272  between Newick and the A22 - 202% of the National Average.
• A27 between A26 Lewes and A26 Newhaven – 148% of the National Average

o          The Chairman raised his tremendous concern that the most dangerous section of the A272 is where traffic is expected to turn right across the carriageway both into and out of the new waste site at Maresfield Camp. Initial proposals included a roundabout but this seems to no longer be the case.  The Chairman asked that the information as provided by CCllr Reid at this meeting be taken to County Hall before matters worsen. 

o          CCllr Reid confirmed that although no formal proposal has as yet been put together, ESCC Officers have already surveyed the road, speed limits will be reduced, double white lines will be extended and speed activated signs will be put in place.

o          The Chairman concluded that if ESCC Officers were already aware that this section of the A272 was dangerous it is disgraceful that the information was not put before the Planning Committee in relation to the Waste Site. 

o          It was noted that if one considers the number of bodies injured in the statistics as provided by CCllr Reid, the figures don’t seem too drastic.  However, it should be noted that these figures do not reflect the degree of danger as is demonstrated by the percentage of the national average statistics.   

o          Cllr P Tester suggested in relation to the provision of a bus service in Fairwarp, that ESCC contact  Essex County Council which has an arrangement whereby minibuses collect people from remote villages at certain times of day to transport then to an existing bus service.

o          The Clerk reported that Cllr Stevenson has emailed Cllr Reid regarding the difficulties he has been experiencing in obtaining responses and information from the Sussex Safety Camera Partnership; any information he does receive seems to be coming from West Sussex.  It is essential that the Parish Council has the support of ESCC on this especially in relation to work towards obtaining a camera in Nutley.

CCllr Reid reported that the SSCP structure and funding is about to change and the funding will be given to three authorities as a lump sum from Central Government essentially removing any funding for cameras which may previously have been available. 
ACTION:  Clerk and Cllr Stevenson to discuss directly with CCllr Reid.

2.      District Councillors.

DCllr Mrs Martin made the following comments:

Council Tax:

• WDC is proposing its lowest increase in Council Tax for 12 years i.e. approximately 4.2% which equates to an increase of 12 pence per week for a band D property.

WDC Community Strategy:

• This has been developed through the Local Strategic Partnership and provides an accurate reflection on how people would like to see the district develop over the next 15 years.  WDC has encouraged Village and Parish Plans and will continue to work closely with Parishes to ensure the best way forward for all communities.

HOPE Affordable Housing:

• Some 81 units are in process of being developed. 
• 4 sites have proved to be unavailable. 
• WDC has secured £3.5m from the Housing Corporation for its 2006-2008 National Affordable Housing Programme.

DCllr J Hollins made the following comments:

He pays tribute to the Crowborough Fireman who died in the Firework Factory Explosion.

WDC Licensing:

• There has been a great deal of cooperation from the public, police and licensees in achieving the change in licensing procedures.

Promoting equality:

• WDC has launched a Disability Equality scheme which sets out how it will be promoting equality for disabled people in everything the Council does.

Electric Blankets:

• With 48% of 395 electric blankets failing testing, the need to be careful is highlighted.

Safer Wealden Partnership:

• A Neighbourhood Watch Scheme notification service via email has been established.  Full details can be found in the January 2007 Nutley Parish Magazine.

ACTION:  Clerk to forward details of this scheme direct to Cllr Fry.

DCllr Buck sent a written report which the Clerk read to the meeting.  The salient points were as follows:

“Development at Park Farm:

• The current protected area below the Old Rectory is outside the Development Framework and is protected as being outside the development area for the life of the Non-Statutory Local Plan.  It cannot therefore be in danger from the Persimmon application.  Theoretically it lasts the length of the plan but I am assured by officers that they would seek to extend this protection with the LDF proposals which have a lifespan of 20 years – they see no reason why this would not be extended beyond this period but there is no guarantee – the only guarantee would be for the Parish to purchase the land which I understand you are reluctant to consider.

Downlands Farm:

• This is not included within the Local Plan and I understand is likely to be recommended for Refusal.  No officer at Wealden I have spoken to believes this will receive favourable consideration in the foreseeable future.

Access from the Recreation Ground to the Park Farm site:

• It is fully appreciated that this is not a Public Right of Way and will not be considered as an access to the proposed Park Farm development.

William King letter re. Consultation on Infrastructure etc:

• I have taken up this matter with Mike Fleming who has received the hard copy of William King’s lette4r and will be responding this week.  There have been major problems concerning the adequacy of the Core Strategies of Local Authorities up and down the country and the Core Strategies of Lichfield and Stafford were both rejected which has resulted in deep concerns within other authorities including Wealden who are seeking views of the infrastructure supplier – in our case the LEA.  As Mike states, the Parishes have an extremely valuable role to play in many aspects but he will be responding on these and other points in his letter to the Chairman.”

1190.            Council bodies:  Actions, minutes and reports by, and questions to, Chairmen:-

1.                        Environment:-

The Assistant Clerk reported that all Environment issues are being progressed.

                                                                    I.      Parklands Play Area (to receive report on progress).

A signed agreement has been received from the affected Forest Park residents in relation to the new proposed equipment and layout at Parklands Play Area.  The Parish Office is pending receipt of a similar signed agreement from the New Parklands Residents Association.  Once both agreements have been returned, NPRA can make final arrangements with equipment supplier who can then visit the site and carry out a final survey prior to ordering of equipment.

                                                                  II.      Governance of Ashdown Forest – Council is invited to convene the Policy Committee and to appoint Councillors to look at possible wider Parish Council involvement in these matters.

The Environment Committee asked Council  to agree to convene the Policy Committee to look at the issues raised in Cllr Street’s email as circulated with the meeting papers.

The Standing Orders provide that Policy Committee is not a deciding committee but rather one for considering issues and making proposals to Council for action.

Cllr Street proposed to Council that it convenes the Policy Committee and appoints Councillors to look at the possible wider Parish Council involvement in the governance of the Ashdown Forest.  This was seconded by Cllr P Tester and Agreed by all.

Cllr Fry is the only member of the Policy Committee, apart from the ex officio Chairman and Vice-Chairman. Cllrs Hardy, Street and Handley were appointed as members of the Committee. The Committee was instructed to report back at the February Council meeting. The committee will appoint its own chairman.
ACTION: Agreed that Cllr Fry to invite Dr Hew Prendergast to attend the Policy meeting.

It was pointed out by CCllr Whetstone that Governance of the Forest is ordained by Acts of Parliament and the Parish Council is therefore slightly tied as to what it can and cannot achieve in this regard.

2.                        Finance & Administration:-

                                                                    I.      Month 8 Financial Reports.

Indications suggest that the Parish Council will under-spend by approximately £4000 this financial year but this can be set against next years’ precept.

Extraordinary items:

o          Administration – budgeted salaries tax and NI are going to be overspent at the end of the year by about £1500 but this amount will be offset by savings made in other parts of the administration budget. 

o          Despite apparent under-spend in relation to Traffic and Roads, the Chairman of the Strategy Committee reports that there are a number of projects already on the books which may well mean that the funds allocated in the budget for this purpose will be spent.

o          Savings on Fords Green Play Area Maintenance budget are as a result of remedial works costing far less than expected.

                                                                  II.      Council is invited to approve the Budget and Precept for 2007/08.

This document came under separate cover from Council papers.

The following points were made by Cllr Street, some in reply to questions from Cllr Galley in relation to the increases and need to cut back on expenditure (he having noted increases in expenditure in the budget);

o          A budget increase of £2450 (7.8%) in Salaries, Tax and NI allows room to pay increments should Council choose to do so.

o          The cost of an insurance policy is included for the first time.  This is to provide sick pay to the Council’s two employees should it wish to do so. Without this policy, Council would otherwise have to borrow to cover the cost of administrative replacement.

o          Increases in rates, rent, hall hire and election costs have been catered for.

o          Savings are expected on postage, telephones, electricity.  Some due to administrative changes.

o          Grants to local groups and institutions will increase by approx 5%.

o          Expenditure on services and maintenance in respect of responsibilities for recreation grounds, street-lighting etc will reduce by 10%, partly due to much of the Play Area maintenance work having been completed and at a much lower cost than anticipated.

o          The budget for projects/initiatives in respect of youth, roads and traffic, the promotion of local businesses, has been increased by £1000 or 12%.

o          There is no need for the purchase of expensive capital items next year.

o          The budget increase is 0.16% (approximately £130) on the previous financial year which is an increase in the precept of 4.9% (around £3500 or £1.20 per elector).

o          The Parish Council had the benefit last year of a lower precept figure because of the carry forward of a £5000 under-spend.

o          The precept is subject to fluctuation for such reasons.

The Clerk reminded Councillors that both the County and District Councils are capped in terms of how much they can increase the precept, but the Parish Council is under no such obligation.  However, in recognition of concern for people on low incomes, Maresfield Parish Council has kept the precept increase below 5%.

The Chairman proposed that the budget of £83775.00 be adopted and the precept request to WDC of £80185.00 be approved.  This was seconded by Cllr P Tester and Agreed by majority.

The Clerk reported that the Parish Council’s interim internal audit was carried out last week and that it passed with flying colours.

Each year WDC provides a copy of its budget for the coming year and asks the Parish Council for comments.  ACTION:  Cllr Street to review and revert to WDC.

                                                                III.      Proposal for Emergency Grant to Maresfield Conservation Group for obtaining of road traffic loop data.

Cllr Gutteridge declared an interest as a member of the Maresfield Conservation Group (MCG).

The following points were noted in discussion:

• MCG has spent money on a traffic loop and has copied the data to the Parish Council.  No grant can be made for something which the Council is entitled to free of charge from ESCC (the case here)
• MCG is doing a great deal of work in relation to traffic in Maresfield especially in relation to development in Maresfield which may have an impact on the traffic in the village i.e. waste site and housing development.
• The F&A committee has agreed that a grant of £250 should be made in respect of future traffic work which MCG will carry out. 

• If in future MCG undertakes a task for which it seeks the Parish Council’s financial support, members will speak to the Parish Council before undertaking the task.
• If the Parish Council is to make the grant for future traffic work it must be understood that  MCG should share the data and information.
• The traffic data gathering undertaken by MCG would probably have been carried out this coming year by the Parish Council and would have therefore cost considerably more than the grant recommended for approval.

The Chairman proposed the payment of an emergency grant of £250 to Maresfield Conservation Group for obtaining road traffic loop data, this was seconded by Cllr P Tester and Agreed by majority.

3.                        Planning:-

                                                                    I.      Development at Park Farm, Maresfield (update on current situation).

The District Councillors confirmed that they have no knowledge that Persimmon has lodged a formal planning application to date.

                                                                  II.      Development at Downlands Farm – to agree recommendation to WDC.

The Clerk reported as follows:

• Maresfield Parish Council is a formal consultee from WDC in relation to the proposed development despite being in Uckfield.
• The proposal is for a residential development for 750 dwellings;  employment development for 9,600sqm of B1 and B8 uses;  neighbourhood centres with primary school, community hall, land for community facilities and small retail facilities;  creation of new vehicular access from black down roundabout (A22) and emergency and bus only accesses from Snatts Road;  construction of estate roads and new cycle and footway connections;  provision of managed country park with warden’s lodge/information point and education/interpretative facility, public and amenity open space, playing fields and associated development and changes of use.
• The Parish Council and Planning Committee are in receipt of copies of comments from Field End Residents Association, Maresfield Conservation Group and others.  The clear message from all of the responses is that the proposal is contrary to the Wealden Non-Statutory Local Plan.
• Chapter 18, paragraph 18.6 of the Wealden Non-Statutory Local Plan states that development either to the North or North West of Uckfield is not favoured this is just one example of how the development would be directly opposed to a number of WDC policies.
• There is concern that the proposed development would reduce the important countryside gap between Uckfield and the villages of Maresfield and Five Ash Down
• Concern has been expressed regarding the biodiversity of the site.
• It is estimated that the development would generate approximately 6000 additional vehicle movements per day which would undoubtedly have an impact on both Nutley and Maresfield.
• All additional traffic would feed onto the Blackdown Roundabout which is already overloaded.
• The Planning Committee proposes that Council recommends to WDC refusal of this application.

The following was also noted in discussion:

• Such a development would spoil the countryside.
• The number of proposed homes is twice that in Maresfield village at present and seems excessive for one development.
• The proposed development would further overload the already stretched local facilities and infrastructure.
• It would be useful if CCllr Reid could obtain accident figures for both the A22 and the A26 for consideration in conjunction with this application.  ACTION:  CCllr Reid to obtain relevant accident data.
• This planning application gives WDC an opportunity to examine the ecological environment of the site and to decide whether to recommend it as an SSSI. 

It was Agreed that the Clerk and Cllr Stevenson should make a recommendation to WDC for refusal citing the majority of points as outlined in the Maresfield Conservation Group’s response and the additional points as raised at the Planning Committee meeting on Monday 18^th December 2006. 

4.                        Strategy (to receive reports on Traffic, Youth, Health & Transport).

The Clerk reported as follows in the absence of the Chairman of the Strategy Committee:

Traffic – There is concern that the focus on agreed traffic priorities is drifting a little.  The traffic working party needs to be empowered and must forge ahead in both developing and taking forward its action plan.  Councillor and non-Councillor representation is required from Fairwarp for the traffic working party.  It is essential that Council supports this working party and ensures that it is doing what it should be doing.  Non-Councillor members will be providing a written update report for the February Strategy meeting and February Council meeting.  ACTION:  Cllr Street and Cllr Handley to think about possible volunteers from Fairwarp for the traffic working party.

Youth – Uckfield Youth Services has just finished a run of 8 weeks visiting Maresfield with its Youth Bus.  On alternate weeks, Maresfield youths were transported to Uckfield.  A report will come from Jack Sephton in the New Year.

A contact has been identified in Fairwarp with a view to ascertaining the youth requirements within that village.  Once this information has been gathered it can be relayed to Jack Sephton for action.

Nutley Youth Group has started meeting again and a Christmas party was held at the youth leaders house.

Health – Cllr King and Mr Thorogood recently had a meeting with representatives from the Health Overview Scrutiny Committee who are now pursuing Maresfield Parish Council’s information issues regarding establishment of a branch surgery in the Parish.

Transport – The Easylink forum which has been running since the service was rescued around 18 months ago had developed a North Wealden Community Transport Partnership, the aim of which is to provide transport for local groups who are poorly served at present.

The Easylink service is an enormous resource for those people who use it, most of whom are old.  The service needs constant publicity.

The NWCTP is extremely important as the Easylink service currently depends on Brighton and Hove Community Transport and their provision of a bus service to take disabled people to Chailey;  Brighton and Hove is not locked into this contract which means the provision could change at any time.  Therefore the ambition of the NWCTP is to not be dependent on anyone else’s contract and this will require funding.

Mr Fred Taylor left the meeting.

                                                                    I.      Appointment of Councillor representative on the Ashdown Forest Villages Road Safety Partnership to Councillor Fry.

Cllr Fry has agreed to take an active role in the Easylink forum but will relinquish his position as the Maresfield Parish Council representative on the AFVRSP as he believes he has little to contribute at this time. Cllr Fry advised that it is worthwhile Maresfield Parish Council being involved in the AFVRSP meetings of which there is one every two or three months.  Cllr Galley Agreed to fill this role.

The Clerk reported that the next Strategy Committee meeting is scheduled for 8^th January 2007 and that at the last meeting his recommendation that this meeting be cancelled was dependent on two time critical elements on which he can now confirm details:

• The ESCC Parishes Traffic Conference will not be held until April 2007
• Outstanding traffic calming issues between Cllr Ogden and ESCC have not moved on and are unlikely to do so until his return from holiday on the 11th January 2007. 

The feedback received from Councillors so far suggests a common view that the meeting scheduled for 8^th January 2007 should be cancelled and that the next meeting will take place on 5^th February 2007.  This was Agreed by all.

1191.            Outside bodies’ reports:-

1.   WDALC – Council’s response re. clustering proposal.

The following points were noted in discussion:

o          The most important cluster is the WDC cluster for LDF work.  Jacqueline Watson at WDC has informed the Chairman that it is imperative and necessary for WDC to speak to parishes in groups.  Talking separately to 42 individual councils would be an enormous and impossible task.

o          Maresfield Parish Council can make suggestions in agreement with other parishes regarding who it is clustered with.

o          At the July 2006 Parish Council meeting it was agreed “that the proposal by WDC…. Should be rejected noting that clustering was only useful when operated on an ad-hoc basis…”etc.  Councillors from other parishes speaking for this Parish Council or relaying information from it to WDC is in some cases not lawful and certainly not practical.  Legal dissemination of information should be carried out through the Clerks. 

o          The Chairman proposed that the Parish Council agrees to clustering arrangements if it is comfortable that a particular cluster will be useful and in the Parish’s best interests. He said that if WDC insist that we should join with others we shall have to do so or otherwise not be involved; the latter would be foolish

o          Cllr Street raised his suspicions regarding clustering but admitted that he sees the value in the Chairman’s proposal in respect of this specific issue.  However, he would like to make sure that the Parish Council does not become stuck with the cluster, i.e. make clear to WDC that clusters should only perform specific tasks and should then be dissolved.

o          Subject to Cllr Street’s point, the Chairman’s proposal was Agreed

o          CCllr Whetstone commented that Withyham Parish Council had come to a similar conclusion.

It was noted that:

o        Maresfield Parish Council has itself initiated a cluster on traffic matters and this demonstrates that such ad-hoc arrangements can be useful.

o          Another example of an effective cluster is Easylink and spin-off of that the community transport partnership.

o          The emphasis on “ad-hoc” is very important – all clusters should be able to be different.

o          Uckfield Town Council does not agree with WDALC’s proposal that Town Councils are removed from the clustering, it feels that it is imperative that they are involved.

o          WDALC – there is to be a meeting of the planning panel on 18^th January 2007 and Maresfield Parish Council is yet to identify anyone to attend and it would be foolish to miss out on this meeting. 
Cllr Gutteridge Agreed to attend on behalf of Maresfield Parish Council.

o          The letter from Alison Crowe as circulated with the meeting papers in draft form has now been sent; this was Agreed to be a sound statement of the position and one which the Council approves.

o          The Parish Council must not be restricted by clustering arrangements but must have freedom and flexibility.

ACTION:  Clerk to respond to WDC and to the WDALC consultation in line with these comments.

ACTION:  Clerk to arrange for Cllr Street, as the representative for the Parish Council on WDALC to receive WDALC papers especially in relation to the forthcoming meeting on 24^th January 2007.

2.   Uckfield Railway Line Parishes Committee – Councillor representative to fill vacancy created by the resignation of Cllr Tim Sparrow.

Cllr Street Agreed to represent Maresfield Parish Council.

1192.            Chairman’s Report – followed by questions to Chairman.

Reference Item 9. The Chairman reported that he has not yet had a response from DCllr Pam Doodes in relation to the final draft of the letter proposed to seek action on excessive speeding by ESCC and Sussex Police.  DCllr Mrs S Martin confirmed that DCllr Pam Doodes has been away.

1193.            Clerk's Report – followed by questions to Clerk.

Reference Item 1 – The Parish Council’s application for a grant in respect of its Calves Shaw development proposal was unsuccessful.

Reference Item 2 – The Clerk continues to await confirmation from Trevor Leggo as to the availability of Lord Lytton for the presentation of Quality Council status to Maresfield Parish Council.
ACTION:  Asst Clerk to ask Trevor Leggo for confirmation from Lord Lytton as soon as possible or seek an alternative individual to make the presentation

CCllr Whetstone and CCllr Reid left the meeting.

1194.            Approval of payments to be made.

Payments totalling £5860.42 were Approved.  In addition the Clerk referred to additional invoices since received from ICA for photocopier charges totalling £260.66 and from Gwen Pritchett for the recent internal audit for £159.00 and sought Council’s approval for these to be paid, noting that for completeness they will be listed on the payments schedule for Council on 16^th January 2007; these additional payments were Approved.

1195.            Communications.

The Assistant Clerk confirmed that she has received quotations for the re-sizing of The Parish Matters from A4 to A5 in line with the new postal charges.  She will put together detailed costs and a formal proposal for consideration at the next F&A meeting.  ACTION:  Assistant Clerk.

Article suggestions for the Winter edition of The Parish Matters:

• Fairwarp fete.  ACTION:  Cllr Street
• Energy syndicate update.  ACTION:  Asst Clerk to approach Mr D Finch.
• Wealden District Council contribution.  ACTION:  DCllr Hollins / DCllr Mrs Martin
• Details of the services the Parish Council provides to the community not in budget form but in plain words.  ACTION:  Cllr Fry

1196.   Date of next meeting, 16^th January 2007 (Maresfield).

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 21.45.