Minutes – 16th November 2021

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL

Date: Tuesday, 16th November 2021 Time: 7:00 pm

Venue: Northington Village Hall

Present: John Mitchell Chairman
Dennis Nye
Juliet Blanshard
Wendy Simson Clerk

Emma Bedford STaND
Gordon Dunse STaND

Apologies: Yvonne White
Melissa Jennings
Cllr Margot Power
Cllr Fiona Issacs
Cllr Jackie Porter
Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith

1. Welcome and apologies for absence.
The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the meeting. The Clerk had received apologies from Cllrs White, Jennings, Porter, Power, Issacs and Gordon-Smith.
The Clerk confirmed that the meeting was still quorate.

2. Minutes of the last meeting
The Councillors reviewed minutes for the meeting on 21st September 2021. Cllr Power asked that the comment in point 5 on parking in Alresford recorded as ‘The recycling centre in Alresford will not be closed but will be open a limited number of days. The booking system will continue.’ Should read ‘The recycling centre in Alresford will not be closed but will be opening hours may be limited. The booking system will continue”.
Cllr Nye confirmed that in point 6 that the Parish Council could not approve the application but was only able to comment.
Councillors agreed the minutes as a true representation of the meeting. The Clerk provided a copy for the Chairman to sign.

3. Matters arising
The link to the Winchester City Council budget reports was circulated to all Councillors.
The conclusion of the audit has been posted on both the website and noticeboards.
Cllr Jennings was not at the meeting to explain the prices of the painting of the sign at the crossroad from the Lengthsman, this is to be discussed at the next meeting.

4. District Councillors Report
The District Councillors had sent a report prior to the meeting. The Chairman suggested that the meeting date be changed to ensure that District Councillors can attend as their input is very valuable.
Action: Chairman to ask which weekdays all District Councillors would be available.
Cllr Blanchard asked if there was an update on the funding for the Lengthsman Grant, the Clerk had asked Cllr Power for an update who had passed onto Cllr Porter to respond.
Action: Clerk to circulate any updates as soon as they are received.

5. Planning Applications
The Parish Council had received an application for:
• The Barn (21/02416/HOU) – Change double garage/workshop (integral to house) into single garage/barn entrance/gym and utility.
The Councillors had assessed the application prior to the meeting and no comments to make.

6. Clerk’s financial statement
The Clerk informed Councillors that the second payment of the precept had been received for £2,250 along with a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payment for £3,565.57, this relates to the following development:
• 19/02620/FUL, Swarraton Farm – £2,655.09
• 21/00430/NMA, Swarraton Farm – £910.48
Cllr Nye circulated the following guidance for Councillors:
The money is allocated for infrastructure Projects, more specifically:
The provision, improvement, replacement, operation, or maintenance of infrastructure.
or
Anything else that is concerned with addressing the demands that development places on an area.
Maybe the Northington crossroads idea would be an applicable one.
https://www.westlancs.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/community-infrastructure-levy/cil-receipts-and-expenditure/the-local-portion/guidance-for-parish-councils.aspx
Specific CIL spending records need to be kept. It’s use it or lose it within 5 years.
Action: Councillors to consider use of these funds
The Councillors looked at the current spending and plans for 2022/23, the data is as follows:
• Current year (21/22) predicted closing balance – £11,310.32
• Predicted income (22/23) – Precept of £4,500
• Predicted expenditure (22/23) – £3,775 made up of the following:
 Internal Audit – £50
 Insurance – £425
 PAYE – £200
 Clerk’s salary – £800
 Grant to Church for maintenance – £600
 Grant to Village Hall for maintenance – £1,000
 HALC subscription – £180
 Defib maintenance – £100
 Hall hire – £120
 General admin – £100
 Contingency – £200
The Councillor approve an increase for the Clerk from £1,000 to £1,100 per year.
The Councillors also agreed to budget for section 137 funds to be allocated for the Queen’s Jubilee celebration in June 2022. The Parish Council can allocate up to a value of £8.32 per adult (on electoral role) “to incur expenditure for purposes not otherwise authorised”. On the last electoral role there were 200 eligible residents in Northington, so a value of £1,664 can be included in the budget.
These additional costs would increase predicted spend to £5,539 for 2022/23.
It was agreed that the precept was to be agreed at the next meeting when all Councillors were present.
Action: Clerk to include setting of the precept on the next agenda.
The Councillors discussed ideas for the Jubilee celebrations and the Clerk gave an overview of activities other Councils were considering, these include:
• Every household being offered a planter to fill with red/white/blue flowers, with support offered by the gardening club
• Households asked to make red/white/blue bunting to festoon the village
• A beacon on Thursday evening either at Chilton Candover or possibly in Preston Candover, this could include a BBQ
• Party/Event at the Purefoy Arms on Friday evening with the road closed outside the pub (cars still able to pass by going round the other side of the war memorial island)
• Church service, times, and locations to be agreed
• Big Lunch on the field next to the shop/village hall on Sunday afternoon. This could include a bouncy castle, treasure hunt, karaoke, ice creams, pulled pork rolls, with residents asked to bring salads etc to share.
• The tennis club did talk about a tennis tournament over the weekend
• The Scouts/Beavers/Cubs for a flag raising
• It would be great to have the bells rung but not sure if anyone knows how to do this any longer?
Action: Clerk to include Jubilee Celebrations on the next agenda

7. STaND presentation on Protection of the North Hampshire Downs
The Representatives explained that they are looking for support from Parish Council for the creation of the North Hampshire Downs as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The objective being to protect the chalk landscape from development as landowners move to building homes on land which had been farmed. STaND is asking that brownfield sites be used within towns to for fill housing needs in the area but have also asked that housing numbers be reviewed. The current allocation for B&D is based on data from 2014, however the same data for 2018 shows that 50% fewer homes are required, and it is predicted that the census data from 2020 will show a further reduction.
A map of the proposed area for the AONB was circulated to councillors but it was explained that this was the third version and there were likely to be further changes.
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) are held a supper at Preston Candover Village Hall on Friday 12th November at 7pm to generate support for the designation of the AONB. Costs of the application will depend on the number of Parish Councils who sign up for the scheme, but StaND are looking to get Parish Council support by the end of 2021.
The Chair agreed to share the content of the STaND presentation with the two Councillors not at the meeting and agree if support would be given to the designation of the AONB.
Action: Clerk to add to the agenda for the next meeting so final decision can be minute.

8. Lengthsman duties
The visits for 2021/22 have been booked in for:
• 13th December
• 14th February
Cllr Blanchard asked for any items requiring attention to be circulated for inclusion at the next visit.

9. General Correspondence
None

10. Any other business
The Chairman asked for a representative from the Parish Council to read at the Christmas Carol Service, Cllr Blanshard agreed.

11. Date of the next meeting

The next Parish Council meeting will be on Tuesday, 18th January 2022 at 7.00 pm.

The meeting ended at 8.20 pm.