Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2024 25
Notice for the period for the exercise of public rights NPC 30-06-2025
All posts by Simon Walker
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL – Thursday 19th September 2024
Date: Thursday 19th September 2024 Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: Village Hall, Northington
Present: Simson Walker Chairman
Rhona Hatchley
Andrew Bason
Gail Taylor
Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith District Councillor
Wendy Simson Clerk
Apologies: Juliet Blanshard
Cllr Jackie Porter County Councillor
Cllr Margot Power District Councillor
Cllr Clare Pinniger District Councillor
Welcome and apologies.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Cllrs Blanchard, Porter, Power, and Pinniger sent apologies.
Declaration of Pecuniary & Personal Interests to note any conflict with any item on the agenda.
None were declared.
Minutes of the last meeting
The Councillors reviewed minutes for the meeting on 18th July 2024 and agreed the minutes as a true representation of the meeting.
Matters arising.
Invite Cllr Clare Pinniger to meetings – Clerk included Clare in invite email.
CIL funding on agenda – The Clerk has included this item on the agenda.
Dates for Cyber Security Training – the following dates have been booked.
- Wednesday 20th November 7pm – Brown Candover
- Thursday 19th December 7pm – Northington
- Friday 17th January 7pm – Preston Candover
The Councillors agreed to cancel the 19th December as it was too close to Christmas but look to book an alternative date either prior to 20th November or in February 2025.
The Clerk informed the Council that Alton Town Council had hosted one of the sessions and the content was very informative. A poster to promote the dates had been created for the Alton event and was to be adapted for the three dates in the valley to use in the Oxdrove and via other communications.
Action: Clerk to look at a different date for the Northington session
Action: Clerk to circulate poster once completed.
District and County Councillor updates
The Clerk had forwarded the County and District Councillors reports prior to the meeting.
Cllr Gordon-Smith explained that the consultation for the Local Plan would not be affected by the changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as revised housing numbers could be amended in the Local Plan at a later date.
Winchester City Council have approved £900k for upgrading the sewage systems serving Council homes in the area to reduce the nitrates released into the aquafer.
Financial Update
The Clerk informed the Councillors that the remaining 50% of the precept has been received (£2,673). The Clerk’s salary for July to September has been paid along with the insurance.
The current balance of the account is £12,029.09 of which £3,565.57 is CIL.
Community Infrastructure Levy Funding (CIL)
The Chairman suggested that this be discussed as part of AOB as he would like the Council to consider purchasing equipment to reduce speeding in the villages.
Village Plan Review
Prior to the meeting Cllr Hatchley circulated the Draft Community Plan with the following notes:
- Pages 1-2 might form the introduction to the new Community Plan.
- Pages 3-9 are comparisons of 2013 and 2024 responses, purely my interpretation, nothing more scientific. I think the eventual Community Plan will most likely take a different form, but we feel we all need to look at these results before we write that. The actual data will be available at the meeting if you’d like a look at that too.
- Pages 11-12 are the beginnings of next steps in writing the Plan. We need to bear in mind WCC states that a Community Plan:
identifies local problems and opportunities
• sets out an achievable and long-term vision for the future
• prepares a plan of action to achieve this vision - Interestingly between 80% and 100% of our respondents to each topic believe the issues to be still or somewhat relevant today.
Cllr Hatchley asked the Council for guidance about the format for the report as there were few local plans available to review. Cllr Gordon-Smith suggested that the Council look at any nationally but that the Plan needs to give only a brief history but focus on the possible contentious issues for example paving front gardens for parking or heights of new buildings or extensions.
Cllr Taylor suggested that the Plan should protect special features in the village including the chalk stream, the landscape and views.
The Chairman confirmed that as speeding was high on the list of priorities for residents that the Parish Council should take this as a mandate to look at how to reduce this.
It was agreed that a Google-Doc be set up to allow all Councillors to comment on the draft.
Action: Chairman to set up Google-Doc and upload the draft for comment.
Action: All Councillors to add comments by 18th October to allow the plan to be updated ready for the November meeting.
Village Hall Update
Cllr Hatchley has had the following update from the Village Hall Committee:
The hall has had all the exterior windows and doors repaired and repainted as planned. Do look while you are there, as it is all looking very smart and neat. I attach an image of the invoice for you. It has been paid but came in more than the estimate unsurprisingly due to the amount of rotten wood that needed attention, the replacement of some window ledges plus further repair of the fire door. On our April 16th bid for a grant from the council we asked for a contribution to help with this specifically. I hope you can still assist us.
Financially, we are managing but our income is less after the loss of the regular police bookings. The Little Learners group has helped mitigate this but not to the same degree. General bookings are ticking along well.
The electrical problem was sorted eventually but was quite complicated to locate.
The fire doors have been patched up for another year or two. We will eventually need to replace the whole thing including the frame, so will ask for further assistance in due course. For now, it is secure and watertight.
We have not addressed the repointing and damp course issues as yet.
Our next event is the upcoming Harvest Lunch on Oct 6th. It has been advertised on the website and in the Oxdrove. Will follow up with something through the village email shortly and on the WhatsApp group.
The service and wake for Peter Campbell showed how well the church and Village Hall worked together for a truly local need. I was very heartened to see it.
That is all the updates for the V Hall for now.
The Councillors agreed that the Little Learners was a good addition to the regular bookings.
The Chairman asked if additional funding was requested, the Clerk suggested that an application had been approved at the May meeting for £500 from the one-off grant allocation towards the exterior decorations work. A further £500 is available within this allocation.
Action: Cllr Hatchley to liaise with the Village Hall Committee about their needs.
Planning applications & related matters
There has been one planning application since the last meeting.
The application for The Grange (24/01634/FUL) was received on 2nd August.
The proposal is for internal and external repairs to the roofs, including guttering, of the auditorium, east portico and central well of the main house roof. Repairs, including excavation works, to surface and foul water drainage gulleys, pipes and manholes. and is to replace the garage with a wood store. The Councillors agreed that they had no objections to this application, the Clerk forwarded the Councils response on 3rd September.
Lengthsman
The Lengthsman Scheme is continuing in 2024/25, dates are as follows:
- 6th September
- 10th December
- 13th March
Cllr Bason reported that there had been a long list of items for the Lengthsman to attend to when they visited on 6th September. Most were dealt with, but some are still outstanding and will be added to the list for December.
A hedge which obscured the line of sight at the entrance to the Grange was discussed. This is privately owned, and it was agreed that the owner needed to be contacted to ensure it was pruned back sufficiently to allow a clear view for drivers.
General Correspondence
The Clerk received posters to promote the Public Consultation on the Local Plan, these were given to the Councillors to be displayed in the noticeboards.
The Clerk has also had an email about the Winchester Community Resilience Distribution List, the Clerk has asked that Northington Parish Council be included with these communications. The link to their website is Local Resilience Forum | Hampshire & Isle of Wight (hiowprepared.org.uk).
Any other business
Defibrillator checks – the Clerk has messaged to get the defibrillator check completed but has not had a response and suggested that one (or more) of the Councillors take the details so they can check it is working correctly. Councillors agreed to check it at every meeting and appoint a Councillor to check between meetings to ensure monthly check. The Clerk showed Cllr Bason how to complete the check.
Action: Cllr Bason to complete the report for the September check.
Action: The Chairman to complete the October Check.
Cllr Bason asked about the defibrillator at the farm and if this was included on the list of units available to the ambulance service.
Action: Clerk to email Heartbeat Trust and ask if they can help with this.
The Chairman suggested that the Parish Council use part of the CIL funding to purchase a Speed Indication Device to be located at various points through the village. Councillors approved this project.
Action: Cllr Bason to identify suitable sites using what//three//words.
Action: Clerk to get a price from Elan for one solar powered unit.
Action: Clerk to talk to Hampshire Highways about the locations for the device to get these approved.
Cllr Bason explained that some residents were not getting al the emailed on the Village Email system. The Chairman agreed to investigate why this was happening.
Action: Chairman to report back Councillors about what the issues has been.
Date of the next meeting
The next Parish Council meeting is Thursday 21st November at 6:30pm in the Village Hall.
The meeting ended at 7:30pm
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL – Thursday 18th July 2024
Date: Thursday 18th July 2024 Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: Village Hall, Northington
Present: Simson Walker Chairman
Rhona Hatchley
Andrew Bason
Cllr Jackie Porter County Councillor
Wendy Simson Clerk
Apologies: Juliet Blanshard
Gail Taylor
Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith District Councillor
Cllr Claire Pinniger District Councillor
Cllr Margot Power District Councillor
Welcome and apologies.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Cllrs Blanchard, Taylor, Power, and Gordon-Smith sent apologies.
Cllr Power suggested that Cllr Clare Pinniger be invited to meetings (c.pinniger@winchester.gov.uk).
Action: Clerk to ensure Clare included in email invite.
Declaration of Pecuniary & Personal Interests to note any conflict with any item on the agenda.
None were declared.
Minutes of the last meeting
The Councillors reviewed minutes for the meeting on 14th May 2024 and agreed the minutes as a true representation of the meeting.
Matters arising.
Dates for Parish Council meetings for 2024/25 – The Councillors agreed that they were available for the following dates:
- Thursday 19th September
- Thursday 21st November
- Thursday 23rd January
- Thursday 20th March
The Clerk has booked the Village Hall.
District and County Councillor updates
The Clerk had forwarded Cllr Power’s report prior to the meeting.
Cllr Porter gave the Council an update on Hampshire County Council, this included:
- Development of the new Council Plan, the existing plan runs from 2020 to 2025 and the new plan will be ready to be adopted in the Autumn. The plan will cover themes as opposed to places. The Local Plan is also being developed and should go to full council in September followed by public consultation which will be completed by November. There were concerns about how the new Government would affect the plan, but this appears to be limited.
- The Pride in Place project has completed the upgrade of three sets of public toilets as a cost of approximately £400,000 each. These have now been handed back to the town Councils to manage going forward. The project will continue with the most used convenience at the top of the list.
- There is a new MP, Steve Brine, Cllr Porter asked if his contact details could be placed on the noticeboards.
- The high rainfall is causing concerns and Cllr Porter has drainage engineers on standby the support with flooding.
- Cllr Porter asked if the Parish were still experiencing issues with the electricity supply. The Councillors informed her that there are still mini blackouts, and the last one was 25th The Chairman suggested that tree maintenance was a contributing factor as it was on a 5-year cycle and when it was due there were often trees fall taking power lines down. Cllr Porter agreed to take to an Infrastructure meeting as part of planning.
- Broadband is now being reviewed by Central Government; Cllr Porter is suggesting that those communities like Northington which have been fighting to get faster speeds for years should be high priority.
- A poster for one of the CAMs mental health events in November was presented for the noticeboards.
- The Cycling and Walking whip are looking for major changes to the infrastructure in Alresford which has caused concerns. This will go out for consultation and Cllr Porter agreed to alert the Parish Council of dates.
- Cllr Porter suggested the weekend of 15th March 2025 for the next litter pick.
Financial Update
The Clerk confirmed that the grants had been paid to the Village Hall and Church. The insurance is due at the end of July and a payment is scheduled to go out of the account.
The CIL funding was paid to the Parish Council in September 2021 and should be spent within 5 years. The Councillors agreed to make it an agenda item for the next meeting to allow time to discuss options.
Action: Clerk to make CIL funding an agenda item for the next meeting.
Village Plan Review
The data is to be reviewed and the results presented at the next Parish Council meeting. The Chairman informed the Council that speeding remains the area most of the residents were concerned about.
Cllr Porter suggested that the CIL funding could be used to buy a Speed Indication Device (SID) for the village as there was clearly a desire to slow drivers.
The Clerk has recently had a quote for two SIDs including solar panels to charge the batteries from Elan (which is the company Alresford purchased from), the total cost was £4,197.92 plus VAT. The Clerk also informed the Councillors that there is an automated Speed Watch system which measures average speed over a set distance and records number plate data which can be passed to the police for the habitual offender. The system costs £589 for each of the units, £93.25 for each solar panel, £148 for the annual data collection, and £53.50 for signage, this totals £1,619.50. The product is called Auto Speed Watch and full details can be found at www.autospeedwatch.org.
Village Hall Update
Cllr Hatchley has had the following update from the Village Hall Committee:
The main thing in the pipeline is the exterior paintwork of the hall, which is set to commence in early August.
We are experiencing some odd electrical gremlins currently which are proving hard to pinpoint despite professional attention. I hope it is all working properly for your meeting. The lights, Internet and defib were affected initially. So far as I know they should be okay now, but something continues to trip out. Philippa and her tame electricians are on the case. The defib was put smartly onto a different circuit to ensure it was functioning.
The BBQ went ahead with a lovely family feel to it. We got everything cooked before the heavens opened! It was very funny really and we huddled en mass under a gazebo before giving up and decamping to the hall! Numbers came out at around 22 adults and 9 children if memory serves me right.
Our next big function will be a lunch in October for harvest festival. (Sunday 6th)
Unfortunately, the Hampshire Constabulary saw fit to cancel their regular bookings with us in June (we rejoiced too soon it seems!) – which has left a hole in our finances. It happened rather suddenly, so I suspect their funding was pulled.
On the plus side, the Little Learners playgroup are extending their bookings to 3 days per week from Sept.
I think that is all the news from our side. We’ll look forward to seeing the results of the survey in due course and will consider doing something similar for the VH in due course if we/you feel it would be worthwhile.
Planning applications & related matters
There has been one planning application since the last meeting.
The application for Appletree Cottage (24/01272/HOU) was received on 5th July and is to replace the garage with a wood store. The Councillors agreed that they had no objections to this application.
Action: Clerk to forward comment to Winchester City Council
Lengthsman
The Lengthsman Scheme is continuing in 2024/25, dates are as follows:
- 6th September
- 10th December
- 13th March
At the last visit the areas around road signs was strimmed and the signs cleaned. The Councillors agreed that a length of one of the Rights of Way could be cut in September if there are no other suggestions.
Cllr Porter explained that Itchen Stoke have purchased a second-hand brush cutter for £100 which is the right width to cut a Right of Way and is much quicker then using a strimmer. The Parish are being encouraged to share the piece of equipment with neighbouring parishes.
General Correspondence
None.
Any other business
Cllr Hatchley asked if the most recent minutes can be uploaded to the website. The Chairman confirmed that he had the files and would put them on as a matter of urgency.
The Chairman has now got access to the Community email function, there have been requests to promote businesses which have not been sent but the Chairman has circulated local events. It was agreed that this was correct, but Cllr Hatchley suggested that if there were any requests that the Chairman wanted to get Councillors opinion on that the Councillor WhatsApp group worked well.
Cllr Porter asked if the Parish Council had been offered the Cyber Security Training from the Local Police, as the defib training had been such a success this would be a similar public service.
Action: Clerk to ask if a session could be arranged for Northington Village Hall.
Date of the next meeting
The next Parish Council meeting is Thursday 19th September at 6:30pm in the Village Hall.
The meeting ended at 7:18pm
MINUTES OF NORTHINGTON COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING – 14th May 2024
MINUTES OF NORTHINGTON COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING
St John’s Church, Northington
7.20 pm on Tuesday, 14th May 2024
Present: Dennis Nye (DN, Chairman)
Juliet Blanshard (JB)
Andrew Bason (AB)
Simon Walker (SW)
Wendy Simson (WS, Clerk)
14 residents
Apologies: Margot Power (District Councillor)
Fiona Issac (District Councillor)
Jackie Porter (County Councillor)
Russel Gordon Smith (District Councillor)
Rhona Hatchley (RH)
Gail Taylor
Harry & Felicity Buchanan
Matthew Pellereau
Belinda Mitchell
Jane Bryant
Carly-Sue Ray
Zoey LeBrocq
Steph Savil
Rosie Warner
Val Brodrick
Sharon Swithinbank
Nancy Brooke
The Chairman welcomed all present.
- MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
Minutes of last year’s annual meeting held on the 23rd May 2023 were adopted as a true record. The minutes were proposed by Mark Ashburton and seconded by Peter Lamb. The Chairman signed the minutes.
- MATTERS ARISING
None
- CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Annual Village Meeting. This is not the Parish Council AGM, which is a separate meeting to follow, but a public meeting to review the past year and discuss local matters of concern.
For newcomers, there is sometimes confusion between the Church Parochial Council and the secular Northington Parish Council. This meeting is hosted by the latter.
We have just had the Village Hall AGM. While the Village Hall committee and Parish Council closely cooperate, they are separately constituted groups.
- PLANNING CONSULTATIONS
The Parish Council is not a planning authority, but like all in the Parish we have a voice that is listened to by the City and/or County planning authorities. We believe that the collective Parish Council input is a significant influencing factor when made in accordance with ‘material’ planning considerations. Material considerations include such items as adherence to our published Village / Community plan, highway safety, loss of collective visual amenity, noise and disturbance, ecological impact and more.
We previously implemented a process to strive for better consistency in our reviews and to minimise the subjectivity from our recommendations.
After a careful review process, the Parish Council will typically lodge a Neutral /’No Objections’ comment. If we see a problem, then we lodge an ‘Objection’ with relevant reasons to the planning authority. The Parish Council rarely lends its support to any application.
In the past year, there were just five domestic planning applications that required Parish Council review. None of these five applications caused concern.
- CANDOVER DROUGHT RELIEF SCHEME
The Candover Drought Relief / Augmentation Scheme planning application HCC/2023/0083 was made in the previous year with understandable widespread Parishioner concern. Following Southern Water’s planning submittal, we held a second village meeting on this topic on 10 May 2023, with representatives from Southern Water. This meeting was just prior to our last Annual Village Meeting.
The Parish Council, Parishioners and others lodged ~60 objections to the revised planning application that Southern Water submitted in February 2023.
A planning decision was originally anticipated by Autumn 2023.
A regulation 25 request (environmental impact) was made by the planning authorities, requiring Southern Water to provide more details. The action is now back with Southern Water to supply this information and so the planning decision is on hold awaiting this further submittal. Once all of the required data has been delivered, the authorities will inform the Parish Council, neighbours and consultees in case of further comments.
A resident suggested that as the pipeline needed to decommissioned by 2030 tht the project may not progress.
- SCOTTISH & SOUTHERN ELECTRIC NETWORK (SSEN) POWER OUTAGES
The village has been severely disrupted by at least 14 power cuts in the last 4 months.
The Parish Council lodged complaints with SSEN in February 2024, urging supply network improvements and asking for three key issues to be addressed.
- You urgently add secondary supply cabling to those areas of the village with a single cable and who have suffered the most.
- You repeat the program of tree clearance/pruning around power cable runs.
- You make an ex-gratia compensation payment to all consumers in our village. I do recognise that hot meal reimbursement was already offered.
The matter has already been escalated to include City Councillors, County Councillors and our MP, Steve Brine.
No adequate response has been received to the request for cable doubling. All that SSEN could offer was the possibility of network enhancements in as yet unplanned 2029-2030 works.
Some continued tree clearance work has been conducted, but power-cuts continue.
With regards to compensation, they have only offered SSEN’s standard compensation package. The standard compensation procedure is applicable for individual customers who have experienced four or more instances of power loss of over 3 hours on each occasion within the financial year. Customers need to contact SSEN directly to check if they are eligible for this.
As no adequate plan has been forthcoming from SSEN, we will probably now need to direct our complaints to the Scottish and Southern Electric (SSE) board members. This will be combined with the threat or maybe promise of a follow-on media campaign highlighting SSEN’s appalling supply performance.
Action: it was agreed that a meeting be convened by the Parish Council to look at how to lobby and get work carried out to improve the reliability of the supply.
- BROADBAND PROVISION – FIBRE TO THE PREMISES
We continue to try to progress access to Fibre to the premises (FTTP) throughout the Parish to achieve Gigabit internet speeds.
Little progress has been made on this project largely due to the barriers presented by Open Reach at every step along the way.
Our hope to be included in an early Government sponsored deployment has as yet come to nothing, possibly as it went out to commercial tender. Northington does not present the prospect of an easy and profitably deployment for bidders.
We may just have to wait for the wider national deployment.
- VILLAGE EMAIL DISTRIBUTION
Our village email list is governed by GDPR regulations, so access to the list is funnelled through the Parish Council.
There have been about 70 village-wide emails sent in the year since our last village annual meeting.
We try to restrict emails to non-commercial matters that directly affect our village, although we do allow very local businesses to have limited access.
These emails range from missing dogs (very important to the families involved) to village hall social events, to matters concerning us all, such as the drought relief scheme.
We hope you do not feel inundated with the volume of messages.
There is another, possibly more immediate village communication mechanism provided by Lou Walker’s facilitated WhatsApp group. Thanks again to Lou for setting this up.
- DEFIBRILLATOR TRAINING
Some years ago, Andy Fannon led efforts to get a defib unit installed at the village hall. Village-wide training was made available concurrent with the installation. As time has progressed it became apparent that renewed training was necessary.
Our Clerk, Wendy Simson, arranged for training sessions throughout the Candover Valley. A well-attended session was held in Northington on 24 Feb 2024, conducted by Community Heartbeat.
- VILLAGE HALL LIAISON
The Parish Council and the Village Hall Committee enjoy a two-way communication process where the Council feeds back any matters arising in their meetings of interest to the Village Hall Committee and vice versa. This process has been strengthened since July 2023, with Rhona Hatchley acting as the Council’s Village Hall liaison person. Rhona contacts Beth Lamb, the Village Hall Chair, prior to each council meeting to ensure we are regularly updated on such matters as:
- Key issues affecting the Village Hall.
- Use of the grant received from the Parish Council.
- Hall Bookings.
- Other Village Hall income and expenditure.
As always, Village Hall and Church events are published by the Parish Council via the Village email.
- UPDATED VILLAGE / COMMUNITY PLAN
Simon Walker and Rhona Hatchley are working to refresh our community plan.
In 2013, Northington Parish Council conducted a survey on several key local topics such as broadband, housing, land use, parish amenities, footpaths, roads etc. The results were collated and published in a Parish Plan, representing the views of residents of our three villages. The original document can be found on both the Parish and City Council Websites.
A decade has passed since the plan was written and the Parish Council is now undertaking a similar exercise to compare the results over time. Such documents are now called Community Plans.
Consultation is now underway in the form of an online survey which has been circulated to parishioners, seeking their current views. This input will be distilled into a new community plan, which is to be published by the end of 2024.
This document is an important reference for planning consultations and is considered by the Parish Council and the planning authorities.
- OUR ROADS
Juliet Blanshard is currently our Parish Council coordinator for Highway matters.
Neither the Parish nor City Council have any official responsibilities for local highways. Highways are a county matter.
As much as the Parish Council would like to be able to lobby the County Highways department on behalf of the Parish, the only method of contact is as for individuals, via the Hampshire County Council website.
The issue raised most frequently is potholes and their repair. On the Hampshire County Council website, it requests that we do not report the same issue more than once as this would put undue pressure on their system. It further advises that a greater proportion of potholes reported are currently being treated with temporary repairs. They are taking this approach because in the time taken to undertake a permanent repair between 4 and 7 temporary repairs can be completed. They state, that ‘we understand that seeing temporary repairs can be frustrating, but this enables them to address any immediate safety risks. A permanent repair can then be considered at a later date.’ This may help to explain why the large potholes such as the one at the bottom of Kites Hill have returned so quickly.
The request for a reduction of the speed limit on the B3046 to extend beyond the Grange entrance is not being ignored by Northington Parish Council. However, at this present time there has been no change of policy to allow speed limits to change unless there is a record of accidents occurring. We are looking at other villages’ applications for a change in speed limit and will watch their result closely to see if they have any success.
- LENGTHSMAN AND VILLAGE MAINTENANCE
Andy Bason has continued to coordinate our regular Lengthsmen visits for village maintenance tasks.
These visits have focussed on the areas of the village that usually require attention. Whether that is cleaning road signs or clearing grips, there always seems to be enough work to keep the Lengthsman busy every couple of months.
Andy again coordinated our annual village litter pick on 21 April, conducted by a team of volunteers. About 20 bin bags of rubbish were collected, although collection was hampered due to the already long grass on the verges. Thank you to the team of helpers.
Andy coordinated a meeting with the Winchester City officer responsible for fly tipping investigation. This gave us more insight into what is happening to try to tackle fly-tipping and how they follow-up on reports.
It is worth commenting that the recent spate of fly-tipping towards the Lunways while of concern to us is outside of our Parish boundaries.
- THE PARISH COUNCIL
2023-24 PARISH COUNCIL TEAM
My fellow councillors deserve thanks for giving up their time to work for the village good.
Our councillors were involved across the board, but as previously noted took on the following areas of focus.
- Andy Bason has continued to look after Lengthsman Matters and village maintenance, including the annual village litter pick. He has also liaised with the appropriate authorities on fly tipping incidences.
- Juliet Blanshard has maintained a watchful eye on our highways.
- Simon Walker was welcomed back to the Parish Council via co-option after a few years break. He is taking care of our website and related matters as well as driving the process to create an updated Village / Community Plan.
- Rhona Hatchley, who had earlier served as Parish Clerk, was co-opted onto the council and has been coordinating our efforts with the Village Hall Committee as well as working with Simon on the updated Community plan.
- Myself, Dennis Nye as the elected Chairman, continued with village email coordination, the FTTP project, working on the drought relief scheme response, SSEN power-Cuts, planning matters and whatever else needed doing.
- Wendy Simson is our highly professional Parish Clerk. She brings her experience of clerking for other local Parishes to her role with us. She provides timely support and accurate guidance on what we as a Parish Council can and should do.
- CHANGE OF COUNCILLORS
Having had the privilege to be a member of the Parish Council since 2018 and serving as Chairman for the past two years, I am stepping down from the Parish Council with immediate effect. This has been prompted by a planned house move out of the Parish.
With my departure, there is a vacancy on the Parish Council that was previously notified to the village. We have a new volunteer to bring the council back up to strength.
- PARISH COUNCIL NEXT STEPS
The Parish Council will meet shortly to formally vote on co-opting this new member, electing their new Chairperson and deciding upon their respective responsibilities.
Please wish the Parish Council well as they continue to serve our community.
- CLERK’S FINANCIAL REPORT
WS gave the meeting an overview of the accounts.
The Parish Council made a small increase to the precept in 2023/24 taking it from £4,500 to £4,950 (10%), a similar increase to £5,346 (8%) has been agreed for 2024/25. The Councillors agreed that the increasing prices of insurance, training, and supplies for items such as the defibrillator necessitated an uplift in line with inflation.
Councillor spent a total of £4,216.57 which included grants of £2,100. Other costs included insurance, membership to Hampshire Association of Local Councils (HALC), hall hire for the meetings and the Parish Council website.
The Chairman has already mentioned the defibrillator training which many of you will know was repeated in Brown Candover and Preston Candover Village Halls to ensure a range of dates.
The Councillors approved an increase in the Clerk’s salary from £1,100 to £1,200 in 2023 for which I am very grateful.
The closing balance on the account is £9,838 this includes £3,565.57 of Community Infrastructure Levy funding.
- Any other business
A resident asked that the communities thanks be recorded to the Parish Council and in particular to Dennis Nye for his work as a Councillor and Chairman.
The meeting ended at 8:10pm.
WS 14/5/2024
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL – Tuesday 14th May 2024
NORTHINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
Date: Tuesday 14th May 2024 Time: 8:45 pm
Venue: St John’s Church, Northington
Present: Simon Walker Chairman
Juliet Blanshard
Andrew Bason
Wendy Simson Clerk
Apologies: Rhona Hatchley
Gail Taylor
Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith District Councillor
Cllr Jackie Porter County Councillor
Cllr Fiona Issacs District Councillor
Cllr Margot Power District Councillor
Welcome and apologies.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Cllrs Hatchley, Taylor, Issacs, Power, Porter, and Gordon-Smith sent apologies.
Declaration of Pecuniary & Personal Interests to note any conflict with any item on the agenda.
None were declared.
Minutes of the last meeting
The Councillors reviewed minutes for the meeting on 14th March 2024 and agreed the minutes as a true representation of the meeting.
Matters arising.
Annual Litter pick – Cllr Bason arranged, and 20 bags of rubbish were collected. It was agreed that it needed to be booked for earlier in the year in 2025 as the long grass made finding the litter tricky.
Action: Date to be agreed for 2025.
Action: Clerk to add to list of dates for approval at the next meeting.
School Bus Update – Cllr Bason looked to speak to the company collecting children from the village to go to school about the speed and taking over the road on Northington Hill. The comments have been noted.
District and County Councillor updates
The Clerk had forwarded the reports prior to the meeting.
There were no questions.
Financial Update
The first 50% of the precept has been received at £2,673.
The Clerk confirmed the subscription cost for HALC membership was £196, this was approved by Councillors.
The Village Hall Committee had completed an application for £500 from the one off grant fund towards the exterior decorations work being carried out, this was approved by Councillors.
Action: Clerk to pay HALC invoice and grants.
Planning applications & related matters
There has been one planning application since the last meeting.
The application for Brookside (24/00633/HOU) was received on 17th May and was a retrospective application for an Air Source Heat Pump. The Councillors agreed that they had no objections to this application.
Action: Clerk to forward comment to Winchester City Council
Lengthsman
The Lengthsman Scheme is continuing in 2024/25, dates are as follows:
- 18th July
- 19th September
- 21st November
- 16th January
- 13th March
Action: Cllr Bason to forward a message to the community about work to be carried out 2 weeks before each visit.
Cllr Blanchard raised the issue of flooding at the Northington crossroads and asked that if there was standing water on the road that a photograph be taken and forward to her to flag with Hampshire Highways.
General Correspondence
None.
Date of the next meetings
Proposed dates for the meetings in 2024 and 2025 are as follows:
- Thursday 18th July
- Thursday 19th September
- Thursday 21st November
- Thursday 23rd January
- Thursday 20th March
Meetings to start at 6:30pn in the Village Hall.
Action: These are to be agreed at the next meeting.
The meeting ended at 9:10pm
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL -14th March 2024
NORTHINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
Date: Thursday 14th March 2024
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: Northington Village Hall
Present: Dennis Nye Chairman
Juliet Blanshard
Simon Walker
Rhona Hatchley
Andrew Bason
Cllr Fiona Issacs District Councillor
Cllr Margot Power District Councillor
Wendy Simson Clerk
Apologies: Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith District Councillor
Cllr Jackie Porter County Councillor
Welcome and apologies.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Cllrs Porter and Gordon-Smith sent apologies.
Declaration of Pecuniary & Personal Interests to note any conflict with any item on the agenda.
None were declared.
Minutes of the last meeting
The Councillors reviewed minutes for the meeting on 18th January 2024 and agreed the minutes as a true representation of the meeting. The Clerk provided a copy for the Chairman to sign.
Matters arising.
Storage box for sports equipment – Cllr Bason informed the Parish Council that he had spoken to the resident who had enquired about a play area and the option of a storage box of play equipment and perhaps football goals. It was agreed that this would be a useful option if the field behind the Village Hall could be used. Councillors agreed that an allocation from the CIL funding of £500 could be used to support the purchase of items and Cllr Bason confirmed that the resident was happy to fund raise to cover the remaining costs.
It was agreed that there would be further discussion should costs exceed this initial estimate.
Cllr Hatchley agreed to speak to the Village Hall Committee about the public having access to the land and insurance.
Action: Cllr Hatchley to report at next meeting.
The Councillors agreed the Village Hall BBQ on 7th July would be an achievable timeframe to have the equipment in place.
Feedback from Police Rural Crime meeting – Cllr Bason confirmed that the meeting was primarily for farmers and gamekeepers and that this target audience was invited in advance of the meeting.
Some isolated families have been threatened and intimidated by trespassers who are hare coursing and poaching on the land. A code word has been allocated and given to all farmers which when given on calling 999 initiates a police response including 4×4 vehicles, the drone team, and police helicopter. Cllr Bason explained that the code had been used last year and 7 police vehicles attended plus the helicopter.
At the meeting the police urged farmers to continually report any incidents to ensure that the area remained a high priority.
District and County Councillor updates
The Clerk had forwarded the reports prior to the meeting.
Cllr Power updated the Parish Council on concerns raised about the digitation of services and the impact on those who can’t access the internet due to poor signal coverage or lack of technology. Cllr Power is advocating testing of new systems using rural areas such as the Candover Valley.
Cllr Power also informed the Councillors that funding was available to replace septic systems close to waterways to reduce the nitrates escaping into the rivers. Simon James is working with two companies Burrow Environmental and CSG who are looking to promote the fund in this area.
Cllr Issacs explained that a set of speed watch equipment had been purchased and was available for communities to use. Training is required before volunteers can get involved and any road needs to be assessed for suitability before the team can be deployed. Roads need to have a straight section to allow the equipment to assess the speed of a vehicle, there also needs to be a suitable position for the team to sit where they will be safe.
Cllr Issacs has also been working with the reporting of non-crime incidents via the telephone as the reports are filed in different ways which means any patterns cannot be identified. The Community Safety Team are looking to standardise the process to make it easier to track. The Parish Council were asked to let the District Councillors know if there are any persistent issues not being followed up.
Village Plan Review
Cllr Walker and Cllr Hatchley circulated a draft action plan prior to the meeting and a draft of the letter to each household about the update of the plan was given out at the meeting for feedback. The survey will be online but paper copies will be available if required. It is planned to focus on the existing topics but to ask if they are all still relevant or if any new topics should be added.
Once the plan has been agreed it is to be sent to the District Council for approval. It is hoped that the plan will be adopted by the end of the year, and it was suggested that a gathering could be held to celebrate.
Village Hall Update
Cllr Hatchley received an update from the Chair of the Village Hall Committee explaining that the external paintwork had not yet been completed but a quote of £2,900 had been agreed and the £1,500 of grant funding from the Parish Council this year was being used to cover this cost, the remaining funds would be taken from the Village Hall savings.
In 2024 the Village Hall Committee plan to look at the repointing and damp-proof work on specific areas of the building.
Financial Update
The Clerk circulated the financial report with the papers.
The invoice for the website hosting was presented at the meeting for payment. Cllr Walker explained that the invoice covered 19 months from August 2022 when the last payment was made. The total cost was £131.79 which was within the budget of £100 per year. Cllrs approved payment.
Succession Planning
The Chairman informed the Parish Council that two potential new Councillors had expressed an interest in the vacancy. One of the residents had been more enthusiastic but the Councillors agreed that the Chairman should go back to the candidate who was still thinking about the idea to determine the current interest level. The other candidate has already said they are ready to serve. If both want to stand then they would present themselves at the next Parish Council meeting and the Councillors vote on which should be co-opted, if the vote is tied then the Chairman has the casting vote.
A by-election is only called if 10 or more residents request one, in this case all those on the electoral role would be sent voting cards and asked to vote in the same way as for national elections. The cost of this must be met by the Parish Council but Cllr Power explained that if it was included in the ballots to be held on 2nd May then the cost would be reduced.
Planning applications & related matters
There have been no planning applications since the last meeting.
The application for Chapel Cottage (24/00201/NMA) was received on 25th January. The Chairman received incomplete comments from the team but was able to return a majority opinion before the closing date of 16th February.
Lengthsman
The Lengthsman Scheme is continuing in 2024/25, dates have been requested for visits.
Cllr Bason has drawn up a list of work to be carried out for the last visit due next week, this includes some items requested for the last visit but not completed.
Annual Litter Pick
Cllr Bason suggested that the Annual Litter Pick be planned for Sunday 21st April, this was agreed.
Action: Clerk to organise equipment and Cllr Bason to draft communication for village.
General Correspondence
Cllr Bason has been contacted by a concerned resident about the school bus using Northington Hill which has a 7.5 tonne weight limit. The resident reported that the bus nearly damaged another vehicles which was parked on the side of the road. Cllr Power suggested if it was a Marks coach that the company would be keen to know if there was an issue.
Action: Cllr Bason to identify bus company and make contact.
Date of the next meeting
Dates for the meeting is either Tuesday 7th or 14th May, this will be the Annual Parish Meeting and will follow the Village Hall Annual Meeting.
Action: Chairman to agree date with Village Hall Committee
The meeting ended at 7:30pm
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL – 18th January 2024
NORTHINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
Date: Thursday 18th January 2024
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: Brookside, Northington, SO24 9TH
Present: Dennis Nye Chairman
Juliet Blanshard
Simon Walker
Rhona Hatchley
Cllr Fiona Issacs District Councillor
Cllr Jackie Porter County Councillor
Clare Helen Trustee, Town Trust Bus
Wendy Simson Clerk
Apologies: Andrew Bason
Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith District Councillor
Cllr Margot Power District Councillor
Welcome and apologies.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Cllrs Bason, Power, and Gordon-Smith all sent apologies.
Public Forum
Clare joined the meeting to give the Councillors an overview of the Alresford Town Trust minibus charity which runs two vehicles between Alton, Alresford, and Winchester along with the village around Alresford. The service is not a commercial venture and does not support commercial businesses but is to support those who struggle with social isolation. A grant from Hampshire County Council paid for both buses and the team are looking to upgrade one of the vehicles to a newer model later in the year. Customers are asked for a donation when they use the service (an example is £4 for the return trip between Alton and Alresford) and this along with ongoing grants and gift aid pay for the insurance, fuel, and service costs.
The Trust are looking for new volunteer drivers and ideas for new routes to support additional people. Currently the bus doesn’t come to Northington, but it could if there is a need. Weekdays the buses complete regular routes but are available for private hire at weekends.
Drivers are required to have a D1 driving license and the Bus Manager, Ken Corbin, would complete a full induction.
Action: Clare to send detail to the Chairman for circulation in the village.
Declaration of Pecuniary & Personal Interests to note any conflict with any item on the agenda.
None were declared.
Minutes of the last meeting
The Councillors reviewed minutes for the meeting on 16th November 2023 and agreed the minutes as a true representation of the meeting. The Clerk provided a copy for the Chairman to sign.
Matters arising.
Defib update including training. – Training dates have been booked as follows:
- Saturday 27th January – Candover Valley Club, Brown Candover
- Saturday 10th February, Preston Candover Village Hall
- Saturday 24th February, Northington Village Hall
All dates are open to everyone as it was agreed that it was important that as many people as possible got the training. RH and JB both took a poster to go on the two noticeboards. The Chairman, Cllr Porter, and Cllr Blanshard asked to be booked for the Northington session, Cllr Hatchley asked to go on 27th January.
Action: Clerk to book Councillor onto the sessions.
Storage box for sports equipment – Cllr Bason was to speak to residents about this idea.
Action: Cllr Bason to feedback at next meeting.
Website documents – the Clerk gave Cllr Walker a briefing document which lists the mandatory documents required to be put on the website. Cllr Walker agreed to review the content against this list and then any additional information can be supplied where needed.
District and County Councillor updates
The Clerk had forwarded the reports prior to the meeting.
Cllr Porter asked if anyone in the Parish was using Star Link as a broadband provider, the Chairman confirmed that at least one resident did use it. It is reported to be reliable and with good performance, subject to a clear line of sight. Jackie Porter noted that it was expensive. Phase 2 of the national project to get all rural areas connected is being set up, but currently Northington isn’t on the list. HCC are planning to raise as an issue. HCC have also set aside funding to support households with a child that needs fast broadband to support learning.
Cllr Issacs explained that fly tipping is still an issue, and those reporting sites are encouraged to use “what-three-words” to pinpoint the location.
Parking Wardens employed by HCC are working in Alresford. Cllr Issacs has asked for confirmation about using the parking spaces after the market stills have left on Thursdays. The wording of when parking is permitted is to be circulated once confirmed.
The Recycling Centre in Alresford is at risk of closure due wider budget constraints. While such a decision has yet to be made, alternative management models are under consideration, including running it by a community group. There are further sites are Winchester and Alton. The public are encouraged to write in to support the facility so it might be saved.
Interaction with County and City Council
The Chairman raised several issues that residents had experienced when reporting potholes, fly tipping and with an abandoned car in the village. Whilst a reference code was given when reporting via the telephone or website, it was very difficult to get any updates of when the issue was to be dealt with.
Cllr Issacs suggest that initially the issue should be reported on the website but follow up via the telephone and asking for the name of the officer dealing with the case. If there is no progress Cllr Issacs suggest that the resident asks to speak to a supervisor.
Both Cllr Issacs and Cllr Porter agreed to get involved where no action is taken for an extended period.
Rural Policing Meeting
A meeting was set up to allow game keepers and farm managers to discuss specific issues with the local police, this took place on Friday 12th January in Brown Candover. The meeting was well attended, and some very useful information shared. Cllr Bason had been invited as one of the local farm managers and the Chairman suggested that he should update the Council with any actions at the next meeting.
Action: Cllr Bason to update the Parish Council at the next meeting.
Financial Update
The Clerk circulated the financial report with the papers.
The Clerk thanked Councillors for the salary increase to £1,200 per annum from Q4 of the 2023/24 financial year.
The invoice has been received for the Defibrillator Training at £175 plus VAT (£210).
Action: Cllr Walker to send an invoice to the Clerk for the website domain in 2023/24.
Budgets 2024/25
Cllr Walker and Cllr Hatchley informed the Parish Council that a survey tool would be required for the Village Plan update and a possible free tool identified. However, it was suggested that a value of £100 (3-4 months at £30 a month) be included in the budget to meet this need.
The Councillors discussed the budget and agreed to increase the precept by 8% which would allow for inflation along with a small Ear Marked Reserve (EMR) to support community projects.
Village Plan Review
Cllr Hatchley and Cllr Walker have drawn up a plan for the review process which they will present to the Parish Council at the next meeting.
Action: Draft plan to be circulated a week before the next meeting.
Village Hall Update
Cllr Hatchley reported that the Village Hall Committee appreciate the support being given by the Parish Council. Bookings have been steady over Christmas and some regular hires have boosted income, these remain steady.
The Chairman has requested a new portrait of the King. The process will have to be repeated in February, when we are now informed that Parish Councils can apply.
The Village Committee will be getting the exterior paintwork done this Spring as per our £500 one-off grant from the Parish Council. This year it is planned to request a one-off grant for attending to damaged brickwork around the hall’s damp course (esp. along the kitchen wall), repointing etc. Also improving drainage along the side nearest the fire exit. It needs the tarmac digging out and gravel or a channel put in.
The Village Hall Committee have published a calendar of Village Hall events this year as requested; this will go out in the February Oxdrove. The Village Hall Committee asked if the Parish Council could publish the Hall and Church events calendars by email and on the website each January. This would help keep the residents better informed on local events and organisations at the start of the year. The Councillors approved this.
Action: Cllr Hatchley to provide a list of events to Cllr Walker.
Simon Lavers has taken on the role to look at accessing additional funding for future structural repairs to the village hall. Cllr Hatchley agreed to offer support from the Council along with Cllr Porter at a County level.
Succession Planning
The Chairman confirmed that he will resign as the Chairman and a Councillor at the May meeting. It was agreed that there had been a few interested residents who should be approached.
The Councillor held a coffee morning a couple of years ago to enable residents to understand the role of Councillor with a view to getting involved.
Action: Councillors to speak to any residents who might be interested in joining the Parish Council.
Chairman to send village email asking for volunteers to join the Parish Council.
Planning applications & related matters
There have been no planning applications since the last meeting.
Flooding
The heavy rain in the area on Thursday 4th January didn’t cause any issues, there was some very deep puddles on the junction with the A33. Cllr Porter agreed to speak to Highways about this issue.
The Clerk informed Councillors that both Preston Candover & Nutley Parish Council and Candovers Parish Council have empty sandbags and access to sand if needed quickly.
Lengthsman
The final date for 2024 is:
- 15th March 2024
Cllr Bason to organise an action plan for the visit.
The Lengthsman Scheme is continuing in 2024/25.
General Correspondence
Winchester City Council sent out the paperwork for nominations for the Mayor’s Community Awards 2024.
Date of the next meeting
Dates for the meeting is Thursday 21st March, however the Village Hall has double booked again with the Police. The Clerk suggested that the previous Thursday (14th March) looked to be available on the website.
Action: Clerk to change booking to 14th March.
The following meeting is Thursday 16th May, this will be the Annual Parish Meeting and will follow the Village Hall Annual Meeting.
The meeting ended at 8:20pm.
Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/23
Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/23
Download PDF : AGAR Form 2 Electronic Version – Northington Parish Council
AGM Minutes – 23rd May 2023
NORTHINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
Date: Tuesday, 23rd May 2023 Time: 8:40 pm
Venue: Northington Village Hall
Present: Dennis Nye Chairman
Lucy Williams
Andrew Bason
Melissa Jennings
Juliet Blanshard
Wendy Simson Clerk
Apologies: Cllr Margot Power (District Councillor)
Cllr Jackie Porter (County Councillor)
Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith (District Councillor)
Fiona Issacs (District Councillor)
- Election of Chairman
The Clerk explained that the Council is required to elect the Chairman each year. Councillor Nye confirmed that he was prepared to stand again, and the remaining Councillors confirmed that they did not wish to stand. Councillor Williams proposed Councillor Nye and Councillor Bason seconded the nomination. The full Council voted to approve Councillor Nye’s re-election.
- Co-option of Juliet Blanshard to the Parish Council
Juliet had not been nominated at the elections on 8th May due to an issue with paperwork, she confirmed that she wished to stand again as a Councillor. Cllr Nye proposed Juliet and Cllr Bason seconded, and the Councillors approved her appointment.
- Resignation of Cllr Jennings and Cllr Williams
The two Councillors have decided to step down, Cllr Jennings with immediate effect after 7 years on the Parish Council and Cllr Williams at the next meeting due to a house move. The Chairman thanked both for their support and a gift was presented to each.
- Co-option of two new Councillors
Rhona Hatchley and Simon Walker have both spoken to the Chairman about becoming Councillors. Unfortunately, neither were able to attend and sent apologies but the Clerk confirmed that they could be co-opted onto the Parish Council in their absence. Cllr Blanshard proposed both and Cllr Bason seconded, both were elected to the Parish Council.
- Councillor roles and responsibilities
Draft roles and responsibilities to be confirmed at next meeting
- Internal Audit Report for 2022/23
Prior to the meeting, the Clerk had taken the accounts to the Internal Auditor, however this process has not yet been completed. The Clerk agreed to circulate the report once received.
- Certificate of exception
Prior to the meeting the Clerk had circulated the completed Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for 2022/23. Councillors approved that the Parish Council met the criteria for exception as detailed on page 3. The Chairman signed the form.
- Annual Governance Statement 2022/23
The Clerk read out the 8 statements on page 5 of the AGAR and the Councillors confirmed that the Parish Council had the appropriate controls in place. Statement 9 was answered as N/a as the Parish Council does not have any Trust Funds. The Chairman signed form.
- Accounting Statement for 2022/23
The Councillors confirmed that they had read the Accounting Statement on page 6 of the AGAR and that the figures submitted agreed with the Annual Accounts. The Chairman signed this page of the AGAR.
The Clerk confirmed that the completed AGAR, Annual Accounts and Explanation of Variances were posted on the Parish Council website along with the dates for the exercise of public rights to view the accounts.
The meeting ended at 8.55 pm.
Minutes – 23rd May 2023
NORTHINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
Date: Tuesday 23rd May 2023 Time: 8:55 pm
Venue: Northington Village Hall
Present: Dennis Nye Chairman
Andrew Bason
Juliet Blanshard
Wendy Simson Clerk
2 members of the public
Apologies:
Rhona Hatchley
Simon Walker
Cllr Margot Power District Councillor
Cllr Fiona Issacs District Councillor
Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith District Councillor
Cllr Jackie Porter County Councillor
Welcome and apologies.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting. Cllrs Power, Gordon-Smith, Porter and Issacs all sent apologies. Apologies were also accepted from Rhona Hatchley and Simon Walker who have both expressed an interest in becoming Councillors.
Minutes of the last meeting
The Councillors reviewed minutes for the meeting on 24th March 2023 and agreed the minutes as a true representation of the meeting. The Clerk provided a copy for the Chairman to sign.
Matters arising.
SID position on B3046 – it was agreed that the data already available would negate having to install the SID to record speeds. Cllr Blanshard agreed to to continue to pursue the speed limitation request on B3046
Culvert clearing at Northington Crossroads – the culvert and drains were cleared in March 2022, and it has been requested that they be cleared again but there has been no report of the work being done. Cllr Blanshard reported that the road does clear after rain.
Fly tipping – Cllr Bason has reported the issue and the pile dumped by Micheldever Woods has been cleared, however Cllr Bason informed the Council that another load has been left in the previous 48 hours.
Litter Pick – Cllr Bason confirmed that the litter pick had gone well.
Planning applications & related matters
Water Augmentation Scheme – following the open meeting with Southern Water on 10th May an objection was posted from the Parish Council. The Chairman reported that there were a number of other comments posted prior to the deadline of 12th May, all were objections.
Clerks report & Financial update
The Clerk informed Councillors that there was just one payment to be made for the subscription to HALC (Hampshire Association of Local Councils) for £170.78. This was approved by the Councillors.
Lengthsman
The dates have been agreed for 23/24 and they are:
- 12th June 2023
- 12th September 2023
- 11th December 2023
- 15th March 2024
Melissa agreed to pass on the email from the Lengthsman requesting the worksheet when it arrived and inform the Lengthsman of the change of personnel.
Village Hall
The Councillors agreed to work with the Village Hall with possible funding once the plan had been circulated of what actions were to be taken.
General Correspondence
Melissa informed the Councillors that she had a contact name and telephone number of Conway’s, Cllr Bason asked if this could be shared with him.
Date of the next meeting
The next meeting is planned for Thursday 27th July, the Chairman agreed to circulate the date to the new Councillors to confirm they were available.
The meeting ended at 9:30 pm.