Minutes of the meeting held on 4 March

2020 at 7.30pm at Reed Village Hall

Downloadable/printable version (opens as PDF document) Present Cllrs: C d’Ayala (Chair), P Lawrence, M Higgs and J Kershaw. In attendance the Clerk Catharine Toms, Dist. Cllr. G Morris, County Cllr. F Hill and Dist. Cllr. T Hunter & two members of the public 1.3.20 To receive apologies for absence. Cllr. K Langley (isolating) – apologies accepted. 2.3.20 To receive Members Declarations of Interest. Cllr. d’Ayala (item 11.3.20). Cllr. Lawrence (Village Hall & item 9.3.20). 3.3.20 To approve the Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on 9th January 2020 and to authorise the Chairman to sign them as a true record. Subject to a correction re: item 12.1.20. It was proposed, seconded and all voted in favour to approve. Resolved. Amended minutes to be posted on the website. Action: Clerk/Webmaster 4.3.20 To invite Members of the Public to address the meeting. No one wished to speak at that point. 5.3.20 Chairman’s Report. A letter had been written to the Environment Agency (EA) asking when a definite and definitive ruling would be made regarding the proposed water extraction for the reservoir. A response from the EA was still awaited. Following reports of sewage on the road at Hobbs Hayes, Thames Water had attended to repair a defective manhole at the kerbside. The persistent problem of over-charged drains and flooding at Hobbs Hayes and Brickyard Lane was ongoing. It was learnt that the recent Crow Lane planning application had been refused. 6.3.20 To consider and agree adoption of ‘Scheme of Delegation’ Policy incorporated within the Standing Orders – Further to consultation with HAPTC, the Clerk recommended a stand alone ‘Scheme of Delegation’ Policy. It was proposed, seconded and agreed by all to adopt the proposed Reed Parish Council ‘Scheme of Delegation’ Policy. Resolved. Adopted policy to be posted on the website. Action: Clerk/Webmaster 7.3.20 To set date for Annual Parish Meeting – Having checked availability of the Village Hall, it was proposed, seconded and agreed by all to hold the Annual Parish Meeting on Thursday 14th May 2020. Everyone to give thought to a possible guest speaker to invite to attend the meeting. Action: All 8.3.20 To receive report from the Clerk on current financial position - Copies of the accounts and list of monies received and payments to be authorised were handed to all Cllrs. Accounts showed a bank balance of £14,620.41 of which £10,195.00 was Push Energy Community Contribution (ring-fenced for special projects), £900.50 was Bonfire Night reserves, £661.00 was P3 grant balance, leaving general reserves at £2,863.91. 9.3.20 To agree accounts for payment - Payments made to be authorised since the January meeting were £500.00 to C Jackson (artwork for Informative Sign). Payments at the meeting were Clerk’s salary and PAYE, Clerk’s expenses for software, stamps, paper and ink £49.68. Donations of £125.00 each to Friends of Reed Church and Friends of Reed School. All were agreed. Resolved. 10.3.20 To receive update on setting up of Parish email distribution list – Thanks were extended to the Webmaster for his assistance to set this up. A Parish Council email address, mailing.list@reedparishcouncil.co.uk, was an administrator and had been used to set up a Mailchimp account. It was compliant with GDPR. A sign-up form had been created for parishioners to self-register to receive emails. This now needed to be advertised to make people aware. It would be published on the front page of the website, along with details on the bottom of Parish Council agendas and minutes and it would be mentioned at the Annual Parish Meeting in May. The distribution list would be administered by Cllrs. Langley, D’Ayala and the Clerk. It was agreed to put on an auto responder indicating no replies would be made from that email address. Action: Clerk/CD/Webmaster The Clerk and Cllr. Langley to be trained on admin of distribution list. Action: CD 11.3.20 Save the Cabinet (SCAG) – Standing Orders were suspended to allow a member of the public to speak. It was reported that the owner’s appeal against the enforcement had been dismissed in early Feb. He now had 6 months to cease using The Cabinet as a domestic residence. A further offer, from a local person, had been made to buy the property but this had been refused. There were 3 listed building applications still undetermined by NHDC. It was expected that NHDC would be speaking to SCAG in the Spring before the listed building applications were determined. It was noted that the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) approved loan to the Parish Council would cease to be available after May. SCAG asked if PC would be renewing this. This would require a brand-new application. This matter to be included on the agenda for the May meeting. The action decided at the January PC meeting to write to the owner of The Cabinet was never carried out as it was subsequently decided to write as part of SCAG. It was agreed that the Parish Council, SCAG and Dist. Cllr. Morris would arrange to meet to discuss The Cabinet. Action: CD/KL/SCAG/GM Standing Orders were resumed. 12.3.20 Highways Update, including Reed Parish Action Plan, flooding and drainage Cllr. Lawrence reported that following the Reed Parish Action Plan meeting Highways had attended with a machine to blow the pipes out from the Green to the opposite corner as the ditches were so full of silt that the drainage pipes were not working. Various Highways issues were discussed and actions agreed: 1) Collapsed pipe near Gladstone Villas causing flooding – The Developer at the Kilns needed contacted again as this had still not been resolved. Action: JK/KL 2) Blocked ditch meaning that piped water had nowhere to go, causing flooding – a letter to be written to the landowner to request the ditch to be cleared. Action: KL/Clerk 3) Silted up ditches around the Green causing excess water on the road – request Highways to clear these as they took run off water from the Highway. Action: County Cllr. Hill 4) Blocked mains drains causing flooding – action already requested from Highways, this would be chased. Action: JK/County Cllr. Hill 5) Blocked pipe into Pitties Pond needing clearing – this had been already reported to Highways by Cllr. Lawrence. 13.3.20 To receive bi-monthly Parish Council play area inspection report – Cllrs. Higgs and d’Ayala had conducted the inspection. The following recommendations for maintenance were made and actions were proposed, seconded and agreed: 1) Excess chain on swings to be ground off. Action: CD 2) Missing bolt cover to be replaced. Action: PL 3) Dog fouling sign to be reinstated. Action: MH 4) Play Area disclaimer sign to be printed and installed. Action: JK The next bi-monthly play area inspection to be carried out by Cllrs. Kershaw and Lawrence. Action: JK/PL. Resolved. 14.3.20 To consider and agree proposal for wording of play area disclaimer sign – The wording had been agreed (also see item 13.3.20). 15.3.20 To receive update on informative signs for the village and P3 footpath project – Cllr. Kershaw reported that the artwork had now been completed and that work was progressing on the post and plinth. He was liaising with the P3 project group to enable both signs to be consistent in style. County Cllr. Hill informed the Council that some Locality Budget Funding might be available to support the P3 project. It was aimed to have the village informative sign ready to unveil in time for May and ‘National Walking Month’. Action: JK 16.3.20 To receive update on Push Energy Community Fund expenditure – The purchase of a commemorative Mulberry tree for Tom Duke up to the value of £250.00 to be planted on the edge of the Green in Church Lane was proposed, seconded and all agreed. Action: CD/JK/MH Also proposed, seconded and agreed was the purchase of bulbs to be planted later in the year – a date set for Saturday 3rd October 2020. Resolved. Action: CD/JK/MH Cllr. Kershaw to arrange a working group meeting to discuss further ideas. Action: JK 17.3.20 Reed Fireworks Night 2020 – Standing Orders were suspended to allow a member of the public to speak. The Parish Council was informed that the preferred date for the event was Sat 7th November and that Fox Fireworks were available to put on the display. It was agreed that Cllr. Kershaw would be the Parish Council representative on the Fireworks Organising Group. Action: JK Fox Fireworks to be booked for Sat 7th Nov. Proposed, seconded and agreed. Resolved. Standing Orders were resumed. 18.3.20 To receive update on reservoir development – Concern was raised over much increased movement of material onto the site. It was proposed, seconded and agreed to chase up a response from the EA (see item 5.3.20) and contact MP Sir Oliver Heald to request a site meeting and his support with requesting attention from the EA. County Cllr. Hill & Dist. Cllrs. Morris and Hunter asked to be kept informed. Action: KL/Clerk County Cllr. Hill & Dist. Cllr. Hunter departed from the meeting at 9.15pm 19.3.20 To consider registering the Cart Wash Pond and Pitties Pond with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust – Standing Orders were suspended to allow a member of the public to address the meeting. The Council was informed that Pitties Pond was currently quite polluted due to wash off from the fields. Standing Orders were resumed. It was proposed, seconded and agreed to ask the EA to visit to test the water quality in Pitties Pond. Action: PL/Clerk It was thought that Crested Newts were present in the Cart Pond. It was agreed to try and register both ponds with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust via their website. Action: PL/Clerk 20.3.20 To receive matters for report or referral to next agenda. (Information only) – Review of action points from last meeting, Update on S106/UU monies available from Kilns development, renewal of loan approval from PWLB, Annual Parish Meeting. 21.3.20 To note correspondence received. (Information only) – A request had been received from the East of England Ambulance Service to check and log date on the battery in the defibrillator. Action: KL 22.3.20 To agree date of next meeting. Weds 6th May 2020. Agreed. There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.30pm.