Minutes of the meeting held on 6 March

2019 at 7pm at Reed Village Hall

Downloadable/printable version (opens as PDF document) Present Cllrs: K Langley (Chairman), C d’Ayala (Vice- Chair), P Lawrence, M Higgs and J Kershaw. In attendance the Clerk Catharine Toms, Dist. Cllr Tony Hunter and 50 members of the public. 1.3.19 To receive apologies for absence. Dist. Cllr. Gerald Morris, Cty. Cllr. Fiona Hill. 2.3.19 To receive Members Declarations of Interest. Cllr. d’Ayala (item 13.3.19). 3.3.19 To approve the Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on 2nd January 2019 and to authorise the Chairman to sign them as a true record. The minutes were approved. It was proposed, seconded and all voted in favour. Agreed. 4.3.19 To invite Members of the Public to address the meeting. It was agreed to suspend standing orders at various points in the meeting to allow contributions from members of the public present. A resident asked if there was an age limit for use of the play equipment on the Green, it was reported as discretionary, as there was no signage in place. 5.3.1 9 Chairman’s Report. The Clerk’s salary review had been completed and details circulated to all Cllrs. A concern had been raised by the owner of Reed House regarding recent maintenance work to Pitty’s pond which had intruded onto his land. He intended putting up a fence to demark the boundary. The Governors of Reed School had informed the Council about possible changes to the design of the community library facility for which they had been raising money. They were seeking to raise awareness of the school and other amenities/organisations in Reed to the wider area in order to remain viable. They were interested in applying for money from the Push Energy fund either as a contribution to the library or to support practical initiatives to publicise the village and its attributes. An application had been submitted to NHDC to renew the listing of The Cabinet as an Asset of Community Value. 6.3.19 To consider and agree on grant awards to Friends of Reed School and Reed Church – It was proposed, seconded and agreed by all to award grants of £125 each to the Friends of Reed School and the Friends of Reed Church. Resolved. 7.3.19 To receive financial report from the Clerk and approve accounts for payment – 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 £14,180.69 of which £10,435 was Push Energy Community Contribution (ring-fenced for special projects), £945.37 was Bonfire Night reserves, leaving general reserves at £2,800.32. It was noted that the 5th and final payment of £2,087 had been received from Push Energy. Payments for the Clerk’s salary, PAYE, software and stationery items were agreed. 8.3.19 To receive update on planned Neighbourhood Watch awareness session – a Neighbourhood Watch Liaison Officer would be attending the Annual Parish Meeting to do a ten minute presentation and encourage residents to sign up to Online Watch Link (OWL). They were also planning to hold an event on a Saturday morning at Reed Village Hall which residents from neighbouring villages would also be encouraged to attend. The date of 15th June was agreed. Action: Clerk 9.3.19 To receive update on Highways issues – There were a number of current issues around the village with areas of poor road surface, pot holes, blocked grips and drains. These had all been reported to Highways for attention. Residents were encouraged to also report Highway problems as it would prioritise the repairs. The link to report Highways faults would be put on the website. https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/highways-roads-and- pavements/highways-roads-and-pavements.aspx - Update on hedge trimming/footpath clearing – a letter had been delivered to properties with overhanging vegetation encroaching footpaths, politely requesting that it was cut back, which had achieved good results. - Update on advisory speed limit within the village – County Cllr. Hill would be contacted to see if any progress had been made on the matter. Action: Clerk 10.3.19 To agree to set the date of Sat 2nd November for Reed Fireworks on the Green – Proposed, seconded and agreed. Resolved. 11.3.19 To consider registering all ponds within the conservation area as village assets – It was proposed, seconded and agreed that investigations would be made with NHDC and Country Management Services (CMS) as to whether a protective measure could be put in place to protect and preserve two distinctive and historic ponds in Reed that were on land adjacent to the Highway. These being Pitty’s Pond and the Cart Pond. Action: PL + 1 other Cllr. Standing Orders were suspended to allow a member of the public to request that the necessary maintenance work to remove the silt out of Pitty’s pond and the blocked outlet pipe be carried out by a professional company with the appropriate equipment, even though it would be expensive for the Parish Council. He said that recent work clearing overgrown vegetation had damaged the sides of the pond making it hazardous and that the blocked outlet pipe was now causing flooding. He was informed that the Parish Council had not received any other complaints that the banks of the pond now constituted a danger and his request regarding the maintenance to the pond had been noted. Standing Orders resumed. 12.3.19 To consider and make comment on planning application : Full Planning Permission : Erection of detached three bedroom dwelling with detached single garage, with all associated landscaping and ancillary works. Land adjacent to 4, Hobbs Hayes, Blacksmiths Lane, Reed, Hertfordshire. Case Ref No: 19/00142/FP – It was proposed, seconded and agreed by all to object to this application. Resolved. Reason for decision: The Reed Parish Plan had indicated a need for 2-5 units of smaller scale social housing. There had already been a 12% increase in private housing built in Reed and two more properties were in the pipeline. A lack of available off road parking in the area would result in dangerous parking on a bend. Despite a previous request, no consultation by Settle had taken place with the Parish Council prior to submitting the application. 13.3.19 The Cabinet Standing Order were suspended to allow members of the public to make representations regarding The Cabinet. Standing Orders were then resumed. - To consider and make comment on planning application : Full Planning Permission : Subdivision of public house and change of use of part to dwelling house. Creation of new car parking for public house. The Cabinet, High Street, Reed, Hertfordshire, SG8 8AH. Case Ref No: 19/00341/FP - To consider and make comment on planning application : Listed Building Consent : Subdivision of public house and change of use of part to dwelling house. Internal alterations and regularisation of unauthorised works. The Cabinet, High Street, Reed, Hertfordshire, SG8 8AH. Case Ref No: 19/00342/LBC It was proposed, seconded and unanimously agreed to object to the two planning applications. Resolved. Reasons for decision: The applications did not meet the wishes of the parishioners and the Parish Council to retain and restore The Cabinet as Reed’s village pub. Such a restoration would require utilisation of the whole of the premises to provide a mixture of wet and dry sales which would make the pub a destination venue as well as a place for villagers. Without physical space to provide such a mixture (kitchen space and accommodation for a tenant/manager) it was concluded that The Cabinet was unlikely to survive as the village asset and amenity parishioners wished it once more to be. In addition, the Parish Council’s business plan which secured government borrowing approval, was premised on a 40/60 wet and dry sales split. The effect of allowing the conversion proposed would lead to inevitable commercial failure of The Cabinet as an alehouse, which in turn would lead to an application for change of use of that part of the building to domestic use, completing the loss of the whole community asset. It was wished to be minuted that the Parish Council would not expect Dist. Cllr. Morris to call the planning applications in before the Planning Committee if they were likely to be refused under the delegated authority of the Case Officer. - To discuss : That Reed Parish Council bid to purchase the freehold of The Cabinet in line with borrowing approval granted by the Ministry for Housing and Communities and Local Government. It was proposed, seconded and unanimously agreed that the Parish Council would go ahead and enter a bid to purchase the freehold of The Cabinet in terms with the business plan used to secure the loan to borrow. Resolved. It was noted that the loan would only be drawn down if the bid was accepted. - To provide a response to Mr Newman’s proposition It was proposed, seconded and unanimously agreed to decline the proposition from Mr Newman to lease a portion of The Cabinet building at a nominal rent in order to run a licensed premises from three rooms. Resolved. Reasons: The area of premises proposed would be too small to make it viable, even at a nominal rent. 14.3.19 To receive matters for report and or referral to next agenda. (Information only) – For referral to next agenda: Push Energy Community Contribution Funds Shortlist, Maintenance requirements for the defibrillator, Update on The Cabinet, Speed limit for the village, Play area maintenance requirements. To enquire and report as to the nature of works being carried out on Wisbridge Farm. 15.3.19 To note correspondence received. (Information only) – Nothing to report. 16.3.19 To agree date of next meeting. Tuesday 14th May 2019. Agreed. Note: Annual Parish Meeting date – Thursday 9th May. There being no further business the meeting closed at 9 pm.