CHAIRMAN                                                       CLERK

Cllr Simon Funnell                                           Mr. Barry Campbell-Taylor

Highfields, Downs Hill                                      4 River View

Golant, Fowey                                                 Golant, Fowey

PL23 1LJ                                                          PL23 1LL

01726 833343                                                  01726 832326

Clerk's email :   parishcouncil.stsampson@googlemail.com

 
 THERE WILL BE NO MEETING IN AUGUST 2010

St Sampson Parish Council Minutes. 23rd June 2010.

Present: Cnllrs D Johns, A Forsyth, R S Funnell (Chair), B Fletcher, J Fuge, C Hunter, Cornwall Councillor S Bain and B Campbell-Taylor (Clerk).

Apologies: Cnllr L Luck.  (Cnllr Forsyth apologised for not having notified the Council about her absence from the previous meeting)

One member of the public was present.

The Public Meeting commenced at 7-30pm.

Matters discussed during the Public Participation section included the situation with regard to eligibility for parking on the Village Green, and the positioning of the new chain surrounding the Village Green. The Chairman and the Clerk agreed to take up the parking matter with some of the individuals who park without displaying the necessary permit.

The Council Meeting commenced at 7-45pm.

Acceptance of previous minutes.

The minutes of the May meeting, having been previously circulated, were taken as read and accepted without correction.

Matters arising.

The Clerk reported that: the Planning application for the conversion of 1, Riverview Terrace had been successful following the submission of an amended Car Parking layout;

He had reported, to the Planners, that unauthorised work was taking place on and alongside Tinneys Lane prior to, what was suspected to be, the installation of a Caravan; and that the Audit Commission had accepted the Parish Accounts having asked for one small alteration.

The Chairman thanked the Clerk for having again successfully completed the accounts and the submission for Audit, he reminded all that the Audit Commission were especially demanding and picky and that we all should be relieved at not having to answer demanding follow up questioning from them. The Chairman also thanked Mr Stuart Young who had kindly acted as Internal Auditor.

Reports.

Cornwall Councillor S Bain reported that Cornwall, like other areas, was to receive less money from central Government, having only 4M in Area Base grants instead of the 10m that had been received in the previous year. Cnllr Bain also reported that she was involved in a project to form an organisation which was similar in form to that which was operating successfully around the King Harry Ferry area, linking and promoting Transport, Ferries, Hotels and B & Bs.

She also reported that she now had a small Grant Fund, which could be utilised for highways and transport projects, however when asked about the continuing poor state of repair of Church Hill, she expressed doubt that her Fund could be utilised for ordinary repair work. Councillor Bain offered to ask the Highways department to attend to the remaining potholes. She also agreed to bring up the matter of the ‘road flooding’ sign at the bottom of Water Lane.

Cllr Bain, responding to questions from Councillors, re-assured everyone that in the forthcoming cost cutting programme, key areas would not suffer.

The Clerk reported that the Car Park had taken £1157.00 in cash since its late commissioning. He also reported that week on week takings were well up on the same weeks in previous years, presumably due to the fine weather.

Planning.Riverview Terrace conversion application had been successful.It was proposed by Cllr Fuge, Seconded by Cllr Johns and agreed by all members, to support the application which had been made for permission to open an Education Centre for those with learning difficulties, at South Torfrey farm.It was proposed by Cllr Fuge, Seconded by Cllr Forsyth and agreed by all members, to support the application which had been made to build a ‘Coach House’ at Wild Thyme Farm.

Village Green and Playground.

The R.O.S.P.A report on the condition of the playground had been received and circulated. As all the members had not yet read the report, it was not discussed. However, the Clerk reported that only minor faults had been highlighted.

The Clerk reported that he had been involved in discussion with the Grass Cutting Contractor about the extent of the cut and the price paid. He reported that a new price of £60 had been agreed and that this would mean that all of the areas surrounding the Green would now also be cut.  It was pointed out that a complaint had been made that, following the recent cut of Tinneys Lane, clearing up by the contractor was unsatisfactory. Discussion ensued about what could be reasonably be expected of the Contractor and about the expectations of householders.  A member of the public joined the discussion to point out that the cutting and tidying around the sundial was not as thorough as it used to be.

The Clerk reminded everyone that, in the past, we benefited by having a member of the community perform the work: perhaps more diligently and conscientiously than his contract required. He also reminded all that, the sum being paid to the new contractor was considerably less than that which had been quoted by the old contractor.

The Chairman suggested that an offer be made to the new contractor of £65 per cut taking into consideration additional work around the Sundial and sweeping the trimmings from the last few yard of Tinneys Lane. All agreed and the Clerk was asked to put this to the Contractor.

Car Park.

Members discussed what they considered to be the unsatisfactory situation surrounding the Car Park and the prospects for hand over to the Parish. The Chairman and the Clerk reminded everyone that the whole process of hand over had to be re-negotiated at some time, at the whim of Cornwall Council. All agreed that Cornwall Council had behaved badly and that communication from them had been and continued to be very poor. The Chairman took to opportunity to state his anger and disappointment about the poor and inadequate response he had had from Cornwall Council’s Chief Executive, to whom he had written on the subject.

Highways and Footpaths.

It was reported that a new protective Bollard had been locate in front of Menethrin. Those members who had seen the Bollard agreed that this was acceptable and advantageous.

Cnllr Johns reported on his project to regularise the Lanherriott Footpath and stated that his collection of witness statements and the application were ready for submission but that he had heard from the Trefry Estate who claim ownership of the section of the path in question. The estate deny a permanent footpath/right of way but are prepared to declare a permissive right of way and state their intention to erect signs to that effect.

Members agreed that the evidence for a permanent right of way was overwhelming and that a permissive path, the right for which could be withdrawn on the whim of the owners at any time, would be unsatisfactory. Members asked Councillor Johns to proceed with the application and to notify the Rashleigh Estate of our intentions.

Councillor Johns took the opportunity to point out that whole process of footpath regularisation was long and complex and that even after scrutiny by Cornwall Council Legal officers a six-year wait was likely before ratification at the hearing when such applications are considered.

Cnllr Fuge pointed out that, during the recent replacement of all the electrical power supply to the village, all of the street lights except for two had been replaced: the remaining lights were inefficient and gave out more glare than the new replacements.  The Clerk agreed to take up the matter.

Finance.

The Clerk gave a financial report as follows; -
  JUNE CASH REPORT. ST SAMPSON PARISH COUNCIL
NUMBER ONE ACCOUNT.      
       Balance     £1,504.16 £1,504.16  
      Payments to be made      
        Clerks Expenses 17.05.10 - 23.06.10 £138.28    
        Website Fees   £128.05    
        Grass Cutting   £330.00    
        Jason Snell     £485.12    
        R.O.S.P.A     £81.08    
            £1,162.53 £1,162.53  
      Projected Balance     £341.63 £341.63
NUMBER TWO ACCOUNT.      
      Balance     £11,934.20 £11,934.20  
      Payments to be made      
        None.          
      Plus cash not deposited £419.60 £419.60  
              £12,353.80 £12,353.80
      Total Funds         £12,695.43

It was proposed by Cllr Johns, seconded by Cllr Hunter and agreed by all that the above-mentioned payments be made.

All agreed that £600 should be transferred from the Number Two account to the Number One account, this being the sum that had been previously agreed as a contribution for Parish expenses from Car Park takings.

Correspondence.

A letter had been received from the owners of woodland behind Park and Constable who wish to erect a large shed/store/workshop on that site, requesting the Council to consider its attitude to such a development. The writers pointed out that they were considering purchasing a home in Golant, but the purchase would be dependant on their obtaining permission for the woodland workshop. The Chairman reminded members that it is the policy of St Sampsons Parish Council not to consider, or give an opinion, about any scheme, until a formal application had been made. Members all agreed that it would be wrong and dangerous to accede to the request and asked the Clerk to respond accordingly.

Resignation of the Clerk.

The Chairman reported that although the Clerk had resigned, his work would continue until the end of July, and he would continue with the supervision and banking of takings for the Car Park until the season end and would also complete the end of the season accounting for the Car Park.

In the subsequent discussion about the Clerk’s replacement it was agreed that, given the Council’s limited resourses and, that the Car park income may not be relied upon indefinitely, that members will themselves have to take on greater responsibilities. The chairman stated that, before the next meeting he would consider which members would be asked to undertake specific areas of responsibility.

The Clerk was asked to prepare a poster advertising for a new Clerk.

Any Other Business.

1. It was reported that problems were being encountered due to Rubbish being left outside Holiday Lets prior to the rubbish collection day and that the rubbish bags were opened by animals. Members considered leafleting all holiday lets but felt that, unless the owners themselves were contacted then a leaflet would be ineffective. The Clerk had managed to contact the owners of certain cottages and action had been taken in the form of lidded rubbish bins.

2. Members were reminded that the Village Photograph was due this year, having been taken 10 and 20 years ago. Having given consideration to timing, location and Photographer, it was decided that the best time would be an early afternoon in September at the top of a tide and that Jhonathon Barker would be asked to consider taking the Photo.  Members decided to consider either the 1st or 2nd weekend in September and, once the Photographer had confirmed his availability, a notice be published in The Pill’

Next Meeting.

It was decided to hold the next meeting on 28th July 2010.

 The meeting closed at 21-15pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Sampson Parish Council Annual Council Meeting. 17th May 2010.                                     THE MEETING COMMENCED AT 8.35PM AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE APM.

Present: Cnllr. R S Funnell (Chair), Cnllr. D Johns, Cnllr. J Fuge, Cnllr. B Fletcher, Cnllr. L Luck

Apologies: Cornwall Cnllr. S Bain.

Minutes: Having been previously circulated the minutes of the previous meeting were taken as read. It was proposed by Cnllr. Luck and seconded by Cnllr. Johns that previous meeting’s minutes should be accepted - all agreed.

Matters Arising: The Clerk pointed out that, at the previous meeting, Councillors had resolved to have the Car Park Bollards removed. He pointed out that it had not been decided who should perform this task. Councillors resolved to ask Mr Jason Snell to undertake the work.

The Clerk reported that he had written to Saxon drilling, asking for a contribution towards the cost of repairing the posts, damaged by them, on the Village Green, but as yet, no response had been forthcoming.

The Clerk reported that he had, as requested, requested a new Post Box with a bigger slot. He reported that his enquiries had been very inconclusive.

New Member: It was proposed by Cnllr. Johns, seconded by Cnllr. Fuge and agreed by all, that Mr Colin Hunter of St Carrock, Golant, should be Co-opted onto the Council.

Election of Chairman: It was proposed by Cnllr. Luck, seconded by Cnllr. Hunter and agreed by all that Cnllr S Funnell should be asked to continue as Chairman for another year.

Election of Vice Chairman: It was proposed by Cnllr. Luck, seconded by Cnllr. Johns and agreed by all, that Cnllr B Fletcher be asked to serve another year as Vice Chairman.

Planning:

          The Rose Cottage application had received approval with conditions.

          The Riverside application had received approval.

1, River View Terrace: member all felt that the works involved would improve the appearance of the property. However, they agreed with the concerns expressed by Mr S Robbins of 1, River View Terrace, in his letter to the Council, about access, rights of way and especially, car parking.

It was proposed by Cnr Luck, seconded by Clr Fuge and agreed by all, apart from Clr Hunter who had not had chance to review the plans, that the proposal should be supported but that concern should be expressed about the matters raised by Mr Robbins.

Prospect Farm. Members were informed that Prospect farm was the new name for the field that has historically been known as Park and Constable.

The proposal for a large open fronted barn was considered and members decided that they had no objection to the application.

Car Park: It was decided that, in the light of the difficulties caused by Cornwall Council with regard to the commissioning of the Car Park, and that ¼ of the year’s business had been lost, ¼ of the business rate be withheld.

Highways and footpaths: It was reported that the re-surfacing work on Church Hill had commenced. Cnr. Johns reported that his efforts to regularise the Lanherriott footpath were proceeding and that he had had positive contact with Fowey Town Council on the matter.

It was drawn to the attention of the Council that a digger had been driving up the Bridleway known as Tinneys Lane and performing groundwork in a paddock alongside. Members discussed the legality of vehicular traffic along such a lane. Various members and the Clerk agreed to investigate the situation.

Sewage system: The Chairman reported that he and the Clerk had met Mr Adrian Miles from SWW to discuss the various faults within the system. He also reported that Mr Roger Tabb had met the Environment Agency to discuss the problems.

Subsequent to these meetings much work had been carried out, including the re-sealing of the manhole covering the siphonic pipeline adjoining Island House that had been leaking foul water for some time.

Members pointed out that the centre of the road manhole adjacent to the pumping station was still issuing liquid.

Annual Accounts: The Clerk and the Chairman presented the Annual Accounts for the year ending 31st March. They also presented the Accounts and the Governance statement that had been prepared for the Audit Commission. It was proposed by Cnllr. Luck, seconded by Clr. Fletcher and agreed by all, that the accounts should be accepted and that the governance requirements had been complied with.

Cash Report as at 17.05.2010: The Clerk gave a Cash report as follows; -No. 1 Account

          Opening Balance            1669.18

          Plus Precept Payment    1134.50

          Balance                          2803.68          2803.68

Payments to be made     

          Clerks Expense.               422.50

          Green Cutting 09              196.35

          Green Cutting 10              100.00

          Insurance                         418.61

          Printer Cartridge                 32.09

          Village Hall Rent               100.00

Total Payments                         1269.55             1269.55

Projected Balance                                              1534.13          1534.13

No. 2 Account.

          Opening Balance           1058.36

Income

          Car Park Passes              840.00

          Balance                          1142.36                                 11421.36

Total Projected Funds                                                          12955.49

It was proposed by Clr. Fuge, seconded by Clr Luck and agreed by all that the above mentioned payments be made.

 Next Meeting: It was agreed that the next meeting should be held on Wednesday 23rd June at 7.15 pm.

 The meeting closed at 9.20pm

 

 

 

 

 

St Sampson Parish Council. Minutes of the meeting 24.03.10.

Present: Cnllrs B Fletcher, D Johns, R S Funnell (Chair), L Luck, J Fuge & B Campbell-Taylor (Clerk).

Apologies: Cornwall Councillor S Bain.

 

Public Participation: Two persons were present.  Councillors were asked about the Fowey Bus Project, but as memories of the precise wording of the letter had faded, the Chairman suggested that a copy of the original letter from the Fowey Bus group be provided to the questioner. He also asked that the matter be included on the agenda for the Annual Parish Meeting.

Minutes: As the minutes of the previous meeting had been circulated beforehand, they were taken as read. All agreed to accept the minutes without alteration.

Matters Arising: The Clerk reported that he had, as requested, written to Saxon Drilling to ask for a donation towards the cost of repairs to the posts, damaged by them, on the Village Green.

Reports:  Cornwall Councillor Sally Bain submitted a written report stating that she had made enquiries about the new arrangements for the management of the Car Park at Golant: She expected to hear from the Policy Committee soon and now expected a speedy resolution. Councillor Bain also stated that she would be stepping down from the Children’s Committee of Cornwall Council and hoped therefore to be able to spend more time on local issues. A full copy of Cllr Bain’s report is attached to these minutes.

Car Park:  The Clerk reported that he had serious concerns about the lack of response from Cornwall Council about the arrangements for managing the Car Park in the 2010 season.   The new Cornwall Council, Car park Management group, had ignored all his enquiries.

Planning: Golant Farmhouse. The Clerk reported that following complaints made about noisy work taking place during weekends, Bank Holidays and on early mornings, he had ascertained that, in residential areas, this was not permitted. However, such work is prescribed, not by Planning Regulations but by Environmental Health regulations.  The Clerk reported that the Environmental Health Department had visited Golant Farmhouse where the problem had occurred and they had, as a consequence, written to the owners of the property, asking that the work should cease outside of the permitted times.

Sawmills Studio. The Clerk reported that, following complaints about building work taking place at Sawmills Studios, without Planning Permission, Fowey Town Council had instigated enforcement action with Cornwall Council Planners.

Rose Cottage. The application for change of use, from Ancillary Accommodation to Holiday Let, at an annexe of Rose Cottage was considered.  Councillors had previously examined the plans and design statement, which accompanied the application.

Councillors discussed its policy with regard to additional development within the Village and Councillor Johns expressed the opinion that the Council did not have any Policy. The Clerk reminded everyone that we were bound to observe the policy laid down by Cornwall Council.  It was agreed that, at some future date, discussion should take place to establish if it would be desirable to have a firm policy in respect of housing development in the Village.

It was proposed by Cllr Fuge and seconded by Cllr Luck that the application be supported. All agreed but with Cllr Johns abstaining.

Village Green: Invitations to tender for grass cutting had been issued to several contractors, including the existing contractor Mr V Tabb. Two responses were forthcoming one of which was considerably cheaper than the existing contractor. The Clerk reported that he was now bound only to employ contractors who have public liability insurance and training certificates and that the existing contractor had neither of these.  Councillors felt that Mr Tabb had, over the years, given immensely valuable service to the Council and instructed the Clerk, prior to appointing a contractor, to ascertain if Mr Tabb would be willing to acquire the necessary Insurance cover and Training certificates.

It was reported that new climbing ropes had been acquired and fitted in the Playground.

Notice had been given that ROSPA were about to make a safety inspection.

CAR PARK: The Clerk reported that he had, just before the meeting, received a telephone call from Cornwall Councillor Sally Bain stating that the Legal department at Cornwall Council were to suggest that the Car Park Lease would be extended by one year. They (Cornwall Council) would maintain the ticket machine during that year, no rent would be payable during that year and, that during that year a proposal would be made to the Policy Committee that the Car Park be handed over to St Sampson Parish Council.
It was suggested, and all agreed, that the remaining bollards within the Car Park should be removed.

HIGHWAYS AND FOOTPATHS:  Concern was expressed about the vicious and late in the season hedge cutting that had taken place around the Park and Constable field at Torfrey. The Clerk reported that the Field had recently been sold to new owners.

It was reported that the Community Payback leaders had been inspecting the Upper Downs Footpath prior to planning the season’s maintenance and repair programme.  Councillor Johns asked if part of the work could include a bridge over the stream at the Parish Boundary. Other members felt that this would not be desirable. After a short discussion, no conclusion was reached.

The Chairman reported that he had been asked to consider providing lighting on the Quay, taking advantage of the electricity supply which was due to be provided to the Boathouse on the Quay.

All agreed that the Councils attitude had been, for some time, that street lighting within the Village should be reduced and not increased.

FINANCE:  The Clerk gave a financial report as follows;

Parish Council Account Balance.                       £ 1954.48

To be paid:                  

            Clerks Expenses Feb.-Mar.                 £   195.00

            Stationary.                                          £    11.28

            Play Equipment.                               £       79.02

Remaining Balance.                                         £ 1669.18

 

Car Park Account Balance.                               £10581.36

Total Funds.                                                    £12250.54

 

It was proposed by D Johns and seconded by L Luck that the above payments are made. All agreed.

CORRESPONDENCE: Dr D Skerritt had asked the Council to support his endeavours to put pressure on BT to improve broadband speed within the Village.  It was decided that the matter should be discussed at the Annual Parish meeting and the Clerk was instructed to include the matter on the appropriate agenda.

COUNCIL VACANCY: One person had expressed an interest in the post. The Chairman was asked to offer that person a co-opted seat on the Council.

LAND ACQUISITION: It was reported that, during the convoluted process which the Quay Users Committee were going through to acquire the freehold of the Quay and Pill, they had found that the area of land, known as the Rocky Outcrop, would be available separately. As the Quay users did not wish to acquire this land, they had asked the Council if it would like it.  Councillors agreed that the land would be a potential liability and that, considering that a public right of way was present over the land, it was not necessary to acquire the land to ensure continued free access.

POST BOX: The clerk was asked to write to Royal Mail and ask for a new post box with a bigger slot.

NEXT MEETING: It was agreed that the next ordinary meeting should take place on 23rd June.

ANNUAL PARISH MEETINGS: It was agreed that these should take place on the 10th May.

(NB.) Post meeting it was decided to revise the APM & APCM to 17th May at 7pm

 The meeting closed at 8.42pm.

St Sampson Parish Council. Minutes of the meeting held 25th February 2010

THESE MINUTES ARE IN DRAFT FORM UNTIL ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL

Present: A Forsyth, L Luck, D Johns, J Fuge S Funnell (Chairman) B Campbell-Taylor (Clerk) and Cornwall Councillor S Bain.      Apologies: B Fletcher.

One member of the public was present.

There being no matters raised under public participation, the meeting commenced at 19.15 pm.

 

The Council held a period of silence to honour the memory of Councillor Geoffrey White.

 

Matters Arising:

The Clerk reported that he had, as requested, checked the height of the extension to Golant Farmhouse and ascertained that the height was as per plan. The Clerk also reported that his application for funding assistance for the replacement of the posts on the Village Green had been successful.

Reports:

Cornwall Councillor Sally Bain gave a verbal report describing the complex and difficult situation within the new unitary authority. She indicated that the Community charge level was going to be set at 2.9% increase whereas the national average would be in the region of 2.1%.

Councillor Bain was asked to look into the matter of the transfer of the freehold of Golant Car Park and ascertain what progress had been made. She was also asked to try to establish what the new arrangements were for policing the Car Park and maintaining its equipment.

The Chairman took the opportunity to thank Councillor Bain for her efforts in securing the grant funding for the replacement of the posts on the Village Green.

Planning:

Village Hall.

Councillors considered the application, which had been submitted by the Village Hall Management Committee, for the installation of Photovoltaic electricity generating equipment on the roof of the Hall.

It was proposed by Councillor Forsyth and seconded by Councillor Johns that the Council should support the application. All agreed.

Golant Farmhouse.

The Clerk reported that he had looked into the matter of the large array of solar panels, which had been installed on the rear of Golant Farmhouse. The panels were not shown on the planning application but the planning department had confirmed that, because the panels were located to the rear of the property, permission was not required.

Village Green and Playground:Damage to posts.

The Clerk was asked to write to Saxon Drilling asking for a donation towards the cost of replacements.

Replacement of posts.

As grant funding for the replacement of the posts on the village green had been secured, the Clerk was instructed to proceed once he had obtained at least three verbal quotes for the work.

It was reported that half of the chain that connects the posts had been stolen. It was decided to include the replacement of the chain with the installation of the new posts.

Climbing Frame.

The clerk reported that during his efforts to find a replacement scramble net he had discovered that replacement nets of sufficient quality were extremely expensive, and many rather worrying safety implications were present. He had, instead, ordered an array of rope ladders, which, he hoped, would work as well as a net, but be much safer and is considerably cheaper. Dumping in the Ditch

It was pointed out that garden debris is still being dumped in the ditch alongside the Green and

it was agreed that the Parishioners who are responsible should be asked to desist.

Car Park:

Inspections.

It was decided that the inspection and monitoring of the Car Park should continue in the same form and by the same individuals as the last season, pending the investigations of Councillor Sally Bain on our behalf.

Season Passes.

The Council considered a request that the maximum permitted stay should be extended from 24 hrs to 36 hrs but decided that 24 hours was sufficient. The Clerk was asked continue to monitor this in a pragmatic way as he had done in previous years.

Mrs Tozer of the Cormorant Hotel had written to ask that she be allowed three rather than one pass and that these passes should be ‘open’ for any vehicle to use.   Councillors were reminded that Mrs Tozer was only entitled to one pass but that, following her request in February 2008, the Council had decided to help her whilst building work was taking place, by temporarily increasing the number of passes issued to three.

Councillors agreed that the concession that had been made for two seasons to assist Mrs Tozer was only a temporary arrangement, which could not be continued.  The Clerk was instructed to respond to Mrs Tozer and offer her entitlement, which was one £30 pass, restricted to two named vehicles and also, the facility of a private bay, which any of her staff would be able to use.

Highways and Footpaths:Lower Downs stile.

A parishioner had written expressing concern about the dangerous state of the slate stile on the lower downs footpath. The Chairman suggested that the best course of action would be for the council to take remedial action themselves.

Condition of Lower Downs Footpath.

The Clerk was asked to contact the Council Footpath dept and report the severe deterioration of the lower downs path surface.

Closure of school Hill and Church Hill.

Highways department had given notice that School Hill and Church hill would be closed for re-surfacing work on the 17th, 18th and 19th of May.

Salt Bins.

Councillors asked Cornwall Councillor Sally Bain to thank the Highways Department for the thorough salting work that took place during the cold snap. They also asked for additional salt containers to be located at vulnerable locations.

Lanherriott Footpath.

Councillor Johns reported that he was still awaiting the return of completed witness statements for his attempts to have all of Lanherriott footpath classified. He reported that he had written to Fowey Town Council asking for their support and approval and, he intended to write to the adjoining landowners to point out that it appears as though no one owns the path & so no fences should be put across it.

Finance:

The Clerk gave a financial report as follows; -

PC account 25.02.10                  £  1772.65

Less: to be paid,

            Clerks Expense.             £    114.68

            Internet Fees.                 £      15.49

Balance.                                   £  1642.48          

Car Park Account 25.02.10          £10581.36

Total Funds.                               £12223.84

Correspondence:

Advance notice of the new legislation pertaining to ‘on the spot’ fines for dog fouling had been received and was included in the members’ pack.

Details of the constitution of the Community Network Group had been received together with the minutes of the last meeting. These were also included in the members’ pack.

Election of Council Member.

There being a vacancy on the Council, the clerk reminded members of the procedure that had to be followed: for a period of 14 days, the vacancy has to be advertised. During that time, 10 or more Parishioners may demand an election and the seats must then be contested. If only one candidate comes forward then they will have been deemed to have been elected unopposed.  If no election is forced then the council are free to co-opt a new member.

The Chairman expressed the hope that, at the next meeting, the vacancy could be filled; he asked the Clerk to ensure that the matter was included on the next meeting’s agenda.

Next Meeting:

It was decided to hold the next meeting on the 24th March 2010.

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St Sampson Parish Council minutes Wednesday 27th January 2010

Present: Cllrs A Forsyth. D Johns, L Luck, J Fuge, S Funnell (Chair) and B Campbell-Taylor (Clerk).

Apologies: Cllrs B Fletcher and G White.

Public Participation: One member of the public was present but had no matters to raise.

Council Meeting: The meeting commenced at 7.15pm.
The Chairman reported on Councillor White’s illness and agreed to convey the good wishes of all of the Council to Councillor White on his next visit.

Minutes: As the minutes had been circulated prior to the meeting they were taken as read.

Matters Arising: It was reported that: Saxon Drilling had agreed to repair the damage caused to the posts on the Village Green but that the workmen had been mis-directed and had repaired some posts in a different village; An estimate for the replacement of all of the posts along the Village Green had now been received; The Planning Department had requested further information about the Council’s attitude to the application for a conservatory at Colquite, and as a consequence, passed the application with the proviso that samples of materials and finish should be submitted for approval.

The Chairman suggested that, with regard to Cllr Fuge’s request for a formal permission to cross the village green to access his premises, he and the clerk should draft a letter, which could be scrutinised by a local solicitor.

Reports:

Village Hall. Cllr Funnell informed members that the Village Hall committee are still working towards building up sufficient funding for the cost of a heating system and insulation for the Hall and they have access to funding of £10k for a Photo Voltaic system but that was dependant on obtaining match funding of a similar amount.  Cllr Funnell reminded everyone that the £2k donation from the Parish Council was for insulation purposes only.

GQUA. Cllr Funnell informed the Council that it was unlikely that the council would, after all, be involved with Golant Quay Users Association in the purchase of the Pill: the anticipated legal costs would be prohibitive and would probably cancel out any financial advantage to the association.

Car Park. The Clerk reported that forms, inviting applications for Car Park season tickets, would be included within the next Pill magazine.

Website. The Webmaster distributed graphs showing visits made, and pages viewed, on the Website.

Members were surprised and impressed by the number of visits, an average of 110 per day during January.

The Webmaster reported that an individual from outside the Village had been criticising the website and had accused the Webmaster of tardiness in his updating of the site. The Clerk pointed out that a communication on this matter had been addressed to the Council from a Mr Peter Young and that this would be dealt with under Correspondence.

Discussion took place about the future of the site after the Webmaster reported that a commitment to a further two years was required. He also pointed out that cheaper options were available but that we would, if those options were taken, lose our domain name www.golant.net. Members agreed that they were happy to continue to sponsor the village website in its current form and they reassured the Webmaster that, despite the recent criticism by an outside individual, they were happy with his management of the site.

Planning:

Waters Edge Balcony had been approved.

Colquite Conservatory had been approved with conditions.

Golant Farm House. Concern was expressed that the height of the front wall of the extension looked higher than was approved: the Clerk was asked to investigate.

Village Green:

Having received a quotation for the cost of replacing the posts on the Village Green, the Clerk had applied for grant funding assistance from Cornwall Council. The Chairman confirmed that, if funding assistance were not forthcoming, he would ask the Council to proceed with the replacement in any case.

Car Park:

Members agreed that the Car Park charges should not be increased this year.

Highways and Footpaths:

Members agreed that, although slow to start, gritting and salting had been carried out efficiently and thoroughly during the recent severe cold weather. It was also noted that the roadside grit bins had been refilled regularly.

The Chairman confirmed that he understood that the repair work to School/Church hill was still going to take place following its recent postponement.

The Clerk advised members that severe disruption could be anticipated during week commencing 22nd March, when extensive repair and replacement work would be carried out on the electricity poles around the village.

Members were told that the Highways department had conceded that the road at the top of Water Lane is, in fact, a Sunken Lane and that that they do take responsibility the maintenance of the banks.

Cllr Johns reported that he was pressing ahead with his project to formalise the right of way on the Lanherriot footpath, and his next task was to gather witness statements from users of the path. He asked for suggestions for suitable witnesses who have used the path regularly on foot or on horseback, over a 20-year period.

Correspondence:

The Clerk read two e-mails from a Mr Peter Young concerning a communication, which Mr Young had received from the Webmaster. Mr Young asserted in his e-mails that the Webmaster had been rude to him.

Members agreed that the role of Webmaster was entirely separate from that of the Parish Clerk and that the Council and the Clerk could not be held to account for the actions of the Webmaster who manages the Village website on a voluntary basis.

The Chairman and members took the opportunity to express their confidence in Mr Campbell-Taylor as Clerk and they repeated their satisfaction with his management of the website.

Finance:

The Clerk gave a financial report as follows,

PC No1 Acct. 27.01.10                                  1957.65         

To Be Paid:
Clerks Expenses 25.11.09 – 27.01.10               150.00

Balance.                                                       1807.65            1807.65

PC Car Park Acct. 27.01.10                         10581.36            10581.36

Total Funds.                                                                         12389.01        

 It was proposed by Cllr Johns and seconded by Cllr Luck that the Clerks expenses of £75 for December 2009 and £75 for January 2010 be paid. All agreed.        

Members set the date of the next meeting for 24th February 2010

The meeting closed at 20-10 pm.
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St Sampson Parish Council Report (January)

As there were no topics brought forward by the public, the meeting began promptly at 7.15pm, and all the mem­bers sent their very best wishes to Geoff White.

The contractors who had damaged the posts on the Village Green assured the Parish Clerk that they had un­dertaken the repairs, although unfortunately they had car­ried out this work at Par! Whether or not we finally man­age to persuade the contractors to re-visit Golant, we shall replace all the posts on the Village Green, as many of them are now in poor condition.

It was noted that gritting of the Castledore to Golant road had been somewhat tardy, but very effective when finally completed. The grit bins had been re-filled promptly, for which we were grateful, but the work on Church Hill was now scheduled for the next financial year.  Given One Cornwall's finances, and the number of pot-holes caused by the frosts, I do not think the Church Hill re-surfacing is by any means a certainty!

Western Power is to refurbish the power lines in Go­lant, and move some of the telegraph poles so as to meet new EU regulations (!), and there will therefore be some road closures in the week beginning 22nd March. During the previous week some tree lopping will be carried out, and this may also result in restricted traffic movement. David Johns has made considerable progress in the move to have the Lanherriot path adopted as a bridleway. We now need to establish how frequently the path is used, and for how long, both by walkers and horse-riders. If, therefore, you are or have been (no matter how long ago) a user of this path, whether on two legs or four, please get in touch with David (832842). There is a very simple form to fill in which will support our case as long as we have enough respondents.

There is still no news on our attempts to have the car park transferred to the Parish Council, but we continue to
try! The planning requests mentioned in my previous report have all been passed. A lively debate then followed
on the web-site and various related matters. In a unani­mous vote the council expressed itself very happy with
the present arrangements. The Parish Clerk was thanked for his excellent work in this role, and also in his entirely separate role as web-master.                 

Simon Funnel

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These Minutes are always in draft form until they have been formally accepted by the Council.

There was no December Meeting

St Sampson Parish Council meeting Wednesday 25th November 2009.

Present: Cllrs, A Forsyth, L Luck, J Fuge, D Johns, G White, RS Funnell (Chairman) and Mr B Campbell-Taylor (Clerk)

One member of the public was present.

Apologies: Cllr B Fletcher & Cornwall Councillor S Bain.

Public Participation: commenced at 7-15pm. Amongst matters raised were, the condition of the green notice board, the state of the hedges at the top of Water Lane and liability for hedges on sunken lanes: Should Councillors simply do the work themselves when responsibility is in doubt?

Council Meeting commenced at 7-30pm.

Minutes: The minutes of the last meeting were accepted after it had been pointed out that Cllr Luck had, in fact, attended that meeting.

Declarations of interest: Cllr Fuge declared that he would have a prejudicial interest in the matter of access to the Pill via the Village Green

Matters Arising:  Cnllr Fuge reported that an offer had been accepted by the owner of the marine repair company, consequently a clear out was taking place which it was hoped would include the removal of the trailer which is parked on the highway.

The Clerk reported that he had written to the owners of the overgrown hedge at the bottom of school Hill and that the owners had been in contact by telephone to apologise and to promise remedial action.

The Chairman reported that, as a consequence of his speaking to the owner of the Cormorant Hotel, the hedge at the bottom of that property had been trimmed.

A letter had been written to Saxon Drilling about the damage to the Green caused by their vehicles. To date no reply had been forthcoming though the owners of the property where Saxon Drilling had been working, who had been provided with a copy of the letter sent to Saxon Drilling, had responded in writing; promising a resolution.

Reports: Cornwall Councillor S Bain submitted a written report, which was circulated to all members. A full copy of the report has been appended to these minutes and may be viewed on request.

The Chairman gave a verbal report on the firework display and asked that it be recorded that the Council is deeply grateful to Mr Richard Strode and all others who were involved in the planning, organisation and implementation of the display, which, he stated, had been a great success. He also expressed his thanks to Cnllr B Fletcher who had co-ordinated the display on behalf of the Council. It was stated that all the requirements of the insurers were had been observed and that safety had been a paramount issue; already, the organisers were planning additional measures for future events; and that various sweeps for post display debris had left the Green far cleaner than in previous years.

The Webmaster reported that he was attempting to encourage more community participation on the Website and had placed a notice in the Pill Magazine asking for written and photographic contributions. He reported that the site could now support film clips and expressed the hope that the Community would make full use of that facility.

Planning: The Clerk reported that the Planning Enforcement department had visited Rose Cottage to enquire into the actual use of the premises, which had been granted Planning permission for ancillary accommodation. Steps were now being taken to ensure that the premises in question were not used for other purposes unless & until other planning permissions were granted.

The Council had no objection to the extension of a planning application that had previously been granted for a barn conversion at Hybadore.

The Council had no objection to an application for a UV treatment and back up generator, located at the SWW treatment site.The Council had no objection to the proposal to add a conservatory the side and rear of Colquite.

The Council supported an application to add a balcony to the northeastern elevation of Waters Edge.

Village Green: The Clerk was awaiting an estimate of price for the replacement of the deteriorating posts on the Village Green before completing grant applications for financial assistance. When asked if, in accord with good practice, three quotations should be required: The Clerk and the chairman explained that, we were, at the moment, trying to get an agreement for Grant funding, in principal, and that, once funding was agreed, we would then, if necessary, follow the usual procurement procedure.

It was reported that the new Playground swing was rather squeaky and this was slightly annoying to the residents of nearby properties. The Chairman offered to try spraying WD40 on the offending shackles before resorting to more drastic measures in the form of grease application.

Councillor Fuge asked that some form of permanent right of access be given to him, allowing him to access the Pill by crossing the Green with vehicles.  Councillors were reminded that any vehicular access to the Green was only possible with the permission of the Parish Council, though some householders, who own dwellings adjoining the green have claims of right of access which were made some time ago. The Chairman suggested that, before allowing any permanent right of access, all ramifications should be considered and that legal advice should be taken. Councillors all agreed and it was left to the Chairman and the Clerk to seek affordable legal advice.

Car Park: It was pointed out that a large boat trailer had been parked in the reserved space section of the Car Park for some time. The Clerk reported that he thought the trailer to be the property of Sawmills Studio; he confirmed that the trailer was within the spaces allotted to Sawmills; he confirmed that no permission had been sought or granted for the trailer to be present in an area where the parking of trailers was normally forbidden.

Councillors expressed concern about the precedent that may be caused but agreed that more time should be given to the owners to make alternative arrangements, being cognisant of the access difficulties that prevail at Sawmills.

Highways & Footpaths: It was reported that the repair works, which had been planned for school/Church Hill had been postponed due to the recent bad weather.

Councillors expressed concern about the large quantity of wet leaves on Water Lane.

With regard to the proposed regularisation of the Lanherriott footpath, Cllr Johns reported that he had been in contact with Allison Clough who is part of the definitive maps team and that she regarded the case for the regularisation of the footpath as a bridleway as being strong and she recommended an early application. Cllr Johns would receive an application pack that would need to be submitted with appropriate witness statements. Early scrutiny would take place and, if approval recommended, immediate submission to the legal team for finalisation. Unfortunately though, Cllr Johns reported, this part of the process could take several years.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Johns for his determination and hard work in pursuing this matter.

Once again the matter of the chained gate on the Lanherriott footpath was raised and Cllr Johns was asked raise the matter with the Trefry Estate that owns the land where the gate is located.

Sewage System: The Chairman had received a response from South West Water, following the failure of the pumping station, and had been visited by Adrian Miles earlier in the week.  Mr Miles had admitted that SWW’s claim that ‘no salt water would penetrate the system’ was a promise that should never have been made.  He promised that the specifications, installation and noise levels of the pumps were all under investigation, and that the company accepted that these pumps were not operating as they should.  Road and spring water in the system was a major problem (and a waste of energy), but the cost of re-routing the drains at this stage was prohibitively expensive.  He also admitted that the RCB units did not work to the standard of their specifications, but, as the water that went back into the Pill was 95% pure (mainly because it is so diluted with rain water), SWW would not be taking further action to improve their performance.

 

Finance: The Clerk gave a financial report as follows,
Parish Council Account. 23.11.2009      
         
Balance.                                     £2,012.95    
To be paid:        
Clerk’s expenses, 28.10.09 -25.11.09 £55.30    
Balance remaining: £1,957.65                            £1,957.65
         
Car Park Account. 23.11.2009      
         
Balance.                                      £10,581.36   £10,581.36
         
    Total funds                                                  £12,539.01

It was proposed by Cllr Johns and seconded by Cllr Forsyth & all agreed to pay the

Clerk’s expenses of  £55.30 and the Royal British Legion: Cost of wreath and donation of £35.00

Precept: As Cornwall Council have asked for early returns and, as the Council may not meet during December, the Clerk asked the Council to consider now, its financial requirements for the financial year 2010/2011.  After considering the historic and projected figures provided by the Clerk and, taking into consideration the financial advantage of the Car Park profits, Councillors decided that it could afford to maintain the precept and the associated Council Tax at the same level as last year.

Cllr Fuge proposed and Cllr White seconded the proposal that the 2010/2011 precept should not increase and should remain at the 2090/2010 level. All resolved this.

 

There being no other business, Councillors decided to hold the next meeting on Wednesday 27th January 2010.

 

 The meeting closed at 20.45pm.

 

 

St Sampson Parish Council. The minutes of meeting, 28th October 2009 at 7-15pm.

Present:  Councillors G White, A Forsyth, J Fuge, and B Fletcher, D Johns, L Luck, R Funnell (Chairman) and Mr B Campbell-Taylor (Clerk).

Apologies: Cornwall Councillor S Bain.

Public Participation: Two members of the public were present. Discussions included sewage treatment problems and the regulations surrounding the discharge of treated/untreated effluent into the river. It was pointed out to the Council that the chain posts that protect the Village Green were badly deteriorating.

Declarations of interest:  Councillor Fuge declared a prejudicial interest in the GQUA land purchase, as he is a Director of the recently formed GQUA Ltd. The Clerk also declared that he was a Director of GQUA Ltd and that, whilst it was not normally necessary for a Clerk to declare an interest, he felt that Councillors should be aware of his interest, and be circumspect about anything he may say on the subject.  Cnllrs Funnell, Fletcher and Johns declared a personal interest, in that they were members of the GQUA association (but not the limited company).

The Clerk took the opportunity to remind all that a prejudicial interest prevented a Councillor from taking part in the discussion and/or voting. A personal interest however, so long as declared, causes no such restrictions.

Minutes: It was proposed by Cnllr Forsyth and seconded by Cnllr Fletcher that the minutes of the previous meeting be accepted. All agreed.

Reports: Cornwall Councillor Bain had sent apologies but she handed in a written report at the beginning of the meeting. Extensive topics included, Social work, Ofstead inspections and reports, Building Schools For The Future bids, Cornwall Council Audit, Harbour Commission appointments, Strategic Health Authority, renewable energy in schools, the lack of potential for savings as was promised by the proponents of the new Unitary Authority, redundancy payment calculations, and submissions to the Boundary Committee with regard to the proposed changes in electoral boundaries in our area.

All were reminded of the Surgery that she now holds in Fowey Library. The Surgery was reported to be a great success, the next one to be held on the 21st November at 10.00am.   Cnllr Bain pointed out that she now had a small budget to assist with community projects of up to £500. She provided an application form and guidance notes. (The Clerk was instructed to investigate the possibility of utilising this grant funding to replace missing playground equipment or to replace the deteriorating posts on the Green.)

Councillor Bain’s full report is appended to these minutes and may be inspected on request.

            Fireworks Display. Councillor Fletcher who is co-ordinating the display on behalf of the Parish Council presented a comprehensive risk assessment that had been completed by the display committee. The Chairman approved the measures, and signed the document to indicate satisfaction with the measures to be taken. Various Councillors and the Clerk volunteered to take part in a post display sweep for debris.

            The Chairman and Cnllr Johns reported that they had recently attended a Community Network Meeting. They reported that the meeting was very inconsequential, mainly due to Cornwall Council uncertainty as to what status these group meetings should have.

Planning: The Clerk reported that Planning Officers would soon be visiting Rose Cottage to follow up complaints which were made at the time of the planning application for ancillary accommodation, concerning the use of that accommodation as Holiday Let.

Village Green and Playground:  During discussions about the deteriorating condition of the chain posts on the Green, it was reported that trespass had taken place, and that damage had been caused to the posts and the Green itself by Contractors working in the Village. Heavy equipment was parked on the green, which was subsequently collected by a large lorry, which caused the damage to the posts. An observer reported that the damage seemed to be intentional. The Clerk was instructed to investigate.

Car Park: The Clerk reported that the Car Park had, during the recent season, made a profit of £4328.48.

Discussion took place about the charging period: many had observed that the Car Park was still quite busy in October and that revenue was, perhaps, being lost. However, the Council took the view that the main aim of Car Park charging is not profit but control; therefore no decision was made about extending the charging period.  Discussion also took place about methods of policing the car park in the future.

Highways and Footpaths: Complaints were made about the uncut hedges in-between Castle Dore and the YHA entrance. The Chairman volunteered to take up the matter, also offering to contact the Cormorant Hotel whose hedges were causing concern. The Clerk was asked to contact the owners of a property on School Hill to ask that their hedge be attended to.

It was reported that the Trailers were still parked on the Road outside the boat repair workshop. Cnllr Fuge reported that he had had difficulty in contacting the occupier to ask for removal of the trailers but would redouble his efforts.

Extensive discussion took place on the ramifications of Councillor Johns request that the Council try to formalise the status of the Lanherriott footpath. The Chairman expressed concern about the responsibility of maintenance should the route be designated. Councillors were anxious that if the route became, say, a cycleway, the subsequent mettalling would be undesirable and unsuited to this ancient track. It was also stated that any upgrading of the track could be followed by promotion by tourist agencies, stimulating floods of walkers, cyclists, horse riders and perhaps also, off road motor cyclists. Councillors pointed out that, in the past, several attempts had been made to regularise this route all of which had floundered.

It was mentioned that, currently, one of the gates along the path is chained and padlocked.

Councillors agreed that they should support Cnllr Johns in researching the possibilities and agreed that, for the time being, designation as a bridleway would be an acceptable objective.

Sewage System: Following the regular breakdowns of the Sewage System the Chairman proposed to write, expressing his concern about the shortfalls in the design of the System, to the Chief Executive of South West Water. A draft letter was shown to members who all agreed that the situation was very serious and that they agreed with, and supported, the Chairman’s letter.

 

Finance:  A report was given as follows.
CASH REPORT 28.10.2009      
CAR PARK ACCOUNT       
 Balance @28.10.09                              £10,102.20    
           
To Pay: Car park inspections 23/09-1/10 £61.50     
            
 Balance                                               £10,040.70    £10,040.70
           
           
PARISH COUNCIL ACCOUNT      
  Balance @28.10.09                               £2,515.42    
           
To Pay: Clerks Expenses 23/09-28/10      £     69.87    
  V Tabb. Green & Footpath maintenance £  432.60     
            
            
 Balance                                                £2,012.95     £2,012.95 
            
 Total remaining funds                                                £12,053.65 
           
It was proposed by Cnllr Johns, seconded by Cnllr White and agreed by all that the above mentioned payments be made.

The Chairman raised the matter of the proposed purchase by Golant Quay Users, of the freehold of the Pill. (At this point, Cnllr Fuge, having declared a prejudicial interest in the matter, left the meeting).

The Chairman of the GQUA, Mr P Edwards, being present, was asked to speak. He gave a brief history of his association and described the various advantages of freehold ownership of the Pill, pointing out that currently the association holds it by lease which is up for renewal, and that a purchase price of £20,000 has been agreed. He mentioned that his association currently has surplus funds of approximately £14,000 and that they had explored various methods of raising the remainder of the sum but wished to know if the Parish Council would like to be involved in the project.

The Chairman, having anticipated the request had, with the Clerk, investigated the statutory rules which might enable the Council’s involvement in such a project. He reminded Cnllrs that, at a previous meeting the Clerk had reported that Parish Councils might purchase land if they feel that such a purchase may benefit the community.  Given that other ways of helping the Quay users such as loans or grants would be difficult, and, possibly not within our remit, he suggested that the Council should consider jointly purchasing the Pill, taking a 25% stake. The Quay Users then being allowed to buy 5% from the Council, each year, over a five-year period with the Quay Users bearing any legal fees. Cnllrs were reminded that the financial input would be from car park profits rather than from the Council Tax or Precept.

After lengthy discussion and consideration by the Council it was decided to “Agree in principle to purchase 25% of the Pill if and when the sale takes place, and that the Quay Users should be allowed to acquire that stake from the Council over a five year period.” This resolution was proposed by Cnllr Luck, seconded by Cnllr Forsyth and agreed by all. The Clerk was instructed to ‘ring fence’ the sum of £5000 to meet this eventuality.

Correspondence: The Clerk had received a letter from Mr M Parsons complaining about the rubbish, which tended to be left at the top of the slip by the Sawmills tin box, and the uncut hedge below the Cormorant.

The Chairman offered to deal with the Cormorant issue and suggested that, a joint letter from the Council and the GQUA should be sent to the Harbourmaster to try to find a solution to the rubbish-dumping problem.

Cornwall Council had written to ask that St Sampson’s precept application for 2010/11 be made as soon as is possible. The Clerk was asked to provide figures for the next meeting and Councillors were reminded that the £600 grant, which had previously been provided annually from Restormel Council, would not now be available.

It was decided to hold the next meeting on the 25th November at 7-15pm and, there being no other business, the meeting closed at 8.45pm.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

St Sampson Parish Council Minutes. Wednesday23rd September2009.

(There was no August meeting)

 

Present: J Fuge, A Forsyth, B Fletcher, G White, R Funnell (Chairman), B Campbell-Taylor (Clerk) and Mr Martin Eddy (Community Network Manager, Cornwall Council).

Apologies: D Johns & S Bain (Cornwall Councillor)

 

Public Participation: As no members of the public were present Mr Martin Eddy was given the opportunity to describe his role and function within the new Cornwall Council. He pointed out that, as Community Network Manager, his main role was to encourage and facilitate ‘localism’ by pulling town and Parish Councils together and by trying to get groups of Town and Parish Councils to organise on an area basis. He admitted that it was originally envisaged that the network groups would be a formal and empowered gathering but that the new majority group within Cornwall Council were unhappy with this, and were reviewing the situation. Pending a decision the Network groups would continue to meet informally.

Councillors were shown a ‘Community network Profile’, which described, in detail, the demographics of all the areas within the County. Mr Eddy made the Council aware that a major review of Planning Policy was taking place and that the new Council were keen to get the public more involved in, and more aware of, the Planning process. Councillors were asked to complete a questionnaire about local issues so that Mr Eddy could get an indication of councillors’ priorities.

Matters arising: The Clerk had been asked at the previous meeting to enquire if Lucien Campbell-Taylor would be willing to take on the task of painting the crash barriers in the Car Park. As the response to this enquiry was negative, Councillors resolved to await next spring before taking any action and, in the meantime, seek a suitable worker.

Reports:  Cornwall Council Member Sally Bain submitted a written report. The full report is appended to these minutes and may be inspected on request.

Car Park. The Clerk reported that the Car Park takings to date were £5808.00, costs to date were £1430.77 giving a net profit to date of £4378.08. He reported that the Machine had been broken during the weekend 19th& 20th September. The Chairman took the opportunity to ask Mr Martin Eddy to intercede on our behalf to try and speed up the process of transfer of ownership of the Car Park from Cornwall council to the Parish Council.

Quay users. The Chairman, as a member of the Quay users group, reported that the process of transfer of ownership from Cornwall Council to the quay users organisation was in process and that changes were being made to the Quay users constitution to facilitate the new arrangements.

Planning: Cornwall Council planning department now have  ‘Friendly Link Officers’ who will be able to give advice and guidance on general planning matters. The Officer dedicated to our area is Michelle Billing at the St Austell Office.

The Council had no comment to make on an application for a house re-build, which had been proposed within the adjoining Lanteglos Parish.

A request had been received from the Village Hall Management Committee for written support for a grant application, to assist in the acquisition of solar collectors, which would be located on the hall roof.

The Clerk was instructed to write an appropriate letter.

Village Green and Playground: The Clerk reported that the registration of the Green was now complete and that The Parish Council had absolute title. He reminded the Council that, some years previously, a formal and legally binding ‘Statement of Negative Intent’ had been made and that, as a consequence, all vehicular traffic on the Green was in the control of the Council.

The Clerk was instructed to investigate the availability of a replacement climbing net for the playground & he was given permission to acquire such an item at reasonable cost.

Highways and Footpaths: Church Hill will be closed for repair for up to seven days from 20th November. Members had noticed that the roadside hedges in-between Castle Dore and Golant were rather overgrown. They were reminded that the farm to which the hedges belonged had new owners, and it was suggested that they be given time to settle in before they be nagged about the state of their hedges.

All agreed that the rusty trailers, which were parked on the highway outside the boat repair business, were a danger and an eyesore. Cnllr Fuge offered to speak to the owner.

The work which had been carried out by the Community Payback operatives on the Upper Downs path was reported to have been carried out to a very high standard and it was agreed that the Probation service should be asked to continue.

 Lanherriott Footpath. Representations which had been made by Councillor Johns concerning the future of this path were considered, but it was decided that, as it was a non urgent matter, it would be best if discussion took place during the next meeting when, hopefully, Councillor Johns would be present.

Sewage: The Chairman and others had noticed a substantial water leak on the road by the sewage treatment works. The Chairman offered to contact SWW.  All agreed that the ‘acoustic cover’ at the pumping station was continuing to deteriorate.

Finance.

Spending Powers. The Clerk clarified the situation with regard to the Council’s spending powers. He apologised for misleading the Council at a previous meeting when he had stated that the Council could, overall, only spend £5.75 per elector.

The Clerk explained the correct situation: Parish Councils have a list of statutory powers on which they may spend as they see fit – limited only by their resources. Some of these powers, including the power to build & repair a Village Hall, can be delegated to other organisations, which can be considered to be acting on the Councils behalf, for example, the Village Hall Management Committee.

In addition, the Council have a General Power, which enables it to spend money on any purpose, which, in its opinion is of direct benefit to the area or the inhabitants.  This General Power is restricted to £6.10 (currently£6.10, the sum being adjusted each year in line with the RPI) for each registered elector in the Parish. Having 200 registered electors we can therefore, spend £1220.00 each year under this power.

Hall Donation. [Cnllr. Funnell declared a personal interest in the following item by reminding everyone that he is a member of the Village Hall Management Committee] Following previous discussion and correspondence Cnllr Forsyth proposed, Cnllr J Fuge seconded and all resolved that a donation of £2000.00 be made to the Hall Committee to contribute to the insulation costs.

Quay Users. The Chairman reminded members that the GQUA were in the process of acquiring the freehold of the Pill and that they may experience a funding shortfall initially. Informal discussions had taken place about how the Council might be able assist the GQUA with funding, subject to the Council’s agreement. The possibility of a loan had been considered but this would not be desirable due to the complex legal agreements, which would have to be in place.  Now that the Clerk had clarified the situation with regard to the Councils spending powers the Chairman felt able to continue discussion with GQUA knowing that there was scope, within the Council’s power, to assist in some way.

Cash Report. The clerk reported that after tonight’s payments the situation would be as follows, N01 Account, £2,515.42.  Car Park Account  £12,397.21.   Total £14,912.63.

Payments. It was proposed by Cnllr Fletcher, seconded by Cnllr Fuge and resolved by all to make the following payments,

Car Park Inspector,              22.07.09 – 23.09.09     £468.75

Clerks Expenses,                22.07.09 - 23.09.09     £410.56

Internet Fees,                                                       £ 49.92

Correspondence. Mrs S Reardon had asked the Clerk to thank the Council for organising the Community Payback work, which was taking place on the Upper Downs path. She expressed satisfaction at the standard of the work, which was taking place.

The Clerk and Chairman had been invited to a Community Network Meeting on the 14th October at Tywardreath.

AOB.   It was reported that much of the Public Toilet was not functioning. The Community Network Manager, who was present, offered to investigate on our behalf,.

Next meeting. It was agreed that the next meeting would take place on the 28th October.

The Chairman thanked Mr Eddy for his attendance and the meeting closed at 8.35pm.


 

 Minutes of the July meeting of St Sampson Parish Council.

 Wednesday 22nd July 2009.

Present: G White, L Luck, A Forsyth, J Fuge, D Johns, S Funnell [Chair] and Mr B Campbell-Taylor [Clerk].

Apologies: Cnllr B Fletcher and Cornwall Council member S Bain.

Public Participation: 7-15pm. As no members of the public were present the Chairman began the full Council meeting.

Minutes: All agreed to accept the minutes having made a minor punctuation correction.

Matters arising.

1.The Clerk reported that Planning permission had been granted for ancillary accommodation at Rose Cottage but that Conditions were imposed:

The development hereby permitted shall not be occupied at any time other than for purposes ancillary to the residential use of the dwelling now known as 'Rose Cottage'. Reason: To ensure that the development is not used unlawfully as a separate unit of accommodation on a site where dwellings would not normally be permitted.

2. The Clerk had written to Mr Jason Snell, as he had been instructed, thanking him for his efforts in   refurbishing the playground see-saw.

3. The Clerk and Mr Graham Estlick had removed the Netball post from the Village Green as requested.

4. A meeting had taken place with managers from the Community Payback scheme who were keen to utilise the labour of young offenders to repair and refurbish stretches of footpaths within the parish. Members agreed that after a 5-day trial ( our contribution being £20 per day) we consider making full use of this labour in the future.

5. A work party had assembled on the 30th June to clear the Upper Downs path. The Chairman thanked all those who attended  & braved the uncomfortably high temperatures and the plague of horseflies.

6. Having been asked to check on the rules regarding possible limits on donations which the Council may make, the Clerk reported that previous information which suggested that Village Hall donations were exempted from limitation was incorrect and that the formula, number of electors x £ 5.65 per year = donation limit, applied to everything, whatever the income source. Members expressed concern about being able to legally dispose of surplus Car Park income in the future and the Clerk explained that the rationale for the rules was to prevent Council’s harvesting more funds than were needed only to enjoy the largesse of redistribution. The Chairman pointed out that the circumstances in Golant were extremely unusual and that deficit rather than surplus was more normal.  The Clerk was asked to seek further advice to try to find a solution to the problem.

Reports. Whilst tendering her apologies, Cornwall Councillor S Bain reported that she had, as requested, taken up the matters of repairs to Church Hill and the drain outside the Old Post Office.

The Clerk gave a Car Park report which included the news that the Pay & Display machine had been vandalised during the early hours of Monday 29th June. As a consequence 24 hours revenue was lost whilst a repair was affected. The Clerk also gave a Website report and Drew attention to the new ‘Memory Lane’ for which section he asked for contributions, either photographic or in text.

Planning. It was reported that the recent applications for and an extension to the Whispers and for ancillary accommodation at Rose Cottage were both successful.

Village Green and Playground. It was decided that the damaged bench on the Green was not repairable and members accepted Cllr D Johns offer to dispose of it. The Chairman reported that Mr Robert Gore had a set of substantial bench ends, which he was willing to donate. All agreed that these would be welcome and that the purchase of suitable rails would be all that was needed.  A discussion then took place about the Council’s policy on the provision of street furniture and the ramifications of providing benches in areas around the village. Debate ensued about the possible effects of provision of furniture on the quay and the, possibly negative, effects of the provision of additional mooring rings.

Councillor Johns asked that he be allowed to strim the area alongside the dock so the when Mr Tabb cuts the Green, he could also mow that area. Cnllr Johns explained that if the area were tidied then villagers would be less likely to dump rubbish and garden trimmings. All agreed with this suggestion and the Clerk volunteered to assist with the work.

Car Park. It was agreed that the Car Park attendant should, during busy periods, patrol the Village Green. The Clerk was asked to draft a warning notice to put on unauthorised vehicles.

It was reported that the Car park was looking scruffy, due to re-growth of weeds and the crash barriers being in need of de-rusting and painting. The chairman asked the Clerk to enquire as to whether Lucien Campbell-Taylor would be willing to take on the painting job.

 Highways and Footpaths. Members discussed a complaint about boat trailers, which were parked on roads in the village, often for considerable periods. It was decided that, although this is often irritating, at the moment, the problem did not warrant any action.

The Chairman once again thanked all who had turned out to clear the Upper Downs footpath. He was especially grateful to Terry Rundle and Sue Reardon who joined the Councillors in the Party.

Cnllr Johns mentioned the lack of signage on the high path that runs past Lanherriott. This prompted debate about the exact status of the track; Cllr Luck pointing out that it was generally accepted as an important medieval route. The Clerk was instructed to establish the current status of the track by consultation with the Highways Authority. Discussion took place as to whether, when the Community Payback operatives are present, the diagonal path, which used to connect the upper and lower downs path, should be re-instated. It was decided to await the end of a satisfactory first working period and then review the situation.

Sewage System. It had been noted that the acoustic lid above the lower pumping station was still deteriorating.

Finance. The Clerk gave the following situation report;
22.07.09 No. 1 Acct.                  1,427.15    
22.07.09 Car Park Account       11,099.11    
22.07.09 Total                          12,526.26   12,526.26
Payments to be made      
22.07.09 Car Park                        233.70    
22.07.09 Clerks Expenses.           240.50    
22.07.09 Audit Commission          155.25    
                                                  629.45   629.45
  Final Balance                                      11,896.81
         
  Car Park performance      
  Y.T.D Takings                 £4,103.30
  Less Wages and Rates      £962.02
  Y.T.D Profit                     £3,141.28

 

It was proposed by Cllr Forsyth and seconded by Cllr White that the payments mentioned within the report, be made. All resolved this.

A request had been received from the Village Hall Committee for funding assistance for the provision of Heating and Insulation. All were reminded that the constraints on donations, which had been discussed earlier, meant that, at this time, no action could be taken. Members discussed the proposed works, which included air source heat pumps, dry lining and electricity producing roof panels.  Many Members wondered if, for the time being, simply installing dry lining and, if necessary, roof insulation may be the best option. Not withstanding these considerations, the Clerk was once again asked to take advice as to how the Council may now, and in the future, utilise its surplus funds.

Correspondence. A letter had been received from the PCC thanking members for the recent donation.

The Clerk had received a telephone call from MrsWayte at Hotham Cottage who had complained about Parking outside her house. The Clerk, having consulted the Chairman, wrote to Mrs Wayte repeating the points made during previous similar complaints.

Following a request from Mrs A Currin, It was decided to allow a skip to be temporarily placed in the Car Park. A charge was agreed and the Clerk was asked to restrict this permission, exempting use on Bank Holidays and Weekends.

Any Other Business. NoneNext Meeting. It was proposed by Cllr Forsyth and Seconded by Cllr Fuge that an August meeting was unnecessary. All agreed and then resolved that the next meeting should take place on Wednesday 23rd September.

 

The meeting closed at 8-45 pm
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 Minutes of the June meeting of St Sampson Parish Council.7-30 pm 24th June 2009.

The meeting commenced at the slightly later than usual time of 7-30 pm.

Present: Councillors, G White, D Johns, A Forsyth, J Fuge, B Campbell-Taylor (Clerk), R Funnell (Chair), B Fletcher, Cornwall Council member S Bain and two members of the public.

Apologies: Councillor L Luck.

Cllrs. Funnell and Fletcher had previously given notice that their arrival may be delayed. Cllrs Johns and Funnell proposed that Cllr Forsyth Chair the meeting. Resolved.

Public participation commenced at 7-30 pm and finished at 7-45. The topic discussed was the arrangements for car parking on the Village Green.

The Council meeting began at 7-45, at which point Cllrs Funnell and Fletcher arrived, Cllr Funnell taking the Chair.

The Minutes, having been previously circulated, were taken as read. There being no dissent as to content, Cllrs Fuge and Forsyth proposed that they be accepted. Resolved.

Reports.  As the new Cornwall Council member representing the Fowey Division, S Bain gave a comprehensive report on the new Council . She reported that; as a ‘failing authority’, Cornwall was likely to experience government intervention, meetings of the newly formed Local Community Network had commenced, the next being on 28th July at St Blazey, and that she would now be holding a surgery on the 3rd Saturday each month, between 10 & 11am at Fowey Library.

A member of the public asked Cllr Bain to intercede on our behalf with regard to the road surface damage on Church Hill. All agreed that this damage was caused by construction traffic and the Chairman and Cllr Bain agreed to look into the matter and, if necessary, contact the new divisional highways surveyor.

Cllr Bain was also asked about the rising costs of the new Council organisation. In reply she said that her group were demanding a complete new Audit.

The Webmaster reported that many messages had been left on the website concerning the Sunday House which he had removed. The messages initially concerned the theft of a sign from the building. However, the subject of the housekeeper’s car being regularly parked illegally and inconveniently caused much rancour and the messages left had become, in the opinion of the webmaster, nasty and potentiality litigious.

It was reported that the Car Park takings were well above average and that it seemed as though fewer cars were parking without showing pay & display tickets.

Planning. It was reported that the recent application for detailed Planning permission for the Agricultural workers cottage at Leyonne Farm had been turned down.

A retrospective application was considered for an annexe to Rose Cottage.  Councillors were concerned that the application seemed to differ substantially to the work, which had been carried out.

All felt that they would probably not oppose the application as it stood but asked the clerk to point out to the planners that the Council could neither support or oppose the application as the moment as it was not actually representative of the work which had been carried out.

An application was considered for an extension to The Whispers. Whilst some concern was expressed about the impact of the proposed extension it was agreed that the proposal should not be opposed.

Proposed by Cllr Fletcher and seconded by Cnllr White. Resolved.

Playground. All were pleased with the new, refurbished and relocated equipment in the playground.

The Chairman expressed his thanks to all those who had been involved in the project & he asked the Clerk to thank Jason Snell in writing for the huge effort he had put into re-building and re-locating the See Saw.

The Clerk reported that approx. 10 days after the installation of the Seesaw; a visitor had complained that they had got wet paint on their clothing. A letter of apology had been written. The Council were grateful to Steve of the Fisherman’s Arms who had noted the complaint and also erected a warning notice near the See Saw.  The Council were asked to consider replacing the missing rope on apparatus. All agreed that this should be done.

A ROSPA (Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents) report on the playground equipment had been received. The clerk pointed out that most of the reported faults were in the low risk category and that no immediate action was needed other than to remove or replace the netball post.  All agreed that the decision to remove the post had been made some time ago. The Clerk was instructed to take action.

Village Green.  Ways were discussed to try to dissuade individuals from treating the Sump (The ditch alongside the Green) as a dump for garden refuse. It was reported that the Quay Users Group were about to purchase the Pill, including Sump, and that, once in their possession action would be taken to improve this feature. Councillors expressed the hope that this would encourage people not to put rubbish in it.

Car Park. The Clerk was asked to thank the Car Park inspector(s) for their diligence during the recent period. Concern was again expressed about the mud and debris, from the Fleeting’s End development, on the road alongside the Car Park. Councillors were reminded that once complete, planning conditions meant that no surface water should be allowed to run off the Fleetings End driveway.

Highways and Footpaths. The Clerk reported that the organisers of the Community Payback scheme had expressed interest in providing labour to perform remedial work on the upper Downs Path. An indication was given however that nothing would happen until next year. Also, the Clerk reported that his request for extra funding, for the Upper Downs path, from the Parish Paths Partnership  had been ignored.

The Chairman proposed therefore that a volunteer work party be formed to clear this path & it was agreed that volunteers would meet at 2pm on 30th June.

Parking opposite the Village Hall was mentioned & it was pointed out that the available space had diminished due to erosion and collapse of the adjoining bank. All felt that little could be done about this & that, in any case, it was a poor choice of parking space and that people parking thus did so at their own risk.

A copy of a letter sent by a Parishioner to the Highways Department, proposing a width restriction on the roads into Golant was read. The same Parishioner had also requested the Council’s support for his proposal, which he had subsequently amended to weight restriction.

All agreed that access by large and heavy vehicles was a big problem for the Village but considered that the ramifications of a total ban outweighed all advantage.

Finance. It was proposed by Cnllr Forsyth, Seconded by Cllr Fuge, and resolved by all to pay the following bills.

          Clerk’s Expenses             £98.11

            Car Park Inspector             £246.00

            Internet Fees                   £15.49

           Playground Swing.            £712.43

           Playground matting.        £1260.00

J Snell; relocation & refurbishment of Seesaw. £258.12

Internet Fees.                      £15.49

            ROSPA Play Area Safety report. £72.45

 

The Chairman reported that the Audit Commission had approved the Annual accounts, which the Clerk had presented to the Council for scrutiny at the Annual Parish Council meeting, without query.

He congratulated and thanked the Clerk and also expressed his thanks to Mr Richard strode who had kindly conducted, without any fee, a thorough internal audit of our accounts.

 

A discussion took place as to whether the Council should make a donation to the Church to assist with the spiralling costs of the remedial work currently taking place. The Chairman declared an interest, as he was a member of the Parochial Church Council.

It was agreed that a donation of £750.00 should be made and the Clerk was asked to arrange payment as soon as possible.

During the above-mentioned discussion the Clerk stated that Parish Councils had restrictions as to how much money they may donate in each financial year. He pointed out that a Parish Council might donate any amount to a Village Hall within the Parish, whether or not it controls that Hall. In addition, Councils may make donations to other organisations but those donations are capped by the following formula, Number of persons on electoral role x £5.65 = £850.00.

The Chairman asked the Clerk to double-check this information.

The Clerk provided an up to date financial report.  Copy as follows.

 

 
24.06.09 No. 1 Acct. 1,540.75    
24.06.09 Car Park Account*. 13,739.06    
24.06.09 Total 15,279.81   15,279.81
         
Payments to be made      
24.06.09 Car Park Inspection 246.00    
24.06.09 Swing 712.43    
24.06.09 Play Matting 1,260.00    
24.06.09 Seesaw Refurb. 258.12    
24,06.09 Safety Report 72.45    
24.06.09 Clerks Expenses 98.11    
24.06.09 Internet Fees 15.49    
  Total 2,662.60   2,662.60
        12,617.21
         
Projected Balances      
  No. 1 Acct.     1,427.15
  Car Park Account.     11,190.06
        12,617.21
* Includes £295 payment from Network Rail, not yet cleared.
         

 

Correspondence.  A letter from the organiser of the Fowey Community Bus group, inviting Golant’s participation, was read and discussed.  Members felt that potential here was limited and the Clerk was asked to decline involvement.

Minutes of Cornwall Council’s newly formed Planning liaison group had been received & the Clerk read salient extracts. The Council were invited to take part at the next meeting but the invitation was declined.

A communication from the now formed Area of Outstanding Beauty policy Committee had been received, inviting the council’s participation in policy formation, but the invitation was declined.

An invitation to attend the inaugural meeting of the Local Network of Parish Councils was accepted & the Clerk and the Chairman agreed to attend.

Next Meeting. It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on Wednesday 22nd July at 7-30.

 

The meeting closed at 9-20 pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Parish Council Meeting 20.05.2009 Present: Cnllrs. J Fuge, B Fletcher, G White, L Luck, A Forsyth, S Funnell (Chair), B Campbell-Taylor (Clerk), County Councillor S Bain, & two members of the public.

Apologies: none.

Minutes. As the minutes of the previous meeting had been previously circulated they were taken as read. All resolved to accept the minutes.Matters Arising. Cnllr. Fletcher reported that no progress had been made with regard to the acquisition of a fireproof box for the Village firework display. The Clerk reported that the playground gate-closing device had been installed and seemed to be working satisfactorily. The appeal against the refusal of Planning Permission for an extension to Golant Farmhouse had been withdrawn.

Election of Chair and Deputy. It was proposed by Cnllr. Forsyth and Seconded by Cnllr. Luck, that the Current Chairman (Cnllr. Funnell) and his Deputy (Cnllr Fletcher) be asked to continue for a further year. All agreed.

Change to Standing Orders. It was proposed by Cnllr. Luck and Seconded by Cnllr Fuge that the following changes should be made to the standing orders of the Council,

(1)   The day on which the Council meets should be changed from the third Thursday of each month, to the fourth Wednesday of each month.

(2)   That the maximum amount that the Council is allowed to spend without resort to a formal tender process should be increased from £2000 to £2500.

All agreed to these changes.

Planning. The Clerk reported that he had made no comment on the detailed plans, submitted with regard to the proposed development at Leyonne Farm, which already had outline consent.

It was reported to the Council that the paddock at Torfrey, which had been part of the Leyonne Farm sale package, was still on the market.

Village Green and Playground. The Clerk reported that the registration of the Village Green was proceeding and that all that remained was for notice to be served on certain property owners. He also reported that the installation of the new playground equipment was expected to be soon.

Highways and Footpaths. The damage caused to Church Hill by building contractors was discussed. It was decided to await completion of the building work, and then ask the Highways department to look into the possibility of repair. Councillor Bain offered (should she be re-elected) to urge the repairs & she asked the Chairman to notify her at the appropriate time.

Cnllr. White reported that the Upper Downs footpath required attention, perhaps spraying and/or strimming. Members thought that Mrs Reardon had already done some of the work & it was thought that no work should take place until after the Campion & Primrose flowering season was over.  The Chairman reminded everyone that last autumn, a small volunteer work party completed the work quickly and efficiently.

The Clerk was asked to write to Cornwall Council to clarify the situation with regard to additional funding for maintenance of the new Upper Downs footpath.Accounts. The Clerk presented the Annual Accounts for the year 2008-2009. These had been subject to scrutiny and approval by an internal auditor and, subject to the Council’s approval, would be submitted to the National Audit Office for scrutiny.

Cnllr. Forsyth proposed, Cnllr. Fletcher seconded, and all agreed to accept these accounts.

Payments. Cnllr. Fletcher proposed, Cnllr Forsyth seconded and all agreed, that the following payments should be made,

Car Park Attendant.             Period 1.04.09 to 19.05.09. £193.72

Clerks Expenses.         Period 20.04.09 to 20.05.09. £209.78   

J Snell.                        Repairs to Village Green equipment. £39.50

Allianze Insurance.     £418.61.

Playline Design.         New playground equipment. £2161.43.

Financial Situation. The Clerk gave the up to date situation.

Number One Account.             £  2450.03

Car Park Account.              £12697.53

Total funds held.                    £15147.56

 

 



Any Other Business.

Co-option of new member. The Chairman agreed that it was not normally acceptable to deal with such a substantive matter as the Co-option of a new member within A.O.B. However, he felt that this was a matter of some urgency and, rather than reconvene the meeting, we should proceed. There were no objections to this.

Two candidates were put forward. Having the majority of votes, Mr D Johns was elected. The Chairman therefore declared that Mr D Johns would be co-opted as a member.

Next Meeting.  It was decided that the next meeting should be held on Wednesday 24th June 2009 
  
  
 

 

St Sampson Parish Council. Parish Meeting Wednesday 15th April 2009

 Public Participation commenced at 7-15. Three members of the public were present.

Matters raised; Repairs to Village Green following damage caused by construction work, Repair & subsequent further damage to post at entrance to Green.

Council meeting commenced at 7-25.

Present; Cnllrs. L Luck, J Fuge, B Fletcher, R Funnell (Chairman). B Campbell-Taylor (Clerk) & County Cnllr S Bain.

Apologies were received from Cnllr. J White & Cnllr. A Forsyth.

The Minutes of the previous meeting, having been previously circulated, were taken as read.

It was proposed by B Fletcher and seconded by L Luck that the minutes be accepted. All agreed.

Matters Arising. Fireworks. All agreed that Cnllr B Fletcher be appointed as Firework Display Co-ordinator. The Chairman reported that all the requirements of our insurers were being complied with, with the exception of the requirement to store the fireworks in a fireproof box. The firework display team had felt that the storage of fireworks in a concrete garage was an adequate solution. However, Cnllr Fletcher was asked to look into the cost and size of an appropriate container so that the council may consider acquiring or making a fireproof box for the use of the display team. Playground Gate. Cnllr Luck and the Clerk had investigated options for a closing device for the playground gate. The Clerk and Mr Graham Estlick were experimenting with a cheap, safe and simple DIY gate closer.Reports. County Councillor S Bain reported that the unitary authority transition process was going smoothly and that the One Stop contact centre, located in Fowey Library, was already proving to be a success. She warned that the whole process would be prolonged, citing, by example, the ten-year period taken by the East Riding of Yorkshire. Cnllr Bain confirmed that elections would take place on the 4th June for Cornwall Councillors, Town Councils and some new Parish Councils.

Website. The Clerk reported that the Boat watch Website was now incorporated within the Golant Website though it needed some updating. He also reported that he had asked the publishers of the Pill Magazine for permission to copy news, events and forthcoming events.Planning. Fisherman’s Arms Smoking Room. All agreed that the Council should give support to the structure being allowed to remain. The Clerk reported that he had spoken to the Licensee, who was awaiting written confirmation of enforcement. The Licensee was grateful for the support offered and suggested that any action should take place after a written notice had been received and the details studied.  The Clerk repeated the information he had received about the rules surrounding the construction of smoking rooms. He also described the information that he had received about the Planners’ attitude to any construction at, what they regarded as, the front elevation of the Pub.

Golant Farmhouse extension application had been approved. No firm information as to whether the previously rejected application was still subject to appeal.

The Council had not objected to the proposed extension at Orchard View.

Village Green and Playground.  Mr Richard Strode had contacted the Council and asked that

‘As he was expecting many visitors this summer, may he be allowed to park a car on the Village Green’. Councillors all felt that the rules about parking on the Green were clear and firm, they also felt that allowing one exception would create a difficult precedent. The Clerk was asked to write to Mr Strode and explain and, at the same time point out that £30 car park passes are still available.

New Equipment. Additional quotations had been obtained for the supply of swings and protective matting. One of these quotes was substantially cheaper than the one that had previously been considered.  It was proposed by L Luck and seconded by B Fletcher, that the cheaper quote be accepted subject to confirmation that it would fit in the available space. All resolved this.  It was also suggested that accepting the cheaper quotation might enable the council to afford other equipment.

 Car Park. It was reported that; the Car Park became operational on 1st April and that, by the morning of 14th April, £300.00 had been taken.  The Clerk had, on 4th April banked £1050.00, this sum being the proceeds from Parking Permits. The new Car Park Inspector was settling in.

Complaints had been made about the lack of an indicator for m/cycles & the Clerk was asked to paint an indicator in the appropriate places.

Private Parking bays 1-3 had been allocated & all Green Passes issued.Highways. All agreed that, following the exceptionally hard frosts the road surface on many of the roads within the Parish were rough and badly potholed.

Footpaths. After it was pointed out that some of the upper downs footpaths were deteriorating, the Clerk was asked to write and enquire about the possibility of obtaining free labour from Cornwall Probation service.

Finance. The Clerk reported that, after tonight’s payments, the current financial situation would be:

Council Main Account.            £2179.00

Car Park Account                       £14478.00

Total Funds.                             £16657.00

It was proposed by L Luck and seconded by B Fletcher that payments of £206.00 are made to Clerks expenses and £288.60 for Car Park Business Rate. All resolved this.

Any Other Business.

The Clerk had been asked to remind the Council that it had become a village tradition to commission a group Village Photo at ten year intervals and that, next year, a photo would be due. All agreed to support and sponsor a photo at the appropriate time.

At 8.10pm the meeting ended.

 

Next Meeting.

Annual Parish Meeting followed by Annual Parish Council Meeting.

Wednesday 20th May commencing at 7pm

 Two annual meetings!

The Annual Parish Meeting is not a council meeting. It is a meeting of the parish or town electors and could involve local organizations such as the Women’s Institute and the drama group. Strictly speaking electors can set the agenda, and in practice these meetings often celebrate local activities and debate current issues in the community. The chairman of the council calls the Annual Parish Meeting and, if present, will chair it. It is best practice to hold The Annual Parish Council Meeting and the Annual Parish Meeting on different occasions to avoid confusion.

The Annual Parish Council Meeting.

Annual Meeting of the Parish Council Is where the Council elect a chairman and probably a vice-chairman, and appoint committee members and representatives to other bodies. It helps to remember that it is a meeting of the Council.

Extract from the Parish/Town Council code of practice.

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