THE ORDINARY MEETING OF NORTH NIBLEY PARISH COUNCIL WAS HELD ON MONDAY 7th OCTOBER 2019, AT THE VILLAGE HALL, NORTH NIBLEY, AT 7.30 PM.

Present: Mr Ken Brown (Chair), Mr D Purnell, Mrs J Burton, Mr K Larkin, Mr D Palmer, Mr D Roberts, Mr R Symons.

District Councillors: Mr G James & Mr K Tucker.

County Councillor: Dr J Cordwell.

The Acting Clerk: Mr. R Symons

Three members of the public attended the meeting.

The Chairman opened the Parish Council Meeting.

1. The Chairman invited apologies. Apologies were received from Dist. Cllr. Mrs C Braun.

2. The Chairman invited any Declarations of Interest. Cllr Burton declared an interest in item 6 bullet point one.

3. The Council approved the Minutes of the Council’s September 2019 Meeting. The Chairman duly signed the Minutes as a true record.

4. The Acting Clerk reported the following matters:

• The Neighbourhood Warden had been contacted and agreed to erect signs and place messages on pavements about dog fouling;

• Dist. Cllr. Braun had confirmed that none of the properties in Tyndale Close had been offered up for sale;

• Cllr. Symons had contacted Highways to erect posts for traffic calming purposes.

5. The Council noted that the Clerk had submitted a further “unfit to work note” ; and that the Council had written to the Clerk to ascertain what, if any, further adjustments can be made to aid her return to work.

6. The Chairman opened the Meeting for Public Discussion and Questions. One member of the public asked if it would be possible to advertise the presence of the Village Hub on signs in the Village. It was agreed that this could be incorporated into the proposed Village Gateway signs. Free standing and appropriately anchored signs might also be located on the Island.

7. The Council considered and commented upon the following Planning Applications.

Cllr. Burton left the meeting at this point.

• S.19/1754/COU. North Nibley Village Shop/Post Office. 9 Barr’s Lane.

Change to mixed use to open cafe inside premises.

Following discussion the Council resolved to SUPPORT the application.

Cllr. Burton rejoined the Meeting at this point.

• S.19/1786/HHOLD. 17 Highlands Drive. Single storey rear and first floor side extensions with enlarged porch.

Following discussion the Council resolved to make No Comment.

• S.19/1973/MISC Location: Public Payphone at Pitt Court, North Nibley, Dursley, GL11 6EH. Application Type: Miscellaneous Files Description: Removal of public payphone.

• S.19/1972/MISC Location: Public Payphone at Wotton Road, North Nibley, Dursley, GL11 6DS. Application Type: Miscellaneous Files Description: Removal of public payphone.

North Nibley Parish Council considered both applications (S.19/1972 & 1973) at its meeting on 7th October. The Parish Council noted it had objected to the removal of both payphones and boxes when last consulted and these objections had been upheld.

In the Parish Council’s view the circumstances have not changed and there is a strong case for their retention. Mobile phone coverage in the village and surrounds, such as Waterley Bottom, is non-existent or at best extremely poor and unreliable and simply cannot be relied upon especially in an emergency. The area is subject to a high level of visitors and cyclists to the Tyndall Monument, Nibley Knoll and walking the Cotswold Way and the need for reliable phone provision in case of emergencies is paramount, as experienced in the past.

In addition both phone boxes are an integral part of the character of the Parish and points of identity for directing people through the Waterley Bottom valley and surrounds especially at Pitt Court.

In the circumstances the Parish Council resolved to object to both applications and requests that Stroud support these objections. The Parish Council is willing to discuss any matters with B.T. should this be helpful.

6. The Council noted the following Planning Application decisions:

• S.19/1095/HHOLD. 5 New Road Dropped Kerb. Permitted

• S.19/1737/HHOLD. 6 Highlands Drive. Proposed single storey and 2 storey extension. Refused

• S.19/1651/HHOLD. Cotshill Wotton Road Extension to ancillary building. Permitted

• S.19/1620/HHOLD. Burrows Court Farm Extension. Permitted

• S.19/1635/HHOLD Park Farmhouse Stancombe ground floor extension.

Permitted.

6. The Council received a written District Council Report from District Councillors. Following a question Dist. Cllr. Tucker noted comments about a future housing development in Gloucester Street, Wotton under Edge. The Chairman thanked the District Councillors for their report.

7. The Council received a written County Council Report from County Councillor John Cordwell. There were no matters arising from Cllr. Cordwell’s report. The Chairman thanked Cllr Cordwell for his report.

8. The Chairman invited Parish Councillors to report on any meetings they had attended.

Cllr. Roberts brought to the Council’s attention that the culvert at the bottom of Wood Lane was blocked. Cllr. Palmer added that the surface of Wood Lane was significantly eroded. It was agreed to bring these matters to the attention of Highways Rights of Way team. In addition a large tree stump and tree branches blocked the route up to the Knoll and required to be removed.

The Chairman reported that he had been approached by a parishioner with extensive and detailed proposals for developing a children’s play area on the Recreation Field. It was agreed that the parishioner should be invited to the November Meeting to discuss these ideas more fully. Meanwhile Councillors have had his written ideas circulated to them. It was also agreed that the potential for developing these ideas on the Innocks site should be explored as this is more central and already houses a children’s play area. Dist.Cllr. Tucker agreed to find out who in Stroud DC is responsible for the current area.

The Council were reminded that they had previously discussed the possibility of relocating a waste bin from the bottom of Highlands Drive to a location near the Pittcourt BT box. The option of a further waste bin in the area having been unsuccessfully explored with Stroud DC. The Council decided to consult parishioners views prior to moving the Highlands Drive bin. It also agreed that it should further explore the possibility of funding a new bin at Pittcourt, but needed to be confident that Stroud DC would empty the contents as part of the round.

12. Parish Council Finances.

1. The Council approved and made a cheque payment for the following Invoices:

• Water Bill for Cemetery. (Two periods.) £23.98

• Village Hall Invoice £36.00

  • Purchase of paint for Cemetery. (Cllr. Dave Purnell). £24.95

• Clerk’s contractual sick pay, (Quarter 2) period from 1^st July to 29^th September 2019.

(Equivalent to hourly rate: £10.37 per hour, SCP 19 from 1^st April 2019 X 11 weekly hours, x 13 weeks) = £1,482.91

Clerk’s expenses for Quarter 2, period from 1^st July to 29^th September 2019. £18.30

Postage. (Postage of council items to chairman and councillor) (£3.30); Broadband/home office/telephone (Pro rata of quarterly normal rate of £100.00) (£15.00)

• GAPTC Internal Audit Invoice. £265.80

• Incidental expenses (Sign & postage). (Rex Symons). £12.53

• Littlejohn Audit Invoice. £480.00

2. Other Financial matters discussed:

1. The Annual Audit. The Acting Clerk reported that the Council’s submission, having not been submitted by 1 July, had been sent in time to meet the final deadline of 30 September, thus avoiding the Council being fined. The Council had also failed to meet the deadline to advertise the “Notice of Audit” by the 1 July deadline. The Acting Clerk reported on the areas which the auditors had been brought to the Council’s attention. However, although the Audit has not yet been signed off, it is anticipated that the Audit will receive a qualified sign off.

2. The Council set the date of 27 November for the Councillors to meet to discuss a draft budget for 2020/21.

3. The Council agreed that, apart from updating the item on the Council website, there was no need to make any changes to the current Grants Procedure.

(4)The Council noted that second payment of Precept had been made by Stroud DC.

13. Following discussion the Council agreed to set up a deposit account with Nationwide Building Society for the purpose of spreading its reserves in order to safeguard reserves from any banking collapse. Arrangements to transfer deposits from the Council’s present account will be carried out once the new account is established and operational.

14. The Council agreed to set dates and book the meeting room for their meetings in 2020/21. These will be the first Monday of each month, except where that is a bank holiday, in which case it will be the second Monday. The Annual Parish Meeting will be on Monday 6 April 2020.

15. The Council received and approved written Cemetery and Closed Churchyard Report. It was reported that a gravedigger, in digging a new grave, had deposited earth on two adjoining graves. This had been taken up with the undertaker and the Council decided that they should be warned as to their future conduct.

16. Correspondence. It was brought to the Council’s attention that the Clerk had circulated a number of emails since the last meeting.

The Chairman closed the Meeting at 9.00pm.

The next Meeting of the Parish Council will be held in the Village Hall on Monday 4^th November 2019.