1

South Marston Parish Council

Minutes of the meeting held on 18th

March 2014

Present: Mr S Young Mr C McEwen

Mrs S Brown

Mr B Thunder

Mr K Millard Mrs A Burchell (Clerk)

39/14 APOLOGIES

Stephanie Blair; Tony Leathart; John Haines

40/14 OPEN 10 MINUTES

Members of the public present: Mrs Anne Featherstone, Mr Adye Goodenough

AG requested he be added to the mailing list for the circulation of the Parish Council meeting Agenda.

Action: Clerk

AG asked if the Parish Council had to let people know if they were planting trees in front of their properties. CM

stated that they did not.

41/14 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

- Members are requested at the start of the meeting to declare any known interests in any matter to be

considered, and are reminded that any such interest should be declared at the start of the item or during any

discussion of the matter concerned

BT declared an interest in the Allotments.

SB declared interested in Community First and an interest in one aspect of the response to SBC regarding the new

development: specifically the existence of the new road and the proximity of SB’s property. However, it was agreed

that, because the route of the road affects everybody in terms of traffic flow, it is a common interest.

KM stated he was no relation to Mrs Millard in planning application s/14/1402, to be discussed under Planning.

42/14 TO APPROVE AND SIGN THE MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, 18th

February 2014

AND FORMALLY CLOSE ACTION POINTS

CM and SB requested two amendments to the minutes, which were agreed.

BT proposed approval

SB seconded

Agreed: All

43/14 CLERK’S REPORT – MARCH 2014

Change of Account from RBS to Unity Trust Bank – Update

I spoke to the complaint handler last week. RBS have agreed to the £250 compensation figure, but had not done

anything about it. They are raising a cheque and posting out a letter confirming the closure of the complaint.

Electoral Register

We have now received the up-to-date electoral register for South Marston Parish.

HMRC & PAYE

2

The Parish Council now needs to operate a real-time PAYE system as the Clerk’s hours and pay have increased beyond

the minimum level due to the inclusion of an additional two hours for the Tower and Tap.

A requirement of the real-time system is that calculations have to be made using payroll software. HMRC have free

payroll software that can be downloaded from their website which is fit-for-purpose and can also be used to produce

P45 and P60 documents.

44/14 Correspondence received to 14th

March 2014

Summary (not in date order)

No. From: Reference

1 Oxfordshire County Council Consultation Draft Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local

Plan: Core Strategy

2 Vale of the White Horse District

Council

Public Consultation: Local Plan 2031 Part 1 – Housing

Delivery Update

3. Sally Sprason, Swindon Borough

Council

Elections 22nd

May 2014

4. Tina Ingram, SM Resident Land at the back of 9 & 10 Yew Tree Gardens

5. Stephen Taylor, SBC Response to PC request to comment on Ethical Framework

amendments

6. Councillor Junab Ali Labour Group’s position on the transfer of the Council’s

leisure and golf services to a private provider

7. Suzanne Coles, SBC Response to Carpenter’s Bridge signage amendments

8. Jill Quadri, SM Resident &

Neighbourwood Watch Co-Ordinator

Fly tipping – Railway Bridge, Old Vicarage Lane

9. Stephen Taylor, SBC Review of Swindon Standards Process

10. Anne Featherstone, Resident Letter: 14.03.2014

Item 1:

SY stated that the plans needed to be read and reported back to the Council.

Action: SY

Item 2:

Action: SY and SB to check proposals on the website and report back to the Council

Item 3:

Action: Clerk to check on process for May 2014 elections.

Item 4:

The process to divert a footpath is protracted. Mrs Ingram is able to mark the footpath boundary, but cannot obscure

it.

Action: Clerk to advise Mrs Ingram to approach the Rights of Way Officer at SBC (Annie Ellis) who will be able to

provide guidance on the consultation process. Mrs Ingram may be asked to provide viable alternatives.

Item 7:

Action: Clerk to write to Suzanne Coles (copied to Stephen Taylor) regarding the lack of consultation for the proposed

signage, and raise the consultation process required by the Parish Charter on matters concerning the village.

Action: Clerk to write a separate email to Suzanne Coles stating although we requested the blue sign in the village be

removed, it was to be replaced by a sign at the entrance to the village. No one on the Council has any knowledge of

any issues which would require the sign to be in the centre of the village. We look forward to being consulted on the

proposed HGV strategy. (Send round to Councillors for exact wording).

3

Item 8:

Action: Clerk to write to Mrs Quadri stating that the expense of potentially two cameras would not be cost effective

due to vandalism and monitoring issues. The Parish Council has fly-tipping under review for first six months of new

SBC waste and recycling policy.

Item 9:

Action: Clerk to write to Stephen Taylor with the Parish Council’s comments: That the present system is thought to be

reasonably good, but should be more streamlined. Agree that the recommended best practice procedures for

speeding up the process seem very reasonable.

Item 10:

Action: SY to draft a formal reply to AF.

SB confirmed that she does not a have a conflict of interest on this matter.

45/14 FINANCE Statement and Cheques for Approval and Signature – 18th

March 2014

Bank Account Statements Received

Julian Hodge Bank at 28th

February 2014 52203.29

Unity Trust Bank at 8th

March 2014 12210.88

Total: 64414.17

Expenditure: Cheques for Approval and Signature

Cheque

Number

Payment VAT Amount

300042 A Burchell – Salary Payment 487.25

300043 A Burchell - Expenses 11.76 90.87

300044 St Margaret’s PCC – Tower & Tap Copying 45.00

300045 Chris Brooks – Expenses (Oak Tree Corner Group) 5.83 35.00

300046 T J Sansum – Cotswold Path Gravel (Oak Tree Corner Group) 33.45 200.69

300047 Stratton St Margaret PC – Dog Waste Service (December 2013) 16.00 96.00

300047 Stratton St Margaret PC – Dog Waste Service (January 2014) 16.00 96.00

300047 Stratton St Margaret PC – Dog Waste Service (February 2014) 16.00 96.00

300048 Honda – Annual Land Rent (Allotments) 5.00

TOTAL 99.04 1151.81

Income: Invoices Raised to

Invoice To Amount

122 SMRA (Email addresses Feb & Mar) 13.20

123 Walsingham Planning – T&T Advert March 2014 27.50

124 PH Plumbing – T&T Advert (10 issues Quarter Page B&W) 27.50

TOTAL 68.20

46/14 South Marston Parish Council Planning Sub Committee

Plans received to 13th

March 2014

4

1. Planning Application Number: S/OUT/14/0253JABU

Proposal: Outline application for employment development including B1 (office/light industrial) B2

(general industrial) and B8 (warehouse and distribution), new landscaping and junction to A420

(means of access not reserved)

Location: Eastern Villages South, land at and to the south of the A420, (adjacent to Lock Cottage),

Swindon, Wilts

Comments by: 20st

March 2014

Action: Clerk to request a minimum two-week extension period for comments.

Action: SB to send final comments to Tim Partridge and discuss potential meeting.

2. Planning Application Number: S/ADV/14/0200HC

Proposal: Display of information signage at the junction of Nightingale Lane and the new footpath

Location: Sevor Farm, Nightingale Lane, South Marston, Swindon SN3 4SL

Comments by: 19th

March 2014 (extended from 13th

March 2014)

Comments: Further information is needed before any comment can be made on design etc.

3. Planning Application Number: S/14/0329HC

Proposal: Erection of 2no. storage containers

Location: Sevor Farm, Nightingale Lane, South Marston, Swindon SN3 4SL

Comments by: 28th

March 2014

Comments: If storage containers to be permanent they should be of suitable quality and style to

last 25 years, and screened.

Action: BT to check and follow up.

4. Planning Application Number: S/14/0168

Proposal: Single storey front and rear extensions to create a study with an entrance porch and

larger kitchen, dining and general living area.

Location: 1 Church Farm Lane, South Marston SN3 4JR

Comments by: 19th

March 2014

Comments: Already granted.

5. Planning Application Number: S/14/0412KICO

Proposal: Construction of vehicular access.

Location: Yew Tree House, Thornhill Road, South Marston SN3 4RY

Comments by: 2nd

April 2014

Comments: No adverse comments.

47/14 Item 9: 20mph Speed Limit Initiative – Update from Colin McEwen

Reference: Report March 2014 – CM

CM stated that it was unlikely that the revised map will be available for the public exhibition on the 25th

March,

therefore it had been decided not to go ahead with the 20mph Zone display.

Action: BT to inform Hartwell.

48/14 Item 10: Village Expansion – Update from Sylvia Brown

Reference: Report 15th

March 2014 – SB

SB stated that her report covered the HHL application. It is believed that HHL recently attended a meeting with the

LEA and that they would be back in contact with the Parish Council to arrange a date for a meeting – no contact has

been made as yet.

5

With regard to integrated village development: There is concern regarding piecemeal development. SB proposed

inviting all the developer groups to attend a joint meeting where some common-ground issues can be put to them and

agreed.

Action: SB to request a joint meeting.

With regard to the Examination in Public: SB has prepared bullet points on each of the issues which have been

distributed to the Parish Councillors – SB would like responses from Councillors by end of this weed (23rd

March 2014).

SB will be producing the final evidence submission and sending it round to all Councillors during the last week of

March.

SB confirmed that the final wording for the Statement of Common Ground had been agreed and submitted to SBC.

The Expansion Working Group met successfully last Thursday, 13th

March 2014. The Group tested out some of the

arguments to be used at the Examination. There is a common misunderstanding about what happens at the EIP; you

read your statement and then are interrogated on the contents. It is important to ensure that your arguments are

right with no conflicting statements.

A general discussion took place regarding funding for the South Marston village infrastructure.

Action: CM to discuss with Sarah Screen about ensuring that all of the monies for all of the development within the

South Marston SPD, however collected, will be used for SM village infrastructure.

49/14 Item 11: To agree dates for the Annual Parish Meeting and the AGM

Annual Parish Meeting: To be held on 20th

May 2014 at 19.00hrs

AGM : To be held on the 3rd

June 2014 at 19.30hrs

50/14 Item 12: To discuss the Infrastructure Delivery Plan – Development of the Great Western Hospital – Tony Leathart

To be deferred to a future meeting.

51/14 Item 13: To discuss the request from the South Marston Youth Club for funding of running costs, insurance and

affiliation fees

Action: Clerk to request full financial information. The Parish Council needs to be persuaded that we should pay for

insurance, affiliation fees and hall fees. P&L; membership details and subscription rates required.

52/14 Item 14: To discuss and agree the format, date and venue for an event to encourage the recruitment of new Parish

Councillors, and how it is to be publicised – Update Clerk

Action: Clerk to put together a recruitment poster for the public exhibition on the 25th

March 2014, and also to be

displayed around the village.

53/14 Item 15: Reports from Working Parties and Representatives from Outside Bodies

Appendix I – Outside Working Group Report - BT

The small working party of one person who represented the Parish Council on Rights of Way and Footpaths has

resigned.

Action: Clerk to add this voluntary position to the recruitment poster.

Also, a voluntary liaison representative for St Julian’s woodland is needed.

Appendix II – SMRA Meeting Report - SB

SMRA have submitted their annual accounts (a summary of which is attached to the report). There is a constant

shortfall of £1500 per year on the village hall. This is without any major structural work being undertaken. This needs

6

to be taken into account when SMRA funding for the coming year is discussed. The underwriting by the Parish Council

should also be shown in the accounts.

The SMRA have been asked how they would like to receive the second half of their funding – either in the form of a

cheque, or added to the pot held by the Parish Council.

54/14 Item 19: Matters brought forward by or with consent of the Chairman

SB stated that Mrs Newton and Mrs Case have raised the problem of litter in the village and would like to become

‘litter wardens’. They have been asked to obtain quotes for equipment and review Health & Safety issues etc for the

next meeting.

AF asked if something could be included in the Tower and Tap about residents tying up the rubbish bags properly.

Action: Clerk to include a piece in April’s Tower and Tap.

BT stated he had met with Mr McHenry of SBC, who had confirmed that Streetsmart were the department who looked

after any maintenance work on the roads. BT and Mr McHenry had walked the length of Highworth road – the

potholes had already been marked out by Streetsmart operatives. The work which had been scheduled to take place

on Old Vicarage Lane would not now be taking place.

Action: Clerk to write to John Haines requesting he take up the Parish Council’s concerns regarding the resurfacing of

the final section of Old Vicarage Lane from Pound Corner up to the Mecure Hotel (pass to BT prior to sending to check

wording).

AG asked if the Parish Council were aware of the recent changes in legislation regarding the recording of Parish

Council meetings.

SY stated we had received notification of this.

Meeting closed at 22.20

7

AGENDA ITEM - 9

20MPH ZONE UPDATE MARCH 2014

Colin McEwen

My last report indicated that Suzanne Coles at SBC was to provide a note on the plan drawn by Mike Simmons.

Following a little prompting this arrived and confirms that the plan now takes in only the original area rather than

the extended area proposed by MS.

Unfortunately her note also indicated that we will not be able to use existing lamp posts for the powered signs,

which will increase the costs. I discussed the possibilities with her as a result of which she has sent a second note,

which looks to maximise the use of the existing features.

SBC have received a request for a hard standing area by the OVL bus stop so that people do not have to wait on the

grass verge and she asks that this is included, which I propose to do.

I am sending the notes on to MS to draw a final plan with costings for consideration by the PC.

I have sent a copy of the plan, together with a short report of the current position as it relates to Thornhill Road to

Hartwells for them to include it in their considerations of making a safe pedestrian route into the centre of the

village.

8

AGENDA ITEM : 10 Village Expansion

SMPCEWG PROGRESS REPORT 15 MARCH 2014

Sylvia Brown

HHL Application

Efforts made during the last month with the briefing for members, press comment and the PC statement regarding

access to the community facilities were effective. Renewed contact from HHL assured us that they were due to

meet with the LEA to discuss the expansion of the school and would be resuming discussion with us regarding the

design of the village centre. A date for a meeting has not yet been agreed.

Crown Timber/ Thornhill Industrial Estate

Hartwells are mounting their exhibition on the 25 March in the hotel, ahead of submission of their planning

application and have advertised this in Tower & Tap. They have agreed to a companion display area for the

proposed Parish Council 20 mph scheme, and Hartwells have expressed interest in seeing how it fits with their own

plans for traffic calming the approach to the village adjacent to their development.

Gleesons A420 Employment development (outline)

An outline planning application has been submitted for the ‘business park’ development on the southern boundary

of the A420 – the plans will be discussed at the parish council meeting. The Expansion Working group had the

opportunity to look at the plans at their meeting on the 13 March, and have discussed various issues. The proposal

will include land earmarked for housing under the draft Eastern Villages SPD, which will be displaced elsewhere if the

Local Plan inspection validates or increases the housing numbers. It is hoped that this will be within the EV area, and

not add to housing pressures or increased density on land already provisionally allocated in the Local Plan.

Access matters are not reserved, which means this outline application will lead to decisions now as to the

appropriateness of the proposed road accesses and junction layouts. The major concerns relate to HGV traffic and

the new signalised junction at the entrance, which will include feeder lanes and pedestrian crossings and foopaths.

A further issue is the lack of any road connectivity to the south across the River Cole, which might push traffic for this

site into Gablecross and along the A420. Gleesons have no plans for additional accesses since they have no

appropriate land control to provide it – all the parish council can request is that such accesses are ‘enabled’ by the

internal design of the site. Barry Thunder will report further on our thoughts at the PC meeting.

It was agreed that Barry Thunder make contact with neighbouring residents to hear their views on the application.

Gleesons have offered us a further meeting to discuss the parish council’s response. The Working Group advised

that, at this stage, we simply send them our comments direct, and ask if they can help clarify any issues arising and

consider any proposed amendments.

An integrated village development

9

Lack of dialogue between the different developers in the South Marston village SPD area is hampering the parish’s

aspiration for an integrated village. It has been agreed by the Working Group that the Parish Council call a meeting

of all three developers (HHL, Hartwells and the Mercure Hotel) together with SBC officers, to attempt to identify the

challenges and where we feel solutions could be negotiated.

Local Plan Enquiry

The Inspector has held a further pre-meeting to firm up the agenda and processes. At my request, he has

subsequently agreed to revise the programme schedule so that strategic, brownfield and infill development, based

on RA3 and the SM SPD are discussed at the same session. This is in line with the Parish Council’s stance, reflecting

villagers’ views on the need for integrated rather than piecemeal development. South Marston Parish Council has

secured speaking attendance at the following sessions:

• Issue 5: Distribution of Housing Development

• Issue 11E: New Communities Eastern Villages

• Issue 12A: South Marston

• Issue 16: Flood Risk

• Issue 17: Infrastructure Delivery

• Issue 18: Transport

Suggested summarised points to be provided as the evidence for each of these separate issues will be provided

ahead of the parish council meeting to enable discussion on this item. Following the meeting, these will be written

up and circulated to Councillors and Working Group members for approval. Deadline for submission to the Enquiry

Inspector is 1 April 2014.

Statement of Common Ground

Ahead of the Local Plan Enquiry, the Borough Council asked South Marston Parish Council to sign a Statement of

Common Ground, covering what was agreed and what still had to be resolved between the parties. Given the

timescale for its submission, all parish councillors and working group members were circulated with the proposed

document for their views, comments were made and amendments conveyed back to the Borough.

Expansion Working Group meeting 13 March 2014

The meeting covered the above issues, with additional discussion on the importance of phasing the infrastructure to

cope with the development, and the risks of getting it wrong, as well footpath networks, particularly over the railway

line. We also discussed the importance of working up our arguments for the Enquiry, even though we may be

supporting the draft Plan policies. This is so we can counter pressure from other participants who may desire

changes that conflict with the parish’s agreed stance.

10

APPENDIX I

OUTSIDE WORKING GROUP REPORT MARCH 2014

Barry Thunder

Conservation Group

Oak Tree Corner;

No new updates

St Julian’s Community Woodland;

No new updates.

Allotments;

Repairs to gate post completed by a Honda contractor and we are hoping to obtain a replacement manhole cover.

We may need to purchase this item.

We are in discussions with a village resident for the on-going supply of horse manure.

New contracts and annual invoices are sent out this month. We may have some tenants declining to take up plots,

despite writing to all tenants in January.

Two small starter plots vacant.

PC External meetings during January/February 2014

Bodleian Book Store;

Landscaping work has commenced. We await a copy of the plans and timetable of works.

Sevor Solar Farm at Nightingale Lane;

We assisted Eneco/Goldberg to by passing on a request for local security and electrical small companies to apply for a work

contract to be the “First Eyes on the Job” from any alerts from the site. We were able to pass on 5 local contacts to Eneco in

order for them to follow up.

11

APPENDIX II

SMRA REPORT MARCH 2014

Sylvia Brown

I was unable to attend the SMRA committee meeting last week, so cannot give a report of its proceedings. However,

I have received a copy of their audited accounts (attached) for their financial year ending 31 December 2013 which

will be presented at their AGM on the 25 March 2013.

On direct income/expenditure on the village hall, there is a shortfall of nearly £1,500. For the recreation ground, the

shortfall is around £3,000. However, SMRA earned additional income from the fete, fairs and other fund-raising

activity to the tune of £1,400 which subsidises their management of both facilities. This additional income excludes

the £4,000 grant provided by South Marston Parish Council which has all gone towards increasing the designated

fund help in the PC accounts and has not been drawn on during this financial year.

It should be noted that there was no major capital expenditure this year on the village hall, whereas there was some

equipment purchase associated with the recreation ground which is largely reflected in the size of the operational

loss on the recreation ground activities.

I have since requested Julie to add a line about the investment the PC makes in SMRA and the fund we hold on their

behalf, in line with the agreement signed in December. This addition should say:

SMRA has a funding agreement with South Marston Parish Council, currently contributing £4,000 p.a. to SMRA.

During 2013, this grant money was put into the designated fund for SMRA held by the parish council to be drawn on

for capital expenditure to maintain and improve the facilities. At the close of the SMRA accounts on 31 December

2013, South Marston Parish Council was holding a total fund of £9,157 on SMRA’s behalf.

I have also asked whether SMRA wish to receive the second half-yearly grant of £2,000 due in March, by cheque or

to increase the PC designated fund held on their behalf.

12