MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF APPLETON WITH EATON PARISH COUNCIL

held on Monday 4th January 2010 in the village hall at 7.15pm

Also Present: Keith Stammers, Malcolm Denton (NAG Chairman), Rachel Knight, Betty Griffiths, Felicity Dick and the clerk.

1. Neighbourhood Action Group: Mr Denton explained the work of local NAGs:

The purpose of the NAGs is to try to involve the community in policing issues, where possible to find solutions other than involving the police and to engage with the right agencies to solve problems. They focus on perceived problems in an area. Appleton and Eaton are in the Rural Abingdon area, which has a population of 28,000 and is a low crime area. 

The first action will be for a parish council member, a PCSO and Mr Denton to perform an environmental visual audit to identify areas which could cause a problem and then to work with the police and other agencies who can help. 

The NAG meets every 5-6 weeks around the area. It was RESOLVED that the council will support the cost of hall hire for a NAG meeting and the cost of articles in the Advertiser.  

2. Mrs Rachel Knight: War memorial and village pond area:

10/02 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Mrs Sara Murray, District Councillor John Woodford.  

10/03 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN MATTERS ON THE AGENDA: None.

          With the date amended, the minutes of the last meeting were agreed to be a true record and signed as such by Mrs  Salmon 

1.    Resignation of Mrs Ros Uren. The council registered its thanks for her work on the council, the website committee and Sportsfield Management Committee. 

2.    Mrs Salmon resigned as chairman. The council thanked Mrs Salmon for all her efforts on behalf of the council as chairman for the last 3 years. Mr Thomas was elected as chairman for the remainder of the year. 

10/ 06MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 4^th JANUARY 2010:

1. Playground and Recreation Area: A special open meeting will be held on Saturday 16^th January at 10am in the village hall where the council will discuss progress with the committee. Mrs Hine will enquire about the status of the lease offer by Mr Gow. The council will want to know whether it represents good value and what conditions there are. 
2. Tubney Woods Liaison meeting: No date yet.
3. A420 bus stop:   Included on the OCC Highways long list of projects.
4. School parking and road safety: Actions from the site meeting in November had been circulated to all councillors. Those present at the meeting will be pressed to fulfill actions agreed at that meeting.
5. Village Pond Area: See 10/01/2 above.
6. Condition of Green Lane. Nothing has been done to improve the surface.
7.  Broadband: The consensus of responses to the Community Plan questionnaire was that service is poor. It was noted that an alternative wireless system was previously investigated. There would have been startup costs and ongoing costs to each household who took it up. David Hine has been looking at potential solutions to achieve faster speeds.
8. Flooding issues: The Flooding and Rainwater Group has been awarded a grant of £5,000 for flood protection measures on condition that acceptable locations are been found for storage. This will be received in the next financial year.

The church ditch is becoming blocked again. Mr Thomas will speak to the churchwarden. 

Mr Neale has spoken to Gordon Hunt of OCC about Oaksmere. The clerk is to follow this up.  

The clerk will contact Highways again about the blocked drain by the Manor gate.

9. Community Plan: Full results will be presented at a meeting on 11^th February. Answers to the open questions will go to the groups concerned.
10. Review of subsidised bus services: OCC had replied to say that they are investigating adding the Abingdon route onto another service which has spare capacity.
11. Northmoor Lock: The council will protest at plans to access works via Badswell Lane. Mr White will raise the issue with the Upper Thames committee and ask for their support. 
12. War Memorial: Clerk to get names of suitable contractors. The War Memorials Trust advises against cleaning in cold weather in case damage is caused to stonework. 
13. Rainbow Bridge: The Environment Agency thanked the council for bringing the need for repairs to its attention and planned to do the work in December or January. 
14. Maintenance, Eaton Road:  The clerk will get a quote for cutting back the brambles as this is too big a job for Mrs Page to tackle alone.

1. It was AGREED to purchase of SLCC publication “The Clerk’s Manual” (£67.00)
2. Bank Account: Alliance and Leicester have changed their rules so that it is no longer possible for all councillors to be signatories to the current account. It was therefore RESOLVED that a new current account and a deposit account would be opened with Lloyds TSB. All councillors will be signatories and cheques will have to be signed by two councillors. 

            Mr Neale reported complaints that hedges overhanging the road in Oaksmere had damaged vehicles. The clerk has reported the problem to OCC Highways.

10/09 YOUR VALE – YOUR FUTURE: ADDITIONAL CONSULTATIONS:

            Draft Core Strategy Documents were distributed to councillors and they were asked to return any comments to the clerk. 

            Mrs Uren had raised the problem that the car park is full by 9am with Botley office workers’ cars. This means that shoppers and anyone arriving later is unable to park. Mrs Salmon had previously spoken to OCC and the clerk will write on behalf of the council asking that OCC police whether drivers are making a journey onwards into Oxford.

         She will also comment about the position of “car park full” signs. 

10/11 REPORTS FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEES AND EXTERNAL MEETINGS:

            Mr Thomas will stand down from the tennis club committee.

            The status and makeup of sub-committees was discussed. 

10/12 PUBLICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE:

1. Environment Agency – Northmoor Lock: The engineer in charge had replied to the council’s letter citing health and safety of employees for proposed changes to the weir. 
2. Review of Abingdon bus service – see 10/06/10 above.
3. VWH – A Tree Preservation Order has been made on the large beech tree on the land behind 58 Eaton Road.
4. VWH – District Council Budget Proposals 2010/11: The Vale will be cutting grants for street cleaning and suggests that parish councils include payments in their own budgets this year.

1. Field Farm Fresh trucks have been observed in Oaksmere. The clerk will contact the transport manager.
2. The pothole Church Road near the church gate has been reported.
3. Mr Neale has reported the raised manhole covers on the A420 again.
4. Litter Eaton straight. Mr White had collected bags full of litter from the verges. It was noted that a large number of people had offered their services for a village clean event on the Community Plan questionnaire.
5. The Upper Thames committee will fund cutting back trees at the slipway at Bablockhythe.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Monday 1^st February at 7.15 in the