HICKLING PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON
Monday, 13 July 2009, at 7.30pm in the Community Hall

CHAIRMAN: V TALLOWIN,
COUNCILLORS: M ELLIOTT, G SMITH, A RICH, D PUGH, I WATTON, R COOK
K MOODY, M BUTCHER

Clerk: Mrs S Sainsbury

7.15PM The following point(s) were raised:

HEARA - Ken Barnes gave an overview on recent events, including two important meetings, one with NENPCG which EA, NE, NNDC were represented and a meeting with Anne Macintosh, Conservative Shadow Environment Minister, both meetings they felt were disappointing in that no one had any technical answers and gave evasive answers to the key issue of 'social justice'.
HEARA will be drafting a report for the DEFRA Consultation and will forward a copy to the parish council for their comments. HEARA also felt a letter to our local District Councillor C Stockton with our comments on the Shoreline Management Plan would be beneficial. The election will be next year so we must keep the pressure up on all parties particularly on the social justice issue.

7.40pm The Parish Council meeting commenced with no public participation -

The Chairman welcomed one parishioner

1. APOLOGIES were received from Vice chairman H Purnell and Councillor, M Scott.

2. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING -
These were approved as circulated.

3. MATTERS ARISING -
Cllr K Moody pointed out that the 'r' was missing from 'bought' in item 6d, this was corrected and initialled in minute book.

Clerk attended the NALC meeting 8th July, nothing to report back on item 5b

Clerk reported that BT will not let us paint the telephone box at the Chapel Pit, item 8d

4. DECLARATION OF COUNCILLOR'S INTERESTS FOR THIS MEETING - none

5. CORRESPONDENCE -
a) NNDC - Green build 2009 Exhibition at Felbrigg Hall 12/13 September.
Clerk to remind councillors at next meeting.

b) Broads Authority - Planning Parish Forum 30th September 2009.
No one will attend as Hickling has a very small area under the BA planning.

c) Norfolk County Council - Bus Infrastructure Improvements to Bus Stops.

d) Mr T Clark - Request to be added to Wet Berth Waiting List. Clerk to respond.

e) NALC - Summer Conference Tuesday 28th July, Clerk requested permission to attend due to the agenda having two items of interest to the council, all gave their consent.
A request for resolutions for their AGM, no one had any comments to make.

f) NNDC - Street signs News Letter

g) Stalham & Happing - Agenda 21 July + Minutes from 26th May. Cllr D Pugh will attend the meeting on the 21st with a view to informing them that funding will be required for the new hall.

h) Norfolk County Council - Drainage of Dyke at parish staithe. (See item 8a2)

i) NNDC - Site Specific Proposals Draft Plan update + DVD.

j) Norfolk Playing field Assoc - AGM 16th July + Minutes from July 2008. No one could attend.

l) HEARA - Update on recent events + link to DEFRA's consultation paper. Clerk printed one copy only due to size to keep on file. HEARA requested that the parish council responded re the SMP to NNDC. All agreed that the Chairman & Clerk draft a response.

n) J Simmance - A letter regarding the Pleasure boat Inn and their moorings, all agreed this was a private matter between the boat owners and the tenant. Clerk to respond.

o) Mr R Steel - A letter regarding the condition of some of the quay heading edging at the parish staithe. This has already been looked at and will be remedied in the near future. Clerk to respond.

p) Norfolk Rural Community Council - Village Hall Toolkit booklet. Clerk to keep on file for future information.

q) Charities Aid Foundation - Mr T Woodman, Greyhound Inn has kindly donated £2200 towards the children's play area equipment from his trust. Clerk to respond.

r) NNDC - Manage your finances Booklet. Clerk to put in news sheet.

s) SNT Stalham - PCSO report that thefts from boats in the area has increased.
Clerk to ask PCSO for a write up in news sheet.

6. TREASURER'S REPORT
a)

b) b) End of Year Budget to Date - Distributed July, Oct, Jan & March

c) Recycling Credit Received - £1255.59

d) Play Area funds held by the parish council - £1662.56.

e) Annual Return, Clerk confirmed that the form had been sent by recorded delivery 1st July.

7. PLANNING
a) NNDC - Decisions -
1. 10 Heron Way - Erection of Verandah - permit

b) NNDC - New Applications - none

8. PARISH COUNCIL PROPERTY REPORTS
a) Staithe
1.Quay Heading problem is in progress with prices and materials being investigated.

2. Staithe dyke (item 5h) the staithe warden had been approached and he confirmed that the dyke was clear. Clerk to respond.

b) Community Hall
1. Hunnies update

2. WI Oct 17th + Ladies group Oct 12th

Both the above items were deferred to item 15

c) Recreation Ground
1. Litter bin in the children's play area is not suitable so another solution is being investigated.

2. Play area funding now consists of £1662.56, £800 plus £2200 making a total of £4662.56.

3. A meeting was held between the Football Club and parish councillors to discuss the issue of damage to nearby properties and the close proximity of the practice goal posts to residents fences.
Adam Mayhew agreed that a notice could be placed on the goal posts advising users to practice using the main goal posts further away to eliminate some of the issues. Clerk to respond.

The electric box on the outside was mentioned as it has not been repaired yet.
Clerk to make some enquiries.

Cllr G Smith said the recent piece in the news sheet gave the impression that all residents had complained about problems with some recreation ground users but it was only a few residents.

d) Chapel Pit -
1. David Skinner who looks after the chapel pit had voiced his concern about the level of water dropping in the dry period and enquired about having a bore hole.
This had been looked at in 2000 and due to costs and iron deposits all felt it would be a costly business.
The clerk had investigated the costs of water being delivered by tanker periodically, this could be a more cost effective solution, at approx £200 + vat per tanker.
Clerk to inform David.

9. CHARITY COMMISSION UPDATE
We are waiting for some information given over the phone to be confirmed in writing.

10. FOOTPATHS
We are still waiting for the map that accompanies the recent survey of all our footpaths.
Clerk to follow up.

11. RESOLUTION ON SALE OF COMMUNITY HALL
After meeting with the legal team from NNDC we were advised to take this resolution to ensure all correct steps have been taken.
"That the Parish council obtains quotations from three (3) estate agents with a view to placing the Community Hall, The Street upon the open market for sale, such quotations to cover all costs of the marketing process and provide details of all publications and websites upon which the land will be marketed"
Councillor K Moody proposed and Cllr R Cook seconded the motion and the vote was 7 (seven) in favour with 2 (two) abstentions, so the motion was carried.

12. NEW BUILD UPDATE
1. The legal team also advised that a sub committee of parish councillors be elected to with a further number of advisory people to take this project forward. The Chairman asked for nominees for this sub committee with the result that Cllr D Pugh, M Elliott, R Cook along with Cllr H Purnell were elected. The sub committee will work within the parish councils guide lines.

2. The Chairman V Tallowin gave a brief overview as to why item 11 and 12 are important to this project.

13. HEALTH & SAFETY
The final H&S sheets have been signed and copied for the Clerk to distribute as necessary.

14. HISTORY GROUP
At the last parish council meeting it was requested whether a parish councillor could be a representative on the HLHG committee for winding up the group's activities, due to a delay in a 'trust' being set up this has been deferred until further information has been received.

15. ITEM 8b 1 & 2.
1. As item 11 has declared that the community hall is not available indefinitely the Hickling Hunnies require adequate notice, although they are proposing to move over to the school in their own building this has not happened as quickly as predicted.
Under the circumstances it was proposed by Cllr M Elliott and seconded by Cllr R Cook for the rent to remain at £6.50 per session but availability to be monitored on a monthly basis, although it should be available until December 2009.

2. The request from the WI, 17th Oct and Ladies Group 17th Oct for hiring the Community Hall, was agreed although there was concern that it had previously been stated the hall would only be available until July 2009, but it was felt that as the hall is still there we accept ad-hoc users. Clerk to respond.

The annual parish council property walk was confirmed as Monday 3rd August 6pm at the parish staithe.

CONFIDENTIAL SESSION

The Chairman asked for a proposal that a resolution be introduced, under the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 to exclude members of the public and the press in order to consider items in a confidential session. Councillor I Watton proposed and Cllr M Elliott seconded such a motion. All were in approval. The Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance as they left the meeting

The election of the advisory committee was deferred and the suggestion was that the sub-committee members make their selection which will then be confirmed by the parish council at the next meeting.
The new build plans were distributed but no solution was decided and this was also deferred to a later date.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING - Monday 7th September 2009 at 7.15 pm in the Community Hall.

There was no further business and the meeting was closed at 10.45pm