HICKLING PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON
Monday, 2nd March 2009, at 7.30pm in the Community Hall

PRESENT: CHAIRMAN: V TALLOWIN, VICE CHAIRMAN: H PURNELL
COUNCILLORS: M BUTCHER, M ELLIOTT, G SMITH, M SCOTT, D PUGH
DISTRICT COUNCILLOR: S PARTRIDGE
Clerk: Mrs S Sainsbury

7.15PM The following point(s) were raised:

HEARA - Ken sent his apologies. Eric updated everyone on the current situation and informed the parish council that HEARA have a meeting with the Nick Herbert MP, Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment on the 21st May.
There appears to be a shift in thinking and the fact the NE report has not yet been published suggests 'they' are making sure the shambles of the last year are not repeated. As Eric said 'We are still in there and still fighting' The German TV company never came but the BBC are making enquiries about Hickling !
The Hickling email network is worldwide and still growing.

Footpaths - Ms E Rothney clarified what she was doing about documenting the footpaths around Hickling with the end result of a map being produced plus artwork for a leaflet on footpaths and circular walks around Hickling. Clerk to request map from NNDC and Elisha will keep the PC informed of progress.

7.30pm The Parish Council meeting commenced with no public participation -
The Chairman welcomed three parishioner.

1. APOLOGIES were received from Councillors, R Cook, K Moody, I Watton & A Rich

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

3. MATTERS ARISING -none

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

5. CORRESPONDENCE -
a) NNDC - Full Council Agenda

b) DVLA - New tax disc for grass mower, Cllr D Pugh confirmed it is now on mower.

c) Hickling Local History Group - Email highlighting some points, one being the use of the word 'disaster' instead of 'Emergency'. Clerk noted for future reference.

d) Mr P Berrie - Letter confirming it was his health problems that prevented him from using
his wet berth last season, all agreed that he could continue given the circumstances.

e) Happing Community Bank - Invitation for the Chairman to attend the Inauguration by
Norman Lamb MP on the 21 Feb. Chairman did attended and acquired some useful leaflets.
Clerk to display in notice boards.

f) Norfolk Association of Local Councils - Various topics including meetings for Localist Green Agenda at Swaffham and UEA, also the New Rural Economy meetings at Fakenham and Hethel. No one was available to attend any meetings.

g) CAB - Donation request this was deferred until May when we review our donations.

h) Broadland Flood Alleviation Project - Information on public exhibition at Acle, on the 7th April. Clerk to display leaflets.

i) Mrs Wilson - Confirmation that she wished to relinquish wet berth, as she had not used it last season and couldn't see using in the future. Clerk to offer berth accordingly.

j) Norfolk Association of Village Halls - News letter March 2009.

l) PCSO J Hawes - Police report for last month, with no incidents recorded.

n) Mr D Skinner - Email with an update on the Chapel Pit, see item 8d1.

o) Norfolk Rural community Council - Information on a Play Equipment Safety Inspection Course on 30th April. This was passed to Cllr M Butcher who will see if N Lawes who does the grass cutting in the play area would like to go.

6. TREASURER'S REPORT
a)

b) Budget to Date - Distributed at meeting

c) Budget 2009 - 2010 - Break down of New Build expenses distributed prior to meeting.

d) Bank Accounts -
1. Nat West reinvestment. It was proposed by Cllr D Pugh and seconded by Cllr M Scott and all agreed that the capital of £47,000 be reinvested for 6 months in a Corporate Bond at 1.9%. Clerk to respond.

2. Abbey Business account to be revisited. Clerk to investigate other accounts/banks to see what is available as Abbey's interest rate has dropped to under 1%.

7. PLANNING
a) NNDC - Decisions -
1. Sunset, Stubb Road- Erection of single Storey Front Ext - permit

b) NNDC - New Applications -
1. Martins Nest, The Green - Erection of Dwelling - no objections

8. PARISH COUNCIL PROPERTY REPORTS

a) Staithe
1.Wet Berth Rents increased by inflation, approx £83 on total annual rent income.

2. The Staithe working party visited the staithe with regards to the gap between the quay heading and grass area. The comments varied from putting sawdust between gap to installing a boardwalk at a cost of £2000 plus for one quay heading side only.
Clerk to get two more quotes for boardwalk and the cost of sawdust.
It was decided that another meeting Tuesday 3rd March at 5pm would be appropriate for others to see the problem.

b) Community Hall - Clerk to arrange Fire Extinguisher annual check.

c) Recreation Ground
1. A meeting has been arranged for the 7the March to meet with A Mayhew from the Football club for a discussion on the changing rooms and positioning of the training goal posts.
A complaint had been made about the nearness of these goal posts to the garden fences that run alongside the recreation ground.

d) Chapel Pit
1. As there had been a complaint about flooding in the bus shelter, David Skinner will keep an eye on the situation and see what he can do about it. He also thought more gravel was required but it was decided to leave this until our property walk.

9. ALLOTMENTS 31a
1. Allotment 31a has been reclaimed by Brown & Co from the 1st April 2009 and the lease has been amended to reflect this change. All agreed that the new lease be signed accordingly.
Clerk to return signed copy to Brown & Co.

2. There is to be no increase in the allotment rents for Apr 09 - March 2010. Clerk to
issue invoices.

10. GRASS CUTTING
A date for volunteer grasscutters has been arranged for the 11th March for Cllr R Cook and
Cllr D Pugh to advise them on Health & Safety regulations this includes the parish council
supplying safety equipment for them, including safety boots to use when using the parish council mower.

11. NEW BUILD UPDATE - see item Confidential

12. HEALTH & SAFETY - See item 10

13. HIGHWAYS/SPEEDING
No further communication from the traffic police regarding speeding in the village.

14. EMERGENCY PLANNING
This is an item still outstanding from our parish plan and needs to be investigated. Clerk to approach some parishioners to see if they would like to take this project forward.

FUTURE DATES - Parish Council Meeting,

Tuesday 7th April at 7.15pm in Community Hall
Annual Parish Meeting, Wednesday 29th April at 7.30pm in Community Hall
Annual Parish Council Meeting, Tuesday 12th May at 7.15pm in the Community Hall

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.
Vice Chairman H Purnell proposed and Cllr M Butcher seconded such a motion.
All were in approval. The Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance as they left the meeting.

The parish council had a working party meeting on the 26th February to review the situation on the new hall project with regards to costs, funding, scaling down the building and it was decided that a small questionnaire should go out to all households to ensure the parish council are working in the best interests of the village's future.
A draft questionnaire had been produced for all to discuss with the intention of having results back in time for the Annual Parish meeting on the 29th April.
On the 10th March the Chairman, Clerk and 2 councillors were meeting with 2 people from NNDC to investigate funding etc.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING - Tuesday, 7th April 2009 7.15 pm in the Community Hall.

There was no further business and the meeting was closed at 10.35pm