Parish Council of Langton Matravers
www.langtonmatravers-pc.org
Minutes of a meeting of Council held in the Village Hall on  Thursday 13th January 2008 at 7.00 pm.
(Present: Cllr N E Priddle (Chairman) in the Chair; Cllr P E Loudon (Vice-Chairman), Cllrs Mrs V C Murray and Mrs P M Kwantes, and Clls J Bradford, P J Bradford, M Kirby, P White and M W J Lovell (also District Councillor and County Councillor).
1.	There were no apologies for absence, all Members being present.
2.	Public Discussion Period. The Meeting was adjourned whilst parishioners in the Public Gallery spoke.
(1) Dr C R Spilling of ‘Cull’s’ spoke at some length concerning the objections by neighbours to 	Planning Application 	905 relating to ‘Tilshead’, Toms Field Road.
	(2) Ms Zoe Hunter from ’Anvil Cottage’ also spoke of her objections to Plan 905.
(3) Mrs Cartwright of ‘Thorne’s Mead’ also spoke of objections to the same plan as the next-door neighbour.
3.	Matters Arising from the Public Discussion:
Chairman re-convened the Meeting and Council discussed the objections which had been raised to Plan 905.
4.	Council unanimously approved the bringing forward of the date of the Council Meeting in December 2008 to Thursday Dec. 4th, in order to be able to submit comments on the December plans before the Planning Officers’ deadline.
5.	Planning Matters:
(1) No comments had been received from the public concerning Plan 878, submitted by J Coke, to erect new vehicular 	and pedestrian gates at St George’s First School.
(2) On the proposition of the Chairman it was unanimously agreed that “The Parish Council has no objection to Plan 878.”
(3) The Clerk reported that he had received nine letters of objection to Plan 905, submitted by Mr & Mrs S Smith, to demolish existing garage and conservatory, erect extensions under new roof to form first floor accommodation with 	dormer windows and balcony, and erect detached garage with access from Garfield Lane. These had previously been excellently summarized by Dr Spilling, so only the names of the correspondents were read out: Mr Keith Coombs, 	Miss Susan Inge, Mr P Davis, Dr C R Spilling, Mr & Mars Ashworth, Mr Clive Innes, Mr & Mrs K Dowling, Mr & Mrs Cartwright and Mr E M A Cassidy.
(4) The Clerk asked if, in this case, as there were at least three disparate objections, the usual practice of submitting one sentence of comment might be abandoned and three sentences used. Cllr Mrs Kwantes proposed a composite sentence, reading: “The Parish Council is strongly opposed to this application for three reasons: firstly it strongly objects 	to the use of Garfield Lane as access to this 	property; secondly it believes that the plan constitutes gross over-development and introduces overlooking of neighbours’ properties; and thirdly because the proposed access would 	necessitate taking down a high, historic, mature dry stone wall within the Langton Matraverts Conservation Area.
	This proposition was unanimously agreed.
(In these foregoing planning decisions Cllr Lovell abstained, as usual, being a Member of the District Council’s Planning Board.)
(5) Purbeck District Council‘s recent planning decisions affecting this parish were received:
	     Spyway Orchard Plan - Refused,
	     Extension at ‘Perelandra’ - Approved, 
	     Extension at ‘Stigs’- Approved.
6. 	Minutes of the last Council Meeting, held December 13th 2007, were confirmed and signed nem con. 
7.	Matters Arising from the Minutes:
(1) Item 6(4).The Clerk reported that he had now had a letter from S & S Playgounds, but had not yet been able to visit the site with Mrs Stone to draw a plan of exactly where the new safety surfacing was required.
(2) Item 6(6). The letter had been sent to Mr G Foot, but no reply had been received as yet. Chairman reported on a meeting with Mr Foot concerning a possible Car Park.
(3) Item 6(12). Cllr Kirby reported that the letter from Fiona Brown concerning Article 106 Agreements need to be gone into carefully, as it did appear to contradict the legal requirements of the Article. It was agreed that Cllr Kirby 	should seek a second opinion.
(4) Item 6(13). The Itemized Account for the recent Bye-Election had been received.
(5) Item 6(15). Chairman announced that he was to have a meeting with Mr Cronk of Raglan.
(6) Item 6(16). The Clerk drew Councillors’ attention to Cllr Kirby’s further enhancements of Council’s Website.
(7) Item 6(17). Chairman reported on receipt of 18 applicants to date for Allotments. He said he had sought an area of 0.8 acres just south of the Council’s triangle of land in Coles Ground from the National Trust’s Rural Surveyor, which would provide 24 plots measuring 50 x 30 ft. He added that some cost to Council would be involved, but there were possible Lottery Awards and there would be the on-going rents.
(8) Item 8(1) The Clerk reported that PDC had been notified that all Councillors had agreed to the general principles 	set out in the preamble to the Revised Code of Conduct.
(9) Item 8(2). A R Harris & Son, the Electricians who had done the electrical work at the time of the conversion of the Office/Toilets Block, had been notified of the SE Inspector’s concerns. Mr Julian Harris visited and inspected, but could find nothing to worry about. He asked to see the SE Report. It was agreed that a copy of this Report should be requested from PDC.
(10) Item 8(3). The Victim Support advertisement was placed in the ‘Dubber. Cllr Mrs Murray said she had received details.
(11) Item 8(5). The letter had been sent to Mr & Mrs Haysom, but there had been no reply as yet.
(12) Item 8(7). The cheque for £100 had been sent to CAB and a letter of thanks received.
(13) Item 8(9). A copy of Council’s Resolution on the illegally felled ash trees had been sent to the Tree and Hedgerow Officer of PDC. This had been acknowledged, but the outgoing officer had left the action to the incoming officer. It was feared that, as the incoming officer knew nothing about the case, it might be neglected, so the Clerk was instructed to send a copy of the Resolution to the Chief Executive of PDC.
8.	The Clerk’s Report for the period from 7.12.07 to 3.1.08 was received.
9.	Matters Arising from the Clerk’s Report:
(1) Item 24. The Clerk asked if a letter supporting the idea that the Hoard of Bronze Age Axes should be kept in Dorset might be sent to the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society? This was unanimously agreed.
(2) Item 32. Cllr Kirby reported on the emails received concerning Affordable Housing.
(3) Item 34. Chairman reported that Mr J Bellucci had been interviewed by the Panel of Councillors appointed for the task, and that the decision had been made to offer Mr Bellucci the post of Assistant Clerk to be effectual immediately at the salary of £300 per month, and to offer him the post of Clerk to be effectual from the Annual Parish Council Meeting on May 8th. It was agreed that a Contract should be drawn up and that the Clerk’s Salary should be discussed by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman and in future before each Annual Council Meeting. Chairman and Council welcomed the Assistant Clerk who was sitting beside the Clerk.
10.	There were no Chairman’s Announcements.
11.	Financial Matters:
	(1) There were no additions to Council funds since the December Council Meeting.
(2) The following payments by cheque, already authorized, were noted by Members:
	     £10.00 to Village Hall for use of the November Council Chamber,
£513.76 to Burden Building Services for the fence around the new Play Equipment.
(3) Council received the Estimated Financial Forecast for the remainder of the current Financial Year.  
	(4) Council received the Estimated Financial Forecast for the Year 2008-9.
(5) On the proposition from the Chair, Council unanimously approved the  Precept or £11,000.00 for the Financial Year 2008-9.
12.	Cemetery Matters:
(1) Chairman reported on a complaint made to Swanage Town Council about rubbish in Crack Lane Cemetery. He 	had removed it over a period of two days and taken it to the Swanage Tip. It was agreed that this matter of collection and disposal of rubbish at Council’s Cemetery should be placed on the Agenda of the next Council Meeting.
	(2) Closed Cemeteries: Nothing to report.
13.	Play Area:
(1) The request from the Langton Matravers Fair Committee that the Play Area should be closed throughout the day of the Annual Village Fair (Saturday June 21st 2008) was considered. After some debate it was agreed (For 6: Against 3: Abstentions 0: Absent 0) to grant the request.
	(2) The proposed Lease of the Playing Field. 
Councillors had studied this and had picked up two obvious errors. The Clerk was referred to as ‘Roger J Saville’ and 	at the end it stated that this was an agreement between the Dorset County Council ‘and Lytchett Matravers Parish Council.’ Cllr J Bradford drew attention to the requirement to erect a 5 metre high wire-mesh fence around the area. It was agreed that, as this document had arrived without any previous correspondence or consultation, and as the letter from DCC Legal Department referred to the fact that the terms had been “agreed“ nothing further should be done on this matter until there was elucidation.
14.	The date of the next Council Meeting was confirmed as Thursday February 14th at 7.0 p.m.
15.	Additional Items for the next Agenda:
	(1) Flooding of the approach lane into Acton,
	(2) Collection of rubbish from Crack Lane Cemetery,
	(3) Provision of Bus Shelters,
	(4) Vehicles persistently parking in the turning-head of St George’s Close.

There being no further business, the Meeting was adjourned at 9.02 p.m.

Signed………………………………....(Chairman).                   Date………………………..