Parish Council of Langton Matravers
www.langtonmatravers-pc.org
Minutes of a meeting of Council held in the Village Hall on  Thursday July 12th 2007 at 7.00 pm.
Present: Cllr N E Priddle (Chairman) in the Chair; Cllr P E Loudoun, Vice-Chairman); and Councillors Mrs P M Kwantes, Mrs V C Murray, P J Bradford, P Bradford, P White, M W Kirby and M W J Lovell.
1.	There were no apologies for absence, all Members being present.
2.	There were no members of the public in the public gallery, so there was no public discussion.
3.	There were no Matters Arising from the Public Discussion.
4.	Planning Matters:
	(1) There were no comments from the public concerning Plan 409, submitted by Mr J Bonfield to 	erect a detached summer house at the rear of ‘Sutherland’, Gypshayes.
	(2) On the proposition from the Chair, it was unanimously agreed that “The Parish Council has no 	objection.”
	(3) There were no public comments on Plan 430, submitted by Mr & Mrs Varney to demolish and 	reinstate workshop damaged by fire at ‘Bower Cottage’, Coombe. Cllr White declared prejudicial 	interest as the next-door neighbour and left the Council Chamber.
	(4) On the proposition by Cllr Mrs Kwantes, it was unanimously agreed that “The Parish Council has 	no objection.”  (Cllr. White then rejoined the Meeting). 
	Cllr Lovell (District Councillor) had 	abstained, as usual, from all voting on plans.
	(5) Council noted that the latest plan for ‘Ponsonby/Pinhoe’. The Hyde had been approved.
5.	Minutes of the last Council Meeting, held on June 14th, having been distributed to Members prior to 	the Meeting, were confirmed nem con and duly signed.
6.	Matters Arising from the Minutes:
	(1) Item 6(1). The Clerk reported that the letter to Mr & Mrs Bibra had been sent.
	(2) Item 6(3). The Clerk reported that DAPTC could see no reason why Cllr White should not 	continue to be a Member of the Timson Trust Management Committee, as there were adequate guide-	lines for action in the event of prejudicial interest.
	(3) Item 6(4). The Clerk reported that Mr Travers had been notified of the change in his title.
	(4) Item 6(7). Cllr Lovell reported that he had asked the DCC Officer concerned to contact the Clerk 	concerning the possibility of legalizing parking on the area which is now a wide grassy verge at the 	south end of Crack Lane. As this contact had not been made he agreed to pursue the matter further.
	(5) Item 6(8). The Clerk reported that an excellent frame had been provided by Cllr J Bradford and 	that the Membership Certificate was now hanging on the wall of the Council Office. A Vote of 	Thanks to the Councillor was unanimously recorded.
	(6) Item 6(10). Cllr P J Bradford had discovered the reasons for the SID pole being erected in its 	present position and had forwarded them to the Clerk. These reasons were eminently sensible, though 	it was a pity that they were not notified to the Parish Council in the first place.
	(7) Item 8(3). The Clerk reported that he had not attended the first session of the Planning Course, 	and that it had been seriously delayed by the long morning’s planning meeting at PDC.
	(8) Item 9. The Clerk apologized for misleading Council about the place of the Count at the recent 	Bye-Election. It had actually taken place at Langton Memorial Room. The announcement by the 	Deputy Chief Executive at the Clerk’s Liaison Meeting in June that in future all such Counts would 	be conducted electronically at Westport House had been premature, as PDC had not yet acquired the 	equipment to do this.
	(9) Item 10(4). The Clerk reported that the book on the Tombstones had not yet been purchased for 	Council, as a re-print with additions and correction was due shortly.
	(10) Item 11(3). The Clerk reported that the stone advertising the Parish Council’s Bye-law 	concerning the Cemetery had been expertly cleaned by Cllr J Bradford and Mrs Bradford. A Vote of 	Thanks to Mr & Mrs Bradford was unanimously recorded.
	(11) Item 11B(2). Mr Davidson of PDC had asked Mr Goater to inspect the Old Cemetery wall. This 	had been done and Mr Brian Glassock had been consulted by Mr Goater on the matter.
7.	The Clerk’s Report for the period from 8.6.07 to 5.7.07 was received.
8.	Matters Arising from the Clerk’s Report:
	(1) Item 1. Cllr Kirby reported on the unsuccessful attempt by Mr Burgess Jun. Of Steppes to get his 	name put down for one of the proposed new Ragland Houses at Steppes. A heated debate followed, in 	which Cllr Lovell declared that Langton people whose names were on the housing list would be given 	priority, then those living near to Langton, and then to the whole of the District. Both he and the 	Parish Council had been given this assurance in writing. The Clerk confirmed that he had received 	this assurance from Fiona Brown. Cllr Mrs Murray declared that no-one could prevent an applicant 	putting his or her name on the housing list. One merely sent for a form, filled it in and submitted it.
	(2) Item 9. The additional items suggested for the Play Area in the School Playing Field were: another 	bench, more trees, a sign and more litter-bins. After some discussion, it was unanimously agreed that 	a letter should be sent to Mrs Rochelle, thanking her and the children for their email and for their 	suggestions and promising that another bench would soon be forthcoming, and that Council is 	considering the other suggestions.
	(3) Item 14. It was agreed that the Clerk should investigate payment of BT bills by Direct Debit, as 	long as this bore some relation to the current used month by month.
	(4) Item 22. No Councillor wishes to take advantage of the Courses on offer.
	(5) Item 25. The Highways Maintenance List recently received contained no roads of Langton, but 	County Councillor Lovell reported that shortly the stretch of A351 on either side of the north end of 	Crack Lane would be re-surfaced.
	(6) Item 28. The Clerk reported a telephoned reply from Mr Stacey of PDC to say that he had no keys 	to the fuse-box cupboard in the Ladies’ Toilet, but that Cllr Lovell would be able to help. Cllr Lovell 	was aghast and said that perhaps Mr Glassock had the keys. It was unanimously agreed that a key 	should be found and left in the Clerk’s possession for future emergencies.
	(7) Item 29. The Clerk reported that Cllr Lovell had kindly taken all the Housing Reports back to 	PDC for disposal. A Vote of Thanks to Cllr Lovell was unanimously recorded.
	(8) Item 35. Council unanimously agreed with the Clerk that Mr Frampton of Town & Country 	Fencing should not have recorded VAT on his Invoice, and that the £92.90 so recorded should be 	taken to be part of the non-reclaimable charge made for the fencing.
	(9) The Clerk reported receipt of an email from Mr Peter Aston, Democratic Services Officer of PDC, 	offering to come and talk for a half-hour or so at a Council Meeting about the Revised Code of 	Conduct. All Councillors had to subscribe to the new Code before October 1st 2007, so the August or 	September Council Meetings would be the only options. It was unanimously agreed that Mr Aston 	should be asked if he would agree to come at 6.45 pm on Thursday August 9th.
9.	Chairman’s Announcements:
	(1) Cllr Priddle remarked upon the disgusting condition of the verges of Crack Lane, where serious 	fly-tipping had been taking place for some weeks. Cllr Lovell agreed to mention this to PDC.
	(2) Chairman reported that he had had complaints about undergrowth on Cemetery Walk. He was 	now able to give an assurance that the householder at ‘Seacombe’ would regularly cut the southern 	section, Mr D Quayle would cut the middle section, and he himself would keep the narrow lower 	section open. Cllr Mrs Kwantes explained that DCC would cut a public right-of-way if all other 	attempts to get it cut had failed, but that this would not be done on a regular basis. A Vote of Thanks 	to Cllr Priddle was unanimously recorded.
10.	Financial Matters:
	(1) The following additions to Council funds were noted:
	     £450.00 for path side burial plot for Mr & Mrs Hall (extra-parochial),
	     £545.34 from HM Revenue & Customs (reclaimed VAT on the Year 2006-7),
	(2) The following payments by cheque, already authorized, were noted:
	     £10.00 to Village Hall for use of May Council Chamber,
	     £169.10 to SE for estimated current used at Toilets/Office Block from 23.3.07 to 26.6.07.
	(3) The following payments by Direct Debit were noted:
	     £69.00 to PDC for July Rates on Office/Toilets Block.
11.	Cemetery Matters:
	(1) Council’s Cemetery:
	Chairman suggested that the land purchased for enlargement of the cemetery should be cleared, 	levelled and fenced. This was unanimously agreed. Ken Selby and John Watkins should be asked to 	quote for the work, giving a rate per hour.
	(2) The Closed Cemeteries:
	Chairman said that he was fearful that the huge tree in the garden of the Old Rectory Retirement 	Home might fall, or a limb of it might fall and do serious damage in the adjacent cemetery. It was 	agreed that the owner or manager of the Home should be contacted and Council’s fears relayed.
12.	Affordable Housing:
	With the approval of the Chief Planning Officer of PDC, Chairman had prepared a large-scale map of 	the village settlement with areas adjoining the settlement areas shaded in red, so that parishioners 	could put stickers on the areas where they would prefer to see affordable housing.
	Councillors viewed this and there was some heated disagreement with the fact that certain areas had 	been included. Cllr Lovell (District Councillor) said he felt that nothing should have been shaded, so 	that members of the public could put a sticker on the site they would prefer. Cllr Priddle said that was 	what had happened at a similar meeting he had attended in another parish, when all the stickers had 	been placed on land which was not available, so the meeting had been a waste of time. Cllr J 	Bradford said that in his opinion certain ‘open spaces and green gaps’ should not have been included.
	In view of the fact that unanimity appeared impossible, Chairman withdrew his proposal.
13.	Dog-Litter Bins and/or Notices.
	Cllr Loudoun said that the National Trust would not allow any bins on its land, but that notices would 	be erected shortly at certain locations on  the Trust’s land.
	Cllr Lovell reported that the PDC Dog Control Order was shortly to be re-advertised, with the due 	consultation period, and then altered and re-introduced. In view of this, on the proposition from the 	Chair, it was unanimously agreed that the decision on the dog-litter bins should be deferred until the 	Control Order had been put in place. It was also agreed that a notice to this effect should be placed in 	the next edition of the ‘Dubber’ Magazine.
14.	Amendment to Council’s Standing Order No 4, proposed by Cllr J Bradford, was passed 	unanimously, now to read:
	“Every vacancy on the Council must be publicly notified immediately it occurs. If no poll is claimed 	after the next fourteen days following the notification, not counting Saturdays, Sundays or Bank 	Holidays, the casual vacancy may be filled by co-option of the entire Council by an absolute majority 	of those present and voting. If, on the other hand, a poll is claimed by twelve electors within the 	fourteen days, a bye-election must be held.”
	Cllr Bradford asked if there was an up-to-date copy of the “Powers and Constitution of Local 	Councils” booklet which had been produced by NALC in 1987? The Clerk agreed to ask DAPTC, but 	he believed that the new booklet for Parish Councillors had now taken its place.
15.	Parking Restrictions in Durnford Drove:
	Cllrs J Bradford and M W J Lovell claimed that, without the pole and notice, stating the terms of the 	restriction, the double-yellow lines were not enforceable in law. The Clerk was asked to write to DCC 	to ask for the pole and notice immediately.	 
16.	Obstruction of the Wheelchair Ramp into the Scout & Guide Headquarters, Durnford Drove.
	Cllr J Bradford reported that there was a disabled Member of one of the organizations of the 	Headquarters who could not be delivered at the entrance to the Ramp because a vehicle was always 	parked there. The Clerk was asked to write to the Highways department of DCC to ask if a 
	DISABLED ACCESS marking could be painted on the roadway.
17.	Appointment of an Assistant Clerk:
	The Clerk reported that the specimen Contract had arrived from DAPTC. It was agreed that this 	should be circulated on its own, with a sheet for comments.
18.	The date of the next Council Meeting was confirmed as Thursday August 9th, the time of its 	commencement to be announced on the Agenda.

There being no further business, the Meeting was adjourned at 9.0 pm.

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