Parish Council of Langton Matravers
www.langtonmatravers-pc.org
Minutes of a meeting of Council held in the Village Hall on  Thursday, 10th May 2007 at 7.35 pm.
Present: Cllr N E Priddle (Chairman) in the Chair; Cllr P E Loudon (Vice-Chairman), Cllr M W J Lovell (County Councillor, District Councillor & Parish Councillor), Cllr Mrs V C Murray, Cllr Mrs P M Kwantes, 				and Cllrs. J Bradford, P J Bradford and P White.
1.	There were no apologies for absence, all Councillors being present.
2.	Election of Chairman of Council:
	Cllr J Bradford proposed that Cllr N E Priddle should continue in office. This was agreed 	unanimously.
3.	Election of a Vice-Chairman. Cllr Lovell proposed that Cllr P E Loudoun should continue in office. 	This was agreed unanimously.
4.	Matters Arising from the Annual Parish Assembly:
	(1) Bus Stop sign at the north end of Durnford Drove. It was agreed that this matter should be 	deferred to the June Council Meeting.
	(2) The Raglan Housing development at Steppes. After some discussion, during which it was alleged 	by the District Councillor that minutes of the meeting with District Council Officers on October 11th 	had been offered to the Chairman, but that he had said they were unnecessary (an allegation hotly 	denied by the Chairman), it was agreed that as the planning application had been granted, and this 	decision could not be revoked, further debate on the subject would be futile. The Clerk said that a 	‘war of attrition’ with District Council Officers would only succeed in making life extremely difficult 	in the future. Chairman suggested that Council should now await the detailed planning application, 	when careful consideration should be given to the proposed play area and to the materials proposed 	for the construction of the houses and flats.
5.	Planning Matters:
	(1) The proposed alteration to the Scheme of Delegation and method of sending out plans.
	After some discussion, on the proposition by the Chairman, it was unanimously agreed that the reply 	should state that the Parish Council did not wish to see the present system changed.
	(2) The Clerk announced that notification had been received that Mr Sheppard’s application for 	‘Treetops’ had been refused.
6.	Appointment of Officers of the Council:
	(1) Parish Rights-of-Way Liaison Officer. Cllr Mrs Kwantes was confirmed in this post.
	(2) Parish Emergency Liaison Officer. Cllr P J Bradford was confirmed in this post.
	(3) Parish Youth Liaison Officer. This post was declared ‘in abeyance’, though Cllr Lovell (who was 	responsible for co-ordination with youth at County level) agreed to act if anything important arose.
	(4) Parish Tree and Hedgerow Officer. This post was declared ‘in abeyance’.
	(5) Council’s Representatives on the Purbeck Association of Parish & Town Councils. Cllr P White 	was confirmed in this post. Cllr Lovell said that, as this Association was to be responsible for the 	‘Pathfinder’ agreements between parishes and the higher councils, Council should consider a second 	Representative. It was agreed that this should be given consideration.
	(6) Council’s Representative on the Village Hall Management Committee. Cllr N E  Priddle was 	confirmed in this post.
	(7) The Timson Trust. It was agreed that membership of the Management Committee of the Trust 	should continue as recently set up. Cllr Lovell remarked that Cllr White’s appointment was rather 	meaningless, because, as the next-door neighbour, he would be required to declare interest and take 	no further part in any discussions.
7.	Appointment of Part-time Employees of Council:
	(1) Clerk to the Council. Mr R J Saville was unanimously confirmed in this post.
	(2) The Council’s Responsible Finance Officer. Mr R J Saville was unanimously confirmed in this 		post.
	(3) Caretaker of the Council’s Cemetery. Mr Ian Travers was unanimously confirmed in this post.
	(4) The Council’s Internal Auditor. Mr Haydn Arnold was unanimously confirmed in this post.
	(4) Caretaker of the enlarged Play Area in St George’s School Field. It was agreed that a schedule of 	work should be drawn up for the next Council Meeting, after which the post should be advertised. In 	the meantime, it was agreed that Mr Ian Travers should be asked to give the area grass a cutting.
8.	The Minutes of the last Council Meeting, held on April 12th 2007, having been distributed to 	members prior to the Meeting, were confirmed and signed.
9.	Matters Arising from the Minutes:
	(1) Item 4. There had been no official notification of the date of the By-Election, but the Memorial 	Room had been booked for it on June 21st.
	(2) Item 7(2). It was reported that as yet no action had been taken to remove the trees in Twoleas 	Meadow which were damaging the north wall of the Closed Cemeteries.
	(3) Item 7(3). Cllr Loudoun reported that the dog-litter signs had still not arrived. He displayed a sign 	which the National Trust was adopting for its own land.
	(4) Item 7(6). The Clerk reported that the Invoice had arrived for the new play equipment and had 	been paid. Mrs Stone had been notified about the concern of some Councillors about sharp edges on 	the fencing. This had all been included in the Clerk’s Report.
	(5) Item 8. The County Council Officer who was to arrange a site visit concerning the possibility of 	parking at the south end of Crack Lane had still not been in touch.
	(6) Item 9(2). It took some time for the DCA Survey on Housing to go around. The comments were 	collated and sent in immediately it was finished, but the reply thanked Council for its opinions, but 	stated that as it had arrived later than the closing date, the opinions stated were not included in the 	DCA‘s Report.
	(7) Item 11(4). The Clerk reported that the subscription to DAPTC had been paid, and that he had 	ordered some more coloured posters advertising Council Meetings, as the bright colours of these 	drew the public‘s attention. He had also asked for three of the booklets for new Councillors. These 	were provided free of charge, but Council had to pay the postage. This was approved..
	(8) Item 11(5). The Clerk reported that the website fee had been paid and Cllr Lovell had been 	reimbursed.
	(9) Item 12(2). The letter of thanks had been sent to Mr Haysom for repair of the memorial in the 	closed cemetery.
	(10) Item 13. The Revised Cemetery Regulations had been duplicated and sent out to all the 	Undertakers in the region and to all the Quarry-owners and Stonemasons who regularly supplied 	memorials.
10.	The Clerk’s Report for the period from 5.4.07 to 3.5.07 was received.
11.	Matters Arising from the Clerk’s Report:
	(1) The By-Election. Cllr Lovell said that it was up to the Parish Council to decide if there should be 	Polling Cards. If so, this would probably cost another £450. On the proposition from the Chair, it was 	agreed that, in the interests of publicity and democracy these cards should be used.
	(2) Item 19. The Clerk asked for guidance on the Account held by the Portman Buiding Society 	entitled ‘Langton Matravers Parish Plan Account’. He advised that, as the Plan had now been 	completed, either this Account should be closed, or, if Council had plans for another Account, it 	should be re-named. Cllr Lovell proposed that it be re-named ‘The Projects Account’ and that the 	VAT recovered from the purchase of the new play equipment should be placed in it for future use on 	the Play Area in the School Field. This was agreed. The Clerk added that the VAT could not yet be 	reclaimed, as Mr Frampton of Church Knowle had, despite several reminders, not sent the amount of 	the VAT charged on the fencing, or his VAT Registration Number.
	(3) Item 32. On the proposition from the Chair, it was unanimously agreed that Council should join 	the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities.
12.	Chairman’s Announcements: None.
13.	Financial Matters:
	(1) The following additions to Council funds were noted:
	     £23,828.00 from Langton Matravers Play Project.
	     £5,500.00 from PDC as the first instalment of the Annual Precept for 2007-8.
	(2) The following payments by cheque, already authorized, were noted:
	     £2,170.00 to the Clerk as the final instalment of his salary for the Year 2006-7,
	     £1,000.00 to Langton Matravers Play Project, as Grant in Aid towards the fencing,
	     £1,412.00 to G Frampton of Church Knowle for fencing around the enlarged Play Area,
	     £422.24 to SE for unmetered current for 19 Footway Lights for the Year 2007-8,
	     £10.00 to Village Hall for use of March Council Chamber,
	     £300.00 (£30 x 10 burial plots sold in Year 2006-7) to Council’s Cemetery Endowment Account,
	     £22,415.90 to Hand Made Places Ltd for new Play Equipment,
	     £58.74 to M W J Lovell (ex Yahoo) for Council’s Website subscription.
	(3) The following payments by Direct Debit were noted:
	     £69.00 to PDC as May Rates on the Office/Toilets Block.
	(4) The Annual Statement of Income and Expenditure for the Year ended 31st March 2007 was 	received and approved. A Vote of Thanks, proposed by Cllr J Bradford, was unanimously endorsed to 	Mr N E Priddle for his work in collecting funds and organizing work parties and improvements at the 	Closed Cemeteries, which had greatly enhanced the centre of the village.	
	(5) It was unanimously agreed that, for the convenience of the Clerk, the three signatories of Council 	cheques should remain as before.
14.	Cemetery Matters:
	Chairman noted that the Cemetery Endowment Fund had reached almost seven thousand pounds.
15.	Dog-litter Bins.
	A letter had been received from Mrs J Greves, suggesting six possible sites for these bins.
	It was decided that the list should be circulated and that the matter should be deferred to the June 	Council Meeting.
16.	The date of the next Council Meeting was confirmed as Thursday June 14th at 7.0 p.m.
17.	Matters for inclusion on the Agenda of the June Council Meeting:
	(1) The SID at Coombe.

There being no further business, the Meeting was adjourned at 8.50 p.m.

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