Parish Council of Langton Matravers
www.langtonmatravers-pc.org
 
Minutes of a Meeting of the Council, including the Annual Parish Meeting, held in the Village Hall on Thursday 12th May 2016 at 7 pm.
Present: Cllr W Knight in the Chair, Cllrs P Christie, P Loudoun, M Turner, R Sheppard, P White, C Drayson. Cllr Lovell was not present at the start of the meeting.
There were 9 members of the public present.
The meeting was audio-recorded.  
1. Election of Chairman. RESOLVED: To elect Cllr Knight.
2. Election of Vice-Chairman. RESOLVED: To elect Cllr Christie.
3. Apologies for absence. Cllr Lucas. 
4. Declarations of Interest / Grant of Dispensations. None. Cllrs Drayson, Christie and Loudoun will be updating their Registers of Interests. 
5. Appoint or Confirm Council Officers, Representatives and part-time employee.
RoWLO – VACANT. ACTION: Clerk to advertise in Dubber.
Tree and Hedgerow – Cllr Loudoun
Emergency Liaison – Cllr Christie
Representative on St George’s school Governing body – Mr Peter Moring.
Representative on Village Hall Management Cttee – Cllr Drayson
Representatives on Purbeck Association of Parish and Town Councils – Cllrs Drayson and Christie.
Contact for PACT – Cllr Sheppard
Allotment Liaison Officers – Cllrs Sheppard and Christie
Representatives on Timson Trust – Cllrs Loudoun, Turner and White. ACTION: Clerk to clarify roles of Trustees in relation to LMPC with PDC Chief Exec’s PA. 
Youth Liaison Officer – Cllr Lucas (carry over).
Dancing Ledge Representative – Cllr Sheppard
Transport Liaison Officer – Cllr Christie ?
Internal Auditor – Mr John Kennedy
Clerk, RFO and Clerk to the Burial Board  - Dr Mary Sparks
The Chair will continue to attend PDC Chair’s networking meetings on behalf of LMPC.
Cllr Drayson also attends Purbeck Heritage Group and Swanage Town and Community Partnership meetings and will report back to LMPC as required.
Cllr Lovell joined the meeting.
6. Review of Policies and Governance Documents.
a )RESOLVED: To accept the following without change: Standing Orders / Complaints Procedure / Code of Conduct / Community Noticeboard Policy / Allotment Garden Policy. 
b) RESOLVED: To accept minor changes to the following: Publication Scheme / Equal Opportunities Policy (previously Ethnic Communities Policy) / Instructions to Clerk on Content of Monthly Dubber Article / Risk Register / Finance Regulations.
7. National Trust Report. The new Car Park signs at each end of Durnford Drove are now in place. The new plans for the Spyway car park will be submitted soon, and work will be done in the Autumn, after the holiday period. Mr Kershaw has been preparing costings for the mends to the surface of the Priest’s Way. There has also been work on damaged stiles and gates, done by an outside contractor to speed up the process. These should be ‘dog friendly’; please let Mr Kershaw know if there are problems with any of these replacements.  Ecology surveys are being done on the coppiced area in the West Wood. Mr Kershaw was thanked for his report.
8. St George’s School Report. Report received. A new Head is about to be appointed.
9. Public Discussion Period. The meeting was adjourned for this agenda item. 
a) Dr Richard Cottrell expressed concern about St George’s School parents parking around the entrance to Old Malthouse Lane and on the zig-zag lines there. Children run down the pavement unaware of the entrance. 
b) Mrs Sue Haysom i) noted that a large camper van was causing a visual obstruction on the road opposite the end of Garfield Lane. ii) She is unhappy with DCC Highways plans to take down a tree at the corner of the Hyde as part of the footway widening scheme: she asked that the tree be retained, and the present temporary concrete slabs faced with stone.
c) Mr Peter Bowyer, Chair of Studland Parish Council, explained the background to the PDC PRAG ‘Preferred Options’, saying that the figures which drive the scheme (the SHMA) are an imposed model not properly based on the special context of Purbeck: the PRAG proposals cannot be implemented without significant impact on the area, and do not meet the needs of local communities. There is strong local opposition to the PDC proposals for these reasons. He urged the meeting to engage with the consultation, and tell PDC that the numbers on which the proposals are based are totally inappropriate to local need. He gave the meeting an open invitation to attend a ‘Meeting of Minds’ at Studland Village Hall on 25th May, to discuss the matter.  
Cllr Turner left the chamber.
d) Mr Barrie Mayes announced that there will be a meeting to find a way to constitute a Community Land Trust for Langton Matravers, to provide affordable housing. The date will be put in the Dubber.
The meeting was reconvened.
7. Matters Arising from the Public Discussion. 
a) Community Land Trust. Cllr Knight reiterated LMPC’s support for the proposed CLT.
b) PDC PRAG ‘Preferred options’. Cllrs Drayson and Christie had both attended PDC’s AGM at the Purbeck School on 10th May, where great concerns were expressed from the floor on the subject. Local P&T Cllrs were asked for comment, and Cllrs Drayson and Christie spoke as individual councillors, though not officially on behalf of LMPC. Cllr Drayson suggested that the Chair might communicate LMPC’s views to Peter Wharf, Chair of PRAG, directly. At Mr Bowyer’s proposal, the consultation period had been extended to 9 weeks. Cllr Drayson noted that Cllrs are asked to consider1) the land in ‘your’ parish, and 2) the whole Partial Review.
Cllr Drayson expressed concern that Cllr Lovell has been advised against speaking because he has a personal interest in the PRAG proposals, having a home adjacent to the Langton sites. Therefore the village is not represented at District level. Cllr Lovell said that the parish could contact either Cllr Suttle or Cllr Wharf instead.
Cllr Knight announced that a recent meeting with MP Richard Drax on 5th May had touched on issues related to the Partial Review, affordable housing and academisation of schools. Mr Drax does not understand why PDC needs such large housing figures, and is arranging a meeting between PDC’s Bridget Downton and Peter Wharf and the Secretary of State and the Housing Minister to discuss. Mr Drax is not happy about the sale of Housing Association housing, nor the ‘affordability’.
Cllr Turner rejoined the meeting.
c) OMH Entrance Parking. ACTION: Clerk to write to St George’s School to ask parents to park safely (Copy to Governors).
11. Planning Matters. 
1. There were no comments on the plans below from members of the public.
2 a)  TWA/2016/0054  Subsidence Management Services, St Georges Close (The Rectory), Langton Matravers, BH19 3HZ. (TG1) Sycamores x3 - fell; (TG2) Sycamores x2 - fell; (T1) Horse chestnut - fell; (T3) Horse chestnut - fell; (T4) Horse chestnut - fell; (T5) Beech - fell - The District of Purbeck (The Rectory, St Georges Close, Langton Matravers) Tree Preservation Order 2015 (Ref.TPO 446). Leave Decision to Tree Officer 
b) 6/2016/0215 Mr Martyn Harris, Steppes Hill (11 - Englefield), Langton Matravers, BH19 3ET. Replace tile hanging on east, north and west elevations with light grey PVC weather board. OBJECTION: The Steppes Hill Estate has an overall visual consistency, as originally planned. The proposed changes would not be in keeping with this, and alter the look of the whole.
 3. a) TWA/2016/0036 Mrs Karen Travers, Durnford Drove (Langton House), Langton Matravers, BH19 3HG. (Grp 2) Plane x7 - crown reduction by up to 2.5m, remove rubbing & crossing branches; (T9) Hornbeam - crown lift to 5m above ground level; (T10) Lime - crown reduction by up to 3m; (T11) Sycamore - crown lift by up to 3.5m, crown reduction by 3m; (T15) Lime - crown reduction by up to 3m; (T16) Lime - crown thin by 30% by the removal of epicormic growth, crown lift by up to 3.5m over car park area; (T17) Poplar - fell; (T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T12, T13, T14) deadwood all - The District of Purbeck (Spyway House, Langton Matravers) TPO 1976 (Ref.TPO 44). APPROVED – TPO Split.
4. There were no other planning matters.  
12. Minutes of the Meeting held 14th April 2016. These were agreed to be a correct record and signed.
13. Matters Arising from the Minutes. 15b). the Clerk has not yet written to Two Leas House regarding ownership of trees. ACTION: Clerk.
14. The Clerk’s Report for the period 6.4.2016 – 3.5.2016.  Correspondence received and actions taken can be read on p.3 of the agenda. Report received.
a) Item A10). National Park Information. Cllr Drayson will attend the next meeting, as a private individual and as an individual councillor, but not on behalf of the council.  
b) Item A24) Definitions of RESs and ‘allocated sites’. Anna Lee’s letter makes clear that conditions for RESs may be altered by re-defining them ‘allocated sites’, (the affordable housing conditions for which make them more attractive to developers). 
c) Item Ca) Rural Bus Service Review. RESOLVED: To write in response saying that LMPC is concerned about the loss of bus services and local links. ACTION: Clerk.
d) ‘Jurassic Beast’ cycle sportive Feedback. Cllrs agreed that signage and behaviour of cyclists were better this year, with most observing the red lights at Putlake. ACTION: Clerk to feed back. 
e) Tree at Corner of Hyde DCC highways had asked for LMPC comments on removal of the tree, which has diseased bark, to put to the Tree Officer, who will make a decision on the matter. If removed it will be replaced with a crab apple. The projected wall can then go ahead as originally planned. RESOLVED: To leave the decision to the Tree Officer. ACTION: Clerk to advise DCC of LMPC decision.
f) Repair to Play Area. Another plank requires attention on the climbing wall. ACTION: Clerk to organise repair.
The next final date for inclusion of correspondence-related agenda items received between meetings is 31st May 2016.
15. Chairman’s Announcements. i) Cllr Knight and the Clerk had attended a meeting with Clerks and Chairs of Studland and Swanage. The meeting was intended to explore whether the Councils could work together, and it is intended for information-gathering: any proposals arising from discussion will be brought back to individual councils for decision. ii) He feels that it would be useful for the Council to consider a Neighbourhood Plan, and will bring a proposal to July’s meeting for discussion. iii) Silence was kept in memory of the late Michael Glassock, who was a LMPC Councillor between 1990-98.
16. County and District Councillor’s Report. Cllr Lovell updated the meeting on options for Unitary Authorities: a decision will be made by the end of the year. He has stepped down as District Housing representative after 17 years. 
17. Recommendations of Rights of Way Survey. RESOLVED: To enter into SLA with DCC for maintenance of 2 paths, at a cost of £126 per annum.  It was agreed that repairs to path furniture were the responsibility of individual landlords, and the matter was left on the table. Cllr Lovell said that Mrs Ann Beard had offered to walk the paths and report back any issues. ACTION: Clerk to contact Mrs Beard formally to ask if she will do this on the Council’s behalf. Clerk to contact Ian Mackenzie of the Rambler’s Association, and ask them to do the same.  It was agreed to review the RoW annually.
18. Letter to Mr Dicker. The text of the proposed letter having been circulated, it was RESOLVED: To send the letter to Mr Dicker expressing concern about the state of the Windmill Lane path. 
19. Revised Cemetery Regulations. Cllrs had previously been sent copies of the proposed changes, including revised charges and a new clause about Floral and other Tributes. RESOLVED: To accept changes to Cemetery Regulations. ACTION: Clerk to inform Funeral Directors, post revised Regs. at Cemetery and on website.
20. Review of Parish Assembly. No formal proposals had been made to Council by members of the public. Cllr Knight thanked Cllr Drayson very much for all her hard work. Chris Kwantes was thanked for his technical support, and Chris Spilling for other support which helped to contribute to the success of the evening: there had been much positive feedback. 
21. The Chairman announced that there will be an Extraordinary Council Meeting in St George’s Church on 23rd June at 7pm to discuss LMPC’s formal response to the PRAG ‘Preferred Options’ consultation.
22. Financial Matters:
(1) 	Additions to Council funds since the last Council Meeting: 
       £ 29.25      Allotment rent and water charge, Plot 8b.
       £ 500.00    DCC ‘Member’ Grant towards cost of new Parish Website.
       £ 3,717.74 CIL payment (PDC) for 3 sites in Langton
       £ 350.00    Purchase of Cremation plot Pa10 – Mr S.Lovell.
       £ 170.00    Interment fee - the late Beryl Morrill, Plot G3.
 (2) 	Note the following Payments by cheque or cash to be made since last Meeting:
       £ 150.00     Ian Bugler. Work at Cemetery and Play Area (April).
£ 701.53     Clerk’s salary (April). 
£ 514.66     Elliott’s Cleaning Co. Public Toilets + Bus Shelter + Cleaning products (April).
£ 95.99       HP Inc. UK Ltd. – Printer cartridges (cheque to Clerk).
£ 200.00     John Kennedy – Annual Internal Audit fee.
£ 8.06         HMRC – National Insurance payment (April)
£ 13.19       UK2 Website Domain fee. (cheque to M.Lovell)
£ 35.65       Refreshments for Parish Assembly (cheque to Cllr Drayson)
 (3) Payment by Direct Debit:
       £ 44.33 to XLN Telecom for phone and broadband.
                          £ 22.17       NEST - PC contribution to Clerk’s pension. 
4) Any other Financial Matters: 
a) RESOLVED: To approve the Internally Audited Accounts 2105-16 
b) RESOLVED: To approve the Annual Governance Statement
c) RESOLVED: To approve the Asset Register @ 31st March 2016
d) After consideration of the four quotations, it was RESOLVED: To accept that from Zurich Insurance for the 3-year period for an annual cost of £581.56 (not including motor cover).
23. Confirmation of the date of the next Council Meeting – 9th June 2016 at 7 pm. Cllr Christie will be in the Chair.
24. Additional Items for the Agenda of the next Council Meeting: Acton speeds / Future of Council’s Land.

Closed 9.10 pm.

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