Parish Council of Langton Matravers
www.langtonmatravers-pc.org
Minutes of a meeting of Council held in the Village Hall on Thursday, 13th November 2008 at 7.00pm
Present Cllr M Kirby (Chairman) in the Chair, and Cllrs, J Bradford, P Loudoun, Mrs V Murray, N Priddle, and P White. 

1.	Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Mrs P. Kwantes, M Lovell & P. Bradford.
2.	Declarations of interest: there were none.
3.	Public Discussion period: 
The Meeting was adjourned for discussion.
(a)	Dr C Spilling asked what the Parish Council’s thinking was regarding PDC’s Affordable Housing Rural Exception Site Checklist. Cllr M Kirby said that he would be attending a workshop on the subject arranged by PDC for the 16th November. Dr Spilling asked if individuals could express their views as part of the feedback process. Cllr J Bradford said they could. Cllr N Priddle said the Parish Council had examined every exception site in the village and that PDC’s existing boundaries were almost a stranglehold. 
The Meeting was reconvened.
4.	Matters arising from the Public Discussion:
There were none. 
5.	Planning Matters:
	(1) There were no comments from the public concerning Plan 0685, submitted by Mr C Moring; Erect second storey rear extension. “Marwyn” Gypshayes.
.	(2) Determine Council’s comment on Plan 0685; 
	On the proposition of the Chairman it was unanimously agreed that;
	“The Parish Council has no objection.”	
	 (3) The following Planning Decisions were noted:
(a) Plan 0633, submitted by Mr J Garrett; Make alterations to existing dormer window in western elevation (retrospective). Serrells Mead Cottages (2), Langton Matravers: Approved.
(b) Plan 0634, submitted by Mr J Garrett; Make alterations to existing dormer window in western elevation (retrospective). Insert new window in northern elevation at ground floor and make internal alterations. Serrells Mead Cottages (2), Langton Matravers: Approved.
(c) Plan 0620, submitted by Mrs E Ormond; replace chimney stack on northern roof slope at “Cameric”, Acton: Approved.
 (4)Any other Planning Matters;
 There were none.
6.	Minutes of the last Meeting, held on the 9th October were confirmed and signed.
7.	Matters arising from the Minutes:
(a) The Clerk read out an email received from Mr I Mackenzie, updating his progress with the Council’s application to have Windmill Lane designated a public footpath. A copy of a previous email from Mr I Mackenzie had been circulated to all councillors in which he assured them that if the Council changed its application to a Restricted Byway it would not allow any motorised vehicles and that the category had been specifically introduced by DoFE to exclude 4x4s and other off-road vehicles, including track bikes. The Chairman then proposed that the Council should accept Mr Mackenzie’s advice and it was unanimously agreed. 
(b) Conservation Area Review; the Chairman said that after Councillors meeting with Mr B Webb & Mr M Sturgess the Townscape Map had been altered to include areas of Important Open Green Space, although this did not include the playing fields nor the land to the south of them. Otherwise there had been no changes to the Review.
(c) The Clerk reported that Mr Tony Burt of DCC had written to say that he would inspect the condition of the double yellow lines in Durnford Drove to see if he thought they needed repainting.
(d) New Governor for St George’s First School; The Chairman announced that he had spoken to Joyce Meates, Chairman of Worth Matravers Parish Council, and Cllr Wendy Wilson had agreed to become a governor.
(e) The post box at the Council office; it was agreed that a letter box should be fitted in the door with a metal box inside to contain the mail.
(f) A notice case at the office: The Chairman said that he would investigate how much it would cost. 
8.	The Clerk’s Report for the period 4.10.08 – 7.11.08. was received.
9.	Matters arising from the Clerk’s Report:
(a) Local Councils Update magazine. The Clerk asked if the Council wished to order it. Cllr Priddle said that he thought the sample magazine that had been circulated was very good and it was agreed to find out how much an annual subscription would be.
(b) The Clerk announced that the broken paving slab outside 40 High St had been repaired.
(c) The Clerk announced that he was now doing the parish accounts on Excel.
(d) Letter from Cascade Housing regarding Community Housing needs. The Clerk was instructed to follow this up.
(e) The bus stop outside “Raherne”, Coombe Hill; The Clerk announced that he had received no reply or acknowledgment to either of his letters to Wilts& Dorset and asked if he could write to the Chief Executive. It was agreed that he should.  
10.	Chairman’s announcements;
There were none.
11.	Financial Matters:
	(1) The following additions to the Council funds since the last Council Meeting were noted:
 There were none.
(2) The following Payments by Cheque, already authorized, since last Meeting, were noted:
 £130.05 to Shaw & Sons for Burial Deed and Cemetery Receipt books. 
£418.13 to J Bellucci for Clerk’s salary for September.
£3.00 to DAPTC for Parish Meeting posters.
£15.00 to Langton Matravers Village Hall Committee, for October Council Chamber and a Councillors meeting.
£110.00 to Mr P Newell, for cutting the grass in the Cemetery and the Play Area.
£20.43 to J Bellucci, ex Staples, for stationery.
£440.00 to Mr I Travers, for 4 cuts of the grass in the Cemetery and Play Area.
£15.99 to Nildram for broadband connection 21/10 – 20/11.
£20.00 to DAPTC for Chairman’s Seminar for Cllrs M Kirby & Mrs P Kwantes.
£50.00 to Mr N Donald for June and September internal audits.
£1.89 to J. Bellucci, ex Post Office, for paper towels to mop up leak in office washbasin.
£479.63 to J Bellucci for Clerk’s salary for October ( inc. backdated cost of living raise).
(3)The following payments by Direct Debit were noted:
 £72.00 to PDC for October Business Rates for office/toilet block.
(4)Any other Financial Matters:
 (a) The Council’s Nationwide accounts; Cllr Priddle said that he had been unable to give his information to close the accounts because The Nationwide had said that Cllr Lovell, whose name the accounts are in, needed to contact them again. 
12.	Cemetery Matters:
	(1) Council cemetery.
(a) Cllr Loudoun said that he had got a digger and cleared the new land, but the National Trust wanted to know precisely where the northern and eastern boundaries were, because there was some dispute between their understanding of the boundaries and the Parish Council’s. Cllr Priddle said that when the Council bought the land from the NT it was 40 feet wide not 15 metres. The Clerk was instructed to find the conveyance of purchase and inform Cllr Loudoun.  
	(2) Closed cemeteries.
The grass had been cut.
13.	Allotments.
	(a)The Minutes of the October Meeting of the Allotments Committee were unanimously agreed.
(b) The Chairman announced that the meeting had been well attended by people interested in having an allotment and it had been agreed to alter the tenancy rules so that no inorganic spraying would be allowed. Several people had volunteered to be on a Steering Group and to help form an Allotment Society and a meeting would be arranged. Concern had been raised by a parishioner whose property bordered the allotments about the size of fruit trees. Cllr Loudoun said that the Council could either limit height or specify which rootstock could be used. He thought the best option was to specify which rootstocks.
(c) The Chairman announced that he had applied for a grant of £5629.00 from the Community Aggregates Fund. He hoped to give an update in December.
(d) Cllr Loudoun announced that the land was now free for him to spray and he would do so as soon as the weather conditions were right. Cllr Kirby asked if volunteers could now mark out the allotments boundary and Cllr Loudoun agreed that they could.
(e) The Clerk was instructed to find out if either the Council’s employers or public liability insurance would cover volunteers.   
14.	Affordable housing;
(a)The Chairman announced that he had met Mr N Cronk of Raglan Housing Assoc., and Fiona Brown of PDC to look at sites in the village. He said that Mr Cronk had agreed with the Parish Council that the earth screening to hide the proposed development at Steppes was unwanted and that the development should be built more in keeping with the village and be something to be proud of and that it was agreed by both Mr Cronk and Fiona Brown that apart from the current development plans Steppes offered no further development opportunities. He added that Mr Cronk had given his assurance that the tenants at 19 Steppes were told before they took on their tenancy that they would lose a large part of their garden in the planned development, which had to start by March 2009. 
(b) The Chairman also announced that he had been in touch with Mr A Clothier of PDC to start the process of getting an equipped and maintained play area at Steppes, which is part of the planning conditions.
15.	SEC contract; It was unanimously decided to take no action.
16.	Caretaker’s contract: There were only 2 tenders and it was unanimously agreed to offer the position to Mr P Newell of Swanage.
17.	Toilets at Putlake; the Clerk was instructed to contact Mr Bill Davidson to arrange a meeting to discuss PDC’s plans for the future. 
18.	Play Area lease; a copy of the proposed lease was circulated to councillors.
19.	Public Green status for the playing fields; deferred to next meeting.
20.	Parish Plan; The Chairman announced that he wanted to update what actions had been taken. The following aims had been achieved or were being addressed ; a new parish office, the need for affordable housing, a neighbourhood watch scheme, no parking signs in turning circles, a bus shelter at the closed cemetery, extension to recycling facilities, additional playground equipment. Cllr Loudoun pointed out that with regard to traffic calming in the village, residents had opposed sleeping policemen or chicanes and he thought the best solution was strategic parking by residents.
21.	Access road to Burngate Stone Centre; the Clerk was instructed to write to Andy Ackerman of DCC to ask that a sign be erected warning of the concealed entrance.
22.	The date of the next Council Meeting was confirmed as the 4th December at 7 pm.
23.	Items for the next Agenda;
	Public Green status for the playing fields.
	A new site for the plastic recycling bins.
	Fingerposts.
23.	There being no further business, the Meeting was adjourned at 9:05pm.

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