Made Up Parish Council Old Alresford Parish Council
OLD ALRESFORD PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL ASSEMBLY MEETING HELD ON 30TH APRIL, 2009 AT 7.30.P.M. IN THE CHRISTY HALL, OLD ALRESFORD.

PRESENT:    COUNCILLOR B. TUCKERCHAIRMAN.

COUNCILLORS MRS. J. CLARKSON, MRS. R. CLIFF and MR. C. HANCOCK.

COUNTY COUNCILLOR – MRS. J. PORTER.

Together with 12 parishioners.

IN ATTENDANCE - P.C. Ben Stoneley.  Alresford Police Station

Mrs. R. R. Smith. Clerk to the Parish Council

APOLOGIES – Apologies for absence were received from City Councillor G. Hollingbery, Councillor Mrs. S. Richardson and Mrs. M. Clarke.

WELCOME  The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.   

COMMUNITY ISSUES

P.C. Ben Stoneley introduced himself as the new beat Officer for Old Alresford.   He gave a brief description of his role in the area and gave details of recent incidents in  Old Alresford.  He advised parishioners that it was possible to obtain from the Police Station an alarm system for sheds.   He also asked parishioners to report any unusual vehicles or individuals in the area.   He agreed with a Parishioner that certain items taken in burglaries were possibly taken to order.  

  

The Chairman thanked P.C. Stoneley for attending the meeting and giving his report.

COUNTY COUNCILLOR MRS. J. PORTER.

County Councillor Mrs. Jackie Porter gave a report on her work for the Parish over the past year.

1.Road Safety.    She has been working on the Village 30 programme, Traffic Management in Old Alresford, Safer Routes to School and Examining the causes of

KSI (killed and seriously injured.)

2.Adult Care.    She was particularly concerned over landlord issues and an example of this was the lack of response from A2 over issues with the play area in Kiln Lane.    The surface is at times very slippery and while Parish Councillors Sarah Richardson and Clive Hancock had washed down the equipment to make it safer this should be work carried out by A2. particularly in view of the high maintenance charges being levied on residents.   

3.Children's Services.  She was concerned that Sun Hill School was now full and she knew of one case of a family who had one child at Sun Hill and was having to transport the other child to a different School.        There is therefore a need for more school places.  She would also like to see more facilities for children - nurseries and young parent support and also more "Safer Routes to Schools".

4.Infrastructure.    She has been involved in the disabled bus access at Alresford, the railway bridge path at Alresford and the car park at the railway station.

5.Other issues she had been involved in included potholes and their repairs, the Alresford Town Partnership and decisions about Children's Centres.

6. Public Transport improvements - more bus stops where people want them, better higher level bus stops. improved access for disabled users.  She had been instrumental in taking ideas from the public to the transport providers.

Councillor Jackie Porter gave details of the work to be done on Footpath 15.  She had been pleased to allocate £1500. from her devolved County Council budget to add to the funds the Parish Council had allocated for fencing along the path.  She was also pleased to say that the County Council had allocated £7,000. for repairs to the path.   The Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator for the Parish asked if the footpath sign could be larger so that walkers knew there was a safe path to Alresford.   This was important to people walking to the observation point.   Councillor Jackie Porter said that discussions are taking place with the owner of Arle Mill and also an investigation by the County Council into the Soke.

The Chairman thanked Councillor Jackie Porter for all the work and support she has

given Old Alresford Parish Council over the past four years and wished her every success in the forthcoming County Council elections.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 17th APRIL 2008.

Minutes of the meeting held on the 17th April 2008 having been circulated were taken as read and signed by the Chairman.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT.

The Chairman’s report is attached to the Minutes (Appendix 1)

REPORTS

1.CHRISTY HALL.  See appendix 1 Chairman's report.

2.ENVIRONMENT -Councillor C. Hancock reported on the maintenance of the village green and SERCO had again been appointed to carry out 16 cuts in the coming season.   There had been a problem with the cutting back of the stream but this has now been resolved with a new contractor.   In answer to a question Councillor Hancock said that the grass is being cut on the green the same number of

times - 16 and some cuts appear to be closer together at this time of the year when the grass grows more quickly.

3HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. -.  See appendix 1. Chairman's report.

4.PLANNING -   See appendix 1. Chairman's report

FINANCIAL REPORT

The financial report for the year to 31st March 2009 was presented – appendix 2. The accounts are presented subject to both internal and external audit.   In answer to a question it was noted that Section 137 donations are given to charities which are part of and carry out work within the Old Alresford Parish Council area.

APPOINTMENT OF INTERNAL AUDITOR

Mr. Michael Booth was unanimously appointed to this role with special thanks from the Council.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH REPORT.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Mr. Roy Wyeth who gave a brief report on his role in the Parish.   He confirmed that the Neighbourhood Watch Report had been delivered to most of the 200 properties in Old Alresford.  He also mentioned the shed alarms and advised parishioners that when renewing their household insurance they should mention that they are in a Neighbourhood Watch area as some Insurance Companies will give a small discount for properties in these areas.

Mr. Wyeth went on to alert residents of recent thefts of oil from oil tanks.

PARISHIONERS QUESTION TIME

1.Wearne House. A parishioner reported that the verge outside Wearne House had quite a lot of rubbish left on it and also that the grass verge had not been cut.  The Council will contact Winchester City Council on this matter.

2.There is a need for a bolt on one of ladies toilet doors in the Christy Hall. This will be passed to the Hall Committee.

3.The Council were thanked for the work done in Kiln Lane and the clearing of the footways.    This was done extremely well by Winchester City Council and Hampshire Highways.

4.Everyone at the meeting said how nice the trees, which the Council planted on the Green a few years ago, are now looking and this enhances the appearance of the Green.

5.Grips - The grips from Wield road up had been cleared but the ones down from Wield road had not been cleared.

6.Dustbins and green bags were being left on the footway and a request to be made to SERCO operatives to put bins and bags inside the gates on the Basingstoke

Road from Southdowns into the village as if they are left on the footway parishioners with children walking to School etc are having to walk in the main road

7.Footway signs - a request that the sign be larger as people are not noticing the sign pointing to the footway and still walking in the road.

8.Housing Association - the Council to ask Winchester CC to check the agreement regarding the road improvement at Kiln Lane as this does not appear to have taken place.

The Chairman closed the meeting at  8.30.p.m. thanking everyone for attending.

Mrs. Carol Beetham proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman and Parish Council for all their work for Old Alresford.   This was unanimously agreed.