Full Council Minutes

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Minutes of a meeting of the above Council held at Wickham Community Centre on Monday 16^th April 2007 at 7.15pm. 

Present: Mrs A Clear (Chairman), Mrs J Mallett (Vice-Chairman),

Mr M Carter, Mrs D Dudley, Mrs T Evans (District Councillor), Mrs J Hollis,

Dr M O’Connell, Mrs S Roger-Jones, Mr M Sadler-Forster

1        To receive apologies for absence: Mr F Allgood (County Councillor),

Mr M Coles, Mr P Clohosey (District Councillor)

2        To receive declarations of interest on agenda items: none.

3        To adjourn meeting to allow participation of members of the public 

3.1.           Report from County Councillor: no report this month.

3.2.           Reports from District Councillors: please see attached report.

Members raised concerns that the PC was not consulted or advised on the increase in parking charges in The Square.

3.3     Other questions from members of the public

Resident of St Nicholas Row asked that trees close to their boundaries be removed to reduce aphid dew and increase light entering gardens and property.  Quote to be obtained.

4        Meeting resumed to approve the minutes of the Full Council meeting 19^th March 2007. Minutes signed with the following amendment:

It was agreed that item 3.1 third para. of the March minutes should read:

A further request for the A334 to be returned to ‘B road’ status was made.

5        Matters properly arising from those minutes: included below.

6        Meeting resumed to consider the following agenda items:

6.1 To receive update on Market Town Health Check. (Chairman/Clerk) Evidence gathering is ongoing, further volunteers are needed for the project.

6.2 Village Design Statement review progress report (Cllr Sadler-Forster)

Refer to next meeting – other evidence gathering projects (LDF and Health Check etc) to be completed before further progress can be made.

 6.3 To receive update on European Market proposals for 2007 (Cllr Carter): nothing further to report.

6.4 To receive a report on Knowle issues: work is progressing slowly on the new sports pitches and recreation ground. 

6.5 Youth Club Committee report (Cllr Carter): the outcome of a grant application for £1000 from WCC is awaited.  It is hoped the Youth Club ‘Drum for Fun’ team will perform on stage during Wickham Festival.

6.6 General Purposes Committee report (Cllr O’Connell ): no report this month, a number of issues are being pursued.

6.7 Lighting Committee report (Chairman): a request for a new light on the corner of Mayles Lane has been received.

6.8 Planning Committee report (Cllr Mallett).

6.8.1 To receive minutes of meeting 26^th March 2007 Minutes received.

6.8.2 Proposal that after the elections the Parish Council agrees to set aside a specific date/time for a preliminary discussion on strategic issues related to the future of the village. Agreed

6.8.3 Proposal that the Parish Council nominates a ‘working group’ to examine and then propose steps needed to carry out an impact assessment of the likely effects of the North Fareham SDA on the communities of Knowle and Wickham. Agreed. It was suggested that the impact of all development proposed in the next 20 years be addressed including North Fareham SDA, North Whiteley MDA, West of Waterlooville MDA and Hedge End/Eastleigh SDA.

6.9 Recreation Committee report  (Cllr Roger-Jones).

6.9.1 To receive update on proposals for Knowle recreation facilities (refer to next meeting - WCC meeting planned for 17^th May)

6.9.2 To receive update on proposals to construct new Scout headquarters on the Recreation Ground with a facility that would include changing rooms and shared kitchen for the sports pitches. (refer to next meeting - Committee meeting planned for 18^th April)

6.10 Traffic and Highways Representative's report (Chairman). HCC has advised that ditches in Mill Lane and Frith Lane have been cleared but there is no evidence at present.

The Chairman spoke to the resident parking on the verge at the entrance to Tanfield Lane, they are unwilling to co-operate with the request to park elsewhere.

HCC has advised that Wickham flooding issues have been prioritised:

Top priority: A32 by the Shell garage, A32 north of Wickham, A32 by the church crossroads             

Category 2:  Mill Lane

Category 3: The Circle, Opposite Forge Garage

The costs of the three Wickham schemes in Category 1 would be: School Road, Wickham by the garage: £10,000 for capacity improvement.  A32  north of Wickham: £5000 for headwall and grill to existing culvert, Church crossroads: £2000 for double gully. 

6.11 Water Meadows Committee report. (Cllr Mallett) refer to next meeting AGM to be held 18^th April

6.12 Finance Committee report: (Chairman): no report this month.

6.13 Cemetery Committee (Chairman) The Chairman has spoken to the landowner who gifted the land and she is happy for the site to be used for the internment of ashes.  A proposal to use of some of the land for allotments was not favourably received.  It was agreed that residents should be informed of the proposals for the cemetery in the summer parish magazine delivered to all households.

6.14 Report on recent meetings attended by Councillors/Clerk including:

A32 Signage Clutter (Chairman/Cllr Sadler-Forster/Clerk) The consultant for the project met with PC members and Clerk to outline the proposals for School Road, the designs will be forwarded for consultation in due course.

HCC People Places and Hampshire Highways Conference (Clerk) please see attached report.

6.15 Annual Parish Assembly –to receive update on proposals: Wickham Primary School and Wickham Youth Club will be performing/making presentations.  The Citizen of the Year Awards have been agreed.

7 Recent correspondence: list circulated prior to meeting.

8 Accounts for payment It was resolved to pay the following accounts: (see page 4 )

9 Questions and comments from Councillors

The Chairman noted that this would be the last Full Council meeting attended by Mrs Jenny Mallett and Dr Morgan O’Connell as they were not standing for election.  The Chairman thanked both for their long service to the Parish Council, saying they would be greatly missed.

It was agreed to support an application by residents of Old Knowle for the reinstatement of a footpath: Action Clerk.

A request was made for the yellow line proposal for Mill Lane to include the entrance to Dickson Park: Action Clerk to forward request to WCC

Drains in the Star Corner layby are still blocked: Action Clerk.

Pigeons are a problem on the railway bridges: Action Clerk to refer to WCC/HCC

A bin for the Water Meadows by the Old Forge was requested: to Water Meadows AGM.

Possibility of making the Water Meadows wild path less squelchy was discussed: to Water Meadows AGM.

A complaint by a resident regarding Warwicks use of parking bays in The Square for display was considered unreasonable, Warwicks has always used the spaces and it adds character to The Square.

8 April accounts for payment:

Reports:

3.2 Report from Mrs T Evans District Councillor

A Tanfield Park resident is annoyed by Warwicks using parking bays in The Square for display of goods.

Phil Clohosey is stepping down at the next election.

Winchester City Council is running three polling stations in Wickham for the District/Parish Council elections.

Wickham Primary School is attending jazz and folk concerts at the Turner Sims Theatre as it has received a grant to bring music to children who may otherwise not have the opportunity.

Cllr Evans reminded the Parish Council of the availability of small grants through the WCC Community Chest scheme.

6.14 HCC Conference 27^th March 2007 People, Places and Hampshire Highways

Some Hampshire clerks were invited to this conference along with highways officers, County councillors and highways consultants.

The purpose was to raise awareness and understanding of issues faced in conserving the special quality and distinctiveness of Hampshire’s countryside, towns and villages whilst managing and improving a safe road network.

Ben Hamilton-Baille, a leading consultant in providing innovative solutions for reconciling traffic movement with quality public spaces, gave a very inspiring presentation.  His vision is for shared spaces where pedestrians have priority over vehicles.  This idea has been used with success in Holland, Sweden and Denmark and is starting to be used in the UK.  HCC’s pilot project to remove signage clutter on the A32 is part of the shared spaces vision which looks to drivers to use their intelligence to reduce speed when appropriate, assisted, perhaps, by smaller signage and changes in road surface treatments in village areas.

My understanding is that these ideas accept that traffic levels are going to increase but seek to manage it through changing the behaviour of drivers to create a more acceptable environment.  (If YOU slow down to 20 mph everyone behind has to do the same) Effective education is probably the key starting perhaps with our pre-school children who will use pester power to change the ways of their parents. Changing behaviour will be challenging but it is possible. (recycling, smoking)

Perhaps another look at the Church crossroads is needed.  A shared spaces scheme would not favour traffic lights cutting off the Church from the village in such a physically and visually intrusive manner. (Superimpose the Meon Hut junction onto the Church crossroads, is it appropriate? )  It would look to reduce speeds through changes in surfacing with limited road markings inviting drivers to be watchful for pedestrians allowing the Church to be the main focus of the crossroads and an integral part of the village. 

Presentations were also given on attitudes to risk and how road design has developed. We were shown a film of a junction in India where four streams of traffic flow in either direction and four streams cross it at the junction.  No signs, signals or road markings – or accidents.

To take on a shared spaces scheme would mean taking responsibility for risks, the occasional accident can happen anywhere regardless of signage, barriers, road markings, traffic lights etc etc. After an accident the knee jerk reaction to campaign for traffic calming, barriers, more signs and warning lights.

Some interesting aspects of road design were shared:  roads are still being designed based on the turning capability of a 1940’s vehicle; visibility is based on site lines from similar vehicles with designs based on avoiding potential dead dogs in the road in some instances! (were there a lot of dead dogs in the road in the 1940’s?)

There is, for instance,  scope for features such as roundabouts to use less space with narrower approaches which would encourage more careful driving

The choice is perhaps to embrace a new and challenging idea with real prospects for improving our sense of place, distinctiveness and quality of life for our residents and visitors or to increase the culture of ‘protection at all costs’ by steadily dividing up the village by increasing the number of traffic lights, barriers, signs and road markings.

Nicki Oliver

Parish Clerk