EASEBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 9th NOVEMBER 2011

The first ten minutes were available for the public to express a view or ask questions about any item on the Agenda

Present:  Mr I Heustice (Chairman), Mr B Gowar (Vice-Chairman), Mr J Stringer, Mr A Revill, Mrs J Macdonald-Lawson, Dr A Guyatt, Mr F Martin, Mr M Taylor, Mr D Pack, Mrs E Hamilton (CDC), Mr M Brown (WSCC) and the Clerk.

11/12

51 Apologies for Absence: Mrs H Grantham and Mr A Thomas

52 Declaration of Interest: by Mr D Pack and Dr A Guyatt on Agenda item 59(d), Grants

53 The Minutes of the meeting held on 14th September 2011: Acceptance as a true record proposed by Dr Guyatt, seconded by Mr Stringer.  All in favour.

54 Matters Arising: none

55 Report from County Councillor: Mr Brown spoke of the future of the MRC Easebourne site.  It is proposed, by WSCC, to set up an inaugural meeting with interested parties to consider the options for future use of the site.  The Parish Council asked that the members of its sub-committee be included in any meetings. Mr Brown agreed to offer his support to the Easebourne Parish Council’s quest for sporting and social facilities on the site.  He spoke of the possibility of the Primary School moving to the site, subject to the necessary funding for alterations to the building.  For further discussion on the future of the site see Agenda 11/12 item 63.

Mr Brown also spoke of the WSCC’s efforts to make £79m in savings. However, to stimulate the local economy and employment £35m expenditure on capital projects is being brought forward.  There is also a £10m infra-structure project to improve broadband access in West Sussex.  Hopefully, also, no public libraries will close and no further youth club closures will occur.

56 Report from District Councillor: Mrs Hamilton reported the following – at the Annual Meeting with Parishes the theme of the evening was the Localism Bill.  The tender document has been issued for the new Grange development (now to be known as the Midhurst Community and Leisure Centre), and the tenders will be evaluated in Dec/Jan. In Chichester, illuminated car parking space information boards have been erected, jointly funded by CDC and WSCC.  The new Grants and Concessions programme has been agreed.  The Olympic Torch relay will pass through Easebourne on Monday 16th July 2012

57 Finance:
a) The following payments, including VAT (cheque numbers 100-) were noted

b) The internal check of accounts for September and October 2011, by Mr Stringer, was noted

c) Receipt of VAT refund for 01.04.11 to 30.09.11 in the sum of £698.15 was noted.

All Councillors have received a copy of the Budget/Expenditure for the year to 31.10.11

58 Planning

The meeting was informed that planning applications 11/03635/FULNP and 11/03640/LBCNP. for the King Edward VII Hospital site, will be heard by SDNPA on 14th November 2011.  Mr Heustice will speak against acceptance on behalf of the Parish Council.

A new planning application has been received for Northgate, Dodsley Grove, for the erection of 1 new house.  This replaces the previously refused application for 3 new homes.

59 Reports from the Panels
a) Playground.  It has been proposed that 2 or 3 new items of equipment should be purchased with the £9000 set aside for this purpose. The Clerk to obtain quotes for the January meeting.

b) Burial Ground.  No problems. Headstone plinth, damaged by R Wallis, is to be replaced through his insurance. Clerk monitoring this.

c) Footpaths.  Work has been done on footpaths, including several new finger posts.  Mr Gowar and Mr Revill are now trained Parish Path Inspectors.

d) Grants.  Application received from Open Door youth project.  A grant of £250 was proposed by Mr Taylor, seconded by Mrs Macdonald-Lawson.  All in favour.  Dr Guyatt and Mr Pack declared an interest and did not vote.

60 Winter Management Plan:  copies of a revised plan for 2011/2012 given to all Councillors and copies will be sent to snow clearance contractors.  Distribution sites for “hippo” bags of salt/grit have been agreed with WSCC.

61 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, 2012. It was agreed that any party/celebration should be undertaken in conjunction with the church summer fair.  There is unlikely to be a grant available from CDC for this purpose. Mr Heustice to discuss this with the PCC.       

It was proposed by Mr Guyatt and seconded by Mr Pack that all children up to the age of  11, living in Easebourne parish, should be given a Jubilee mug.  Majority in favour. The Clerk to advertise this in “United”, asking for the names of possible recipients.  The Clerk also to ascertain, approximately, how many children of this age group live in the parish.

62 Neighbourhood Planning:  nothing to report

63 Midhurst Rother College – Easebourne site:  on behalf of the sub-committee, Mrs Macdonald-Lawson outlined the progress made in assessing the possibility of sporting/community use of the site.  There is a restrictive Cowdray Estate covenant that the site must be used for educational purposes.  The Primary School wishes to move to the Wheelbarrow Castle premises and is keen to see community involvement on the site.  The Midhurst and Easebourne Football Club, whose existing facilities at the Rotherfield, are unfit for their purpose, would also like to move there.  Internally, the existing music room would be suitable for community use.  A meeting has been arranged with Mr Windle (Cowdray Estate) to discuss all the issues involved, together with the proposed meeting with WSCC as mentioned in Agenda item 11/12 - 55.

64 Electoral Boundary changes.  These would see the parish of Easebourne removed from the Chichester Parliamentary constituency and added to the Arundel and South Downs seat.  It was proposed by Mr Pack and seconded by Dr Guyatt that we object to this move on the grounds that we are very much allied to Chichester (District Council and other local organisations) and rather remote from Arundel.  Majority in favour.

65 Correspondence and notices received:  none

The meeting closed at 9.35 pm
Next Parish Council meeting will be held on 11th January 2012 at 7.30pm.

Mrs Carole Allan, Clerk to Easebourne Parish Council, 1 Ashfield Close, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9RP. Telephone: 01730 813374.  Email: easebournepc@tiscali.co.uk