STORRINGTON & SULLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING
HELD IN THE CHANCTONBURY ROOM,
SULLINGTON PARISH HALL,
THAKEHAM ROAD, STORRINGTON,
ON WEDNESDAY, 16th MAY, 2007,
COMMENCING AT 7.00 p.m.

Present: Mr. R. Dawe in the Chair, Mr. R. Carter, Mr. T. Gibbons, Mr. A. Head, Mr. J. Macey, Mr. C. Mason, Mr. A. Mullard, Mr. A. Read, Mr. D. Roper, Mr. J. Sanson, Mrs. L. Wheatley and Mrs. A. Worthington-Leese.

In Attendance:   PCSO Ben Woollard – Sussex Police
            2 Members of the Public.   

1.    The Chairman invited PCSO Ben Woollard to address the meeting.  PCSO Woollard had been in this area for approximately one month and the main problem was youths in Storrington.  PCSO Woollard mentioned that his shifts were set on a ten-week rolling pattern, but it was possible for the Police to make alterations to this to suit the needs of the area.  

2.    APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE were received from Mr. B. Walter (work) and Mr. J. Williams (work).   The reasons for absence were duly APPROVED.  Mr. F. Wilkinson (County Councillor) has also sent his apologies.  

3.    TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST FROM MEMBERS.  There were no declarations of interest from Members.

4.    TO ELECT A CHAIRMAN FOR THE ENSUING YEAR AND SIGNING OF DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE.  Mrs. Worthington-Leese Proposed; Seconded Mr. Roper and it was UNANIMOUSLY AGREED :-

        That Mr. R. Dawe be Chairman for the ensuing year.

    Mr. Dawe signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

5.    TO ELECT A VICE-CHAIRMAN FOR THE ENSUING YEAR AND SIGNING OF DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE.  Mr. Dawe Proposed; Mr. Sanson Seconded and it was UNANIMOUSLY AGREED :-

        That Mrs. A. Worthington-Leese be Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year.

6.    TO CONSIDER INVITING A RESIDENT TO BE CO-OPTED ONTO THE COUNCIL. Mr. Dawe Proposed and it was UNANIMOUSLY AGREED :-

        To invite Mr. D. Atkins to be co-opted onto the Council.

    Mr. Atkins joined the meeting and signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office.


7.    TO APPOINT MEMBERSHIP OF THE FOLLOWING COMMITTEES FOR THE YEAR :-
(a)    Infrastructure, Communications and Environment.  The following Members were duly appointed onto this Committee :-

    Mr. R. Dawe (ex-officio), Mr. D. Atkins, Mr. R. Carter, Mr. E. Gibbons, Mr. A. Head, Mr. C. Mason and Mr. J. Sanson.

(b)    Recreation and Property.  There were nine Members interested on being on this Committee.  However, Standing Orders stated that there should normally be a maximum of seven Members on a Committee, therefore the Council gave consideration to three options :-

1.    Asking whether there were any Members that would volunteer not to be on this Committee.
2.    Vote to ascertain the membership, or
3.    To recommend that the Council at their next meeting change Standing Orders.

Following discussion it was AGREED :-

    To place an item on the agenda of the next meeting to consider changing Standing Orders to allow the Recreation and Property Committee to have a maximum membership of nine members.

Therefore, the following Members were duly appointed onto this Committee :-

    Mr. R. Dawe (ex-officio), Mr. R. Carter, Mr. A. Head, Mr. C. Mason, Mr. A. Read, Mr. D. Roper, Mr. B. Walter, Mrs. L. Wheatley and Mrs. A. Worthington-Leese.

(c)    Planning and Development.  The following Members were duly appointed onto this Committee :-

    Mr. R. Dawe (ex-officio), Mr. J. Macey, Mr. A. Mullard, Mr. D. Roper, Mrs. L. Wheatley and Mrs. A. Worthington-Leese.

(d)    Finance and Budget.  This Committee would be made up of Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Council and Committees.

8.    TO APPOINT REPRESENTATIVES TO SERVE ON THE FOLLOWING OUTSIDE BODIES :-

(a)    Horsham and District Association of Local Councils – Mr. A. Mullard and Mrs. A. Worthington-Leese were duly APPOINTED as the Council’s representatives.

(b)    Storrington and District Twinning Association – Mr. Roper was duly APPOINTED as the Council’s representative.

(c)    Horsham Four Towns Healthcheck Partnership – Mr. R. Carter was duly APPOINTED as the Council’s representative.

(d)    Police Matters –  Mr. Gibbons was duly APPOINTED in respect of General Policing matters and  Mr. Mason was duly APPOINTED to attend meetings of the Local Action Team.

(e)    Storrington and District Museum Society – Mr. Walter, who had been the Council’s representative on this body, had written stating that he no longer wished to undertake this role.  He wished the Council to consider whether it was in fact required at all because the Council did not send representatives to other bodies to which it makes grants.  Following discussion it was AGREED :-

Not to appoint a representative.

(f)    Rydon Community Education Committee – Mr. J. Williams was duly APPOINTED as the Council’s representative.
 
(g)    Storrington First School – Mr. Williams was duly APPOINTED as the Council’s representative.

9.    TO CONFIRM THE APPOINTMENT OF THE INTERNAL AUDITOR. Mr. Dawe Proposed; Seconded Mr. Sanson and UNANIMOUSLY AGREED:-

That Mr. Peter Evans was duly APPOINTED.

10.    TO APPROVE AND SIGN THE MINUTES OF THE LAST PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 30TH APRIL, 2007. These minutes were duly AGREED as a correct record of the proceedings thereat and were signed by the Chairman.

    MATTERS ARISING :-

11.    Minute No. 274: Southern Water.  Southern Water had once more declined to provide the required information and requested that the Parish Council define their request.  A response had been sent which contained approximately fourteen specific questions.  A letter had also been written to the Information Commissioner’s office requesting that they take up this matter on the Council’s behalf.
    
12.    Minute No. 277: One Stop.  H.D.C., had advised the applicant that the ruby red on white signs were not acceptable and they had submitted an application for Vandyke Brown on White sign.  This Council had not objected provided the lettering was brown and not orange.  H.D.C., were going to approve this application and had stated that this should be implemented within one month of approval and the lights should be removed.

13.    Minute No. 280: Police Matters.  Following discussion it was AGREED :-

    That the Police should be asked for clarification as to how many A.S.B.Os had been issued within this parish and whether the general information on these was made available to the PCSOs.  

14.    Minute No. 293: Report from County and District Councillors – Bus4U.  It had been heard that this service would be being discontinued.  It was AGREED :-

    To investigate the response type services that were being used in Billingshurst and to put this information before a future meeting of this Council.

15.    Minute No. 275: Storrington Pond.  Mr. Gibbons reported that a resident had moved his boundary fence exposing two manhole covers and was concerned that they could perhaps be something to do with the pollution problem.  This was not thought to be the case because the source of the problem had been traced to Pilgrim Cottage.  However, an eye should be kept on this.

16.    TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING HELD ON THE 25TH APRIL, 2007.  One page 2 the word ‘piers’ should read ‘peers’; ‘tap’ should read ‘tape’; on page 4 ‘loan’ should read ‘lone’ and ‘shares’ should read ‘shared’.  With these amendments these minutes were duly AGREED as a correct record of the proceedings thereat and were signed by the Chairman.

17.    TO CONSIDER THE BANK RECONCILIATION FOR APRIL, 2007.  This was duly NOTED.

18.    ACCOUNTS TO BE PAID in the sum of £14,615.85 plus V.A.T., were duly AGREED. 

19.    REPORT FROM COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS.  The three newly elected District Councillors, Mr. Dawe, Mr. Mason and Mr. Sanson mentioned their first impressions of H.D.C., and had attended a number of sessions explaining their procedures.  They advised that they had not yet been appointed on any committees other than the Development Control South.  They had already tried to flag up fairly major issues for this parish, namely the pavements in the village, concerns about Abbey House and concerns about Saxon Weald housing in Sullington.  The Cabinet was in control of  H.D.C., activities, but it was most unlikely that any of them would be on the Cabinet.

20.    ADJOURNMENT.  There were no questions from the public.

21.    TO CONFIRM THE PROGRAMME OF ORDINARY MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL AND ITS COMMITTEES FOR THE YEAR WILL BE ON THE FOLLOWING BASIS.  COUNCIL MEETINGS WILL NORMALLY BE HELD ON THE LAST MONDAY IN THE MONTH.  COMMITTEE MEETINGS, APART FROM PLANNING, WILL BE HELD ON THE MIDDLE MONDAY OF THE MONTH.  PLANNING MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE SECOND THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH.  THESE DATES WILL BE SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION.  This was duly AGREED.

22.    TO APPOINT AN INTERVIEW PANEL for a new Caretaker.  It was stressed that the greatest flexibility was required.  The following Members were duly APPOINTED :-

        Mr. Head (Chairman), Mr. Macey, Mr. Mullard, Mr. Roper and Mrs. Wheatley.

23.    NEW CAR PARKING CHARGING REGIME.  The Leisure Centre had asked that as there was to be additional parking provided, would the Council consider not applying this regime to this car park for the time being in order to assess what was happening first. It was pointed out that there would also be implications on hirers of the Football Pavilion.  It was therefore wondered whether it would be possible to hold this in abeyance once applied for.   The Clerk mentioned that it may not be six months since the Council made the original decision, therefore it could be necessary to suspend Standing Orders before the Council could change the decision.  The view of this meeting was by a vote of In Favour 6; Against 3 :-

    That if possible, this regime should be held in abeyance and only introduced if there was found to be a problem.  This situation would need to be monitored very carefully.

24.    TO CONSIDER THE SUSSEX DOWN, WASHINGTON ROAD, STORRINGTON APPLICATION FOR A LICENCE VARIATION.  It was AGREED :-

        There was no objection.

25.    QUALITY COUNCIL STATUS.  A letter of congratulations had been received from Mr. Filliston.

26.    AREA OUTSIDE DELICATESSEN, HIGH STREET.  This area was in a terrible state of repair and regarded and dangerous to pedestrians.  A letter should be written to the agents.

27.    PARKING ON PAVEMENT, SCHOOL HILL.  The parking of vehicles on the pavement outside the premises of Stockers was regarded as extremely dangerous for both pedestrians and vehicles because it was so close to the entrance to the car park.  It should be checked whether there were double yellow lines along this stretch of road.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.50 p.m.