STORRINGTON & SULLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of the Infrastructure, Communications and Environment Committee  held in The Chanctonbury Room, Sullington Parish Hall, Thakeham Road, Storrington, on Monday, 15th January, 2007, commencing at 7.00 p.m.

Present: Mr. J. Sanson in the Chair, Mr. R Dawe, Mr. E. Gibbons and Mr. C. Mason.

In Attendance:   Mr. A. Head and Mr. B. Walter.

100.    Apologies for Absence.  There were no apologies for absence from Members.

101.    To Receive Declarations of Interest from Members.   There were no declarations of interest from Members.

102.    To Approve and Sign the Minutes of the last Meeting held on the 13th November, 2006. These minutes were duly APPROVED as being a correct record of the proceedings thereat and were signed by the Chairman.

    Matters Arising :-

103.    Minute No. 95: W.S.C.C. Rights of Way Improvement Plan Questionnaire.  This had been duly completed and returned.  Mr. Mason reported that this was their proposed plan how they intend to implement this Act across West Sussex, looking at all rights of way and other areas where people now have access.  Within this there are key players, one of which were Parish Councils.  The purpose was to encourage people to get out into the countryside and take advantage of the new liberty.  There was a resource side, but it was not clear where this would come from.   Potentially at some point the Parish Council could be asked to do something for which they might have to find the money.  The matters they had missed were mostly related to country sports such as shoots.  There was a need to get farmers and landowners on side otherwise it would not work, as there could be confrontation.  The Parish Council had no statutory responsibility and could choose to do nothing.

104.    Minute No. 71: W.S.C.C., Sprierbridge Road Crossing Request – Safer Routes to School.  The Storrington First School had a Travel Plan from which they would receive capital funding in June, 2007 to be used on measures that support the aims of their sustainable travel objectives, including a walking bus and improved cycle promotion and facilities.  As the school makes regular use of the Chanctonbury Leisure Centre they have expressed concerns over crossing this road with large groups of pupils.  As part of this, the school is pursuing a crossing patrol to improve access and safety from the Leisure Centre car park at the bottom of Spierbridge Road.  It was unlikely that they would fund a crossing facility across Spierbridge Road at this time.

105.    Minute No. 94: Environmental Cleansing Contract.  D.J. Flynn Services had advised that they could not pick up litter on roads where there were no pavements for Health and Safety reasons.  H.D.C., should be requested for a reply to the Council’s request that they take back responsibility for this service.
 
106.    Storrington Pond :-

(a)    Dead Swan and Duck.  The Veterinary Laboratories Agency Winchester had submitted their preliminary report on the carcases.  Both  birds  had  been  in  good bodily condition.  The findings so far with regard to the Duck were “unremarkable”.  The findings so far with regard to the Swan showed that there were subcutaneous haemorrhages of the skull with a possible fracture of the first neck vertebrae.  This was suggestive of trauma to the base of the skull and upper neck, most likely fatal.  The cause was uncertain and could have been caused by a collision while flying or some other form of blunt trauma.
 
(b)    Pollution.  DWF Solicitors (appointed by Allianz Cornhill) had advised that Cunningham Lindsey loss adjusters had been appointed by British Gas. 

    This pond was a public amenity, was attractive and an enhancement to the village.  It was not acceptable to go through another summer where the pond was thick with algae.  There had never been any algae prior to 2004.  There was a need to decide what to do.  The Council did decide not to register the pond as theirs, but if they were going to do something about the condition of the pond, it should be registered because cannot disclaim responsibility for ever.  If the Council were going to get the pond into good condition prior to the nesting season, there was only a couple of months within which to decide what to do.  The obvious thing would be to completely empty the pond, remove the fish, clean out and re-fill.  There was a need for a costing to be obtained for such work as there was a need to know how much compensation the Council would be looking for.  It was AGREED :-

        To obtain estimates for a complete clean of the pond.

    With regard to future maintenance, there was a need to get County to take certain responsibilities.  In Hampshire, if their highway discharges into a pond, they accept that pollutants could enter the pond and therefore automatically accept a degree of responsibility for cleaning the ponds and testing them.  West Sussex currently do not.     

    A letter should be written to W.S.C.C., inviting them to a meeting on this topic.

107.    Report from Christmas Committee.  Mr. Mason requested that thanks be recorded to the Clerk and office staff for their assistance.  The Committee thanked Mr. Mason for all his hard work.  Unfortunately the weather had been bad during the day in the run up to the event and therefore not as many people had attended as in previous years.  Mr. Toft would be providing feedback from the traders.  The lighting equipment was getting very old and looking very sad.  Expenditure had been kept to a minimum, although more had been spent than in previous years due to new rules and regulations.  It was sad that there had not been more support from the traders.  On the whole the event went well.  There would be a budget included for the next financial year in order that the new Council, once elected, may make a decision regarding the future of this event. 

108.    H.D.C. re: Local Authority Parking Enforcement – Chanctonbury Leisure Centre.  H.D.C., operate its car parks through what is knows as the Horsham District Council (Off-Street Parking Places) General Order 2006 or as amended.  The legislation appropriate to this is the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Road Traffic Act 1991.  This obviously applied to land owned by H.D.C.  However, they were able, with the agreement of landowners, to apply this Parking Places Order to private land and conditions of use could be imposed as if it were the local authority car park.  The inclusion of the Storrington Recreation Ground car park therefore needed permission from this Council.  Following discussion it was RESOLVED :-

    To give H.D.C., permission to include the Storrington Recreation Ground car park (comprising all car parking spaces around the Chanctonbury Leisure Centre and adjacent to the Football field) within their Parking Places Order, but to request that this only be for Monday to Fridays (i.e., not weekends).

109.    Letter from W.S.C.C., re: Staffing in their Highway Department.  Shirley Stone had recently retired.  She would be replaced, but they were unlikely to have anyone permanently in post until the end of March.  In the meantime the rest of the team would do their best to cover this area. 

110.    W.S.C.C. Houghton Bridge – Traffic Lights.  This bridge was reinforced in the early 1990’s specifically to cope with the then planned increase in permissible lorry weights using the highway network.  Therefore they would not be able to defend a challenge against a weight restriction should they impose one.  W.S.C.C., had discussed this matter with the Police whose support would be needed to introduce any sort of restriction as they have to enforce it.  The Police stated that they would object to any proposal to restrict traffic along this route until such time as the alternate route, in this case the A.27, was free from constriction and delays.

111.    Street Light in Link Hill.  This light was not currently on the Parish Council’s maintenance list.  However, in September, 1994 Storrington Parish Council wrote to the Kithurst Park and Link Hill Residents Association advising they “..whilst the Parish Council would be pleased to maintain and pay the energy cost for the new light, we were unable to provide help with the capital cost.”  It was AGREED :-

        To add this light to the Parish Council’s street lighting maintenance contract.

112.    Storrington Greenfingers – Floral Displays.  The floral displays in the village had suffered continual vandalism in December.  Storrington Greenfingers had therefore decided to leave those containers empty.  Storrington Greenfingers had also requested the Council consider including the same donation figure as last year within their budget.  This element would be dealt with at the Finance and Budget Meeting later in the week.

113.    To Consider request from W.S.C.C., for the Parish Council to take over all future maintenance of the Fingerposts in this Parish under Licence from W.S.C.C.  Following discussion it was AGREED :-

    That the Parish Council should not take over responsibility for the future maintenance of the Fingerposts within this parish.
 
114.    Health and Safety.  There were no matters to report.

115.    Documents Available for Councillors to Read. 
    (a)    CPRE Fieldwork.  Available in the Parish Office.
(b)    W.S.C.C. Countryside Access Forum for West Sussex.  Mr. Mason took this document to read.               


    Chairman’s Announcements. 

116.    W.S.C.C. Highways and Transport Works Programme 2007/8 and Forward Programme.  Within Storrington it was proposed to Re-surface the carriageway School Hill A.283 to Fryern Road and drainage improvements in Sullington Lane outside The Old Rectory during 2008/9.  School Hill had only been re-surfaced last year, therefore Mr. Wilkinson should be asked about this.

117.    EDF Energy Street Lighting Installation outside ‘Herata’, Nightingale Lane the pole bracket was beyond economical repair.  They had quoted the sum of £386.00 plus V.A.T., to undertake this repair.  It was AGREED :-

        To accept this quotation.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.02 p.m.