STORRINGTON & SULLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of the Recreation and Property Committee held in the Chanctonbury Room, The Sullington Parish Hall, Thakeham Road, Storrington, on Monday, 15th January, 2007, commencing at 8.00pm.

Present: Mr. C. Mason in the Chair, Mr. R. Dawe, Mr. D. Roper, Mr. B. Walter, Mrs. A. Worthington-Leese.

In Attendance:   Mr. A. Head   

137.    Apologies for Absence were received from  Mrs. L. Wheatley (personal reasons).  The reason for absence was duly ACCEPTED.

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

139.    To Approve and Sign the Minutes of the last Meeting held on the 13th November, 2006. The minutes were duly AGREED to be a correct record of the proceedings thereat and were signed by the Chairman.

    Matters Arising :-

140.    Minute No. 122: Storrington & District Museum.  Mr. Walter reported that the Museum Committee was not very communicative, therefore, it was felt appropriate to invite the Museum to attend a meeting with the Council.  Mr. Walter would provide some dates.

141.    To Consider the Inspection of Play Equipment Reports.  There were no additional faults to report.  Proludic had agreed to come to site to replace the missing caps, etc.

142.    Meadowside Play Area.  Two quotations were to hand, but it was a question of where the funding was to come from.  Following discussion it was AGREED :-

    To make every effort to obtain grants towards this project (Awards for All, Saxon Weald, Police Fund, H.D.C., etc.)  To defer a decision on this project pending attempts to obtain funding.

143.    Report by Clerk on Expenditure/Actions taken during December.  It was noted that these were as follows :-

* Expenditure of £250.00 to produce plans that would be acceptable to the Land Registry for use with the three Leases – Leisure Centre, Football and Cricket Clubs.
* Ordered additional C.C.T.V., camera to cover the front door of the Sullington Parish Hall at a cost of £675.00 plus V.A.T.
* Additional Insurance Premium to add on the Football Walls - £106.59.
* Honorary Citizen Board – add name of Mrs. Ticehurst - £40.00.
* Vandalism repairs to noticeboard, repairs to flag pole, etc., £355.00.
* Replacement window, Sullington Parish Hall following vandalism £329.36.

Insurance claims to be submitted relating to the vandalism items.

144.    To Consider Giving Permission to the Rotary Club to hold the Storrington Village Day on the Hormare Field on Saturday, 23rd June, 2007 from 2.00 p.m., to 9.00 p.m.  It was AGREED :-

        That permission should be granted.  The Football Clubs should be informed.

145.    To Consider Letter from the Storrington Dramatic Society regarding usage of Sullington Parish Hall.  The Dramatic Society stated that if the proposed charges were imposed, that would put them in financial difficulties and they may have to look for somewhere else to go.  This was a local dramatic society and the Council was here to make sure the organizations were supported.  It was AGREED :-

    A sympathetic letter should be sent to them stating that the Council was prepared to try and accommodate them, but at the same time not adding to the burden upon the taxpayer. The Council was prepared to leave the rent as it was, but they should reduce their usage to two performances per year and liberate some evenings (the Parish Office to work out how many).

146.    Re-transfer of Land at Hurston Lane (Recreation Ground) registration now complete and invoice received from Anderson Longmore & Higham for legal costs in this respect in the sum of £708.13 plus V.A.T.  It was noted that this land had now been re-transferred to the Council.  It was AGREED :-

        The invoice relating to the legal costs in this respect was accepted.  

147.    To Consider Quotation from Infra-Tech Security Systems for an additional C.C.T.V. Camera at the Chanctonbury Leisure Centre to provide additional cover for the Children’s Play Area in the sum of £725.00 plus V.A.T.  Mr. Mason was trying to arrange a meeting with the Chairman of the Leisure Centre.  There was also a need for an additional camera to cover the new storage buildings, but there was one that currently almost only covered the waste bins, so it was wondered whether this could just be re-positioned.  It was also considered that the C.C.T.V., monitor should be moved from the back office to the front reception desk area in order that it could be viewed more readily.  It was essential to get to the situation where the images obtained were useful.

148.    Allotments :-

    Ryecroft Lane :-
1.    The Storrington Parish Church had written to the Council giving a year’s notice to vacate this site before next Spring.  It was AGREED :-

            Notices to vacate should be sent to all Ryecroft allotment holders.

2.    A neighbouring property had removed a tree from the boundary with these allotments and replaced this with a two-bar fence.  There were now concerns on behalf of allotment holders with regard to security.

    Amberley Road – The Amberley Road Allotment Association were working towards taking over management of the site, but they did not think that they would be ready before April.

    Payment of Deposits.  One allotment holder had been advised that the £50.00 deposit was an illegal levy.  It was AGREED :-

    They should be advised that this was a fair and reasonable charge under the Allotments Act 1950, s. 10 (1).

      Some allotment holders had not paid the deposit and/or had not returned a signed agreement.  It was AGREED :-

    Such allotment holders should be advised that the majority of allotment holders had paid this, therefore should they not pay by the date agreed, they should be issued with seven days notice to vacate their plot(s).   The allotment holders that had not returned signed agreements by the date stated should also be given seven days notice to vacate their plot(s).

149.    Letter from Storrington Football Club – noise from the Football Pavilion.  The Football Club had written advising that the bad language was something that the Sussex County F.A., and all affiliated clubs, including them, had addressed over the past few seasons and there had been a big improvement.  They had not received any prior complaint from the Parish Council and only one from H.D.C., and this was only for noise levels.  The Club had since implemented the suggestions made by the Licensing Authority and suggested to the Parish that no functions for youngsters are taken, as these were the hardest to deal with.  They felt incidents could be better investigated by the Club if times and dates were mentioned as they consider that these problems occur when they were not there.  It was AGREED :-

    To let this matter go for the moment and see what happens.  The Club should be advised that the Council were pleased the Club had things under control and that the Council would not contribute to the problems by their lettings.

150.    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).

151.    To Consider introducing a voluntary care scheme for The Glade.  This area was not suppose to be a formal area and the Conservation Society had expressed an interest in assisting to maintain it.  It was AGREED :-

    As the Conservation Society consisted of sensible people, it was not considered necessary to have any rules, but the Council reserves the right to make suggestions and should they want to do anything major, they should first obtain the permission of the Council.  Guy Leonard should be asked to remove the ‘For Sale’ board from this land.

152.    Health and Safety.  There was nothing to report.

153.    Documents for Councillors to Read :-
    (a)    National Playing Fields - Fields Focus Issue 9.  Available in the Parish Office.

154.    Chairman’s Announcements.  There were no announcements.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.20 p.m.