Minutes of Ticehurst Parish Council Meeting
held on 6 May 2008 in the Village Institute at19:3.

Present:  Cllrs.  Goodall ©,  Maynard, Burley, Langdown, Rigby, Mitchell,  Hastings, A Cook,  Semple, and Yeo.
In attendance:   D Cllr.  Elliston  who gave apologies for D Cllr. Jenkins.

The Chairman thanked the 12 members of the public present for attending and invited half an hour’s comment or questions from anyone present:

1. A member of the public asked if and when a public apology had been made to Mrs May.  The Chairman asked the Clerk to respond, who said that an addendum had been added to the October 2006 minutes at the request of Mrs May’s solicitors.  That addendum was available in the Post Office and put on the Ticehurst notice board, but had been declined for inclusion in the local newsletter. 
2. The Ladybirds pre-school distributed information about the nursery, and the fund raising they urgently need.  They have been a pre-school for over 25 years in the village, and due to the increasing numbers within the new primary school, they need to build their own premises to release the classrooms that they currently occupy.  The Parish Council pledged their support for the fund raising efforts and agreed to write supporting letters whenever grant applications were made.  Clerk to discuss fund raising ideas with them.  Cllr. Mitchell was thanked for her strong support of the non-profit making school.
3. Flimwell road surface: ESCC have responded to Parish enquiries about the road, and it is currently due to be repaired in 2009.
4. Parking on Pavements:  A member of the public suggested that the new bollards at the entrance to Springfields that prevent parking on the grass are unsightly and inappropriate.  She suggested that a ‘shared’ parking arrangement such as in Cranbrook where cars and pedestrians could use the area could be put in here and relieve parking problems.

0.0   Election of Chairman:  Cllrs. had received nomination slips with their agendas.  The slips were collected and counted by  D. Cllr.  Elliston and   Cllr.   Goodall    was declared Chairman of the Parish Council for the year.

1.0  Election of Deputy Chairman:  Again slips were collected and Cllr.  Maynard    was declared Deputy Chairman of the Council for the year.

2.0  Declarations of Interest:  Cllr. A Cook a personal interest in item 21 – this was duly recorded in the Interests register.

3.0  Apologies for absence:  Cllrs. Seemann, Simmons and G Cook had sent their apologies, as had  C. Cllr. Barnes.

4.0 Committees and Advisory Groups:  The current list of groups were distributed with the agendas.  Changes to that list were:
Cllr. A Cook should be recorded as the SALC representative rather than Cllr. D Maynard.  New lists will be put on the notice boards.
Clerk to provide Cllr. Semple with details of the NALC conference where Emergency Plans are to be discussed. (21st May  16.30 – 17.30 pm  Winter Gardens Eastbourne) -  Community Transport will also be discussed that day between 15.30 – 16.30 pm)  Cost for the day is  £130.23.  NALC 109 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3LD – conference@nalc.gov.uk.

5.0  Approval of the minutes of 1st April 2008:  These were proposed as a true record of those proceedings by  Cllr.   A Cook  Seconded by Cllr.  Yeo and carried.  The Chairman then signed the minutes.

6.0  Appendix of Outstanding Matters:
These had been circulated to all Cllrs. with their agendas:
Matters listed:

1. Footpaths – No news as to when ESCC will restore the Steelands Rise to Farthing Hill pathway.
2. Village Maintenance Teams – The Clerk reported that most of the finger posts, verges, hedges, road signs had been completed within the allotted time. The signs at Flimwell have not been cleaned.
3. Ditch in Springfields – Clerk still waiting to hear when the mud will be scraped out.  Cllr. Maynard has fenced off  the entrance to the ditch to dissuade children from playing there and whilst doing so noted that there might be some land near there for one or more allotments.
4. Woodroffe Lodge – No up date at present.
5. Pickforde Lane Car Park – no response from RDC regarding request for pedestrian exit from the car park.  D. Cllr. Elliston reported that Ticehurst had not been awarded any funding for car-park improvements.
6. Allotments – Allotment rentals are now in – there is a waiting list of would-be allotment holders.
7. Recreation Ground Car Park – now tarmaced and being well used.  Clerk to write to Millwoods and Volvo asking for their donations.  £75 received from someone else in the village by the Parish Council.
8. Action Plan – thanks were extended to Nowne girls, Hastings family and Cllr. Langdown for their work in sending out the packs.  There has been a good response, many e-mails and a good feed back at the Annual Assembly.
9. Drains -  A Arnold has reported that Parish drains have been ‘rodded’ but the road outside Ticehurst House is still flooding.  Clerk to chase up.
10. Finger Posts – see Village Maintenance Gangs. It was reported that the finger post at the Burnt Lodge Lane junction has been vandalised at the weekend.  Clerk to notify ESCC division.
11. Football Field – the Parish has a quotation of £30 to add the Bell Field grass cutting to their annual contract with KCC.  Clerk to confirm this is acceptable.
12. Cleaner Neighbourhoods – Cllr. Rigby still awaiting the necessary training.
13. Lights at Flimwell – now erected and should be working soon.
14. Bus Stop at Flimwell – on agenda.
15. Rosemary Lane traffic control – Cllr. Rigby reported that there had been a bad accident last week  when a Range Rover was written off.  Subsequently, further damage was caused whilst the road was blocked, due to speeding cars unable to stop.  He said that the phasing (and therefore slower traffic flow) of the A21 Flimwell lights was causing Rosemary Lane to become a rat run.  Requests to KCC regarding appropriate signage at the top of the lane have largely gone unanswered.  It was resolved that the Clerk should contact the MP.

7.0 District and County Reports:  No reports had been forwarded to the Clerk for distribution to Cllrs. in advance of the meeting.
D.  Cllr Elliston reported that the new number for RDC is 01424 787000.  The help line is 01424 787999.
He was asked when the outlying areas of the Parish would receive their ‘green bins’, and explained that Verdant contractors were struggling to supply them due to a fire at their depot that destroyed many bins, but added that  ‘rip-bags’ are to be distributed for certain types of re-cycling.

8.0  Affordable Housing:  Cllr. Maynard reported that negotiations between Hastoe Housing and a local farmer appear to have failed.  David Askew of Hastoe Housing will visit the village and a group of Cllrs. to reassess the situation and look at alternative sites.

9.0  Annual Assembly:  Cllr. Langdown reported that over 200 had attended the Assembly,  and  over 150 questionnaires had been completed.  It was unanimously felt that the whole evening had been a tremendous success and Cllrs. Mitchell,  Semple and the Clerk were thanked for organising the event.  A gift was handed to the Clerk for her daughters who had helped during the event.  It was resolved that the format next year should follow the same lines, allowing people to mix freely, put names to faces and determine who they want to talk or listen to.   It was agreed that speeches put people off coming to the meetings, and D.  Cllr Elliston  agreed with this sentiment, reporting that five people attended the Hurst Green meeting and apparently nineteen people attended the Etchingham meeting. 

10.0  Community Bus:  Cllr. Yeo reported that she had held a meeting at her house, the notes from which had been circulated to all Cllrs.  There was funding available to keep the bus going and attempts are going to be made to make the Tunbridge Wells trip more viable, by picking up passengers from Hurst Green or Burwash as well as Ticehurst.  She reported that she is currently organising a summer and winter trip that
Ticehurst News and Views will be funding.  She reported that no funding had yet been obtained for replacing the old buses.

11.0  Bus Stop at Flimwell:  The License has now been received from ESCC.  It was resolved that the Clerk together with Cllr. Langdown obtain two firm quotations for the bus stop -  specification to be similar to the Dale Hill bus stop.

12.0  Lady Birds Nursery:  Covered in public question time at the start of the meeting.

13.0  Parish Maintenance Gangs:  Dealt with under item 6 – appendix of outstanding matters.
Cllr. Yeo pointed out that one of the wooden bollards outside Spice Cottage was broken – Clerk to report and that the new seat at Hilbury Gardens has been vandalised – Clerk to get it mended.

14.0  Bins:  The Clerk reported that the four bins required at the recreation ground would cost a total of £1100.00 plus VAT, including installation  (the design would match those put in two years ago).  Cllr Hastings reported that the residents of Pickforde Lane had reported that there is a litter problem here and suggested putting a bin at the end of the footpath between Advartex and Newington Court.  The provision of a RDC wheelie bin was discussed but Cllr. Langdown reminded the Council that on asking for that facility in Rosemary Lane she had got a less than negative response.  D. Cllr. Elliston was asked to look into this at Rother, as it was felt very strongly that this northern Parish was largely ignored at Bexhill.

15.0 Safety Audits:    The list of things that need to be done at the three playgrounds and the two ponds had been distributed to all Cllrs.   Cllr. Rigby spoke to the Clerk after the meeting about the provision of  the nine signs that are needed.  The play bark has been ordered and the Clerk reported that she is collating costs for the other areas that need attention.

16.0  Parking On Pavements:   Cllr. Langdown reported that in the light of comments made at the last meeting, she was unwilling to continue to put notices on cars.  After some discussion it was resolved that  Cllrs. Rigby, Langdown, Hastings, Semple and Burley would push forward with all traffic calming measures,  a meeting date was set for  10th June 2008 at 7.30 pm which would be advertised with a large poster and put in Ticehurst News and Views, encouraging anyone who is interested to come along to talk about Traffic Calming, Parking on Pavements, Pedestrian crossings, Build Outs.  Clerk to contact the Police asking for a representative to attend and ask Andrew Vidal to attend who previously lead this movement for safe measures within the villages.

17.0  Graffiti:  Thanks were extended to Cllr. Mitchell who had cleared the graffiti from the primary school areas and  Cllr. Langdown who had tried cleared the graffiti from the bus stop in the village square. It was resolved that the Clerk should contact the sand blasting company at Gibbs Reed to see if they would voluntarily remove the graffiti from the woodwork on the bus stop and the underside of the roof where it has soaked in.  The Clerk explained that unless the police offered information as to the identity of the youths responsible there was little one could do about getting them to clear up the mess.

18.0  Traffic Calming:  Covered under Parking on Pavements above.

 19.0  Finance Report:  A brief summary of the previous year’s accounts was given by the Clerk.  An annual report was circulated to all Cllrs.    The Clerk had tabled a clear reconciliation to the end of March 2008 and this was signed and kept with the minutes.  The Clerk reported that she hoped to have the accounts finalised by the next meeting for delivery to the auditors, Mazars.
It was resolved that the following cheques were sanctioned for payment.

20.0  Planning Report:  A brief summary of the 2007/08 planning issues was given to the Council  by Cllr.  Maynard.  He reported that the Committee had met approximately 20 times over the last year.  The three controversial applications had been at the end of St Mary’s Lane, Cross Lane House and Forge Yard, all of which had been recommended for refusal at Parish level and upheld at District level.

21.0  Correspondence:  Clerk authorised to respond to outstanding correspondence.
Congratulations were given to Cllr. Langdown on her success in getting the Village through the first round of the ‘Village of the Year’ competition – judges will visit on 20.5.08 to meet a mixture of Cllrs. and people in the village to demonstrate what a good and caring community the Parish is.

22.0  Items for the June meeting – topics only:
Cardboard Recycling – TS
Telephone Box  -  PL

23.0  The Bell Field – Grass is to be cut within KCC contract.  Cllr. Semple to obtain key to the field.

24.0  The meeting closed at 21:05. and the date of the next meeting was set for 3 June 2008.