PC Minutes 8th October 2013

WINSTRED HUNDRED PARISH COUNCIL

Peldon   Great Wigborough   Little Wigborough   Salcott   Virley

Draft minutes of the meeting of Winstred Hundred Parish Council held at Salcott Village Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday 8^th October 2013.

Present: Nicky Ellis, John Walker, Jane Banks, Andy Beharrell, Netty Knill-Jones, Phil Gladwin, Jinny Gale, Andrew Ellis, Kevin Bentley, Zone Warden

Apologies for absence: Charles Dymond, Lynne Simmons

Minutes of the last meeting were agreed by all and signed by the chairman with the addition of ‘at the Peldon site’ at the end of 2. Playgrounds and Playing Fields

Police Report: no report had been received

Borough Councillors: Building of the new houses at the old garage site in Peldon has begun therefore S106 money is overdue for payment and will be chased up.

The parish council had not been notified or consulted about an appeal to an eviction notice issued in Great Wigborough and this will be looked into.

The road defect in Church Lane, Great Wigborough was reported for repair but ECC Highways say it does not require attention.

A site meeting with CBC and parish councillors will be arranged in the near future to discuss flooding at Salcott.

CBC has to make substantial savings in the next few years and is encouraging people to go online as much as possible for transactions and information as this is much cheaper than face to face situations. Angel Court Customer Services is being moved to the library and guidance will be given to anyone who needs it for carrying out online matters.

Defects in The Street at Salcott have been reported for repair.

All broken or missing road signs are reported and on the list for repair eventually.

County Councillor: Certain services will be reduced in a bid to make substantial savings in the next few years e.g. some bus subsidies, some school transportation, some youth services and some street lights will be turned off in the small hours but can be turned back on if deemed necessary.

Potholes will be marked with either orange for repair within 28 days or purple for repair within 3 months.

Public-Have Your Say: None present. However, last month the hedge and ditch along the front of the new houses on Malting Road at Peldon Hall Farm were reported for attention. This was looked into but the area cannot be reached with machinery and we have been advised by an expert that it is not causing a hazard so no action will be taken. The resident with the hedge obscuring the bus stop sign at Malting road will be contacted and the Church on the matter of the half dead tree.

Declarations of Interest: None 

1. CBC Zone Wardens – The concrete base for the bench on Moss Hay has been laid and the bench will be fitted tomorrow and the parish council would like to say a big thank you for this generous gift.

The speed gun has been operated in Church Road, Peldon and 6 vehicles were registered over 36 mph.

Refuse bags can be collected at Abberton and Langenhoe Village Hall the first Tuesday of the month from 9 am to 12 noon and from the Layer Fox car park the last Tuesday in the month from 9 am to 12 noon. These are also drop in points for any issues or queries the public might have that they can help with.

Reported matters to CBC such as fly tipping can be tracked online.

A free dance class at Mersea School on Mondays from 6 -7 pm is open to all 13 to 19 year olds.

2. Playgrounds and Playing Fields – 2 pieces of new equipment for Moss Hay for older children was discussed and it was agreed that a grant form would be filled in for half the cost, with other money hopefully available for the remainder. A notice to inform all the residents of Peldon will be produced and delivered.

3. Broadband update – Broadband connection in Winstred 100, Abberton & Langenhoe and Layer Breton is dependent on aerial connections for internet source from Peldon Church tower and/or the kind use of an agricultural mast which will link our parishes to connections linking to Braxted Tower, Colchester Town and others; the latter arrangements are in place.

In Peldon we are still awaiting final approval from the Chancellor of the Diocese of Chelmsford as regards use of Peldon Church tower that he is happy with all aspects of template agreement for the PCCs so that Peldon can proceed with the remaining applications for Faculty and indeed, continue with the many other churches who have since expressed interest though County Broadband in Essex. Faculty Application was sent to the Chancellor in 2012.

The Diocese have been very supportive – but they appear to be unable to hurry the Chancellor in this regard, despite the support of the Archdeacon of Colchester in this matter.

Accordingly, in an effort to expedite this project County Broadband decided to concurrently pursue an alternative route into the area, using a agricultural mast in Peldon for internet source.  Once again, legal negotiations have proven understandably complicated just for example “who pays the small electric bill for the connection/who is responsible for electricity failure and consequences on household internet users”. People like British Telecom may have all of this tied up corporately in cities but sorting it in Peldon and sister villages is starting from scratch.
Good news. We believe that all matters are now becoming resolved and we are awaiting responses.
 
In support of the service to be provided to the area County Broadband have already installed a primary backhaul route to enable the services to be delivered to support our villages requirements.

County Broadband emphasise that they “share the frustrations associated with the roll-out of this project and want nothing more than to be able to promote the successful roll-out of this project to the many other rural parishes in dire need of high-speed broadband”.

Within the next few months the new internet connection speed will be demonstrated in Peldon Village Hall for films, TV, social media, Youtube, browsing and just email. Interested parties can use computers provided or bring their own laptops and hand held devices to trial the County Broadband connection. Date to be confirmed.

4. Clerk’s Salary – Phil proposed, Nicky seconded and all agreed to increase the clerk’s salary in line with the National Salary Awards backdated to April 2013. 

5. Junctions at Lodge Lane and St Ives Road in Peldon – ECC Highways say there is nothing they can do about these junctions. The collapsed wall at the top of St Ives Hill has improved viability but the residents can, of course, rebuild as it is on their own property. 

6. Abberton Reservoir, Community Fund, Rights of Way – The reservoir expansion project is coming to an end and the water filling will commence soon. There had been complaints of horses fouling the footpath. The application for Community Funds for Great Wigborough Church car park to be built has been accepted but the application for safety measures from a land owner in Layer was refused.

7. Actions and Reminders List – Updated

The next meeting will be on Tues 12^th November 2013 at 7.30pm at Abbotts Hall, Great Wigborough