AGM 9 May 07 - Minutes

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

SOUTH NEWTON AND STOFORD

PARISH COUNCIL

WEDNESDAY 9th May 2007 at 7.00pm

Attending:Chairman: Cllr Creswell Butters

Vice Chairman: Cllr Don Fardell

Cllr Denis Barry, Cllr Derek Blake, Cllr Roger Small, Cllr James Green, Cllr Henry Swanton

  Cllr Ian West.

  The Clerk

  Members of the commmunity

1.Chairman’s address and welcome

The Chairman welcomed Sarah Dennis as the newly elected councillor for Salisbury District Council, PC John Wyeth and PSCO Tracey Holloway and also Mr Ian Gibbons,

Head of Legal & Democratic Services, Wiltshire County Council as guest speaker on the theme of One Council for Wiltshire a Unitary Status.

2.Clerk’s report – see attached.

3.Police Crime Figures 2007

The verbal report as presented by PC John Wyeth and PSCO Tracey Holloway was very positive this year with very low crime rates reported. Current concerns were the recurring episodes of the elderly being taken advantage of in their homes by what could be a circulatory team of petty theft criminals posing as gas metre readers, electricians, plumbers etc. The Police were aware of these operating in the area and would be grateful for any suspicions or incidents to be reported as quickly as possible.

Tracey Holloway reported on her conversations with the youth in the area and their own ideas and requests for facility improvements. In hearing some of their complaints Tracey has made them aware of how much is done on a voluntary basis in the community and felt there had been a positive response to litter clearance when approached to do so. The council recognised the requests of the younger age group in improving the play area at Vale View Road about which Tracey had spoken to Salisbury District Council. There are concerns from families towards allowing them to cross the A36 to the playing field area and the Vale View Road play area is now being used as a welcome facility for ball games.

The Clerk will communicate with the Police and the Council to clarify what else can be done around this area.

4.Minutes 11th May 2006

The minutes of the AGM from 2006 were signed.

5.Presentation and Q & A concerning ‘One Council for Wiltshire’

Mr Ian Gibbons – Head of Legal Service, Department of Resources

Wiltshire County Council – Trowbridge

Mr Ian Gibbons gave a very comprehensive presentation on the current situation and progression of One Council for Wiltshire as a unitary status. He outlined the delegate structure of the members of the proposed council and their responsibilities emphasising that the community parish councils would continue to hold notable and possibly increasing responsibility for local issues.

As a résumé the broader points of One Council for Wiltshire would be

One council would deliver equivalent and improved services for app £15 million less each yearOne council would have 98 councillors instead of the current county wide number of 244, five management teams would be reduced to one.Contact offices would still be localised across the countyCouncil services would be under one roof in all areas avoiding public confusion.

Queries were raised as to the cost effectiveness of the unitary council but the Consultants had assessed that the initial debts would be recouped within three years with indications at aiming to keep council tax low.

The Clerk has information on the One Council for Wiltshire and the background to the One Council bid, financial details and FAQs both for and against is available on www.onecouncilforwiltshire.co.uk..

The Chairman thanked Ian Gibbons for his presentation.

6.Village Hall

Cllr Blake reported that there were discussions towards the possibility of extending the village Hall changing facilities for the required separate referee changing rooms.

The Council will be updated.

7.Parishioners

a)The Chairman thanked Mr Tim Wilton to continue to administrate and run the Village Web site.

b)The Chairman thanked Cllr Denis Barry for his voluntary personal services in keeping hedges trimmed to avoid obscuring the visual danger points along the A36 through the village at the end of St Andrews Road.

c)Parishioners mentioned the danger fact of the Trading Estate not being advertised or indicated far enough in advance of the turning. The speed of the approaching vehicles using the Trading Estate was a concern and it was felt that more warning should be signposted.

The Clerk to review and action.

d)Parishioners also expressed concern at the state of the bus stops on the A36 which were stated to be set somewhere in the hedgerow beyond Glenside Manor Nursing Home and often used by the staff. The clerk was unaware of any other recognised bus stops in the village and would review this situation under the concern of safety and responsibility of the said bus stops.

The Meeting closed at 8.20

The next Annual General Meeting will be held in the Village Hall on Wednesday May 7th 2008 at 7.00pm

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