TEWIN PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Monday 5th June 2006 in Tewin Memorial Hall at 7.45pm

 

Present:  Cllrs K.Lawson (Chairman), K.St Pier, B. Evans, A.Hill, D.Lloyd and S.Stott (from 9.45pm).

In attendance:  Mrs C.McFarlane (Clerk) and two parishioners.

PARISHIONER COMMENTS

A parishioner attended to answer any questions about a planning application.

Mr John Burton attended to advise that as of 1.6.06 he was no longer the Parish Council representative on the Board of Governors for Tewin Cowper School. The number of Governors remains the same at 12. He is happy to continue to communicate with the Parish Council in the future. He advised that the Deputy Head Teacher will be retiring after 20 years teaching and due to falling pupil numbers he will not be replaced. There will be only 4 classes but class numbers will remain below 30. The recent Ofsted inspection reported the school to be very good.

Works have been carried out on the playing field in order to stabilise it after the swallow holes appeared last year.

The Parish Council thanked John Burton for being the representative and reporting back to us.

17. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE were received from Cllr M.Howe and Cllr D. Howson.

18. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING held 9th May 2006 were agreed and signed by the Chairman.

19 MATTERS ARISING

Nothing to report.

20.  FINANCE   

Accounts for Payment - In accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations the schedule of payments amounting to £1673.43 was approved by the Council.

Accounts For Financial Year Ending 31.3.05 – In accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations the accounts were unanimously approved and signed by the Chairman and the Clerk as the Responsible Financial Officer.

The accounts are available for inspection by appointment with the Clerk from 2nd June until the 29th June 2006.

Internal Audit  – Mr P.Marshall has agreed to do the internal audit for the Parish Council and it will be completed by the 29th June. 

Audit Schedule -  This was signed in accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations. 

21.  PLANNING

Planning Applications Received

3/06/0921/FP/GH – 114 Bramfield Rd, Datchworth – Two storey rear extension and dormer to front – TPC No Obj

30/0/0744/FP/JS – 29 Cannons Meadow, Tewin – Single storey side and rear extension – TPC No Obj although unclear where car parking spaces were located

3/06/0757/FP/SD Tewin Mill Farm House, Tewin – Two storey rear extension & first floor extension – TPC No Obj

3/06/0782/FP/CD – 26 Grass Warren, Tewin – Single storey side extension – TPC No Obj

 

Planning Decisions Received from EHDC

3/06/0668/LB/GH – The Old Rectory, Churchfield Road, Tewin – Various internal alterations and reinstate side door (Listed Building) – TPC No Obj – EHDC Granted

 

3/06/0689/FP/GH – 29 Upper Green Road, Tewin – First floor rear extension. Part single storey rear extension. Conversion of garage to habitable room. Pitched roof canopy over existing flat

roof and new bay window – TPC No Obj but noted lack of site plan – EHDC Granted

 

Enforcement Issues

Abandoned Vehicle on Lower Green – The Parish Council agreed to talk to Herts County Council Legal Department for advice.

Shed In Field Adjacent to St Peters Church - EHDC Enforcement Representative has met with the owner and the structure is a moveable stable for cattle that does not require planning permission.

BT Phone Box – BT has advised us that they will be replacing the pay phone with a cashless phone that will take phone cards. Both emergency numbers and 0800 numbers can also be dialled. This is part of a nationwide plan due to the rising theft of phones with cash boxes.

 

22. HIGHWAYS

Churchfield Rd/Margery Lane - Cllr K St Pier met with the Rights of Way Officer Tom Goldsmith and advised him of our intended works, which he was happy with. He is already intending to make good the deep ruts along the path.

Cllr A.Hill has kindly volunteered to dig the 4 to 6 channels, which will drain the water from the path into the copse on either side of the path. The Parish Council agreed to accept Cllr Hill’s offer.

 

School Lane – Highways have completed further works again.

Tewin Hill, Queen Hoo, and Bramfield Rd – Drainage works are due to commence shortly.

Dead Trees on Churchfield Road  – We are awaiting a response from Cemex plc who owns the land.

Bollards in Grass Warren – Highways have agreed to send letters to the relevant households to advise car drivers not to drive on the grass.

Grass Warren – The potholes on the access road to the garages and the broken post & rail fence have been reported to Riversmead Housing Association.

 

23. PLAYGROUND

Cllr B.Evans agreed to research funding options and Cllr K St Pier agreed to measure up a potential site on Upper Green.

The Parish Council agreed to send thank you letters to the residents of Cannon Meadow for attending the meeting and explain that at present a playground in the school grounds is not viable.

 

24.  PAVILION AND UPPER GREEN

The next meeting to discuss refurbishment of the Pavilion is on Wed 21st June at 7.30pm in the Pavilion and Roger Toms from the Tennis Club has invited the Parish Council and the Cricket Club to attend. The Parish Council agreed that 4/5 Councillors should attend and Cllr A.Hill would chair the meeting if the Clubs wanted. Cllr K St Pier agreed to liaise with the Tennis Club about suggesting an agenda for the meeting.

The Clerk was asked to circulate to all Councillors the Rules and Regulations for Pavilion users.

 

25. PARISH PATHS PARTNERSHIP

The Rights of Way Dept will be putting more crushed concrete in a variety of places to improve the surface of the footpaths.

 

26. CORRESPONDENCE

Conservation Area Character Statement – This newsletter has been delivered and Cllr D.Howson raised the question who polices the Conservation Area. The Parish Council agreed to consider asking a representative from the EHC Planning Department to attend a Parish Council meeting to answer questions about planning matters in general.

 

St Peter’s Church Accounts for Year ending 31.12.05 – These will be circulated.

Information Sessions on the Involvement of Parish & Town Councils in the Planning and Development Control Process – The Parish Council agreed in light of the Conservation newsletter that they would like to consider one of these information sessions.

28. REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES TO OUTSIDE BODIES

Tewin School – See Parishioners Comments

Tewin Charities Trustees – The trustees were looking into whether a donation towards a playground could be made.

Tewin Memorial Hall – Nothing to report

Tewin Website – Nothing to report.

Parish Plan – Tewin Parish Council received a copy of the draft Constitution of the Tewin Parish Plan Steering Committee (including the Terms of Reference). Topics for the questionnaire have been agreed. A budget will be submitted shortly and it is possible that the Committee will obtain  some of the available funding by the end of this year.

Locality Policing – Nothing to report

 29. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be on Monday 3rd July 2006 in Tewin Memorial Hall at 7.45pm.

As there was no further business the meeting was closed at 10.45pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX 1 – HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION MATTERS June 06

Fault line: 01438 737321   

District Team: 01992 526900

Assistant District Manager: Raj Goutham                              

Assistant Engineer: Ian Bishop (last meeting 15.4.05, 23.2.06)

        Three Valleys Water 0845-7823333 (fault/leak reporting)                      

 

Ref:

 

WORK IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING TO BE DONE AND REPORTED TO THE PARISH ENGINEER.

 

ACTION

1

Flooding at junction of Margery Lane with Churchfield Rd.

Drainage ditch along Margery Lane & gullies have been cleared regularly and silt up again rapidly.

Quote obtained for cut ins.

TPC investigating alternative

2

Flooding  - School Lane –  Flooding across road up 2 driveways on 8.5.06

 

Reported to Highways

3

Bridge Reflectors in Churchfield Road – White lining & chevrons to be repainted & reflective discs/paint on bridge

IB Noted

4

Kerbing – Two loose kerb stones on drive opposite Tewin Stores

IB noted

5

Trees – Dead trees on Churchfield Rd on Mr Sheriff’s land

Written to landowner & awaiting a response

6

Ownership  – Clarify ownership of access road off Godfries Close

 

 

 

7

Signs

Heavy Vehicles signs on Hertford Rd

Tewin Sign at Hollybushes – broken

Ordered

8

Line Markings – Most done some missed such as School Lane

 

9

Flooding - outside 12/14 Hertford Road.

 

 

10

Resurfacing – Queen Hoo Lane tarmac is breaking up.

Planned for June 5th

11

Bollard needs repairing Grass Warren/Cannons Meadow

Reported on Fault Line

 

Please be aware that Highways have a very limited budget and have to prioritise all work.