[Peter:] any problems, any problems the council for er two years, there are and I think that she's actually provided a very significant contributions to the council. It is I think with great regret that we receive her resignation... er but understand it. So perhaps we can for the contribution that she's made in sh in a short time.
[speaker002:] ...
[Peter:] We have then the items listed.... Erm, the first one is the Nottingham Association of Local Councils. Remember that we, we sent er ten pounds to the area committee, which they've said, thank you very much indeed, erm for, and, and there's a meeting erm... next in June, which is their next meeting. Where the... er village care officer is going to attend, and I'll er attempt to get to that meeting.... Well, you know, probably be, the new chairman will attempt to go to that meeting I suppose, after the annual meeting.... We've had a letter from erm the Mayor's parlour,, saying that he's er going to visit... the parish on the first of May to attend the commemorative service. Participate.... We've also had a letter from Southwell Civic Society... about the church free car park. And I think it's worth s er reading out that the Civic Society have asked er Betty in Arundel to write to us in order to express their appreciation of the work that's been carried out in the church free car park. The new park planting etcetera really enhances the area, so that's nice to hear from the Civic Society, and they're also saying that er they're grateful for the newspaper collection, which their office is thinking has been put to good use. And say that their members save their newspapers too.... Some other news. We've had a letter er from Severn Trent Water. You'll reme you'll recall that [cough] Severn Trent... used to subcontract their sewerage maintenance to the District Council. They've... n now terminated that agreement, and now... erm sewerage problems should be directed to er Biffa Environmental Services, who are now doing a subcontract rather than the District Council. There's a local telephone number, which I've already had occasion to use, unsuccessfully as it happens, and, I think, Anne, you were also involved in that... significant problem, on er... on that there is a loc er no plumber. Anne?
[Anne:] But I think John we should point out that it was, it was only unsuccessful because it turned out not to be a sewerage problem. It turned out to be... surface water drainage. And the... this Biffa company don't do anything to do with the surface drainage, surface water drainage, that is dealt with by the County Council Highways Authority, who don't... circulate an emergency telephone number, and this problem occurred over the bank holiday Easter weekend. But I think we should say that Biffa... er what do they call it?
[Peter:] Environmental
[Anne:] Environmental, turned out immediately that... we telephoned them to say there was a flood in on the, and they were... ex extremely fast and very efficient, and they came back later in the day when the Highways Authority still hadn't... erm responded to our calls. And, and were prepared... to do the work so long as they could get the say so from... erm the Highways Authority. Erm so
[speaker002:] Who couldn't be contacted.
[Pat:] May we have that telephone number?
[Peter:] Yes, the telephone number is er for sewage problems, if you remember,.
[Pat:] And how do you spell Biffa?
[Peter:] [spelling] B I F F A [].
[Pat:] Right.
[Peter:] Peter? talk you know there was the Notts County Council on the erm gully... problems that we get in, is it possible to write to the County Council to ask them what sort of maintenance... programme they're going to give us now, as regards this cos I've not seen this wagon going round so frequently as it used to.... I mean you'd see it going round the town quite regularly emptying the gullies.... But y you very rarely see it now, and I should like to know when these gullies are being emptied, and what the programme is? Because we still keep getting ch the same charge for it, community charge, etcetera. And I believe it's a facility that's, you know, is now lacking in Southwell. Well I think we'll ask the clerk to, to, I think it's a good point, yes, indeed.
[Steve:] C can we all st
[Peter:] And that wouldn't have occurred that weekend on the Ropewalk if there'd have been a proper programme, of empty emptying gullies. Mhm. Well, yes, the gully actually was blocked completely in and
[Steve:] We should have a visit by the head of the Notts County Council Highways, for the footpaths' scheme.... That was something you instigated.
[speaker002:] Mhm.
[Steve:] Erm, it's another item when we meet this gentleman, Mr can raise with him.
[Peter:] should probably ask Mr to come to one of our P c Parish Council full meetings.
[Steve:] Well we've asked him to meet us with regard to the footpaths, so we could use it for that at the same time,
[Peter:] I think we're walking round, I think's probably more, more efficient than perhaps inviting him to a meeting.
[Christine:] Well I can tell you now why are constantly [LAUGHTER] blocked up [].
[Peter:] A any problems, if you could send them to Steve,the then we'll er... we'll er check those out, yes?
[David:] Yeah, I'm a bit concerned because we've got a mixture of adopted and unadopted... sewers in Southwell, haven't we? And er I know when I had... experience in the past, last New Year, the District Council's come out on behalf of the residents. They've always come out, but they always do then check while they're there to see whether the property concerned is on the list of... private, adopted or unadopted and there can be a mixture. But they always do the job, and worry about the recharge... afterwards. Which of course is what residents concerned about. Now can we be assured that Biffa are in fact going to do that same service, not turn up and say, you're not allowed this, nothing to do with us. Because they are a private contractor now. And I think what we should get as a Parish Council, is an assurance from Biffa, that they, or from the District Council, from Severn Trent, really, if they are the people that contracted out the work, that a re any resident in Southwell who, who is afflicted by sewerage problems is going to get immediate and urgent attention.... Whether or not the sewer is adopted. Because if you've got your back garden flooded with foul water, you're not really concerned about anything else other than the d than getting the blockage cleared.
[Peter:] I'm assuming that David's suggested that
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Peter:] people did call the number adopted or not, and I would have thought that was
[David:] Well, they did do it, but they used to recharge residents for unadopted sewers. well, sorry to interrupt, but we had a man that was very knowledgeable, with, I think gardens, and he's a local man, er always turned up very quickly. Yeah. And I think that that degree of, that loss of local knowledge could be very serious.
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Peter:] Actually,
[speaker002:] They're taking the same men on.
[David:] that's
[Peter:] found in...
[David:] Thank you chairman, sorry to have laboured the point.
[Peter:] I think that's a good point,w we will raise that with Biffa as well.... Er we also have one other item of correspondence recorded on the list, er which was addressed to The Lord Mayor of Southwell, England,
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] and it got here.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] Well done the post office. From Germany, containing some er nineteen forty late fi early fi early fifties photographs, from a er a doctor, erm in Germany. Without any correspondence, but just to, for our archives. So we are going to write back and say, thank you very much indeed, and I suggest she sends her one of the
[speaker002:] Two up-to-date postcards, [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] no two of the maps, we got the maps, so we can send her a map.
[speaker002:] Excellent idea. Mhm. Mhm. Aye, yeah....
[Peter:] Er can we move on then,?
[speaker002:] No.
[Peter:] No. Can we move then to item number seven, the financial statement of the payments?
[Lynn:] Chairman, sorry. On, on correspondence, there was this letter which also appeared in the, that was sent to me, for notice to the Parish Council about the erm... parked cars along Westgate, and er Church Street, which... we wanted obviously
[speaker002:] Oh yes.
[Lynn:] sorry, I thought mine was a copy, but it's not. From, young, I think he must be about eleven, saying, I'm concerned about safety crossing the road at Westgate, because cars and lorries go very fast along there. Sometimes it's so busy I go across with some of my friends with the crossing lady at the village school, and then walk back down Nottingham Road towards the school. I'm also concerned about the safety of other er pedestrians, mothers with babies and young children, or older children and even teenagers. Please could you get some crossing lights, a zebra crossing, or some traffic lights put in. It would make us a lot safer and cars may not go as fast.
[speaker002:] yes....
[Peter:] that's, that's er I know that Mrs has asked er youngsters at the Minster School to write in, and obviously this is one of the first of those. So that's good to hear, and we'll... we'll forward it on to, copies of that to the relevant organization. Lynn?
[Pat:] Can I you had in? I know they've been writing them. Erm I'm not sure er perhaps that's just one of them, rather than
[Peter:] It's obviously the, the, the pressure upon the County Council to get something done about the traffic.
[Pat:] Do you think perhaps we ought to erm ask the school if they've got the letters ready yet, rather than
[speaker002:] Mhm, yes.
[Pat:] leave it too long
[Steve:] I phoned Mrs on erm Wednesday this week er Monday this week, sorry, and er she's yet to phone me back.
[Peter:] Thank you. I will put that on the side and just with the rest as you're going... Now I'll move on to the financial statements. Firstly, the financial statement which you received earlier, are thick documents, which Steve circulated. This is the document which will be going for audit, and er that's on the agenda a little bit later, erm, on the last financial year. Steve, can you talk
[Steve:] Of course.
[Peter:] us through that?
[Steve:] [cough] You can
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Steve:] see from nineteen ninety two ninety three financial year, our income from the whole year was a hundred and twenty one thousand pounds.... Just look at the first page. Carried forward for this year, for this year is thirty eight thousand three hundred and fifteen pounds, our precept is sixty thousand pounds, and our expected income is fourteen K. So giving us a total income for the year of about a hundred and twelve thousand pounds. Our planned expenditure for this year er works out at ninety one thousand one hundred, and this includes the money for projects. So it gives us erm erm a possible carry forward to next financial year of twenty one thousand pounds. Erm the account balances, and it's ready to go to audit now,
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Steve:] erm and there are no outstanding transactions at this point....
[Peter:] Peter?
[speaker002:] N n no comment, I think it's all... fairly self-explanatory....
[Peter:] So I Can I just enquire why er we had to state getting the fourteen thousand
[Steve:] In total?
[Peter:] Interest.
[speaker002:] Where?
[Peter:] Interest.
[Steve:] Right, if you look at page number...
[speaker002:] They're not numbered
[Steve:] No, this is
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Steve:] on the income sheet which i penultimate penultimate sheet,
[Peter:] Yeah.
[Steve:] you receive, last year, income was twelve thousand five hundred and sixty one pounds, er next year it does go up slightly because we didn't receive any tennis club fees last year. six hundred pounds, the pitch fees about seven hundred pounds, bowls club pay us three hundred and fifty pounds, the tennis club for the two years, subscriptions will be twelve hundred pounds, the fair three hundred and fifty pound for two visits, erm one hundred and seventy five each visit, and the rugby club will pay us about three hundred pounds for the use of the pitch on... ground. Investments, two thousand five hundred.... I'm hoping to get investments of two thousand five hundred, obviously with interest rates coming down, it's er
[speaker002:] Optimistic.
[Steve:] The lease for Southwell City Football Club, forty five pounds, our waste paper income, about five hundred pounds in the calendar year, er V A T refund about three thousand pounds, and grants I've put down five thousand pound income for the year. I've actually put in for twenty thousand pounds' worth of grants at this point, however, let's see whether I'm fortunate to achieve that. Erm and finally,w we do get one or two smaller items of income from... er selling of the maps and erm... other items. That comes to fourteen thousand one hundred and fifty pounds....
[Peter:] ?
[speaker002:] D does the football club's pitch fees not appear in this income?
[Steve:] Yes it does, in the top, the first.
[speaker002:] The pitch fees money. seven hundred pounds.
[Peter:] The, the budget is the one that had been approved previously. What hasn't been approved is this full, audited for the full financial statement for last financial year. This is an end of year statement... if you look, er giving the erm the income of a hundred and twenty five thousand and ninety nine pounds, and the expenditure there on the on the back page, of eighty two thousand seven hundred and eighty three pounds. So it's that that we're approving tonight. Er full council, so that it can go to audit, and the arrangements explain later. Roger?
[Anne:] I move that we... we approve it, and can I also er compliment the, the clerk on, I thought this an excellent document, I mean, I don't know it before or not, but it was well put together, very concise, and I could understand it myself. So I thought that that was pretty good.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] So erm, I would say,. Well done.
[speaker002:] Hear, hear.
[Peter:] Thank you very much indeed. Yes, is that approved then?... Agreed. Thank you.... We've also got the bills for payment... er on your list, there are a number of bills for payment, are there any... questions about those bills for payment? There are some verbal additions.... Which are? Yes. The first item, Severn Trent Water. We are asking for your approval for two bills, a thirty pounds sixty four, and a hundred and fifty three pounds twelve. That is the annual payment, and although we're seeking approval now for the whole payment, we will defer one of, half of those, both of those payments until the six months' interval, in order to gain the interest. So, although we are seeking approval now, for the whole total, we will in fact pay half in six months' time... er as is normal procedure on, on our water bills.... There are some additions, further additions please, because of er urgency.
[speaker002:] Right, first there is from the District Council, and it's pond, er has anybody seen pond?
[Anne:] Not recently.
[speaker002:] It looks absolutely super. It's been erm. The bill for that is three hundred and eighty six pounds and fifty three pence. And this also includes a fence. I've changed the specifications of the fence, so my brother got the... but I put a smaller fence in there, not the huge three bar one which was er previously, it doesn't really change specifications.... Erm my
[Christine:] more than it was?
[speaker002:] No, it still goes, it is actually. But it's cos I changed it, they were going to put a large fence in
[Christine:] Oh right.
[speaker002:] and I thought, it'll be too much in that little area. Er, my claim for expenses for the park, which is on the agenda later come back to this, the cleaner's wages, one trip to Newark, bill development er for Mrs Susan, [LAUGHTER] phone calls made from home. The total claim tw is twenty nine pounds sixty. My accountant has advised me to stop claiming. There's been all sorts of problems with regard to paying cleaner's wages, because I become her employer, [cough] so I've been advised to stop that, hence it's on the agenda. So this will be my last claim ever.... Erm I've got four weighbridge tickets for waste from pond, twenty f twenty pounds and four pence. Erm it's just for rubbish I removed from pond.... Er a bill from for tracing and disconnecting an unused underground cable. Erm which we found on the recreation ground. The bill is for nineteen pounds and forty pence. Erm, we'll come again to this er item later in the, in the er.... Harry and son, decorator. Paint and sign work carried out to toilets on the recreation grounds. Erm, if you've actually been down there, there are now smart plastic signs telling people what the building is, and... giving all the details it looks very nice.
[David:] It's a lot, but
[speaker002:] it's been well decorated, it looks a, a bit more like a public toilet now,.... And finally a bill for the centre of fourteen pounds fourteen pence, which are just items that Don draws, er a mousetrap, er a bin, etcetera. [LAUGHTER] It's But there are then two sets of bills for paying, there's the ones we've got written, and those verbal...
[Peter:] Any q all in agreement?
[speaker002:] Mhm....
[Peter:] Move on then to item number eight. Er there was a Notts County Council liaison conference which I think Anne and Christine went to. I'm not sure.
[Anne:] We did? Yes we did. We did.
[Peter:] Have you got er anything to say for it?
[Anne:] Erm yes, very briefly.
[Peter:] [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] You'll be pleased to hear. Erm on the twenty
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Anne:] ninth of March, Anne and myself went to a meeting of the County Council, organized... well, to liaise with parish councils. And there were two main items on the agenda. Erm one was erm an account of er care in the community, and erm the implications for Nottingham, and how it was going to be, and they were planning to implement it erm which was of general interest. Er a specific on only thing that might have been I think was really, erm the erm the concern that some people expect erm are for rural areas, whether there was going t there were going to be con whether things were going to be spread thinner on the ground in rural areas, particularly sort of transport costs, and of course erm there's one, but nevertheless, the concern that that would be underlying that and the... erm... the erm the the rural community...
[speaker002:] The council? ...
[Anne:] erm and then the, the, the second import erm major action was about erm local government, and I think that's really where the point which we, we've reached a take-home message that we want to erm bring to this council. Two things. One that erm the erm in any kind of structure, it was felt very er strongly that parishes should be represented in, and that they should listen to er perhaps have a much more erm important role than they have now, in a unitary or erm an all-purpose authority. And the County presented erm a, a range of options.
[speaker002:] Mhm.
[Anne:] I have to say, relatively er in an erm unbiased as unbiased as they could be. Er from the extreme option of having a single unitary c erm council, for the whole of the county, erm to on the other hand having erm eight unitary councils based on the existing, er and it's in the document I think the clerk's got and you've probably got. But that, that was the er th erm sorry I'm interrupting myself. Based on the eight erm present District Councils. So and then all erm possibilities between, between those two. And they presented the cost of them, the immediate cost of implementing them, the ongoing cost or, or any saving that there might be because erm and erm left, left that for er for comment. And I think the erm the clerk's got, you've got this document haven't you?
[Steve:] Yeah.
[Anne:] Erm have, I don't think that the that the councillors have it. But it's quite an interesting one to, to look at. Erm, and it gives you part of the range of their proposals. So I, I should think it's erm it is worth councillors having, having a look at what, what is proposed. Erm, and then the other important message was that the erm the coun the commissioners w were looking at er erm all the councils in the, in the country, in England, during the next five years. And coming to Nottingham on beginning, on June the twenty first. And it's most important that we the Parish Council get in our erm send our views to the, the commissioners. They're only coming for eleven weeks, and that of course starting in June, take some holidays, and
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Anne:] erm there's so it's quite important that we should erm make our best strong erm representation to... of our views erm of how we see, erm our message... of the main organization, and I think that was erm
[speaker002:] Just on that last point, it was suggested that we ought to be writing now, to these commissioners, saying that we as a parish council wanted to make comments to them when they were er in Nottinghamshire. So and, and I think maybe it's a good idea that we write and say that we would like to be given an opportunity to speak to them. Yes.
[Peter:] It is
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Peter:] Because if you remember we wrote to the Department of Environment putting our views forward, when the commission was just about to get.
[Anne:] Right.
[Peter:] And I think it would be a good time now to, to point out to the to s to er to say that we'd like to have our views heard at that time.
[Anne:] To me they're not. Er alder people have about that time, it's important that and I think it is. Erm... th there were some complaints about er, this is first liaison meeting that there'd been in the [LAUGHTER] county, and you know they were obviously
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] out there listening []. Er and that did underline er we feel at the moment that we're not being listened to by the, how important it would be, it is, erm if there's to be any kind of inter village,
[Peter:] Any other point on the questions?
[David:] The problem, Mr Chairman, is that after they've got them into the authority, they'll forget all about us again....
[Peter:] Yes, I
[Anne:] I think they have to, this is why we have to get in at the beginning, and be, be part of the structure. Er and Pat's actually... being listened to's too weak, I think parish councils should be part of the structure. I think that's what we should, we should ask for. Local monitors things are different in, in, in different as in the smaller er region of...
[David:] Can I just ask Mr Chairman I, I mean the battle seems to be between the council and the District Councils, is there any danger that the outcome would be the abolition of parish councils?
[Peter:] No, in the, in the erm... the Department of the Environment, they are actually talking about unitary authorities. Now, the question for parishes would th they wouldn't be abolished, the, the question is, how much additional powers and responsibilities would be devolved to the parishes, and that's the question. There's no question, there's no er discussion of the abolition of the parish councils at all. I it is to what extent parishes will have additional powers and responsibilities, and er I think we'll get onto this one, item number seventeen on our agenda.... John? of putting that item next agenda chairman, to consider this matter, who's going to represent this parish council, er as a member?...
[speaker002:] We made mention that we've already submitted something in writing. Has it gone to specifically to the address of the commissioners? If it hasn't, is it worth our er now sending it to them, because if they don't come here, at least we've then submitted something in writing. And I also wondered whether there is a case, I don't know to what extent the County Council is listening themselves, that whether the case for also submitting our views to the County Council.
[Peter:] Erm if we put it on the agenda, perhaps we could circ we'll, we'll recirculate the brief submission that we made, which was about a side of A four if you recall, to the er to the Department of the Environment. It probably sums up the case and we can discuss it and perhaps add to it at that time. Yeah, thank you it was a good idea. David?
[David:] Yeah, we were also er notified of a, a liaison meeting called by the District Council. Erm the has gone, in the past, er I just wondered whether any of us were able to attend that, and if so what the outcome of that was.
[Peter:] I think if you recall we had about er three days' notice of that didn't we? I certainly had very little notice of that.
[speaker002:] Mm. I'm certainly going to one this next
[David:] No, this, this was late April, it was called by erm Mr, wasn't it? And the er
[Pat:] ? That's right.
[Peter:] But it was also very
[Anne:] Can I just say that I, I went to the meeting to do with local planning at Hall
[David:] That's the one.
[Anne:] to represent, to represent, this was for voluntary services. on Tuesday morning, and I went to see the secretary on. But in fact there was very little apart from discussion at the end, that was actually relevant to voluntary services, it was about local government reorganization which was very interesting, for me as a parish [LAUGHTER] councillor [].
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] So erm that was quite informative, actually.
[Peter:] I think that's
[Anne:] That was Mr.
[Peter:] I think that's the one danger of all of this, is that both the County Council's and the District Council's aim perhaps or now are beginning to listen to the parish councils, but also, just really get an eye off the ball, cos they're looking for the increased responsibilities for their own purposes, and I think that's one serious danger that we c... have to face, as a local community. But hope it doesn't happen.
[David:] I think what you say is quite true Chairman, but I still... I think the bottom line to it is, at the end of the day, to do away with a strategic authority, such as the County Council, in my opinion, if you look at what's happened in the metropolitan areas, er in the country, Tyneside, Manchester, the West Midlands, areas like that, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and er London itself, the er the doing away with a strategic authority. It might save money, but in terms of the environmental impact it is quite disastrous, and I think that it's only now that the real problems in London for example are coming home to roost, er and I would ask that point to be borne in mind by whoever we decide should make representations to the commissioners.
[speaker002:] Right thank you.
[Peter:] We'll put this on the agenda for the next meeting. Thank you,. That was
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Peter:] interesting.... Can we move on then to item number nine, er there's a slight alt er a slight erm change to the agenda here,i this should read erm, replacement nomination for the Police Area Liaison Committee. Erm, Stuart... erm sat on the Police Liaison Committee. He wasn't an official nominee of this parish council, but he er was a person who attended the meetings and, and in Stuart's, with Stuart's resignation from this, because he found it difficult to get to, because of commitments, erm... it's suggested that the parish council might be able to identify one of its number in order to be able to at least continue some erm represent private representation on the... Liaison Committee.... Anybody
[Lynn:] Is it John can you give us any er a little idea what the Police Complaints Authority?
[Peter:] No, it's not the Police Complaints Authority. It's the Police Area Liaison.
[speaker002:] Area Liaison.
[Lynn:] Liaison? Ah, I'm sorry, I, I mixed I got slight
[Peter:] It's the Police Area Liaison Committee, that I think meets every three months. Er in the Southwell... area, erm er
[Christine:] This is the meeting that, that, to which people are invited to from all over
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Christine:] the area, in which you stand up and make points that, that might be of interest to the police.
[Peter:] Yes.
[speaker002:] Yes. Yeah.
[Christine:] I've been to one
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] Is there anyone who's prepared to represent Southwell?... It doesn't have to be someone from this parish council, maybe other people are interested, or prepared to attend. It's actually a member of the public from Southwell, that
[David:] I think that there's a is afternoons.
[Peter:] It is.
[David:] Which makes it when everyone's working.
[Anne:] Yes.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[David:] Er Stuart, Stuart did phone me some months ago on this issue, to say he was having increasing difficulty getting to the meetings, and he asked me if er I would take it on, and I said, I would if, you know, if he were pushed. Pushed.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[David:] Er and I believe the meetings take place in Newark, which is not too bad for me to... to get to er so I think
[speaker002:] There we are then. [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] a volunteer.
[David:] I can't guarantee making every meetings.
[Pat:] No.
[Peter:] I, I suggest that we erm propose David as our, as a Southwell representative. , I believe.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[David:] If I don't turn up one night,
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[David:] don't, don't get apprehensive,
[Peter:] I think Mr Chairman there is a feeling of erm well there's a feeling that these meetings would be far more positive now, with the change in the hierarchy of the police in
[speaker002:] [cough]...
[Peter:] Can I then move on to item number ten, the Southwell market refurbishment. Anne, you might have something to say on this?
[Anne:] Erm chairman, the erm District Council officer who's been erm... delegated to draw up the scheme for... for the parish coun for, for the town did meet erm here, one morning some weeks ago, with myself and Steve, the clerk, and showed us some er a sketch of what was being proposed. Now, has he not left it with the Parish Council? He hasn't. I thought that was very useful. Erm what is now being proposed is a somewhat less regimented plan than we had before, if you remember there were lines of trees before in a very grid-like pattern across the marketplace. There is still the, the main focus of the scheme is still repaving the surface and tree planting. The tree planting now en envisages erm I think it's four or five trees across the frontage onto King, King Street, so including the one that exists, four more new ones. Very big trees it, it's suggested should be planted along there, so that they make an immediate impact. And then coming down from a point on King Street just to the left of the existing tree, if you can imagine that, and coming back across the marketplace
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Anne:] where the dropped kerb is, that takes you on to the private road.
[speaker002:] Going to say
[Anne:] A sort of little ar a pathway should be cleared there of natural York paving stones, so that you bisect the marketplace, but not immediately in the middle. It's more or less a third of the marketplace will then be to the right. Near the launderette and then the rest is. And then this York paving stone theme would be also... in a strip all the way round the perimeter of the existing marketplace, and so that you have two areas of, of natural York paving stone, high quality paving. The rest of the market area would be paved in something less expensive, but still something that looked very nice, but it's more manmade. I, I, I think he described them as light granite, but, but actually of a manmade material, which is being used at the moment in Nottingham on a something called a heritage walk which takes you up to the lace market in Nottingham. If anybody knows that area, they'll know what he's talking about. Erm and then on... an area of the, the main York paving stone pathway that bisects the thing, there would be a sort of circular... erm paving theme... motif, in the middle of this path. And in the middle of that, they thought that perhaps an ornamental lighting column with sort of, with lights coming out from the top of it just to make it a bit more fancy. And then there would be more trees pl Oh yes, and on either side of this, this pathway, there would also be an avenue of trees. So that was the main tree planting, this avenue of trees down on either side of this little path. I'm sorry that we haven't got the sketch to show you. It's really difficult. Are, are you following? And then there would be a few more trees around the, the back area if you like of the erm er marketplace. It was also proposed that the piece of roadway that comes from Road, in front of the community centre for 's Court, which at the moment is lower than the marketplace, the marketplace is raised, and th the road is lower. It sh it's proposed the road should be raised on a level with the marketplace, and possibly also paved with this, this granite type paving, so that the pedestrianization idea would continue right the way across to the 's Court community centre. Not so that it would stop cars getting across into the car park, but it would nevertheless give the impression. So it would slow traffic down basically it would have to rise up onto this, this path.... Erm... then there would be the idea of seating into this little er ornamental circular paved area, and seating... at different parts around the edges. Bollards as we've asked for across the frontage as well, and the back. Erm and that was about it. And it was suggested that this scheme should be presented to us, I thought one of their representatives was supposed to be coming here tonight to present it to us, obviously not been possible. They've also asked that I should put a drawing of this scheme which they have sent to me in the May edition of the Bramley, with an article from them, explaining it, asking for comments from the public, and this will be their public consultation exercise. They'd also like comments from this Parish Council, and it was odd that they haven't given us a sketch to look at. But really that was er the purpose of the meeting, where they presented it you know... in that form. And
[David:] Chairman, er has any money been put aside by?
[Anne:] Sorry, they did tell us that, that the whole costing of the scheme was going to be ninety thousand pounds, it was going to cost ninety thousand, just to do what we've, yes, what I've just described to you. Very very expensive, apparently to do paving and to do some mature semi-mature tree planting. The District Council has already set aside twenty thousand,
[Steve:] I think it was twenty one thousand.
[Anne:] twenty one thousand pounds,
[speaker002:] Is that in one year, or over various years?
[Anne:] No, it's been, it's been over a period of... two or three years?
[Steve:] Seven thousand pound a year.
[Anne:] Seven po thousand pounds a year, that's right, over three years, a really feeble contribution by comparison... to the Parish Council, which has also put aside over five thousand. But there is in total at the moment twenty five thousand pounds available.
[Steve:] Twenty six thousand
[Anne:] Twenty six thousand pounds available. And it was suggested by the er two officers that were present, that that could, that money that's already there, could in fact get a third of the scheme done, the third which was the bisecting little path, the main trees across the front, and the bit of the paving that takes you over to the North Road.... The rest would have to be done in phases. They thought they could do this first third this year, during the summer, over the summer months, if there was general agreement for the scheme. They would move the market [LAUGHTER] stalls of course.
[Peter:] That'd be the bollards and the, the er set, the York stone sets which continue the line of of Road basically, from the entrance to 's Court straight across towards erm towards the erm greengrocers. It continues that line. And the part which sides the launderette. Peter? Thank you chairman. Well... I won't give an opinion whether I agree with the scheme or not, because I would like to see some of the drawings first before I gave a, you know, of an opinion of it, like you know everybody else around this table. But what concerns me greatly again, is we seem to be doing it or the District Council in bits and bobs. Now the District Council have taken a lot of money off this town, over the market stalls... now, for a number of years, and I believe if they're going to do a scheme like this which has been going on now for over eight years, it should be done all in one go. I don't think you can do a third one year and then try and raise some more money over the next few years and do another third. I would like to see the scheme be taken on, and done properly. And d let's have a proper job in the town for a change.... Lynn.
[Lynn:] Can I ask if the sum is ninety thousand?
[Anne:] Nine O.
[Lynn:] When they, when they came in the summer and they said erm they, they planned and they said approximately how much, what were those figures? They weren't anything like that were they?
[David:] Well they weren't York stone then were they?
[Anne:] I don't think they quoted a figure, I think
[Peter:] I, I think actually we do need to see the drawings. And I'm disappointed that the District Council officers nei ei any of the three come, I understand one's ill, but I mean it seems a bit disappointing cos I did actually
[Anne:] September last year they came, September last year they came with the display
[Peter:] I think perhaps we'll ask them to come to our next meeting, or the meeting after that.... Since our meeting in May is the annual meeting, we're... pushed for time there. But, I mean as soon as we can g get them to come along, and actually ask them to
[speaker002:] To a planning meeting?
[Peter:] To, to a planning meeting. To a planning meeting. Yes. Yeah. Pat?...
[Pat:] Erm I, I'd like to see what Peter would like to see actually, I think we ought to see the whole thing done... in one fell swoop. Can't see it happening, but it would be better. But just a minor point, erm if we're going to settle for one third the job... initially, is that going to improve the bollards to the front and rear? Because obviously it's, they are going to some of the paving, we don't wanting it running up a small onto the next lot. It is?
[Peter:] It would include the bollards, but not the paving up the side of Road.
[Pat:] No,
[Peter:] Two of the bollards o on both the street end and road
[Pat:] So it came out to be impossible to d to drive on paving, that. Because obviously they'll, they'll be able to get their equipment when they finish the job.
[Anne:] Mhm. Mhm....
[Pat:] One
[Peter:] Well
[Pat:] would assume.
[Peter:] Yes, but, the... the main part of this as I understand the drawing, you'll have to ask Mr when he comes, but the main part of, of the square, which wouldn't be the third which is done in the first phase according to the phase that they're currently proposing. It wouldn't be York stone set anyway. This would be this concrete, concrete type of erm small, small brick. So about er erm two hundred by three hundred mil.
[Pat:] It wouldn't be very large, but anything large or anything on a large square well if they're working on it, once they put their bollards up.
[Peter:] Well some some of them will be removable, because they remove them whilst they do the second phase.... I it strikes me that there seems to be some really muddled thinking erm coming from the District Council, erm with real sort of erm er erm contradictions. On, on one hand, you're talking about, or they're talking about, we're talking about, improving the aesthetics aspect of the market place,wi with nice pavings and attractive features. And on the other hand, the moment they, they're going to stick masses and masses er o o of stands,the the these market trader pieces on it, and really I can't understand er why bother, if you're going to destroy something in that sort of way? Why bother to do it in the first place? I, I think that there's a lot of confusion going on, and, and I don't understand it. I'm not sure just who... where, how people are arriving at these two decisions. It's almost as if it's a completely different team, that don't even talk to one another.
[speaker002:] It's the same department. Well, it's a different team. That's correct.... That's right.
[Peter:] Now I've got to move on, please, can I have one point?
[Lynn:] Can I ask a does the scheme erm mention stalls, and what were
[Anne:] Not as a permanent feature, no no, I think that the er the
[Lynn:] But the other scheme did at least indicate where the stalls would be, taken that into account.
[Anne:] No, these didn't show any stalls, but they're i it was explained that one of the constraints in the design of the scheme was the brief that they had to leave space for er as many stalls as possible to be erected.
[Lynn:] But they had?
[Peter:] Yes, that's right. We'll ask Mr to, to come along to
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] erm Southwell centenary, which is next year if you recall, erm... we've... at a previous meeting I raised this erm... the point with councillors that next year is our centenary of our formation, we don't have any archives unfortunately, er they were lost in the last sort of decade.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[David:] Oh quite conveniently.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] Erm, but it is our centenary, and I just wondered... other, other parish councils are recognizing the centenary in other ways. The, I've only had only suggestion erm put to me, but there may be others. The suggestion I've had is that we have got held in the budgets erm land acquisition, I mean it may be that we actually pool this the, the new land acquisition after the centenary, which might be erm a way of recognizing the centenary of the, of the parish council. Other parish councils are... holding markets and holding events, but I, I don't know. Any comment?...
[Anne:] What do you mean other parish councils are holding
[Peter:] All
[Anne:] have other people got centenaries as well?
[Peter:] Yes. Er in eighteen ninety four, the Parish Councils Act was established by, by the Gladstone government, it was, erm which created the network of, for the first time, of local community representation. And so in Nottinghamshire, erm other councils, such as Farnsfield and Balderton also established simultaneously. So there will be national events, but er I'm thinking particularly in Southwell.
[speaker002:] Bob, er I take it that you know the suggestion that we perhaps name the... er thing, this particular thing, you know the centenary fields or something like that, you know is a very good suggestion, but I think perhaps the council ought to do something. Perhaps we ought to have a service at the Minster, or er something to you know, er remember the... service of many given to the parish council over a hundred years, and er and it's something simple, and I think it would be quite nice to er to do something like that. What we incorporate...
[Christine:] Erm I, I, I agree with that. In fact I mean you can buy or I mean you've got the record of erm how far back, you could invite all the existing, [LAUGHTER] living [] [LAUGHTER] parish councillors, so far as we could, and, and that, that would be, I think that would be... fascinating. perhaps a reception in the great hall.
[David:] Well, I don't want it's not something peculiar to us is it? Erm it's a hundred years of parish government really, and er I would have thought probably we'll find out that the National Association of Local Councils will probably be organizing something we can erm erm you know, adhere to. If some project comes up during the course of the year, I would have thought that it might be appropriate to erm er cobble the name of centenary onto it, but I don't really think that this year we just commit ourselves to something just because there's a hundred years of parish government coming up. Sorry, but er... I don't think, I don't really think it's peculiar to us,
[speaker002:] I, I disagree entirely. They ought to... [tape change]
[Peter:] So the, the two suggestions which we'll put forward then is, is naming one of capital projects in, in this financial year, of the centenary, and possibly looking at er erm joining into a service or establishing a service with the Minster, and I'll, I'll look into that with the Provost as well, and the Association.
[speaker002:] Yeah. I'll
[Pat:] , we've got a proposed wood here, a centenary wood
[Peter:] Oh yes, can I
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] can you all try to as we're getting a bit late. Erm... this is a rewrite which I suggest we er refer to the General Purposes Committee, but there is a, a problem in terms of the access to the recreation area and the nature reserve, that's er on the bridge adjoining the ponds right across the sp across the diagonal of Road. The stile is stopped up and, and... res erm children particularly are clambering over the bridge in order to use the footpath, which actually does end at the stile, which has been stopped up, erm through the nature reserve. It, it does appear that there, there's problems on, on that corner of the Road bridge with, there could be weakening of that bridge, erm it could be erm disrupted. Also the bank is crumbling where children are climbing over, and we need to do something about it. Lynn?
[Lynn:] Yes,Chairm er it's a bit of a dilemma really because the area that is being used to, to walk and then clamber over this bridge, is actually within the nature reserve, as you rightly describe it. And what's happening is the children weren't walking from the school Street site to the Road site. Instead of walking... around the children's play area, and then down Road and joining the, the Road site footpath, are using that as a foot as a shortcut. And that's why they're sort of clambering over the bridge, in order to get onto the shortcut. And it would seem as though it's a logical thing to unblock a bit of the fence, so they can, instead of clamber over the bridge, just come straight through. However, if you do that, you're going to encourage these hundreds of children who make this crossing between the sites crossing every day, to walk through the er the, the nature reserve. Which will have two effects. One, it will erode because of the... the numbers of children and the, the numbers that they walk abreast, it'll erode the grass areas on either side of the nature reserve pathways. They won't stick to the pathway, because they don't do it in the school. And er it's because of er their numbers. Therefore by encouraging more of them to use this route, you'll erode your, your planting in the nature reserve. And secondly, you'll get a greater, obviously a greater amount of litter, because they do eat as they walk [LAUGHTER] across the sites []. And they drop their crisp packets and their tins. And they, you know, they're no worse than children anywhere else in the country, and I don't wish to make a big song and dance about it. It's just a fact of modern life when children eat out in the street you get litter.
[David:] That means all the kids are dope fiends.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Lynn:] So I... both the, both those disadvantages... lead me to think that we ought not to unblock this area. I think that they, you know,i i i i if there is da damage being done to the bridge, then we've got to somehow address that in a different way. I would be reluctant to see this er this fence removed to allow them to use that
[speaker002:] Sorry? You
[Peter:] I've raised this, these points that we've raised when we went and met Donald down at the park, and the school have said they will not erm allow the children to go that way. When there's a school teacher down there, it should happen at all break times and meal times, erm... er they, they're not going to be allowed to go down there. M my concern is one of safety. I must be honest, having seen the children leap off that bridge, it's not going to be long before somebody falls and hurts themselves. So I accept the point that, that Lynn made, but I feel that... it's a, somebody's eventually going to fall into that water. And we were down there Lynn on
[Lynn:] Mm.
[Peter:] and what were the kids doing? Just leaping over it.
[Lynn:] They were jumping over.
[Peter:] And it's dried up now.
[Anne:] Can I just say then that I think either it's got to be blocked completely so they can't jump over the bridge, or it's got to be unblocked. And I'd say it was better to unblock, because the kids all walk over that bridge now, they're eroding away the bank, the. You'd have to fence right along the bridge and completely block it. But the daft thing is really that there is a, an access into the little play area from there. If you don't go through that way to the little play area, you've got to walk all the way round. The other thing is if the school children walk round, and through where they're supposed to go, it still goes past Wide Pond, and they've eroded all the grass where they've made their own little footpaths through, I don't think going... that going the other way would make it any different. They're still going through that nature reserve area. And the other thing is that the river along there is full of litter anyway, and it just flows along. I don't think
[speaker002:] Can I, can I
[Anne:] I, I think personally, it would be better to open it up properly.
[Peter:] Can I suggest we actually have a look at this in General Purposes? Cos I think that what we will need to do is refer it to General Purposes Committee for and people to go and have a look at it. Erm there are a number of suggestions, one of which is to open it. One of which is not to open it. The other is to put a fence alongside the, the, the river er there, in a similar way to the southern end of the bridge. So people of General P members of the General Purposes Committee, go down and have a look at the bridge, have a look at the southern end, where there is a... a wooden plank, which actually prevents this sort of activity, on the southern end, but not on the northern end. So perhaps we can have a look there, and this will appear on the ne and, and I suggest we look at it on the next General Purposes Committee. Last point, Peter? Just before, you know, you make your final decision at the General Purposes, would you please consider the small children on the playground area there please? Because the reason that er stile was blocked off in the first instance was there was a case where a child ran across that road. Now whatever you do by opening up this... it's got to be done for safety purposes, please, for the infants. And I think if you're going to open it up, you must consider probably a wicker gate or something s so that a child cannot run onto Road. I think you'll have a fatal accident eventually if you do. Thank you. Can I, can I move on or is this a?
[Pat:] I ju just one point to make, that the children can't run out of this area onto, there's already a stile out of the play area, for that path, before you get to the road.
[Peter:] It's, it was done that's why did block it up with a in the first instance.
[Pat:] But it's about two or three.
[Peter:] Yeah, but it did, it has happened it has happened. But I mean But if we're going to co if we're going to open it up, we need to consider the sort of gate, perhaps a kissing gate might be the one to put in, rather than a stile. Shall we defer this to the General Purposes Committee meeting? Thank you.... Erm right, number thirteen.... get through this by nine o'clock. Er you'll be aware from the letter which was circulated to you by Steve, that we had a significant problem with water leakage down the... our pipe, which joins the mains water supply at the memorial, war memorial. After that meter, all of that water usage is our responsibility. And we were using er about a cubic meter every three hours. In other words, it was costing us about a pound an hour... in water. So as an emergency, without any budgetary provision, er we decided, erm on consultation with a number of councillors, that the only thing we could do was actually locate the water leak... and replace it. But having had some estimates for that, it became... inappropriate to, it became more cost effective to replace the entire pipe with a wider diameter pipe. Because you'll know that we have water pi pressure problems on that particular er water line. It doesn't mean to say the water po pressure will be increased at the moment, because the final connection to the fifty mil water main is still the narrow gauge. But what we decided to do was to replace the entire water main... erm with erm a double, a double capacity pipeline.... And at the same time improve the water supply situation there, by providing some standpipes so that our groundsmen can water... a number of the er various facilities down there. And we had an er er an estimate, erm er which was circulated, which we accepted. We've had to increase the cost of that estimate by, for three things.... Firstly, we came across electric cables that were only three inches below the surface of the ground.... This was... clearly significantly dangerous, and so whilst we w had the J C B, J C B down there, we asked the contractor to dig er to remove those electric cables and actually replace them at an appropriate depth. The second, the second point was that while the J C B was down there we er erm in consultation erm the chairman of those committees, we removed the old concrete base which crumbled whilst we were digging the... erm the t the trench for the water pipeline, it was actually crumbling away. And so it was actually becoming dangerous at the same time.... The, the next point w the, an additional point was, in discussion with the Cathedral Council, the Cathedral Council have always been interested, and the church commissioners, have always been interested in having a water supply to the cemetery. And so we took advantage of the tender and the contractor being in th in the area, to extend the water pipeline... from its current location at the football stadi erm er pavilion, through to the cemetery. And install a cattle trough which is, as far as we ho as far as we believe, vandal-proof, in that it'll be a self-filling c er cistern filled cattle trough which the, the erm the, the ball float is actually contained in a erm a metal box so you can't get access to it. We have found the leaks, and we have connected all, we have reconnected all of the er supplies, including a supply to the cathedral field, which has never been billed in the past er because of erm damage to their meter, it's only used twenty seven gallons but twenty seven litres, but whilst I've been here, it's a water meadow from the result of the water that we've been supplying to that particular field.... And we've also extended the, the, as a new measure, the water supply along the side of the football and rugby pitches so that Don can water... the goalmouths erm of both the goal, of both the football and the rugby pitches, which is a considerable improvement. That increased our tender price significantly as you can imagine.... about one thousand pounds. But as a consequence of all that work, we've actually gained an additional five hundred and seventy pounds grant from the church commissioners, from the... Scouts and from the Cathedral Council for this new additional work. So we've actually got [cough] a bill... of three thousand one hundred and four pounds, to replace this water main. It is a replacement, we were losing that money... erm because the, the water meter was going round at a pound an hour. But we've increased the capacity of that pipe, so that if we have some more money eventually, we can er replace the final five yards from our meter to the Severn Trent water main er in some future years, to improve the pressure problems down the whole pipeline.... So I th I hope that's a full report to you. It's a problem that we had to face, and we had to take it, because otherwise we were going to be faced with an enormous bill, erm for ourselves, because it was down to us. We have found all the leaks, there were about five leaks I think, down that. The major leak erm was at the Scouts' hut, where erm the, the building was actually putting pressure upon the water main, and er causing a leak. Directly into a drain, so we never s that's why we didn't see it, because the water was actually pouring down a drain, so of course we didn't see the water lolling up the waterlogged ground, otherwise we'd have spotted it earlier.... So that's I hope a, a r report on the activity there. What will now happen is that er the contractor will regrade the land, erm but we will grass-seed it erm with Don, er our groundsman will look after and maintain that er so that it'll be reinstated er over the next er six months.
[speaker002:] Do you want retrospective approval?
[Peter:] I'm merely seeking that budget commitment.
[speaker002:] I approve it.
[Peter:] Well yes I, no, I would endorse that and, and hopefully perhaps you know the comments that have been made [cough] will be picked up by the press. Because I had a number of people who've been on to me talking about the mess on the, on the recreation ground, and asking what it's for, and as soon as you explain why, you know, it's been accepted. But it, it, it caused an initial aggravation, but it's only because people didn't know. And, and if it's in the press. Well, we didn't have a discussion about it because as you can imagine, the, the three weeks that we've, since this problem's arisen before Easter, we'd have actually lost another thousand pounds in terms of water costs.... Yeah, I think we should minute erm our appreciation of the action taken by yourself and the clerk in resolving this matter, because we did approve work erm and it became obvious after work was commenced that there was additional work that needed to be got on with and that it was er er obviously going to be a cost-effective exercise to do it there and then, and er you both er canvassed as many councillors as you could at the time, all the committee Chairmen were, were involved, I don't see that you could have done any more in the circumstances. And er I think you ought to be congratulated on the actions taken.
[speaker002:] Yeah. Mhm.
[Peter:] Can we have approval for that er expenditure then?... Thank you.... I think Peter declare an interest in this one Yes to me.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]...
[Peter:] Erm thank you for that.... Erm item fourteen, trees for the war memorial recreation ground. We had a number of erm er items on this. We have significant expenditure erm in line on this. We budgeted a thousand pounds, it looks as if we're going to have to spend more on urgent work. We've now had a letter from Simon, as you asked us to get, on the trees and recreation ground, saying that, yes indeed, he says he now points out that there are dangers in the willow tree and also the dead Leylandi erm behind the children's play area, and also some of the dead wood which we've already identified. So we're going to have to proceed with some of this expenditure, probably twice the budgeted... b budgeted erm monies. We're going to see if we can actually do all of that work for two thousand pounds rather than the three thousand pounds which we we're
[David:] Which is? The one that where the bridge is at the far end?
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Peter:] Yes.
[David:] Cos that's been in dilap er condition all my life.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[David:] And if you look at they're all the same.
[speaker002:] going to do anything, or are suggest that they you know, do the bare nece the bare necessity of work. Rather
[Peter:] We've, we've got difficulty here because we've now got letters saying that you know, it's down to us, and that the er tree surgeons... er from the County Council believe that they are a danger to... a danger to the public.
[David:] It's a question of safety, it got to be
[speaker002:] ?
[David:] Is it the ones?
[Steve:] I mean all good trees are being and over the years they all go, don't they? And they they're an ideal habitat for wildlife, and... sometimes I think unnecessary.... That's my opinion.
[Anne:] Yes, but they when th they're in a public park, as these are... I think public safety has to take priority over the wildlife consideration.
[Peter:] I it's not all of them, there's a one particular one, which is actually causing s concern to the erm to the p p I, I think perhaps what we need to do s is v people who are interested in this work actually speak to Steve as he starts to contract the work out.... Erm because the the there are quite detailed reports here which I'm not, not able to go into. We've had a number of quotations and a number of reports here. What I'm saying to you is... that, that we actually need to find additional money for this, because this is over our budgeted amount... if we are to proceed, and I, the clerk is suggesting to us that we do proceed, because he's concerned on our behalfs.... So
[Steve:] There is an item late on the agenda which will,i if it's agreed by council, will release a little bit of money that would, we could put perhaps to er towards this... thousand pounds....
[David:] Oh, I'm sorry, appear but er I'd have thought this tree's g er g erm willow trees make cricket bats, and cricket bat manufacturers will purchase willow trees.
[speaker002:] Only only certain types of willow tree.
[David:] That's what we call
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Christine:] Chairman, don't we have a number er the hold-over or, or balances to cover this expenditure?
[speaker002:] Yes we do.
[Christine:] And that the main problem is those councillors who are concerned about it, and I think that you've made the point that those who are concerned must go and, and... speak to the clerk and look at the er specifications
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Christine:] detailed specifications before the work is commenced.
[speaker002:] Yes. Mm.
[Christine:] And then not howl and sort of get enraged afterwards because they didn't realize what was happening.
[Peter:] I think, I think I'm actually seeking your approval then to spend additional thousand pounds from our balances... for this safety work, which we may well be able to top up later in the discussion this evening. John? Seconded that?... Agreed?... Any against?... [cough] Item fifteen. Erm we're pleased to announce that we've appointed a new handyman...
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] erm er Mr Dennis, who's accepted the appointment. He starts next week. And er he was interviewed by the Appointments Committee, and erm I think he'll be a very good appointment. He was interviewed as you know by the clerk, by our groundsman, and a councillor. So thank you very much er for your work on that, and I think you made a good appointment. So.
[Pat:] Does he live in Southwell?
[Peter:] Yes, he lives at....
[Pat:] Is he a young man?
[Peter:] Er
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] University graduate? [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] A well, a well-qualified
[Lynn:] candidate
[speaker002:] Yes. Yeah.
[Peter:] Can I move on to item number sixteen, the Cheskevod's trading charter. On your table er you were given a copy of the draft, the English draft of the charter er which I've had a look at, it was given to me
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Peter:] by the er Trading Association, it seems to me to be quite a sensible charter, and er I propose that we write to the Association saying this is very good and can we get it
[speaker002:] In copperplate?
[Peter:] Er we're going to er get it drafted up and... er we have some money in the, we have some money in our... budget, for a gift, and it seems to me appropriate erm that the gift that we might make to Cheskevod is the... s trading charter which we can get for the money that we've budgeted... er written by a calligrapher who I've already contacted, who said that they can do it erm well, for that sort of price, in both English and Czech.
[speaker002:] That's
[Anne:] How much?
[Peter:] I think it's a hundred
[Steve:] Hundred and fifty.
[Peter:] hundred and fifty pounds. But we can actually get it framed and I mean we'll get it for well under that.
[David:] So you're proposing that from the chair?
[Peter:] I'm proposing that we accept this er trading charter draft, and that the Parish Council erm looks to provide once the Czech version as being er provided for us from Czechoslovakia er from the Czech Republic rather, that erm we'll accept.
[Anne:] And it will be ready for the for the visit in May?
[Peter:] It will be ready for the visit in May.
[Anne:] Oh lovely. Agreed.
[Peter:] Agreed?
[speaker002:] Agreed. Agreed.
[Peter:] Thank you.
[David:] Th I mean there is th you have a charter here as well presumably?
[Peter:] We have two copies of the charter. That's right.
[David:] Alright.
[speaker002:] Mm....
[Peter:] But the er but the one's currently hanging up in the library.... version. Er item number seventeen. This really refers back and I think the time refers back to the discussion that we had under the er liaison conference. In order to help us I think in our discussions, it seems to me that, I think we ought to write formally to the County Council and to the District Council actually asking them for more details of their consideration for what they intend to do about parishes. Now we've been to these meetings, and there's a lot of airy-fairy words about yes we support parishes. I think in order to support our... our response to the Royal Commission, which is imminent, the County Council and the District Council must now have had... firm ideas on what they intend to do with parishes. So what I'm proposing is that we write to er Mick and erm Richard, asking what powers and responsibilities that they propose at the moment to devolve to Southwell. Seconded. Well hope to have that typed by next meeting.... Any against that?
[speaker002:] No. [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] Number eighteen. Peter do you want to talk about this one? Yes I think He knows nothing about it.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] Same with Finance Committee.
[Peter:] Steve?
[Steve:] As I mentioned previously, my, my accountant said, drop this, because it's going to put me in all sorts of problems with my taxation and things. So I would ask nicely that I have petty cash of say thirty pounds, which out of I would buy, or pay the cleaners' wages, and any minor expenses that come my way.
[Peter:] It would be an interest account?
[Steve:] It would be an interest account. Er... thirty pound maximum, I would keep the money at home, so there's no risk, risk to any money of being left in the office erm and I would be obviously responsible of returning thirty pounds.
[Peter:] And the bills will come anyway in the normal way to, to, to the, it's got pushed into the dike, and it's gone down afew, it's got pushed into the dike, and it's gone down afew y thirty pounds maximum... are we agreed?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Peter:] Thank you.... Move on to the refurbishment of the toilet block. Now you'll have heard that we painted the toilet block, and it does look very smart.... We haven't opened the toilet block as yet, because if you remember that the Recreation Ground Committee, we're opening it in the... er after the school has started and shutting it before the school ends, so that we don't have the problems of vandalism which we've had in the past, hopefully. So we'll o er Don, our groundsman, has agreed to it... erm during the daytime. Steve?
[Steve:] If, if you er go down and visit the toilet block you will see above the doors there are a number of bricks that have come loose on both sides. This is due to the fact that no lintel was placed in there when the building was erected. And there's actually cracks appearing
[speaker002:] Bulging.
[Steve:] bulging, yeah. I'm very concerned that if we don't get some urgent remedial action to do this brickwork, that we're gong to have a major problem down there. Also, the roof is leaking in several places, there are cracks appearing on the parapet, which need, even to my eyes, need to be filled. Erm, what I've done is I've asked for quotes from three companies er to see how much work, how much it'll cost us to take this action. I feel that we must take it almost immediately, because if those bricks do go, we're going to have a major.
[speaker002:] I think you'll find that all on the back side, and those bricks will be into the lintel at the back. tied it What they just sort of? Yeah. Yeah.
[Peter:] What, what'd happened is that there's a concrete span right at the back, and they've the inner course off it, but the external bit built off the door frame.
[Anne:] Botched job,.
[Peter:] It is yes
[Anne:] It sounds like it.
[Peter:] No that's how all places was built up until about nineteen seventy eight.
[Anne:] Oh well.
[Peter:] Well the door frame, I mean the bricks' ll be alright, but they'll maybe just t sag down, and that, that, that's what's happened, the door frame has, has taken the weight, it's sagged, but is also bulging, In in particular the gents' side. But in the sixties and seventies, that's where all the kids used to jump up onto the flat roof, that was the area where they jumped up, so this could be a result of what has happened from there, I mean that's why the
[Christine:] ... you weren't one of them were you?
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] job to. What you used to do, you see, years ago, was turn the off the lights inside the toilets, and go in there at night, and sleep.
[speaker002:] Oh! Who did? Ooh!
[Peter:] Kids. And that's why we've got
[Anne:] So it's not a new thing this.
[Peter:] lintel this side of the toilets now,
[speaker002:] It's not a new phenomenon.
[Peter:] metal bricks, which stops the kids getting in. And that's what they did, they used to with that the steps, the brickwork. Fifty percent We, we do have some, we do have some grant applications on, on this, because of it, it, it being public toilet, and also improving the environment,
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Peter:] including one from British Telecom, which it seems to be being done quite well, so it'll be improving the environment week. And it seems to me that it was an improvement of the environment to have some decent public toilets.
[speaker002:] Very good.
[Pat:] Just one point, it's rather a shame they can't be open at weekends? Because there are quite a lot of adults in the park with younger children during the weekend. And I don't think there'd be a problem at four o'clock... vandalizing as such I mean we did
[Peter:] I think that's maybe the Recreation Ground Committee, who's really looking after this on, on our behalf could actually investigate,
[Anne:] You'd still have the problem of small children.
[Peter:] Yes. A and also that the erm signpost We can't have them till this work's done No.
[Pat:] We have the problem though of getting them Donald said he wasn't prepared to.
[Anne:] Oh well perhaps the new handyman was more
[Christine:] Y what about the possibilities eventually? I mean the chaps in the tennis club are saying put it down. Erm because it's an eyesore. What about having some sort of... one of these superloos or some vandal-proof toilet there, you know if er people actually pay to go in it, it wouldn't be so bad.
[Peter:] Well I know
[Anne:] Those cost ninety thousand pounds.
[Christine:] Shall we get a grant? for [LAUGHTER] for [] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] . Can we suggest that the Recreation Ground look at the opening of the toilets, and ask them to, to consider this, at their next meeting? Erm but we do need an approval to go out and for quotations and sorry tenders on this, on this work, which is actually urgent. Erm Well can, can the clerk er ask about getting three tenders, and take the lowest and get on with the job? Yes....
[Steve:] I think actually it would be a good idea if I met Steve we er did a er a list of what wants doing, exactly what wants doing.
[speaker002:] Yes, it really
[Peter:] A full specification. Good idea.
[Pat:] But with regard to the erm the of it, you need more than ninety thousand
[Peter:] So there are three things that we've talked about then. An i an immediate going out to work on this re remedying the brickwork problem, which is getting, the cracking is significant and, and potentially dangerous at the moment, the full refurbishment of the block, which the grant applications are in for, and the opening er and asking the Recreation Ground Committee to r reexamine the opening of the toilets. Those three... items. Are we agreed on those?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Peter:] Thank you. Erm footway repairs in Southwell. Yes, Steve?
[Steve:] Er this item was on the last agenda. I got a letter from Richard, who's the area manager of Notts County Council, offering us er well let me read it to you, it says, [reading] thank you for your letter of twenty sixth of March, and comments therein. I shall be pleased to meet you and your councillors to discuss and inspect any problem areas. May I suggest one of the following []. He's given me three dates... when he'd be delighted to meet us erm Friday the thirtieth of April, four of May or fifth of May, but other dates a as necessary. Erm then he's very willing to go round with us.
[Peter:] Which, which one of those dates is
[Lynn:] What, what days are they?
[Steve:] Friday, the
[Peter:] Tuesday, Wednesday.
[Steve:] Friday the thirtieth of April, Tuesday the fourth of May or Wednesday the fifth of May.
[Lynn:] I can do any of those.
[Peter:] Yeah
[Anne:] Is, is it to walk round?
[Peter:] Yes, it's to walk round Peter, you were were you available at any of those times? I shall work in, because I mean I'm the one who's been pushing to get them on this. I mean I would make sure I'm there, cos I'm disgusted with the pavements in Southwell.
[speaker002:] So it's the pavements?
[Peter:] It's the pavements. Pave
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Peter:] pavement repairs. Then We can't get them done John cos of cable television. Can we It's a feeble excuse as far as I'm concerned, and we can't wait long you know, Steve will then er arrange one of the days the most convenient to himself and Mr, and since Lynn and Peter are able to accommodate eith any of those three dates, we'll circulate to other councillors er if anybody else is interested in commenting or providing information.... Is that agreed?
[speaker002:] Mhm.
[Peter:] Thank you.... Perhaps we could do that. Parking problems, Road, Southwell. We've had a reply... from the County Council... erm we have, we have had erm erm a reply, they will be doing er a survey on Road to see if it i wants inclusion. They say that the stop signs, the visibility... isn't erm again, he's going to s to erm... er he says that the stop signs, the visibility isn't bad enough, that the, the difficulties in visibility aren't bad enough, but he's going to reexamine... that particular situation. He doesn't think that widening the carriageway on the corner of Road and Road will be very sensible, but that wasn't what we were suggesting, we were suggesting I think on er Avenue rather than so we'll have to write back and tell him.
[Anne:] I think one of the residents.
[speaker002:] Residents did. Yes.
[Peter:] So he is actually taking some action, and he will come back to us fairly soon he said erm... about the result of his survey, whether or not there'll be a residents' scheme down there.... I've no further information on that...
[Anne:] Could we just er by following that up Chairman, suggest that they, that they look at p the provision of double yellow lines around the kerb, around those kerbs that go from lower Road into Road, because it's on that corner that you get the, the van parked which is causing the visibility problems.
[speaker002:] Alright, of course It's not on the road.
[Anne:] What?
[speaker002:] The van.
[Anne:] double yellow lines around that kerb, around the corner, would actually stop that happening.
[Peter:] Right so we'll
[speaker002:] been on that wasteland.
[David:] But I always thought it was illegal to park within fifteen yards of a corner anyway. And I can't understand why the police don't shift these vehicles. cos they're clearly dangerous, and erm the police have the powers to remove any vehicle if they think it's causing an obstruction, no matter where it is.
[speaker002:] I know of similar things happening in, that are... equally bad if not worse, and nobody seems to be able to get any action at all, out of police, District Council, or, so
[Peter:] Well
[speaker002:] why I don't know,.
[Peter:] Well, I mean at least Mr 's coming out, and we'll ask Steve to raise those very points with him, and I'll also raise it with Mr, the inspector when I see the inspector about that particular issue. I mean I always thought if you were parked too close to it, they take your number and next thing you know, you get a, a, a summons come through the post.
[Christine:] I should think it's within sight of the police station anyway, I should think.
[Peter:] I will raise that with erm.
[speaker002:] [cough] [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] Shall I, I shall have to apologize to the council, cos I mean I did do the, the survey of the erm residents and of course I had flu last month, I do apologize, I didn't actually manage to get that done. But if you still want me to do it I will do it.
[Peter:] I think it would be probably worthwhile erm talking to the residents down there, and actually explaining that th what's happening to them.
[David:] It's all their cars, isn't it?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Peter:] [LAUGHTER] Yes [].
[David:] worth it, because full of cars.
[Peter:] Well, they may well do.... But at least we're taking some action and finding out what they want, which is... part of the problem.
[Lynn:] Has the problem increased since the road through 's been reopened?
[Peter:] Well that that may be something which we ma will actually find out when we
[Lynn:] It should have done....
[Peter:] Can we move on then to erm purchase of the sports pitches. You'll be aware that the planning application is in, there are some grant applications in with two er bodies, erm the Newbury and Sherwood District Council, and the Foundation for Sports and Arts. Er, we haven't heard from any of those. The committee meet the sub the committee has not met yet, because there hasn't been any action, and we won't be meeting until we get some movement from any of those three agencies who'll be replying to us.
[speaker002:] May I ask, Chairman, cos I missed the last... meeting, what, what the, the subcommittee, is that the s an ad hoc subcommittee?
[Peter:] Yes, it is. Yes, it is. We agreed to set it up at the last meeting.
[speaker002:] So what, what stage are we at? Are we still investigatory stage, or have we taken a policy decision that we will purchase this ground? unclear at the moment, isn't it?
[Peter:] Well, we have de delegated powers to the subcommittee, which consists of myself, Roger, Lynn, John and Steve er Steve. We're putting some money away for e expenses, we've taken up the option to purchase, we've put in a planning application for change of use, we investigated possible grant applications, we're investigating future expenditure and income generation, and then we report back to this committee once.
[speaker002:] For the decision.
[Peter:] For the
[speaker002:] Statement.
[Peter:] We hadn't
[Lynn:] We want to erm er found out, or we make a decid
[Peter:] That's right.
[Lynn:] a decision
[Peter:] We hadn't
[Lynn:] finally whether or not to buy.
[Peter:] We had not decided to purchase.
[speaker002:] That's right.
[Lynn:] Right.
[Peter:] We have taken an option to purchase at the... at the cost as agreed, which was the problem last time whilst we get planning applications, which is currently in. The grant applications are in, and when we've got all that information er then subcommittee will erm bring all those reports together, and present a report to the full council. John?
[speaker002:] ?
[Peter:] Yes, we would do that. Yes. An agreement, yes. But what I haven't
[speaker002:] You're going for that?
[Peter:] We well, that doesn't commit us to anything, and doesn't cost any, cost any money, so that application is in, I believe, isn't it?
[Steve:] Well I haven't done it yet. Cos gone to the Sports Foundation.
[Peter:] Right. Yes. Well, we, we may not actually need to go to the P W L B for money, because of the, because of the grant, we may actually get a hundred percent grant aid for this, and if we get a hundred perce hundred percent grant aid, we won't need to. But that's i that's what the subcommittee will actually consider, once we've actually er got some replies from these three agencies.... Are there any questions on the sports pitches? Er, right, let's move on to 's recreation ground, purchase of land. You will remember that the, the District Council offered to sell the land for four thousand pounds, and I think Steve's got a report.
[Steve:] Well, I phoned them up, and I'd been badgering them, and they told me to wait for a further communication. So when I didn't receive any further communication, I've gone back to them and asked them whether they would be interested in reducing the price, cos we consider it to be too high for that one acre of land. Erm... they say they would not be willing to change their valuation, because that was the valuation er come to by the District Values Office from, so they are not willing to, to come down in price.... Erm my recommendation at that price would be to say to you, don't buy, not at four thousand pounds, when your rent is one hundred pounds a year.
[speaker002:] That's right.
[Steve:] It would be erm... I, I feel we should go back to them. There is a rent review due next year, and I think they will be quite likely to ask you for additional rent, erm amount of rent per annum to you. But even saying that, if they doubled it to two hundred pounds, it's a lot of years before we reach four thousand pounds.
[Christine:] Chairman, if they ask for er er additional rent, all we have to say is no, you maintain it as a, as a recreation ground, erm you know and then it passes back to them.
[Peter:] Er I, I'm beginning to find the attitude of the District Council on this... not, not comprehendible. Because we are actually spending a hundred pounds, and refurbishing it, when it's ac which it could therefore be their, their entire responsibility. Now I'm minded at the moment to say, look, why should we pay a hundred pounds and pay all the, all the, all the refurbishment of that site, because they won't be able to develop it, there's no, there's no access to that land. You know there's no access to that land, so... er... why, why are they selling a at that price? So I d I am very much minded not to pursue the option of purchase. We've actually leased that land for this year, and wait and see what happens. Roger?
[Anne:] Yes, er er I mean I agree with you Chairman entirely, I mean the arguments have been made before and I will just say them again, that I think the District Council are quite remiss er in asking for this sum of money, particularly in view of the reason that the, the, the field is there, which is for the recreation of the people who live in the estate, and the back end of Southwell, and it always has been, er and that is a responsibility that has been taken on by this Parish Council, and if, if, if they feel that they, they wish to persist in asking an unreasonable price, and let's face it, the District Council is in a position to look at this situation and say, the Parish Council is doing an excellent job, we will sell them this land for a figure that they can afford. If we are going to do the fencing, er and everything else, then may we then submit the bills for that work to the District Council? And ask them to take that on board, because I don't really see why we should be expected to take on both factors. So I would suggest that.
[Pat:] I would have thought that we could request the fenc the fencing and tell them our plans for the fencing and... not lose anything by asking for them to
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Pat:] make some.
[David:] The position yeah, it's as Roger said, and I think we've got to the stage now where we've shown good faith, we've had that land put in good order, and we can now I think quite justifi justifiably say, we've done enough, if you're not prepared to help any more, it's over to you. Cos at this point in time, we would have left that piece of ground in excellent condition. It sticks in my throat that you know we've had to pay it but, from the point of view of the residents, we've done the right thing by letting it. But now we can quite justifiably say, that land was handed over to you in excellent condition. And if they fail to keep it up, it's not our, not our responsibility any longer.
[Peter:] I'm.
[David:] we just go o go on... erm doing their job for them, and, and paying out of our own pockets.
[Peter:] I don't think this is the time to discuss what we're going to do in the future, we've actually got on the table at the moment a proposal to purchase that land. What Steve is saying r recommending to you is that we don't take up that purchase this year, which is in our budget. Peter? the Boy Scouts can on there for a number of years, back to the fifties, there've been excellent tenants of that piece of land. And when we bear in mind Chairman that piece of land in the first instance was given to the Southwell D C by a Southwell resident.... It's now been handed over to the District Council I think they should be looking at it as a. That's what I think we should be asking for.
[speaker002:] Yes. But it strikes
[Peter:] John, cos John wa William gave him that,
[David:] So they
[Peter:] nineteen forty nine.
[David:] They want housing value for it, don't they?... And they say the District Valuer's valued it at that, and they, and they, they would be failing in their responsibility to maybe try
[speaker002:] Oh!
[David:] to realize that money. Well we're not going to give it to them.
[Peter:] They've done very well out of that parcel of land that was given. All the land to build those homes on, they was given the land for that re recreation ground, and I believe they should hand that back to the parish and the people.
[David:] Yeah, well we agree with you Peter, but they won't do it.
[Peter:] Yeah, but it's what they The only thing on the table at the moment is whether we pursue the option to purchase this year.
[Anne:] No, I propose we don't.
[speaker002:] I second that. we weren't aware of that, were we?
[Peter:] Very clearly then, we've got a proposal that we don't pursue that option, which we've paid the len rent this year, we've paid the lease this year, so we can't backtrack on that, but maybe that'll come up for future discussion. So we have a proposal that we don't pursue that option to purchase. John? Just want a final point? Well just, just a final point, would it be worthwhile er informing the District Council of the history of the site, Chairman, because they may not be aware, as the, as the new owners of the site, they took it over from the Southwell District Council on reorganization. So they may not be aware of its history. A tract er of land was in fact given, and this piece of recreational land was Well I think the chairman of the committee s is aware, because he's been, he's been told. But Has he? Yes, I think so.... So we have an o we have a, a dis we have a proposal then not to proceed with the purchase of that land this year. Anybody in favour? Those against?
[speaker002:] Could I make an amendment?
[Peter:] Well, it's only in the interests of the council.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] Er
[Anne:] new proposal.
[Peter:] Well I make a proposal that we also give them notice that at the end of this year, we will not be prepared to continue the lease on the current licence.
[speaker002:] Mhm.
[Anne:] No I think that we should wait and see what we're being offered to us cos there's a lot of er you know there's no, there's no need to sort of rush at the, I think we wait and see what they're going to offer us in er whenever it is that it comes up for renewal. And then we make all these
[speaker002:] It's no good to them, this land if sold in the on this particular piece of land, they've sold all the viable access off to the residents of the haven't they? so there, there's no right of way really for them to get down there, and it should be cheap....
[Peter:] Right, well we... that, that proposal, is there a seconder for that proposal?... No. So we'll, we'll come back to that issue later, because we'll have to approve whether we rent the land i in future years anyway, it does come up. Can I move on to bridge repair of Road. We've already referred t I've already referred to a bit of this, in my er discussion with regard to the access to the... er nature reserve. There is a problem on the, on that, that bridge repair, which is the, which is the wooden plank er which a prevents access to the side of the, of the dike. Can I suggest that those members of the General Purposes Committee who are going to look at that area anyway, also have a look at the me the problems of, of this bank side, which is actually collapsing, er due to the weight of, of people. I think that's the problem there.... So could we defer that to General Purposes as well?
[speaker002:] And while th they're down there, can they put a co re-bend that cornerstone, we used to have a cornerstone, it's got pushed into the dike, and it's gone down a few yards
[Steve:] This is what we're talking about as well, it's Yeah.
[Peter:] So there's a, there's a job for General Purposes possibly on that on the Bridge.... Can we defer it to General Purposes?... Thank you. Erm maintenance of the Road football pitch, we've had some complaints er on the er Road football pitch which relate to the er caravan access, erm caravan use, we've also had some er comments from the Pub, saying that they actually appreciate the caravans being in the area... because of the increased trade. So er can I suggest that we actually ask the... the Recreation Ground Committee to look at these problems over the er I don't think there are any significant problems actually after the, after the Easter weekend fortunately, but just to have er in reply to the city football club, because they are concerned, and have been I have to say for many years, so it's not unusual.
[Pat:] the fact that, that we the Parish Council maintain that pitch,
[Peter:] Yes.
[Pat:] and yet the revenue from the caravans goes to District Council.
[Peter:] It's er
[Pat:] Are you