DRAFT Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held in Southwick Village Hall, Southwick, at 7.00pm on Tuesday 16 May 2017

Present:

Kath Noble                              Chairman, Southwick Parish Council.

Patrick Abrahams                   Clerk.

Southwick Parish Councillors - Cllr.T.Curry, Cllr.D.Jackson ,Cllr.J.Jones ,Cllr.F.Morland ,Cllr.K.Noble ,Cllr.T.Pomeroy ,Cllr.B.Sansom ,Cllr.L.Weeks

Wiltshire Councillor, Cllr. Horace Prickett attended the meeting.

There were 19 members of the public present.

1.         Introduction and Apologies.          

The Chairman, Kath Noble, welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the members of Southwick Council to all attendees.

Apologies for non-attendance were received from Parish Councillors S Carey, G Clayton and J Eaton and from Ellie Porter (the Community Policing Team.)

2.         Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 17 May 2016.

Cllr Jackson reported that the Parish Councillors attending last year’s meeting should have been: -

Parish Councillors A Doel, J Jones, S Jones, G Masters D Jackson, F Morland, E Pomeroy and D West.

(Note G Masters listed as both attending and offering apologies.

Also note – Some versions of the minutes reported that the meeting was held on the 16^th May 2016 – This is incorrect – The meeting was held on the 17^th May 2016.

The Minutes were signed as a true and accurate record.

3.         Annual Report of the Parish Council.

The Chairman presented the Annual Report of the Parish Council thus:

We have had ten ordinary meetings this year and two extraordinary ones to discuss planning applications. We received 22 applications, two of which concerned large scale development of up to 250 new homes. Southwick Parish Council has responded to the Redrow application and our response to the Gladman one is imminent.

Another year has passed and despite Councillors efforts we still haven't been able to resolve the parking problems at Arnold Noad Corner.

We now have a new Parish Steward who visits the village on two days per month to carry out minor works.

In June we had Wiltshire Council's agreement to a neighbourhood plan, together with a map defining the Civil' Parish of Southwick. It was resolved in July to support the development of a neighbourhood plan. A briefing session to be arranged when the new councillors take office.

During the year, Cllr. Stephen Jones resigned and Cllrs. Master and West did not seek re-election.

Roger Coleman, our Clerk for the past 5½ years resigned. In October, we appointed Leon Karas, who submitted his resignation in January, but kindly agreed to remain in office until a new clerk was appointed. We advertised the vacancy in the Wiltshire Times, Westbury News and WALC and received six applications and after interviewing all six Patrick Abrahams was appointed. Unfortunately, he too has now resigned so from this evening we do not have a clerk.

Finally thanks go to John Fox for doing an excellent job producing the Southwick Village News, to P.C.S.O. Ellie Porter for her monthly reports and to my fellow Councillors for their work and support through what has been a rather traumatic year.

End of Report.

Statement on the Parish Council accounts for Year ending 31 March 2017.

The Clerk to Southwick Parish Council, Patrick Abrahams, stated that in consultation with previous Parish Clerks, Leon Karas and Roger Coleman we had balanced the accounts and had completed the Annual Return and all associated paperwork. He stated that the balance brought forward from FY2015/16 had been £32,401 and, allowing for the payments and receipts during the year, the balance carried forward at the end of FY2016/17, was £39,909.  He added that the total receipts for the year were £42,403, payments for the year totalled £35,825.

Main Receipts in the year were:

Precept                                                                       £19,000

HMRC VAT Refund:                                                  £1565

HMRC PAYE                                                              £1261

Southwick Village News Advertisements:                  £600

Bank Interest:                                                              £24

Solarfarm Receipts                                                     £19,993

Main Payments in the year were:

Staff Costs:                                                                 £5,083

HMRC PAYE                                                              £1,843

Office Expenses:                                                        £438

Playing Field/Play Equipment Maintenance               £10,385

Insurance:                                                                   £3,402

Donations/Subs:                                                          £1,052

Caretaking/Maintenance:                                           £317

Audit Fees:                                                                  £335

Southwick Village News:                                            £1,961

Southwick Village News Editors Honorarium             £250

Hall Hire                                                                      £138

Website                                                                       £378

Solarfarm payments                                                   £9,441

The Clerk reported that the Annual Return had been completed and that the Internal Auditor has undertaken the Internal Audit. Everything was in order. The Annual Return will be submitted to the Parish Council at the next meeting for approval and thereafter it will be sent to Grant Thornton, the External Auditor.

End of Report.

5.         Observations from the Wiltshire Councillor, Cllr. Horace Prickett.

Councillor Prickett gave a brief report on current topics that directly affected the parishioners of Southwick.

A Southwick parishioner recently tripped on an uneven pavement and unfortunately lacerated her face. This was the pavement that connects Frome Road to Hollis way, parallel to the Chruch. This pavement was fixed within two days by Wiltshire Council.

The 40mph limit from St Johns Church to the Gateway. Cllr Prickett  reported there have been nine accidents in this area (one fatal) Cllr Prickett is continuing to advocate  this section of road reduced to 30mph limt, and a meeting is taking place at Wiltshire Council on the 22nd June 2017 to review this. Atkinsons have surveyed the traffic in this area in advance of the meeting.

A Parishioner noted that it may be helpful (as Southwick is a relatively long ribbon development) to have 30mph reminders like they have in Rode.

Another Parishioner noted that the 40mph limit at Goose Street could also be reduced to 30mph.

6.         Community Policing Team (NPT).

In the absence of a member of the Community Policing Team no report was given.

7.         Southwick Playing Field Management Committee.

The following report was given by Mr Ted Pomeroy, Chairman, Southwick Playing Field Management Committee:

During the past year the Committee which now meets on Thursdays has held 5 meetings all of which have been well attended with the members endeavouring to ensure that the field is maintained to the best of their ability.  Once again the provision of well maintained play equipment has been given top priority.  This has included the provision of new baby swings and repairs being carried out to the cradle swing following severe vandalism although sadly the ever popular climbing frame had to be removed. 

Continuing the need for overall safety major work has been carried out to the trees bordering the Southfield estate.  Here we must thank the residents for their co-operation in ensuring that the work was completed satisfactorily and I must also thank Chris Rowe for supplying the hedging plants needed to fill a large gap and also thanks to Dave Aland and Ian for doing the work.

Once again the continued lack of responsibility by some dog owners continue to cause some concern not only for the committee but also to some villager.

This year the “Fades” Football team have been using the pitch on Sunday mornings but with too many blank weeks, this has not been too successful.  The field has also been used by the Southwick Beehive cricket teams, Trowbridge Town youth football teams, Southwick and North Bradley Scout Group.  The Southwick show and several smaller groups.

Regular maintenance has been carried out by Richard Dent, Jackson & Sons and J.L.Pethers.  Special thanks must go to Cllr Doel who has given invaluable help when needed and also to Southwick Parish Council for their continued financial support.

Finally as Chairman I must thank all the Committee Members for their support and also to the small number of villagers who help from time to time when needed so that between us all we try to ensure that the field which is our War Memorial remains an asset for everyone.

End of Report.

8.         Report from Southwick Village Hall Committee.

Kath Noble read the report received from the Southwick Village Hall Committee Chairman – 11^th April 2017.

In my Report at last year, AGM I referred to the splendid way in which our Secretary Kath Noble and Treasurer, Brian Johnson, brought order out of potential chaos following my sudden and totally  unexpected "hospitalisation". I had previously carried out the duties of lettings Secretary for  several years and we have been continually indebted to Kath for taking on that role in addition to  being our secretary. Prior to last year's AGM and the failure to elect a new Chair to succeed Chris Parnell l had chaired meetings in my role as vice chair but subsequently resumed the formal chairmanship on the understanding that I was not to be so deeply involved in the day today running of the hall!

During the past year the main hall floor has been restored, the badminton court re-marked and,the  lobby and meeting room re-decorated. The Social Club has redecorated and refurbished the upstairs toilets .at its own expense. A decision has been made to replace the folding partitions between hall and annex and this will be accomplished during the current year.

Following much discussion the hall letting application form and hire conditions were thoroughly revised and a new scale of charges introduced from the beginning of June.

There have been vacancies on the committee for several years and we were delighted to co-opt Georgia Hall in June and Carole Mcaw representing Southwick Seniors and David Watson the Social Club in December. Stephen Brown, the Entertainers' representative, resigned. A major loss was the resignation of our vital Treasurer Brian Johnson. He had done a superb job since joining us in 2014 and, as the accounts for the year ended 31.12.16 show, their presentation has been well attested by Independent Examiner, Anne Crawford. The small loss on the year's working (a surplus before depreciation of assets) is due to the expenditure on the hall floor and redecorating. At the end of the year our secretary reported the splendid news that applications for the hall to benefit from the community provisions promised by the two solar park developers in the parish had both been successful and would provide a very welcome boost to hall finances.

As ever, I conclude by thanking all who, by their continued support for the' hall have enabled us to prosper and play a vital role as a community asset. I must again especially thank Kath and Brian for steadying the ship when the waters became somewhat turbulent.!

End of Report

9.         To consider resolutions of which written notice has been given.

There were no resolutions.

10.       To consider other matters raised by those present.

There were no other matters raised.

11.       Close.

The meeting closed at approximately 7:23 pm.

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