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27 May 2009
THE ANNUAL meeting of Westham Parish Council took place on Monday, May 18.
After the minutes of last year's annual meeting had been read and approved, nominations were sought for the position of chairman. Cllr B Molog was nominated by Cllr Parsons, seconded by Cllr Bruce: voting was 10 members in favour with two abstentions – both Cllrs Comerford and Saxby felt that the chairman should live within the parish. Cllr Molog accepted the nomination and stated that she thought that it was time councilors moved on from this opinion.
Cllr Parsons was nominated and seconded for the position of vice-chairman, which she accepted. It was resolved that all councillors would serve on all committees with the quorum being seven councillors.
It was agreed that committees will meet on the second Monday monthly (except August and December) and that the council will meet on the third Monday monthly (except August and December), at Stone Cross or Westham. It was also agreed that signatories to bank and post office accounts will be the chairman, vice-chairman, committee chairmen and clerk: any three to sign transactions.
The present list of parish standing orders was readopted subject to amendments for the changes in committees as outlined above.
ON COMPLETION of the annual meeting, the monthly council meeting was held. The minutes of the meeting held on April 20 were read, approved and signed.
Matters arising: the clerk reported that the arts morning recently held by the parish council had been another success and it will be repeated on May 29. A biodiversity meeting has been arranged for councillors on May 27. The drawings for the proposed car park should be complete by the end of May and the fencing has been replaced at Westham pond.
A second price is being sought for the work to the war memorial and for the cannon balls and RoSPA has confirmed neither Nidasport nor Nidagravel have been tested against EN1176 and EN1177.
Councillors asked the clerk to pursue the grant offer for the memorial work and decided to leave the play park surfaces as they are for now. Attempts to find a firm to carry out the litter picking have proved unsuccessful and Wealden council has now stopped providing the additional litter-picking service. Councillors agreed that Grafter's Recruitment provide a litter-picker for 10.71 an hour for three months after which councillors will reassess the situation. This was due to start on May 18.
Councillors asked the clerk to find out the results of the PCSO's meeting with Pevensey and Westham School.
Cllr B Molog will circulate the final draft of the business plan to councillors for approval.
REPORTS from outside meetings: Cllr Nash said the audited accounts for the Transport Partnership were now due.
The rest of the Bus Challenge Grant is due shortly and the ESCC website Rover 6 link is not currently working. Details are on the parish council website though.
Cllr K Sutherland attended the Stone Cross Memorial Hall annual meeting. They discussed last year's business and asked Cllr Sutherland to continue as their representative from the parish council.
Cllr Nash attended the Westham Village Hall Committee meeting. They are to fit a second basin to meet health and safety requirements and hope to update the kitchen soon. They will probably approach the parish council for a grant.
Cllrs D and B Molog attended a councillors' update course and B Molog also attended the Pevensey Town Trust meeting. Thanks to one of its members meeting the cost, the trust now has a pay machine in the car park and the money will be used for the Cattle Market.
Cllr B Molog attended the housing needs meeting and they are gathering information on the needs of parishes. Wealden will designate sites.
The meeting was then suspended to receive reports from county and district councillors and to allow questions from the public.
NONE OF the county or district councillors were in attendance, nor had any reports been received from them.
Questions from the public: M Conway asked for the greenery on the verges opposite Stone Cross School to be cut. This was referred to the next parks and open committee meeting. He also asked for a noticeboard to be displayed just inside the school and this was referred to the finance and general purposes committee meeting.
The meeting was then reopened. Cllr Nash said there was a copy of the swine flu information booklet in the office and he has asked the clerk to read the health and safety advice to employees. The pocket version of contact numbers is still at the printers but has been promised this week.
A mini exercise for the swine flu epidemic has been carried out and a log sheet produced for approval by the sub-committee. Amendment 8 is to follow. The clerk had previously distributed copies of the end-of-year accounts to the councillors and asked members to consider them for approval. All members approved the accounts to March 31, 2009.
FURTHER TO a request from Foxes Hollow Residents' Association, councillors asked the clerk to find out the cost of adding the carol concert to the parish council's insurance.
Councillors postponed the decision about planting an area in Foxes Hollow until they find out who owns the land.
Following the complaints from three residents about children using the play park in Castle Bolton and teenagers using the park at night, councillors agreed to find out the cost of erecting a sign on the fencing. The sign will ask the children to be more considerate to their neighbours. The wording of the sign will be agreed with Wealden and the clerk will report back to councillors if it gets damaged.
Following reports of anti-social behaviour and arson in the woodland area near Medina Drive in Adur Park, councillors asked the clerk to get two prices to clear the area leaving tree stumps to sit on but making sure there are no hiding places.
Questions from members: Cllr Parsons asked for the litter bin by the Adur Drive entrance to Adur Park to be moved for maintenance vehicle and emergency vehicle access. Cllr Bruce asked for East Sussex County Council to cut back the hedges at Mill Hill and Peelings Lane.
Cllr Perrin asked if the council should contact the developer about the verges in Adur Drive. Cllr Saxby made councillors aware that the school caretaker will not be available next week. He also said walking buses were due to be reviewed and the school would soon be fitting cycle racks. He also asked if the school could put armchairs and a coffee table in the amenity hall to make a user friendly area. Councillors agreed.
He queried whether councillors were aware there was to be an archaeological dig in Pevensey. Finally, the clerk said she had agreed to provide locum cover for Horam Parish Council.
THE Friends of Hankham School sent out books of grand draw tickets to the families of children attending the school, in aid of the biggest event of the year, their summer fair, which is being held on Saturday, July 4.
The Friends would be very grateful if those receiving tickets could do their best to sell as many as possible to family and friends. Please return any money, counterfoils and unsold tickets in the named envelope by Tuesday, June 30. This year's first prize is 100 cash.
The event is quite a long way ahead but it is a worthy cause so please keep your diary clear of other engagements.
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