To download a PDF of these minutes, click the underlined link: PC Ordinary Minutes SEPTEMBER 202
BLACKMORE, HOOK END & WYATTS GREEN PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES
Of the Annual Meeting of the Blackmore, Hook End &
Wyatts Green Parish Council held on
THURSDAY 19th SEPTEMBER 2024 at 7.30pm
At Tipps Cross Remembrance Hall
MEMBERS PRESENT: Cllrs R Keeble (Chairman), J Swettenham, H Cannon, T Lockhart, H Eltham, N McCarthy, V Dean, K Wood, K Bennett. J Clarke, S Clapham (Clerk), R Nelson (RFO). Borough Cllrs R McCheyne and C Poppy.
0073 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE:
T Hinton, K Parkinson, T Thomas, County Cllr L Wagland.
0074 APPROVAL OF MINUTES– 18th July 2024:
Amendment – Cllr Lockhart will not be standing as a new Tipps Cross Trustee. As there are already two Parish Councillor Trustees, a Trustee could be sourced beyond the Parish Council. The minutes were signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
0075 DECLARATION OF INTEREST:
Blackmore Village Hall – Cllrs Keeble and Cannon.
0076 OPEN FORUM
There was one member of the Public present. They wished to raise the issues relating to the new 61 bus service. Since Nibbs bus company had been awarded the ECC contract the buses were very unreliable and often did not arrive. They also often missed consecutive scheduled trips into Brentwood and onto Brentwood Train Station, leaving passengers stranded. Nibbs had agreed it would reintroduce the Plovers Mead/Wyatts Green bus loop, yet it has proved very unreliable so far. The same issues were reported by Doddinghurst Parish Council and residents who rely on the bus service. Cllr Wagland had telephoned the Clerk prior to the meeting to confirm she was aware of the reported issues and is currently tackling the bus company and Bus Passenger department over the problems. Cllr Wagland was in touch with the Wyatts Green resident and she would remain in touch with further updates as they arise.
The resident also reported issues of speeding vehicles and the inadequate road and pavement resurfacing after works had been carried out by the Utility companies. Cllr Wagland had been previously dealing with this and the Clerk will keep the resident updated. The resident thanked the Parish Council for their time and left the meeting at 7.45pm.
0077 PROGRESS REPORT:
No items.
0078 CORRESPONDENCE/COMMUNICATIONS:
All items covered within the agenda
0079 REPORTS OF BOROUGH & ESSEX COUNTY COUNCILLORS:
Cllr McCheyne reported it had been a quiet month since there was no Council meeting in August.
There had been as Assets meeting on 18/9/24 and the Bay Tree Centre improvement works were discussed. It was anticipated that the works would take 3 weeks. Cllr Keeble mentioned the overgrown brambles and shrubbery at Jericho Place. It was advised that this work was beyond the remit of the Neighbourhood Action Team (NAT’s), as it is likely to require a tractor and flail to tackle the work. Cllrs McCheyne and Poppy will look into this.
Cllr Keeble reported that there was a dead tree in Service Lane (by 13 St Lawrence Gardens) –
Cllr McCheyne confirmed he would make enquiries for this to be removed.
POLICY & RESOURCES
0080 Finance – Payments made online:
S Clapham –
Pension –
HMRC –
Mrs R Nelson –
Broadmead Leisure – £250.00 (+ VAT) – bi-monthly inspections & work undertaken at Walter Hobbs & Ted Marriage – inv.no.2778.
RCCE – £83.73 (+VAT) – Joint membership
Castle Water – £8.37 (+VAT) – water supply to Walter Hobbs
Havering Building Specialists – £3,756.14 (+VAT) – Replacement fingerpost at Blackmore roundabout & repairs to the Mill Lane fingerpost.
Phil’s Painting & Decorating – £354.40 – Painting of the telephone kiosk, Wyatts Green Rd.
Netwise – £500.00 (+VAT) – gov.uk domain account annual renewal
Broadmead Leisure- £1980.00 (+VAT) – Mill Lane works and Ted Marriage – inv.no.2779
John Sharp (Garden Services) – £734.00 – Various Parish maintenance works -inv.9 -dated 23.7.24.
John Sharpe (Garden Services) – £384.00 – Works to Chelmsford Rd & Duck pond island – Inv.13, dated 29/8/24
S Clapham – £20.00 – Reimbursement for catering deposit (22nd Sept. Commemoration)
Castle Water, War Memorial – £9.79 inc. VAT
MD Landscapes, August grass cutting – £987.92 plus VAT
Innovate Healthcare, consultation – £250 plus VAT
PFK Littlejohn, External audit fee – £420 plus VAT
K Wood – £27.99 – Amazon reimbursement for memory sticks purchased.
Payments made on the PC Credit Card: £25.56 – Amazon – US & Union Flags & Name badges.
Cash drawn: –
Transfers: –
Memberships:–
Income/receipts/Reimbursements: £500.00 cheque received from DAR – contribution towards catering (22nd September Commemoration Service)
0081 Financial Report to 31st August 2024
The summary financial report was approved in accordance with the reports circulated prior to the meeting.
0082 Financial Powers: The External Auditors Report had been received by The RFO. A summary was provided at the meeting. The RFO had recently undertaken a review of all Parish Council assets and had updated the assets register. This had been supplied and acknowledged by the Auditor. The Auditor’s Report was accepted and no further action is required.
Mrs Nelson had circulated copies of the Policy and Resources Committee meeting minutes of 15th August and these were approved without amendment.
PLANNING COMMITTEE
0083 Reports of the Planning meeting held on 16.9.24 were approved as circulated prior to the meeting.
24/00879/HHA – 9 Plovers Mead, Wyatts Green, CM15 0PR – No objections.
PARKS & OPEN SPACES (POS)
The minutes of the meeting held on 16.9.24 were circulated prior to the meeting. The Minutes were approved and the following items were discussed:
0084 Walter Hobbs –
In accordance with the minutes:
- a)Roundabout Maintenance Works – The Clerk had forwarded the details of the inspection hatch location to Broadmead Leisure as supplied by the manufacturer Playquip Leisure. This maintenance work should now be undertaken.
- b)Football kick wall – A quote of £1285.00 had been supplied by Broadmead Leisure to infill and repair the eroded ground with grass mats. The Clerk is investigating other surfacing options with Broadmead Leisure as requested by the Committee.
- c)Removable goal posts – Cllr Cannon reported that the posts were being removed by the Football club members and when not in use they were positioning these too close to the aerial runway and kickwall. The Clerk was asked to write to the Football Club requesting that they move them nearer to the small seat along the perimeter hedge line, and away from any apparatus. Cllr Cannon will provide the Clerk with the name and address.
0085 Ted Marriage–
In accordance with the minutes:
- b)Hula ‘whirly’ pole – This expenditure will be reviewed at the end of the financial year.
- c)Boundary trees – A letter will be sent to the resident who had contacted Cllr Keeble concerning the large boundary line trees.
0086 Mill Lane –
In accordance with the minutes:
a) The vandalised goal post – This had been removed from the site by Cllr McCarthy. As this was not a Parish Council installation there was no plan to replace it.
b) Overgrown brambles – The Clerk will ask MD Landscapes and Broadmead Leisure to quote for the removal of any shrubbery encroaching the play area fencing on all sides. This work could be included in the Autumn pruning works.
0087 Millennium Park –
Overflow car park – Cllr Keeble advised that this work was due to be undertaken by Andersons late September.
0088 Blackmore Village Hall –
a) Hedge trimming – Cllr Keeble had received a quotation to carry out the maintenance pruning to the hedge of the Millenium park with the Village Hall car park. The cost of £810.00, of which the Village Hall would reimburse £395.00 to the Parish Council, was proposed by Cllr Bennett and unanimously approved. Cllr Keeble will notify the contractor.
The Chairman closed the meeting and all non-Parish Council members left the meeting at 8.25pm. The Clerk read out the following:
“In accordance with ‘The Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960’ members of the public are excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.)”
b) Defibrillator – Complaints Procedure Initiated. Members to be consulted.
___________________________
The meeting was re-opened by the Chairman at 9.00pm. The following items were discussed:
0089 GENERAL POS ITEMS
a) Telephone kiosk – External re-painting – The work had been satisfactorily completed and the invoice received for payment.
b) Loose posts on Blackmore Green – The Clerk was asked to investigate lockable and removable posts in keeping with the environment.
c) Ted Marriage field – damaged wooden picnic bench – Cllr Lockhart reported that this was damaged and beyond economical repair. It was proposed by Cllr Lockhart and approved that the Clerk would ask Total Landscapes to remove it and the Clerk would purchase a replacement recycled plastic 6 seat picnic bench from NBB Recycled Furniture.
CLERK’S REPORT
0090 a) Ponds – The Clerk advised that the PC had been awarded £700 through the ECC Locality Fund, as awarded by Cllr Wagland. This would go towards the pond works and two new life rings.
b) Annual leave – The Clerk confirmed her annual leave period – 7th to 21st October – The RFO will deputise and minute the POS and PC meetings.
c) BBC Register of Members Interests – All forms are to be submitted to BBC annually. The Clerk reminded the Members to complete any outstanding forms as circulated by BBC and the Clerk.
d) BBPCA meeting – 19.9.24 – As this clashed with the PC meeting Cllr Keeble and the Clerk had tendered their apologies to the BBPCA secretary.
0091 Date of next meeting(s):
POS – Monday 7.10.2024– 10.00am – Tipps Cross R Hall Committee room.
PC – Thursday 17.10.2024 – 7.30pm – Tipps Cross R Hall Committee Room –
Planning – Monday 7 .10.24 – following the POS meeting – subject to planning applications being received.
0092 INFORMATION EXCHANGE/NEXT AGENDA ITEMS
a) Cllr Dean reported that he was concerned over the speeding vehicles in the Mill Lane area. The Clerk said that she had recently circulated to all Members information relating to a ‘20’s plenty’ Essex wide campaign. Members were encouraged to complete the form in support of this.
b) Cllr Swettenham raised concern over the ongoing speeding and parking on double yellow lines outside Blackmore Primary School, which may contravene S137 of the Highways Act. The Clerk was asked to again write to Roger Hirst, The Police and Crime Commissioner, as well as contact the Safer Essex Roads Partnership regarding this issue.
– CLOSE OF MEETING –
The meeting was closed by the Chairman at 9.25pm.