Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held in Ash Village Hall on
Monday 4 December 2006 at 7.30pm

225 Present: Mr Foat (Chairman), Mrs Chandler (Parish and District Councillor), Mr Darvell, Mr Gregory, Mr King, Mrs Ovenden, Mr Pratt, Prof Swingland, Mr Whitburn.

226 Apologies for absence: Miss Bennetts, Mr Potts, Mr Ridings (County Cllr)

227 Nominate a Publicity Officer: Mrs Ovenden agreed to write the report for the Parish Magazine.

228 Minutes of the meeting held 6 November 2006
The minutes were amended, Item 222: reference to ‘KAPC summary … on the spot fines’ was removed. The minutes were then proposed, seconded and agreed and signed as a true record.

229 Declarations of Interest
Councillors were invited to declare items on the agenda in which they have a personal or prejudicial interest; Cllr Chandler declared an interest in the Planning Application for Cartwright & Kelsey Primary School.

230 Public Question Time
There were no members of the public present.

231 Matters Arising
i) Item 209 – Mr Whitburn and the parishioner had spoken about the parking issues on New Street.
ii) Item 221 vi) The Kent County Council DVD on ‘Towards 2010’ had been ordered.

232 Police Report
Apologies were given for PC Wright (ill) and Mr Priestly (holiday). CUBIT operated in the month; there had been some criminal damage and burglary to outlying buildings. The school bus operation had resulted in some bus passes being revoked. The scheme will continue. The police mobile unit will be in Ash in December, with the date and venue to be confirmed.

It was agreed to write to the Chief Constable and the Chair of the Police Authority asking that dates and venues for the unit should be provided in time to publicise the visits.

An e-mail from a parishioner offering to set up a Neighbourhood Watch in Ash was read out; it was agreed to pass the details to Mr Priestly, the Community Warden, for action and to acknowledge that the Parish Council supports Neighbourhood Watch Schemes.

The Policing Kent 2007 /08 Survey was passed to Mr Foat for the next meeting.

An incident where 14 sheep had been killed on 3 December had been reported to the police.

233 District Councillor’s Report
Cllr Chandler reported on road works by Kent County Council Highways, due to take place from 8 January with the closing of the Cop Street / Weddington Lane junction. The prison proposed for Connaught Barracks would not be going ahead. £120,000 over the next 3 years would be given to Vista Leisure to support the leisure centres in Dover and Deal. The Pensions Service would be able to visit retired people in their homes to give advice. Mrs Ovenden asked for an update on the progress of the zoning of no drinking areas.

Mrs Chandler gave her apologies, as she had to leave the meeting.

234 Planning
i) 392: Port House, 57 The Street, Ash DOV/06/01296. Erection of single story rear extension. There were no objections to the proposal.
ii) 393: Brickfield Cottage, Richborough, Ash DOV/06/01326. Erection of single story rear extensions and rear dormer window. There were no objections to the proposal.
iii) 394: St Nicholas’s Church, The Street, Ash DOV/06/01357. Raising of height of retaining wall in garden of remembrance within the Church grounds.
iv) 394(b): St Nicholas’s Church, The Street, Ash DOV/06/01358. Listed Building Consent for raising of height of retaining wall in garden of remembrance within the Church grounds. There were no objections to the proposal.
v) 395: 13 Guilton, Ash. DOV/06/01371. Formation of new access and hard surface. There were no objections to the proposal.
vi) 396: Cartwright & Kelsey Primary School, School Road, Ash. PAG/DO/06/TEMP/0048. Retrospective permission for the relocation of earth mound and slide, to include ancillary works on landscaping and fencing at adjacent boundary. There were no objections to the proposal as long as the fencing was carried out prior to use and the hedging was planted.

Granted by DDC:
i) 382: 2 New Cottages, Hoaden Ash. DOV/06/00916. Formation of sand school and change of use of land for the keeping and grazing of horses.
ii) 387: Knell Cottage, Knell Lane, Ash. DOV/06/01187. Erection of rear conservatory extension (existing conservatory to be demolished).
iii) 389: 1 Lion Walk, The Street, Ash. TC/06/0071TC. Removal of one tree.

Refused by DDC: None
Granted by KCC: None

i) Unauthorised Use:
Overland Farm ENF/ASH/06/00155 – car repair business referred to Mr D Gale, DDC Planning Department who visited on 1 Dec. The owner assured him that this would stop and the six remaining vehicles would be removed by the New Year. The ditch had recently been cleared. Mr Gale will re-visit.

Agricultural Prior Determination. A parishioner had raised the erection of poly-tunnels with DDC, Mr Paul Francis, Planning Investigation Officer, on land owned by Mansfields, adjacent to the Guilton turn off from the A257. Mrs Chandler would seek clarification on APD and the matter would be taken again at the next meeting.

ii) Dover District Local Development Framework Preferred Options
The LDF time frame will not be decided until new government guidelines are available. The DDC proposals which had been due for public consultation are available. There is debate over the projected numbers of new houses and the provision of infrastructure to support the development.

The proposed areas in Ash for residential development were: Land off Molland Lee around and including the Council Yard, and land to the south of Sandwich Road, Ash, bordered by Cherry Garden Lane and down to and including 52 New Street.

iii) South East Plan Examination in Public
It was agreed to send a letter to the Whitfield Action Group supporting their request to keep the SE Plan to 6,100 rather than the 10,000 proposed by Dover District Council.

iv) Report by the Chairman on the Annual Town & Parish Councils Meeting 23 November
There were many positive developments listed by Paul Watkins, including the new road plan for Dover Docks, the new homes at Aylesham, the business park at Snowdon, the increasing interest in the White Cliffs Business Park, the high speed rail-link to St Pancras, the Betteshanger Nature Park (Fowlmead), the Deal Pier and the interest being shown by developers in the area.

There is going to be an assessment of the rubbish disposal as the contract with SITA is up for renewal in 2008. The meeting agreed that the Planning Focus Group should continue even if it met infrequently. On the question of obstruction of pavements by vehicles, it was explained that if the road was being obstructed, this was a police matter and if the vehicle was in breach of parking regulations then it would be a Council matter. Clarification would be sought as to which body would be responsible if a vehicle was not in breach of any parking restriction but was obstructing a pavement eg limiting access.

iv) Kent Minerals Development Framework Development Plan Documents: Submission of the Core Minerals Strategy, the Primary Minerals Development Control Policies DPD, and the Construction Aggregates DPD and Proposals Map.
Representations until Thursday 18 January 2007. All documents on the website: www.kent.gov.uk/mwdf. No prior submissions have been made by the Parish Council. The CD with all documents is available.

235 Parish Plan
KAPC had reported on Village Design Statements and Parish Plans at the October meeting.

236 Recreation Ground
i) Roundabout – it was proposed by Mrs Ovenden, seconded by Mr Pratt and agreed to replace the roundabout. The detailed quotes would be taken at the next meeting.

ii) Assault Ladder – it was agreed to dispose of the ladder as it was unable to be repaired.

iii) Sports Clubs – it was agreed to outline the responsibilities and table the proposal for the next meeting

iv) Report from Environmental Assistant was read out:
- it was agreed to go ahead with covered rat traps at the Pavilion
- it was agreed to accept the quote from Warners of upto £350 for the fence repairs
- Sports Club property still in storage unit – it was agreed to take this item at the next meeting of the Recreation Ground committee
- it was agreed to find a company to repair the aerial slide
- it was noted that JID Services had completed further gassing for the moles and that there were concerns over using gas pellets in the vicinity of the Pavilion
- it was agreed to write to Mr Dunn over the broken stopcock cover as this had been outstanding since May.
- the metal panels for the Youth Shelter had been ordered at a cost of £464
- it was agreed to get a quote form Warner’s for the seating for the Youth Shelter
- it was agreed that the Clerk speak with the Environment Assistant about an appropriate solution to the storage of rubbish at the lock-up in the Recreation Ground

237 Parish Council Property & Environment
i) Bus Shelters
Jeremy Cooper from Stagecoach had visited Ash with Kelly Garrett from Kent Highway services. They agreed to the bus shelter on The Street, west of the existing bus stop, as long as there would be sufficient room on the pavement for a wheelchair to pass.

There was no objection to a new stop adjacent to Collar Makers Green positioned to the Canterbury side of the access road, as if placed on the Sandwich side it would be on a bend and also there would not be room for a shelter. If a new stop was agreed then they would remove the stop at 83 Sandwich Road but leave the stop near the Sandwich end of road.

It was agreed to write to the house holders at Collar Makers Green and 99 Sandwich Road to ask if they agreed to the siting of the bus shelter.

Prof Swingland gave his apologies, as he had to leave the meeting.

Designs would be presented to the next meeting. It would be checked if planning permission was needed and if The Street shelter would be in a conservation area. KCC will pay half the cost of the bus shelters, on invoice upto £2,000.

ii) Dog Bins. It was agreed to site two more bins before April 2007. Suggestions for sites would be asked for in the Onlooker column and the Newsletter. They needed to be accessible by road for emptying. It was suggested that a bin be placed opposite the Ship and at the Village Hall. SITA had been asked to clean around School Road more regularly.

iii) Allotments – the draft annual letter was agreed. The request from half plot holder 15 to take on half plot 13 was agreed. The part of plot 15 is overshadowed by trees which the Parish Council is not able to cut back. It was to be offered to the remaining holder of plot 15.

iv) Birches at Molland Lane – Mr Paul Hubbard KCC will maintain the bank and will plant new saplings further down the bank; when they are established, the large trees at the top of the bank could be removed.

v) Report from Kent Men of Trees on the trees in the Parish was distributed and a copy is to be sent to the tree warden.

vi) Report from Environmental Assistant was read out. The Environment Assistant had been asked to clear leaves from footpaths EE90A and EE117. It was confirmed that Dover District Council are responsible for these paths but will not clear leaves from footpaths. It was agreed to check whether or not the Parish Council would be insured to carry out this work and if so then the Assistant could carry out this work. An obstruction on EE111A was to be reported to KCC.

238 Highways
i) E-mail from parishioner on parking difficulties opposite The Volunteer and Northern end of Chequer Lane was read out. It was agreed to reply referring the parishioner to KCC Highways Department and suggesting that the Parish Council is kept informed.

ii) All problems with lighting as noted on the 30 October had been reported.

iii) The Joint Transport Board had put forward safety schemes proposals including gateways for Ash. KCC Grants would be applied for in 2006-7.

239 Footpaths
i) The overhanging vegetation along Burford’s Alley was to be reported.

ii) Information on the subject of removing overhanging vegetation, from Denise Roffey, KCC Public Rights of Way Officer was agreed for submission to Parish Magazine, Parish Council Newsletter and the Web-site.

iii) Letter from KCC, Mr Chris Wade, on the Redesignation of Roads Used as a Public Path to Restricted Byway Status was read out.

240 Website
It was agreed to add links to the Home Page to all the web-site pages.

241 Finance
i) Finance Report
Mr King proposed, Mrs Ovenden seconded, and it was agreed that the Financial Report be accepted and the following payments approved:
Employment Expenses including IR payment - £2,247
Administration (including Photocopier and 3 year maintenance contract) - £447
Maintenance - £295
Play Equipment Scramble Bike and installation - £825
2006 Grants - £4,100
VAT - £192

Balances after £8,000 transferred from the Capital Reserves to the Current Account:
Current Account - £2,443
Capital reserve Account -£39,852

ii) New Items of Expenditure
- as noted in Item 236 – the replacement of the roundabout and the fencing repairs
- it was agreed to have the quotes ready for the next meeting for tree work for the birch in the Village Car Park and lime at the Tennis Courts
- it was agreed to purchase a replacement 4 wheel trolley for the Environment Assistant at a cost of £139 plus VAT.

iii) 2007-8 Precept
The amended draft budget was circulated. The Clerk would write to the Ash Village Hall Committee confirming that the Parish Council would consider requests prior to expenditure, of upto an additional £1,000 towards structural repairs.

It was noted that the total amount of Section 137 expenditure permitted in 2007-8 would be upto £13,554 and that of the 2007-8 budget only the grant of £500 for the Parochial Church Council would be classified under this heading.

It was proposed by Mr King and seconded by Mr Whitburn and agreed: ‘That the precept for the Parish of Ash be set at £56,000 for the financial year 2007-8.’

242 Correspondence
i) Standards Committee Wed 6 Dec, 9.30am. Agenda and minutes
ii) KAPC Minutes 26 Oct, 2006
iii) Local Board Arrangements. Draft terms of reference and possible dates for February and main agenda topics given to Mr Whitburn.

Circulated:
i) Stour View Autumn / Winter 2006
ii) Local Council Review – White Paper Special November 2006
iii) The Relay – Kent Police November 2006
iv) Arbour – Autumn Winter 2006
v) Community Action South East November 2006
vi) Neighbourhood Watch News Issue No 9 Autumn 2006
vii) The Playing Field Autumn 2006

243 Parish Council Newsletter
Mr Whitburn distributed the next newsletter. It would be distributed via the local shops and businesses, the library and the Health Centre.

244 Press Releases
There had been no new releases. The Beating of the Bounds release had been printed.

245 Any Other Business
The draft School Travel Plan was available and outlined a number of safety measures. It would be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 9.45pm.