Minutes of Parish Council Meeting on 16th September 2020

Sidlesham Parish Council
Minutes of Parish Council Meeting 16th September 2020 in the Church Hall, Church Farm Lane at 7.30pm

Members of the council and the public were informed that the evening’s meeting would be recorded.

Present: Mr M Mellodey (Chairman), Mrs C Hall, Mrs P Tull, Mr C Field, Mr Harland, Mr L Ramm, Mrs L Gibson-House, Mrs M Monnington, PCSO S Wrein, PCSO Kowalski and the Clerk, Mrs T MacIntyre.

1. Questions from the public present at the meeting on subjects other than those on the agenda. None
2. Apologies for Absence: Mr R Ryder, Cllr P Montyn, Cllr D Johnson and Cllr C Purnell.
3. Declarations by councillors of personal interests in items on this agenda. None.
4. Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 15th July 2020 to be signed as a correct record. Mr Harland proposed and Mrs Hall seconded that the minutes be signed. All agreed.
5. Matters arising from the above minutes not dealt with in separate items below.
None.
6. WSCC Councillor
Cllr Montyn was unable to attend the Meeting. He had sent a link to a report on Covid 19 statistics which had been circulated.
7. CDC Councillor
Cllr Johnson had sent a report which had been circulated.
Melita Nursery has submitted appeals on their unsuccessful planning applications.
CDC will respond to the Planning White Paper.
8. Briefing from local police
PCSO Scott Wrein and PCSO Lukasz Kowalski attended the meeting and explained their role in local policing. Their area of Chichester West extends from Emsworth to Chichester, including Hambrook and the Manhood Peninsula. Their main task is to keep issues at a low level and prevent an escalation in problems. When not busy on a particular case, they will be patrolling, getting to know the location and its inhabitants. They have given presentations to schools and other local organisations. They stressed the importance of reporting crimes to the police. Every call is recorded on the police database and through that database, patterns and links emerge. This helps the police to build a picture and can prove a vital tool in solving crime. Ring 999 in an emergency or 101 if not urgent. The issue will be given a crime number and logged on the database. They explained Operation Crackdown where a member of the public can report anti-social driving with, if possible, a registration number. Again, each report is logged. They left booklets on scams, the fastest growing type of crime. The booklets will be placed in the porch of the church for anyone to take.
9. Neighbourhood Plan
Mr Bedford and Mr Ryder had sent their apologies. They will give a presentation on the first part of the Neighbourhood Plan at the October PC Meeting.
10. Memorial Playing Field
10.1 Update.
The pitch is in good condition and being used by Chichester and Selsey Ladies Football Club, including under 12 and under 16 squads. Bosham under 16 team will start playing regularly at the end of October. CSLFC are the primary users and will ensure that the pitch is not overused. A safety survey is to be carried out on the clubhouse. Mr Harland asked when the floodlights will be surveyed again. The light units on the top of the posts were replaced in 2017 but the PC will look into structural testing of the posts.
10.2 Charitable status of the SCA for the MPF
The SCA held its AGM at which 7 Trustees were elected, including 3 from the PC. Mr Ryder was elected Chairman of the SCA. It was proposed that the SCA (with its charitable status) becomes an organisation affiliated to the PC to which the PC will grant a long lease to manage the MPF. Before the PC can grant the SCA a lease, its constitution must be changed to ensure that the majority of Trustees on the SCA board will be parish councillors. The SCA will be asked to approach AiRS to assess whether its constitution can be changed in this way. The Clerk was asked to write to the PC’s solicitor to obtain a rough cost and timescale for setting up an organisation with charitable status to which the PC could grant a long term lease. It was agreed that after the next meeting of the Memorial Playing Field Work Group, a report of their meeting will be circulated to councillors.
10.3 Bin for Clubhouse
Mrs Hall has been emptying the bin at the clubhouse every other week. The Clerk and Mrs Hall have obtained quotes for waste disposal. It was decided that the PC needs to assess the size of bin needed before committing to a contract with a waste disposal company. Mr Mellodey will ask CSLFC to remove all rubbish after using the pitch. The bin will be discussed again at the October PC meeting.
Mrs Hall has found someone to remove the kegs and gas bottles at the MPF clubhouse. They will be removed within the next 2 weeks.
10.4 Contribution to fence between MPF and Woodlands on Keynor Lane
The Clerk had circulated a letter from the owner of Woodlands requesting a contribution to the fence they have erected on their boundary with the MPF. It was agreed unanimously that, with regret, the PC could not contribute to the fence.
11. Highways, footpaths and cycleways.
11.1 SID for Paddock Straight.
Mr Mellodey and Mr Hall met Mr Dare of WSCC at Paddock Straight to agree the precise location of the SID. The Clerk has written twice to WSCC’s preferred contractor to obtain a quote to install the post on which the SID will hang. She has had an acknowledgement but not a reply.
11.2 Greenway Selsey/Chichester Cycle Route.
The Clerk had circulated an email from the Work Group. The group is frustrated that a route through Sidlesham has not been found.
12. Assets & Amenities Workgroup.
12.3 Playground Maintenance
Mrs Hall requested approval for the PC to have the small mound and tunnel rebuilt in October/November (after half term). In principle, the PC agreed. The Clerk will circulate a final quote for the work.
13. Advertise for new Clerk
Mr Mellodey, Mrs Monnington, Mr Harland and Mr Ramm will carry out interviews for the position. It has been advertised and at this point the PC has 3 applications. The group will set a date for interviews.
14. Room for a Tree Project
Mrs Gibson-House reported that she has had very encouraging interest in the project. So far, 67 trees are spoken for out of a possible 420. She has set up a new email address for the project and this will be advertised in the Sidlesham Parishioner and Spread. Trees will be delivered to Mrs Gibson-House between the 2nd and 20th November 2020.
15. Finance
15.1 Income
15.1.1 Chichester & Selsey Ladies FC (contribution to pitch mowing) £80.00
15.1.2 CDC (Precept payment) £18,232.00
15.2 Payments
15.2.1 JWL Installs Ltd (relay compacted matting in playground and replace 2 manhole covers) £1209.00
15.2.2 M H Kennedy (mow Paddock Straight and Memorial Playing Field) £596.40
15.2.3 Mrs C Hall (refund purchase of bench paint and weed killer for adult gym) £21.98
15.2.4 LCR (subscription for NALC quarterly magazine) £17.00
15.2.5 Groundwork UK (repay unspent grant from 2019-20) £1,585.81
15.2.6 T MacIntyre (July salary) £552.08
15.2.7 Information Commissioner’s Office (data protection fee) £40.00
15.2.8 H B Collins (strim and litter pick) £1368.00
15.2.9 M H Kennedy (mow Paddock Straight and MPF) £352.20
15.2.10 Wittering’s Village Pre-School – Mrs S Ashton (refund cost of pitch equipment) £554.80
15.2.11 Wittering’s Village Pre-School – Mrs S Ashton (refund cost of pitch equipment) £31.97
15.2.12 SSE Southern Electric (electricity on floodlights) £35.63
15.2.13 SSE Southern Electric (electricity on clubhouse) £79.70
15.2.14 T MacIntyre (August salary) £552.08
15.2.15 Fisher Lane Groundcare (2 cuts of pitches – half to be repaid by Chichester & Selsey Ladies FC) £192.00
15.2.16 Mrs C Hall (refund cost of paint for playground benches) £14.34
15.2.17 M H Kennedy (mow Paddock Straight) £136.20
15.2.18 Fisher Lane Groundcare (mow pitch) £96,00
15.2.19 Unity Trust Bank (June quarterly charge) £18.00
Mr Harland proposed and Mrs Gibson-House seconded that items 15.1.1to 15.2.19 be taken en bloc. All items approved.
15.3 Approve Expenditure against Budget statement.
The Clerk had circulated a statement showing expenditure against budget. All accepted the statement.
16. Reports.
16.1 Report from MPP Meeting
Mr Mellodey attended the meeting. By 2060 it is expected there will be a 0.4 m increase in sea levels which will have an impact on some new housing. Minutes of the meeting will be circulated.
17. Correspondence. None.
18. Matters of urgent public importance. None
19. Matters of Information. None
Meeting closed at 9.50 pm