Quarley Parish Council Minutes - December 2003

Minutes of the Quarley Parish Council Meeting held on Tuesday 9th December 2003 in the Quarley Village Hall at 7.30pm.

Apologies: Cllr Mr M Venables and Cllr Mr N Arnell

WELCOME. Cllr Mrs Ferguson welcomed everyone to the meeting.

VILLAGE HALL - Mr Cross and Mr Hobhouse, Trustees of the Village Hall, attended the meeting at the request of the Parish Council.

Cllr Mrs Ferguson explained that the Parish Council feel that the Village Hall is a great asset to the village and would like to contribute in some way. The Parish Council discussed this matter at the last meeting and felt that the Village Hall entrance could be made more visually inviting, maybe through planting.

Cllr Mrs Ferguson suggested that suitable planting of shrubs to soften the front of the Village Hall could be carried out, planting would be in beds that would not obscure the windows and would not block any light. The Parish Council will maintain the planting and there will be no cost to the Village Hall.

Cllr Mr Marshall and Cllr Mrs Ferguson will provide the Village Hall Trustees with a Plan and Planting list for them to approve before any work is carried out.

Mr Cross and Mr Hobhouse were not opposed to this suggestion and would look forward to receiving the plan and planting schedule to put to the Village Hall Trustees.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING - Cllr Mrs Ferguson signed the minutes of the previous meeting as a true record. Matters arising from those minutes :-

DRAINS - Cllr Mrs Ferguson reported that all the road drains have been cleared and that the Gullies have been dug. The Parish Council felt that further work needed to be carried out to the drain on the corner of Park Lane - this still gets blocked with silt after heavy rainfall.

The Clerk was asked to write to Mr Cox at the Area Surveyors Department to thank him for organizing the clearing of the drains and gullies and to report the problem drain in Park Lane.

The Clerk reported that Mr Pearce has cleared the small drain half way up Park Lane.

MIRRORS - Cllr Mrs Ferguson reported that the mirrors should be in place shortly. Mr Pearce has been given their intended positions, and is due to start work on the project any day.

SMALL SCALE ENVIRONMENTAL GRANT - Cllr Mrs Ferguson reported that an email has been received from Test Valley Borough Council informing the Parish Council that there has been a delay in the start date of this project. The delivery of the new bespoke Bus Shelter and Notice Board will now not be until the end of January 2004 (A copy of the letter from the supplier was also included in the email to confirm this).

Cllr Mrs Ferguson stated that she was very cross with the tone of the email and the delay in a project that has been ongoing for two years. It was Test Valley Borough Council that approached the Parish Council in the first place with the suggestion of the Small Scale Environmental Grant. Cllr Mrs Ferguson has asked Borough Councillor Mr Arnell to look into this matter.

A start date for this project has still not been confirmed. Cllr Mrs Ferguson hoped that she would have good news to report at the next meeting on this project!

WEB SITE - The Parish Council an agreed that web site is good and an asset to the village. Thanks will be passed on to Mr Preston.

STREET LIGHT - The Street light by the Old Bus Shelter is now working. After some confusion on its position and number on the H.C.C. Data Base, it was eventually repaired. The was a bit baffling as Quarley only have 3 Street Lights. The correct position and numbers are now logged on the H.C.C. Street lights computer.

No 1 - Corner of Village Road by Old Bus Shelter
No 2 - First Street light on Park lane.

No 3 - Second Street light up Park Lane

VILLAGE MAP - The Clerk reported that he has asked Hampshire County Council for a Village Boundary Map - this can be taken as a template and the Village landmarks added so that it can be displayed on the new notice board. It was suggested that a "Duck Street" nameplate could be placed on the new Bus Shelter - this was thought a good idea.

VILLAGE CLEAN - UP - Cllr Mrs Ferguson thanked everyone who took part in the recent Village Clean Up. Despite the awful weather there were many helpers and the job was done.

FOOTPATHS - The Clerk reported that he has asked Hampshire Paths for a copy of the Quarley Footpaths Map. Hampshire Paths have offered to replace the stile at the Manor with a kissing gate - the Parish Council thought this a good idea but felt that the landowner must be contacted before any work is carried out. The Clerk was asked to get details on the type of Kissing Gate Hampshire Paths intended to supply.

PLANNING.

The parish Council noted that a Planning Application Notice has been displayed at the Old School House. At the date of the meeting the Parish Council had not received a copy of the plans. The Clerk was asked to contact Test Valley Borough Council Planning Department.

COUNCILLORS REPORTS

CLLR MRS FERGUSON - Reported that Village Facilities are to be discussed at the next Test Valley Partnership meeting and that a questionnaire is to be formulated by the group to be sent out to the Rural Parishes.

The Rural Bus Service is also to be discussed. Quarley might be put soon on the Cango Bus Service - this is proving a success in other villages.

Cllr Mrs Ferguson reported that information about broadband and the local Channel has been received, this will be passed around the Parish Councillors.

Cllr Mrs Ferguson reported that Age Concern is looking at the possibility of holding a Tea Club in Grateley Village Hall. Neighbouring villages will also be involved. Cllr Mrs Ferguson had no further information at this stage.

PARISH COUNCIL PRECEPT 2004/2005

The Clerk produced a budget sheet showing the estimated results for the year 2003/2004 and the budget forecast for the year 2004/2005. The Clerk ran through the figures item by item. The Precept was discussed and it was agreed that a precept of £900 would be set for the year 2004/2005.

NO CHEQUES WERE ISSUED AT THIS MEETING.

DISTRICT AUDIT.

The Clerk reported that the Parish Council Accounts for the Year ending 31st March 2003 have been audited and an Audit certificate has been issued. District Audit found everything is in order and have made no recommendations. Cllr Mrs Ferguson thanked the Clerk for keeping the Accounts in such good order.

CLOSE OF THE MEETING.

Cllr Mrs Ferguson thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting.

DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING

16TH MARCH 2004 IN THE VILLAGE HALL AT 7.30PM.