Minutes of Sheepy Parish Council Meeting

Sheepy Memorial Hall

7^th April 2009

1) Attendance and Apologies

Jim Aldridge – Chair, Pat Bingham, Brian Greenfield, Andrew Gough, Malcolm Greenwood, Oz Hall, Brian May, Kevin Morrell, A. Oliver.

Ivan Ould and 5 parishioners

Apologies: M Beechey and A Parkinson

2) Parishioners’ Open Forum

i) PC John Shaw and PC Ryan Ludlam attended the meeting – Andrew Gough explained that the Police Constables had agreed to attend the meeting to account why there were delays after reporting the incident on the Playing Field (the Chair also said that he would have liked quicker feedback) and also the Police Pledge.

PC Ryan explained that there were several officers covering this area but if you left a message for one specific Police Officer, only they can deal with it. Therefore, it would be better to leave a message on 0116 2222222 and whoever was on shift would respond. He went on to explain that every Police Authority had signed up to the Pledge, which was 10 things they will do. Full details are available on their website and also in the latest edition of Leicestershire Matters. The points applicable to this area would be: To know who the Beat Officer is: To get a reply within a day: To spend 80% of the time on the Beat.

The Chair commented about litter on the Playing Field and said it would be good if a Police Officer could visit the Playing Field sometime and talk to the children. Alf Oliver opened a discussion about legal issues re sheep worrying and damage to hedges and property and a parishioner asked about the area covered and number of Police Officers. The Chair thanked the Police Constables for attending.

ii) Hinckley & Bosworth Local Development Framework Core Strategy – The Chair explained that 3 Parish Councillors and one parishioner from Sheepy had attended the Workshop at Market Bosworth. The parishioner objected to the new development, as he believed it would cause flooding in the village. As a response had to be made before next Parish Council meeting, the Chair called an Extraordinary Meeting on 24^th March 2009 and invited Parish Councillors from the Sheepy Magna area. At the meeting it was agreed that no comment would be made to H &BBC re the Core Strategy. Pat Bingham asked the Chair for clarification on why no comment was made. Brian Greenfield said that he felt all Parish Councillors should have been invited to the meeting, as it was such a big issue. Discussion took place around the question of if there was infill would it come off total development. Different views on this had been received from H &BBC.

Chair commented that LCC are not in agreement with H& BBC on the number of houses and travellers’ sites in the Core Strategy.

iii) Sheepy Greens – Ian Papworth commented on the Rural Action Seminar, which he and other members had attended. He also said that an energy assessment for heating of the Memorial Hall had taken place but it was looking expensive. The Chair reminded everyone present that the Memorial Hall was a registered charity run by trustees and, as such, was subject to various restrictions.

Ian said that Allotments were well under way and, after discussion, it was agreed that planning permission would be needed for change of use. He also said that the recent Sausage Supper had been very successful and raised £200.The litter drive, following the Big Tidy Up, was still ongoing and everyone was welcome to get involved. The village was divided into three parts, with a member taking responsibility for each area. The Parish Council were pleased to note and acknowledge the help and support which had been received from Lynda Hodgkins and Lisa Kirby, Street Cleansing at H & BBC. No figures had been available from H &BBC re their Home Insulation project. Ian advised that the Sheep Greens were doing maps for Walking trails and printing leaflets and asked parishioners for places on interest.

iv) Sheepy Magna Flood Action Group – Mick Brown reported that everything was all right at the moment. A lot of work had been carried out by Severn Trent and the Environment Agency now had a monthly programme with Severn Trent at the Pumping Station. The Environment Agency have also said that they are going to do a model of the river through the village to see why we get flash flooding. The Flood Wardens, along with Mick Brown, have been trying to find out what is involved with the Flood Development Plan at H & BBC. Chair said that with the efforts of FLAG and the Parish Council, a lot of work had been done. Mick Brown commented that he was pleased to hear of a parishioner’s concerns about the new development and flooding at the Core Strategy workshop. The Clerk was asked to thank the parishioner for his interest and to send him a copy of the response from Severn Trent.

3) Minutes of the last meeting and Extraordinary meeting on 24^th March– The minutes were approved as a true and correct record.

4) Matters Arising from Minutes

i) Report on Memories of Sheepy Day – over 160 people attended the Day and the expenses totalled £150.59 (Parish Council agreed £150.00 at December 08 meeting). 3 CDs have been purchased and the History Group are holding £63 from donations, which will probably be used to purchase more CDs. The History Group now have to decide whether they want to stay as a sub committee of the Parish Council or become a group in their own right.

ii) Street Cleansing – following a letter, which had been circulated at the last meeting, there was only one response from Pat Bingham at Sibson. The Clerk to pass this on to H &BBC ands ask Lynda Hodgkins to contact Pat Bingham and Brian May direct.

5) Report by County Councillor – Ivan Ould reported that 500 people had contacted him re the H &BBC Local Development Framework and he had written a letter to H &BBC saying that there were too many houses and traveller sites in their Core Strategy and he could not see how rural villages could sustain development as they have too few services. He said that rural villages should not be "required" to build these houses He also reported on the money, which had been spent on a survey for Eco towns, which were not now going ahead.

On a positive note, he was pleased to announce that LCC had been awarded Council of the Year.

6) Report by Borough Councillor – Kevin Morrell reported that the LDF Consultation period had ended on Monday. There had been 13,000 responses, 6,000 of them about the traveller sites.

He also commented on the Extraordinary Meeting, which H &BBC had held to discuss the piece of land at Broddick Road, Hinckley. The Liberal Democrats, the controlling party, voted to keep this land and this decision would have a detrimental effect on budgets.

7) Correspondence

LCC – advised that consultations will begin 6^th April 2009 for 20 mph zone outside school. Andrew Gough also advised that a speeding survey would be carried out in Ratcliffe Lane by LCC.

Sheepy Magna Memorial Hall – request for contribution to Christmas Show. It was proposed by Malcolm Greenwood, seconded by Andrew Gough and all in agreement, that a donation of £100 should be made if the bid was successful.

Dormouse Survey – request received by LCC – posters to be put n notice board and on website. This to be done when colour copies received.

LCC - mowing around Church Croft – LCC advised that as this land did not belong to Highways, they would not be able to continue mowing. Quote received from Brian Mee for £12.50 for mowing this area at the same time as the Playing Field. Proposed by Alf Oliver, seconded by Andrew Gough and all in agreement that this area should be added to the scheduled work carried out by Brian Mee.

The following were available for information:

Village Voice

LCC – Local Transport Plan

Warwickshire County Council – Minerals Core Strategy Consultation

Bosworth Community Forum – minutes from 9 October 2008

Vol Action Hinckley & Bosworth - - grant for laptop and broadband connection for local groups

8) Crime and Safety - Andrew Gough reported that only 2 people were now attending the Mobile Youth facility (there were 20+ in Witherley). The crime figures for the parish for the 30 days to 5 April: Upton – one incident of domestic harassment: Sibson – one burglary: Sheepy Magna – one theft of a caravan, one theft of a pedal cycle and one burglary.

The 2 priorities for the Police in this area were – ASBOs and Crime in beauty spots.

9) Accounts and Signing of cheques

The following cheques were presented for payment dated 31^st March 2009:

Market Bosworth Community First Responders Donation £100

Sheepy Magna Primary School PTA Donation £1000

Viking Stationery £122.76*

Eon Electricity streetlights for March £23.85*

M Bassett Refreshments for Memories Day £17.91

L. Percival Stationery re Memories Day £24.78*

Sheepy Magna Mem Hall Hire of Hall re Memories Day £50.00

J Greaves Refreshments Memories Day £42.90

Clifton Bank Studios CD sets of Memories of Sheepy £15.00

Martyn Calcott Hedge trimming £57.50*

Eon Streetlight maintenance £86.53*

Sheepy Magna Play Field As Sign re conditions of use £55.00

One Man Went to Mow Mowing around Sign £25.00

The following cheques were presented for April:

P Roberts Dog Bins £110.00

M Bassett Salary/com/tel/windows £590.16

Brain Mee Grasscutting for March £222.54*

A Gough Travel expenses March and April £14.67

*includes VAT

10) Planning

The following applications are on website

08/09/00139/0/070/FUL Erection of garage/car port at Parva House, Sheepy Parva

09/001/FUL Alteration to created one bedroomed apartment, Church House, Sheepy

11) Any Other Business

Brian Greenfield reported a pothole in Watery Lane near Overfield Farm. The Clerk to contact Highways and also to chase Ivan Ould on this subject.