1) Attendance and Apologies

Jim Aldridge – Chair, Mary Beechey, Brian Greenfield, Andrew Gough, Brian May, Kevin Morrell, Alf Oliver, Anne Parkinson.

14 parishioners and Ivan Ould

Apologies: Oz Hall: Malcolm Greenwood: Pat Bingham

The Chair opened the meeting with a tribute and minute’s silence to Malcolm Sclater, who died on 29 August 2008. Malcolm was a great craftsman in many different trades and was well known for his knowledge of horticulture, nature and conservation.

2) Parishioners’ Open Forum

Village Sign – Ian Papworth presented the artwork for village signs at Sheepy Parva and Upton. It was pointed out that the Upton sign would be in the landscape position. Councillors asked if the pond could be added – Ian to talk to artist. The artwork was then approved.

Green Issues/ Environment – Ian Papworth gave a report of the first meeting of the Sheepy and District Environmental Group (Sheepy Greens). There were nine people on the committee and they were going to form a separate group rather than a sub committee of the Parish Council. They were organising the Big Tidy Up, which was part of a national campaign, and was to be held on 20^th September at 10.30 am. Starting at the entrance to the Playing Fields.

3) Minutes of the last meeting – The minutes were approved as a true and correct record.

4) Matters Arising from Minutes

Sheepy Shop – Clerk read a response Leicestershire Rural Partnership re shop and post office. A parishioner asked if it could be used as anything other than a shop. Councillor Morrell said it could, if an application for change of use had been approved. Parishioners commented on the dilapidated state and the safety of the building. Councillor Morrell said that the Borough Council were aware of this

Dog Bin at Sibson was with Brian May and he will advise the Clerk when it is put up.

Consultation Meeting with H & BBC – Andrew Gough commented on the meeting attended in August and said that Planning issues was a problem for all attending.

5) Report by County Councillor – Ivan Ould commented on a meeting with a parishioner concerning the lorries in Ratcliffe Lane. Ivan said that parishioners need to get the names, or descriptions of lorries and this should be reported to Bosworth Forum. He also said that Living Leicestershire Grants were still available, only £1,000 applied for to date. The next Highways Forum meeting is on 6 November and the Parish Council should produce a suggested list of work, which needs to be done prior to this meeting. Ivan also said that the next meeting of the Community Forum would include discussions on wind turbines, roundabout at junction of A5 and A444 and where Hinckley and Bosworth hope to find sites for travellers. Following a request from Alf Oliver, the Chair brought up the fact that there were ongoing problems with grass-cutting on the verges. Ivan said if he was provided with specific details of where the verges had not been cut. He would follow it up. Alf Oliver also brought up the problem with ragwort, Ivan to look into this.

6) Report by Borough Councillor – Kevin Morrell reported on an article in the Leicester Mercury concerning wind farms and said that H & BBC were looking at 3 in Twycross, 2 in Congerstone and 2 in Barton in the Beans, as part of the Local Development Framework. They were also looking at a Hydro site in Sheepy Magna, using the River Sence.

He also commented that, as part of the Local Development Framework, H & BBC need to build 200 houses in rural areas and out of this, 20 extra houses had been allocated to Sheepy Magna. Parishioners had sent in "expressions of interest" and, except for one, they had all been rejected. The chosen site was at the end of Meadow Close and Oakfield Way, a site of 0.6 hectares and it was proposed that 20 houses could go there. These would include some affordable homes (no more than two thirds of the of the average price of houses in the area). Councillor Morrell pointed out that for names to be considered for these houses, they should be on the housing list at Hinckley.

As part of the Bosworth Forum, he said that the problem of facilities for the youth of the village had been raised and a meeting was being raised with the County Council in Sheepy that week.

Kevin Morrell also said that he was chairing a Rural Housing Workshop on 18 September and urged parishioners and Councillors to attend. Brian May to represent the Parish Council.

7) Correspondence

The following was discussed:

LCC – Kerbing at junction Orton Lane and Twycross Road, Cross Hand

East Midlands new Fire and Rescue Control Centre

East Midlands Regional Plan – this was available for Councillors

Police – response from Martyn Ball

Quote from KP Carpentry for case for Domesday Book - £175.00 – it was proposed by Alf Oliver, seconded by Brian May and all in agreement that the Parish Council should pay for this.

The following was available for information:

H & BBC – Arts information

LCC – Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

8) Crime and Safety - Andrew Gough reported on the Forum meeting. A Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator was in post in the Peckleton/Desford area and she would make her knowledge and advice available to any Parish, who needed it. Andrew also commented on confusion from parishioners concerning the action that the Police can take following break ins to cars etc. He said that unless the Police had names of witnesses or ideas of suspects, they could not deal with the case and it would, therefore, be closed. If there is some intelligence, Police have to report back within 28 days. He also said that the Police priorities for the next six months were still speeding, anti social behaviour and HGV weight restrictions. There would be more Police Community Support Officers in the area, they would have the power to detain but not arrest. The Forum were also concerned that they were not getting localised crime figures. Across the area, car crimes were up but criminal damage and burglaries down.

9) Accounts and Signing of cheques

External audit has now been completed and approved

Note that £1,774.20 has been received from H &BBC in respect of developer contribution towards Play and Open Spaces. See below cheque to be issued to Sibson Village Hall for car park.

The following cheques to be paid in September:

P Roberts Dog Bins £100

M Bassett Salary/com/tel/windows £576.89

Ian Papworth Lacquer village sign £50.00

Brian Mee Grasscutting £519.24

Clement Keys External audit £158.63

Carol Riddington Design & artwork Sibson village sign £550.00

Sibson Village Hall Contribution in respect of Play/open spaces £1,774.20

JRB Enterprises Dog Bin for Sibson £189.76

Barncraft Printing Flyer for Big Tidy up £36.10

A Gough Travel expenses £14.51

H &BBC Emptying waste bins £26.00

KP Carpentry Sibson Village Sign £2250.00

11) Planning

The following applications were noted without comment:

08/00837/TPO 1 Wembrook Coppice – fell horse chestnut tree

12) Any Other Business

Alf Oliver commented on problems with footpaths at Upton. Clerk to get Andrew Perry to contact Alf.

Clerk to report posts which have been broken in Shenton Lane, Sibson and a gas cover which was broken in Sheepy Magna