Minutes of the Annual Meeting 2010

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING,

HELD IN PURLEIGH VILLAGE HALL

ON THURSDAY, 22^nd APRIL 2010, AT 7.30 P.M.

Mr. Kevin Ascott, Mr. Lawrence Cooper, Mr. Mervyn Perriman and Mrs. Maureen Stock (Parish Councillors)

Mr. Bernard Steeples (Chairman, Purleigh Playing Field Association) and four members of the public.

Apologies were received from Mr. Keith Gower, Mr. Brian Oliver, Mrs. Sue Owen and Mr. Steven Potter (Parish Councillors); Mr. John Sears (District Council Ward Member); Mr. Joseph Figg (Head Teacher, Purleigh Community Primary School) and Mr. Don Nowell (Chairman, Purleigh Village Hall Management Committee) who were unable to attend due to ill health or prior personal and professional commitments.

The Chairman extended a very warm welcome to everyone present and thanked them for attending.

The Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 16^th April 2009, which had been approved at the Parish Council meeting held on 15^th May 2009 (Minute 10/05/09), were distributed amongst those present. There were no matters arising from the Minutes to discuss.

Reports were then given by representatives of the following organisations regarding their organisations’ activities during the past year:

The Chairman reported that during the year the Parish Council had met on twelve occasions with Members making 88 out of a possible 108 attendances. Two Councillors had attended every meeting. The Parish Council remained very grateful to District Councillors John Archer and John Sears, who had regularly attended the public sessions prior to each meeting so that Members could discuss with them any issues in the parish that related to the District Council. During the year the Parish Council had made recommendations on 39 planning applications, and individual Councillors had attended seminars on shaping the future of the Maldon District, Parish Plans and the Members’ Code of Conduct. The Chairman informed the meeting that the precept for the year 2009/10 had been £28,000 and after careful budgeting at the January 2010 meeting, it would be precepting for the same amount in 2010/11.

The Chairman reported that this year had seen major improvements to the Children’s Play Area. After some initial problems, the new play equipment had been installed, was being well used, and had been complimented by RoSPA during their annual safety inspection of the area in May. The Inspector had noted in his report that the children’s play area was in good condition, was well maintained and that the considerable investment made in it had resulted in a much higher standard of play provision. As previously reported, this work would not have been possible without a £15,000 grant from Essex County Council’s Community Initiatives Fund. Unfortunately, since the new play equipment had been put in, the junior swings had had to be removed as they were found to be beyond economic repair.

As usual, highway matters had taken up a great deal of council time this year, but there had been some real improvements. Following a very successful site meeting with the Highways Department and residents, the County Council had agreed in principle to extend the 30mph speed limit in Chelmsford Road so that it would replace the existing 40mph limit and extend as far as Edgewood Veterinary Surgery. The Order had been made and was now out to public consultation. Essex County Council had also agreed to make the Speed Indicator Devices in Chelmsford Road, Fambridge Road and Hackmans Lane permanent as soon as funds permitted. It had not been prepared however to give the Parish Council a grant to purchase more SID’s for the parish, but the council’s application to install a new Gateway and carriageway markings in Rudley Green had gone forward to the judging panel. Of on-going concern was the persistent flooding in Howe Green Road and Maldon Road, which had been drawn to the Highways Department’s attention.

The Chairman advised the meeting that the Parish Council continued to provide and maintain the pavilion and playing field for the benefit of parishioners. This year it had spent just over £3,700 on general running costs which, in addition to utility bills, rates and cleaning costs, had included replacing three window panes, 75m of perished verandah decking, and repairs to the exterior lights, guttering, drains and washroom fittings. An additional £3,070 had been spent on insurance, grasscutting, spraying the playing field to control weeds and cleaning out the ditch near the Telephone Exchange. Fortunately, income from the facilities had been unusually high this year (£4,380) as Cold Norton Village Hall had been unavailable for hire. The Parish Council was grateful to members of the Purleigh Playing Field Association for their help in painting the exterior of the building and for the organisation’s commitment to make a considerable donation towards the cost of installing new windows on the north side of the pavilion and some exterior maintenance of the building in the next financial year.

Vandalism had again been a problem during the year, with damage to the safety surface beneath the new ‘quip-trail’ and to trees on the playing field. Particularly upsetting however had been the theft of the new salt bin in Walton Hall Lane, which had been stolen within two days of its installation. All incidents had been reported to the Police and the Parish Council would continue to take appropriate action to combat vandalism in the parish.

Congratulations went again to the allotment tenants whose plots were so well cared for. The Chairman noted that it was always a genuine pleasure to see the results of such good gardening. There were currently eight people on the waiting list for an allotment. On behalf of the Parish Council the Chairman also thanked Mr. and Mrs. Challis for maintaining the War Memorial garden so beautifully, Rose and Brian Dilworth for the work they did at the pavilion and Jim Ovel for all that he did to enhance the appearance of the parish.

During the year the Parish Council had given grants to the school to subsidise the cost of swimming lessons for Purleigh children, to the Village Hall towards a new cooker and to the Knightswood Satellite Service who took some of Purleigh’s senior citizens out to a local venue for lunch and companionship once a month. The council had also made small donations to the work of the Essex Air Ambulance and Farleigh Hospice.

The Chairman reported that the Parish Council had one employee, white British, who had received training during the year but had not applied for promotion. The Council could not detect any patterns of inequality arising from this data.

The Chairman concluded his report by thanking the Clerk for her support throughout the year and for continuing to successfully administer the business of the council.

Mr. John Archer (District Council Ward Member) commenced his report by explaining that, at last year, Maldon District Council had set one of the lowest council taxes in the county, but to achieve this had had to draw on its reserves, which consequently would not be there to use in the future. The District Council would continue to strive to keep council tax low and as yet had not had to reduce the frequency of refuse collections or make any redundancies. Both these matters however would have to be kept under review.

Mr. Archer informed the meeting that Bradwell Power Station had been de-fuelled and no nuclear waste remained on site. The decommissioning process was however continuing. The District Council had hoped last year that the site would be chosen to build a new nuclear power station on, but this was looking increasingly unlikely, as Sizewell in Suffolk appeared to be the preferred choice. Sizewell had an advantage over Bradwell as it could obtain cold water directly from the North Sea, whereas at Bradwell cold water would have to be piped in over a long distance, which would have considerable cost implications.

Mr. Archer reported that the proposed Wind Farm at Bradwell had been approved by Government Inspectors on appeal so the District Council had decided not to oppose the impending application for another wind farm in the Dengie Hundred as to do would be a waste of the Council’s limited resources.

The development of the Stow Maries Aerodrome had unfortunately been delayed due to the ill health of the owner. Mr. Archer hoped that he would recover soon and that the project would regain momentum, as once it was completed it would be a valuable tourist attraction in the area and a boon to the local economy.

Mr. Archer advised the meeting that the proposed RSPB visitor area at Wallasea had also taken a backward step due to delays with the cross rail project in London. The project had slipped behind by at least a year and would not now materialise until 2012 at the earliest.

Mr. Archer concluded his report by explaining that both he and John Sears had supported the Parish Council’s recommendations on planning applications at District Council level during the year, and both he and Mr. Sears had continued to regularly attend the public sessions prior to each monthly Parish Council meeting.

The Chairman thanked Mr. Archer for his report and for his and Mr. Sears continued support.

Due to the lack of available Officers, a report on local policing was not given.

As Mr. Figg (Headteacher, Purleigh Community Primary School) was unable to attend the meeting due to a prior commitment, Mr. Stotter (Deputy Head Teacher) gave a report on behalf of the school.

Mr. Stotter informed the meeting that it had been a truly enjoyable and fulfilling year at Purleigh Community Primary School. A lot had been achieved academically and also from the point of view of enrichment of the curriculum and enhancement of the school environment.

The school continued to celebrate a rich and varied curriculum and the children enjoyed experiencing different subject areas through a thematic topic based approach. During the year pupils had found out about a wide variety of books and writing styles in their literacy lessons, and speaking and listening opportunities had been a strong element of the curriculum. The children had also continued to take part in assemblies and concerts, which were very enjoyable and confidently produced. A full and interesting mathematics curriculum had also been followed and during the year the school had been able to purchase some new resources to support it’s teaching.

Mr. Stotter reported that a wide range of interesting topics had been being studied. These included the study of geography through the topics of Australia, local studies and news around the world. History had been investigated through the topics of World War Two, the Egyptians, toys, Greeks, Romans and Settlers, and Victorian Schools. A wide variety of technology and model planning had also been undertaken and children had had the opportunity to explore food technology. Pupils had been given access to two new banks of laptop Personal Computers which had helped to integrate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) into the curriculum. Art and music had also provided rich opportunities to celebrate the children’s abilities. Religious Education and Personal, Social and Health Education had also encouraged pupils to celebrate different peoples and their beliefs. In Physical Education pupils had experienced a rich curriculum and had again achieved well during the year, with years 5 and 6 Rugby and Football teams winning at a local level and progressing to District tournaments. Year 4 pupils had also recently won a Rugby tournament and the school had taken part in netball and hockey tournaments, winning the latter.

School visits had continued to support the curriculum. The children had visited Chatham Docks, Colchester Castle, Tropical Wings and the Braintree Museum’s Victorian Classroom amongst other venues and year 6 pupils would be travelling to the Isle of Wight in June for an educational field trip.

Mr. Stotter informed the meeting that the school continued to celebrate the good and outstanding status it had achieved at the last Ofsted inspection. This was reflected through teaching and learning and in the care and support for, and the involvement of, children at the school.

Mr. Stotter reported that the School Council Parliament had continued to meet and had made an important contribution to the everyday life of the school, having made an input into expected standards of behaviour and the purchasing of resources. The school had also been supported by an effective Governing Body, which was involved with the school and its pupils on a regular basis.

¨ The addition and re-distribution of learning assistant time to support learning across the school

Mr. Stotter was pleased to report that the school had had its Green Flag Eco award confirmed and staff and pupils remained highly committed to improving the environment. The school also continued to enjoy its National Healthy School status, which had been re-awarded in 2008.

Mr. Stotter concluded his report by informing the meeting that the school was very proud of the confident, independent and engaging children who attended Purleigh’s community school. The School appreciated the support of great parents and he paid special tribute to the hard working and proactive PTA that always amazed by raising a lot of money in support of the school children at Purleigh. The school felt part of a very special community and was proud to belong to and stand within the wider community.

The meeting was advised that the Trustees had not yet held their meeting for the year so it would not be possible to give a report.

At the request of Mr. Nowell (Chairman, Purleigh Village Hall Management Committee) who was unable to attend the meeting due to a prior commitment, the Chairman gave the following report on his behalf:

The Chairman informed the meeting that in the year ending 31^st December 2009, the Village Hall had been used on 370 occasions compared with 395 occasions in the previous year.

During the year the Committee had purchased 60 upholstered chairs to replace the plastic ones which had shown signs of their age by collapsing when sat on, and a major improvement in the storage facility at the hall had been achieved by making improvements to the garage and to the storeroom lockers.

The Chairman concluded Mr. Nowell’s report by passing on his thanks to the Village Hall Committee who had redecorated the kitchen and to the Bowls Club who had painted the exterior woodwork of the hall with preservative. The Management Committee was also appreciative of the financial support it received from the Parish Council.

Mr. Steeples, Chairman of the Purleigh Playing Field Association, commenced his report by noting that the PPFA was very fortunate in that it still had a lively and active group of local people on its committee and although long standing members Steve and Sue Dewison had moved to France, the committee could still count on their support in person when they were in the country and by email when they were not. The PPFA had therefore been able to continue to fund raise successfully with events such as the Horse Race Night which this year had raised approximately £2,000 in total, which had included sponsorship from almost 40 local companies. The PPFA were very grateful for the amount of support it had received and the committee was also very grateful to its secretary Vanessa Horner, who had been extremely successful in gaining sponsors. As a result the PPFA was able to continue to look for ways to support Purleigh people and local clubs.

Mr. Steeples reported that the PPFA had started running coffee mornings in the pavilion last year to give local people the chance to meet over a cup of tea or coffee. These had been very successful to date with up to 30 or so people regularly in attendance.

Mr. Steeples reported that the PPFA had agreed to make a donation of £950 to the Parish Council towards maintenance improvements to the pavilion, as outlined by the Parish Council Chairman in his report earlier. The PPFA had also agreed to help the Cricket Club who wanted to make a mobile practice net for use on the square to help with practice and the training of existing and hopefully new, young members. Another of the PPFA’s initiatives was that, using the expertise of two of its members Nick and Leonie Back who were experienced in tall ship sailing adventures, it hoped to be able to develop sailing challenges for local disadvantaged youngsters with the help of the Plume School and possibly other teachers and youth workers. The PPFA was still looking to see if it could support other local initiatives in sport and leisure by awarding small grants and it remained happy to join with any other of the groups and organisations in the village to plan and fund raise when requested to do so.

Mr. Steeples reported that the Cricket Club had enjoyed another very successful season last year with both the Saturday and Sunday sides gaining promotion in their respective leagues. The club was fortunate in having been sponsored by Mr. Nick Brown’s Seabro Company for the last couple of years and the players had looked very smart in kit resplendent with the club and sponsor’s logos. Mr. Steeples explained that much of the thanks for the club’s success must go to the hard working and effective club officers whose efforts had undoubtedly helped to improve the club’s results on and off the field. The club still needed support however as several players had recently lost their jobs or been forced to work reduced hours as a result of the national recession. Mr. Steeples reported that this year was the club’s 40^th anniversary and hopefully there would be a celebration to mark that achievement.

Mr. Steeples reported that the Croquet Club was still very well supported with an active membership although unfortunately not so many Purleigh parishioners were playing. The club was nevertheless flourishing. The PPFA didn’t hear much from the other playing field users but assumed they were happy with the facilities.

Mr. Steeples concluded his report by thanking his fellow committee members and other helpers for all their efforts and contributions.

The Chairman thanked Mr. Steeples for his report and repeated his thanks to him and the PPFA for their support.

In response to a question from Mr. Steeples about parking near the school during drop off and collection times, Mr. Stotter assured the meeting that the school would continue to do all it could to discourage parents from parking irresponsibly in the vicinity of the school.

Mr. Steeples then asked the Parish Council on behalf of Mick Elliott (a resident of Chelmsford Road who was unable to attend the meeting) what was being done to combat speeding traffic in Chelmsford Road. The Chairman was able to explain that the 30mph speed limit was due to be extended as far as Edgewood Veterinary Surgery and once in place enforcement action should follow.

The Chairman also explained that some improvements in highway safety had been made with the installation of Speed Indicator Devices and that highways officers had been working with the council and residents to make the road safer for all users. The frequency of Heavy Goods Vehicles being directed through Rudley Green by Satellite Navigation Systems remained a problem however.

In response to a question about dilapidated signs in the parish, the Clerk was able to advise that all the signs at Purleigh Wash would be replaced in the near future and John Archer agreed to once again raise the matter of missing and damaged road name signs in the parish with District Council Officers.

The Chairman concluded the meeting by thanking the speakers and members of the public for attending and Mrs. Stock, Mrs. Pauline Potter and the Clerk for the refreshments.

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Copyright © 2005 Purleigh Parish Council Last modified: 07/05/2012

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Disclaimer Privacy Policy

Send mail to the Webmaster at catral@fsmail.net with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2005 Purleigh Parish Council Last modified: 07/05/2012

Send mail to the Webmaster at catral@fsmail.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2005 Purleigh Parish Council Last modified: 07/05/2012