4.5/04/10 Campaign for a new Community Hospital in Maldon: Members noted that South Woodham Ferrers Town Council had written to all the Parish and Town Councils in the Chelmsford, Braintree and Maldon Districts asking them to confirm their support for the campaign for the speedy delivery of the promised new community hospital in Maldon.

If Purleigh Parish Council confirmed its support for the Hospital in writing, its name would be added to a petition being compiled by South Woodham Ferrers Town Council in conjunction with Maldon District Council and the Maldon and Burnham Standards.

It was agreed to inform South Woodham Ferrers Town Council that Purleigh Parish Council supported the campaign.

4.6/04/10 Other planning matters: Essex County Council: Developers Guide to Infrastructure Contributions: Members noted from the document that the age profile of inhabitants in the county was rising. Of particular interest was the projection for the Maldon District where the number of people over 75 was predicted to almost double by 2020. The variable was in the economy.  In theory the Council believed the Guide was broad in its approach and well conceived.  In practice, in the current market, development may remain sluggish, as developers would not be able to recoup their additional costs on sale price.  Consequently, projected targets may fall short.

Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE), ‘My Village, My Home’ seminar about the delivery of affordable rural housing for local people: Members noted that the RCCE had organised a seminar aimed at Parish Councillors to raise awareness and inform about the process of developing schemes of affordable housing for local people. The seminar would take place on Friday, 16^th April 2010 in Margaretting Village Hall. Details of the seminar were placed in the circulation folder for Members’ information.

5.1/03/10 Footpath 11, Purleigh: Members noted that Laurence Page (Definitive Map Officer) had written to the Parish Council informing Members that the best option was to provide a bridge across the ditch until such time as an application for a diversion was submitted by the landowner, as there was currently a two year waiting list for public path diversions.

The County Council could not confirm how long it would take before a bridge was installed.

5.2/04/10 Other highway matters: Proposal to divert Footpath 48 Purleigh (at New Hall Vineyard): Members noted that Essex County Council was proposing to divert a part length of Footpath 48 from its connection with Footpath 21, adjacent to Barons Lane, from a cross field route to one adjacent to the road.

Mr. Ascott declared an interest in this Agenda item being the Ramblers Association Honorary Footpath Secretary for the Maldon District.

It was agreed to support the proposed diversion of Footpath 48 Purleigh.

District Local Highways Panel: Members noted that Maldon District Council was seeking nominations via the EALC for the Highway Panel to be set up shortly.

The panel would have influence over a substantial element of the highways budget for the Maldon District and would take decisions based on local knowledge. Those decisions would be communicated to the County Council for consideration and implementation, subject to any strategic and policy constraints which may apply. The panel would also provide a conduit between the local community and the Highways Authority.

It was proposed that the Maldon District Local Highways Panel would be chaired by a District Councillor and would consist of 14 members as follows:

6 District Councillors

6 Parish/Town Councillors

1 representative from the Local Strategic Partnership Place Shaping Sub-Group

1 representative from the Maldon Business Partnership.

Members noted that it was likely that the panel would meet once every two to three months, and that meetings would be held in public. Nominations were to be sent to the EALC and successful nominees would be asked to report back to the Maldon District Meeting organised by the EALC every 6 months. Only one nomination per Parish Council was permitted.

The Parish Council did not have any nominees at this juncture.

6.1/04/10 Children’s Play Area: Monthly report: Mr. Perriman reported that he had carried out his weekly inspections of the Children’s Play Area and that all items of play equipment therein appeared to be in a satisfactory condition, although with the advent of better weather the swings were once again being wound up, and litter from the bin was being strewn around the area.

It was agreed to ask Mr. Ovel to remove the litter bin, which was in dilapidated condition, from the vicinity of the children’s play area.

6.2/04/10 Condition of the pavilion car park: Members noted that following the damage to the car park edge resulting from the burst water main last year, Mr. Ovel had filled in the hollow by the edge of the tarmac which vehicles were dropping into with top soil and had inserted some posts to warn drivers to avoid the area until the grass had grown.

6.3/04/10 Theft of the new salt bin (Walton Hall Lane): Members noted that the new salt bin had been stolen from Walton Hall Lane on Sunday, 14^th March 2010 before the County Council had filled it with salt. The theft had been reported to the Police (Crime number C425A/03967/10) and an insurance claim had been submitted. If the claim was successful, the Parish Council should receive £42.20 (the cost of the bin - £167.20 less £125.00 policy excess). If anyone had any information they were encouraged to let PC 72958 Hammond (the Officer in Charge of the case) know, at South Woodham Ferrers Police Station.

6.4/04/10 To approve the pavilion and playing field accounts for the period 1^st April 2009 to 31^st March 2010: Members noted that during the financial year ended 31^st March 2010, income from the pavilion and playing field had amounted to £4,382.50, whereas expenditure on the facilities had totalled £3,712.29. This represented a surplus for the year of £670.21, but did not take into account money spent on insurance, grasscutting, spraying the playing field and clearing out the playing field ditch, which amounted to an additional £3,070.68.

6.5/04/10 Condition of the allotment fence: Members noted that the front fence at the allotments had been irretrievably damaged, having been caught on a vehicle’s tow bar and pulled down. As the Parish Council had a responsibility to the landlord to maintain the front fence it was agreed to obtain quotations for its replacement with a fence of similar construction, to be considered at the May 2010 meeting.

The Chairman agreed to draw up a specification for the replacement fence so that the Clerk could put the work out to tender.

Once the specification had been received, it was agreed to invite G.J. Lynch Building Contractors and Blackwater Baling to provide quotations for the Parish Council’s consideration.

6.6/04/10 Other playing field and open space matters: Pavilion maintenance: Members noted that as requested at the February 2010 meeting (Minute 6.3/02/10), G.J. Lynch Building Contractors had quoted directly to the Parish Council to remove the gutters and down pipe to the north side of the pavilion; paint fascia’s, soffits and west facing barge boards with superdeck; replace gutters and down pipe; apply anti-climb paint to the down pipe and install a warning sign, and replace the damaged soffit on the southside of the pavilion for the sum of £410. This work would be carried out at the same time Mr. Lynch replaced the four windows on the north side of the pavilion.

The Parish Council received a letter from the Purleigh Playing Field Association (PPFA) confirming its donations of £540 towards the replacement of four windows on the north side of the pavilion and £410 towards the exterior maintenance of the building described above.

Sewerage arrangements, Betterview Haven (formerly Gordene) Howe Green Road: Members noted that Mr. Foster (Environmental Health Officer, Maldon District Council) had advised the Parish Council that it may be contacted by the property owner to ask for permission to run a pipe from Betterview Haven, underneath the highway and across The Common so that they could discharge the outfall from their treatment plant into the ditch. It was noted that as yet no such request had been received.

Proposal for mobile cricket net – Purleigh Cricket Club: Members noted that Purleigh Cricket Club and the PPFA had written to the Parish Council regarding this matter.

It was noted that Purleigh Cricket Club had explained that the old nets had fallen into disrepair. In addition, the surface under them was inappropriate to practice on, as it was too hard, giving more bounce than a grass wicket would and was slippery when damp making it hazardous to play on.

Therefore to improve the facilities available to existing and new players, including hopefully more young people, the club was proposing to purchase a mobile net that members would be able to pull out to the square for practice on various grass wickets.

Members noted that the dimensions of a typical net were 7m long x 3m wide x 3m high. In terms of storage, the club would need to secure the net and therefore proposed to store it between the existing cricket shed and the garage. In order to secure the area, the club asked for the Parish Council’s permission to put a fence/gate across the front of the gap and to install fencing behind the garage and shed to join them to the Glebe garden fences, therefore securing the whole area. The club proposed to secure the front with removable mesh fencing/mesh gate (as typically seen around tennis courts and astro-turf facilities), whilst the back would be secured with a solid weatherboard fence. Both fences would be 6ft high.

Members noted that as part of the project, the cricket club would also remove the poles from the old net and tidy up and remove the rubbish from behind the garage and shed along with the old roller that had been left between them for years. The club believed this work would improve the appearance of the playing field considerably. In addition, the club asked for the Parish Council’s permission to level the ground and remove two trees/bushes between the shed and garage.

As a standard 3m wide net would not quite fit into the gap between the outbuildings and the 7m length would just stick out, the club proposed to make its own net at a cost of approximately £900, and had asked the PPFA to consider making a minimum donation of £600 towards the project as a way of investing in the future of sport in Purleigh.

It was agreed to give the cricket club permission to clear and secure the area provided that the rear fencing did not join onto the Glebe garden fences as they proposed. The Parish Council would ask that a 2m gap was left between the rear of the enclosure and the existing boundary fence for access. The Parish Council greatly appreciated the fact that club members were prepared to clear up this part of the playing field and it was agreed to give the club a gratuity of £50 in recognition of its members’ efforts, to be approved for payment at the May 2010 meeting.

Members noted that the PPFA had also written to the Parish Council on this subject. In his letter, Mr. Steeples (Chairman, PPFA) explained the Cricket Club’s proposal as outlined above and informed the Parish Council that at their recent meeting the PPFA Committee had agreed that the proposal offered a good solution which would allow safer and more effective practice for the cricketers, and which should encourage further improvement in playing standards and encourage new members to join the Club.

The PPFA Committee had therefore agreed to provide financial support for the purchase of materials, subject to the Parish Council’s approval of the scheme and hopefully some financial support. The PPFA believed that the Cricket Club had been successful and well run in recent years, was a good example for youngsters in Purleigh, and should be encouraged to flourish and further improve its standards. The PPFA therefore recommended that the Parish Council approved the scheme quickly.

It was agreed to thank Mr. Steeples for his letter and inform the PPFA that the Parish Council would be liaising with the Cricket Club about their proposal.

7.1/04/10 To receive a Statement of Accounts for the period 1^st April 2009 to 31^st March 2010: It was unanimously agreed to approve the Statement of Accounts for the period 1^st April 2009 to 31^st March 2010:

Bank Statements detailing the transactions in all four of the Parish Council’s bank accounts for the financial year 2009/2010 were available for Members’ inspection, as part of the internal audit process.

Members noted that Mr. Stichbury would carry out the end of year independent audit on either Friday, 21^st May or Friday, 28^th May 2010.

7.2/04/10 To conduct a financial review 2010/2011: As part of the Parish Council’s internal audit process, Members received a detailed breakdown of receipts and payments for the period 1^st April 2009 to 31^st March 2010, and considered and approved estimates of income and expenditure for the financial year 2010/2011.

7.3/04/10 To sign the payments and receipts account for the year ended 31^st March 2010: The Chairman and Responsible Financial Officer signed the Receipts and Payments Account for the period 1^st April 2009 to 31^st March 2010.

7.4/04/10 The annual audit of accounts for the period 1^st April 2009 to 31^st March 2010: Members noted that the Audit Commission had advised that the Parish Council’s Annual Return should be completed and returned to it by 12^th July 2010 so that it could carry out the annual audit of accounts.

In order to comply with the legal requirement to enable interested parties and local electors to exercise their rights with regard to the accounts, the Audit Commission had appointed 12^th July 2010 as the date on or after which interested parties could exercise their rights under the Audit Commission Act 1998 and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003 (as amended).

Members noted that on 2^nd April 2010 the Parish Council had displayed notices informing parishioners that the accounts would be available for inspection at The Shrubberies, 27 Anchor Reach, South Woodham Ferrers, between the hours of 10.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays (excluding public holidays), from Monday, 7^th June to Friday, 9^th July 2010 inclusive (by prior arrangement with the Clerk).

A copy of ‘Council’s Accounts: A Summary of Your Rights’ had been displayed alongside each notice, as required by the Audit Commission Act 1998.

7.5/04/10 To receive a report of receipts: Members received a report of the following receipts:

7.6/04/10 To approve payment of accounts between meetings: Members noted and approved that the following accounts had been paid between meetings, adhering strictly to the procedures outlined in the Parish Council’s Financial Regulations 5.3 - 5.7.

7.4/04/10 To approve payment of accounts to hand: It was unanimously agreed to approve payment of the following accounts to hand:

* Members noted that this grant was payable pursuant to s.133 Local Government Act 1972.

Cycling Framework for Essex 2010 to 2015: Members noted that the County Council was inviting comments on its ‘Cycling Framework for Essex 2010 to 2015’. Feedback was requested by 7^th May 2010.

Members did not have any points of information to share.

Consideration was given to the crime and disorder implications of all decisions made at this meeting.

There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.38 p.m.

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