The District Council had requested advance notice of items the Parish Council may wish to discuss under Agenda Item 5b ‘Over to you’. Places on the seminar would be allocated on a first come, first served basis and had to be pre-booked.

It was agreed that Mrs. Stock, the Clerk and the Chairman would attend the seminar, if they were available.

5.1/09/07 Proposed school keep clear markings: Pump Lane: Members noted that Jackie Roerig (Essex County Council Highways Engineer) had written to the Parish Council on 21^st August 2007 confirming that the Parish Council’s request that additional zigzags were installed in Pump Lane between The Westerings and the end of the proposed Bus Stop had been considered, and added to the scheme. Although this may cause objections Mrs. Roerig advised that it was always possible to implement a lesser restriction than advertised should this prove necessary. As always Maldon District Council had to support any proposals and would enforce parking restrictions where problems occurred.

Since this correspondence, after having spoken to Denise Edwards who managed the Safer Journeys to School schemes, Mrs. Roerig had requested a site meeting before the proposed restrictions were advertised. The problem being that the school had specifically asked that the section of road between where the County Council was proposing to install a marked bus bay and The Westerings had been set up as an unofficial drop off point for parents, and the school was keen to maintain this facility.

At the request of the Chairman, Mr. Oliver had agreed to attend the site meeting on behalf of the Parish Council. Members understood that the site meeting would take place on either the 18^th or 21^st September.

5.2/09/07 Essex County Council (Maldon District) (Prohibition and Restriction of waiting, Loading and Unloading, On-Street Parking Places and Disabled Parking Places) (Amendment No 1) Order 2007: Members noted that the above Order had been made and would come into effect on 1^st October 2007. Purleigh was affected as follows:

Parts of road authorised to be used as street parking places: The Glebe, North side from a point approximately 9.2 metres west of the boundary of numbers 43 and 44 in a westerly direction for a distance of 6.6 metres.

Position in which vehicles may wait: Wholly within the designated parking bay.

Classes of vehicle: A disabled persons vehicle, an invalid carriage.

Days of operation of parking places: All day.

Hours of operation of parking places: All hours.

Maximum period for which vehicles may wait: All times.

5.3/09/07 Other highway matters: It was agreed to write to Essex County Council requesting the urgent repair of a broken drain cover to the left side of the wood adjacent to the New Hall Farm entrance in Barons Lane.

6.1/09/07 Children’s play area: Monthly report: Mr. Perriman reported that that he had carried out his daily inspections of the Children’s Play Area and that all items of play equipment therein appeared to be in a satisfactory condition. Graffiti had appeared on the swing seats however, the chains on the swings were frequently wound up and one gate was still not fitting properly.

Removal of the tower, slide and chain bridge: The Parish Council considered a written complaint from the PPFA that the tower, slide and chain bridge had been removed from the children’s play area without consultation with the PPFA or the wider community. The Parish Council confirmed that the equipment had to be removed because it was beyond economic repair and uninsurable. Members acknowledged however that the local community felt ownership of the pavilion, play area and pavilion and would have preferred to be informed in advance that the equipment had to be removed. It was also acknowledged that the PPFA’s fund raising was greatly appreciated by parishioners and that it was a body to whom residents often turned when issues arose about the pavilion and playing field, despite the fact that the facilities had been maintained and managed as a community resource by the Parish Council since 1996. The Parish Council hoped that communication between the two organisations would improve in the future.

It was agreed that Mr. Gower and Mr. Strathern would visit Purleigh Community Primary School and ask the children to come up with ideas for, or design, a piece of play equipment which they would like to replace the tower unit with. The Clerk gave Mr. Strathern some play equipment catalogues to help stimulate the children’s imagination. It would be made clear to the children however that the equipment would take a considerable amount of time to purchase and install. The Parish Council would inform the PPFA about this initiative.

6.2/09/07 Other playing field and open space matters: Members noted the contents of a letter from Bernard Steeples (Chairman, PPFA) which expressed the PPFA’s disappointment that the Council had not entered into a detailed dialogue with it about replacement curtains for the pavilion and plans for the future re-decoration of the interior.

It was agreed to write to Mr. Steeples, explaining that as a Council, Members would be interested in hearing the organisation’s views about colour schemes for the pavilion and replacement curtains, prior to the setting of the precept 2008/2009 in January 2008. The Parish Council would make it clear that if the PPFA wished to make a contribution to either potential project, it would be appreciated.

It was agreed to ask G. J. Lynch Building Contractors to mend the broken tap in the pavilion. The Clerk would also send him an updated snag list of outstanding items to be completed in the pavilion. It was agreed to ask Mr. Lynch once again to remove a shower from the south side of the changing rooms and to use the head from it to replace a recently broken one.

Members noted that Steve Watson (Chief Executive, Maldon District Council) had written to invite the Parish Council to consider supporting the following motion passed by Tewkesbury Borough Council on 22^nd February 2007:

‘This Council is aware of the situation in which British forces and their families who are stationed overseas cannot receive parcels free of charge as they could in 2003.

This Council believes that the situation is both an appalling and disgraceful way to treat our dedicated and hardworking troops and their families given the hardships they face in the world’s hotspots and war zones and therefore asks that the Government reinstates this service as a matter of urgency’

Maldon District Council had agreed to support the motion and had written to the Secretary of State for Defence, the Right Honourable Des Browne MP accordingly. At the request of Tewkesbury Borough Council, Maldon District Council had also written to each Parish and Town Council in the District inviting them to express their support and also to write directly to the Secretary of State for Defence.

Members noted that it was the Clerk’s understanding that since Mr. Watson’s letter the Government had reinstated this service temporarily until Christmas.

Members debated whether or not this was an appropriate issue for the Parish Council to take up and it was then agreed to assess the situation after Christmas.

Members noted that the Essex Rural Partnership (managed by the Rural Community Council of Essex) had written to advise the Parish Council that it was working to ensure that communities in rural areas were aware of the intention to close a number of Post Offices across the country, and to provide them with adequate information so that they could respond to the forthcoming consultations, which in Essex were likely to take place in October.

To that end the Essex Rural Partnership had circulated a briefing note, which set out some of the history behind the proposals, and had asked the Parish Council to display posters warning local communities of the forthcoming consultation once the dates were known.

9.1/09/07 To receive a report of receipts: Members received a report of the following receipts:

9.2/09/07 To approve payment of accounts between meetings: Members noted and approved that the following account had been paid between meetings, adhering strictly to the procedures outlined in the Parish Council’s Financial Regulations 5.3 - 5.7.

9.3/09/07 To approve payment of the following accounts to hand: It was unanimously agreed to approve the following accounts to hand:

Mr. Strathern left the meeting during this agenda item.

Members noted that this organisation’s AGM would be held on Saturday, 6^th October 2007 in RCCE House, Threshelfords Park, Inworth Road, Feering. Before the AGM there would be a guided tour of the Kings Seeds factory, which has been part of Kelvedon’s history for over a century.

Dengie Passenger Transport Network Update: Members noted that the main change to the new Stephensons Bus service in the Dengie which affected Purleigh was that in addition to the main network, an additional journey had been added to help passengers get to Maldon. The settlements to benefit were Purleigh Wash (7.48 a.m.), Roundbush (7.50 a.m.) and Mundon at 7.35 a.m. The bus would arrive in Maldon for 8.10 a.m.

A copy of the full briefing note was been placed in the circulation folder for Members’ information.

Mr. Cooper informed Members that one of the trees planted in the cemetery to commemorate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee had died, and the second one had recently been reduced to a stump after the hedge had been cut.

PCSO Butler provided the Parish Council with an up-date on local policing. He advised that there had been fourteen calls to Purleigh during the preceding month, which was a low number. Crimes had included theft, with other call outs related to an intruder alarm, a suspicious persons sighting, and two nuisance calls. There had been two accidents in Fambridge Road and two sudden deaths. PCSO Butler reminded people to lock their vehicles and secure their premises when left unoccupied. He advised that the pavilion verandah fire had been dealt with and invited anyone interested in local policing to attend the next Neighbourhood Action Panel meeting which would be held at 7.00 p.m. on 17^th September in Purleigh Village Hall.

PCSO Butler informed Members that since the departure of one of his colleagues, who had been part funded by Great Totham Parish Council, he was now responsible for 23 villages.

PCSO Butler concluded by informing the Parish Council that his mobile telephone number was 0795 8379451 and that parishioners could get directly through to him on that number whilst he was on duty.

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 9.17 p.m.

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