Minutes of Ordinary Parish Council Meeting held at 7.30 pm on 4^th January 2018 at the Village Hall, Fulking

Present: Chairman Miles Firth, Councillors Linda Dyos, Mark Hind, Clerk to the Council Derek Blackhall, WSC Councillor Joy Dennis, MSD Councillor John Wilkinson, and 10 members of the public.

Public Participation. There were no issues raised.

The Chairman welcomed everyone; and confirmed Karen Healy had accepted co-option to the Parish Council.

Apologies: MSD Councillors Colin Trumble and Anthony Watts Williams, Michael Trist, Karen Healy.

Please will all Councillors or district/county council representatives ensure that they notify the Clerk of any possible non-attendance, ideally 24hrs before the meeting.

Declarations of Interest: Miles Firth declared an interest in the Barn Cottage planning application and would abstain from any involvement in the debate.

1. The minutes of the previous meetings held on 12^th October & 12^th December, having been previously circulated, were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chairman.

2. Reports from District and County councillors:

WSCC matters

-it was confirmed the Parish would pay for the replacement HGV sign if it went ahead
-Joy would speak with Miles offline regarding outstanding broadband matters Action Joy
-Joy confirmed there would be an Operation Watershed budget in 2018/19
-Joy will follow up with Richard Speller the advice he has been asked for in respect of Clappers Lane Action Joy
-Joy confirmed replacement SID equipment was being purchased to replace the stolen items
-Albourne are offering free defibrillator training
-the mobile telephone signal is still poor, but a new mast is planned in the North of the region which may improve the signal in Fulking
-Joy is part of a task & finish group regarding buses and happy to take any feedback.

MSDC matters
The District Neighbourhood Plan is nearing completion; it now contains an additional 500 houses in Hassocks, there is a half-day hearing with the inspector on 5^th February. The five-year housing supply now exists, but none yet exists for years 2024 onwards; this could be a big issue as Mayfield Homes sites must be considered in consequence.
The MSDC 2018/19 budget increase was 3.8% higher than the previous year

3. Planning Applications:

3.1 SDNP/17/06019/FUL
Location: Land at Cannonberries Poynings Road Fulking Henfield West Sussex BN5 9NB Proposal: Erection of dwelling.

It was noted this is a substantial, inappropriate development on a green field site and that the surrounding properties are all bungalows.
It appears to contradict the SDNPA policy for no additional buildings in this area; and there are issues in respect of both MSDC and SDNPA planning policies.
A further concern relates to setting a precedent as there are no plans for extending the village in that direction.
The Parish Council voted to object to this application.

3.2 SDNP/17/06007/FUL
Location: Barn Cottage Poynings Road Fulking BN5 9NB Proposal: Extension to and re-modelling of existing house.

It was noted the previous application was much bigger, and was withdrawn.
The current application shows the roof height to be higher than the existing property, and has a slightly bigger footprint; however, it was accepted there needs to be some reasonable applications for property extensions allowed in the village.
The resulting vote was NEUTRAL.

4. Matters Arising:

4.1 Clappers Lane Unsuitable for HGVs sign-There is an outstanding issue to be resolved regarding the actual siting of the sign.

4.2 Proposed parking measures West of Lady Brook Spring-Joy Dennis agreed to approach the SDNPA regarding possible funding availability with Mark after he has supplied the historic correspondence; but stated that the current proposal includes very expensive materials Action Mark/Joy.

5. Highways

Gullies/Drains
As usual, any problems/blockages must be reported to
http://love.westsussex.gov.uk/Reports or 01243 642105. Please pass info to the PC for its records.
The Parish Council must be informed of highways/flooding issues for them to follow up; please send incident numbers to the Parish Clerk. Richard Speller has an interest here.
 

6. Other matters.

6.1 Yellow Lines-There is to be a paper written for the next meeting explaining the 3 options (do nothing/white lines/yellow lines) and a discussion with a view to making a final decision. Action Mark/WSCC Highways.

The meeting was suspended at 8.35 to hear a comment from the audience, then reopened at 8.40.

6.2 village hall status-It was noted there are ongoing local discussions and a need to find the definition of the term ’safeguarding’. Action Miles
6.3 FOI/Transparency Issues-There are known privacy/email/cloud issues coming up this year. Miles is attending a course for clarification.
6.4 Operation Watershed update-the invoice has been paid; further funds were needed when justified by application to WSCC. Action Miles

The meeting was suspended at 8.50 to hear (an unrelated) further comment from the audience, then reopened at 8.53.

6.5 The clerk’s resignation-The Chairman reported that the clerk had decided to resign, received and accepted the resignation letter, and thanked him for the valued work undertaken since his appointment in early 2015.

7. Financial matters

7.1 The following cheques have been processed since the last PC meeting

NB Advance email acceptance must be obtained from the Parish Clerk in all cases before using an emergency cheque in order to ensure full financial compliance whilst ensuring as far as possible suppliers are paid in the month the invoice is received-this meets SSALC best practice advice.

7.2 The current cheque list and stubs, and the quarterly bank reconciliations were approved; and the income and expenditure to date were noted.

7.3 2018/19 Precept. The Parish Council approved the Clerk’s paper noted the amount of £8,696 (a 2% year on year increase) will now be notified to MSDC in accordance with their submission timetable. Action Derek.

Meeting closed at 9.06pm.

Signed…………………………                      Date…………….  Minute 20/2017

Minutes of the Fulking Parish Council Co-option Meeting
Held in the Village Hall, Fulking on Tuesday 12th December 2017 at 6.30pm

Present: Miles Firth (Chairman), Councillors Mark Hind, Linda Dyos, Michael Trist, and Clerk to the Council, Derek Blackhall
1 member of the public was present

Apologies for Absence: None.
Declarations of interest: None

The Chairman announced that this was a normal type of meeting with an open vote on whether to Co-opt to the current Councillor vacancy or not at this time.

Prior to the meeting, there had been one request by a member of the public to speak, having already established the candidate’s eligibility to apply for the vacancy via local business interests.

Karen Healy explained that she was fairly new to Fulking but keen to contribute to the community; recognised that some decisions are not always popular; has sat on children’s charities which was ultimately rewarding; along with PTA and committees experience; always endeavours to be proactive; has got time to be a councillor as working part-time; and offers a long-term commitment to the village.

The panel of Councillors explored a variety of topics:

• Views on representing parts or all of the village
• How the Parish Council operates
• Attitude to training courses
• Examples of being a team player
• Attitude to possible disagreements over tricky issues
• Attitude to established Council policies as they must be paramount for a
• Councillor over and above being a resident
• Attitude towards playground inspections
• A view on some known forthcoming possible village hall issues and alternative strategies if it becomes difficult to resolve overall

After listening carefully to the responses to the above scenarios, the Chairman asked the panel for a vote.
There was a unanimous agreement to appoint Karen as a co-opted Councillor.
Karen signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office, and agreed to return the Register of Interests to the Clerk within the necessary 28 days.

The meeting closed at 7.05pm

Signed ……………………         Date………………………

FULKING PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Fulking Parish Council Planning Meeting

Held in the Village Hall, Fulking on Wednesday 25th October 2017 at 6.30pm

Present: Miles Firth (Chairman), Councillors Mark Hind, Linda Dyos, and Clerk to the Council, Derek Blackhall

3 members of the public were present

Apologies for Absence: Michael Trist, Kate Watson.

Declarations of interest: None

The Chairman announced that Kate Watson had resigned from the Parish Council and was moving out of the area, and there is as a result a vacancy for a Parish Councillor. The Clerk had informed the MS District Council Returning officer, who in turn had provided the necessary details to publicise the vacancy. The notice was to be placed on the website and notice board on 26th October, 2017 notifying the public that in the event of no formal request to have a by-election within 14 working days, the Parish Council may fill the vacancy by co-option.

Prior to the meeting, there had been one request by a member of the public to speak.

The following matters were discussed:-

SDNP/17/05246/HOUS Hillbrook Clappers Lane Fulking BN5 9NH
Demolition of the existing garage and attached lean-to storage outbuilding. Construction of a detached garage building with associated hard and soft landscaping works (Option 1)

SDNP/17/05247/HOUS Hillbrook Clappers Lane Fulking BN5 9NH
Demolition of the existing garage and attached lean-to storage outbuilding. Construction of a detached garage building with associated hard and soft landscaping works (Option 2)

The applicant explained that both applications were to demolish the existing garage, which was in the flood risk area, and build a replacement garage elsewhere on the site using either of the two preferred approaches applied for. Option 1 was on higher ground; and option 2 involved ’90 degree spinning’ the garage away from Clappers Lane on lower ground thereby reducing the visible height whilst using materials which result in a barn-type effect. There had been pre-application discussions. In response to a question, it was noted that whilst the overall height was unknown, it was a single- storey build.

The Parish Council noted:

• The same design for both options
• A neighbour has concerns over the potential garage height
• The issue in both cases appears to be in respect of an SD7 safeguarded view, and so the lower option is preferred; although option 2 is not yet confirmed as a lower topographical height-a lower roof would help
• The old garage was an eyesore, and it made sense to move away from the flood risk area
• The new design is good.

In respect of option one, the vote was a unanimous neutral result.

The option 2 result was one neutral and two votes in support of the application.

The meeting closed at 6.51pm

Signed …………………………………………….            Date…………………………………………..

Minute 18/2017 25/10/2017

FULKING PARISH COUNCIL

wish to fill a vacancy arising from the resignation of Cllr. Kate Watson for the period up to the next Election in the Spring of 2019.

If no By-Election is called, FPC will exercise its power to Co-Opt and applicants may apply using the following criteria/guidance: –

The eligibility criteria to be a Councillor –

1. Be aged 18 years or over and included in the Electoral Register
2. A British subject or a Euro national
3. Resides in the Parish or within 3 miles of its boundary or
4. Occupies land or property within the Parish or
5. Has his/her principal place of work within the Parish

and

Prospective candidates are advised to familiarise themselves with the disqualification restrictions under Section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972 relating to Bankruptcy Restrictions Orders and Criminal Convictions carrying a sentence of more than 3 months imprisonment, without the option of a fine.

Please supply a 2-sided A4 application letter to be returned to the Parish Clerk no later than the 30^th November 2017 to:

parishclerk@fulking.net
or
Derek Blackhall, 22 Kymer Gardens, Keymer, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8QZ

Signed:………………………..Proper Officer

This post is about team-building to ensure that the Council works cohesively in pursuit of its aims and objectives.

RELEVANT COMPETENCIES

• Sound knowledge and understanding of local affairs and the local community.
• Solid interest in local matters.
• Ability and willingness to represent the Council and their community.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to communicate succinctly and clearly both orally and in writing.
• Ability and willingness to work closely with other members and to maintain good working relationships with all members and staff.
• Good reading and analytic skills.
• Ability and willingness to work with the council’s partners (e.g. voluntary groups, other parish councils, principal authority, charities).
• Ability and willingness to undertake relevant training.
• Experience of working or being a member in a local authority or other public body.
• Basic knowledge of legal issues relating to town and parish councils or local authorities.
• Good standard of computer literacy.
• Experience of delivering presentations.
• Experience in financial control/ budgeting.
• HR experience.
• Ability and willingness to attend meetings of the council (or the meetings of other local authorities and local bodies) in the evening and events in the evening and at weekends.
• Flexible and committed to the Council
• Enthusiastic.

26^th October 2017

Minutes of Ordinary Parish Council Meeting held at 7.30 pm on 12^th October 2017 at the Village Hall, Fulking

Present: Chairman Miles Firth, Councillors Kate Watson, Linda Dyos, Michael Trist, Mark Hind, Clerk to the Council Derek Blackhall, MSD Councillor Colin Trumble, and 8 members of the public.

Public Participation; A member of the public raised an issue in respect of ownership of the land beneath the village hall. It would appear there was no documentation evident which proves who actually owns this land. It was considered important to find out the answer as it could affect the future possible disposal of the building. It was requested that the Parish Council to formally approach the Parish Church Council to ask them to verify their claim to ownership of the land. It was agreed to contact Tom Clarke at MSDC for advice in the first instance as to the best approach to take. Action Miles.

The Chairman welcomed everyone.

Apologies: WSC Councillor Joy Dennis, MSD Councillors John Wilkinson and Anthony Watts Williams.

Please will all Councillors or district/county council representatives ensure that they notify the Clerk of any possible non-attendance, ideally 24hrs before the meeting.

Declarations of Interest: None.

1. The minutes of the previous meetings held on 13^th & 20^th July, and 7^th September, having been previously circulated, were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chairman.

2. Reports from District and County councillors:

The District Neighbourhood Plan is nearing completion; it now contains an additional 500 houses in Hassocks, and the final consultation closes on 13^th November. There is a District economic growth strategy being prepared to demonstrate self-sufficiency and trying to keep businesses in, cut commuting, and identify rural impact. The local broadband situation is unacceptably ‘patchy’ and detailed findings are to be presented to MP Nick Herbert.

There was no WSCC report.

3. Planning applications:
   • 1 SDNP/17/04233/CND | Variation of Condition 8 on planning consent SDNP/16/01987/FUL – External lighting is necessary to ensure safe way finding around the site at night. This is proposed with low level lighting that has been specified to avoid light pollution | Hillside Poynings Road Fulking BN5 9NB

There was a debate as to whether there was enough information to fully consider the ‘Dark Skies’ impact. On balance it was decided this application left concerns that it contravenes the Dark Skies philosophy if consent to the variation is given-it was decided to OBJECT to this and the resulting vote was 3 of the 5 Councillors against the proposal.

• 2 SDNP/17/04811/HOUS | Conversion of existing garage into annex. | The Cabbage Patch Clappers Lane Fulking BN5 9NH.

It was felt that this did not need planning consent, the application is very similar to the previous version, less the garage, and the resulting comments were the same as before. 3 of the 5 Councillors voted IN FAVOUR of the application.

4. Matters Arising:

4.1 Clappers Lane Unsuitable for HGVs sign-Richard Speller has estimated the cost of a replacement sign to be £250, but that WSCC will not fund it. The Parish Council approved the funding. Richard Speller to be contacted. Action Miles. Local residents most affected by the sign should be told in advance.

4.2 Ladybrook Spring maintenance update-this work has been completed and this item is to now be removed from the agenda.

4.3 Proposed parking measures West of Lady Brook Spring-Joy Dennis to be contacted regarding any available County Councillor discretionary funding for us to use. Action Miles. The subject of yellow lines had been discussed at the site visit with WSCC and is to be put on the next agenda for a full village discussion. Action Derek
The Parish Council authorised the replacement cost of damaged cones. Action Mark

  5. Highways

Gullies/Drains
As usual, any problems/blockages must be reported to
http://love.westsussex.gov.uk/Reports or 01243 642105. Please pass info to the PC for its records.
The Parish Council must be informed of highways/flooding issues for them to follow up; please send incident numbers to the Parish Clerk. Richard Speller has an interest here.

6. Other matters.

6.1 Conference feedback-It was noted Action in Rural Sussex can provide events support; WSCC have to find £100M savings over the next 3 years, of which 50% will come from Council Tax increases; there is some doubt whether Operation Watershed funds will be available next year; and due to the size of the overall budget cuts at County there is an expectation districts and Parishes must do more for themselves; there is a new Parish-online mapping facility which the Clerk has seen; and the SDNPA consultation document is available online.

6.2 Clappers Lane Parking-nothing new to report, except the road widening initiative is currently on hold.

6.3 Operation Watershed update-the current work is complete, and once Richard Speller has approved the result, the invoice will be paid. Action Derek

Details are available for the next claim to be progressed; the forms are on the website. Action Miles

6.4 Transparency update-the final claim for £425 has been received.

6.5 Annual procedures review-The 10 procedures have been circulated, there are very few amendments; comments to the Clerk by the end of October please. Action All

6.6 Kate Watson-The Chairman thanked Kate for all of her hard work at and on behalf of Fulking Parish Council over many years and wished her well for the future. Clive would also be a loss to the Parish as he always had knowledge of local matters and assisted the debates on many occasions.

The Parish Council were pleased to authorise the cost of a leaving gift.

The resulting Council vacancy will now be advertised with a view to co-opting a replacement Councillor. Action Miles

7. Financial matters

7.1 The following cheques have been processed since the last PC meeting