Minutes of the Bubbenhall
Parish Council Meeting


Minutes of the Bubbenhall Parish Council Meeting
Held on Tuesday 9th December 2008

Present: Cllr. Joanne Shattock (Chair), Cllr J Lloyd, Cllr J Border, Cllr W Nwachkwu, Cllr R Green, Cllr P Hennessey, Cllr M Doody, Cllr N Pratt,
Dawn Eady (Clerk)

1. Apologies
Apologies were received from Cllr G Green, Cllr J Hammon

2. Minutes of the previous meeting of 14 October 2008 were agreed and signed by the Chair.

3. Matters Arising
a) 3a. No further information has been received from North Leamington school.
b) 3d. Cllr Shattock and Cllr R Green have conducted an audit of kerbstones in the village.
Several areas were noted as to the need for dropped pavements to allow wheelchairs or pushchairs to cross the road. The audit will be forwarded to the Surveyors Department at WDC. It was also noted that the pavement opposite No 22 Moat Close was very badly broken up and the pavement outside Half House in Lower End was in poor condition. The street light at the end of Lower End appears to need attention.
c) 3e. The trees and foliage have been cut back along Stoneleigh Road
d) 6. The work on the security gate at the entrance to the Village Hall carpark is due to commence this week.
e) 14c. WDC Planning Department are dealing with the issue of cars in Golden Acres.
f) 14d. The date of the April meeting of the Parish Council has been changed to 21st.
g) 14b. Graham Johnson will give a quote for a BMX track in the corner of the recreation ground.
h) 13. The code of conduct was discussed and further information is awaited.
i) 11. Cllr Shattock attended the exhibition of the proposed ‘Wig Wag’ lights on the Bubbenhall Road.
j) 3e. One of the dead trees near Tantara Lodge has fallen down. WDC are still trying to ascertain the ownership of the land.

4. Village Spout
Mr Tony Sproul gave his report. Progress is still being made and the committee is intending, final funding permitting, to complete the project by June 2009. Utilising WREN funding, the stone flooring of the bus shelter and the interface with the pavement has been completed. The surrounding drainage channel will be completed after the electricity supply is connected. Several users of the shelter have requested a glass/polycarbonate screen to be fitted in the north facing end. The committee will examine the funding to see if there is any surplus that could be utilised. A quotation has been received for the driveway to the field and work will commence in January. A new source is being sought for the oak bench. An application has been made to COMMA for further funding and the result of this application is expected before the end of the year. Plans are still being considered for the opening event.

Mr Sproul will speak to Graham Miles as to the current position with the stopping up order. The trough will need replacing in the future.

5. Liaison Committee
The minutes of the Liaison Committee meeting on 2nd December were circulated.
A discussion regarding the bore hole for the houses at the end of Pagets Lane took place. It was felt that this is a private matter and the Parish Council cannot get involved. However, the matter will be discussed further at the Liaison Committee meeting. Concern has been expressed as to what will happen to the end part of Pagets Lane when Smiths Concrete finish extraction in 2011. The road is an essential right of way for properties in Pagets Lane. An exit strategy with Smiths Concrete needs to be examined.

6. Security
There has only been one reported incident in Bubbenhall since the last meeting. Wheel trims were stolen from a car parked in Coopers Walk.

7. Business from members of the public

A request for a portable heater has been received from Bubbenhall Village Events Committee. It was suggested that this could also be used as an emergency heater in the village hall. The Parish Council were unable to grant this request as it could involve responsibility for ongoing maintenance but would be prepared to consider a donation towards the cost. This will be discussed at the next meeting.

8. Finance
The budget has to be submitted to WDC immediately after the next meeting. The Parish and Town Council Tax Base for 2009/10 - for Bubbenhall is £322. 87 and the concurrent services will be £4400.

The Parish Council noted the national interim salary award for local council clerks to be implemented with effect from 1 April 2008.

Balance 5th December 2008: £9,287.65

9. Planning
Permission has been granted for a) The extension of an existing garage at Rosslyn, Stoneleigh Road, and b)Demolition of existing conservatory, erection of single and two storey extensions to front and sides at Wood Farm House, Pagets Lane.

Applications have been received for
a) A single storey orangery extension at Manor House
b) The reconstruction of the boundary wall to the rear of a house in Coopers Walk
c) A new entrance and driveway to the side of Top House
d) A single storey front extension to provide a shower room at 7 Darfield Court.
The Parish Council raised no objections to these applications.

10. Village Hall
There was nothing to report regarding the village hall.

11. Coventry Airport
Cllr J Border gave his report. Wizz Air and Thomsons have now moved from the airport which is now closed at nights. 50 baggage handlers have been laid off, as have some firefighters. The appeal against the refusal for the passenger terminal is still going ahead and the hearing is scheduled for 30th January 2009.

12. Recreation Ground.
Cllr R Green gave her report. The ROSPA report has been received and there were no heavy risk elements in the report. The overhanging trees at the side of the recreation ground require attention and Mr Goddard will be asked to cut them back. The bark has been ordered for the play area and will be spread when the weather is suitable

Cllr Green gave details of two possible new items for the play area. One was for a toddlers tunnel, priced at £1377 and the other was another item for the younger child, this item being priced at £666 plus £110 delivery. Decisions on these items will be made at the next meeting.

13. Correspondence not dealt with in other items
There were no items which had not been dealt with elsewhere in the agenda.

14. Any Other Business
The walkway between Coopers Walk and the A445 has now been cleared of leaves and the laurel bushes cut back. However, the laurel bushes have now grown too high and need cutting back from the top. There are also one or two bushes which need replacing. Mr Wagstaff and Mr Harrison will be asked to quote for this work.

BUBBENHALL ANNUAL PARISH ASSEMBLY MEETING
20th May 2008

Report by the Chair of the Parish Council (Cllr J Shattock)

Personnel

At the AGM in May 2007 the Parish Council had one vacancy. Mark Heeney was co-opted at the meeting to replace Cllr Ian Thomas. Cllr Heeney subsequently moved from the village. Following the normal procedure for giving public notice of the vacancy Cllr Peter Hennessy was co-opted to the Council at its January meeting. I am therefore pleased to report that at this Annual Parish Assembly we have a full council. During the year Cllrs Shattock and Nwachkwu and the Clerk have attended training courses.

Planning

The Parish Council considered seven planning applications relating to village properties in the course of the year, a smaller number than usual. All were approved by the Parish Council and all applications were granted by Warwick District Council.

Landfill Site, Weston Lane, Bubbenhall

The most urgent planning issues this year, as last, were applications made by the Waste Recycling Group. Following the rejection by Warwickshire County Council of an application to reopen parts of the completed landfill site and raise the final profile by a further 6 metres in July 2006 WRG submitted a revised planning application. The Parish Council strongly objected to the new application, which was passed by WCC, and also to the fact that we were not informed formally that the application would come before the Regulatory Committee of the County Council in August 2007.
The Liaison Committee, which consists of representatives of Bubbenhall and Weston under Wetherley Parish Councils, WCC, WRG, Smith’s Concrete, and the Environmental Agency, has held four meetings this year. At the most recent meeting it was revealed that, contrary to our understanding, there was no specific end date for landfill operations at the site in the 2007 planning consent. The Parish Council has made enquiries of the County Council, and regards their response as unsatisfactory. Weston under Wetherley Parish Council has been kept informed of our position.

Coventry Airport

The other major planning issue is Coventry Airport, and related developments including the Tollbar roundabout. John Border represents the Parish Council on the airport consultative committee and coordinates the Parish Council’s responses to planning applications. Following the Secretary of State’s upholding of the decision to refuse planning permission for a permanent terminal, expansion of the runway, and extended car parking, there have been fewer urgent matters for consideration this year. One current issue, however, is the proposed erection of flashing lights on Bubbenhall Road, to which the Parish Council is opposed.

Village Spout Project

The Village Spout Sub-Committee under the chairmanship of Tony Sproul, has raised over £35,000 for the project, winning grants from the Veolia Environmental Trust, the National Lottery, WDC’s Rural Initiatives Fund, and a large donation from Smith’s Concrete. It has also made an application to WREN. A ‘stopping up’ order on the track which runs across the site is in progress. The work on the spout itself is nearing completion, the bus shelter is finished, and landscaping is under way. Tony Sproul will give a more detailed report on the Spout sub-committee’s work later in the meeting.

Policing and Neighbourhood Watch

There have been a number of incidents of car theft, burglary, and damage to property in the village. PC Mike Everall, our Community Beat Officer, has attended Parish Council meetings to provide briefings when possible, and has otherwise briefed Neighbourhood Watch chair Gill Green, who will report in more detail. The Parish Council has been in contact with the Dog Warden at WDC on several matters relating to the recreation ground.

Highway Matters

Among the highway matters considered by the council in the past twelve months have been the speed of traffic on the A445, the non-functioning of the flashing lights, the speed limit on Pit Hill, and the growth of hedges and overhanging trees on Stoneleigh Road. Thanks to effective advocacy by Cllr Doody a speed limit of 50 mph is to be imposed on the A445 through the village, and new .interactive warning lights are to be installed by Warwickshire County Council. The WCC highways department has been consulted on the impact of overhanging trees and hedges on Stoneleigh Road, and is keeping the matter under review. The highways department has also been consulted on flooding in Watery Lane, Stoneleigh Road and Paget’s Lane.

Recreation Ground

The Parish Council has secured the part-time services of Chris Goddard, a resident of the village, for maintenance of the playground equipment, the tennis court area, and other general repairs. The Council has commissioned Turfdry to undertake extensive drainage operations on the playing field near the village hall. Applications for financial assistance are being made to WDC’s Rural Initiatives Fund, and to WREN.

Finances

The Parish Council’s accounts are in good order, and the bank balance healthy. Our major annual expenditure is on the maintenance of the recreation ground and the children’s play area. Ruth Green will report in more detail on these later in the meeting. This year the Parish Council has made a substantial donation to the Spout project. It makes annual donations to St. Giles Church, the Bubbenhall newsletter, and the Kenilworth Footpath Preservation Group, the last for assistance rendered to our footpaths officer, Ian Henderson.

Bus Services

Following reports from several residents the Parish Council is petitioning Warwick District Council to provide a more satisfactory bus service to and from Kenilworth.

Best Kept Village Competition

Bubbenhall was a District Winner in the Warwickshire Best Kept Village Competition 2007.

Conclusion

I would like to thank members of the Parish Council for all their hard work for the Council in what has been another busy year. In particular I would like to thank our clerk for her excellent support in all our activities. As ever, we thank our three District and County councillors for their help and advice and for their attendance at our meetings.

Joanne Shattock, Chair, Bubbenhall Parish Council,
20th May 2008

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