Minutes of the Drayton Parish Council Meeting
held on 9th August 2022 at 7:30pm in the Caudwell Day Centre
Councillors Present: Patricia Athawes (Chairperson), Graham Webb (Vice-Chairperson), Richard Wade (Vice-Chairperson), Pervin Shahin (left at 8:45pm), Susan Harris, Caroline Green, Adrian Cooke (left at 9:01pm).
Councillors Not Present: Alistair Cumming, Robert Taylor.
In attendance: Lorraine Watling (Clerk and RFO), Christopher Price (Deputy Clerk), Jonathan Fowler (Programme Manager), Adrian Cooke (VWHDC), Richard Webber (OCC).
Public: 1 member of the public was present.
Patricia Athawes assumed the chair.
161/2022 Apologies for Absence. Robert Taylor, Alistair Cumming.
162/2022 Chairperson Position. It was resolved to appoint Patricia Athawes as Chairperson.
Proposed: Richard Wade Seconded: Susan Harris Resolved: 5 for and 1 abstention
163/2022 Election of a Second Vice-Chairperson. It was resolved to appoint Richard Wade and Graham Webb as Vice-Chairpersons.
Proposed: Patricia Athawes Seconded: Pervin Shahin Resolved: Unanimous
164/2022 Resignation. The resignation of Tamsin Crane was noted. The Parish Council thanked her for her service.
165/2022 Cllr Vacancies. It was resolved to co-opt Adrian Cooke on to the Parish Council.
Proposed: Pervin Shahin Seconded: Richard Wade Resolved: Unanimous
[The membership of Drayton PC is 11 Parish Councillors. There are still 2 vacancies]
166/2022 Declarations of Interest, Dispensations or Use of Delegated Powers. Cllr Cooke will complete the required declarations of pecuniary interests form and submit this to the Vale of White Horse District Council. There was nothing else new to note.
167/2022 Public Participation.
Village Green Trees. A parishioner expressed concern over the size of the trees on the Village Green and suggested that they may require attention. He was particularly concerned about the recent dry weather and possible high winds in spring. He asked whether a tree survey was planned.
ACTION: The Clerk will seek professional advice and quotations from arborists.
168/2022 Report from OCC Councillor.
a) Walnut Meadow Archaeologist Investigation. The County Archaeologist has recommended a “no development exclusion zone” is imposed across a significant area at the western end of the sports pitches due to the Barrow, which was demolished by Miller Homes, having been identified as being from the Roman period.
b) Whitehorns Way Green Space. It was agreed not to adopt the small green space at Whitehorns Way. It was noted that there was still ambiguity about the ownership of the grass area.
c) Grass Cutting. It was noted that due to the lack of rain the grass does not need cutting, and that the Village Green was in a poor condition.
ACTION: The Clerk will ask the grass cutter not to cut the grass until it rains.
d) Traffic Calming. An unsatisfactory response had been received to the Programme Managers request for an update on the traffic calming proposals that had been submitted to OCC Highways last November. The matter was therefore escalated to the OCC Cabinet Member for Travel by County Councillor Webber on 27th July, and OCC committed to expedite a response.
e) Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS). It was noted that two mobile VAS signs will be installed between Drayton and Sutton Courtney before Christmas 2022.
169/2022 Report from VWHDC Councillor (Adrian Cooke).
a) Manor Farm. It was noted that the name Edward Park was a temporary marketing name used by the developer. As soon as the last house has been sold there will be no need to continue using this temporary name. It was also noted that the large rock at the entrance to Manor Farm, inscribed with the name Edward Park, needs removing as the site is, and has historical always been called Manor Farm. The PC needs to decide what it would like to do with the rock and notify the developer and the Vale of White Horse District Council.
b) Section 106. It was noted that a S106 agreement is a legal agreement between a developer and the local planning authority. Any changes require the agreement of the developer.
c) Walnut Meadows. It was noted that the enforcement case was on-going.
170/2022 Minutes of the Previous Parish Council Meeting. The minutes of the last meeting were approved.
Proposed: Susan Harris Seconded: Patricia Athawes Resolved: Unanimous
The Council agreed to bring forward and discuss agenda items 16, Public Art, and 18, Tree Planting next.
171/2022 Public Art (Pervin Shahin)
a) Entrance Gate Signs.
(i) It was resolved to approve the Technical Design for the Entrance Signs and it was noted that they will be installed under the Parish Councils permitted development.
Proposed: Richard Wade Seconded: Susan Harris Resolved: Unanimous
(ii) It was resolved to approve the cost of manufacture of 3 signs (excluding installation) up to a maximum of £18,200.00 (including VAT).
Proposed: Richard Wade Seconded: Susan Harris Resolved: Unanimous
ACTION: Jonathan Fowler to draft the contract for fabrication and send this to the Parish Clerk.
b) Walnut Information Sign. It was noted that no more quotations for a rock have been received.
ACTION: Clerk to place order up to £395.00 plus VAT for a rock-mounted plaque.
c) The Dovecotes Labyrinth. The possibility of installing a labyrinth at the Dovecote is being investigated.
172/2022 Tree Planting (Pervin Shahin) item expedited.
Trees on the Village Green. It was noted that we are waiting for a response from David Cookson (Infrastructure Implementation Officer, VWHDC) if S106 monies allocated for tree planting along Hilliat Fields can be used in other parts of the Village.
Pervin Shahin left at 8:45pm
173/2022 Action Checklist. The following actions were updated. See Appendix B for this month’s action list.
| Walnut Information Plaque. Done, see item 171/2022 b) |
| Whitehorns Way Grass Cutting. Done, see item 168/2022 b) |
| Drayton Conservation Area Appraisal. Deputy Clerk to arrange Planning Committee Meeting. Clerk to request a copy of the conservation appraisal in a version that can be edited. |
| Hybrid Meetings. Programme Manager to confirm what equipment is required to enable hybrid meetings – this may influence whether the TV is the best purchase. |
| Manor Farm. Done. See item 169/2022 b). |
| Transfer of Ownership. Done. Miller Homes will cover legal fees. |
| Public Meeting. Caroline Green to wait for guidance form Pervin and Jon in order to word email correctly before sending to the Dovecote Residents’ Association about art projects. |
| WWI Commemorative Trees. Patricia Athawes to ask the school what type of tree they would like. |
Adrian Cooke left at 9:01pm
174/2022 Finance and Personnel Committee (Patricia Athawes). See Appendix A.
a) Payments.
i) The list of payments was received and noted.
ii) The payments to be made following the meeting were approved.
iii) The two Councillors authorised to make the on-line payments between this and the next Parish Council meeting were Graham Webb and Pat Athawes.
b) Bank Statements and Reconciliation. The bank reconciliation and bank statements for last month were noted.
c) Disposition of Council Funds. The disposition of council funds was noted.
d) Finance & Personnel Committee Meeting.
(i) Minutes. The draft minutes from the Financial and Personnel Committee meeting held on 1st August 2022 were received and noted.
(ii) Projects funding. A project funding document prepared by the Clerk was noted.
ACTION: Clerk and Jonathan Fowler to add the s106 figures in the form of an appendix to show the total potential budgets that are currently available.
(iii) Other Recommendations. It was resolved to approve the following recommendations of the F&P Committee.
● That the PC applies for a Corporate Multipay Card through Unity Trust Bank at a cost of £3.00 per month.
● That due to Cllr Crane’s resignation from the parish council, Cllr Harris be appointed to the Burial Ground Covenant Working Group. Tamsin Crane will continue on the working group as a non- councillor so the group will now comprise Cllrs Wade and Harris, the Parish Clerk and Tamsin Crane.
● The Programme Managers employment contract will be extended by a further year (until August 2023) subject to an amendment, to make it consistent with other staff contracts, that clarifies that the line manager for this post is the Clerk to the council.
Proposed: Graham Webb Seconded: Susan Harris Resolved: Unanimous
e) Bank Mandate. Item deferred to the next meeting.
f) Payment Card. It was resolved to approve an application for a Corporate Multipay Card through Unity Trust Bank with an expenditure limit of £750 for any one item, and an expenditure limit of £2,000 in any one month, for the sole use of the Parish Clerk/RFO.
Proposed: Richard Wade Seconded: Caroline Green Resolved: Unanimous
g) Completion of the Audit for the year ended 31 March 2022. It was noted that the audit for the year ended 31st March 2022 has been completed, and that the external auditors had made no observations or recommendations. The completion of audit notice and accounts have been posted on the notice board and parish council web site.
h) Bench in the Burial Ground. It was resolved to replace the rotten bench (dedicated to John Spencer) in the Burial Ground with a recycled plastic bench at a maximum cost of £396.81 + VAT.
Proposed: Susan Harris Seconded: Richard Wade Resolved: Unanimous
ACTION: Deputy Clerk to check the size of the concrete base and the Clerk will order a bench to fit.
175/2022 Planning Committee. Graham Webb report was noted. See Appendix C.
176/2022 Drayton Conservation Area Appraisal. It was noted that the planning committee will discuss this matter and make recommendations at the next Parish Council meeting.
177/2022 Neighbourhood Development Plan Working Group (Graham Webb).
a) Programme Managers Report. The monthly report from the Programme Manager was received and noted.
b) Meeting with Miller Homes. The Program Manager has been attempting to arrange a meeting with Miller Homes to try to find a satisfactory solution, but due to leave commitments Miller Homes are unable to meet until w/c 21st September. Miller Homes are preparing a revised pitch layout which they believe will meet the PC’s requirements whilst taking account of the “no development exclusion zone”.
178/2022 News Sharing Strategy. Item deferred until after the OALC communication training.
179/2022 Landscaping and Ground Maintenance Strategy. Item deferred to the next meeting.
Reserved Business. Exclusion of the Public and Press. In view of the nature of the business to be transacted any members of the public and press were temporarily excluded from the meeting (Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s.1).
180/2022 Burial Ground Covenant. An update about the covenant was noted.
181/2022 Miller Homes. Item discussed earlier in the meeting.
The Deputy Clerk and Program Manager left the room.
182/2022 Staff Appraisals. The Deputy Clerks annual appraisal has been completed. The council agreed to increase his hours by 2 hours a week, and update the title of this job to become Deputy Clerk and Estates Officer.
ACTION: The Clerk will update the contract and job description for this post, and circulate to the F&P Committee for comment. The revised contract and job description will then be sent to OALC’s HR advisor for evaluation and checking.
End of Reserved Business.
183/2022 Items to be noted from Parish Councillors. Cllr Webb noted that the Deputy Clerk had been having problems with his lap top.
184/2022 Date of the next Meetings. Tuesday 13th September 2022.
The Chairperson declared the meeting closed at 10:28pm
Signed: Date:
Name:
Appendix A
Finance & Personnel Committee
Payments of £500 or more since the last meeting
£
Staff Salaries 2,411.19
Chris Wilmott-Smith – village caretaking 759.80
OCC LGPS pension contributions 705.36
Tom O’Hare Associates – agronomists report 5,340.00
Surrey Hills solicitors – legal services 600.00
Disposition of Council Funds as at 01st Aug 2022
ACCOUNT REF BALANCE INTEREST RATE ACCOUNT TYPE
Unity Bank 674 £266,511.85 0% Current Acct
NS&I 779 £20,489.69 0.01% Savings Acct
Unity Bank 554 £15,207.81 0.10% Projects Acct
Total £302,209.35
Appendix B
Actions Checklist
| Payment of a Salary Increments. Patricia Athawes to arrange staff appraisals for the employees of the council. |
| Trees. Clerk to ask Richard Webber to ask OCC Highways if there is any issue planting tress on the Village Green. Survey required. |
| Walnut Meadows Fencing. Richard Wade to take a look and report back. |
| Traffic Calming. Richard Webber to obtain a progress update from Harry Etchells (Highways officer, OCC) dealing with the traffic calming proposals that Drayton submitted last November and to which we’ve had no response. |
| Content Sharing Briefing Paper. Clerk to order TV when payment card active, subject to outcome of action below. |
| Hybrid Meetings. Programme Manager to confirm what equipment is required to enable hybrid meetings – this may influence whether the TV is the best purchase. |
| Village Green Trees. Clerk to get professional advice and quotations for any necessary work. |
| Grass Cutting. Clerk to ask the grass cutter not to cut the grass until it rains. |
| Entrance Gate Signs. Jonathan Fowler to draft contract for fabrication and send to Clerk. |
| Walnut Information Sign. Clerk to place order up to £395.00 plus VAT for a rock-mounted plaque. |
| Drayton Conservation Area Appraisal. Deputy Clerk to arrange Planning Committee Meeting. Clerk to request a copy of the conservation appraisal in a version that can be edited. |
| WWI Commemorative Trees. Patricia Athawes to ask the school what type of tree they would like. |
| Projects funding. Clerk and Jonathan Fowler to add s106 figures. |
| Bench in the Burial Ground. Deputy Clerk to check the size of the concrete base and Clerk to order bench to fit. |
Appendix C
Planning Applications
| P21/V1924/FUL. Hybrid Planning application: Formation of sports pitches with associated ground works, drainage and landscaping (Full application) and sports pavilion with associated car parking and access (outline application with all matters reserved except access). Land West of Abingdon Road Drayton. PC: Objection: See September’s minutes for comment. VWHDC: Pending. |
| P21/V1924/FUL Amendment: No. 1 – dated 18th August 2021. PC: Objection: See September’s minutes for comment. VWHDC: Pending. |
| P21/V1924/FUL Amendment: No. 2 – dated 7th September 2021. PC: Objection: See October’s minutes for comment. VWHDC: Pending. |
| P21/V1924/FUL. Amendment: No. 3 – dated 10th March 2022. PC: Noted. VWHDC: Pending. |
| P22/V1055/FUL. New dwelling house. Magpie Cottage 30 High Street Drayton Abingdon OX14 4JW. PC: Noted. VWHDC: Pending. |
| P21/V1924/FUL Amendment: No. 4 – dated 17th June 2022. Hybrid Planning application: Formation of sports pitches with associated groundworks, drainage and landscaping (Full application) and sports pavilion with associated car parking and access (outline application with all matters reserved except access). (Retrospective). (as amended by plan received 10 March 2022 and as amplified by archaeology report received 17 June 2022). Land West of Abingdon Road Drayton. PC: Response: The revised layout is rendered unworkable by the NEW archaeological exclusion zone which affects the pitch area and removes the MUGA. The project, as agreed and signed off in the NDP is now unviable. VWHDC: Pending. |
| P22/V1526/HH. Two storey side extension. 3 Whitehorns Way Drayton OX14 4LL. PC: Pending. VWHDC: Pending. |
| P22/V1055/FUL. New dwelling house. Magpie Cottage 30 High Street Drayton Abingdon OX14 4JW. PC: Objection: The PC objects on the basis that the application appears mis-described as it is clearly a new dwelling, and “back land” development. VWHDC: Pending. |
| P22/V1526/HH. Two storey side extension. 3 Whitehorns Way Drayton OX14 4LL. PC: Noted. VWHDC: Pending. |
| P21/V2203/HH Amendment: No. 2 – dated 2nd August 2022. Erection of new timber frame double garage to front of 122 Abingdon Rd. (Amended plans received 7 March 2022 and Ownership certificate C received 1 August 2022). 122 Abingdon Road Drayton Abingdon OX14 4HT. PC: Pending. VWHDC: Pending. |