WATERINGBURY PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Tuesday 1st December 2020 7.30pm
Held via Zoom
Present
Cllr M Wells (Chairman)
Cllr R Tripp
Cllr D Marks
Cllr F Fielding
In attendance
Mrs S Cockburn – Clerk to the Council
Cllr S Hudson – Tonbridge & Malling Borough Councillor
Mrs I Bird – Rostrum Correspondent
3 Members of the Public
The Chairman opened the meeting by stating the meeting would be recorded to assist the Clerk in taking the Minutes
19/167 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Cllr M Balfour
19/168 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST/DISPENSATIONS
None
19/169 ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Chairman thanked Cllr Marks on behalf of the Council for laying the poppy wreath on Remembrance Sunday.
19/170 REPORT FROM COUNTY COUNCILLOR
Cllr Balfour was not present
19/171 REPORT FROM BOROUGH COUNCILLOR
Cllr Hudson had attended a meeting of the Communities & Housing Advisory Board who were piloting a scheme for private landlords for 3 months in 2021 as a start, whereby under proposals they would be guaranteed to pay any arrears during a tenancy with financial reassurance to private landlords in light of the changes in universal credit etc., that go to the recipient rather than the landlord as it did in the past so private landlords are reticent to take on tenants in receipt of housing benefit.
The Borough Council has bought a building in Tonbridge for temporary accommodation so it will help with the reduction of homeless numbers in the borough
At a Parish Partnership Panel meeting Nick Heslop gave a report on the Borough Council’s response to the Covid 19. A local plan update, also a change to Section 106 protocol
A report on waste services during lockdown showed things had changed significantly. Working from home had created a net increase of black bin rubbish by 28%, green lidded bin by 28%, paper and card up by 45% and food waste up by 13%
Overall, the issues with problems experienced at the beginning of the year seem to have by and large worked out with the odd teething problem. There were shift personnel changes due to the coronavirus and readjusting members to different shifts to ensure they get rounds covered.
The Community Fridge applied to the Coronavirus Emergency Fund funded by the Co-op through the Kent Community Fund and the Community Fridge was awarded £2000 to help in purchasing fruit and vegetables and additional produce to help supplement food over the winter months and improve the variety of stock on offer.
After chasing up Ian Grigor of KCC for a number of weeks, predominantly because although there were lots of conversations back in July they were all with checks on widths or the road and other things and none of the suggestions were met with a definite yes of no, but as the Local Transport Plan for the next period of bidding for various schemes would take place next week, Ian had come back that afternoon with the plans they are considering.
- 50mph buffer between national speed limit and 30mph, approaching village entrance from Mereworth
- Enhancing, and refreshing the existing village gateway
- Potential pedestrian crossing point at Old Road junction
- Potential traffic calming island west of Canon Lane. A wheelchair user was unable to cross the road to visit his late wife in the cemetery.
- Outside Wateringbury Place the camber on to the road to allow water to run off from the pavement had the effect of pushing pedestrians into the road – so looking at changing the camber of the footway from Old Road down to the church to help prevent accidents.
- Potential installation of traffic islands
- White lining outside the church to visually narrow the carriageway to create an optical illusion the road is narrowing
Cllr Hudson had no idea if all or any of these will be approved and there no mention of the Highway Improvement Plan
Cllr Wells said he had put out batteries for collection with the black bin as instructed. However, these were not removed and he had reported this to waste services. He had agreed to leave until the next back bin collection but again they had been left. Waste services said there had been some trouble with some of the contractor’s staff, some of which need training and some not and Cllr Wells was told to put them in the black bin
19/172 CRIME REPORT
Lodge Close – between 10.30pm on Wednesday 11th November and 9.00am on Thursday 12th November various plants had been stolen from outside a property
Bow Road – between 7.00pm Monday 16th November and 2.00am Tuesday 17th Nov ember somebody stole a Yamaha motorbike Reg EN16***
19/173 MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 3rd NOVEMBER 2020 TO BE APPROVED FOR ACCURACY
The Minutes having been read were approved by Cllr Tripp and seconded by Cllr Fielding and would be signed as a correct record.
19/174 MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES HELD ON 3rd NOVEMBER 2020
None
19/175 MINUTES OF FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 17TH NOVEMBER 2020 TO BE APPROVED FOR ACCURACY
The Minutes having been read were approved by Cllr Marks and seconded by Cllr Fielding and would be signed as a correct record.
Cllr Fielding reported on a site meeting held with Cllr Tripp to look at the play equipment following the report from ROSPA. Although there were items that needed attention, they found there was nothing serious or would compromise the operation of the equipment. A Zoom meeting had been arranged with the Clerk on Friday 4th December to go through their findings so an estimate for work could be obtained.
19/176 MINUTES OF HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
MEETING HELD ON 17TH MARCH 2020 TO BE APPROVED FOR ACCURACY
Normally Minutes of the Highways meeting would be approved at the next Highways meeting. Due to lockdown and that KCC will not be looking at parish highway matters until 2021 there would not be a Highways Committee meeting for the time being, so the Minutes of the 17th March needed to be approved.
The Minutes having been read were approved by Cllr Tripp and seconded by Cllr Fielding and would be signed as a correct record.
19/177 REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES AND OTHER BODIES
Finance & General Purposes – no meeting
Highways/Speedwatch – Cllr Fielding raised items that needed attention in Bow Road. Old rusting railings and overgrown vegetation which are the property of Wateringbuy Pear Orchard. Cllr Marks stated he had at one time helped to move the railings back, but it was understood there were no funds to have them replaced which would have to be heritage type railings due to being in a Conservation Area. Cllr Fielding said yellow warning tape had since been placed on the railings. The hedge running along Bow Road from behind the bus shelter was very untidy. Some of the debris from previous attempts to cut the hedge back had been left on site. Cllr Hudson agreed to contact Clarion. Cllr Hudson said the Friends of Wateringbury were going to do a clear-up along Bow Road.
Speedwatch – The Report was read out.
Cemetery – The privet hand been cut back and pollarding of the Lime trees was in progress
Village Warden – A short report was read out.
19/178 FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND CHEQUES FOR PAYMENT
The Financial Statement was approved by Cllr Marks and seconded by Cllr Tripp and all cheques would be signed.
19/179 PUBLIC DISCUSSION
Cllr Hudson said some solar panel lights would be put on the living wall for the Christmas period.
Cllr Hudson also said that through donations £250 had been raised to replace the number of Laurel bushes that were stolen from an elderly couple living in Lodge Close
There being no further business the Chairman wished everyone a happy Christmas and closed the meeting at 8.12pm