March 2012 PC Meeting Report

Report of the meeting held on Tuesday 6 March 2012 in the Compton Room, Shawford Parish Hall.

Introduction

After a quarter of a century serving the parish, as both a district and parish councillor, Councillor Beckett announced that he intended to stand down at the election to be held on Thursday 3 May 2012. The chairman, Councillor Stevens, thanked him for his commitment to Compton & Shawford, during which time he had served for several years as the chairman of the parish council. His experience would be much missed.

Police Report

PCSO Michelle Gay presented her report. There had been three reported incidents over the past month: stable doors opened and horses released but without damage to the horses or property; a suspicious person in Cliff Way and an unknown male acting suspiciously between Pearson Lane and the railway station. She briefed the council on her intention to hold ‘surgeries’ in Compton & Shawford at two monthly intervals: each one lasting one hour on the same day. Since it transpired that the Scouts had decided not to charge for the use of the Reeves Scout Hall in Compton, Councillor Millar undertook to consult the CASCA committee to see if similar arrangements could be introduced for Shawford village hall.

Playing Fields Management Committee

Mrs Haste said that the boys were ‘over the moon’ about having a proper football pitch in Compton. She also wondered whether it would be possible to stop dogs from being exercised on the field, since some owners were not removing their dog’s ‘poo’. Councillor Millar undertook to consult the Playing Fields committee to see what action, if any, could be taken.

Councillor Millar mentioned that the Cricket Club had submitted a request for additional cuts of the cricket pitch and suggested that, since the club was benefitting from the donation of new cricket pitch covers, it would be reasonable for the club’s members to meet the additional cost of £340.

Highways

Mrs Caffyn expressed her gratitude to the council and County Councillor Bailey for their efforts in obtaining funding for the pedestrian island in Otterbourne Road.

County Councillor Bailey reported that from 10 June 2012 the Compton bus service would revert to its old timetable. At the request of Councillor Wilkinson, she offered to write to Winchester City Council (WCC) about the excessive amount of litter near the Hockley traffic lights and, at the request of Councillor Walmsley, to consult Hampshire County Council about the reinstatement of white lines in Compton Street.

The chairman briefed the council on the contents of Steve Brine MP’s letter about the resurfacing of the M3. He had been informed by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Mike Penning MP, that, in the current financial climate, replacing the current surface with a quieter version was “unlikely to take place much before 2020”. She had thanked Mr Brine for his efforts but also expressed concern and disappointment at the news, which meant that parishioners would have to endure traffic noise emanating from the M3 for a further eight years.

Finance and Administration

Councillor Walmsley reported that most of the contributions for the annual report (describing the work undertaken by the Parish Council over the past year) had been received. The report would be distributed to every household in the parish in early April. [Parishioners should note that the Annual Parish Meeting will be held in Shawford village hall at 7.30pm on Thursday 19 April 2012.]

Councillor Walmsley also asked the council to note that £2000 will be transferred into the Jubilee Pavilion sinking fund at the end of this financial year, with a further £1000 planned for transfer in 2012/13. This will mean that, by 31 March 2013, the sinking fund to cover major maintenance projects will have reached £11,000.

Footpaths

Councillor Wilkinson reported that work on the map board, which will provide walkers with details of all the footpaths within the parish, was well underway. However her husband, John Wilkinson, (the council’s footpath representative) was concerned about the amount of litter at Compton Lock. It was agreed that Councillor Wilkinson should consult WCC about placing two “Please take your litter home” signs in the vicinity of the lock.

Planning

Councillor Beckett briefed the council on the new planning legislation and the relevance of neighbourhood plans, which must comply with the Winchester Development Plan. He also provided a briefing paper on how the New Homes Bonus arrangements will be managed. Following discussion, the council agreed that there was no need to comment on the Winchester Development Plan Part 1.

Community Activities

The council discussed the draft constitution for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee sub committee and agreed that it should be adopted, with Councillor Stevens in the role of chairman. Councillor Stevens undertook to provide the clerk with a list of the twenty committee members. She also reported that the QDJ committee was next scheduled to meet on 19 March 2012. The main event would be on Monday 4 June 2012 and a programme would be distributed to every household within the parish in late April/early May.

Date and Venue of the Next Meeting

7.30pm Tuesday 3 April 2012 in the Reeves Scout Hall, Compton.

David Drake
Clerk