Annual Meeting of the Council, 23 May 2012

HELMDON PARISH COUNCIL
All Councillors are summoned to the Annual General Meeting of Helmdon Parish
Council to be held in the Reading Room, Church Street, Helmdon on Wednesday 23rd May 2012, commencing at 7.30 pm. This meeting will be followed by an Ordinary Meeting of the Parish Council.
Members of the public and Press are invited to attend both meetings and to participate in the Open Forum
AGENDA – Annual General Meeting
1. Election of Chairman for 2012/13
2. Signing of Chairman’s declaration of acceptance of office
3. Apologies for Absence
4. Election of Vice Chairman for 2012/13
5. To appoint the Responsible Financial Officer
6. To appoint an Internal Auditor
7.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
To appoint members for committees
Finance (5 ) including one named Cllr as Internal Control Councillor
Planning (7 )
Road Safety (3)
Playground (3)
Allotment ( 3)
Achieving Quality Council Status (5)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
To appoint parish representatives
Parish Paths Warden
Parish Highways Representative
Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator
School Liaison Councillors
PC Rep on Reading Room Committee
PC Reps (2) on Parish Plan Monitoring Group
Poppy Organiser
PC Reps (2) on Blackpits Monitoring Group
Health and Safety Officers (2)
8.
9. Updating of Register of Interests
10.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
Committee & Representative Reports
Finance
Planning
Road Safety (Parish Highways Representative)
Playground
Allotments
Achieving Quality Status
Helmdon Parish Plan
Parish Paths Warden
Neighbourhood Watch
School Liaison Councillors
Reading Room

AGENDA – Ordinary Meeting following the AGM
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Approval and Signature of the Minutes for the Ordinary Meeting of 28th March 2012 and the Extra Ordinary Meeting of 14th May 2012
3. Matters Arising from the Minutes of 28th March 2012 and 14th May 2012
4. Open Forum
5. Observations from District Councillor Robin Digby
6. Finance
Financial statement i. Bills for Payment ii. Payments Received iii. To close off accounts for y/e 31st March 2012
iv. Annual Return – Approval of Statement of Accounts v. Annual Return – Approval of Annual Governance Statement
7. To receive and adopt the Annual Report for year ending 31/03/2012
8. Planning:
i. To receive update on Broadview Energy Ltd Wind Farm appeal ii. To receive decisions of Planning committee on applications since 28/03/12
iii. Update from Parish Clerk regarding outstanding applications iv. Neighbourhood Planning – update
9. Correspondence Review
10. Helmdon Voice – to consider arrangements for newsletter delivery and provide feedback to the Clerk regarding advertising requests.
11. To consider action required regarding the Jubilee tree planting project
12. To receive update regarding the following works:
i. Bridge on Station Road ii. Blocked gullies
13. Snapshot Project: to formally receive the finished project, to decide whether or not/how to sell copies of the book and whether or not to take up Andrew Grant’s offer of funding towards producing 10 copies
14. To receive update regarding Jubilee celebrations at the Primary School and elsewhere
15. To consider standard of service provided by NCC
16. To receive update on Jubilee Gate project and decide whether to apply for planning permission to SNC
17. Risk Management – To receive inspections reports and condition report and consider action plan to remedy any issues.
18. Councillors’ Questions
Signed _______________________
Dated________________________
Liz Hart, Parish Clerk
[address removed]

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HELMDON PARISH COUNCIL
Draft Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Helmdon Parish Council held on Wednesday 23rd May 2012
in the Reading Room, Church Street, Helmdon at 7:30 p.m.
Present: Councillors Barnes, Burns, Coatsworth, Adhemar, Simpson, Duncombe, England,
Moody, Garner
Parish Clerk: Liz Hart
Four members of the public were present.
Action
PCSO Scott Cochrane was in attendance to provide feedback on the latest spate of crimes in the parish (14 crimes of which 5 were in May). He informed those present that other local villages had also been targeted. Extra patrols had been noticed by villages and were appreciated. Scott undertook to ask Towcester police about the possibility of having ANPR
cameras. He urged members of the public to report any cold callers.
1 Election of Chairman for 2012/13
Cllr England proposed, seconded by Cllr Barnes that Cllr Burns be nominated for Chairman.
All were in favour and Cllr Burns was elected as Chair.
2 Signing of Chairman’s declaration of acceptance of office
Cllr Burns duly signed the declaration which was countersigned by the Parish Clerk.
3 Apologies for Absence
None.
4 Election of Vice Chairman for 2012/13
Cllr Barnes proposed, seconded by Cllr Adhemar that Cllr Coatsworth be nominated for the position of Vice Chair. All were in favour and Cllr Coatsworth was elected Vice Chairman.
5 To appoint the Responsible Financial Officer
Cllr Burns proposed, seconded by Cllr Coatsworth that the Parish Clerk, Liz Hart continue as RFO. All were in favour.
6 To appoint an Internal Auditor
Cllr Moody declared a prejudicial interest in the following item.
Cllr Burns proposed, seconded by Cllr Coatsworth that NorthantsCALC be retained as the
Internal Auditor. All were in favour.

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2
The appointment of committee members
The membership for 2012/13 was resolved as follows:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
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Finance: Cllrs Burns, Barnes, Garner, Coatsworth, Moody and RFO
Planning: Cllrs Burns, Barnes, Coatsworth, Duncombe, Garner, Adhemar, Simpson
Road Safety: Cllrs Duncombe, England, Garner
Playground: Cllrs Garner, Simpson, Adhemar
Allotment: Cllrs Moody, Coatsworth, Adhemar, Garner
Achieving Quality Council Status (5) (Working Party): Cllrs Barnes, Coatsworth,
Burns, Adhemar and Moody
The appointment of Parish Representatives
The following were appointed with all in favour:
a) Parish Paths Warden – Roger Miles b) Parish Highways Representative – Cllr Moody c) Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator – Cllr England d) School Liaison Councillor – Cllrs Simpson and Adhemar e) PC Rep on Reading Room Committee – Cllr England f) PC Reps on Parish Plan Monitoring Group – Cllrs Moody, Barnes and
Coatsworth g) Poppy Organisers – Cllr Coatsworth and Burns h) PC Reps on Blackpits Monitoring Group – Cllr Coatsworth and Burns i) Health and Safety Officers – Cllrs Coatsworth and Garner j) Tree Warden – Phillip Ward
The Clerk will inform the Primary School of the appointment of Cllrs Simpson and Adhemar as School Liaison Councillors.
9 Updating of Register of Interests
The Clerk reminded all Councillors of the need to update to produce copies of the Register of Interest forms within 28 days for submission to SNC.
10 Committee & Representative Reports a) Finance – The Clerk informed the meeting that the Committee had met to review the end of year accounts and would continue to meet periodically throughout the year to review progress and report back to the Full Council Meeting as required. Grant applications had been processed early to allow for the Jubilee timescales.
b) Planning – Cllr Burns confirmed that applications levels were as normal but that the
Parish Council was disappointed with certain planning decisions; the focus this year had th been on the Wind Farm Appeal, the result of which was due by 13 July.
c) Road Safety – The Highways Scheme is being re-launched by NCC. Cllr England reported some parents using the Pre-School were driving too fast along Hintons Close.
Generally speeding remained an issue and it was appreciated that PC Clive Ashmore had been present in the village monitoring motorists.
d) Playground – the balance beam and tyre swing had been repaired.
e) Allotments –. One plot was vacant due to the Clerk having been asked not to let it out, there was a waiting list of two.
f) Achieving Quality Status – the next meeting is in June and the Parish Council is on target to receive accreditation in September. The Training Plan would be reviewed at the July meeting.
g) Helmdon Parish Plan – the plans for a cycleway to Brackley have been positively received.
h) Tree Warden – an application is being made to the Woodland Trust for Jubilee Trees.
i) Parish Paths Warden – Part of my role is to liaise with the Rights of Way officers at
Clerk

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Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) on behalf of the Parish. I am pleased to report that during the past year they have contributed a good deal to improving our paths, despite some staffing issues.
In particular the new stiles and bridge on AP14 (towards Stuchbury) and the recent new gate on AP29 (from Field Way) are very much appreciated. Some issues with landowners were addressed and an agreed list of priorities for further works is in hand.
My work to keep under review the 44 paths, which provide some 31 kilometres of rights of way in the Parish, is very greatly assisted by the active Paths Group, chaired by Mike
Barnes; it developed from the Parish Plan. The Paths Group’s practical work has included cutting back hedges, repairing stiles and improving the permissive path along the old railway route towards Astwell.
The highlight of my report last year was the extension of this path with the agreement of the landowners. Several people helped with the bridge-building and brush cutting work that was needed to open this path. It is pleasing to see how use of this new path has increased.
The route and status of the permissive path around the outside on the churchyard has been formally agreed with the landowner. This is now the third permissive path in the
Parish.
Copies of the village footpaths map that the Paths Group produced in 2006 are still available and a reprint is being prepared. The fourth in our series of leaflets on circular walks around Helmdon is ready for printing; it describes walks to Wappenham and back in a figure of eight.
The Health Walks scheme now sponsored nationally by The Ramblers Association and
Macmillan Cancer Support, and facilitated locally by South Northants Council, has been active in Helmdon for three years. Thursday afternoon walks continue throughout the year, with only a few cancellations for bad weather; they start from the Reading room at
1.45pm and return for tea soon after 3pm. On Monday 14 May we started the fourth year of summer evening walks, departing from “The Bell” at 7pm and returning by dusk; these will continue weekly until the 20 August.
Several landowners have generously assisted with the planning of varied routes for these walks, for example by allowing some diversions from the official paths for these led groups.
The two trained Health Walk Leaders in the village are Lesley Kinghorn and myself. We are grateful for the regular help of other leaders from Pattishall and Brackley.
The frequency and popularity of our Health walks has enabled me to present solid evidence to the current windfarm inquiry. There were some 50 walks in 2011 with an average of 15 people on each walk. Recently we have walked through the site several times.
Our path AP16 through Grange Farm becomes AN10 at the boundary with Greatworth
Parish and then runs very close to the proposed positions of the wind turbines. Their impact on AN10 is a focal point in the argument and a concern for Helmdon’s users of this attractive path.
To end on a mundane but serious point, I must note that there are still too many incidents of dogs fouling footpaths. I hope that the recent publicity in Helmdon Voice will be heeded.
Roger Miles
[phone number removed])
Cllr Burns proposed a vote of thanks to Roger for all his hard work.
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j) Neighbourhood Watch – Cllr England had had problems with NHW not having a record of his role which is now rectified; it was suggested that a note be inserted in the newsletter that he is the Village Co-ordinator., k) School Liaison – It was noted that the School’s involvement with the community was positive as shown by the planned Jubilee celebrations.
l) Reading Room – Cllr England reported that that bookings are up and that Village Café
is going from strength to strength. He thanked all those involved. The refurbishment of the Committee Room is to be discussed at the AGM. The current account balance is
£6597, the 60 day account is £5756.
The meeting closed at 8.15 pm.
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