Special Council Meeting, 6 March 2008

HELMDON PARISH COUNCIL
All Councillors are summoned to an Extra Ordinary meeting of
Helmdon Parish Council to be held in the Reading Room, Church Street, Helmdon on Thursday 6th March 2008, commencing at 7.30 pm
Members of the public and Press are invited to attend this meeting
AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence
2. OPEN FORUM
3. Proposed Lease between Helmdon Parish Council and NCC for the rent of the playing field area at Helmdon Primary School:
a) To consider the response of NCC regarding proposed amendments made to the draft lease at the January Extra Ordinary meeting for the Playing Field Area at Helmdon
Primary School by Helmdon Parish Council b) To receive an update from the Clerk on the latest situation at NCC regarding sign off of the lease
4. Refurbishment of the Play Area a) To receive a breakdown of the actual proposed refurbishment by Playground Supplies b) Funding – to receive finalised details of the funding available from Andrew Grant, the total raised through fundraising and any donations and to determine the amount to be spent from the sinking fund.
5. Talkabout Magazine a) To consider the response to the search for a new editor and publisher b) To determine any immediate action required
6. Village of the Year Competition a) To consider proposal to enter this year’s competition b) To decide actions required for completion of the entry form
. .
Signed________________
Liz Hart, Parish Clerk
[address removed]
Dated _________________

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HELMDON PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Extra Ordinary meeting of Helmdon Parish Council held on Thursday 6th March 2008
in the Reading Room, Church Street, Helmdon at 7:30pm
Present:
Councillors Barnes, Burns, Crouch, Coatsworth, Duncombe, England, Stothard,
Thorne, Turner
Parish Clerk: Liz Hart
Two members of the public were present; County Councillor Andrew Grant was also present.
Action
1
Apologies
None.
2
Open Forum
No comments.
3
Proposed Lease between Helmdon Parish Council and NCC for the rent of the playing field area at Helmdon Primary School:
a)To consider the response of NCC regarding proposed amendments made to the draft lease at the January Extra Ordinary meeting for the Playing Field Area at
Helmdon Primary School by Helmdon Parish Council
Since the January the Clerk had received notification from NCC that the required document was to be a licence rather than a lease and the proposed detail of the licence had been circulated to all Councillors. Cllr Coatsworth proposed, seconded by Cllr Thorne that the proposed details, with the amendment of the term from 3 to 5 years (with a rent review after three years) be accepted by the Council and returned to NCC. Cllr Thorne queried what would happen to the play equipment should a lease not be renewed; it was felt that the equipment and the maintenance and play inspections thereof should remain the responsibility of the Parish Council – the Clerk was asked to request an accompanying letter to reflect this.
b) To receive an update from the Clerk on the latest situation at NCC regarding sign off of the lease
The Clerk confirmed that James Ellis (NCC representative) had indicated that the licence should be ready by May 2008.
4
Refurbishment of the Play Area a) To receive a breakdown of the actual proposed refurbishment by Playground
Supplies
Cllr Turner distributed copies of the tender to the meeting. The tender amounted to £6295
plus VAT (including £100 for extra Wetpour).
b) Funding – to receive finalised details of the funding available from Andrew Grant, the total raised through fundraising and any donations and to determine the amount to be spent from the sinking fund.
Cllr Burns thanked Andrew Grant for his grant, Cllr Crouch for his fundraising efforts, and the HYHOs and Helmdon Talkabout Magazine for their donations towards the playground.
The amounts were as follows:
Andrew Grant
£3380.64
Cllr Crouch and HYHOs £2746.85
Talkabout
£175.00
Clerk
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There was discussion on whether to use all of the money raised by Cllr Crouch for the current refurbishment programme or whether to use some of the Council’s funds for this and retain a proportion of the money raised by Cllr Crouch for future projects. Cllr Stothard emphasised that at 31st March 2008 there would be £5450 in the sinking fund for future projects. Cllr Crouch reported that future plans included a path from the school playground to the equipment to allow it to be used during the winter and additional equipment.
It was felt to be important to use all of the fundraised funds at this point and Cllr Stothard proposed, seconded by Cllr Duncombe that all monies from the grant, Cllr Crouch’s fundraising, HYHOs and the Talkabout magazine be used to cover the expenditure from
Play-Ground Supplies with Council funding the VAT which would be recoverable. All were in favour. The Clerk will write to the Treasurer of the Friends of Helmdon School to request thy release the funds which originated from the HYHOs and from Cllr Crouch’s fundraising.
Cllr Turner informed the meeting that Play-Ground Supplies could start work during w/c 7
April, over the school Easter holidays.
th
Cllr Grant confirmed that the cooling period had expired for the grant meaning that it would be issued shortly.
5
Talkabout Magazine a) To consider the response to the search for a new editor and publisher
No one had come forward from the leaflet drop however Cllr Thorne volunteered to edit the new two issues with Cllr Stothard volunteering for the role of publisher. The Spring issue will be published in late April/early May.
b) To determine any immediate action required
Wilf Forgham will contact the advertisers to let them know of the proposed issue date once he receives written confirmation from the Clerk.
6
Clerk
Village of the Year Competition a) To consider proposal to enter this year’s competition
It was agreed to enter the competition as in previous years. The Clerk had distributed copies of the entry form.
c) To decide actions required for completion of the entry form
The Fellowship had asked for some input into the relevant sections and the Clerk gave Wilf
Forgham a copy of the entry form. All Cllrs were requested to feed back information to the
Clerk by Thursday 20th March 2008.
The meeting closed at 8:21pm.
All Cllrs