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Receive/accept apologies and welcome to the Public

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Questions from registered electors

Cllr Gili-Ross stated that West Bergholt had been a victim of its own success. County Broadband had been on the verge of installing fibre to the property here when Virgin came through the village, then BT installed into the Maltings through a community-funded project which included running fibre to the primary school and those dwellings attached to the same BT cabinet. County Broadband are not thought likely to come back to the village with a fibre offer now although the company has much improved its radio-based internet service in recent months and this does provide capacity for most users.

Cllr Gili-Ross suggested looking at the BT Superfast Broadband programme for a contact to find out what BT’s future plans for the village are.

ACTION – Clerk to forward Superfast Broadband details onto resident.

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Declarations of Interest

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Minutes

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Report from Colchester Borough Councillors

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Finance

a)

Statement of accounts for Sept 2019 (Link to P6 Sept 19 Summary)

The final accounts for Sept 2019 were presented as follows:

50% of the way through the financial year. The Parish Council Account showed 96% income after receiving the second half of the precept, 39% general expenditure, 40% environment expenditure and 39% expenditure overall, when the categories of general expenditure & environment are totalled together.

b)

Payments

Payments List

October 2019

c)

To receive an update on the 2020-21 budget process

Cllr Savage and the Clerk will adjust the 2019-20 budget sheets, removing the Trust items that will no longer be included in the next financial year and Cllr Savage would like to attend the next month’s Trust & Environment Committee meetings as RFO. This is in preparation for the end of November so that we have the figures ready for when we receive the latest tax base numbers and grant figures from Colchester Borough Council.

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Planning

• 192387 – 1 Upton Close, CO6 3BJ – Object – The Parish Council still concur with the concerns raised in Colchester Borough Council’s Refusal Decision dated 29/07/19 for the previous planning application 191374. The extension remains too overbearing in this new application and the council have serious concerns regarding the impact on the attached neighbouring property. Please also refer to PP101 and DG82 (VDS) of the recent CBC adopted West Bergholt Neighbourhood Plan.
  1 PP10 – Account should be taken of the guidance and principles in the Village Design Statement.
  2 DG8 – Planning applications must show contextually the impact of their proposals on adjacent building by means of adequately detailed plans with accurate street elevations.
• 192366 – Tresillian, Bourne Road, CO6 3EL – Observation – The Parish Council has no comment.
• 192421 – Land off Nayland Road, Alcrofts Ldg, Bures Rd – Support – The Parish Council has no comment.
• 192427 – 29 Albany Road, CO6 3LB– Support – The Parish Council has no comment.

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Neighbourhood Plan

Members of the council were invited to Colchester Borough Council’s full council meeting where the West Bergholt Neighbourhood Plan was considered. The Chairman, Cllr Stevenson, was allowed to say a few words to CBC and there were congratulations all round. Cllr Stevenson reported that he has not found one area in the country where the Neighbourhood Plan has received such a high proportion of voters supporting the plan or a turnout of such high proportions of the electorate (94% approval, 41% turnout). The council should now be looking over the Village Design Statement (VDS) and Action Plan over the coming years to ensure they remain current. During conversation it was suggested that the CALC (Colchester Association of Local Councils) would benefit from our recent experience and Cllr Gili-Ross asked Cllr Stevenson if he could make a presentation for its next meeting

ACTION – Cllr Stevenson to present an item on the WB Neighbourhood Plan at the next Colchester Association of Local Councils (CALC) meeting on the 3rd Dec.

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Environment

Main items to note:

• The three handymen have effectively been down a man for the last month, limiting the work which can be undertaken.
• The new drains in New Church Road/School Lane have been working well and it was a job well done.
• Have more or less come to the end of the grass cutting season, will now be focusing on servicing the equipment and possibly purchasing new tools.
• The job of siding out the hedgerow along Lexden Road has been progressed with Cllrs Gili-Ross, Savage and Stevenson assisting the handymen, the intention is to complete the work this Friday.

ACTION – Clerk to request David Carter of CBC to inspect the holes which have appeared in the Erle Havard greensward.

• Ponds – the committee currently have a quote for rehabilitating the Lexden Road pond before Christmas. Cllr Spencer met with the Environment Agency (EA) who recommended that the work be completed in thirds or at least halves. The EA advised concentrating on the right-hand side and are available to stun the fish prior to removal. We will need residents to volunteer to provide homes for the fish though. There is a need to communicate with residents prior to the work commencing. Cllrs Stone & Short have already visited the neighbours of the pond, who have been very helpful and are keen to assist.

ACTION – Cllrs Spencer & Short will look at the pond following the EA recommendations and then go back to the contractor for an updated quote.

• Winter preparations – the next Village Bulletin will feature an article requesting more snow volunteers. Also, we are still waiting for the salt delivery and have not been told when it will occur. At least a week’s notice is required in order to get the people available to unload and ready to direct it to the right place.

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Health & Well Being

There are lots of activities already taking place in the village, groups who we give a grant to or who rent hall space. However, there is not one definitive list, we need a record of what these groups offer, who their contacts are and then get them together similar to the Hall Users Group. It is the Parish Council’s role to facilitate the Health & Well Being agenda, which has come about in order to reduce the burden on the Heath Service.

Cllr Stevenson recently received and viewed a good presentation from the EALC/NALC on this from West Sussex. Cllr Smith is interested in the role of Health & Well Being Officer, which she will confirm at the next meeting.

ACTION – Clerk to arrange a small meeting with Cllrs Smith, Stevenson and Butcher to work on an approach and bring something back to the council.

ACTION – Clerk to find and re-circulate the West Sussex presentation.

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Training/Events

• Devolution Briefing – DS – 7th Oct 2019
  Found some of the other attendees rather negative, but they did agree that the Buddy System with Ringway Jacobs was working well. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case in West Bergholt, so a meeting has been arranged with our buddy, Peter Cole, for 8th Nov to rectify that.
• Clerk’s Forum – LW – 10th Oct 2019
  Presentations from Police and new Neighbourhood Teams, minutes and presentations sent to Clerk today, will be put on the Shared One Drive tomorrow.
• Employment Overview – LW – 17th Oct 2019
  A great course highlighted that we need to do some work on the staff contracts regarding hours and sick pay. Are able to have a free consultation phone call to Vine HR or pay £65/hr if additional work needed on contracts. Showed the need for a Capability Policy in the near future.

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Items to Note

1. Correspondence Log – Oct 2019 – Poppy Wreath
   ACTION – Clerk to speak to Nicole Long about details of laying wreath.
2. Crime Statistics – 9th Sept –   Oct 2019 – 3 Crimes
3. Essex Highways Highlights – Sept 2019
4. Essex Warbler (RCCE) – Vol 26 – Oct 2019
5. Essex County Standard – 4th Oct 19 – Neigh Plan result

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Items for the next agenda – 27th Nov 2019

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In Committee

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Date of Next Meeting

Signed: