Parish Council Minutes

Little Milton Parish Council

Minutes of Council Meeting held on Monday 20th October 2008

in Pine Lodge, Little Milton 

Present:                                                      Cllr. Stuart McGill (Chairman)

                                                                Cllr. Barry Coward (Vice Chairman)

                Cllr. Mabel Wood               

                                                    Cllr. Alison Shelton

                                                                Cllr. David Wakeling

                                                                Mr Raymond Fergusson (Parish Clerk)

 

                                                                One member of the public                                                  

 

14//10/08    Apologies for Absence: Cllr. Tim Robinson

 

15/10/08     Declaration of any personal or prejudicial interests of members

 

Cllr. Stuart McGill and Cllr Alison Shelton declared a personal interest in the Village Shop/Post Office agenda item.

 

16/10/08     Approval of Minutes

 

The Parish Council RESOLVED to approve the minutes of Parish Council Meeting held on 8th October 2008 as a true record of the meetings subject to a rewording of minute 10/10/08 which should now read “A council member proposed that the lease should include a suitable clause to reflect a varying level of rent if the IPS became financially successful. The Council RESOLVED to consider this proposal”. The minutes were not signed as they would be re-issued with the agreed change.

 

17/10/08     Extension to Village Hall

 

At this point in the meeting Cllr Alison Shelton and Cllr Stuart McGill declared a prejudicial interest in the next point on the agenda and vacated their places at the Council table.

Cllr Barry Coward took the Chair.

 

The Council members RESOLVED to consider the agenda item in the absence of Councillor Tim Robinson as there was a major concern that a further delay could prejudice the transfer of the grant to the IPS.

 

Cllr Stuart McGill informed the meeting of the Cllr Tim Robinson’s thoughts on the matter and although he would like to incorporate a mechanism to recoup some costs if the IPS generated significant profits he had no desire to cause the shop any damage or to jeopardise its grant from SODC.

 

The representatives of the IPS were invited to participate in the discussion before the Council members considered any formal resolution on the matter. There was an exchange of views on the matter that took some time. A key point made by the representatives of the IPS was the desire to allow the IPS to be the body that decided how it wished to distribute any “surplus” profit towards good causes for the benefit of the community as this was already part of their constitution. Equally the Parish Council concern was that there was a need to provide a future Parish Council a mechanism that would provide benefit to the wider community through a source of income from the IPS if it was very successful. The particular proposal that had been included in the Heads of Agreement created a degree of complexity that was not supported by the IPS.

 

The Parish Council recognised the need to ensure that it was consistent in its representation to SODC and the concept of a periodic review of the ground rent emerged as a way forward that addressed the forward flexibility in the level of rent. This appeared to be supported by the representatives of the IPS.

 

At this point the Council went back into a formal session.

 

The Council RESOLVED that a clause stating that the ground rent, within the Heads of Agreement of the lease between the Parish Council and the IPS, should be subject to a periodic review. It was RESOLVED that if the IPS agreed the revised Heads of Agreement that a copy would be sent to Pat Connell at SODC in support of the transfer of the grant to the IPS without the need to convene a further Parish Council meeting. It was agreed that the necessary information would be given to the IPS in time for their meeting on Wednesday 21 October 2008.

 

Councillor Alison Shelton and Councillor Stuart McGill re-joined the meeting

 

18/10/08     Exchange of Information

 

Councillor Alison Shelton informed the meeting that a beech tree to commemorate Gareth Bonner was ready for planting in the recreation ground. Councillor Mabel Wood suggested that consideration of the soil conditions were necessary for the healthy growth of the tree.

 

The Clerk reported that there had been some vandalism to the meter boxes for the floodlights for the MUGA and that the matter had been reported to the Police.

 

19/10/08    Date of Next Meeting

 

The Parish Council will meet on Wednesday 12th November 2008 at 8.00 p.m. in The Pine Lodge Little Milton unless there is a need to convene any planning or other meetings.

 

The meeting finished at 9.35 p.m.

Signed by Chairman…………………………………………………Date