The Minutes of the meeting held at 7pm on Tuesday 7 Mar 2023 at Ashwell Village Hall.
Present were Chair Sue Ellis; Tony Graveling; Brian Farr; Val Harvey, Ward Councillor June Fox. Clerk was Sally Harnett.
There was 1 member of the public for the first 5 items.
1 Apologies for absence – Stan Davey, family illness. Apology accepted. Apology received from PC Orton, not on duty, nor was the PCSO Freeman.
2 Declarations of Interest – Val Harvey declared an Interest in 6a as a member of the committee of Ashwell Village Hall.
3 The Minutes of the last meeting were agreed and signed.
4 Matters Arising from the last meeting:
Councillor Fox will make further enquiries regarding the mis-naming of parts of Langham and Burley as Ashwell South on the previous Local Plan, to ensure that the incorrect name is removed from future maps.
The use of the land south of Langham Road as a stockyard. There have been questions asked of APC by residents and passers-by regarding the future of the land. RSPCA has been seen to visit the site, RSPCA was not notified by APC. The installation of water pipes down the verge of Langham Road has resulted in rough verges. It is considered important that the verges are re-seeded, Councillor Fox will make sure that this is done.
Speedwatch. Val Harvey attended a meeting in Ashwell Village Hall on Monday 6 March which showed that 14 volunteers have come forward to receive training for the Commuity Speedwatch campaign to be run by Rutland County Council in September-October 2023. Possible sites for Speedwatch action were discussed, mainly on the 4 main roads into the village. Evidence will be collected of speeding vehicles, and warnings will be given by the police. The more evidence that can be collected could result in more justification for Highways action to be taken by Rutland County Council on the matter of road safety.
There has been no flooding so far after the repairs to Cottesmore Road hill, but flooding has continued to occur at the Croft Lane – Cottesmore Road junction, reported on Fix My Street. An underground camera has revealed a tree root blocking the drain. The area beside the former telephone kiosk is still liable to flooding. Photographic evidence has been provided to RCC, more could be collected. Residents will be informed that anyone can report on Fix My Street, preferably with photographic evidence and/or map reference.
Details of Fix My Street will be forwarded to the editor of The Wellspring.
5 Presentation by Amanda Layland-Read, the Operations and Events Manager of The Rutland Garden Village near Langham Place, south of the border of Ashwell.
Owner states that the business is making every effort to continue, and asked for support from the community of Ashwell. A future move was to hold a food market on Saturdays in the summer. A suggestion was that local gardeners with a glut in produce could sell to the owner for possible use in the restaurant. The plan was to hold the market for longer than shop hours, to allow passing traffic to purchase food.
More use could be made of the Garden Village, such as a summer fete. A mini car boot sale will be held on 8th April 2023, there should be ample parking, with car parking attendants, this will continue for 14 Saturdays in a row.
The presentation finished with discussion regarding a name for the Rutland Garden Village, as another business now uses the name Rutland Garden Centre, causing confusion with trade deliveries and potential customers.
Ashwell has on the past been used as an address for the business, although the premises stand in Langham parish.
6 Finance report presented by Tony Graveling.
The present balance stands at £9107.76.
The Parish Precept of £4000 for the 2023/2024 Financial Year was applied for in January, as agreed.
An invoice received for 2022/2023 street lighting electricity costs of £370.92 has been paid.
Ashwell St Mary’s has made a request for a donation towards a Churchyard project of which the total cost of materials is £1470. Unfortunately, until a statement from LRALC regarding the legality of such a donation is received, the decision to donate must be postponed.
A bank reconciliation was carried out on 31 December 2022.
A donation of £2500 was paid to Ashwell Village Hall towards the cost of the installation of the Village Hall defibrillator, and towards the projection equipment.
A Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) return will be made to RCC at the end of March recording that all CIL money allocated to Ashwell Parish Council has been spent.
SSE has been paid for the telephone box electricity on a month by month basis for November 2022 to February 2023. An annual contract from 1 March 2023 for 12 months has been signed, with monthly payments on a direct debit basis. The estimated total for the year is £75. Membership fees for LRALC will be due shortly at a cost of approximately £180. Renewal of membership of CPRE is also due shortly, (£36 last year).
Resolution to renew the LRALC membership: Proposed by Sue Ellis, seconded by Val Harvey, passed unanimously.
Resolution to renew the CPRE membership: Proposed by Sue Ellis, seconded by Brian Farr, passed unanimously.
Fiona Tylecote has accepted an invitation to be the Internal Auditor for 2022/2023 Annual Return by Ashwell Parish Council.
APC will again be exempt from an External Audit, but Moore UK, the new External Auditor, will be available for any questions from the public regarding APC’s Annual Return for the year ending 31March2023. Hard copies of the Annual Return Forms will again be requested in preference to e-mailed versions.
The Clerk, Sally Harnett, was thanked for all her hard work, and wages of £350.07 for 26.5 hours work, and £10 for a diary.
Tony Graveling was warmly thanked for his hard work and for his report.
Clarification was offered by Brian Farr on the Churchyard Project, the development of an area of the churchyard as a wildlife area, dedicated for use by the village as a place for quiet reflection and peace. Seats will be installed, and some paving, plants and flowers.
When the reply from LRALC is received, a meeting of APC will be called to pass a resolution to donate.
6a. Village Hall.
The Committee formally thanked APC for its financial contribution. The committee has received news that a grant of £2000, (not from APC) has been received towards the cost of full audio equipment and the provision of a table tennis table.
The installation of the new Sound Absorbing Panels has meant an increase in bookings, and musicians and also wearers of hearing aids have all remarked on the great improvement.
Val Harvey was thanked for his report from the Village Hall Committee.
7 Planning.
In the New Local Plan preparation The Call For Sites in Rutland has resulted in several landowners suggesting land that could be built on. These, if taken up by RCC, would still be subject to planning application regulations. RCC planning permissions can still be challenged, a recent case in Braunston of an application for 500 houses was refused by the Inspectorate. The Government has ruled that Rutland needs 160 houses per year in the next 6 ½ years. APC has responded to the site adjacent to the Co-op store in Oakham. A site suggested adjacent to Kimball Close should be kept under observation.
8 Highways.
4 sites have been suggested for Speedwatch action. 1: The bottom of Cottesmore Road hill where speeding drivers cause a danger to drivers emerging from the junctions on that road. 2: Teigh Road, bends and trees, danger to pedestrians. 3: Oakham Road, straight length encourages speeding, bends and junctions affected. 4 Whissendine Road, drivers speed into, and out of, the village, dwellings affected.
Teigh Road signs are under consideration for the safest position for them.
Bollards in Brookdene. Much difficulty has been experienced by residents trying to exit their properties, as a result of parking on the verges in Brookdene. RCC will be approached by the Village Hall Committee to achieve a practical solution, such as bollards on the verge.
9 Public Forum.
There was no subject offered for the public forum.
10 Mobile Post Office. Ashwell missed the last spot for a Post Office van, this went to Exton. Councillor Fox will continue to press for a van stop in Ashwell. There was discussion about a possible request for a regular visit to the Ashwell Village Hall by the staff from Oakham Post Office, especially as the Oakham banks are all now closed or to be closed.
11 Police.
A spate of aggressive door to door salesmen resulted in an attempt to get police involvement after a resident was struck by one saleman. The resident had to make so many phone calls, being transferred from department to department over 20 minutes, in the end resulting in the appropriate department never receiving calls on that day of the week, Thursday.
Councillor Fox will inform Mr Hugh Crouch, the Safety Officer for Rutland.
PC Orton was informed of the event.
12 Coronation of King Charles 111.
May 6 2023. There was some discussion on a street party to be led by local volunteers. Cold calls by firms selling bunting were discussed, but it was commented that products were expensive. No decision to purchase was made, more research will be carried out. Traditionally Ashwell Parish Council has not led such events owing to the legal restrictions which can complicate arrangements.
13 Correspondence not already seen.
Citizens Advice Bureau submitted a request for APC to fill in a survey to assist with their future plans. The Clerk was authorised to fill in the survey.
The request from Braunston Clerk to support the protest on the closure of Oakham Sports Centre was not needed as the sports centre will now stay open.
Rutland County Council has sent election posters via email, it was discussed where they could be displayed. The Village Hall committee will be asked to display them,
LRALC sent information about Cloud storage, this will be discussed later when more information is obtained.
It was decided to continue circulating the Neighbourhood Links emails.
14 Election deadlines
Information is being forwarded from the Election Registration Office with the deadlines for standing for election to Ashwell Parish Council. Councillors were made aware that nomination packages should now be applied for.
15 Any Other Business to be put forward for the next meeting.
The travellers in Green Lane.
16 Dates of next meetings.
23 May 2023: a) Annual Parish meeting. b) Annual meeting of Ashwell Parish Council – previously known as AGM.
5 September 2023. 5 December 2023.
The meeting was declared closed at 08.35.