Minutes of the Monxton Parish Council meeting held on Wednesday 12^th April 2017 in the Monxton Village Hall at 7.30pm.

Present: Cllr M Cleugh – Chairman, Cllr S Dowding – Vice Chairman, Cllr J Balding, Cllr P Parfrey, Cllr P Weston, Richard Waterman – Parish Clerk, David James NHW, Members of the Public – 10

Apologies: County Councillor Mrs Z Brooks and Borough Councillor Mr B Few Brown.

 WELCOME – The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS – There were no declarations of interest recorded.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING –The Chairman signed the minutes of the previous meeting as a true record.

ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN – Cllr J Balding proposed Cllr M Cleugh as Chairman, this was seconded by Cllr S Dowding. All agreed. Cllr M Cleugh was elected Chairman.
VICE CHAIRMAN – Cllr J Balding proposed Cllr S Dowding as Vice Chairman, this was seconded by Cllr P Weston. All agreed. Cllr S Dowding was elected Vice Chairman.

PARISH COUNCIL VACANCY
The Chairman reported that Peter Parfrey, councillor with the portfolio for Traffic and Highways, has resigned creating a vacancy on the Parish Council. Applications from villagers should be made to the Parish Clerk.

The Chairman wished to take the opportunity to thank Peter Parfrey for all that he has done during his time on the Parish Council.

FINANCIL REPORT FOR YEAR 1^ST APRIL 2016 TO 31^ST MARCH 2017
Results 2016/2017                                            Budget 2017/2018
INCOME
Opening Balance BF              = £4,232.74                       = £1,021.00
Precept                                = £5,700.00                       = £5,700.00
VAT Refund                          = £   875.97
Invoice Refund                     = £     10.20

=£10,818.91                     = £6,721.00

EXPENDITURE
Wages                                    = £2,400.00                    = £1,200.00
Insurance                                =   £384.78                    =    £400.00
Village Maintenance                 = £2,256.49                    = £2,150.00
Administration                         =   £256.00                    =     £250.00
Queen’s Birthday Celebrations   =   £500.00
Reserves                                 = £4,000.00                    =  £2,500.00

= £9,797.27                    = £6,500.00

Budget Surplus                      =    £1,021.62                     = £   221.00

= £10,818.91                    =£6,721.00

Reserves £4,000.00                                               Reserves £6,500.00

BLACK SWAN/CAR PARK/VILLAGE GREEN UPDATE
Black Swan – Summary

• Community bid to purchase the pub as a freehold deemed not-viable as a community project
• Report from a RICS surveyor confirmed the valuation was based on a sale for a development site not a pub
• Renovations costs estimated at £150K with a purchase price of £210k plus VAT
• Research showed the Monxton community met few of the critical success factors
• Good news is that there is still the opportunity to purchase the village green using donations and MPC funds

 Black Swan – Critical Success Factors for a Community-Owned Pub

• Community of +/-2000 required for optimum response
• Limited or zero competition nearby
• Local benefactor to act “swing financier”: e.g. “soft” loans
• Good staff accommodation
• Limited refurbishments required
• Enthusiastic support from community
• Ability to raise an average of £1,000/head (ranges of £500 through to £40,000)
• Ability to pull together a team with following skills (or free access to these skills): Legal, Commercial, Pubs/hospitality, Financial, VAT, Communications/Marketing

Black Swan Car Park and Village Green.

• Situation Summary
  • Enterprise Inns own the pub, car park and the village green
  • Enterprise Inns have several options as follows:
    • Sell all three assets as a free house
    • Sell the pub, car park and village green separately
    • De-licence the pub and then sell off the assets to developers
    • If they sell the pub, car park and village green as separate units or try to de-licence the pub, several scenarios will involve TVBC
      • TVBC will not support any de-licencing of the pub
      • TVBC will not support any development on the car park as this will be a back door to de-licence the pub
      • TVBC will not support development of the village green as this is a designated ‘Open Space’

Village Green History.

• In 1973, a licence was signed between the Parish Council and Strongs Brewery Co of Romsey Ltd granting the use of the land to provide amenity space for the benefit of the inhabitants of Monxton.
• The right to clear the land of shrubs and trees and to lay lawns and flowerbeds and to erect park benches and seats on the land.
• The Parish Council agreed to maintain the land and to arrange for public liability insurance.
• The licence has been sent to a solicitor to review with a view to understanding our options.

Protecting the Village Green and Car Park.

• Key points:
  • TVBC already has the village green registered as an Open Space under the Borough Plan
  • Village green registered as a Community Asset
  • Offer made last year to purchase green for £1 plus pay EI legal fees
  • If the assets are sold separately purchase the car park with MPC funds and grants/fund raising activities.

PLANNING APPLICATIONS 2016/2017

• Meadow View 16/00434/LBWN: Demolition of single garage & construction of a double garage. MPC no objection.
• Pill Hill Lodge 16/00482/FULLN: An extension to the garage to link with the main dwelling; removal of garage door and replace with timber glazing (amended description & plans). MPC no objection.
• Barn Cottage 16/00284/FULLN: Demolition of existing double garage and erection of a double garage and accommodation on a new 1^st MPC objected and application withdrawn
• Corner Cottage 16/01420/FULLN: Erection of a single dwelling and detached double garage; with associated parking, turning, landscaping, private amenity space, and the creation of a new vehicular access point. MPC No Objection. Planning permission granted. Site sold to local builder for house construction.
• Andover Business Park 16/01512/OBLN: Modify the planning obligation associated with Planning Permission 09/02392/OUTN by removal of Part II of Schedule 6 regarding HCV Traffic Demand Management systems. This asks to remove the traffic restrictions and allow more than 85 HCVs/HGVs to leave the site in any one hour – a large lorry every 45 seconds. Objection.
• Village Hall 16/01869/FULLN – Erection of side and rear single storey extension, raise roof over main auditorium and construct mezzanine floor, provision of disabled access ramp to frontage, installation of air source heat pump, prune overhanging trees and remove three trees. MPC supported this application. Planning permission granted
• Notification of Committee – 16/01512/OBLN – Modify the planning obligation associated with Planning Permission 09/02392/OUTN by removal of part 11 of schedule 6 regarding HCV Traffic Demand Management systems – Andover Business Park. MPC objection. Ongoing

 PLANNING MATTERS

• Issues with Nelsons lorries going through Monxton
  • No major feedback from villagers over last 6 months
  • EA have confirmed that they are pursuing Nelsons and Langdowns to take legal action
  • More news awaited…………….
  • Rumours are Nelsons and Langdowns have parted company
  • Raymond Brown lorries and others now coming through village

Alpine Update

• Due to the failure to interest developers due to planning considerations Alpine looking to draw up an outline design for a housing scheme funded by themselves
• This is a long-term plan and we can only trust that they are so successful they must move for their own commercial reasons

ENVIRONMENT
Pillhill Brook

• Attended a Workshop on behalf of MPC organised by the Test & Itchen Partnership.  A project which aims to tackle changes in land management practices, pollution and other threats to the biodiversity of Hampshire’s unique chalk streams, including The Pillhill Brook, is being proposed by them.  It will endeavour to improve water quality and quantity, to protect and enhance Biodiversity and to educate Riparian owners on how they can preserve their sections of the rivers and not cause damage to the rivers by bad practices.

Southern Water

• Attended a Southern Water Stakeholders Meeting on behalf of MPC.  Many topics were covered including securing reliable supplies of drinking water, planning for future growth and possible droughts in the future.  All properties in the Village are now on water meters.
• The final piece of repair works included in SW’s IRP, consisting of repairs to the two sewer river crossings in the Village to protect them from the infiltration of groundwater and river water, have been completed and there have been no issues with the Pumping Station this winter.

Pond Area

• HCC has completed the Pond clearance works involving de-silting the pond to increase capacity and to expose the existing pipe inlets into the pond, and repairs to the existing headwalls for the inlets.

Footpaths and Bridleways

• MPC together with several other local parish councils, applied to join Hampshire County Council’s Lengthsman Scheme this year.  Each Parish receives £1000 per year from HCC, but at least 20% of the allocated money must be spent on footpaths. Part of the criteria is that one of the Lengthsman’s duties will be to cut the footpaths of each parish and Penton Mewsey PC has agreed to be the lead PC.  This scheme was due to start in April, but our group of 12 Parishes are still waiting for confirmation of funding, together with 40 other parishes in Hampshire. We hope to have confirmation from HCC in May.

TRAFFIC AND HIGHWAYS

• Following several years of work and several meetings both on and off site, we have now achieved new signage, speed limit extensions, and `village gateways` at various strategic locations around Monxton.
• MPC spoke against Goodmans application to remove the HCV cap at the Northern Area Planning Committee. The application was rejected at that meeting, but later allowed by TVBC`s Planning Control Committee.
• MPC raised the issue of the long-term failure of the ANPR system with HCC, (and other traffic concerns) at a meeting in Winchester, and have recently `kept the pressure on` with a further meeting also attended by several councillors and officers both from TVBC and HCC, facilitated and supported by Zilliah Brooks.

VILLAGE HALL

Cllr S Dowding reported that the Village Hall now has Planning Permission (see above). The building work will now go out to tender and fund raising will now begin. The meeting was shown the drawings for the new hall.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

Mr David James reported that there has been an increase in thefts from cars and scams in the area. Mr David James stated that it is now 4 years since he took over the position as Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator and that it was time to take a fresh look at the way things are done. This was briefly discussed.

WEBSITE AND COMMUNICATIONS
Website

• Average of 2000 page views per month
• 111,300 page views since 2013
• 2016: 8,125 visitors & 23,827 page views
• 2017 (to date): 2,390 visitors & 6,996 page views

Newsletter

• 19 newsletters in last 12 months
• 250 subscribers
• Average of 69.8% open rate
• Over 80% of residents on newsletter list (94% excl Sunnybank)

SUNNYBANK

• Councillor – Pete Weston, since summer 2016
• Play area – Closure due to mid-high H&S risk, work completed swiftly after contact with Sovereign
• Public land – Query regarding ownership – HCC, TVBC and Aster
  • HCC (maintained by TVBC) – 6 times/year
  • TVBC – Approx every 2 weeks
  • Aster – Between themselves & contractor
• Remaining issue of dog mess not being picked up on track adjacent to Sunnybank – please pick it up and use the bin

PLANS FOR 2017/18
Planning

• Purchase village green and possibly car park
• Continue to encourage Alpine Group too move

Environment & Footpaths

• Employ a lengthsman for footpath maintenance
• Village clean-up for spring and autumn
• Bulb planting for autumn

Traffic & Highways

• 30mph roundels to be painted on roads
• Continue to monitor lorry movements through the village
• Continuation of Community Speed Watch

Village Hall

• Fund-raising for the building works

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

The speed watch scheme was raised and the need for more volunteers. Making the Village Pond more attractive was discussed and an offer of help to maintain the pond was received.

CLOSE OF THE MEETING –The Chairman thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting.

DATES FOR 2017 MEETINGS
12th July and 18^th October