Minutes of meeting of Stock Parish Council held on the 8^th May 2000 at the Village Hall

Present: All Parish Councillors,
Borough Councillor Stringer sent apologies.

In the Chair:
Councillor Mrs Johnson.

Before commencement of official business, Mr Baily from the Borough Council Town Planning Services showed a Countryside Agency Video. This explained the idea of a "Village Design Statement" and showed how communities throughout the country could liase with planners and developers to produce new development which best suited the essential feature and needs of a village.
Mr Bailey cited Great Waltham as a local example of a parish council which has produced a statement. Mr Bailey answered questions from members and the public.

147 Minutes of the Meeting of 27^th March 2000
These were agreed by the meeting and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

148 Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of 25^th April 2000
These minutes were amended as follows:
After the words "borough Councillor Stringer" a new sentence was inserted to read:
At this point Councillors Elliot and Mrs Elliot declared an interest and left the meeting.
In Minute 145, "Could " was altered to read "should". The Chairman then signed the minutes as correct.

149 Matters arising from the meeting of 27^th March 2000

1. Village appraisal Completed forms were due to be collected during this week. Chairman informed Meeting that all roads had now received Appraisal forms.
2. Traffic Calming Design Drawings for the "Traffic Splitters" at the southern end had still to be approved by the County Council. We could expect action within 2 – 3 months. The Stock Village 30 and 40 Mile an hour Speed Limit Order would come into force shortly.
3. BT Payphone No reply as yet to our request for this to be re – sited. Public asked that we pursue this issue.
4. Litterbins in Swan Woods Mr Bacon had indicated that a large, vandal-proof litterbin at this site would cost 350Uk pounds. In the meantime, the Parish Council had received several requests from the public for recycling bins here to be removed as the area was an eyesore and a health and safety hazard, Agreed we would ask for the site to be cleared and recycling bins removed. Agreed also that we would press for domestic refuse to be segregated for collection. Agreed Clerk would ask Mr Bacon whether an ordinary Rustic Style litterbin would be serviced if placed on the site.
5. Brick Wall at Bear Public House No reply to from Planning as yet to our query. Porters News Agents were collecting signatures to petition against Bear alterations.
6. All Saints Churchyard The Church indicates that public have responsibility to remove garden waste from graves. A wheelie-bin is also available.
7. Cock Car Park Advertising. We would query with enforcement officer, the use of the car park for secondhand care sales.

150 New Village Hall Arising from the Extraordinary Meeting
Chairman had drafted an appeal letter to raise the outstanding debt of 130,000 UK pounds. Clerk had consulted EALC who advised that an Appeal for a third party not controlled by the Parish Council and not within the Parish Council’s remit, but to confirm this view, obtain clarification from District Audit. At the time of the Meeting, District Audit had promised a reply. Agreed Appeal should not be sent out on Parish Council notepaper, Councillor Lusty asked for a brief financial statement to be indicated in the Appeal. Borough Councillor indicated by letter that he and the Architect had drafted a letter to the builders which raised the issues of concerns in the accounts. Mr Taffs would supply the Chairman with up-to-date figures.

151 General Correspondence
Affordable Housing in Stock
A letter read from a Chelmsford couple whose close relatives live in Stock deploring the high cost of housing here and asking whether the Parish Council was likely to be involved in any scheme of part ownership or support to self-build for young families. Members agreed that this had been a problem for very many years and we could only offer sympathy.

152 Parish Passenger Representative
The County Council (Transportation & Operational Services)
Ask Parish Councils to nominate a representative to attend twice yearly meetings to voice local transport matters. Councillor Tony Webb agreed to be our representative.

153 Scheme of Financial Assistance to Parish Councils
Closing date for applications for the scheme is 14^th August 2000

154 Association of Chelmsford District Parish Council
AGM to be held on the 25^th May 2000 at Springfield Parish Centre St Augustines Way North Springfield at 19:45. Speaker to be Paul Triggs of Chelmsford Borough Council on Planning Enforcement.

155 Development at Margaretting
Borough Councillor Stringer advised us that he was receiving many letters from Magaretting residents against the idea of large-scale development there but none from Stock so far. He would like more interest shown by Stock and advised all concerned Stock residents to write to him.

156 Planning Matters
The Enforcement Officer had told us that we could expect an application for a Certificate of Lawful Use and Development to come from Hobbits. This letter dated March was new as yet.
We had also expressed concern to Planning about the current state of the Bear Public House See minutes 149-5.

Decisions by the Borough Council

Applications referred before Meeting

The Meeting Confirmed these replies

Applications referred

Details of this application had been circulated to all members prior to meeting

The appeal concerning an application for a farm manager’s dwelling at Broomfield Farm Broomwood Lane was dismissed.

157 Accounts These can be seen on the Village noticeboard.

158 Date of the next meeting
5^th June 2000 Annual Meeting of the Parish Council and election of Chairman, appointment of Vice Chairman.

159 Any other business
We would seek a quote from ELS for making good damage to the verge by the pond. We had name of the company responsible. We would suggest that the "cats eyes" recently installed on the B1007 were surely only temporary.
The pile of sand on Willow Tree Green had been there too long, we would contact resident responsible.
There appeared to be organised Saturday morning football on the Common – we would enquire who initiated this.
Chairman to speak to Mrs Raeburn about hedge obscuring vision and narrowing lane.
Two further advertising signs had appeared at Crondon Park.
DOUBLE BEND and 30 MPH signs overgrown down Swan Lane.
Tarmac split in several places on path to Swan Lane from Dakyn Drive.
Post missing on Common Lane side of Common.
Seat broken, top of Swan Lane.
Seat on Common (adjacent to Dixon Seat) should be cemented to ground.
Councillor Lusty moved a vote of thanks to Jenny Berkley and Julia Seaman for the "Through Two Millennia" Exhibition.

Raised by the Public

Footpath sign still missing on path 27
Grass in hedgerow, left side of Whites Hill.
New Hedge, Whites Hill
Untaxed Green car left near Vernon Corner flats.
Member of public referred to a previous decision to allow public to comment after meeting as well as before. Chairman replied "meetings had been over-running recently".
Agreed public to speak only before official business.