Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting of Little
Bealings Parish held at the Angela Cobbold Hall on Monday, 5 March 2007 at 7.00pm
Present: Mrs F Rogers, Mr K Beaumont, Mr P Carr, Mr M Dunnett, Dr C Rowe, Mrs J Shaw, Miss D Williams (all Parish Councillors), Mr P Bellfield (Suffolk County Council), Mr I Jowers (Suffolk Coastal District Council), Revd P Stentiford (Priest in Charge) and nine parishioners/members of the public
In attendance: Mrs C Ramsden, Clerk to the Parish Council
Mrs Evans, as Chairman of the Parish Council, took the chair and welcomed those present. The opportunity had been taken to raise the profile of the Annual Parish Meeting and invite local groups and others to report on their activities during the year and to ask questions.
Apologies were received from PC Gilmore.
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 3 April 2006 were confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chairman of the meeting.
Reports:
Parish
Council Chairman’s Report:
The Chairman reported that the previous Chairman (Mr J Ward) and Vice Chairman (Mrs J Cook) had retired from the Council in May and she had been elected then. Jenny Shaw had been elected Vice Chairman. Vacancies on the Council had been filled by the co-option of Dr Clive Rowe and Mr Peter Carr.
Meetings: There had been 8 meetings during the last year, plus two extra to consider planning applications.
Planning Applications: There had been the usual selection of applications, most had been passed without objection or passed after amendment. A major application had been for the refurbishment of the Playing Field.
Finance: The Precept would be raised to £4,000 for 2007/08, partly to cover any election expenses.
Highways: Pinch points are to be installed along
Martlesham and Playford roads to slow down traffic. A permissive footpath is being provided near
the playing field to help walkers avoid traffic between Great and Little
Bealings. The Parish Council had joined
Save Our Rural Roads, a campaign group concerned with heavy traffic in
villages. A working group had been set
up with Great Bealings and Playford Parish Councils to look at local traffic
issues particularly in the context of The Quiet Lanes and Home Zones (
Footpaths: The parish continues to belong to SCC’s P3 scheme and maintenance work is carried out by George Ball, with Jenny Cook as Footpath Warden.
Walks Leaflet: A leaflet was being prepared to show local routes in the parish and would be publicly available.
Welcome Leaflet: This was produced for new residents and was in the process of being updated.
Village Hall: Two parish councillors were members of the Management Committee, the Chairman as Parish Council representative and Jenny Shaw representing the John Belstead Playing Field.
Affordable Housing: A survey had been carried out and Suffolk ACRE had identified the need for four units. Further consideration would be given in the context of the Parish Plan, if it went ahead.
Parish Plan: It had been agreed to hold a joint meeting for all residents of Little Bealings, Great Bealings and Playford on 2 April, at which Suffolk ACRE would explain the process.
SALC Area Meetings: The Chairman and Peter Carr had attended these throughout the year. They are a useful information exchange and guest speakers cover topics from local government budget setting to wheelie bins.
SALC Training for Councillors: ‘Being a Good Councillor’ had been attended by the Chairman and Peter Carr and had been useful and enjoyable.
Website: The Parish Council had set up a community website on
www.little-bealings.suffolk.gov.uk using a free service from one-Suffolk. Organisations are invited to contribute to it with a profile and photographs so that it is lively, topical and interesting. Jenny Shaw is the webmaster. A print out of the home page was available at the meeting.
Christmas Message: A friendly message and card had been sent to all households in the parish. Feedback had been positive.
Police
Report:
The Chairman read a report from PC Gilmore. Twenty four crimes had been recorded in the village during the last year, although nine of these had been in one night at the same business premises. Two crimes had been detected, but no prosecutions had taken place. The increase in crime from last year was thought to partly reflect increased communication and crime reporting by the public.
Safer Neighbourhood Teams would be launched on 19 March, with the parish being one of 18 parishes in the Wickham Market Rural Team. There would be a team of officers looking after the area, including PC Gilmore, with the intention of improving local policing.
Police Direct was available by email, landline or text for those wishing to receive regular updates on crime. Parishioners were urged to sign up to it.
Mr Bellfield thanked all those who had sent their good wishes during his recent ill health. He was happy to deal with any queries again. He endorsed the production of a Parish Plan: it was a lot of work but very important as it provided the County and District Councils with a statement of what parishioners wanted to happen in the parish. It could also be used by the parish to point out what was (not) wanted.
A major issue at the County Council had been budget setting with the need to save a further £22m on top of last year’s savings due to a shortfall in central government funding. Services to the elderly was a large area and therefore bound to be affected. A major reorganisation of the County Council structure was also proposed, making savings by looking at new ways of delivering services.
A reorganisation of schools was underway, with 3 tiers becoming 2 tiers, but this did not affect the local area. There was also consultation running on a change to mobile library times.
District
Councillor’s Report:
Mr Jowers reported that the District Council was now ranked as an excellent authority nationally, with service performance putting it in the top 25%. He also reported that there was a need for cuts and changes to meet a shortfall in central government funding. Changes had included a new postal services provider. Waste collection changes meant that there would eventually be three bins provided to each household, but the parish was not scheduled to receive them until 2010. In response to a question he offered to supply details of recycling facilities which could be provided in the village.
The parish should be aware that affordable housing could be provided on sites not in the village envelope. One in three of all housing in new developments had to be affordable, for rent or shared equity. Any such development should involve a housing association.
It was virtually impossible for Mr Jowers to attend Parish Council meetings on Monday evenings, but he was willing to provide information or advice on any matter on the agenda or to accompany any Councillor who wished to visit the District Council, particularly concerning planning applications.
Parochial
Church Council Report:
Revd Stentiford thanked the Parish Council for the invitation to participate in the meeting. All Saints Church was one of four in the benefice and services and congregations rotated between them. The Churchwardens led a band of volunteers looking after the Church. Dry rot had been diagnosed and considerable funds would be needed to deal with it. Financial support from the Church of England was minimal, both for works and the stipends and pensions of clergy. A local appeal had been launched last year, but funding remained a problem.
All Saints continued to support a small
charity in
The Benefice Newsletter was produced ten times a year, funded by subscription and including local as well as church information. Many people were involved in its production and distribution.
The Angela Cobbold Hall had been refurbished, with the kitchen being turned into two offices and so providing a local base to meet parishioners. Interior decorating had been completed and further works were planned, including electrical work and external decorating. There has been increased community use of the Hall and thanks were due to many, particularly to Peter and Vicky Carr.
Friends
of John Belstead Playing Field Report:
Jenny Shaw presented the report as Project Officer as the Chairman, Eric Barnett, was away. Work over the last year had seen planning permission granted by Suffolk Coastal and significant fund raising to raise £63,000, including £35,000 from the John Belstead Charitable Trust. An aerial cableway had been ordered and further works and fund raising/grant applications were underway. The project would take a year or two to complete, but aimed to provide facilities for all ages and would be used by the local school teams. There was much enthusiasm and about 50 volunteers involved. There was some concern expressed about the change of name of the playing field. Mrs Shaw would pass this concern to the Village Hall Management Committee, which had felt it appropriate for the name to be changed to reflect the Trust’s contribution and the late Lord Belstead’s position as a local figurehead and sportsman.
Carpet Bowls Club Report:
Miss Mitton reported that the Club was formed 18 years ago and met weekly. It was financially viable. It was mainly social, but there were matches played. Numbers had declined in 2001/02, with there being only eight locals in the current membership of 45. The Club held an Annual Dinner with the presentation of cups and an AGM in October, followed by a popular supper. There were also events at Christmas and in March. It was hoped that more local people would join and the club would consider advertising on the parish website.
Bealings Bowls Club Report:
The Chairman read a report from Mr Lavercombe, until recently secretary of the Club. The Club was open to all, including beginners. New members would be very welcome. The Club moved to its current location in 1950 and has seven teams playing in four different leagues. The season runs from April to September, meeting on Saturday afternoons.
Women’s Institute Report:
Mrs Moon and others reported that they had been formed in 1922 and now had about 35 members. Their main focus was on friendship, providing support to women and a chance to meet, exchange views and share interests. Meetings were held monthly, alternating between Thursday afternoon and evening times. Activities included a reading circle, walks, quizzes, cooking and photography. There were also trips and holidays and links with other WI groups locally and nationally. It was suggested that some of the WI’s picture archive could be put on the parish website for others to enjoy.
Wolsey Miniaturists’ Club Report:
Mrs Durrell reported that the Club met monthly on Thursday evenings and had about 25 members. It was a social club and members helped each other with their artwork and also attended various socials events during the year. It was suggested that the Club could add information about itself to the parish website.
Village Hall Management Committee Report:
Mrs Wilson reported that the Committee was pleased so many groups used the Hall, which would be 50 years old on 12 May 2007. An event would be held to mark the occasion. It was recognised that renovation work was needed at the Hall and plans for this were being developed.
Keep Fit Report:
The Chairman read a report from Mrs Bradley. The group met on Thursdays during term time. Some of the group had taken part in a demonstration at the Royal Albert Hall in 2006 and hoped to perform at the Ipswich Corn Exchange in June. It was noted that the group was very active and that the classes were well worth attending.
The Chairman read a report from Mr
Maslen. The Club had started in
Mrs Cook thanked the Council for inviting the WI. She urged those in the parish to support village activities.
Any Other Business: No matters were raised.
The Chairman thanked those present for attending and closed the meeting at 8.15pm.