Parish of Long Melford1 Milestone House, Long Melford, Suffolk, C010 9HZ

(t) 01787 378084 (e) longmelfordpc@btinternet.com

Notice of Meeting of the Parish CouncilDear Cllr / Sir / Madam

I hereby give you notice that the next meeting of the Long Melford Parish Council will be held at The Library, Hall Street on Tuesday 29th April 2014 at 7.30 p.m.

Prior to the meeting the Planning Committee will be meeting to consider planning applications at 6.45 p.m.

All members of the Council are hereby summoned to attend for the purpose of considering and resolving upon the business to be transacted at the Meeting as set out hereunder.

Any Councillors unable to attend and wishing for their reason to be approved are requested to inform me in writing by noon on the day of the meeting.

Dated this 23rd of April 2014 Gifford Lewis

Clerk of the Parish Council

Business to be Transacted

01/04/14 Chairperson’s announcements

02/04/14 Apologies for absenceTo receive apologies for absence.

03/04/14 To Agree the Minutes of the Previous Meeting (separately attached)

To agree the minutes of the Council Meeting held on 18 th March 2014 as a true record.

04/04/14 Declarations of interest or hospitality.For Members to declare any interest in items on the agenda.

05/04/14 Application for Dispensations For Members to consider any requests for dispensations from Members with pecuniary interests in the matters to be discussed.

06/04/14 To Receive the Minutes and Approve Recommendations of:- (i) Finance Committee Meeting of 11th March 2014 (separately attached)(ii) Planning Committee Meeting of 18th March 2014 (separately

attached)(iii) Planning Committee Meeting of 1st April 2014 (separately attached)To receive the minutes from these Committees and endorsements for the changes to the budget and the Grant Award Policy (both separately attached).

07/04/14 To Receive the Following Reports and Comments:- District Council – To include:-

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o Changes to street naming and numbering service (attached).

o Motion from Annual Parish Meeting (attached). County Council – Matters from Annual Parish Meeting report

(separately attached. Police – Including PC Bala on maternity leave.

08/04/14 To Adjourn the Meeting for a Public Forum Related to Matters within LongMelfordTo propose that Standing Orders be suspended in order that members of the public may ask questions regarding Long Melford and/or the business about to be transacted.

09/04/14 To Reconvene the Meeting Following the Public ForumTo propose that Standing Orders be enforced at the conclusion of the public forum.

10/04/14 To Receive the List of Presented Cheques for March 2014 (attached) and to Consider Identified Expenditures (attached)To note those payments made in March 2014 and to consider particular expenditures either pending or enacted.

11/04/14 To Note the Procedure for the Election to Fill the Casual Vacancy of a Parish Councillor To review the call for candidates by 24th April for an election on 22nd May 2014.

12/04/14 To Progress the Business Plan from the Issues Raised at the Annual Parish Meeting (attached)To consider the ideas and issues raised at the Annual Parish Meeting for adoption by the Council into a Business Plan.

13/04/14 To Consider Joining a Rural Sounding Board (attached) To appraise the value and participation by a councillor in a Rural Sounding Board of Parish representatives.

14/04/14 To Agree the Meeting Dates for the Civic Year 2014/15 (separately attached)To agree the schedule of Council and Committee meetings for the next year.

15/04/14 To Consider Support of the Campaign for Rural England’s CharterTo determine individual support in signing the CPRE’s charter to save our countryside.

16/04/14 Closure

The Public and Press are Welcome to Attend this Meeting

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07/04/14 – District Council – changes to street naming

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07/04/14 – District Council – Motion from Annual Parish Meeting

The Annual Parish Meeting held on 22nd April 2014 in discussing parish affairs resolved that “the meeting fully supported the two ward District Councillors with regards the former Fleetwood planning application and Public Inquiry and called on the Parish Council to take necessary action to represent the meeting’s views.”

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10/04/14 To Note the listing of presented cheques for March 2014

Date Cheque No. Payable to For Amount £06.03.14 502314 Anglian Water Burial Ground water only from second stand

pipe for quarter 29/10/13 to 30/01/1413.33

06.03.14 502315 British Gas Electricity for 1 Milestone House for quarter 01/11/13 to 01/02/14

63.71

06.03.14 502316 British Gas Electricity for Country Park toilets for quarter 01/11/13 to 01/02/14

57.21

06.03.14 502317 Vernon Lever Supplies and paint for notice board and sign outside Parish Council office

45.00

06.03.14 502318 Suffolk Libraries 19th March 2013 agreed Library WiFi donation 635.0006.03.14 502319 John Nunn Prints for Heritage Centre 149.6006.03.14 502320 Society of Local Council Clerks Registration fee for CiCLA as per Personal

Development Plan150.00

TOTAL 1113.851113.85

Date Cheque No. Payable to For Amount £18.03.14 502321 Suffolk Assn of Local Councils P Turner – Transport Seminar on 24/02/14 30.0018.03.14 502322 Sheila Woodward Minutes – 07/01/14 –underwrite coach cost to

Hadleigh for Public Enquiry200.00

18.03.14 502323 Flameskill Annual Service of Fire Equipment 37.4418.03.14 502324 John Nunn Cost of posters for HC purchased from Colour

Graphics27.54

18.03.14 502325 Alan Sawyer Salary – March 201418.03.14 502326 Gifford Lewis Salary – March 201418.03.14 502327 Philomena Hall Salary – March 201418.03.14 502328 Post Office Ltd PAYE & NI for 4th Quarter 2545.5718.03.14 502329 Suffolk Assn of Local Councils G Lewis – Clerks Networking 18.0018.03.14 001720 LMPC Transfer of PC funds held Lloyds Bank A/c to

FE Drage/Colet ownership1002.63

18.03.14 001721 LMPC Recovery of cost of repairs to Church Drive – PC minutes of 21/01/14

575.35

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TOTAL 4141.557002.16

Date Cheque No. Payable to For Amount £20.03.14 502330 Alan Sawyer Expenses - 17/02/14(Mileage, phone petrol &

Paint90.94

20.03.14 502331 Gifford Lewis Expenses – Feb Mar(postage, First Aid Kits, Mileage & refreshment for Vicky Jacomb)

81.15

20.03.14 502332 John Nunn WW1 posters for HC 27.8020.03.14 502333 DL Design Associates Ltd LMPC Tourist Boards 270.0020.03.14 502334 British Gas Milestone -Estimated gas usage 29/01 to

22/02.127.53

TOTAL 597.42597.42

10/04/14 To Consider Identified Expenditures

Expenditure Cost Reason ConsiderationSALC membership £856.00 Justifications for respective costs. Membership for 2501 – 4000 electors as 2.5%

increase on 2013/14 rate and £22 for ‘The Local Councillor’.

IT maintenance £305.00 Repairing an IT fault with Word program on back office PC, firewall protection and back up between the two PCs.

Suffolk Tree Services £1140.00 inc VAT

Emergency tree work at the Country Park.

Nature of the works on health and safety grounds required immediate action and at £950 + VAT was below the £1000 quoted figure.

Commonwealth War Graves £80.00 Payment of received annual grant. Pass through of payment from Commission to the Cemetery Supervisor for the upkeep of the war graves.

Exclusive rights refund £106.00 Purchase of the exclusive rights sold for a cemetery plot.

Purchase of the rights sold on 7th April 1997 to plot D I25 (grant no. 411) for use by plot by another

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user. The current exclusive right fee is £300.

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12/04/14 The Business Plan and Issues Raised at the Annual Parish Meeting

Ideas presented to the Annual Parish Meeting were:- Affordable housing for local people Preserving the village’s heritage Conserving the local environment Creating business opportunities Employment opportunities Encouraging young people to stay in the village; Providing more parking Promoting tourism Encouraging education and skills development Improving the community facilities Encouraging better bus services Improved local health provision Achieving faster broadband; Promoting leisure with the Country Park; Having a skate park; and Having a BMX track.

Those added to the board were:- Improving parking facilities for those wanting to visit and use the shops and

galleries; Lack of parking Hall Street for visitors; Controlled parking with more parking; Three quarters of an hour parking limit; Commuter parking; Parking has to be sorted out otherwise village will die; Reduce traffic speeds. Speed humps / pinch point / use of tiny speed cameras; Single carriageway (over bridge between Hall Street and High Street) priority to

northbound traffic; Safe crossing at Lower Station Road/Roman Way for children crossing to school

– this is a very dangerous crossing area due to traffic speed and very poor visibility;

More signs for dog owners to pick their dog’s poo; Activities for older children. Youth shelter / BMX track / skate park great; Cordell Place football pitch marked out and goals central with nets; Better broadband – three times; Babergh to promote Long Melford for shopping as well as a tourist spot; Advertise public meetings better; and Spend less on Rodbridge.

Comments captured in conversation during the ‘open session’ included:- Affordable housing - Need for affordable housing in village. Private rents often

poor quality and expensive. Parking – suggest 3-4 hour parking limit to discourage all day parking by

commuters, shop owners who will park right outside their own front door. Surely this spot should be for visitors. Acknowledged business users would need alternative space to park with perhaps voluntary arrangement with Village Hall. 2

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hour parking restriction particularly in Hall Street. Appreciated PC would probably have to police it.

Traffic speed - Traffic speeds southern end of village. Cyclists - Cyclists on pavements High Street, Rail Walk. Somewhere safe to

cycle (said would be talking to young people at school, mentioned possible BMX track.

Highways - Why do Highways repair some potholes and leave others literally yards away. Sited outside Post Office.

Street lights - Why does it take so long for SCC to repair streetlights i.e. Hall Street? Once lights beyond repair leave them off then people might wake up! Acknowledged safety issues with increasing older population.

Shop opening – Why so many shops closed in LM over Easter when almost all open in Lavenham.

Tourism - Lack of tourist promotion on Long Melford. Role of business association and apathy.

Broadband - Despite press announcements broadband speeds still slow, hopeless on some days.

Public toilets – Two raised why all the fuss about loos on the Green. Garden Centre open seven days a week with their own loos which are very clean. Why not build two/three OAP bungalows on site?

The Green - State of the Green. Look unkempt uncared for. Library - Library needs new home happy to work in with others providing

compatible. (Not keen for this to be made public landlord not aware of desire to move) Why can’t we have something like Lavenham?

Parish Council - Three people expressed interest in being a Parish Councillor (which may be helpful for 2015). Appreciated the invite to drop in. Really helpful as new to the village.

END OF REPORTS

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