ALBURY PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
Minutes of a meeting held on 8th October 2024, 7.15 pm at the Village Hall
Present: Councillors Jolly, Kelly, Levell, Murdoch and Pope
In attendance: Mrs J Pettitt (clerk)
The chair opened the meeting at 7.20pm
1. To receive and accept apologies for absence.
Apologies were received and accepted from Councillor Klimowicz
2. To receive declarations of interest.
a) To receive declarations of interest from councillors on items on the agenda
b) To receive written requests for dispensations for declarable interests
c) To grant any requests for dispensation as appropriate.
No declarations or requests for dispensation received.
3. To confirm the minutes of the Albury Parish Council annual meeting held on Tuesday 10th September 2024
Resolved, proposed Cllr Kelly, seconded Cllr Murdoch, that these minutes are a true and accurate record of the proceedings. Unanimously agreed.
4. To receive reports on actions agreed at the last council meeting
Open space, sports, and recreation study: the clerk is still to complete the form and circulate
Defibrillator management handover: this is underway
Traffic mirror query: Hertfordshire County Council advises against the use of traffic mirrors. They can only be installed with the approval of the Department for Transport.
Hixham Road hedges: some of these were cut back whilst we were establishing ownership.
Permission for plastic parking matting at the village hall: See item 10.
Assessment of the village hall car park: Councillor Kelly has taken photos and begun sketching different layouts.
Patmore Heath no parking letter: see item 13
Request for volunteers to repair fingerpost: see item 15
Inspection of oak Albury signs: to be undertaken when the weather permits
Albury Play Space: The trustees are to choose new equipment using the funds in the account
5. To receive petitions, comments and questions from the public
None.
6. To consider planning applications received.
APPLICATION: 3/24/1115/LBC PROPOSAL: Regularisation application for conversion of a former open sided animal shelter/cart lodge and open sided tractor shed to a two bedroom annexe with installation of external walls, windows and doors and internal partition walls and doorways. AT: Groom’s Cottage Parsonage Farm Parsonage Lane Albury. No comment.
APPLICATION: 3/24/1197/HH PROPOSAL: Retrospective erection of gym, external store and carport, planting of boundary hedging and laying of concrete plinth. Proposed creation of new vehicle access and closing off existing vehicle access. AT: Clapgate House Clapgate Albury. Our original comment still stands and we will request Herts Highways to review visibility from Mansfield Cottages.
7. To receive statements, bank reconciliation and financial summary
These were received by the Council and found to be satisfactory.
Balance at 10/9/2024 £10,119.48
Payments: 25/9/24 J L Pettit (clerk’s quarterly salary) £1,083.55
30/9/24 M Vicary (Litter picking)£130.00
Receipts:27/9/24 Precept £5,000.00
Available balance at 8/10/2024 £13,905.93
8. To agree payments due
£7.50 to R Murdoch for bulbs at village sign flowerbed. Resolved, proposed Cllr Kelly, seconded Cllr Jolly, that this payment is made. Unanimously agreed.
9. To receive the clerk’s report (for information only)
None
10. To discuss the progress of adding overspill parking at the Village Hall car park
Action: Clerk to request a call from the planning officer to seek advice on this matter.
11. To discuss the progress of listing the Catherine Wheel as a community asset
The owners have not responded to emails on this subject so it was decided to start the application process.
12. To discuss strategies for traffic calming throughout the village
The councillors will meet on Thursday 10th at 7pm to formulate some ideas to present to the village.
13. To discuss the parish council’s duty to prevent parking on the SSSI areas of Patmore Heath
A letter was issued to all Patmore Heath residents in 2017 explaining that it is illegal to damage a SSSI buy parking on it. Action: Councillor Kelly is to update the letter for reissue. It was agreed that a clearer sign explaining where parking is permitted should be installed at Patmore Heath. Action: the clerk will look at the price of having a suitable sign made and installed. After a new letter has been issued, persistent offenders will be visited by parish councillors who will explain the parish council’s responsibility as owners of Patmore Heath. The parish councillors agreed a log of actions taken to deter parking on the SSSI areas should be kept. Action: the clerk will create a log of actions taken to date to prevent parking on the SSSI areas of Patmore Heath.
14. To discuss Highway’s response to adding an Unsuitable for HGV sign at Patmore Heath
This will be covered at Thursday’s meeting (point 12.) Action: The clerk will see if a grant can be obtained from the road safety fund.
15. To discuss renovation of the finger post at Clapgate and other Albury signs
A request will be put on Facebook to see if anyone can help to refurbish the sign voluntarily. Its spine and fingers need some TLC and repainting.
16. Draw the first quarterly 200 Club number
Number 195 was drawn and as 95 of 200 numbers have been sold this year, the prize is £95.
Please contact the clerk if you are interested in buying a number for the next three draws at a cost of £18.
17. To suggest agenda items for the next parish council meeting: 12th November 2024
Albury Play Space update, play area equipment update, village signs and finger renovations, extension of the Village Hall car park to the left of the building using plastic grass matting, defibrillator for Upwick.
The chair closed the meeting at 9.05 pm