MINUTES of meeting held 12^th October 2009 – 7.30pm Carlton Village Hall

Present:  Cllr D Jenkins (Chairman), Cllrs. T. Coles (arrive 19:41), L. Dempsey, E.  Devine, A. Geerts,

D. Neil, S. Owen, Jane Tusting.

In attendance:  Helen Jago (Emmaus)

1.       Apologies for absence:  Cllr Jim (V) Brandon).

2.       Disclosure of interest:  None.

3.       Minutes of meeting 14^th September 2009:  confirmed as a true record of the meeting and signed off by the Chairman.

4.       Emmaus report:  Helen Jago reported there are currently 25 companions at Emmaus, all very stable and happy.  Recent Music/Arts festival  went very well, with lots of new visitors to the site.  The Chairman thanked Helen for attending the meeting and she left at 7.40pm.

5.       Matters arising from meeting 14^th September:  Bridgend – railings and ditch – Council discussed the proposals put forward in Neil O’Leary’s e-mail of 12.10.09.  Piping of the ditch is not an option due to potential silting up of the pipe.  Speed limit changes take approx. 2 months from first consultation to implementation (assuming there are no objections).  Replacement rubber kerbs and hazard markers would be in the region of £10-£15K.  Council’s preferred option would be to repair, make good the current railings (this would be in the region of approx. £6K – finance would have to be looked at through Bedford Borough Council.  Suggestion that Parish Council look in to applying for a Rural Grant for repairs etc to the railings).  Cllr Coles remarked that the ditch would need cleaning out again before any repair work is undertaken.  VAS signs – still awaiting Bedford Borough Council Highways to progress with installation, but hope to do this within this calendar year.   New village bench – Council voted (majority vote) on the  Stanford Seat with Timperpol Slats, this will be ordered through Glasdon.  Fence by Harrold Bridge -repaired by Richard.  Hastoe Housing – Alison Reed is still talking to land owner.   Long stile footpath – hedge and brambles still to be cut – Richard.  FP1 – Rights of Way officer to inspect.  War Memorial monument – next meeting in January 2010 for update, committee hope to have the monument in place by November 2010.

6.       Police report:  no police at meeting, but the new PCSO Michael Blass will try to get to parish council meetings once every 3 months.  Date when he will attend will be advertised to the public, so that they may attend if they want to.  Carlton to Riseley SNT area main priorities are BT Cable thefts, speeding and nuisance youth.  Regular Police Surgery at Emmaus.   NHW continues to progress well.  Cllr Coles reported one new street co-ordinator recruited.

7.       Borough Councillor’s report:  Cllr Brandon was not present, but the Ward Boundary discussions continue at B.B.C.  Update from Cllr Brandon at our November meeting.

8.       Highways report:    Cllr Coles has resigned form Highways.  Cllrs Susan Owen and Doug Neil proposed as new joint Highways representatives by Cllr Jenkins, seconded by Cllr Geerts.  Cllr Owen will be the main spokesperson to the Council.  Cllrs Owen and Neil have walked around the village and submitted their findings to the Clerk who has contacted Highways, all items logged on to Highways reports.  Update to follow at next meeting.  Cllr Neil would like to see specifications on each job that Highways are requested to do before the job is carried out.  A proposal will be brought forward at the November meeting .  (SO/DN)

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9.        Finance report:  to 30^th September.  5 cheques drawn for payment – Warners (Children’s playing field x 2 - £126.50), Richard Sinclair (village handyman), Harrold Parish Council (office rent – 3 months (£112.50), Nina Bransgrove-Knight (Sept. wages and expenses). 

10.   Planning applications:  none.

11.   Correspondence:  list circulated to all councillors – see apex (i) for list and summary of actions taken at this meeting.

12.   School Governor’s report:  72 pupils currently on role.  Pre-school numbers are slightly down at the moment.  The new Computer Suite is due for completion by this half term.  School is currently reviewing ‘Special Needs’.  There is now an afterschool club.  No update yet on 2/3 tier.

13.   Playing Field report:  no report – next meeting in November.

14.   Village Hall report:  Village quiz is on 14^th November.  New boiler not completed yet.

15.   Village matters:  Councillor asked if we have a tree warden – we do not.  Bedford Borough Council Highways are responsible for verges.   Councillor reported public footpath at High Elms not signposted sufficiently – contact Rights of Way officer.   Councillor reported pavement/kerbing outside no. 75 The Moor needs attention from Highways.  Cherry tree outside the entrance to the school in The Moor – chase the B.B.C. landscape department to ask again for the Cherry tree to be replaced with a Silver Birch (as the original tree).

16.   Date of next meeting – Monday 9^th November.

There being no further matters, the meeting closed at 9.35pm.