BEPTON PARISH COUNCIL

Chairman: Mr Howard Ewing – Email: howardewing@me.com -Tel: 01730 817891
Clerk: Mrs Lorraine Grocott BEM, BA (Hons): Local Policy
23 West Meade, Milland, Liphook, Hants GU30 7NB
Email: postmaster@milland-wsx-gov.co.uk Tel: 01428 741393
Website: http://www.bepton.org

MINUTES of the ANNUAL STATUTORY MEETING of
BEPTON PARISH COUNCIL held on Thursday,
12 May 2016 at The Park House Hotel, Bepton
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PRESENT: Mrs R Hart (Vice Chairman), Mrs L Milner
Mrs H Hollowood, Mrs C Bower, Mr G Ryan
Four Members of the Public

467. a) Election of Chairman for 2016-17:
Mr Howard Ewing was elected Chairman for 2016-17.
Proposed by Mrs Hart and seconded by Mr Ryan. Agreed
Chairman’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office: Will be signed by Mr Ewing

b) Election of Vice-Chairman: Mrs Ros Hart was elected Vice-Chairman.
Proposed by Mrs Hollowood and seconded by Mrs Milner. Agreed

468. Apologies: Mr H Ewing due to an operation.

469. Declaration of Interests on the Agenda items: There were none.

470. Confirmation of dates and times of meeting of the Council for ensuing year:-
2016 – 14th July, 22nd September, 24h November and
2017 – 26th January, 23rd March, 25th May (ASM/APA 2017).
Meetings will be held at 7pm in The Park House Hotel, Bepton

471. Minutes of the Meeting – dated 17th March were agreed and signed.

472. Matters arising –
a) Notice Board – Mr Hart has offered to refurbish later in May.
b) HM Queen’s Birthday – The Country Inn will be organising croquet matches with afternoon tea on Sunday 12th June.
c) To celebrate the HM Queen’s birthday there will be concert on 18 June in Bepton Church.
d) Chichester District Council has sent a reminder to parishes who have not applied for the grant of £250 as they want parishes to mark the occasion in some way. After discussion it was agreed to use the grant for an interpretation panel to be erected on the footpath leading to Bepton Down which is a designated SSSI and an area of Open Access. LG to apply for the grant.
e) Mrs Milner asked if the Community Support Team could be asked to clear the paths from Pitsham Lane to the Pub and to cut back the overhanging branches on the Bepton sign coming from Midhurst. LG to contact Highways.
f) Mrs Bower would welcome information for the summer newsletter.

473. County and District Councillors – There were none present.

474. Correspondence –

Minutes of the Annual Statutory Meeting, Bepton Parish Council 12 May 2016

475. Chairman’s announcements –
a) NW Community Forum
Mrs Hart reported on the NW Community Forum meeting on 5 April which was attended by Mrs Katy Bourne, Police & Crime Commissioner. Mrs Bourne made the following key points: –
• Sussex Police has a total budget of £250m pa of which 80-83% goes on pay/pensions.
• Sussex Police need to make savings during the next 5 years against a background of changing crime types such as internet fraud, child abuse, terrorism, human trafficking.
• Currently Sussex Police has the 4th lowest precept on council tax compared to Surrey which is the highest.
• There are no plans to close the Midhurst police station. However, they were always looking at ways of increasing the efficiency of policing so that sharing the police station with other services was not out of the question.
• Re the Chichester Courts situation, Katy Bourne was against their closure. However, she had previously secured funding from the Ministry of Justice for video links between 26 police stations and the courts so that police officers could give evidence this way. She has also secured an additional £2.5million to broaden out these video links for the public to give evidence, for example at libraries.
• Katy Bourne then handed over to Chief Inspector Justin Burtenshaw, Arun & Chichester District Commander who explained: –
• At the end of 2014, he was asked to be a “guinea pig” to manage both Arun & Chichester Districts in order to combine resources from both to ensure the police can tackle issues more quickly and effectively. The hub model has enabled him to deploy staff quickly across this area to tackle all varieties of crime.
• This hub model has been evaluated and, as a result, will be rolled out across Sussex from July 2016.
• Since 2014, the role of PCSOs had not changed but, from July, they will be “up skilled” as well as be allowed to go where they are needed.
• This new model depends largely on prevention and responding to the needs of a community through such organisations as Neighbourhood Watch to provide local intelligence and knowledge. New technology is also being provided, such as mobile phones and body video recorders, so that the police can stay in the community for longer. (We were told that this technology is equivalent to 100 extra police officers.)
Due to this Sussex Police reorganisation, the National Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) database is being updated and Alex Cunningham has become the NHW coordinator for Bepton.
b) Annual SDNPA town and parish meeting –
1. David Doxford reported on the Rural Tourism Project for Coast to Capital (C2C) Local Enterprise Partnership. The aim of this is to create and coordinate a sustainable tourism and travel partnership for the South Downs.
2. Lucy Howard reported that the Local Plan timetable has been delayed by a year due to the weight of response to the draft Local Plan.
3. Carol Brown gave a live demonstration of the consultee Access system.
4. Andy George spoke about the role of planning enforcement.
5. Clare Potts gave an update on the West Sussex Joint Minerals Local Plan which is currently out to consultation until June 2016. It is hoped to be submitted by Spring 2017 with a view to adoption by Spring 2018.

Minutes of the Annual Statutory Meeting, Bepton Parish Council 12 May 2016

476. REPORTS:
a) Finance: The Clerk reported on the following:

The council approved these payments.

1. Approval of Statement of Assurance for the year ended 31 March 2016: –
The internal audit has been carried out in accordance with the council’s needs and planned coverage and has been examined by Mr. Richard Buckler the internal auditor. He will sign the Internal Audit report following approval of the Annual Governance Statement by the parish council. The members acknowledged their responsibility for the accounts and approved the Accounting Statements.
The notice of appointment of date for exercise of elector’s rights will be placed on the notice boards.
2. Internal Audit report –
The following points were raised and have been attended to and these include:
Two of the invoices were not initialled by the cheque signatories. This has been done.
3. Online Banking – New forms have been prepared. Mrs Fay will be removed as a signatory and Mrs Bower will become a signatory along with Mrs Hart, Mr Ryan and Mrs Grocott.

b) Planning matters: Mrs Hart reported on the following applications –
COUNCIL’S RESPONSE TO APPLICATIONS: –
SDNP/15/05369/FUL & SDNP/15/05370/LIS
Mr. Mark Bisland of Padwicks Farm requests permission to convert and extend the Grade 2 listed barn to create a two bed holiday let. This is a resubmission of SDNP/14/03133/LIS & SDNP/14/03131/FUL. Await decision.
SDNP/15/06373/HOUS
Mr Michael Steele of Woodlands Cottage requests permission to build a recreational outbuilding alongside an outdoor swimming pool. Permit.
SDNP/16/00410/HOUS
Ms Helen Bryant of Bepton Boxes requests permission to build a single storey rear extension. Permit.
SDNP/16/01251/HOUS
Mr Jermaine Campbell of Langwith, Bepton Road requests permission to build a single storey rear extension, a new pitched roof over the garage, two dormers and hard standing at the rear. Await decision

Minutes of the Annual Statutory Meeting Bepton Parish Council 12 May 2016
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477. Highways & Byways –
Rights of Way survey will take place between April and June 2017. In a letter from David Barling, Cabinet Member for Residents Services he says that ‘increasingly parish councils are involving themselves in supporting their local path network. Those who own or manage land crossed by paths also have duties, such as preventing side and overhanding vegetation from encroaching the path, also to maintain their ditches and other watercourses.’

478. County / District / Local Organisations
a) The Chairman of the County Council has invited parishes north of the
Downs to networking lunch. The invitation also includes a visit to the WSCC Record Office. Mrs Hollowood will be attending.
b) CDC – All Parishes Meeting on Wednesday 19 May at 7pm. – Apologies sent.
c) Mrs Cunningham and Mrs Milner will be attending the SALC Councillor Training session at Chichester on Thursday 23rd June (1345 registration, 1400 start, finishing at 1700).
d) SALC is planning an event for parishes in the north of Chichester District on Tuesday 26 July. The purpose is to provide information and discussion about what SALC does for its member councils, challenges for 2016 and beyond, being a “Good Council”, financial regulations, benefits of District Associations.

479. Date of next meeting: 14 July 2016, 7pm at The Park House, Bepton

Chairman:………………………… Date: …………………….