Minutes of a meeting of Sunninghill & Ascot Parish Council held at the Parish Office, Ascot High Street, SL5 7LJ on Tuesday 19 February 2013 at 7.00pm, at which your attendance is requested.
Members Present: Councillors J Yong (Chairman), B Hilton (Vice-Chairman), M Duffield, R Ellison, S Jones, C Lester, S Humphrey,
A Nehra, A Sharpe, B Story, M Turton.
In attendance:Elizabeth Yates, Clerk to the Council
5218 TO NOTE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Councillors Peter Deason, David Hilton and James Naylor.
5219 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
The Chairman asked to receive any Declarations of Interest in accordance with the adopted Code of Conduct. None were given.
5220 MINUTES
The Minutes of the Council Meeting, held on 8 January 2013, were approved as a correct record and signed as such.
5221 FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Chairman made no formal announcements.
5222 VICTORY FIELD PAVILION PROJECT
The Chairman led a discussion on the revised plans for the proposed Pavilion at Victory field by explaining the layout and amendments. In general the Parish Councillors thought the plans reflected the requirements previously discussed, although concerns were raised regarding the size of the caretaker’s accommodation, the ease of deliveries to the top level and the need for sustainability in design. CouncillorChristine Lester enquired as to the estimated cost which Councillor Robert Ellison replied was greater than originally projected, at £750 000. Councillor Hilton asked how the project was going to be taken forward and suggested that a Business Plan be drafted as the next key step in determining the demand for, potential use of and operational implications of the proposed Pavilion. Public consultation would then be necessary. The need for such a Business Plan was endorsed by Councillor Lester who also suggested that alternative approaches such as refurbishing the existing Pavilion should still be considered. Councillor Ajay Nehra thought such a refurbishment would not meet the requirements as previously discussed and volunteered to draft the Business Plan. The Chairman, Councillor Robert Ellison, Allison Sharpe and Michelle Turton volunteered to assist him with this by forming a Steering Group, to which all Parish Councillors would be invited to join. Timescales and the need for fundraising were discussed, with the need to maintain the existing Pavilion approved for the short to medium term.
5223 PUBLIC ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was not adjourned for a maximum of 15 minutes to allow Members of the Public, if present, to address the Council about matters of local concern, as no members of the public were present.
5224 PRESENTATION OF COMMITTEE MINUTES
The Planning Committee minutes of 15 January and 5 February 2013 were presented by Councillor B Hilton. Councillor Allison Sharpe asked if any significant applications had been approved. Councillor Hilton replied that a number of applications for flats had been refused and that the emerging Neighbourhood Plan had been taken into account as ‘material consideration.’ Councillor Shirley Jones asked for clarification as to what that meant and the statutory role of the Neighbourhood Plan.
The Leisure Committee minutes of 29 January 2013 were presented by Councillor Robert Ellison who informed the committee that funding from the Borough had been obtained for the proposed skate park, that plans for the ‘Garden of Remembrance’ at the Cemetery were being drafted and that initial preparations for the Parish Council’s Summer Party on Sunday 23 June were underway. All Parish Councillors would be needed to help on the day.
5225 FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR MONTHS 9 and 10
The Clerk reported on the accounts for December 2012 and January 2013. No significant matters arose except for the miscoding of waste management. Councillor Nehra suggested an amendment to the accounts.
Councillor Barbara story informed the committee that changes to Section 106 funding might led to a greater contribution being allocated under the ‘Community Infrastructure Levy’ to Parish Councils.
5226 PLANNING DELEGATION
The committee endorsed the recommendation from the Planning Committee to defer the delegation of planning functions from the Borough until training had been received, the Neighbourhood Plan approved and proposed legislative changes endorsed. Councillor Hilton had written to the Head of Planning and Property Services at the Borough to inform him of this decision.
5227 ITEMS RAISED AND ACTIONED WITH THE BOROUGH
The Chairman thanked the Ward Councillors for their support in obtaining Borough funds for the skate park and access road re-surfacing at Victory field and the re-opening of the Public Conveniences in Sunninghill High Street.
The Clerk asked for suggestions for improvements to the Parish footpaths under thePublic Rights of Wayconsultation. The need for hard standing adjacent to the field behind Ascot Day Centre, for a woodchip path along the Three Castles footpath inSouth Ascot, for a self closing gate at theCheapsideRoadfootpath, stock proof fencing along theWoodside Roadfootpath and the need to update the Parish Council’s footpath leaflet were agreed as priorities. The Clerk was asked to pursue these matters.
Approval was given to order the Hanging Baskets as per last year. The Clerk was asked to ensure that the baskets within Sunninghill were concentrated withinSunninghillVillage. Approval was also given to the Clerk to book the Parish Play Rangers Summer Tour, as approved within the budget.
The Clerk went on to inform the committee of a meeting with the Borough, Chairman and herself at Allens Field on 4 March regarding the use of Section 106 funding, which reminded the Councillors of previous plans for a play area within Ascot Racecourse. She also informed the committee of a planned upgrade by the Borough of the Parish Council’s software systems.
5228 PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL DINNER
All Parish councillors were invited to attend the Annual Dinner at the Carpenters Arms on Tuesday 12 March at 8.15pm. The Clerk was asked to confirm numbers and make the booking.
5229 OTHER BUSINESS
Councillor Nehra asked the Clerk to bring to the Borough’s attention to fly posters in Sunninghill.
The Clerk informed the committee of damage to the CCTV cameras at South Ascot Recreation Ground, which was being investigated by Index Security, the maintenance contractor.
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.35pm.
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Councillor Jeffrey Yong, Chairman