Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held at the Memorial Hall, School Lane, on Monday, 5^th April 2004 at 7.30 p.m.

Present:

Cllr. Mrs J.M.Papadopulos (Chairman)

Councillors:- J.D.Goring, J.A.Grey, A.L.Howard, M.L.James, C.L.Jupp (also Borough), Mrs P.Oakeshott (also Borough), L.M.Pearton, Mrs S.Saunders and S.Wright.

In attendance:

Mr S. McVernon, Stakeholder Liaison Manager, South Eastern Trains. Mr A. Taylor and 13 Parishioners.

Apologies for absence: Received from Cllr. F.Gibson, O.B.E., and Cllr. A.Waugh., Rural Warden Steve Enright and WPC Duffort.

The Chairman welcomed Mr McVernon to the Meeting. Mr McVernon explained that the tunnel works had become essential for the safety of rail passengers, due to the frequent chalk falls in one of the oldest tunnels in the country. Once they were completed in January 2005 the current speed restrictions of 20mph would be lifted and the 70mph speed limit would reduce journey times by some 5 to 6 minutes. The original plan to run the rail replacement buses up through the village had been amended to the current route, but certain alterations could be made to the frequency of the buses to suit both the needs of residents and passengers alike. Mr McVernon had received a copy of the responses from local residents to the recent Parish Council questionnaire and would endeavour to deal with as many issues as he could in the time available.

The Chairman asked about the need to run so many buses during the day, many of which appeared to be empty as they left the village. Mr McVernon explained that when these arrived at Strood station, they left filled with the passengers waiting there. He emphasised that there was some scope to tinker with the timetables, but that South Eastern Trains must meet its legal obligations. The Chairman asked that consideration be given to some respite for those residents most affected, by reducing the bus movements from the present 240 per day, during weekends and school holidays, and during the summer when windows would be open.

In answer to a question from Diane Humbles, of School Lane, Mr McVernon confirmed that the turning circle for buses at the station would be retained at the end of the works, and the enlarged car park would be covered with tarmac.

Barrie Jerome, of Lower Rochester Road, highlighted the problems of buses passing to both the front and rear of his property, which had at times necessitated one reversing to give way to the other. He reported damage to the boundaries of his property, and Mr McVernon agreed to arrange for an inspection at a future date. Mr McVernon confirmed that there had been a slight delay to the progress of the works following an accident in the tunnel, but since netting had been installed to the roof, the work was now back on schedule.

Maureen Martin, of Martins Close, reported that part of her back garden was being eroded by the bus movements and asked if it would be possible to have smaller buses on the route. Mr McVernon confirmed that this would not be possible as the spare capacity was needed and the buses ran in a circuit.

Maureen Moore. of Lower Rochester Road, highlighted the large number of buses running during the evening, when only one was needed every half hour to meet the trains, and asked if it would be possible for the later buses to travel up through the village, to give the residents some respite. Discussion took place regarding the repositioning of the speed restriction signs to outside Cherry Tree Cottages, and to the Bull Lane junction on Gore Green Road. Cllr. Oakeshott confirmed that a highway order would need to be raised to do this, and it was unlikely that funds would be available in the Borough Council budget. It was noted that the buses relied on the cars giving way to them, as they were not allowed to reverse by law.

The Clerk confirmed that all responses to the Parish Council questionnaire had been photocopied and sent to Mr Easterbrook.

The Chairman thanked Mr McVernon for attending the Meeting and he left, after promising to pass on those questions that he was unable to answer.

The Clerk gave apologies for absence.

There were no alterations to the Register of Members Interests.

The Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting, held on Monday, 23 ^rd February 2004, were confirmed and signed.

The Clerk reported that:-

1. P.690 Matters Arising - Light at entrance to Steadman Close. Cllr. Goring reported on a site meeting held with Cllr. Saunders and Mr A. Burt, the Street Lighting Engineer for Gravesham Borough Council. Mr Burt had already had the vegetation trimmed back to the footpath in question and now proposed to upgrade the street light at the junction of Steadman Close and School Lane and replace and upgrade the pole hung light further up the footpath. He had also inspected the two sites where the Parish Council provided Christmas lighting within the village and had found them both to be unsatisfactory.

A new connection unit was required to Jubilee Corner and both sites would now be subject to new regulations whereby a licence for the display of the lights would need to be obtained by the Borough Council and the Parish Council charged for the use of the electricity.

2. P.690 Matters Arising - Village signs. The Clerk circulated a picture of one of the completed village signs. Members agreed that the contrast colour to the dark green should be cream

Diane Humbles, of School Lane, complained regarding the large number of potholes in the village and the overgrown grass verges. She reported that the Railway Tavern appeared to be staying open very late in the evening.

Alan Taylor, of Martins Close, asked when the white lining to the lower part of the village was to be renewed. Cllr. Oakeshott confirmed that it was expected to take place in the new financial year.

Peter Parr, of Canal Road, reported that the pot holes to Lower Rochester Road were now extremely deep and capable of causing damage to car tyres. He also drew attention to the road surface, near to the junction with Whitehouse Farm, which was cracking up.

Copies of the web site proposals had been circulated to Members prior to the Meeting. Clive Stanley displayed a suggested format for the web site on a computer screen, and explained the benefits and conditions of using an official domain name (.gov.uk). After discussion amongst Members it was proposed by Cllr. James, seconded by Cllr. Saunders, and agreed by all Members that Mr Stanley be asked to proceed with the web site creation by registering with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and purchasing a domain name at a cost not exceeding £460 incl. VAT. Members were also in agreement that Mr Stanley should act as Webmaster and update the web site on behalf of the Parish Council for the cost of £100 for one year.

Cllr. Goring reported that Nigel Wright had been aware, before he died, that his line drawing of the centre of the village might be used on the home page for the new web site, and was delighted. It was agreed that his wife should be contacted to give permission for its use with an accompanying acknowledgement. Cllr. Saunders agreed to liaise with Mr Stanley to ensure that Members would be updated at the next Meeting.

Copies of the Nomination Criteria for rural schemes had been circulated to all Members prior to the Meeting. Cllr. Oakeshott confirmed that the necessary funding had now come through for Youens Cottages and work on the three units would start in the near future. The allocation of units would be decided by Hyde Housing and not the Borough Council. The Parish Council would be consulted, but had no veto. A total of 28 applicants were on the list at present and units would be for young people and young families and not key workers. Cllr. Saunders had spent a morning in the allocations office at the Borough Council to view the procedures currently in place, and she confirmed that it was hoped that the scheme would eventually include properties both to rent and to "buy to rent" which would enable tenants to save for the deposit for a new home. No units would be able to be sold for private gain. After discussion amongst Members it was decided that the qualification criteria under paragraph 2 "Local Connection" should indicate that the nominee "currently lived in the Parish and had done so continuously for the last ten years". Cllrs Oakeshott and Saunders would both attend the Meeting on 28^th April, when the rural 106 agreement would be discussed.

Parish Newsletter 2004.

The Clerk reported that the newsletter was now with the printers in London. Peter Allinson and the Scouts were on standby to start delivering on 16/4. A slight increase to the cost of producing the newsletter was expected as the final copy ran to a total of 44 pages.

The Clerk reported that the food for the buffet (for 75 people) had now been ordered from Lesley Topping at a cost of £175 under Section 150(2) of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Chairman and Cllr. Oakeshott would arrange for the glasses and bubbly. Ken and Eileen Harding were arranging the social part of the evening, which would include the updated RSPB presentation, a resume of the Cliffe Airport campaign, and the future of the North Kent Marshes. The Gravesend Camera Club's photographs of the Marshes would also be on display. Members unanimously agreed to make donations under Section 150(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 to the RSPB (£25) and DCPS(£25) in appreciation of their attendance at the Assembly. Those Members who were available, agreed to meet at the Memorial Hall at 3.30 p.m. on 29^th April to put out chairs and tables for the evening. Cllrs. Gibson, Goring, James, Jupp and Pearton had given apologies for the Meeting.

The Chairman reported that Morton Grey had again kindly agreed to carry out the final judging on our behalf. He had asked if it would be possible to have two additional categories, one being for containers or hanging baskets, and the other for the most colourful public house in the village. In view of these changes the Members unanimously approved an increase in the value of the prizes from £40 to £60. The Chairman reminded Members to submit addresses to be placed on the short list in plenty of time.

As Cllr. Gibson did not attend the Meeting, no report was given.

Cllr. Jupp reported that the Overview Scrutiny Committee's report on Community Wardens had now been completed, and a copy was in the correspondence folder. The area covered by the controlled parking zones in Lower Higham was to be enlarged slightly in line with the comments received on the questionnaire forms.

Cllr. Oakeshott drew Members' attention to the Strategic Rail Authority consultation document on the Integrated Kent Franchise. Under these proposals trains from Higham that normally went to Charing Cross and Cannon Street would be replaced by a single service to St. Pancras. The Clerk was instructed to send a written response before the closing date of 23/4 to register the concerns of the Members.

Cllr. Grey asked if the Parish Council could write to the Borough Council to request a 71/2 ton weight limit for the village.

Cllr. Saunders gave details of a vehicle which regularly parked to Lake Drive after the wardens had visited. She gave details of make, colour and registration number for the Clerk to pass to the Rural Warden.

Cllr. Oakeshott reported that she had been unable to object to the mast opposite Higham Garage as it was under 15m in height and did not require planning permission. She reported that she had received complaints that lorries had been carrying explosives through the village to Cliffe Jetty. This destination had had a licence since 1914 to unload explosives, which could be carried by road if the correct certificates had been applied for. The Borough Council would now ensure that these lorries used the Wainscott By Pass.

Cllr. Howard highlighted the increase in dogs' mess on the village pavements, especially in the area around the Gardener's Arms, and the Clerk was requested to contact the Borough Council to ask if signs could be attached to lamposts in the area.

Erection of part two storey and part single storey extensions to front and rear to form a garage and w.c. at ground floor level with living room, w.c., enlarged kitchen and enlarged dining room at upper ground floor level.

Application for the renewal of temporary planning permission reference number GR/2001/610 for the retention of the wooden shed in the rear garden on a permanent basis.

Erection of detached two storey four bedroom dwelling with garage at basement level.

Appln. no. 20040159 D.Cole, "Medveza Gora", Hermitage Road.

Erection of a front entrance porch; a side porch on the east side elevation and single storey rear extension to form sun lounge.

Application of renewal of temporary planning permission reference number GR/2001/45 for the retention of the storage shed at the for storage purposes in connection with pigeon racing.

Erection of part two storey and part single storey rear extension to form enlarged kitchen, w.c. and utility room at ground floor level with bedroom at first floor level.

Erection of a detached two storey building to provide an elderly persons dwelling with garage on part of the ground floor.

Erection of a conservatory at the rear.

Erection of single storey front, side and rear extension to form entrance porch, enlarged lounge, garage, store/playroom, cloakroom, lobby, enlarged kitchen/diner and a conservatory.

Appln. no. 20030062 Mr & Mrs Paul Miles, 19, Reynolds Fields

(AMENDED APPLICATION/REVISED DESCRIPTION).Erection of two storey side and single storey rear extension to form garage and utility room at ground floor level with bedroom and enlarged bedroom at first floor level and single storey front extension to form porch, w.c. and enlarged lounge.

Members instructed the Clerk to notify Mr Tickle that they were willing to visit Buckland Farm for a site visit for his forthcoming planning application on either Sat. 24/4 at 10.00 a.m. or Mon. 26/4 at 7.30 p.m.

1. Memorial Hall.

Cllr. Goring reported that a temporary repair to the car park and white lining would take place in the next couple of weeks.

2. Multi-Purpose Games Area.

Cllr. Goring reported that the Secretary had decided to stay on with a reduced workload. The new fencing was now complete and the boarding had been completely replaced after a complaint regarding quality.

3. Recreation Ground.

8. Governors of Higham Primary School.

Cllr. James reported that the School had decided to accept its reception class in one intake in September with effect from this Autumn. This would produce some loss of income for the Kindergarten but as the children would be attending school only in the morning to start with, it was possible that some parents might want the children to continue attending the Kindergarten in the afternoon.

9. Higham Youth Club.

The Clerk presented the quarterly financial statement for the period 1/1/04 to 31/3/04. She asked for approval for the items shown on the agenda, plus additional amounts of £530.34 for administration expenses for the period 1/1/04 to 31/3/04, £175.00 to Lesley Topping for food for the Annual Parish Assembly under Section 150(2) of the Local Government Act 1972, £35.00 to Kent RCC for the 2004 subscription, £107.80 to Judi Stanley for help with the preparation of the 2004 newsletter, an additional amount of £48.00 to accompany a cheque for £52.00 raised by Fiona Portchmouth to go to the Mayor's Charity (under Sect. 137/139), these being proposed by Cllr. Oakeshott, seconded by Cllr. Goring and agreed by all Members.

Hugh Marshall (stile repairs - reissue cheque - lost in post) 122.20

Gravesham Tree Services (tree pruning to Recreation Ground) 650.00

K.A.P.C. (2004 subscription and L.C.Review) 886.11

George Webb & Co. ( 1/2 year rent for Recreation Ground) 125.00

1^st Higham Scouts (Sect. 137/139 grant - newsletter delivery) 50.00

Clerk's salary (1/1/04 - 31/3/04) 1150.00

Expenses - use of room as office (1/1/04 - 31/3/04) 227.50

Age Concern (Sect. 137/139 grant) 300.00

Higham Village History Group (Sect. 137/139 grant) 500.00

St. John's Church (Sect. 137/139 grant - wheelchair access) 250.00

Staples UK (photocopier cartridge) 89.98

It was proposed by Cllr. Jupp, seconded by Cllr. Wright and agreed by all Members that the Clerk's salary should be increased to £4700 p.a. with effect from 1/4/04. The expenses for the use of a room as an office would remain at £910 p.a.

Members unanimously agreed to leave allotment rents unchanged at £6.00 per annum as it was noted that there was a surplus of vacant plots at the present time.

The correspondence folder had already been circulated amongst Members after "Matters Arising", but the Clerk drew Members' attention to the following items:-

1. A decision had been received from Customs and Excise that the Parish Council was only able to reclaim VAT on the part of the bill for the fencing project which it had paid for.
2. Members noted the date of the Annual Audit - 1/6/04.

The Chairman had received a letter from Mrs Feist , Thames Division Commissioner, regarding raising funds to take a group of Girl Guides to France for a two week venture. Members unanimously agreed to give a grant of £250 under Section 137/139 of the Local Government Act 1972.

This was given as being Thursday, 28^th April 2005 at 7.30 p.m.

This was given as being Monday, 10^th May 2004 at 7.30 p.m. (Annual Parish Council Meeting followed by a Parish Council Meeting)

None was brought to the notice of the Meeting.

There being no other business, the Meeting closed at 10.40 p.m.

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