Minutes

Minutes of the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING held in the Meadow Room, Cobham on Monday, 19^th May 2008 at 7.30pm , followed by a PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

PRESENT:

COUNCILLORS MR AHG ROWE (CHAIRMAN)

MRS L ELLIS (VICE-CHAIRMAN)

MR BWA GLENISTER

MR C SPREE

MRS S KEEP

DR J GILES

MR S DYER

DR N D HAIG

MRS J BEETY (Clerk)

IN ATTENDANCE: MRS D PECK ( GRAVESEND MESSENGER)

7 PARISHIONERS

CLLR MR M SNELLING (KCC)

Councillor Dr Haig proposed and Councillor Mr Glenister seconded the nomination of Councillor Rowe. No other nominations were received. Councillor Mr Rowe was re-elected as Chairman by unanimous agreement. The Chairman thanked Councillors for their support and was happy to continue as Chairman.

Councillor Mr B Glenister proposed and Councillor Dr N Haig seconded the nomination of Councillor Mrs Ellis. No other nominations were received. Councillor Mrs Ellis was duly elected as Vice-Chairman by unanimous agreement. The Vice-Chairman thanked Councillors for their support.

Councillor Mr Rowe proposed and Councillor Mr S Dyer seconded that Councillors Dr Haig, Mr Glenister, Mrs Ellis and Mrs Keep be duly elected. This was unanimously agreed.

Councillor Mr Rowe proposed and Councillor Mr Spree seconded that Councillors Mr Glenister, Mr Rowe, Dr Haig, Mr Dyer and Parishioner Mrs Hodgson be duly elected. This was unanimously agreed.

Councillor Mr Glenister proposed and Councillor Mrs Keep seconded that Councillors Mr Dyer and Mr Spree be duly elected. This was unanimously agreed.

Councillor Mr Rowe proposed and Councillor Mr Glenister seconded that Councillor Mrs Dymond be duly elected. This was unanimously agreed.

Councillor Mrs Keep proposed and Councillor Dr J Giles seconded that Councillors Mr Glenister and Mr Dyer be duly elected. This was unanimously agreed.

Councillor Mr Glenister proposed and Councillor Mrs Ellis seconded that Councillors Mrs Dymond and Dr Giles be duly elected. This was unanimously agreed.

Councillor Mrs L Ellis expressed a wish to stand down at the end of the school year in July. Councillor Mr A Rowe proposed and Councillor Mr B Glenister seconded that Councillor Mr S Dyer be duly elected to become the School Governor Representative in September 2008.

Councillor Mr Glenister proposed and Councillor Mr Dyer seconded that Councillors Mr Spree and Dr Giles be duly elected. This was unanimously agreed.

Councillor Mr Glenister proposed and Councillor Dr N Haig seconded that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman be duly elected. This was unanimously agreed.

Councillor Mr A Rowe proposed and Councillor Dr Haig seconded that Councillor Mr Glenister should continue as Webmaster. This was unanimously agreed.

1 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE These were noted at the beginning of the Annual Meeting

The Minutes of the previous Parish Council meeting held on 28^th April 2008 were corrected, confirmed and signed.

The application was for the continued use of three building for storage involving external alterations to all buildings. He said that he was willing to give up his current Planning Permission for the welding business on this site. Other improvements to the site were a screen of trees and a car park on the North side of Lodge Lane .

Mr John Jackson explained his new Application which had been formulated following the advice of a Planning consultant.

Neighbours of the farm said that their main area of concern had been the noise, the skips containing rubbish and the volume of traffic passing along Lodge Lane .

Cllr Dr Haig questioned the change from agricultural to industrial storage use, which might require industrial handling equipment. Mr Jackson reassured the meeting that the Borough Council would need to be consulted about any changes and new applications would have to be made."

There had been no reply at that time to the letter sent to the Borough Council about further developments at the travellers’ site.

Repairs had been made by Boyd Sports to the surface of the Children’s Play area.

The Chairman had received a letter from Mr Mike Booth of the Cobham Sports Association in which he stated that a loan was being sought from the English Cricket Board (ECB). An extension of 25 years to the lease was required.

A discussion took place regarding the revision of the rent which currently stood at £5.00 per annum.

Much appreciation was shown to the Sports Association which provides such excellent facilities and does so much for the village. It was decided that the rent would be increased to no more than £10 per annum at this stage but on the suggestion of the Chairman this would be reviewed after 5 years. This was proposed by Cllr Mrs Keep, seconded by Cllr Mr Spree and unanimously agreed.

Cllr Dr N Haig, Chairman of the Planning Committee reported that Gravesham Borough Council had given permission for the hanging sign at the Ship Inn. Cllr Dr Haig said that the committee was disappointed that the sign would no longer be a pictorial painting.

Cllr reported the Planning Committee’s response to the following applications:-

20080378 – Henhurst Cottage Henhurst Road Cobham DA21 3AW – Erection of first floor extension to provide a new staircase. – CPC has no objection.

20080375 – Brymore Sole Street Cobham DA12 3AY – Erection of two storey southern side and single storey northern side extension to form games room, home office, and enlarged dining room at ground floor level with bedroom, ensuite shower room/wc, walk in wardrobe and balcony at first floor level. – CPC has no objection

The Chairman reported to the meeting that the area in front of the Meadow Room would be paved at the end of the week (ie WE May 23^rd )

A2 Widening Mr Gordon Hounslow was not at the meeting but Cllr Mr Dyer reported that the footpath between Ifield Church and The George, Singlewell had been reopened.

Clerk to invite David Standen to attend the next meeting and bring some up-to-date maps including the new footpath on West Park .

There is anticipation that this project will be undertaken but everything needed to be finalised quickly because the grant money will not be available to Cobham Parish Council after 1^st December. The hold up was caused at this stage by the KCC legal team, who were required to arrange an on site meeting with Mr and Mrs Laning to determine the boundaries of the site and where fences would be erected. When he arrived, Cllr Mr Mike Snelling said that he would contact Mr Dave Standen.

The clerk had written to Mr Burbidge, Director of Planning as a reminder that he had said in his letter that Gravesham Borough Council would help Cobham Parish Council to find funds to pay for this project.

There was nothing to report other than that there had been no replacement for Alex Brierley.

Affordable Housing There was nothing to report. The Chairman said that the site proposed, i.e. opposite to the Railway Tavern was unsuitable because there was no main drainage.

Sole Street Parking There had been no further action with regard to providing parking facilities.

Cllr Mr A Moore was absent from the meeting but Cllr Mr Glenister had received an email from him. The email stated that "The joint owners of 18 Manor Road , Sole Street are scheduled to appear before Dartford Magistrates’ Court at 2pm on 4 July 2008 . They are being prosecuted for alleged non-compliance with a Section 215 Notice under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 served on 25 October 2007 .

If they enter ‘guilty’ pleas the courts are likely to impose a lower fine but if they plead ‘not guilty’ a court date will be set for a trial in August/September. In either scenario, assuming that a conviction is achieved, the owners must then complete all the works set out in the Notice “as soon as is practicable” or they face a second prosecution where a much heavier level of fine can be imposed."

A2 widening There was concern that although there were drop-down kerbs on the slip roads, it would be dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists to cross.

Linear Activity Park Cllr Snelling said that although this was a huge and costly project, it was necessary to give the available space a real purpose because, no doubt it would be used indiscriminately if left as a stretch of undeveloped open country.

Primary School admissions problems were arising because not enough places were available at schools preferred by parents.

Manor Road Gravesend Kent County Council was not keen to put gates across to make this into a pedestrian road.

Finally, he said that KCC were being encouraged to review the license of an unnamed establishment (not in Cobham) which had been selling alcohol to underage drinkers.

Temporary bays opposite the Sole Street shop coupled with people parking outside the shop were causing problems with traffic going through Sole Street . Cllr Snelling would speak to the shop owner.

Cllr Mr Glenister said that double yellow line outside the shop affected people stopping outside the shop because of people’s perception of what they mean. It was not understood that the restrictions were the same in both cases. Cllr Mike Snelling said that he would pursue the matter but did not hold out any hope that Kent Highways would change things.

7 KALC MATTERS There had been no meeting since the last Cobham Parish Council meeting but one was expected soon.

Cllr Mr Glenister asked about the big notice outside “Owletts” with nothing on it. It was thought to be where Skanska posted their notices about diversion during the roadworks.

Cllr Mr Spree informed the meeting that the National Trust had arranged for the wall outside “Owletts" to be repaired and it would start June 9^th, taking about 4 weeks. During that time there would be a 4 way traffic control on the junction, including ingress and egress from “Owletts”.

Cllr Spree commented on the wear and tear that had appeared on The Street because of heavy traffic especially at the chicanes.

Cllr Mr Dyer said that some potholes had been repaired in Round Street but that the road needed a lot more attention. The Clerk said that she had been told by Kent Highways that the blitzing of potholes was their main priority and that other work would have to wait.

Cllr Dr Haig suggested that David Standen be asked to arrange the sweeping of Lodge Lane because the surface was in a mess. He also reported that a huge lorry had gouged a lump out of the bank where the daffodils grow. Trailers are carving tarry tracks in the surface where they make tight turns.

Cllr Mrs Ellis had attended the CPRE AGM and said that it was not well attended.

The Chairman spoke of the problem of the car parked at “Rosemount” and explained the situation to Cllr Mr Snelling.

On the proposition of Councillor Mr B Glenister and seconded by Councillor Dr N Haig the following payments were authorised:

As there was no further business, the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 9.25pm .