Durley Parish Council held its Monthly Parish Council Meeting on Tuesday 8th December, 2015 in the Ken Stainer Suite at Durley Memorial Hall, Durley. 6 Parish Councillors, County/District Councillor Humby, the Clerk – Mrs Anne Collins and PCSO Richard Nolan were in attendance, along with 5 parishioners.
Apologies were received from Cllr Pitter and District Councillor Ruffell.
County Councillor Humby said that Patrick Blogg has now been appointed by HCC to help achieve a faster broadband for Hampshire. CC Humby and other officers are meeting to discuss if the State Aid Rules can be challenged to enable a 3rd party to get involved in providing faster broadband.
Further quotes will be sought for the drainage on the Sawmills Green and Play Area. A decision will then be made as to whether the work is carried out all at once or in two phases.
Councillors and residents are still concerned about the parking at Beech Corner and at the end of Manor Road. Photographs have been taken by residents and these will be compiled and forwarded to HCC. CC Humby has also taken this up with HCC on our behalf. PCSO Nolan said that the Police will also help when they are covering this area.
Cllr Charles and the Clerk attended an Emergency Planning Workshop in Winchester and found it very interesting and informative. Durley is in the process of updating their Emergency Plan and were told at the Meeting that Plans should be kept as short and concise as possible so that it can be read quickly in an emergency situation. Flooding was discussed and areas which regularly flood were of concern to the Emergency Planning Team. Beech Corner properties are flooded on a regular basis so a visit was offered. This offer will be taken up to try and see if a resolution could be achieved. HCC have dug out the ditch along Durley Brook Road again, but Councillors are still not confident that this will stop the flooding into properties near Beech Corner. This problem has been going on for 9 years and Councillors agree that it is time it was sorted.
Cllr Delmege attended a School Meeting on behalf of Durley Parish Council and reported that the main issues discussed were the proposed lay-by and speeding vehicles. Clerk was asked to find out when the School Meetings are being held so that a Councillor is able to attend.
Cllr Burton said that the Durley Parish Plan is progressing and some of the issues raised are now being worked on. There will be a Public Meeting on Thursday 18th February, 2016 at 8.00 p.m. to update residents on the progress of the Plan, and then prepare for some of the Groups to be set up where there is still sufficient interest. The initial Groups will be the easy to set up Groups that need little or no financial support. Notices about the Meeting will be put on the village noticeboards and website. In line with requests in the Parish Plan the Village website will also be updated and given links to various organisations within the village. Durley Parish Council agreed to pay the set up cost and the yearly hosting fee. Ian Medd is plotting all the Durley road signs on a Map of Durley so that the Parish Plan Team can see which signs are actually needed and which ones are obsolete. Village entry signs are also being looked at.
CC Humby gave a Report saying that he has been working hard on rural broadband, rural Post Offices and highways issues. He is also meeting with Louise Hubble to discuss rural crime. CC Humby spoke about the Botley By-pass which looks as if it is going ahead.
A parishioner present asked the Parish Council if they were going to provide a memorial to Sir Jeremy Black who sadly passed away recently. A relative was also present who suggested that perhaps fruit trees could be planted on The Sawmills Green to replace the 3 trees which had died, or perhaps a wooden bench. It was pointed out that many families wish to have a memorial in the village and that this should be considered at a future Meeting.
A request from the Bus Company that comes through Durley was read out. They are asking if landowners along Durley Street/Durley Brook Road/Snakemoor Lane etc. could keep their hedges and bushes cut back from the roadside as some overhanging branches etc. are damaging their new buses. Councillors were concerned that if the hedges, trees, bushes are not cut back then the Bus Company might refuse to come through Durley, which would making travelling very difficult for those residents who rely on the bus service.
An e-mail was receiving expressing concern over the proposed School lay-by. Kirstie has now sent a revised Plan which is half the length of the previous proposal. Councillors were concerned about the proposal and wished to know who has been consulted from the village and what the results were of the consultation. Concern was also expressed that CC Humby had not been informed of the revised Plan until the Clerk forwarded him the details, especially as he has been working very hard on this project and has secured the funding required.
A large sign which has been erected in The Sawmills has received complaints and the Clerk has asked Persimmon Homes if the owner could remove it.
A Devolution Workshop on 1st March, 2016 in Winchester will be attended by Cllr Charles and the Clerk.
PCSO Nolan gave the Police Report and said that he hopes to attend the Parish Council Meetings quarterly as well as attend Events in the village. He has visited Durley Lunch Club recently to see the elderly residents of the village.
A Highways Report was given by Cllr Farr. Cllr Watts reported that a Contractor cleaning out the drains was outside her property at 4.00 a.m. with yellow flashing lights which woke everyone up. She asked if this was normal practice. Clerk will ask HCC Highways.
Cllr Charles has fitted the baby changing facilities into the disabled toilet at the Hall. Non-Hall rubbish was dumped into the Hall bin recently which filled the bin up. Councillors agreed that this is not acceptable and that the bin is to be used for Hall rubbish only. It is hoped that this will not happen again.
There being no further business the Chairman wished everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year and then declared the Meeting closed.
Anne Collins
Clerk to Durley Parish Council
durleypc@homecall.co.uk
