ENVIRONMENT AND AMENITIES COMMITTEE MEETING
Lytchett Matravers Parish Council
Minutes of the meeting held on Monday, July 6th 2015, in the Village hall, Vineyard Close, Lytchett Matravers at 7.00p.m.
PRESENT: Cllrs E Wilson, (Committee Chairman), R Carswell, A Huggins, K Norris, A Cottman, A Bush, M Colvey and Mr T Watton (Parish Clerk). One member of the public was also present.
1. APOLOGIES. Cllr Taylor gave his apologies.
2. Election of Committee Chairman and Vice Chairman.
It was proposed that Cllr Wilson continue as chairman of the Environment and Amenities Committee. She confirmed that she was willing to stand, and in the absence of any other proposals she was duly appointed.
It was proposed that Cllr Cottman serve as Vice Chairman of the Environment and Amenities committee. He confirmed that he was willing to stand, and in the absence of any other proposals he was duly appointed.
3. Receipt of Chair and Vice Chair acceptance of office.
The Parish Clerk advised that he would prepare the necessary forms and email them to Councillors Wilson and Cottman to print out sign and return. Action: Parish Clerk to prepare the necessary forms accordingly.
4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
Mr Young provided his first report of independent monitoring of the condition of the allotments. He reported that the following allotments appear to have had a little activity – 29, 35, 39, 40, and 53. The Parish Clerk confirmed that he would review the rental of these and write to the plot holders. Action: Parish Clerk to write to the allotment holders accordingly. Mr. Young also confirmed that he would be willing to carry out the judging of the plots for this year’s best kept allotment award which is presented at the annual flower and produce show in August. The members of the council thanked him for his willingness to undertake this work.
5. MINUTES OF ENVIRONMENT AND AMENITIES COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 11th May 2015. It was RESOLVED to accept the minutes as a true record, and they were signed by the Chairman.
6. MATTERS ARISING AND ACTON POINT UPDATE.
Minute 6, 1st September 2014 – Recreation Ground: Litter bin near skate park. The Parish Clerk reported that the bin had been delivered to the Village handyman for installation. CARRIED FORWARD
Minute 6, 1st September 2014 – MUGA: damaged pitch fence. It was agreed that this matter needs to be pursued with the Sports Club urgently. Cllr Cottman to raise it with the Sports Club to avoid further deterioration. CARRIED FORWARD.
Minute 6, 1st September 2014 – MUGA: damage to pitch (split seam). It is understood that the Sports Club is awaiting dry weather to lift the Astro pitch in order to bond it. Given that the importance of this matter, Cllrs Colvey and Cottman indicated that they would invite Mike Fudge, Secretary of the Sports Club, to a Full Council meeting to report on both this and that the matter of the damaged pitch fence. Action: Cllrs Colvey and Cottman to speak to Mike Fudge accordingly.
Minute 6, 1st September 2014 – Footpaths / Jubilee Walk – communication to footpath users about the risks to farm animals from dog faeces: it was noted that no article has yet been produced for the Lytchett link. It was felt that there is an opportunity to request Claire Lees to prepare something which could be used in the Lytchett Link. The intended article is hoped to offer three different viewpoints (i) agricultural / farmer (ii) sports and leisure (iii) residential. Cllr Cottman will seek input on this from Mike Fudge, and also find a resident willing to give their view. Action: cllr Cottman to pursue this accordingly
Minute 6, 3rd November 2014 – Other Open Spaces – overgrown brambles at corner of Huntick Rd and Huntick Estate: it was understood thatCllr Taylor would take this up with his contact at Synergy Housing. However the brambles are still present. Action: Cllr Taylor to approach synergy housing about this. In the meantime Cllr Bush indicated that he would strim the area.
Minute 6, 5th January 2015 – Recreation Ground – longer term plan to prevent unauthorised access of vehicles onto the Recreation Ground. It was agreed that this matter would now be handled as an independent project reported to Full Council and is therefore discharged from this committee. Action: Cllrs Carswell and Cottman to report progress via Full Council. In addition, and to address the concerns expressed by the Village Hall Committee, Cllr Carswell indicated that he would attend the Village Hall committee meeting on the 7th July to appraise them of the risk of incursion and the options to prevent that. Action: Cllr Carswell to attend the Village Hall committee meeting accordingly.
Minute 8, 2nd March 2015 – Correspondence, Damaged Fingerpost High Street – Cllr Norris reported that a quotation of £900 had been obtained. It is assumed that the community would not wish to spend this amount of money to restore a fingerpost and therefore other options are being considered.
Minute 6, 11th May 2015: Allotments, dog nuisance. The Parish Clerk had indicated that he would write a short article for allotment holders requesting that dogs at the allotments be kept under control; and also pointing out the dangers of dog fouling in proximity with crops being grown for human consumption. Action: Parish Clerk to prepare an article.
Minute 6, 11th May: Foxhills Open Space – Investigation of cost of installing kissing gates or other suitable barriers to each end of Willow Walk. The Parish Clerk confirmed that he would seek costs for this.
7. OPEN SPACES.
Recreation ground / car park. The Parish Clerk reported that the Annual ROSPA Safety Inspection report had been received. He explained the report categories, and stressed that no items deemed to be immediately actionable had been identified. It was agreed that Cllrs Wilson and Huggins would work with the Parish Clerk to review the items in the report. Action: Parish Clerk to forward a copy of the report to Cllrs Wilson and Huggins.
Cllr Norris commented that when carrying out the recent litter pick he had noticed that the High Street Car Park is untidy. The following were mentioned and contractors, etc, identified to action them:
- Grass and weeds growing at the edges of the tarmac – spraying or digging out to be arranged by Steve Mills
- High St hedge needs to be cut – Dave Warr
- Considerable litter around car park – Terry Homer
- Check of Dolly Posts and replace any missing – Terry Homer
- Overgrown vegetation – Steve Mills.
Cllr Norris also reported that at the south eastern corner of the Recreation Ground playing field some tree branches had been dumped – Terry Homer to remove them.
It was also noted that the London Plane Tree planted on behalf of the Twinning Association has died. Action: (i) Parish Clerk to speak to Steve Mills to identify whether another part of the hedge may be a better location for any replacement tree. (ii) Once (i) is identified, then the Parish Clerk to speak to Woodlands Nurseries about a replacement.
Row Park Paddock. Nothing to report.
Allotments.
a) The Parish Clerk reported that there are three names on the waiting list.
b) Concerns have been expressed about the effect the overhanding trees from Dyetts Wood are having on plots under them. The Parish Clerk is to contact the PDC Tree Officer to see what is permissible to do about overhanging branches. Action: Parish Clerk to contact the PDC Tree Officer.
Memorial Green/War Memorial. Nothing to report.
Cemetery. A new section of the cemetery is to be set out during July.
Club Hall. Nothing to report
Hedges and Ditches. An update was provided on the efforts to get PDC and Synergy to resolve their long standing dispute over responsibility for the hedge between Wareham Rd and the gardens of houses in Prospect Rd.
The Parish Clerk advised that he had a standard letter asking residents with overgrowing garden hedges overhanging pavements to get them cut. Members were encouraged to provide the Parish Clerk with address details of such properties so that letters can be sent.
Foxhills Open Space:
- Willow Walk (Deans Drove path) is in need of brambles being trimmed back. Action: Parish Clerk to speak to the contractors.
- General maintenance: It was noted that the grass has been cut. A question was asked about tree trimming. The Parish Clerk advised that this is done on particular request (other than where they obscure the footpaths) rather than as a matter of routine. He asked for the detailed locations of any tree growth blocking footpaths.
MUGA. The Parish Clerk indicated that he would query with the Village Handyman regarding the installation of the litter bin. Action: Parish Clerk to contact Terry Homer accordingly.
Footpaths. Cllr Taylor has written to John Willamson, Rights of Way Officer at DCC, about removal of the fallen tree on Jubilee Walk.
Other open spaces. Nothing further to report.
8. Proposal for maintenance of Landers Reach “Roundabouts”.
It was agreed that the volunteers identified by Cllr Huggins would need to be given a Health & Safety briefing similar to that for litter picking volunteers and that a written record would need to be kept of this. The Parish Clerk confirmed that he would check with the Council’s insurers to verify that these volunteers will be covered for public liability under the Council’s insurance. Action: Parish Clerk to check and respond to Cllr Huggins accordingly.
9. Progress update on Risk Assessment of physical assets.
Cllr Bush remarked that it is important that the identified risks are managed. With this in mind he wondered what work might be done on the faulty benches he had identified. The Parish Clerk stated that he would pass the details of these to a local contractor to invite a quotation for repair or (where necessary) removal. Action: Parish Clerk to write to the contractor accordingly.
10. Village litter pick.
Cllr Norris remarked that the main problem areas continue to be Wimborne Rd and Lockyers way. However, in total considerably less litter was collected this time….indicating that the litter picking sessions are working. The next litter pick will be on 10th October 2015. Notices need to be prepared for this.
11. CORRESPONDENCE.
Cllr Colvey commented that for some years the Parish Council had been arguing with Dorset County Council for the safe cycle route to Lytchett Minster school along Huntick road. Dorset County Council had dismissed the most recent campaign for this after a site visit. They had stressed that it was far too costly. It had recently been discovered that the costing for this was based on this route being fully lit. A further argument was that insufficient land at the side of Huntick Road was not available for a cycleway / footpath. Instead, Dorset County Council had argued that the recognised safe route to Lytchett Minster School was along at Stafford Row – a bridleway commencing halfway down Foxhills Lane – and through the woods to join the road at Post Green. A recent conversation with Claire Lees, who owns Race Farm, revealed that she is concerned that there is no route along Huntick Road which is safe to use to get to Lytchett Minster school. She agrees that this should be the route, and is working privately on the matter, based around traffic surveys. With the support of this main landowner, one possibility to successfully progress the matter is to ask all landowners along the route if they would be prepared to release a three metre strip of land adjacent to the road which the path / cycleway could be located on. Cllr Colvey indicated that he would circulate Claire Lees’ email on this matter and would seek to involve her and County Cllr Drane in a renewed campaign for this route to school.
12. MATTERS OF INTEREST AND INFORMATION.
There were none.
The meeting closed at 8.45pm.