2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST  There were none.

3 APPROVAL OF LAST MONTH’S MINUTES
The Minutes were approved and signed by the Chairman as a true and accurate record of last month’s meeting.

4 QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM PARISHIONERS    There were none.

5 COUNTY/DISTRICT COUNCILLOR
Mr Little reported a fairly quiet period. The Chief Executive of the County Council has retired and they are currently looking for a replacement. The new administration has brought in a recruitment freeze for six months so anyone who leaves will not be replaced.

Mrs Goodland asked Mr Little if he could speak to Highways about the problem outside the new terrace on the High Street where large puddles are forming. This happened when the roadway was patched and then resurfaced and the water cannot flow away to the drain. Despite this being raised several times by the Clerk nothing had happened. He agreed to look into this matter.

Mr Templeman mentioned that hedges were overgrown on The Avenue and it was suggested that the Clerk speak to Chris Cooper to include this in the deep clean operation they will be carrying out soon in the village.

Mr Lewis reported that starting in November the District Council will be providing a green waste service for anyone who wants it. It is thought the cost will be £45 to £60 per annum. They are still trying to work out the final details of the programme but it is thought it will be on a fortnightly basis. They are still looking to see if cardboard and plastic can be collected in the recycling service.

Mrs Goodland raised the matter of the sign that has gone up at the junction of Wolfester Terrace stating that Ford Bros are starting work on the footpath etc. It was confirmed that they have been contracted by Highways to carry out this work and it was agreed that the Clerk contact Scott Davies to enquire why we had not been informed this work was going to be carried out as it is causing chaos for parking.

6 HIGHWAYS
Mr Tuck asked if the Clerk could contact Highways to trim back around the village sign on the old A303 so it is visible.

7 LOCAL PLAN/VILLAGE DESIGN   Nothing to report.

8 CRIME/NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
PC Pepper said there were 12 calls to the police in August which is the same number as in 2008. There were 8 incidents in Sparkford that required attention which is a reduction of 25% over 2008 and this included Hazelgrove Services.

PCSO Thelma Mead reported she had attended her beat surgery at the Evergreen Club meeting in August. She also had the information required on regulations for quad bikes which she handed to the Clerk for circulation. She reported that there will be a theatre group putting on an event regarding bogus callers in October and she had circulated leaflets in Green Close. It is a free event but people have to call to book their tickets. Mrs Goodland asked if flyers could be circulated in the High Street as there were a number of elderly people living there. PCSO Mead confirmed that for anyone not at the September Evergreen Club meeting she would hand deliver the leaflet.

Mr Braithwaite confirmed that there is on-going vandalism in the playing field and was there any chance of a surprise visit on a Friday night when the underage group are there drinking etc. PCSO Mead confirmed she would try to work this around her shifts and also requested that each incident is reported.

The Clerk reported she had received an email from Mr & Mrs Walton from Long Hazel Caravan Park complaining that last month’s Parish Council Minutes had reported that "rowdy nuisance behaviour" was connected with the Long Hazel Caravan Park and, in fact, this was not the case as it was a party held on private land at the rear of the new terrace of houses on the High Street. They asked that the record be put straight in the next Parish News (although it had not been reported in any Parish Newsletter) and that they were owed an apology.

This referred to the report the Clerk read out from PCSO Thelma Mead as she had been unable to attend the August meeting. It did not state that the rowdy nuisance behaviour was at the caravan site but that they had reported it. When any matter is reported at a Parish Council Meeting the Clerk has to note this in the Minutes and they are not allowed to be altered unless by a consensus of Councillors at the next meeting.

PCSO Mead confirmed she had emailed Mr & Mrs Walton about this matter and Mr Crawford said he would telephone them.

9 PLANNING DECISIONS
Two planning decisions have been received:

· 09/02817/COU – Use of land for the stationing of a vehicle for the sale of hot food and drink. Lay-by A303 Hazelgrove Roundabout to Chapel Cross Eastbound. REFUSED

· 09/02559/TPO – Application to fell and carry out tree surgery works to various trees shown as being within woodland W1 of the SSDC Tree Preservation Order 2007. Hazelgrove Lodge, High Street, Sparkford. GRANTED

10 PLANNING APPLICATIONS
Two planning applications have been received:

· 09/03169/ADV - Renewal of application 04/01315/ADV for projecting illuminated sign. Mr A Walton, Long Hazel International Camping & Caravan Park, High Street, Sparkford.

· 09/02131/TPO - Application to carry out tree surgery works to hornbeam tree in Ainstey Drive. Mr K Templeman, 22 Church Road, Sparkford

On this last application Mr Templeman said he had contacted the Electricity Board who said they were unable to do anything about the overhanging branches. He has a letter of permission to carry out this work from the Ainstey Drive Residents’ Association.

11 MATTERS ARISING
a) McDonalds
Mr Lewis reported that the road markings will happen when the new road works being carried out at the moment are completed. He has asked Streetscenes to reduce the height of the hedge and trim it back. He doesn’t want this to be part of the deep clean as McDonalds and Spar should be paying for this work to be carried out.

b) Dog bins
The Clerk confirmed she and Mr Bourke had a very informative meeting with Chris Cooper at the SSDC offices at Lufton in regard to installing a new dog bin by the electricity sub station. The problem Streetscenes are having is that more and more villages want to install dog bins and waste bins and yet they do not have any more staff, vehicles or the collection capacity. What he did suggest is that as a temporary measure we move the litter bin by the bus stop opposite the Church Road junction down to the new site and this can be used for both dog and general litter. After a period of monitoring we can decide if we still feel the need for a bin by the bus stop or if it is sufficient to have the one by the sub station. Mr Cooper also confirmed that his department would do the ground works involved in moving the bin. It was agreed that the Clerk contact him to get the bin moved and we will look at this again in the future.

The Clerk also had a discussion about the grass area on the corner of Wolfester Terrace and also the small area in the new footpath at the junction of Church Road. Currently these areas are the responsibility of Highways although all other areas in Sparkford are dealt with by Streetscenes. As has been discussed in the past the area by Wolfester Terrace causes a serious visibility hazard and we have had problems getting it cut. Mr Cooper indicated he would have no problem in including these areas along with the rest of Sparkford as long as Highways were in agreement. With the help of Mr Little, the Clerk has now had this agreed with Highways. This will make everything much clearer in the future as only one body will have responsibility for cutting in the village.

12 PAYMENT OF ACCOUNTS
a) Clerk’s Salary & Expenses
The Clerk’s salary of £132.94 and expenses of £7.50 were approved.

13 CORRESPONDENCE
a) Parish Workshop - Dog Control Orders – Wednesday 4.11.09
The Clerk had circulated these details and Mr Tuck had confirmed he wished to attend this workshop. The Clerk will confirm his attendance.

b) Request for the annual grant - St Mary Magdalene Church
All Councillors agreed to pay the annual grant of £100.

c) Request for the annual grant Sparkford Playing Field Association
All Councillors agreed to pay the annual grant of £100.

14 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Larry Piper thanked Mike Lewis for helping with the licensing of the hog roast and live band event held recently. In total £2,500 was raised for the Air Ambulance.

15 QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM PARISHIONERS
It was reported that the Wolfester Terrace footpath sign was again overgrown. The Clerk will contact Peter Keenleyside, SSDC Ranger, to deal with this. It was also reported that the Montgomery’s had again ploughed to the edge of the field. The Clerk will report this to Peter Keenleyside at the same time.

16 QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM COUNCILLORS    There were none.

17 ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA
It was agreed to put McDonalds on the next Agenda.

18 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Monday, 5^th October 2009.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.15pm
KB/08/09/09