Minutes Annual Parish Meeting 2008

Birdham Parish Council

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 21st April 2008 at 7pm in Birdham Village Hall

Present: Cllr Tilbury; Cllr Ms Leach; Cllr Mrs Parks; Cllr Howat; Cllr Meynell; Cllr Ms Huskisson; Cllr Churchill

In attendance: The Clerk; a member of the press; 1 member of the public; County Cllr Daws-Chew; District Cllr Montyn
1-08ap To receive and approve the Minutes of the last Annual Parish meeting on 16th April 2007.
The Minutes of the 16th April 2007 were presented.
RESOLVED that the Minutes be APPROVED and signed by the Chairman.

2-08ap To receive the Annual Report of the Parish Council
The Chairman of the Parish Council gave a report on the work of the Council during the past year (see attached Appendix 1). The Clerk thanked the Chairman for his work during the year. The Neighbourhood Watch representative was unable to be present because of a funeral, but had sent a written report which the Clerk read out to the meeting.

3-08ap To receive the Council’s observations on its finances for the year
The Clerk reported that the balance at the beginning of the year (2007-8) as per the accounts was £41532. The balance as at 31st March 2008 was £38702, which no longer includes any sums held for the Village Hall as they were returned to the Village Hall Trust during the year.

4-08ap To receive the accounts of the Village Hall charity together with the comments of the Trustees and the Parish Council thereon.
The Secretary of the Village Hall Trust had sent a report which says their finances are healthy. There will be an open morning on May 17th to encourage residents and groups from local villages to make more use of the hall.

5-08ap To receive the observations of the County Councillor and the District Councillors for the Division in which the Parish is situated.
County Cllr Daws-Chew raised two issues. Many statutory bodies are going into a revised procedure whereby their powers are being withdrawn to Westminster. The Environment Agency will have elected members on their board, but will not make decisions. The government of the day will be the managers of this. Also the Sea Fisheries Authority. Coastal defences – individuals now have the ability to conduct soft engineering works to protect their own land if they can satisfy an independent inspectorate that their human rights are at risk. The Pitt Review will give considerable powers to County Councils and will be published in late June / early July.
District Cllr Montyn – CDC is the operating authority for coastal defence. There will be public exhibitions about the coastal situation. Drainage – District Council will have to rely on parish councils doing the surveys. With that in hand will be able to approach other councils and bodies. Planning department is very over-worked, especially the Enforcement section, but they work very well.

6-08ap To consider resolutions of which written notice has been given 7 days before the meeting. No resolutions had been made.

7-08ap to deal with any other business – drainage of the field – is it going to be progressed? The Council has had an estimate to drain the football pitch for £20000. The question is whether to drain the whole field or to re-think its use completely.

There being no other business, the Chairman closed the Meeting at 7.42pm