MINUTES – October 2023

RECEIVED:

Cr Henderson – North Radley Community Room, Radley Village Hall and Woodlands Defibrillator.

Cr McDermott – North Radley Community Room.

Cr Johnston – Radley Village Hall

Cr Crowley – Radley Village Shop and Radley Lakes

1.     Gooseacre:

i.         NOTED that the project group had visited Cholsey village hall to gain feedback on their heating solution. Investigations ongoing into options most suitable for Radley Village Hall.

ii.         RESOLVED Cr Crowley to research into hiring a professional grant funder.

iii.         RESOLVED that the Clerk and Cr Johnston to research feasibility of the Parish Council becoming a managing trustee to the Village Hall committee.

iv.         NOTED that the Parish Council cannot apply for grants on behalf of the village hall, as the grant application must be the lease holder. that VAT can only be claimed back if grants are submitted by the Parish Council.

v.         NOTED: Costs and funding of the Village Hall plan to be reviewed at the Finance and Administration meeting on the 9^th November 2023.

2.     Lawns Community Building:

i.         RESOLVED: Redrow confirmed that the land will become available to Radley Parish Council from the 1^st July 2024, and will help with the landscaping. They will confirm date in writing to the council.

ii.         NOTED: Redrow plan to complete all build at The Lawns by the end of 2024, and the footpath by spring 2024.

iii.         RESOLVED that councillors will confirm to the clerk availability to attend a zoom call between Rotunda CEO, the Clerk, and councillors.

iv.         RESOLVED: The Parish Council to formally write to VoWH (Cr Andrew Crawford) regarding if the number of occupations provided by the developers is correct. Concerns money due from section 106 is being held back.

3.     Cemetery extension:

Re-using Graves –

i.         NOTED that no response has yet been received from the consultant asking if he can advise on potential cost of reusing graves and quote for reports which may be required by the Environment Agency desktop audit.

ii.         RESOLVED that the Clerk to contact PCC to discuss next steps to progress this potential option.

4.     Road safety around the school: None

5.     Radley Lakes:  None

6.     Drainage issues Lower Radley: None

7.     Welcome Leaflets: NOTED: A request for more copies to be produced would go to the November Development Steering Group meeting.

8.     Primary School:

i.         NOTED the school lettings policy for information. The school confirm that they plan to actively market the school hall for lettings and will accept a wide range of activities.

ii.         APPROVED: The Parish Council agreed that the school can place a temporary banner roadside of the railings by the village pond.

1.     NW Radley (Church Farm): None

2.     South Kennington (The Lawns):

·       APPROVED: P23/V2220/S73 Solar panel planning permission.

1. Old Coalyard: The enforcement notice for the Old Coal Yard is now almost ready for serving.
2. ROMP: None
3. Terrafirma: Council to put some pressure to VoWH to carry out the necessary action.

i.         NOTED that the quote for repairs to Barrow Hills skate park has been forwarded to the District Council.

ii.         NOTED that the VOWH own Barrow Hills and has put forward the suggestion of Radley Parish to financially contribute towards the refurbishment of the skate park.

iii.         NOTED that the Radley Parish CIL money is over committed, and there is no money available to contribute towards this.

·       RESOLVED: Scrutiny and acceptance of the bank statements and reconciliation were confirmed. The chairman confirmed this by signing the reconciliation

·       NOTED the budget updates.

·       The Council acknowledged scrutiny of the invoices for payment in October 2023. Proposed by Cr Cook and seconded by Cr Barnfather. The chairman confirmed this by signing the cashbook.

·       RESOLVED, and approved that the accounts as itemised on the monthly cashbook for October should be paid.

·       RECEIVED, read, and noted the report and findings of the External Auditor

·       RESOLVED to move part of the reserves into a Barclays Treasury Fund.

·       NOTED that Radley College own the Gooseacre ditch and they have cleared it.

·       APPROVED to apply for the British Heart Foundation grant for a defibrillator and accept the conditions that apply with the grant.

·       NOTED that there is no guarantee Radley Parish will be successful for the grant request.

·       NOTED the play area report which highlights a few areas need attention and they may be costs for this in the future.

1.     VAT claim to 30/9/2023 submitted & received (£3608.13)

2.     Bulbs ordered for the Lower Radley turn.

3.     2024 Audit first part booked for 18th December.

4.     Cr Henderson is putting in a new request to view the financial account information for Woodlands and Pebble Hill under the Freedom of Information Act. Advised Cr Andrew Crawford would be a useful contact.

1.     Please note that the slip roads in Kennington off the by-pass will be closed overnight from 20.30 pm to 05.00 am from the 7th of November to the 11th.  This will impact road travel from Radley on the A34 who will be confined in this respect to the slip off the A4183 Northbound and will have to use the Abingdon slip South bound.

2.     The enforcement notice for the Old Coal Yard is now almost ready for serving.

3.     I am about the have a conversation with the County Highway Officers about the continued flooding in Sandford Lane.

4.     The County now has the full funding for the Lodge Hill slips and it is hope that work will commence “next summer”.

1.     Lodge Hill project has been fully funded. The scheme has been awarded £17.33 million of government funding from Homes England’s Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land (BIL) fund. Radley (and Kennington) traffic calming projects are separated from Lodge Hill budget, however, PM told us that he has the budget in place, so, we expect those will move forward too.

2.     Brown bin subscribers can leave out extra garden waste. Residents who are subscribed to the district council brown bin garden waste service in South Oxfordshire or the Vale of White Horse can have extra garden waste collected for free, on their normal collection day only, between 30 October and 10 November. Householders will be able to put out a maximum of up to four additional sacks of garden waste, per brown bin subscription, next to their brown bin. To be eligible for collection, the extra waste must go in standard sized (60L) sacks and should only contain natural garden waste such as cut grass, plants or branches.  Alternatively, it can be placed in boxes / containers totalling no more than a standard bin full.

3.     Comment on Oxfordshire’s health and wellbeing strategy. A partnership across the county has worked on a strategy that gives power to our communities to help deliver what is needed to support people to make healthy choices, live independently and stay happier and healthier for longer – you can contribute here https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/health-wellbeing

4.     BMX Track. The quotations were passed to the Cllr Crawford, Cabinet member – Finance, and his question was if Radley PC might consider contributing some cost towards BMX repair.

·       RECEIVED the comments made by the survey respondents.

·       APPROVED the County items to be forwarded to Oxfordshire City Council.

·       DEFERRED to review and discuss the items listed for the Parish to deal with.

− Routine checks and inspections – litter picks, playground checks, air-sweeping playground and pathways. Cleanliness of benches. Functionality of AEDs and SIDs. Tree inspection.

− Cleared moss from under play equipment.

− Organised and transported loaned litter picking equipment to Girl Guides

Leader and back.

− Village hall car park and path swept.

− Gooseacre pavement and road cleared of willow leaves.

− Overgrowth cut back and pavement swept outside the burial ground.

− Cut out dead and overgrown bushes near the bins in the burial ground.

− Cleared burial ground green waste to brown bin.

− Edged out mini meadow with RC boys. Adjusted cut and hand-swept and air-swept afterwards.

− Edged out St James Terrace verges with RC boys and cleaned up afterwards

− Pruned brambles in Gooseacre.

− Marked up defective pavement and scheduled contractor repairs via FMS.

− Pruned vegetation obscuring road signs.

− Cut back the tree obscuring the SID solar panel on Kennington Road.

− Monitored the standard of contractor grass cutting.

− Reviewed areas that were deep cleansed by Vale contractors.

− Lower Radley check.

·       APPROVED to forward to OCC resident’s request for speed limit change “Church Lane” off Oxford Road Lodge Hill, Radley from national speed limit to 30mph:

·       NOTED: Outside a County Council scheme, OCC would look to the Parish Council to fund the amendment. The speed limit reduction on Kennington Road was instigated by the Parish Council and funded by Radley College at c.£5,000.

·       NOTED A job number C114682 has been raised with Sovereign to clear the rubbish and make the area safer at the derelict garage behind 9-11 Stonhouse Crescent.

·       Sugworth Lane traffic calming agreed. RESOLVED D.Cr Lugova to share the latest plans to the Clerk.

·       Whites Lane – RESOLVED: The Clerk to write to OCC and Councillor Andrew Gant to chase the county legal team to approve the Whites Lane junction.

1.     NOTED Low water pressure was first reported in June. Thames water have attended numerous times but have failed to identify or resolve the problem causing low water pressure. They have reseated the meter and installed a stopcock outside the allotment site and now contend that the problem must be inside the site and is the Council’s responsibility.

2.     NOTED A plumber has been asked to attend and see if they can identify the problem and provide a recommendation and quote for work to resolve the problem.

3.     RESOLVED that the council to seek advice on the stability of the remaining wall and depending on their recommendations bring forward quotes for remedial action to a future meeting.

4.     NOTED that the renewals for the allotments are completed, and that the unused allotments will be sub-divided and offered to the waiting list.

·       RESOLVED that the Clerk to find out if planning permission is required to site a storage container on Parish Council owned land beside the garages in Spinneys Close

·       DEFERRED considering a quote for disposal of soil and grass raked out of the area to Novembers Parish Council meeting.

·       Cemetery

·       Mini Meadow

·       Allotments – water and wall

• Finance and Administration Committee meeting: 9th November at 7.30pm
• Development Steering Group meeting: 16th November at 7pm
• Planning committee: 23rd November at 7pm if needed.
• Ordinary Parish Council meeting: 23rd November at 7.30pm

All to be held in the Church Room.