1.

Welcome

Chair Cllr James welcomed those present and thanked them for coming.  

2.

Declarations of Interest

None reported.

3.

Minutes

A copy of the minutes for the last meeting held on 14^th February 2008 were submitted, approved and duly signed by Cllr James. 

4.

Matters arising from the minutes of the last meeting

None.

5.

Finance

The Clerk distributed the Parish Council’s spreadsheet to the Council members with details of the Council’s financial accounts and transactions for February 2008.  

The Clerk discussed the fact that the audit of the accounts will be due in April 2008 and it was decided that the Clerk should ask the previous auditor to ascertain whether they would be willing to undertake the task for the current year.

Clerk

6.

Parish Emergency Exercise

After a short discussion regarding the Parish Emergency Exercise for 2008 it was decided that the Parish Council should take part in this exercise.  Cllr James to organise.

Cllr James

7.

Core Strategy – Preferred Options – Salisbury District Council

This was discussed in depth together with audience input and especially with regard to its impact on Firsdown.  It was agreed that every resident should be made aware of the Strategy and it was agreed that a mail shot should be planned and delivered with inclusions of the relevant sections pertaining to Firsdown.  A separate meeting of the Parish Council was agreed in order to organise this with delivery of the mail shot planned before Easter.  The Parish Council asked Bill Moss why there appeared to be a delay in informing the Parish Council of the Strategy and asked that he enquire with SDC whether it would be possible to extend the consultation date from 11^th April to a further two weeks.

All Cllr’s

Cllr Moss

8.

Report from Cllr Edgeley from the Southern Area Committee meeting held on 28^th February

Cllr Edgeley gave a brief update on his attendance at this meeting on behalf of the Parish Council.  Richard Munro who has been appointed as Project Manager for Parish and Town Council delegation and whose job is to consult with Parish and Town Councils across the county with regard to what functions may be delegated under the new authority was open to questions at the meeting.

9.

Parish Plan Steering Group

Meetings are continuing to take place and the collation of data and information is being carried out.

10.

Play area surface repair

After a discussion of the condition of the play area surface and necessary repairs that need to be made, it was decided that the Clerk should apply, on behalf of the Parish Council, for a SWAG grant from SDC for the replacement of the play area rubber tiles with a wet pour surface.

Thanks were given to Cllr Simcock for his recent temporary repairs to the play area surface.

The Clerk was asked to obtain a current copy of the R2 funds available to the Parish Council in order that they consider using the funds to place an alternative surface in the basketball area of the teenage play area.

Clerk

Clerk

11.

2008 Music Fayre

Notification was given that the 2008 Music Fayre would be a two day event to be held on 12^th and 13^th July with a Saturday evening extension of the hours between 7-10pm.  The toilet facilities are to be paid with the monies received from the 2007 entrance donations.  Cllr James agreed to take photographs on behalf of the organisers of the event.

12.

Highways and Footpaths

Byway – TRO.  Following a discussion at the last meeting and a request that the Clerk should contact the Highways Agency to ask if it would be possible for a Traffic Regulation Order be assigned to the Roman Road, a reply email from the WCC Rights of Way Officer was read aloud and discussed.  The Clerk was asked to email PC Amanda Warren to alert her to the response and to ask if anything further could be done.

A letter which the Parish Council had received from a member of the public regarding the Roman Road was read out.

The Parish Council’s re-iterated its concern is that a right of way is maintained, but that the disputes raised by certain residents are boundary ones and should be dealt with as recorded.

Notices have now been received from WCC stating that “No Horses” are allowed on the permissive path from No 99 Firs Road to the woods.  Notices will be placed in due course and in addition on Footpath 4.

Clerk

13.

Planning

• S/2008/191 – Full application – replace bay window with front extension to square up bedroom – the Parish Council had no objection to this application.

The Clerk was asked to email Cllr Bill Moss a copy of the Parish Council December email request that the Council asked Cllr Moss and Devine to bring planning application S/2007/2369 – 24 Firs Road, Firsdown – Full application – extension to house including extensions to roof to form first floor accommodation to the attention of the Southern Area Committee at the December meeting as it had not been done so.

Clerk

14.

Correspondence

• SDC – Community Initiatives – Race for Life – notification of 2008 race on Sunday 29^th June.
• SDC – Environmental Services – Skip grants for 2008.  After a short discussion it was decided to proceed with the skip grant for a compactor vehicle.  In the first instance Cllr Simcock agreed ask a local landowner for permission to site the compactor vehicle on an alternative site as opposed to the 2007 site.
• Email from B Richards read aloud and discussed.  It was decided to add the Mobile Library opening times to the Firsdown website.

Cllr Simcock

15.

Any other business

Cllr Simcock reported that he had spoken to a resident in Ilynton Avenue regarding an overgrown hedge.

Following on from the last meeting where the Clerk asked the Council whether it would be possible to move the date of the Parish Council meeting, the Clerk was asked to enquire with Cllr Moss to ascertain if he could attend on either a Monday or Wednesday in the first week of the month without causing any problems with District Councillor responsibilities. 

The Clerk was asked to write a thank you letter to the Highways Agency to thank them for the recent path re-surfacing exercise.

Clerk

Clerk

16.

Questions or points from the floor

None.