Minutes of Hartley Parish Council - 14 October 2002

Index

Accounts 2001/2
Agendas
Cliffe Airport
Downs Valley - proposed telephone mast
Gorsewood
Health and Safety
Highways
Northfield
Police
Rectory Meadow
Staff - concerns expressed over actions of clerk
Youth

Present

Cllr Gaywood (chairman); Cllrs Mrs Tucker, Mrs Coutts, Newins, Barnett, Glover (also Sevenoaks District Councillor), Modell.

Mrs Hoad (clerk); Cllr Tucker (KCC); Cllr Bailey (SDC); 14 members of the public

Apologies

(minute taker not present)

1 Members' Interests

(minute taker not present). Later in the meeting Cllr Glover declared a personal interest in Manor Field and Strutt and Parker, Cllr Gaywood objected to this. Cllr Modell said he doubted he had an interest in Strutt and Parker as it was old history. Cllr Mrs Tucker also declared an interest in Gorsewood.

2 Minutes

Agreed with one amendment proposed by Cllr Modell, that he had made a request to go to the District Auditor, not the internal auditor.

3 Accounts 2001/2

Mrs Hoad reported on meeting with internal auditor. He made one correction to the accounts and agreed with Cllr Modell that a note regarding the written off books should be put on the agenda.

4 Health and Safety

Cllr Modell read out statement following the course he attended, highlighting where he thought the council were failing to follow proper procedures.

Cllr Gaywood thought report "strange". Mrs Hoad said the books she had not got were out of print, Cllr Modell said he asked her to get the latest edition. Cllr Gaywood said Standards Board told him Cllr Modell had not sent the report to them. Cllr Mrs Tucker thought it a "slur". Cllr Mrs Coutts referred to £250 spent already on H&S on Churchyard and the bench there moved. Cllr Modell referred to work he said was needed on Manor Field and has not been done. Cllr Sewell said he would never be satisfied. Cllr Gaywood said it was "not a valid report", just an attack on the council.

5 Cllr Modell's letter to Mrs Hoad and agenda items

This was a "private and confidential" letter which she circulated to all councillors. She read out a reply but they would not read out the original letter in spite of his request. Mrs Hoad said

• he had caused her to resign from the council before.
• on the question of books she said Mr Gibbons had returned his books but she had not issued a receipt for them. Didn't recall his suggestion. No interests have been declared about the books.
• His request for matters to be put on agenda at July meeting was not done because it was not in writing (Standing Order 17)
• She doesn't have to record public questions and said she was out of the room when Mrs Deacon asked her question in July. She said she has apologised for this omission.
• His request for Matters Arising to be included on the agenda is not allowed under standing orders. She is advised not to include Any Other Business on the agenda.
• She denied any knowledge of the international phone call on the bill, and has asked BT to investigate.
• On the failure to supply Cllr Modell a copy of the newsletter for comment before going to print, she said "it was not possible" this time.
• On failure to send him a copy of a letter about the Downs Valley Telephone Mast after he had requested it, she said no-one had ordered her to do this. He could come and see the file in the office.
• Disability Discrimination Act - she copied a little and told councillors to look up the rest on the web.

She ended by stating she had replied "honestly" and "openly", and was taking action through her trade association (Local Clerks Society). If council is not satisfied they can take disciplinary action.

Cllr Gaywood angrily called Cllr Modell's action as "scandalous" and he fully supports the clerk in everything she does. She is supposed to be an expert in everything, could be paid 10 times elsewhere. Cllrs Mesdames Tucker and Coutts agreed. Cllr Sewell thought they ought to be careful, she is protected by employment law. He suggested a meeting between the chairman, vice chairman, clerk and Cllr Modell to search for a way forward. Cllr Bailey was asked to speak, he said that he would have "kicked Cllr Modell from the council" if this had been Sevenoaks, claiming he was out of order. Cllr Modell then listed a number of other matters the clerk had not attended to.

Cllr Modell said from the information on the telephone bills supplied it appears that 2 weeks a year of the clerk's time is spent on the phone to Ash Council. Mrs Hoad said the cost was not unreasonable. Cllr Modell said it stopped parishioners phoning in. Cllr Glover asked where the itemised bills for the last two quarters were. Mrs Hoad said "well that's the way BT send in their accounts". Cllr Glover asked whether she had asked them to do this? Shouldn't the cost be billed to the Northfield Management Committee?

On the newsletter, Cllr Modell reminded them they had agreed to 5 days' notice to be given to councillors and asked for the question of delegated powers to the editors sorted out. He was supported by Cllrs Mrs Tucker and Sewell.

See also public question below.

6 Northfield

They agreed to pay £4,320 to Four Seasons for fencing works on Northfield. Cllr Glover asked why a JCB was seen on the land, nothing in the minutes on it. Cllr Barnett said it was there to fill in a collapsed dene hole. See also Strutt and Parker below.

7 Matters Arising and Any Other Business

Cllr Glover asked for these to be restored to the agenda. Cllr Newins said without this it is difficult to discuss urgent matters. Cllrs Mrs Tucker and Barnett said it was illegal, to which Cllr Glover asked was she saying that Ash Parish Council are acting illegally! Cllr Sewell had "some sympathy". Cllr Gaywood said he was trying to get items of Northfield agendas.

8 Strutt and Parker

As a result of a letter from Mr Gronow, they are going to put the correspondence with Strutt and Parker in the Library. Cllr Mrs Tucker wanted them to vote on this but Cllr Sewell reminded her it was already agreed to do this. Cllr Modell wanted to know how long Mr Gronow had been waiting for this information and asked why no provision had been made in the accounts for the £840 bill received in February. He was told Ash paid it but still have not invoiced Hartley. He and Cllr Sewell thought provision should be made for it. Mrs Hoad said there was "no need".

9 Freedom of Information Act 2000

They agreed to motion to bring the matter back later.

10 Kent Association of Parish Councils

Cllr Glover gave a report of the Sevenoaks Area meeting:

• Representatives were more worried about Biggin Hill airport than Cliffe
• Highways Department voted worst at Sevenoaks Council
• Hartley only local council to be involved with the Standards Board. A dispute at Seal over councillor talking to the press was resolved by the Monitoring Officer, which people felt was better.
• Other councils have difficulties with risk assessments.
• New auditor has now missed two meetings where he promised to speak - meeting not impressed.
• There is a meeting tomorrow at New Ash Green to consult people about the Sevenoaks Council budget - chairman and clerk are urged to attend.

Overall a good meeting.

11 Remembrance Sunday

Cllr Gaywood asked to read the lesson as it was outside his house.

12 Parish Office

They have received an involved letter from Mr Moffat, their solicitor. Agreed to let clerk and 2 councillors resolve this.

13 Youth - HAWK

Cllr Sewell reported the outreach worker Brenda Armstrong had left and KCC wanted to get them to spend £4,500 on advert in Observer for replacement, which he objected to strongly. The job criteria are so involved you'd think they were appointing a pope! Mrs Hoad said it will now be advertised in Kent Messenger and News Shopper at cost of £1,000, one sixth to be met by Hartley. They agreed to this so long as no more. See also public question below

14 Planning

Committee thought public views should be got on Cliffe Airport. Cllr Gaywood was not in favour - difficult, don't get real answer. Cllr Sewell said they ignore people at their peril, they should arrange a public meeting. Public are best speakers, Cllr Gaywood thought they wouldn't be necessarily sensible ideas. Cllr Sewell thought someone from Cliffe would be only too pleased to speak. Cllrs Glover and Modell were in favour.

Cllr Modell raised the Downs Valley Telephone Mast Application. Some councillors said they had not heard from Sevenoaks. Apparently SDC have sent 360 letters.

15 Finance

Accounts agreed.

16 Open Spaces

Rectory Meadow: Cllr Newins said the grass cuttings in woods were a problem. He has put out one fire and stopped kids starting another. Cllr Barnett acknowledged it was a problem. Cllr Glover said there was a way around it and he is in discussion with the North West Kent Countryside Project about it.

Gorsewood: large bill for rubbish clearance. Mrs Hoad said very few letters received about the path at Down Ampney, Cllr Glover suggested they would do better to talk to the people affected personally.

17 Public Questions

Mrs Brudenell said that when she made her statement at the last meeting about an "elected dictatorship", it was the government she was thinking of not the parish council. Cllr Gaywood said "we don't talk politics here". She asked in regard to the matter of the clerk - do they follow the 1995 NALC guidelines on complaints? According to Cllr Gaywood they had followed her trade association's guidelines. Mrs Hoad said she didn't know anything about the 1995 guidelines, and was happy for this to be in public because "she had nothing to hide".

Cllr Bailey said they should bring forward their planning meeting.

Jan Modell said where she lived people don't know about HAWK. Cllr Sewell said she visits Caxton Close, Cherry Trees and Billings Hill Shaw to talk to the youth there.

Another resident asked why no published crime information, wouldn't it be helpful to circulate details of suspect vehicles etc? In reply neighbourhood watch was suggested. Cllr Modell asked what had happened to the information they used to get circulated with. Cllr Glover said he would speak to the local PC.

Mrs Sharp raised concerns about speeding on Church Road. Could they have humps? Cllr Tucker said only likely to get rumble strips. Cllr Newins said this should be part of the issues being dealt with on Ash Road. She also reported that contractors had thrown old signs at Hartley Court Green in Mr Baldwins wood.

Mr Mayer drew the council's attention to a similar fake tree mast which SDC had recently refused at Eynsford. Cllr Gaywood said "that's the best news I've heard tonight". Mrs Swift asked for any planning meeting to be held in the evening as that is more convenient for people. She was disappointed the mast committee was rescinded and did not like the personal disputes on the council. She had to call her own meeting last time because of this. She stressed the importance of maintaining support. Mr Billings had apparently offered two other sites but wouldn't say where they were. Mrs Sharp said she had spent two days last time going around and getting objections.