Present: Cllrs Alford, Burchell, Coates, Mrs Cole, Mrs Fearnley, Glander, Graeme, Horwood, Mrs Oxtoby (chairman), Ramsay, Sewell. Also Cllr Brazier (Kent County Council), representative of the Police and 4 members of the public.

Apologies: Cllrs Abrham and Mrs Burns.

Minutes of last meeting: approved without amendment.

Kent County Council: Cllr Brazler reported (a) new performance based road maintenance contract with Enterprise started on 1 September. Cllr Sewell asked who this company was, he replied that they are a firm created for the contract and that May Gurney are involved. Hartley will have a lengthsman appointed to deal with minor repairs. (b) There is likely to be a contested election for the chairmanship of the council. (c) Broadband - to a question from Cllr Horwood he confirmed that KCC will apply for grant money for superfast broadband.

Sevenoaks District Council: Cllr Ramsay reported (a) Budget - difficult to make planned cuts, as 15% increase in Housing Benefit claims. To a question from Mr Mayer he said they were being processed "within timescales" and that agency staff had been taken on. (b) They are continuing to work on property sales. (c) 80 affordable homes to be built at Shoreham.

Amenities Committee (27 July): they had discussed the following:
(a) Cricket - NAG Cricket Club said membership had increased but they were concerned of unauthorised use of their facilities at Manor Field. Meopham Cricket Club at Longfield Hill have 80-90 members and they field U11, U13 and U15 teams with an U17 team planned for next year. They are having difficulties in getting planning permission for additional containers to provide showers for the 3rd XI team there, but thanked HPC for their support. They had an attempted break in on 13 July but nothing was taken.
(b) Football - one of the pitches at Manor Field is not as wide as requested but this is due to the physical constraints of the land. Hartley De Sales FC will continue to mark out the "respect" lines which is an FA requirement. They charged Kick Kent £110 to use the ground and pavilion for 3 days in July. Cllr Sewell said they are linked to Sport Relief and are worthy of support.
(c) Allotments - full council ratified recommendation that they join the National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners (£66 pa) which means they can get insurance for £75.90. This means each allotment owner will pay about £3-5 for the insurance they are required to have.
(d) Manor Field - the council discussed at some length a recommendation to refuse to allow a plaque to remember a former scout master on health and safety grounds. Cllr Sewell was concerned at this and thought they should discuss this with the family first. Cllr Fearnley said a previous council had agreed to a plaque. It was agreed to withdraw the recommendation.
(e) Gorse Wood - Cllr Sewell said that following cancellations by the Community Payback team, the clearance will now be done by volunteers led by the Community Wardens.

General Purposes Committee (25 July): the following was discussed:
(a) Parish Office - HPC object to clauses in the draft lease relating to insurance.
(b) Community Warden - they wrote to KCC to express concern that a replacement has not been appointed to Hartley.
(c) Winter weather - they will request KCC to add St Johns Lane, Woodland Avenue and Wellfield to salting routes as they are bus routes.
(d) Ash Road - traffic survey 17-24 September 2010 found half of vehicles speeding at Fairby Grange, 15% over 35mph.

Planning (20 July, 3,17,31 August)
Details of applications are on the planning page. At full council, Cllr Alford referred to consultation papers on planning and village greens. He said Hartley Wood would not have become a village green under the proposals. He also thought they ought to object to the new planning rules proposed. He claimed the government had a knack of offending their core supporters. Council agreed to write to express concerns.

Northfield (22 July). The meeting discussed.
(a) Football - unauthorised sockets for goal posts to be filled in, as area is only for informal sports.
(b) Milestone School entrance - contract placed for new fencing, kissing gate and field gate.

New Burial Ground
The public were excluded for this part of the meeting which concerned the covenants imposed on Manor Field when Barry Richards sold the land to HPC in 1976.

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