Queen Camel Parish Council
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
HELD ON MONDAY 10th OCTOBER 2011 AT 7.30 PM
IN THE MARPLES ROOM OF THE MEMORIAL HALL
Councillors Present:
David Biggart
Angus Davidson
Rosemary Heath-Coleman
Dan Hewlett
In attendance:
Sue Howman
Steve Millard
Patrick Pender-Cudlip
Jean Pilgrim
Jane Crozier (Clerk); Bob Little (County Councillor);
Mike Lewis, in part (District Councillor);
John Owen, in part (Manager, McDonalds’ restaurant, Sparkford)
6 members of the public
DB welcomed everyone to the meeting, with a special welcome to John Owen, Manager of
the McDonalds restaurant, Sparkford, who was attending as a guest of the Council. DB then
asked the public if they had any questions or issues.
A resident asked if her letter, delivered to the Chair immediately before this meeting, could be
read out. The letter had been written on behalf of other members of the public who regularly
attend PC meetings. DB read the letter, which expressed support for PCSO Thelma Mead and
noted a perceived offence taken by her at the September PC meeting. After note: DB sent a
sympathetic message to T Mead (11.10.11).
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Cll. Chris Bennett; PCSO T Mead.
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: NONE
3. NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
SH had nothing to report on NW matters. Speed Watch: SH reported that she was working
with the Parish Councils of Marston Magna and Mudford and with PCSO T Mead and the
Road Policing Unit on a coordinated Lorry Watch (date tbc). The aim of this activity would
be to identify HGV’s that were using the A359 as a through-route to Yeovil, rather than for
local access.
4. POLICE MATTERS
JC gave PCSO T Mead’s monthly report.
Since the 12th September 2011:
No crimes reported.
7 calls to the force Service Centre comprising:
2 suspicious incidents
2 traffic offences
2 missing persons
1 road traffic collision
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TM also reported on: i) the Lorry Watch (see 3 above) ii) leaflets to people in sheltered
housing about Hallowe’en and the non-selling of eggs and flour.
5. ADVANCE NOTICES
 David Heath MP would hold an Advice Centre on Saturday 15th October, 11.15 – 12.00, at
The George Hotel, Castle Cary.
 SSDC Area East: meeting to report on and consider the Draft Core Strategy, 9 th
November at 2.30pm, Churchfields, Wincanton. After note: this meeting has been
postponed until the New Year.
 Ex-agenda: RHC announced two AHWG (Affordable Housing Working Group)
meetings on 11th October and 8th November. There will be a related Village Meeting
on 25th November.
1011.01 MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 12th SEPTEMBER 2011
The Minutes, having been circulated and agreed, were signed by DB as a true record.
1011.02
DB opened the meeting and invited John Owen to speak about McDonalds’ plans for
working with the local community. JO made the following points:
 McDonalds wanted to play a positive role in the local community.
 Sparkford McDonalds employed 85 people, many living in local villages.
 He was employing a man, James, to drive to litter spots in the wider vicinity of the
restaurant to collect litter on Wednesdays and Saturdays each week. He invited members
of the Council to identify the litter hot spots on the aerial photos which he supplied.
 He could provide staff for helping at community events.
Questions and answers followed:
 JO was thanked for funding the recently acquired litter bin, now installed in Cleaveside
Close.
 It was acknowledged that it was not the company but the customers who offended by
dropping litter.
 Asked about introducing bio-degradable packaging, JO said that McDonalds was now
using re-cycled cardboard and paper, but not bio-degradable because the packaging had to
be greaseproof.
ML arrived
 It was suggested that posters in the restaurant could remind customers not to litter the
countryside and that to do so was an offence. JO would pursue this with seniors in the
company.
 It was suggested that litter bins could carry the McDonalds logo. JO said that this would
look like company advertising.
 JO said it was not practicable to write a car registration number on each order – there were
usually 4 meals per order and up to 80 orders an hour.
It was agreed: i) James would join the Village Litter Pick on 29th October at 10.00am
ii) JC would send annotated aerial maps to JO identifying the problem areas, including
Sparkford Woods iii) JC would send JO this report from the Minutes. After note: DB
wrote to thank JO for his time and presence at this meeting, with a reminder of the Litter Pick.
1011.03 REPORTS
1. Annual Review of Trusts and Charities
 Queen Camel Heritage Trust: DB reported £5,115.83 in this Trust. He would
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ask the Trustees to consider using the funds to repair parts of the church wall. Other
suggestions were welcome. It was confirmed that there was no legal reason why all
of the funds should not be spent and the Trust wound up.
 The Poors Charity: PPC reported about £1,000 in this fund. He said that the
Charity Commission was in favour of small charities spending their capital, on a
project which agreed with the charity’s aims, and then closing down.
2. Memorial Hall Committee meeting: SM reported
 The pre-school had moved to Countess Gytha School, removing the need for extra
storage and, probably, for the planned extension the hall, but the loss of the pre-school
significantly reduced the Hall’s income.
 A final decision about the extension would be made at the next Committee meeting in
November.
 The Committee was getting a quote on a moveable ramp to enable chairs to be wheeled
on and off the stage.
 A working party was preparing to improve the appearance of the hall, in order to attract
more paying custom.
 The village needed the hall and the hall needed the village to support it e.g. through
membership of the 200 Club.
3. AHWG meeting, 13.09.11: RHC reported:
 The next meeting (11.10.11) would need to agree: the legal format of the CLT; a
choice of legal services; agreement about the partnership arrangement with Hastoe
HA; agreement on a vision statement.
 The Housing Needs analysis revealed that 18 people had requested housing and a
further 12 households were registered with the Homefinder Somerset system. This
made a total of 30 interested parties, all with local connections.
 A Village meeting was planned for 25th November to brief residents on the affordable
housing project and the Front Runners scheme.
The Village Meeting was approved by members as a forum for information and
consultation. AD said that it was likely 20 new homes would be built. It was not possible
to identify the potential occupants at this stage.
4. Communications Group meeting, 20.09.11, report circulated in advance
RHC highlighted points from her report on the meeting. Website matters were being
addressed and a policy on advertising was now in place. The Welcome Pack was being
updated and would be distributed asap. A Communications sub-group was to hold a meeting
on 26th October to discuss the Queen’s Jubilee..
5. Environment Group (EG) meeting, 26.09.11, report circulated in advance
JP summarised the main points from the report.
Mike Ford had agreed to take over from Geoff Wilson as Footpath Coordinator. This
corresponds with being one of the SCC’s team of Parish Path Liaison Officers. Action: JC to
publicise Mike Fords’ new role in the Camels Magazine.
AD wondered why the EG was continuing to maintain the Iron Box, but it was pointed out that
the only action here was to identify a shrub and to plant spring flowers.
Other matters raised in the EG report are dealt with in 6. below.
6. Highways Matters
JC reported:
 Crab apple trees: John Nicholson, Highways Officer for South Somerset, had met with
JC and Douglas Phillips, Tree Warden, to establish whether the trees were Highways’
responsibility. He said that Highways would only prune the trees if they were a public
hazard and he did not consider them a hazard. He subsequently emailed a map which
indicated that the area of the trees was not maintainable by Highways. Action: DP to
provide quotes for the pruning of the trees.
 John Nicholson had also visited the site of the flooding drain outside the Mildmay Arms
on the High Street (EG report para. 8). He said the gully emptying rounds would begin in
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November. If a particular cause for the flooding of this drain was discovered, then action
would be taken. BL said that he always forwarded information about the SCC works’
schedule to the Clerk when it impacted on Queen Camel.
Proposed floral display on concrete triangle by the Church (EG report 6.4). Any display
would have to be formally requested though Road Records Somerset. Action: JC to pass
on details to SM.
The Chevron sign on the concrete triangle had been dislodged, then removed by Colin
Fletcher, Highways Traffic Engineer. Action: JC to ask for a replacement chevron.
After note: a new chevron has been ordered and should be installed soon on the two posts
which currently stand vacant of a sign.
Dumpy bag of salt: DH was expecting John Nicholson and Scott Davies to visit
Blackwell Farm, the proposed site of the dumpy bag, on 13th October.
1011.04 PROGRESS FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES
Outstanding Actions
1. BT Phone Box. JC had thanked Dr Nicolson for painting the phone box. It was re-affirmed
that the box was included in BT’s current removal plan. 2011 had been given as the date for
the removal. No further action.
2. Parish Diary: JC gave her views on setting up a Parish Diary. She reminded members
that such a diary already exists on the QC website, maintained by RHC. However, any diary
relies on all representatives of parish organisations to regularly and consistently input their
events. Otherwise, clashes would continue. Following discussion, it was agreed that PPC, in
his magazine article, would remind residents to feed through information on public
events to RHC. No other action at present.
1011.05 PLANNING APPLICATIONS
NONE
1011.06 CORRESPONDENCE
 27.09.11: letter from Colin Fletcher, Traffic Engineer, in response to the PC’s formal
request for the 30mph speed limit on Sparkford Road to be extended. Mr Fletcher had no
objection to a short extension so that all the properties on the northern edge of the village
were included within the limit. However, he did not accept the argument that an extension
was needed to accommodate the operational requirements of Speed Watch. The setting up
of the extension was dependent on i) there not being a 40mph speed limit introduced by the
Highways Agency at the top of Sparkford Road ii) sufficient funds in Somerset Highways’
budget. After note: 13.10.11, CF has established that the Highways Agency is scrapping
its plans for a 40mph restriction. Therefore he hopes to move the 30mph this autumn, if his
budget holds out.
 30.09.11: email from Steve Fox, SSDC Landscape Officer, offering free bulbs for planting
in the village, circulated in advance. SSDC asked the parish to identify locations and to
provide some help in planting the mixed daffodil bulbs. It was suggested that McDonalds’
staff might help and also the 3rd Sparkford Scouts Group. It was agreed that the EG
would consult on this and get back to JC before the deadline of 21st October.
 Ex-agenda: JC had received a booklet How to respond to planning applications, produced
by the Campaign to Protect Rural England in association with NALC. Action: JC to
request another hard copy for RHC on behalf of the Affordable Housing Group.
1011.07 FINANCIAL MATTERS
The following cheques were approved and signed at the meeting:
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To SLCC: annual membership subscription
To QC Memorial Hall for the hire of the hall, September – October 2011
To Jane Crozier: contribution towards IT course (agreed – see 0911.06)
£135.00
£16.00
£70.00
1011.08 URGENT MATTERS - POST AGENDA (at the chairman’s discretion)
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PPC asked what response would be made to the letter read out at the beginning of the
meeting. DB undertook to respond.
ML gave details of the new CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy).
RHC said that she, SM and CB were attending a Child-Safe seminar on 12th October,
which related to their work in the parish with children and young people.
There being no further business, DB thanked everyone for attending and declared the meeting
closed at 9.00pm. .
Date and time of next meeting: Monday 14th November 2011 at 7.30, Memorial Hall.
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