COOKHAM PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of a Meeting of the

 COOKHAM PARISH COUNCIL 

PRESENT:  Cllr H.J. Woodbridge (Chairman);

Cllrs: M. Brar, P. Brockwell, M. Coker, D. Fry, F. Hewer, M-L. Kellaway,

R. Piercey, D. Ricardo, Jean Stretton and M.Wellman.

OPEN FORUM: Mr Alan Cassie spoke regarding item 8 on the agenda. He has sent a letter to the Parish Council complete with photographs to show the large crack in the wall on the boundary of his property. The crack has been caused by a dead tree on FP 50 which has arched over the path and attached itself to the wall of the CIM building. As the tree has arched over, the roots have risen to cause this crack from top to bottom of Mr Cassie’s wall. Mr Cassie was not aware of the damage until he pulled the ivy off the wall. The tree has been confirmed as dead by the RBWM tree officer and the Parish Council has been given permission to immediately remove it without applying for planning permission. However, Mr Cassie is worried that his wall will collapse once the tree has been removed and he would like the wall to be restored at the cost of either the Parish Council or RBWM. The replacement of the wall is further complicated by Mr Cassie’s property being in the Conservation Area and the wall is within the curtilage of the listed Wiggs Cottage. The Conservation Officer, Liz Long, has confirmed that the wall should be treated as a listed structure.

The Chairman thanked Mr Cassie for attending the meeting and asked the permission of the Full Council to move this item forward to the start of the session. This was AGREED.

8.            DAMAGE TO BOUNDARY WALL AT MOOR THATCH:  Cllr Wellman declared a personal interest in this item. The Chairman stated that the responsibility of Cookham Parish Council was simply to act as agents to keep the Cookham footpaths clear. The overall responsibility of the footpaths remained with RBWM. Cllr Hewer had visited the site and reported that the saplings alongside FP50 would also need removing. Cllr Ricardo confirmed that although Moor Thatch was built in 1926, the wall was much older and was listed. It was AGREED that the first step was to organise a site meeting between RBWM officers, Mr Cassie and the Parish Council. The Clerk would try to get a representative from the Legal Department along with a Rights of Way Officer and a Tree Officer.

 The Planning Meeting resumed, followed by the rest of the Full Council meeting.

1.                  APOLOGIES AND DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:

Apologies were received from Cllrs M. Barnes; M. Innes, G. Harris and John Stretton. There were no Declarations of Interest, apart from Cllr Wellman in item 8.

2.                  APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The Minutes of the Full Council Meeting held on the 4^th November 2008 were circulated and duly signed with no amendments.

3.            COMMITTEE REPORTS: The Minutes of the Footpaths & Open Spaces Committee held on 11^th November 2008 were circulated and approved with no amendments. The Minutes of the Finance & General Purposes Committee held on 18^th November 2008 were circulated and approved with no amendments.   

4.            REPORTS FROM OUTSIDE BODIES:

1.         Cllr Fry had carried out some ground clearance work on Marsh Meadow.

5.             QUESTIONS UNDER STANDING ORDERS 24/26:  No questions were received.

6.            FINANCE: The list of cheques raised in the month of November as listed on Page 739 were approved on the proposition of Cllr Brockwell and seconded by Cllr Hewer.

7.         BOROUGH COUNCILLORS’ REPORT: Cllr Stretton was not available to make a report this evening.

9.            PARISH COUNCIL REPRESENTATION ON THE COOKHAM YOUTH PROJECT: Cllr Harris had held this role for some years, but increasing mobility problems had stopped him attending meetings. Cllr Brar proposed that Cllr Hewer represent the Parish Council on the Cookham Youth Project. This was seconded by Cllr Brockwell and AGREED unanimously.

10.            ANNUAL ROADS AND FOOTWAYS RE-SURFACING PROGRAMME:  The Councillors gave the Clerk a list of roads and footways to add to the programme for 2009. 

11.            CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS FOR NEXT YEAR: The Clerk explained the problem with the lights for the tree in Station Parade. Every year, the Clerk’s husband checks all the Christmas lights for blown bulbs and other problems. It was noticed that the plastic covers on the lights from the Station Parade tree had got very hot and semi-melted thus fusing together. They had to be broken apart and the covers replaced. It was strange for the Rise lights to get so hot because they were on a timer whereas the lights for the Village tree stayed on night and day. It was AGREED that the Clerk would find out why the lights had got so hot this year by talking to SEC and the supplier of the lights. The Chairman recorded a vote of thanks to Richard Wheeler for checking and maintaining the lights on both trees every year.

12.            SURFACE WATER DRAINS IN WHYTELADYES LANE:  Cllr Ricardo spoke of his concern about the number of recent accidents on the bend at Whyteladyes Lane. He said that the camber of the road was wrong and additional residential side roads was making the problem worse. When the drainage for Whyteladyes Lane was designed, The Shaw did not exist. Rainwater from The Shaw cannot find a surface drain due, in part,  to the camber of the road. As a result, some of the surface water remains in the road and turns to ice in cold weather. The steep entrance road to the new development at the Pumping Station would also contribute more water to Whyteladyes Lane. It was AGREED that the Clerk would contact Stephen Brown at RBWM and try to get a site meeting or ask for the surveyors to look at the problem.

13.             CHAIRMAN’S SUBMISSIONS: The Clerk had a number of queries and notices. It was AGREED that the Clerk should make enquiries about gaining permission to use photos from Google for the revised Traffic and Transport section of the Parish Plan. It was also AGREED that the Clerk would try to arrange an evening of speakers at Pinder Hall – namely a talk from Colin Berks on the Heritage Asset Register and a talk on Cross Rail.

            The next part of the Cookham Plan was also discussed. It was AGREED that the Consultation Committee, plus any other interested Cllrs, would compare the two versions of Housing and Development in order to up-date and recommend one version only for formal Council approval.

14.             CORRESPONDENCE:  A list of correspondence and periodicals received during the months of November was circulated with the agenda.  These were available in the Parish Office for Councillors’ perusal.

The Meeting closed at 8.45pm.