Minutes of the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING FOR WEST CREWKERNE Held on Tuesday 14th May 2019

 

 

Present

            Mrs Julia Borland (Chairman)

            Mr Barrie Carter (Parish Councillor)

            Mr Frank Freeman (Parish Councillor)

            Mr Roger Franklin (Parish Councillor)

            Mrs Sue Osborne (District Councillor)

            Mr Mike Best (County Councillor)

            Miss Jackie Parsons (Parish Clerk)

            4 Members of the Public

 

1.        Election of a Chairman to preside over the meeting

The present Chairman stood down but was re-elected by fellow councillors.  The motion was proposed by Mr F Freeman and seconded by Mr B Carter.

2.        Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received from Mr Don Yeomans (Parish Councillor) and Mrs Caroline Broom (Parish Councillor)

 

3.        To approve the minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on the 8th May 2018.

            The minutes of the above meeting had been distributed to Parish Councillors and Parishioners and were proposed for adoption by Mrs Julia Borland  and seconded by Mr Barrie Carter and were accepted by the meeting.

4.        To receive reports from any Parish Organisation present.

            The Parish Clerk read out a report from the Secretary of the Clapton and Wayford Village Hall committee.  Copy of the report is attached.

            Mr John Wyatt gave a report on the Alms-houses of Crewkerne.   The 8 Alms-houses, 4 face West Street and 4face Court Barton, they were founded for the poor of the parishes of Crewkerne, West Crewkerne and Misterton.  The committee which is made up of 4 councillors from Crewkerne, I councillor from West Crewkerne, 1 councillor from Misterton and 2 independent persons meets 4 times a year to look after the programme of maintenance.  Mr John Wyatt would like to stand down from the committee as he feels after 30 years of being the West Crewkerne representative he would like to give someone else the opportunity.  When Mr J Wyatt went on the committee the Alms-houses were in a poor state of repair.  In the millennium the 4 houses in West Street underwent a complete modernisation programme with a loan of £70000 from South Somerset District Council and the maintenance charge on each of the properties was raised.  The 4 Alms-houses facing Court Barton have subsequently been modernised, again to a very high standard.  The ongoing maintenance is the repointing and sand washing of the outside of the Alms-houses and to repair the wall around the properties and mend the gate.  The trustees have repaid the loan from South Somerset District Council and are approximately £40000 in the black.  There is a waiting list for the Alms-houses as and when they become vacant.

            Mr M Best gave a report on the Crewkerne and West Crewkerne Joint Burial Board.  There has been a lot of work done over a number of years to the cemetery and because of the number of trees within the cemetery, some of which are old oaks and are dying, there is an ongoing programme of maintenance on the trees.  Crewkerne town council during the war years purchased an extra field adjoining the cemetery which for many years was let out but was incorporated into the existing cemetery for burials. The fees for a burial and cremation plot were raised last year to bring fees into line with other local cemeteries.  Crewkerne town council rented one of the Chapels for storage, they have now given the chapel up and the Chapel will now be restored and a decision will be made for its future usage.  The committee have taken the decision to ban cages over the graves which people were erecting to keep the wildlife off of the flowers on the graves as they were unsightly and detracting from the ambience of the cemetery.  Mr M Best, once they have a cherry picker up at the cemetery he will look at the bell on the Chapel, check the pulleys and put a new rope on the bell.  Mrs J Borland stated that the cemetery has an open day in September which is very well attended and is very interesting.

5.        Report from the Chairman of the West Crewkerne Parish Council

            The Chairman of the West Crewkerne Parish Council gave her report for the last year.  The report is attached.

6.        Public Open Forum.

            No member of the Public had anything to say at the open forum.

7.        To confirm the date of the next Annual Parish Meeting.

            The next Annual Parish Meeting was confirmed as Tuesday 12th May 2020 at Clapton & Wayford Village Hall at 7.00

           

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Chairman