At a meeting of the Parish Council held on Monday 27th September 2004, there were present Mr. J. Nichols – Chairman, Mr. P. Offord, Mrs. G. Soanes, Mrs. T. Townend, Mrs. E. Hilton, Mr. S. Lewis, Mr. K. Wood, Mrs. E. Hume and Mr. G. Alderton. Councillor Brian Hunter, Pc Hill and 4 parishioners also attended.
There were no apologies
There were no declarations of interest.
The minutes of the previous meeting held on 23rd August, were approved and signed.
Pc Hill reported 3 offences in Blundeston in the past month connected to HMP, 1 case of arson, at Common Farm and 1 case of a person resisting arrest after a motorcar accident. 2 youngsters were questioned in connection with the fire. The Chairman gave a report on the latest Northern Parishes Liaison Committee meeting held on September 23rd. Mr. D. Jessop of W.D.C. did not attend as had been hoped to further discuss the taking over of playground inspections by Parish Councils next year, he said that as no-one from any of the Parish Councils had made contact with him since his last discussion with the group, he had nothing further to add. Mr. Wood said he would contact Mr. Jessop once again, after having left a message on the answer machine last time, and arrange to meet him regarding training for monthly and 3 monthly inspections on the play equipment. Mr. Wood also undertook to carry out a risk assessment inspection on the equipment and report back to the next meeting. Standing Orders were also discussed at the Liaison meeting and it was discovered that under the Clerks’ Conditions of Employment a representative on the Parish Council must be nominated should the Clerk have any grievance to report, Mrs. Hilton agreed to become the representative. Planning issues were also discussed, it emerged that all planning applications must be considered at a meeting which is open to the public, although a small sub-committee could be made up of councillors and any decision made by this committee would be binding and the other Parish Councillors would have no powers to alter such a decision. It was considered that Blundeston and Flixton Parish Council did comply with these standards. The next Liaison Group meeting will be held in Blundeston Village Hall on December 9th. The Chairman reported next that the Parish Plans team were progressing with their task and a meeting of those interested would be held in the Village Hall on Monday 18th October at 7p.m. A review of the Clerk’s salary was carried out next, as instructed at last months’ meeting, the Clerk had worked out that on the present salary of £950 per annum, according to the scale produced by S.A.L.C. on the lowest rate of pay this worked out to be equivalent to 2 ½ hours work per week, as the last review of the salary was carried out in 2001, it was proposed by Mr. Blowers and unanimously agreed that an increase of £75 per annum should be given. Councillor Hunter gave a report in his capacity as a W.D. Councillor first, and he told the meeting that at present the Council was in a period of interregnum in respect of the executive posts within the Council. Members of staff have been appointed in Acting posts for the present, and arrangements are in hand to see the business of the Council through the next 6 months until permanent appointments can be made. The difficulties with the North Denes have been resolved; it will be kept more or less as it is at present with the static caravan site being enhanced. S.C.C. report was given next. The Boundaries review now proposes placing the Northern Parishes minus Corton together with Oulton Broad and St. Margaret’s, Councillor Hunter has objected to this proposal and has made the Boundaries Commission aware that the rural Parishes are also opposed to this proposition. The County Council is supporting two road schemes in this area - improvements to the A12 and completion of the Northern bypass.
 Planning. The following plan was approved.
S.C.C. Blundeston VCP School - single storey classroom.
A copy of a letter from a parishioner to the Planning Department asking for the trees and hedges surrounding the proposed site adj. to The Brambles to be covered by a preservation order was read out.
Accounts. The following account was proposed for payment by Mr. Alderton and seconded by Mr. Lewis.
LubbockFine (Annual Audit)				£170. 38
Details of the Suffolk Rights of Way Improvement Plan had been received, the Chairman agreed to fill in the accompanying questionnaire. The Broads Authority had sent a Slipway Questionnaire and details of Sustainable Development Fund Grants but it was decided that neither of these were applicable to Blundeston and Flixton. Details of a weekend to celebrate the Battle of Trafalgar had arrived this will take place countrywide in October 2005, a pack containing further details will be sent for. W.D.C. had forwarded more information regarding the new Licensing procedures when they take over the granting of these from the Magistrates Court after 7th February 2005. Full details had arrived explaining the 4th Phase of W.D.C.'s Recycling Initiative with percentages of recycled rubbish at present in the area. Correspendence had arrived from EEDA Networking East and the Deputy Prime Ministers’ Office had sent Consultation Papers giving details of the Political Activities of Local Government Employees and a Model Code of Conduct for the above mentioned. A Parishioner had handed photographs of sewerage coming up through a manhole in the driveway of their house and flooding the garden in August this year, the Clerk was asked to forward copies of these to Anglian Water. Anglian Water had replied to the letter from the Parish Council in April, to say that they would begin work on finding out the cause of the flooding in Market Lane and carrying out remedial work would be during the next few days. The Next area Forum will take place on 21st October in Oulton Community Centre. 
Other Parish Business Mrs. Soanes reported a large pothole in Lound Road on the corner near the Pumping Station, the Clerk was asked to inform the Highways Dept. Mr. Blowers had been disturbed by groups of youngsters arriving in cars and night and playing football on the Village Hall Car Park area with the car headlights used as floodlights, this had happened on 4 consecutive nights during the past week, he had asked for more Police Patrols, and they had informed him that he should ring them whilst the youngsters are at the Hall and they will endeavour to try and confront the offenders. Mr. Blowers asked for the Parish Councils backing for the Bowls Club to apply to the Suffolk Community Development Fund for funding to improve the facilities at the Club, this was granted. Mrs. Hilton informed the Councillors that the Brownie Troup which met in the School on Monday evenings between 4.30 and 6p.m. was experiencing problems as the regular Brown Owl had to spend part of the year abroad, they would like to know if anyone would be prepared to attend the meetings every week to give continuity to the group. The School also had a number of car tyres which had been part of the playground equipment that they wished to dispose of now, it was suggested that Mr. D. Jermy may be able to use these to weigh down plastic sheeting on his hay etc. The Party in the Park committee announced that the Halloween Disco for children is sold out, and that they would be holding a disco in the autumn instead of a Barn Dance, there will also be a Hawaiian Disco in February as already announced. Mr. Wood said that there had been an incidence recently where two large Tesco articulated lorries were stuck, unable to negotiate the narrow road where there is a bend outside his house on the B1074 in Flixton.  The Councillors were astounded that these large vehicles should be using such a narrow road in the first place. He also reported that a car had left the road and ended up in the field just past his property in the past month, Pc Hill said that the Police were aware of this incident; nothing had been heard about the 30mph repeater sign matter. 
15 Minutes of Parishioner input. 
Mr. Marquis reported that the problem with HMP staff parking along in front of the homes in Lakeside Rise had now been solved, as a car park, which can cope with 30 vehicles, has been built adjacent to the Prison Officers Social Club. Mrs. Oldman asked why the Clerk often received no acknowledgement of her letters to W.D.C. Mr Hunter explained that the new leader of the council is trying to implement the policy of acknowledging correspondence immediately it is received, if only to send a post card recognising the fact that a letter has arrived at the right department. 
There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.45p.m.