Ruscombe Parish Council
Minutes of Meeting of the Parish Council
Held in the Twyford Room, Loddon Hall, Twyford
On Wednesday 2nd February 2022 at 7:30pm
Councillors Present: Mr J May (Chair), Mr M Evans, Mr P Cassidy, Mr P Evans and Mr G Merrick.
Also in attendance: Twyford Parish Councillor Mrs L Jarvis (via Zoom, connected to the room via RPC laptop).
Clerk in attendance: Mrs Ruth Reid.
7:32pm Mr May opened the meeting.
14/22 Apologies for Absence: Mrs C Bulman, Mr G Howe and Mrs J Holmes.
15/22 Declaration of Interest: Mr May and Mr M Evans declare that they are directors for Campaign to Protect Rural Wokingham CPRW.
16/22 Minutes: Minutes for 5th January 2022 circulated via email, approval proposed by Mr Cassidy, seconded by Mr Merrick and approved unanimously.
17/22 Public Comments sent to the Clerk or Councillors: Mrs Reid has been contacted by one member of the public to submit an idea for Ruscombe Legacy, the idea is to buy a 1-inch strip of land around the Greenbelt. Although RPC agree this would be the best legacy RPC could give Ruscombe however there are complications of buying land like this and the landowners have put their land up for sale to be used a development location, that land is worth much more than RPC could purchase it for.
18/22 Update from Twyford Parish Councillor: Mrs Jarvis updated that TPC are wanting to buy a Platinum Jubilee Beacon but there are gas bottle shortages. TPC are replacing some posts in Stanlake Park entrance because the existing ones are rotten. They are going to be moving over to Microsoft 365 business. TPC are considering taking on the Surfers against Sewage project. TPC are having a Stag Beetle information board created for Stanlake Meadow. Their Neighbourhood Plan team are having an information table at the Twyford and Ruscombe Horticultural Society. TPC would support RPC to oppose development on the Greenbelt and would consider supporting Campaign to Protect Rural Wokingham again if it were to be regrouped.
19/22 Update from Wokingham Borough Councillors: Mrs Reid will ask Mr Howe if WBC has given any indication on local plan consultation response yet.
20/22 Planning Applications
220169 Kanda, Milton Way: No comment
Development on the business park: Mr Merrick has noticed one of the business units has been taken down and another being put up, Mrs Reid will ask WBC planning for confirmation that this is allowed.
Approval of applications: There have been a couple of applications that WBC have approved that RPC feel do not meet the basic application requirements, Mrs Reid will ask WBC planning for a response as to why the correct process is not being followed.
Local Plan consultation: RPC thanked Mrs Reid for her work to ensure Ruscombe residents had the flyer that RPC had produced for the RG10 area.
Mrs Reid will ask Andy Meader if he is still able to help if RPC had planning concerns that they wanted his help with.
21/22 Ruscombe Neighbourhood Plan: WBC Executive meeting approved RPC Neighbourhood Plan for Regulation 16 to begin on 8th February until 25th March 2022.
22/22 Northbury Avenue Trees: Northbury Avenue trees have been trimmed and new trees are planned for mid-February. There is also a dead tree on Northbury Avenue, CR Landscapes have quoted £240 to remove it. RPC have decided to decline the quote and ask CRoW or a resident if they might be able to take it down.
23/22 Crossroads pond maintenance: Mrs Reid has had three quotes for the pond maintenance, for £3985+VAT, £2676 Inc VAT and £840 inc VAT but they cannot pull up the bullrushes. RPC are going to confirm with Stephen Loyd that leaving the bullrushes is ok, with the preference of accepting the £840 quote, this is proposed by Mr May, seconded by Mr Merrick and approved unanimously. Mr P Evans proposes that the two new benches should have Platinum Jubilee plaques added to them to say they are from RPC, seconded by Mr M Evans and approved unanimously.
24/22 Flowers Summer 2022: Window Flowers quoted £3,547.00+VAT Mrs Reid will check that some of the prices included are correct because RPC paid considerably less last year.
25/22 Polehampton Charities 300th anniversary: Polehampton Charities have contacted Mrs Reid to ask if RPC have got any projects that could be funded by Polehampton Charites to commemorate their 300th anniversary. Mrs Reid will go back to them and see if they would be interested in information boards next to the pond, these would be educational as well as informative and/or there are two benches in Ruscombe that could be replaced for new ones.
26/22 CIL Money: As discussed during the public comments.
27/22 RPC Bank accounts: Mrs Reid explained that the majority of RPC money is in NatWest account, RPC no longer receive a monthly statement because RPC do not use the account on a monthly basis and RPC do not like the control measures on the online banking, therefore Mr Cassidy proposes that RPC should move nearly all of their money into Unity, seconded by Mr M Evans and approved unanimously. Mrs Reid will pay the cheque for £112,000.00 into Unity via NatWest branch.
28/22 Finance: Payments to consider: –
Grant payment – Twyford Parish Council: £200 paid #1/2 2022
Grant payment – Twyford Youth Centre: £500 paid #2/2 2022
CR Landscapes £780: Paid #3/2 2022
RG10 Magazine £225: Paid #4/2 2022
Window Flowers £2,160.00: Paid #5/2 2022
Winson Woodcraft £1,224.00: Paid #6/2 2022
HMRC £20.77: Paid #7/2 2022
Clerk wages and expenses £923.24: Paid #8/2 2022
Nest pension £84.54: Paid #9/2 2022
SSE (January) £51.78: Paid via direct debit.
All payments approved by Mr May, seconded by Mr Merrick and approved unanimously.
29/22 Reports from liaison rep: Mr M Evans reported that he attended the North Parishes Communication Group meeting, the police and community support officers attended as well, Twyford representatives are concerned for Bridge Farm development.
Mr M Evans, Mr May and Mrs Reid also attended a meeting organised by Sonning PC, with Charvil PC and Twyford PC, Sonning are concerned that increased development in the Northern Parishes would lead to an increase of traffic through Sonning to cross the river, they would like another river crossing if any large developments take place nearby. All Parishes agreed that the Greenbelt should be protected.
30/22 Any other business: Mrs Reid will renew Microsoft 365 for £59.99 for the year and claim on expenses. Mrs Reid will look into if RPC need to do anything more for GDPR.
Date of next meeting: Wednesday 2nd March 2022
Mr May closed the meeting at 9pm.
Signed Chair____________________
Date_______________________