MINUTES of the Meeting of the Council held on Thursday 19 April 2018 at 8.00pm in the Village Centre, Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint.  

Members Present 

Also Present:   

Joy Dennis (WSCC Ward member)   

John Wilkinson (MSDC Ward member)    

Stephen Hoyles  CLERK TO THE COUNCIL 

C17/121.  Apologies for absence and declarations of interest:  The following apologies for absence were received before the meeting and accepted:  Rosemary Burns, Julia Shorrocks,  Anthony Watts Williams 

(MSDC Ward member) .  The following declarations of interest were made:  Item:  C17/126.2  (Finance + General Purposes Committee  (12 April 2018),  (1)  Minute F17/091.7  Buildings  (2)  Hurstpierpoint Bowls Club) :  Stephen Hand,  John Lowman,  Tony Lank,  Martin Machan.  There were no other declarations of interest.   

C17/122.  Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 22 March 2018:  The Council received and accepted the minutes.   

RESOLVED:  The Minutes of the Council meeting of 22 March 2018 are adopted. 

C17/123.  Matters arising from the Minutes of the Council held on 22 March 2018:  There were no matters not otherwise on the agenda.   

C17/124.  Adjournment for questions from the public:  There being no members of the public present the Council was not required to consider whether to adjourn the Meeting in accordance with clause 70 of Standing Orders, in order to receive questions.  

C17/125.  Reports from other authorities:  Council received verbal reports from representatives of other Authorities:  

1. (1) Mid Sussex District Council   (MSDC):  Cllr John Wilkinson reported:  (1)  District Plan;  MSDC had very recently considered two  significant planning applications for sites not identified in the Plan but for which permission was still granted.  One application was for 97 houses at Ham Fields, Hassocks, where a previous application had been approved on appeal by the Secretary of State.  This demonstrated that the planning decisions were not always straightforward and that all issues had to be taken into account.  Cllr Wilkinson then received questions on off-street parking provision on new developments, progress on the District Plan  SHEELA, the introduction of CiL, and local gaps in the District Plan.   
2. (2) West Sussex County Council County Local Committee   (WSCC/CLC):  Cllr Joy Dennis 

reported:  (1)  Traffic + Parking Joint Councils group for Hurstpierpoint met on 18 April 2018 and a number of actions will follow.  (2) SID:  this had been ordered and will be available shortly.  (3)  Cuckfield Road:  the northern section (from Willow way) and Albourne Road are due to be resurfaced in 2018/19. (4)  Potholes:  The matter was being addressed and additional funds had been received from HMG.  (5)  Hurstpierpoint Society:  the AGM had taken place on 14 April 2018.  (6)  Operation Watershed:  this programme was continuing and some works were planned in Reeds Lane, Sayers Common. (7) Consultations :  WSCC consultations were taking place for Bus services,  fire  and rescue services, and rights of way maintenance.   Cllr Dennis then took questions on the A2300 review and the need for appropriate landscaping and its impact on quiet lanes;  the matter of appropriate traffic modelling and potential impact on north-south movements was also raised.   

1. (3) Mid Sussex Association of Local Councils (MSALC):  Rodney Jackson reported that he had attended:  (1)  NALC Management Committee meeting 10 April 2018, where it was emphasised that they were keen to improve their publicity and explanation of their work, and   (2)  MSALC AGM  on 12 April 2018, where the new Chair  Ian  Gibson  was appointed, and  (3)  WSALC meeting on 19 April 2018, where the WSCC Chief Fire Officer presented on current response times and the issues of use of retained firefighters.   

C17/126.  Committee and Working Group minutes:  The Committee Chairmen (or in their absence the vice-chairmen) introduced each Minutes, which the Council was asked to receive and where appropriate consider the RECOMMENDATIONS:  

C17/126.1   Planning Committee (5 April 2018):  It was noted that this was the first meeting where most applications (being the smaller type) were delegated to the Committee Chairman and VC, in order to allow more attention on the significant matters.    

C17/126.2  Finance + General Purposes Committee  (12 April 2018) (1)  Minute F17/091.7  Buildings  (2)  Hurstpierpoint Bowls Club:   

a)  Boundary fence:  Further to the previous report (Minute F17/083 Meeting 8 March 2018) the Club had consulted the Planners at Mid Sussex District Council who confirmed that they had no objection to the fence.  They said, however, that some soft landscaping in front of the fence would be preferred, subject to the agreement of the Parish Council.  The Club confirmed that they would be willing to plant a Yew hedge (or similar) which would be grown only to the height of the fence, but in time would be an effectively screen.  The Committee considered the comments made by members of the public earlier in the meeting, in opposition to the closeboarded fence and the Committee suggested that a recommendation is made to Council that further discussion is held with the Club to attempt to reach a solution which satisfies all parties.   The Council then agreed that the matter was delegated to the Vice-chairman of Council and the Clerk to progress.  (REF:  Bowls Club email 27 March 2018)   

RESOLVED:  That, with respect to the new eastern boundary fence, further discussions are held with the Bowls Club to seek a solution which addresses the objections and satisfies all parties.  The Vice-chairman of Council and the Clerk are delegated to progress the matter.  

C17/126.3  Hurstpierpoint Traffic & Parking Joint Councils Group  (18 April 2018):  The notes had not yet been issued, but the Group Chairman advised that a review of Cuckfleld Road was, according to the  Little Park development ts106 agreement, triggered by the occupation of the 70^th  house.  This was thought to be a flawed process, and it had been agreed with WSCC to attempt to gather some earlier base data.  It was also agreed that the Parish Council would consider establishing a ‘TRO’ Working Group to  consider a specific cluster of parking control measures, for submission to WSCC in the current financial year.  The next meeting of Council would be asked to consider the proposal.   

C17/127.  Annual Parish Meeting – 7.30pm 22 May 2018:  The Council was asked to note and comment on the arrangements for the Annual Parish Meeting to be held in the Village Centre, Hurstpierpoint, and to note the minutes of the meeting held 23 May 2017.  It is proposed that the following topics are raised:   

• • Court Bushes proposals  
• • District Plan  
• • Hurst Meadows progress 

(Ref: Annual Parish Meeting 23 May 2017 – Minutes) 

Council also noted that the draft Annual Report and Accounts for the period to 31 March 2018 would be considered by Finance + General Purposes Committee at its meeting on 10 May 2018.  The Report would then be considered for adoption by Council on 17 May 2018 and then presented to the Annual Parish Meeting 22 May 2018.   

RESOLVED:  The Council notes the arrangements for the Annual Parish Meeting 2018.  

C17/128.  GDPR – General Data Protection Regulations 2018:  Council noted progress on implementing procedures to ensure compliance with the new GDRP regulations which come into force 25 May 2018.  It is to be noted that there remains some confusion about the requirements of Parish Councils, and some possible over-exuberance.  For example the procedures in the NALC GDPR Toolkit (February 2018) cover 65 pages and 11 appendices, much of which appears to be inappropriate.  The Parish Office had prepared a checklist of tasks but the Clerk is attending a SALC workshop on 25 April 2018 at which it is hoped that further clear guidance will be given.  It was therefore intended that relevant data protection policies would be available for Council approval at its next meeting.  (REF:  NALC GDPR Toolkit, Feb 2018 and  Appendices  3,4, 5, and 7;  HP&SCP  GDPR Checklist 11 April  2018) 

RESOLVED:  Council notes the GDPR implementation progress:  

C17/129.  Mid Sussex District Plan – Supplementary Planning Documents:  MSDC had published for consultation the following and requested responses by 21 May 2018: 

• • Development Infrastructure and contributions SPD 
• • Affordable Housing SPD 
• • Viability SPD   

These documents were intended to add detail to the District Plan and would be used to assess further planning applications.  Time had not permitted an analysis of these documents and it was therefore recommended that the Strategic Policy Working Group was delegated to consider the consultation and where appropriate submit a response on behalf of the Council.  (REF:  MSDC email 9 April 2018 – Planning Policy update)   

RESOLVED:  Council delegates the Strategic Policy Working Group to  consider  the 

MSDC  Supplementary Planning Documents and submit a response on behalf of the Council.   

C17/130.  Information items, correspondence received and requests:   Council noted: 

(1)  CPRE Workshop  12 May 2018:  A training session on landscape character issues;  10.00am  Saturday 

12 May 2018  Clair Hall, Haywards Heath.  (REF: CPRE email 11 April 2018)  

1. (2) Friend against scams – workshop 30 April 2018:  Workshop 10.00am Monday 30 April 2018  Scaynes Hill Millennium Centre, Scaynes Hill :  (REF:  Action in Rural Sussex  email 11 April 2018 )  
2. (3) TTRO  Road closure – Brighton Road, Hurstpierpoint:  15 June 2018 :  (REF:  WSCC email 4 

April 2018)   

There being no other business the Chairman closed the Meeting at  9.12 pm.  

  Chairman