Ilmington

Mr Charles Barlow, the rural housing enabler at Warwickshire Rural Community Council, was there and the chairman had invited him to attend this parish council meeting. Mr Barlow explained that he was totally independent, and not answerable to either the county or district councils. He talked about affordable housing in villages, about working with communities where a need had been identified, and about bringing all parties together to solve the housing need.

It was agreed that Mr Barlow should start the ball rolling by producing a suitable form for a housing survey. This should be approved at the January meeting of the parish council, and the forms should be sent out at the beginning of February. Mr Barlow was thanked by the chairman.

The meeting then discussed the bowling club netting, with two members of the club present, Bill Addison and Russ Braithwaite. A letter had been received from Mr David Kerby, president of the club, suggesting that instead of an interest free loan of £450 from the parish council to help pay for the safety netting, the club's annual contributions towards the upkeep of the playing field should be waived for the next two-and-a-half years. The clerk had written to the insurance company about the risk assessment, and as a result of their reply the chairman proposed that the parish council should pay the extra £450 towards the cost of the bowling club netting outright, and not as an interest free loan. This was agreed. However, Cllr Rob Hawkins said he was not happy about this, as he felt that every time there was a risk assessment that involved spending money, the parish council would be forced to pay. He stressed that this was a general comment, and was not specifically addressed to the bowling club.

It was agreed that the parish plan design statement and action plan were approved by the parish council, and a letter should be sent to Mrs Sheila Ribbans, the chairman of the parish plan committee, informing her of this decision.

After much discussion of the budget, it was agreed that the parish council should ask for a precept of £8,000 for the year 2006/7. This was an increase of £2,000 on last year's precept because of the ending of the district council's reimbursement of money spent on mowing the playing field and repairs to children's play equipment. Cllr Hawkins wished to express his concern that the reserves had been dipped into during 2005/6, and that this would most probably happen again in 2006/7.

With regard to the sewage problems in the village, the chairman reported that two channels had been cut for surface water to run straight into the stream on the Armscote Road.

He also said that sewage had overflowed at least twice recently. Since the meeting Severn Trent Water had written to say that they had completed work with the sewers in the Ilmington area on October 23. The work undertaken had involved a full cleansing and also removal and cutting of roots which had been located as having infiltrated the sewer.