Present: Harvie Steele (Chairman), Neil Longson (Vice-Chairman), Estelle Warriner, Roger Watts and Isabel Butcher.

Also in attendance: Tony Thomas (Clerk to the Council) and three members of the public.

The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed everyone.

Michael Jackson (Holiday).

The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 16th December 2004, were approved at the meeting on 11^th January 2005, and were then signed by the Chairman.

To allow representatives of the Tennis Club to speak the meeting was adjourned.

Angela Prokopowicz asked that provision be made in the budget to tarmac the surface of the track to the tennis courts. It was very uneven with the potential to damage vehicles. Roger Watts suggested road scalpings would be a cheaper alternative and if laid in the summer and rolled would make a long lasting surface. The Clerk was asked to find out possible sources and cost of the material and a contractor to lay the material. The Tennis Club were also concerned that large piles of sand had been dumped on the carpark, possibly for use on the cricket square. The Clerk would make enquiries to see how long it would remain until used.

The Chairman reconvened the meeting to continue the discussion on the budget.

The Clerk presented schedules showing the comparison between budget 2005/6, expected actual 2005/6 and proposed budget 2006/7. The main variances actual to budget 2005/6 were salaries of £3472 due to the change of Clerk who now works for 30 hours per week rather than 25, a 20 % increase, plus a changeover period incurring an extra cost of £663, and the payment of solicitors fees of £1600 for the lease and licence for the toddler playground in Church Meadow. In the budget an inflation increase had been provided for routine expenditure apart from Electricity where a higher increase has been allowed for due to rapidly rising prices. There were no significant variances year on year. Discussion therefore centred on "Other and additional expenditure".

There were a number of repairs needed to buildings and equipment that could not be postponed any longer if permanent long term damage was not to occur, in particular the Tractor Shed and the playground equipment in the recreation ground. The lack of regular maintenance had already given rise to significant deterioration of the playground equipment, which if not rectified in the near future could mean the some of the items being removed because of safety concerns. The roof of the Tractor Shed was leaking and damaged and it was possible it was covered in asbestos sheeting, which would require specialist removal. Other projects to be addressed were the willow trees on Hayling Pond blocking the drain leading to flooding, the repointing of the Reading Room and a CCTV system for the recreation ground to curb vandalism.

It was thought by the members that a general provision for repairs should be built up so that unexpected repairs could be carried out before further damage was caused.

Following information provided by Pat Tinworth new deposit accounts were sought offering higher returns than currently enjoyed and the Clerk found NatWest have a special Treasury Deposit account that is currently paying 3.86%, account opening forms have been requested.

It was agreed that funding for the Youth Cinema should cease as it was only to be for the start up period and that provision for free tennis grant was not required.

To balance the draft budget would require a precept of £48,711, say £48,700. This would be equivalent to an annual charge of £22.60 for a band D council taxpayer, an increase of £2.00 or 9.71%.

It was then proposed by Neil Longson, seconded by Estelle Warriner and agreed that the Committee recommend the Parish Council to adopt the draft budget as amended and to precept for £48,700 in the financial year to 31 March 2007.

Pat Tinworth considered that the Parish Council had an obligation to keep the council tax as low as possible. He suggested that the Council should therefore cut from its budget all expenditure that would increase the precept above the level of inflation. As he was a pensioner on a fixed income and any increase would above inflation would be unwelcome.

The Chairman agreed that it was desirable to restrict increases in council tax as far as possible. The Parish Council owned or managed assets, which contributed to the amenity of local residents, and the Council had a duty to maintain them for the benefit of Parishioners. West Chiltington Parish was one of the best areas to live in, precisely because local services were provided to a high standard.

The Chairman then reconvened the meeting.

Neil Longson asked if the Clerk would leave the room as the members wanted to discuss his performance over the last six months. When the Clerk was asked to return he was thanked by the Chairman for his efforts and informed his salary was to be increased at the expiry of his probationary period to SCP (Spinal Column Point) 20 plus the Employees Supervision Allowance.

There being no further business the Chairman thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting at 9.30 pm.