HANLEY CASTLE PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on Thursday, 16th April 2015 starting at 7:00pm in Hanley Swan Village Hall.

Present: Councillors: Sue Roberts (Chairman) Tony Atkinson John Taverner Bob Lamb Sue Adeney Francis Harcombe Jackie Bass Wendy Roberts-Powell

Apologies: Peter Goodyear (PPW) Mike Morgan (DCllr)

In Attendance: Mrs Rebecca Abunassar (Clerk) M Nelson

48/15 Welcome:

The chairman welcomed all present to the April meeting of the Parish Council.

49/15 Declarations of Interest

a) Register of Interests: Councillors were reminded of the need to update their register of interests.

b) To declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests in items on the agenda and their nature: None were declared

c) To declare any Other Disclosable Interests in items on the agenda and their nature: None declared.

50/15 To Consider Written Requests from Councillors for the Council to Grant a Dispensation (S33 of the Localism Act 2011):

None received.

The meeting was closed to allow the public to speak.

Marjorie Nelson asked to address the Council concerning an email that had been circulated prior to the meeting by Cllr Bass. It had asked the Council to consider using the Anne Ballinger bequest to repair the steps behind St Mary’s Church and install a hand rail as well as addressing the cut through from Picken End to Gilberts End repairing the broken boards and putting down scalping’s. It was thought it would be a fitting tribute. Marjorie provided the Parish Council with a list of areas that she felt would benefit from attention and asked that they be considered.

The proposition was discussed and it was felt that maintenance was not the intention of the bequest but that the Parish Council would be willing to fund the work up to a maximum of £3000. The Clerk was asked to contact Tracy Sutton (WCC) to determine whether the Parish Council could arrange for the work to be undertaken or whether she would be organising it on behalf of the Parish.

The dreadful state of the path through the horse field opposite Horton Manor was then discussed but it was reported that unfortunately the owner refuses to return phone calls and it is anticipated that she will moving away. The possibility of diverting the footpath through a neighbouring field was proposed but it was thought the owner of the field would not welcome the diversion onto his land.

51/15 Minutes

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on 19th March 2015 had been previously circulated and the minutes were approved and signed.

52/15 Matters Arising & Progress Reports not Listed elsewhere on the Agenda

a) Min 69c/14: Anne Ballinger gift

See closed section of the meeting

Action: Councillors to continue to source ideas.

b) Min 70d/14: Cycle Route – Cllr Adeney updated the Council on the latest activity. The lineage still had to be completed and was expected to be done in early May. It was agreed that it would be a good idea to arrange a meeting with the HCSC preferably in the 2nd half of May to discuss opening of the cycle path and especially the ongoing parking issue. Possible attendees would be Lindsey Cooke, Jeff Robinson and Andy Isaac with Cllr Adeney, Bass and Lamb and the Chairman.

It was also suggested to have an opening ceremony for of the cycle path and invite Tom Wells, Lindsey Kerr, Eric, Lindsey Cooke, Ken Nottage and all of the residents who had to cut their hedges, plus some of the school cyclists.

c) Min 148/14: Superfast Broadband – No additional update.

d) Min 164/14: Cemex Application – Cllr Lamb advised that the application had been submitted and there was little change from previous discussions but a slight change in amenities, regarding the purposes of the lake. The woodland had been taken out of the proposal but the rest looked the same as previously discussed.

Cllr Lamb suggested if all were in agreement he would write notes on comments to be submitted.

Action: Cllr Lamb to send comments to the Clerk.

e) Bus Stop: Chris Holloway’s email was read out. He Said in terms of the lay-by at Blackmore Park, his colleagues in Highways have still to re-visit the site and check visibility splays and some other technical details, which they aimed to do within the next 2 weeks. He would aim to come back with an update on the proposal by early/mid-May, together with the technical justification or otherwise.

53/15 Finance:

a) Payment of Accounts: Members approved the payments of accounts as in the presented schedule in Appendix 1.

b) Notification of receipts received: Lengthsman reimbursement.

c) Annual Finances: A copy of the annual receipts and payments was passed to Cllr Taverner and a copy of the end of year report would be available at the May 2015 meeting.

54/15 Projects related to the Section 106 Funding:

a) Cricket Club: Nothing to report from the project.

b) Parish Council: Cllr Lamb had submitted the end of project report to the Big Lottery and the Clerk had emailed enquiring on the type of signage required to both MHDC and the Big Lottery Fund. Cllr Roberts was arranging for the installation of the benches.

Action: The Clerk to follow up on signage.

c) Request for possible future projects for Section 106 Consideration: Possible project were discussed and it was agreed that the second part of the cycle track should take priority. Cllr Lamb suggested a request for ideas was put in the Parish Link

Action: The Clerk to inform Simon Rowles and Cllr Lamb to place in the Parish Link.

55/15 Planning:

a) To Consider the following applications referred by MHDC for consultation:

15/00388/OUT – Land Adjoining Winnington Gardens

Outline application for 5 no. dwellings details of access and landscape submitted.

The application was discussed and the objections submitted by parishioners were noted.

It was agreed to object to the application as it was on a green field site, the access was poor and it was deemed piecemeal development.

Action: The Clerk to object to the application.

15/00419/FUL – Land at Blackmore Park Industrial Estate

New Headquarters for ESP Ltd.

The application was discussed and it was noted it was as presented to the Parish Council at the February meeting. The Parish Council’s concerns regarding traffic remained the same and would be submitted but there would be no objection to the development plans.

15/00253/FUL – Serenity Spa, Hanley Road

Change of use of Health and Beauty Spa to outbuilding/garage.

No Objections raised.

15/00445/LBC – Brickwalls Farm, Gilberts End

Replacement of 4 existing windows to south elevation with Idigbo hardwood with stain finish.

No Objections raised.

Action: The Clerk to contact the planning officer.

b) To consider under the Scheme of Delegation any Planning Applications received

between the publication of this agenda and the Meeting:

None received

c) Details of Decision Notices Received to-date:

15/00161/HOU & 15/00162/LBC – Brickwalls Farm, Gilberts End

Single storey extension to the rear to provide a family room and larger kitchen.

Approved 27th March 2015

d) Details of Appeal Notices Received to-date:

None received

e) Details of enforcement action:

Nothing to report

56/15 Highway Matters

a) Report & Works for the Lengthsman:

Cllr Taverner updated the Council on the Lengthsman’s activity, and said there was still an issue with the VAS but he was hopeful that fully charging the battery would resolve the issue.

b) Other highway matters: – The Clerk was asked to chase up a response on the issue of the ruts on Gilberts End as they had not been attended to but other areas with the parish reported at the same time had been repaired. Cllr Bass advised that the speed camera would be in Hanley Castle on a regular basis over the coming months. It would be situated within the bus layby and they would report on their findings.

57/15 District & County Councillors Reports

a) District Cllrs Morgan & Perry: DCllrs Perry & Morgan were not present. However, it was reported that there were 6 candidates standing for the two District Councillor places in the elections for Upton and Hanley Ward.

County Cllr Tom Wells: Cllr Wells was not present.

58/15 Reports of the:

a) The Parish Paths Warden – refer to the open section of the meeting.

b) Pond Wardens: No report received

c) Playing Field: Mr Holmes’ report was read out and kept on file

d) Police Report – No Report but they proposed to have a drop in session from 6.30pm prior to the Annual Parish meeting. It was agreed to place an invitation to parishioners in the Parish Link.

Action: Cllr Bass to put a notice in the Parish Link.

59/15 Environmental Matters

a) Verge project: Cllr Adeney explained that cowslips were growing but also lots of bulbs were coming up ‘blind’. She was going to go back to the company that supplied the wild flower seed. There was a lot of goose grass and nettles growing but nothing could be done to prevent them at the moment. Cllr Adeney asked if the Lengthsman could cut the strip of land between the Church and St Gabriel’s Cottages. Cllr Taverner said it would have to be strimmed and it was agreed that rather than ask the lengthsman to undertake the work to ask New Farm Ground Maintenance to strim it and provide a quotation for its inclusion within their routine mowing work in future.

b) Litter Pick – The litter pick had gone very well with over 30 people involved. The Clerk was asked to write to Gordon Morris to thank him for his help.

Action: The Clerk to write to Gordon Morris.

c) Brickwalls Barn – The large van was no longer on the site.

d) Big Lunch – The likely date for the Big Lunch was 12th July and Cllr Adeney asked that the Parish Council would agree to pay for the road closure and insurance as in previous years.

60/15 Neighbourhood Development Plan

Cllr Lamb updated the Councillors on the latest activity. They were still working on the 4 key area and also alternative business sites. Things were taking longer than planned but were still progressing well. They were trying to identify characteristics within the villages. They had also started defining the objectives that would drive the policies.

61/15 Correspondence

a) RHS Malvern Spring Show tickets – the winning names were picked out and would be contacted.

b) Hanley Village Show 29th August Village Hall Use & A Frame Advert on Village Green – the request was approved.

c) ROSPA Play Area Inspection – the report was read out and was deemed a low/medium risk.

d) Superfast Broadband Update – Cllr Lamb said that it looked like Cabinet 3 would be done but not in the near future.

e) Library – whilst the parish council had been informed that the library trust now had a bank account it was agreed to await another trustee meeting before donating the money previously set aside.

Action: The Clerk to contact Jo Adams for a formal request of the donation to be submitted.

62/15 Topics Raised by Councillors, Committees and Parishioners

a) Cllr Roberts had been approached by Jackie Edmunds daughter of a pensioner who was 100 years old and had lived in the village for many years. She had been approached with offers for the land surrounding her mother’s house but would like the opinion of the Parish Council as to what type of development/housing they would prefer. It was agreed that a single infill or affordable/elderly housing.

Action: Cllr Roberts to inform Jackie Edmunds.

b) Elections – Cllr Taverner spoke of the decisions of Cllr Atkinson, Bass & Harcombe not to stand for re-election. On behalf of all of the Council he said he would like to thank them for all their hard work over the years. He said that the Parish Council was loosing a wealth of knowledge and experience and that they would all be greatly missed.

63/15 Date of Next Scheduled Meeting:

21st May 2015

The meeting closed at 9.15 pm

Signed ……………………………… Date: 21st May 2015

Chairman

Appendix 1: Schedule of Payments & Receipts 16th April 2015

Payment of Accounts:

The under mentioned accounts were approved:

Signed ……………………………………… Date: 21st May 2015

Chairman