Church Eaton Parish Council minutes 2010

MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON THE 7TH DECEMBER 2010


PRESENT

Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs K Reeves, Messrs T. Houghton and I. Glover, Stafford Borough Councillor, Mr B. Stamp and the Clerk, MrsD.Key.


APOLOGIES

These were received from Councillors Ms M. Corser, Mrs D. Jones, Mr B. Thacker and Staffs County Councillor, MrM.Winnington.


MINUTES

The minutes from the previous meeting were deemed as a true record by those present and duly signed by the Chairman.


MATTERS ARISING

The chairman confirmed that Mr Tony Lendon had now completed the new notice board and would install it as soon as the weather improved. Mrs S. Dodd reiterated the gratitude recently expressed to Mr Lendon for his kind generosity.


LATE ITEMS

It was proposed by the chairman that the Parish Council should fund the annual village Christmas tree. This was seconded by Mrs S. Dodd. All were in favour.


OPEN FORUM

Was not required on this occasion.


C E V PLAYGROUND

Mr Houghton reported on the recent CERS meeting (Tuesday 9th November) which, he attended along with Councillor Stamp and representatives from CERS. The grant application was progressing well, thanks to the efforts by CERS and was now on to stage two. Three quotations had been well sourced for the potential supply of the new equipment. Mr Houghton concluded that the Parish Council would come to a mutual understanding for the insurance, maintenance and inspection of the new equipment when appropriate. This would be formalised as an agreement between the Parish Council and CERS. The Parish Council would also be involved in the final selection and location of the new equipment.

The new playground access was discussed and it was hoped that this would be carried out very soon, subject to weather conditions. Mr Taylor would liaise with the chairman over this matter.

Mr Houghton had spoken with Mr Tom Alexander about both securing the chain link fencing where the clips had had come undone and other fencing issues. Mr Alexander was keen to do the work when he is well enough.

It was reported to the meeting that the playground was in good shape with the exception of a small amount of litter. Mr Houghton retained the inspection book for the forthcoming month.


NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

At the time of the meeting there had been no recent incidents although bogus postal deliveries were discussed.


PLANNING

The Clerk gave the Councillors present at the meeting some updated planning information with regard to the correct way to comment on planning applications both as a Parish Councillors and as neighbourhood consultees. This information had been distributed at a recent SB Council planning seminar.

Two planning applications were considered during the meeting, the installation of poly tunnels at Lower Reule Farm and an amendment to the four barn conversions at Red House Farm, Little Onn. Following discussion, there were no objections made to these proposals

The Clerk had received notification that the proposed mobile home at Shushions Cottage had been withdrawn.


HIGHWAYS

The Community Highways Team had visited the area and had completed most of the requested jobs although Mrs Reeves reported that the team had not cleaned out the correct side of the ditch at Apeton.

With regard to the proposed winter gritting programme, Mrs Reeves had emailed the County Council to highlight that the 482 bus service route should be included in the winter gritting programme.


WIND FARM

Still no news regarding the planning application for the proposed wind farm at King Street, Brineton.


FINANCE

The Clerk confirmed that an invoice for £105.00 had been received for payment from the grass cutters, JWH. There was also an invoice from the Institute for the recent letting of the hall amounting to £72.00. These were proposed for payment by Mr Glover, seconded by Mrs Reeves. All were in favour. The Clerk confirmed that she had emailed Mr Aniss re the recent Institute request for financial aid towards new electrics etc.

The Clerk ran through the recent budget she had prepared which covered the period to the end of the financial year.

CORRESPONDENCE

Various items were distributed for reading among the Parish Council including the most recent Members Digest, the latest Local Development Framework information; information concerning the organisation of temporary events; more information from Stafford and Rural Homes, and an invitation to both this year’s pantomime at the Gatehouse Stafford and the Civic Carol Service at St Mary’s Church.

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on the 4th January 2011 in the Village Institute. The meeting closed at 9.05 p.m.

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MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON 7th SEPTEMBER 2010


PRESENT:
MrsS.Dodd, MrsD.Jones and MrsK. Reeves, Stafford Borough Councillor, Mr B.Stamp one member of the public and the Clerk.


APOLOGIES:
These were received from Councillors MsM.Corser, Messrs IGlover, T.Houghton and B.Thacker.


MINUTES:
MrsReeves asked that the fence in the third paragraph of the CEV

Playground section be described as the ‘new’ fence. The minutes from the previous meeting were then deemed as a true record by those present and duly signed by the Chairman.


MATTERS ARISING:
All Matters Arising would be taken as they appeared on the agenda.


LATE ITEMS
: There were no late items.


OPEN FORUM
: Tony Lendon gave the meeting a quick up date on the proposed wind farm at King Street. The planning application had not yet been submitted but it was expected that an application would be submitted possibly during mid autumn or possibly towards Christmas.

Mr Lendon also appraised the Parish Council over the design of the new notice board which Mr Lendon was not only building himself, but would supply at no charge to the Parish. The new notice board will be slightly bigger than the old one and will have laminated glass doors which will be left unlocked. The vice chairman Mrs Dodd thanked Mr Lendon for all his efforts and kind gesture.

The rescheduled 482 bus service was discussed by Mrs Reeves who was concerned that plans to turn the bus round at High Onn each morning would cause the service to run late even if it could turn around in such a small space.


NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
In the past few weeks there had been several local properties and yards broken into with power tools etc being stolen. It was also reported that lead had been stolen from the church roof yet again. The Clerk was asked to flag this matter up in the Parish magazine.


C E V PLAYGROUND

:
CERS were progressing with the grant application to purchase adult exercise equipment. However, creating a new disabled access to the playground was still being discussed and would need to be resolved to qualify for the grant. Mr Houghton had advised the Clerk that he would be arranging another meeting with Sean Latham from Highways. Mrs D.Jones agreed to forward to the Clerk an estimate of the cost of the new equipment in order for insurance costs to be determined. The Clerk confirmed that the Parish Council insurance including the playground had been renewed

The inspection book was to be dropped into Mandy Corser by Karen Reeves.


PLANNING:
An amended plan had been received regarding a storage building at The Stables, Little Onn. There were no objections made to this application which in essence was lowering the pitch of the proposed new store.


HIGHWAYS
: A request for a disabled car parking bay adjacent to the school had been received from Chairman of Governors, Ralph Howarth. Mrs D.Jones declared an interest in this matter as a school governor. Those present were supportive of the idea but had reservations about ‘policing’ the disabled car parking bay. It was agreed that the school should approach Highways with the backing of the Parish Council. The Clerk was asked to reply and convey this to Mr Howarth.


BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION:
Mr Houghton had attended this year’s prize giving on the 2nd August at Rodbaston where he accepted on behalf of Church Eaton, second prize in the small village category. The children’s posters had been returned. The Clerk was asked to thank all the children who had taken part via the Parish magazine and mention the two children representing Church Eaton in the BKV competition Samuel McIntyre and Lucy Latuske.


VILLAGE FESTIVAL
: The village festival funds were being distributed and while it was commented that numbers were down on last year, the festival had been very successful.


FINANCE
: The Clerk had received various invoices for payment including £141.00 from the Audit Commission for this year’s audit work. £240.00 for installation of grass guard from JWH and a second invoice for £70.00 also from JWH for recent grass cutting. £72.00 was due in hiring fees for the Institute and £20.00 for gardening voucher prizes for this year’s hanging baskets and tubs competition was required by the Clerk. These were proposed for payment by Mrs S. Dodd, seconded by MrsK.Reeves. All were in favour. The Clerk confirmed that £628.07 had been paid for renewing this year’s Parish Council insurance.

CORRESPONDENCE: Various items were distributed for reading among the Parish Council. There was an invitation to the Parish Forum on the 30th September and an electoral reform briefing. It was unclear who would be able to attend.

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on the 5th October 2010 in the Village Institute. The meeting closed at 9.45 p.m.

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MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON THE 13th JULY 2010

NB: The Parish Council met a week later than previously arranged at the last meeting.


PRESENT:
Mrs S.Dodd and Mrs K.Reeves, Messrs THoughton, B.Thacker, two members of the public and the Clerk.


APOLOGIES:
These were received from Councillors MsM. Corser, MrsD.Jones and MrIGlover, Stafford Borough Councillor, MrB.Stamp.


MINUTES:
The minutes from the previous meeting were deemed as a true record by those present and duly signed by the Chairman.


MATTERS ARISING:
All Matters Arising would be taken as they appeared on the agenda.


LATE ITEMS
: There were no late items.


OPEN FORUM
: A query was raised over the recent extension to a property in Malt House Lane. It was reported that a piece of brickwork was missing from the church wall. John Edwards made a request concerning recycling bins for the Village Institute. Following a brief discussion, Trevor Houghton said that he would check on the current arrangements with the Village Institute.


NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
There had been no incidents reported although a pane of glass had been broken in the Glebelands sports pavilion and Mrs Reeves reported that hats had been taken from her scarecrows.


C E V PLAYGROUND

:
The inspection book was returned and it had been noted that a tyre forming part of the balancing trail had started to split and may need attention in the future. The Clerk gave the Chairman a magazine which featured equipment for older people to use as a means of keeping fit.

Disabled access to the playground was discussed. MrHoughton had met on site with Shaun Latham from County Highways. This issue was fairly complicated as it had come to light that the Parish Council does not directly own the access. It was agreed that MrLatham would look into this matter and discuss the proposed plans for creating a disabled access with the actual owners of the access.

The side fencing between the playground and the adjacent property in the Oaklands was discussed. The retainers had been pulled off and the fence was curling out at the bottom. It was agreed that this should be dealt with in tandem with improving the playground access.


PLANNING:
There were no new planning applications. It was reported that footpath no. 01310 was being re-routed to accommodate the new slurry lagoon at Manor Farm, Marston. The Parish Council had no objections to this proposal.


HIGHWAYS
: The Clerk confirmed that all highways concerns from the last meeting had been reported to County Highways. Mr Houghton reported that several of the outstanding highways jobs had now been completed.

These included a new finger post on the fingerpost at Joan Eaton’s Cross; new boundary sign posts at Little Onn; some maintenance at the Apeton ford and adjacent ditch.

Mr Houghton also informed the meeting of future jobs to be carried out by the Community Gangs ranging from checking, cleaning and cutting back vegetation from village signs, pot holes in Little Onn Road, cleaning village drains and gullies etc.

Mrs Dodd reported road flooding caused by poor drainage by Birchmoor Cottage and Elm Tree Farm.


BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION:
Mr Houghton had received an invitation to attend this year’s prize giving on the 2nd August at Rodbaston. Mr Houghton confirmed that he would be attending. The Clerk had forwarded a village map to this year’s hanging baskets and tubs competition judge, Mrs Edna Dunn who would be judging this week.


VILLAGE FESTIVAL:
The village festival had now been and gone and while numbers had been slightly down on last year, the festival had been successful.


WIND FARM
: The planning application for the proposed wind farm at King Street, Brineton had still not been submitted by the development company, Wind Prospect.

The Clerk reported on the public meeting organised by STAG at Bishops Wood that she had attended.


VILLAGE NOTICE-BOARD:
Mr Tony Lendon had very kindly offered to make a new village notice board which the Parish Council had accepted. This would hopefully progress following a meeting with MrLendon, Mr Houghton and MrThacker to look at whether the old posts could be used, size etc.


FINANCE
: The Clerk’s half yearly fee was now due amounting to £950.00; an invoice for £98 had been received for two civic amenity visits from Stafford Borough Council: John Hall’s recent grass cutting invoice for £140 was also now due and £12 for laminating the Best Kept Village posters by John Edwards was also presented for payment. These were proposed for payment by Mrs S. Dodd, seconded by MrB.Thacker. All were in favour. The Clerk reported that the audit Return had not yet been returned by the Audit Commission. Once the Return was signed off and sent back the Clerk would look into closing the Post Office savings account.

CORRESPONDENCE: Various items were distributed for reading among the Parish Council. Mr Houghton was to fill in a flooding questionnaire issued by the County Council

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on the 7th September 2010 in the Village Institute. There would be no meeting in August due to several Councillors being away. The meeting closed at 9.10 p.m.

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MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON THE 1ST JUNE 2010


PRESENT

Mrs S. Dodd, Mrs K. Reeves and Ms M. Corser. Messrs I.Glover, T.Houghton, B.Thacker, Stafford Borough Councillor MrB.Stamp, Staffs County Councillor, Mr M.Winnington, one member of the public and the Clerk.


APOLOGIES

These were received from Parish Councillor Mrs D.Jones.


MINUTES

The minutes from the previous meeting were deemed a true record by those present and duly signed by the Chairman.


MATTERS ARISING

Several highways matters were discussed and the Clerk had not heard any more back from the Borough re the cutting down of the Monkey Puzzle at Smithy Croft.


LATE ITEMS

No late items had been received.


OPEN FORUM

It was reported that several road signs including a finger post had been pushed over. Some of these had been reported to Highways and the Clerk confirmed that she would also contact highways over this matter


NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

Ms Corser had no reports to pass on which was considered good news! Ms Corser confirmed that the replacement Neighbourhood Watch signs had been put up.


C E V PLAYGROUND

Mrs D. Jones had returned the inspection book and everything in the playground seemed in order. It was noted that that several children had been seen using the playground and using the goal board. Unfortunately some of the children’s best kept village posters had been stolen.

The Clerk had received a quotation from John Hall regarding the installation of some type of grass guard around the mobile play equipment. The quote for £150.00 was considered reasonable but it was felt that Mr Hall should order in another mat in order to increase the radius around the roundabout mobile. The Clerk was asked to contact Mr Hall to request this

The entrance to the playground was discussed. Mr Houghton had not yet heard from the County re the possibility of dropping the kerb by the entrance and the other highway’s matters raised, during the recent meeting.


PLANNING

The Clerk confirmed that planning permission had been granted for the conversion of a garage into a dwelling at Eaton Green, Lissadell, High Street, Church Eaton had been granted planning permission for an extension following an appeal.


HIGHWAYS

Mr Houghton had not received any updates from highways re the recent meeting although some patching works had been carried out.

Pot holes at Park Hall were reported and the Clerk was to report this to highways. The poor condition of the Bradley Lane and areas by Birchmoor Cottage were also discussed. Mr Houghton asked Councillor Winnington to chase up some of these concerns where he could.


BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION

Mr Houghton reported that the highway verges had been cut. It was further reported that a lot of rubbish had been left by the Glebelands. It was generally agreed that the village was not looking its best at present.


VILLAGE FESTIVAL

Organisation for this year’s festival was again reported to be going well.


WIND FARM MEETING UPDATE

The Clerk reported that there was still no news over the submission of the planning application but was predicted to be quite imminent.


VILLAGE NOTICE BOARD

To renovate or to replace was the major quandary concerning the Parish Council during a discussion concerning the dilapidated condition of the village notice board. As no decision was reached Mr Houghton and Mr Thacker will report on this further at the next meeting.


FINANCE

The cheque for Mrs Bellamy’s chosen charity was raised as a thank you for her valuable service. The Clerk confirmed that the Audit Commission return had been sent and on its completion the Clerk would then close the post office savings account.

Some regard was given to future Parish Council projects and financing. Councillors were asked to suggest future projects to be discussed at the next meeting. Initial suggestions were another bench, a boundary sign for Goosemoor, a new notice board, and or bulb and tree planting.

CORRESPONDENCE

A few items of correspondence had been received this month and various items were distributed for reading amongst the Parish Council, including a request to forward nominations for a S.C.C School Governor as Councillor Winnington’s term of office had now elapsed. Councillor Winnington confirmed that he was happy to continue as a governor and the Parish Council were in favour. There had been no nominations put forward to the Parish Council.

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on the Tuesday 6th July 2010 in the village institute.

The meeting closed at 8.45 p.m.

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MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON THE 4 th MAY 2010


PRESENT

Mrs S. Dodd, Mrs K. Reeves. Messrs T. Houghton, B. Thacker, Stafford Borough Councillor Mr B. Stamp, four members of the public and the Clerk.


APOLOGIES

These were received from Parish Councillors’ Ms.Corser, Mrs D. Jones and Mr I Glover.


ELECTION

Mr Trevor Houghton was proposed for re-election as chairman by Mr Ian Glover and seconded by Mrs Sheila Dodd. All were in favour. There were no other nominations.

Mrs S. Dodd was re-elected to the post of vice – chairman after being proposed by Mrs Karen Reeves and seconded by Mr Bob Thacker All were in favour.


MINUTES

The minutes from the previous meeting were deemed a true record by those present and duly signed by the Chairman.


MATTERS ARISING

Mrs Dodd queried the lack of publicity surrounding the recent surgery held by Bill Cash MP. Mr Edwards reiterated that he had spoken with Mr Cash during his last visit to the Parish.


OPEN FORUM

Mr John Edwards reported that in Smithy Croft a Monkey Puzzle tree had been cut out down creating much concern, given that it was such a significant tree in the village conservation area. The Parish Council supported any attempts to get a new tree planted and any action that the Borough Council might take.

It was decided that the Clerk would forward to John Edwards unapproved Minutes for publication on the Village web site and that these should be described as such. Any approved amendments would obviously be flagged up in the in the following set of Minutes.

The children’s Best Kept Village posters had been laminated by Mr Edwards and Mrs Reeves had the junior entry in hand.

It was reported that a stile located along Alleys Lane needed repairing.


LATE ITEMS

Mr A. Tedstone addressed the meeting over the recent planning application for the installation of a slurry lagoon at Manor Farm, Marston. The Parish Council reiterated that they had no objections to the proposal although concerns by local residents had recently been expressed. It was confirmed that the Environment Agency would be examining the application, as expected.

Some concerns had been expressed to the Parish Council over recent developments at Eaton Green where planning permission had been granted for the building of a calf rearing shed. Mr Houghton reported that the shed that had been put up was only a temporary structure and had been erected to offer stock shelter during the winter. It was agreed that the situation should be monitored over the next few months by which time the new permanent shed would probably be completed


NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

Ms Corser had forwarded a copy of the recent Neighbourhood Watch newsletter to the Parish Council. There was nothing else to report in her absence.


C E V PLAYGROUND

Mr Houghton returned the inspection book and reported that the playground was looking quite smart. The Clerk had spoken with Mr Hall about installing some sort of grass guard by the mobile play equipment. He had agreed in principal to carry out the work but would supply the Parish Council with a quote. If the quote was thought to be reasonable and under a £200 then the Clerk was authorised to instruct Mr Hall to carry on. If not the Clerk would report on this at the next meeting.

The entrance to the playground was discussed. Mr Houghton had raised, during the recent meeting with Highways, the possibility of dropping the kerb by the entrance to assist with wheelchair access and was awaiting their decision.

Mr Houghton was to pass on the inspection book to Mrs D. Jones.


PLANNING

The Clerk had received one planning application for the extension of the time for building work to commence on the barn conversions at High Onn Manor. After discussion there were no objections made to this proposal.


HIGHWAYS

Mr Houghton confirmed that he had met with Chris Mitchell from County Highways along with Councillors B. Stamp and M. Winnington on Wednesday 7th May. They had toured the Parish looking at all of the areas raised as matters of concern. This had resulted in 17 separate requests being made. Mr Mitchell stated that these matters would be prioritised and be looked at but no dates for these were forthcoming. It was agreed that the Parish Council would contact Highways again shortly and closely monitor the situation.

The community road team had visited the Village recently and carried out the maintenance jobs Mr Houghton had suggested. It was concluded that they provided a useful service.

Mrs Reeves queried blocked drains at Apeton.


BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION

Mr Houghton reported that judging of the first round had taken place today.


VILLAGE FESTIVAL

Organisation for this year’s festival was reported to be going well although it was agreed that more support would be useful.


WIND FARM MEETING UPDATE:

Mr Houghton reported that the action group STAG. and other parties were meeting tonight at Wheaton Aston but as yet there was no news over the submission of the planning application


FINANCE

The Clerk confirmed that the accounts had now been audited by Mrs Helen Bellamy and public inspection of these accounts would take place from the 7th May until the 8th June. The Clerk went through the accounts and the Audit Commission return form was duly signed by the Chairman and Clerk. It was agreed that a charitable donation for Mrs Bellamy’s chosen charity would be raised as a thank you for her valuable service. The insurance donation of £100 for the festival was raised by Mrs S. Dodd and seconded by Mr Thacker. All were in favour. A payment for recent grass cutting by John Hall amounting to £105 was also agreed for payment.

CORRESPONDENCE

A few items of correspondence had been received this month and various items were distributed for reading among the Parish Council, including a Members Digest from SBC. A letter from Stafford and Rural Homes had been received concerning low cost housing sites. The Clerk was asked to look into it.

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on the Tuesday 1st June 2010 in the Village Institute.

The meeting closed at 8.55 p.m.

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MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON THE 6th APRIL 2010


PRESENT:
Mrs K. Reeves and Ms M. Corser, Messrs T. Houghton, B. Thacker, Stafford Borough Councillor Mr B. Stamp, one member of the public and the Clerk.


APOLOGIES:
These were received from Parish Councillors: Mrs S. Dodd, Mrs D. Jones and Mr I Glover.


MINUTES:
It was reported that the Village Festival dates had been reported incorrectly and should have read 2nd to the 4th of July. This was amended. It was then agreed that the minutes from the previous meeting were deemed a true record by those present and duly signed by the Chairman.


MATTERS ARISING:
Mr Houghton reported that he had attended the informal meeting arranged by Gnosall Parish Council and that it had been very useful. Matters such as youth nuisance, highways and Best Kept Village had been some of the topics discussed and it seemed that similar meetings would be arranged, perhaps to take place three times a year.

Mr Houghton had also attended a recent public meeting concerning highways matter. Potholes and various items were discussed. One conclusion made was that the Community Teams were a good idea and were working well.


LATE ITEMS
: There were no late items.


OPEN FORUM
: Mr John Edwards reported that a surgery had been held in the village recently by Bill Cash MP but other than a small notice in the Staffordshire Newsletter there had been little publicity and that it would be useful if the Parish Council were alerted to future surgery dates. Even so the Clerk confirmed that Bill Cash had very recently written to the Parish Council enquiring as to whether there were any matters for his attention.

It was confirmed that the Clerk would forward to John Edwards, following the monthly Parish Council meeting, a copy of the approved minutes for inclusion on the village web site.


WIND FARM MEETING UPDATE:
Mr Houghton had recently attend a meeting with Weston Park Estate Trustees, Wind Prospect and the action group STAG. Tensions were high at the meeting and the Action Group representatives again expressed their concerns over the proposed wind farm development. Of special concern were the plans to install a new access road and the impact that would be made on the local environment during the installation process. The Parish Council examined a plan depicting the proposed sites of the wind turbines and discussed the associated problems connected with this.


NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
Ms Corser was pleased to report that there had been no incidents of crime within the Parish. A rural crime leaflet had been produced and Ms Corser had forwarded a copy of the recent Neighbourhood Watch newsletter to the Parish Council.


C E V PLAYGROUND

:
It was reported that the netball hoop had been broken, probably beyond repair. It was agreed that if this was the case then it would be permanently removed. There were concerns that the grass surrounding the spring mobile and carousel was in need of some type of surface guard to stop further erosion and ruts being created. The Clerk is to contact John Hall over this matter. On a more positive note the grass cutting had been done to a high standard and there was little evidence of litter. Mr I. Glover was to retain the inspection book for the forthcoming month.

The entrance to the playground was discussed and had now been inspected by Mr Houghton and Mr Thacker to ensure that wheel chair access was possible. They had concluded that some improvements were required. One improvement would require lowering the curbing which Mr Houghton agreed to raise with Highways. Funding for further improvements was also discussed.


PLANNING:
The Clerk had received three planning applications. The first was for a side extension to the property known as Waltonfields, near Moreton. After discussion there were no objections made to this proposal. The second application was for the conversion of a garage into a dwelling at Eaton Croft, Eaton Green. The Parish Council had in principal, no objection to the proposal but requested that any permission granted should ensure that the converted garage would be restricted to future occupiers being linked to occupation of the main dwelling - Eaton Croft. The third application for a slurry lagoon at Manor Farm, Marston was discussed and no objections were made.


HIGHWAYS
: Mr Houghton confirmed that he would be meeting with Highways on Wednesday the 7th to inspect the Parish roads and their many potholes and to also discuss the long list of outstanding Highways matters, including flooding, road signs, a boundary sign for Goosemoor, curbing issues, etc.

There had also been concerns expressed over contracting works that had recently been carried out on High Onn road where the road had been dug up and a new culvert installed. Ditches that had been dug out to accommodate these works were very deep and there were no banks. Mr Houghton reported that Highways had been alerted to these concerns and were inspecting the road.

It was reported that the new fingerpost for Goosemoor had now been installed.


BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION
: The Clerk had now received confirmation from this year’s Hanging Baskets and Tubs judge, Mrs Edna Dunn.

Best Kept Village posters from the village children were discussed, with Mrs K. Reeves agreeing to oversee this.

Dog fouling was mentioned as again being a nuisance particularly on the Glebelands and in the High Street. The Parish Council discussed ways of monitoring this and agreed they should urge people to clean up after their dogs when walking, especially in areas where children play or walk and the countryside at large. It was also noted that there were hefty fines aimed at people caught allowing their dogs to foul in public places.


VILLAGE FESTIVAL
: Organisation for this year’s festival was reported to be going well.


BARNFIELD CHARITY TRUSTEE:
Mr Steven Rutherford was re-elected as the Parish Council Trustee for the Barnfield Trust.


FINANCE
: Three invoices were due for payment, £165.00 for the recent school letting fees payable to Staffs County Council; £212.00 for Oaklands Framing for the replacement finger post at Goosemoor and £15.20 for the recently acquired Neighbourhood Watch, signs purchased by Mandy Corser. These were proposed for payment by Mrs K. Reeves, seconded by Mr T. Houghton. All were in favour.

The Clerk confirmed that the accounts were being prepared for the internal audit by Mrs Helen Bellamy and public inspection of these accounts would take place from the 7th May until the 8th June.

CORRESPONDENCE: Many items of correspondence had been received this month and various items were distributed for reading among the Parish Council, including a Members Digest from SBC, the CPRE annual report, consultation documents regarding travellers’ sites.

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on the Tuesday 4th May 2010 in the village institute.
The meeting closed at 9.40p.m.

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MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON THE 2nd MARCH 2010


PRESENT:
Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs K. Reeves, Messrs I. Glover, T. Houghton, B. Thacker, Stafford Borough Councillor Mr B. Stamp, six members of the public and the Clerk.


APOLOGIES:
These were received from Parish Councillors’ Ms M. Corser and Mrs D. Jones.


MINUTES:
Mrs K. Reeves requested that the previous minutes be amended by clarifying that it was a Hawthorn tree that had been in need of cutting back by the playground. The minutes from the previous meeting were then deemed as a true record by those present and duly signed by the Chairman.


MATTERS ARISING:
It was agreed that all matters arising from the last meeting would be taken as they appeared on the agenda.


LATE ITEMS
: It was agreed that minutes would be posted to John Edwards following the monthly Parish Council meeting where they would be approved or amended as appropriate. Mr Edwards is to contact the Clerk for copies of minutes to complete an archive is creating for the village.

Mr Houghton expressed concerns over the seating arrangements for Parish Council meeting, as the chairs provided are very small (as intended for primary children) and were proving quite uncomfortable for adults to sit on while attending meetings. As a result Mr Houghton agreed to speak to Headmaster Mike Winkler about providing bigger chairs. If this was not possible, the use of the Village Institute as a possible venue for future Parish Council meetings was discussed.


OPEN FORUM
: Mr D. Rogers queried the recent planning application for the conversion of agricultural buildings into a dwelling at Little Onn. The various planning criteria for such conversions were discussed. The Clerk reported that the Parish Magazine should have carried the fact that one letter of objection to this application had been received and would rectify this in the next publication.

The dreadful state of the roads was discussed, particularly the numerous pot holes. Mr Houghton confirmed that he was still trying to get a date from Highways for an onsite meeting to discuss these and other outstanding highways problems.

Mrs Reeves reported on a press release she had received from Brian Eagles of WSL/ABC Coaches Ltd detailing the continuation of the West Staffs Link service post 12th February.


NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
There was nothing specific to report on Neighbourhood Watch matters.


C E V PLAYGROUND

:
Ms Corser had carried out the previous monthly inspection and had found the playground to be in good order with the exception of a small amount of litter. Mr I. Glover, who was next on the rota, took the inspection book for the forthcoming month.

The Clerk confirmed that she had spoken with grass cutting contractor Mr John Hall who was happy to continue in the long term with play ground maintenance.

The entrance to the playground was discussed and was to be inspected to ensure that wheel chair access was possible. This would be discussed at the next Parish Council meeting and if the access is inadequate will be changed to suit accordingly.

There had been no further progress made with the installation of adult equipment in the playground.


PLANNING:
The Clerk had received notification that there was to be an appeal made over the recent refusal for planning consent for an extension at Lissadell, High Street.


HIGHWAYS
: The dreadful state of the Parish roads was discussed with more and more potholes being identified. Mr Houghton reported that Staffs County Highways department have still not reciprocated his request for an on site meeting. With regard to the serious conditions of the Parish roads and the extremely long list of highways matters that remain outstanding, Mr Houghton was to contact Clarence to report the most serious road matters until a meeting could be arranged.


BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION
: Mr Houghton confirmed that the entry for this year’s competition had been sent in. Mrs K. Reeves was to organise the children’s publicity posters. The village map was to be reproduced as it had now faded a little. The Clerk was to organise the hanging baskets and tubs competition with the Parish Council providing sponsorship. The Clerk would confirm judging details at the next meeting.


VILLAGE FESTIVAL
: Organisation for this year’s festival was reported to be going well with a whole series of new events for this year. The date of the festival had been set as the 2rd – 4th July.


FINANCE
: Two invoices were due for payment, £40.00 for the recent maintenance in the play ground by John Hall at JWH and £17.25 for the BKV entry. These were proposed for payment by Mrs S. Dodd, seconded by Mr B. Thacker. All were in favour.

The Clerk confirmed the current balances of the Parish Council bank accounts and it was agreed that the two cheques books recently sent out by the bank should be returned, as the Parish Council wrote such few cheques.

CORRESPONDENCE: Many items of correspondence had been received this month and various items were distributed for reading among the Parish Council, including a Members Digest from SBC, news about the new Local Transport Plan, an invitation to an informal meeting with Gnosall PC, and the State of the Borough Debate on the 22nd March 2010.

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on the 6th April 2010 in the village school (unless the venue was changed). The meeting closed at 9.15 p.m.

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MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON THE 3rd FEBRUARY 2010


PRESENT:
Ms M. Corser, Mrs S. Dodd, Mrs D. Jones, Messrs B. Thacker, I. Glover, T. Houghton, 5 members of the public and the Clerk, Mrs D. M .Key.


APOLOGIES

:
Were received from Mrs K Reeves and Staffs County Councillor Mr M. Winnington.


MINUTES:
The Minutes from the previous meeting were deemed as a true record and were duly signed by the Chairman, MrT. Houghton. It was noted that the Clerk had accidentally written Councillor Glover in as present and having given apologies.


MATTERS ARISING:
The Chairman explained that the minutes had not been posted on the Parish Council notice board as the lock was frozen.

The Clerk had now received a letter from the Flower Festival Committee and a further meeting had been held. The theme of the festival will be ‘A Lifetime in Flowers’. The Parish Council agreed to support one of the displays.

It was suggested that this year’s hanging baskets competition might include tubs or other containers. .


OPEN FORUM
: Mr J. Edwards addressed the meeting and presented the Parish Council with an invoice amounting to £26.00 for the website renewal plus the half payment for the Christmas tree amounting to £20.00.

Mr Edwards also mentioned that a history group had been set up, meeting every fourth Tuesday of the month in the institute at 8.00 p.m. It was intended that the group would follow on in the footsteps of Mr J Buckler’s book on Church Eaton.


LATE ITEMS
: There were no late items.

GLEBELANDS SPORTS ASSOCIATION: Installation of goal posts was discussed briefly and Councillor Stamp stated that he was currently making arrangements for a meeting to take place to discuss this issue. It was intended that the meeting would not look specifically at the Glebelands but at every option to see what could be done.

It was also stated that plans were afoot to form a new village youth club.


NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
Ms Corser reported that Operation Amalgam was now in full swing as a means of trying to stop the growing thefts of metals. Ms Corser also reported that a large amount of horse tack had been stolen from Gnosall. been stolen. Information concerning the new OWL system had been circulated.


FLOODING
: The Clerk reported that Miss Bennett had replied to the letter sent to her previously by the Parish Council agreeing to look at the flooding. Since then the Chairman along with Miss J Bennett and Matt Jones from the Staffordshire Wildlife Advisory Group Wildlife had walked the land farmed by Janet and Mr Jones had made various observations and was to report back to all interested parties.


C E V PLAYGROUND

:
Mr B Thacker returned the inspection book and commented that the playground was in good repair despite a few blown down twigs. Mr Thacker did note that the surface around the spring mobile would probably need some attention as a dip had formed which would need filling in or a grass guard installed.

The rewording of the playground sign was discussed and possibly removing the age limit. The Clerk had still not heard back from the insurance company Allianz as to whether there would be any insurance implications for doing this.

With regards to replacing the back fence, Mr Houghton had received a letter from the Borough Council who unfortunately would not be able to provide any funding for this project. It was agreed to discuss this at the next meeting.


PLANNING:
The Clerk had received two letters about forthcoming enquiries into the enforcement action regarding the storage of equipment on Little Onn Airfield and the refusal of planning consent for the renewal of a temporary mobile hone at Manor Farm, Marston.


HIGHWAYS
: Refurbishment of the Parish fingerposts was again discussed, and the Clerk had contacted Highways about the possibility of reclaiming old finger post timber. Highways were to contact the Clerk on this matter.

The dreadful state of Woollaston Lane was again discussed and Councillor Stamp stated that he had written to Highways and was awaiting an answer. The Clerk had received several complaints from local residents at Woollaston.

The use of Birchmoor Lane by heavy traffic was also discussed. The Clerk was asked to report these matters of concern to John Sly at County Highways.


FINANCE:
The Clerk had ordered the new netball post and would present an invoice as soon as she received it. The two invoices presented by Mr J Edwards were proposed for payment by Mrs S. Dodd and seconded by Mr I. Glover. All were in favour.


BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION
: The Chairman was attending to this year’s entry forms with support from Mr J Edwards.

CORRESPONDENCE: Various items were distributed for reading among the Parish Council including the latest Members Digest, copies of the Sundial magazine and an invitation to the newly formed Gnosall Traders Association which Mr Thacker had attended. There was a letter from the Borough Council inviting the Parish Council to attend a briefing on the Local Development Framework housing allocations. Mr Houghton and Mr Glover would attend.

Mr Thacker informed the meeting that the next workshop/meeting to discuss the village sign would be taking place on Sunday the 8th February at 2.00 p.m.

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on the 3rd March 2009 in the village school. The meeting closed at 9.15 p.m.

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MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON THE 5th JANUARY 2010


PRESENT:
Mrs S. Dodd, and Mrs K. Reeves, Messrs I. Glover, T. Houghton, B. Thacker, Stafford Borough Councillor, Mr B. Stamp, Staffs County Councillor, Mr M. Winnington, six members of the public and the Clerk.


APOLOGIES:
These were received from Ms M. Corser and Mrs D. Jones


MINUTES:
Mr K Reeves queried the description of the post van robbery. It was confirmed that the driver walked to a neighbouring property rather than walking into the village, as stated previously. Mr Thacker mentioned the land share web site not Mr Houghton. The minutes from the previous meeting were then deemed as a true record and duly signed by the Chairman.


MATTERS ARISING:
It was agreed that all matters arising from the last meeting would be taken as they appeared on the agenda. The Clerk confirmed that a rota had now been organised for the play park inspections and this had been done alphabetically.


OPEN FORUM
: Mr M. Faarup spoke against the revised plans to build a rear extension behind his neighbouring property. Mr Houghton stated that the Parish Council would be examining the amended plans later on in the meeting. Mr Steve Caplan, the applicant, who was also in attendance at the meeting was invited to speak during Open Forum but declined.

Mrs Kath Mainwaring complained that the street lighting in Malthouse Lane very poor and inadequate given the amount of traffic using this road. Mr Houghton asked Mrs Mainwaring to gauge the opinion of residents living in Malthouse Lane and report back to the Parish Council. Should the need arise the Parish Council would then approach the County Council about improving the lighting provision.


LATE ITEMS
: The proposed withdrawal of the West of Stafford bus link by the operator ABC was discussed. It was suggested that was because that only a small number of passengers used the service. One option being discussed by the County Council with ABC was that a smaller vehicle with fewer seats could be used.

Mrs K. Reeves informed Staffs County Councillor, Mr M. Winnington that the bus route through Bradley had not been gritted.


NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
Unfortunately Ms M. Corser was still unwell and unable to attend the meeting. It was reported that a car had been broken into in Malthouse Lane and a lap top computer stolen. The Police were warning against valuables being left on view in unattended in vehicles.


C E V PLAYGROUND

:
The inspection book was returned by Mr I. Glover who had found everything to be in order. Mrs S. Dodd took the inspection book for the forthcoming month as she was next on the rota, in the absence of Ms M. Corser.

The Clerk was to contact John Hall about grass cutting for the new season and to enquire as to whether he would consider a new two year contract.

The playground fencing and the ear marked fund of £1,000 was discussed. A review of the fencing was deferred until the next meeting following an inspection.

The Clerk confirmed that a copy of the invoice for the new fence which, was installed during the summer by Tom Alexander, had been forwarded to Mr Les Beatty Treasurer of Church Eaton Recreation Society. Mr Houghton was to collect the balance owing from Mr Beatty.


TELEPHONE KIOSKS:
It was reported that the telephone was working in the High Street, Church Eaton. The Clerk was still to contact BT over the lack of mobile telephone network coverage in the area with regard to their recent consultation over the adopt a kiosk scheme.


ALLOTMENTS
: Mr Houghton had received a response from a local landowner who had indicated that there might be a small piece of land available in Apeton for the creation of allotments. It was agreed that Mr Houghton would liaise with Mr N. Lakin from the allotment group and the landowner to look at taking this scheme further.


WIND FARM
: There was no further news about the proposed wind farm at Brineton but it was anticipated that an application would be submitted shortly.


PLANNING:
A new set of plans had been received for the proposed conversion of agricultural buildings into one dwelling house at Little Onn. After studying the plans the Parish Council had no objections. The amended plans for the proposed rear extension at Lissadell, Church Eaton was discussed. The Parish Council had no objections in principle to the development but were concerned over the scale of the development and the changes to the back of the house in a conservation area. The Clerk was asked to email these comments to the Borough Council planning department.


HIGHWAYS
: Mr Houghton reported that the proposed meeting with Chris Mitchell from S.C.C Highways had been postponed until all interested parties could attend.

Mr Houghton reported that the street lighting company ABB, contractors for the County Council, had installed new street lighting in Oak Close and Parkers Close. Local residents had complained about this as no consultation had been carried out. Mr Houghton had contacted Mr Beavis from ABB who informed him that consultation with local residents was not a legal requirement and as such, given the tight criteria ABB had to work under and the age of the lamp posts, none had been carried out.


FINANCE
: The Clerk’s half yearly fee was now due. Mr Houghton proposed a £50.00 increase (in line with current inflation) for the year. This was seconded by Mrs S. Dodd. All were in favour. Expenses for the past year were presented amounting to £69.33. This was also agreed for payment. An invoice for £161.00 from the Audit Commission, for the last audit, had been received and a request from the Institute for a donation towards the new window had also been received. It was agreed that a cheque for £500.00 would be raised as a 147 payment from the concurrent functions allowance. This was proposed by Mr B. Thacker, seconded by Mrs S. Dodd. All were in favour.

CORRESPONDENCE: Various items were distributed for reading among the Parish Council, including the latest copy of Members Digest from the Borough Council and a newsletter from the SPCA. The Parish Council had received a letter from the Borough Council regarding this year’s civic amenities visits. The Clerk was asked to reply requesting three visits to be held in March, end of June and October 2010.

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on the 2nd February 2010 in the village school. The meeting closed at 9.40 p.m.

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