PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs K. Reeves,
Messrs P. Bailey, A. Brown, P. Harriman, D. Massie, S. Moore, Stafford Borough
Councillor, Mr R. Sutherland, three members of the public and the Clerk, Mrs D.
M. Key.
APOLOGIES:
These were received from Stafford Borough
Councillor Mr S. Leighton.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a true record by those
present and were duly signed by the Chairman, Councillor Mr P. Harriman.
MATTERS ARISING:
It was reported that the notice board
currently displaying the village map might require some maintenance work. This
would be investigated further. The Clerk had sent round to all Councillors, a
draft flier advertising for a volunteer(s) to oversee the entry into the 2019
Best Kept Village Competition. Following some suggested amendments, the Clerk
was to resend this to Councillors. This flier was then to be used wherever
possible in the Parish to create publicity about this position.
LATE ITEMS
It was reported that this year’s Best Kept
Village posters had now been removed. There had been an incident reported to the
Chairman over alleged adult drug taking in the playground. The Clerk was to
mention this to PCSO Pat Wright and the school had been informed. It appeared
that this may well have been a one off incident.
OPEN FORUM:
Councillor A. Brown reported that, with help from Mr Simon Handley and Ms Lorna
Elwell, he had carried out some highways maintenance work cleaning out gullies
and digging grips. During an approximate four and a half hour session, eight
gulleys had been attended to. Councillor Brown felt confident that this work
could be carried out locally should cuts by the County Council to their highways
budget reduce current highways maintenance even further. Discussions over
obtaining tools and hi viz jackets was also discussed.
The Clerk was to try and
obtain the recent survey map of road gullies in the Parish so that this could be
checked with the position on the ground, and a schedule of works considered. The
Clerk was also to contact Highways in the interim over the flooding of a drain
adjacent to East Lodge, Marston following concerns raised by Mr Bob Giles.
Despite being reported in 2015, this drain had still not been attended to
despite being reported repeatedly by the Clerk, Councillor S. Moore and Mr
Giles. This was especially frustrating as the Highways Department had actioned
works to remedy this several months ago.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
Councillor D. Massie reported that he had various items stolen from his family
farm including a JCB “Load All” and quad bike etc. The police had been involved.
Also reported was that
Staffs County Council had created an app called “My Staffs App” which could be downloaded
for free for use on a smart phone or tablet. This app could be used to report an
issue, make a transaction or request information relating to various council
services. The Clerk was to look into downloading this for Parish Council use.
CHURCH EATON VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
On returning the inspection
book, Councillor P. Bailey had reported no issues relating to the playground,
although a small amount of litter had been found. Councillor Bailey had also
inspected the equipment again, especially the swing shackles, but was satisfied
they were in suitable condition for use. Councillor D. Massie took the
inspection book for the forthcoming month.
PLANNING
One new application had been received since the
last meeting in relation to ongoing works at High Onn Manor. This application
was for a minor alteration to a previous application to vary the planning
consent. From the plans it was not really evident what the variation was, but it
seemed to be a revised site plan. The Parish Council did not have any objections
to this although the Chairman said he would take a further look at it. Stafford
Borough Councillor Mr R. Sutherland declared an interest in this matter and did
not take part in the discussion due to his involvement with the Borough Council
Planning Committee.
HIGHWAYS
The Clerk confirmed that she had arranged for the
next Stafford West Collaboration meeting to be hosted by Church Eaton Parish
Council on the 21st February 2019 at the Village Institute.
FINGERPOSTS
The new fingerpost made by Timberwolves had
been collected by Councillor D. Massie and the Clerk had made enquiries with Mr
Tom Alexander about installing the new post. Tom was able to carry out the work
for which he had quoted £170 including materials and labour which included
finishing off with tarmac around the new post. The Parish Council agreed to Mr
Alexander carrying out this work and the Clerk was to confirm this with him. Mr
D.Massie was thanked for collecting the new post.
BUS PASSES
Following the last meeting where the Clerk had reported that she had received a
telephone call from Mrs Jenny Whittingham relating to concerns that from the 1st
April 2019 there were proposals to scrap the use of free passes on the local
buses before 9.30am she had written to the bus company, Select, but was still
awaiting a reply. Staffs County Councillor Mr M. Winnington had been sent a copy
of this letter. The Clerk had also updated Mrs Whittingham.
TELEPHONE KIOSK HIGH STREET CHURCH EATON:
There was no news
or developments relating to this matter but Stafford Borough Councillor Mr R.
Sutherland offered to chase this matter up. The Clerk was also to continue
pressing this matter with the Borough Council.
FINANCE:
An invoice for £144.00 from JWH for the October grass cutting was presented, as
was an invoice for hire of the Institute for the December Parish Council meeting
amounting to £20.00. These were proposed for payment by Councillor Mrs S. Dodd
and seconded by Councillor S. Moore. All were in favour.
The Clerk reported that the bank charges incurred from the issue over the failed transfer of funds by HSBC had been reimbursed by HSBC.
The Clerk had received an email from the Borough Council requesting that the Parish Council look at setting next financial year’s precept, which would be as was customary, carried out at the January meeting. The Clerk was also to forward the accompanying information contained within the email to all members of the Parish Council for consideration at the January meeting.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she had received
information about the forthcoming Stafford Borough Council Carol Service. A new
Walking For Health programme had been received which the Clerk had printed off
for Councillor Mrs Reeves to display on the Council’s notice board.
Mr John Young had emailed the Clerk about maintaining the finger post at Goosemoor. The Clerk had informed him that this post would be probably be the next one to be replaced but would keep him informed. He had also requested that he would like to have the old fingerpost but at this time it was not clear what the Parish Council intended to do with it.
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Tuesday the 8th January 2019 at 7.30 pm in the Village Institute. The meeting closed at 9.30 pm.
PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs K. Reeves,
Messrs P. Bailey, A. Brown, P.Harriman, D. Massie, S. Moore, Staffordshire
County Councillor, Mr M.Winnington and the Clerk, Mrs D. M. Key.
APOLOGIES:
These were received from Stafford Borough
Councillors Mr S. Leighton and Mr R.Sutherland.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a true record by those
present following an amendment to the date of the meeting and were duly signed
by the Chairman Councillor Mr P.Harriman.
MATTERS ARISING:
These were taken as they appeared on the
agenda.
LATE ITEMS
The Chairman Councillor Mr P. Harriman had
received an email from Miss Langan, a teacher at Church Eaton Primary School,
requesting financial support for the purchase of balancing bikes. As no costs
were given in the email Councillor Harriman is to investigate this matter
further to ascertain what level of funding might be required so that the Parish
Council can consider this request in full.
Mrs Bee Byford had expressed concerns to Councillor P. Harriman over the poor condition of some of the village troughs. Due to the continual theft of plants two of these troughs are now to be scrapped but their timber will be used to repair the remaining ones which are now starting to need some serious maintenance. Alternative ‘troughs’ such as tractor tyres are to be considered for future use. Thanks were expressed by members of the Parish Council to Bee Byford and friends for all their hard work with planting and looking after the village troughs as well as Dawn Gibbs and Jayne Moore for their hard work on maintaining the ones at Marston. Councillor K. Reeves requested that the bulbs be recovered from the scrapped troughs to be re-planted in the future.
Church Eaton’s entry into next year’s Best Kept Village Competition was discussed. It was generally agreed that unless more support and input was forthcoming it did not seem worth entering. It was agreed however to see if a volunteer could be found to co-ordinate the entry. Councillor Mr A. Brown said he would be happy to assist with the administration such as completing the entry form and producing the map. The Clerk was to arrange publicity to hopefully find a local volunteer.
The Clerk reported she had received a telephone call from Mrs Jenny Whittingham who had reported that from the 1st April 2019 there were proposals to scrap the use of free passes on the local buses before 9.30am. The Parish Council has been approached to see if an exception could be made for Church Eaton pensioners who take the 9.10am bus to Stafford. The Clerk was to contact the bus company Select to see whether a solution could be found. Staffs County Councillor Mr M. Winnington asked the Clerk if she could copy him into any correspondence and would certainly back any plans to try to resolve this situation.
OPEN FORUM:
Councillor K. Reeves reported that the notice
board housing the village map appeared to have had it’s back board blown off but
that this now seemed to have now been put back.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
Reports had been received relating to an incident on the 4th November when two
vehicles, a blue 65 plate transit van and a black 65 plate Volkswagen Golf were
seen driving around fields in High Onn and Church Eaton. This incident was most
likely linked to lamping, as an unknown person was seen shining a spot light
onto the fields.
CHURCH EATON VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
On returning the inspection
book, Councillor Mrs S. Dodd reported that the playground appeared to be in good
condition. Councillor Mr A. Brown reported that the piece of metal which had
suddenly appeared, possibly as a result of the site previously being used as a
rubbish tip, had now been removed. Councillor Mr D. Massie was thanked for all
his recent work on the playground.
PLANNING
No new planning applications had been received
since the last meeting.
HIGHWAYS
Councillors Mr A. Brown and Mrs K. Reeves both
attended the recent Stafford West Collaboration meeting held at High Offley on
the 25th October. They reported that gulley emptying, or rather the
lack of it, was discussed as Church Eaton Parish Council had requested this
matter be added to the agenda. Gully emptying seemed to be a problem for most
parishes. With no signs that this would be improving, some of the Parish
Councils were looking at carrying out this work themselves. It did seem however
that the preliminary costs for doing these works might be prohibitive. Church
Eaton Parish Council are to obtain plans showing the locations of gullies in the
Parish and will continue to inspect these and report problems to the County
Council in the short term until it is known what future maintenance plans will
be in place. What is clear is that repairing and reinstating verge grips will no
longer be carried out by the County Council and if work was required this must
be done by the Parish. Church Eaton is to host the next Stafford West
Collaboration meeting on the 21st February 2019.
Speeding motorists were also discussed at the Parish Council meeting given concerns from a local resident at the last meeting. This was especially worrying in Wood Eaton Road where there were no pavements. Cuts to the County Council’s budget seem to be preventing any progress with traffic calming and extra signage and unfortunately the Parish Council does not have sufficient funds to carry out these works. The Parish Council agreed to keep monitoring the situation and report their findings to Staffordshire County Councillor Mr M. Winnington.
Councillor Mr A. Brown had replaced yet another white plastic bollard which had been broken adjacent to the properties Lissadell and Innisfree in the High Street.
FINGERPOSTS
The new fingerpost made by Timberwolves was now
ready for collection and Councillor D. Massie agreed to collect this from them.
This new fingerpost would replace the one opposite the Institute and adjacent to
St Editha’s Church which was now so dilapidated that it was beyond repair. The
Parish Council were hoping that County Highways would install this new
fingerpost but they have refused. The Clerk was asked to see if a local
contractor could carry out this work and report her findings at the next
meeting.
TELEPHONE KIOSK HIGH STREET CHURCH EATON:
There was no news
or developments relating to this matter. The Clerk was asked to continuing
chasing this matter up with the Borough Council.
FINANCE:
An invoice for £96.00 from JWH for the September grass cutting was presented,
as was an invoice for hire of the Institute for the November Parish Council
meeting amounting to £20.00. Also due for payment was the outstanding invoice of
£190.00 for two civic amenity visits. These were proposed for payment by
Councillor Mrs S. Dodd and seconded by Councillor Mrs K.Reeves. All were in
favour.
The Clerk reported that the cheque amounting to £360 for the new fingerpost had been sent to Timberwolves but had been returned. The Clerk had spoken with HSBC to find out why this had happened and it was discovered that a transfer transaction made in October by the Clerk to cover this cheque had not gone through. HSBC were to refund any charges relating to this matter as Timberwolves had incurred a £20 charge as a result of this. The Clerk had again enquired with HSBC as to why an automatic transfer from the interest account into the checking account could not be arranged but it appeared this could only be arranged on a regular monthly basis with a regular sum. Councillor S. Moore said it might be better to move most of the funds into the checking account given the low level of current interest to be gained.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she had received the
latest Members Digest and an invitation from Stafford Borough Council to the
annual pantomime gala performance which Councillor Mrs S. Dodd said she would
attend. There was also information sent regarding the forthcoming mayoral ball.
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Tuesday
the 4th December 2018 at 7.30 pm in the Village Institute. The
meeting closed at 9.30 pm.
PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs K. Reeves, Messrs P. Bailey, A. Brown, D.
Massie, S. Moore, Stafford Borough Councillor Mr R.Sutherland, one member of the
public and the Clerk, Mrs D. M. Key.
APOLOGIES:
These were received from Councillor Mr P.Harriman, Stafford Borough Councillor
Mr S. Leighton and Staffs County Councillor Mr M.Winnington.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a true record by those present and were duly signed
by the Vice Chairman Councillor Mrs S.Dodd.
MATTERS ARISING:
These were taken as they appeared on the agenda.
LATE ITEMS
The Clerk confirmed that following a telephone conversation with Stafford
Borough Councillor Mr R.Sutherland, the invoice for the civic amenity visits
could be paid in full after the second visit had taken place and not before as
originally requested by the Borough Council. Mr Sutherland was thanked for
taking this up with the Borough. It was also agreed to carry out more publicity
about these visits for next year.
OPEN FORUM:
Mrs Caplan expressed concerns during open forum about speeding motorists,
especially larger vehicles on both the Church Eaton to Haughton and Gnosall to
Church Eaton roads. Mrs Caplan and another family member had both experienced
mirrors being broken off their vehicles by inconsiderate speeding motorists.
Traffic calming measures, reduced speed limits and signage were all discussed.
The Clerk was asked to highlight this continuing problem in the next Parish
Magazine and also to contact Staffs County Councillor Mr M. Winnington. Mr R.
Sutherland was also to speak with Councillor Winnington.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
The Clerk reported
she has been speaking with Pat Wright the PCSO for the Church Eaton area who was
hoping to attend a future Parish Council meeting. Mr Wright had commented to the
Clerk that unfortunately rural crime was on the increase especially with thefts
from farms and small holdings. This was also a national problem.
CHURCH EATON
VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
On returning the
inspection book, Councillor Mr A. Brown reported that the playground was in good
condition. However arrangements were made to remove a piece of metal which had
suddenly appeared, possibly as a result of the site previously being used as a
rubbish tip.
PLANNING
Two planning applications had been received since the last meeting. The first
for minor material amendments to a previous planning application which was to
remove a window, reduce an area of roof glazing and to revise the location of
fenestration at The Old Rectory. The second application was to incorporate
existing outbuildings, and to construct a separate building to accommodate a
tractor store, stable and gymnasium, as well as the installation of a climbing
frame and the creation of a new vehicular access at Slab Bridge Cottage. There
were no objections made to either of these proposed developments.
HIGHWAYS
The Clerk reported that she had received two separate complaints about the lack
of gulley emptying in the High Street and at Goosemoor. The Clerk was asked to
report these concerns to Highways. The next Stafford West Collaboration Meeting
would be taking place on the 25th October at Adbaston and it was
hoped that Church Eaton would have a Parish Councillor at that meeting.
FINGERPOSTS
The Clerk reported she was waiting to receive news from Timberwolves about the
new fingerpost which was nearing completion. Collection and delivery of the new
fingerpost was discussed. The Clerk also reported she was still waiting to hear
from County Highways as to whether they could install this new post.
TELEPHONE KIOSK
HIGH STREET CHURCH EATON:
Following last month’s
meeting, the Clerk had again contacted Michelle Smith, the Business Improvement
Manager, at Stafford Borough Council regarding the public consultation over a
replacement telephone kiosk and equipment for the High Street, Church Eaton.
Michelle was still actively chasing BT over this matter and would update the
Clerk of any developments. Stafford Borough Councillor Mr R. Sutherland also
said he would chase this matter up.
FINANCE:
An
invoice for £96.00 from JWH for grass cutting was presented, as was an invoice
for hire of the Institute for Parish Council meetings for September and October
amounting to £40. The Clerk’s quarterly fee of £536.30 plus £4.20 tax was also
presented and it was agreed to pay the Civic Amenities invoice of £190.00
following the second visit. These were proposed for payment by Councillor Mrs
K. Reeves and seconded by the Vice Chairman Councillor Mrs S.Dodd. All were in
favour.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she had received the latest Members Digest and an invitation
from Stafford Borough Council to a Mayoral Curry Buffet Evening.
It was agreed that the
next meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Tuesday the 6th
November 2018 at 7.30 pm in the Village Institute. The meeting closed at 8.36
pm.
PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs K. Reeves, Messrs P. Bailey, A. Brown, P.
Harriman, D. Massie, S. Moore, Stafford Borough Councillor, Mr R.Sutherland and
the Clerk, Mrs D. M. Key.
APOLOGIES:
These were received from Stafford Borough Councillor Mr S. Leighton.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a true record by those present and were duly signed
by the chairman Councillor P.Harriman.
MATTERS ARISING:
These were taken as they appeared on the agenda.
LATE ITEMS
There were no late items.
OPEN FORUM:
Was not required on this occasion.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
Reports had been
received by the Parish Council of a quad bike being stolen locally and in a
separate incident, an electric fencing unit. While updating the Welcome Pack,
the Clerk had found out that the PCSO responsible for the Church Eaton area was
Patrick Wright and his contact details had now been included the revised pack.
CHURCH EATON
VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
Councillor A. Brown returned the
inspection book but offered to do another month of inspections. In the previous
month he had noted and removed quite a lot of litter and had cleaned some of the
outdoor gym equipment, removing algae etc. Councillor P. Bailey offered to look
at the swing seat for potential maintenance issues. It was reported that Mr Tom
Alexander had made a very good job of repairing the roadside fence following the
storm damage caused by a fallen tree but in the end did have to replace a broken
post. Councillor D.Massie had removed the tree stump and had also removed the
debris from the fallen tree.
PLANNING
The Clerk had not received any new planning applications since the last meeting.
HANGING BASKETS & TUBS COMPETITION:
The Clerk reported that the results had now been received from
this year’s judge - Mr B. Stamp from Seighford. The winners were as follows:
1st Place: Cherry Tree Cottage
Runner Up: 2 Ashley Croft
Runner Up: 7 Parkers Close
Highly Commended:
Oak House
2 Swan Court
Palmers Croft
The winner and two runners up would each receive a National Gardening voucher.
HIGHWAYS
The Clerk had made enquiries concerning the next meeting of the Stafford West
Collaboration Group and was waiting to receive information as to where and when
this would take place, although it looked like the meeting would not be held
until October at the earliest.
FINGERPOSTS
The Clerk had been asked by Timberwolves for some more information regarding the
specification for the lettering for the new fingerpost. The Clerk had now
obtained this information and was to forward this to them. Collection and
delivery of the new fingerpost was discussed. It was agreed that the Parish
Council would probably arrange to collect the post to avoid the high delivery
charge of £70 plus VAT. The Clerk was waiting to hear back from County Highways
as to whether they could install the new post.
TELEPHONE KIOSK
HIGH STREET CHURCH EATON:
The Clerk had now heard from
the office of Michelle Smith, the Business Improvement Manager, at Stafford
Borough Council regarding the public consultation over a replacement telephone
kiosk and equipment for the High Street, Church Eaton. The Clerk had supplied
some more information about the removal but was again for a reply from the
Borough Council. Stafford Borough Councillor, Mr R. Sutherland also said he
would chase this matter up.
FINANCE:
The
Clerk reported that she had, with the agreement of the Chairman, paid the Parish
Council insurance renewal from Zurich which had amounted to £578.31. An invoice
for £96.00 from JWH for grass cutting was presented, as was an invoice for
£20.00 from the Clerk to cover the purchase of the National Gardening vouchers
for this year’s Hanging Basket and Tubs competition. Councillor S. Moore
presented an invoice for £31.00 for the trough planting at Marston and it was
noted that Tom Alexander had been paid £450.00 for the replacement of a fencing
post and repairs to the playground roadside fence. These was proposed for
payment by Councillor Mrs K. Reeves and seconded by the chairman Councillor P.
Harriman.
The Clerk reported that the exception certificate had been sent in good time to Mazars who were now responsible for organising the annual Parish Council audits. The Clerk confirmed that the kind donation of £250.00 for the defibrillators maintenance fund from Staffs County Councillor Mark Winnington’s Community Fund had been received.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she had received very little information over the summer
months and any general emails had been circulated round members of the Parish
Council. Two Members Digests were given out. Mr John Young from Goosemoor had
contacted the Clerk about the Conservation Area boundaries. The Clerk had sent
him an up to date map which he had received. The Clerk had also had some revised
Welcome Packs produced and had sent some of these to Daphne Rutherford who was
kindly giving them to new residents. Councillor S. Moore also received two to
give out at Marston. The Clerk was to send a revised pack to John Edwards for
the village web site.
It was agreed that the
next meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Tuesday the 2nd
October at 7.30 pm in the Village Institute, with no meeting in August unless
something out of the ordinary occurred. The meeting closed at 8.24 pm.
PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs K. Reeves, Messrs P. Bailey, A.Brown, D.
Massie, one member of the public and the Clerk, Mrs D. M. Key.
APOLOGIES:
These were received from Councillors Mr P.Harriman and Mr S.Moore, Stafford
Borough Councillors Mr S. Leighton and Mr R.Sutherland.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a true record by those present and were duly signed
by the vice chairman Councillor Mrs S.Dodd.
MATTERS ARISING:
There was a short
discussion over mobile phone coverage in Church Eaton in relation to making
emergency phone calls. As Councillor Mrs K.Reeves had previously stated,
following her recent investigations, 999 calls would get through to the
emergency services as they were re-routed through another provider if mobile
coverage was poor.
The Clerk reported that following a suggestion by
Stafford Borough Councillor Mr R.Sutherland she had spoken with Ian Curran at
Stafford Borough Council regarding the new General Data Protection Regulations.
Mr Curran discussed how the new changes were being dealt with by the Borough
Council and the Clerk discussed how the Parish Council was dealing with data
protection issues such as safe guarding the electoral roll and the secure
storing of information.
LATE ITEMS
There were no late items.
OPEN FORUM:
Was not required on this occasion.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
The Clerk had not
received any new reports.
CHURCH EATON
VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
Councillor Mrs K.Reeves returned
the inspection book and had not noted anything of concern. Councillor Mr A.
Brown took the inspection book for the forthcoming month. Plans to remove the
fallen tree stump were discussed so that Tom Alexander could undertake repairs
to the roadside fence. Councillor D. Massie was to remove the stump but had been
delayed in doing so due to the recent Severn Trent Water road works which were
taking place on the High Onn Road.
The Clerk reported she had now received the recent tree inspection report from Mr Terry Merchant which was discussed along with remedial work.
PLANNING
The Clerk had received one planning application for
proposed extensions and alterations
to the existing detached dwelling including replacement of an existing two
storey side extension at The Old School House, 3 Wood Eaton Road. There were no
objections made to these proposals although retaining the original diamond paned
glazing was requested.
HANGING
BASKETS & TUBS COMPETITION:
The Clerk
confirmed that judging would soon be taking place of the annual hanging baskets
and tubs competition. This year’s judge would be Barry Stamp from Seighford.
DEFIBRILLATOR PROJECT:
The Clerk had received acknowledgement that £250 was being forwarded towards the
maintenance budget for the defibrillators from Staffordshire County Councillor,
Mr M.Winnington’s Community Fund.
FINGERPOSTS
The Clerk had discussed an order for the new fingerpost with Timberwolves who
were to let the Clerk know what the delivery costs might be.
HIGHWAYS
Severn Trent Water had commenced water mains renewal works in the
parish. There had been no new updates concerning the next meeting of the
Stafford West Collaboration Group meeting.
Councillor P. Harriman had been in email contact with Mr J. Young following his discussions with a Community Traffic Officer to discuss Mr Young’s request for speed signs at Goosemoor.
There had been some road surface maintenance work carried out, and holes on the Marston to Wheaton Aston road had been filled in since the last meeting.
TELEPHONE KIOSK
HIGH STREET CHURCH EATON:
The Clerk had not yet heard
from Michelle Smith, the Business Improvement Manager, at Stafford Borough
Council regarding the public consultation over a replacement telephone kiosk and
equipment for the High Street, Church Eaton. The Clerk was to chase this matter
up for the next meeting.
FINANCE:
The
Clerk reported that she had received invoices for £144.00 and £48 from JWH for
grass cutting, and two invoices for £40 in total from the Village Institute for
the hire of the hall for the June & July meeting. Chris and Bee Byford had
forwarded an invoice for £82 for trough replanting. The Clerk asked that the
Council agree to make a £40 donation to the school PTA as requested Helen
Bellamy for her recent audit work. These was proposed for payment by Councillor
Mrs K. Reeves and seconded by Councillor A. Brown. All were in favour. The
Clerk’s quarterly fee of £536.50 plus tax of £4 was also agreed for payment.
The Clerk reported that Mrs Helen Bellamy had carried out the internal audit and was satisfied with the accounts. An exemption certificate was then duly signed by the Vice Chairman which was required for local councils who gross income was less than £25,000.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she had received information relating to the Borough play
scheme SPACE which Councillor Mrs K. Reeves was to display. There was some more
information relating to the Borough Council’s Local Plan authorisation. All
other correspondence had been circulated to the Parish Councillors.
It was agreed that the
next meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Tuesday the 4th
September at 7.30 pm in the Village Institute, with no meeting in August unless
something out of the ordinary occurred. The meeting closed at 8.25pm.
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON THE 5th JUNE
2018
PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs K. Reeves, Messrs P. Bailey, P. Harriman,
D. Massie, Stafford Borough Councillor Mr R. Sutherland, three members of the
public and the Clerk, Mrs D. M. Key.
APOLOGIES:
These were received from Councillor Mr A.Brown, Stafford Borough Councillor Mr
S. Leighton and Staffordshire County Councillor Mr M. Winnington.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a true record by those present and were duly signed
by the Chairman.
MATTERS ARISING:
A short discussion ensued regarding recent changes to the General Data
Protection Regulations. Stafford Borough Councillor Mr R.Sutherland suggested
contacting Ian Curran at Stafford Borough Council regarding these changes to
gain more information from a legal perspective.
The village troughs were discussed and were to be
planted up for the summer which Mrs Bee Byford had kindly offered to do.
Councillor P. Harriman agreed to strim around the troughs so that she could have
full access to them. It was agreed that the troughs on the High Onn and Little
Onn roads would be removed as plants were being stolen from them every year and
were proving costly to keep replacing.
LATE ITEMS
There were no late items.
OPEN FORUM:
Mr John Price thanked the Parish Council for their support over a planning
application that was submitted last year for the change of use from a dwelling
house (Class C3) to a residential care home (Class C2) at High Onn Manor Farm.
At the time there had been concerns but Mr Price was happy to report that there
had been no issues with this development.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
The Clerk had
received two reports relating to the theft of two farm trailers which had been
stolen recently from the Wood Eaton area and a caravan from the Haughton area.
The Clerk had received a Neighbourhood Watch email about a fence that had been
rammed in the High Onn area.
CHURCH EATON
VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
Removal of the fallen tree stump
and roots were discussed again and it was agreed that removal might be the best
option. Councillor D. Massie said he would be able to organise this although
concern was expressed that the tree roots might be running under the road. The
Clerk was then to contact Tom Alexander to see whether he was now well enough to
carry out repairs to the roadside fence. Councillor Mrs K. Reeves took the
inspection book for the forthcoming month.
The Clerk reported she had still not heard from Mr Terry Merchant, who was to carry out another inspection of the playground trees, but that she had emailed him but would try again.
PLANNING
There had been no new planning applications or planning matters to raise.
DEFIBRILLATOR PROJECT:
The third defibrillator had now been installed at the Village Institute by
Councillor
P. Harriman and Mr F. Annis. The Clerk was to contact Zurich to get the
defibrillator and cabinet added to the insurance policy. Mr Harriman had
completed the paperwork although it would take a few days for the registration
to appear on the West Midlands Ambulance Service system. The Clerk had applied
for some funding towards the maintenance budget for the defibrillators from
Staffordshire County Councillor, Mr M.Winnington’s Community Fund.
FINGERPOSTS
The Clerk reported she had not heard back from David Greenaway from Gnosall
whose number had been given as a possible supplier of replacement finger posts.
It was therefore agreed to go ahead and order a new fingerpost from Timberwolves
who had already submitted various quotations.
TELEPHONE KIOSK
HIGH STREET CHURCH EATON:
The Clerk reported she had
been in contact with Michelle Smith, the Business Improvement Manager, at
Stafford Borough Council regarding the public consultation over a replacement
telephone kiosk and equipment for the High Street, Church Eaton. Ms Smith had
not received any information on this matter from BT but was to contact the Clerk
once she had spoken to BT. As soon as the Parish Council receives any
notification of a consultation, details will be posted around the Parish on how
local residents can respond.
HIGHWAYS
Notification had been received that Severn Trent Water would be carrying out water mains
renewal works in the parish commencing on Monday 11 June 2018. This was to
install new water pipes from the junction of Goosemoor Lane, working along
Church Eaton Road and finishing these essential works at the junction of Little
Onn Road. STW had held a road show in the Institute about these proposed works
on the 31st May and had written to all parishioners who may be
affected by them.
The Clerk reported that the next Stafford West Collaboration Group meeting would be held on the 21st June, the venue was still to be confirmed. Councillor P. Harriman was to attend.
Councillor P. Harriman was also hoping to meet with a Community Traffic Officer to discuss Mr Young’s request for speed signs at Goosemoor. Councillor Harriman was to contact Mr Young over this matter.
FINANCE:
The Clerk reported that she had received an invoice for £48.00 from JWH for
grass cutting. This was proposed for payment by Councillor P. Harriman and
seconded by Councillor Mrs S. Dodd. All were in favour.
The Clerk reported on the latest developments with the annual audit and confirmed that Mrs Helen Bellamy would carry out the internal audit for this year. The Clerk requested that the Accounting Statements for 2017/18 required signing, subject to Council approval, this was agreed and the document duly signed by the Chairman.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she had received a copy of the latest Borough Council’s
Members Digest, an invitation for this year’s Shakespeare production and some
updated Walking To Health posters which Councillor
Mrs Reeves was to put up on the village notice board. All other correspondence had been circulated to the Parish Councillors.
It was agreed that the
next meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Tuesday the 3rd
July 2018 at 7.30pm in the Village Institute. The meeting closed at 8.40pm.
PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs S.
Dodd, Messrs P. Bailey, A. Brown, P. Harriman, D. Massie, S. Moore, Stafford
Borough Councillor Mr R. Sutherland, member of the public and the Clerk, Mrs D.
M. Key.
APOLOGIES:
These were received from
Councillor Mrs K. Reeves, Stafford Borough Councillor Mr S. Leighton and
Staffordshire County Councillor Mr M. Winnington.
ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN & VICE CHAIRMAN
Councillor Peter Harriman was nominated for the post of Chairman by Councillor
Mrs S. Dodd. This was seconded by Councillor S. Moore. All were in favour. There
were no other nominations. Councillor P. Harriman was duly re-elected as
Chairman. Councillor Mrs Sheila Dodd was re-elected to the post of Vice-Chairman
after being proposed by Councillor P. Harriman and seconded by Councillor P.
Bailey. All were in favour. There were no other nominations.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a
true record by those present and were duly signed by the Chairman.
MATTERS ARISING:
It was reported that the recent defibrillator awareness training session on
Saturday 14th April had been very well supported, and thanks were
expressed to Mr Martin Watson who led the event.
Concerns were raised during the
session regarding the poor mobile phone reception in the area and how this would
affect contacting the Emergency Services on 112 or 999, when wanting to use the
defibrillator. Councillor Mrs K. Reeves had contacted Staffordshire Police and
had been informed that emergency calls from a mobile phone would be routed by
any suitable satellite, so ensuring a connection regardless of the caller’s
location or service provider.
There had been no response from
Stafford Borough Council regarding the public consultation over replacing the
telephone equipment and kiosk in the High Street. Stafford Borough Councillor Mr
R. Sutherland said he would look into this matter and report back to the
Council.
LATE ITEMS
Chairman Councillor P.
Harriman had been in contact with Mr John Young from Goosemoor over his concerns
regarding speeding motorists and the provision of signs. Councillor Harriman had
explained that Parish Council funding was limited but would certainly assist
with any input that might be needed with Highways. The Clerk had also contacted
Mr Young over his enquiries relating to Rural Watch and had passed on details to
him as to who to contact over obtaining information about the scheme and Rural
Watch Signs. The Clerk had asked Mr Young to keep her updated on this matter.
The forthcoming changes to the General Data
Protection Regulations were discussed. The Clerk had not received any relevant
information on this matter and was to continue investigating how these changes
might impact the Parish Council even though she was not currently holding any
electronic databases.
Stafford Borough Councillor Mr R. Sutherland reported that the Borough Council were still looking into this matter
and had their legal team advising on the effect of GDPR.
OPEN FORUM:
Open Forum was not
required on this occasion.
NEIGHBOURHOOD
WATCH:
The Clerk had received two emails from
Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator Mandy Corser concerning reports of rural
business burglaries in the Haughton and Aqualate areas, and an attempted
break-in at a property located in the High Street, Church Eaton.
CHURCH EATON VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
Removal of the fallen tree stump and roots was discussed. Concern was expressed
that the tree roots might well be running under the road. Councillor D. Massie
was to remove the rest of the fallen tree debris. The Clerk was to contact Tom
Alexander to see if he was well enough to carry out the repairs to the roadside
fence. Councillor P. Bailey took the inspection book for the forthcoming month
from Councillor S. Moore.
The Clerk reported she had not yet heard from Mr Terry Merchant who was to carry out another inspection of the playground trees but she would email him again. The Clerk reported she had obtained some information from Wicksteed concerning the grass guard which had been installed some years ago and whether this needed replacing.
PLANNING
The Parish Council had
received two planning applications since the last meeting both for the variation of previous planning conditions. The first relating to Land at
Wood Eaton Manor received no objections from the Parish Council. The second
application relating to High Onn Manor was the Parish Council felt, being dealt
with by due process by the Borough Council.
Stafford Borough Councillor, Mr R. Sutherland declared an interest in both these matters and made no contribution towards this discussion.
FINGERPOSTS
The Clerk had contacted
Mr David Greenaway from Gnosall whose number had been given as a possible
supplier of replacement finger posts. Mr Greenaway was to go and look at the
church fingerpost and to supply a quotation for a replacement.
HIGHWAYS
Notification had been
received that during mid 2018, Severn Trent Water would be carrying out water
mains renewal works along the Church Eaton Road. The Parish Council further
understood that Severn Trent Water is likely to be holding an exhibition of the
planned works in the Village Institute. The date of this is yet to be confirmed
and more information concerning this was to be forwarded to Councillors as soon
as it was known.
Thanks were expressed by Councillor Mr S. Moore to Dawn Gibbs for organising the recent litter pick at
Marston and all those who took part. Fifteen bin liners of rubbish were removed.
Thanks were also expressed to Mrs Sally Whittaker who had contacted Stafford
Borough Council’s Street Scene to get a large amount of fly tipped bags of
rubbish, dumped in the Marston area, removed.
The Clerk reported she was still waiting to receive the notes from the last Stafford West Collaboration Group meeting held at Gnosall on the 22nd March. Councillor A. Brown enquired as to whether there had been any progress made with risk assessments.
BEST KEPT VILLAGE:
Church Eaton’s
entry into this year’s competition was discussed and with regret the decision
was made not to enter.
FINANCE:
The Clerk reported that she
had received an invoice for £1,548.00 from Wel Medical for the third
defibrillator and Sarah Hall had contacted the Clerk about an invoice amounting
to £141 for grass cutting which it appeared had not been paid by the Parish
Council in June of last year. The Clerk had checked her records which did show
that no invoice had been received for June and with permission of the Chairman
had paid this. These were proposed for payment by Councillor P. Harriman and
seconded by Councillor Mrs S. Moore. All were in favour.
The Clerk reported that she had now received the VAT claim from HMRC amounting to £737.56.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she
had received a copy of the latest Borough Council’s Members Digest, an update
from the Police and Crime Commissioner and a leaflet from Stafford Borough
Council concerning their new corporate business plan. All other correspondence
had been circulated to the Parish Councillors.
It
was agreed that the next meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Tuesday
the 5th June 2018 at 7.30pm in the Village Institute. The meeting
closed at 8.50pm.
PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs K. Reeves, Messrs P. Bailey, A.Brown, P.
Harriman, D.Massie, S. Moore, Stafford Borough Councillor Mr R.Sutherland,
Staffordshire County Councillor M. Winnington, one member of the public and the
Clerk, Mrs D. M. Key.
APOLOGIES:
These were received from Mr John Edwards and Stafford Borough Councillor Mr S.
Leighton.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a true record by those present and were duly signed
by the Chairman.
MATTERS ARISING:
These were taken as they appeared on the agenda.
LATE ITEMS
There were no late items on this occasion.
OPEN FORUM:
Mr T.Houghton made an enquiry concerning the newly installed defibrillators and
making emergency phone calls given the recent removal of the telephone kiosk.
The Clerk had not received any information regarding a replacement but had
informed BT that the Parish Council would be pressing for a replacement.
Chairman, Councillor P. Harriman understood that any emergency calls from a
mobile phone would be picked up by the emergency services even where there was
poor signal coverage. This was a matter that would be discussed at the
forthcoming defibrillator training session led by Mr Martin Watson, a First
Responder with the West Midlands Ambulance Service, which the Clerk had
organised for Saturday 14th April at the Village Institute.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
The Clerk had received an email from Neighbourhood Watch
Co-ordinator Mandy Corser. Mandy had received an email from Stephen Furness who
had suggested developing more sharing of local information between local
parishes, given the sometimes lack of information being circulated from the
police. The Clerk was asked to look into this matter further.
CHURCH EATON
VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
Councillor D. Massie noted
that it had been too wet to remove the fallen tree stump and roots. He was also
concerned that the tree roots might well be running under the road. It was
agreed that a section of the roadside fence would have to be removed to allow
the removal to take place. Following previous concerns that a piece of the tree
stump edge was sharp, Councillor P. Bailey had been and levelled this off.
Councillor S. Moore took the inspection book for the forthcoming month.
The Clerk reported she had contacted Mr Terry Merchant who was to carry out another inspection of the playground trees. A short discussion ensued concerning the grass guard which had been installed some years ago and whether this needed replacing. The Clerk was asked to contact Wicksteed, the suppliers about this.
PLANNING
The Parish Council had received one planning application since the last meeting
for the demolition of an existing brick
built sun room and the erection of a new family kitchen and utility room
together with a single storey rear extension in between the squash court and
garage at The Stables, Little Onn Road. There were
no objections to this application. Stafford Borough Councillor, Mr R.Sutherland
declared an interest this matter and made no contribution towards this
discussion.
DEFIBRILLATOR PROJECT:
Chairman Mr.
P.Harriman along with Mr Fred Annis
had now installed the defibrillator and heated cabinet at The Royal Oak on the
High Street and Mr Steve Cox had kindly had the Marston defibrillator connected
to an electricity supply. Both defibrillators had now been registered with the
West Midlands Ambulance Service. The Clerk had also contacted Zurich to add the
defibrillators and cabinets on to the current insurance policy.
The Clerk reported she had contacted Mr Martin Watson, a first responder with the West Midlands Ambulance Service and had arranged an awareness training session for Saturday morning on April 14th.
The Clerk was to place an order for a third defibrillator as soon as the recent VAT claim had been received from HMRC. The Clerk was also to contact Staffs County Councillor, Mr M.Winnington to see whether he might be able to donate some monies from his Community Fund to assist with the purchase of this defibrillator.
FINGERPOSTS
The Clerk had contacted Timberwolves again requesting
a separate quotation for an unpainted version. She had also enquired whether
the lettering was routed out or just painted on. They had responded saying the
difference in price would be minimal and that the letters would be routed out.
The Clerk was asked to obtain a final price for one finger post in the first
instance. Staffs County Councillor Mark Winnington gave the Clerk a number for
a local firm that might be able to quote for new fingerposts.The Clerk was still
to contact Staffordshire County Council’s Highways Department to see if the post
could be installed by the Neighbourhood Team.
HIGHWAYS
The large potholes situated on the Wheaton Aston Road about 100 yards past the
gateway to Manor Farm were discussed again. Councillor S. Moore had yet again
reported these to Staffordshire County Council’s Highways Department.
The Chairman reported on his attendance at the recent Stafford West Collaboration Group meeting held at Gnosall on the 22nd March. It was confirmed that Church Eaton Parish Council’s name had been added to the letter requesting more action on gulley emptying from the County Council. Various other matters relating to potential Parish Council responsibilities following cuts to services by the County Council were discussed at the meeting, although it is still far from clear as to what these might entail. Collaboration between Parish Councils was considered as a way forward to deal with these cuts, but again clarity was required as to what would be undertaken.
Mr Bob Thacker had contacted the Clerk over the large number of tankers, apparently from the Lower Reule Farm, driving through the village. Councillor Mrs K. Reeves had confirmed that these tankers were delivering some of the digestate which was being used as a fertilizer on a farm in the local area and that the tankers would be only be making these deliveries this for a short period of time. The Clerk had contacted Mr Thacker to inform him of this.
BEST KEPT
VILLAGE:
Church Eaton’s
entry into this year’s competition was discussed and Councillor A. Brown said he
had not received an entry pack. It was discussed that if the entry deadline had
passed, Church Eaton would defer until next year. The Clerk was to contact Liz
Sanderson from the Community Council to see what the position was.
FINANCE:
The Clerk gave each Parish Councillor a copy of the
accounts for the past financial year and gave a brief overview and breakdown.
These were then duly signed off as was the annual Governance Statement. The
Clerk also informed the Parish Council that the new auditors, Mazars had emailed
this year’s arrangements for the annual audit and as Church Eaton had less than
£25,000 expenditure would need to fill in an exemption certificate. This was to
be returned by the beginning of July. An internal audit would still be required
and the Clerk proposed asking Carl Bellamy if he would be able to look at doing
this.
The Clerk reported she had received an invoice for £20 from Church Eaton Village Institute for the hire of the hall for April’s meeting. The Clerk’s quarterly fee amounting to £540.50 was also submitted and a tax payment of £5.20. It was agreed that these should be paid and this was proposed by Mr P.Harriman and seconded by Councillor Mrs S. Dodd. All were in favour.
The Clerk reported that she would be submitting a vat claim to HMRC.
CHANGES TO DATA
PROTECTION:
The Clerk
reported there was nothing further to report on this matter but she was still
fact finding on how these changes will affect the Parish Council.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she had received a copy of the latest Borough Council’s
Members Digest. All other correspondence had been circulated to the Parish
Councillors.
It was agreed that the next
meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Tuesday the 8th May
2018 at 7.30pm in the Village Institute. The meeting closed at 9.20pm.
PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs K. Reeves, Messrs P. Bailey, P. Harriman,
S. Moore, Staffordshire County Councillor M. Winnington and the Clerk, Mrs D. M.
Key.
APOLOGIES:
Were received from Parish Councillors A. Brown and D. Massie, and Stafford
Borough Councillors S. Leighton and R. Sutherland.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a true record by those present and were duly signed
by the Chairman.
MATTERS ARISING:
These were taken as they appeared on the agenda.
LATE ITEMS
A day or so before the meeting, the Parish Council had
been informed by a concerned resident that the door of the BT telephone kiosk,
located in the High Street, Church Eaton was damaged and would not close
properly. It appeared that the metal lintel above the door had collapsed. The
Clerk had contacted BT, who within 24 hours of inspecting the kiosk had promptly
removed it. The Clerk was asked to contact BT to see what the position would be
going forward.
Councillor Mrs K. Reeves reported that the new lease for the Glebelands had been examined by Mr S.Caplan and also that the Glebelands Sports Association Articles of Association were being revised.
OPEN FORUM:
There were no updates concerning car parking in the High Street as discussed at
the previous meeting. The Clerk confirmed that she had made a follow up
telephone call to Mr Andrew Oakley and had responded to Mr Michael Farrup’s
email relating to this matter.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH:
It was
reported via email that PCSO Dianne Lutwyche would be retiring, with her last working day being the 13th
March 2018. The email stated that her successor would be Emily Davenhill.
The Chairman reported that mowers and other equipment had been stolen from the Model Aircraft Flying Club at Wheaton Aston.
CHURCH EATON VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
Councillor D. Massie was to carry out the playground inspections for the
forthcoming month. There was some concern over a piece of the tree stump edge
that was sharp and Councillor P.Bailey offered to level this off. The Clerk
reported she had contacted Mr Tom Alexander about repairing the roadside fence
but unfortunately due to the fact he was recovering from surgery he would not be
able to do this immediately. The Clerk was asked to contact him again to see if
he could do this work when he was back in action.
The Chairman suggested getting Terry Merchant, who recently carried out a tree survey to revisit the playground to check on the condition of the other trees following the recent stormy weather. The Clerk agreed to contact Mr Merchant.
PLANNING
The Parish Council had received one planning application since the previous
meeting, for the conversion of an outbuilding
into a residential annex at Rose Cottage, Apeton. The previous application for
this proposed development had been withdrawn from the planning system and was
now replaced by this new application. There were no objections to this
application.
The Clerk reported she had also received a letter from Stafford Borough Council Planning Department relating to the planning application at 5 Smithy Croft, Church Eaton, for a rear extension to include an extended ground floor kitchen/living area and utility, along with a first floor bedroom and en suite. This application had been amended but was now going before the Planning Committee on the 7th March.
DEFIBRILLATOR PROJECT:
Councillor Peter Harriman with Mr Fred Annis were to oversee the installation of the
defibrillators and their respective cabinets during the forthcoming week. Mr
Steve Cox had kindly offered to get the defibrillator located adjacent to his
farm connected to an electricity supply. The defibrillators were then to be
registered with the Ambulance Service.
The Clerk was asked to contact Mr Martin Watson, a first responder with the West Midlands Ambulance Service, to arrange an awareness training session, possibly for a Saturday morning in April. This would allow suitable time for the event to be publicised. The Clerk was also asked to contact Mrs Jenny Annis to see if the Village Institute could be used for this event. The Clerk was also asked to send the Chairman an update of the defibrillator fund.
FINGERPOSTS
The Clerk reported she had contacted Timberwolves who
had sent an initial quotation for replacing the two dilapidated finger posts -
one on the Wood Eaton Road and one by the Church. The Clerk had asked them for
a separate quotation for an unpainted version. She had also enquired whether
the lettering was routed out or just painted on. A reply had not yet been
received. The Clerk reported she had also contacted another potential supplier
but they were unable to assist. Installation of the new posts was also
discussed. The Clerk was asked to contact Staffordshire County Council’s
Highways Department to see if this was something the Neighbourhood Teams could
do.
HIGHWAYS
The large potholes situated on the Wheaton Aston Road about 100 yards past the
gateway to Manor Farm were discussed again. Councillor S. Moore had reported
these to Staffordshire County Council’s Highways Department previously and
agreed to contact them again.
It was reported that there had been some work carried out on Slab Lane but more work was required.
As reported at the last meeting, the Clerk had received notification that the next Stafford West Collaboration meeting would be held at Gnosall on the 22nd March. Councillor P. Harriman was hoping to attend and the Clerk was to send him the agenda.
The Clerk reported that Mr John Young, who had expressed concerns over speeding motorists in the Goosemoor area, was unable to attend the meeting to discuss this matter further.
BEST KEPT VILLAGE:
The Clerk reported she had received a chase up email
from Liz Sanderson regarding Church Eaton’s entry into this year’s competition
and had responded to say that Councillor A. Brown had this matter in hand.
FINANCE:
The Clerk reported she had received an invoice for
£20 from Church Eaton Village Institute for the hire of the hall for March’s
meeting. The Clerk also submitted her invoice for office and administration
expenses amounting to £62.48. It was agreed that these two invoices should be
paid – proposed by Councillor Mrs K. Reeves, seconded by Councillor Mrs S. Dodd.
All were in favour.
The Clerk reported that she was submitting a vat claim to HMRC.
CHANGES TO DATA PROTECTION:
The Clerk reported there was nothing further to
report on this matter but she was still fact finding on how these changes will
affect the Parish Council.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she had received a copy of the latest Borough Council’s
Members Digest and a post from Stafford and Rural Homes publicising heating
grants.
It was agreed that the next meeting of the
Parish Council would be held on Tuesday the 3rd April 2018 at 7.30pm
in the Village Institute. The meeting closed at 8.40 pm.
PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs S.Dodd and Mrs K.Reeves, Messrs P.Bailey, A.Brown,
S.Moore, Staffordshire County Councillor M. Winnington, one member of the public
and the Clerk, Mrs D.M.Key.
In the absence of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman Councillor Mrs S.Dodd took the chair.
APOLOGIES:
Were received from Parish Councillor Chairman, Mr P.Harriman and Stafford
Borough Councillors S.Leighton and R.Sutherland.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a true record by those present and were duly signed
by the Chairman.
MATTERS ARISING:
These were taken as they appeared on the agenda.
LATE ITEMS
Councillor Mr S.Moore requested a budget for
replanting the parish troughs should be set during finance. There were no other
late items.
OPEN FORUM:
Councillor Mrs K. Reeves reported that a new lease for The Glebelands was
currently being examined by Mr S.Caplan.
Concerns over car parking in the High Street (Agenda Item 11) were discussed during open forum so that a full discussion could take place. This matter was in response to a letter to the Parish Council from local resident Mr Michael Farrup which expressed concerns over vehicles parking on the High Street outside Swan Cottage. Staffordshire County Councillor M. Winnington said he hoped that this matter could be resolved amicably by the parties involved and that, if necessary, he would be happy to chair an informal meeting between the two parties. The Clerk reported that she had invited Mr Andrew Oakley to the meeting but that he was unable to attend. The Clerk further reported that she had had a very reasonable and constructive discussion with Mr Oakley over the parking of his vehicles and that he had informed her that he would be parking them, as was his usual practice, off the road at a neighbour’s property. Mr Oakley very much hoped that would be an end to the matter. Mr Jeremy Bach, who was in attendance at the meeting, was to report back to the concerned residents and it was agreed that the situation would be monitored and discussed at the next meeting.
NEIGHBOURHOOD
WATCH:
The Clerk reported
she had received several emails from the
Staffordshire Smart Alert system
warning against national matters such as cold calling and fake parcel
deliveries. There had however been a report in early January of a local burglary
in Bradley involving a Rover 75 light blue saloon. A similar vehicle along with
a white van was also seen in Bradley at a similar time. There had also been a
report of a break in at a property in Stafford and a report of a young male
tampering with a Land Rover in Moreton again in early January. The message from
the local police was to make sure that all vehicles were secure, that keys were
kept in a safe place and to report anything suspicious to them on the 101 number
or if an emergency 999.
CHURCH EATON
VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
It was noted that Councillor
Mr D. Massie was to carry out the playground inspections for the forthcoming
month.
The clean up after the fallen tree along the roadside fence was discussed. Councillor D. Massie was thanked for removing the tree from across the road and for making the playground safe. The damage to the chain link fence and one post was also discussed and the Clerk was to look at getting some local quotes for this to be repaired and another post installed. The debris from the roadside was to be removed. The tree roots were exposed and plans were made to level off the stump and roots.
There had been no sightings of the chickens in the playground.
PLANNING
The Parish Council have received one planning application since the last meeting
for 5 Smithy Croft, Church Eaton, comprising
a rear extension to include an extended ground floor kitchen/living area and
utility, along with a first floor bedroom and en suite. At the meeting the
members of the Parish Council discussed the application for some time
and did take into account the impact the proposal would
have on the resident of 4 Smithy Croft who had expressed concerns over the size
and scale of the proposal. Three Councillors objected to the proposal on these
grounds, while two supported of the application. The Clerk was asked to convey
these concerns to the Borough Planning Department.
The Clerk reported she had received notification from Stafford Borough Council that planning application 17/27358/ANX - the conversion of an outbuilding into a residential annex at Rose Cottage, Apeton - had been withdrawn from the planning system.
DEFIBRILLATOR PROJECT:
The Clerk reported that she had now received the two defibrillators plus heated
cabinets and supplies. Chairman,
CouncillorPeter Harriman was
organising their installation and the Clerk was in contact with Mr Martin
Watson, a first responder with the West Midlands Ambulance Service, about
arranging some awareness training sessions. These would be publicised as soon as
suitable dates were confirmed. As donations and pledges had now exceeded the
initial £3,000 target with more monies pledged, funding for a third
defibrillator was gaining momentum and it was hoped that one could be purchased
in the not too distant future. Staffordshire County Councillor Mr M.Winnington
kindly offered to make a donation this from his Community Fund.
FINGERPOSTS
The Clerk had managed to obtain an initial quote for
replacing two dilapidated finger posts, one on the Wood Eaton Road and one by
the Church, and was now trying to obtain a further two quotes. The need for the
Parish Council to take action had been brought about as the County Council no
longer had funds to replace or maintain the parish finger posts. There was some
deliberation as to whether the new posts should be painted black and white as is
traditional or to leave them in a natural state so that maintenance costs for
re-painting could be kept to a minimum.
HIGHWAYS
The Clerk had reported at a previous meeting that Mr Simon Griffiths, the current Community Highways Liaison Officer was leaving the County Council. She had been informed that while awaiting official notification of his successor, Mr Sean Lathem would be a point of contact.
There were some concerns expressed over the large potholes situated on the Wheaton Aston Road about 100 yards past the gateway to Manor Farm. While these had been reported no action had yet been taken.
The Clerk had received notification that the next Stafford West Collaboration meeting would be held at Gnosall on the 22nd March. It was to be agreed at the March Parish Council meeting who would be in attendance. The Parish Council had also added their name to a letter being sent to the County Council by the Stafford West Collaboration Group to request urgent action be taken relating to gulley emptying.
BEST KEPT
VILLAGE:
Councillor A.
Brown reported that the entry into this year’s competition was in hand and that
he was overseeing posters and other publicity matters.
BARNFIELDS
CHARITIES & CHURCH EATON RELIEF IN NEED CHARITY TRUSTEES:
It was reported that the Parish Council
appointed trustees were due for renewal and the Parish Council were unanimous in
re-appointing Mrs Irene Bennett, Mr David Rogers and Mr Stephen Rutherford, who
had all agreed to remain as trustees. Acting Chair, Mrs Sheila Dodd thanked the
trustees on behalf of the Council for all their sterling work and efforts over
the past few years.
FINANCE:
The Clerk reported she had received an invoice for
£20 from Church Eaton Village Institute for the hire of the hall for February’s
meeting. An invoice amounting to £90 for the last Civic Amenity visit had also
been received and the invoice for the two defibrillators in the sum of £3,096
was due for payment. It was agreed that these three invoices should be paid –
proposed by Councillor Mrs S.Dodd, seconded by Councillor Mrs K.Reeves. All
were in agreement.
It was also agreed that a budget of £180 be set-aside for re-planting of the Parish troughs in the Spring.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she had received a copy of the latest Borough Council’s
Members Digest and a post from Stafford and Rural Homes publicising heating
grants. There had been an update relating to the Staffordshire Library Service
consultation which was going to mean a cut in travelling library services. Mr
John Young from Goosemoor had contacted the Parish Council over speeding
motorist and had been invited to discuss this as an agenda item at the next
meeting.
Finally a conversation ensued concerning the proposed changes to the Data Protection Act which the Clerk was to look into.
It was agreed that the next
meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Tuesday the 6th March
2018 at 7.30pm in the Village Institute. The meeting closed at 9.10pm.
PRESENT:
Parish Councillors Mrs K.Reeves, Messrs P.Bailey, A.Brown, P.Harriman, S.Moore,
Stafford Borough Councillor, Mr R.Sutherland and the Clerk, Mrs D.M.Key.
APOLOGIES:
Were received from Parish Councillors, Mrs S.Dodd and Mr D.Massie and Stafford
Borough Councillor Mr S.Leighton.
MINUTES:
The minutes were deemed as a true record by those present and were duly signed
by the Chairman.
MATTERS ARISING:
As requested at a previous meeting, the Clerk had contacted Street Scene over
supplying rigid plastic dog fouling notices. Unfortunately they were not able to
supply these, only the normal adhesive signs. Stafford Borough Councillor Mr
R.Sutherland thought that he might be able to assist and was to look into
supplying Councillor Mr A.Brown with a copy of a suitable notice.
LATE ITEMS
There were no late items.
OPEN FORUM:
This was not required on this occasion.
NEIGHBOURHOOD
WATCH:
The Clerk had
received several emails from the
Staffordshire Smart Alert system warning against national matters
such as cold calling and fake parcel deliveries.
CHURCH EATON
VILLAGE PLAYGROUND:
It was noted that Councillor
P.Harriman was to continue with the playground inspections for the forthcoming
month.
It was reported that the chickens that had been getting into the playground seemed to have stopped visiting although Councillor P.Bailey had recently seen a couple of them in the playground. It was agreed to keep monitoring the situation.
PLANNING
The Parish Council had received one planning applications since the last meeting
for the proposed conversion of an outbuilding to form a residential annexe at
the property known as Rose Cottage, Common Lane, Apeton. There were no
objections to this proposal from the Parish Council. Stafford Borough
Councillor, Mr R.Sutherland declared an interest in this matter being a member
of the Stafford Borough Planning Committee and took no part in the discussion.
DEFIBRILLATOR PROJECT:
The Clerk reported that she had now placed an order for two defibrillators plus
heated cabinets and supplies. The total cost of the order came to £3,096.00 and
but she had requested clarity on the carriage charges which appeared to be free.
While donations and pledges had now exceeded the initial £3,000 target with more
monies pledged, funding for a third defibrillator was gaining momentum and it
was hoped one could be purchased in the not too distant future.
FINGERPOSTS
Sources and costs for replacement fingerposts were
still being investigated although the previous supplier who the Clerk had
written to, requesting assistance and a quotation, had not responded. Various
other contacts or suppliers were discussed which the Clerk was asked to follow
up. It was likely that the new fingerposts would be in a wood such as oak to
reduce future maintenance costs.
HIGHWAYS
The Clerk had reported at the previous meeting that Mr Simon Griffiths, the current Community Highways Liaison Officer was leaving the County Council. She was still awaiting notification of his successor. Once the Parish Council had received information as to the new officer, it was hoped that any outstanding Highways matters could be resolved.
FINANCE:
The main issue under this agenda was the setting of
the precept requirements for 2018/19. It was acknowledged that while there were
rumours that some Borough and County Council services might be cut in 2018/19,
there was still no real information as to what these services might be. Even so
it was agreed that the Parish precept should be increased to cope with current
inflationary pressures and to tackle jobs that the Parish Council in the interim
would have to deal with. One example discussed was the replacement of some of
the village fingerposts which in the past was carried out the County Council but
which now looked like being left to the Parish Council to fund.
There were several proposals made for increasing the current precept ranging from an initial 25% to the finally accepted 4.9% increase proposed by Councillor Mr S.Moore and seconded by Councillor Mrs K.Reeves. One member voted again this proposal while the rest of the Councillors present were in agreement.
The Clerk reported she had received an invoice for £20 from Church Eaton Village Institute for the hire of the hall for January’s meeting and the Clerk’s fee of £540.50 plus tax of £5.20 was due for payment. These were agreed for payment by proposer Councillor Mrs K.Reeves, seconded by Councillor S.Moore. All were in agreement.
CORRESPONDENCE:
The Clerk reported she had received a copy of the latest Borough Council’s
Members Digest and an invitation to a Curry Buffet from the Mayoral Office. The
Clerk had also received an update to the Casual Vacancy Guide. Councillor Mrs
K.Reeves had posted a Christmas card from the Bradford Estate on the notice
board.
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Tuesday the 6th February 2018 at 7.30pm in the Village Institute. The meeting closed at 9.00 pm.