Minutes of Parish Council meetings
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Minutes of each meeting of the Parish Council are normally produced within two weeks of the meeting. The minutes are circulated in draft form to each of the councillors and are made available to members of the public by publication, in draft form, on the two Parish Council notice boards and on this website. These minutes are in draft form at this stage as they are subject to approval as a true record of the proceedings and signature by the Chairman of the Parish Council at the next Parish council meeting. ________________________________________________________________ Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 14th July 2011 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mr P Hill (Chairman) Parish Councillors Mrs B Martin and Messrs D Buggins and H Kenrick Mr P Cumming (District Councillor) Mr K Pollock (County Councillor) Mr J Plumridge (Clerk) 6 members of the public 1. Consideration of apologies for absence Apologies were accepted from Councillors Mrs J Mills and Ms J Burlison 2. Declarations of interest None 3. Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 12th May 2011 and the planning meetings held on 6th and 27th June 2011 Minutes of the meetings were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record.
4. Matters arising from these minutes The postcode for KDO Business Park has been changed. Residents of Bank Road are to notify D Buggins details of any large vehicles looking for KDO. The inclusion of Chapel Farm on the directional signs in Bank Road is to be followed up. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Current applications status report Application 11/00424/HOU - Jasmine, Well Lane – Two storey rear extension, porch and detached garage Planning permission has been granted. Application 11/00586/HOU – Pippins, Well Lane – Two storey rear extension, replace flat garage roof with pitched roof and construct two dormers to front elevation Planning permission has been granted. Application 11/00739/HOU – Hollybank, Church Lane – First floor extension over integral garage Not yet determined. 5.2 Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment No land has been designated under the latest update of the assessment as Little Witley is classified as a Category 4 village. 6. Local issues 6.1 Broadband service The County Council is working towards a local broadband plan and aims to have the initial draft ready by the end of July. An application is to be made for national capital funding to provide superfast broadband to at least 90% of premises and fibre connectivity of 2 mbps to every community in Worcestershire. Little Witley needs to make representations at District and County Council levels and a questionnaire is to be included in the next issue of the Parish Council News to collect the appropriate data. 6.2 Church Lane and Well Lane road repairs Patching of Church Lane is scheduled to take place shortly, followed by resurfacing early in the 2012/13 financial year. D Buggins is to follow up the patching work required in Well Lane. 6.3 Bus service reductions No details are yet available on the current usage level of the 758 bus service or the intended new reduced timetable . 7. Correspondence Residents in Church Lane have complained about the great inconvenience caused by a large number of mourners parking to attend a recent funeral at Little Witley Church. Temporary signage instructing the use of the Village Hall car park is to be encouraged in future 8. Police and Neighbourhood Watch matters PC Paul Lambon has been appointed to replace PC A Hood as our Local Policing Officer. The start date for his new appointment is still unknown as it is dependant upon his present role as Response Officer at Tenbury Wells being filled. The police appreciate that several arrests have been made in the area as a direct consequence of Neighbourhood Watch reports. Parishioners are encouraged to carry details of the police incident numbers, registration numbers of vehicles involved and the police telephone number following all Neighbourhood Watch reports. 9. County Council matters Separate report attached to these minutes. 10. District Council matters The Joint Core Strategy document has now been passed for publication. Little Witley is classified as a category 4 settlement and no area of land is designated for new building other than affordable housing. The District Council has received a Government grant for housing completion. This will be designated for capital projects of benefit to the community. The Chancery School has applied for academy status. Primary schools are encouraged to apply and to achieve cost savings by cooperation within groups of schools. 11. Finance 11.1 Accounts for payment & ratification of accounts paid since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: H M Customs & Excise – PAYE £139.81 Accounts due for payment: Clerk’s net salary June 2011 £186.42 Clerk’s net salary July 2011 £186.42 Clerk’s expenses May + June £37.42 £410.26 C Jones – Lengthsman services June 2011 £72.00 C J Garden Services – strimming £24.00 Council approved payment of the above accounts (Proposed HK, Seconded BM) 11.2 Responsible Financial Officer’s report Balances at bank: Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £1,542.16 No. 2 account £50.00 Deposit account £159.41 Standard Life Bank £5,101.53 TOTAL £6,853.10 11.3 External audit status The annual return and supporting documentation has been submitted to Clement Keys. 12. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk The Chairman attended the CALC Area Meeting which included a presentation by planning officers on the methods of consultation with parish councils 13. Areas of special responsibility reports 13.1 Highways Patching of road damage in Church Lane is scheduled to take place in the near future with top dressing in spring 2012. Overhanging hedges are a continuing problem and landowners are to be approached. D Buggins is to progress the outstanding repair of potholes, the missing drain cover in Well Lane and the damage to the verge opposite Dolphinhome. 13.2 Footpaths Dog fouling is a continuing problem particularly on the Butts footpath. Countryside Services are to be encouraged to replace or repair two broken stiles. 13.3 Village Hall No report. 14. Parish Council News Contributions are required by 24th July for the summer edition. Chairman’s report – PH Highways – DB Broadband – HK Local services & Councillors details - JP
Date of next meeting: 7.30 pm Thursday 8th September 2011 in Little Witley Village Hall There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.45 p.m. Matters raised during the public session prior to the Council Meeting: · The Severn Trent letter regarding the adoption of sewer connections only relates to properties that are already connected to mains sewage services. · Details have not yet been released of the reductions to the 758 bus service that are to take effect in September. · Failure to repair all pot holes before the top dressing of Bank Road is bad practice and wasteful of public funds. Other road repairs within the parish should have been given higher priority. LITTLE WITLEY PARISH COUNCIL REPORT FOR 14.07.11 CLLR KEN POLLOCK Tenbury Division 1. Worcestershire County Council Corporate Plan This has now been approved by the full Council and is worth reading on the WCC website. It is brief, concise and written in plain English. The four Key Areas of Focus for the Council are defined as 1. Open For Business, 2. Children and Families, 3. The Environment and 4. Health and Wellbeing Open for Business indicates the importance of economic success in shaping the prosperity of the County and the Council should do all it can to encourage new and existing businesses to flourish. Children and Families will continue to be a priority, with more emphasis on safeguarding and early intervention to head off difficulties, and improving educational standards under the Government’s new arrangements. The Environment will be maintained and enhanced, as it is a key factor in the enjoyment and attractiveness of the County. Health and Well being will be enhanced by the County taking up its new responsibilities for public health. It will be promoted by healthy active lifestyles, recreation and help for better housing and assistance for carers. The emphasis of the County will be towards commissioning services from the private sector and volunteer bodies, with the Council itself doing what cannot be devolved to local organisations and companies. There will be no single blueprint for achieving this but circumstances will be allowed to tailor the appropriate solutions. The Council will be prepared to find that some initiatives fail, and fear of failure will not inhibit it in trying new and better methods and systems. 2. Worcestershire Councillors’ Divisional Fund Scheme Under the above scheme, each Worcestershire County Councillor will be allocated £10,000 per year, from 1st August 2011, to deploy for the benefit of their respective Divisions. It is intended that this money should be for the economic, social or environmental well-being of the Division, but there is a wide range of activities and services that can be supported. It is important that this money should be used for the most deserving causes and, in consequence, I would be very grateful if information about the scheme was advertised as widely as possible. While products and services may be purchased from commercial companies, they should be used for the benefit of the community as a whole or a group such as the Scouts, a sporting club or a charity or other voluntary group. All the projects supported must conform to the Council’s policies and the details of all grants will published on the Council website, in accordance with the Council policy of transparency in financial dealings. While the money is apportioned in twelve month periods, it does not have to be allocated all at the same time. Nevertheless it is likely that decisions will not be made early in the year for expensive projects, as other worthy ideas may arise in later months that might not otherwise be funded. A web-based template for applications will be made available soon, but I would be happy to hear now of any person or group that had ideas for this expenditure. While it is possible for Councillors to pool their allocation of funds for group projects, the relative isolation of the Tenbury Division leads me to expect that I will not be getting involved in such joint enterprises. Full details of the scheme can be read on the Worcestershire County Council website, under the Agenda for the Council meeting on 30th June 2011, Item 5a, Appendix 2, pages 9 – 13. 3. Replacement Bus Services The Council has completed plans for replacement bus services to bridge the gap between the end of the current system at the start of September and the community-based transport systems which are intended to act as a permanent replacement for the current subsidised services. There has been little response to my note to town and parish councils on the possibilities that are open to the community. I rode on the 756 and 761 a week or so ago and they picked up and dropped off passengers from a variety of villages on the both sides of the Teme. There needs to be a scheme to support these people and I am very happy to help in any way to devise suitable schemes. The Council has confirmed that bus passes will be valid on the community-based transport and that contributions to the cost may be made by passengers. The drivers will need to hold Public Service Vehicle licences. You may wish to know that at present I believe that only one commercial bus service is subsidised by parish councils in Worcestershire. The #220, run by Hollands for the last 25 years, serves Mamble and Bayton, taking passengers to and from Cleobury Mortimer on one bus a Wednesday morning only. The service costs each parish council £720 per annum, with £100 support from WCC to each parish council, and a similar sum from Shropshire. Please let me know how you would like to take this matter forward. 4. Teme Bridge The first two steering group meetings have covered a lot of ground and provided a good basis for detailed work on mitigating the impact of the bridge closure. Further meetings will be held and press releases and leaflets used to keep everyone informed of what can and will be done. The latest news will be available on the WCC website. Preliminary work on the outside and underneath of the bridge will start in the autumn but firm undertakings have been given that the bridge will not be closed until the New Year. 5. Spending cuts The Council is in negotiation with the Unions to reform the terms of employment for its 6,500 non-teaching staff. This will involve reduced sick pay arrangements, annual leave, mileage rates and hours of work. It is to be hoped that the conditions are accepted as the staff have been very understanding in facing the difficult financial situation. If they do not accept the changes, the Council may be forced to impose a shorter working week of 35 hours, as now applies to all new entrants. Cllr Dr Ken Pollock, 0789 979 4858 14.07.11 ************************************************************************************************************************************ MINUTES of the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council held in the Village Hall on Thursday 12th May 2011 at 7.00 pm pursuant to notice Present Parish Councillors: P Hill, D Buggins, J Drew, H Kenrick, Mrs J Burlison and Mrs B Martin 13 members of the public as detailed on the attached attendance list Clerk: J Plumridge
1. Election of Chairman and acceptance of office Mr P Hill, as outgoing Chairman of the Council, opened the meeting. He thanked the Councillors and parishioners for their support during his year in office and explained that A Carmichael and A Nicholls had not stood for re-election and that P Cumming had withdrawn his nomination as a Parish Councillor whilst continuing to represent the parish as District Councillor. Seven Parish Councillors had been elected unopposed and the new members H Kenrick, Mrs J Burlison and Mrs B Martin were welcomed. Mr P Hill was elected unopposed as Chairman of Little Witley Parish Council and accepted the office for a period of one year. (Proposed JD, seconded DB) The Declaration of Acceptance of Office and Undertaking to Observe the Code of Conduct was duly signed by Mr Hill 2. Apologies for absence Apologies for absence were accepted from Councillor Mrs J Mills.
3. Declarations of interest None.
4. Register of Interests, Acceptance of Office and Election Expenses forms & training All Councillors provided the required completed forms. New Councillors are encouraged to attend the training days that are to be provided by Wortcestershire CALC on 15th June and 12th July. The costs will be met from Parish Council funds.
5. Minutes of the Council meetings held on 3rd & 10th March and 21st April 2011. Minutes of the above meetings were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record.
6. Matters arising from the minutes Covered during the Annual Parish Meeting at 8.00 pm.
7. Election of officers Vice Chairman Mrs J Mills – Proposed by P Hill, seconded by D Buggins and appointed by a unanimous vote.
8. Allocation of duties Councillors agreed to undertake the following duties: Peter Hill Planning applications Great Witley School Governor CALC representative Mrs Jean Mills CALC representative Neighbourhood Watch Des Buggins Transport and Highways CALC representative Janice Burlison Village Hall committee John Drew Utilities matters Village Hall committee Hilgrove Kenrick Broadband and telephone services Bridget Martin Footpaths and Rights of Way coordinator Environmental matter 9. Financial matters 9.1 Adoption of accounts for year ended 31 March 2011 Approval of the accounts proposed by PH, seconded by DB and agreed unanimously. Accounts and External Audit Statement of Accounts signed by the Chairman and Clerk. 9.2 Accounts for payment and ratification of recent payments Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services March 2011 £312.00 Foley China Ltd – Royal Wedding presentation mugs £283.44 Friends of St Michael’s Church – contribution towards street party costs £63.80 Accounts due for payment: Little Witley Village Hall – Room hire 2010/2011 £84.00 D T Pangbourne – Internal audit fee £50.00 C Jones – Lengthsman services April 2011 £138.00 C J Garden Services – Strimming £24.00 Zurich Insurance – Annual premium £225.00 Worcestershire CALC – Annual subscription £117.81 Clerk’s net salary April 2011 £186.42 Clerk’s net salary May 2011 £186.42 Clerk’s expenses March + April £44.20 £417.04 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by BM, seconded by JB) 9.3 Renewal of insurance policy Council resolved to transfer the insurance to Zurich Insurance under their new blanket policy tailored to the requirements of small Parish Councils at an annual premium of £225.00 (Aon Ltd renewal quoted at £484.28). It is noted that any major events undertaken for more than 100 people would need to be insured separately at a modest additional premium. 9.4 Updating of bank signatories Council resolved to remove A Nicholls and to add Mrs J Burlison and Mrs B Martin as authorised signatories for all bank accounts held by the Parish Council. 9.5 Lengthsman contract 2011/ 2012 Worcestershire County Council reimbursement of lengthsman costs remains at £1,729 for 2011/2012. Council resolved to continue to subsidise the lengthsman scheme and to set the total expenditure to £2,100 for a further year. 10. Internal Audit status and Annual Audit return 10.1 Statement of assurance Council approved the annual governance statement for signature by the Chairman and Clerk. 10.2 Risk assessment Council approved the risk assessment as being a correct record for signature by the Chairman. 10.3 Internal audit status The internal audit was conducted by Mr D T Pangbourne on 3rd May 2011 and the internal audit report was duly signed. 11. Planning matters Application 11/00223/HOU – Pippins, Well Lane – Extension over existing garage Application withdrawn Application 10/01441/FUL – Land at Well Lane – Change of use to equestrian and provision of timber stables building Planning permission granted Application 11/00193/HOU – Field house, Well Lane – Extensions at side and rear Planning permission granted Application 11/00424/HOD – Jasmine, Well Lane – Rear extension, porch and detached garage Not yet determined 12. Correspondence
13. Reports on meetings attended by Councillors None
14. Areas of special responsibility reports Covered during the Annual Parish Meeting at 8.00 pm.
15. Dates of statutory meetings for 2011/2012 Thursday 14th July 2011 Thursday 8th September 2011 Thursday 10th November 2011 Thursday 12th January 2012 Thursday 8th March 2012 Thursday 10th May 2012 (Annual Parish Council Meeting and Annual Parish Meeting)
16. Next issue of Parish Council News The next issue is to cover local information and contact details for all activities in the parish as well as introducing the new Parish Councillors.
There being no further business the Annual Council Meeting closed at 7.50 pm. Matters raised by members of the public prior to the meeting: The footpath along the main road between Bank Road and Well Lane needs to be cleared by the lengthsman. The original pond in the bottom field in Well Lane has been dug out to reinstate this feature. **************************************************************************************************************************** Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall Bar on Thursday 10th March 2011 at 8.00 pm pursuant to notice Present Mr P Hill (Chairman) Parish Councillors Messrs D Buggins, A. Carmichael, A Nicholls and J Drew Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor) 2 members of the public
Mr. P. Cumming standard declaration of interest relating to all planning matters. 3. Local Issues 3.1 Church Lane turning area Reported to Dave Hunter, Highways Services on 7.3.11 (hub reference 3899222) No response to date. DB to follow up. 3.2 Chapel Farm signage Reported to Nick Churchill at Malvern Hills District Council on 7.3.11 (hub reference 3899140). No response to date. DB to follow up. 3.3 Storage of road salt at Chapel Farm Clerk to follow up lack of response from Highways Services to the offer previously made. JD to investigate resiting of the salt bin on the triangle at the bottom of Well Bank to prevent salt seepage killing the grass. 3.4 Broadband Speed No progress to date. AC to follow up and to consider organising a petition. 3.5 Telephone Kiosk Ideas required upon what to put inside it. 4. Planning matters 4.1 Previous applications status report Application 10/01441/FUL – Land at Well Lane – change of use to equestrian and the provision of stables, hay store and tack room. Planning permission granted subject to conditions which will be accepted. 4.2 Consideration of current applications Application 11/00223/HOU – Pippins, Well Lane – First floor extension over existing double garage. Parish Council supports the objection detailed in the letter from Mr. & Mrs. Lindon and has concerns about overpowering the street scene. 4.3 South Worcestershire Development Plan Report on a joint meeting of representatives of Little Witley, Abberley, Great Witley and Shrawley Parish Councils. The plan should be based on local requirements including parish plans. We will now wait for the next stage but react immediately and loudly through Paul Cumming. Allocation of housing to be based on local need not as directed from on high. PC advised that low cost/affordable/social housing is not "commercial" hence is outside the scope of SWDP and can be outside the settlement area. 4.4 Planning Officers’ Quality Tour The new Chapel Farm Bungalow in Bank Road is the only completed property to be put forward for inclusion in this year’s tour. 5. Correspondence
6. Areas of special responsibility reports 6.1 Highways Report on the public meeting on 3.3.11. It appears that the 40 mph speed limit will be retained. PH had written to CALC with apologies for not attending tonight’s meeting and asking if any local parishes would be interested in sharing the cost of a vehicle activated speed sign as enforcement is still necessary. We continue to campaign for the inclusion of Little Witley as part of the "area of community concern" and obtain signage to that effect, as displayed in Great Witley, Holt Heath and Hallow. Thanks were expressed to JM for obtaining signatures on the petition that had been produced by JP and PH. 6.2 Footpaths Replacement of the stile opposite Bank Farm into Bulmers Orchard is still not resolved. AN has emailed photographic evidence to WCC as he is not able to attend any meetings during the working week. Waymarkings will be completed before the end of AN’s term of office. 6.3 Village Hall More/new tables are being acquired. The ladies’ cloakroom is to be redecorated.
Date of next meeting: THE DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING: Thursday 12th May 2011 in Little Witley Village Hall 7.00 p.m. Little Witley Parish Council Annual Meeting 8.00 p.m. Little Witley Annual Parish Meeting There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.50 p.m. _____________________________________________________________________ Little Witley Parish Council NOTES of the public meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 3rd March 2011 at 7.30 pm regarding speed limit and speed enforcement on the A443 Present Mr P Hill (Chairman) 5 Councillors Mr. D. Clee (Manager WCC Safer Roads Team) Mr. R. Reynolds (Manager Safer Roads Partnership) Mr. K. Pollock (County Councillor) Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor) 53 members of the public as detailed on attached attendance list Purpose of Meeting As a result of the Worcestershire County Council review of speed limits throughout the county a report has been commissioned to recommend rationalisation of speed limits. This report recommended increasing the speed limit on the A443 through Little Witley from 40mph to 50mph. Public consultation in Little Witley prior to this meeting resulted in 163 signatures on a petition opposing this increase and calling for effective enforcement of the existing 40mph speed limit. The meeting was convened to enable WCC to justify their proposal, parishioners to voice their opinions and for the Safer Roads Partnership to address concerns at the lack of enforcement. Speeding on this stretch of road remains a matter of major concern as several crashes have occurred although personal injuries resulting from accidents have been low. Rod Reynolds re. Enforcement of Speed Limit The Safer Roads Partnership is a partnership between WCC and the Police. Increasing the speed limit is not yet determined and attendance at this meeting is to hear representations from the public. The County Council funding of the Safer Roads Partnership ends in April but partnership working will continue along the A443 as this has been identified as an enforcement route prompted by community concern rather than by accident records as in the past. The Little Witley section of the road has not been included in this initiative as it is subject to a possible variation of the speed limit. Community concern signage will not be provided for areas outside the enforcement zone. Dave Clee re. Speed Limit Review The Department of Trade white paper 2006 prompted local authorities to review speed limits throughout the UK. The Worcestershire network totals 800 kilometres of roads. The recommendation includes 36 cases for the reduction of speed limits and a few areas (including Little Witley) where increases are recommended. The average speed of vehicles on the Little Witley section of the A443 is currently 45mph. No viable engineering solutions have been found to reduce vehicle speeds. Motorists perceive this section of the road as having no reason for a low speed limit and many ignore the present 40mph limit. No accidents other than damage only incidents have been reported over the last three years. It is suggested that increasing the speed limit to 50mph would promote greater respect by motorists and would reduce vehicle speeds. The problems of visibility at the exit from Bank Road and from certain properties are recognised and minor proposals are being made to reduce these hazards. These proposals would only be effected if the 50mph speed limit is accepted. The process has not yet reached the stage of consultation at County Council, District Council, Parish Council and public levels. Ken Pollock, County Councillor Having understood the views expressed that are specific to the hazards on this stretch of road caused by poor visibility the case for retention of the 40mph speed limit is supported. The Parish Council should consider purchasing its own VAS units to supplement any enforcement that may be available from the Police or the Safer Roads Partnership. Points expressed by the Parish Council and the public There is no justification for increasing the speed limit. The low accident record serves to confirm that the current 40mph speed limit is correct. The Road Traffic Act requires local authorities to act to promote road safety. There is no evidence that increasing speed limits promotes safety on the roads. Local Authorities are responsible for the enforcement and implementation of road safety. There is no evidence that the Safer Roads Partnership has made any effort to enforce the speed limit on this stretch of road. The speeding problem can be divided into two sections, high speed and dangerous overtaking east of the Well Lane junction and poor visibility demanding lower speeds west of the Well Lane junction. Exiting the drives of several properties on the main road is extremely hazardous due to the poor visibility caused by blind summits and bends in the road. Visibility at the exit from Bank Road is severely restricted from east and it is impossible to accelerate towards Great Witley within the approach time of a vehicle travelling at the existing 40mph speed limit let alone at any higher speed. Improved signage to warn approaching motorists of this blind exit is a high priority. Summary The representatives from the County Council and the Safer Roads Partnership left the meeting with a full understanding of the level of concern at the proposal to increase the speed limit. Their suggested engineering measures have failed to alleviate this concern. Any further consultation measures on this matter will be strenuously opposed and hence are unlikely to occur. Further pressure is to be exerted to ensure enforcement of the existing speed limit as the law is being blatantly ignored and the authorities are currently making no attempt to enforce it. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 3rd March 2011 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mr P Hill (Chairman) Parish Councillors Mrs J Mills and Messrs D Buggins, A Nicholls and J Drew Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor) Mr K Pollock (County Councillor) P.C. Andy Hood Mr J Plumridge (Clerk) 12 members of the public
Mr. P Cumming standard declaration of interest relating to all planning matters. 3. Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 13th January 2011 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Planning matters Consideration of current applications Application 11/00193/HOU - Field House, Well Lane – Two storey extension The Parish Council has no comment to make on this application as the property is not overlooked and the proposed extension replaces the existing conservatory. 5. Police and Neighbourhood Watch matters P.C. Andy Hood is to be transferred to the Police Helicopter Services and is thanked for his work in the parishes over the recent years. His replacement will be in post in the near future. No burglaries have been reported in Little Witley in the last six months and there has been a successful arrest rate for crimes committed in the area. The overall commitment within the 17 parishes covered leaves very limited resources for speed enforcement. The police neighbourhood watch messaging system is likely to be improved under forthcoming police reorganisation. Following some changes the Little Witley neighbourhood watch email address list is being updated. 6. County Council matters Refurbishment to the Holt Fleet bridge is proceeding generally to programme. Traffic delays have been minimised by the manual control of traffic lights during morning and evening peak periods. The consultation period for proposed reduction in subsidised bus services and school transport arrangements ends on 1st April and parishioners are urged to make representation if they are affected. The Parish Council is encouraged to consider the purchase of vehicle activated signs to encourage drivers to adhere to the speed limit. 7. District Council matters MHDC is to lose 30% of the grant from government over the next three years. The sharing of services and increased efficiency measures are targeted to absorb this loss of revenue without affecting front line services. Recycling rates are still good and the waste to landfill is lower than in most other parts of the UK. The overview and scrutiny committee is to meet on 15th March to consider the transport and bus services issue together with the working relationship between Worcester Highways Department and the Parish Councils. Overall dissatisfaction with the hub telephone system is understood and being looked into. 8. Finance 8.1 Accounts for payment & ratification of accounts paid since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services January 2011 £204.00 Accounts due for payment: H M Customs & Excise – PAYE £139.82 Clerk’s net salary Feb 2011 £186.42 Clerk’s net salary Mar 2011 £186.42 Clerk’s expenses Jan + Feb £36.90 £409.74 C Jones – Lengthsman services February 2011 £336.00 8.2 Responsible Financial Officer’s report Balances at bank: Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £22.59 No. 2 account £ 50.00 Deposit account £159.35 Standard Life Bank £6,101.53 TOTAL £6,333.47 Council approved payment of the above accounts (Proposed JM, Seconded PC) 8.3 Appointment of internal and external auditors Council approved the appointment of Mr D T Pangbourne of Hillhampton as internal auditor at an annual fee of £50 and Clement Keys as external auditor at the national fee scale. 8.4 Consideration of funding request Council approved the contribution of the requested sum of £75.00 towards the purchase of a dishwasher for the Nora Parsons Day Centre. The dishwasher has been purchased by Kenswick and Wichenford Parish Council and the contributions are requested from the 16 Parish Councils that use the Centre. This contribution is to be taken into account when determining the 2011/12 donation to the Day Centre. 8.5 Consideration of donation re celebration of Royal Wedding Council agreed to donate the sum of £300 to fund the purchase of commemorative mugs for each of the 48 children in the parish under 16 years of age. Any surplus is to be put towards the cost of the street party on the day. (Proposed JD, Seconded DB) 9. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk The Chairman and Clerk attended an informal meeting with representatives from Great Witley, Abberley and Shrawley Parish Councils to formulate a joint response to the South Worcestershire Development Plan working party. The Chairman and Clerk attended an informal workshop at Great Witley on 7th February on parish/town councils’ role in the District’s Development Control Process. 10. Elections on 5th May There are 3 elections taking place on this day. Parish Council, District Council and the Nationalreferendum on Electoral Reform. The Parish Council encourages any parishioner to stand for election. Nomination papers can be obtained from the Clerk or direct from Malvern Hills District Council. The deadline for the submission of nominations is noon on 4th April. Date of next meeting: 8.00 pm Thursday 10th March 2011 in Little Witley Village Hall There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.20 p.m. ________________________________________________________________________
Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 13th January 2011 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mr P Hill (Chairman) Parish Councillors Mrs J Mills and Messrs D Buggins and A. Carmichael Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor) Mr J Plumridge (Clerk) No members of the public
County Councillor Ken Pollock and PC Andy Hood were unable to attend.
None 3. Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 18th November 2010 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes 4.1 Locking of the telephone kiosk Thanks are expressed to John and Adam Drew for the fitting of a lock. 4.2 Drainage issues The landowner and WCC Highways services are to be alerted to the problem of blockage of the ditch outside The School House, Church Lane as water overflows onto the road and freezes. 4.3 Repairs to stile in Bulmers Orchard Countryside Services have still not responded about replacement of the stile. 4.4 A443 speed limit review Mrs Jean Mills is thanked for organising the 110 signature Road Safety Petition. Representations have been made to the County Council Highways officials and the Safer Roads Partnership. Both organisations are to attend the next District Council scrutiny meeting to take the matter further. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Previous applications status report Ribston House, Bank Road Application 10/01312/FUL – Amendment to planning permission 03/01586/FUL Application 10/01413/HOU – Erection of carport/garage/store Both applications have been approved 5.2 Consideration of current applications Application 10/01441/FUL – Land at Well Lane. Change of use to equestrian and the provision of stables, hay store and tack room The Parish Council has no comment to make on this application. It is understood that the location of the stabling facilities is subject to change. 6. Local issues 6.1 Church Lane signage and turning place The owners of Chapel Farm are to be encouraged to erect a private sign on Bank Road alongside the signs directing traffic to Haven Nurseries and Bank Farm. The drive alongside Turnstone house has been identified as a suitable turning area. Agreement from the landowners is to be sought to enable the Parish Council to negotiate with the County Council regarding the establishment and maintenance of the facility. 6.2 South Worcestershire Development Plan A meeting of the Chairmen of Little Witley, Great Witley, Abberley and Shrawley Parish Councils is to be arranged to establish whether there is sufficient common ground for a joint reply to be made to the current consultation. 7. Correspondence
8. Police and Neighbourhood Watch matters No report 9. County Council matters A written report from Ken Pollock is attached to these minutes. 10. District Council matters The District Council budget has to be reduced by £1m next year (20%). The transfer of concessionary fares to the County Council contributes £400k. Work is being done to effect the remaining 12% reduction with only minimum effect upon major front line services. Efficiency improvements on refuse collection routes is budgeted to save £50k pa. The District Council is one of the best in the UK with respect to minimising the amount of refuse sent to landfill. The brown bin garden refuse scheme has had a good uptake and is a useful source of income. The Localism Bill will mainly affect villages larger than Little Witley. 11. Finance 11.1 Accounts for payment & ratification of accounts paid since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services November 2010 £138.00 C Jones – Lengthsman services December 2010 £222.00 Accounts due for payment: H M Customs & Excise – PAYE £139.81 Clerk’s net salary Dec 2010 £186.42 Clerk’s net salary Jan 2011 £186.42 Clerk’s expenses Nov + Dec £109.03 £481.87 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by AC, seconded by JM) 11.2 Responsible Financial Officer’s report Balances at bank Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £1,685.98 No. 2 account £ 50.00 Deposit account £1,159.25 Standard Life Bank £4,101.53 TOTAL £6,996.76 11.3 Setting of the 2011/2012 precept A motion to increase the precept to £5,150 was defeated by 3 votes to 2. Council resolved to set the precept at £5,000 (unchanged since 2009/10) 12. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk The Chairman and Clerk attended a meeting on the refurbishment of Holt Fleet Bridge. There is to be a slight delay to the starting date but this is not expected to impact upon the overall programme for completion of the work at the end of October. The Clerk attended the WCALC Clerks’ Gathering on election procedures. The system remains unchanged from the 2007 elections. The elections on 5th May will comprise Parish and District Council elections and the National Referendum on Electoral Reform. The cost of a contested Parish Council election is estimated at £1,000. This cost would be shared if the District Council election is also contested and reduced further by a contribution from the National Referendum. The closing date for nominations is 4th April 13. Areas of special responsibility reports 13.1 Highways The pothole outside the Village Hall has been repaired. DB to chase up the grit bin that has been promised at Haven Nurseries on Bank Road 13.2 Footpaths AN has returned the report on prioritisation of footpath maintenance work. 13.3 Village Hall No report Date of next meeting: THE DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING HAS BEEN CHANGED TO: 7.30 pm Thursday 3rd March 2011 in Little Witley Village Hall There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.20 pm ________________________________________________________________________ Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 18th November 2010 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mr P Hill (Chairman) Parish Councillors Mrs J Mills and Messrs D Buggins, J Drew, A Nicholls and A. Carmichael Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor) PC A Hood Mr J Plumridge (Clerk) 10 members of the public
County Councillor Ken Pollock was unable to attend. Best wishes for his speedy recovery from recent surgery were expressed.
None 3. Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 9th September 2010 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes 4.1 Locking of the telephone kiosk The fitting of a lock is in hand. 4.2 Drainage issues Work carried out recently in Bank Road and Ockeridge Lane has improved matters. The drainage problem at Owen’s yard on Bank Road has still not been solved. The lengthsman is working hard to keep the drainage grips clear but this is difficult due to frequent damage to verges caused by vehicles and tractors. 4.3 Repairs to stile in Bulmers Orchard The broken posts and wire have been removed. Countryside Services have still not responded about replacement of the stile. 4.4 A443 speed limit review Parishioners expressed strong opposition to any possibility of the speed limit being increased to 50mph through Little Witley. The Parish Council is to organise a petition to encourage the Police and the Safer Roads Partnership to include Little Witley in the current Community Concern Speed Control programme to enforce the existing 40mph speed limit. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Previous applications status report All previous applications have been determined. 5.2 Consideration of current applications Ribston House, Bank Road Application 10/01312/FUL – Amendment to planning permission 03/01586/FUL The Parish Council has no comment to make. Application 10/01413/HOU – Erection of carport/garage/store The Parish Council supports this application providing the conditions of approval preclude the future use of the building for any other purpose. 6. Local issues 6.1 Well Lane Cherry Orchard The land has been sold at auction. Ownership remains in the village and the future use of the land is awaited with interest. 6.2 Highway verges The responsibility for and the usage of the verge in Well Lane adjacent to the fields recently sold at auction needs to be clarified.
6.3 Access between Church Lane and Bank Road It is acknowledged and accepted that there is no public right of way across the Chapel Farm land. Any access granted from time to time is at the discretion of the landowners. 6.4 Church Lane signage and turning place A turning place at the top of Church Lane would be advantageous. Landowners need to agree upon the area of land that could be offered to enable the Parish Council to negotiate with the County Council regarding the establishment and maintenance of the facility. Highways Services have agreed to inspect and respond to our request for signage to overcome the problem of large vehicles entering Church Lane by mistake. 7. Correspondence
8. Police and Neighbourhood Watch matters A youth from Hallow has been charged with burglary, handling stolen goods and vehicle theft. Robberies at Grimley and Hallow have also been resolved. Householders are encouraged to be particularly vigilant. Information received via the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators is very helpful to the Police. 9. County Council matters
10. District Council matters Government needs to take powers to carry through the proposed scrapping of the Regional Spatial Strategy. Development of the new planning policy is underway and Parish Councillors and others are invited to attend information gathering meetings that are being held at several venues. Parish Plans are to be taken into account, together with local housing needs and facilities when formulating the planning policy. There is to be a 30% cut in the Government grant to the District Council over the next 4 years. This results in budget reductions of £500k, £1m and £1.5m in years 1, 2 and 3 respectively. It is hoped that this can be achieved without affecting the principal services. The concessionary fare scheme is to be transferred to the County Council. This may not affect services but the effect upon the District Council budget is yet to be determined. 11. Finance 11.1 Accounts for payment & ratification of accounts paid since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services September 2010 £110.00 C J Garden Services – strimming £20.00 Accounts due for payment: C J Garden Services - strimming £20.00 C Jones – Lengthsman services October 2010 £108.00
Clerk’s net salary Oct 2010 £186.42 Clerk’s net salary Nov 2010 £186.42 Clerk’s expenses Sept + Oct £36.80 £409.64 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by JD, seconded by JM) 11.2 Responsible Financial Officer’s report and budget update Balances at bank Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £2,771.49 No. 2 account £ 50.00 Deposit account £1,159.15 Standard Life Bank £4,101.53 TOTAL £8,082.17 The attached budget update shows income and expenditure to be close to the budget at the half year. The 2011/2012 budget is to be discussed in detail at the January meeting when setting the precept. 11.3 Donations to local organisations Council approved the following donations: Friends of St Michael’s Church £200.00 Nora Parsons Day Centre £100.00 (Proposed by AC, seconded by JM) 12. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk None. 13. Areas of special responsibility reports 13.1 Highways The pothole outside the Village Hall has been repaired. DB to chase up other long overdue repairs. 13.2 Footpaths AN is to return the report on prioritisation of footpath maintenance work. 13.3 Village Hall The New Year’s Eve progressive supper is to finish at the Village Hall. Attendance at the Village Hall is not limited to those taking part in the progressive supper.
Date of next meeting: 7.30 pm Thursday 13th January 2011 in Little Witley Village Hall There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.20 pm Notes on matters raised during the public session prior to the Council meeting:
************************************************************************************************ MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 9th September 2010 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mr P Hill (Chairman) Parish Councillors Mrs J Mills and Messrs D Buggins, J Drew, A Nicholls, Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor) Mr K Pollock (County Councillor) Mr J Plumridge (Clerk) 13 members of the public
None 3. Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 8th July 2010 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes 4.1 Locking of the telephone kiosk The fitting of a lock is in hand. A local map with location details is to be posted for emergency purposes. 4.2 Drainage issues The problem of surface water on the Ockeridge Road has been solved. A deep ditch has been dug across the field to guide the water from the pipe under the road to an existing drainage ditch. The responsibility for maintenance of these ditches is to be investigated, but is expected to be that of the landowner. 4.3 Repairs to stile in Bulmers Orchard The stile is not shown on the official footpath maps. Countryside Services are investigating ways of allowing replacement of the stile. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Current applications status report Application 10/00619/HOU – Old Timbers. Single storey rear extension. Planning permission has been granted with a condition that the extension may only be used as an integral part of the existing dwelling and no separate curtilage shall be created. 5.2 Caravan at Ockeridge Fishing Pools An enforcement officer has visited the site and there is no evidence of overnight usage of the caravan. 6. Local issues 6.1 Well Lane Cherry Orchard The status regarding the possible purchase of the Cherry Orchard by a group of parishioners and observations raised are recorded under the notes of the public session prior to the meeting. Council agreed to consider Resolution A) to cover the possible eventuality of the land being offered to the Parish Council Resolution A) The Parish Council to accept legal ownership of the freehold, subject to agreement on conditions, as custodian trustee on behalf of the parish. (Proposed by PC, seconded by AN) Resolution passed: 5 for 1 against Resolution B) Council agreed to defer consideration of any resolution relating to the costs of management and maintenance of the land, if purchased for parish use. 6.2 Highway verges Some areas abutting Well Lane are not in Well Farm land and hence are highway property. The existing usage of these areas would require highways permission. The placing of rocks, posts and other items on highway verges is illegal and could lead to liabilities falling on the frontagers. 6.3 Access between Church Lane and Bank Road There is no public right of way across the Chapel Farm land. The present owners have indicated an intention to close the access and to only permit pedestrian access. This is of concern in relation to emergency vehicle access. Better signage to Chapel Farm in Bank Road is required as heavy goods vehicles trying to deliver to the farm are becoming stuck in Church Lane. A turning place at the top of Church Lane would be advantageous. 7. Correspondence The County Council advise that, following the retirement of John Wallace, David Hunter is to act as Senior Highways Liaison Engineer for the north of the Malvern District, which includes our parish. 8. Police and Neighbourhood Watch matters No report. 9. County Council matters The comprehensive spending review in October is expected to call for savings of £15m/year for the next 4 years. The Regional Growth Fund provides money for local enterprise partnership projects. The County Council has put in a bid. The Community Right To Build initiative gives small communities the right to bypass planning regulations for small developments providing a very high level of local support is proven. Repairs to Church Lane have been included in the £50m funding for road repairs this year throughout the County. The speed limit review of the A443 is complete and is understood to include a proposal to increase the speed limit through Little Witley to 50 mph. Any proposed changes are to be put to the Parish Council for comment prior to implementation. 10. District Council matters Spending reviews are scrutinising efficiency improvements in an attempt to retain services. The revised Local Plan is being developed and is likely to be similar to the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy but with greater emphasis on local issues. 11. Finance 11.1 Accounts for payment & ratification of accounts paid since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services July 2010 £115.00 C J Garden Services – strimming £20.00 Clement Keys – External audit fee £141.00 Accounts due for payment C J Garden Services - strimming £20.00 C Jones – Lengthsman services August 2010 £110.00 Clerk’s net salary Aug 2010 £186.42 Clerk’s net salary Sep 2010 £186.42 Clerk’s expenses July + August £53.73 £426.57 H M Revenue & Customs – PAYE £139.81 Worcestershire CALC – Clerk’s Gathering £2.50 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by PC, seconded by DB) 11.2 Balances at bank Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £791.13 No. 2 account £ 50.00 Deposit account £1,159.10 Standard Life Bank £4,043.70 TOTAL £6,043.93 11.3 External audit status Clement Keys has given an unqualified audit opinion and the appropriate notices have been displayed as required. 11.4 Possible capping of Parish Council precepts The Parish Council has responded to the consultation on the possible capping of precepts supporting the principle of controlling costs at all levels but suggesting that any capping scheme has the facility for the separate submission of applications for additional funds to cover special project costs and any cost increases beyond the control of the Parish Councils. 11.5 Lengthsman’s hourly rate Council agreed unanimously to increase the hourly rate to £12 as this has been at £10 since the beginning of the lengthsman scheme in October 2004. The expenditure limit for 2010/2011 is to remain at £2,100 as this already includes a subsidy of £371 from the Parish Council. Any additional funding available from the County Council at the end of the financial year is to be passed on. 12. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk None. 13. Areas of special responsibility reports 13.1 Highways Many hedges throughout the village are in a bad state. DB is to approach the landowners and advise the Clerk of cases where formal letters are required. 13.2 Footpaths Dog fouling has reduced. 13.3 Village Hall The Village Hall Management Committee are complemented upon the redecoration and improvements to the Village Hall.
Date of next meeting: 7.30 pm Thursday 18th November 2010 in Little Witley Village Hall
There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.02 pm
Notes on matters raised during the public session prior to the Council meeting:
************************************************************************************************************************************* Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 8th July 2010 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mr P Hill (Chairman) Parish Councillors Messrs D Buggins, J Drew and A Nicholls Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor) Mr J Plumridge (Clerk) 2 members of the public
Apologies were accepted from Councillors Mrs J Mills and Mr A Carmichael. Mr K Pollock (County Councillor) and PC A Hood were unable to attend.
None 3. Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 13th May 2010 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes Children had responded well to an invitation to make suggestions for the future use of the telephone kiosk. John Drew is arranging for it to be locked to prevent vandalism. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Current applications status report Application 10/00619/HOU – Old Timbers. Single storey rear extension. The Parish Council has no objection to this application providing the building remains a single private residence and is not subsequently divided. 5.2 Regional Spatial Strategy The Government intends to abolish the Regional Spatial Strategy. Local authorities will be required to set their own future development requirements. A body similar to the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy team is likely to emerge to develop the local plan. Extracts from the Parish Plan are to be sent to the Chief Planning Officer as a statement of the local requirements for Little Witley. 6. Local issues 6.1 Holt Fleet Bridge strengthening and refurbishment The refurbishment involves replacement of the reinforced concrete casing around over 80 support members. This is scheduled to take from January 2011 to March 2012 and will involve temporary traffic lights for about 50% of the time. The lights will be manually controlled in peak periods to minimise traffic disruption. Upon completion of the work the 7.5 T weight restriction will be lifted. 6.2 Drainage problems survey Bank Road drains have been cleaned and jetted. The drain that crosses fields between Bank Road and Ockeridge Lane is blocked at the Ockeridge Lane end. This problem has been reported many times over recent years. County Councillor Ken Pollock is to be asked to expedite a solution to this ongoing problem. Peter Hill is to coordinate completion and submission of the parish overall drainage survey. 7. Correspondence
8. Police and Neighbourhood Watch matters No report. 9. County Council matters The County Council is preparing larger spending cuts than the £45m/year that was announced under the BOLD programme. Officers are now considering options to save up to £100m/ year. The future of the Building Schools for the Future programme is to be announced shortly. It is hoped that the plans for Wyre Forest may survive. The £46m road building and improvement plans for the Worcester area may be in jeopardy. 10. District Council matters Spending cuts deeper than previously envisaged will be necessary. These will be planned, as far as possible, without affecting the level of services. 11. Finance 11.1 Accounts for payment & ratification of accounts paid since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services May 2010 £135.00 Accounts due for payment: C J Garden Services £40.00 C Jones – Lengthsman services June 2010 £90.00 Clerk’s net salary June 2010 £186.42 Clerk’s net salary July 2010 £186.42 Clerk’s expenses May + June £35.33 £408.17 H M Revenue & Customs – PAYE £139.81 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by PH, seconded by DB) 11.2 Balances at bank Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £2,488.84 No. 2 account £50.00 Deposit account £1,159.00 Standard Life Bank £3,043.70 TOTAL £6,741.54 11.3 External audit status All documentation has been submitted to Clement Keys within the required timescale. 12. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk PH, DB and the Clerk attended the public meetings at Hallow and Ombersley regarding the repairs to Holt Fleet Bridge. The Clerk attended the CALC Clerks’ Gathering on planning regulation changes. 13. Areas of special responsibility reports 13.1 Highways Landowners are reminded of their responsibilities with respect to hedges, ditches and overhanging trees. 13.2 Footpaths The stile into the Bulmers orchard at Bank Farm is in a dangerous condition. AN is to ask Bulmers to carry out the necessary repairs. Drainage and way marking are in need of attention on the footpath off Ockeridge Lane. Landowners must cut back trees and hedges that overhang the footpaths. 13.3 Village Hall No report. 14. Parish Council News Contributions are required by 22nd July for preparation of the summer edition.
Date of next meeting: 7.30 pm Thursday 9th September 2010 in Little Witley Village Hall
There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.57 pm ********************************************************************************************
Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council held in the Village Hall on Thursday 13th May 2010 at 7.00 pm pursuant to notice Present Parish Councillors: P Hill, D Buggins, Mrs J Mills & J Drew 3 members of the public as detailed on the attached attendance list Clerk: J Plumridge 1. Election of Chairman and acceptance of office Mrs J Mills, as outgoing Chairman of the Council, opened the meeting. She thanked the Councillors and parishioners for their support during her year in office and explained that, regrettably, she was unable to stand for re-election as Chairman due to family circumstances. Mr P Hill was elected unopposed as Chairman of Little Witley Parish Council and accepted the office for a period of one year. (Proposed JD, seconded DB) Chairmanship of the meeting was handed over to Mr Hill who thanked Mrs Mills for her service as Chairman. The Declaration of Acceptance of Office and Undertaking to Observe the Code of Conduct was duly signed by Mr Hill 2. Apologies for absence Apologies for absence were accepted from Councillors A Carmichael and P Cumming. 3. Declarations of interest None. 4. Minutes of the Council meeting held on 11th March 2010. Minutes of the above meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 5. Matters arising from the minutes 5.1 Maintenance of land adjacent to the 2 bus stops It was resolved to accept the quotation of £20 from C. Jones for cutting of these areas. The quotation also includes strimming around the 3 flower boxes and the area around the bench in Bank Road. This work is to be carried out monthly during the summer. 5.1 Adoption of the telephone kiosk British Telecom has now completed the adoption procedure. The telephone equipment has been removed and maintenance of the kiosk is now the responsibility of the Parish Council. BT will continue to provide the power supply for lighting at no cost. The kiosk is to be locked until a use for it has been agreed. 5.2 Drainage problems survey The proposed meeting to prepare a comprehensive list of all matters requiring attention by Highways Services has not taken place. Mrs J Mills undertook to gather information from parishioners and Councillors and to pass this on for action. A solution must be found to the problems associated with the drain from Bank Road to Ockeridge before the resurfacing of Bank Road can be usefully undertaken. 6. Election of officers Vice Chairman Mrs J Mills– Proposed by P Hill, seconded by D Buggins and appointed by a unanimous vote. 7. Allocation of duties and Councillor training All Councillors agreed to continue their existing duties, as follows: Mrs Jean Mills CALC representative Neighbourhood Watch Peter Hill Planning applications Great Witley School Governor CALC representative Des Buggins Transport and Highways CALC representative Andy Carmichael Village Hall committee Paul Cumming Malvern Hills District Councillor Council Tax Issues County Council matters John Drew Utilities matters Village Hall committee Anthony Nicholls Footpaths and Rights of Way Environmental matter 8. Financial matters 8.1 Adoption of accounts for year ended 31 March 2010 Approval of the accounts proposed by JM, seconded by DB and agreed unanimously. Accounts and External Audit Statement of Accounts signed by the Chairman and Clerk. 8.2 Accounts for payment and ratification of recent payments Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services March 2010 £85.00 Worcestershire CALC – Subscription £112.24 BT Payphones – kiosk adoption fee £1.00 Accounts due for payment: C Jones – Lengthsman services April 2010 £220.00 Clerk’s net salary April 2010 £186.42 Clerk’s net salary May 2010 £186.42 Clerk’s expenses March + April 2010 £ 71.26 £444.10 Aon Ltd – insurance premium £445.63 Little Witley Village Hall Management Committee – hire of hall £65.00 D T Pangbourne – internal audit fee £50.00 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by JM, seconded by DB) 8.3 Renewal of insurance policy Council agreed that the insurance policy with Allianz, via Aon Ltd, be renewed for a further year at a premium of £445.63. The Clerk is to check the insurance implications of ownership of the telephone kiosk and the use of a strimmer by the lengthsman. 9. Annual audit return 9.1 Statement of assurance Council approved the annual governance statement for signature by the Chairman and Clerk. 9.2 Risk assessment Council approved the risk assessment as being a correct record for signature by the Chairman. 9.3 Internal audit status The internal audit was conducted by Mr D T Pangbourne on 4th May 2010 and the internal audit report was duly signed. 10. Planning matters All previous planning applications have been determined and there are no new applications for consideration. 11. Correspondence · Worcestershire County Council has revised the allocation of funding for the Lengthsman Scheme. Based upon £1500 plus £20 per km of highway within the parish boundary the Little Witley allocation for 2010/2011 is £1729.00. Representations have been made to WCC for increased funding due to the large proportion of roads without kerbing in the parish. This cannot be granted formally but is likely to receive sympathetic consideration at the end of the financial year. Upon this basis, the Parish Council authorised lengthsman work up to £2100.00 for the year. · A Nicholls is to decide whether to enter the P3 Footpath Scheme for 2010/2011 and, if appropriate, to return the application forms by 28th May. 12. Reports on meetings attended by Councillors None 13. Areas of special responsibility reports All areas are to be covered during the Annual Parish Meeting at 8.00 pm. 14. Dates of statutory meetings for 2010/2011 Thursday 8th July 2010 Thursday 9th September 2010 Thursday 11th November 2010 Thursday 13th January 2011 Thursday 10th March 2011 Thursday 12th May 2011 (Annual Parish Council Meeting and Annual Parish Meeting)
There being no further business the Annual Council Meeting closed at 7.55 pm. Matters raised by members of the public prior to the meeting: Water is still running from the Bulmers orchard down Bank Road. Bulmers are aware of the problem but have not yet carried out the necessary repair to their water supply pipe. Some damage to verges has been caused by contractors’ vehicles during the flood alleviation work at Bank Farm. Highways Services has undertaken to patch the damaged areas of Bank Road, followed by resurfacing of the full length of Bank Road. _____________________________________________________________________ Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 11th March 2010 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present
Mr P Hill (Vice Chairman) –in the Chair Parish Councillor Mr D Buggins Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor) Mr K Pollock - County Councillor Mr J Plumridge (Clerk) PC A Hood 8 members of the public Consideration of apologies for absence Apologies were accepted from Councillors Mrs J Mills and Messrs. A Carmichael, J Drew and A Nicholls. None 3. Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 14th January 2010 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes All matters arising are covered by agenda items for this meeting. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Current applications status report All previous applications have been determined and there are no new applications for consideration. 5.2 SWJCS Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment Many parishioners have expressed concern that the Cherry Orchard site between Well Lane and Church Lane is currently included on the database of sites possibly suitable for housing development. This is not necessarily a threat to the village environment until the later stage of determination of the number of houses expected in each village. Little Witley may become a category 4 village due to the absence of employment opportunities afforded by the number of work from home business units that have been included in the village facilities survey. The Parish Council is to make representations to encourage the early removal of the site from the database on the grounds of non viability from a planning point of view and failure to comply with the development objectives set out in the Parish Plan. Parishioners are encouraged to respond individually to the SWJCS questionnaire. 5.3 MHDC Development Quality Tour There are no developments within Little Witley that were completed in 2009 for inclusion in this tour by planning officers. 6. Local issues 6.1 Adoption of the telephone kiosk Malvern Hills District Council has approved the removal of the telephone equipment and adoption of the kiosk by the Parish Council. The Parish Council resolves to accept the revised BT contract terms whereby BT will continue to pay for the electricity supply for lighting in the kiosk and give the Parish Council the opportunity to take over the supply at a later date. 6.2 Maintenance of the bus stop and telephone kiosk areas Estimates are to be obtained for this maintenance that has previously been funded by a benefactor who has now left the village. 6.3 Highways issues The intended meeting of some parish councillors and other interested parties to prepare a complete schedule of all highways issues including potholes, drainage and additional grit bin requests is to be convened shortly. Many highways issues are long overdue for attention and The Worcestershire Hub system fails to correctly monitor the status of items that have been repeatedly reported yet remain unresolved. Upon completion of the flood alleviation work at Bank Farm Highways Services has undertaken to repair all potholes in Bank Road and to surface dress the entire length of Bank Road. 6.4 Worcester Transport Strategy The strategy plans include a variety of improvements to the transport infrastructure but an additional bridge over the River Severn is not covered. The large number of additional homes projected for the Broadheath area together with the weight limit on Holt Heath bridge will give rise to increased congestion in our area and severe restriction to heavy commercial traffic. Representations for a second crossing are encouraged on these grounds. 6.5 Bank Road flood alleviation work Only top dressing and reseeding in the Bulmers orchard is outstanding. 6.6 Public open space The provision of a public open space within the village is a declared objective in the Parish Plan. The possible purchase of the Cherry Orchard site or part of the Ockeridge Road field including the pond is to be investigated by PH, together with possible funding via grants or shared public ownership. 7. Correspondence A nil return is to be made to the annual Government Estimate of Rough Sleeping. The Elgar Room at the MDHC Council House has been refurbished and is now available for weddings and other civil ceremonies. 8. Police and Neighbourhood Watch matters The support of the local Neighbourhood Watch schemes is most appreciated and has enabled the police to bring forward witnesses and secure prosecutions for a number of crimes in the area. There are no overall crime problems in Little Witley. Thieves have been apprehended and their vehicle impounded following the theft of a radiator in Well Lane. Recent thefts in Great Witley, Martley and Bayton have lead to the apprehension of the offenders, impounding of their vehicles and remanding in custody. The speed camera van has been very effective in reducing speeds through Great Witley. Its deployment in Little Witley would be appreciated. 9. County Council matters 21 crews are working throughout the County to repair potholes at a rate of 900 per week. There is still a problem of blocked drainage gullies not being attended to. The Scrutiny Panel is studying the performance of Highways Services and the report will be taken into account in the programme of work for next year. Feedback is encouraged from Parish Councils. The additional charge for school children bus passes of less than one year validity has been greatly reduced to £10 per additional pass. The Worcestershire County Council council tax increase has been set at 2.5%. If elected the Conservative party has pledged to hold council tax rises at the present level and the County Council is budgeting on this basis. It is believed that the new grit bin recently supplied to the village hall has been removed by Highways Services when filling the old damaged bin. 10. District Council matters The work of the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy is to continue unless scrapped by a change of Government. Determination of the number of houses required in each area and detailed studies and consultations regarding the identified sites will take place prior to the formulation of any definitive proposals. The new recycling plant is to be operational from April. The new black and cherry coloured sacks have been delivered to households. Weekly collections will take unlimited numbers of both sacks. 11. Finance 11.1 Accounts for payment and ratification of payments made since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services January 2010 £250.00 Accounts due for payment: C Jones – Lengthsman services February 2010 £260.00 HM Revenue & Customs – PAYE £138.03 Clerk’s net salary February 2010 £184.03 Clerk’s net salary March 2010 £184.03 Clerk’s expenses Jan + Feb 2010 £32.00 £400.06 Ron Smith & Co Ltd – strimmer equipment for lengthsman £294.00 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by PC, seconded by DB) 11.2 Balances at bank Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £ 912.25 No. 2 account £ 50.00 Deposit account £1,158.81 Standard Life Bank £3,043.70 TOTAL £5,164.76 £512 is due from WCC – Lengthsman payments for January and February 75% of the cost of the strimmer is to be recovered from other Parish Councils 11.3 Appointment of internal and external auditors Council approved the appointment of Mr D T Pangbourne of Hillhampton as internal auditor at an annual fee of £50 and Clement Keys as external auditor at the national fee scale. 12. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk None 13. Areas of special responsibility reports 13.1 Highways Nothing further to report. 13.2 Footpaths The stile into the Bulmers orchard at Bank Farm is in a dangerous condition. Bulmers are to be asked to carry out the necessary repairs. 13.3 Village Hall No report. Date of next meeting: Thursday 13th May 2010 in Little Witley Village Hall 7.00 pm Little Witley Parish Council Annual Meeting 8.00 pm Little Witley Annual Parish Meeting There being no further business the Council meeting closed at 9.00 pm. Matters raised during the public question time prior to the Council meeting Clearance of the cherry orchard was prompted by EON requiring access to attend to trees that are fouling the overhead power lines. The ground clearance is to be completed and the site fenced with pig netting. Pigs are to be kept on the land to clear the root growth prior to reseeding and restoration as an orchard. The land is understood to be available for purchase. It was questioned whether an ecological study should have been submitted prior to clearance of the land with the resultant disturbance of wildlife. English Nature may well be a possible source of grant finance in the interests of wildlife preservation. Drains are still overflowing at Jays Cottage, Bank Road. Recent jetting of some drains in the area has not solved this problem. Numerous pot holes are dangerous throughout the village. ___________________________________________________________________ Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 14th January 2010 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mrs J Mills –in the Chair Parish Councillors Messrs P Hill, D Buggins, J. Drew, A Nicholls and A Carmichael Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor) Mr K Pollock - County Councillor J Plumridge (Clerk) No members of the public 1. Consideration of apologies for absence PC Andy Hood was unable to attend. 2. Declarations of interest None 3. Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 12th November 2009 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes All matters arising are covered by agenda items for this meeting 5. Planning matters All previous applications have been determined and there are no new applications for consideration. 6. Local issues 6.1 Adoption of the telephone kiosk The Parish Council’s willingness to adopt the kiosk has been confirmed to Malvern Hills District Council in writing and will, no doubt, be processed by British Telecom in due course. Recent vandalism damage is to be reported to BT. Peter and Diana Hill offer to act as telephone kiosk monitors. Suggestions for the use of the telephone kiosk following its adoption are to be sought from parishioners. 6.2 Flood alleviation scheme – The Stables, Bank Road Work is proceeding and there have been no complaints from the adjacent landowners. 6.3 Resurfacing of Bank Road Worcestershire County Council proposes to delay the patching of Bank Road until after completion of the flood alleviation drainage scheme in order to include any further damage caused by the heavy plant involved. The County Council undertakes to then surface dress the full length of Bank Road. The Chairman is to convene a meeting of some parish councillors and other interested parties to prepare a complete schedule of all highways issues including potholes, drainage and additional grit bin requests. A representative from Highways Services is to be asked to attend a meeting in the village to ensure that all outstanding issues are understood and scheduled appropriately. 7. Correspondence Letter of thanks for the donation has been received from Nora Parsons Day Centre The consultation period for the Worcestershire Waste Core Strategy – Emerging Preferred Options extends to 4th February and details are available on the Worcestershire County Council website. The consultation period for the Worcestershire County Council Planning Validation Document extends to 26th February and details are available on the Worcestershire County Council website. The County Council Budget Consultation Meeting is at County Hall at 6.30 pm on Monday 25th January. 8. Police and Neighbourhood Watch matters Good communications between the Police and our Neighbourhood Watch coordinators continue. Parishioners are to be asked to advise any changes to their email addresses to facilitate the successful passing of messages. 9. Report by the County Councillor Following strong public opposition to the planned waste incineration plant at Hartlebury it is expected that Hartlebury Parish Council will seek the support of neighbouring parish councils in opposing the plans. The Bank Farm flood alleviation work is proceeding. The gabion wall that has been erected within the Bank Farm barn conversions contravenes planning regulations and is to be removed. Requests have been received for 300 additional grit bins. Forward planning for the cold weather included the ordering of 20% extra grit and flexible working practices helped to keep all major roads passable throughout the cold period. A considerable budget has been set aside for the engineering of improvements to rural roads. 10. Report by the District Councillor An additional refuse collection is to be made on Saturday 16th January. Black, clear and purple bags will be taken. It cannot be guaranteed that all households will be reached due to the large backlog of waste caused by the cancellation of the last 2 weeks collections owing to bad weather. 11. Finance 11.1 Accounts for payment and ratification of payments made since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services October 2009 £165.00 C Jones – Lengthsman services November 2009 £170.00 Accounts due for payment: C Jones – Lengthsman services December 2009 £230.00 HM Revenue & Customs – PAYE £138.03 Clerk’s net salary December 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s net salary January 2010 £184.03 Clerk’s expenses Nov + Dec 2009 £35.33 £403.39 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by PH, seconded by DB) 11.2 Balances at bank Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £2,024.17 No. 2 account £ 50.00 Deposit account £1,158.71 Standard Life Bank £3,043.70 TOTAL £6,276.58 11.3 To consider the purchase of a strimmer for use by the lengthsman The lengthsman has completed a strimming course. Council agrees to a provisional contribution of £75 towards the purchase of a strimmer providing Great Witley, Holt and Abberley, the other councils for which he works, match this contributio 11.4 Setting of the 2010/ 2011 precept Council resolved to set the precept at £5,000 (unchanged from 2009/ 2010). 12. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk DB and the Clerk attended the Worcestershire CALC AGM on 25th November. 134 of the 151 councils in Worcestershire are members of CALC. Worcestershire County Council is to coordinate a Worcestershire Partnership to promote closer working relationships with parish and town councils. The Partnership is to grant Worcestershire CALC £25k p.a. for the next 5 years. This will ensure financial security for CALC following the expiry of its DEFRA funding last year. 13. Areas of special responsibility reports 13.1 Highways Nothing further to report. 13.2 Footpaths Nothing to report. 13.3 Village Hall 94 people attended the very successful New Year’s Eve Party. Thanks are expressed to all those involved in the organisation of the event. Date of next meeting: Thursday 11th March 2010 7.30 pm in Little Witley Village Hall There being no further business the Council meeting closed at 9.05 pm. The public question time that normally precedes the council meetings was omitted as no members of the public were in attendance. ********************************************************************* Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 12th November 2009 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mrs J Mills –in the Chair Parish Councillors Messrs P Hill, D Buggins, J. Drew, A Nicholls and A Carmichael Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor) Mr K Pollock - County Councillor PC A Hood J Plumridge (Clerk) 7 members of the public 1. Consideration of apologies for absence None 2. Declarations of interest Re item 6.3 – A Carmichael as the owner of a neighbouring property Re item 10.3 – P Hill as involved with the Friends of St Michael’s Church 3. Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 10th September 2009 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes 4.1 To consider the adoption of revised Standing Orders relating to the use of email Council approved the attached addendum to the Standing Orders to permit the service of the summons to attend meetings by email. 4.2 To consider support of the campaign for extension of the Sustainable Communities Act Having established that Local Works is a politically independent organisation Council agreed to support the campaign without any financial contribution. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Decisions made by Malvern Hills District Council since last Parish Council meeting None 5.2 Planning applications for consideration at this meeting None 6. Local issues 6.1 Police report by PC A Hood The Chairman congratulated Andy Hood on achieving a Police Regional Award for his involvement in community initiatives. There has been a marked increase in the crime level in the Teme Valley area over recent months. The success rate of the apprehension and sentencing of offenders is good and it is hoped that this will serve to discourage crime in the area. The Police are increasing their speed enforcement activities in addition to the work of the Safer Roads Partnership. The Neighbourhood Watch Scheme is a continuing success with excellent police involvement supported by an appreciated level of input from the public. 6.2 Adoption of the telephone kiosk Adoption of telephone kiosks scheduled for removal of the telephony service is to be handled via Malvern Hills District Council. The Little Witley kiosk is on the current schedule and the necessary forms for adoption have been lodged. 6.3 Planting of bulbs and shrubs Council thanked John Drew for his work on the Well Farm triangle. The planting of low shrubs and bulbs is to follow. This is expected to use most of the budget already approved by Council so further planting throughout the village is to be considered next year. 6.4 Flood alleviation scheme – The Stables, Bank Road The Chairman made the following statement: "In order to avoid any misunderstanding Little Witley Parish Council wishes to clarify the scope of its involvement in the matter of the proposed flood alleviation scheme. Ongoing negotiations are taking place between Worcestershire County Council and the landowners directly affected by the proposed scheme. As the remedy proposed involves work on privately owned land it is a private issue and the Parish Council has no jurisdiction in the process. The Parish Council does however have a responsibility on behalf of our parishioners to ensure that the County Council consults and communicates effectively and fairly with the landowners." The following issues fall within the scope of the Parish Council: Not all relevant landowners were adequately consulted or informed by the County Council of the County Council’s plans to resolve the problem This omission has caused costly delays and anxiety for all involved Those affected by the alleviation plan had not been given an opportunity to air their concerns until the recent public meeting The Parish Council is concerned that the scheduled resurfacing of Bank Road has been postponed pending a resolution of the flood alleviation issue Council agreed that a letter be written to the County Council addressing these points and any additional feedback from the Parish Councillors who are to attend the second public meeting on 13th November. 7. Correspondence The Clerk is to respond to the District Council questionnaire on rural affordable housing P Hill is to respond to the consultation document regarding the Worcestershire County Council formation of an educational trust involving Baxter College, The Chantry High School, Barnardos and the University of Birmingham 8. Report by the County Councillor The Parish Council’s statement defining its scope of involvement in the flood alleviation issue is accepted. All other issues are to be discussed at the important public meeting on 13th November. The County Council is entering a period of restraint with cost savings of £15m per year for the next 3 years needing to be incorporated in the budget. This is to be achieved by a selective study of the budget requirements of each separate department. Every effort will be made to effect savings by improving efficiency rather than reducing the level of service. Bus transport and access to the hospital is being studied together with the feasibility of a shuttle bus service between Crowngate and the hospital. Expansion of the 20mph speed limit outside schools to other critical areas is under review. There is no legal requirement for signage indicating the presence of speed trap vehicles. 9. Report by the District Councillor The £280k annual cost of bus passes may be transferred from the District Council to the County Council. The weekly collection of refuse sacks is to continue and better quality sacks are to be provided next year. The proposed limitation of 2 sacks per household will not be imposed at this stage. Recyclable material is to be collected weekly in single sacks of mixed materials as soon as the new sorting facility is operational in the New Year. Telephone calls to The Hub regarding benefit claims have doubled due to rising unemployment resulting from the recession. This has placed a high demand on the Hub that has lead to severe communication difficulties. The situation is now improving. The cancelled joint development plans with Worcester City Council have been replaced by the sharing of some facilities on a specific basis. The District Council is exploring all cost saving possibilities in preparation of its budget. 10. Finance 10.1 Accounts for payment and ratification of payments made since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services September 2009 £210.00 Accounts due for payment: C Jones – Lengthsman services October 2009 £165.00 Clerk’s net salary October 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s net salary November 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s expenses Sept + Oct 2009 £44.84 £412.90 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by PH, seconded by AC) 10.2 Balances at bank Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £2,960.59 No. 2 account £ 50.00 Deposit account £1,158.61 Standard Life Bank £3,043.70 TOTAL £7,212.90 The 2nd half precept payment was received on 3rd October. 10.3 Budget update The attached half year budget update confirms that income and expenditure are generally in line with the budget. Councillors are requested to study the budget proposals for 2010/ 2011 in readiness for setting of the precept at the January meeting. 10.4 Donations to local organisations Council agreed to make the following donations : Friends of St Michael’s Church for churchyard upkeep £190.00 Nora Parsons Day Centre £140.00 11. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk JM and DB attended the first public meeting re Bank Road flood alleviation on 7th October The Clerk attended the CALC Area Meeting on 24th September CALC is to pursue grants to Parish Councils to facilitate electronic planning consultation CALC/ NALC are to seek clarification of the terms of reference of the external auditor An alternative insurance provider is to be investigated prior to the next renewal date 12. Areas of special responsibility reports 12.1 Highways The lengthsman has completed a strimmer course. Landowners are to be reminded of their responsibility to cut back overhanging trees and shrubs. Failure to comply will result in the work being undertaken by Highways Services contractors at the landowner’s expense. Cuttings must be cleared up to prevent blockage of drains and ditches. 12.2 Footpaths AN has now attended the Countryside Services training course. The broken footpath sign at Bank Farm is to be replaced. Hedges overhanging footpaths need to be cut back by the landowners. 12.3 Village Hall The Film Society now has 40 members and attendance is good. Plans are being made for a New Year’s Eve party in the Village Hall. 12.4 Neighbourhood Watch The scheme continues to operate effectively. Contact details are needed for newcomers to the village.
Date of next meeting: Thursday 14th January 2010 7.30 pm in Little Witley Village Hall There being no further business the Council meeting closed at 9.02 pm.
Public Question Time now precedes the Council meeting to enable views expressed by the public to be taken into account during the Council proceedings. In order to clarify the scope of the Parish Council’s involvement in the Bank Road flood alleviation issue the Chairman opened the public session with the statement detailed in section 6.4 of these minutes.
Matters raised by members of the public Members of the public had previously requested that the flood alleviation issue be placed on the agenda for the Parish Council meeting David Gwyther was invited to summarise the report covering possible alternative solutions and addressing the financial implications of the scheme originally proposed by the County Council The BWB flood survey highlights the need for householders to pursue their own flood alleviation measures The County Council are to present alternative proposals at the public meeting on 13th November and this is the forum for consideration of the matters raised that are beyond the scope of the Parish Council Some of the Parish Councillors are to attend the public meeting *********************************************************************************** Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 10th September 2009 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present P Hill –Vice Chairman in the Chair Parish Councillors Messrs D Buggins, J. Drew, A Nicholls and A Carmichael Mr K Pollock - County Councillor J Plumridge (Clerk) No members of the public 1. Consideration of apologies for absence Apologies were accepted from Councillors Mrs J Mills and Mr P Cumming (Parish and District Councillor)PC A Hood was unable to attend. 2. Declarations of interest As a member of MHDC Planning Committee, Mr P Cumming is able to listen and offer technical advice on planning policy but is unable to vote or comment upon planning matters. 3. Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 9th July 2009 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes Mr P Cumming has advised that, at present, 8.6% of recycling refuse goes to landfill because it is contaminated by the wrong materials being put into the sacks. Efforts are being made to improve the knowledge of the public in this respect. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Decisions made by Malvern Hills District Council since last Parish Council meeting None 5.2 Changes to planning application procedures MHDC now propose to conduct all consultations on planning application electronically. Paper copies of drawings and other documents will continue to be available but only upon request. The difficulty of consulting the owners of neighbouring properties without paper documents is not considered to be relevant by Planning Services as they notify the owners and details of the applications are available on their website and at their offices in Malvern. It will be necessary for the Clerk to store all planning applications electronically as they will not be stored indefinitely on the MHDC Planning Services website. Any difficulties with the new system are to be discussed with the planning officers to find a mutually acceptable solution. 6. Local issues 6.1 Adoption of the telephone kiosk BT has posted a notice in the telephone kiosk repeating the previous offer that the Parish Council may adopt the kiosk, without telephony. It is confirmed that our offer to adopt it is still valid. MHDC refused to allow BT to take any telephone kiosks out of service in 2008 and are now pursuing the matter with BT. The situation is to be monitored on a monthly basis to ensure that the kiosk is not removed by BT if the telephony service is discontinued. 6.2 Traffic calming measures The Safer Roads Partnership has collected speed data in Great Witley and has commenced mobile speed enforcement on the A443 in Great Witley following the expression of concern from local residents. This is the first enforcement initiative to be launched following the expression of concern rather than based upon accident statistics. 6.3 Village flower boxes The three boxes are now in place and planted. The Parish Council thanks John Drew, Mavis Drew and John Plumridge for their work. 6.4 Communication procedures It is common practice for most Councils to issue the summons for Councillors to attend meetings by email. The Parish Council confirms its willingness to continue to accept this method, with paper copies being made available to those without email facilities. The Clerk is to draft the appropriate amendment to the Standing Orders for adoption at the November meeting. 7. Correspondence
8. Report by the County Councillor An application has been made for the erection of a temporary Vehicle Activated Speed Sign to be installed for one month in Great Witley. This may well not be approved due to the Safer Roads Partnership initiative. Little Witley formally request deployment of this temporary sign on the Little Witley stretch of the A443. It is reported that a petition has been made for the national speed limit on derestricted single carriageway roads to be reduced from 60mph to 50mph. A Job Centre Plus bus is to be in Tenbury on the last Wednesday of each month. 99 people in the area are drawing Job Seekers Allowance. The County Council are studying the provision of computer services in more libraries. Cllr. Ken Pollock is chairman of the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Board of Worcestershire County Council, handling the economy in general, transport (including bus services) and waste policy implementation. The effectiveness of the Worcestershire Hub is being investigated. Trish Haines, the County Council Chief Executive has toured the Tenbury Electoral Division to gain first hand knowledge of relevant issues. The apparent wastage of resources by Highways Services was raised by the Parish Council and will be taken up. It is thought that this may be related to the poor co-ordination of required equipment. 9. Report by the District Councillor No report 10. Finance 10.1 Accounts for payment and ratification of payments made since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services July 2009 £120.00 C Jones – Lengthsman services August 2009 £145.00 Clement Keys – External audit fee £138.00 Accounts due for payment: Clerk’s net salary August 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s net salary September 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s expenses July + August 2009 £121.91 £489.97 HM Customs & Revenue – PAYE £138.02 M D Drew – Compost & shrubs for flower boxes £88.00 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by AC, seconded by DB) 10.2 Balances at bank Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £893.32 No. 2 account £ 50.00 Deposit account £1,158.50 Standard Life Bank £3,043.70 TOTAL £5,145.52 10.3 External audit status report Clement Keys have given an unqualified audit decision. 11. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk None. 12. Areas of special responsibility reports 12.1 Highways Overgrown hedges and trees are a continuing problem. DB is to approach the landowners. JD is to liaise with JM re possible planting of shrubs on the Well Farm triangle. This must fall within the budget allocated at the July meeting. 12.2 Footpaths AN is to attend a Countryside Services training course to enable him to continue as footpaths officer. Materials have been ordered for the P3 Scheme work. 12.3 Village Hall The audio visual equipment for use by the film society and other users of the Village Hall has now been installed. 12.4 Neighbourhood Watch The scheme continues to operate effectively. 13. Parish Council News The summer edition of the Parish Council News was cancelled due to lack of contributions. All Councillors are urged to provide contributions for the Autumn Issue by 31st September at the latest.
Date of next meeting: Thursday 12th November 2009 7.30 pm in Little Witley Village Hall There being no further business the Council meeting closed at 9.12 pm.
Public Question Time now precedes the Council meeting to enable views expressed by the public to be taken into account during the Council proceedings.
Matters raised by members of the public Highways Services report that the installation of the proposed new drain on the private land is to commence on 4th October and that their legal department has raised the necessary documentation to prevent further delays. An environmental survey has identified several issues and an environmental officer is to be in attendance during the work. The County Council has not given the assurances regarding the ongoing maintenance of the drain that have been requested by several of the owners of the affected properties.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 9th July 2009 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mrs J Mills –Chairman Parish Councillors Messrs D Buggins, J. Drew, P Hill and A Carmichael Mr P Cumming – Parish and District Councillor J Plumridge (Clerk) No members of the public The Chairman, on behalf of the Council, presented a Garden Token to Peter Hill in recognition Of his 9 years of service as Chairman of the Parish Council 1. Consideration of apologies for absence Apologies were accepted from Councillor Mr A Nicholls PC A Hood was unable to attend. Mr K Pollock, newly elected County Councillor, was unable to attend 2. Declarations of interest As a member of MHDC Planning Committee, Mr P Cumming is able to listen and offer technical advice on planning policy but is unable to vote or comment upon planning matters. 3. Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 14th May 2009 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes All matters arising are covered by items on the agenda. 5. Planning matters Decisions made by Malvern Hills District Council Application 09/00156/FUL – Planning permission has been granted Single storey two bedroom agricultural dwelling Chapel Farm, Church Lane, Little Witley. An MHDC enforcement officer has visited the caravan at Ockeridge Fisheries and reports no evidence of overnight occupation. 6. Local issues 6.1 No further development re the Parish Council’s willingness to adopt the telephone kiosk. The equipment remains in service. 6.2 Vehicle Activated Signs pilot scheme – The pilot scheme continues with 3 hours remaining. 6.3 The proposal to establish a public open space adjacent to the village hall is still under consideration but no agreements have yet been reached. 6.4 The Clerk has constructed three flower boxes for installation adjacent to the two village signs on the Worcester Road and at the end of Well Lane. John and Mavis Drew have offered to undertake planting of the flowers and shrubs and adjacent landowners have agreed to take care of watering. Council approved expenditure of up to £300 to cover materials and plants for the flower boxes and planting of some verges at a later date. 7. Correspondence The Malvern Hills District Council Annual Report has been received. The July issue of Clerks and Councils Direct covers Little Witley, Shrawley and Great Witley Parish Councils, all having now achieved Quality Parish Status. 8. County Council matters Each County Councillor has small sums of money to distribute and applications are invited for projects in the following areas: Positive activities for children and young people Highway maintenance Repair of footways Council agrees that an application should be made for resurfacing of the footway along the Worcester Road from the entrance to Hillside up to opposite Primrose Bungalow. An application is to be made for weed killing of this footway in the meantime. 9. Report by the District Councillor From 1 April 2010 recyclable refuse will be collected weekly in a mixed bag as the new sorting facility will then be operational. Weekly collection of waste to landfill is likely to continue and black sacks will not be replaced by wheelie bins, due to strong opposition. The number of black sacks collected from each household is likely to be limited. Action is under consideration to encourage all households to recycle. The Parish Council requested data on the proportion of recyclable material that is disposed of to landfill. The County Council are asked to formulate a strategy to overcome transport problems that would be caused by the new housing proposed under the Regional Spatial Strategy. Funding requirements are to be determined but are unlikely to be met. 10. Finance 10.1 Accounts for payment and ratification of payments made since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services May 2009 £135.00 C Jones – Lengthsman services June 2009 £235.00 Accounts due for payment Worcestershire CALC – Clerks Gathering (33%) £2.50 Clerk’s net salary June 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s net salary July 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s expenses May + June 2009 £ 91.03 £459.09 HM Customs & Revenue – PAYE £63.02 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by AC, seconded by DB) 10.2 Responsible Financial Officer’s report Balances at bank Assuming payment of the above: No. 1 main account £1,657.14 No. 2 account £ 50.00 Deposit account £1,158.41 Standard Life Bank £3,000.00 TOTAL £5,865.55 1st half of precept payment received £2500.00 P3 footpath grant received £440.00 10.3 Internal and external auditor audit status report The internal auditor has approved the accounts that are to be forwarded to Clement Keys for the external audit. 10.4 Annual report The Parish Council Annual Report for year ended 31st March 2009, copy attached to these minutes, was approved by Council and is to be distributed with the summer issue of the Parish Council News. 11. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk PH attended the Regional Spatial Strategy meeting at Hallow and has written requesting that the plans be suspended. 12. Areas of special responsibility reports 12.1 Highways Hockhams Lane has been resurfaced. A job well done. Bank Road is scheduled for resurfacing but has been postponed as this is linked with the drainage work that has been indefinitely suspended due to a legal stalemate. Consideration is to be given to sharing the cost of a strimming course for the lengthsman with other parishes that employ him. 12.2 Footpaths AN report on the necessary scope of repairs to the benches in the parish is now urgently required. The Butts footpath is in need of top dressing with fine material. AN is thanked for the strimming work he has done on the footpaths. Worcestershire County Council has paid the P3 Scheme grant in full. 12.3 Village Hall Letting income remains high although caravan bookings are reduced. The Film Club is planning the program for the next season. The refurbishment of the kitchen has been completed and users are requested to report any teething problems 12.4 Neighbourhood Watch Thanks are expressed to Malcolm Lamb and Jean Mills for the efficient operation of the email information system. 12.5 Nora Parsons Day Centre DB attended the AGM on behalf of the Parish Council. NPDC thanks the Parish Council for the donation. Finances are low due to the repairs that were carried out in order to secure the new lease. Volunteer drivers are needed. An appeal is to be included in the next issue of the Parish Council News. 13. Parish Council News – Summer edition Contributions are needed by end July. Date of next meeting: Thursday 10th September 2009 7.30 pm in Little Witley Village Hall There being no further business the Council meeting closed at 8.50 pm. Public Question Time now precedes the Council meeting to enable views expressed by the public to be taken into account during the Council proceedings. Matters raised by members of the public No members of the public present. **************************************************************************************************************************************** Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council held in the Village Hall on Thursday 14th May 2009 at 7.00 pm pursuant to notice Present Parish Councillors: P Hill, D Buggins, A Nicholls, Mrs J Mills & A Carmichael District & Parish Cllr: P Cumming (part time) 8 members of the public as detailed on the attached attendance list Clerk: J Plumridge 1. Election of Chairman and acceptance of office P Hill, as outgoing Chairman of the Council, opened the meeting. Mrs J Mills was elected unopposed as Chairman of Little Witley Parish Council and accepted the office for a period of one year. (Proposed PH, seconded DB) Chairmanship of the meeting was handed over to Mrs Mills who thanked Mr Hill for his 9 years service as Chairman of the Parish Council. The Declaration of Acceptance of Office and Undertaking to Observe the Code of Conduct was duly signed by Mrs Mills. 2. Apologies for absence Apologies for absence from Councillor J Drew were accepted. 3. Declarations of interest As a member of MHDC Planning Committee, P Cumming is able to listen and offer technical advice on planning policy but is unable to vote or comment upon planning matters. 4. Minutes of the Council meeting held on 12th March 2009. Minutes of the above meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 5. Matters arising from the minutes 5.1 Adoption of the telephone kiosk British Telecom still awaits permission to remove the telephone equipment. Telephone service continues until our option to purchase the kiosk is taken up. 5.2 Speeding problems and traffic calming. The speed survey by the lengthsman is ongoing. Further details are to be reported in the Annual Parish Meeting. 6. Election of officers Vice Chairman P Hill – Proposed by Mrs J Mills, seconded by A Nicholls and appointed by a unanimous vote. 7. Allocation of duties and Councillor training All Councillors agreed to continue their existing duties, as follows: Mrs Jean Mills - CALC representative Neighbourhood Watch Peter Hill - Planning applications Great Witley School Governor CALC representative Des Buggins - Transport and Highways CALC representative Andy Carmichael - Village Hall committee Paul Cumming - Malvern Hills District Councillor Council Tax Issues County Council matters John Drew - Utilities matters Village Hall committee Anthony Nicholls - Footpaths and Rights of Way Environmental matters 8. Financial matters 8.1 Adoption of accounts for year ended 31 March 2009 Approval of the accounts proposed by PH, seconded by DB and agreed unanimously. Accounts and External Audit Statement of Accounts signed by the Chairman and Clerk. 8.2 Accounts for payment and ratification of recent payments Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services March 2009 £315.00 Accounts due for payment: C Jones – Lengthsman services April 2009 £145.00 Worcestershire CALC – Subscription £108.11 Clerk’s net salary April 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s net salary May 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s expenses March + April 2009 £ 57.58 £425.64 Allianz Insurance plc £415.92 Little Witley Village Hall Management Committee – hire of hall £65.00 A S Tilly – internal audit fee £50.00 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by AC, seconded by AN) 8.3 Renewal of insurance policy Council agreed that the insurance policy with Allianz Cornhill be renewed for a further Year at a premium of £415.92. 9. Annual audit return 9.1 Statement of assurance Council approved the annual governance statement for signature by the Chairman and Clerk. 9.2 Risk assessment Council approved the risk assessment as being a correct record for signature by the Chairman. 10. Planning matters 10.1 Recent decisions by Malvern Hills DC Planning Services Application 09/00156/FUL Single storey two bedroom agricultural dwelling Chapel Farm, Church Lane, Little Witley Full Planning approval has been granted subject to conditions that reflect the representations made by the Parish Council. 10.2 Current planning applications for consideration None 11. Correspondence The Nora Parsons Day Centre Annual General Meeting is on 20th May. DB will attend. 12. Reports on meetings attended by Councillors PH attended the Standards Committee meeting. JM attended the public meeting in Ombersley on the proposed extended road closures for the installation of a replacement water main. The follow up meeting at Martley is postponed pending alternative proposals to minimise traffic disruption. JM, PH and the Clerk attended the meeting in Birmingham for West Midlands Quality Parish Councils. 13. Areas of special responsibility reports All areas are to be covered during the Annual Parish Meeting at 8.00 pm. 14. Dates of statutory meetings for 2009/2010 Thursday 9th July 2009 Thursday 10th September 2009 Thursday 12th November 2009 Thursday 14th January 2010 Thursday 11th March 2010 Thursday 13th May 2010 (Annual Parish Council Meeting and Annual Parish Meeting) There being no further business the Annual Council meeting closed at 7.35 pm. Matters to be raised by members of the public were held over to the Annual Parish Meeting which followed this Annual Meeting of the Parish Council
**************************************************************************************************************************************** Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 12th March 2009 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mrs J Mills – Vice Chairman, in the chair Parish Councillors Messrs D Buggins, J. Drew and A Carmichael Mr P Cumming – Parish and District Councillor Mr R Farmer – County Councillor J Plumridge (Clerk) 2 members of the public 1.Consideration of apologies for absence Apologies were accepted from Councillors Messrs. P Hill and A Nicholls PC A Hood was unable to attend 2. Declarations of interest As a member of MHDC Planning Committee, Mr P Cumming is able to listen and offer technical advice on planning policy but is unable to vote or comment upon planning matters. 3. Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 15th January 2009 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes All matters arising are covered by items on the agenda. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Decisions made by Malvern Hills District Council None since last meeting. 5.2 Application 09/00156/FUL Single storey two bedroom agricultural dwelling Chapel Farm, Church Lane, Little Witley There are no objections from the owners of neighbouring properties. The siting and number of caravans is causing concern and spoiling the outlook from some properties. The owner is asked that provision be made for screening around the yard and the caravans. The business case document submitted with the application gives rise to questions re the number and usage of the mobile homes for seasonal workers as the envisaged business expansion is achieved. These issues have been raised but have no direct bearing upon the application: The Council agreed upon the following response to Planning Services: "Little Witley Parish Council has no objection to the application if the dwelling is necessary for the business to improve and prosper. The Parish Council seeks assurances that the property will be occupied only by an owner or employee that is essential to the business and that the District Council has ongoing powers to enforce this restriction." 6. Local issues 6.1 The application to adopt the telephone kiosk has been approved by BT Payphones, who are now seeking formal acceptance by Worcestershire County Council for the removal of the telephone facility. The matter is expected to be concluded shortly. 6.2 Vehicle Activated Signs pilot scheme – Two further sessions logging westbound traffic at the top of the hill indicate higher traffic speeds in this direction. The pilot scheme continues and all results will be tabulated and circulated widely at the end of the pilot period. 6.3 The Clerk agrees to construct flower boxes for installation at the base of the two village signs on the Worcester Road. The planting of naturalising flowers on the two grass triangular verges is to be considered at the appropriate time of year. 6.4 Response is awaited from the landowner to the proposal to establish a public open space adjacent to the village hall. This location is preferred by Council as parking facilities exist at the village hall and there would be no water risk to children or disturbance of wildlife. 7. Correspondence A zero return is to be made to the MHDC survey of rough sleeping in the District. Citizens Advice Bureau has written requesting a donation. No decision to be taken at this time. The Tenbury and Teme Valley Walking weekend is to take place on 9th & 10th May 2009. 8. Report by the County Councillor The public are recommended to report all Sat Nav routing problems direct to the three mapping agencies that provide data to the equipment manufacturers. As reported in the press, a reduction of the national speed limit on single carriageway roads to 50 mph is under consideration. Police speed enforcement is prioritised towards areas with high accident records. Gritting and school closures caused some problems during the recent snow. Pot holes are being attended to but the rate of progress is considered my many to be totally unsatisfactory. Damage to grass verges by large vehicles and the resultant blocking of watercourses is of concern. 9. Report by the District Councillor The quality of the next issue of black refuse sacks is to be improved. Fortnightly collections of green waste wheelie bins is to be offered at a cost of £60 pa per household. A consultation letter is to be sent to a high proportion of residents. The opinion expressed by those present is that weekly refuse collections and the continued use of sacks rather than wheelie bins are preferred. A letter is to be sent recording appreciation of the good services provided by the refuse collection teams. 10. Finance 10.1 Accounts for payment and ratification of payments made since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services January 2009 £240.00 Accounts due for payment: C Jones – Lengthsman services February 2009 £380.00 NALC – return of QPS Portfolio £9.67 Worcestershire CALC – Clerks’ Gathering (33%) £2.50 Clerk’s net salary February 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s net salary March 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s expenses January + February 2009 £ 45.47 £403.39 HMRC – PAYE (due 19 April 2009) £138.02 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by JD, seconded by DB) 10.2 Responsible Financial Officer’s report Balances at bank after payment of the above: No. 1 main account £89.85 No. 2 account £50.00 Deposit account £1,158.07 Standard Life Bank £3,000.00 TOTAL £4,297.92 HM Revenue and Customs have increased the PAYE rebate for submission of the 2008/9 Tax Return on line to £75 10.3 Appointment of internal and external auditors Council approved the following appointments: Internal auditor - Mr Tony Tilly (the Shrawley internal auditor) at a fee of £50.00 pa. External auditor – Messrs. Clement Keys at the nationally agreed scale of charges. 11. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk None 12. Areas of special responsibility reports 12.1 Highways The proposal by Highways to install a French Drain discharging onto Bulmer’s land to alleviate further flooding of the Bank Road barn conversions has now been accepted by all but one of the householders. It is hoped that an agreed solution will be reached soon to enable this long overdue work to proceed. A solution to the drainage problem in Ockeridge Lane has been promised within the next month. An order has been placed for a replacement grit box for the village hall. Erosion of the edges of the road surface in Church Lane is being monitored. The contractor has completed tree and hedge trimming. Two properties in Church Lane did not take up the offer of this service. Their overhanging trees and shrubs are still a problem to be resolved. 12.2 Footpaths AN is to assess the necessary scope of repairs to the benches in the parish. The application forms for P3 scheme funding for footpath repairs must be submitted asap, latest by the end March. Funding levels are uncertain but likely to be reduced. Our voluntary litter pickers report an increasing amount of litter being dropped by users of the Ockeridge Fisheries. A letter is to be written requesting the Fisheries to bring the matter to the attention of their members and to provide additional litter bins on their premises. 12.3 Village Hall The modernisation of the kitchen has been completed. The New Year function and the first meeting of the Film Club were both social and financial successes. Caravan bookings are down and they do not want the hall for next New Year. A working party is to be organised to carry out some external jobs. 12.4 Neighbourhood Watch The scheme continues to operate well and email is recognised as an effective method of communicating the increasing number of detailed messages. 13. Website The Clerk has attended a training session on the Worcestershire County Council website. The new "My Parish" pages for Parish Councils are considered to be most effective. All Little Witley information is to be put on the WCC site and our own village website until the summer when a decision will be taken regarding the future of the village website. 14. Parish Council News Contributions are requested by end March for the Spring 2009 issue. Date of next meeting: Thursday 14th May 2009 in Little Witley Village Hall 7.00 pm Little Witley Parish Council Annual Meeting 8.00 pm Little Witley Annual Parish Meeting Reports from the village organisations Reports on the Parish Plan progress to date and next priorities Details of the long term development strategy for the region There being no further business the Council meeting closed at 9.15 pm. Public Question Time now precedes the Council meeting to enable views expressed by the public to be taken into account during the Council proceedings. Matters raised by members of the public Plans to possibly provide a village green should take into account concerns re the siting with respect to the safety of children near water, disturbance of wildlife, policing, gating, the riding of mopeds, drugs and litter etc The provision of Smartwater warning signs at the entry points in to the village is to be progressed.
******************************************************************************** Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 15th January 2009 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mrs J Mills – Vice Chairman, in the chair Parish Councillors Messrs D Buggins, J. Drew and A Nicholls Mr P Cumming – Parish and District Councillor J Plumridge (Clerk) 2 members of the public 1. Consideration of apologies for absence Apologies were accepted from Councillors Messrs. A Carmichael and P Hill County Councillor R Farmer and PC A Hood were unable to attend. 2. Declarations of interest None 3. Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 13th November 2008 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes A letter supporting retention of the Great Witley pharmacy within the doctors’ surgery has been written to The Department of Health. Recommendations have been made for recently completed properties in the parish to be included in the MHDC Development Quality Tour. The first meeting of the Film Society is the screening of Mamma Mia on 7th February. Parishioners are encouraged to support this new venture. The suggested road islands at the entries into the 40mph zone will not be permitted by Highways until the current survey of speed limits throughout the County has been completed. Council agree to follow up the installation of flower boxes at the entry points into the village. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Decisions made by Malvern Hills District Council 08/01510/FUL – Gables Cottage, Church Lane Planning Refusal on the grounds that the proposed outbuilding would be capable of independent occupation and hence is contrary to Policies DS12 & CN9 5.2 Applications considered since last meeting None. 6. Local issues 6.1 The application to adopt the telephone kiosk has been acknowledged by BT Payphones. A decision is expected at the end of the current 6 week consultation period. 6.2 Vehicle Activated Signs pilot scheme – Two sessions both indicate that over 25% of road users are exceeding 45mph in this 40mph zone. An additional location to cover traffic going towards Great Witley has now been agreed with the Highways Safety Officer. Hallow Parish Council has purchased two permanent vehicle activated signs. We have expressed our interest in considering renting the signs from them, subject to approval of suitable locations. 6.3 Affordable housing – The Chairman and Clerk attended the consultation meeting on rural housing needs surveys. It is considered that Parish Councils have sufficient data from their Parish Plan Surveys to give a more accurate assessment of affordable housing needs than could be achieved by house to house surveys. 6.4 Three evergreen oak trees to screen the mobile telephone mast have been planted. A recent survey by Ofcom indicates that there is no health risk from the mast as measured emissions are at levels in the order of 1/250,000 of the relevant public maximum exposure levels. 6.5 Grant aided projects – John Drew is to research the availability of a plot of land that would be suitable for a public open space within the village. Advice on legal matters is to be sought from Peter Hill as appropriate. 7. Correspondence · Consultation papers have been received for comment - Code of recommended practice on local authority publicity · A letter of thanks has been received from the Friends of St Michael’s Church · John Lakeman has been congratulated on his award of an MBE for services in connection with Police relationships and the Teme Valley Neighbourhood Watch schemes 8. County Council matters During the recent prolonged cold spell the gritting programme has succeeded in keeping main roads open and attending to danger spots on minor roads, as identified by the Police. Worcestershire County Council is to shed 55 – 60 staff during the next year. A budget information meeting at County Hall on 27th January is open to the public. 9. Report by District Councillor The consultation report on refuse collection is delayed until February. Budget preparation is to start next week. Malvern Hills District Council has been rated as an Excellent Council following the comprehensive performance assessment that was carried out in May this year. This has been achieved by a great deal of hard work over the 4 years since the last assessment. The part played by Parish Councils is acknowledged and appreciated. 10. Finance 10.1 Accounts for payment and ratification of payments made since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services November 2008 £200.00 C Jones – Lengthsman services December 2008 £155.00 N Martin – Supply & planting of trees £400.00 Transfer to Standard Life Bank £3.000.00 Accounts due for payment: Clerk’s net salary December 2008 £184.03 Clerk’s net salary January 2009 £184.03 Clerk’s expenses November+ December 2008 £ 45.47 £413.53 HMRC – PAYE £144.62 Council approved payment of the above accounts. (Proposed by AN, seconded by DB) 10.2 Responsible Financial Officer’s report Balances at bank after payment of the above: No. 1 main account £426.41 No. 2 account £50.00 Deposit account £1,599.51 Standard Life Bank £3,000.00 TOTAL £5,075.92 10.3 Setting of the 2009/2010 precept Based upon the budget presented at the November meeting Council agreed to maintain the precept at £5,000. This should result in the amount paid by each household being approximately 2% lower due to the additional households in the village that are now assessed for Council Tax. (Proposed by PC, seconded by DB) 11. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk PH attended a Standards Board meeting in December. A complaint about the quality of the black refuse sacks was upheld and it is hoped that the next batch will be better as a result. 12. Adoption of the New Model Publication Scheme The Freedom of Information Act came into force in 2005 and the Parish Council adopted the publication scheme at that time. This scheme expired on 31 December 2008 and is replaced by the New Model Publication Scheme. Council agreed to adopt the New Scheme without amendment and stressed that it operates an “open book” principle whereby all Parish Council documents are made available to the public upon request. 13. Areas of special responsibility reports 13.1 Highways The drain at the Well Lane triangle has now been jetted. The lengthsman is to clean the sign at the Ockeridge triangle. DB is to progress the replacement of the missing 30mph signs in Bank Road. Work by the contractor to cut back the overhanging trees and hedges has been delayed but will be completed soon. Water from car washing that has frozen on the roads is hazardous and parishioners are asked to consider this during spells of cold weather. 13.2 Footpaths A list of work for next year is being compiled to assess whether re-entry into the P3 scheme would be advantageous. AN is to attend the Area Footpaths Officers meeting in February. AN is to assess the necessary scope of repairs to the benches in the parish. 13.3 Village Hall A reduced scheme of alterations to the kitchen is to go ahead and a commercial dishwasher is to be purchased. DB is to request a replacement salt bin for the Village Hall as the present bin is badly damaged. 13.4 Neighbourhood Watch The updated communication scheme is much more effective. There have been many more police warnings of criminal activities in the area and parishioners are asked to continue to be vigilant and to report anything unusual. Date of next meeting: Thursday 12th March 2009 in Little Witley Village Hall Public question time 7.30 pm Parish Council meeting 7.45 pm There being no further business the Council meeting closed at 9.05 pm. Public Question Time now precedes the Council meeting to enable views expressed by the public to be taken into account during the Council proceedings. Matters raised by members of the public · Why has Highways marked the numerous defects in our roads yet has not carried out any repairs? · John Drew is to pursue the replacement of a gate at the Ockeridge Lane end of The Butts footpath. This is to be done as a member of the public as the Parish Council has previously resolved not to take the matter further. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 13th November 2008 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mr P Hill - Chairman Parish Councillors Messrs D Buggins, A Carmichael, J. Drew and A Nicholls Mr P Cumming – Parish and District Councillor J Plumridge (Clerk) 3 members of the public 1. Consideration of apologies for absence Apologies were accepted from Councillor Mrs J Mills. County Councillor R Farmer was unable to attend. 2. Declarations of interest None 3. Minutes of the Annual meeting of the Council held on 11th September 2008 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 4. Matters arising from these minutes Great Witley doctors’ surgery is mounting a campaign to oppose changes that are proposed in a Government White Paper that could lead to the loss of the dispensary. A letter of support is to be written to The Department of Health on behalf of the Parish Council. Parishioners are to be made aware via the website and Parish Magazine. 5. Planning matters 5.1 Decisions made by Malvern Hills District Council 08/00983/LBC – Poachers Barn, Well Lane Replacement double glazed windows Listed Building Consent granted 08/01179/LBC- Rosemary Cottage, Church Lane Internal wall and door modifications Listed Building Consent granted 5.2 Applications considered since last meeting 08/01510/FUL - Gables Cottage, Church Lane Single storey replacement garage with occasional accommodation for non-commercial use Following consultation with the owners of neighbouring properties the following comments have been submitted: The height of the pitched roof, some 2 metres above the height of the present garage structure, will have an adverse effect on the ground amenities of "Cherry Orchard", in particular light. For that reason we request the height be reduced. If and when permission is granted there needs to be a condition that ownership of the building is never separate from that of the rest of Gables Cottage. Is the window in the roof of the rear elevation to be opening? If so, consider privacy when looking out from "Cherry Orchard" at first floor level. 5.3 Development Quality Tour The Chairman and Clerk are to determine appropriate developments that have been completed in the last year for inclusion in this tour by District Councillors. 6. Local issues 6.1 The application to adopt the telephone kiosk has been submitted to BT Payphones and a decision is expected within the next few weeks. 6.2 Vehicle Activated Signs pilot scheme – The lengthsman’s training has been completed and the first session of traffic monitoring indicated widespread speeding. Data is to be kept for submission to Highways Services and the Police at the end of the trial period. Police radar speed checks are also being conducted in the area. Sharing the ownership of permanent vehicle activated signage with other parishes is to be considered. 6.3 Affordable housing – The Chairman and Clerk are to attend a consultation meeting on rural housing needs surveys. It is noted that the Government restriction on staffing businesses with temporary foreign student labour increases the demand for affordable housing for farm workers. 6.4 Three evergreen trees to screen the mobile telephone mast are on order and will be planted when weather permits. 6.5 Witley Court passes – English Heritage has extended the scheme for a further three years. Existing passes will continue to be accepted. 6.6 Grant aided projects – Funds are available from several sources for community based projects. Possible projects arising from the Parish Plan are to be discussed at the next meeting. Worcestershire CALC is preparing to offer a Grant Application Support system on a no win no fee basis. 7. Correspondence Consultation papers have been received for comment:
8. County Council matters A further revision of the Mineral and Waste Local Development Scheme, setting the timetable for the adoption of a Waste Core Strategy by the end of 2012, has been accepted by Government. A Refreshed Issues and Options report has been prepared by Worcestershire County Council and is available for comment. 9. Report by District Councillor MHDC are currently putting together the procedure re new housing surveys and how they will work together with Parish Councils. This is expected to be presented in February after various consultations have taken place. A consultation report on refuse collection is expected early in the New Year. Many complaints have been received about the thin refuse bags currently in use. These will be considered under the overall plan. 10. Finance 10.1 Accounts for payment and ratification of payments made since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services September 2008 £120.00 Accounts due for payment C Jones – Lengthsman services October 2008 £235.20 Clerk’s net salary October 2008 £210.43 Clerk’s net salary November 2008 £184.03 Clerk’s expenses September+ October 2008 £ 32.00 £426.46 Council agreed payment of all of the above items (Proposed AN, seconded DB) 10.2 Responsible Financial Officer’s report Balances at bank After payment of the above: No. 1 main account £126.21 No. 2 account £50.00 Deposit account £6083.28 TOTAL £6259.49 10.3 Budget update The attached budget update for 2008/ 2009 shows an anticipated year end result close to budget with reserves in line with Council policy. The 2009/ 2010 budget figures are for consideration by Councillors in readiness for the setting of the precept at the January meeting. 10.4 Donations Council approved the following donations: Friends of St Michael for churchyard maintenance £190.00 Nora Parsons Day Centre £140.00
11. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk PH and DB attended the Worcestershire CALC AGM on 9 October. Detailed report given in the Parish Council News. PH attended an assessment meeting of the Standards Committee. JP attended the CALC Clerks’ Gathering. A good presentation was given of the extension of the Worcestershire County Council website to include pages for each parish and town council. 12. Parish Plan status report A steering group has met to discuss the formation of a film club. Initial presentations are likely to be made using hired equipment to gauge the true demand. The updated Neighbourhood Watch scheme is providing much better communication of police messages. The Parish Council will need to drive some of the initiatives that resulted from the survey as volunteers to take on these tasks are not forthcoming. 13. Areas of special responsibility reports 13.1 Highways A temporary cover and bollards have been placed over the missing manhole cover in Hockhams Lane. Drainage work at Rock Cottage and additional drains on the Worcester Road have been successful. Further work is to be done on the other side of the road. The drain at the entrance to Well Lane is scheduled for next week. A contractor has been booked to attend to most of the overhanging trees and hedges at the landowners’ expense. 13.2 Footpaths Overhanging trees are a problem on the Butts and the Church footpaths. Landowners are to be approached. Dog fouling is again an increasing problem. Appeals for consideration are to be made in the parish magazine. 13.3 Village Hall All costs resulting from the fuel oil leak have now been recovered from the insurance company. Bar prices are being increased. Part refurbishment of the kitchen, including a commercial dishwasher, is to be undertaken in January. A New Year’s Eve party is to be held in the hall. There is concern that bookings from caravan clubs for 2009 are much reduced. 13.4 Neighbourhood Watch No report.
Date of next meeting: Thursday 15th January 2009 in Little Witley Village Hall Public question time 7.30 pm Parish Council meeting 7.45 pm There being no further business the Council meeting closed at 9.15 pm. Public Question Time now precedes the Council meeting to enable views expressed by the public to be taken into account during the Council proceedings. Matters raised by members of the public The grass on the Well Lane triangle has been cut three times this year. Weed treatment is intended for next year to improve the grass quality. It was suggested that central islands in the Worcester Road at entries into the 40mph zone would provide effective traffic calming. Wheelie bins would be problematic for many householders as they are very difficult to move on gravelled or inclined drives. Flower boxes around the village name boards would improve the initial impression when entering the village. An accident book is to be kept to record any road traffic incidents that occur within the parish. ************************************************************************************************************************************ Little Witley Parish Council MINUTES of the meeting held in the Village Hall on Thursday 11th September 2008 at 7.45 pm pursuant to notice Present Mr P Hill - Chairman Parish Councillors Mrs J Mills and Messrs D Buggins and A Nicholls Mr P Cumming – Parish and District Councillor J Plumridge (Clerk) PC A Hood and the Community Support Officer 2 members of the public 1. Consideration of apologies for absence Apologies were accepted from Councillor A Carmichael. County Councillor R Farmer was unable to attend. 2. Declarations of interest None 3. Co-option of new Councillor to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Cllr. S Watton The vacancy was advertised on the notice boards following the resignation of Steve Watton. John Drew, the only applicant, was co-opted to serve as a Parish Councillor. His special duties are to represent the PC on the Village Hall Committee and to look after any matters involving utilities. Completed Acceptance of Office and Declaration of Interest forms were received. 4. Minutes of the Annual meeting of the Council held on 17th July 2008 Minutes of the meeting were accepted and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 5. Matters arising from these minutes Planting of the 2 trees to screen the mobile telephone mast will be arranged not later than March 09 Choice Based Letting – a scheme allowing applicants from a wider area to apply for affordable housing. Paul Cumming will obtain details of the proposed scheme and will press for a definite ruling to be set up and ensure that local qualifications continue to apply. 6. Planning matters No decisions have been made by MHDC Planning Services since the last meeting. Application 08/01179/LBC – Rosemary Cottage, Church Lane, Little Witley Internal modifications. The Parish Council made a ‘No Comment’ return on 25th August The South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment report has now been published. 7. Local issues 7.1 Post Office Network Change Programme – No local Post Offices have been selected for closure. 7.2 Vehicle Activated Signs pilot scheme – LWPC have accepted the offer for Quality Parishes to take part in a pilot scheme. WCC has purchased the equipment and the lengthsman’s training in the use of the equipment is due shortly. 7.3 Flooding issues survey – MHDC has engaged the services of a consultant to study the overall details of the 2007 flooding and to recommend flood alleviation measures. Details of the flooding in Little Witley have been given to the consultant. 7.4 To consider adoption of the telephone box – Council resolved to take up the offer to purchase the telephone box from BT for £1. This offer is only open until 1 October and needed to be taken up to prevent BT removing the box due to continued very low usage. BT will remove the telephone equipment and the Parish Council will be responsible for maintenance and lighting of the box. The electricity supply to the box is to be transferred to the Village Hall electricity account. The Parish Council undertake to cover the costs involved in the supply of electricity to the box. 8. Correspondence Changes to the Local Code of Conduct Complaints Process – The responsibility for considering complaints that a Councillor may have breached the Code of Conduct will be that of the Standards Committee of Malvern Hills District Council rather than the Standards Board of England. The South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy Preferred Options Consultation Process is taking place up to 31st October. 9. Report by County Councillor No report. 10. Report by District Councillor Refuse collection is a major issue for the District Council. Recycling rates need to be further increased to avoid heavy penalties. The District Council is looking at all possible measures to improve the refuse collection service and to effect cost savings. These possibilities include changing the frequency of the collection of both land fill waste and the separate classes of recyclable materials. Consultations will take place throughout the District when the possible changes have been formulated. 11. Finance 11.1 Accounts for payment and ratification of payments made since last meeting Payments made since last meeting: C Jones – Lengthsman services July 2008 £110.00 Clement Keys – External audit fee £158.63 Accounts due for payment: C Jones – Lengthsman services August 2008 £55.00 H M Revenue & Customs – PAYE £134.72 Clerk’s net salary August 2008 £179.63 Clerk’s net salary September 2008 £179.63 Clerk’s expenses July + August 2008 £122.63 £481.89 Note: Clerk’s expenses include: Website hosting fee £51.57 Printing consumables £34.06 Council approved payment of the above accounts.(Proposed by DB, seconded by AN) 11.2 Responsible Financial Officer’s report Balance at bank after payment of the above: No. 1 main account £122.87 No. 2 account £50.00 Deposit account £4073.57 TOTAL £4246.44 11.3 External Audit status report An unqualified audit opinion has been given by Clement Keys and duly publicised on the Parish Council notice boards. 12. Report on meetings attended by Councillors and the Clerk None 13. Parish Plan The Village Hall committee is working on the formation of a film club. The updated Neighbourhood Watch scheme is attracting new members. 14. Areas of special responsibility reports 14.1 Highways Overhanging trees and hedges are still a problem. Worcestershire County Council has authorised additional hours for the lengthsman for any work necessary resulting from the recent heavy rainfall. The missing manhole cover in Hockhams Lane has still not been replaced. DB will progress action. Drainage work at Rock Cottage has been successfully completed. A second phase will be the provision of additional drains on the Worcester Road. 14.2 Footpaths Strimming of The Butts footpath is to be attended to when the weather improves. Additional fine surfacing material on both of the footpaths within the village would be advantageous. 14.3 Village Hall No report 14.4 Neighbourhood Watch Local burglaries are still a concern and house owners are urged to be vigilant. Communication and feedback given continues to help the police. The sale of Smartwater kits continues.
Date of next meeting: Thursday 13th November 2008 in Little Witley Village Hall Public question time 7.30 pm Parish Council meeting 7.45 pm There being no further business the Council meeting closed at 9.00 pm. Public Question Time now precedes the Council meeting to enable views expressed by the public to be taken into account during the Council proceedings. Matters raised by members of the public The irrigation pool at Ockeridge Fisheries is being enlarged and needs to be monitored to ensure that the planning permission is being adhered to. The provision of a skip for the use of parishioners was discontinued some years ago due to high cost involved and misuse of the facility. Residents’ passes for Witley Court expire shortly. Unofficially, it has been confirmed that they will continue to be valid after the expiry date. Fly tipping in Ockeridge Lane is a problem The possible threat of closure of pharmacies within rural doctors’ surgeries is to be monitored. ********************************************************************************************
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