ALBRIGHTON PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF MEETING
Thursday 18th June 2009 at 6.45 pm in the Red House
Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 18th June 2009 at 6.45 pm in the Red House.
PRESENT: Cllrs. P Lusk (Chair), D Beechey (Vice Chair), R Balkwill, G Beechey,
R Blincoe, N Hester, R Kidson, D Johnson, D Murray, J Nelson, S Pledger.
CLERK: M Ward
PUBLIC SESSION:
Two members of the public were in attendance. Mr R Smith distributed four copies of Shropshire Council plans for the mini-roundabout and alterations to the footway in Cross Road which would be made available in the library for further public consultation before a meeting with officers. The drawings showed the proposed use of yellow lines and road layout, the positioning of a mini-roundabout and 30/40 mph signing. There was discussion regarding the layout of the footpath in Elm Road regarding the use of dropped pavements including the use of studded paving to assist the visually impaired. The possible re-positioning of the post box in Albert Road was also discussed and the effect of the changes on congestion at the beginning and end of the school day. It was agreed that the matter should be placed on the planning agenda of 2nd July and Mr. Smith agreed to attend the meeting.
Thanks were extended to the Road Traffic Group for their work with regard to these plans for Cross Road.
PRESENTATION BY CAROLYN HEALEY, SHROPSHIRE COUNCIL:
The Chair welcomed Mrs Carolyn Healey and asked her to outline the various options available to the Council for the management of the Abney Avenue play area. Mrs Healey described four options which the two Councils could agree as follows:
Mrs Healey stated that the County policy is to transfer as many assets as possible to town/parish Councils. A further option of removing the facility to make way for affordable housing was likely to arouse so much opposition at all levels that it was not a realistic alternative.
If the site was transferred to the Parish Council a grant of up to £3,000 would be available but not necessarily on an annual basis. The replacement of the older equipment was likely to cost app. £50,000 and the Council would be responsible for grass cutting and tree maintenance. Cllr. Kidson pointed out that the Parish Council would still need to liaise with the county even if it owned the site and Cllr. D Beechey was concerned that the county would not be inclined to invest in a play area it did not own. Cllr. Murray said that if a sale of the facility went ahead the price should not be based on market values and the grant of up to £3,000 could be used to help with maintenance costs. Mrs. Healey stated that the number of sites for which she was now responsible had increased and she had no money for new equipment although she does distribute grants that become available. In Albrighton’s case new equipment had been provided in 2008/09 and there was the possibility of a new recreational area becoming available on the development east of Shaw Lane which would need consideration.
The Chair thanked Mrs Healey for her attendance at the meeting and helping to make the issues clearer for members. It was agreed that a decision on the future management of the site would be deferred until the planning meeting on 2nd July to give Councillors the time to consider the alternatives.
APOLOGIES:
Cllrs. M Holden, P Illes, M Pate, S Pate.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:
There were no declarations of interest, either personal or prejudicial.
MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING:
Parish Council meeting of 21st May 2009
Cllr. D Beechey proposed that they were a true and accurate record which was seconded by Cllr. Johnson. The motion was unanimously agreed.
MATTERS ARISING:
A meeting had not yet been arranged with the Red House management committee. Cllr Nelson promised to pursue this matter. Cllr. Blincoe informed the meeting that he and a colleague had inspected the furniture belonging to the Parish Council in the Red House and found it to be in good order and able to be easily reassembled. The Council confirmed that it wished to keep the furniture and if possible use it in future Parish Council meetings although an agreement will need to be reached with the Red House regarding the viability of housing the furniture in the bar area.
PLANNING:
Planning applications
09/00635/REM Approval of reserved matters (access, appearance, landscaping, layout) relating to APP/OUT/06/0226, erection of a two storey dwelling, Whitehayes Cottage, Shaw Lane, Albrighton.
No objection.
09/00160/COU Use of land for the siting of 4 x static caravans and erection of a walled garden David Austin Roses, Bowling Green Lane, Albrighton.
No objection.
09/01036/FUL Erection of two storey and single storey extension Peewit Cottage, Caynton, Albrighton.
No objection subject to green belt policy.
09/01099/FUL Erection of two storey pitched roof extension to side and single storey pitched roof extension to rear 98 St Cuthbert’s Crescent, Albrighton.
No objection.
Permission granted
09/0002/FUL Erection of two detached houses, one pair of semi-detached houses and a detached double garage and construction of vehicular access 18 Cross Road, Albrighton.
Councillors noted this decision with regret. There was consternation that Highways had not seen fit to lodge an objection on traffic congestion and safety grounds and the visit by the planning committee to the site during half term would clearly fail to provide an insight into the problems at the beginning and end of the school day. The Council noted that there was no avenue for further objection although an individual could complain to the ombudsman.
Resolved: The Clerk to place a report in the Parish Magazine and write to the Chief Executive expressing the Council’s concern.
09/00200/FUL Erection of extension and alterations to dwelling 57 Loak Road, Albrighton.
Received and noted
09/00210/FUL Erection of extension to dwelling 20 Grange Park, Albrighton.
Received and noted.
Planning refused
09/0129/FUL Erection of two storey building forming four holiday apartments land rear of Albrighton library, Station Road, Albrighton.
Received and noted.
Listed building consent
09/00037/FUL Provision of en-suite shower room, formation of new internal door opening, stair lift installation, external handrail 73 High Street, Albrighton.
Received and noted.
Planning appeal
Outline application for the erection of a dwelling land adjacent Redroofs, Beamish Lane, Albrighton.
Received and noted.
Tree preservation order
09/01006/TPO Felling of 1 Lime and 1 Sycamore to allow access for machinery onto to Donington Pool, Rectory Road, Albrighton.
Received and noted.
DCAE COSFORD REPORT:
Mo Ashan’s report was considered with particular reference to the Cosford air show on 14th June. Concern was expressed at the amount of traffic that the event generated with many visitors who had booked places being turned away. Similar problems were experienced on the railway. Because of the concern Cllr. D Beechey proposed that Albrighton Parish Council should be represented on the organising committee for next year’s event. The motion was seconded by Cllr. Hester and agreed by the Council.
Resolved: The Clerk to write to Sqn. Ldr. Lee suggesting representation on the air show organising committee from Albrighton Parish Council.
POLICE REPORT:
Crime figures for the whole of the county for the period 1st April – 31st May for 2008 and 2009 were presented although PC Salt was unable to be present at the meeting. The Council expressed concern that the detection rate for the 43 recorded crimes in Albrighton for the period in 2008 was 30.23% while the detection rate for the 42 recorded crimes in the same period in 2009 had fallen to 16.67%.
Resolved: The Clerk to write to Inspector Dunn to inform him of the Council’s concern over the falling detection rate over the last year.
UNITARY AUTHORITY REPORT:
Cllr. Lusk has been invited to a planning meeting on 1st July in preparation for the first Local Joint Committee meeting on 15th July. A first meeting had also been arranged with Andrea McWilliams, the new Community Regeneration Officer, for 2nd July so that she can become familiar with the area and local issues. It was agreed to report back on these developments at the next planning meeting of the Parish Council to be held on 2nd July 2009.
FINANCE:
To receive Internal Auditor’s report
Councillors considered the Internal Auditor’s report for the 2008/09 financial year. Each recommendation was considered many of which had already been instituted. Members were pleased with the recommendations and offered their congratulations to the Clerk for a good quality submission which resulted in a reduction in the audit fee.
The Clerk reported that the external audit submission had already been made well before the deadline of 30th June.
Accounts for payment
The following cheques for June 2009 were approved and signed by the Council:
|
Date |
Cheque Number |
Payee |
Amount |
|
18.06.09 |
2419 |
Allianz Insurance, cover for 2009/10 |
£2144.15 |
|
18.06.09 |
2420 |
Albrighton scouts, den refurbishment |
£5460.00 |
|
18.06.09 |
2421 |
Society Local Council Clerks annual subs. |
£133.00 |
|
18.06.09 |
2422 |
e-on, street lighting maintenance |
£208.99 |
|
18.06.09 |
2423 |
J A Nicholls, internal audit fee |
£320.00 |
|
18.06.09 |
2424 |
Clerk, June salary plus overtime |
£1268.59 |
|
18.06.09 |
2425 |
Village Warden, June salary |
£197.97 |
|
18.06.09 |
2426 |
Groundsman, June salary |
£64.00 |
|
18.06.09 |
2427 |
BT, Internet Services fee |
£120.68 |
|
18.06.09 |
2428 |
SALC, training fee |
£20.00 |
|
18.06.09 |
2429 |
Cllr. Nelson, refund for Barhale supper |
£122.73 |
|
18.06.09 |
2430 |
BT, office telephone bill |
£114.49 |
|
18.06.09 |
2432 |
e-on, street lighting repair |
£79.95 |
|
18.06.09 |
2433 |
Wellings Ltd, compaction skip, June |
£1195.40 |
|
18.06.09 |
2434 |
1st quarter tax and NI contribution |
£1256.15 |
Members queried an invoice from Severn Trent Water for water charges to the Old School and asked the Clerk to make further enquiries before the account was offered for payment (Cheque Number 2431)
Insurance policy
Councillors considered one of the recommendations from the internal auditor for the inclusion of cover for libel and slander at an extra cost of £55.86 pa and to increase the Fidelity Guarantee to £220,000 at an extra cost of app. £50.00 pa. The recommendation from the Finance Committee was that both items should not be included but Cllr. Nelson disagreed and proposed that both items should be included in the current year’s policy. The motion was seconded by Cllr. Pledger and approved by the Council
UPDATE ON THE PARISH FLYER:
The Chair reported that the new bus pass system appeared to be working well with about £200 – 250 per week of travel being taken using the bas pass. A new contract had been agreed and the drivers had agreed to accept reimbursement of bus pass fees by cheque rather than cash starting week beginning 29th June 2009. The Transport Group recommended that the tendering process for the running of the Flyer should be delayed because both current drivers were approaching 70 years of age when they would not be eligible to drive the vehicle under the terms of the insurance cover. The Council supported this view and offered their congratulations to the drivers for the service that they were offering to the public.
REPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PATSHULL GREEN:
Cllr. Kidson asked the Clerk to report on recent discussions with Mr. Brian Bennett over the next steps with regard to the land at the junction of Cross Road and Patshull Road. The Clerk reported that Mr Bennett would ensure that repairs were made to the culvert under Patshull Road and he was in contact with the county solicitors regarding the sale of the land and making it available under section 96 of the Highways Act. A survey would need to be initiated to assess the impact on any wildlife on the site before work could begin and the costs would be app. £250.00. The Council agreed to support these costs and the Clerk was asked to make the necessary arrangements. Sqn. Ldr. Lee was available with trainees from Cosford to do the clearing work once the survey had been completed but a specialist company would also need to be engaged to do work on the trees.
QUALITY STATUS APPLICATION AND REPORT:
The Chair informed members that the Council needed to produce a brief report on the Council’s activities for the year to be distributed to every household and a draft report was circulated to members for their consideration. The report was endorsed by members with amendments to contact details and a final check on the accounts and Councillors agreed to distribute the final version to houses in their drain watch area by 30th June 2009.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS 2009:
Cllr. Johnson reported that he had spoken to Sarah Lowe, the Conservation Officer, and the Red House management Committee and both had given their permission for tasteful Christmas lights to be placed on the Red House next Christmas. He had met with a representative of Blachere Illumination who had visited the site to advise on suitable displays.
Cllr. Johnson informed the Council that Albright Electrics had attended several meetings to discuss the displays for 2009 and he proposed that they should be engaged as the contractor. Cllr. G Beechey seconded this proposal which was unanimously agreed.
DISABLED ACCESS TO ALBRIGHTON STATION:
A letter from Maddox Offices was considered by Councillors regarding possible disabled access to the railway platform to Wolverhampton and beyond. Members were grateful to Mr Maddox for the effort he had made to be helpful but felt that the suggested route was too difficult to be practical and with extensive disabled access work to be undertaken at Cosford station the need for extra measures at Albrighton was removed.
Resolved: The Clerk to write to Peter Maddox to thank him for his efforts on the Council’s behalf.
ADOPTION OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION 2009 (MODEL CODE):
A copy of the 2009 model code had been distributed earlier to all members and Cllr D Beechey proposed its adoption by the Council. The motion was seconded by Cllr. Kidson and agreed by the Council.
REVIEW OF THE COUNCIL’S FINANCE RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY:
The strategy had been distributed to members and Cllr. G Beechey proposed that it be readopted without change. The motion was seconded by Cllr. D Beechey and agreed by the Council.
REPORTS FROM COUNCILLORS:
Cllr. Blincoe thanked the Chair and the Clerk for helping to clear the plastic around the skips on the Crown car park and at Abney Avenue. He reported that signs for the two skips were being made to try and cut down on the dumping of rubbish
It was agreed to distribute the leisure partnership minutes at the next full Parish Council meeting. A letter from Mr K Jones on the need to bring organisations together was welcomed although members felt that it contained some errors.
The position of the cricket club was considered and members were informed that their help over the refurbishment of the changing facilities was likely to be sought in the near future.
The South Shropshire Economic Forum had been impressed with the work of the Albrighton Traders Association and wanted to investigate the possibilities of extending this approach. It had agreed to include tourism within its remit for the future.
Cllr. Hester was still concerned about the need to return to unresolved issues and quoted the Blacksmith Cottage as an example. The Chair stated that he had reviewed recent minutes to try and identify other outstanding issues and he would welcome any suggestions regarding ways of ensuring that such items are not overlooked.
CORRESPONDENCE:
Cllr. Johnson informed members that the war memorial had been given over to the Queen as abandoned land and the solicitor was in touch with the Queen’s solicitors to obtain formal ownership documents. He reported that the memorial was in a poor state with weeds and litter and he was trying to get the help from Cosford to tidy it up.
The Chair said that there had been a positive response from Severn Trent Water over the possible purchase of Clock Mills.
A grant request had been received from the table tennis club for help with security and the long term possibility of the club relocating to the cricket ground was discussed. Cllr. Blincoe proposed that the Council should meet the grant request in full which was seconded by Cllr. G Beechey and agreed by the Council.
A request from South Staffs to comment on a planning application at the dog training school near County Lane was declined and letter from Mr Marrison regarding the fly tipping in Abney Avenue was discussed. A reply had already been sent by the Clerk.
Cllr. Blincoe informed the Council that the Shrewsbury Arms had been sold for conversion into a restaurant and the Clerk agreed to circulate the highway repair programme to be undertaken by Shropshire Council in 2009 and 2010 to all members. He also drew member’s attention to the recommendation in the audit report that a grant application form should be developed for all organisations approaching the Council with a grant request.
DATES AND TIMES OF FUTURE MEETINGS:
Signed…………………………………………..Date…………………………………
Chairman