ALBRIGHTON PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF MEETING
Thursday 15th October 2009 at 7.15 pm in the Red House
Minutes of the parish council meeting held on 15th October 2009 at 7.15 pm in the Red House.
PRESENT: Cllrs. P Lusk (Chair), R Balkwill, P Illes, D Johnson, D Murray, J Nelson,
S Pledger.
PUBLIC SESSION:
Two members of the public were present. The application to Shropshire Council for the maintenance of the 33 trees along the High Street, Albrighton was discussed. There was a concern from the two members of the public that residents would not know what was planned regarding the tree maintenance programme although it was agreed that all of the regulations regarding the display of the notice had been adhered to. It was also suggested that a long term plan should be developed and that doing work on half of the trees one year and the other half the following year would reduce the impact on the street scene. It was pointed out that the council had received complaints about the trees from people living adjacent to them that they were now getting too big and reducing the light into neighbouring properties.
The Chair thanked everyone for raising these issues and emphasised that no final decisions had yet been made regarding the work to be undertaken. The points raised in this debate would be carefully considered before a decision was agreed.
Cllrs. D Beechey, G Beechey, N Hester, M Holden, R Kidson, M Pate, S Pate.
Personal:
Cllr. Lusk declared a personal interest in item 12.
Cllr. Pledger declared a personal interest in items 13 and 14.
Prejudicial:
There no declarations of prejudicial interests.
Minutes of the parish council meeting 17th September 2009:
Cllr. Johnson proposed that the minutes were a true and accurate record which was seconded by Cllr. Nelson and unanimously approved.
Minutes of the parish council planning meeting 1st October 2009:
Cllr. Murray asked that the date be corrected for the hearing by the planning committee of the application for the Hollies development in Cross Road, Albrighton to the 3rd November 2009 and not the 6th November 2009.
With this one alteration Cllr. Murray proposed that the minutes were a true and accurate record which was seconded by Cllr. Pledger and unanimously approved.
Notes of the Albrighton and Donington Leisure Partnership 21st September 2009:
It was agreed to take these notes under agenda item 17.
Cllr. Pledger asked for confirmation that the chair was responsible for members’ conduct during council meetings. The Chair promised to take matters up as appropriate and ensure that regulations concerning the conduct of meetings were enforced.
Cllr. Lusk gave a brief update on the most recent developments concerning the location of the parish office. He informed councillors that the Red House management committee had decided that it could not accommodate the county access point and the parish council office on the ground floor prior to the completion of phase 2 of the Red House refurbishment but it could offer the room on the second floor which had formally housed the CCTV equipment.
Resolved: The clerk to place the location of the parish office on the agenda of the parish council planning meeting on 5th November 2009.
Cllr. Illes raised the question of the increased costs of the compaction skip which would need to be carefully reviewed before the next financial year began. Cllr. Lusk reported that the last skip had arrived early. Cllr. Illes promised to consult with the clerk over future arrangements.
Councillors were also informed that Technical Services had assured Mr Roy Evans, Chair of the Albrighton and District Crime Prevention Panel, that the CCTV pictures would be good and fit for purpose.
Cllr. Nelson informed councillors that an appeal had been lodged against the refusal to grant planning permission for four holiday apartments on land at the rear of the library in Station Road, Albrighton. Members agreed that there was nothing more that they wished to add to their original conclusion that planning permission should be refused.
No representative of DCAE Cosford was available and there was no report to present to councillors.
Pc Salt was present and gave an oral report. No recent crime statistics were available because of holiday arrangements in the department. PC Salt informed members that two burglaries had taken place recently in premises that had not been secured and two vehicle crimes in which items had been stolen from cars.
A number of surgeries had been arranged for members of the public to talk to the police at Wesley Hall during the morning period and at the police office in Station Road. PC Salt also reported that there would be an increased police presence on 5th November.
Cllr. Pledger asked if the police statistics on recent crime that had been considered by the council in the past were confidential after Inspector Fitzpatrick had indicated that they should be returned to the police after discussion. No-one was certain regarding this matter.
The chair thanked PC Salt for his attendance at the meeting and for his briefing to the council.
Cllr. Murray raised the matter of the uneven increase in council tax for 2010 across the county designed to bring all sections of the county into line following the creation of the unitary authority. The former Bridgnorth District Council area would see a rise of over 3% while other parts of the county would have no increase.
Cllr. Lusk reported on the recent LJC meeting which had discussed waste disposal in which there had been a clear wish for a plastic recycling scheme in Albrighton. Members needed to understand that the council could be asked to contribute to the cost of new scheme if one was initiated. Future planning arrangements were also debated and it was indicated that the white land east of Shaw Lane could be further developed, particularly if DCAE Cosford was to be taken over by the army with a consequent demand for more housing.
A grant for the young peoples’ drop in centre had been approved by the committee but no other applications had been received.
Report from the finance committee:
The chair reported that the committee had met that afternoon and had gone through the accounts to the middle of October in detail. The balance for both the Bank of Ireland account and Lloyds/TSB stood at £145,693.93. The committee had approved the accounts. The six monthly claim for the VAT refund had been sent to HM Customs and Excise, the first claim for the refund of fuel duty on the Parish Flyer had also been made and the 2nd. Quarter of tax and NI had been paid at the Post Office.
The committee had also decided to invest in a new policy with Countrywide for legal indemnities insurance regarding the recently acquired war memorial in the village. This would provide cover up to £50,000 and cost £90.00 in a one-off payment. This had been advised by the council’s solicitor and protected the council against any restrictive covenants that might still apply to the site.
Salary award:
The committee had received and noted the NALC 2009/2010 national final salary award for local council clerks. It had been agreed that the award would apply to the clerk at the appropriate scale. Members were informed that the award was backdated to 1st April 2009 and the backdated settlement would be paid in the November salary. Councillors endorsed these decisions by the finance committee.
Cheques for approval:
A list of 22 cheques for payment, as detailed below, was presented for approval. Cllr. Murray proposed that they should be approved which was seconded by Cllr. Pledger and unanimously approved by the council.
|
Date |
Cheque Number |
Payee |
Amount |
|
22.09.09 |
2511 |
Post office parish flyer tax |
185.00 |
|
01.10.09 |
2512 |
D Frizzell bus pass refund |
70.00 |
|
01.10.09 |
2513 |
B Davies bus pass refund |
305.00 |
|
01.10.09 |
2514 |
Blachere Illumination white bulbs |
243.23 |
|
01.10.09 |
2515 |
Blachere Illumination column fasteners |
147.78 |
|
01.10.09 |
2516 |
P Richards approbation food |
920.00 |
|
|
2517 |
Cheque destroyed |
|
|
01.10.09 |
2518 |
D Frizzell bus pass refund |
313.00 |
|
01.10.09 |
2519 |
B Davies bus pass refund |
250.00 |
|
15.10.09 |
2520 |
D Frizzell bus pass refund |
296.00 |
|
15.10.09 |
2521 |
Keith Gibson Cars Flyer /mower fuel |
293.77 |
|
15.10.09 |
2522 |
ALS Slitting of football pitch |
172.50 |
|
15.10.09 |
2523 |
TFM paint supplies, sacks, fixings |
79.29 |
|
15.10.09 |
2524 |
M Ward October salary |
1022.93 |
|
15.10.09 |
2525 |
R Giles October salary |
197.77 |
|
15.10.09 |
2526 |
P Jozefowski |
64.00 |
|
15.10.09 |
2527 |
E.On street lighting maintenance |
208.99 |
|
15.10.09 |
2528 |
Allianz libel/slander insurance |
44.91 |
|
15.10.09 |
2529 |
BC Ecology Patshull Green report |
275.00 |
|
15.10.09 |
2530 |
Denmans Electrical Christmas light bulbs |
690.00 |
|
15.10.09 |
2531 |
Post Office tax & NI 2nd quarter |
1155.65 |
|
15.10.09 |
2532 |
G Smith Solicitor war memorial insurance |
90.00 |
|
15.10.09 |
2533 |
Viking Direct paper, toner cartridge envelopes |
215.21 |
Cllr. Pledger reported that there had been complaints about the lack of punctuality of the Parish Flyer which had meant extra costs for related organisations. Sometimes passengers had been picked up too early and on other occasions users had been left waiting for considerable periods. The chair reported that the matter had been raised with Mr D Frizzell who reported that he would raise the matter with the other drivers. There was also a report of the improper use of the vehicle lift which posed a potential danger to users. The chair promised to take these matters forward to the next meeting of the Transport Group at their meeting on 22nd October 2009.
The clerk was asked to outline the background to a number of complaints that had been received about a change of route for one of the Arriva buses which now travelled up Bowling Green Lane and along Elm Road. There had been no consultation with the parish council about a change of route and no information had been provided to the council by Arriva. Cllr. Illes volunteered to contact Shropshire Council on 16th October to confirm the facts surrounding this change of route but he noted that the change could be interpreted as an improvement to the existing provision by serving more communities.
The chair tabled a report on the suggested way forward for the establishment of a youth council in Albrighton. The report suggested such a body could be based on the current LJC area and that it would need its own terms of reference and a budget. The chair felt that the support of a youth worker for app. 15 hrs a week was essential and a total budget in the region of £6,000 would be needed to establish the council on a secure footing. Cllr. Murray suggested that the new youth worker employed by the churches, Mr. Graham Phillips, could be approached and encouraged to become involved. Cllr. Illes gave his support to this suggestion and it was agreed that this proposal should be put to Mr. Phillips at a meeting scheduled for 17th October. Cllr. Nelson proposed that the report should be accepted in principle with a variety of organisations contributing to any agreed budget. The proposal was seconded by Cllr. Illes and agreed by the council. Cllr. Nelson on behalf of the council thanked Cllrs. Lusk and Kidson for their work in producing the report.
Cllr. Lusk updated the council on the situation at the skateboard park and informed members that new notices had been put up, the fence had been repaired and a rubbish bin was now in place. Cllr. Pledger reported that some assurances that had been made when the skateboard park was being proposed had not been kept. There had been no public meeting after three months of opening and complaints had been ignored by officers at Shropshire Council. The facility was now being used by young people from outside the village, there had been drinking, noise and swearing and when the police had been involved their actions had proved ineffectual. The opening times were often ignored and the facility was not always being locked up at the end of the session. The committee of parents had not been much in evidence and there was a lack of supervision of the facility.
Cllr. Nelson proposed that Shropshire Council should be asked to organise a public meeting in order for these complaints and concerns to be debated and solutions found. Cllr. Illes seconded the proposal which was agreed by the council.
Resolved: The clerk to write to Cllr M Pate outlining the problems with the skateboard park and ask him to organise a public meeting with appropriate officers from Shropshire Council so that solutions to the problems could be agreed.
The chair reported that there were no further updates on the situation regarding parking in Newhouse Lane. Shropshire Council is to produce a set of proposals which will be carefully considered when they become available. Cllr Pledger continued to express her concern about the suggestion that buses should go down this narrow lane in order to access the school grounds. Cllr Murray again raised the possibility of making Newhouse Lane a road restricted to 20mph.
The clerk had been called for jury service at Shrewsbury Crown Court starting on 9th November. This had the potential to disrupt the work of the parish council but it was difficult to plan appropriate cover when the length of the absence is unknown. Members felt that it was best to wait until the details became clearer and then make whatever arrangements they could to maintain essential services.
The council agreed to organise a Christmas dinner for members and partners and invite councillors from Donington with Boscobel council to attend. It was suggested that the dinner should be held at Aroma in Albrighton.
The Christmas lights are due to be switched on by Mr. Don Street on 6th December at the end of the Christmas Fayre. The Ashgrove lights are due to be illuminated on 5th December.
The carol service will be held at St Mary’s Church on 13th December at 6.30 pm.
The council received the report from the leisure committee which was duly noted. There were no other reports from councillors.
The report on Patshull Road Green has been received from BC Ecology. A copy had been given to Cllr. Kidson who had promised to produce an action plan for the meeting on 5th November. Members also noted that Mr C Edwards and a colleague from Shropshire Council had agreed to attend the meeting on 19th November to discuss the state of the highways in Albrighton.
A grant application for £2,000 had been received from the jazz club at the Harp Hotel. It was agreed that the request should be considered by the grants committee and the leisure committee as soon as possible. Recommendations regarding two other grants would be heard at the meeting on 5th November.
Cllrs Murray and D Beechey would attend the SALC AGM.
Other correspondence concerning the Princess Royal Hospital and Severn Trent Water was received and duly noted.
It was agreed that there would be an update on the council vacancy at the meeting on 5th November and if there was no election called a notice should go on the parish board asking for volunteers for co-option to the council. Recommendations for spending items to be included in the precept demand for 2010 would be noted at the meeting on 19th November.
Signed………………………………………..Date………………………………
Chairman