Meeting of Longdon, Queenhill and Holdfast Parish Council at 7:30PM on Monday 4th March 2024 at Longdon Village Hall, GL20 6AZ
Minutes 03/2024
Present: Trish Mullins (Chair), Nick Radford, Jim Unwin, Neil Gray, Phil Jones, Kate Cook
In attendance: David Hunter-Miller (Clerk), Tom Wells (County Councillor), Debbie Gray (Footpaths Officer)
1. Chairman’s welcome and announcements
Trish Mullins opened the meeting and welcomed attendees.
2. Apologies for absence: To receive apologies and to approve reasons for absence
Apologies from Hugh Davey were noted.
3. Declarations of personal and prejudicial interest
3.1. Register of Interests: With reference to items on the agenda councillors are reminded of their responsibility to declare interests and to update their register of interests as required.
Noted.
3.2. Disclosable Pecuniary Interests: To declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests in items on the agenda and their nature.
Nil declared.
3.3. Other Interests: To declare any Other Registerable Interests or Non-Registerable Interests in items on the agenda and their nature.
Trish Mullins declared a non-registerable interest in items 7.3 and 8.3.
3.4. Dispensations: To consider any written dispensations from councillors who have declared an interest but wish to stay in the meeting during that time to aid discussion / speak / vote.
Nil received.
4. Open Session
The meeting will be adjourned for the open session
4.1. District Councillor
Tom Wells provided an update on the South Worcestershire Development Plan. The SWDP had been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate who had requested more up to date road transport data; the public examination date had been pushed back accordingly.
4.2. County Councillor
Tom Wells provided an update on County Council matters featured elsewhere on the agenda.
4.3. Parish Paths Wardens
Debbie Gray provided an update as follows:
• The installation of new waymarking posts was proving difficult as Worcestershire County Council would not authorise Lengthsman to undertake any excavation.
• The use of volunteer working parties was under review by Worcestershire County Council as there was a question on insurance cover. It was RESOLVED to check the Parish Council’s insurance policy to clarify the cover in place for work party volunteers.
4.4. Public participation
No questions were received.
The meeting resumed following the open session.
5. To consider and adopt the minutes from the Parish Council meeting on the 5th February 2024
It was RESOLVED to adopt the minutes as a true record and they were duly signed by the Chair.
6. Co-option: To consider an application to fill one of the councillor vacancies.
It was RESOLVED to co-opt Carl Taylor-Hall to a councillor vacancy for Longdon parish and to defer signing the Declaration of Acceptance of Office until the next meeting.
7. Progress reports
7.1. Councillor vacancies
It was noted that there was now just one vacancy on the Parish Council and enquiries from interested parishioners were welcomed.
7.2. Collaboration with AppFest organisers
No update was available.
7.3. Unoccupied property, Marsh Lane
It was noted that a meeting had been arranged by District Councillor Jennie Watkins and it was RESOLVED that Neil Gray would attend.
7.4. Community Speedwatch
No update on the Police background checks had been received. It was noted that the Speedwatch Scheme was only viable for 30MPH speed limits and therefore could not be extended to cover the A438 at Long Green.
7.5. Streetlighting and invoicing
It was noted that the two parish street lighting columns had been removed and the Clerk was liaising with SSE Energy regarding invoicing discrepancies.
7.6. Play area inspections
It was noted that the ROSPA play area inspection had been booked and the report would be available for the next meeting.
7.7. Speeding concerns/traffic calming measures B4211 and A438
It was noted that Worcestershire County Council had provided approval to site a Speed Indicating Device (SID) at Long Green. The Clerk had liaised with the Chair and Clerk at Eldersfield Parish Council (who share a boundary at Long Green) and had suggested they submit an application to the Police and Crime Commissioner for grant funding to allow the purchase of a SID (Longdon Parish Council having already received grant funding under this scheme).
It was noted that Worcestershire County Council had approved the installation of Long Green village signs and a quote for supply/installation was awaited.
7.8. Refurbishment of play area goal posts and nets
No update was available.
7.9. Queenhill noticeboard signage obstruction
It was RESOLVED that no action was currently required and the item would be removed from future agendas.
7.10. Demaining of Longdon Brook (Lower Severn Internal Drainage Board)
The proposals to demain the Longdon Brook were noted.
7.11. Natural Networks Funding and free Biodiversity Enhancement Assessment
It was noted that the Parish Council were on the waiting list for a free Biodiversity Enhancement Assessment.
7.12. Annual Parish Meeting arrangements
It was noted that the Annual Parish Meeting was scheduled for 7:30PM on Monday 8th April 2024. Kate Cook would organise refreshments for after the meeting.
8. Correspondence
8.1. Worcestershire County Council: Publication of the Worcestershire Green Infrastructure Strategy 2023-2028.
The above document was noted.
8.2. Worcestershire County Council: New Community Orchard and Mini Forest Funding.
The above grant funding scheme was noted.
8.3. Diocese of Worcester Parsonages Team: Consultation relating to the sale of The Vicarage, Longdon, Tewkesbury, GL20 6AT.
The above consultation was noted.
9. Longdon Village Hall
9.1. To receive an update on the adoption of an updated Sole Trustee Governing Document
It was noted that an updated Sole Trustee Governing Document had been adopted and would be submitted to the Charity Commission in due course.
10. Parish matters for discussion/decision
10.1. To consider the provision of free Police ‘30MPH’ decals for use on wheelie bins in Longdon
It was noted that the Clerk had procured a number of 30MPH decals from the Police (free of charge) for use on parishioners’ wheelie bins. It was RESOLVED to distribute these to residents in the 30MPH section of the B4211 through Longdon with an accompanying letter outlining their use.
10.2. To consider quotes and a location for a small A4 noticeboard at Holdfast
It was RESOLVED to pursue quotes for a discreet A4 noticeboard or sign for Holdfast parish.
10.3. To consider an update on the Longdon United Charities
It was noted that it has not been possible to set up an initial meeting of the new trustees because of problems with transferring the financial responsibilities and that that the Longdon United Charities may consider setting up a new bank account to avoid monthly fees and to simplify the process of adding new trustees as signatories.
10.4. To consider and adopt a Grant and Donations Awarding Policy
It was RESOLVED to defer discussions until a future meeting.
11. Highways and Lengthsman Scheme
11.1. To receive an update on the Lengthsman Scheme and to consider any items for the Lengthsman’s work schedule
No matters were reported.
11.2. To receive an update on highway drainage matters and to consider actions
It was noted that there was no substantive update from Worcestershire County Council or Malvern Hills District Council but discussions were ongoing.
12. Planning
12.1. To consider the following applications to be determined by Malvern Hills District Council:
12.1.1. M/24/00142/FUL: Gullers End Farm, Longdon, Tewkesbury, GL20 6AW. Proposed agricultural building.
It was RESOLVED that the Parish Council had no objections or concerns.
12.2. To consider the following applications to be determined by Worcestershire County Council:
12.2.1. 23/000049/CM: Land at Uckinghall, off School Lane, Uckinghall, Worcestershire. Proposed extraction of sand and gravel with reinstatement involving the importation of inert restoration materials and soils to restore the site to agriculture and nature conservation, including ponds, wetlands, hedgerows and lowland mixed deciduous woodland and meadows
It was RESOLVED that the Parish Council had no additional comments.
13. Finance
13.1. Budget expenditure: To consider and approve
It was RESOLVED to approve the budget expenditure.
13.2. Bank reconciliation: To consider and approve
It was RESOLVED to approve the bank reconciliation.
13.3. To note receipt of invoice from Prysmian Cables and Systems Ltd (£1,686.68) previously approved at Parish Council meeting 02/10/23
The above invoice was noted.
13.4. Invoices: To approve the following invoices for payment:
13.4.1. David Hunter-Miller (Clerk’s salary and expenses)
13.4.2. HMRC (PAYE)
13.4.3. Worcestershire County Council Pension Fund (Clerk’s pension)
13.4.4. Jeremy Moore (Lengthsman January): £256.00
13.4.5. R J Ridley & Son (fencing repairs): £2,175.60
It was RESOLVED to settle the above invoice.
Thanks were extended to Jim Unwin for coordinating the fencing repairs.
13.5. Direct Debits: To note the following payments:
13.5.1. 07/02/24 Google Cloud EMEA (email hosting): £27.60
The above direct debit was noted.
14. Councillors’ reports and items for the next agenda
It was RESOLVED to add the following items to the next agenda:
• Rural broadband provision
• Litter bin provision (Queenhill)
• Maintenance of Byway QH-521 to St Nicholas’s Church
• Grant Awarding Policy
• Request from Longdon Village Hall for grant towards Wi-Fi provision
15. Date of the next meeting
The Annual Parish Meeting is scheduled for 7:30PM on Monday 8th April 2024.
The Annual Meeting of the Parish Council is scheduled for 7:30PM on Monday 13th May 2024.
The meeting closed at 9:10PM.