Meeting of Longdon, Queenhill and Holdfast Parish Council at 7:30PM on Monday 2nd October 2023 at Longdon Village Hall, GL20 6AZ
Minutes 10/2023
Present: Trish Mullins (Chair), Neil Gray, Kate Cook, Phil Jones, Hugh Davey
In attendance: David Hunter-Miller (Clerk), Jennie Watkins (District Councillor), one member of the public
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 were noted from Nick Radford and Jim Unwin.
3. Declarations of personal and prejudicial interest
3.1. Register of Interests: Members 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 Disclosable Interests: To declare any Other Disclosable Interests in items on the agenda and their nature.
Nil declared.
3.4. Dispensations: To consider any written dispensations from members 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 was adjourned for the open session
4.1. District Councillor
Jennie Watkins provided an update as follows:
• The recent Neighbourhood Development Plan briefing session had been a success (item 11.4), further briefing sessions on different topics would be considered.
• Malvern Hills District Council were undertaking a review of polling districts, polling places and polling stations.
• Rev Julie James is due to take over as “Priest in Charge” of the Longdon benefice.
Concerns were raised regarding the poor communication between Worcestershire County Council Highways and Malvern Hills Land Drainage teams on highway flooding matters.
4.2. County Councillor
Apologies from Tom Wells were noted.
4.3. Parish Paths Wardens
The following written report was received:
• PPW was only just resuming duties following a period of ill health.
• Slowly trying to align report from Lengthsman spreadsheet with the PRoW interactive map. Some areas highlighted in the report are across a field to a dead end resulting from the M50/M5 and are not a priority.
• Since the last meeting 2 gates have been installed around the Rampings / Pipers End and waymarking has been undertaken in the Chambers Court area.
• Areas where landowners have blocked footpaths are escalated to Worcestershire County Council.
• The Lengthsman could assist by strimming verges leading to footpaths.
• Hoping to set up a few community walks in late October/Early November, the routes will be checked and posted on WhatsApp.
4.4. Public participation
The landowner for AppFest provided an update for item 8.1.
No other comments or questions were received.
The meeting resumed following the open session.
5. To consider and adopt the minutes from the Parish Council meeting on the 4th September 2023
It was RESOLVED to adopt the minutes as a true record and they were duly signed by the Chair.
6. Progress reports
6.1. Longdon United Charities
It was noted that a meeting was being arranged with existing trustees and new trustees to review handover arrangements.
6.2. Community Speedwatch
It was noted that the Police were still conducting background checks on the Speedwatch volunteers.
6.3. Traffic calming gateway features and grant funding
It was noted that the Parish Council had been successful in their application for £1,000.00 grant funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner towards the installation of white gates. It was noted that Tom Wells (County Councillor) had also offered £1,000.00 toward the installation of white gates. It was noted that Worcestershire County Council had offered to install the gates free of charge.
It was RESOLVED to accept the quote from JACS for the supply and delivery of the white gates (£2,051.00 plus VAT) and to a arrange a site visit with JACS and Worcestershire County Council to confirm sizing and installation arrangements.
It was RESOLVED to publicise the installation of the white gates on the Parish Council’s website.
6.4. Queenhill noticeboard installation
It was noted that the noticeboard installation was scheduled for the 2nd October 2023.
It was RESOLVED to consider possible locations for a noticeboard at Holdfast at the next meeting.
6.5. Play area fencing repairs and tree felling
It was noted that councillors had met with the fencing contractor to agree materials and to consider the timing of the work (to follow tree felling and pruning work).
6.6. Play area inspections
No update was available.
6.7. Play area additional play equipment and grant funding
It was RESOLVED to defer discussions until the 2024/25 budget had been reviewed.
7. Correspondence
7.1. Nil.
No correspondence for consideration.
8. Parish matters for discussion/decision
8.1. To consider issues around App Fest and working collaboratively with the organisers
The landowner for AppFest was in attendance to provide an update on the event and how they currently engage with the community. The landowner made the following contributions:
• The 2023 AppFest attracted approximately 4,500 attendees, over 500 of which had received either free or discounted tickets.
• It was proposed to increase the size of the festival to 5,000 attendees.
• Free tickets are offered to residents adjacent to the festival and half-price tickets are offered to those in Longdon village.
• The event supported local traders, the Young Farmers charity and community litter pickers.
• The event is monitored internally by the site manager (including ensuring that sound decibel levels did not exceed standard thresholds) and externally by the Police and Malvern Hills District Council.
• The next AppFest is planned for Thursday 1st August to Sunday 4th August 2024.
The Parish Council reported the following:
• While largely welcomed, the festival had had an impact on the communities in Longdon, Queenhill and Holdfast.
• Considerable traffic congestion issues had been experienced in Longdon and Upton; it was noted that the organisers were working to reduce the impact of this at future festivals.
• The festival’s music licence stipulated that music must cease at 11:30PM and it was considered essential that this was adhered to; it was noted that the organisers would monitor this closely at future festivals.
• The licence stipulated that a phone number should be made available to parishioners to allow concerns to be raised directly, this had not been available for the 2023 festival; it was noted that the organisers would make this available at future festivals.
• Due to wet weather there was mud on the B4211 following the event; it was noted that the organisers would make arrangements for suitable warning signs at future festivals.
• It was thought that some parishioners had not been received updates about the festival. The Parish Council offered to assist with community engagement.
It was RESOLVED to send a thank you letter to the landowner for attending the meeting to discuss the above issues and to invite the event organiser to a future meeting to discuss in more detail the event management and to explore what economic value to the community might be available in the future.
8.2. To adopt an annual ‘action plan’
It was RESOLVED to defer adoption of an action plan until the next meeting.
8.3. To consider a date for an ‘in-house’ training session provided by the Clerk
It was RESOLVED to defer until the next meeting. It was noted that training on material considerations for planning applications would be useful.
9. Highways and Lengthsman Scheme
9.1. To receive an update on the Lengthsman Scheme and to consider any items for the Lengthsman’s work schedule
It was RESOLVED to ask the Lengthsman to attend to the following:
• Strim the verges at the entrances to Public Rights of Way.
• Pull up weeds/weed spray on the 30MPH estate roads in Longdon.
9.2. To consider quotes for regular grass cutting of village amenity land
A number of quotes for grass cutting were considered. It was RESOLVED to contract Peter Elgey to undertake regular grass cutting of village amenity land.
10. Play area
10.1. To consider options for the refurbishment/replacement of the goal posts and nets
It was RESOLVED to advertise for volunteers via WhatsApp to prepare and repaint the goal posts.
It was RESOLVED to defer a decision on replacement nets until the next meeting.
10.2. To consider arrangements for a ‘working party’ to undertake vegetation clearance
It was RESOLVED to make arrangements for a volunteer working party under delegated authority.
11. Planning
11.1. To consider the following applications to be determined by Malvern Hills District Council:
11.1.1. M/23/01329/AGR: Broadfields Farm, Longdon, Tewkesbury, GL20 6AN. Prior notification for a new agricultural access track.
It was RESOLVED that the Parish Council had no objections or concerns.
11.2. To consider the following applications to be determined by Worcestershire County Council:
11.2.1. 22/000015/CM: Ripple East, Bow Lane, Ripple, Worcestershire, GL206EY. Proposed extraction of sand and gravel with restoration 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 objections or concerns.
11.3. To consider the following applications to be determined by Gloucestershire County Council:
11.3.1. 23/0001/REFUSE (appeal notification): Land At Bow Farm Bow Lane Twyning Tewkesbury. Proposed new vehicular access off A38, plus haul road, weighbridge/office, processing plant and equipment, creation of clean water ponds, silt ponds, stock piles and other works and ancillary development associated with the extraction of sand and gravel and import of inert materials with restoration using site derived material to wetlands, nature conservation and agriculture.
It was RESOLVED that the Parish Council had no objections or concerns.
11.4. To consider an update on the recent Neighbourhood Development Plan briefing session
It was noted that the NDP briefing session had been well attended and had provided an excellent opportunity for networking with nearby parishes.
It was noted that all villages within the group parish were identified as ‘category 4’ settlements in the Malvern Hills Local Plan meaning that they were not considered suitable for additional housing development. Consequently the scope of an NDP would be limited to design policies only. An updated Malvern Hills Local Plan was due to be adopted late 2024 and this would potentially impact the NDP process.
12. Finance
12.1. Bank mandate: To receive an update on bank mandate changes and online access
It was noted that online banking access had been processed for Neil Gray and Jim Unwin.
12.2. Budget expenditure: To consider and approve
It was RESOLVED to approve the budget expenditure.
12.3. Bank reconciliation: To consider and approve
It was RESOLVED to approve the bank reconciliation.
12.4. Invoices: To approve the following invoices for payment:
12.4.1. David Hunter-Miller (Clerk’s salary and expenses October)
12.4.2. HMRC (PAYE October)
12.4.3. Worcestershire County Council Pension Fund (Clerk’s pension October)
12.4.4. P R Elgey (grass cutting): £190.00
12.4.5. Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd (streetlighting removal): £1,686.68
12.4.6. Jeremy Moore (Lengthsman): £256.00
12.4.7. Malvern Hills District Council (election expenses): £150.00
It was RESOLVED to settle the above invoices.
12.5. Direct Debits: To note the following payments:
12.5.1. 07/09/23 Google Cloud EMEA (email hosting): £27.60
12.5.2. 21/09/23 Southern Electric (streetlighting): £85.59
The above direct debit payments were noted.
13. Councillors’ reports and items for the next agenda
It was noted that the minutes of the most recent Village Hall Committee meeting were now available.
It was RESOLVED to add the following items to the next agenda:
• Budget and setting precept (additional SID, play equipment, noticeboard)
• Holdfast noticeboard locations
• Adoption of Action Plan
• Goal post net replacement
14. Date of the next meeting
The next scheduled meeting is at 7:30PM on Monday 6th November 2023.
The meeting closed at 21:42PM.