MINUTES OF ANNUAL PARISH MEETING HELD AT 7.00PM ON THURSDAY 17 MAY 2018 AT ORLETON VILLAGE HALL
PRESENT
Parish Council Members: B Gandy – Vice Chairman; J Harrison; and P Smith. There were five (5) members of the public present.
IN ATTENDANCE Ward Cllr. B Durkin, cabinet member for highways; Mr W Sanders, Footpaths Officer; Mrs M Pritchard and Mrs C Gandy, Orleton Village Hall Management Committee; Ward Cllr. S Bowen; and Mr R Hewitt, Clerk.
The meeting was chaired by Mr B Gandy – Vice Chairman, Orleton Parish Council.
1. Apologies for absence – Cllrs. E Clanzy Hodge, R Jack and R Tibbles.
2. Declarations of interest and written dispensations – None.
3. The minutes of the annual parish meeting held on 31 May 2017 were agreed to be a true record and signed.
4. Orleton Recreation Ground – There was no report.
5. Potholes and highways maintenance – Ward Cllr. Barry Durkin, cabinet member for highways highlighted the challenges of maintaining a 2,000 mile road network in a county with a relatively low population. It will require £120 million to bring all roads up to a decent standard. Herefordshire Council has been effective in gaining additional funding, for example £5 million from the Challenge Fund for resurfacing of A roads. There is five times the usual number of potholes at present and a velocity patcher has been hired to deal with these. Potholes reported are assessed and categorised by the locality steward. Riparian owners of land next to roads are asked to keep water run-off away from the road surface. Generally, Herefordshire Council is responsible for grips and landowners for their ditches.
The Vice Chairman thanked Ward Cllr. Durkin for attending the meeting and providing an insight into the work being done to maintain the road network.
[Ward Cllr. Durkin left the meeting.]6. Ward Cllr. Report – Sebastian Bowen said Green Lane has been closed to attend to emergency road repairs by the junction with Waterloo. Tunnel Lane has had some repairs, and work has been done in Orleton village as well. A culvert under Tunnel Lane near the railway line is to be cleared by highways. General scrutiny is looking at library and archive services and is to recommend to cabinet how best to manage the resources. In June 2018 government is bringing Universal Credit to Herefordshire.
7. Orleton Primary School – A written report from the Chair of Governors was read to the meeting (copy is available and included with the minutes).
8. Village Hall Management Committee – Mrs M Pritchard and Mrs C Gandy, Orleton Village Hall Management Committee provided a written report which was read to the meeting (copy is available and included with the minutes).
9. Parish Council Report – Cllr. B Gandy, Vice Chairman, said the parish council has been pleased to support the renovations at the village hall, traffic calming initiatives are ongoing, new benches have been bought to replace old ones, and the area by the mini library at the telephone kiosk has been renovated.
10. Open session for the general public – A member of the public talked about fund raising for the new pavilion planned at the recreation ground. The youth club may be used as a temporary changing room.
11. The meeting closed at 9.11pm.