MINUTES OF ORLETON PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT 7.30PM ON THURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020 AT THE VILLAGE HALL
PRESENT B Gandy – Chairman; P Smith – Vice Chairman; J Hobson; and E Clanzy-Hodge.
IN ATTENDANCE Ward Cllr. Bowen; and R Hewitt (Clerk). There were no members of the public present.
1. Apologies for absence – J Humber, J Page and M Morrison.
2. Declarations of interest and written dispensations on agenda items – None.
3. The minutes of the meetings held on 21 November and 16 December 2019 were agreed and signed as a true record.
4. Invitation to members of the public to address the council (limited to 15) – The meeting agreed to clarify that the public section would be limited to 15 minutes.
5. Receive report on Herefordshire Council from Ward Cllr. Bowen – The planning application opposite the school will include a zebra crossing and raised section in the road for pedestrians to cross safely to the school. It is hoped there will be a decision on the application before too long.
Ward Cllr. Bowen said Balfour Beatty have been asked to resurface Kings Road. There has been a lack of action from Highways England on the Salwey Arms junction. An offer of land to build a roundabout has not been progressed. After six months roundels are still outstanding. Shropshire Council has given planning permission for a petrol station by the junction off Station Road. The winter weather has led to more potholes which are being fixed by Balfour Beatty. An update on the planning moratorium due to phosphates is expected at the end of the month. The economic consequences of the moratorium on the local building trade are recognised. Balfour Beatty has been asked to de-silt the brook under the bridge on Millbrook Way. Autonomy for volunteers to put out flood signs has been requested.
The county council will consider the 2020-21 budget in February. A decision on the Hereford bypass looks to be delayed to July 2020. If this happens the local enterprise partnership may withdraw funding that has been agreed for the project.
6. Clerk’s report and reports on meetings attended by parish councillors – West Mercia Police have agreed to provide a grant to help fund the road safety/ traffic calming scheme on the B4361 and B4362. The sum granted has yet to be confirmed.
SID data from the December 2019 deployment was summarised and will be published on the parish council website. It shows that the average speed of 85 percent of traffic was 42.8 mph at Comberton and 43.9 mph by Green Lane. This is the measure used by the police and average speeds in excess of 46 mph would indicate a speeding problem. The SIDs will be deployed again in March 2020.
The website has been moved to a new server by HALC. The move meant that the agenda for the meeting this evening had to be posted twice.
The £25,500 precept request for 2020-21 has been submitted to Herefordshire Council. In consultation with the Chairman an additional 50 sandbags have been delivered to the village and split between the two storage locations. A Community Commissioning application has been made to Balfour Beatty to seek options to manage traffic at times of flooding, including closing Millbrook Way. Severn Trent have been asked for an update on plans to refurbish the pumping station. It has not been possible to find a place for 1 tonne of loose salt/ grit to be stored locally.
7. Lengthsman/ Highways and Footpaths including review of grit boxes and managing verges for biodiversity – The lengthsman and Clerk were thanked for responding quickly to a request to clean the gutters at Ashley Walk. Balfour Beatty will be asked to delay the cut of the triangle of verge opposite St George’s Crescent to improve biodiversity. The grit box on the junction of Overton Lane and Tunnel Lane has been replaced by Balfour Beatty.
A section of Kitchen Hill road prone to surface water run-off flooding between Copper Corner and the B4361 that has no grips or ditches is to be reviewed with the locality steward by Ward Cllr. Bowen. The lengthsman will look at the open drain on the footpath from Kitchen Hill Road to Church Lane. Potholes and other defects reported to Balfour Beatty were reviewed.
8. Plans:
194290 The Farm, Millbrook Way, Orleton, SY8 4HW – Proposed felling of 2 off white Spruce trees. The proposed tree work was supported.
194290 The Farm, Millbrook Way, Orleton, SY8 4HW – Proposed felling of tree (Robinia Acacia). The proposed tree work was supported.
Herefordshire Council has refused planning permission for 193334 Hopswood. Works to trees within a conservation area are allowed for 193739, 1 Mortimer Drive.
9. Accounts
i) Financial Statement to date: The latest balances of the parish council accounts were noted: Treasurer – £15,512.12; and Money Manager – £20,369.00. The repayment of £1,096.07 to the Public Works Loan Board in December 2019 was noted.
ii) The following payments were agreed: D C Gardening Services, lengthsman/ P3 footpaths (£2,004.70); Hitrees, mow/ strim play area in 2019 (£420.00); Clerk, flood signs x3 (£127.82) and Leo Pest Control, dog waste removal (£45.60).
iii) Review the effectiveness of financial internal controls: Systems of internal control were reviewed, and it was agreed they are effective in safeguarding public money and resources.
10. Organisation and role of working groups to manage duration of parish council meetings – It was agreed that working groups will be formed to look at complex issues, and to make recommendations to the parish council. The forming of a flood group will be considered at the next meeting.
11. Improvements to the A49 junction at Woofferton – The parish council agreed to support Ward Cllr. Bowen’s work in this regard.
12. Communication of riparian owner responsibilities – A link to Balfour Beatty guidance on riparian owner responsibilities on Herefordshire Council’s website will be highlighted on the parish council website.
13. New defibrillator and cabinet to be located at the school – It was agreed to purchase a new Cardiac Science G5 fully automated defibrillator (£1,098.00 net of VAT) and unlocked heated outdoor storage cabinet (£389.00 net of VAT) to be located on an external wall of the school.
14. ‘Not suitable for HGVs’ sign either end of Hunts Lane – This will be requested from the highway authority under community commissioning.
15. Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) review – Cllrs. Clanzy-Hodge, Gandy and Smith kindly agreed to attend an NDP review session with the planning authority in March 2020. A request will be made for Richards Castle Parish Council to attend at the same time.
16. Approach developer re: pending planning application 180517 Land to the north west of Kings Road to propose adopting land by the brook as public open space – The proposal will be made to Connexus.
17. Poppies for Remembrance Sunday 2020 – Enquiries will be made to try to identify environmentally friendly (non-plastic) large poppies.
18. Consider request to plant wild flowers in the village and agree next steps – Deferred.
19. Matters raised for next meeting (no discussion) – To set up a new flood group.
20. Date of next meeting – 7.30pm, Thursday 20 February 2020.
The meeting closed at 9.34 pm.