0406

COLWALL PARISH COUNCIL

 

Minutes of the Meeting of the Colwall Parish Council held in the Jean Simon Room, Colwall Village Hall on Wednesday 26th March 2008 at 7.30 pm

 

Present: Chairman: Mrs N Carless

Councillors: Mrs E Haynes, Mrs G Prideaux-Jackson, Mrs G Rees, Mrs H Stace, Messrs  Ashton, Beard, Cooney, Hunt, Leaper, Morris, Mills and Milne  

Also present: Paul Smith, Local Liaison Officer, the Acting Minute Clerk, County Councillor Roy Stockton and the Press.

 

1.         Welcome and Apologies for Absence: The Chairman welcomed Councillors, Acting Minute Clerk Lis Kirkness and Local Liaison Officer Paul Smith, as well as some members of the public.  There were no apologies for absence.

 

2.            Declarations of Interests:

Councillor Stace declared an interest in item 11, and

All Councillors declared an interest item 4 ii).

 

At this point the meeting was adjourned for Council to receive a report from Paul Smith, Local Liaison Officer

Paul provided an update on the damage to the bungalows by the railway station.

He also advised there has been an increase in stealing of red diesel and heating oil from properties, and recommended that residents should be vigilant for suspicious persons and take a note of the registration numbers of suspicious vehicles.  Neighbourhood Watch would be informed, and would advise residents to check the amount of oil being delivered and to keep supplies locked up, in the event of any incidents, these should be reported swiftly.

 

Finally, Council were advised that West Mercia Police had funding for which community groups could apply, which might assist the Colwall Festival and youth activities

 

Paul also advised the Council that PACT (Partnership And Community Together) surgeries had developed into mobile contact points and were able to attend any functions in the village. Councillors suggested suitable events that were taking place in the near future.

 

 

           

At this point the Council meeting came back into session.

 

3.         Minutes:  The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 20 February 2008 were approved and signed by the Chairman.

 

4.         Planning Applications. –

 

DCNE2008/0659/J 

To fell 2 beech and 2 pine tress at Wellingtonia, West Malvern Road, Malvern.

Applicant: Mr A Beever

Councillor Leaper reported that the trees were covered by a Tree Preservation Order and he had to respond by 3 April.  He was seeking a site visit with the owner after which he would submit his views to Herefordshire Council via the Clerk.  The reason for the request to fell the trees was to enable extension building work and a new garage, which Councillor Ashton felt was an insufficient justification.  Neighbours had expressed concern about a possible trackway being cleared.  Councillor Leaper would visit, give his views on the application by 3 April and liaise with the appropriate County officers.

 

 

 

0407

DCNE2008/0663/F

Change of use to the area at the rear of the building from pharmacy/office to office at Bank Chambers, Walwyn Road, Colwall.

Applicant: - Colwall Parish Council

Agent: - N/a

Councillors declared an interest in this item and it would be prejudicial to make any comment.

 

DCNE2008/0671/F

Proposed garden shed at New Court Cottage, Old Church Road, Colwall

Applicant: - Mr Marriott

Agent: - John Rees (Architectural Designs)

This was a retrospective application for a shed already built, and one neighbour had expressed a wish for more screening on the side of the shed.

IT WAS RESOLVED that no objections would be raised.

 

5.            Progress Reports. The Clerk had circulated reports before the meeting.

 

Parish Council office and the Colwall Post Office: The Chairman reported that the lease was awaited from the Solicitor and quotes were being sought for disabled access.  A successful public meeting had been held at the Park Hotel on 18th March, with the prospective Postmasters present.  A grant of £300 had been received from HALC to help set up the Parish Office, which would help with Solicitor’s fees and planning application costs.  The owner of the General Stores had expressed concerns about competition from the new Post Office, and would meet with the Postmaster to discuss what he plans to sell. 

 

Speed Indicator Devices:  Councillor Mills distributed a sketch of potential locations for the temporary devices.  Herefordshire Council had given their opinions from a technical and risk assessment point of view. The proposed locations at Colwall Green are acceptable.  The location near the Library was acceptable and would be used for both directions of traffic. And finally the location at the Coca-Cola factory, directed at traffic coming down the hill was fine. Councillor Milne suggested a location higher up Walwyn Road in the 40mph zone. Councillor Mills agreed to check for a possible site near the Winnings, although there was a problem with the bend of the road.  It was AGREED to set up the 4 locations as proposed and to consider a further 2 at a later date.  Councillor Mills undertook to ask the Clerk if the cheque had already been paid.

 

Bye-election for one vacancy on the Parish Council: The Chairman reported that an election had been due to be held on 20th March but nobody had come forward to fill the vacancy, therefore the Council had to advertise it again. If one candidate was forthcoming they would be elected unopposed; if more than one an election would take place.

 

6.       Financial Matters.

A list of the Income and Expenditure to be processed for March had been circulated prior to the meeting.  The cheques had been signed the previous week, and Councillor Mills gave further details.  It was AGREED that the cheques be duly processed.  The Chairman would ask the Clerk to post the cheques.

 

Councillor Leaper asked Council to consider a quotation from a tree surgeon for pollarding the hawthorn tree in the Sensory Garden, which required urgent attention.  The sum was £180 and the surgeon had a certificate of public liability.  Council AGREED to accept this quotation.  The Chairman would pass details to the Clerk for action.

 

7.         Youth in Colwall 

Councillor Beard reported that the ice-skating trip had been very successful, and another trip would take place on 28th October, for which the group would apply to West Mercia Police for funding.  Councillor Beard and the Clerk had met with Ledbury Youth First to investigate activities

0408

for youth in the Parish, and had been informed that Cradley employed a Youth Worker at £8 per hour. 

 

Councillor Beard suggested forming a Working Party to set up a forum of youngsters to find out what activities they wanted.  Results of the previous youth questionnaire might be useful, together with a list of the facilities in the village.  Councillors Rees, Leaper, Prideaux-Jackson and Milne offered to join the Working Party together with Mrs Jan Robinson of Amenities.  Ideas and costings would be brought to the next Council meeting at the end of April.  LYF were holding a series of sporting activities over the next few weeks and they had a space in the Library to advertise their events, as well as the Newsletter.  Councillor Beard undertook to liaise with the Clerk in setting up the Working Party.

 

8.         Correspondence for processing.

 

At this point the meeting was adjourned to allow members of the public to speak.

The Chairman had received a letter from the Director of the Colwall Festival asking for permission to use the Walwyn Meadow on 17th July 2008. In reply to a question from Council, the Director confirmed that public liability insurance would be in place for up to £1 million. 

IT WAS AGREED that this request be accepted, and that the Chairman would ask the Clerk to ensure that the grass was trimmed before this event.

 

At the previous Council meeting the Chairman had read a letter from the Festival Director asking for a donation towards running costs.  Council had asked him to produce a budget and more information about the costs. An e-mailed reply had listed running costs of £400 but since then, the costs had doubled to £800. The Director described the wide range of events planned for the Festival, which would show the skills, talents and abilities of people and organisations in the village.

 

Councillor Leaper proposed that Council should support the Colwall Festival. The Chairman proposed and IT WAS AGREED that this request be discussed at the outturn meeting of the Finance & General Purposes Committee at the end of April, when the Council’s financial position would be clearer, and a donation to the festival could be given due consideration.

 

9.         Correspondence for Information.

 

Items of correspondence were available for inspection by Councillors at the meeting, as listed on the attached appendix.

 

10.       Reports of Committees.

 i.              Village Amenities Committee meeting held on 5th March 2008.

Councillor Beard reported on Aunt Alice and noted that Councillor Rees and the Clerk would be attending a meeting of the Heritage Lottery Fund to apply for funding.  An earlier estimates of the work required on the clock are being reviewed and an engineer from the original clock manufacturer, would be on site on 1st April, to provide a second quotation and to discuss the scope of the works required.  Councillor Beard would then report back to Council. 

Two tenders had been received for the Lengthsman job, and Steven Maude’s quotation had been accepted.

IT WAS RESOLVED that the report from the Village Amenities Committee be received, approved and adopted.

 

ii.              Planning & Development Committee meeting held on 12th March 2008.

Councillor Ashton reported that Herefordshire Northern Planning Committee had considered the proposals for a one-way system at the top of Old Church Road and Brockhill Road.  He had presented the Parish Council’s views, and pointed out that the further building to be erected at Holm Lea would further complicate the situation, but they accepted the design as submitted.  The Highways Officer was happy with the proposal. 

0409

IT WAS RESOLVED that the report from the Planning & Development Committee be received, approved and adopted.

 

iii         Finance & General Purposes Committee meeting held on 12th March 2008.

Members of the Public and Press were asked to leave for this item.

 

IT WAS RESOLVED that the report from the Finance & General Purposes Committee be received, approved and adopted.

 

Members of the Press and Public were invited back.

 

11.       Allotments Councillor Stace reported that a meeting had been provisionally set up about the allotments but she had been called away, so this item would be brought to the next Council meeting.

 

12.         Representatives on Outside Bodies.

 

Newsletter: Councillor Cooney was co-ordinating the Newsletter and asked Councillor Mills to co-ordinate people to deliver them.  Councillors Beard, Miles and Rees and the Acting Minute Clerk volunteered to assist with deliveries by 10th to 12th April.  Any undelivered could be taken to the Village Society AGM on 21st April.

 

Conservators: Councillor Hunt reported that the Conservators had been thanked for the lockable notice board at the Wyche Cutting.

 

Village Society: Councillor Milne advised that the Village Litter Pick would take place on Saturday 28th March starting at 9.30 at the Station car park, followed by coffee at the Free Church.

 

At this point the meeting was adjourned for Council to receive a report from Councillor Stockton, Herefordshire Councillor

 

Herefordshire Council: Councillor Stockton reported from Herefordshire Council regarding progress on the Edgar Street Grid and the Budget.  The Chairman thanked Councillor Stockton for attending.

 

 

13.         Date of next meeting

 

The next full Council meeting would be held on 30 April 2008 and the Annual Meeting for Parishioners would be on 28 April.  The Chairman reminded Committee Chairmen that each should produce a brief report in order to allow a written Annual Report to be published in time for the meeting.

 

The Chairman closed the meeting at 9.20pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature .......................................................................                                             Date...................