TO ALL ELECTORS OF SHOBNALL

Draft Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting

held at Brook House, 18 Shobnall Road, Burton upon Trent

on Monday 15 April 2024 commencing at 6.35pm

PRESENT

Councillors Dittmer, Donlon, Pennicott and Shilton

Also present

ESBC Councillor McKiernan

Mary Danby, Parish Clerk

1. Minutes

Resolved   That the Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 17 April 2023 be approved as a true record.

2. Chair’s report

Parish Councils were formed in England under the Local Government Act in 1894. We are a statutory layer of Local Government. We are the closest to and also accountable to the people of the local community. We should be slightly ahead of social media, if we get it right!

Shobnall Parish Council needs more members. Currently, we require six more Parish Councillors and we actively encourage applications from Shobnall residents.

Over this year, we have reviewed all documentation to ensure its relevancy to the needs of the Parish. We also review and update when necessary – this is shown in the projects we have discussed and proposed during the year:

• The supply and installation of two lifesaving defibrillators, one located on the side of The Albion pub close to the Marstons kids football fields and central to a lot of footfall. The other defibrillator is mounted on the side of Shobnall Stores, Shobnall Street, once again in a very busy street.

• Contribution to funding 50% for replacement Astroturf around the paddling pool near the Shobnall Leisure Complex. We have also supplied two new benches to be installed by the pool.

• Some existing projects such as the Dallow Lock murals (digital redesign) and the Shobnall Road speed indication device are in the final process stage.

Some topics brought to our attention include:

• The A38 Shobnall Field footbridge
• Lots of road safety issues including the fatality of a young boy
• Kerb mounting vehicles on Shobnall Road
• Parking problems all around the Parish
• Vehicle speeds in our area

We are in the process of completing a traffic survey which we hope to use in suggesting some improvements in the Parish.

We enquired about a possible new pedestrian crossing on Shobnall Road – Staffordshire County Council have advised us that as part of the National Cycle Network a scheme is currently in the design stage and that should finish later this year.

Shobnall Parish has so many things to be proud of that maybe it is all too easy to walk (or drive) by without giving them a second thought:

Shobnall Fields and Shobnall Leisure Complex

Marstons Brewery

Shobnall Marina

Burton Town Hall

St Pauls Church

Sinai Park

The National Forest

The A38

Trent and Mersey Canal

Derby to Birmingham train line

National Cycle Network

to name a few.

In the 2011 Census Shobnall had a population of 5071 residents. Now over a decade later, and with so many new housing developments, this has to have dramatically increased so this coming year hopefully we will be able to attract the remaining councillors to fill the seats on the Parish Council.

To end, I would like to say a huge thank you to all the current and previous Councillors for all your hard work and time.

Chris Pennicott

Chair 2023-24

3. Financial report (This is attached to the pdf version and can be provided via email or post on request)

4. Public participation

No comments or questions were raised.

(The meeting closed at 6.45pm)