Minutes of a Meeting of Shobnall Parish Council

held at the Princess Street Training Education and Enterprise Centre, Princess Street, Burton upon Trent on Monday 17 December 2018 commencing at 7.00pm

PRESENT

Councillor Dennis (in the Chair)

Councillors Dittmer, Donlon, Hoare, Shilton and Yousaf

In attendance

Councillor Clarke (SCC)

Councillor McKiernan (ESBC)

PC Blanksby

PUBLIC FORUM

No members of the public were present

2018-19/119        APOLOGIES

Councillor Lewis

2018-19/120        Declarations of interest

Councillor Shilton declared a disclosable non-pecuniary interest in Planning Application P/2018/01386 as the Landlord is known to him.

2018-19/121        Written dispensation under the localism act 2011

No applications for dispensation had been received.

2018-19/122        Updates to Councillors’ register of interest forms

No changes to members’ registers of interest had been notified.

2018-19/123        Minutes of the Council meeting held on 19 November 2018

RESOLVED           That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 19 November 2018 be approved as a true record.

2018-19/124        Matters arising from the Council meeting held on 19 NOVEMBER 2018

                                2018-19/114        The Link

• The Clerk reported that only eight responses to the survey had been received.
• The Clerk said that approaches would be made to organisations such as Sport England, Staffordshire Playing Fields Association, etc once the council has decided if it wishes to instigate any improvement and/or additions at The Link Park.
• Bloomin’ Gardens had confirmed that they empty the litter bins at The Link twice a week – Monday and Friday in the summer months; Tuesday and Friday during the rest of the year.
• A letter had been sent to the Manager of a nearby fast food restaurant asking if they will arrange for regular litter picks to be done or if this is not possible asking if they will consider sponsoring an additional weekly litter pick. A response was awaited.
• Bloomin’ Gardens had been requested to quote to include litter picking of the adjacent tree areas, the quote was awaited.

2018-19/115       Branston Walking Group

Cllr Dennis had met with Branston Parish Council on 06 December, following their invite to walk the pathways.  They would like a commitment from SPC to make the pathway between our two areas cleared of any overhanging branches, if there are any.  This is to keep the whole stretch of pathway easily accessible. They are thinking of putting in milestone type markers to denote the Parish boundary. Is this something the parish council would want to do?

The planned walk had not taken place on 06 December, but it will be rescheduled for January – information will be provided via SPC’s Clerk. Cllr Dennis had asked if the Branston Parish Clerk could ask for a link to the footpaths for SPC’s website.

2018-19/116       2019 Local elections

The Clerk had put the question to ESBC as to what would happen if the council were to be inquorate following the May 2019 local elections. The following response had been received from the Principal Elections Officer:

“I do know that some Parish Councils are struggling to get people to fill current vacancies. If next year you do not receive enough nominations to form a quorum, any validly nominated candidates are declared elected, the Returning Officer will order a new election (within 35 days) to fill the remaining vacancies. Two re-runs of the election would be held if necessary. If after the two re-runs there are still not enough members then the Returning Officer would invoke his powers to appoint persons to fill the vacancies.”

2018-19/116        Kingfisher Trail: Totem poles

The Clerk reported that Bloomin’ Gardens had been asked to quote to assess the structural viability of the totem poles, but the quotation had yet to be received.

ACTION                 The Clerk was requested to (a) check whether the totem poles were included on the Asset Register and (b) to contact the Kingfisher Trail project to ascertain if they have any information relating to the poles.

2018-19/116        Cable Amnesty

The Clerk had communicated the suggestion of a cable amnesty to Borough Councillors McKiernan and Walker – Councillor McKiernan said that she was going to raise this at a meeting in the near future.

2018-19/125        REPORT FROM PC BLANKSBY

PC Blanksby said that he is the only PC supported by two PCSOs (one full-time, one part-time). He said that the PCSOs work with ESBC’s Civil Enforcement Officers, not PCs. The PCSOs deal with anti-social behaviour, etc and PCs work on criminal issues. There is a Sergeant who covers the whole of Burton upon Trent and Uttoxeter. He said that there had been two vehicle thefts in the last 48 hours; vehicle thefts across the county look to be the work of organised crime and the vehicles disappear without trace.

In answer to a query as to what is the main problem in Shobnall, PC Blanksby said that drugs are widespread across the whole of the county. He said that Shobnall has its problems but there are worse places in Burton upon Trent.

2018-19/126        Report from the Borough Councillors

Taxis: Councillor McKiernan said that a recent Council meeting had considered a request from taxi drivers that their taxis need to be replaced every 10 years, not seven years as currently stipulated. The Council had agreed that taxis were to be replaced every seven years in the interests of passenger safety.

Washlands: Funding for the scheme would be from the Environment Agency, lottery funding and the sale of Bar Gates – the Council had agreed to a request for a £1m contribution.

Councillor McKiernan reported that she is now a Governor at the Grange School Academy; she also said that she had joined with Councillor Clarke in contributing some money for new computers and a printer at the Princess Street Training Centre.

2018-19/127        Report from the County Councillor

Councillor Clarke gave an update which included:

• Cut-backs over the next five years that the County Council are having to make.

• School crossings were discussed as in some areas this is falling to parish councils to provide.

AGREED        That a letter be sent to the County Council expressing the council’s concern at the proposal.

• White line applications are only permitted where the residents meet the set down criteria. He said that white lines are not enforceable and blue badge holders can park on them.

• He had contributed £1,500 towards the cost of providing two or three new computers and a printer at the Princess Street Training Centre (the remaining funds had been provided by Borough Councillors).

ACTION         The Clerk was requested to ask what classes the Centre offers for members of the public and whether these are free of charge or a fee is payable, and what facilities are available at the Centre for use by the community.

2018-19/128        Financial matters

2018-19/128.1    Schedule of Payments

                                RESOLVED           THAT:

1. The payments be approved.
2. Payments be made via BACS wherever possible with effect from 01 January 2019.

2018-19/128.2    Bank reconciliation

RESOLVED           That the above was a true record.

2018-19/129        2019/20 BUDGET

                                Members considered a draft budget for 2019/20 which illustrated three options regarding the precept:

Option A               Status quo with the precept remaining at £20,810 which would see the General Reserved reduce by £10,440

Option B               An increase of £350 on the precept to £21,160 which would see the General Reserve reduce by £10,090

Option C               An increase of £10,440 on the precept to £31,250 which would give a balanced budget, i.e. no funds would be taken from the General Reserve

Members agreed that it was preferable to have a balanced budget and that the precept would have to increase as the council was under increasing pressure to take on functions from the County Council without finance. The precept had not been raised for a considerable number of years and it was not good practice to keep depleting the reserves to balance the budget.

                                RESOLVED           THAT:

1. Option C, i.e. balanced budget, be agreed

1. The Clerk was asked to check if the 3 No. planters on Halcyon Way and Waterloo Street are included on the Asset Register

1. The Clerk was asked to contact Bloomin’ Gardens for:

1. A quotation to fill and water the planters
2. Confirmation of the cost of grass cutting at The Link Park now that the BMX track has been returned to grass

• Confirmation of the cost of litter picking at The Link Park if an additional litter pick was required

1. A precept in the sum of £31,250 be declared on East Staffordshire Borough Council. (VOTE: 5 for, 1 abstention)

2018-19/130        THE LINK PARK

1. Survey

Members received the results of the survey and agreed that a step-by-step approach be taken in any works and equipment installations to be implemented on the site. It was noted that professional advice will be required to ensure that the site is developed to provide inclusive facilities and activities for all age groups.

RESOLVED   That quotations be sought for the installation of land drainage to the former BMX track on the site.

1. Travellers

Members received a report on the presence of travellers on the site and the legal steps being taken to see them leave the site as soon as possible. Members accepted that the costs involved in this process (which being done by the County Council on the parish council’s behalf) would be in the region of £1,300 plus £282 plus VAT for Bloomin’ Gardens to supply and install a replacement bollard on the access road.

2018-19/131        EAST STAFFORDSHIRE BOROUGH COUNCIL:

CONSULTATION – OPEN SPACE AND PLAYING PITCH DRAFT SPD

AGREED                That Members would consider the above consultation document and respond to the Clerk with their comments by 31 December 2018 to enable a formal submission to be made to ESBC.

2018-19/132        planning matters

1. Planning applications

Notification of the following planning applications received up to 06 December 2018 had been emailed to all Members – no comments had been notified to the Clerk for submission to ESBC:

P/2018/1402

Oaks Wood, Reservoir Road

Crown lifting of 4 trees comprising 2 oak, 1 ash and 1 hawthorn to provide clearance of 4.5m above the ground (TPO No 1)

1. Planning applications

The following planning applications were notified after 06 December 2018:

P/2018/01386

Wellington Arms, 44 Wellington Street

Change of use of public house to 8-bedroo boarding house and 4 self-contained flats together with associated external alterations

AGREED       That Members would consider the above application outside of the meeting and relay their comments to the Clerk for submission to ESBC.

P/2018/01460

Golding Skip Hire, Nicolson Way

Erection of single storey extensions to existing office building

No comment

P/2018/01477

239 Waterloo Street

Continued use of store as a separate retail unit (Class A1) and installation of new shop front and external roller shutters

Comment: The plan shows a new dividing wall separating the two retail units which eliminates access to the toilet facilities for the proposed retail unit.

2018-19/133        questions from Councillors and reports from Representatives

Councillor Yousaf noted that ESBC had recently held an Environment Week in the Ward and asked what resources had been put into the Week as very few people were aware of what was happening. He also mentioned that dog fouling and fly tipping remained a problem in the Ward.

2018-19/134        Correspondence and Circulars

• SPCA: Weekly Bulletins had been received. Items of note were:
• Elections 2019

A range of materials to help councils publicise the local elections are now available on the NALC website (www.nalc.gov.uk/elections).

• SPCA AGM

The Clerk gave a report on SPCA’s AGM on 03 December which she had attended as the council’s representative.

Date of next meeting

Monday 21 January 2019 at The Princess Street Training Education and Enterprise Centre, 25-28 Princess Street, Burton upon Trent DE14 2NW commencing at 7.00 pm.

The Meeting closed at 9.25pm