ECCLESHALL PARISH COUNCIL – ENHANCEMENTS AND PRESERVATION COMMITTEE – Wednesday, February 7^th 2024

A meeting of the Enhancements and Preservation Committee was held on Wednesday, 7^th February 2024 at Eccleshall Community Centre, after the Planning Committee meeting, at 8.10pm.

Present were:-

Councillor S. Perren (Chair)               Councillor G. Dale

Councillor D. Hill                               Councillor R. Taylor

Councillor R. Langford                      Councillor D. Hall

Councillor G. Dale                             Councillor C. Ryan-Bloor

Mrs S. J. Worden (Clerk)

No members of the public

Observers: Cllr. A. Reid.

1).    Apologies:-

Apologies were received from Cllrs. Wilkins and Jones.

2).    Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 6^th December 2023:-

The minutes, which had previously been noted by the Council, were agreed and signed.

3).   Asset inspections:-

Members were provided an update on outstanding remedial works to assets. The pending repair to the bus shelter at Croxton will be undertaken in dry weather to allow for the woodwork to be stained after installation.

4).   Refurbished BT boxes:-

• To receive an update on any responses to repurposing of the BT box on the Washpits

Cllr. Hill is planning to contact Bishops Lonsdale PTA to see if there is any interest in displaying children’s artwork in the box and will report back.

• Fair Oak defibrillator installation.

The defibrillator is installed and ready for use.  A resident is going to advise whether an internal light is required to improve visibility of the key pad, or if the casing light is sufficient. If required, it was agreed to purchase a light for an approximate cost of £20.

Mr. Watson has volunteered to run another course to demonstrate how to use a defibrillator and it was agreed for the Clerk to arrange this at Broughton Parish Rooms.

5).   Croxton Play area and outdoor gym:

It was resolved to recommend approval of a quote of £100 for surface levelling works around the access gate to the park.

6).   Pavement clearance works along the Newport Road from Cross Butts to Wincote Lane:

Members noted completion of pavement clearance works along the Newport Road from Cross Butts to Wincote Lane which has notably increased space for pedestrians. The clerk will request Streetscene to undertake a litter pick of both sides of the road, and this can then be regularly maintained by the regular litter picking team (on the pavement side). Once cleared, the vegetation could be strimmed by the Lengthsman team if required.

7).   Elford Heath newt pond project:

A site meeting was held in late November to look at the pond locations and discuss implementation plans with the contractor appointed by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust to undertake the works. This went well, but there can be no further progress at present until funds are released to the Trust from developer activity.

8).   Update on overgrown hedges on Newport Road and Pershall Lane

The Newport Road is clear, and the Clerk continues to press the agent for the Pershall property to arrange for cutting back of that hedge.

9).   To receive response from the request for a cash review/banking hub in Eccleshall

Unfortunately, the review by LINK determined that the current level of cash access provision is adequate for the size of the community according to the agreed criteria and it was not deemed necessary to implement a new solution at this time. This was measured using set criteria given to them by Cash Action Group. Members noted their disappointment at the outcome.

10).  To receive an update on progress of leasing of Beech Road play area:

The Clerk provided feedback from a site meeting with the Borough Council officer who is responsible for arranging the lease, and this process is ongoing. The officer also advised the council is eligible to apply for the s.106 monies allocated to the parish open spaces, for the improvements. This will be a separate process whereby the parish council needs to provide a proposal for incorporation by the officer into a borough council cabinet report to request the funding to be allocated. The borough cabinet report process takes around 10 weeks, so the parish council should start the planning and consultation process alongside the lease arrangements, to avoid further delays. Any s.106 funding is likely to need supplementing with additional grants.

The availability of s.106 funding was welcomed by the council and members discusse some preliminary idea and next steps to start the project. The focus was very much on a community project, to involve residents as well as specific key stakeholders such as the primary school, nursery groups, residents local to the site and special needs advisors. It was felt the area would be most suitable for the younger age groups, considering what is not available in the town at present.

It was resolved to recommend the formation of a Beech Road Community Park working group. Initial membership to include Cllrs. Perren, Ryan-Bloor, Reid, Dale and Hill. Invitations will be extended to representatives from Bishops Lonsdale,  local nursery group(s), residents local to the play area and an advisor on special needs inclusivity. The Clerk will also be involved. Any plans prepared by the group and play companies, and approved by the council, can be used to facilitate a  wider public consultation with the local community, with the flexibility to amend plans dependent on feedback, but provide a focal point to start the discussions.

11).  Lengthsman Scheme – feedback on recent activity and collate any new work requests.

The Clerk has been provided with information on milestones between Loggerheads and the town centre, and this has been forwarded to the Lengthsman for cleaning and tidying around the stones, avoiding strimming that may damage the stones. It was also agreed to request the removal of a fallen tree alongside footpath 13, Church Lane end.

Members noted the Welcome to Eccleshall sign has not yet been reinstated. The Clerk will chase this up with Highways to see if it can be prioritised. Once back in place, the Lengthsman could cut back the shrub from around the top of the sign as it is severely overgrown.

12). Eagle Street Art funds – consider any reallocation of funding to alternative projects.

There were no new projects suggested at this time. The Clerk noted that a proportion of the funds have already been allocated to other expenditure including the oak post repairs that were not in the original budget for 2024/2025. Some additional funds may also be of use towards Beech Road.

13). Correspondence:

• Correspondence was received via a councillor enquiring about the traffic lights in place by Holy Trinity Church and along the Stone Road near Chebsey. The clerk will ask the Highways officer to advise the estimated lead time for repairs and if these can be undertaken at the earliest opportunity.

14).  Items for next meeting:-

Any items for consideration to be sent to the Clerk.

15).  Date of Next Meeting:-  April 3^rd 2024, following the planning meeting.

There being no further business, the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 9.05pm.