Minutes of the Meeting of Eccleshall Parish Council held on 15th SEPTEMBER, 2021

A meeting of Eccleshall Parish Council was held at Eccleshall Community Centre on 15^th  September 2021 at 7.30pm. This meeting was followed by a meeting of the Planning Committee at 9.40pm.

The meeting opened with prayers

108/21).  Present were:-

Councillor P. Jones  (Chairman)           Councillor L. Dale

Councillor R. Taylor                              Councillor J. Jones

Councillor G. Dale                               Councillor B. Delanchy

Councillor R. Langford                          Councillor A. Reid

Councillor S. Kean                               Councillor E. Amos

Mrs Beverley Partridge (Assistant Clerk)

Borough and County Cllr. J. Pert (until 7.50pm)

2 members of the public

109/21.)   Apologies were received from Cllrs. Wilkins, Perren, Mifflin, Leather and PCSO Gareth Higgins

110/21).  To consider Declarations of Interest and Councillor requests for dispensation relating to     items on the agenda.

Cllr. Reid declared an interest in the Community Picnic agenda items and will not vote on the item.

111/21).   Public Participation.

No members of the public wished to speak.

112/21).  To approve the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on July 21st, 2021.

The minutes, which had been previously circulated, were agreed and will be signed at the earliest opportunity.

113/21).  To note the resignation of Councillor P. Stenning.

The resignation of Cllr. Stenning was noted and the Chair noted he had written a letter after the resignation to thank him for his contribution to the  council.

114/21).  Co-option to the Town Ward vacancy.

No applications had been received before the submission deadline, and the co-option will be deferred to the next meeting.

115/21). To receive any reports from Borough and County Councillors:

County Councillor Pert provided a verbal report. Updates included:

• Positive Covid-19 test rates have increased nationally, driven by the return to school. Regular lateral flow tests and contact tracing is vital to reduce the spread. Kits are available locally in the library and pharmacy. Staffordshire vaccine take up rates are above the national average.
• The local unemployment rate has dropped from 4.5% a year ago to 3.3% against a national average of 5.3%
• The Community Awards nomination deadline is Monday 20^th September, and the awards ceremony is on the 29^th
• Members asked about the loss of the vacant seat scheme on school buses. Cllr. Pert noted there is no statutory requirement for SCC to transport post 16 students to school. There is a conflict with existing disability requirements which requires buses supplying paid seats (a publicly accessible service) to be accessibility compliant. As many of the school buses are not compliant, SCC has withdrawn the option to pay for spare seats, which means the bus is a public service. Cllr. Pert noted that this has disadvantaged those in rural areas and SCC should look to assess on a case by case basis those vulnerable and have no alternative transport.
• Regeneration of town – £120m to be invested in Stafford. This includes £4m to the Staffordshire wide records library; £2m to Shire Hall; £26m to Newcastle/Stafford College (Stafford campus). The Western Access road is due to open Sept/October. £20m of other funding has been earmarked for specific improvements and plans will be announced in due course.

Cllr. Pert left the meeting at this point.

Borough Councillor P. Jones advised his attendance at the recent Battle of Britain service at St. Mary’s Church, and the procession afterwards. He also participated in a Celebration to mark 110 years of Victoria Park, in a bowling tournament.

Police: recent crime statistics were circulated prior to the meeting. It was noted it were the same information provided on their website. Theft figures were higher due to the milk bottle thefts. Members asked for clarification on the area covered by the report.

116/21).  Committee Updates:

Traffic Management:    

There were no updates to report.

Footpaths:

• Arrangements will be made to erect signs to advise dogs on leads along the first part of footpath 17, which is also a vehicle access track for adjacent properties.
• The proposal to work with the Borough Council’s Doorstep Walks project, to jointly produce short walks leaflets and to appoint councillors to help with content provision was considered. It was agreed to look at what exists at present and see if this can be updated and supplied to SBC. It was also mentioned that there was potential to add some new circular walks of a shorter length and this will be looked into. Members noted it might be worth adding to walks whether there are hills to negotiate.

Enhancements:

• The minutes of the committee meeting held on the 18^th August 2021 were noted.
• The Parish Council considered the report on signage at Elford Heath and resolved to approve the action to provide additional warning s The Clerk will provide further information on the proposal at the next meeting.
• The Parish Council was updated with information obtained regarding refurbishment of the Cheshire fencing at Elford Heath. Further quotes are awaited before a decision can be made.
• BT phone box update – the boxes are repaired and awaiting painting. Cllr. Langford will arrange for the soil to be removed around the base of the Croxton box prior to painting. Croxton community members have volunteered to clean and maintain the boxes. Residents would like the Croxton box to be used as a book swap. Considerations for the Fair Oak box include a defib and the First Responders will be contacted to see if this is feasible.
• The Parish Council resolved to approve the cost of £200 for repainting of the Pillar Clock plaques (Eccleshall Crest).
• Croxton Play area repairs were due to be completed this week
• Research into the potential locations and equipment for an outdoor gym is ongoing. The importance of providing equipment for use by those with disabilities was noted.
• The Parish Council resolved to approve the committee recommendation and write to Co-Op to request enforcement action to prevent cigarette butt littering by tenants above the Co-op.
• The Parish Council considered the recommendation to suggest a former resident sites a memorial bench on Elford Heath instead of the SCC owned land at the top of Kerry Lane. It was resolved to defer the item until Cllr. Dale can speak to the resident concerned.
• The recommendation to write to three residents of Market Fields concerning the upkeep of the wall adjacent to Stafford Street was considered. It was resolved to write to the residents to determine ownership and ask for their support in maintaining the wall. P. Jones will contact SBC to see if they have further information on who may own the wall.
• The proposal for Eccleshall WI to site a tree and plaque on the Eyeswell to commemorate its centenary year. Cllr. G. Dale has met with a WI representative and a suitable location has been identified. A cherry or crab apple tree has been proposed and will not conflict with the recent remedial works.

Policy and Resources:

• The minutes of the committee meeting held on the 1^st Sept were noted.
• The Parish Council resolved to approve the recommendation to accept the Deeds and Insurances review undertaken by the committee.
• The proposal for annual sponsorship of Eccleshall First Responders was considered and it was resolved to provide sponsorship funding of £1,000 on an annual basis, commencing in the current financial year, in addition to the current defibrillator sponsorship. Cllr. G. Dale suggested the community centre could support provision of rooms for training courses.
• The Parish Council resolved to approve the Committee recommendation to re-adopt the following policies without changes:
  • Internal Audit Controls
  • Grievance Policy
  • Bullying and Harassment Policy
  • Investment Policy
• It was resolved to approve the Committee recommendation to confirm satisfactory completion of the probationary period for the Assistant Clerk. It was also resolved to approve payment of an additional 20 hours to be paid in October, to cover additional time worked to cover the Clerks absence.

Events:

• The minutes of the committee meeting held on the 18^th August were noted.
• A number of events are being considered for the Parish Council led activities, subject to approval and availability. This will include the lighting of a beacon.
• It was also noted that the Queen’s Baton relay will be running to coincide with the Commonwealth Games in June. This will be referred to the Events committee for consideration.
• The proposal for the Jubilee celebrations, recommended committee budget and scope of delegated authority and resulting recommendations to update current budget and virement of funds were considered. It was resolved to approve a budget of £4,000 for the Jubilee celebrations project.
• It was resolved to approve the committee recommendation to hold a meeting. The date was moved to the 14^th October, to allow time for the invitations to be issued to community organisations who may wish to be involved. The meeting is intended to encourage informal conversation and find out what attendees would like to do.
• It was resolved to approve the committee recommendation to grant permission for Eccleshall Health and Wellbeing group to use Bishops Court open space for a community picnic. The date is 25^th September, but in the case of bad weather, it may be moved to October 2^nd. The organisers are required to provide evidence of liability insurance and a risk assessment to the Clerk. The Parish Council were supportive of this activity and resolved to provide a grant of £100.80 to cover the cost of the annual public liability insurance, which will cover any other events over the next 12 months.
• Approval of the terms of reference, including delegated authority for the committee was deferred until the next meeting. With regards to the delegation for authorising events on Parish owned land, it was felt there was no need to delegate this to the committee as there were plenty of opportunities to discuss approvals in other meetings to ensure there was no delay.

Sustainability and Climate Change Working Group:

Cllr. Reid provided an update that included the following:

• A report on the visit to the BiFoR research site near Norbury, where the effects of increased atmospheric Carbon Dioxide on mature woodland is being researched. The lead scientist noted that planting of more trees is only part of the answer with regards to reducing carbon dioxide. It was of interest to note that planting a tree will only be carbon neutral activity after it was in place for 5 years.
• It was suggested that tree planting could form a part of the Jubilee activities but it will need to start soon to make the necessary plans. If we can’t find a suitable location within the Parish, other locations may need to be considered.
• Electric Vehicle charging points – the Borough Council are looking at fast charging points, and local authorities are planning to ask supermarkets to install EV points.
• Rural heating – discusses alternatives to fuel based heating, insulation. The group will be continuing to look into this.
• Discussions on how the PC can support inclusion of the incorporation of ecological requirements within new build planning applications.

117/21).  Removal of the vacant seat scheme for post 16 students on County Council School buses.

Members considered a paper detailing the impact of the loss of the scheme. As noted previously, Post 16 students were allowed to pay for a vacant seat on school transport to enable those without transport to access their place of education. This option has been removed due to the legal requirements for a bus that carries paying passengers (then considered a public service) to conform to specific accessibility guidelines. Exclusion of post 16 students means some struggle to get to school due to a lack of alternatives.

It was resolved for the Council to send a letter to the County Council, to request that, on a case-by-case basis, County Council officers be authorised to allow empty seats to be used by individual sixth formers who can show they have no other viable option, either due to distance from public bus services, lack of family transport options, or lack of safe routes for walking, cycling, or other solutions that the County Council deems to be relevant.

Members will also explore if there are any options to provide a drop in centre at the library for those young people waiting for later transport.

118/21).  Updates regarding the Eagle Street Art project.

A site visit with SBC was recently undertaken with Clls. G. Gale, P. Jones and Mr. Gammon of the Borough Council to consider a potential location on the Stone Road. The Council are currently awaiting a response from SBC after it has considered the drawings provided.

119/21).  Publicising the new Business Plan.

It was agreed that the PC will publicise the plan at the next Annual Public Parish meeting – no further action is required.

120/21).  To consider the requirement for a public meeting in addition to the annual meeting held in April.

It was resolved there was no need for an additional public meeting in addition to current plans, and the next Annual Public Parish Meeting will be held next year, within the statutory timeframe.

121/21).  To consider the adoption of a Bring Your Own Device Policy.

Following feedback from the Staffordshire Parish Council’s Association on the policy content, it was resolved to adopt the Bring Your Own Device Policy.

122/21). To receive the Clerks Report, containing liaison representative updates.

The Clerks report and included liaison reports were received and accepted.

123/21). Correspondence

• Correspondence was received from Stafford Borough Council with regards to Covid-19 commemorative activities and provision of reflective spaces, and the Parish Council was asked to consider any ideas for the Eccleshall. Stafford Borough Council plans include memory books and a memorial woodland. It was resolved to write to the practice manager at the Crown Surgery to ask if they wish to be involved in supporting or suggest a fitting memorial/location.
• A resident has written to request the adoption of litter bins on Sancerre Grange by the Parish Council. It was noted that litter collection was not within the remit of the Parish Council but the Parish Council is supportive of the residents and resolved to respond to suggest that they raise the issue directly with Vistry (Bovis) representatives and to supply a correspondence request.
• A resident has written to request the support of the Parish Council to install hedgehog signs within the parish to reduce casualties, or other measures of protection that can be put in place. It was resolved to write to the highways liaison officer in order to find out more information about hedgehog signage but concerns were raised as to their effectiveness. It was noted that verified information on the best locations for signage would be needed. It was also noted that it may be a good primary school project.
• A resident has written with concerns about the amount of dead or dying trees on Sancerre Grange, which were planted in line with the approved planning application. It was resolved to write to Vistry (Bovis) to raise concerns and ask if it can replace the trees, as they have an obligation to do this. A possible option noted was to tie in replanting with the Jubilee tree proposal, but the new trees need to be planted at the right time of year in order to flourish. It was also resolved to contact the SBC arboricultural officer to ask for advice.

Cllr. P. Jones requested permission to extend the meeting past 9.30pm, which was granted.

124/21).  Chairman’s Report:-

Cllr. P. Jones advised he attended the recent Stone Town Council Civic Service parade on the 5^th September, on behalf of the Parish Council.

125/21).  Financial Matters 

     To accept the Financial report to end August 2021:

     It was resolved to accept the financial summary, which includes the bank reconciliation up to the 27^th August 2021.

Payments made since the last full Council meeting were received and noted as follows:

To approve accounts for payment September 2021:-

Authorisation was sought for payment of the following accounts:-

All were in favour and the cheques were signed accordingly.

To receive the completed Annual Return for 2020-21:-

The completed Annual Return, with no issues identified by the auditors (Mazars) was had been      circulated prior to the meeting and this was received by the Council.

126/21).  Items / Date and Venue for next meeting:-

The next meeting of the Parish Council is scheduled for  20^th October 2021, at Offley Hay Village Hall, 7.30pm,  pending any changes to current government advice. Agenda items can be forwarded to the Clerk for consideration.

There being no further business, the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 9.30pm.