Withington Group Parish Council
Meeting Held on Wednesday 3rd July 2024
At 7.30pm in Preston Wynne Village Hall
M I N U T E S
Present: In the Chair: Kevin Hewison (KH); Jonathan Beech (JB); Tom Nellist (TN); Kevin Powders (KP); Ingrid Heatly (IH); Bob Rudd (BRu); Sue Rudd (SR); Ralph Barber (RB); Hilary Holden (HH);
Also: Sophie Glover (Clerk), Ivan Powell (Ward Cllr); 0 members of public
The Meeting opened at 7.30pm
1. Public open session: 10 minutes was allowed from 7.30pm for members of the public to raise any issues that they would like the Parish Council to consider.
2. To accept Apologies for absence –Paul Andrews (PA); Howard Mansell (HM); Barclay Rogers (BR); Judith Howe (JH); Simon Dent (SD); Steve Scotcher (SS)
3. To receive Declaration of Interests.
None received
4. Acceptance of minutes of the:-
Annual PC meetings and May Parish Council meeting minutes
Proposed: KH Seconded:BRu All were in favour.
They were duly accepted as a true record of the meetings.
Extra ordinary May meeting minutes
Proposed:KH Seconded:KP
They were duly accepted as a true record of the meetings.
Action Points from previous meetings.
From previous meetings completed or on agenda apart from :
• Confirmation that Preston Wynne parish meeting was held in the parish – it had been and this was duly noted.
• Decision on purchasing recycling bags for medical tablets packaging – Clerk still waiting to contact Bartestrees clerk.
5. Open discussion/public forum
5.1 Report from Ward Councillor – Cllr Ivan Powell had sent a ward report and noted a few action points prior to the meeting.
Additional funding for the Lengthsman, P3 schemes and drainage grants has been promoted.
IP is keen to get a working route to agree the actions to be carried out by whom for specific problems, he and the locality steward are talking about this.
Ref: The Old Post Office: Balfour Beatty are trying to say that it is a problem between the Parish Council and the lengthsman. RB strenuously denied that it was a parish problem and asked for IP to arrange a meeting with Balfour Beatty, the lengthsman and the WGPC.
Duke St: the land owner says that it was just due to the extraordinary rain fall. This is being further analysed.
Withies Rd: IP is liaising with Herefordshire Council, Balfour Beatty and himself.
Hedge at Vine Tree has been cut (according to the locality steward), but it has not been cut back far enough. IP will take this back to the locality steward for action.
IP has talked to PCSO Stephan Hawes, to see if they would have a police presence when IP has his surgeries.
Safety at the garages on Withies Rd. Kids are climbing on the roof of them and there doesnt seem to be a plan to stop them put in place by Connexus. IP is chasing this up.
5.2 Local police – had been invited to the meeting, but send out up dates to those signed up to their services.
5.3 Balfour Beatty – Information sheets come out weekly and cllrs can comment on them.
6. Applications: To consider comments on applications to be determined by Herefordshire Council as listed below or on the Herefordshire Council Planning website prior to the meeting:-
241171– Quarry Cottage, Duke St Withington – Listed building consent
241172 – Quarry Cottage, Duke St Withington – proposed replacement of solar panels
PC comment suggested: WGPC has no comment on this application.
240272 – Land North of Whitestone Business Park – visibility splays alterations
PC comment: We look forward to hearing the comments from Highways.
Action: clerk to submit all of the above the comments.
Planning decisions made:
241701 – Eau Withington Court – pre planning permission was granted.
7. Working Parties
a) on A4103/A465
Herefordshire Council have approved the lengthsman to put the plinth in as long as he has the relevant qualifications. Lengthsman to contact Joe Grice at the council to move this on and to get the base in.
b) traffic calming in Withington and school access
IP will chase this up with Andrew Houston and Greg Speller. John Bennetts has stepped down as a Parish Councillor and he will need replacing on this group.
c) Withington Field working group – including installation of playing equipment.
KP, a lot has happened in the last weeks. Kompan have been on site and have put in a new slide and a new ‘maypole’. They will be fitting safety matting tomorrow, then Kompan will have completed their work. There is a need for grass to be laid (when the weather is suitable) around both items.
Payment to Kompan will be due very shortly so WGPC needs to be ready to make the payment of circa £26,000
Once the work is all done we could have an opening event, singing the praises of the work and celebrating its rejuvenation.
8. Withington Fields – including update on the use of the football pitches, the refurbishment of fencing and work in the copse.
Football pitches: Perfect Grounds have been asked to cut the grass back to a length that football can be played – it is really long at the moment, so it is expected that this will not be cheap, but BFC have agreed to split the cost with WGPC. Equally they have agreed to split the cost of us engaging a mole man to try and stop the moles digging up the pitch – this is on going. We continue to look for a lawn mower that will do the job but that we can afford.
With the trees being felled in the Copse, it was suggested that they get a chipper and put the chips on the paths.
Fencing job on the field has been delayed due to a hold up in getting the timber from Walford Saw mills.
9. Financial:
• Balances
Public Sector Deposit Fund (31.05.24) £ 25,705.43
Lloyds Parish Acct (22.06.24) £ 30,952.54
Lloyds Withington Field Acct (12.06.24) £ 7,662.88 £ 64,320.95
• Cheques to be paid
Parish Acct:- Already paid
Clerks Salary June £798.96
July £ 798.96
Clerks Expenses June £87.48
July £ 45.74 £ 844.70
HMRC June £ 27.27
July £ 27.27 £ 54.54
Terry Griffiths –
Invoice TGC2745 £26.88
Invoice TGC2742 £ 559.20
Invoice TGC 2773 £33.60
Defib shop £80.34
Total Cheques £ 899.24
Internal Transfer: None
Withington Field Acct:- Already paid
J Smith litter picker expenses May £ 90.00
June £ 30.00
Hereford Council – Bins July to Sept £ 190.06
Terry Griffiths inv 2741 £ 50.88
Terry Griffiths inv 2744 £ 50.88
Perfect grounds inv WF02 £ 562.25
Perfect grounds inv WF03 £ 761.75 £ 1,324.00
Total cheques: £ 2,253.24
Request was made for authorisation for up to £27,000 + VAT to pay Kompan once their work is signed off as payment is due with in 30 days of the date of their invoice.
It was moved that all cheques should be paid, and the Kompan payment was agreed.
Proposed: HH Seconded:TN All cllrs were in favour of making the payments.
• Receipts:
Interest on Saving Acct April: £102.77 and May: £109.73
• Application for Financial Aid: None
12. Lengthsman Scheme – reminder of jobs outstanding and future jobs for the lengthsman.
– 3 x issues on Withington paths, as previously listed.
– New gate for Preston Wynne’s path to the church, (BRu has been working with the land owners who have changed their mind as to putting in an accessible gate) IP will take up the discussion with the land owner to try and resolve this.
– Work to be completed at The Old Post Office – mentioned earlier in the meeting.
– Bus stop in Withington (outside the village hall), possibly get lengthsman to cut the hedge back. IP involved to see if Balfour Beatty will do this when they get the hedge cut back higher up Withies Rd.
Action:.IP to liaise with Balfours, clerk to task the lengthsman to get on with the other jobs.
13. Foot paths officers reports and identification of work to be done
PW: Nothing to report other than the gate mentioned above.
WH: Nothing reported.
W’ton: nothing not already mentioned.
14. Tree Warden report – Nothing to report.
15. Lack of rural buses – HH had had a meeting with David Land : Head of Transport and Parkig at Hererford Council. See her paper at the end of this document. It was resolved to get some thing in the Withington News to encourage public feedback on using buses.
Action: HH will put together a questionnaire that can be left in the village shop, put out in the Withington News, on Facebook etc. IH offered to assist.
16. Listing Parish Assets – put forward by PA. As he wasnt here, this has been moved to September.
17. Any comments on correspondence received: None reported
18. Feedback on any training or meetings attended: KP attended a HALC training for new Councillors this week. He recommended others attend as he found the event very enlightening.
19. Items for Facebook Site and / or social media for WGPC
20. Receive items for the next agenda (no discussion) Buses. Parish Assets. NDP. Finance Reg. Councillor numbers.
21. Agreed time and date of next meeting AMENDED DATE: 4th September 2024 starting at 7.30pm at Withington Village Hall
The meeting closed at 9.30pm
Signed: _________________________ Date: _________________
Dates for 2024 meetings:
2024 dates
4th September 7.30 pm start
13th November 7.30 pm start
Appendix:
Paper from Hilary Holden regarding rural buses:
Notes from my meeting with David Land: Head of Transport and Parking at Hereford Council
After a bit of an email exchange initiated immediately after our last Parish Council meeting I finally met with David Land on June 18.
You probably noted the report last week that Herefordshire has received just under a million pounds to improve rural bus services from the BSIP (Bus Service Improvement Plan funded by money diverted from HS2) – very timely in view of my discussion with DL. The 426 from Ledbury to Hereford will be an hourly service. The 420 has also been earmarked for improvement.
A huge obstacle in Herefordshire is that the rural buses are run by 10 small operators – you can see the problems this can cause re agreement on any changes. A complete overview is needed! I pointed out transport is focused on Hereford and not the county and do not encourage us out of our cars because of the poor bus provision.
At present it is impossible to implement a multi ticketing system i.e. your ticket is valid across the all operators across Herefordshire because the different operators have different schemes.
The DFT in 2023 produced a 60 page report on the ‘Future of Transport’ – helping Local Authorities to unlock the benefits of technology &innovation in rural transport. The forward of the report was written by Jesse Norman! Page 32 looks at the role of local buses and acknowledges rural bus services can be a challenge to operate commercially. The government introduced the £2 fare cap in 2022 but some of the operators in Herefordshire didn’t take part!
The current council in Herefordshire have a car oriented focus and are very much in favour of reinstating the ‘Bypass’ believing it will relieve the appalling congestion on Hereford’s roads which we all know can be at gridlock on occasion.
Both Withington and Bartestree have seen huge growth over the last 5 years. I suggested a circular route – either direction from the bus station and out to Withington on the 4103 – circle the village and then cut through Whitestones towards Bartestree – a stop at the estate by the hospice heading back towards Bartestree and the bus station – smaller buses, hop on hop off facility, fixed fare. We need to make sure that buses are pushchair and wheelchair friendly.
DL was amenable to the idea and we discussed how we might get the views of residents.
• Posters in the shop, school, village hall, Village notice board.
• Communicate via Withington Face Book Group
• Questionnaire or an open meeting?
The big question is will residents use an improved service?
Craig Lewis is the Transport Services Manager and DL will discuss the 420 route with him.
The introduction of the Electric Buses was nothing to do with the Transport Department!
I would like to be optimistic about an improved service but there are so many negatives. However it is worth a try.
Hilary Holden
Withington Group Parish Council
3 July 2024