Withington Group Parish Council
Meeting Held on Wednesday 5th March 2025
At 7.30pm in Withington Village Hall
M I N U T E S
Present: In the Chair: Kevin Hewison (KH); Jonathan Beech (JB); Tom Nellist (TN); Paul Andrews (PA); Barclay Rogers (BR); Howard Mansell (HM); Kevin Powders (KP); Ingrid Heatly (IH); Bob Rudd (BR); Simon Dent (SD); Sue Rudd (SR); Ralph Barber (RB); Judith Howe (JH);
Also: Sophie Glover (Clerk), Ivan Powell (Ward Cllr); 5 members of public (who left after item 6.1 had been discussed) and Ed Bradford: Head of Highways and traffic at Herefordshire Council (who left at 8pm).
The Meeting opened at 7.30pm – The chair announced that he was moving house and leaving the area, meaning that this would be his last meeting as chair.
- 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.
A parishoner from Westhide commented on the possibility of asbestos at the proposed barn development in Westhide (agenda item 6.1). He informed the meeting of some of his comments made to the planning department in his objection to this application. They include that he wants to be notified in advance when the builders are removing the asbestos so that he & his partner can make the conscious decision to be away for that day.
He also voiced concerns about construction traffic using the narrow lane between his property and the development.
Finally he mentioned that should lorries use this lane, there is a significant bend right by its access onto the lane through the village, and he has major concerns about the safety of access and egress.
Another parishioner told the meeting that he had submitted an objection and that this had been circulated to Parish Councillors prior to the meeting.
A parishioner asked what the planning process actually was, and PA talked through the process for those present.
Ed Bradford had attended the open event earlier in the evening and he stayed to talk to WGPC. As head of highways and transport, for Herefordshire Council, he introduced himself and his role.
He reminded the meeting that the contract with Balfour Beatty ended in 2026. He is currently looking at who will be replacing them.
We have benefitted from an additional £8 million going into resurfacing the counties roads, with £5 million being committed to A and B roads and £3 million for C and U roads. A further £10 million will be put forward next year.
Early next month they will be resurfacing the junction of the A4103 and A465. Also, he confirmed that the junction of A4103 at Whitestone will be done in the near future.
He asked the PC what they actually wanted from the Highways department, and suggested that the PC consult amongst themselves and get back to him with their thoughts.
The Chair mentioned how good the Ward Councillors were as an interface between the Parish Council and Herefordshire Council. HM asked for better information as to what work was due to be done in the parishes so that we can communicate this to the parishoners.
RB asked how the PC could ask for slower speed limits in the heart of the village of Westhide, especially with the proposed new development. He also mentioned that the ATC readings for the development (2433165) were put up 2 days after the road through the village was closed – so they are completely invalid.
- To accept Apologies for absence – Steve Scotcher (SS); Hillary Holden (HH);
- To receive Declaration of Interests. None were raised.
i.Acceptance of minutes of the:-
January 2025 meeting minutes
Proposed: SD Seconded: PA
They were duly accepted as a true record of the meeting.
ii.Action Points from previous meetings.
Co-option of new councillor HM :Vikki Brown was proposed as a new cllr. Seconded by PA. All were in favour.
Action: Clerk to complete the relevant paperwork with Ms Brown.
Update on the possibility of wild flowers being put in the conservation area behind Vine Tree and elsewhere . This is ongoing.
- Open discussion/public forum
18 members of the public attended the open session that was held prior to the Parish Council meeting. Both Ed Bradford from Herefordshire Council and Ward Cllr Powell were kept busy with answering many questions put to them. There was also a stand for parishioners to see ideas for play equipment that is accessible to all and to put their thoughts on this scheme forward for the working group to consider.
5.1 Report from Ward Councillor – Cllr Ivan Powell, said that he will submit a ward report after tonights meeting. He talked through this report, attached at the end of these minutes.
In response to many questions at this evenings open event, he told the meeting that the vehicle monitoring on the A4103 is monitoring traffic following PC Stephen Hawes attendance at the meeting toward the end of last year.
PA and TN mentioned that a height sign on the Bridge at Radway should be in meters for the foreign drivers. It was suggested that the Parish Council might get these signs done.
Action: IP was to contact the land owner by the SID so that KP can get to the device to take the readings.This is on his list to attend to.
5.2 Local police – have news sheets that they send out each week. Also, they promote public events where they are available to chat to members of the public.
5.3 Balfour Beatty – Information sheets come out weekly and cllrs can comment on them. The new locality steward, Mike Gill has started, the clerk is meeting him to show him any outstanding issues in the Parishes this month. She asked for cllrs to tell her of any point that they wanted her to raise with him by the 10th of March.
6.1Applications: 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:-
243165 – Land and farm building at Townsend Farm, Westhide: Proposed demolition of existing farm buildings and erection of six dwellings, garages, drainage and related landscaping works.
Amongst other things, Westhide cllrs feel that they recommend objection to the application on the grounds of the amount of construction traffic, the poor state of the road through the village at the moment, raising concerns about how it would be after the construction. Concerns also about contamination, both air born and through the ground. Noise will also affect the neighbours in the heart of the village. They wanted residents to be informed about when work was going to happen. Westhide Cllrs also felt that the information was lacking, such as the spring water that was across the site and a resident had a right of access. This
was lacking from the planning statement. The ATC was invalid. Generally a lack of detail about the work that would occur. The working hours also should be restricted if this was to go ahead.
Proposal: to object to the application: JH Seconded:RB
All cllrs were in favour.
Action: clerk to submit the objection when it has been received from the Westhide cllrs.
250480 – 19 Farndon Rise, Withington: Certificate of Lawfulness use for proposed formation of habitable rooms in roof space with rear dormer and front rooflights.
PC has no comment on this application.
Action: Clerk to submit this comment.
6.2 Planning decisions made
None at this time.
- Working Parties
- a) on A4103/A465
The Chair had written a paper for the meeting, attached at the end of these minutes. His paper suggests that WGPC pay the lengthsman to put up repeater signs on the A465.
Actions: IP to find out, can we legally do this?
Clerk to ask the lengthsman the cost.
Clerk: Lengthsman approached to ask him if he would turn the camera round every month – at what cost?
Clerk: look at getting a ‘community speedwatch’ set up on the A465, approach Ian Connolly.
- b) School access working group
IH and HM said that they had made progress this evening at the open event. Rev Tiffany Jackson will speak with the Church Commissioners and the Diocesan Advisory Committee, led by Stephen Challenger the DAC secretary, about buying a strip of land to make a better, graded approach to the school. The headteacher, who attended the meeting, said that they had 48% SEND children at the school and she took questionnaires to pass out to interested parents so that the working group can collect their thoughts.
Action: questionnaires to be put in the village shop. HM and IH to collect and collate these findings.
- c) traffic calming in Withington – update from the meeting with Greg Speller.
In progress
- d) Withington Field working group –. Including the possibility of getting a grant towards funding ‘accessible for all’ play equipment. KP said that they had met with Dave Tristram who suggested that we should be able to get a grant from the Lottery or Sports for All. Tonight’s open event was the start of public consultation on this.
- e) Withington Village Hall – continuation of work at the hall. The hall is very viable and is financially very secure. They have just got lottery funding to replace the windows round the front door of the hall. They now have a new chair and a new treasurer.
- Withington Fields – Including: Seeing permission to engage the tree specialist to check the ash trees in the copse, progress of the shed to store the sand and sand bags, looking for ideas to rent out the football pitch.
All cllrs agreed to the arborist coming to check the copse for ash die back.
Action: Clerk to contact him.
On Withington folk there is talk of dog mess in the kids play area.
Action: PA to put out a message on social media explaining the dangers of dog/cat faeces especially to children, which is why the whole play area and football pitches are no dog zones.
- Financial:
a.Balances
Parish Account @ 27.02.25: £15,922.99;
WF Acct @ 05.02.25: £ 353.86
CCLA savings account @ 31.01.25: £15,367.82 Total: £ 31,644.67
b.To approve payments
Cheques to be paid
Parish Acct:- Already paid To be paid Totals
Clerks Salary February £ 842.95
March £ 842.95
Clerks Expenses Feb £ 28.38
March £ 42.49
Also to include Terra Recycling bags £ 135.00
Pip Printing (for open event) £ 72.77
Stationary and food for open event £ 20.00 £1,113.01
HMRC PAYE Feb £ 108.25
March £ tbc
Feb lengthsman invoices
Invoice TGC3077 Roads acct £ 559.20
Invoice TGC3078 Roads acct £ 276.00
Invoice TGC 3079 Roads acct £ 90.00
WVH meeting room Feb £ 20.00
ICO Data protection £ 52.00
TGC inv 3103 £559.20
TGC inv 3104 £267.60
TGC Inv 3105 £267.60
TGC inv 3079 £ 90.00
£ 2,349.41
Note: if we pay the ICO by Direct Debit, we save £5 a year. Finance committee have approved this to be set up.
Action: clerk to set up Direct Debit.
Internal Transfer: From Parish Acct to WF acct
For VAT reclaimed: £528.05
Withington Field Acct:- Already paid To be paid Totals
J Smith litter picker expenses
Pd by standing order Feb £90.00
Plus top up for extra time £22.50
Pd by standing order March £ 90.00
Terry Griffiths inv 3112 £ 48.00
Sentinel (CCTV Maintenance) £ 90.00
£ 138.00
Total cheques: £ 2,487.41
It was moved that all cheques should be paid.
Proposed: SR Seconded: JB All cllrs were in favour of making the payments.
c.Receipts:
Including refund for VAT £ 2,799
d.Application for Financial Aid: None at this time.
- Lengthsman Scheme – reminder of jobs outstanding and future jobs for the lengthsman.Update on the retendering process.
There were lots of accolades for TG and the work that he has done over the last years. Also the clerk explained about the drainage grant that is currently being worked towards. The current lengthsman is key to the delivery of this work, and it was proposed that we keep TG as our lengthsman for the next year, starting the retendering process for 2026 instead of this year. All cllrs were in agreement.
Action: Clerk to inform T Griffiths that we would like to keep him on as our lengthsman for the next year.
- Foot paths officers reports and identification of work to be done
PW: BR has had a complaint about footpath PW4 clerk to contact Sue Rudd to find out more. PA explained that PROW work now comes under Callum Bush’s team at the Council and the clerk will contact him when the exact location of the problem has been identified.
Also U72438 has broken fencing that is dangerous. Again clerk to secure the exact location, and then report it.
WH: All fine.
W’ton:Still outstanding problems as previously listed.
- Tree Warden report – nothing to report
- Comments on any correspondence received or emails circulated:
Nothing to report.
- SID update:
IP to get hold of the land owner to give us safe access. Clerk to contact Elan city to see if there are alternative ways to access the data.
- Feed back on training or meetings attended:
None reported.
- Items for Facebook Site and / or social media for WGPC
Football parents needed to use our pitch. Dog mess in the kids play area.
- Receive items for the next agenda (no discussion)
- Agreed time and date of next meeting: Annual meeting on 14th May 2025 starting at 7.00pm
The meeting closed at 9.10pm
Signed: _________________________ Date: _________________
Dates for 2025 meetings:
| Annual meeting | 14th May | 7.00 pm start |
| 9th July | 7.30 pm start | |
| 10th September | 7.30 pm start | |
| 12th November | 7.30 pm start |
Appendix 1.
Hagley Ward report March 2025
Firstly may I apologise for my impending absence for the next few weeks due to my forthcoming surgery, all being well I hope to be up and about by the end of April 2025.
For those who may not be aware our previous ward steward Lee Fishwick has changed his area of coverage, so my thanks to Lee for his work on the ward and a welcome to Mike Gill our new steward.
Autumn Budget and annual council budget setting
The Chancellor announced the Autumn Budget 2024 on 30 October 2024; a one-year spending review for 2025/26 with a multi-year spending review for subsequent years expected in Spring 2025.
The Council has worked through the implications of the Local Government Finance Policy Statement which was published 28 November 2024 outlining Government’s proposals for 2025/26 alongside longer-term plans for reforming local authority funding.
The November Policy Statement confirmed the introduction of new grant funding for local government across three priority grants:
- Recovery Fund
- Social Care Grant and
- Children’s Service’s Prevention Grant.
These grants are funded, in part, by the abolition of the Rural Services Delivery Grant and the Services Grant.
In the financial year 2024/25, the council received a total of £7.1 million across the two abolished funding sources:
- £6.9 million in Rural Service Delivery Grant funding and
- £0.2 million in Services Grant.
(A total of £6.6 million was received in 2023/24 and £7.6 million in 2022/23).
The previous allocation of Rural Services Delivery Grant recognised the increased financial pressures in delivering services in a rural county. Herefordshire has the fourth lowest population density in England (approximately 189,000 residents across 842 square miles) and, as such, the council faces specific challenges and additional costs in the delivery of services to sparsely populated communities: provider market insufficiency, a higher proportion of older residents with increased demand for services, limited access to health and support services, difficulties in the recruitment of health care and social workers and greater distances to access residents increasing costs in the provision of waste services, transport and social care.
Analysis from the Rural Services Network (RSN) highlights the impact of the abolition of these grants on rural communities, with many rural authorities receiving no increase in Core Spending Power in 2025/26 contrasting with substantial increases for urban metropolitan areas. This RSN analysis of 2025/26 funding values, reveals that urban authorities will receive 41% more in government funded spending power per capita compared with rural areas.
The Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 published 18 December 2024 confirmed the local authority allocation of redistributed grant funding across new priority grants.
The effect for Herefordshire was an overall reduction in Central Government grant funding of £3.0 million from £32.2 million in 2024/25 to £29.2 million 2025/26.
In addition to these facts the increase in employer’s national insurance contributions and increasing demands for social care add to local financial pressures. Many councils have struggled to get a balanced budget and have had to go to government for help, or have raised council tax over the threshold.
Against that backdrop Herefordshire Council is one of the first councils to set a balanced budget for 2025/6.
The top line figures are that we have a total net budget of £231 million, of which 149m is allocated to adults wellbeing and children’s services.
Children’s services
Children’s services continue to make forward progress in line with the refreshed and current improvement plan. Ofsted have recently conducted their sixth monitoring visit and their findings will be due for publication on 20th March 2025.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Inspection.
Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) are jointly responsible for the planning and commissioning of services for children and young people with SEND in Herefordshire.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission have recently conducted their joint inspection into SEND provision for those interested the full report is available here:
10327166 – Herefordshire Council – 80474 – final clean-145741.docx
The joint inspection identified the four following Areas for improvement:
The local area partnership must continue implementing recovery plans to reduce waiting times across health services, including therapeutic and diagnostic services.
The local area partnership needs to ensure that all children, young people with SEND, their families, and practitioners are well-informed about accessing the range of support services available to them while waiting for assessment and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental conditions.
The local area partnership needs to ensure sufficient capacity, stability and improved quality across all health services to improve service consistency, development and delivery.
The local area partnership needs to ensure that high-quality and accurate information regarding the range of services available to children and young people with SEND, their families, and professionals is promoted and communicated in an accessible form.
SEND will be re-inspected in three years’ time.
Highways maintenance
Herefordshire Council is responsible for 2000 miles of road and although we are investing more now than previously there are limits to what can be achieved.
The long spell of wet weather has made matters worse and, as anyone will tell you, it’s not the right weather to repair roads.
The cabinet are acutely aware of the problem of potholes throughout the county and have set aside more money this year to improve the situation.
I will be asking for some of that money to be allocated in local areas but other ward members will be equally putting in requests for their areas. If we had unlimited funds we would be able to do all of the roads, but by way of example the last time this was estimated the cost was £300m.
Devolution
I will circulate a separate report from the council’s Chief Executive for your information.
Ivan Powell
Ward Councillor
Appendix 2.
WGPC – A4103/A465 Road Safety
Working party recommendations:
- SID on A4103
- 40 MPH repeater signs in pairs on both roads
- Speed road markings
- By terminal signs 40/50
- By repeater signs
- A465 SID by Cross Keys
Update Feb 2025
SID installed Sept/Oct 2024 – Grant from PCC
No financial support from Herefordshire Council
Proposals for 2025/6
1.install new 40 mph repeater signs on A4103/A465
40mph signs = 300mm diameter,
Maximum distance between signs = 350m with a clear visibility distance of 40m
No minimum distance.
– Due to the large volume of traffic the repeater signs need to be double sided (2 per post) AND on both sides of the road to prevent obstruction due to the high traffic volume – single sided signs can result in ‘black spots’.
Recommended A4103 needs 5 pairs and A465 needs 2 pairs so a total of 7 pairs, 14 posts and 28 signs.
Cost of one post with 2 signs = £55, 14 posts =£770
As the lengthsman was allowed to put up the SID, we know that he has all of the paperwork required (by Hereford Council), what would he cost to put these up?
2.Consider other measures for 2026/7
However the SID will work in both directions on its present pole, but will need turning to face the oncoming traffic each month.
I would recommend that the SID is turned every month by the lengthsman.
KR Hewison
Feb 2025