Withington Group Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 17th November 2022
At 7.30pm in Withington Village Hall
M I N U T E S
Present: In the Chair: Kevin Hewison (KH); Alison Bainbridge (AB); Jonathan Beech (JB); Bob Rudd (BR); Sue Rudd (SR); Ingrid Heatly (IH); Howard Mansell (HM); Simon Dent (SD); Tom Nellist (TN);
Judith Howe (JH); Bob Wood (BW); John Bennetts (JBe); Anna Green (AG) left the meeting at 20.00;
Also: Sophie Glover (Clerk), 3 members of public and Paul Andrews (Ward Cllr) arrived at 20.55;
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.
Nothing raised as those present were there for item 7.1.
2. To accept Apologies for absence ;Julie Williams (JW); Barclay Rogers (BR);
Absent without apologies: Paul Hudd (PH);
3. To receive Declaration of Interests.
None received
4. Acceptance of minutes of the:- PC meeting (Sept 2022)
Proposed: TN Seconded: JH All were in favour.
They were duly accepted as a true record of the meetings.
5. Action Points from previous meetings.
From previous meetings completed or on agenda apart from : Policy on CCTV – this has been written and is currently awaiting authorisation , New bin for dog walking area – has been purchased and is with the lengthsman for installation.
Parking in the village: van parking on the pavement in Vine Tree, the Ward Cllr has approached enforcement, nothing has been done. Ward Cllr is checking on the covenants on these houses, it is thought that commercial vehicles should not be parked in the area, but it is being looked into. The vehicle parked on Withies Rd has been judged as not causing a problem by the police, however the Ward Cllr has put it to John Harrington who wanted to know more as he felt it was unacceptable.
6. Open discussion/public forum
6.1 Report from Ward Councillor – Cllr Paul Andrews had sent a written report – attached at the end of these minutes.
6.2 Local police – send monthly updates, please sign up to Neighbourhood Matters e mails for more information.
6.3 Balfour Beatty – Information sheets usually come out weekly and cllrs can comment on them. A new locality steward has now started for our area, Matthew Brookes. The Ward Cllr is doing a ‘ward walk’ with him next week and will point out a number of ongoing issues in Withington.
7. Planning –
7.1 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:-
214619: Land to the North-west of Westhide: Solar Farm The public were invited to make any comments on this application. The first point was a request to verify the change to the application at this point, this was done. The fact that with a reduced area of solar panels they are still saying that they can generate the same amount of power (24 megawatts). The question of the route to Dormington (which has not been published) was raised. It was felt that no decision should be made until the route has definitively been submitted.
Should it be necessary, Cllr Andrews would push this application to committee, this would give the PC a definite chance to stipulate their views on the route.
The Chair proposed that the PC make no further objection to the solar panel scheme at this time. Seconded by JBe but it was moved that there were more comments to be heard from the floor.
From the public – further concerns were raised and it was felt that these should be discussed, they included the sound from the scheme and the drainage. A member of the public identified that he lives closest to the substation and is very concerned about the noise, whereby the chair raised the point that noise is only generated when the panels are generating power ie during the day.
Ref the drainage, all that is being proposed is an attenuation pond, basically a big pit with no landscaping seems to be in mind. It was raised that run off from these fields causes flood problem to some dwellings already. More information is being sought by Hereford Council on this matter.
Ref the current application boundary; this has not been amended, four fields are not having solar panels on them but the land is still in the application. JBe explained that this was actually a possible benefit as the hedges that screen the site are protected. But it was accepted that it did seem likely that further development might be sought in the future, all be it that this would require a further planning application.
Ref the Community Fund: it was felt that this should be for the life of the project and not time limited.
BR asked if as a Cllr who lives in Preston Wynne and represents Withington could he abstain from voting as he didn’t feel that he was properly briefed. The Chair assured cllrs that they could abstain from voting should they wish to.
AB proposed an amendment that included further information on 7 bullet points including a) the route, b) drainage c) trees d) noise e) access. etc as per our previous comment to this application.
Chair withdrew his earlier proposal, going with the group feeling as below.
Action: proposed that the clerk should write to the planners asking for an extension for our comment and saying that we can not make a decision until we have information as outlined above, also we asked for some conditions to be considered/added to the TEKSS application, this has not yet been done. PC approved that the clerk makes the initial approach.
Licencing Application: Fortis et Fides: wanting an extension to their licencing.
There were no objections to this application.
Action: None.
7.2 Planning decisions made:
7.3 Herefordshire Local Plan : JH attended a work shop last week, consultation document should be coming out in February 2023.
8. Agreement sought for storage of PC data: Clerk asked to approach 365and identify suitable cloud storage through them.
Action: Clerk to source suitable access to a secure cloud storage system.
9. Financial:
a. Balances
Public Sector Deposit Fund (30.09.22) £ 16,117.71
Lloyds Parish Acct (11.10.22) £ 21,429.25
Lloyds Withington Field Acct (11.10.22) £ 5,097.83 £42,667.95
b. Cheques to be paid
Parish Acct:-
Clerks Salary £1,300.66
Tax adjustment £1,011.60
Clerks Expenses £ 28.04 £ 2,340.30
HMRC PAYE £ 0
Chris Rudd, Electrician for defib in PW £ 200.00
Withington Village Hall room booking £ 68.50
Insurance (if approved at tonights meeting) £ 933.77
Diane Mally – Payroll £ 60.00
£ 3,602.57
Withington Field Acct:-
Countrywide Grass Cutting inv 256747 £ 270.00
Countrywide Grass Cutting inv 261722 £ 180.00 £450.00
Withington Village Hall MUGA electrics £ 89.28
Glasdon for new litter/dog poo bin £ 187.30
Voluntary litter picker expenses- P Meredith £ 50.00
Litter Picker expenses – Joe Smith £ 75.00
£ 851.58
Total cheques: £ 4,454.15
It was moved that we should continue with our current insurance – as we are in a 3 year tie in currently.
All cheques should be paid.
Proposed:TN Seconded: BW All cllrs were in favour of making the payments.
c. Receipts: None – drainage grant is still in the process of being paid to us.
d. Application for Financial Aid: None
e. Precept discussion
The Chair explained that there is more, occupied housing in our wards than last year, so there are more people to pay the council tax, the finance group proposed that we keep the precept at £32,000 so that people do not see a larger amount of their money coming our way.
KH proposed SR Seconded. All in favour
Action: Clerk to submit WGPC’s precept request.
f. Approval sought for : renewal of PC Insurance: This was given.
Clerks incremental salary increase as put forward by NALC and to be backdated to April 2022.
Proposed KH Seconded HK all in favour.
Action: Clerk to inform payroll
10. Withington Fields –
Bin is in the process of being fitted.
Action: None
11. Working parties:-
a- A4103/A465: KH , PA and clerk had a zoom meeting with the council team who are dealing with S106 monies. Discussion included the monies remaining for the changing rooms/loos at Withington, (£43,627) all of this money needs to be spent by the end of 2023. KH asked for the council to contact the builder to see if they would transfer some or all of this money to traffic calming in the village, it was emphasised that they were under no obligation to do so. Should this fail, AB suggested that we look at putting some loos at the back of the hall for the football club to use, which was agreed as an alternative.
Traffic Calming: We had hope that this might fall under S106, it was looked at under CCM271, but it was felt by Herefordshire Council that it should be S106. KH has asked the S106 team to get all of the paperwork to check that it can be paid from these funds.
Vine Tree Close: start of Vine Tree Close needs resurfacing. This should have been done by the developers, but they will relook at it. A new foot path was also suggested along Veldo Lane. BW asked for a replacement sign for the end of his Cul-de-sac saying ‘access only for numbers x-y), he asked the Council if they would pay for an official sign. He had already paid for one sign himself and this has been removed. It was proposed to pay up to £200 for this by TN Seconded: BR 11 in favour, 1 abstaining.
Action: BW and KH to order the sign
Traffic Calming: they will ask BB for all of the information they will then pass on the details to Acorn who are their agents to look further into this.
b- traffic calming in Withington and school access.
KH is talking to the diocese about the land for access
12. Lengthsman Scheme – identification of jobs for the lengthsman.
Fit the new bin at the dog walking area. Move current bin from there to be by the stile at the coppice.
Action: clerk to remind the lengthsman to do the work.
13. Foot paths officers reports
PW: Two signs to be ordered one footpath and one bridle path. BR to email clerk with locations. New road sign for Withies Close, PA is doing a village walk with the localities steward and he will bring this to his attention then.
WH: all clear.
W’ton: JBe: PRoW have gone back into the council, but that member of staff has left, a new member of staff is now in place and JBe is in contact with them. Mr King at Nunnington Court Farm is being contacted by enforcement to ensure that the diverted path is approved.
14. Tree Warden report – Ingrid Heatly the Tree Warden, had no report this month.
15. Feedback on any training or meetings attended: None attended at this time other than previously mentioned.
16. Update on defibrillators
Westhide defib was to be fitted in the Lychgate now looking for other locations due to the cost implications of getting electrics out to them.
Action: JH, clerk and Westhide cllrs to continue to identify final location.
17. Items for Facebook Site and / or social media for WGPC AG is the link person for Social media. Put on social media the energy grants from Keep Herefordshire Warm.
18. Receive items for the next agenda (no discussion)
19. Agreed time and date of next meeting: 19th January 2023 starting at 7.30pm
Meeting finished 21.20
Signed: _________________________ Date: _________________
Dates for 2023 meetings:
New dates for 2023 19th January 7.30 pm start
16th March 7.30 pm start
18th May 7.30 pm start
13th July 7.30 pm start
14th September 7.30 pm start
16th November 7.30 pm start
Appendix
17th November 2022 Councillor Ward Report.
Good evening all,
Please accept my apologies if I could not make this evening’s meeting.
I will be available at the next breakfast morning at the village hall which is held on the first Saturday of the month if you would like to speak to me regarding any issues you have in a private setting.
I am having a ward tour with the new BBLP locality steward Matthew Brookes next week which I will bring up the issues that have been reported to me by residents in the last couple of weeks. Please keep reporting issues by using the Hereford report app when possible. If you have any that you would like to bring up with the steward please email me or the clerk.
I have reported to the police a parking issue in Vine Tree Close and have had a reply which has not resolved the issue as yet but I will keep you updated on this.
I would like to mention about the energy efficient grants that available from Keep Herefordshire warm. There are grants available for new boilers and solar panels among other energy saving products/services. Details are on the Herefordshire Council website or please feel free to contact myself.
Please remember there is help for Council tax and the cost of living also.
Any questions please send them to Clerk.
Best wishes,
Ward Cllr Paul Andrews