Minutes of the Longsdon Annual Parish Asembly held on Thursday 26th. May 2011 at The Rez Country Café, Sutherland Road, Longsdon, Staffordshire Moorlands.

Present: Councillors T. Beastall, R. Dawson, L. Bills, R.P.A.Lovell, J. F. Sargeant & S. R. Weston.

District Councillor N. Hawkins.

Six Members of the Public.

1. Apologies for Absence:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor C.E. Taylor.

2. Minutes of Last Annual Parish Assembly.

The minutes of the last Annual Parish Assembly held on Thursday 27th. May 2010 were read and approved as a true record.

3. Matters Arising.

Questions were raised about the saga of the pond area in School Lane. These were duly answered.

4. To Receive a Report for the Year 2010 / 2011.

Councillor R. Dawson was re-elected as Chairman with Councillor T. Beastall re-elected as Vice Chairman at the Annual General Meeting of the Council.

Councillors Sargeant and Taylor were elected as the Council’s representatives on the Staffs. Moorlands Parish Assembly and attended meetings during the year.

Councillor J. Deaville, having failed to attend any meeting during a six month period was deemed to have become disqualified as a Councillor. The Electoral Office was duly informed and it declared a vacancy on the Council. No person applied due to the close proximity of the parish council elections.

After studying estimates for the next financial year, the Council agreed, again, that due to the current economic climate, the precept of £3,500 – 00 would remain unchanged for the coming year.

The One Year Fixed Term Bond which was opened with Leek United Building Society in the sum of £3,000 – 00 matured in December and the capital, plus interest to date, was transferred to a new One Year Fixed Rate Bond with the same Society.

The annual accounts of the Council were again checked by the Council’s internal auditor and then forwarded to the Audit Commission. They were returned with no adverse comments.

Information was received from H.M. Customs & Revenue that the Council would need to register as the Clerk’s salary would, in future, be subject to P. A. Y. E. rather than the present system of self-employment. This was to be done at the appropriate time.

The Council awarded a grant of £600 – 00 to the Dunwood First Responders Group and also a grant of £400 – 00 to the Management Committee of Longsdon Memorial Hall for help with the annual Rose Queen’s event. The annual maintenance charge for St. Chad’s clock was again paid. A wreath was again purchased for the Remembrance Day service at St. Chad’s Church. The Land Registry had informed the Council that its land stocks could be registered at a reduced rate. It was agreed that the common land should be registered and this was duly registered but with Possessory Title as no actual deeds or conveyances were to hand. Efforts are continuing to try to register two bus shelter parcels of land which were donated to the Parish Council in the past.

An offer to register with the Parish On-line service for mapping purposes, with Staffs. Moorlands District Council offering a grant to the first year’s subscription, was accepted.

The Council arranged for suitable plants to be planted in the tubs around the village both for the summer and winter periods. The tub adjacent to the village hall continued to be maintained voluntarily by a local family.

A new polycarbonate panel was fixed to the notice board in Sutherland Road to replace one which was becoming opaque.

The village lengthsman continued to be employed throughout the year under the two normal schemes with Staffs. Moorlands District Council and Staffs. County Council. All the allocated monies were claimed in full.

Further correspondence was received from the Information Commissioners’ Office after another complaint from the owner of the pond area in School Lane. The history of the case was forwarded to the office and the Commissioner then advised that the matter would not be proceeded with.

During this case, and in the light of press reports, it was agreed that names would not be recorded in the minutes.

Continuing requests for double white lines near to the Wheel public house on the A53 Leek Road and near to the sewage works at Endon have received no response. However, re-kerbing and re-surfacing work in the area of the Wheel public house is taking place with a closure order for Sutherland Road and a temporary speed limit proposed. This may result in changes to the white lines and also a requested change to double yellow lines in Sutherland Road.

County Councillor Gill Heath attended a meeting of the Council to ascertain the nature of the Council’s objections to the proposed closure of Footpath No. 24 in Dunwood Lane. Councillors felt that a precedent could be set if owners of land were allowed to close a public footpath and then apply retrospectively to have a closure order implemented.

An application received for a diversion to Footpath No. 4 in Dunwood Lane was supported by the Council.

A privately activated Modification Order for the footpath known as the Cinderpath, which passes a short distance through the parish, was supported. This was to have the path registered, as the adjacent disused railway line through the area, which was currently used as a footpath, had been proposed for re-opening. The Chairman of the railway society had visited the Council to explain the plans for the re-opening of the line.

The requested Village signs in Denford Road and Sutherland Road to delineate the boundaries between Longsdon and Cheddleton parishes had been fixed by Staffs. County Council. The repairs to the damaged canal bridge in Denford Road were completed after numerous requests to British Waterways.

The Community Highway Team from Staffs. County Council again visited the parish and carried out various small works around the parish.

Various planning matters were discussed with an objection to a storage building on a site in Leek Road, Endon being forwarded.

A proposal to re-design the old New Inn and to transform it in two dwellings was supported but this application was later withdrawn as more information on the advertising of the sale of the building was required by Staffs. Moorlands District Council.

Excessive signage on the A53 for a touring caravan site in Devils Lane, unauthorised stables in Denford Road / Micklea Lane and excessive noise, dust etc and possible contravention of working hours etc at Hawthorne Cottage were reported to the Planning Dept. at Staffs. Moorlands District Council.

Due to the exceptional adverse weather conditions during the winter months, Staffs. County Council kept the Council informed of its efforts to repair the multitude of potholes which had been formed throughout the parish.

The Council sent its grateful thanks to a parishioner who had used his machinery, voluntarily, as snow plough to help to clear snow from roads in the parish.

A request for major repairs to Gratton Lane was forwarded to the County Council.

5. Any Other Business.

A member of the public, with connections to Hawthorne Cottage, Leek Road, gave details of the years of occupation of part of the premises which was the subject of a planning application. Councillor Bills declared a personal interest in the matter.