Minutes of the Longsdon Annual Parish Assembly held on Thursday 2nd. May 2013 at The Rez Country Café, Sutherland Road, Longsdon, Staffordshire Moorlands.

Present: Councillors T. Beastall, L. Bills, R.P.A.Lovell, J. F. Sargeant, C. Taylor & S. R. Weston. District Councillor N. Hawkins.

In attendance: John Bourne, Clerk to the Council.

1. Apologies for Absence:

There were no apologies for absence.

2. Minutes of Last Annual Parish Assembly.

The minutes of the last Annual Parish Assembly held on Thursday 10th. May 2012 were read and approved as a true record.

3. Matters Arising.

The current Chairman, Councillor Sargeant, thanked all the members of the Council for their excellent attendance record at Council meetings, with Councillors Taylor & Weston having 100% records. He thanked Councillor Bills for being his deputy and for being the Council’s representative on Longsdon Memorial Hall Management Committee. He thanks Councillor Taylor for his support at the Moorlands Parish Assembly, and John Bourne, Clerk for preparing the minutes and financial reports etc.

He also mentioned the sad loss of Councillor Roy Dawson who had been impossible to replace.

4. To Receive a Report for the Year 2012 / 2013.

Councillor John Sargeant was re-elected as Chairman with Councillor Bills re-elected as Vice Chairman at the Annual General Meeting of the Council.

Councillors Sargeant and Taylor were again elected as the Council’s representatives on the Staffs. Moorlands Parish Assembly and Councillor Bills was re-appointed as the Council’s representative on the Longsdon Memorial Hall Management Committee.

John Bourne, Clerk to the Council, was appointed as the Responsible Financial Officer.

Councillors paid tribute to Councillor Roy Dawson who had sadly passed away. A vacancy on the Council still exists.

A revised Code of Conduct was received and this was adopted by the Council, but there were some issues with publication of personal information.

Estimates for the next financial year were prepared and the Council agreed, by a majority decision, that the current precept of £3,500 – 00 should remain unchanged. However, after the decision, further information was received from Staffs. Moorlands District Council setting out new arrangements, which had been received from Central Government, for calculating the precept. The Council would receive a grant of £122- 30 towards the precept making a nett figure required of £3,377 –70 instead of the agreed £3,500 – 00. In addition, in order to show a zero increase on the rate demands, due to the fact that it had been agreed that there would be no increase in rates, and due to the lower number of Band D properties, a revised figure of £3,351 - 74 had been applied for.

The annual accounts of the Council were submitted to the Audit Commission after the usual internal auditor had scrutinised them. There were no adverse comments from either auditor.

The Council’s Risk Assessment policy was also reviewed.

The Council awarded the usual grants to Dunwood First Responders Group in the sum of £600 – 00 and paid the annual maintenance charge for St. Chad’s church clock. It was agreed that a sum of £450 – 00 could be granted to St. Chad’s Church towards repairs, in the region of £2,000 – 00, to defects in the clock machinery, should the work take place.

After a request from Longsdon Memorial Hall Management Committee, a floor cleaner / polisher was purchased for the Hall in the sum of £472 – 50.

A wreath was again purchased for the Remembrance Day service and the village tubs were again planted for the summer period. One tub had been maintained by a private person but it was agreed that a letter of thanks be sent to that person and all the tubs be maintained by the normal contractor.

There was a suggestion that a beacon be sited in the parish to commemorate H. M. the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee but this had not come to fruition. There was support, however, given to a flower display and also a commemorative seat was purchased and sited in Denford Road. A letter of congratulation was forwarded to Anna Watkins on her achievements at the London Olympic Games. The Council’s normal contractor was again employed under the lengthsman schemes of Staffs. County Council and Staffs. Moorlands District Council with an overspend on each.

The Council’s own website has been set up to publicise the Council’s information.

The vandal damage to the bus shelter on the A53 opposite the old New Inn was repaired under the auspices of Staffs. Moorlands District Council.

Continuing requests for support were received from Endon Parish Council for the double white lines on the A53 to be extended near to the boundary between the parishes. The Council declined these requests due to the fact that visibility had been improved with the removal of hedging and trees at the entrance to the sewerage works and Staffs. County Council Highways Officer had reported that the current lines were meeting the necessary criteria.

After contacting Cheddleton Parish Council and Staffs County Council regarding the “temporary” length restriction signs erected to try to prevent large vehicles using Park Lane to Cheddleton, apart from a promise to review the matter by the County Council, the situation remains.

Numerous planning applications were commented on with no objections, but various comments were submitted in respect of proposals for the old New Inn site. The last proposal was for the erection of two dwellings on the car park in addition to the conversion of the present buildings. These proposals were approved by Staffs. Moorlands District Council in spite of the Council’s objections to the new buildings. The Parish Council has asked for clarification on one of the reasons for the approval.

The Council had occasion to report various dangerous dilapidated items on the old New Inn building.

Various items in connection with highways were duly reported to the highway authority and there were also visits to the parish by the Highways Community Team.

A request was received from Horton Parish Council asking for support for the change of name of Gratton Lane to Gratton Hall Lane. This did not gain support.

5. Any Other Business.

There was no business under this item.