Minutes of Meeting held in the upstairs room of The Wheel on Thursday 30th. November 2017.

Present: Councillor J. Sargeant (Chair).

Councillors T. Beastall, R. Lovell, D. Sargeant, K. Shaw, S. R. Weston.

In Attendance: John Bourne, Clerk to the Council.

55/17. Apologies for Absence.

Apologies for absence were received from District Councillor N. Hawkins.

56/17. Declarations of Interest.

There were no declarations of interest at this point.

57/17. Chairman’s Address.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked Councillor Lovell for presenting the Remembrance wreath on Sunday 12th. November 2017.

He also thanked Councillor Weston for bringing to his attention two planning applications.

He reported that he had attended the Staffs. Moorlands Parish Assembly in October where there was a presentation from the County Council which informed delegates that the County Council has no money and is looking to local Councils to assist with tasks that used to be its responsibility, but the County would continue to fulfil its statutory obligations in respect of maintaining the road network. Delegates refuted this claim. A copy of the presentation, covering Highways, Rights of Way, Home Care, Libraries etc, was presented to each Councillor.

There was also a discussion on the Staffs. Moorlands Local Plan – Preferred Options as they relate to smaller villages. This was regarding the possible removal of infill boundaries.

58/17. Public Comments.

There was no business under this item.

59/17. Minutes of Last Meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 5th. October 2017 had been circulated. It was agreed that they be signed as a true and correct record.

60/17. Matters Arising.

The invoice received from Thomson Reuters for the purchase of the Parish Councillors’ Guide Books had been amended to show the printed price on the books and this had been paid.

Due to an article in a recent issue of Clerks & Councils Direct it was agreed to investigate the legal ownership of the Memorial Hall.

61/17. Correspondence.

An email had been received from a resident of Gratton Hall Lane who had reported a number of highway issues to the County Council but these had received no action. It was agreed to contact the County Council, with a copy to County Councillor Heath, about the problems.

A report had been received about damage to the front panel of the defibrillator cabinet outside the Memorial Hall. The translucent panel had been broken. Enquiries would be made for the availability of a replacement.

Further dates in January 2018 had been received from Karen Bradley M.P. inviting anyone to meet her for a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. Poster with details displayed on notice board.

Other information received was:

Staffs. County Council Rights of Way Consultation.

Changes to Subsidised Bus Journeys in Staffordshire.

Civic Voice – Big Conservation Conversation.

Interactive Speed Signs suggestion from Police & Crime Commissioner.

Invitation to enter Best Kept Village Competition 2018 from Community Council of Staffs.- no action.

Invitation to the Opening of the new Samaritans Centre in Leek.

Clerks & Councils Direct – November 17 issue.

62/17. Planning Matters.

The following planning applications had been distributed to Councillors due to the time frame and it had been agreed to forward no objections to:

SMD/2017/0516 Erection of Detached Dwelling at Highfield House, School Lane.

SMD/2017/0647 Proposed Dwelling & Detached Garage on land off Micklea Lane (by a majority decision).

SMD/2017/0657 Demolition of Existing Garage / Store and Construction of New Replacement Garage at Hilwyn Farm, School Lane.

It was agreed to OBJECT to SMD/2017/0613 Outline Planning Application for up to Three Dwellings on land South of Hill Crest, Sutherland Road on the following grounds:

The site is within the Green Belt with no special circumstances.

The proposal cannot be classed as infill.

Extra traffic will cause extra congestion when egressing Sutherland Road onto the A53 main road.

Land remaining at rear of site could possibly be reserved for further future development.

Suggestion that the site should be the subject of a clean up to restore it to former agricultural usage.

The following planning applications were discussed and it was agreed to offer no objections to;

SMD/2017/0674 Removal or Variation of a Condition Ref’ SMD/2014/0748 at Wyndene, Leek Road.

Councillors agreed to OBJECT to the following planning applications:

SMD/2017/0705 Conversion of Existing Redundant Stable into 1 Bedroom Single Storey Dwelling with Extension at The Stable, Mollarts Wood Road, on the grounds that the site is in the Green Belt and the proposal cannot be classed as infill and there are no special circumstances.

*SMD/2017/0694 Outline Planning Permission with all matters reserved for the Erection of a Single Dwelling at High View, Sutherland Road.

on the grounds that the site is in the Green Belt and the proposal cannot be classed as infill and there are no special circumstances. In addition a retrospective application in April 2011 for an additional entrance on the site stated that the land was agricultural.

*Councillor Shaw abstained from voting on this application.

63/17. Finance Matters.

Notice had been received from Leek United Building Society that the Council Fixed Rate Bond would mature on 29th. December 2017. It was agreed to re-invest the maturing balance together with a further £1,000 – 00 in to a new One Year Member Only Fixed Rate Fixed Term Bond. Signatories to be Councillors J Sargeant, T Beastall and R. Lovell.

Notification had been received that Mazars LLP had been appointed as the Council’s External Auditor. It was agreed to inform Mazars that Longsdon Parish Council is an Exempt Authority for the purposes of the Local Audit Regulations.

64/17. Orders for Payment.

The following accounts had already been paid due to the time scale:

Thomson Reuters. £ 31 – 90. Councillors Guide Books (amended invoice).

Getmapping plc. £ 33 – 60. Parish Online Fee.

These payments were sanctioned.

It was unanimously agreed that the following items be paid:-

65/17. Public Comment.

There was no business under this item.

66/17. Any Other Business.

Items for report included:

blocked road gully on the A53 opposite Nether Stanlow Farm - Repeat ) Staffs. County Council.

deep pothole in Honeysuckle Lane. ) Fly Tipping in Devils Lane – Staffs. Moorlands District Council.

The benches in Micklea Lane and Sutherland Road were in need of some attention but these to be left until the Spring.

The information board on the A53 opposite the New Inn was reported to be in need of attention. This would be inspected.

67/17. Date of Next Meeting.

The next meeting of the Council will be held at 7 - 00p.m. on Thursday 25th. January 2018 in the upstairs room of The Wheel public house, Leek Road, Longsdon.