Minutes of Meeting held on Thursday 5^th August 2021 in the Upstairs Room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon at 7.00pm.

28 / 21. Apologies for Absence.

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

29 / 21. Declarations of Interest

There were no declarations of interest at this point.

30 / 21. Chairman’s Address.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked Councillor Hawthorne for her attendance at the last meeting of the Longsdon Memorial Hall Management Committee.

31 / 21. Public Comments.

There was no business under this item.

32 / 21. Approval of Minutes of Last Meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 17th June 2021 had been circulated and it was agreed that they be signed as a true and correct record.

33 / 21. Matters Arising.

(a) Vacancies.

Four applications for the vacancies had been received from electors.
After one ballot Simon Dickinson & Jacquetta Bode were duly co-opted onto the Council

(b) Bus Shelter.

Contact had been made, again, with the suppliers of the new bus shelter regarding the delayed missing parts. These had now arrived and the contractor had fitted them and the shelter was now in use.

(c) Details of Remembrance Sunday Items.

The sheets of the red polypropylene had been purchased for the poppies. The Chairman had managed to obtain a template and produced an example for the meeting. This was accepted and the Chairman was thanked for his efforts.

(d) Longsdon Memorial Hall.

Councillor Hawthorne, the Council’s representative on the Longsdon Memorial Hall Management Committee gave an extensive report on the meeting of the Committee held on 3rd August 2021.

She gave details of the use of the hall for the school which was held in a secure situation, the Charity status of the hall, the daily usage of the facility and also a complaint from a neighbour of the school. The Committee had been reformed and would be holding monthly meetings in the future. An advertisement for more members would be published. There would also be more public consultation on matters in the future. The school was circulating an explanatory letter to all residents of the village.

It was agreed to continue with the requests for “School” signage on the main A53 road with County Councillor Heath and also to contact the school which it appeared would have to pay for any signs.

The Chairman thanked Councillor Hawthorne for her comprehensive report.

(e) Dog Waste / Litter Bin.

The Clerk reported on contact he had made with the Staffordshire Moorlands District Councillor with the Environmental Portfolio regarding a replacement litter bin on the canal towpath near Horse Bridge. After much discussion he was instructed to submit a litter bin request form to the Moorlands Council which was duly done. A telephoned reply, later confirmed in writing, gave various reasons why a bin could not be provided due to there being no agreement between the Moorlands Council and the Canals & River Trust etc. etc. It was agreed that no further action could be taken at present.

(f) Refurbishment of Parish Benches.

The Council’s lengthsman had been instructed to paint the public seats in accordance with his estimate. It was reported that the lengthsman had provided the additional flower tub next to the public seat in Denford Road and had also replanted all the village tubs.

(g) Late Highway Reports.

The Chairman gave details of a very belated acknowledgement of highway complaints that he had made some time ago. One of the faults had still not been completed successfully.

34 / 21. Other Business.

(a) The Chairman reported that he had been contacted by a member of the Leek Show Committee who had informed him that it was proposed to hold Leek Show 2022 in fields within the Parish.

(b) ) A report was given that the postal box In Micklea Lane had been sealed over to prevent its use. Royal Mail would be contacted for an explanation.

35 / 21. Correspondence.

Already distributed to Councillors :

  Staffordshire Moorlands Climate Action Newsletter.    
  Micklea Lane Road Closure Notice.  
 
Letter had been received from the Chair of Endon Parish Council asking for support for the provision of seats on the Caldon Canal from the City Boundary to Froghall. As this part of the canal did not pass through the parish and the Council has already provided seats on the Leek Arm of the canal no action would be taken.

36 / 21. Planning.

 
The following planning applications have been distributed to Councillors due to the time scale and no objections were received to:

• SMD/2021/0387 Replacement Single Storey Side Extension & Detached Single Garage at
  
  • Greendale, Denford Road, Longsdon.
  •  
• SMD/2021/0433 Conversion of Existing Outbuilding to Form Single Holiday Unit at Lapwing Farm,
  • Devils Lane, Longsdon.
• For this application it was agreed that a rider should be added that the Holiday Unit should not be used as a permanent residence.
•  
• SMD/2021/0449 Application for Variation of Conditions1 & 6 following Grant of SMD.2018/0698 on
  
  • Land adjacent to Whitehaven, Leek Road, Longsdon.
  •  
• SMD/2021/0455 Erection of Twin Span Polytunnel at Proctors Nursery, Leek Road, Endon.

37 / 21. Finance Matters.

(a) The Exemption Certificate for an External Audit had been submitted and the Annual Accounts information had been posted on the Council’s Website.

(b) The Clerk had written to the Chief Executive Officer of the Moorlands Council to ask for an explanation regarding the late payment of the half yearly Lengthsman invoices. A lengthy reply with apologies had now been received and the £400.00 due had been paid into the Council’s bank account. The purchase order for the current year had also been received.

(c) A quarterly Finance Statement was distributed to Councillors.

(d) Orders for Payment.

It was agreed that the following items be paid:

38 / 21. Public Comments.

The member of the public suggested that the two wooden bus shelters should be painted green to match the new metal shelters. It was agreed that this matter be investigated and an estimate obtained for the work.

39 / 21. Items for Inclusion in the Agenda for the Next Meeting.

Determination of positions for the display of the Remembrance Poppies.

40 / 21. Date of Next Meeting.

The date of the next meeting was arranged for Thursday 23^rd September 2021 at 7.00pm in the upstairs room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon.