Minutes of Meeting held on Thursday 28th. March 2024 in the Upstairs Room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon at 7.00pm.

Present: Councillor J. Sargeant (Chair).

Councillors J. Cox, S. Dickinson, C. Hogan, D. Hughes, R. Lovell & K. Shaw

In Attendance: John Bourne, Clerk to the Council.

Two Members of the Public.

14/24 Apologies for Absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

15/24 Declarations of Interest.

There were no declarations of interest at this point.

16/24 Chairman’s Address.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

At this point a report was given on today’s Staffs Moorlands Planning Committee meeting which had been monitored by two Parish Councillors. They reported on the discussions which had taken place on the Planning Application for the old New Inn site. The application had been recommended for refusal on Green Belt grounds by the Council’s Officers but the Committee had agreed to defer any decision until a later date.

Councillors Lovell & Shaw were thanked for their viewing of the meeting and for the report.

17/24 Public Comments.

A resident who lives on Leek Road gave a report of flooding on theA53 main road outside his residence which had been continual for the last six months. He had great delight in reporting that the blocked drain had now finally been cleared and the problem solved. He wished to thank the County & District Councillors for their help in the matter. He was thanked for his report

18/24 Approval of Minutes of Last Meeting.

Minutes of the meeting held on 8th. February 2024 had been circulated and it was agreed that the minutes be signed as a true copy.

19/24 Matters Arising.

(a)County Council Correspondence.

A suitable reply had been sent to Staffs County Council, with a copy to County Councillor Gill Heath, regarding the amazing reply from the County Council.

(b) Defibrillator Upgrade.

The spare parts has been received and fitted and The Circuit informed.

(c)Site for Christmas Tree.

A further discussion took place on the siting of the tree and it was agreed to contact the Memorial Hall for permission. Possible solar power lights were also mentioned.

(d) Lengthsman’s Instructions.

The lengthsman would be instructed to summer plant the village flower tubs and to be questioned about possible wild flower seeding to grass verges.

(e) Pelican Crossing.

County Councillor Gill Heath would be contacted to see if she could obtain a more realistic figure regarding the proposed upgrading of the Pedestrian Crossing to a Pelican type.

It was reported that some additional LED flashing lights had been sited on a crossing in an adjacent Authority’s area. These to be inspected and discussed at the next meeting.

20/24 Other Business.

The question of vehicle speeding in Denford Road despite the 30mph limit was mentioned. Various sorts of signs were mentioned but it was agreed to contact the P.C.S.O.s in the first instance for their input on the matter.

21/24 Correspondence.

The following had already been distributed to Councillors:-

Moorlands Climate Action - Newsletter.

Invite to SMDC Chairman’s Charity Night.

King’s Portrait Offer from Dame Karen Bradley M.P.

Healthwatch Survey.

Road Closure Notice for Dunwood Road.

Letter from Dame Karen Bradley M.P. – re Churnet Valley.

22/24 Planning Matters.

Comments had been sent in for the Planning Application from the last meeting.

Contact had been made with Staffs. Moorland District Council to ask about the current situation with the recent planning application for works on the old New Inn site. A reply had been received but this had now been overtaken by events reported earlier in the meeting.

23/24 Finance Matters.

(a) Precept Request.

The Precept Request for 2024/2025 had been accepted by Staffs. Moorlands District Council.

(b) Orders for Payment.

It was agreed that the following items be paid:

24/24 Public Comments.

Comments were received about the current state of the steps leading down from Sutherland Road down to the top canal. This was reported to be a serious Health and Safety issue and would be reported to the Canals & Rivers Trust for their investigation.

25/24 Items for Inclusion in the Agenda for the Next Meeting.

Listing of tasks for the Council’s Lengthsman to undertake.

26/24 Date of Next Meeting.

The dates of the next meeting was arranged for Thursday 16th. May 2024 at 7.00pm in the upstairs room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon.