Minutes of Meeting held on Friday 21st. August 2026 in the Longsdon Memorial Hall, Leek Road, Longsdon at 7.00pm.
Present: Councillor J. Sargeant (Chair).
Councillors D. Hughes, R. Lovell & K. Shaw.
In Attendance: John Bourne, Clerk to the Council.
15/26 Declarations of Interest.
There were no declaration of interest at this point.
16/26 Apologies for absence.
Apologies for absence were received from J. Cox & S. Dickinson & C. Hogan.
17/26 Chairman’s Address.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
18/26 Public Comments.
There was no business under this item.
19/26 Approval of Minutes of Last Meeting.
The minutes of the meetings held on 8th. May 2026 & 26th June 2026 had been circulated and it was agreed that the minutes be signed as a true record.
20/26 Matters Arising.
(a) Christmas Tree Power Supply.
Expert advice had been sought. It had recommended that the supply cable to the tree should be underground. An estimate for the work involved was awaited.
(b) Common Land.
It was reported that the sign for the land had collapsed. This to be investigated.
(c) Longsdon Memorial Hall.
It was reported that the AGM of the organisation had gone well and was well attended.
(d) Defibrillator Pads.
The new Defibrillator Pads had been obtained at a cost of £70-00 + VAT. The Chairman had fitted these and The Circuit, a national organisation, had been informed that the machine was ready for use.
(e) New Flower Tub.
The lengthsman had had to replace one of the village flower tubs.
21/26 Other Business.
It was reported that the main A53 through the village had been re-surfaced.
A report was given of a dangerous crumbling concrete inspection chamber cover in the pavement on the main road near to the church. This to be reported to BT/Open Reach.
22/26 Correspondence.
The following had already been distributed to Councillors: -
SMDC Call for Sites.
SMDC Smoke Control Area.
LGR Decision.
23/26 Planning Matters.
A report was given that the owners of the old New Inn had been instructed to demolish the building within a certain time scale.
24/26 Finance Matters.
(a) The end of year account details and the Notice of Public Rights had been published on the website. There were no responses received.
(b)The Chairman reported that he had set up internet banking with TSB Bank and had actually produced a bank statement for the evening’s meeting. He suggested that more of the Council’s signatories should sign onto the account’s internet banking. Councillors Hughes, Dickinson & Lovell were suggested.
(c) A copy of the quarterly Bank Account details was distributed to Councillors.
(d) Accounts to be paid-
1. Cheques made out for last meeting – never signed or presented.
| Recipient | Amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| J. A. Gibson | £ 96.00 | . SMDC Agency Work. (Litter Picking). |
| £ 72.00 | . County Council Work. | |
| £ 142.00 | . New Flower Tub, Compost, Plants & Planting. | |
| John Bourne. | £ 84.00 | . British Heart Foundation (Re-imbursement). |
| John Sargeant. | £ 25.00 | . Room Hire. (Re-imbursement). |
| Longsdon Memorial Hall. | £ 25.00 | . Room Hire. |
| Ionos. | £ 7.20 | . Paid by Direct Debit 13th. May 2026. |
| £ 7.20 | . Paid by Direct Debit 13th. June 2026. |
2. Payments for this meeting.
| Recipient | Amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| J. A. Gibson. | £ 168.00 | . SMDC Agency Wok (Litter Picking). |
| £ 24.00 | . County Council Work. | |
| £ 125.00 | . Supply Paint & Paint Bus Shelters. | |
| Information Commissioner. | £ 52.00 | . Data Protection Fee. |
| John Sargeant. | £ 25.00 | . Room Hire. (Re-imbursement). |
| Longsdon Memorial Hall. | £ 25.00 | . Room Hire. |
| John Bourne. | £ 371.18 | .Clerk’s Salary & Expenses. (Nett.) |
| H. M. Revenue & Customs. | £ 88.60 | . P. A.Y. E. |
| Ionos. | £ 7.20 | . Paid by Direct Debit 13th. July 2026. |
| £ 7.20 | Paid by Direct Debit 13th. August 2026. |
It was agreed that all the items be paid.
25/26 Public Comments.
There was no business under this item.
26/26 Items for Inclusion in the Agenda for the Next Meeting.
None.
27/26 Date of Next Meeting.
The date of the next meeting was arranged for Friday 16th. October 2026 at 7-00p.m.