Minutes of the One Hundredth and Twenty Third Annual Parish Meeting held in The Memorial Hall, Salford Priors on Wednesday 26th April 2017.
Present: Councillors: K Littleford (Chairman), L Maude, J Stedman, K James, D Penn, A Green, T Shale, W Godwin
Also in attendance: 5 members of the public.
| 1. | Apologies for absence: Cllr Quiney |
| 2. | To agree the wording of the Minutes of the 2016 Annual Parish Meeting
The Minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 26th April 2017 had been distributed to Council Members on 17th May 2017. Copies of these Minutes were provided for members of the public in the meeting hall. There were no corrections. The Minutes were signed by the Chairman. |
| 3. | Report on Matters Arising from the Minutes:
The Chairman reported that any matters arising from the Annual Parish Meeting are dealt with at the next meeting of the Parish Council and are discharged through this process. The Chairman asked the Clerk to summarise the responses to and status of Matters Arising from the 2016 APM minutes. These related to: Provision of Microphone Facility in the Memorial Hall. Microphones have been tested recently and an order was placed for 2 new “gooseneck” microphones, one of which was being tested at tonight’s meeting. |
| 4. | To receive the Parish Council’s Annual Report presented by the Chairman:
The Chairman read the Chairman’s Annual Report for the year 2016-2017. The report highlighted the Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish of Salford Priors which has now reached its final stage, with a referendum taking place on Thursday 4th May, following the hard work by residents and Councillors. It also highlighted the provision of four replacement streetlights in the Ban Brook area with a renewal programme of other streetlights having been agreed over the next few years. A copy of the annual report is attached to these minutes as Appendix A and will also be available on the community website. |
| 5. | Public Open Forum:
The Chairman declared the meeting open to questions from the audience. Points raised: 1) What is the current progress of the Minerals Plan? – no feedback has been received. 2) What does restoration to low grade agriculture mean? – this is a restoration level to arable instead of horticultural use which could mean rapeseed or cereals. However, developers could still put a planning application in even if the site is not included in the Minerals plan. 3) What news is there from the school? – the Parish Council did approach the Headteacher to see if she wanted to attend or provide a statement however received no response. There is a meeting being held for parents next week it is hopeful information will be received by the next Parish Council meeting. 4) What progress has there been regarding provision of a bench in Peggy Pane’s name? – a group has been formed from the Hall Committee for readying the memorial area for 2018 celebrations. It is anticipated a bench will be placed in this area. 5) Consider the possibility of a trim track on the playing field – The Parish Council are meeting with a representative from a play equipment company to re-look at the refurbishment of the playing field. The section 106 monies will amount to £17,500 which is for play equipment for the village. It is hoped the Parish Council will be able to present some ideas to the residents at the June fete. 6) Has any progress been made about widening the footpath on Station Road by the new estate? It is still with County Council Highways and Bovis to come to a solution. Bovis are not contracted to do anything until they have sold every house and they are having an issue with the rental properties – they have not yet been taken up by a Housing Association as there are so few houses. 7) It was noted that some footways have been improved by the Community Payback Team and could the Parish Council make more use of this team? Residents were advised to inform the Clerk of any footways that need clearing. 8) Review of Lighting – one resident was very glad to hear about the review of lighting as Evesham Road is very dark. The Chairman pointed out that it is only current lighting that is being reviewed, however should residents feel there is a problem area then they should inform the Clerk. 9) One question raised was, owing to the low turnout, whether this meeting could be considered by the Parish Council to be held prior to a normal Parish Council meeting, instead of a special evening. This to be considered for the next Parish Council meeting. 10) To find out if it is possible to obtain a speed sign stating the speed being driven at – whilst other local County Councils provide these to some villages Warwickshire County Council do not. 11) Some residents attended a speed gun training course this week and it was pointed out that there is a 30mph speed sign missing by the new Bovis estate on Station Road. Clerk has looked into this and has been informed by County Highways that it will be put back in position. Mrs Pam Seville thanked all the Parish Councillors on behalf of the residents for the time they spend on behalf of the residents. Matters introduced by residents under Open Forum 5 will be included for discussion by Councillors at the next Ordinary Parish Meeting to be held on Wednesday 17th May 2017. The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the Annual Parish Meeting and, there being no other business, closed the meeting at 20.05 pm |
Appendix A – Salford Priors Parish Council – Chairman’s Annual Report 2016 – 2017
| Salford Priors Parish Council
ANNUAL REPORT 2016 – 2017 |
Period of Report:
This Annual Report covers the work of Salford Priors Parish Council for the period commencing:
1st April 2016 and ending 31st March 2017.
Chairman’s Introduction:
Welcome to your Annual Parish Meeting. This is your meeting, providing all residents with the opportunity to voice their personal views, to ask questions and to make requests concerning future events and activities.
The third year of my chairmanship has certainly been a busy one but still very rewarding and enjoyable. I feel very proud and privileged to be Chair of this Council. All Parish Councillors receive no monetary reward for their time and commitment to the Parish Council and on behalf of all parishioners I would like to thank them for their continued commitment. In October, we regrettably accepted the resignation of three Councillors. I wish to place on record the Council’s appreciation for all the hard work of Lyndsay Wright, who served for 6 years, Tom Littleford and Pat Dare who both served for 18 months. In December, we welcomed two new Councillors – Will Godwin and Tony Shale and the return of Anthony Quiney. I hope they all find their time on the council as rewarding as I have.
Parish Council Meetings:
The Parish Council have held 12 Ordinary Meetings, a Budget Preparation Meeting and an Extraordinary Meeting. A total of 108 members of the public attended meetings, the Extraordinary Meeting on the 1st February 2017 saw the New Interim Head Teacher of the primary school give an update on the school following Ofsted’s decision to put the school into special measures. The Council then gave an update on the Warwickshire County Council Minerals Plan Consultation and the Council’s response. In addition to the monthly council meetings, Councillors attended various working group meetings and represented the Council on various local outside bodies. A full list of working groups and group membership is available on the community website. Two new working groups have been set up this year which are Christmas Light Switch-on and Battles Over – A Nation’s Tribute event for November 2018.
Attendance by Councillors:
Councillor’s attendance at these meetings has been:
Pat Dare 4/7 Will Godwin 5/5 Alan Green 12/13 Kim James 12/13 Karen Littleford 13/13 Tom Littleford 5/7 Liam Maude 11/12 David Penn 13/13
Anthony Quiney 5/5 Tony Shale 5/5 John Stedman 10/13 Lindsay Wright 5/8
District Councillor M Cargill 6/13 County Councillor M Brain 8/13
Parish Clerk:
On behalf of the Parish Council, I would like to thank the Clerk, Mrs Donna Bowles for all her dedication and hard work since taking up her position with the Council in June 2016. In the short time Donna has been with the council she has attended a number of training courses and has quickly and efficiently taken to the role. She has worked hard to achieve an excellent working relationship with not only the Parish Councillors but also with the District and County Councillors as well as the staff at both Councils. Donna is currently working on setting up a Facebook page for the Council which will enable residents to keep up to date with parish affairs.
Salford 7 Neighbourhood Development Plan:
After two years of hard work by residents and councillors the Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish of Salford Priors reaches the final stage, the Referendum. The plan was examined by an independent examiner who recommended it went forward to referendum with some minor changes, then at February’s Cabinet Meeting of Stratford District Council the plan was passed for the Referendum stage. The referendum will take place on Thursday 4th May, 2017 here in the Memorial Hall at the same time as the County Council Election. The referendum is a simple yes/no vote on the question:
‘Do you want Stratford-Upon-Avon District Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Salford Priors to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’
The Council wish to thank all those residents who have worked tirelessly to get the plan to this stage and we would encourage all residents to vote in the referendum. The Neighbourhood Plan will help shape the future of the Parish for the next 20 years. The vision statement of the plan says:
‘By 2031, the Parish of Salford Priors will be a safe thriving rural community with a strong voice, which conserves its natural environment and historic character. Growth in population and enterprise will be diverse, sympathetic, well-designed and sustainable.’
Street Lighting:
The working group completed a survey of all streetlights and four concrete streetlights were replacements in the Ban Brook area. A renewal programme of other streetlights has been agreed and will take place over the next few years.
Planning Applications:
A total of 29 Planning applications were considered during the last 12 months. These included extensions to existing homes, tree removal and pruning, change of use and included two applications by Angus Soft Fruits, one for the construction of two additional loading bays and the erection of poly tunnels for the growing of raspberries. An application by Severn Trent to install mains sewage to Pitchill, Rushford and Iron Cross area of the parish was welcomed and is well underway and should be completed later this year. At the Council’s January meeting St Matthews Church gave a presentation on the proposed extension for the church. This application has now come before the council.
Donations:
The Parish Council Community Grant Scheme received five applications this year, and granted donations of £300 to the Youth Club, £250 to the British Legion, £250 to the Citizens Advice Bureau, £250 to the Village Fete Committee and £1750 to the Salford Priors Primary School. The Application Form is available to download from the website enabling any local community group to request funding for projects.
Precept, Amenity Provision and Communication:
The Parish Council precept for year 2017/2018 was set at the December meeting and has risen from £55,000 to £63,000. The precept pays for the following services: amenity mowing, verge mowing, planters and flower displays, playing field inspections, maintenance and improvements, St. Matthews Churchyard extension, upkeep of parish notice boards, general maintenance tasks undertaken by the Lengthsman and footway lighting, as well as the following facilities: Allotments Gardens, TOP’s Building and the Parish Office.
The Amenity and Planting Contracts were revised and following the tender process both contracts were awarded to Limebridge Rural Services for the next three years.
The Parish Council has produce two newsletters and an A5 full colour Welcome Booklet during the year. These were delivered to every house in the parish. Additionally, a number of E-news notices have been sent to 134 Parishioners who have subscribed.
Following many requests over several years the use of microphones at meetings commenced at the start of 2017. The Council have been using the hall’s microphones, the Council now intend to purchase suitable table microphones connected to the hall’s much improved sound system.
A successful joint application to County Councillor Mike Brain’s Grant Fund from Alcester Town Council and ourselves saw the purchase of a speed gun. Residents from both Alcester and Salford Priors will undertake training and commence speed checks shortly following risk assessment by the police.
Cllr Karen Littleford
Chairman Salford Priors Parish Council