Present:
Cllr G Jones (Chairman)
Cllr P Fisher
Cllr I Moran
Cllr S Tudor
Cllr C Hurst
Cllr I Macmillan
Cllr E Philpott
Cllr S Hall
In attendance: Mrs K St Leger (Clerk)
7:15 – 7:30 Public Open Forum
Representatives from Orchard Place expressed a number of concerns regarding vehicles parking for long periods outside the shops which is affecting business; letters from individual premises detailing these issues were handed to the Clerk. The Clerk updated the meeting that Stafford & Rural Homes (SRH) advised signage limiting parking would be erected within the next two weeks. It was agreed the situation would be monitored. General maintenance is required including the re-painting of lines and addressing drainage issues, the Clerk will submit these requests to SRH.
It was noted there was long term car parking at the Station, it may be beneficial if the shop workers used this car park to alleviate the situation.
477 Apologies Cllrs Norman and O’Dunne have sent their apologies. It was resolved to accept these.
478 Declarations of Interest. Cllr Hurst declared an interest regarding E G Dyke & Son.
479 Written applications for dispensations under the Localism Act 2011. There were no written applications for dispensation.
480 Appointment of the Mayor of Stafford Borough. Cllr Jones confirmed he had been nominated for the role and with the inauguration taking place in early May 2019. The Cllr’s congratulated Cllr Jones on his forthcoming appointment.
481 Minutes of full Council meeting of 5 February 2019 these were approved as a true record.
482 Matters arising from the meeting of 5 February 2019 and not otherwise on the agenda
Key themes 2018
- 574 Draft Neighbourhood Plan update – A report is being considered by Stafford Borough Council (SBC) to determine if the plan is submitted for the Referendum to take place on Thursday 2 May 2019. SBC were complimentary on the informative information contained within the Neighbourhood Plan.
- 256 Progress on projects and future works. The Environmental Committee submitted the minutes and recommendations following their meeting on 1 March 2019. The Parish Council resolved to accept all the recommendations.
Financial Summary
| Project Title Approved Budget Balance |
| Environmental Project
· Car Park Resurfacing £3350.00 £3350.00 Scheduled start date TBC · Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Works £ 250.00 £0.00 Scheduled 22 February 2019 · Tree removal works £250.00 £0.00 Works Complete · Re-planting of species £750.00 £750.00 Date for purchase / installation TBC · Village Green damp patch investigations £120.00 £0.00 Date for works TBC · Canal Resurfacing works N/A N/A Scheduled end April / Early May · Replace 2 damaged panels £47.00 £47.00 · Undertake ground works pre-car park £300.00 £300.00 · Asbestos Removal £2100.00 £2100.00 · Tree Works / Removal – Village Green £856.00 £856.00 · Drainage on upper village green £280.00 £285.00 · Staffordshire Wildlife Trust – Wildlife Planting £200.00 £200.00 · Removal of Ivy from trees N/A N/A · Lighting of Car Park N/A N/A |
| Rights of Way / Footpath adoptions – Upper house gate to be addressed by SCC. |
It was resolved to suspend standing orders and approve the asbestos removal and tree works. An approach is to be made to the Upper House and the adjacent resident to contribute towards the works.
It was resolved that the Environmental Committee have the authority to approve project spend which is less than £1000 within a full Council approved project. Formal standing orders and account procedures will be followed.
A request for additional stones to be placed along the green to restrict parking was made, the Clerk to look into the risks associated.
Campaigns 2018
9 Speed Watch campaign Update
The first 9 sessions in 2019 (to 13th February) resulted in 123 vehicles reported, including 30 @ 40+ mph. One recent situation where a driver recorded 3 times in less than 20 minutes on Meaford Road!
The grant of £5k has been received for the automated sign and spikes. However, until Staffordshire County Council approve the location of the spikes the order cannot be raised or works undertaken.
182 MUGA update – The ROSPA report was issued to Cllrs. The recommended signage is not a standard and needs to be commissioned. It was suggested the post code of the site and emergency contact details are added. It was resolved to accept this recommendation.
193 Joint Playing Field Committee meeting – The date of next meeting is scheduled for 6 April 2019. The quotation from Dicksons is still outstanding.
195 WWI Commemorative poppy stickers – Address details have been identified, Clerk to send stickers to householders with a covering letter. It was resolved to remove this item from the agenda.287 County Council member for the area update
287 County Council member for the area update:
2. Stafford & Rural Homes update – An update on the Planning Application for Barlaston Park has been submitted outlining the land drainage catchment area and surface water drainage plans.
6. (Item 216) Library update – A new timetable has been published however it is not clear if the timetable is feasible. Fulford has now been included within the itinerary which means the visit to Barlaston is shorter and the bus is smaller. The date will coincide with the WI meeting so parking will prove problematic. No consultation was undertaken.
Approval has been received for the use of the Methodist Church as a venue for a permanent Library, the price for hiring the room is still awaited.
351 Wayleave Agreement Upper House – no update has been received.
- Station Car Park – a call was logged with Network Rail however they have transferred the call to West Midlands Rail, a response is still awaited.
357 Orchard Place – Item was covered under the Public Forum
- Station Car Park – a call was logged with Network Rail however they have transferred the call to West Midlands Rail, a response is still awaited.
373 Old Road drainage issues – no update received
413 Sunken grid adjacent to Country Cabin – Call ref 4138927 – the repair has been undertaken. It was resolved to remove this item from the agenda.The Church are holding their service on the Sunday, there was a suggestion we could utilise the marquee on Friday evening as a fund-raising evening for community groups. Clerk will liaise with the Village Show Committee if this was feasible.
435. Village Show – The Community Group are looking to host a Barn Dance to maximise the use of the marque. To enable dancing it was suggested a hard wood floor is required, the current floor is hessian matting, to upgrade this to a wooden floor 30ft x 20ft @ £156.00. These details will be forwarded to the Community Group.
The Church are holding their service on the Sunday, there was a suggestion we could utilise the marquee on Friday evening as a fund-raising evening for community groups. Clerk will liaise with the Village Show Committee if this was feasible.
436 HS2’s consultation update – All information received has been published on social media. Barlaston are kept informed due to power from Meaford Road.
438 Social Inclusion initiatives progress – No further progress Dates: 20 Apr, 20 Jul, 19 Oct, 18 Jan 20
448 Confirmation of Civic Amenity details – the following dates have been confirmed by SBC and have published:
Site: Ivyhouse Drive opposite Parkside Store
Dates: 20 Apr, 20 Jul, 19 Oct, 18 Jan 20
Times: 10.00 – 12.00
Residents have asked if the top of the village could be included along with an area along old road. In the past, when it was located in these areas it was not used. It was resolved to maintain the details for this year and review the locations in 2020/2021.
455 Canal bridges 99, 100 and 101 reported issues – No update has been received from the Canal & River Trust.Complaints have been received from Barlaston residents which were predominantly due to a catalogue of problems they have had to deal with:
456 Brindsley Avenue Practice Patient Group update –There been some personnel changes at the practice, at the end of April there will be 5 doctors over 2 sites, 3 nurses, a pharmacist and 2 managers.
- Medication patients were on was not appropriate and needed to be reviewed
- Poor record keeping from the previous Practice and no handover taking place. The only information gleaned was from the patient when filling in their application form.
- Results of tests had not been forwarded. An example given was a patient who had diabetes had not received the diagnosis and therefore was not taking the relevant medication which was a risk to health.
The upshot is a 10-minute consultation has been taking 30 minutes, this position will improve, the Practice thanked Barlaston residents for their patience. Brindsley Avenue has raised these issues with the NHS as malpractice and is currently being investigate.
Their current lease only permits them to rent individual rooms, they would like to buy the building and start making the necessary improvements. At the moment they can’t even change the sign. The Practice are trying to build a repour with the Midlands Partnership to progress things.
It was noted new government guidelines means services need to be available from 7am till 7pm, these appointments are not necessarily going to be in Barlaston. However, in order to make an emergency appointment you need to ring the Practice and they will advise the locations available, they will then forward your files to the alternative location.
A request for progress for inclusion in the parish newsletter has been requested. It is hoped the new Practice Manager will provide the information. They are looking for new members to join the Patient Participation Group.
457 Death of a Royal protocol – A condolence book has been received, it was resolved to remove this item from the agenda.
461 Grant application from Barlaston & District Community First Responders
Barlaston currently have 6 members in their group, their target is to maintain 20 hours per month per responder (average 4 hours per week). They also undertake the monitoring and repairing of the defibrators in the village which is vital.
They are self-funding and are looking to fund the running/maintenance and insurance for 2019/20 to enable them to use some of their existing funds for a dash cam to be fitted to protect the drivers.
There is a requirement for defibrillator training to be undertaken in the Village. It was resolved to appoint the first responders to undertake the training, funding will be used to support the vehicle.
462 Charity clothes bins – the bins are still awaited.
473 Bus service request for Barlaston (CC/18/152996) – no update has been received.
483 Election itinerary – Clerk issued enrolment packs containing the itinerary and instructions for completion. It was resolved to remove this item from the agenda.
484 Spoil deposited behind the Lakeside Tavern – Investigative works are being undertaken by SBC. Notice has been served.
485 Open Gardens event grant – A grant application for £500 has been received to fund the promotion and literature for the event. The Open Gardens Committee have broken away from the Community Group and therefore has no starting funds. It was resolved to approve the grant.
486 Ruth Dickson room for the Barlaston History Group – It was resolved to defer this item. Information has been requested from the Group.
487 30mph Speed Sign Tittensor Road update – Highways have been out and had a look at the sign and found it to be a 30mph repeater sign. As this is a 30mph limit with street lights the sign should not be there as the Department for Transport does not allow the use of 30mph repeaters in street lit areas. A job is to be logged to have the post removed.
488 Financial matters:
Bank reconciliation, cash flow and budget comparison information was provided. It was resolved to accept these figures.
Schedule of payments – February 2019
| NET | VAT | Cheque | |
| K St Leger Salary & Expenses | 1117.83 | 0.00 | 002452 |
| Staffordshire Wildlife Trust – Consultancy/Works | 250.00 | 0.00 | 002453 |
| N Ferguson – Web support / Development | 415.00 | 0.00 | 002454 |
| St John the Baptist Grant for Cemetery Maintenance | 1320.00 | 0.00 | 002455 |
489 Barlaston Park – no report was submitted.
490 Wedgwood – A visit was made to Wedgwood, they were pleased with how Wedgwood Park was going. There was no update on the marina proposal. We reported the issue of the lights on Queen Mary’s drive, they are going to look into this.
We discussed sponsorship opportunities and whether the MD would be amenable to supporting projects as we had ambitions to improve the Village this year. The Village is a gateway to the Visitor’s Centre and would be mutually beneficial that the Village gave the right impression. There is also the option of requesting resources as they have access to grounds maintenance. We would need a project which would give them something tangible for their money and support. Cllr Jones would draft a letter.
491 Public Forum – covered under 357.
492 Borough Council member for the area – A probability that the Stone Leisure Centre will be open shortly. There is an increase in council tax with the majority coming through the Police. The parish council has not increased at all.
Wedgwood memorial college – the last message was positive that it was sold and close to signing it off.
493 County Council member for the area – The Councillor was not in attendance.
494 To note Planning Committee Recommendations
Planning Application 19/30004/HOU at 1 Ridge Close Stoke on Trent ST12 9DX – described as Proposed single storey extension to side and rear. It was resolved to support this application.
Planning Application 18/28215/FUL at Land at Ivyhouse Drive Barlaston – application on which previous consultation has been amended. The Parish Council’s position has not changed, the application is still called in.
Planning Application 19/30116/ADV at Duke of York 10 Longton Road Barlaston – proposed signage. It was resolved to support this application.
495 Weekly play equipment report – No issues reported
496 Risk Assessment actions – Signage for MUGA has been requested
497 Asset List Repairs / Replacement – To address the maintenance of assets, a man shed was proposed, this will also assist with health and wellbeing issues. As part of the project the toilet which used to be at the back of the village hall could be reinstated. It was resolved to investigate the project
Maintain planters at the end of Hartwell Land and Longton Road is providing problematic, the option is to remove these or replace and fill with perennials and shrubs which require minimum maintenance.
498 Correspondence and circulars – Circulated
499 To note Questions from Councillors for inclusion on next month’s agenda
- Pollution – vehicles ticking over at the level crossing is causing pollution. Is this something the PC could address?
- Cllr Tudor issued her apologies for the next meeting.
- Set a date for the Sole Trustee AGM
Date of Next Meetings – 2 April 2019, Barlaston Methodist Church