Present:
Cllr D Bentley (Chairman), Cllr S Tudor, Cllr C Hurst, Cllr E Philpott, Cllr A Hemming, Cllr D Borasinski, Cllr G Jones, Cllr J Dando
Also In attendance:
Mrs K St Leger (Clerk), County Cllr I Parry, Mr D Norman, Speed Watch Coordinator, Members of the public
Public Open Forum
Prior to the arrival of Cllr Parry, Cllr Bentley opened the Public Open Forum Session.
- Anti-Social Behaviour on the Downs Car Park. Members of the public who lived in the vicinity of the car park reported various types of unsavoury and destructive behaviour occurring on a regular basis, including the playing of loud music, drug and alcohol consumption, vandalism and much worse. One resident offered to pay for barriers to be installed which could be locked overnight and opened in the morning. The Clerk advised the Insurance Company were not happy with members of the public being involved which could lead to confrontation and possible personal injury. As the item was on the agenda, it was resolved to determine the course of action to take once the meeting had formally opened.
- Wildlife planting. Various residents were unhappy with regards to the wildflower beds, which were overrun with weeds, not only were they causing a nuisance with the seeds travelling into residents’ gardens, but they were also unsightly and causing issues with visibility at junctions. As the item was on the agenda, it was resolved to determine the course of action to take once the meeting had formally opened.
- Disability issues. A number of the public raised concerns they could not hear proceedings due to hearing issues. It was suggested a hearing loop system be investigated. Item to be added to the next agenda. A suggestion for larger print agendas was raised, although the Clerk had printed a number of large print agendas which were available in the room, one had not been posted on the noticeboard. The Clerk would look to address this where there is space availability.
70 Apologies – Cllr’s Fisher and O’Dunne gave their apologies. It was resolved to accept these. Cllr Jones had informed the Clerk he would be arriving late. Cllr’s Dando and Hemming informed the meeting they had to depart early.
71 Declarations of Interest – Cllr’s Bentley and Dando declared an interest in item 73. Cllr Tudor declared an interest in item 85.
72 Written applications for dispensations under the Localism Act 2011 – There were no written applications for dispensation.
73 Highway issues in Barlaston.
Cllr Parry made representation on behalf of the County Council and agreed to take questions from the public.
Position of road closure notice on Old Road – It was noted the road works undertaken on Old Road were facilitated by Stoke City Council, who had not informed the County Council these were taking place. Cllr Parry has made his feelings known to the local representatives and the City Council. The position of the Closure notice appeared to be a contributing factor to the number of serious accidents which occurred over a number of days during the works. It appears no health and safety risk assessment was undertaken. Cllr Parry spoke to Staffordshire Police to instruct them to visit site and make an assessment as this was clearly a Police issue and not a highways issue.
Cllr Parry advised there have been a number of incidents where decision made by Stoke City Council have been inappropriate including Rough Close where the 40mph speed limit was reduced to 30mph on the Stoke Boundary which was 200 yds from the school, it meant traffic started to increase their speed as they reached the school. The cost to change a speed limit is significant, however if they had approached Staffordshire County Council they would have contributed to the 30mph limit being extended to cover the school. There appeared to be no logic with their approach and the safety of the children had not been taken into account.
Longton Road – Cllr Parry used his funding to investigate solutions to the issues previously raised on Longton Road, he noted reducing speed is not enforceable however they look for engineering / educational solutions to problems. More lighting / signage can only clutter things and there are better ways of doing things. It has taken their engineers 12 months to come back with a number of solutions, Cllr Parry will forward the design options.
Options include the road between the Village Hall and the Duke of York being made to give way north to south; implement a proper footpath, however traffic flow could prove problematic.
A one-way system would be cheap and simple with a footpath in the roadway with a thick border line, this would entail traffic and pedestrians working together. Bollards would be installed.
Introduce a 20mph speed limit and a give way priority with a pedestrian footpath in the road.
Cllr Parry will update the Council on progress.
A resident asked for a large car park to be installed, however it was noted parking was only an issue at limited times in the day.
Mr Norman raised the issue of the signage at the junction of Longton Road / Station Road. Undertaking speed watch in the area they regularly witness near misses; 2 motorcyclists were nearly hit by a vehicle who pulled out and just didn’t see them. The two access routes onto Station Road are a contributing factor as are the visibility issues caused by the weeds. The Clerk noted she had again reported the signage on numerous occasions; the bottom sign is only a few feet off the floor, Highways previously acknowledged the sign was dangerous but no action has been taken. Cllr Parry will investigate.
Station Road – Flashing signage for crossing patrol area is still outstanding, Cllr Parry will investigate. It was noted residents coming onto Station Road from Canal Side/Plume car park are at risk of being hit by vehicles coming over the humpback bridge, this has been exacerbated since the Plume erected their temporary structure in front of the pub, this used to be used by vehicles to access Station Road further down. Signage on the bridge warning vehicles of a concealed entrance has been requested by the Clerk but nothing has been received to date.
Lakewood Drive – Cllr Parry was asked to investigate who managed the lighting on Lakewood Drive and confirmed this was the Borough Council, however he could not understand why they provided lighting and paid the bill if it was a private road.
Cllr Bentley informed Cllr Parry that Fiskars had undertaken a tree survey on the trees at the entrance to Lakewood Drive, these were deemed dangerous and needed felling. A large branch had broken away and fortunately fallen into the wildlife area. The residents are not happy they may again be held responsible for land they don’t believe is theirs. It is believed part of the issues with the trees are the flooding which has undermined the roots. The Clerk advised she had informed the bus companies, including the County School Transport team to use Bell Lane and had asked for a road closure by Highways to stop traffic using the road due to the dangerous state of the trees. No response was received. Cllr Parry will investigate.
Cllr Parry reiterated that the road is not the responsibility of the County Council and would not be adopted by them due to the poor condition of the road. With regards to the ownership of Lakewood Drive, it was still the opinion this was in the ownership of Wedgwood. Cllr Hemming agreed to liaise with Cllr Parry outside of the meeting to discuss the matter.
Measures to reduce accidents at crossroads of Station Road / Longton Road / Meaford Road / Tittensor Road. The junction has been investigated and there is no significant accident record, the issue is with drivers not adhering to the rules of the road.
Mr Norman advised the volumes of traffic recorded increases when there are issues on the A34 and M6, these drivers don’t know the roads. Stop signs instead of give way signs would help. Cllr Parry agreed to investigate.
Cllr Adams-Elsmore raised concerns regarding the safety of children having to walk along Tittensor Road to access the bus. They have to be at the bus stop by 7:30am to catch the bus at 7:50am. Traffic travelling at speed puts the children at risk using this route. She can’t understand why the route was changed and whether a risk assessment was undertaken.
A resident also noted the pavement is narrow on one side and non-existent on the other. Visibility is poor due to the bend in the road. Traffic exceeds the speed limit most of the time.
Cllr Parry agreed to look into this.
A resident raised the issue of speeding vehicles on Old Road with speeds of vehicles reaching up to 90mph, especially as there is an old peoples’ home and surgery in the area. Mr Norman advised only 3 vehicles were recorded exceeding 50mph going in/out of the village. The number of incidents recorded is very small, with on average 880 vehicles per day only 3 -5 are recorded doing more than 35mph which is less than 10%.
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- 20’s Plenty Initiative – It was deemed a good idea and would require the village being ringfenced similarly to the weight restrictions previously put in place.
- Speed Indicator Devices data – Mr Norman provided statistical data; the Clerk would add this to the website. He recommended a device which flashed 20mph be installed on Longton Road. The current Speed Indicator Devices record speeds in both directions, however when the sign is facing you and displaying your speed vehicles slow down. When drivers can’t see the speed there is a 500 increase in speeding vehicles.
Utilising SID device data Meaford Road is the biggest recorded problem. From Speed Watch sessions the highest percentage of speeding is recorded on Wedgwood Drive with 10-15% doing more that 35mph with most vehicles turning into the Wedgwood Estate.
Speed Watch Data from July and August 2022 (hard copy available on request, please contact the Clerk)
Unfortunately, Mr Norman had to leave the meeting, the Parish Council thanked him and his team for their continued efforts in driving down speeding in the village.
A member of the public raised an issue with regards to parking at the entrance to Park Drive, this has meant cars are having to pull round vehicles to exit the road and, in some instances, had nearly caused head on collisions. The Clerk would speak to the PCSO. It was also suggested white lines are painted at the end of the junction to deter parking.
Due to a member of the public wishing to make comment on items 79 and 81, it was resolved to move these up the agenda to enable them to participate.
79 Wildflower beds on the village greens.
The resident thanked Cllr Hurst for all the environmental works he undertakes in the village, however he had major concerns regarding the weeds growing in the beds including rag wort, Cllr Hurst advised as soon as this was reported it was removed, however this can be found all along Meaford Road and other areas in the village growing wild.
Cllr Hurst was aware of the concerns of residents and has been liaising with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, they are undertaking a wilding project throughout Staffordshire and wished to work with Barlaston Parish Council to ensure the beds are successful. They will be cutting the weeds back and planting new seeds, the works will be undertaken free of charge by the Wildlife Trust.
The Staffordshire Wildlife Trust have been invited to the next meeting to discuss this issue with the members of the public.
81 The procurement / installation of gates at the Downs Car Park
A resident has offered to pay for a set of gates for the Downs Car Park, it is anticipated this would reduce the anti-social behaviour currently being experienced. A group has been formed who have agreed to manage the opening / closing of the gates.
The Clerk has asked the insurance Company for their views, they advise:
If we are putting volunteers at risk of confrontation, then they would not advise this course of action. They have suggested CCTV as an alternative. Cllr Philpott also suggested additional / brighter lights be installed, this usually deters people from staying. It was resolved for the Clerk to investigate the CCTV and lighting options, if these are not successful we can review the option of the gates at a later date.
74 Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting 5 July 2022 – these were accepted as a true record.
75 Matters arising from the meeting of 5 July 2022 and not otherwise on the agenda
95 Parish Strategy meeting date, including twinning with Fiskars, Finland – Cllr Hemming had to leave the meeting, it was resolved to defer the item.
118 To receive update on Lakewood Drive (covered in 73)
131 Planning application 21/33687/FUL described as proposed housing development between Brookhouse Drive and Old Road update:
The Borough Council have finally rejected the Planning Application with a comprehensive report outlining why it fails to meet the NPPF, Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan protocols. Item to be removed from the agenda.
160 Planting of trees in Barlaston initiative update
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- Links with Barlaston First School – The school have agreed to participate in the planting project, we can now apply for the Community Action Fund.
- Links with The Canal & River Trust – They have trees and shrubs available to plant along the hedge line, they are also happy to work with the school to get children planting. A meeting will be scheduled with our rep to start the process.
- Fiskars – We have approached Fiskars with regards to the installation of 150 trees, the fund will permit the supply of trees as long as they are accessible by the Public- item deferred until next meeting.
161 Wedgwood Memorial College Arboretum and determine protocols regarding the Lichfield Plan
The continued vandalism and deterioration of Estoril and The Limes is concerning. These buildings form part of the Lichfield Plan however they are not listed buildings and could still be at risk. Although it is felt these buildings do not warrant listing, they are of significant historical value to the village. The Clerk to liaise with the Borough regarding affording them some protection. A Cllr suggested the site could be used as a retirement village, the Clerk advised the site was up for sale, interested parties should contact the sellers directly.
180 Community led shop on Barlaston Park (deferred – subject to commencement of planning application 18/18215/FUL)
195 Land at Meadow Road – It is disappointing to note that the item was again deferred and did not go on the August agenda as advised. Cllr Jones will continue to monitor the situation.
213 Parish Council representation as a School of Governors – The School have appointed Mr Gordon Taylor as School of Governors. Item to be removed from the agenda.
214 Cricket Club Lease update
The Clerk has obtained a version of a more simplistic lease document from another Parish Council, we need to apply for a copy of the Land Registry document to cross reference these.
221 Neighbourhood Plan review
The recommendation by Urban Vision is to review the Neighbourhood Plan every 2 years. This ensures it remains relevant and minimises the risk of developers challenging the plan as being out of date.
The cost for Urban Vision to support the Parish Council would cost £550 + Vat
The initial support package would be 20.5 days = £11,275.00 + VAT based on remote support.
The Clerk has contacted Locality regarding Neighbourhood Plan funding. As we will be going through the process again the funding starts again and we can apply for up to £10,000 in funding. The existing Neighbourhood Plan stays relevant while we review the Plan.
We have £1500 in the budget to assist with the process.
It was resolved for the Clerk to commence with the grant application.
23 Jubilee Bench update – Delivery is scheduled for w/c 19 September
24 Seating for the Village Green / Barlaston Park – 5 seats are now installed, 3 on the wild green, 2 on Barlaston Park. Item to be removed from the agenda.
48 Failure of the railway barriers – We now have the date / time of the event, however due to the delay Network Rail have closed the case. Item to be removed from the agenda.
49 HGV’s coming through Barlaston –
Following the opening of Old Road, there should be no HGV’s from the Strongford Site accessing Barlaston. Cllr Tudor noted the details of a HGV and reported it to the Company concerned, they assured her that all drivers had been advised not to use this route and she would reiterate this to them. Cllr Tudor recommended anyone witnessing HGV’s accessing the village to note the details so these can be reported.
50 Orchard Place update – Previous contacts are now not responding. The Clerk to establish a form of communication. The Council asked if the hedge at Orchard Place could be cut down and replaced with fruit trees and a native hedge as part of the tree planning scheme. The Clerk to investigate.
52 Rainbows & Brownies regarding usage of Scout Hut on Station Road update – the Clerk is awaiting a response.
67 Presentation of the Wedgwood Bowl to Mr Gordon Taylor –
The date cannot be confirmed until we are in receipt of the bowl from Fiskars. It was recommended this be presented to Mr Taylor at the Church. The Clerk to liaise with the Vicar. It was also recommended the bowls for Mrs Coates and Mrs Donahoe be presented at the same time.
76 Committee updates:
1 Environmental Committee –
a. Benches have been installed at the MUGA and wild play areas. Wooden equipment will be installed in September by the Wild Play area. Cllrs were concerned the trees were encroaching and obscuring visibility. A meeting was scheduled for Wed 14 September at 9am on site to determine actions.
A quotation of £358 has been received to screen off the car park with chestnut palings, wire. It was recommended the Clerk approach Graham Burdett for a second quotation.
The lifting of the crowns on the trees has been completed.
b. Willow structure details – Fiskars have advised they are retaining their willow structures. Churnet Woodland Crafts will provide quotes for their structures.
c. Parking barrier update from Collecteco, still no arrival date, they have asked if we require more than the 35 on offer, which we have agreed to. Clerk to update at the next meeting.
d. Signage for the Wild Green following installation of new items (deferred)
Buxus Green provided a quotation of £225 for the provision of topsoil to fill the ditch on the top green, including fetching of the soil in his trailer, using his small tractor and trailer to get to the location on the green and flatten down. It was resolved to suspend Financial Regulations and appoint Buxus Green to undertake the works.
- Finance Committee – see details ( hard copy available on request, please contact the Clerk)
- HR Committee – Clerk’s appraisal took place yesterday.
Concerns were raised with regards to her safety, especially following incidents which have been taking place around Esperanto being an isolated location. It was recommended that a local security company quote for CCTV, with the approval of the Church.
Other issues to be discussed at the October meeting.
- Entertainment Committee – The Closure report has been signed off.
77 To receive update on Highways Issues including (covered in 73)
78 To note financial matters:
(a) to approve bank reconciliation reports. Deferred to next meeting.
(b) to receive schedule of payments report August / September payments 2022. It was resolved to accept these.
(c) Conclusion of External Audit – We have successfully passed the audit. One amendment was required to include an item on the asset register which was missed. The conclusion of audit has been posted on the website and noticeboards.
(d) Inclusion in SAAA central external auditor appointment arrangements – the SAAA appoint an external auditor, if we choose not to go with their recommendation, the process is complex. The Parish Council resolved to remain with the SAAA process. The Clerk to inform the auditors.
| Expenditure – Standard | NET | VAT | Payment |
| K St Leger – July Salary / Expenses | 980.26 | 0.00 | BACS |
| Staffordshire County Pension | 316.17 | 0.00 | 002848 |
| Noticeboards Online – Inv 5236 – Replacement locks for noticeboard Orchard Pl | 69.50 | 13.90 | BACS |
| Stafford Borough Council – Inv 7070290790 – Civic Amenity Visits Aug / Oct 2022 | 243.33 | 48.67 | BACS |
| Stafford Borough Council – Village Hall Premise Licence – 413 | 180.00 | 0.00 | BACS |
| Information Commissioner annual Fee | 35.00 | 0.00 | DD |
| One Way Electrical – Inv 21189 – Village Hall Lighting upgrade | 1586.04 | 317.21 | BACS |
| Chairman’s Allowance | 250.00 | 0.00 | BACS |
| K St Leger – August Salary / Expenses | 978.08 | 0.00 | BACS |
| Staffordshire County Pension | 316.17 | 0.00 | 002849 |
| Buxus Green – Inv 202208 – July Grounds Maintenance | 995.83 | 0.00 | BACS |
| Zoom – Video Conferencing Inv 20000162221 | 11.99 | 2.40 | DD |
| BT – Broadband | 34.77 | DD | |
| Barlaston Voluntary Transport Group – Grant | 250.00 | BACS | |
| Stafford Borough Council – Land Lease – Inv 7070290585 | 10.00 | BACS | |
| D Norman – Replacement Clicker for Speed Watch | 6.99 | BACS | |
| Staffordshire County Council – Inv 1000089547 – Allotment Lease | 1776.98 | BACS | |
| Hosting Systems – Voice Over IP Inv 70802 | 10.00 | 2.00 | DD |
| Mr J Arnold – Expenses re offloading of picnic tables | 50.00 | BACS | |
| Graham Burdett – Prepare ground and install 5 picnic benches | 1000.00 | BACS | |
| Mazars – Inv 2065662. External audit | 340.00 | 68.00 | BACS |
| Rospa Play Safety – Inv 65883 | 140.00 | 28.00 | BACS |
| Elan City SID Batteries – Inv SO-UK02423 | 145.67 | 29.13 | BACS |
| British Recycled Plastic – Inv INV-4018 – 5 No. picnic benches | 3049.45 | 609.89 | BACS |
| Buxus Green – Inv 202209 – August Grounds Maintenance | 995.83 | 0.00 | BACS |
| Stafford Borough Council – Inv 10000091569 – Allotment Sept – Dec 2022 | 300.00 | 0.00 | BACS |
| Income | |||
| Rotary Club of Stone – Grant towards the Jubilee Event | 200.00 | BACS | |
| Barlaston Village Hall – Unfettered grant | 2388.06 | BACS | |
| Barlaston Allotment Association Annual Fee | 1776.98 | BACS |
80 Christmas Lighting arrangements – It was resolved for the Clerk to investigate a tree for the corner of Orchard Place.
82 Grass cutting at Nursery Gardens – The Clerk advised she would get Buxus Green to quote for the verge grass cutting at Nursery Gardens now it has been adopted by Highways. It was requested the grass be removed off site due to the age of the residents, however the Clerk advised this was not feasible as (a) the cost was prohibitive and (b) the average age of residents in Barlaston is older than the national average and we cannot pick up the grass across the village, we therefore cannot give preferential treatment to one area.
83 Civic Amenity Visit dates and associated costs
The initial dates were confirmed as 27 August and 22 October @ £292 per visit, the vehicle to be situated on Barlaston Park. Further dates will be released in January 2023.
84 Risk Assessment updates and actions
- Pavement on the green adjacent to the War Memorial – Openreach visited the site and informed the Clerk the cables were approx 3ft under the surface so should be no problem resurfacing the path. However, they advised we would still be liable if there is any damage to the cables. The Clerk has gone back to Openreach for a copy of the authorisation when the cables were laid as there is no Wayleave agreement on file. If they undertook works without authorisation, they may be required to put things right at their cost.
- Rialtas Cloud – Rialtas recommend an overview of the cloud-based system prior to purchase. Cllrs O’Dunne and the Clerk to arrange a mutually convenient date/time. Recommendations to be submitted to the October meeting.
- Wildflower Planting obscuring traffic visibility / Plants dangerous to horses. Rag Wort was removed immediately. The beds will be addressed by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and re-seeded with wildflowers.
ROSPA Inspections report received:
- Wild Play Area – leaf litter on the path – needs removing. Surface is uneven – tree roots have forced the path up. Difficult to address (risk low). Slight movement in the stepping logs – to be monitored (risk low). Encroaching vegetation of trees to the stepping logs – Clear (risk low). Tree root – not compliant with required standards. Fall height of up to 1.5m, build up soil / grass. Edges to be chamfered with a radius of at least 3mm / remove sharp edges (risk medium). Logs adjacent to the tree root not to be further than 500mm apart so they form a cluster (risk medium).
- MUGA – Paintwork is in poor condition. De-scale back to good base material and coat with lead free paint (risk low). Surface has unintended grass, moss or weeks, remove (risk low). Awaiting a quotation.
85 Grant application update(s)
- Afternoon WI Grant, VHC could not sanction the use of the RD room as the WI charge for attendance (this covers refreshments). The VH policy is to offer the RD room free where no charge is applied e.g., for community meetings. The WI are looking to move back to the Methodist Church.
86 Planning issue(s) and outcomes – meeting to follow.
87 Items for inclusion in next agenda
- To overturn the architect design decision for the Village Hall and appoint another architect. The request to overturn the original decision was based on the design being submitted by ARM Designs Architectural Services being used by another architect. ARM Designs noted which designs submitted required planning permission. The Clerk advised the design used was submitted prior to ARM Designs being involved.
- Walking bus scheme
- Anti-social behaviour
88 Date of next meeting Parish Council Meeting – 4 October 2022