A meeting of Warslow and Elkstones Parish Council Meeting was held at 7.30 pm on Wednesday, 27th March 2024 in Warslow Village Hall.
Present: Chairman, Mr N Searston, Mrs L Peach, Mrs C Allsop, Mr P Moakes, Mrs J Nash, Mr S Gould, Mr M Wardman and the clerk, Mrs S Hampson. Also in attendance for part of the meeting: a member of the public, in order to provide information on an agenda item, Best Kept Village competition, District Councillor Kempster and one other member of the public.
Non-Confidential items
24.3.1 Apologies and attendance register
The members present completed the attendance register
24.3.2 Declaration of interest of councillors related to the agenda
There was no need, by any member present, to record an interest in the register.
24.3.3 Minutes of the previous ordinary meeting
The clerk had forwarded the minutes in advance of the meeting and these had been posted on the website and noticeboards.
Resolved: to accept the minutes as a true record of proceedings. The minutes were signed by the Chairman, Mr Searston.
24.3.4 Attendance by representative from the Best Kept Village Competition
The representative was in attendance to provide feedback/ideas for improval regarding the competition and to present a Commended certificate for 2023. He provided details on how to achieve the maximum points in the competition; the need to post publicity posters before 1st May; to include additional information in the application form. These were noted by Mrs Peach on how to achieve success in this competition; it requires a great deal of continuous work. The parish council was very grateful to those who committed a great deal of hard work last year related to the competition.
Resolved: Mrs Peach to complete the detailed application and to forward the entrance fee of £25 from Warslow Village Hall and to ascertain interest from parishioners to support the requirements of this competition. Mr Moakes offered to provide some assistance with tasks associated with the competition. Resolved: Mr Searston to supply the noticeboard key to Mrs Nash to enable documents to be placed, including some items in connection to the Best Kept Village competition.
24.3.5 Public speaking procedures document
This was available for any members of the public in attendance
24.3.6 Public speaking
The member of the public did not wish to speak during this section, only to listen to the agenda items being discussed.
24.3.7 Update from the County Councillor
Apologies had been received, in advance of the meeting, from County Councillor Mrs G Heath. The District Councillor was in attendance and provided an update on a number of items associated with Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC), including some grant funding which can be found on SMDC’S
website. The next round of funding under SMDC’s Climate Action Fund will be at the end of April. The District Councillor would like to do something regarding rural isolation. He also suggested the possibility of a networking event in June in the village hall.
24.3.8 Speedwatch training interest
The clerk had contacted a local business to politely request a reminder staff to adhere to speed limits when travelling through Warslow. There had been no acknowledgement from the company concerned. There had also been no response to an article regarding Speedwatch training placed in the Community Magazine.
Resolved: to repeat the Speedwatch article in future Community Magazines to raise awareness/interest.
24.3.9 Councillor training
The clerk had liaised with the neighbouring parish council, Grindon once again regarding shared training for three members of the parish council. The original date had to be postponed until early 2024 due to illness of the training provider and had been rescheduled for 21st March. Unfortunately, Mrs Allsop was unable to attend on that date and only Mrs Nash attended the training session. An invoice for the shared cost of training, £45, will be sent directly to the clerk in due course.
From the course, Mrs Nash reported that the course had been very informative and had kindly printed a summary of some of the items raised during the training session, including: duties and powers of the council, the councillors including keeping up to date, the roles of the Chairman and clerk, decision making, annual meetings, agenda and minutes, finance and community engagement.
Resolved: The clerk to begin writing a Community Engagement Policy.
24.3.10 Website
The clerk had asked the website provider to supply examples of different parish council websites which they host to enable councillors to view and consider possible different styles and to also enquire about archiving material from the existing website. The provider had forwarded a response, detailing how they keep costs down by following a similar style for all websites they host. At the time of the meeting. The clerk had also made an approach about compliance with transparency and a response had been received stating the website will be compliant.
Resolved: To proceed with the new website and the clerk to forward documentation to populate it.
Resolved: The clerk to ascertain if the domain name will belong to the parish council.
24.3.11 Repair Café event at Warslow Village Hall
A date and time had not been finalised for the Repair Café to take place in the village hall but Mrs Peach had requested 17th August. The clerk had placed another article regarding this in the Community Magazine regarding the Repair Café.
24.3.12 Items for the Community Magazine and Longnor Benefice Magazine (if required)
See above. The clerk had repeated the information article regarding the Repair Café in the Community Magazine as the deadline for submission preceded the council meeting.
Resolved: For the next submission, the clerk to place articles about Speedwatch, dog fouling, Repair Café, Best Kept Village.
24.3.13 Planning, appeals, planning decisions
NP/SM/0224/0220 Watergap Farm – Portal frame general agricultural building for fodder store, machinery and lambing area.
Resolved: no objections were received for this application.
NP/SM/0923/1146 Greenside, Lower Elkstones removal of part front elevation, rebuilding like for like, removal of lean to and rebuild with upward extension. Building 2 storey side extension, internal works. Demolition of pigsty and wc and replace with plant room, laundry and wc.
Resolved: to support the above applications.
24.3.14 Items of account, clerk, lengthsman and possible grant, wayleave, HMRC, general income and expenditure
From the previous meeting:
| Chq No. | Name | Description | Cost | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cq 783 |
D M Payroll Services |
Payroll services Oct.23 – Mar. 24 |
£60.00 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cq 784 |
L Peach |
Wreath |
£25.00 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
From this meeting:
| Chq No. | Name | Description | Cost | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cq 785 |
S Billings |
Lengthsman duties (27 hours) plus weed killing |
£334.00 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cq 786 |
S Hampson |
March clerks Salary |
£264.20 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cq 787 |
S Hampson |
Premises allowance and mileage |
£32.30 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cq 788 |
HMRC |
Quarter 4 income tax |
£229.40 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cq 789 |
S Hampson |
April clerks salary |
£264.20 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cq 790 |
Newton Newton Flags |
D-Day Flag* |
£28.80 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Resolved: *To purchase the larger sized flag to be displayed in the village by the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Grindon Parish Council will invoice the clerk for training costs for one delegate (£45).
The clerk requested to receive the bank statements directly rather than the Chairman.
Resolved: the clerk to prepare an authority document to be signed by the Chairman and Vice Chairman as authorised signatories to present at the bank to make the necessary changes, with immediate effect.
24.3.15 Highway issues, grit bins and street lighting
The clerk had contacted a local merchant for a price of a grit bin and obtained a publicity magazine from a company supplying various items for parish councils, including grit bins. Enquiry ref.4358599 from 29.12.23 St Lawrence View grit request – Unable to action! A highways officer reviewed this enquiry. Mrs Nash reported, from enquiries, that this bin does not belong to either Staffordshire County Council (SCC)or the housing association and may have been purchased by a private individual. The grit bin on Back Lane does; however, belong to SCC.
All grit bins/salt piles are replenished at the start of the winter season. The majority are routinely replenished throughout the season, however there are a number of grit bins at lower risk sites that will only be filled at the start of the season. More information about their winter service provision for grit bins/salt piles and a map showing their location, can be found on their website.
Resolved: Mr Wardman to provide an invoice for £80 and to replenish the St Lawrence View grit bin.
Elkstones pothole – Works have now taken place but they were not able to fully or permanently resolve the issue during the visit (reference 4364283). Butts Lane pothole had been reported (reference 4360880).
Staffordshire Moorlands – Next year’s programmes of maintenance schemes are still to be announced but during 2022/23 a significant number of large-scale schemes were reported to have been completed within the Moorlands area.
24.3.16 Correspondence and communication
Details had been forwarded to councillors in advance of the meeting and included: Licensing details, Staffordshire County Council ‘The Knot’ new strategic plan, Staffs Moorlands Chief Executive’s bulletin, Moorlands Partnership board – link for projects, tackling rough sleeping, SMDC Chairman’s Charity Pig Race Night – The Churnet Room, Sat 23rd March 2024 £5, SMDC possible grant funding – multiple sources, SPCA Bulletins, information for local groups.
The clerk had ordered a copy of the King’s portrait for display in the village hall. This is free of charge.
24.3.17 Items for the next agenda
Annual parish council meeting items, accounts, audit, website, burial ground, outcomes of any elections taking place in Staffordshire. Additional items to be prepared by the clerk, as required.
24.3.18 Date and time of next meeting
Wednesday, 22nd May 2024 at 7.30 pm (This is the annual parish council meeting date and will be preceded by The Parish Annual meeting at 7.00 pm)
Confidential business
24.3.19 The burial ground, updates on church yard and from PDNPA
Mrs Peach had contacted a funeral director whom she believed to hold a copy of the church yard burial plan with regard to establishing the remaining churchyard burial spaces. This was not available at the time of the meeting and she had been advised that the grave digger may know this information. Mr Moakes reported that Peak District National Park Authority personnel are chasing reports and there was no further update from the Diocese.
Resolved: The clerk to contact the vicar to obtain information regarding the number of remaining spaces as this information is vital to proceed matters.
The meeting was declared closed at 9.30 pm
Mrs S Hampson,
Clerk to Warslow and Elkstones Parish Council
29 March 2024