Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting of Clehonger Parish Council held on 20th March 2024 from 7.30 pm at the Clehonger Village Hall
NB- The minutes are “draft” until ratified at the following parish council meeting.
Present: Cllrs J Whittal (in the Chair), J Jones, J Gardiner, W Watkins, C Protherough, N Rider, A Davies and C Forbes
In attendance: Mrs A Wright (Clerk), Ward Cllr David Hitchiner and five members of the public. PCSO Margaret was present for the first part of the meeting.
1. Open Session with any parishioners who have joined the Meeting (to include any update from West Mercia Police – if in attendance
The Chair, Cllr Whittal, welcomed everyone to the March meeting. PCSO Margaret circulated a statistics sheet for the police speed watch. She advised that there had been an attempted burglary in Clehonger. A lock to the rear of a property had been tampered with but no access had been gained and nothing had been taken. The suspicion was that the individual may have been trying to access keys to the cars. A push bike had been taken from a driveway but had been returned. It had been mistakenly believed to have been scrap. A car that had been parked in the village for a period of time had been reported. It did not have any tax or MOT. The police had been in contact with the registered keeper and the situation would be “sorted soon.”
The PCSO advised that the speed van visits had dropped. Speed awareness courses could be offered to those caught speeding. There would be a “Police Surgery” drop in at the Clehonger Village Hall on 10th May 2024 between 11.00 am and 12 noon.
A resident present advised about an issue with green bags. The PCSO advised the resident to report any concerns to the Herefordshire Council.
2. To receive Apologies for Absence
There were apologies for absence received from Cllr K Langdon and the Tree Warden Alan Morgan.
3. To note Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest made.
4. To approve Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 21st February 2024
The Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on the 21st February 2024 were approved.
5. Finance and Policies
(5.1) Resolved: The following list of payments were approved:
Clerk paid in accordance with contract (March)
Expenses £30.75
HMRC (Tax) £199.20
HMRC (Ee’s NI) £7.85
HMRC (Er’s NI) £66.22
Eyelid Productions Ltd. (annual web and 3 months uploads) £190.00
Clehonger Village Hall (Hall hire x 3 meetings plus survey drop in) £73.00
Resolved: The bank balance was noted at £41293.42 as at the 8/03/24 bank statement date total, with £224.45 of this total ring-fenced to the playing field.
5.2) To discuss appointment of internal auditor for 2024 – 2024
The Parish Council resolved to appoint Charlotte Bull to the position of Internal Auditor for 2023 – 2024. This was proposed by JG and seconded by NR and passed unanimously. PKF Littlejohn was, once again, the External Auditor.
PCSO Margaret left the meeting at this point.
6.0 Playing Field
(6.1) Update on matters relating to the playing field
A small section of the playing field hedge along Gosmore Road had not been cut. It looked as though a car had been parked at the spot when the cutting was in progress. The Lengthsman would be asked to trim the remaining section.
7.0 Planning.
7.1) To consider response to Planning Applications, as notified, and then determined by Herefordshire Council
There were two new planning consultations for consideration of comments in relation to the same application as follows:
APPLICATION NO & SITE ADDRESS: Planning Consultation – 240590 – Home Farm, Belmont Road, Belmont, Herefordshire, HR2 9RX
DESCRIPTION: Proposed development of 8 dwellings incorporating the conversion of two traditional barns into four dwellings and four new dwellings, garaging, access alterations, drainage and landscaping.
GRID REF: OS 348725, 238192
APPLICATION TYPE: Planning Permission
APPLICATION NO & SITE ADDRESS: Planning Consultation – 240591 – Home Farm, Belmont Road, Belmont, Herefordshire, HR2 9RX
DESCRIPTION: Proposed development of 8 dwellings incorporating the conversion of two traditional barns into four dwellings and four new dwellings, garaging, access alterations, drainage and landscaping.
GRID REF: OS 348725, 238192
APPLICATION TYPE: Listed Building Consent
The parish council considered the proposals in applications 240590 and 240591. The parish council resolved to object to the joint applications due to previous concerns expressed that were still applicable, in terms of the access and volume of traffic using the A465. There had been a recent accident near the proposed site. It was on a very busy road, on the crest of a hill and close to an “awkward” junction. The Clerk would submit the comments to the Planning Department.
7.2) To hear an update in regard to 106 funding and the survey
The Chair advised that the survey would be running until 25th March. Copies were still being picked up. Responses were coming in on Survey Monkey and in hard copies. When the survey closed the responses would be collated. Some people had attended the drop in session on the 16th March, but only a few. There would be more details about the survey at the April Parish Council Meeting.
7.3) To consider the request, under the Highways Safety and School 106 package, in regard to access to the playing field through an opening in the hedge off Gosmore Road
There had been information circulated about a possible access point to the playing field from the school and through the hedge boundary along Gosmore Road. The Ward Cllr advised that he had been speaking with the head teacher of the school about the idea and that the head was in favour of the proposal. The parish council, as trustees of the playing field, would need to give permission for there to be an access created in the hedge line. The parish council discussed the proposal and there were concerns raised about losing parking spaces, creating a direct run across the road, which may possibly be a danger to children running across the road to get into the playing field. Mention was made that previous requests for an access point in the boundary hedge from Gosmore Road had been rejected by the parish council due to safety concerns. Similarly they had not seen fit to pursue any access point in the boundary hedge to the Pembridge housing estate due to possibly motor bikes etc. cutting through from and to the field via the estate.
The parish council felt that they required further information before making any decision on the access point in the hedge. What would be the arrangements be for say, a pedestrian crossing, lighting and minimising the loss of parking and possibly pushing car parking further up the road? The 106 Advisor had already stated that none of the safety 106 money could be spent on the B4349, so no 106 funded crossing was proposed for the main road. The Ward Cllr would take the concerns and comments back to the 106 Officer. The matter would be taken forward to the April parish council meeting.
8.0 Clehonger Welcome Packs – to update
There had not been any further meetings of the Welcome Pack working group, as at the date of the March parish council meeting. There would be a further meeting of the group held in April and the details would be brought back to the April parish council meeting.
9.0 Parish roads and footpaths, trees and land
9.1) To note any defects to be reported to Balfour Beatty
Flooding was reported on the corner of the B4349 near the junction with the A465 near the “Lazy/Lousy Oak. There had been a serious pool across the road during recent rainy weather. The Clerk would advise Balfour Beatty about the blocked drainage at the location. The Ward Cllr advised that he was making a priority case of the flooding at the Marsh Farm area on the B4352 from Clehonger to Madley at Eaton Bishop.
9.2) To consider any issues in relation to footpaths
The Footpath Officer advised that the footpaths were very water logged. He advised that he would be walking and checking the paths once it was drier.
9.3) To receive any update regarding trees
The Tree Warden had sent his apologies for absence. No new information about the local trees.
10.0 The Lengthsman Contract, Bin Emptying and Litter Pick
10.1) To consider appointment to the Lengthsman Contract
The Lengthsman had advised that, due to changes with waste disposal regulations, he could no longer service the dog and waste bin element of the contract. The dog waste was no longer accepted at the Waste Transfer Station. Having a skip in the village was not an option. The bins were massively used in the village. A solution had been sought. See Agenda item 10.2). The Chair would speak to the Lengthsman and ask him if he wished to continue with the other elements of the role and then, if the answer was “yes”, the contract could be extended for a further three months. The Chair would ask him if he could attend some of the parish council meetings.
10.2) To confirm arrangements for the bin emptying contract
An alternative service with a provider in Eaton Bishop had been sourced for the emptying contract and details of the charges and frequency of the service had been circulated. It was agreed, unanimously, to accept the terms of the agreement and the Clerk would advise the new provider to carry out the emptying and disposal service under the agreed terms.
10.3) To discuss possible parish litter pick
The parish council would help publicise a community parish litter pick. It would be for individuals to participate at their own risk and under the terms of the picking guidance as would be obtained from Balfour Beatty. It was not a parish council led litter pick. The date set by the Chair was the 20th April. The Clerk would seek to obtain the loan of litter picking kits, find out what to do about collecting them, and obtain the required guidance notes from Balfour Beatty. This would also include arrangement for the collection of any litter picked on the day.
11.0 Community Speed Watch
The details about a choice of Speed Indicator Device (SID) had been circulated. The Clerk would contact Natalie Jay the Locality Steward to arrange a site visit in order to, hopefully, progress the installation.
12.0 Information Sheet, Correspondence plus Ward Councillor Report
12.1) To note Information and Correspondence sheet:
Herefordshire Council:
Talk Community bulletins
12.2) To receive any update from the Ward Cllr
Ward Cllr David Hitchiner was in attendance at the meeting. The Ward Cllr advised that he had been instrumental in getting the parked car that appeared to have been abandoned on Birch Hill Road sorted out.
The Stonewater Housing Estate was in administration and liquidation. Questions were being asked around what were the options? What would be the warranty for a future builder in regard to the existing builds? The huge heap of soil at the rear of the site was a concern due to possible slippage etc. The Ward Cllr was in contact with the Managing Director of Stonewater. The Ward Cllr advised that if anyone had queries regarding housing expectations on the site then the contact point was Hayley Crane at Herefordshire Council.
The Ward Cllr advised that a residential caravan park had been installed at a site on Stoney Street. The site was privately owned. Back in the early 1990’s the site had been an emergency travellers’ site but the permission for this was “personal” to the then Hereford and Worcester Council. The permission was not transferable and there was therefore an alleged breach of planning as there was no permission on the site for rental vans. No licence application for the vans appeared to have been made. More details would follow.
The Local Area Plan 2021 to 2041 was looking at developments in main towns and hub villages. Consultation was underway.
The East and West river crossing bridges were under discussion and decisions would be coming out via Cabinet Meetings from the following week.
The Lidl planning application for the Three Counties Hotel site had seen permission granted for a new store. There were concerns over traffic. There may be a possible challenge, against the decision and via judicial review, by other supermarkets due to potential capacity issues.
13. Matters to be raised on the Agenda of the next Meeting
All the usual matters would be included, plus the volume of e mails.
14. Confirmation of date of next Parish Council Meeting
The next Meeting of the Parish Council would be held on Wednesday 17th April 2024, from 7.30pm, at the Clehonger Village Hall.
The Meeting closed at 8.56 pm.