Please be advised that the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council will take place at Hanbury Memorial Hall for the Councillors & the Parish Clerk. Parishioners will be invited to attend via zoom.
Monday 17th May 2021 at 7.30pm.
View Agenda
Apologies for absence.
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 4th May 2020
MINUTES OF ANNUAL PARISH MEETING HELD ON 4th MAY 2020
All agreed to be a true record of the meetingAction; Clerk to convert to pdf and upload to website
MATTERS ARISING FROM THOSE MINUTES
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Coronovirus restrictions came into force towards the end of the last council year, and remained throughout this one, with the inevitable affect on our output and meetings. The May 2020 meeting was the first ever by video conference. During the year we managed two meetings in the Hall, and five were by video conference.Potholes have been a problem for a number of years and this was no different, though the deepest ones have usually been dealt with.We welcomed the full resurfacing of Chapel Lane. Flooding has been seen in several places around the village, and this may still need action in 2021.In July we were pleased to report that following our introduction, a £1,000 grant had been received from the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund by Far Fillimore Care Home, and £10,000 has been awarded to the Memorial Hall who also had information from us. A Boundary Review was carried out with limited input from us, but Councillor Hudson reports that we will be staying in Crown Ward, with the proposal that Newborough would join Crown. We discussed the Playing Field at length, deciding it was time the old (some damaged) equipment should be removed. The cost of new play equipment is prohibitive, and we continue to review and plan the way forward. We also wrote to the Duchy asking if they would help to buya new picnic bench, which indeed they did, and it has now been installed. Following reports of some legal cases we discussed the advisability of adopting a “tree policy” for land where we are involved. The Village Green and Playing Field are low risk, but the Closed Churchyard has many mature trees, and we will look further into this, bearing in mind the possible cost. The playing field remained closed for much of the year, responding to some conflicting advice received from government from time to time. It is now open again.Some concern has been raised regarding the pond at the Green, particularly as it dried out briefly in mid-summer. We took advice from the ESBC expert Lawrence Oates, who basically said that where there’s water, there will sometimes be floods, sometimes droughts. No action taken so far but we still wonder if a new liner may be fitted in the autumn at an affordable price if needed to protect the great crested newts. It is still not certain who actually owns the land: we think it is not us but research continues.A planning application to site caravans and tents was received from the Cock Inn and this was debated at length over several months. Eventually approved by the full committee of ESBC, but subject to strong conditions with review after a year. The main thing that cannot be controlled is traffic on our narrow roads and we will wait and see what happens.During the lockdown we have seen many more walkers than usual, both in the fields and by road. Footpaths and stiles generally remain in sound condition, and some new finger posts have been installed. Thanks to local farmers for dealing with broken stiles and gates when necessary.The Spring Litter-Pick has become an annual event in recent times, but because of restrictions was missed again this year. Good to report that several residents who are walking for exercise have taken the opportunity to pick up litter while they are out. Our thanks to them.I must report that after acting as clerk for some 16 years Amanda Andrew resigned, on her move to Shropshire. Her help, knowledge and enthusiasm have been appreciated by so many, not just councillors, and we all say thanks and wish her well in her new surroundings. Gillian Cheal followed for six months but decided the job was not for her, and we now have Charlotte Holmes, who is also acting for Newborough Parish. We wish her well.I too have been part of the council as Chairman for many years, and the time has come for me to move on. Jenny Hendon kindly volunteered to take over as Chair earlier this year and has already put in many hours of preparation and work in her role. Good luck Jenny, hope you will enjoy it as much as I have; I will of course be on hand to share my experience if needed.And thanks to all parish councillors and our representatives at borough and county level. This has been a year like no other before;Zoom meetings are not the easiest way to work, and we have done well to come through and hopefully look forward to better times as 2021 moves forward.
ANNUAL ACCOUNTS: UNAUDITED BALANCE SHEET
Income:Precept saw an annual increase from £7891 to £8549. Donations were also made for the Defib and from the Duchy of Lancaster grant as well as a payment from Draycott Parish Council in relation to the upkeep of the church. This did provide us with an increase of Total Income from £9447 in 2019/2020 to £9799.28 in 2020/2021.Expenditure: A slight increase year on year of total expenditure from £8644.32 to £9341.06 in 2020/2021 no obvious reason for this as centred around general maintenance for the churchyard and playing field. The Misc budget category has been lumped together based on the cash book information but does include payments for lengthsman activity. Finally, this leaves us with an excess for Income over expenditure of £458.22 for the year.
REPORTS FROM BOROUGH & COUNTY COUNCILLORS
Cllr Hudson congratulated Cllr Iball on his time as chairman also thanking all the local residents for their support over the difficult year. Cllr Hudson explained that they have since had a change of Mayor& he has undertaken the role of Deputy Mayor with duties to be discussed as a later date. Final consultation has occurred and Hanbury is staying as Crown ward with Draycott in the Clay & Marchington; Newborough will be added.Cllr White would like to reiterate thank yous and express gratitude for the kindness shown throughout his time as councillor. Cllr White would also like to say thank you for the work that the county council have done throughout this time. He explained that nobody would have predicted a pandemic but pleased that Staffs track record has been good throughout this period, having a successful vaccination programme. Cllr White is really proud of the hard work undertaken.Change has occurred at county council level and Cllr White is pleased to be re-elected and plans to address issues raised by Parish Councils with primary concern given to the pandemic. Going forward focus will be infrastructure especially roads and flooding issues and social care.