Minutes of Meeting held in The Rez Country Café on Thursday 14th. December 2006.

Present: Councillor T. Beastall (Chair)

Councillors R. Dawson, J. Kent, J. J. Leah, J F. Sargeant & S. R. Weston.

Two Members of the Public.

1. Apologies for Absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

2. Declarations of Interest.

There were no declarations of interest at this point.

3. Resignation of the Clerk.

A letter of resignation from the post of Clerk to the Council was received from Mrs. Hancock. This was due to personal circumstances. The resignation was reluctantly accepted by Councillors and they agreed to send a letter of thanks and good wishes for the future to her.

4. Chairman’s Address.

The Chairman welcomed members of the public to the meeting.

5. Public Comment.

Verbal complaints had been received regarding flooding to various parts of the main A 53 road. It was agreed to write the Highways Engineer asking for the road gullies to be emptied.

6. Minutes of Last Meeting.

The minutes of the last meeting held on 2nd. November 2006 had been circulated. It was agreed that they be signed by the Chairman as a true and correct record.

7. Matters Arising.

The commemorative seat to Gordon Hansell had now been sited in the porch of St. Chad’s Church. A letter had been received from Mr. Hansell expressing his gratitude both for the bench and also for the siting in the porch of the Church. It was agreed to write to Mr. B. Dickinson to thank him for his assistance with the plaque and the actual siting of the seat.

The necessary forms to amend the Council’s signing mandate at the Council’s bankers were in the process of being completed with identification visits taking place.

The Annual Audit Form completed and signed by the Audit Commission had been received. The accounts were in order and there were no points which required action.

A reply had been received from Cheddleton Parish Council stating that it had no plans to erect boundary signs. It was agreed to ask the County Council about the possibility of providing such signs to attach to the existing signs in Denford Road and Sutherland Road.

The Council’s contractor had cleaned out the pond in School Lane but since then the adjacent landowner had widened his access road and this had damaged the work undertaken, lowered the water level and reduced the pond in size considerably. It was agreed to write to the Staffs. Moorlands Conservation Officer to ascertain what action could be taken against the offenders.

A letter had been sent to the County Council about various complaints from the last meeting which included dangerous trees at the junction of Denford Road and Micklea Lane.

The overhanging hedge at Hillwyn Farm had been cut back. The overhanging hedge in Devils Lane still required attention.

A discussion took place on the problem with the Right of Way along Sandy Lane. Evidence had been produced from the County Council at the last meeting and Councillor Kent produced written evidence of the Public Right of Way Act. After receiving the conflicting evidence no firm decision on the matter was forthcoming.

It was reported that:

letter had been sent to Councillor Kent answering points in his letter.

8. Correspondence.

Letters of complaint had been received from three parishioners expressing concern that there were no Councillors present at the laying of the wreath at the Remembrance Ceremony at St. Chad’s Church on Remembrance Sunday. It was agreed that replies be sent to each of the complainants stating that their comments were noted and Councillors would bear these in mind in future years.

Information had been received from Staffs. County Council regarding the Community Paths Initiative inviting bids for 2007 / 08. It was agreed that a list be formulated of any work required and then the information sent in to the County.

Other information received was:

revised Christmas Waste Collection dates from Staffs. Moorlands District Council.

Staffs. Rural The following planning applications were considered and it was agreed to forward no objections, subject to the normal planning guidelines, to:-

Access to Services Partnership from Staffs. Moorlands Comm. & Vol. Services.

Statement of Accounts from Staffs. County Council.

figures and info on number of complaints to the Ombudsman about Staffs. Moorlands D. C.

notice of Local Ombudsman Presentation at Moorlands House on 24th. January 2007.

notice and agenda for meeting of Staffs. Moorlands Parish Assembly – 7th. December 2006.

Local Environmental Newsletter for Upper Trent from the Environmental Agency Staffs. County Council Winter Driving leaflet – distributed to Councillors.

Issue 19 – Sustainable Staffordshire.

9. Planning Matters.

*1104 Proposed Rooflights, Re-instatement of Chimney and New Covering to Well House at at Stonelowe Hall, Leek Road, Longsdon.

1148 Two Storey Side Extension at Rosebank Cottage, Dunwood Lane, Longsdon.

1178 Erection of Wooden Stables at Lapwing Farm, Devils Lane, Longsdon.

1281 Removal of Rear Conservatory and Replacement with Single Storey Extension at Yew Tree Cottage, School Lane, Longsdon.

* Councillor J. Kent declared a prejudicial interest in this item and took no part in the discussion.

it was reported that planning permission appeared to have been given for the erection of polytunnels on a site in Dunwood Lane. The Council had never received any notification of this proposed development. It was agreed to write to the Head of Planning at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council asking for an explanation of this and also to obtain information on a previous error which had occurred with an application for polytunnels on a site in Leek Road.

10. Orders for Payment.

An account was produced, which had been sent to Councillor Kent, for repair works to the clock of St. Chad’s Church Longsdon. It was agreed that this be forwarded to the Reverend Eric Tomlinson at the Church as the Parish Council only pay for maintenance items.

It was unanimously agreed that the following items be paid:-

11. Estimates for the Year 2007/08.

The acting Clerk had produced (1) Actual Figures for the Year 2005/06, (2) Estimated Expenditure and year end balance for the Year 2006/07 and (3) Estimated Expenditure for the Year 2007/08.

He had been advised by the Staffs Moorlands District Council finance department that there was no limit on the amount of any rise in the precept but the Council was expected to be prudent.

After studying the figures produced, it was proposed and seconded that the precept for 2007/08 remain the same. An amendment was proposed and seconded that the precept be increased from £3,200 to £3,360, an increase of 5% in order to maintain balances. The amendment was carried by a MAJORITY decision.

12. Public Comment.

There were no further comments.

13. Any Other Business.

A discussion took place on the appointment of a new Clerk to the Council. The post was offered to Mr. John Bourne who had been acting as Clerk during the leave of absence of the previous Clerk. Mr. Bourne duly accepted the appointment and thanked Councillors for their offer.

Councillor Kent reported that the Memorial Hall had been successful in obtaining a grant of £170 – 00 from the Rural Community Chest administered by the Community Council of Staffs.

It was reported that contractors working on the footpath in School Lane near to Stackstones had dislodged and removed the Longsdon sign and its post and had not replaced them.

A report was also given that the 40 m.p.h. speed limit on the A53 had been extended past the New Inn. The signs in Denford Road showing a de-restricted area on entering the main road were now incorrect.

It was agreed that both these items be reported to the Divisional Area Highways Manager.

Councillor Kent gave a report on a meeting which he had attended regarding the Local Development Framework, which covered affordable housing provided by Housing Associations, local development framework local plans etc. Longsdon would be involved with many of these items eventually.

14. Date of Next Meeting.

The next meeting of the Council will be held on Thursday 25th. January 2007 at 7 – 30p.m. in The Rez Country Café in Sutherland Road, Longsdon.

The Chairman closed the meeting by wishing the compliments of the season to all those present.