Minutes of Meeting held on Thursday 25th. September 2025 in the Upstairs Room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon at 7.00pm.
Present: Councillor J. Sargeant (Chair).
Councillors J. Cox, S. Dickinson, D. Hughes, C. Hogan, R. Lovell & K. Shaw.
In Attendance: John Bourne, Clerk to the Council.
Two Members of the Public.
64/25 Apologies for Absence.
There were no apologies for absence.
65/25 Declarations of Interest.
There were no declarations of interest at this point.
66/25 Chairman’s Address.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
He reported that there had been a fatal traffic accident in the Parish. Vice Chairman Richard gave further details of the accident which had occurred near to Dunwood Hall.
67/25 Public Comments.
The two members of the public raised concerns about an extension that was taking place adjacent to their properties which had a window, not shown on a recent planning application, which was overlooking them. They thought it was invading their privacy.
They had contacted the owner without success.
Councillor Cox, in her capacity as a District Councillor gave them advice on conferring with SMDC Planning Department about their situation.
The actual planning application involved was on the agenda for discussion later in the meeting.
68/25 Approval of Minutes of Last Meeting.
The minutes of the meeting held on 7th. August 2025 had been circulated, and it was agreed that the minutes be signed as a true record.
69/25 Matters Arising.
(a) Defibrillator Cabinet.
The details regarding the electrical connection together with the installation of the heated cabinet had been sent in and an acknowledgement had been received.
It was agreed to write and ask for a progress report.
(b) Staffs Parish Councils Association.
The Association had been notified that the Council would not be joining the organisation at this time. However further correspondence had asked the Council to re-consider.
(c) Memorial Hall Meetings.
Contact had been made with the Memorial Hall Management Committee through two sources but no replies had been received.
(d) Common Land.
It was reported that the benches on the site were rotten and that there were areas of overgrowth. It was suggested that the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust could be involved but Councillor Dickinson offered to dispose of the rotten benches. The offer was accepted with thanks.
70/25 Other Business.
Lengthsman Instructions.
The lengthsman had contacted the Clerk to report that the work mentioned by Councillor Cox at the last meeting had not yet been completed and should be regarded as work in progress.
He would also be instructed to clear the vegetation around the bus stop at the end of Leek Old Road and attend to the path overgrowth on the common land.
Remembrance Day Poppies.
It was agreed to feature poppies around the village again this year. Two poppies were lost or stolen from their locations last year. The chairman agreed to create replacements and display them.
71/25. Correspondence.
The following had already been distributed to Councillors: - SMDC - Suggested sites for future development.
SMDC – Community Repaint.
Classical Music Concert – 10th. September 2025.
SMDC – Local Government Re-organisation Meeting – 21st.August 2025.
Moorlands Climate Change Summer Newsletter.
Moorlands Climate Action Fashion Show – 18th. September 2025.
Defibrillator Training Meeting – 15th. September 2025.
Town & Parish Network Event – 24th. October 2025.
Chair of Parish Assembly – Devolution Information.
72/25 Planning Matters.
Application No. SMD/2025/0380 Land adjacent to High View, Sutherland Road, Longsdon.
Due to the timescale the following comments were forwarded to the planning authority.
It is inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
It is not an infill plot. This was decided by the inspector during refusal Appeal Ref. APP/B3438/W/128/34204059 in 2018 and there have been no material changes since which would require that decision to be overturned.
As the Parish Council previously said, a retrospective application in April 2011 for an additional entrance on the site stated that the land was agricultural and this application states that it is garden land.
The application says that the method of sewerage disposal is unknown but since there is no main sewer in Longsdon that should have been addressed.
Surface water runoff from the plot could impact Sutherland Road since there is no main sewer to accommodate it.
Longsdon has insufficient infrastructure, no schools, no shops, no doctor surgery and a very poor bus service to support further development.
Increased road traffic due to inadequate bus service will lead to more use of the dangerous egress from Sutherland Road onto the A53 where numerous accidents have recently occurred.
Application No. SMD/2025/0406 Application for the removal of Condition 2 in relation to Application SMD/2024/0409 for the removal of Prefabricated Garage and the Construction of a new living room and entrance area.
After some discussion a majority agreed to object to this application.
73/25 Finance Matters.
Orders for Payment.
It was agreed that the following items be paid:
| Recipient | Amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| J. A. Gibson. ( | £ 108.00 | . Litter Picking. |
| £ 60.00 | . County Type Jobs. | |
| Parish Online. | £ 45.00 | . Annual Fee. |
| The Wheel. | £ 25.00 | . Room Hire. |
| Ionos | £ 7.20 | Monthly Charge paid by direct debit 12th. August 25. |
| £ 7.20 | Monthly Charge paid by direct debit 10th. Sept.25. |
74/25 Public Comments.
The members of the public made two further comments on their situation.
75/25 Items for Inclusion in the Agenda for the Next Meeting.
There was no business under this item.
76/25 Date of Next Meeting.
The date of the next meeting was arranged for Thursday 20th. November 2025 at 7.00pm in the upstairs room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon.
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Minutes of Meeting held on Thursday 7th. August 2025 in the Upstairs Room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon at 7.00pm.
Present: Councillor J. Sargeant (Chair).
Councillors S. Dickinson, D. Hughes, C. Hogan & R. Lovell.
In Attendance: John Bourne, Clerk to the Council.
52/25 Apologies for Absence.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillor J. Cox.
53/25 Declarations of Interest.
There were no declarations of interest at this point.
54/25 Chairman’s Address.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
He reported that the publication of the legally required documents and notification of public rights had been completed on time on both the website and the notice boards before the July 1st. deadline.
The dangerous window in the building at the junction of the A53 and Sutherland Road has been rectified together with several windows and the entrance door.
The air ambulance was called to a road traffic accident on the A53 near City Lane. The occupant of one of the vehicles was seriously injured. Let us hope that this accident was duly recorded since road safety improvements are dependent on such recorded incidents.
The grass verges have been cut in Sutherland Road.
55/25 Approval of Minutes of Last Meeting.
The minutes of the meeting held on 19th.June 2025 had been circulated, and it was agreed that the minutes be signed as a true record.
56/25 Matters Arising.
Community Speed Watch.
Information had been received regarding a Community Speed Watch system from the Police Community Speed Watch Co-ordinator which stated that she had visited the site and it was not legally suitable for such a scheme.
Councillor Cox reported that she had arranged for the speed assessment team to monitor traffic through Longsdon.
(b) Defibrillator Cabinet.
Enquiries had been made regarding the electrical connection to the Memorial Hall and this had been agreed verbally. It was agreed to request the installation of the heated cabinet and also to ask if an external electrical point, suitable for the connection of the Christmas Tree lights, could be incorporated into the scheme.
(c ) Staffs Parish Councils Association.
The invitation to join this Association was discussed and it was agreed not to join the organisation at this time.
(d) Memorial Hall Meetings.
Councillor Hughes, the Council’s representative on the Memorial Hall Management Committee, reported that he had still not received an invitation to a meeting of the Committee. Contact would be made again with the Committee.
57/25 Other Business.
Lengthsman Instructions.
Councillor Cox had sent in some photographs showing pavements on the A53 which required cleaning up. These to be forwarded to the Lengthsman for attention. She did mention that funding for this could come from her Community Fund.
She also mentioned flooding in Honeysuckle Lane due to a blocked gully causing water to run into the adjacent field. This to be investigated.
Mention was made of the current state of the Common Land in the parish especially the benches on the land. It was agreed that Councillors visit the land to inspect the situation and the matter be discussed at the next meeting.
58/25. Correspondence.
The following had already been distributed to Councillors:-
In Touch Newsletter – Summer Edition.
Devolution & Local Government Report-Media Release.
Road Closure Notice – School Lane.
Severn Trent Councillors’ Newsletter.
Invite to Summer Afternoon Tea with Chairmen of SMDC.
Road Closure Notice – Micklea Lane.
Caverswall Historical Society Quiz Event.
59/25 Planning Matters.
There was no business under this item.
60/25 Finance Matters.
A quarterly Statement of the Councils account was distributed to Councillors.
(b) Orders for Payment.
It was agreed that the following items be paid:
| Recipient | Amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| J. A. Gibson. | £ 96.00 | . Litter Picking. |
| £ 84.00 | . County Type Jobs. | |
| Information Commissioner. | £ 52.00 | . Data protection Fee. |
| The Wheel. | £ 25.00 | . Room Hire. |
| Ionos | £ 7.20 | Monthly Charge paid by direct debit 11th.July 25. |
61/25 Public Comments.
There was no business under this item.
62/25 Items for Inclusion in the Agenda for the Next Meeting.
Report on the Common Land.
63/25 Date of Next Meeting.
The date of the next meeting was arranged for Thursday 25th. September 2025 at 7.00pm in the upstairs room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon.
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Minutes of Meeting held on Thursday 19th. June 2025 in the Upstairs Room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon at 7.00pm.
Present: Councillor J. Sargeant (Chair).
Councillors S. Dickinson, C. Hogan, R. Lovell & K. Shaw.
In Attendance: John Bourne, Clerk to the Council.
One Member of the Public.
40/25 Apologies for Absence.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillor D. Hughes.
41/25 Declarations of Interest.
There were no declarations of interest at this point.
42/25 Chairman’s Address.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
He reported that the end of year Financial Statements would be discussed later in the meeting.
43/25 Approval of Minutes of Last Meeting.
The minutes of the meeting held on 8th.May 2025 had been circulated, and it was agreed that the minutes be signed as a true record.
44/25 Matters Arising.
Dangerous Window.
Further information regarding the problem with the dangerous window in a building at the junction of the A53 Leek Road & Sutherland Road had now been received from an Empty Homes Environmental Officer stating that the property had been inspected but it did not meet the criteria for the serving of any notice. However the owner of the property had been contacted and made aware of the concerns and had indicated they are willing to undertake remedial works.
Pedestrian Crossing and Speed Watch.
Information had been received regarding a Community Speed Watch system from the Police Community Speed Watch Co-ordinator who would visit the site and then arrange a site visit. It was agreed to arrange to meet with her.
Contact had been made with the newly elected County Councillor to welcome him and update him regarding the issue with the pedestrian crossing and the proposed speed watch.
45/25 Other Business.
(a) Lengthsman Instructions.
The lengthsman had been instructed to replant the village flower tubs and this had been done.
It was agreed to ask him to remove overgrowth from the pavement near to the old New Inn site.
(b) Defibrillator Cabinet.
An offer of a heated defibrillator cabinet to replace the existing one at the Memorial Hall had been received. This would be free of charge but would require an electrical connection from the Hall. A letter would be sent to the Hall Management asking for its permission.
(c ) Staffs Parish Councils Association.
An invitation to join this Association had been received with an offer of the first years’ fees free.
This to be included on the agenda for the next meeting.
46/25 Correspondence.
The following had already been distributed to Councillors:-
Moorlands Climate Action – Spring Newsletter.
St. Leonards Church, Ipstones- Flower Festival – 7th./ 8th. June 2025.
Caverswall Histortical Society- Event – 20th.June 2025.
47/25 Planning Matters.
There was no business under this item.
48/25 Finance Matters.
Bank Signature Mandate.
TSB had agreed to the requested bank signature changes.
To receive a report from the Internal Auditor.
This was received with no adverse comments.
Annual Returns – 2024 / 2025.
The following documents were perused and accepted:-
Annual Governance Statement.
Accounting Statement.
Significant Variations Report.
Bank Reconciliation.
Annual Accounts.2023 / 2024.
A slight amendment had had to be made to these accounts due to two cheques being unpresented.
(e) Orders for Payment.
It was agreed that the following items be paid:
| Recipient | Amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| J. A. Gibson. | £144.00 | Agency Work. |
| £124.00 | Re-composting & Planting Village Tubs. | |
| The Wheel. | £ 25.00 | Room Hire. |
| Ionos | £ 7.20 | Monthly Charge paid by direct debit 14th.May 25. |
| £ 7.20 | Monthly Charge paid by direct debit 11th.June 25. |
49/25 Public Comments.
The member of the public reported overgrowth over the pavement in School Lane . This to be reported to the lengthsman.
50/25 Items for Inclusion in the Agenda for the Next Meeting.
Invitation to join Staffs. Parish Councils Association.
51/25 Date of Next Meeting.
The date of the next meeting was arranged for Thursday 7th. August 2025 at 7.00pm in the upstairs room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon.
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Minutes of Meeting held on Thursday 8th. May 2025 in the Upstairs Room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon at 7.00pm.
Present: Councillor J. Sargeant (Chair).
Councillors S. Dickinson, R. Lovell & K. Shaw.
In Attendance: John Bourne, Clerk to the Council.
One Member of the Public.
27/25 Apologies for Absence.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J. Cox, C. Hogan & D. Hughes.
28/25 Declarations of Interest.
There were no declarations of interest at this point.
29/25 Chairman’s Address.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the normal Parish Council meeting.
30/25 Public Comments.
The member of the public, speaking on behalf of the owner of an area of land in Sandy Lane, pointed out that the land was registered with the Land Registry and the entrance gate was closed and locked on each New Year’s Day. However, members of the public were continually walking over the land.
It was suggested to him that the best course was for the owner to erect notices such as “Trespassers will be Prosecuted” which would then deter trespassing.
31/25 Approval of Minutes of Last Meeting.
The minutes of the meeting held on 20th. March 2025 had been circulated, and it was agreed that the minutes be signed as a true record.
32/25 Matters Arising.
(a) Pedestrian Crossing and Speed Watch.
A further discussion took place on the need to set up a Community Speed Watch system and how it could be established. The Police Community Speed Watch team had posted leaflets canvassing for participants through some but not all letterboxes in the parish.
It was suggested that contact should be made with the newly elected County Councillor regarding the pedestrian crossing.
(b) Storm Damage.
St. Chad’s Parochial Church Council had been informed of possible grant from the Parish Council for the attention to the damaged trees in the Church yard area.
(c) Dangerous Window.
A report regarding the problem with the dangerous window in a building at the junction of the A53 Leek Road & Sutherland Road had been submitted, with photographs of the window, to the Chief Planning Officer.
This report had apparently been passed to a private firm in Derbyshire who, after establishing the exact situation of the window, had compared the photographs which had been sent in to photographs retrieved from a Google Earth survey in 2023. It concluded this showed that there had been no change in the circumstances since then and that no action could be taken.
The Parish Council decided that it had done its duty by reporting the problem.
33/25 Other Business.
There was no business under this item.
34/25 Correspondence.
The following had already been distributed to Councillors:-
Caverswall Historical Society Event.
Road Closure Notice – School Lane, Longsdon.
Re-cycled Furniture Literature.
Clerks & Councils Direct – May 25 Issue.
35/25 Planning Matters.
The following Planning Applications had been received:-
SMD/2025/0226 Replacement Detached Garage & 1.5m increase in Driveway Width at Brackencroft, Sutherland Road, Longsdon.
It was agreed to forward no objections to this application.
36/25 Finance Matters.
(a) Copies of the Annual Accounts for the year 2024 / 2025 were distributed to Councillors.
(b) It was agreed to appoint Mrs. D. Corbishley as Internal Auditor – the same as last year.
(c) It was agreed that as the Council’s turnover was less than £25,000.00 the External Audit Exemption Certificate be submitted.
(d) The Council’s Governance Statement was perused and approved.
(e) Orders for Payment.
It was agreed that the following items be paid:
| Recipient | Amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| J. A. Gibson. | £ 168.00 | . Agency Work. |
| Zurich Insurance. | £ 351.62 | . Insurance Premium ( A reduction from last year). |
| John Bourne. | £ 364.14 | . Clerks Salary & Expenses. |
| H. M. Customs & Excise. | £ 81.00 | P.A.Y.E. |
| The Wheel. | £ 25.00 | . Room Hire. |
| Ionos | £ 7.20 | Monthly Charge paid by direct debit 13th.April 25. |
(f) The question of the Clerk’s Salary, which had remained constant for two years, was discussed. It was agreed that this be raised by £150.00 per annum.
37/25 Public Comments.
There was no more business under this item.
38/25 Items for Inclusion in the Agenda for the Next Meeting.
There was no further business under this item.
39/25 Date of Next Meeting.
The date of the next meeting was arranged for Thursday 19th. June 2025 at 7.00pm in the upstairs room of the Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon.
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Minutes of Annual General Meeting held on Thursday 8th. May 2025 in the Upstairs Room at The Wheel Public House, Leek Road, Longsdon.
Present: Councillor J. Sargeant (Chair).
Councillors S Dickinson, R. Lovell & K. Shaw.
In Attendance: One Member of the Public.
John Bourne, Clerk to the Council.
1. Election of Chairman.
Councillor J. Sargeant was elected Chairman for the coming year.
2. Apologies for Absence.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J. Cox, C. Hogan & D. Hughes.
3. Election of Vice Chairman.
Councillor Richard Lovell was elected as Vice Chairman.
4. Appointment of Responsible Financial Officer.
Clerk to the Council, John Bourne, was re-appointed as the Responsible Financial Officer.
5. Appointment of Representatives to Staffs. Moorlands Parish Assembly (2).
Councillors J. Cox and S. Dickinson were appointed as the representatives.
6. Appointment of Representative to Longsdon Memorial Hall Management Committee.
Councillor D. Hughes was appointed as the representative.
7. Matters Arising.
There were no matters arising.
8. Other Business.
There was no business under this item.
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