Minutes November 2023
CROWTON PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of Crowton Parish Council meeting held on
Tuesday 14th November 2023 at Crowton Village Hall
2023
PresentCllr Ralph Oultram (Chair) (RO), Cllr Richard Thorne (Vice Chair) (RT)
Cllr Ross McCrickerd (RM), Cllr Bob Stubbs (BS) Cllr Roger Hammond (RH)
Cllr Joel Rutter (JR)
Ward Councillor Lynn Stocks (LS) 1 Member of the Public (MOP)
Clerk T Whitlow (TW)
23/59 Apologies for Absence were received & accepted from:
Cllr Elizabeth Stubbs (ES), Cllr Jennie Curry (JC)
Ward Councillor’s Gillian Edwards (GE) & Phil Rimmer (PR)
23/60Declarations of Members’ Interests: Cllr Richard Thorne – planning application 23/03218/FUL
23/61Approve Minutes The minutes of the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 10th October 2023 were approved & signed by the Chair.
23/62Public Participation: MOP voiced concerns over planning application 23/03218/FUL.
Their comments were noted for further discussion under agenda item (see minute 23/69)
23/63Ward Councillors reports:
Cllr LS Informed the PC that the Chief Executive of Highways was to visit the village the following week.
Planning Enforcement are acting on the breech of planning on Woods Lane.
Planned road closures for Bent Lane, Onston Lane & Station Road in the next month.
Flood Task Management meeting has been postponed until January 2024.
TW asked LS if she and PR could match GE members budget donation to the Millennium Green. TW to re-send information to both ward councillors tomorrow.
RM discussed with LS the fact that he feels the 3 ward councillors should be working together, regardless of their political status.
23/64 Matters arising from the previous minutes – unless an agenda item:
Nothing arising that is not an agenda item.
23/65Correspondence:
Email received from LPA regarding Crowton Hall planning application – see minute 23/69
23/66Accounts/Financial:
1.Cash book as at 28.08.23 approved.
2.Factco donation of £1750 towards the SID’s has been received. This was to thank the PC for their assistance during their initial build enquires – Cllr JC asked whether there were any grants available, and this was the result. Email thanking them has been sent.
3.NALC national pay increase for the clerk was noted, backdated to 01.4.23 – to be added to the next payroll. Contract to be amended to also include the increase in hours from April 2023.
4.Payments for approval.
•Clerks salary November including back pay.
•Clerks expenses Sept-October £77.35
•Bill Clarke – Maintenance £250
•Keith Lightfoot – Ground maintenance £250
•Liz Stubbs to be refunded for the Xmas tree when purchased.
•Liz Stubbs to be refunded for the plants and bulbs £132
23/67Highways:
•PC Resolved for TW to re-email Highways to see what can be done regarding the ruts in the new grass verge on Crewood Common Road, as no response received from offering to place bollards on the verges, if they would give their consent.
•No further updates have been received regarding Station Road.
23/68Millennium Green:
1.Trust: TW has written to the charity commission to try to dissolve the charity status.
2.Millenium Green Funding (Space hive): The project went live on 13th October, with a total to raise of £11011, which it is already 40% funded, the project has pitched to various funds from CWAC and will hopefully receive information on whether successful in the next few days. Cllr GE has pledged £200 from her members budget.
23/69Planning:
23/03218/FUL Little Brook Farm Kingsley Road Crowton Proposal: Retrospective application for retention of purpose-built equine stable buildings, storage facilities, horse walker and floodlights to the extant arena: Cllr RT took no part in the discussions, the PC have received numerous emails & phone calls from members of the public objecting to this application, various points raised. Resolved TW to draft an objection for planning to be forwarded to council (except RT) for acceptance before sending to planning.
19/01233/FUL Crowton Hall Farm development: Ratified. LPA emailed TW giving the PC the opportunity to add any further comments before this application was decided, as it had been with planning since 2019. Following an informal meeting to discuss further, whilst the PC still support the application in general, there are various points that have been raised, particularly the possibility of further flooding in the village if the culvert in the farmyard is altered. A response has been sent to PLA, and a reply received that LPA will go back to UU, EA, LLFA and the applicant for further information. Noted that ES & BS took no part in the discussions due to declaring an interest.
23/70Budget:
TW presented the 2nd draft budget to the PC. After discussions it was Resolved to accept the budget.
23/71Precept:
Resolved to set the precept £10250 for 2024-25 giving a 6% increase over the current year
23/72Asset Maintenance & Register.
1.Tree Survey – There are a couple of trees that need remedial work – to check if this is something the volunteers can manage, or whether the PC needs to get a tree surgeon to carry out the work. Noted recommended work within 6 months.
2.Parish Council Field - TW had received an email from the tenant, giving 3 months’ notice on the land, due to change of circumstances. TW has confirmed an end date of 01.02.24, and confirmed hedges will be trimmed, and fields topped before vacation of the land. Lease notice to be placed on the notice board.
3.MG hedges – Have been cut.
23/73Items for next agenda:
MG – spacehive
23/74Date of next meeting. Tuesday 14th December