Minutes - January 2024
CROWTON PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of Crowton Parish Council meeting held on
Tuesday 9rd January 2024 at Crowton Village Hall 2023
PresentCllr Ralph Oultram (Chair) (RO), Cllr Richard Thorne (Vice Chair) (RT)
Cllr Roger Hammond (RH), Cllr Joel Rutter (JR) Cllr Jennie Curry (JC)
Ward Councillor Gillian Edwards (GE)
Clerk T Whitlow (TW)
23/75Apologies for Absence were received & accepted from:
Cllr Ross McCrickerd (RM) Cllr Bob Stubbs (BS) Ward Councillor Phil Rimmer
23/76Minutes Silence Observed:
In remembrance of Cllr Elizabeth Stubbs.
23/77Declarations of Members’ Interests: none.
23/78Approve Minutes The minutes of the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 14th November 2023 were approved & signed by the Chair.
23/79Public Participation: none present.
23/80Ward Councillors reports:
Cllr Gillian Edwards:
•Reported that she had a meeting with Environmental Agency and CWAC Flooding Department and the residents Flood Action Group before Christmas – seen as a positive move for the village, liaisons will continue. (GE is involved with the residents Flood Resilience Action Group in the village.)
•Stations Road – has now had work carried out.
•GE thanked the residents of Crowton for their help in her Christmas Toy Appeal, she was overwhelmed by the response and will repeat it again this year.
23/81 Matters arising from the previous minutes – unless an agenda item:
None, all covered under agenda items.
23/82Correspondence:
Email received from Factco asking the Council to add a report on their donation for their marketing newsletter. – Resolved TW to edit their proposed report and confirm TW
23/83Accounts/Financial:
1.Cash book as at 29.12.23 approved.
2.Bank reconciliation 29.12.23 approved.
3.Payments for approval.
•Clerks salary December salary ratified.
•HMRC Q2 ratified.
•Clerks January salary
•HMRC Q3
•Clerks expenses Nov – Dec £83.40
•MOP for lighting of the Christmas tree £70.00
•Bill Clarke – Maintenance £250 (2nd payment of the year)
•Crowton Village Hall – Hire - £210
4.Receipts:
•Spacehive – Millenium Green Fundraising £8160.62
•Parish field rent - £342.50
•Members budget re spacehive MG £600
5.Bank update:
•TW has finally manged to gain access back for the PC bank account in late December, after nearly 3 months –TW has been refunded for all payments she has previously made.
•On-line banking now set up.
•3 separate complaints logged with Barclays. Barclays to respond by 17th January.
23/84Highways:
1.Complaint received: to the PC regarding overhanging tree by the Church – TW to report this time on the report it app but must be stressed to the public that they can use the CWAC report it app, it is not the responsibility on the PC to do this, unless it has already been reported and no action taken. TW to add the link to the PC website.
2.Crewood Common: no response from Highways regarding the grass verges, but this has now been exasperated by the recent diversion along Crewood Common. TW to contact Highways.
23/85Millennium Green:
1.Trust: TW has received a response form the Charity Commission asking for more details, this has been responded to.
2.Volunteers will be back at the MG on the 06/02/23 and 26/03/23. RT kindly offered to donate spindle bushes.
3.Tree survey: JC to re-contact EA over the reported diseased trees, to try to establish what disease.
4.Millenium Green Funding (Space hive): The project was a success, and closed early due to being fully funded, pledges were received from members of the public, a local charity, Forresters, CWAC and the 3 ward councillors via members budget, giving a net total of £8760.62, the PC had resolved to donate £500, but as not necessary to get the fundraising to the total the PC will add to this to the total raised, giving £9260 to be ringfenced for work to the MG.
Thanks to all that donated.
23/86Planning:
23/03802/FUL- Spring Bank Farm Ainsworth Lane Crowton. Proposal: Erection of agricultural shed. Reviewed - Resolved to comment to LPA that a need for this building has not been clearly demonstrated.
23/87Asset Maintenance & Register.
1.Tree Survey – JC to check with the volunteers that they can carry out the remedial work require. (also see 23/85.3)
2.Parish Council Field –
Resolved to agree tenant to re-let the field to.
Resolved to decrease the first quarter rent by £150 to cover extra fencing required to the field.
Resolved PC to have hedges cut back to the PC’s and new tenant’s requirement, the new tenant to then resume responsibility of the hedges.
TW to contact the tenant with the new lease and arrange for it to be signed.
Outgoing tenant still owes 1 months rent TW to invoice the tenant.
23/88Flooding: Following the October flooding in the village JC had attended the EA meeting with Cllr GE in December– in her capacity as part of the Flood Resilience Action Group – See appendix 1
Discussion followed on information received that a large amount of water coming into Small Brook comes directly for Delamere Forest sluice gates.
23/89Items for next agenda:
MG- progress, Resilience Plan, Flood Group.
23/90Date of next meeting. Tuesday 13th February 2024 at Crowton Villag Hall.
The meeting closed at 8.30pm Signed: Dated: