Minutes June 2024

CROWTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of Crowton Parish Council meeting held on

Tuesday 11th June 2024 at Crowton Village Hall

2024 Meeting started 7pm

Present

Cllr Ralph Oultram (Chair) (RO) Cllr Richard Thorne (vice chair) RT

Cllr Jenny Currie (JC) Cllr Roger Hammond (RH))

Cllr Bob Stubbs, (BS) Cllr Joel Rutter, (JR)

Ward Councillor Gillian Edwards (GE)

Clerk - T Whitlow (TW)

24/18

Apologies for Absence were received & accepted from:

Ward Councillor Lynn Stocks

24/19

Declarations of Members’ Interests:

Cllr Ralph Oultram – planning application 24/01306/AGR Land at Onston Lane Crowton as owner of the tenanted land.

24/20

Approve Minutes The minutes of the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 14th May 2024 were approved & signed by the Chair.

24/21

Public Participation:

None present.

24/22

Ward Councillor reports:

GE – little to report as in pre-election period. Poplar Vale and the surface water drainage is ongoing

GE reported that the Solar Farm plans at Winnington have been deferred due to the impact on local roads with an expected 20 HGV’s per hour traveling to the lime beds site, for 5 years. At present this was intended to be through Barnton and over the bridge, but comments have been raised regarding travelling through Crowton, Acton Bridge and Weaverham. GE to keep TW updated.

24/23

Matters arising from the previous minutes – unless an agenda item:

Forresters lorries using Bent/Bag Lane– TW has contacted Highways regarding the possibility of “No HGV” signs. Awaiting a full response. Councillors were asked to send TW noted incidents of HGV’s using Bent/Bag Lane to forward, as requested, to Forresters.

24/24

Correspondence:

None not circulated or an agenda item.

24/25

Accounts/Financial:

1. Cash book as at 31.05.24 approved.

2. Bank reconciliation 31.05.24 approved.

3. Payments for approval.

WIX – website payment £108.00

W Clarke – village maintenance £250.00

Clerks expenses March – April £78.25

June payroll

4. Receipts

VAT refund £1736.02

24/26

Clerks Report:

The new Financial Regulations have been received from ChALC – TW & JC are working through any amendments required. To be added to future agenda once worked through. All other items covered as an agenda item.

24/27

Annual Governance Statement 2023-24 – TW read out the statement for all Cllr’s to confirm actions had taken place. All confirmed. Resolved to sign the statement -signed by chair & clerk. TW to add to website.

24/28

Annual Accounting Statement 2023-24- Accounting statement had been circulated prior to the meeting –– Resolved to confirm accounts statement as a true record. – signed by TW & the chair. TW to add to website.

24/29

Provision of Public Rights – 6-week public notice days were agreed as 17 June to 26 July. TW to add to the website & noticeboard.

24/30

Highways:

Onston Lane – re-surfacing – The PC had made a complaint and raised questions for the necessity of this work upon notification. Highways maintain that this is totally separate to pot-hole maintenance, as part of a schedule of work . Highways response was:’ ‘Preventative treatment – forms a number of different treatment types designed to extend the life of the existing layers, most commonly surface dressing (referred to as tar and chip). This is designed to stop the roads deteriorating into a state where reactive maintenance will be required and is less expensive to carryout meaning more of the network can be treated with the existing budgets. This is the work being carried out on Onston Lane’

24/31

Councillor Vacancy:

Deferred until next month.

24/32

Planning:

24/00868/FUL Little Steading 1 Church Walk Crowton Proposal: Two storey front and side extension, erection of rear second storey balcony, alterations to windows and doors, realignment of driveway. Approved by LPA

24/01306/AGR Land at Onston Lane Crowton – General purpose agricultural building: Cllr RO, having declared an interest left the building. This had not been received by TW as an AGR, which are not notified to the PC, the PC will receive notification if refused and has to go to a FUL application. TW to circulate details of the application to the councillors, and any comments to be sent to TW for submission if required.

Cllr RO rejoined the meeting.

Planning comments submissions: TW has received correspondence from the LPA that extensions to planning comments will no longer be permitted, meaning that any applications falling outside of meeting dates will have to be reviewed via email, (under delegated power to the clerk) unless contentious at which point an extraordinary meeting will have to be held.

24/33

Millenium Green:

1. Update of scheduled work: Work has not started yet as contractor delayed due to wet weather. TW and RO to chase this up.

2. Volunteers: Have been on site. The new trombone latches have been fitted. Feelings that these may encourage horses to be monitored, if so, notices will be placed on the gates.

24/34

Asset Maintenance & Register.

1. Diseased trees- JC reported that a senior Environmental Protection Officer has been in contact with her – MG volunteers will highlight any further issues to JC for reporting.

2. War Memorial Fence – work in progress

3. Defib – Hare & Hounds – JC is currently arranging a meeting with the new tenants.

4. Fingerpost maintenance: TW has received one estimate of @£700, TW to obtain full quote and at least one more quote for the July meeting. The work is expensive as the Fingerpost need taking apart to enable refurbishment work to be carried out

5. Post boxes – JC has complained again to royal Mail over the failure to repaint the post boxes – response received that they will be done in the next 25 weeks.

6. Planters: TW to obtain costing of having “Crowton” stickers printed for the planters, they have either come off with age or were never present, unlike other village planters in the area.

24/35

Community Resilience Group:

1. This is Work in Progress. To follow this up at a meeting with the new tenants at the Hare & Hounds.

24/36

Items for next agenda:

MG- works progress. Councillor Vacancy. Financial Regulations.

24/37

Date of next meeting. Tuesday 9th July 2024 at Crowton Village Hall.

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