Parish council meeting
Hixon Parish Council
To: All Councillors
You are summoned to a remote meeting of the full council to be held on 19th January 2021 at 7:30pm
Residents: Members of the public can view and listen to the meeting using Zoom, log-on details:
Meeting ID: 939 9323 4913 Passcode: 309781 Link below:
https://zoom.us/j/93993234913?pwd=eE5LUzVrVjgvNXh3MXRWM3Vsb3Z1dz09
Agenda
| Item Ref | Agenda Item | Report By |
| Open Meeting | Chair | |
| 001/20 | To receive apologies. | Chair |
| 002/20 | To receive declaration of interest in any matter on the Agenda. | Chair |
| 003/20 | Consider minutes of meeting 15th December 2020 | Chair |
| 004/20 | To receive Borough Councillors’ reports. | Chair |
| 005/20 | To receive County Councillor’s report. | Chair |
| 006/20 | Close meeting for Public Participation. | Chair |
| 007/20 | Reopen meeting & agree date of next meeting (February 16th 2021) | Chair |
| 008/20 | Chair’s announcements and Parish Councillor questions. | Chair/ Councillors |
| 009/20 | Planning Applications | |
| 20/33587/FUL Variation of condition 7 on 17/27061/FUL Air & Ground Aviation, Land Off New Road, Hixon | Chair | |
| Planning Reports | ||
| 20/32911/FUL Vary condition no 3 on application no 19/30138/FUL Land To The West 3 New Road Hixon Stafford Staffordshire | Allowed | |
| 20/32337/HOU Erection of a double garage. Jalna, Stowe Lane, Hixon | Allowed | |
| Agenda Items | ||
| 066/20 | Receive and consider report from Chair of Wellington Fields Allotment Association: | Chair |
| 054/20 | Aim to finalise budget and precept for 2021-2022 | Chair/Clerk |
| 065/17 | Welcome to Hixon signs. To consider alternative location in Church Lane. | Cllr Mrs C Murdoch |
| 036/20 | Memorial stone to be placed on the airfield (from the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust): Update | Chair |
| 039/20 | Best Kept Garden competition: Update. | Chair |
| 040/20 | To receive and consider items on Resolution Tracker (see spreadsheet) | Chair |
| 043/20 | Road Sweeper for Hixon Parish: Receive update: | Cllr. Hopcroft |
| 049/20 | Grass cutting contract: Update | Clerk |
| 052/20 | To consider latest information in respect of un-approved gateways off Stowe Lane and Lea Road onto agricultural land | Chair |
| 053/20 | Consider Actions from Asset Inspection | Chair/Clerk |
| 055/20 | Consider revised risk assessment for playing field | Cllr. Mrs S McKeown |
| 058/20 | Consider encampment along A51 | Cllr. Hopcroft |
| 063/20 | Allotment: car park repair | Chair |
| 064/20 | To discuss the alignment of Hixon Public Footpath No.10 between Greenfields and Stowe Lane | Cllr. Mrs C Murdoch |
| 065/20 | Consider grant request from St Peter’s PTFA | Cllr. Mrs C Murdoch |
| 068/20 | 2021 Census (March 21st) – use of information | Clerk |
| 029/20 | Digital Mapping (Parish Online) update: | Cllr Mrs S McKeown |
| Projects, Task Groups, and External Meeting Reports | ||
| 017/20 | Hixon Community Sports Pitch: Update | Chair |
| 032/20 | Update on Gateways at Pasturefields and Speed Indicator Devices | Chair |
| 060/20 | Consider response from SCC to FOI request: | Clerk |
| 067/20 | Trent Valley collaboration group: | Chair |
| In Camera Agenda item | ||
| 069/20 | Apparent expansion of domestic curtilage onto agricultural land | Clerk |
| Finance / Administration / Legal | ||
| 010/20 | Bank Reconciliation | Chair |
| 011/20 | Schedule of Prospective Agreed Payments | |
| C Gill salary January (Net tax/NI). Local Gov act 1972 s111. | £831.31 | |
| Reimbursement C Gill (costs: working from home) – January. Local Gov act 1972 s111 | £59.50 | |
| Reimbursement C Gill mileage (6miles @ £0.45p/mile). Local Gov act 1972 s111 | £2.70 | |
| Reimburse C Gill for Zoom plan – from 8th of January | £14.39 | |
| Fenns Stationery for ink, paper, stapler | £175.13 | |
| Water Plus for car park drainage 4th Oct 2020 – 4th Jan 2021 | £109.79 | |
| Drs for car park signs | £100.80 | |
| TGM (£110.40 for planter maintenance and £876 for flower bed maintenance). | £986.40 | |
| Mazars for auditing the AGAR 2019-2020 | £240 | |
| HMRC for income tax (£4.40) and NI payments (employer £15.13 and employee £5.96) January = 25.49 | £25.49 | |
| 012/20 | Correspondence received in the post: Clerks and Councils Direct, letter re EA submission by SOT City Council (Humber Basin Management Plan). |
| 15th January 2021 Catherine Gill Clerk to Hixon Parish Council |
Minutes
| In attendance for all or part of the meeting: |
| Cllr. B McKeown (Chair), Cllr. P Hopcroft, Cllr. Mrs C Finlayson, Cllr A Murdoch, Cllr. Mrs S McKeown, Cllr. Mrs C Murdoch, Cllr. J Carmichael Members of the public: Seventeen |
| Item Ref | Item | Action By |
| 001/20 | Apologies received : Cllr. Mrs H Lunn | – |
| 002/20 | Declarations of interest: None | Clerk |
| 003/20 | Minutes of meeting December 15th 2020 were agreed | Clerk |
| 004/20 | Borough Councillors’ reports. | None |
| 005/20 | County Councillor’s report. | None |
| 006/20 | Close meeting for Public Participation. | |
| Great Haywood residents are asking for spare laptops to be passed on to school children who need them for remote schooling. Resident has a spare laptop – Chair has been collecting laptops due to the Radio Stoke appeal and will collect from resident. | Chair | |
| Brown bins: lorry has to drive all the way down the road just to empty a few bins. Does this save money for the council? If bin not emptied, does resident get money back? Chair said that Stafford Borough Council (SBC) are expecting ca. 50% take up of brown bin emptying. If less, will council may either reduce the cost to encourage more uptake or increase cost to bring in the money they want. | –
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| Lauder Grove flooding – is anything being done about this? Has been reported to Highways many times – has been looked at today (together with The Croft and Stowe Lane) and Highways promised to take action on all of them. Can’t give a timeframe. | –
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| Several drains on Church Lane are blocked, near to BriStor. Will the utility skip vehicle be coming out in February? – this service is not being provided by SBC at the moment. Will put this information on the HPC website . | Chair. | |
| 007/19 | Reopen meeting & agree date of next meeting (February 16th 2021). | Clerk |
| 008/20 | Chair’s announcements | |
| Things are very busy across the ward. Closure of car parks and introduction of charging on car parks being discussed tomorrow. Walnut Crest: Stafford and Rural Homes have been asked to make the back gardens of the houses secure, following damage to front gardens several months ago. Parish Council Car Park: additional signage has been added to deter people leaving a vehicle on the car park long term. Maximum stay 72 hours, no return within 2 hours. |
– | |
| Parish Councillor questions. | ||
| Stowe Lane flooding: what is the problem? Broken/blocked pipe under road or on airfield. Highways are aware. | –
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| Did we get a response from the person contacted on Lauder Grove re the flooding outside his house? – No. Services under road probably damaged, Highways are aware. | – | |
| Who owns the land outside Lancaster Court? Not known, Clerk will contact developer. | Clerk | |
| 009/20 | Planning: Applications | |
| 20/33587/FUL Variation of condition 7 on 17/27061/FUL Air & Ground Aviation, Land Off New Road, Hixon. | No objection | |
| Reports | ||
| 20/32911/FUL Vary condition no 3 on application no. 19/30138/FUL Land To The West 3 New Road Hixon Stafford | Allowed | |
| 20/32337/HOU Erection of a double garage. Jalna, Stowe Lane, Hixon, Stafford | Allowed | |
| Agenda Items | ||
| 066/20 | Report from Chair of Wellington Fields Allotment Association (WFAA) – separate report. WFAA will advise Hixon PC of the cost for aggregate etc. to tidy up the car park area and confirmed that the additional insurance cover held by WFAA covers the new compost etc. storage area. |
– |
| 054/20 | Budget and Precept for 2021-2022. Chair referred to budget proposals presented at December 2020 meeting and a variety of precept figures were discussed. Agreed to defer Budget finalisation to extra meeting WB 25th January. | Clerk |
| 065/17 | Welcome to Hixon signs: It was reported that the relevant parties had not been able to meet to discuss, aim for progress by 31st March 2021. | Cllr. Mrs C Murdoch |
| 036/20 | Memorial stone (from the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust (ABCT)): Hixon Airfield Services not prepared for stone to be placed on site at the moment. Hold in abeyance for the time being. | Chair |
| 039/20 | Best Kept Garden competition update: Chair is preparing a visual for the website. | Cllrs. B McKeown |
| 040/20 | Resolution Tracker: Has been updated and circulated by Chair. | Chair |
| 043/20 | Road Sweeper – There is a possibility that the hire cost may be sponsored. The amount of debris currently in the gutters is a concern as this will quickly fill the machine, a place locally to empty may have to be found. | Cllr. Hopcroft |
| 049/20 | Grass Mowing Contract: Some questions to ask the tenderers by email and arrange a zoom meeting, 2 or 3 tenderers to take forward. Vice Chair and Cllr Mrs S. McKeown to report back at extra meeting WB 25th January. | Clerk |
| 052/20 | Un-approved Gateways off Stowe Lane and Lea Road: No planning application has been validated by SBC Planning yet. | –
|
| 053/20 | Asset Work: List of works from 2020 inspection is with Chair for review of costings provided by Clerk. Wildflower seeds on Ridgeway Open Space is outstanding for previous list. | Chair |
| 055/20 | Risk assessment for playing field: Following Government advice on 6th January 2021, Cllr. Mrs S McKeown presented an updated risk assessment. The updated risk assessment was agreed by the Council.
Cllr. Hopcroft/ Clerk to produce new signage and attach ‘do not use’ signs to outdoor gym equipment. |
Cllr. Hopcroft/ Clerk |
| 058/20 | Encampment along the A51 at Pasturefields: Concerns raised about the proliferation of vehicles (including caravan and campervan), sheds, scrap and outside storage on fields. Mail box on gate indicates possibility of a permanent residence of some kind. Possibly a houseboat moored on the canal. Does this require a permission of some kind? Agreed to flag up to SBC Planning Enforcement. | Clerk. |
| 063/20 | Allotment car park: Covered in item for report by WFAA Chair. | –
|
| 064/20 | Alignment of Footpath number 10: it was considered that there was not a noticeable diversion of the line of the footpath. | – |
| 065/20 | Grant request: Defer to February to allow time to look at paperwork. | Clerk |
| 068/20 | Census March 2021: Defer to February. | Clerk |
| 029/20 | Digital mapping: log-in details have been sent out. | – |
| Projects, Task Groups, and External Meeting Reports | ||
| 017/20 | Hixon Community Sports Pitch: Unlikely to be possible at original intended location, Chair is confident an alternative site can be found. Should have more to report next month. | Chair |
| 032/20 | Gateways at Pasturefields and SID: All on order and will hopefully have some real progress by the February meeting. | – |
| 060/20 | Response from SCC to FOI request: Responses so far are not acceptable – Clerk to ask for records from Development Control. Chair to follow up with Stafford Borough Council re Section 106 funds. | Clerk/Chair |
| 067/20 | Trent Valley Collaboration Group: HPC hosts the next meeting in February. Arrange for after February 23rd. Clerk to circulate the last minutes to councillors. Councillors to put forward agenda items. Chair and Cllr. Hopcroft will attend | Clerk |
| 069/20 | In Camera item: Apparent expansion of domestic curtilage onto agricultural land. Chair to follow up. | Chair |
| Finance / Administration / Legal | ||
| 010/20 | Bank Reconciliation | |
| 011/20 | Schedule of Payments Made – Cheques Signed by Cllr Hopcroft/ Chair | |
| C Gill salary January (Net tax/NI). Local Gov act 1972 s111. | £831.31 | |
| Reimbursement C Gill (costs: working from home) – January Local Gov act 1972 s111 | £59.50 | |
| Reimbursement C Gill mileage (6miles @ £0.45p/mile). Local Gov act 1972 s111 | £2.70 | |
| Fenns Stationery for ink, paper, stapler | £175.13 | |
| Water Plus for car park drainage 4th Oct 2020 – 4th Jan 2021 | £109.79 | |
| Drs for car park signs | £100.80 | |
| TGM (£110.40 for planter maintenance and £876 for flower bed maintenance). | £986.40 | |
| Mazars for auditing the AGAR 2019-2020 | £240 | |
| HMRC for income tax (£4.40) and NI payments (employer £15.13 and employee £5.96) January = £25.49 | £25.49 | |
| 012/20 | Correspondence received in mail: | None |
Meeting ended 9:50 pm