Hixon Parish Council

19 March 2024 Agenda Item 097/23

Parish Council Email addresses and website hosting/updating/support

1        Purpose of Report

1.1     To consider whether to stay with Staffordshire County Council (SCC) for email addresses and website hosting or to look elsewhere.

2        Background Information and Key Issues

2.1     SCC Digital Staffordshire has announced that it will not be hosting Parish Council emails for much longer. The suggestion from SCC Digital Staffordshire is that our emails are moved to SCC ICT who currently host other Parish Council emails. However, the email addresses would have to change from @hixon.gov.uk to @hixon.staffslc.gov.uk.

2.2     The current Hixon Parish Council website requires several changes to make it more user friendly and fit for purpose, the main issues being lack of the ability to upload documents on all pages and the format of some of the documents e.g. Standing Orders which cannot currently be amended/updated by the council.
The availability and ability of SCC Digital Staffordshire staff to make these required changes and any costs involved has not yet been established.

2.3     A company called Eyelid Productions together with a hosting company called Coud Next has designed and currently host many parish council websites.
Cloud Next can host our emails and keep them as @hixon.gov.uk for the sum of £99.99 + VAT per annum.
They can also host our website plus emails for £99 + VAT per annum i.e. no additional cost for website hosting.
Eyelid Productions could re-build our website and add in the features we require for £650 and then provide support for £100 per annum.
This means the hosting and support for website and emails would be £199 per annum – for context, SCC currently charge us £200 per annum.

2.4     Hixon Parish Council should consider which way it wants to proceed and whether any further pricing options should be sought.

3        Financial

3.1     To be determined, see above for known costs.

4        Resources

4.1     Some time will be required whichever route is taken.

5        Legal Implications

5.1     There are no known legal implications.

6        Recommendation

6.1     None – options to be discussed.

7        Report produced by

          7.1     Clerk – Catherine Gill

8        Appendices

          8.1     Separate attachment from Eyelid Productions.

Hixon Parish Council

19^th March 2024

 Purchase items for Portakabin

Item 102/23

1        Purpose of Report

1.1     To recommend this report be received and considered at Hixon Parish Council (HPC) meeting 19^th March 2024

2        Background Information and Key Issues

2.1     This report follows on from the report presented to HPC on 26^th September 2023.

2.2     A few years ago HPC made arrangements with Hixon Memorial Hall to rent the Portakabin outside the back of the Hall for storage and office space.

Many items and equipment were sorted out during the transfer from the old storage shed to the new Portakabin. However, the cabin required further work to make it presentable.

In September 2023, following the previous report, it was agreed to tidy the Portakabin.

2.3     Hixon Parish Council has started to publicise and use the Portakabin for its planning committee meetings, which invites the public to attend. Therefore, HPC needed to address the layout issues if it wishes to continue using the room as a meeting room

The Portakabin was finally tided-up on 19^th January 2024.

2.4     To make the Portakabin more user friendly, can the Council consider purchasing the following item:-

i.. 1.4 x 1.6m rug (to cover the holes in the Lino)

1. New or second hand television to connect to HPC’s laptops for meetings. The television to be located on the back wall and to have a HDMI socket.

iii. A blind for the window that looks out over the Millennium Green

2.5     Filing system needs to be established in the two cabinets and a note made of contents.

3        Financial

3.1     Approximately £200.00

4        Resources –

4.1     Clerk or Councillor to make agreed purchases

4.2     Clerk to implement appropriate filing system.

5        Legal Implications

5.1     Legal documents, such as land ownership, should be kept in a secure place.

5.2     Certain documents are required to be retained for a specified number of years.

5.3     Whilst not a legal requirement, documents for archiving purposes should also be stored.

6        Recommendation

6.1     To implement items 2.4 and 2.5 in this report as soon as possible.

7        Report produced by

          7.1     Cllr Susan McKeown

8        Appendices

          8.1     None

Hixon Parish Council

14^th March 2024

 Highways & Road Safety Working Group

Report No. 1

1        Purpose of Report

1.1     A meeting of working group (Cllrs B. McKeown; S. McKeown; C. Hilton; D. Hever-Smith and J. Hughes was convened on Thursday 14^th March 2024;

1.2     The purpose of the working group is to identify and prioritise highways issues within Hixon Parish and to propose any actions to the full Hixon Parish Council;

1.3     The working group was joined by Matt Trussler and John Dalton of the Hex Group;

1.4     To recommend this report be received for information at Hixon Parish Council (HPC) meeting 19^th March 2024.

2        Background Information and Key Issues

2.1     In 2012 Hixon Parish Council submitted a dossier to Staffordshire County Council Highways for consideration;

2.2     The dossier detailed location, perceived problem, desired outcome and proposed design solution;

2.3     Highways responded in 2013 indicating support or opposition to the proposals, as well as other suggestions;

2.4     Several of the Parish Council’s proposals, aims and objectives have been completed;

2.5     The March 14^th meeting briefly reviewed an updated version of the 2012 dossier;

2.6     It was agreed the meeting would focus on the potential highway safety and congestion issues that are likely to occur when Church Lane is closed between May 6^th and May 28^th 2024 for pipe laying works;

2.7     The meeting proposed advanced warning signage along the A51 from Wolseley Bridge to New Road and from Weston to New Road;

2.8     Proposed temporary traffic lights at the New Road/Martins way junction. Lights controlling ‘incoming’ traffic to be sited between Walnut Cottage and Central Fasteners.

2.9     It was also agreed that volunteers wearing Hi-Viz vests would be helpful to manage traffic speed congestion at the New Road/Martins Way junction and around the mini island. An ‘informal’ traffic count by volunteers to be considered;

2.10    Speed Indicator Device to be in place on the New Road location from Mid April to Mid June;

2.11    Hex Group reps agreed to review times of arrival/departure of large transporter vehicles (up to fifteen each day = thirty vehicle movements) during the road closure period. In particular to ‘avoid’ the school drop off and pick up times. Other local businesses to be made aware;

2.12    The meeting agreed that St Peter’s School needs to engage with parents to encourage more walking to school journeys and minimise the number of car journeys. It was noted that all cars arriving at the school will need to ‘turn around’ as the route to the A51 at Farley Corner would be blocked. Jon Hughes offered to liaise with the head teacher;

2.13    It was noted that HEX Group had not received any formal notification of the road closure. The meeting agreed that there should be discussions with Staffordshire County Council Highways and Forkers/Severn Trent water to consider the advance warning signage, temporary traffic control systems and possible temporary 20mph speed limit from New Road to the HEX Group site. Brendan McKeown will facilitate this as a matter of urgency.

2.13    The meeting agreed to meet again on Thursday April 4^th at 6.00pm

3        Financial

3.1     No financial demand on Hixon Parish Council.

4        Resources –

4.1     Councillor volunteer time.

5        Legal Implications

5.1     Nil

7        Report produced by

          7.1     Cllr Brendan McKeown

8        Appendices

          8.1     None

Wellington Fields Allotments

CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL REPORT to HPC 19th March 2024

Wellington Fields Allotments is now in its 14th season and continues to be a great asset to the Hixon community. For those who don’t know me, I am Simon Ellin and I am the Chair of the allotments committee, and I take enormous pride along with our other committee members in delivering a fabulous local amenity to the best of our abilities.

A sincere thank you to Hixon Parish Council and the Martin family for the provision and continued support for the facility.

The allotments are in great condition and maturing as the site develops. We feel that some plot holders can do slightly better maintenance wise and we are increasing our nudging and cajoling to ensure no one’s plot becomes a nuisance for other surrounding plot holders.

WFA Committee

The day to day running of the site is delegated to the WFA committee, for which I am Chair, Jane Garner is Secretary and Karen Appleton is Treasurer, and we have a further 4 committee members.

Occupation and Rents

The site is divided into 63 plots and there are currently 33 plot holders, 3 vacant plots, but with no one on the waiting list. Unfortunately, we have had a tranche of plot holders leave this winter, with 4 leaving due to ill health I’m afraid. We are actively trying to fill these plots, but things are a little slow to be honest, possibly due to the much younger age profile of the village nowadays. We did however, produce a contingency plan a few years ago where we put away excess funds to form a ring fenced financial buffer of £300 for if we ever did have an issue with empty plots. So when we come to set the rents for 2024/25 later this year, we should be able to limit the increases to any increases from HPC due to the RPI increases and any increases in water charges.

In terms of rent this year, after freezing the rents for the previous year despite an increase of 11.1% from HPC due to RPI which were offset by lower water usage, the rent for 2023/24 from HPC rose by 11.4% in line with RPI, which we had to pass on with a commensurate increase in our rents. I did outline that this was likely to happen in my presentation to you last year.

Site Improvements – Composting Toilet and Storage Shed

In terms of site improvements, we have been very busy, and since my last presentation to you, we have constructed a composting toilet which is now operational, and a storage shed; both of which we secured lottery funding for. Over the next couple of months, we will finish dressing the paths around the facilities and also the social area adjacent to the facilities.

Our big project for this year is to revamp the composting area (not the storage area), because the linings of the composters are falling apart and urgently need replacing. Before we do so, we are getting some high level advice on how to compost properly, which may impact on how we refurbish the area. We have adequate funds from our fund raising activities to pay for this.

Strimming and Hedge Cutting

I am the dedicated strimmer/hedge cutter and I managed to strim the whole site 6 times last year to keep it nice and tidy, although I do not strim any pollinating plants during key times of the year, so it is that balance of keeping the site tidy whilst also encouraging bio-diversity.

Health and Safety

Very importantly, led by Chris Hilton, we annually review our full set of risk assessments to ensure the safe operation at the site and are about to site some new reverse parking sign to facilitate the safe moments of vehicles.

Finally, I am delighted to report from our perspective, and hopefully from yourselves too, that we feel our partnership and relationship with HPC continues to be a very good one and again, thank you for your support.

Simon Ellin

Chair

17th January 2022