SELLACK PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF SCHEDULED MEETING HELD ON
TUESDAY 8TH MARCH 2022
IN SELLACK VILLAGE HALL AT 7.30PM
Present: Parish Councillors Mark Whittal (Chair), Mark Robinson, Paul Franklin, Sarah Aitken and Nick Washington. Ward Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst
In attendance: Claire Vaughan (Clerk)
Residents: None.
1. Apologies
1.1 None.
2. Declarations of Interests – There were none.
3. Minutes of meeting held on 11th January 2022
It was RESOLVED to adopt the above minutes. The minutes were then signed by the Chairman.
The Parish Council discussed the outstanding actions as follows:
3.1 Queens Platinum Jubilee – Council RESOLVED to purchase a more substantial Rowan sapling from a local supplier. Councillor Robinson agreed to purchase this on behalf of the Council, at a cost of £50.
Council RESOLVED to plant the tree close to the Millennium Oak on Sellack Marsh.
Council RESOLVED to plant the tree on Saturday 19th March at 10.30am.
Council RESOLVED to give permission to the Clerk to purchase a plaque to accompany the tree, with wording to be agreed via email.
The Clerk will produce a risk assessment for the event.
Council AGREED to invite a local resident (named at meeting) to plant the tree and if that person is not available, the Chair of the Council will plant the tree.
The Ward Councillor was invited to join the planting, the Clerk advised that she would promote the date on Facebook and the councillors stated they would mention it to other residents.
4. Open Public Session
4.1 There were no residents present to give views.
4.2 Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst presented her February report to Council. Council noted the report and a brief discussion took place on the bus service. Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst advised that there was a focus on improving the bus service in Hereford at the current time.
4.3 The Parish Council noted an email from PCSO Simon Hall, who updated that he had carried out one patrol in the parish in February. PCSO Hall will be attending the Parish Council meeting in July 2022 and continue to update via email in the interim.
5. Report from Parish Footpath Officer and Lengthsman
5.1 Parish Footpath Officer update – The Parish Footpath Officer, Cllr Mark Robinson advised that he had signed the Parish Footpath Officer guidance document from Balfour Beatty and Council RESOLVED to support this.
Balfour Beatty confirmed that when a stile is beyond safe use, the locality steward would ascertain the landowner and provide a replacement stile free of charge, to be fitted by the landowner. If there is a desire to replace a stile with a more accessible form of furniture such as a gate, then Balfour Beatty would not provide this free of charge, some Parish Councils will pay for the gate themselves and liaise with the landowner. Council RESOLVED to query this response from Balfour Beatty as their understanding is that footpaths are being made more accessible but replacing stiles with stiles is limiting who can access that footpath.
The Council noted that the maintenance of Public Rights of Way (PROW) would be going inhouse to Herefordshire Council as of 1st April 2022 and would no longer be inspected or maintained by Balfour Beatty. The Parish Footpath Officer asked the Parish Councillors to inform him if they become aware of any fingerposts or footpath furniture that require repair or replacement.
5.2 Parish lengthsman update:
5.2.1 The parish lengthsman was not present but council noted the latest communication from Balfour Beatty advising that there is no longer a deadline for completing drainage grant works. There are currently three drainage grant works from 2020.21 outstanding. Council RESOLVED to send an email to Herefordshire Council advising of works the parish council has paid the lengthsman to complete on PROW, to ask if any reimbursement can be made. Councillor Robinson agreed to draft this list to send to the Clerk.
Loughpool – the parish lengthsman is currently waiting for Balfour Beatty to complete the jetting under the road surface. Council RESOLVED to chase Balfour Beatty about when this work will be completed and escalate to Herefordshire Council if needed.
5.2.2 Annual Maintenance plan – Council RESOLVED to approve the parish lengthsman’s maintenance plan on the proviso that some of the general maintenance works are moved to the drainage grant application.
5.2.3 The Chair altered the format of the agenda and took Item 5.2.4 (Parish Lengthsman contract 2022-23) before Item 5.2.3 (Drainage grant application). Council RESOLVED to sign up to the parish lengthsman scheme for another year.
5.2.4 Drainage Grant Application 2022-23 – The Council discussed one of the outstanding drainage grant works at Lower Grove Common. This job is focussed on clearing the receiving pond but the Council RESOLVED to ask the parish lengthsman to cost additional works to clear the fallen trees and dig out the main pond, which could be included in the parishes application for drainage grant funding for 2022. Due to the deadline for applications being before the next parish council meeting, Council RESOLVED to delegate responsibility to the clerk to include this cost estimate within the parish council’s drainage grant application. Council noted that any successful application made for drainage grant funding for the Lower Grove Common pond, would require consultation with residents and partners before any work was planned and added that, at this stage, it was just about seeing if funding could be made available for that work.
Council RESOLVED to task the Clerk with confirming ownership of Lower Grove Common and parish council powers to maintain the commonland.
Council RESOLVED to include general maintenance days within the application as well, to maintain the drainage works that have been done to date.
5.2.5 Drainage grant invoice – Council RESOLVED to submit an invoice to Balfour Beatty amounting to £2400 invoices to be paid. The four invoices under the finance item of the agenda, are to be added to this invoice too for maintenance works completed by the parish lengthsman to date and the Clerk is to review any payments made to the parish lengthsman during the year 2021-22 for drainage maintenance works that have not yet been submitted to Balfour Beatty and include those within the invoice too.
5.3 Council RESOLVED to instruct Balfour Beatty to carry out the work to place two SLOW signs on the road between Picts Cross and the Lough Pool at a cost of £349.28 (not inclusive of VAT) to the parish council. A discussion took place on solar powered SLOW signs and what permissions are needed to erect them on private land. Ward Councillor Swinglehurst advised that she would contact the Chair of Peterstow Parish Council to ask, as they have SIDs located in their parish. It was RESOLVED that Councillor Franklin would contact the owner of the nearby Public House, who also has a SID within their property boundary, to make further enquiries about the process followed. The Council RESOLVED to begin to look into reviewing the speed limit on the road and Councillor Robinson agreed to make enquiries with Herefordshire Council.
6. Finances
6.1 The Council noted the bank balance as £8027.38 on 08/03/22. By making all of the payments listed on the agenda (including for slow markings) then this will reduce the bank balance to £6526.54. NB: There is currently a VAT reclaim of £2285 to make.
6.2 The Council noted the payment of the following
6.2.1 HSBC UK Bank Current Account Charges of £3 activity charge (cheque payments) for December (taken from account automatically)
6.3 Invoices for payment – it was RESOLVED to pay the following invoices:
6.3.1. Clerks C Vaughan salary – February and March 2022
6.3.2. HMRC PAYE Quarterly – £255.60
6.3.4.Sellack Village Hall hire (for January PC meeting) – £20.00
6.3.5.Annual Insurance Renewal with Community First – £172.14
6.3.6.Herefordshire Association of Local Councils Annual Membership – £309.28 plus VAT
Council RESOLVED to not pay for Item 6.3.3 Clerk reimbursement – purchase of Rowan tree for Queen’s Green Canopy – £7.16 plus VAT, at the Clerk’s request, as a larger tree was being sourced for the planting.
Council RESOLVED to postpone payment of the following and await reimbursement from Herefordshire Council, as part of the Drainage Grant works:
6.3.7.Drainage Maintenance works Jan (Invoice TGC1795) – £392.00 plus VAT
6.3.8.Drainage Maintenance works Jan (Invoice TGC1794) – £392.00 plus VAT
6.3.9.Drainage Maintenance works Feb (Invoice TGC1789) – £392.00 plus VAT
6.3.10.Drainage Maintenance works Feb (Invoice TGC 1793) – £392.00 plus VAT
6.4 No immediate financial risks were identified.
7. To approve and adopt the following new or updated policies
Council RESOLVED to approve and adopt the following:
7.1 Retention Schedule (NEW) – to be reviewed March 2024. The clerk clarified that she had followed the good practice guide provided by Herefordshire Archive Service.
8. Backney Bridge Picnic Site (BBPS)
8.1. Councillor Aitken advised that the first working group meeting had taken place on 1st March, with Councillor Aitken, the Clerk and a local resident present.
Councillor Aitken advised the Parish Council of recommendations made by the working group as follows:
• Hold a working party day at the picnic site, including refreshments.
• Invite Men’s Shed Ross-on-Wye to visit the site to review the noticeboard.
• Invite Herefordshire Wildlife Trust to visit the site to advise on wildlife present.
• Consider development of a Friends Group.
Council RESOLVED to hold a working party on 14 May 2022.
Council RESOLVED to task the Chair of the working group and the Clerk with making arrangements for the working party day.
Council RESOLVED to visit the site in advance of the working party day to risk assess the site, list the jobs required and complete any jobs that will assist the working party, such as grass cutting.
Council RESOLVED to task the Clerk with drafting a terms of reference for a friends group for the next meeting so that Council can consider whether to hold further discussions with residents on the idea at the working party day.
9. Communications
9.1 The Parish Council discussed the use of the council’s webpage and Facebook page in promoting the work of the council. A discussion took place on how to keep residents informed about what the Parish Council does. It was RESOLVED to defer the discussion on boosting a
17/2022
Facebook post to a future meeting. It was RESOLVED that the Clerk would register the new website with google search. It was RESOLVED to ask the Good Neighbour Scheme if they would like to add information to the parish website.
9.2 Council RESOLVED that the Clerk would draft a resident newsletter for consideration at the next Parish Council meeting, with the intention of the Parish Council hand delivering in the spring. The newsletter should signpost to the new Parish Council website and Facebook page, encouraging residents to sign up to electronic newsletters going forward.
10. Planning
10.1 The Council considered Planning Application P220477/J 4 Caradoc Meadow, Sellack,Ross-On-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 6GJ. Council RESOLVED that there were no objections to the application.
10.2 The Council noted the planning applications received and decisions made from Herefordshire Council since the last meeting.
11. Clerk’s Information Sheet
The Parish Council noted the correspondence received and Clerk’s information sheet. Further discussion took place on some of the items, as follows:
11.1 Citizen’s Advice Outreach Service – response to the parish council’s request for further information. Council noted receipt of the response from Ross-on-Wye Town Council, breaking down support figures by Ward but felt that this did not clarify the numbers of residents supported within the Sellack parish area so noted that whilst they valued the service provided there were RESOLVED to not support the request for a donation at the current time.
11.5 Balfour Beatty Verge Cutting programme – consultation on number of cuts to receive in 2022. Council RESOLVED to continue with the two verge cuts per year because of health and safety, but noted that there was an option to reduce to one cut per year on some verges in the future, should they wish to.
11.8 Herefordshire Council – Invitation to Talk Parish Event on Tuesday 22 March 2022 on Greener Future. The Clerk asked the Parish Councillors to submit any questions on the waste strategy to her as she will be attending the event on 22nd March.
11.9 Car Club scheme information – the Clerk advised that there is some funding available to support local schemes. Cllr Aitken raised that when the Good Neighbour Scheme started there was a demand for lifts to appointments etc. Ward Cllr Swinglehurst advised that a community hub in Llangaron Ward was gifted a minibus to assist with community transport, which is often unused, so there may be an opportunity for local groups to access this, but this would require discussion with the hub.
12. Matters arising after the preparation of this agenda
None.
13. Future meetings
13.1 It was RESOLVED that the following items be included on future agendas:
13.1.1. Clerk pay agreement
13.1.2. Finance and Environment working groups (carried over from September 2021 meeting).
13.2 Council noted the date, time and venue of the next meeting, which will be the Annual Ordinary Meeting of Council, preceded by the Annual Parish Meeting at 7.30pm – Tuesday 10 May 2022, at Sellack Village Hall.
Meeting closed at 21:40.