SELLACK PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF ORDINARY MEETING HELD ON
TUESDAY 14TH NOVEMBER 2023
IN SELLACK VILLAGE HALL AT 7.00PM
Present: Parish Councillors Sarah Aitken (Chair), Mark Robinson (Vice Chair) and Emma Crowe.
In attendance: Claire Vaughan (Clerk), PCSO Simon Hall, Terry Griffiths (Parish Lengthsman).
Residents: None.
The meeting started later than the advertised time, at 7.05pm.
1. Apologies
None.
2. Declarations of Interests
There were no declarations of interest from Members.
3. Open Public Session
3.1 Resident views – none.
3.2 PCSO update – PCSO Simon Hall was present at the meeting and provided an update. Council provided Simon with priorities for 2024, asking that he continue to patrol the picnic site. Simon noted that a local resident had reported to the Parish Council that there had been evidence of a disposable barbecue being used at the picnic site recently.
Council raised that there had been some overnight stays at the picnic site over the summer period, and whilst they had left no trace, the Parish Council did agree to erect a notice on site, to state ‘no overnight stays, without parish council permission’.
Council advised Simon that they had also agreed to lock the car park barrier gate, if there was any evidence of anti-social behaviour. Simon suggested the parish council contact him in the first instance.
3.2.1. Smartwater Villages – Council noted the details sent by the Police and Crime Commissioner and Simon provided some additional information. Council RESOLVED to task the Clerk with having a further discussion with the Smartwater team but felt that this would be unlikely to happen in the parish in this financial year, but could be something that the parish could consider in the future. Simon Hall left the meeting.
3.3 Ward Councillor update – Council noted that the Ward Councillor report for September/October had not yet been received. The Clerk advised that she would share the report with councillors and on the parish council website, as soon as it is received.
4. Update from the Parish Lengthsman
The Chair proposed that Item 7.2 of the agenda be brought forward, as the Parish Lengthsman was in attendance. This was agreed by Council. Council noted that the Lengthsman had now completed all drainage grant funded works from 2022, with the Loughpool drainage clearance works having taken place.
Council noted that the Loughpool water levels were low, and Councillor Robinson agreed to monitor this and report back to Council in January.
Council noted that the Lengthsman was confident all the lengthsman grant works would be completed by the end of March 2024, with two general maintenance days taking place to date. Terry has not yet scheduled in what areas of the parish he will focus on for the two drainage maintenance days, and is currently just monitoring the situation during the wet season. The maintenance plan for 2023-24 was listed and approved under Item 5.1.2. of the Parish Council meeting minutes from 11 July 2023.
PROW SK14 – Council RESOLVED to hold a site meeting between the Parish Footpath Officer and Lengthsman and, following that, write down the plan for the site and email the landowner and await written permission to proceed with removal of two gates from the site.
Council noted that landowner permission had been given to replace stiles with (the removed) gates at SK13. Terry Griffiths left the meeting.
5. Minutes of meeting held on 25th September 2023
It was RESOLVED to approve and adopt the above minutes. The minutes were signed by the Chairman.
Council noted that the Clerk had promoted the Home Upgrade Grant on the Council’s Facebook page.
Referring to Item 11.3 of the Parish Council minutes from September 2023, the Clerk confirmed that she had responded to the AONB consultation to advise that the Parish Council was supportive of the AONBs principle to provide more affordable housing within the AONB area.
The Parish Council discussed the outstanding actions as follows:
5.1. Herefordshire Local Plan 2021-2041 update (standing item) – Council noted the latest consultation – a call for brownfield sites and greenfield residential sites that could offer employment. It was RESOLVED that the Council was not aware of any sites.
5.2. Land Registry Checks – Cllr Robinson advised that he would check the war memorial site and would apply for registry title copies for the war memorial site and the picnic site.
6. Finances
6.1. The Council noted the current bank balance and RESOLVED to approve and sign the latest bank reconciliation and account statement.
6.1.1. Cllr Crowe confirmed receipt and review of bank statements and bank reconciliation, as part of the Council’s Financial Regulations. Councillor Crowe signed the bank statements and bank reconciliation.
6.2. Parish Precept – Council RESOLVED to set the Precept at £13,600 for 2024-25 (an increase of 12% from 2023-24).
In order to estimate budget costs for 2024-25, it was RESOLVED to estimate a 5% inflation increase for any costs that had not yet been confirmed.
To assist with budget planning longer term, it was RESOLVED, for the purposes of providing a 3-year budget forecast only, to factor in an estimated 3% inflation increase for costs in 2025/26 and 2026/27, noting this would be subject to change.
It was RESOLVED to agree and include a sum of £250 in the 2024/25 precept, for participatory budgeting, and Council will discuss the process for this at the January 2024 meeting.
It was RESOLVED to consider developing a Reserves policy for the Council at the January 2024 meeting.
6.3. Council noted payment of the following:
6.3.1. Wel Medical electrode pad replacements Inv 1271507 (inc. shipping) – £69.90 plus VAT
6.3.2. Newsletter Printing and delivery from Flying Colours Inv 14998 – £95.00
6.3.3. Commemorative Plaque and engraving from Brunel Engraving – £50.25 plus VAT (to be reimbursed through resident sponsorship)
6.4. Invoices for payment – Council approved and it was RESOLVED to pay the following invoices:
6.4.1. Clerks C Vaughan salary – October and November 2023
6.4.2. Clerk Reimbursement for purchase of Wreath for Armistice Day 2023 Order (S137) – £19.99 plus VAT
6.4.3. War Memorial Volunteer Reimbursement for purchase of Wreath for Sellack community (S137) – £19.99 plus VAT
6.4.4. T Griffiths Lengthsman Drainage Maintenance Grant Funded Work TGC 2426 Loughpool – £2000 plus VAT
6.4.5. Autela Payroll Services Q2 Inv 12331 – £63.58 plus VAT
6.5. The Council identified the following risk – not having a maintenance contract for Backney Bridge Picnic Site.
7. Parish Council Assets
7.1. Backney Bridge Picnic Site – it was noted that the Chair had erected the poster to ‘Leave nothing behind’ on the BBPS noticeboard.
7.1.1. Update on tree works and ivy removal – the clerk confirmed that the quote included the full removal of the tree stump. Council discussed the use of a herbicide on the abutment, to remove the ivy. It was RESOLVED to contact the Environment Agency to check if permission is required to do this before we proceed.
7.1.2. BBPS Volunteer day – it was agreed to revisit this in January 2024, to agree a date for the next volunteer day and strimmer day.
7.2. Defibrillator:
7.2.1. It was RESOLVED to thank H&W Community First Responders (Ross-on-Wye) for the recent CPR awareness training. Councillor Crowe advised that she had received information from a local resident who had attended the CPR training and purchased a bleed kit, following the training. They had made use of the kit during a recent incident and were thankful to have had the refresher and prompt to add a bleed kit to their first aid kit.
7.2.2. It was RESOLVED to purchase a bleed kit to go into the Village Hall defibrillator box, at a cost of approximately £90.00 plus agreement was given to cover ongoing replacement costs every 3-4 years. It was agreed to include a post of thanks to the H&W CFR team on the Council’s Facebook page and to take that opportunity to promote that the council had also purchased a bleed kit to add to the Village Hall defibrillator box.
7.2.3. Liaising with neighbouring parish councils about defibrillator location coordination/coverage – it was RESOLVED to contact neighbouring parish councils to check locations of defibrillators and to revisit at the Parish Council meeting in January 2024, to see if any gaps in coverage exist.
8. Reports from Parish Footpath Officer and Parish Lengthsman
8.1. Parish Footpath Officer Update – The site meeting to discuss removal of the redundant gates has not yet taken place but the Footpath Officer will advise the council when this has been done.
8.1.1. Memorial plaques – the Clerk confirmed that, following the recent Armistice Day event, there were eight plaque sponsorships still available. Councillors advised that they were aware of other local residents who wanted to sponsor, and they would share the sponsorship form with them, to return to the clerk.
8.1.1.1. Council RESOLVED to discuss the route, landowner permissions, information board/s and process at their January 2024 meeting. Councillor Robinson agreed to share the PROW map for the parish with the Clerk and fellow councillors.
8.1.2. Footpath SK10 – The Chair confirmed that she had been in touch with the landowner about the temporary electric gate located along this footpath, causing an obstruction to the footpath, which had been reported to the council by local residents. The Clerk confirmed that it had also been reported to the Herefordshire Council PROW team by a local resident. It was RESOLVED to follow-up with the Herefordshire Council PROW team on the matter.
8.1.3. Footpath SK13 – It was RESOLVED that the new gates would be fitted at the first and second points from the road (pending landowner consent). It was agreed that the two gates (to be relocated) should be moved to near the school and the next point along (pending landowner consent). The parish lengthsman has received this information. It was agreed the Chair would email the landowner for consent (which the Parish Footpath officer will draft). It was RESOLVED that the Clerk would contact the PROW team to advise of the change in furniture (pending landowner consent). It was RESOLVED to arrange a site visit between the AONB officer and the Parish Council Chairman, to discuss the potential for further funding for more gates on this footpath.
8.2. Defects to be raised – none.
9. Policies and Procedures
9.1. Privacy Policy – it was RESOLVED to agree the Council’s Privacy policy and review again in November 2025.
9.2. Subject Access Policy – it was RESOLVED to agree the Council’s Subject Access policy and review again in November 2025.
9.3. Personal Data Management and Audit Policy – it was RESOLVED to agree the Council’s Personal Data Management and Audit policy and review again in November 2025.
9.4. Clerk’s Annual Appraisal – it was RESOLVED that the Chair and Clerk would meet before the January meeting, to carry out the Clerk’s annual appraisal.
10. Communications
10.1. Discuss content for the parish council website and Facebook page – Council agreed to include a thank you post to H&W Community First Responders, promotion of the new bleed kit and sharing where the local defib locations are; plus a call for any final commemorative plaque sponsors.
11. Planning
11.1. Council noted planning applications received and decisions made from Herefordshire Council since the last meeting.
11.2. To consider the following planning applications – 232991, Market Garden – 2-bedroom log cabin to be built in the original garden of the house. This will be ancillary to the main house – Council RESOLVED that they had no comments on this planning application.
12. Clerk’s Information Sheet
12.1. Council noted the correspondence received and the Clerk’s information sheet and discussed a response to the following:
12.1.1. Ross-on-Wye Town Council regarding Proposed Provision of an Outreach of Herefordshire Veteran Support Centre in Ross-on-Wye and requesting a contribution – Council noted the follow-up response received from Ross-on-Wye Town Council to advise on the total cost of the provision and confirming that this would be a pledge and would only be requested if all of the funding can be found. Council RESOLVED to pledge £100 to the provision.
12.2. The following correspondence was noted:
• Locality Steward Weekly Reports
• Unity Trust Bank Statements
• Legislation changes to absent votes – from Elections service, Herefordshire Council
• EV Charging points call for potential locations – Council noted the response received from Sellack Village Hall and it was RESOLVED to share these queries with Herefordshire Council to respond to the Village Hall.
13. Matters arising after the preparation of this agenda
None were raised.
14. Future meetings
14.1. No items were raised for future meeting agendas (other than those raised during the meeting) but the Parish Council did note the Forward Plan.
14.2. The date of the next meeting was noted – Tuesday 9th January 2024, 7pm at Sellack Village Hall.
Meeting closed at 21:15.