STONE RURAL PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of Parish Council meeting held on 5 May 2010

at Moddershall Village Hall at 7.30pm

 Present:         Councillors      M.J. Kenny     (Chairman)

                                                D.B.L. Fletcher           Mrs.P Dimberline

                                                P. Roberts                   M. Tyler

                                                T.D. Scrivens              W.J. Wooliscroft

                        District Councillor D. Davis

                        R. Jarrett (Parish Clerk)

10.01      QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

    No members of the public were present on this occasion

10.02      APOLOGIES

 Apologies were received from Cllrs R. Hawley, P. Proctor and County Councillor I.M. Parry

10.03       DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 None

10.04       ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN FOR 2010/11

    Cllr. M. J. Kenny was elected as Chairman of the Parish Council for 20010/11.

10.05      ELECTION OF VICE CHAIRMAN  FOR 2010/11

                Cllr. D.B.L. Fletcher was elected as Vice Chairman of the Parish Council for 2010/11.

10.05       APPOINTMENTS TO OUTSIDE BODIES

The Parish Council nominated the following Councillors to represent it on outside   bodies/organisations for 2010/11:

♂      Stone Common Plot                                                    Cllrs R. Hawley and M. Tyler

♂      SPCA Area Committee                                              Cllr. M.J. Kenny

♂      SCC Changing Lives Consultation*                           Cllr. Mrs P. Dimberline

♂      Highways Authority liaison inc＊ RoW                       Cllr. D.B.L. Fletcher

♂      Neighbourhood Watch                                               Cllr. Mrs P. Dimberline

﹞             Clerk to check out status of this consultation exercise.

10.06       APPOINTMENT TO PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR 2010/11

                The Parish Council nominated the following Councillors to sit on the Planning Committee for 2010/11:

                        Councillors:                 D.B.L. Fletcher           Mrs. P. Dimberline

                                                            R. Hawley                   P. Roberts

                                                            T.D. Scrivens

10.07       MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 3 MARCH 2010

                The Minutes of the previous Parish Council meeting held on 3 March 2010 were approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record of the proceedings.

10.08       MATTERS ARISING NOT ON THE AGENDA

9.74.2                    Moddershall Village Hall 每 Roofing Estimates

The Clerk reported that only two of the original three contractors had submitted revised estimates. Little was known about one of the companies who had submitted a significantly lower estimate. It was agree that the Clerk would seek out possible sources of grant support and once these were identified, Cllr. P. Roberts would approach each of the two contractors regarding their respective estimates and power to decide upon the preferred contractor would be delegated to M.J.K/ D.B.L/P.R.

Action:            Clerk to identify possible sources of grant support.

9.75                        Coalbed Methane Development 每 Planning Applications

Members were advised that GreenPark Energy ltd were about to submit Planning Applications re:   Spot Grange and Blakelow nr. Swynnerton.

9.76                          Oulton Footpath Meeting

The Clerk apologised to Members for not having arranged the meeting with local community representatives to explore their wish for a footpath running alongside the main road and extending from Oulton village hall to the Rock Crescent turn off.

9.79                            Aston-By Stone Ward 每 Vacancy

The Clerk reported that he had arranged for the statutory Notice of Vacancy to be displayed in Aston but as yet had not heard from the SBC Returning Officer as to the outcome.

The Clerk subsequently learned that there had been no request for an election from local electors and therefore it is for the Parish Council to co-opt someone for the remainder of the present jurisdiction 每 May 2011.

10.09            PLANNING OBSERVATIONS

The Minutes of the Planning Committee held on 29 March 2010 were noted for the record.

10.10                                                         CHAIRMAN＊S ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Chairman paid his thanks to Members of the Parish Council who had served on the various outside bodies and/or the Planning Committee over the past year and in particular thanked Cllr Fletcher for his work as Vice Chairman of the Council and Chairman of the Planning Committee. Thanks were also extended to the Parish Clerk for his work on behalf of the Council during 2009/10 as well as to Borough Councillor D.Davis and County Councillor I.M. Parry for their continuing briefings for, and support of, the Parish Council.

The Chairman noted the uncertain outcome of the morrow＊s general election and whatever  the outcome would mean for the future of local government in the years ahead.

10.11            REPORTS FROM COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS

Cllr. D. Davis noted the change by the County Council to a Conservative administration in the past year and the very different approach to rural communities being taken by the new County Council.

Some success had been achieved over the mineral extracting quotas being levied on the County Council although further efforts would be made to reduce the County＊s future contribution to the regional target to 50%.

Final proposals regarding the Local Development Framework housing targets and locations were due to be published shortly with the majority of new housing being sited in Stafford and Stone areas.  However it was anticipated that any change of Government following the General Election on May 6 could have a significant effect on the regional strategy and the shape of the LDF in Stafford Borough. LDF Housing will encourage energy saving measures e.g. solar panels and higher insulation requirements in new build properties.

Wind Turbine Application currently rests with the Planning Inspectorate and again the outcome of the General Election may have a bearing on national policy changes affecting alternative energy strategies. Cllr. Fletcher informed members that the Severn Trent Water wind turbine proposals have stalled for the time being as the Planning Inspector has yet to make a site visit; the Inspector has agree to advise Cllr. Fletcher of the date of her visit to Aston Hall Farm.

There has been a 1.9% increase in community tax in 2010/11 notwithstanding a £2m reduction in SBC Budgets made by staff reductions. It is clear that whichever Government is returned after the General Election, Local Authorities are going to be hit very hard in order to address the huge national deficit.

10.12      CLERK＊S REPORT

The Clerk drew attention to the item on Members Allowances for 2010/11 which had    provided a revised figure of £345 for the Chairman＊s Allowance.  The Clerk clarified that this sum of money lies within the overall precept payment made to the Parish Council and is not a separately provided budget allowance made by SBC. In 2009/2010 the Chairman requested that his Allowance should be added to the sum allocated for donations and grants. The Chairman requested that his entitlement to an allowance be rescinded and that he would not take this up.   This was approved by the Council for 2010/11.

10.13      REVIEW OF VILLAGE HALL CHARGES FOR 2010/11

               Members agreed that this item should be deferred to enable the Clerk to undertake a review of all charges including a comparison with other Village Halls in the Parish.

10.14            PARISH COUNCIL ACCOUNTS FOR 2009/10

Members received the Council＊s Accounts for 2009/10 and noted that these had been approved by Mr G. Ravenscroft, the Council＊s Internal Auditor. The Clerk advised that the Council had failed to receive the Audit Commission＊s Annual Audit report documentation but that this would be presented to the next Council meeting on 7 July 2010 and would be based upon the Parish Council Accounts for the past year.

10.15            PARISH COUNCIL DONATIONS/GRANTS FOR 2010/11

The Council reviewed the donations which had been made in 2009/10 and agreed that two donations of £100 each would be made for 2010/11. Members decided not to agree to the request by Aston Village Hall Committee for a grant of £500 towards the refurbishment of the village hall kitchen in the light of the £1000 donated previously to the village hall in 2009/10.

   Action:         Clerk to forward donations of £100 to the Marie Curie Cancer Charity and the Midlands Air Ambulance Service.

10.16      PAYMENTS AUTHORISATION 每 RESPONSIBLE FINANCIAL OFFICER

   Members considered this report and noted its contents.

10.17      DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 7 July 2010

at 7.30pm at Moddershall Village Hall

    Signed: ____________________________     Date:  _________________________

Chairman

    RJ/PC Minutes

                22 June 2010