16th February 2023 minutes

VOWCHURCH & DISTRICT GROUP PARISH COUNCIL
Michaelchurch Escley, Newton, St Margarets, Turnastone, Vowchurch.

Minutes of the Vowchurch & District Group Parish Council meeting held on
Thursday 16th February 2023 at 7.30pm in Newton Church Room.

PRESENT – Councillor E May (Chair), I Chadwick, D Cross, T Williams, A Picton, G Deas, S Craddock, R Lloyd and M Engel.
IN ATTENDANCE – Mrs L Cowles (Clerk).

  1. ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE – Councillors E Williams, G Franklin, Ward Councillor P Jinman and the police.
  2. RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST & CONSIDER ANY WRITTEN APPLICATIONS FOR DISPENSATION – There were no declarations of interest or written requests for dispensation.
  3. ADOPT MINUTES OF THE ORDINARY MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL – 19th January 2023 – The minutes were signed as a true and accurate record.
  4. OPEN DISCUSSION – No members of the public attended the meeting and therefore no specific points were raised.
  5. REPORTS
    5.1 Local Police – The local police were unable to attend the meeting.
    5.2 Lengthsman report – The Lengthsman was unable to attend the meeting. His monthly reports had been forwarded to Councillors prior to the meeting. The Clerk advised that there had been no contact from the landowner at Chanstone Court Farm regarding the ditch clearance. This has now been passed to the Locality Steward.
  6. CLERKS UPDATE – Planning Consultation 223920, Chanstone Court Farm has been refused. Planning Consultation 222849, Land off B4247, south of New Dwelling has been granted.
    The requested works on C1209 near Percival Place are currently scheduled to take place between 27th April 2023 – 15th May 2023.
    A tree preservation order has been placed on a pear tree at The Grange, Vowchurch but not the walnut tree.
    Election are due to take place on Thursday 4th May 2023, the Clerk should have nomination papers available after 27th February, the completed papers must be delivered, in person to the Town Hall in Hereford by 4th April 2023.
  7. CONSIDER PLANNING
    7.1 PLANNING CONSULTATION
    Site: The Old House, Vowchurch, Herefordshire. HR2 0RB
    Description: Erection of replacement garden shed.
    Application No: 224082 Grid Ref: 336205:236392
    NO OBJECTIONS
    7.2 PLANNING PERMISSION GRANTED
    Site: Graig Farm Barn, Newton St Margarets, Herefordshire. HR2 0QY.
    Description: Enlargement of domestic curtilage (part retrospective).
    Application No: 223783 Grid Ref: 334392:233893
    7.3 PLANNING PERMISSION GRANTED
    Site: Spring Wood, Newton St Margarets, Herefordshire. HR2 0QN.
    Description: Proposed field enclosure access, track and woodsman’s shed as part of a rural enterprise and woodland regeneration and management scheme.
    Application No: 22334 Grid Ref: 334004:233325
  8. FINANCE
    8.1 Confirmation of bank balance – £11,685.23 Statement Sheet No. 178 issued 17th January 2023
    Receipts – None
    To include £5.00 bank charges 17th December 2022 – 16th January 2023.
    8.2 Payment to Mrs Linda Cowles for February 2023 Clerk’s hours – Payment agreed.
    8.3 Payment to Terry Griffiths Contracts, invoice no. TGC2140 roads account January 2023 (1) of £400.00 plus VAT, invoice no. TGC2141 roads account January 2023 (2) of £400.00 plus VAT – Payment agreed.
    8.4 Payment to HALC, invoice no. H1743 for affiliation and subscription fees 2023/24 of £556.84 plus VAT – Payment agreed.
    8.5 Finance Working Group – The finance working group had been unable to meet – defer to March meeting. It was agreed to add Councillor I Chadwick to the finance working group to make it easier to have a minimum of three Councillors available to attend.
    8.6 2022/23 INTERNAL AUDITOR – It was agreed to appoint Mr Paul Russell from Microshade VSM as the Internal Auditor for 2022/23. Prices have increased from £99.00 to £125.00 plus VAT
  9. LENGTHSMAN GRANT FUNDING 2022/23 – Herefordshire Council have agreed the Lengthsman grant funding for the next five years. The Parish Council are eligible to receive a base sum cost of £94.15 for each kilometre of C and U classified roads. This equates to £5037.02 for Vowchurch Group Parish Council. Grant funding is available for this financial year although Balfour Beatty and Herefordshire Council has acknowledged they are providing this information later in the year than they would have liked. The Clerk has raised some questions with Balfour Beatty regarding funding this year and should have a clearer indication of the scheme at the March meeting. It was agreed to sign the grant funding agreement with Herefordshire Council in preparation for the coming years.
  10. DONATIONS – After discussion it was agreed to donate £100 to the Kings Coronation event in Newton St Margarets to cover the parishes of St Margarets and Newton. There would be funds available if any of the other parishes were planning to hold an event. It was noted that any donation could not be made to an individual.
  11. HEREFORDSHIRE LOCAL PLAN 2021 – 2041 – AGRICULTURAL PLANNING SUPPLEMENTARY PLAN – Councillors R Lloyd, D Cross and E Williams had discussed the plan prior to the meeting. The general consensus of opinion was that it is a very complex document, not user friendly and needs more in-depth discussion. The industry is constantly evolving and a lot of the guidance is already in place. It is a complex issue and some of the evidence used is questionable. There are also concerns that the document should be reviewed on a more regular basis. It was agreed that the Clerk would draft a general response to forward to Herefordshire Council rather than specifically answering the questionnaire.
  12. MARCH NEWSLETTER – Elections, Walking in Herefordshire.
  13. NOTE THE CORRESPONDENCE SHEET – The correspondence sheet was noted.
  14. RAISE MATTERS FOR THE NEXT ORDINARY MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL – Thursday 16th March 2023 at 7.30pm at Vowchurch & Turnastone Memorial Hall – Planning at The Hideaways@Pontypinna.

The Chair declared the meeting closed at 8.35pm

Signed…………………………………………………………………..
Dated……………………………………………………………………

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