Serving Little Aston, Shenstone, Stonnall, Shenstone Wood End, Lynn, Parish Council Office 25C Main Street Shenstone WS14 OLZ
Tel: 01543 481 947
e-mail: <admin@shenstone-staffs.gov.uk >
web: www.shenstone-staffs.gov.uk

Approved minutes of the meeting of Full Council held on Tuesday May 10th 2022 at 7.15 Shenstone Village Hall.

1 Register of members in attendance:

Cllr David Thompson, Cllr Stuart Jones, Cllr Lesley Edgley, Cllr Rita Hancocks (Shenstone)

Cllr Sheila Beilby, Cllr Nicky Macdonald, Cllr Gail Nicholls, Cllr Val Neale, Cllr Mick Cox (Stonnall) Cllr Nick Smith (Little Aston), Cllr David Salter(Chair) Shenstone Wood End

Shirley O’Mara (Clerk)

2 Acceptance of apologies. County Cllr David Smith. Cllr Kelly Harrison.

3 Public Participation.

Members of the public are invited to address Council for a maximum of 15 minutes. None

4 Election of Chair and Vice Chair.

To receive nominations for the roles of Chair and Vice Chair and to elect to these positions.

Cllr David Salter was unanimously re-elected as Chairman. Proposed Cllr Perry, seconded Cllr Nicholls. There were no other candidates.

Cllr David Thompson was unanimously elected as Vice Chairman- proposed Cllr Jones, seconded Cllr Nicholls. There were no other candidates.

5 Declarations of interest. Members should consider whether they should partake in any discussion or vote on matters on the agenda unless they have a dispensation:

None

6 To accept and confirm minutes of the last Full Council meeting on Tuesday 12^th April 2022

Duly approved & signed.

7 Clerk’s update on outstanding issues from last meeting:

Paperwork received in support of the Councillor led grant application regarding payment of Stonnall Community Centre rates bill so permission to pay was approved.

8 To elect members to the following committees:

Neighbourhood Planning & Property

Finance Legal Health & Safety.

Employment Committee

Lammas Land

As attached

9 To elect members as representatives on Outside Bodies:

Shenstone Village Hall

Shenstone Playing Field

Richard Cooper Room

Stonnall Village Hall

Stonnall Playing Field

Little Aston Recreation Ground

Little Aston Village Hall

Staffs Parish Council Association

Quarry Committee

Link to representatives spreadsheet

10 Chairs Honorarium

Councillors agree on an allowance for the Chair of the Parish Council in order to undertake official business:

RESOLUTION: Unanimously agreed to pay £1250.00 honorarium.

11 To receive reports from District and County Councillors.

County Cllr Smith had forwarded the following to be read in his absence:

“For information I have met with highways officers and local members to consider the three parking areas that have raised problems and we will advise.

Also, I am undertaking a resident’s consultation on highway problems that could be dealt with under a Little Aston comprehensive traffic order”.

Cllr Salter informed Council of the ongoing problems with the new blue recycling bags because the bags received are not the bags ordered. There was a long discussion about the issue and the subject of recycling bins regularly with the consensus being that it is now extremely complicated.

12 Finance.

1. Current financial position & transactions for approval as of 10^th May 2022

Transactions to date were shared – link to transactions spreadsheet. Current position Nat West Business Reserve

£53,321.90, Nat West Current Account £905.00, Nat West Liquidity Account including

£100,100 ring fenced funds £112,457.40. Total accounts £395,543.16

In addition, Lichfield District Council have confirmed Council will shortly receive

£14,300 in CIL funding.

2. Complete & agree Annual Governance statement.

The annual governance statement was completed & signed (attached)

3. Approve Accounting Statements 2021/22:

Signed by Chairman before Council.

4. Agree date of commencement and ending for the declaration of public rights

The period of 11^th May to 23^rd June was agreed

5. Feedback & recommendations from internal audit

As two of the Council accounts regularly exceed the FCSA guaranteed limit of £85,000

this risk must be noted in the next risk assessment & rectified in this financial year.

This matter to be discussed at the next meeting of the Finance, Legal, Health & Safety Committee to agree recommendations.

Standing orders & financial regulations should also be reviewed: Standing Orders to be reviewed & adopted at June Full Council, the Financial risk register in July & Financial Regulations in October.

All policies should be displayed on the website: confirmed as already published.

Reconfirmation of ear marked funds to take place by the mid-year budget review.

6. Confirmation of internal auditor for 2022/23: Alan Topliss was confirmed as auditor for this financial year.

7. Confirmation of external auditor for 2022/23. Mazars were confirmed as external auditors for this financial year.

Next meeting of Finance, Legal, Health & Safety Committee Tuesday 24^th May 2022 at 5.30

Shenstone Community Library.

13 Planning.

Approve planning applications received in last month – link to planning applications spreadsheet – and update on any objections/ developments & recommendations from Neighbourhood, Planning & Property Committee Meeting Tues May 3^rd, 2022. RECOMMENDATION: Discuss traffic/safety issue on Lynn Lane railway bridge.

Cllr Salter began by thanking Cllr Thompson for his highly valued, eloquent & professional participation at the Lichfield District Council Planning meeting on Mon 9^th May.

Sadly, both the objections that Council had submitted were not upheld. Both cases had put in revised applications with the decision on both disappointing. Residents are grateful for Council’s efforts but saddened at the outcome which could set a precedent going forward.

An appeal against a decision in Cartersfield Lane has been made & Council will seek to speak with a Planning Inspector.

An objection re a property in Little Aston Hall Rd will be forwarded this week.

Following the theft of two of the three Sakura cherry trees purchased by Council earlier this month, Cllr Thompson is pleased that they are to be immediately replaced.

There then followed a long discussion regarding the traffic & safety concern on Lynn Lane railway bridge. It was agreed that Cllr Salter will investigate the use of Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs). All agreed this was a good option with Cllr Perry stating it was essential the SIDs are portable & show registration identification. Cllr Nicholls pointed out that CIL funding could be used in addition to those funds already ring fenced for traffic calming measures.

RESOLUTION: Cllr Salter to investigate costs & report back to Council.

Next meeting of the Neighbourhood, Planning & Property Committee Meeting: Weds July 6^th 5.30pm Parish Office.

14 Standing Orders: Review, approve and adopt. A date of Weds 18^th July was agreed to review the Standing Orders for full ratification in June.

15 Bioregional Feasibility Study: update & next steps

Cllr Thompson briefed Council as follows:

• The website is ready with a press release to share the details following in the next few days.

• Bioregional will share the report with Council at the next Full Council meeting.

• Public meetings booked for June 20^th in Shenstone & 21^st in Stonnall

• There may be a further meeting in each village later to outline the final proposals so that each community group gets an understanding of the project’s status and next steps

• South Staffs Water are on board with the project.

16 Traffic review: update on traffic order review around Shenstone Station: traffic survey by Highways: Shenstone Wood End traffic calming

Cllr Salter confirmed he had had a very productive meeting with County Cllr David Smith & two Staffs County Highways Officers. Cllr Smith is looking at a holistic traffic order for the whole of Little Aston.

There followed a discussion about problem parking outside the school in Forge Lane with Cllr Smith pointing out it would be impossible for emergency vehicles to get through. Cllr Macdonald pointed out that the parking buddies scheme had been very successful in Stonnall & Cllr Perry suggested that perhaps some more buddies were purchased with a commitment from the school to use them. Clerk to investigate costs.

Cllrs Perry & Edgley reported that they had also had a very good meeting with County Cllr Smith and highways officers to review the issues raised by residents following request for feedback on the Shenstone Station TPO. The Officers stated that the way the TPO was done does not include a review, but they advise that Council give it another 12 months to see if commuter patterns return to normal & then decide next steps if any. In the meantime, residents are encouraged to use the online portal to share feedback. The Clerk will upload all feedback received to date & Cllr Perry will draft a response to all those who have participated. Cllr Perry and Cllr Edgley to write to all who responded with the way forward.

Cllrs Edgley & Perry will attend the next meeting of the Neighbourhood Planning & Property Committee meeting where traffic and parking will be discussed at length.

17 Casual Vacancy: update

There has been no request for an election, so a casual vacancy advert has been posted.

18 St Johns Cemetery graveyard gravestone project.

Update. Permission is required from Lichfield Diocese before this week can go ahead. The Clerk has submitted all information to Rev Liz to make the appropriate application.

19 Lammas Land infringement investigations: update & next steps.

Cllr Thompson reported a good meeting with the Lammas Land Committee Chairman & Treasurer following which Mr Partridge reviewed the Friend Associates boundary report and was able to identify that four of the properties with infringements are over 10 years old, one is legal by adverse possession and the sixth is the property identified has having infringed the Lammas Land in 2020. Following advice from Pickerings Solicitors to look at a licence solution where the land is given back on sale of the property or death, at cost to the resident or given back immediately at no cost. It is necessary to check with Pickerings whether this licence includes land registry registration. The other infringements also need to be acknowledged and appropriate communications sent to the other 19 properties bordering the Lammas Land advising of the situation.

20 Consideration of new waste bin for Little Aston Lane. £425.00

RESOLUTION: Proposed Cllr Edgley, seconded Cllr Perry & unanimously agreed.

21 Consideration of new grit bin for junction of Mill Lane/Forge Lane, Little Aston. £95.00

RESOLUTION: Proposed Cllr Jones, seconded Cllr Perry & unanimously agreed.

22 Ring and Ride: request from a Stonnall resident for Consideration.

Covered under Item 11.

23 H.M. The Queen Jubilee 2022 celebrations. Consideration of latest grant requests.

Update on community events.

Request from Mrs Sheila Shaw of Little Aston for £300.00 grant funding for a community street party in Little Aston. RESOLUTION: Proposed Cllr Thompson, seconded Cllr Perry & unanimously agreed

Request from Mrs Kate Whitney of Shenstone for £1000, 00 grant funding for a community street party including singer in Main Street, Shenstone. RESOLUTION: Proposed Cllr Thompson, seconded Cllr Nicholls & unanimously agreed

24 Cllr Salter gave an update on the Jubilee beacon & is looking at means of getting the gas cylinders required to the top of St Johns Church tower.

Cllr Thompson asked Council to support the NALC briefing of 14^th March to show solidarity with Ukraine by displaying the Ukrainian flag. RESOLUTION. Majority agreed.

24 Next meeting of Full Council June 14^th, 2022, 7.15pm Shenstone Village Hall: To include Bioregional presentation.