MINUTES – NOVEMBER 2024

Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council of Waterhouses.

Meeting held on Thursday, November 21st 2024 at 7.30pm in the sports pavilion, Waterhouses.

Present: Cllr Turner,(Chair); Cllr Stone,(Vice); Cllr Carr; Cllr Goldstraw; Cllr Harvey; Cllr McCarthy

Also present: Mr C Hinton, (Clerk)

1. Apologies: Cllr Simpson; Cllr Stanmore; Cllr Wain

2. Minutes of the last meeting:
The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, October 17th 2024 were confirmed as being a true and accurate record and signed by the Chairman. Proposed:Cllr Goldstraw; Seconded:Cllr Stone.

3. Matters arising:

Clerk’s report:
• The clerk reported on a meeting that he had recently attended, of clerks of local parish councils. This had been useful in providing an opportunity for the exchange of information.
A portal had also been set up to facilitate further dialogue between the clerks and SMDC.
• The clerk had already used these new connections to seek support, from other parish councils, for a possible joint letter to avert the closure of the Minor Injuries Unit in Leek.
• He had also sought the views of others in the group in relation to the costs of maintenance faced by parishes, over and above the services provided by the District and County Councils.
• The group intends to pursue an increase in the amount paid to parish councils to support their costs in this respect. The current annual amount of £400, is far too low, having not increased for some years, whilst increasing amounts of work is left to the parish to complete.
• Related to the same subject, the clerk went on to share with the council, the details of the services provided by the District and County councils, gathered over recent weeks.
• This information will allow the council to assess what it will need to do in the future, to keep the parish in an acceptable condition. This process will form an important part of the setting of budgets and the precept for 2025/2026.
• Also, this knowledge will enable it to ensure that it does receive what has been promised.
• The clerk was asked to post a summary of these services on the council’s website and to seek further details of the contracts that exist in relation to these.

Lengsthman:
The discussion referred to above, lead to a discussion regarding those tasks which are not covered by the district and county councils, many of which are carried out by the lengthsman.
It was concluded that a list of priority needs be agreed by the council, along with a formula that will be the most effective way to deliver them. This will be discussed at the meeting in December.

Lafarge Update:
• Cllr Goldstraw had attended the liaison meeting at the works the previous day. There had been a discussion regarding recent issues of noise and the company has arranged a site meeting for November 26th. The council will be represented at this meeting.
• The council’s website had recently been amended to show the hotline telephone number to the Environment Agency so that parishioners can report issues directly.
• The road surfaces at the entrance to the quarry have recently been seen to be badly contaminated, raising safety concerns. The clerk was asked to the Estates Manager to ask that this be resolved. He would also be asked to ensure that the road sweeper extends its work from the plant down to the junction of Earlsway and the A523 by the Crown Inn.

Sports Field:
• Options to improve pedestrian access to the area, including wheelchairs, were discussed and it was agreed that a new gate should be installed, next to the main entrance.
• A grant of £225 from Staffs County Council, sponsored by Cllr Gill Heath, had been approved towards the cost of this. Details regarding the gate are to be agreed at the December meeting.
• The pitch inspection report, required by the Football Foundation as part of their ongoing support under the pitch improvement program, had recently been carried out by Cllr Stone. The condition of the soil appears to be continuously improving, in line with the expectations of the program.

Playing Fields:
• Cllr Mc Carthy and Cllr Carr had recently been working hard on the groundworks for the new play area, preparing the foundation for the new equipment due to be installed in December.
• They had removed the turf, to expose the area from which soil is to be removed and replaced by a layer of stone for drainage, with a membrane to prevent weed growth.
• They had also removed the concrete section from the area, previously used for cricket nets.
• Once the aggregates have been laid, soil will be laid on top, before the turf is re-laid.
• Due to the time of the year, the turf may not recover until spring. The timing of this work could not have been avoided as it was dictated by the terms and conditions of the grant from SMDC.
• The work on the existing play area will now be scheduled for early in the New Year.
• A drain has now been inserted along the side of the existing play area and the effectiveness of this will be monitored before any further work is considered.

Allotments:
• The council set fees for the plots for 2025 at £40 for a larger plot, and £30 for a smaller plot.
• New tenancy agreements will be issues in the near future.
• A few plots are available. A poster has recently been added to the website and notice boards.
• The AGM of the Allotments Association will be held on Jan 30th 2025 in the Sports Pavilion.
• The Allotments Association will also attend the meeting of the council in February.

4. Correspondence received:
• Leek Minor Injuries Unit – The council had received a reply from Charlotte Atkins, confirming that a letter from the council, in support of saving the facility, would be helpful.
The clerk had since raised the matter with other clerks, to see if a unified letter from local parish councils might be sent. He awaits feedback ahead of the meeting in December.

• Remote Meetings – a letter from the Staffs Parish Council Association had been received asking for feedback on the concept of remote meetings.
• A discussion took place about the benefits and drawbacks of such meetings.
• As no common view was held, it was agreed that councillors should feel free to submit their views individually, but there would be no unified response from the council.

5. Planning Matters;
The council received a summary of the decisions recently made by the planning authorities.
It then considered the following new applications:
• SCC/24/0119/GPDO-PWA– Cauldon Cement Works – Consultation – prior approval notification; No objections were recorded.
• NP/SM/1024/1064 – 16, Waterfall Lane, Waterhouses – Erection of rear extension–(part retrospective). ; No objections were recorded.
• NP/SM/1024/1091 – 18, Waterfall Lane, Waterhouses – Erection of single storey rear extension;
No objections were recorded.

6. Financial Matters:
• The latest bank balance and financial outlook were shared with the council.
• The following cheques were then requested:
o Clerk; for his work & reimbursements in October; £508.09
o Caretaker; for his work & expenses in October; £53.50
o Lengthsman for his work in October/November; £635.30
o JW Howson; for materials supplied; £43.56
o B&M Waste Services for refuse services; £149.76
o The Play Inspection Co for annual report; £210.00
o Pure Accounting Solutions for VAT return; £60.00
o HMRC; for payment of PAYE for clerk’s salary £122.40
Payment for the above was approved, en bloc. Prop: Cllr Stone; Seconded: Cllr McCarthy.

7. Highways:
The clerk shared with the council an updated list of outstanding highways issues which have been reported but which appear to remain incomplete. Due to the lack of progress on most of these, the clerk will write to the Cabinet Leader for the Highways Dept to seek clarification that they are still aware of all of the items on the list, and to ask for their speedy rectification.

A report from the Flood Team of Staffs County Council, following their site visit in September had recently been received. This will now be shared with the councillors and clarifications sought from the relevant authorities before being discussed further.

8. Any other business:

9. Date of next meeting: Thursday, December 19th 2024 at 7.30 pm.