Minutes of a meeting of Shobnall Parish Council

held at Brook House, Shobnall Road

on Monday 16 May 2022 commencing at 7pm

Present

Councillors Asghar, Dennis, Dittmer, Donlon and Shilton

Also present

ESBC Councillor Walker

Mary Danby, Clerk

Public Forum

No members of the public were present.

1. Election of Chair

Resolved              That Councillor Dennis be elected as Chair for the ensuing year.

2. Election of Vice-Chair

Resolved              That Councillor Shilton be elected as Vice Chair for the ensuing year.

3. Apologies

None, all Parish Councillors were present.

4. Declarations of Interest and receive written applications for dispensations under the Localism Act 2011

                None had been received.

5. Register of Interest Forms

All Councillors had been provided with the 2022 Register of Interest form which they were asked to complete and return to ESBC.

6. Minutes

Resolved              That the Minutes of the meeting held 19 April 2022 be approved as an accurate record.

7. Matters arising from the previous meeting

Minute No. 204.3 Proposed skatepark extension, Shobnall Leisure Centre

Mr Poyner had confirmed that the project was still ongoing. He was currently seeking advice from a skatepark design company as to the best next steps to take and he said will update the Parish Council with further developments in the coming months.

Resolved              That the Bus Shelters project and Community projects Earmarked Reserves be combined and renamed “Proposed skatepark extension” with a current fund of £44,100, thereby confirming the council’s potential investment in the project.

8. County Councillor’s report

Councillor Asfar had given his apologies – he had provided the following report:

Shobnall Road: Repairs to potholes should be completed anytime soon, there has been a report raised with SCC Highways for Shobnall Road to get surface works re inspected and any replacement works to be completed under warranty which is being dealt with.

Forest Road: Properties close to the shop on Forest Road are to have their parking licences to the back of the properties taken away as the new landowner has other ideas for the land and has therefore issued notices to affected properties. This matter has been discussed and is being looked at by SCC Highways as the removal of parking from the rear of these properties will in turn result in excess parking on Forest Road and its surrounds which is already overstretched. No formal application has been made to date by the new landowner.

Gully cleaning: Works are continuing throughout Shobnall and I am expecting to have Wellington Street and some surrounding Streets cleaned in the very near future, due to staff illness with the contractor the dates have not yet been published however through a recent meeting I am expecting the dates for cleaning very soon. Please do note a significant number of gullies have been cleaned throughout Shobnall and its surrounds since my election and very positive reports have been received from residents.

Waterloo Street has been completed and the contractors have been called back out as there were issues raised with a few of the bus stop bays which require some alterations, these are expected to be completed anytime soon. I am not sure if any Councillors have been through Waterloo Street, I can confirm from my own personal drive through that the new works have been completed although taking a little overtime due to works running over and extra problems faced by the contractor the street certainly is slowing traffic with the new revised humps and much needed improvement to crossing points are working. I have requested for all gullies along Waterloo Street to be cleaned and await further dates for these works.

Failing manhole covers which SCC Highways do not cover have been reported to relevant companies and await repairs with some completed including two along Wellington Street and Borough Road.

Derby Street: A problem gully has been dug out and replaced along with sections of pipework. The resident informs this gully had been an issue for past two years plus. SCC Highways have replaced the gully and was now working fine however the area is being monitored. This gully was close to the second hand Pine Shop near Derby turn.

Derby Road: Due to residents’ concerns I have had a traffic and speed volume count carried out please see the separate report.

Station Street has ongoing gas works by CADENT. I have expressed my objection to the cycle lane as I do not see this being a benefit in this area however some objections have been considered and a revised plan is being prepared to the area close to town, however the overall scheme is likely to go ahead and works will be aimed at being completed with the CADENT works and may overrun.

Community Speedwatch: I have recently completed my Community Speedwatch training at Staffordshire Police headquarters and will be looking to get a Speedwatch set up for Shobnall in the near future.

Dementia Awareness: A session was held at the Princess Street Resource Centre paid for from my Community Fund in May 2022.

Police meeting: I have a meeting arranged along with other Councillors, senior police officers and Council officials at Burton Town Hall on Friday 20 May to discuss recent attacks on taxi drivers and general policing in Burton.

Please do email me any feedback or concerns the Parish Councillors have and where they need my help with cases.

My question for the Parish Councillors: We seem to have a lot of youth in the area with nothing to do after school hours and weekends, what can the Parish Council do and use its funds to provide some curricular support to these youth and work with other organisations for their betterment. As you will no doubt be reading week in week out there are issues with violence, knife crime and general disorder in Shobnall Parish along with most of Burton.

Agreed  That:

• Councillor Asfar be thanked for his report.
• He be advised that the council had funded three projects for young people through BACT during 2021.
• The council operates a grant aid scheme and Councillors would welcome applications from community groups.

9. Borough Councillors’ reports

Councillor McKiernan had given her apologies and she had provided the following report:

Unity Park

We have had a successful launch to the community project at Unity Park on 11 April. Sam Lee from BACT and I attend every Thursday from 3.30 -4.30pm. We plant plants, play games with the children and discuss any issues with the parents. I take information leaflets  for people and I plan to have colleagues from other organisations drop in weekly. Annie Bhogal from Trent & Dove has been already! Annie has donated sunflower seeds to give to the children to grow over the summer. Thanks to Yasmin Donlon who has also dropped in and has sat with the mums and listened to them. I’d love to see any Councillors any week, just let me know when you can come and I can give you a heads up on what’s happening that week. We will continue and review in September.

Please help to spread the word. BACT do talk to schools and are encouraging children to attend the Kicks football sessions.

We have had some challenges in that vandals upturned the planters and set fire to the bin and trees on two occasions. I have reported it to the police and have been contacted by several members of the community who are concerned about the behaviour but are also supportive of the community project.

Mike Hovers from ESBC Open spaces has met with me and Cllr Paul Walker last week and seen the damage for himself. He has arranged a meeting with the police at the Weaver Room in the Town Hall next Wednesday 18 May at 6pm to which everyone who wants to contribute is invited. Please could you send a representative from the Parish Council? (It was noted that Councillors Donlon and Shilton would represent the council at the meeting on 18 May.)

Councillor Walker reported:

• He had called in Planning Application Nos. P/2021/01634 (Edward Street) and P/2022/00401 (Shobnall Street). Officers had advised him that they raised a query with the Shobnall Street applicant and asked that the application be corrected as issues had been noted, this application had therefore not yet been called in pending receipt of the requested information from the applicant.
• Vernon Terrace: ESBC were aware that there are issues again with things (i.e. fridges, mattresses, builders’ debris, etc being dumped there.
• The Market Hall Review Group had had its first meeting and the Group would meet every two weeks going forward.

10. Financial matters

10.1        Schedule of payments 

                Resolved              That the above payments be approved.

10.2        Bank reconciliation at 30 April 2022 

                 Resolved              That the above was a true record.

10.3        Earmarked Reserves (EMRs) 

Resolved              That the EMRs be agreed.

10.4        Actual income and expenditure to 30 April 2022

Resolved              That the report be noted.

11. Review of policies and documents

                Resolved              That:

• The Asset Register be approved subject to the removal of reference to the Link Park noticeboard.
• No revisions or amendments were required for the following polices and documents:
• Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy
• Document Retention and Disposal Policy
• Financial Regulations
• Information and Data Protection Policy
• Members and Officers Subsistence / Mileage Policy
• Privacy Impact Assessment Form
• Publication Scheme
• Risk Assessment
• Standing Orders
• Statement of Internal Control and Annual Review of Effectiveness of Internal Control
• The Management of Transferable Data Policy

12. Internal Audit

12.1        Internal Audit Report for the year ended 31 March 2022

Resolved              That the report be noted.

12.2        Appointment of Internal Auditor

Resolved              That Toplis Associates Ltd be re-appointed as the council’s Internal Auditor for the 2022/23 financial year.

12.3        Public Rights period for the 2021/22 Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR)

                Resolved              That the Public Rights period be as follows:

Date of announcement: 31 May 2022

Public Rights period:        01 June – 14 July 2022 inclusive

13. Councillor recruitment

Agreed  That:

• The information flyer and poster materials produced by NALC be displayed in the noticeboards and that BACT and the Wellington Street Post Office be requested to take a supply of the information flyer for visitors to their premises.
• The council advertise the six casual vacancies by displaying the notice in the noticeboards and at the Wellington Street Post Office.

14. Planning matters

14.1        Planning applications 

14.2        Planning Decisions

                Resolved              That the report be noted.

15. East Staffordshire Borough Council’s Climate Change SPD consultation 2022

                Resolved              That the consultation document be noted without comment.

16. Website

It was noted that there had been 63 visits to the website in the 30 days to 09 May 2022.

17. Councillors’ questions

                Councillor Asghar reported that residents of Derby Street had contacted him regarding the white lines painted on the road outside their properties, saying that these were now very feint and needed to be repainted. Agreed That County Councillor Asfar be requested to take this matter up with County Officers.

18. Correspondence and circulars

18.1        SPCA

The SPCA’s weekly Bulletins had been circulated to all Councillors.

18.2        Highway England

The A38 Traffic Management Bulletins had been circulated to all Councillors.

18.3        ESBC re Casual Vacancy

ESBC had confirmed that an election had not been requested by ten electors to fill the Casual Vacancy following Mrs Hoare’s resignation. The council was advised that it should now proceed to fill the vacancy by co-option (see also Minute No. 13 above).

18.4        Kate Griffiths MP

Ms Griffiths had contacted the Clerk asking if there were any Queen’s Platinum Jubilee events being organised by the council or if it was aware of any being organised by local groups as she would like to attend as many of these events as possible. She also offered to meet the Clerk for a chat to discuss any issues affecting the Parish. Ms Griffiths was offered the opportunity to attend a SPC meeting to say “hello” and meet everyone. Ms Griffiths has responded saying that she would like to attend a council meeting when her Parliamentary duties permit.

Agreed  That Ms Griffiths be advised that Councillors would be pleased to meet her when her duties allow her to attend a council meeting.

Date of next meeting

Monday 20 June 2022 commencing at 7pm at Brook House, 18 Shobnall Road, Burton upon Trent DE14 2BA.

The Meeting closed at 8.52pm