Sedgeberrow Parish Council

Minutes of an Ordinary Meeting of the Parish Council held in The Betteridge Room, Village Hall on Wednesday 8th May 2019

Present: Councillors: Cllr Kearsey (Chairman), S Morris, M Pratt, R Hunt, J Westmacott, H Snow In Attendance: Donna Bowles, Clerk, County Councillor Eyre (20:30)

Also in attendance: 1 members of the public.

1 Apologies for absence: None Cllr Snow was invited to join the meeting as the new co-opted Councillor 2 Register of Interests: Members were reminded of the need to keep their register of interests up to date Declaration of Interests: Members were asked to disclose any disclosable pecuniary interests in items on the Agenda and their nature. Councillors with a disclosable pecuniary interest are required to leave the room for the relevant agenda item. a) Pecuniary Interests. Members were asked to declare any other disclosable interests in items on the Agenda and their nature. Other Disclosable Interests. None. 3 Acceptance of Minutes: The minutes of the Extra Ordinary Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 25th April 2019 at The Betteridge Room, Sedgeberrow Village Hall were agreed to be a true record of the meeting and signed by the Chairman. 4 Open Forum: The Chairman moved that the meeting be adjourned for the Public Open Forum and this was agreed. Reports were received from: a) Police – 1 crime reported in Sedgeberrow between 7.4.19 and 7.5.19 – on 17th April between 1200 and 1245 hours at Sedgeberrow CE First School – victim had been working at the school, packed up his van, left the tools on the ground driving off and forgetting them. Upon his return they had been stolen. b) County Councillor Eyre provided a report via email (Appendix B) c) District Councillor Mackison was not in attendance, did not respond to invite to meeting and had not sent a report. d) Mike Parker provided a report via email regarding SeSaME (Appendix C) 5 The Chairman closed the adjournment at 20:05 hrs. 6 Clerk’s Progress Report: a) Dog fouling signs – Clerk contacted Phil Childs, Streetscene Officer who has confirmed that he is able to supply 6 metal signs free of charge, these can either be screwed to a wooden surface or have a clamp which can be fitted to metal posts. Decision to be made under agenda item 9. b) Clerk confirmed new bin for the layby in the Rd layby has been installed. Noted and Closed. 7 Planning Applications Noted: a) 19/00616/CLE – Application for a Lawful Development Certificate for an Existing Use of the land to Agricultural Contractors yard with office and drainage equipment stored and distributed from the site at Closebourne, Roger Holloway Land Drainage Adj, 47 Winchcombe Road, Sedgeberrow, WR11 7UZ - emailed to Councillors 1.4.19 but no response received. Planning Decisions : b) 18/01514/FUL - Residential development of 20no dwellings and associated garaging Location: 3 of 2019

Land To Rear Of, 43-57 Main Street, Sedgeberrow. Planning Permission Approved Subject to Conditions. c) 19/00287/LB - Proposal: Addition of chimney to accommodate wood burner or open fire, addition of obscured glazed velux roof windows, hipped gables to lessen roof line height - Listed Building Consent at 3 The Yard, Sedgeberrow, , WR11 7UA. Permission Refused. Following the likely costs for an archeaology survey, regarding a recent planning application, Councillors requested that Clerk email Aidan Smyth to find out if there has been a procedural change to planning conditions following the results of the archealogical findings at Main St. 8 Finance: a) Individual questions comprising the Annual Governance & Accountability Return Section 1 for Local Councils FY 2018/19 were read out by the Chairman and debated by Council Members. Sections 1 to 8 were all agreed affirmative with trust fund response being not applicable. These were proposed by Cllr Westmacott, seconded by Cllr Hunt and agreed by all Councillors. Clerk to prepare Section 1 entries for Minute Reference, dating and signature. b) Section 2 Annual Governance and Accountability Return Section 2 FY 2018/19 was provided for inspection and debate by all Council Members. Confirmation of acceptance was proposed by Cllr Hunt, seconded by Cllr Westmacott and agreed by all Councillors. It was brought to Members attention that the reserves are greater than twice the income from the precept. This to be explained by the village beginning the process of a Neighbourhood Plan. Clerk to prepare Section 2 entries for minute reference, dating and signature. c) The Council noted the Bank reconciliation, reconciled with the HSBC Current Account statement number 317 issued 30th April 2019, and the balances of accounts:

FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND CHEQUES TO BE DRAWN Sedgeberrow Parish Council 30.4.19 B/F 01.04.19 26,596.88 Current Account No 21171712 3,836.55 INTEREST 0.00 Lloyds Current Account 10,000.00 Business Money Manager 11174916 10,037.88 Evergreen Account 51398326 501.61 CREDIT 0.00 Choir Account 91376373 574.21 GRANTS 0.00

PRECEPT 0.00 24,950.25 TOTAL 26,596.88 LESS AS LIST 24,950.25 Cheque No. PAYMENT 11,646.63

14,950.25 d) The Council gave consideration and approval of the payments listed in Appendix A, with Cllrs Hunt & Pratt signing cheques for payments. e) Cllrs Hunt & Pratt signed a letter to HSBC, requesting closure of all accounts, transferring the balances to Lloyds Bank. 9 Correspondence Considered: Consideration was given to the style of dog fouling signs and it was agreed to request 3 designed for flat wooden surfaces and 3 designed for sign posts. Clerk requested Councillors give consideration as to where these are to be placed for the next meeting. 10 Parish Assets: a) Inspections of parish assets has taken place. Following Cllr Devereaux-Little’s departure from the Parish Council it was decided for Cllrs Hunt, Pratt & Snow to take over these inspections. b) There are some works outstanding: 4 of 2019

 Oak Seat – requires attention and sealing  Painting of metal frame of noticeboard outside school  Bus shelter – Main St – requires painting, new downpipe and repair roof Clerk to contact a handyman she knows to arrange for quotes for these works. c) War memorial – Clerk to arrange quotes for the cleaning. County Councillor Eyre gave details of a grant from War Memorials Trust. d) The annual inspection of Jubilee play area has taken place and report was noted by Councillors. 11 Community: a) To consider applying for the Police Crime Commissioner Grant – carry over to next meeting b) It was unanimously agreed to take part in the Annual Parish Games 19-20 – Agreement was sought to pay the invoice when presented. Unanimous agreement. c) To consider looking into the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme – carry over to next meeting d) The traffic issues on Main St were discussed with regards to the new development. County Councillor Eyre stated she would put a letter together for Clerk to forward to Gavin Greenhow, Planning, District Councillor Mackison, Jonathan Edwards, Development Manager (South) and Tony Rowley, Executive Political Member for Planning, noting the conditions of the application and that the traffic issues will subside once access within the site is achieved however there is a real issue at the present time with the site access works. There are also issues with its delivery lorries and machines creating the access as Main St is so narrow. The local bus service on occasions is having difficulty getting to the school and serving the residents. There have been occasions when residents cannot get off their drives. Assistance has been requested for some sort of management of the developer or from enforcement. A copy of the Construction Environment Management Plan has also been requested. e) Following the theft of the defibrillator pads from the unlocked cabinet the question had been raised as to whether the cabinet should now be locked. Clerk to contact ambulance service to find out the best practise. This will remain unlocked until advice has been received. Clerk to arrange for Cllr Hunt’s details to replace Cllr Devereaux-Little’s. f) As there has been a problem setting up the grass cutting contract, following discussion it was unanimously agreed for Clerk to contact the Churchwarden to offer £1,000 as a contribution for 19/20 towards the grass cutting of the churchyard, advising them to submit a proposal setting out the amount they require in time for the November precept meeting. g) Following discussion of the management of the new refurbished telephone kiosk it was unanimously agreed for Clerk to contact the resident who has been checking the contents daily, keeping the inside clean and keeping the grass tidy around the area to confirm this arrangement with her formally. In addition to this it was agreed that a check will be carried out within the asset check to ally any concerns as far as the Parish Council liability is concerned. h) On the funding side, to recoup the refurbishment of the kiosk, Cllr Morris has approached Sue Ablett, Chairman of Festival of Words, Evesham. They will be meeting tomorrow and Cllr Morris is hopeful that some funding can be provided in the way of sponsorship which will involve advertising the Festival. The Rotarians have also been in contact and they will be visiting the kiosk to also see if some funding can be provided. A resident has been in contact with The Journal requesting they provide some newspapers for the kiosk. 12 Lengthsman: Members noted and confirmed the Lengthsman’s new hourly rate of £14 in addition to materials provided receipts are produced. 13 Neighbourhood Plan: Cllr Kearsey is going to call a meeting of the neighbourhood plan to discuss the parish survey. 14 Sedgeberrow Community Hub: Cllr Morris proposed discussing with former Cllr Devereaux-Little the status of the hub and his future involvement. Councillors all agreed. 15 Progress Reports for Information: a) HGV’s – Following discussion it was agreed that County Councillor Eyre would: 5 of 2019

 Re-contact County Council re covering up signage to direct traffic away from the A46. This is to prove that new signage could work before spending monies on this.  Arrange for a survey to find out the number of HGVs going down Winchcombe Rd to see if there is evidence to put a weight restriction on the road. This she will attempt for June. This will also provide data regarding speeding. Once the HGV data is received Cllr Kearsey and County Councillor Eyre will look at meeting with local HGV businesses.  Look into the original conditions of transport for the whole of Toddington Ind Est. b) Speeding – Clerk to provide supporting comments on behalf of District Councillor Mackison for his approval of the NHB request for a new VAS. The speeding situation will be reviewed once the new VAS is in place and providing data. It has been stated by County Council that chicanes without lighting are not possible. County Councillor Eyre has suggested that this is not the case and proposed people take photographs of chicanes without lighting for evidence. c) Gully Maintenance – The Lengthsman has provided details of the gully situation. There are many gullies that are completely blocked. Clerk to forward details to Highways. d) Footpath Surfaces – Cllr Morris stated that the footpath at the bottom of Cheltenham Rd (numbers 3 & 5) has been repaired. 16 GDPR/Website: Nothing to note. 17 Matters Raised by Councillors: a) Cllr Hunt has pointed out the bus timetable is now stating that they will only be dropping off residents, not picking up. This he has reported to County Councillor Eyre which she will look into. b) Cllr Snow asked what is happening with the grass cutting on Glebe Meadow. Clerk confirmed she has complained to the contractor and is awaiting a response. To be discussed at next meeting. 18 Correspondence Noted: a) The appointment of new police member PC 3509 Daren Riley (emailed 15.4.19) b) The update regarding Britain in Bloom competition (notes emailed 1.5.19) 19 Date of Next Meeting: Council confirmed the date of the next Ordinary Council meeting will take place on Wednesday 10th July 2019 in The Betteridge Room, Sedgeberrow Village Hall at 7.15pm. 20 Closure of Meeting: The Chairman closed the meeting at 22:25 hrs

Chairman: ______Date:______

APPENDIX A: FINANCE

Payments to be made May-19 Date Name Product Chq NET VAT GROSS 25.4.19 Mrs D Bowles Salary Apr SO 245.87 245.87 Refurb telephone 25.4.19 J Goddard 1 539.56 539.56 kiosk Annual Playing 8.5.19 John Hicks 2 60.00 12.00 72.00 field inspection Charge per 8.5.19 Worcs CALC 3 411.55 82.31 493.86 elector 8.5.19 Worcs CALC NALC Annual Fee 3 47.32 47.32 Limebridge Rural 8.5.19 Amenity Contract 4 140.00 28.00 168.00 Services Ltd

6 of 2019

8.5.19 Mrs D Bowles Expenses 5 60.47 60.47 8.5.19 HMRC Clerk's Tax 6 1.00 1.00 8.5.19 Mr T Miles Internal Audit 7 100.00 100.00 8.5.19 Sbw Vill Hall Hire of Hall (Mar) 8 110.00 110.00 8.5.19 Sbw Vill Hall Hire of Hall (May) 9 40.00 40.00 8.5.19 Mr M Woodhouse Lman Tasks 10 270.52 270.52 25.5.19 Mrs D Bowles Salary May SO 245.87 245.87

1486.73 122.31 1609.04

APPENDIX B: County Councillor Eyre’s Report

County

Energy Strategy Our new Strategy aims to create a thriving low-carbon economy across Worcestershire by 2030. By helping to create a low-carbon economy, they wish to find new, environmentally-friendly ways for businesses to save money and become more energy-efficient. Importantly, the strategy outlines ambitions to support the creation of high value jobs, and stimulate investment and clean growth across Worcestershire.

County Council and will see the HERU tested at three sites with three distinct types of 'fuel': Hillers Farm Shop (commercial food and packaging), Rugby Borough Council (domestic housing resources) and District Council (office materials). Lasting approximately ten months, the units will be monitored remotely in real time in order to assess progress around energy efficiency, usability and qualification criteria

The A46 It's a problem. A key link road government had forgotten. Along its 155 miles, it links 5.5million people. It's important to keep this route moving. In some cases it is not doing its job. Mapping of house building had not been done. We note 250,000 homes will be linked to A46 by 2030, and 150,000 new jobs are predicted. 91% of Worcestershire's economy links to the A46.

Thanks to this research, contributed to by WDC and WCC, and work done by both, the profile of this important road has been raised to the point that HE are asking for 2.2 billion improvements to go into the Governments Road improvement 2 proposals for work along its length. Timing there is a long way t go yet.

Anti-litter group takes to the streets Coffee cups, bags of dog waste and cigarette ends were amongst the 18 sacks of litter picked from the streets of Evesham recently. Members of Evesham Anti-Litter Group carried out a pick on Saturday, 13 April around and Twyford. 17 volunteers took part and the event was also supported by staff from the town’s Tesco and Waitrose stores. In the two and a half years the group has been running, 41 picks have been carried out with more than 700 bags of litter cleared. The group continues to work with schools, businesses and residents to raise awareness of the impact of littering and encourage people to change their behaviour. Wychavon wil support local anti-litter campaigns.

7 of 2019

Local Bus issues – the damage to buses due to negotiation of cars on Main Street is a challenge. Ideas put forward were:

 bus to stop on the old road – I suspect that the usage would decline significantly and make the route less viable.  Making Main Street one way – that does not seem to be supported  Parish letter encouraging better parking to reduce obstructions which add to operator costs risk the service.

Speeding Winchcombe Road ongoing.

 A Safer Roads Partnership approach was not supported – this should be pursued again. We should try again.  Black barns signage changes agreed by Gloucestershire, which would remove some of the HGVs was not affordable for the parish o proposed new signs required to redirect Evesham bound traffic via the A46 rather than through Sedgeberrow. o lorry route sign at location 2 to discourage HGVs from turning off the main road. o Technical information (Sign sizes, post details, mounting arrangements etc.) which GCC want to look at, was with them by the end of week 13/7 /18. Gloucestershire have indicated they will consider a scheme design  A chicane approach installed without lighting – parishes collecting photographic evidence for me – none received yet.  Other road changes that the parish will fund – I need a list so that I can get behind and champion for parish with lead officers. Parish Footway survey /report/pictures – sent to WCC - no response yet School Mobiles - on going

A46 changes – Highways Discretionary fund  Investigation re 1st junction – no dates yet  Investigation cycle crossing Hinton – movement no date  turn no agreement

Neighbourhood plan – I have given some advice and contacts to its chairman Emma Kearsey Footpath survey – need to prioritise – will chat with Donna o CIL £12k once Main St development gets underway properly.

S106 3 possible pots: A. About £20k to compensate for the development having insufficient green space, B. £56k for sports usage - although Jem warns how difficult that is to use, C. £24k to WCC for school buses

Road closure To close that part of Main Street, Sedgeberrow from its junction with C2257 Cheltenham Road to its junction with B4078 Winchcombe Road. New / Replacement Electricity Cable.

8 of 2019

27th May maximum 7 days - the 18 months is in case of slippage to avoid another legal notice: advise residents? /school run – in holidays

APPENDIX C – SeSaME Report

Sedgeberrow Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Mike Parker, Chair of SeSaME, is currently a member of the Sustainability and Environment (S & E) working group, alongside Alan Griffiths and Nik Clutterbuck. Sedgeberrow’s track record on sustainability issues over the past 7 years means that some opportunities that would not otherwise be so easily available are: a) Steering group’s communication with villagers. b) Professional support and advice. c) Extra fund raising for the steering group’s activities. The Parish Council will receive more detailed feedback from the steering group when the (S & E working group has reported back to them at the next meeting and received a positive response.

SeSaME Publicity The latest “SeSaME and Sustainable Living” monthly column, published in the Evesham Observer newspaper on the 27th April, has been made very topical by recent protesters in . Their actions and the response of the young dramatically highlighted our neglect of decisive action in response to the known climate emergency. Go to: https://eveshamobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Evesham/2019/04/26&024 It’s on page 8 as part of the letters page.

Community Energy. Something for the not too distant future. It has taken some time but the work of Regen SW, a not-for-profit organisation which promotes renewable energy and energy efficiency across the UK is becoming increasingly significant. They are saying that Communities across the UK are no longer satisfied with a centralised, carbon intensive energy market that is dominated by the big six energy providers. That there is a desire a to have a stake in local, low carbon energy generation and management projects. At the beginning of 2015 there were over 5,000 community energy groups active in generating, managing, purchasing and reducing energy, with growing numbers. Much of the focus for community energy groups has been on setting up their own generation projects. Regen SW say that the natural progression from community owned generation is to use and sell that energy within the local community. When the economic benefits of local generation can be shared with the whole community, the development of new energy generation can become much more acceptable. A closer relationship with the energy we use can also help us manage it more effectively. Regen SW help community groups, local authorities and housing associations understand what options they have for local supply of energy (with a focus on electricity) by setting out how the electricity supply market currently works, the local supply options that are available in the current regulatory and commercial context and potential future models of local supply.

Sedgeberrow and many rural communities with their significant reliance on Kerosene and Liquid Petroleum Gas, high carbon fuels whose future is limited, will be particularly vulnerable as these are phased out. Local energy generation may seem over ambitious for little old Sedgeberrow, but we don’t need to aspire to the goals of somewhere like : https://www.lowcarbonhub.org/

9 of 2019

We can concentrate on identifying our strengths, as we have done in the past, and be ready to grasp opportunities when Westminster returns to treating household insulation and local renewable energy generation with the urgency that it warrants,. Villagers themselves are already exploring a move away from fossil fuels as lower cost electricity and well insulated houses assume greater importance. For the first time I have already had four conversations with villagers this year where they have initiated discussions about the merits of various ways to move away from high carbon energy. SeSaME will continue to promote a move to locally owned Community Energy.

10 of 2019