CLEE ST. MARGARET PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES of the PARISH COUNCIL MEETING held on MONDAY 15th APRIL 2019 at 7.30 pm in the VILLAGE HALL

Present: Councillors Mike Hardingham, David Palmer, Shalynn Pearson, Vicky Matthews, John Heighway, Tamsin Osler, Bob Day Clerk: Joan Palmer

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Councillor Cecilia Motley

2. APPROVAL of the MINUTES of the PARISH COUNCIL MEETING held on MONDAY 4th MARCH 2019 and MATTERS ARISING. The minutes were approved unanimously. Councillor Hardingham reported that he had approached the alleged owner of the material that had been left on the Marshgate car parking area and it had been agreed that it would be removed. Councillor Heighway said he would clear the timber.

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Having reviewed the agenda, Councillors were of the opinion that there were no anticipated conflicts of interest.

4. CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTS i) Western Power had called asking for a signature of approval for lopping trees, which were situated above Summerdale in Cockshutford. ii) The Brown Clee Burn Association had asked for permission to hold their race on the first Sunday, (6th) in October. The Council agreed to their proposal.

ACTION: Clerk to inform the Brown Clee Burn Association that permission to use the hill for the annual ‘burn’ had been given. iii) Bridgnorth Lions, the organisers of the Bridgnorth marathon on 27th May 2019, were sending representatives to Clee St. Margaret on Sunday 12th May, to give more information about the race to helpers from the village. iv) There had been a meeting about Place Plans at which it had been proposed to discuss possible seating on Clee Liberty Common. The clerk had contacted the organizer of the meeting to emphasize that the Parish Council maintained that Clee Liberty was a working common and was not to be promoted as a tourist attraction. The motion to promote seating was therefore removed from the agenda. The clerk had agreed to keep the organizer of the meeting informed about any improvements to tracks across the Common.

ACTION: Clerk to keep the organizer informed of any improvements to tracks on the common. v) A notice about the register of electors had been received. The chairman asked that he would like to receive a hard copy of the lists.

ACTION: Clerk to make arrangements for the chairman to receive a register of electors.

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vi) Complaints had been received about the siting of a mobile home on land that was within the conservation area. Councillors had heard that the intention of the owner was to use the mobile home for storage only, without any services being connected, and accordingly no planning permission was required.

5. FINANCE i) The Current financial position Papers were tabled detailing the financial position at the end of the last financial year, ending 31st March 2019. The papers comprised the accounts, financial position summary sheet, which would also be circulated at the Annual Parish Meeting, a spread sheet detailing investment and returns in the Hargreaves Lansdown Accounts and also a budget for the new financial year. When the accounts were closed there was £2,800 in the current account, £18,620 in the savings account and the Hargreaves Lansdown fund was worth £138,760. ii) The budget for 2019 -20 The budget sheet tabled showed a significant increase in expenses because the council was expending significant costs on the environmental survey of the hill. After some discussion, with councilors Hardingham and Palmer expressing concerns about the spread of gorse in a number of areas, it was agreed to increase the allowance in the budget for gorse spraying to £2000. Although proposed expenditure was higher the continuing good investment income should allow the council to retain a positive balance for the year. iii) The accounts for 2018 -19 The accounts had been audited and signed off by Jon Kail, the internal auditor, and accordingly, they were approved and signed off by the chairman. The annual return form for submission to the external auditors was completed and signed off ready for submission. iv) Recent payments and receipts NATS had sent their rental of £6,691.23 for the year 2018 -19. Invoices had been received from Open Spaces (£45), SALC (£118.99), and The Wildlife Trust (£90). Investment income payment of £497 had been received from Hargreaves Lansdown.

6. THE COMMON i) Altered access to the Common at the Yeld gate In recent years there have been concerns expressed about the limited parking at the Yeld and the general muddy mess around the main gate. Councillors Hardingham and Palmer had studied the problem and come up with a proposed solution of doubling the width of the track for about 15 metres, fencing either side of that widened track and setting the gate at the end of the 15 metre stretch. This would allow five or six cars to drive towards the gate and park on the right-hand side. The land on the right-hand side facing the common was higher than the track and the whole could be reprofiled so that there was a cross fall towards the road. This, it was felt, would get rid of the mud problem and the gate would be higher up than it was now. There was some question as to whether this scheme should be pursued at all and it was the intention of the meeting to sound this out in the wider forum of the Annual Parish Meeting. ii) Permission to hold a riding orienteering event over the Common on 11th and 12th May A late request had been received from a riding organization that was wanting to use a part of Clee Liberty Common for a horseback orienteering competition during the weekend of 11th and 12th May. The clerk had informed the organizer that the council normally required at least three months’ notice about events to be held on the common but that the request would be discussed at the next parish council meeting. The reason

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why the council’s three-month minimum notice period for events was in place was in an attempt to address satisfactorily any ecological concerns of members of the parish. As the information about the routes that were to be taken was not very clear, it was decided that, pending further clarification, the event should be restricted to the existing bridle ways and that, in this instance, vehicles would not be allowed on the hill. Councillors would be consulted further. iii) Progress on the EIA application for the PA2 feasibility study Councillor Hardingham reported that he had submitted all necessary documentation relating to the EIA application. Flora and Fauna data was required from Shropshire Wildlife Trust for which a standard data access fee of £75 + VAT had been charged.

7. THE VILLAGE i) To remove the Centenary trough to the Village Hall The Village Hall representative, Councillor Vicky Matthews, told the council that the Village hall Committee was happy to remove the Golden Jubilee trough from the centre of the village and place it in the grounds of the village hall where it would be planted up by a parishioner. Councillors agreed to this proposal.

ACTION: Clerk to inform the Village hall Committee of the council's decision.

ii) Fast Broadband – update Connecting the rest of the village to fast broadband was not proving to be easy. Connecting Shropshire had been contacted and it was hoped that some connection to the system would be made as soon as the technology was available. iii) Defibrillator training – update Councillor Pearson told the council that all was in hand for the defibrillator training to take place and that all that remained was for the dates for the training to be sent from the organisers.

8. PLANNING i) Affordable home site at Cold Weston The council had sent their approval for the siting of an affordable home near Cold Weston Court but had heard nothing since.

9. REVIEW OF DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Councillors reviewed proceedings and agreed that, to the best of their knowledge, the Council had acted in accordance with procedure.

10. ITEMS to CONSIDER INCLUDING on the AGENDA at the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING next month. i) Altered access to the Common at the Yeld Gate.

11. DATE OF NEXT MEETINGS: MONDAY 13th MAY 2019 at 7.00 pm in the VILLAGE HALL for the ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING and at 8.00 pm for the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

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