WIGMORE GROUP PARISH COUNCIL Minutes of the Ordinary meeting held on Monday 14th January 2019

Members of the public present: 1

ACTION 1 Members Present: Alan Dowdy (AD) (Chairman); Bryan Casbourne (BC); Nick Davidson (ND); Helena Leclezio (HL); Gill Bilbrough (GB); Nigel Rowley (NR).

Apologies for absence: Apologies were received and accepted from Cllrs Gwen Fraser (GF), Graham Probert (GP) and Chris Thomas (CT).

In attendance: Mortimer Ward Councillor Carole Gandy (CG); Jano Rochefort – Clerk to the Council (JR).

2 Declarations of Interest and written dispensation requests: None reported or requested.

3 Open Session: 3.1 The following matters were raised by a member of the public:  Highway Concerns – re C1019 (Wigmore to ) – vehicles travelling too fast for road conditions especially agricultural vehicles. Tractors driving without functioning lights. Remains of car front bumper discovered on verge but police uninterested in these types of incidents. Suggest more ‘Deer Crossing’ signs at points where deer are known to cross C1019. Litter on roads is increasing.  New Neighbourhood Watch – Notices on notice boards but contact details are not working. (This is not organised by the parish council. Clerk will make enquiries)  consultation – where and when (Weds 16th Jan. 2pm at Forestry Commission Whitcliffe offices).

3.2 Cllr Carole Gandy – Mortimer Ward Councillor: Further to a meeting with Bruce Evans ( Council’s Highways Officer) CG will forward a document from Dorset AONB re Traffic in Villages. CG is aware of various highways concerns throughout the villages – C1019 through Elton and Pipe Aston, Bury Lane, Wigmore and the Ford Street- A4110 junction. (See also Item 6.1 and Appendix 3)

3.3 Councillors’ reports: Bury Lane Community Field – CT and another parent are working on the pump track but at present it is being used less by the children due to the dark nights and wetter weather. Overall development of the field has come to a halt as at present there is no-one prepared to take on this project. A request for volunteers will be in the next edition of Mortimer Voices. BC stated there is grant money available but there needs to be a clearly established project with a project leader. & Lugg Natural Flood Management Project – NR had attended an initial meeting held by Herefordshire Council to outline the plans to manage the flooding of these two rivers through a variety of measures – slow water, leaky woods, bog and wetland creation. NR will keep the council informed of updates on this project. Fly tipping on Marlbrook Lane, Leinthall Starkes – GB said there was a pile of possible asbestos spoil on roadside. AD will investigate and report to Herefordshire Council if necessary. WGPC minutes – 10.12.18 Page 1 of 9

4 To adopt the minutes of previous meeting: 10th December 2018: The minutes of the 10th December 2018 meeting were proposed as a true record. It was RESOLVED to ACCEPT the minutes. The chairman signed the minutes.

5 Finance: 5.1 It was RESOLVED that all the Payments from the General Fund be paid. (Appendix 1) 5.2 It was RESOLVED accept the Wigmore Village Hall’s increase in charges for maintaining the toilets, car park and rental of the clerk’s room. The increase will apply as of 1st April 2019. 5.3 The 3rd quarter financial report was presented to the council. There were no comments. (Appendix 4) 5.4 2019-20 Budget and Precept - The Budget Setting Working Group met in January to discuss the budget and precept for 2019-20. Their proposals had been circulated to the full council earlier. The 2019-20 precept was proposed to be raised to £17980.00 i.e. an increase of 2.74% from the current year, and to use the parish council’s reserves if required. It was RESOLVED to adopt the 2019-20 Budget and precept. (Appendix 5). JR

6 Highway Matters: 6.1 Re meeting with Herefordshire Council: Research is needed to establish exactly what and where the problems are on the villages’ roads. This will require the organisation of residents to map the roads and collect and collate the information which can then be presented to BBLP and lead to discussions of options for improvements. BC stated that this project needs a co-ordinator if it is to be effective. It was AGREED to use the parish council Open Days to engage with residents to start this project. ALL 6.2 The clerk will contact the Community Road Watch UK organisation which may be able to assist in researching the traffic issues noted above at 6.1. JR 6.3 The clerk has responded to the Herefordshire Council Speed Indicator Survey as the deadline for comments fell before Christmas. At present WGPC has no plans for buying or hiring SIDs but is interested in erecting a village Gateway. BBLP is to contact the clerk with more information on this. CG noted that Aymestrey Parish Council’s experience in buying and erecting village gateways had been prolonged and despite investigating alternative providers the parish council had finally agreed to use BBLP.

7 Planning: 7.1 184495 – Land to south of parking area, to the rear east of The Oak, opposite Deva, Ford Street, Wigmore HR6 9UN – (Proposed works to Yew, fell because of undermining retaining wall; Silver Birch, crown reduction & sever ivy on main trunk.) It was RESOLVED to recommend objection to the felling of the yew tree. This yew tree is in the Wigmore Conservation area. Yew trees are an important part of the heritage of the landscape and are recognised as assets of biodiversity both to the parish of Wigmore and to the county of Herefordshire. On inspection there seems to be insufficient evidence of damage to the retaining wall to justify the removal of this semi- mature yew tree. JR 7.2 Updates on previous planning applications – see Information sheet (Appendix 2)

8 Forestry Commission Consultation on Mortimer Forest: The open public meeting will be later in the week with AD and GB attending. It was RESOLVED that AD would submit a response on behalf of the parish council. Councillors will submit their own personal comments on the plan. The end of the extended consultation date is 1st February 2019. AD

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9 Public Green Spaces Grant: No suggestions were made at this time. There will be further opportunities to apply for grants during the year.

10 Wigmore Group Parishes Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP): It was RESOLVED to approve the revised NDP Submission Plan and other revised documents for Regulation 16 re-consultation The Wigmore Group’s Neighbourhood Development Plan having been ENDORSED by the Wigmore Group Parish Council, the revised plan will now be formally submitted to Herefordshire Council and a further 6-week consultation will JR take place under Reg.16 of the NDP process.

11 The Castle Inn, Wigmore: The council received CG’s report on the latest news from residents of the mobile home park and noted their concerns regarding unwanted visitors. The police have been informed of the situation. CG confirmed that Herefordshire Council has not received any pre- application planning discussions regarding The Castle Inn. The parish council would welcome volunteers to look into applying for an ACV and this could be included in the parish council’s Open Days next month.

12 To note Information Items, Correspondence & Training: It was RESOLVED to approve the clerk’s request to undertake the CiLCA (Certificate in Local Council Administration) administered by the SLCC. This will be of benefit to the parish council by enabling it to become an eligible council with General Powers of Competence under the Localism Act JR 2011 s1(i)

13 To raise matters for the next scheduled meeting: To receive a report from the Environmental Working Group .

14 Resolution to exclude members of the public due to the confidential nature of the following item: It was RESOLVED to exclude the public from this part of the meeting. It was further RESOLVED to reimburse the clerk for the overtime worked from 1st April to 31st December 2018 to the amount of £2350.

Date of next scheduled meeting: Monday 11th February 2019

The meeting closed at 10.30pm

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APPENDIX 1 FINANCE - JANUARY 2019

RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS BALANCE AT 24/12/18 – £31,001.94

Receipts: £915 – Groundwork UK – grant for further NDP Work

Uncleared payment of 1 Direct Debit of £33 due on 28/12/18.

NOTES: EARMARKED RESERVES:  £7734.08 Bury Lane Community & Playing Field *  £7.58 P3 scheme  £1884 Election fund  £853.32 Signage  £1298.20 Parish Council match funding for Lengthsman/P3 schemes

TOTAL: (Earmarked reserves (£11,777.18) RESIDUAL AMOUNT: £19,224.76 as of 24/12/18 * Includes additional £1311.50 as per Minutes 13 Nov. 2017 i) PAYMENTS from General funds Supplier Item Amount £ VAT £ incl. VAT 1 Plusnet/ Dir Debit Broadband (Jan/Feb) @ £33 per month 33.00 5.50 2 J Rochefort Clerk’s December 18 salary £354.30 + ink cartridge £35.74 + 408.04 5.96 working contribution @ £18 p.m. 3 J Rochefort For Computer Medicine – repair to laptop software callout 68.00 - 4 Wigmore Village Room Hire for 2018 (WGPC meetings = £281.20; NDP meetings 534.95 - Hall = £253.75) 5 SLCC Purchase 11th ed Local Council Administration 108.79 0.80 6 Wigmore Village Cleaning & maintenance of Wigmore Village Hall toilets & car 521.25 - Hall park as per previous Village Welcome scheme, plus use of Clerk’s cupboard. 1/10/18 – 31/12/18 7 Npower Street lights electricity (1/10/18 – 31/12/18) 47.83 2.28 8 S Peach Material for building notice board on behalf of WGPC 189.23 31.54 9 J Rochefort Overtime accrued 1/4/18 – 31/12/18 2350.00 -

TOTAL PAYMENTS FROM PRECEPT / COMMUNITY FIELD FUND 4261.09 46.08 ii) PAYMENTS FROM LENGTHSMAN / P3 BUDGET* None - TOTAL PAYMENTS FROM LENGTHSMAN / P3 BUDGET* 0.00 0.00

*Re Lengthsman payments – These now come out of WGPC’s own budget as there is no longer a grant from Herefordshire Council. Re P3 payments – This is the last year that WGPC can apply for a grant from Herefordshire Council for P3 work.

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APPENDIX 2 INFORMATION ITEMS FOR 14th January 2019

Trees & Hedges Maintenance:  Approval given for work to veteran lime tree in Wigmore Churchyard. Tree surgeon will commence work on 25th & 26th February. Adjacent parking areas on School Lane will need to be clear of cars while the work is carried out.  Dead tree in Millennium Green will be removed in the next few weeks. Bury Lane Community & Playing Field:  Order for 3 benches placed. Waiting delivery.  No further work on the Pump track until weather improves and daylight lengthens in the evening. Parish Notice Board: To be fixed to Wigmore shop in the next couple of weeks.

Planning Updates:

182390 – Land at the Old Blacksmiths Yard, Leinthall Starkes – Proposed conversion of redundant rural building into a single residential dwelling. (Refused) 183645 – Pig & Whistle Cottage, Pig & Whistle Road, Deerfold, Lingen, SY7 0EE – Replacement dwelling. (Waiting a decision) 183656 – Oakhill Farm, Wigmore HR6 9UH – Proposed change of land of two sites for the siting of structures to be used as holiday accommodation. (Waiting a decision) 184002 – St James Church, Castle Street, Wigmore HR6 9UD - Proposed works to veteran lime tree. (Consent granted) 184234 & 184235/L – Evenhay Farm, Elton SY8 2HH – Proposed side extension to main dwelling, detached 1.5/2 storey Annexe with single link structure to main dwelling. Conversion of barn to ancillary accommodation. (Waiting a decision) 184238 – Orchard View, Glen View, Wigmore, HR6 9UU – Demolition of existing storage building, erection of domestic storage building. (Waiting a decision)

Dates for Diaries in January:

14th - WGPC January meeting – 7.30pm at Wigmore Village Hall.

16th - Mortimer Forest Plan meeting with Forestry Commission, 2pm at Whitcliffe Offices.

16th - Mortimer Ward Chair and Clerks meeting – Chairman and Clerk to attend at Leintwardine Reading Room – 7.30pm

24th - Parish Summit - 6.30pm Shire Hall - If you wish to attend please let me know before Friday 11th.

25th - Social Care Symposium - 1pm Shire Hall Hereford. See HALC attachment for details. If you can attend email [email protected] and copy me in.

28th – Police Surgery – 2pm – 3pm at Wigmore Shop

31st - HALC Training Session on 2019 Elections. See HALC attachment for details. Further training will be available from Electoral Services in February.

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APPENDIX 3

WIGMORE PARISH COUNCIL WARD COUNCILLOR REPORT JANUARY 2019

Happy New Year to everyone.

I met with Bruce Evans and local residents at Bury Lane and then at Pipe Aston & Elton on the 9th January. The outcome of that meeting will be reported at the parish council meeting.

I have received an email from a resident thanking us for working to make pedestrian crossing safer and for the new speed signs but expressing concern at a number of near misses witnessed over the Xmas holidays at the junction of Ford Street. He is asking for a set of traffic lights close to the 30 mph sign for traffic entering the village from the North with another set being placed just before Ongar Street for traffic entering from the South. I have explained that unfortunately near misses are obviously not recorded. There are no recorded casualties in this area and that Balfour Beatty would not be financially in a position, even if they wanted to, at this time to install traffic lights. The only way forward if the parish council were minded to support the request would be through the Community Commissioning route and that would almost certainly then be the financial responsibility of the parish council. I did advise him that I would bring the matter to the attention of the parish council.

There have been some disturbing goings on at the caravan site behind The Castle. Initially a vehicle has visited the site on a couple of occasions to look at the wooden cabin at the far end (the residents believe that Paul Williams is of the view that he still owns this cabin). They have only looked and then driven away. However over the weekend according to the residents “travellers from Birmingham” arrived and were walking around the site. When challenged by the residents, all of whom at the time on site were female they were very abusive and said that they had every right to be there as they were in the process of “owning the site”. The residents felt quite intimidated and once the “travellers” had left they logged the visit with the local police and have an incident number. I have also given them Stef’s mobile number. They have now gated the entrance to the site and padlocked it. My initial concern is that unauthorised caravans could be moved onto the site as there is already hard standing. The residents have spoken to the liquidator and he is unaware of any sale but has advised them that before Xmas he did receive an offer for the pub and land but that has progressed no further. The residents think “this could be Mr Partridge” but they have no factual information on the possible buyer. I shall be monitoring this and will ask Stef to keep an eye on the site.

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APPENDIX 4 Update spending v budget 2018-19 @ 10/12/18 Spent Budget Remaining % spent £ £ £ VAT 1,994.58 STAFF 3,182.70 4,700.00 1,517.30 67.72%

SUBSCRIPTIONS 100.00 600.00 500.00 16.67%

TRAFFIC/SIGNAGE 2,942.16 500.00 -2,442.16 588.43%

BROADBAND & WEBSITE 366.99 400.00 33.01 91.75%

IT 548.99 500.00 -48.99 109.80%

PRINTING NEWSLETTER 893.93 700.00 -193.93 127.70%

MAINTENANCE 3,124.60 1,500.00 -1,624.60 208.31% CLEANING & HIRE OF PC OFFICE @VILLAGE HALL 1,563.75 2,100.00 536.25 74.46%

TRAINING 138.00 400.00 262.00 34.50%

ADMIN 411.73 750.00 338.27 54.90%

HIRE 0.00 300.00 300.00 0.00%

INSURANCE 395.31 400.00 4.69 98.83%

STREET LIGHTS 141.92 500.00 358.08 28.38% DONATIONS 30.00 100.00 70.00 30.00%

ELECTIONS 0.00 0.00 0.00 #DIV/0!

NEIGH. DEVL. PLAN (NDP) 117.20 300.00 182.80 39.07% CONTINGENCY 5,260.40 1,250.00 -4,010.40 420.83% TOTAL 19,217.68 15,000.00 128.12%

LENGTHSMAN 1,101.00 2,000.00

P3 0.00 500.00

COMM FIELD 446.30 EQUIPMENT 0.00 GRASS CUTTING 0.00 TOTAL 1,547.30

GRAND TOTAL (excl VAT refund) 20,764.98 17,500.00 -3,264.98 118.66%

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APPENDIX 5

Budget 2019-20 2018-19 Spend to 2018-19 2018-19 Budget Date @ Remaining Anticipated Budget 2018-19 10/12/18 amount Outturn 2019-20 RECEIPTS

PRECEPT 17,500.00

LENGTHSMAN/P3 SCHEME 1,251.48

REPLACEMENT DEFIB PADS 43.14

VAT REFUND 1,260.03

WIGMORE VH 50.00

LLOYDS BANK 226.75

GROUNDWORK UK 915.00

TOTAL INCOME TO DATE 21,246.40

RECLAIMABLE VAT (EST) 2,310.00

EXPENDITURE

STAFF 4,700.00 3,182.70 1,517.30 1,602.90 4900.00

SUBSCRIPTIONS 600.00 100.00 500.00 500.00 650.00 - TRAFFIC/SIGNAGE 500.00 2,942.16 2,442.16 - 1000.00

BROADBAND & WEBSITE 400.00 366.99 33.01 99.00 400.00 - IT 500.00 548.99 48.99 59.99 300.00 - PRINTING NEWSLETTER 700.00 893.93 193.93 214.20 900.00 WIGMORE CLOSED - CHURCHYARD - 2,928.80 2,928.80 1,560.00 500.00

MAINTENANCE 1,500.00 150.00 1,350.00 100.50 500.00 CLEANING & HIRE OF PC OFFICE @ VILLAGE HALL 2,100.00 1,563.75 536.25 521.25 3200.00

TRAINING 400.00 138.00 262.00 - 400.00

ADMINISTRATION 750.00 411.73 338.27 200.00 680.00

HIRE 300.00 - 300.00 281.20 300.00

INSURANCE 400.00 395.31 4.69 - 500.00

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STREET LIGHTS 500.00 141.92 358.08 47.70 250.00

DONATIONS 100.00 30.00 70.00 - 100.00

ELECTIONS - - - - 200.00

NEIGHBHD.DEVL. PLAN 300.00 117.20 182.80 - 200.00 - CONTINGENCY 1,250.00 5,260.40 4,010.40 - 500.00 LENGTHSMAN - No further grant from Hfds Council for 2019-20 2,000.00 1,101.00 899.00 - 2000.00

P3 - No further grant from Hfds Council for 2019-20 500.00 45.00 455.00 - 500.00 - COMM FIELD RESERVE 446.30 446.30 324.00

- TOTALS* 17,500.00 20,764.18 3,264.18 5,510.74 17980.00

2018-19 2018-19 Remaining Proposed Spend to amount 2018-19 2019/2010 Budget Date @ from Anticipated Budget & 2018-19 10/12/18 Budget Outturn Precept

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