AND COVEN PARISH COUNCIL WITH BISHOPS WOOD AND COVEN HEATH

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING HELD 9 APRIL 2015

The Chairman of the meeting, M. Alden-Court, declared the meeting open and welcomed those present, including members of the public. The meeting had been called and advertised in accordance with the requirements of the 1972 Local Government Act Schedule 12.

10 Members of the Parish Council, the Clerk and the Assistant Clerk were present.

The minutes of the meeting held on 10 April 2014 were approved and duly signed by the Chairman.

Chairman’s Report – M. Alden-Court

This year has been a busy one for this Council and I recall attending many functions as its representative. May I take this opportunity to thank my fellow Councillors for the hard work and tireless effort that they have also put in whilst serving our community. I will admit that I did not find the role an easy one; it was my first ever time as Chair and we had a number of challenging issues. My thanks go to Maggie O’Brien, for her support and I appreciate that she was also relatively new to the role of Clerk. Together we have learnt a great deal during the year. There have been a number of staffing changes too which always presents a challenge. I would like to formally welcome Gemma Jones to the Council, she joined us as the Assistant Clerk at the end of October, and bid farewell to Tanya Postles and Claire Macquarie.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank District Councillors Brian Cox, Mike Hampson and Wendy Sutton and County Councillor Mark Sutton for their regular attendance at our meetings and for providing some very valuable information and advice to us.

I would also like to bid farewell to Peter Webster and Paul Smith, two Parish Councillors for Coven who left us part way through the year. They were replaced by Lena Holmes and Glen Sibley.

My first official function was at Rogation Sunday on 25 May. Fr M. Lockey blessed the fields in preparation for the harvest.

As Chairman, it has been an honour to represent you at a number of Civic Sundays at Perton, , Lapley Stretton and Wheaton Aston, My own Civic Sunday, held in September at Coven Memorial Hall, was a great success and I was congratulated by many of the other Chairmen in attendance for providing a memorable occasion.

I attended the re-launch of the Mess in Brewood, St Mary and St Chad’s First School Summer Fair, St Paul’s Coven Summer Fair and Brewood Vintage Garden Party at Brewood Hall. I sang on stage at Brewood Music Festival, achieving a lifelong ambition and joined in with others at an evening of Pentecostal singing at St Paul’s Church.

Peter Webster and I held a number of surgeries in Coven which enabled us to connect with the community regarding some local issues.

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I was also able to be instrumental in forming a new Christmas Lights Committee in Coven and raised a considerable amount of money over the summer. It was very hard work helping to plan and organise the Christmas Lights event and with hindsight I may have done some things differently. However, I found it great fun to dress up as Mini Mouse on the day, something I hadn’t expected to do.

This year it was the one hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War and to commemorate it we joined with people up and down the country in holding an hour’s silent vigil on 4 August.

It was with sadness that the Parish Council heard of the death at age 100 of Joan Walker, who had designed the Council’s Civic Badge, and also that of Rex Roberts OBE in January. It was an honour to speak at his funeral. Rex was an extraordinary man and had been a great supporter of this Parish over the years during his time as County Councillor, he will be truly missed.

I was very pleased to attend the collation and installation of Fr Malcolm Lockey SSC as the first vicar of St Paul’s Church in Coven.

To conclude, my year as Chair has been eventful and a great learning curve. It has been an honour to serve this Council and community.

Clerk’s Report – Mrs M. O’Brien

As well as all the work undertaken across the Parish to maintain and develop the Council’s playing fields, amenity areas, open spaces, allotments and facilities such as the public conveniences and changing rooms, of which Members will report on shortly, last year saw the Council implement a number of policies and procedures which not only ensure that the council runs smoothly, but also that it is run legally. For example, we now have a complaints and compliments policy, a grant awarding policy, a recruitment and selection policy and a relations with the press and media policy. We have reviewed and amended the Council’s Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, Asset Register and Risk Assessments. We are also now ready to implement the Transparency Code. As always there continues to be much to learn in supporting the work of the Parish Council as legislation changes and new codes of practice are passed down from central government.

I am pleased to report that some of the long standing matters have been moved forward this year; the Brewood Bowling Club lease is ready and waiting to be signed, The new Model Standing Orders have been adopted, the car park at Coven Heath allotments has been resurfaced, Bridge 11 at Port Lane has been repaired and the wall at Sandy Lane amenity area is wonderfully restored using sandstone sourced locally. The Parish has also seen building work commence on the new GP surgery in Kiddemore Green Road, Brewood.

The Council has been asked for its support on a number of major issues this year, including Affordable Housing, the future of libraries in and Brewood in particular, the future of Brewood fire station, Council’s Open Spaces Strategy, Site Allocation Document and Gypsy, Travellers and Travelling Show People’s Strategy. All of which have been a major concern to the local community.

This year we have had some more staffing changes and some Member changes. The appointment of Claire Macquarie as the Voluntary Car Scheme Co-ordinator in April and her consequent resignation. Claire will leave on 16 April to take up a full time post with a PR

2 company based in Penkridge. We wish her well in her new venture. We also received the resignation of Tanya Postles who left in the summer. Tanya decided that she should dedicate more time to her young family and we completely understood the reason for her resignation. She was replaced at the end of October by Gemma Jones. Gemma quickly proved herself to be extremely efficient and is an asset to the Council; she has had many good ideas for improving the way we work on a day to day basis.

Mr Tom Fellows resigned in 2014 leaving a casual vacancy, Mr Peter Webster resigned in February and Mr Paul Smith resigned at the end of June which left three casual vacancies. The Council co-opted Mrs Lena Holmes and Mr Glen Sibley for two of these and the Council still carries one vacancy.

In May we prepare for a newly elected council and all the opportunities and challenges this will bring.

I will now report Councillors individual attendance since the last Annual Parish Meeting. There were 21 scheduled meetings of the Council, excluding meetings of the Council’s committees and working parties.

Moira Alden-Court 19 Mr John Pegg 12 Andrew Ball 12 Mr Paul Smith 2 Mrs Jan Carr 18 Dr Richard Taylor 20 Mr David Evans 16 Mrs Linda Tomkins 20 Mr Richard Dakin 20 Mr Mac Webb MBE 19 Mrs Anne Holmes 19 Mr Peter Webster 3 Mrs Jan Jeffries 20 Mrs Lena Holmes 9 Mr George Martin 20 Mr Glen Sibley 12

In conclusion, may I take this opportunity to thank Parish Council Members for their continued support and patience over the past twelve months, I would also like to thank both Staffordshire County and South Staffordshire Council’s officers and Members for their assistance and co- operation during what has been a challenging year. And finally thanks to our Assistant Clerk, Gemma Jones who has made my job so much easier.

Finance Report – Mrs J. Carr

Income The Council’s budgeted expenditure for the financial year to 31st March 2015 was £339,249. Members resolved to set a precept demand of £137,771 a reduction on the previous year of £36,030 giving a charge of £42.65, down from £57.94 on a Band D property in the Parish.

In support of the 2014/2015 budget the income received totalled £8,391, excluding VAT income, the Precept or income from Roseclaim. This income was derived in part from rental charges of £2,815 paid by the Royal British Legion and the Day Nursery in Coven as well as £1,450 from the rental of allotments at the Council’s two sites and £278 land rental.

The Council’s changing rooms and football pitch at Coven were hired by 2 adult teams for the season which straddles two financial years: Brewood Old Boys and AFC Milestone. Income of £1,500 was received during the financial year.

The grant of £7,000 given last year by Roseclaim, the organisers of the V Festival, was for the Parish Council to distribute and was distributed at the start of this year to a variety of 3 organisations in Bishop’s Wood. £6,500 was given this year and beneficiaries will shortly be notified of their awards. This money is merely administered by the Council for distribution in Bishop’s Wood to organisations as compensation for the disturbance experienced by local residents during the Festival which is held in August at Weston Park.

Expenditure The actual expenditure incurred, net of VAT and in summary comprised of:  Staff salaries, including all on-costs, came to £64,260. Members do not receive any remuneration for the work they undertake as Parish Councillors other than £20 telephone expenses once a year (£300 in total).  A further £13,266 was spent on administration, associated overheads, subscriptions, Audit fees and training. Lease agreements at Coven playing field and Coven Heath allotments came to £1,809.  The Parish Council Newsletters expenditure totalled £1,573 which included printing and delivery. Other incidental expenses such as BKV entries, plaques, updating the Chairman’s honours board, a new box for the Chain of Office, binding the minutes and the Chairman’s Civic Sunday totalled £1,715.  Maintenance of the Council’s playing fields, amenity areas and open spaces were £18,071.  Coven Heath allotments maintenance, including water and the removal of leylandii trees totalled £615.  The new surface to the allotment car park at Coven Heath was £2,200.  Grants totalling £7,140 were made to the three village hall committees in the Parish and also £600 to Coven Heath Community Association. Brewood Music Festival received £1,500. Brewood Parish Sports Association was granted £3,450 which was spend largely on grounds maintenance and improvements.  The Council once again provided grants to the independent community groups who organise the Christmas lights to a total value of £5,870.  The Brewood and District First Responders were awarded £6,000.  A donation of £150 was given to the Royal British Legion towards poppy wreaths for Remembrance Sunday, £20 to Samaritans, £20 to Campaign to Protect Rural and £350 to SSCVA.  The 2014/2015 repayment of the loans taken out to build new changes rooms at Coven and to install perimeter fencing at Brewood and Coven playing fields cost the Council £12,261.  VAT recovered for the whole year was £4,550.

That concludes the finance report.

Planning Report – Mrs J. Jeffries

This Parish Council is consulted on all planning applications that affect property in our four wards, whether they are residential or commercial. We are also informed of and consulted regarding planning applications involving Staffordshire County Council. Our role is advisory, in that we state whether or not we have objections, and these comments are then noted by the District Council when it considers the application.

During the year we were consulted on 74 applications; the figure for 2013-4 was 76.

The applications were broken down as follows: Domestic: Brewood 31, Coven 17, Bishop’s Wood 5, Coven Heath 2, Slade Heath 7 Commercial: Brewood 2, Coven 3, Bishop’s Wood 1, Four Ashes 3,Gunstone 1 4

Staffordshire County Council Reserved matters: 1 Three of these applications were later withdrawn.

Public information sessions concerning the Site Allocations Document were held involving SSC, The Community Council of Staffordshire and your Parish Council. They were well attended, and gave our parishioners the opportunity to put questions directly to the planners. This year, South Staffs Council has invited consultations on the Open Spaces Strategy, and your Councillors have made several comments.

This Council continues to be consulted on Tree Preservation Orders and on tree works within the Brewood Conservation Area. We have also agreed to hear what developers have to say regarding proposed submissions, have again agreed to allow them to put forward their proposals in person.

I should like to thank all our office staff for their support, Maggie O’Brien our Clerk and particular thanks have to go to Gemma Jones, our Assistant Clerk, who has implemented a wonderful new spreadsheet system, and made my job a lot easier this year.

Playing Fields Reports – Mr R. Dakin

Brewood Jubilee Park and the playing field continues to be very well used and enjoyed by people of all ages within the community. One piece of equipment was out of service for a couple of weeks during the winter, but the Council’s handyman has been able to successfully replace the missing parts. All the equipment has had a thorough clean and was ready for the Easter holidays.

The proposal for a bowling green and club house at the park is now a distinct possibility as the committee is expected to secure £150,000 of funding in various grants, the lease is ready and waiting to be signed and planning permission had been resubmitted.

The Tennis Club have paid to have the tennis courts cleaned and re lined which has made a huge difference to the surface which is looking splendid.

Finally, on behalf of the Council, I would like to express our appreciation for the work and commitment of the Council’s caretaker, Mrs Elaine Gleed and the Council’s handyman Mr Martin Smith, whose efforts have been so important in keeping the Jubilee Park looking so good and in turn so well used.

Bishops Wood The playing field and play park in Bishops Wood continue to be well used.

There was an issue with waterlogging during the summer but this has been resolved with the assistance of Mr Cambidge whose farm is adjacent to the playing field. The Council is grateful to Cllr Brian Cox who was instrumental in negotiating this successful outcome. The goal posts were removed by the handyman and caretaker from Coven playing field, as they were deemed to be a health and safety risk.

The Council was considering replacing the top beam on the frame of the flatbed swings but having had it inspected, the frame has been declared unfit for purpose and therefore must be removed. It is hoped that the community will be involved with the selection of new swings or other equipment, to be budgeted for next year. The cradle swings were inspected at the same

5 time and although old, should have another 12 months life in them. These could also be replaced next year. The equipment is still in good condition, the bark has been topped up and the Council’s handyman regularly rakes over to keep levels up.

The community provided some new seating last year which was installed this year by Henry Castree of Coven Landscapes, for which we are extremely grateful.

The Council is grateful to the caretaker Rachel Dunbar for keeping the park open, looking after the site and carrying out regular litter picking. The Council would also like to thank Mrs Sarah Hughes for undertaking the Council’s play equipment inspections each month. Again, such support from the community is greatly appreciated.

Coven The play equipment at Coven continues to be popular with the local community and would therefore benefit from an upgrade. Mrs J. Carr has been meeting with the community and has set up a working party to find out what equipment could be installed and where funding might be available from. The tennis court net had been replaced and play bark has been ordered for the zip wire area and the small play park areas. General maintenance is required throughout the year including painting and repairing or the equipment and guttering at the changing rooms, which Council’s Handyman Martin Smith has continued to do. A new cradle swing has also been ordered which will be fitted as soon as it arrives.

The skate-park, although very basic, also continues to be popular but regular users of the facility have requested more equipment. This is also an area that the working party are looking at.

The overall bookings of the football facilities at the site are down again this year due to teams struggling to raise the funds to cover the cost of insurance, league fees, match officials, affiliation costs and the pitch hire and also due to the extreme weather conditions that we endured over the winter. Two teams continue to use the facilities and the Council has agreed to keep the goal posts up until the end of May to enable them to catch up on any league matches that were postponed due to the bad weather and waterlogged pitch. The Council considered draining the pitch but agreed to wait until conditions returned to normal before making the final decision.

The site has suffered some minor vandalism over the summer period.

The Council is grateful to Moira Alden-Court who has once again managed the pitch hire bookings with the teams, to the Council’s caretaker Matthew Orgill whose hard work and commitment ensures the site continues to be well used and the changing rooms to receive high praise from hirers and Mr R. Dakin for his monthly inspections and reports.

Coven Heath Allotments Report – Mrs L. Tomkins

The allotments continue to thrive and be popular. The majority of plots are well tended and tidy. One or two plots are not well maintained and cultivated, however the revised system of sending renewal notices in January has worked very well. The revised system encourages tenants to decide when/or not to give up their plots and allows new tenants to sample their new allotment before the season begins.

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This year has seen a number of new tenants who are enthusiastically working on their plots regardless of inclement weather. Some existing plot holders have extended their ‘estates’ by taking on vacant adjacent plots and new plots and there is a short waiting list.

The Coven Heath Allotments Association committee has held meetings throughout the year and worked with Brewood Parish Council to arrange for the carpark to be resurfaced, order new plot markers and make a start on reducing the height of dangerous trees. In addition, the committee has arranged for local horse owners to make regular deliveries of manure and a metal dealer visits to collect scrap metals that have accumulated on plots over the years.

The swap table continues to be popular to allow excess garden items, plants, pots and vegetables to be shared.

The Annual General Meeting of the Allotments Association is on Tuesday 14th April 2015 at Fordhouses Cricket Club.

Any Other Business

Dr R. Taylor thanked the Clerk and Assistant Clerk for their help and support and organisational expertise throughout the year.

The Chairman concluded by thanking those present for attending and called the meeting to a close at 7.30 p.m.

Chairman………………………………….

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