Page 45 FORSBROOK PARISH COUNCIL ___________________________________________________________ MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 19TH AUGUST 2013 AT BLYTHE BRIDGE AND FORSBROOK VILLAGE HALL. MEMBERS PRESENT: Councillor Mrs. G. Burton (Chairman), Councillor J. W. Burgess, Councillor J. W. Cornwall, Councillor Miss S. Farr, Councillor Mrs. C. R. Hopley, Councillor F. J. Hopley, Councillor P. Jones, Councillor A. J. Mould, Councillor Mrs. P. Shufflebotham, Councillor A. E. Wilson. IN ATTENDANCE: PCSO Adam Charlesworth, County Councillor W. Day, Residents (4), Youth (3 joined the meeting after open forum but were allowed to speak later in the meeting). Press (1) Mrs. C. J. Snape (Clerk). 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE. Apologies were received from Councillor Miss J. P. Morris, Councillor Mrs. N. A. Stanier and Councillor B. Yates. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST. Item Member declaring interest Nature of interest SCC Rights of Way Councillor Mrs. P. Shufflebotham Personal – Daughter Issues employed by SCC in the Rights of Way Department. Foxfield Steam Railway Councillor A. J. Mould Personal – volunteer at Foxfield Railway. Planning Issues Councillor F. J. Hopley Personal – Member of the Note: Councillor F. J. Hopley left Staffordshire Moorlands Council Chambers whilst planning District Council Planning related issues were being Committee. discussed. SCC Highway Issues Councillor P. Jones Personal – SCC Highway Officer Mary Anne Raftery personal friend. Tesco Personal – employee of Tesco. Page 46 3. OPEN SESSION. Standing Orders were suspended. 3.1 Residents Issues. 3.1.1 229 Uttoxeter Road, Blythe Bridge - address changed to 2 Caverswall Road Blythe Bridge. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Planning and Enforcement Department have been advised of this change of address. Royal Mail is the body responsible for issuing postal addresses and will not deliver mail to an incorrect address. 3.1.2 Footway adjacent to the old Smithfield Hotel site. The developers/utility companies are responsible for reinstating the footway. The clerk was requested to report this to Staffordshire County Council Highways Department to enable them to monitor the situation. 3.1.3 Horse Chestnut Trees on Protected Woodland, Caverswall Road, Blythe Bridge. A resident reported that the owner of the above land has had to fell some Horse Chestnut trees because they had become diseased. She also said that other trees in Caverswall Road, adjacent to the Highway had the same disease. The clerk was requested to ask Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Tree Preservation Officer Steve Massey to undertake an inspection. 3.2 Youth Issues. Three young boys attended the meeting because they wished to raise concern with regard to the BMX track and the fact that in parts it had been vandalised reducing the width and one of the boys had also had several punctures. Chairman Councillor Mrs. G. Burton advised that work had already been approved to repair the BMX track and the clerk would check with the playground installers with regard to the problem with punctures although it was felt that this was possibly down to more vandalism and glass embedded in the surface. She explained that this type of surface was the most suitable for the area as there was little noise generated by users. Other BMX surfaces such as wooden or metal can create noise issues for nearby residents. 3.3 Police Report. PCSO Adam Charlesworth updated Councillors on some of the ongoing issues in the Parish. He apologised that PC Alex Gould could not attend the meeting as he was dealing with an arrest. Page 47 He said that anti social behaviour was down by 11 ½% and crime down by 8%. Within the last month 14 incidents of anti social behaviour have been reported but some of these were neighbour disputes. The incident earlier in the year outside the Duke of Wellington, Uttoxeter Road, Blythe Bridge is with the Crown Prosecution Service. Parking issues are ongoing and he said there are problems with vehicles parking at the entrance/exit of the car park adjacent to the Police Station and Library. In response to questions raised by Councillors, PCSO Adam Charlesworth promised to deal with vehicles obstructing safe pedestrian access in Crossfield Avenue, Blythe Bridge and any other areas that local officers receive complaints about. He also said he would look at the situation with regard to vehicles parked on Uttoxeter Road, adjacent to the new housing development to determine if the parked vehicles were impairing the visibility of motorists exiting Caverswall Road. Chairman Councillor Mrs. G. Burton added that she along with County Councillor Day were on the Area Parking Committee and Staffordshire County Council is looking at the possibility of installing double yellow lines at the Police Station/Library entrance/exit as well as along one side of Uttoxeter Road. 3.4 County Council Report. County Councillor W. Day reported that he had received a letter from a resident living in Scarratt Drive, Forsbrook who was concerned about safe pedestrian access on footways which was being restricted due to overgrown hedges. Following a site visit Staffordshire County Council Officer Rob Steele will be writing to owners of properties where overgrown hedges are a problem. With regard to the overgrown hedge at the Butchers Arms, the contractors on site will be dealing with this. A letter of complaint has also been received from a resident living in Dilhorne Road and following a site visit it has been agreed to erect a ‘Forsbrook’ sign and repair/replace the 30mph sign. The complainant was advised that speeding is not the responsibility of Staffordshire County Council and a junction sign in the vicinity of New Close Avenue and Brookgate is not possible because this is not classified as a junction. Correspondence has also been received from two more residents: 1) Regarding the speed along Uttoxeter Road, Blythe Bridge from the junction with Grindley Lane to the Tesco roundabout and 2) Drains and road surface of Caverswall Road, Blythe Bridge. In both the above cases County Councillor W. Day has offered to meet the residents to discuss the issues raised but has not had any response. In response to a concern raised by two Councillors with regard to a sunken grid on Uttoxeter Road/Grindley Lane junction, which had been marked for repair, County Councillor W. Day asked the clerk to furnish him with the recorded reference number. Arrangements will be made to resite the grit bin on the junction of Crossfield Avenue/Stallington Road to its original position. Page 48 County Councillor W. Day said he would be pleased to consider any funding requests from Forsbrook Parish Council. Standing Orders were reinstated. 4. INFORMATION AND REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES ATTENDING ‘OUTSIDE’ MEETINGS. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Licensing Sub Committee meeting on 2nd August 2013 – Heath House Farm. It was noted that prior to the meeting the applicant withdrew part of the licensing application which covered live music, recorded music, making of music and agreed to only apply for a table alcohol licence. Following representations made by Chairman Councillor Mrs. G. Burton and a resident who both asked the committee to consider restricting the sale of alcohol with meals up until 23.00 hours the Licensing Sub Committee supported the applicant allowing alcohol to be sold with meals up to 23.30 hours and refreshments up to 24.00 hours. 5. DRAFT MINUTES OF: Council Meeting of 15th July 2013. RESOLVED: ¾ To approve and sign the minutes. 6. MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES. 6.1 Minutes dated 15th July 2013 – page 35 – agenda item 3.1.1 – subject: Recently erected signage at Heath House Farm. It was noted that Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has confirmed that planning permission is required and the landowner has been advised. 7. CLERK'S REPORT. 7.1 Agenda enclosures, correspondence outgoing and emails not detailed as separate agenda items were noted. 7.2 Meetings. The following meeting dates were noted: 7.2.1 Staffordshire Wildlife Trust – subject: Wildplay sessions in August at Apedale Country Park, Newcastle Under Lyme – Tuesday 13th/20th/27th August – 10.00am to 3.00pm. Booking is essential. 7.2.2 Staffordshire Moorlands District Council – subject: Refresher Session for the Code of Conduct – 23rd September at 5.00pm in the Council Chamber, Moorlands House, Leek. 7.3 The following circulation material was received and noted: Page 49 • Rural Services Network Online (Note: Newsletters available on: http://www.rsnonline.org.uk/news). • Staffordshire Wildlife Trust – E-news July 2013. • Staffordshire Wildlife Trust – Newsletter Summer 2013. • Parish Online News. • Public Sector Mapping Agreement – Newsletter July 2013. • Fields in Trust Newsletter. • Staffordshire Police – Update on the recent jail sentence following pipe bombings in Blythe Bridge, Cheadle and Weston Coyney. 8. CORRESPONDENCE: 8.1 Staffordshire County Council/Mr. M. Ash – subject: Uttoxeter Road speed review. 8.2 Mrs. P. L. Walton – subject: Highway concerns/issues – Dilhorne Road, Forsbrook. 8.3 Mr. S. Booth – subject: Drains/road surface – Caverswall Road, Blythe Bridge. Noted: That County Councillor W. Day is dealing with all the above issues (8.1, 8.2 and 8.3 and under agenda item 3.2 gave an update on the resolved issues). 8.4 Blythe Bridge Historical Society – subject: World War 1. Noted: That the cost of planting a tree together with plaque at the National Arboretum is £300. RESOLVED: ¾ Forsbrook Parish Council to cover the full cost of planting a tree/plaque. 8.5 Matthew Ellis, Police and Crime Commissioner, Staffordshire – subject: Safer, Fairer, United Communities’ Strategy. Noted: That the above has been published for consultation across the County and the City of Stoke-on-Trent. A summary of the strategy can be viewed in full at www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk where you can also watch animated videos, which focus on how the strategy will affect the life of an ordinary Staffordshire citizen.