Bilbrook Parish Council, Bilbrook Village Hall Meeting held on Wednesday 4th December 2019 at 7:00 pm Minutes Present: Councillors: M Adams, S Adams, M Barrow (Chair), G Burnett, V Chapman (Vice-Chair) (Part of the meeting), A Hill, D Hutchinson, P Hutchinson, J Michell, A Morrison, B O’Connor, G Price Also present: K Daker (Parish Clerk), County Cllr B Spencer (part of the meeting), District Cllr I Sadler. Public Forum - The public forum was closed as the Council is following the rules of Purdah for the General Election on the 12 December 2019. The Meeting commenced at 7.00 pm 084/19 - APOLOGIES Apologies: Cllr D Williams 085/19 - DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND DISPENSATION REQUESTS No dispensations were received. The following declarations of interest were received. Item Councillor(s) 091/19 Cllr M Barrow 086/19 - MINUTES a) Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council on the 6th November 2019 having previously been distributed were signed as a true and correct record. b) Minutes from the following committees were noted for information: The Twentyman Playing Fields Committee – 16th October 2019 Resolved: to delay agenda item 087/19 until PCSO Tom Evans arrives. Cllr V Chapman arrived. 088/19 - REPORTS a) Staffordshire County Council (SCC) - County Cllr B Spencer gave a verbal report. - Jaguar Land Rover – Their training centre will be run by Wolverhampton College. The concern is that Bilbrook’s three-tier education puts local students at a disadvantage. - Residents have raised concerns about potential traveller encampments being sited in the area, however, there are no known plans for this. - There was an incident of youths from outside the area being caught with imitation firearms and drugs leading to concerns it is “county lines drug dealing” Resolved: Clerk to raise the issue with SSDC and Chief Inspector Mark Ward. - Flooding at Pendeford Hall Lane to be raised in addition to the flooding already raised. Cllr Spencer left the meeting. b) South Staffordshire District Council (SSDC). (See Appendix 2). District Cllr Gary Burnett’s and District Cllr Ian Sadler’s reports were received and noted. Matter of Report: The Clerk and Chair & Vice-chair are attending a meeting with SSDC on the 5th December relating to the three-tiers of Government working more closely together. 089/19 - CLERKS REPORT & OTHER CORRESPONDENCE a) Clerks Report (Appendix 3) Matter of Report: The following updates were received: Page 1 of 10 - Woodman Pub – Free times for parking are confirmed as 6.00 am-12.00 noon and 3.00-4.00pm weekdays. They are awaiting the machines to be updated before this can be implemented. - Grange Pub – Resolved to write to SSDC to ensure the site is secured following demolition. - The road sweeper will be extra £50 a day as they can only spare it on a weekend – Resolved: clerk to use delegated powers to cover the extra £50 a day. To review the work done and decide if it is worthwhile. If so, to get a quote from a private company. - Christmas Light Switch on – it was a great success. The Parish Council chocolate tombola raised £220 for the Cancer Support Group. Rotary raised £141 for their various charities. The date for the 2020 light switch on will be Friday 27th November. Resolved: To accept the monthly report previously distributed. PSCO Tom Evans arrived 087/19 - POLICE CRIME AND ASB REPORT (See Appendix 1) PCSO Tom Evans was in attendance. There has been an increase in anti-social behaviour by local youths on Bilbrook Road and the Grange Pub. There has also been an increase in car thefts. The Parish Council thanked Tom for his work relating to the Grange Pub. He will be leaving in late January to become an officer. Concern was raised about County lines drug dealing. PCSO Tom Evan left the meeting 089/19 - CLERKS REPORT & OTHER CORRESPONDENCE b) Planting up verges with wild meadow flowers- Following a request from SSDC. Resolved: to con- sider the major roads rather than areas where there are houses. To recommend to SSDC to trial planting up the verges coming into Bilbrook on the Wobaston Road and Pendeford Mill Lane. c) SSDC Strategic Plan – Resolved: to respond as follows: Bilbrook Parish Council’s preferred option is Option A: Their concerns about option G are: - There is nowhere in Bilbrook to build the large numbers of houses required under option G other than on greenbelt, therefore, all of the development allocated to Bilbrook will eat into the re- maining greenbelt. This high-quality greenbelt separates rural South Staffordshire and its villages from a large urban area, the City of Wolverhampton. (in particular parcel 503) This greenbelt is a very narrow band and a strategically critical defence of the countryside and rural character of South Staffordshire. - Bilbrook is classed as a 1st tier village as it has a train station but this has no carpark or room for parking near the station, therefore, the Parish Council objects to this classification. - The infrastructure is not in place to sustain this growth. One of the main areas of concern is road access into the Village from Pendeford Mill Lane/Wobaston Road. The S bend near the Woodman Pub is not fit for purposes and results in regular queues of traffic on Pendeford Mill Lane/Wobas- ton Road stretching back to and often beyond Pendeford Business Park. This is even before the proposed Bloor homes development on Pendeford Mill Lane of 168 new homes. The Parish Council understands there is a proposal for a road linking Pendeford Mill Lane to Lane Green Road, however, it is the view of the Parish Council that this will not significantly ease the traffic passing through the Village. d) Highways England Supplementary Consultation – This doesn’t appear to affect Bilbrook. Resolved: Councillors with any objections to respond personally. e) Parish Council 2nd car park – Following a request from a local business for their staff to use it. Resolved: To trial opening the car park for three months from January 2020. The Parish Operatives to open it at 8 am and close it at 6 pm Monday- Friday. A notice to go on the gate of the car park to inform of this and inform that cars are left at the owners’ own risk. f) Dog Fouling equipment – Following the receipt of a dog bag dispenser and dog fouling “buddy”) Resolved: to use both at the Village Hall. To request a new bin from SSDC for the alleyway be- tween Bilbrook Road, Lime Tree Gardens and Cherry Tree Gardens. g) The West and Shires Permit Scheme consultation - Resolved: No objections. To request that the Parish Council is informed in advance of when work is done. Page 2 of 10 090/19 - FINANCE a) Monthly Finance Reports. Resolved: To receive the Payments, Receipts, Cashbook, Budget Comparison Report and Bank Reconciliations to 30th November 2019 (Appendix 4) Matter of report: Cllr S Adams has signed the bank reconciliation to 30th November. Payments are now being made electronically following the recommendation of the internal auditor. b) Clerks Timesheet - Confirmation by the Chair of the authorisation of the Clerk’s timesheet. 091/19 - APPROVAL OF EXPENSES a) SLCC Annual Subscription - £140 – Resolved: Approved b) Grant request from the Codsall and Bilbrook Cancer Support Group - £300 Resolved: Approved c) Tree Works – Resolved: to select the quote for £3,000 from M Bissell and to budget £3,000 for works in 2020-2021. d) Training – following an invitation from Perton Parish Council for employees to attend first aid training (approx. £35 per person) and Legionella training (approx. £33 per person). Resolved: The two parish operatives to attend the Legionella training. Clerk to attend the First Aid training. 092/19 – PLANNING AND LICENCING – No planning applications received. 093/19 - POLICIES FOR REVIEW - Grant Request Policy. Resolved: To adopt the revised policy. 094/19 - ITEMS FOR FUTURE - To look into a complaint from a resident regarding the 32 tonnes articulated Lorries that park outside of the one-stop on Bilbrook Road. - To consider areas that trees can be planted following an offer from SSDC to provide saplings. 095/19 - DATE OF NEXT MEETING – to be held Bilbrook Village Hall, Joeys Lane: Meeting of the Parish Council – Friday 3rd January 2020 at 7.00 pm Section 17 of the Crime & Disorder Act 1998 - To acknowledge responsibilities under Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 – this places a duty on a local authority to consider crime and disorder implications and to exercise its various functions with due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of those functions and to do all that it reasonably can to prevent crime and disorder in its area. Unless otherwise stated it was not considered that the resolutions moved herein would have any adverse impact for the purpose of the Crime and Disorder Act. Cllr Ian Sadler left the meeting Meeting suspended at 8.49 pm PUBLIC BODIES (ADMISSION TO MEETINGS) ACT 1960 In pursuance of the powers contained in section 1 of the above Act, I move that the press and public be now excluded from the meeting on the grounds that the business about to be transacted is of a confidential nature and that publicity will be prejudicial to the public interest. Meeting re-commenced 8.49 pm 096/19 – Report from the Twentyman Working Party Resolved: The Chair of the finance & personnel committee to go through costs with someone from the Twentyman Association. To take advice from SSDC Legal Services on the Parish Council becoming a sole trustee and drawing up a new lease. Meeting closed at 8.51 pm Signed: ..........................................................