Hanley Castle Parish Council

Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on Thursday, 18th July 2019 at
19:00 in Hanley Swan Village Hall.

Present: Councillors: Sue Roberts (Chairman), Wendy Roberts-Powell, Lesley Smith,

Alan Rogers, Sarah Darwent, Alex Walker

Apologies: Councillors: Sue Adeney, Alison Bolton.

Peter Goodyear & Marjorie Nelson (PPWs), DCllrs Andrea Morgan & Martin
Allen

In Attendance: Nick Harper (Pond Warden), 2 Parishioners.

84/19 Welcome & Apologies The Chairman welcomed all present to the July
Meeting of the Parish Council. She accepted the apologies submitted to the Clerk.

Declarations of Interest & Dispensation Requests from Councillors

a) Register of Interests: Councillors were reminded that they should have updated
their register of interests and sent them to the Monitoring Officer at MHDC.
b) To declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests in items on the agenda and their
nature: None declared
c) To declare any Other Disclosable Interests in items on the agenda and their nature:
None raised
d) To consider and agree all requests from Councillors for the Council to Grant a
Dispensation (S33 of the Localism Act 2011) – None received
e) To renew Dispensations previously granted at the next meeting as they expired at
the end of May 2019. It was agreed to defer to the September Meeting as several
Members were absent.
ACTION: Councillors were asked to complete a dispensation request for
precept setting and financial discussions post-election.

Closure of the meeting to allow parishioners present to speak on any matters

relating to the Parish.
The matter of additional duck signage was raised and Cllr Darwent was thanked for
meeting with the company Red Penguin to confirm what type of signage that Highways
would permit. They had offered to make portable signs that would be the responsibility
of Parishioners to move around. The Parish Council would contact them to thank them
for their generosity.
A question was raised about a future development on land by St Gabriel’s Church,
whilst part of it had been identified as a possible site with the NHDP concern was raised
that this would actually be 18 acres and 100 homes. Cllr Roberts explained that there
had been a call for sites by the District Council and that the information was still being
collated and she thought it would not be until November before suitability of sites put
forward would be investigated.
A matter of an overflowing bin by the bus stop layby in Hanley Swan was also raised
and who was responsible for emptying it. It was noted that it had a broken lid. Cllr
Roberts said she would have a look at the bin to see if it could be fixed or a
replacement one provided.
A request was made to have a permanent speed reader positioned on Roberts End. Cllr
Darwent explained that they were not favoured by Highways as they encouraged some
drivers to speed to get a high reading. The Council offered to site the mobile VAS there

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 for longer periods and it was agreed to get a price for a speed reader. Cllr Roberts
agreed to speak to Welland about their speed readers.
ACTION: The Clerk to refer the planning query to the District Councillors and to
contact the Street Scene Team to confirm that it is on their collection route.
The Clerk to get quotations for a speed reader.

85/19 Minutes: The Minutes of the Meeting held on 20th June 2019 had been
previously circulated and the minutes were approved and signed.

86/19 Matters Arising & Progress Reports not Listed elsewhere on the
Agenda:
a) Ownership of the Community Orchard land – Still ongoing
b) Telephone Box – The painting had been finished and defibrillator signs had arrived and
passed to Cllr Walker to put in.
ACTION: Cllr Walker to put the signs in the box.
c) Subsidence Claim – The Clerk had written to the insurance company pointing out that
there was no drains on one side of the building and the down spout were either missing
the drains or feeding into blocked drains on the other side so the rain water was pooling
at the base of the building. No reply had been received to date.

87/19 Finance:
a) Payment of Accounts: Members approved the payments of accounts as in the
presented schedule in Appendix 1.
b) Receipts: £2100 Lengthsman 2018/2019

88/19 Planning:
a) To Consider the following applications referred by MHDC for consultation:
None received

b) To consider under the Scheme of Delegation any Planning Applications received

between the publication of the agenda and the Meeting:

19/01055/FUL Land At (Os 8157 4265) Proposed reposition of maintenance strip and new
Winnington Gardens Hanley dwelling of plot 5 (Amendment to approval
Swan 18/00193/RM).

Cllrs were asked to look at the application and send any comments to the Clerk.

c) Details of Decision Notices Received to-date: - None

d) Details of enforcement action: None

e) Details of Appeal Notices Received: None

89/19 Highway Matters

a) Road Safety Working Party – A meeting was held on the 1st July to discuss all
outstanding matters with the Highways Liaison Officer Hannah Davies and Cllr Darwent
updated the other Councillors. Tara Cottage drainage was working well. The idea of
placing a dummy with a high visibility jacket in the hedge as a deterrent was discussed
and Cllr Darwent would raise it with the school.
It was also reported that there were sunken manhole covers outside Albion Cottages.
Double yellow lines had been approved on the corners of Church End and also Bowling
Green and Quay Lane.
Hannah had also agreed to provide some words regarding placing of objects on the
verges to be placed in the Parish Link.
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ACTION: The Clerk to report the manhole covers. Cllr Darwent to follow up on
the actions from the meeting with Hannah Davies.

b) Lengthsman: The extension pole would be given to Cllr Darwent to pass on to the
Lengthsman.

90/19 District & County Councillors Reports

a. District Cllrs Morgan & Allen: Members not present.
b. County Cllr Tom Wells: Member not present.

91/19 Report of the:

a) Parish Paths Warden & Tree Warden (Peter Goodyear & Marjorie Nelson) Their
report was read out. Cllr Darwent reported that there was a loose stile behind the
Catholic Church.
ACTION: The Clerk to advise the PPWs
b) Pond Warden (Nick Harper) – The fence had been removed and no complaints had
arisen to date. There had been a good response to the call for volunteers. He asked if
there was any news on the Black Swan Windows sponsorship.
ACTION: Cllr Roberts to ask Cllr Bolton for an update.
c) Playing Field Warden, Village Hall & Defibrillators (Graham Holmes) – Cllr
Roberts provided an update and said that all defibrillators were now installed and the
pamphlets would be redone to show all locations. Cllr Rogers agreed to undertake the
regular checks on the one in the Phone Box in Hanley Castle; Cllr Smith would do the
same for the one in Gilberts End. Graham Holmes would send them the checklists.
ACTION: Graham Holmes to circulate Check List.
d) Local Police – Latest report circulated

92/19 Correspondence
a) Zurich Renewal – The renewal papers had been received and the Council was still
within its long term agreement.
b) Worcestershire Passenger Transport Strategy – Email circulated
c) Parish Makeover – email circulated, ideas required, the Clerk to email them and ask
about the amount of funds available and the type of work that could be undertaken.
ACTION: The Clerk to Contact Ringway.

94/19 Topics raised by Councillors, Committees, Clerk & Parishioners –

a) Vandalism at Coverfields – Cllr Roberts thanked Nick Harper for retrieving the bins
that had been thrown into the pond.
b) Increased number of lorries going through Hanley Swan – Cllr Darwent had been
asked for the reason by a parishioner. It was discussed and thought to be due to the
increase in travel from the ESP factory. The issue of tractors speeding through the
Parish was also discussed and it was agreed that Cllr Walker would contact two of the
suspected companies and ask that the drivers adhere to the speed limits.
ACTION: Cllr Walker to contact the companies
c) Cotteswold House – Cllr Darwent asked if the large building in the back was granted
under permitted development as no planning applications had been received by the
Council. It was agreed to raise the matter with the District Council
ACTION: The Clerk to contact MHDC Planning.

95/19 Councillors reports and items for future agenda:

Review of the Standing Orders, Neighbourhood Plan – Taking it forward & Projects for
CIL/Section 106, Parish Makeover

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96/19 Date of Next Scheduled Meeting: 19th September 2019

Signed ……………………………… Date: 19th September 2019

Chairman

Appendix 1: Schedule of Payments & Receipts 18th July 2019

Payment of Accounts: The under mentioned cheques were approved:

Payee Reason £
New Farm Grounds
Maintenance June Cuts 705.60
Worcestershire CALC Training 30.00
July Clerk
Rebecca Abunassar Duties 442.00
Zurich Insurance Company 426.84
Phone Box
S Roberts Items 201.08
Total 1805.52

Signed ……………………………………… Date: 19th September 2019

Chairman

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