Parish Council Report June 2011

Please Note these are not Minutes It is the Report

The Parish Council met on Thursday 16^th June 2011 at 19.30 hours in Earlswood Village Hall.

One member of the public was present, together with County Councillor Perry and District Councillor Atkinson.

Adam Bourn of Monkspath Pumas Junior Football Club addressed the Parish Council requesting to use Malthouse Park for their home matches.  The item will be discussed by the Parish Council at the next Committee meeting.

County Councillor Perry gave the following report:

Councillor Perry confirmed that the Balfour Beattie has taken over the Highways contract. 

Over 4000 replies to the library consultation were received.  A meeting to decide the future of libraries has been earmarked.   There is a possibility of Henley Library moving in to the police station as the County Council own the police building.

There is a drive to make youth clubs centres of excellence.  Studley may become a Centre of Excellence and Henley should become one.

The Fire Service has issued its members with a new uniform which are more flexible.  They include LED cameras.

There is a new hybrid (electric and diesel) park and ride bus.

There is a meeting on June 30^th about the possibility of WCC adopting the keyhole in Malthouse Lane. 

It is still being established who owns the land at the corner by the Crossroads at The Common and Valley road.  A public exhibition will be held to consult with the residents in the near future. (This has since been arranged by Earlswood Residents’ Association and will take place on Wednesday 20th July between 3.00pm through to 8.00pm and will be in Earlswood Village Hall)

Councillor Atkinson gave the following report:

Councillor Atkinson is still waiting for an answer from Worcestershire about narrowing Alderhanger Lane and Pinkfield to a bridleway. 

The District Council have money available for small scale maintenance of watercourses and ditches.   A grant is available for up to £4,000.

Severn Trent Water is still being chased re the sewerage problem in Springbrook Lane.  This issue was first raised in March 2009.

Councillor Willmott opened the meeting and received apologies from Councillor Oakley, Councillor Ross and Councillor Stanton

The correspondence list was noted and the following items were highlighted:

·         Further to the cessation of the police surgeries, the clerk informed the Council that the PCSO had offered to use a mobile police station on set days to visit areas of the parish if desired.  It was decided to give it a 3 month trial.  It will take place on the first Friday of the month – August 5^th, September 2^nd and October 7^th.  (Further details appear in this magazine)

·         The owner of 133 The Common had confirmed, following a letter received from the Parish Council, which he would be attending to the rubbish dumped in the Parish Council field at the rear of the address.

·         Summer Symposium.  Councillor O’Brien expressed an interest to attend Day 2 on July 7^th.  It was agreed that the Parish Council were happy to fund his attendance.

·         Severn Trent Water Ltd. Cllr Havard reported that the manholes had still not been rectified.

·         The Clerk read out an e-mail from Clare Eynon, via George Atkinson, about trial dates for Cank Farm.

The following Planning Applications were considered: 11/00649/FUL(amendment)Woodlands Farm, Cut Throat Lane

11/00383/LDE Stoneford, Wood End Lane

11/00983/FUL Elmhurst, Vicarage Hill

11/01246/TREE In The Highway, The Green

11/01145/LDE Summers Poultry

11/01148/LDE Summers Poultry

11/01077/FUL Eastcote, Broad Lane

The Grant application Earlswood Fete Committee was approved.  The Clerk circulated a memo from the Parish Council’s insurance company.  They have offered to put the Earlswood Village Fete Committee on our insurance policy as joint policy holders on the basis the Committee’s activities will be limited to the proposed Fete and a ‘picnic in the park’.  There will be no additional premium payable, although the insurance company do reserve the right to review this at a later date should their level of activity increase and they become involved in organising more events.  Although this Aviva policy provides automatic Public Liability Insurance for events there is no cover for certain activities such as bouncy castles whose operators should provide their own Public Liability Insurance. It was proposed and agreed that the Earlswood Village Fete Committee is added to our policy. 

The request to hold a ‘Party in the Park’ to Celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was from the Earlswood Village Fete Committee for permission to use the park was discussed.  The date had not being decided yet.  Permission was granted.   

It was agreed that the Parish Council are generally in support of the proposed changes to alter the Junction at Valley Road and The Common, but would prefer the traffic to be slowed down. The Parish Council would like the residents consulted for their opinions.  If the improvements require the felling of a mature tree, the possibility of planting another tree somewhere else in the parish to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was discussed.  

Robert Weeks, the new Head of Planning at Stratford District Council is keen to establish a dialogue with the Parish Council and had offered to bring some planners along to a meeting to be arranged in the near future. 

Councillor Fitzpatrick confirmed that he had received a copy of the new Parish Council office plans and confirmed that a meeting needs to be arranged with the Trustees of the Village Hall to discuss matters further.

Items which were reported as requiring attention were:

·         In Malthouse Lane by the station bridge there is a sunken drain cover.

·         Pavements along all of Broad Lane are dangerous.

·         Logs by Flower Knott Cottage and on Broad Lane.

The full minutes are available on our website www.tanworth-pc.org.uk or from the Parish Office in Earlswood Craft Centre, Wood Lane.  The next meeting will be on August 18^th at Earlswood Village Hall and September 15^th at Tanworth Village Hall at 7.30pm. . Anyone is welcome to come and listen or if you have an issue that you would like to raise, there is a Public Forum at 7.30pm.   If you would like us to start e-mailing a Parish Newsletter, please just e-mail the parish office at office@tanworth-pc.org.uk and we will add you to our circulation list.   If anyone has an issue which they would like us to pass on to PCSO Dave Martin, please give us the details and we will pass them on.  If the matter is of a confidential nature, then you are welcome to leave a sealed envelope in the parish office addressed to PCSO Dave Martin and we will hand it over unopened.