Approved S.P.C. Meeting Minutes – 11.02.25

Approved minutes of full council meeting held on Tuesday February 11^th 7.15pm at Little Aston Village Hall

Prior to the commencement of business, the Chair asked for agreement from everyone that the meeting could be audio recorded.

154 Register of members in attendance

Cllr David Salter (Chair-Shenstone Woodend) Cllrs Lesley Edgley, David Thompson, Christopher Callow (Shenstone) Cllrs Gail Nicholls, Mick Cox, Dino D’Ambrosio, Peter Sherratt (Stonnall), Cllrs Stuart Harrison, Louise Hawes & Alan Pugh (Little Aston)

County Cllr David Smith. PCSO Racheal Orwin. Pam Salter (Acting Clerk)

155 Acceptance of apologies.

Cllr Phil Whitehouse. Simon Fisher, Kevin Ward

156 Public participation.

No public were present.

PCSO Racheal Orwin gave the following report.

Shenstone: 110 calls logged in Dec-Jan 14^th These included burglary, road traffic collisions, vehicle incidents at Wall Island – (patrols increased), ASB & 3 suspicious incidents. There is an upcoming protest in Shenstone coinciding with half term.

Stonnall: Dec-Jan 14^th 14 calls logged. This included vehicle crime, a suspicious incident & a road traffic collision. A walkabout with Cllr Whitehouse is upcoming.

Little Aston: 24 calls logged in Dec-Jan 14^th. Including skip theft, ASB suspicious incidents

Questions:
Cllr Edgely asked whether parking in Station Road and Admiral Parker Drive on protest days could be monitored & possibly restricted between 11-2 on yellow lines. PCSO Orwin suggested the LDC parking wardens be requested. Advisories can be issued.

Cllr D’Ambrosio asked if a presence could be shown around the house next to the school gate in Stonnall where there was an issue with inappropriate parking. PCSO Orwin will visit this neighbour.

Cllr Harrison thanked the PCSO’s for their work in Little Aston.

Cllr Pugh reported receiving a scam email purporting to have come from Cllr. Salter, this is a fairly common problem with many accounts and Members were urged vigilance.

PCSO Orwin will be setting up a regular hour a month session at Little Aston Village Hall which will be notified on Smart Alerts next week. Police are aware the Bishop of Wolverhampton is attending the church in Shenstone soon and will show a presence. PCSO Orwin then left the meeting.

157 Declarations of interest. Members should consider whether they should take part in any discussion or vote on matters on the agenda unless they have a dispensation:

None

158 To accept and confirm the minutes of the last Full Council meeting on Tuesday 14^th January 2025:

Duly accepted and signed

159 Clerk’s update on outstanding issues from last meeting:

No updates from Clerk. – Cllr Thompson noted that it has been agreed that FROGS will host the next 10K fun run. Cllr D’Ambrosio queried the entry fee of £28-could this be less? Concerns were expressed regarding safety issues from junior runners allowed without registration.

160 To receive reports from District and County Councillors.

Cllr Smith reported:

• The next stage with Church Lane is to retain the soil, most likely with slabs, the budget will be set and anther closure of the road will be necessary.
• The Stonnall Neighborhood Plan draft is completed and will be with the Council in approximately 7 days.
• Traffic management-this will not happen immediately. He has initiated a working group with Walsall to divert traffic away from villages.
• Local Government reorganisation is silent on the role of Parish Councils. Cllr Pugh asked if the local MP could have any influence. Cllr Smith said that this would be a clear decision taken by Central Government.
• The report on flooding in Stonnall was initiated by Cllr Smith. Proposed dates should be suggested for residents to meet Andrew Brett
• Starbucks may have varied from the planning permission agreement. No amendment is known of. Resolution: Cllr Salter will take this to LDC Planning.

Cllr D’Ambrosio will provide photographic evidence.

Cllr Smith left the meeting.

161 Finance.

Cllr Nicholls presented the current financial position & transactions for approval as of Feb 11th, 2025.
Link to January 2025’s financial transactions spreadsheet
Link to financial transactions spreadsheet from 1st to 11th February 2025

Nat West Current Account £904.65 Nat West Business Reserve £16,496.23 Unity Bank £20,306.57 Liquidity manager £113,558.60

• The Shenstone Playing Fields Management Committee owes the Parish Council £10,574.69 to be repaid by the end of March.
• The Parish Council is solvent.

Community Grant applications – Consider recommendations from Finance, Legal, Health & Safety Committee Meeting Tues Jan 28^th, 2025:

The following grant applications were voted on and approved unanimously by members:

• • Friends of Shenstone Station-replenish plant stocks £200.
  • Stonnall Comm Centre New hearing loop £1,000
  • Little Aston Tennis Club maintenance tools £1,000
  • Shenstone Seniors Brunch Club dishwasher £399
  • Stonnall Village Hall New curtains £300
  • Stonnall Playing Field recycled plastic bench replacement £771.
  • Trinity Methodist Church replace storm damaged gates and posts £800.
  • Friday Friends Transport costs up to £1000 subject to sight of costs.
  • Shenstone Guides & Brownies – PC will pay for 3 tents – Grant of £750.

Members voted to request more information for the following grant applications to be brought to the next meeting for consideration:

• Richard Cooper Rooms- repair roof- £1,000
• Shenstone Village Hall stage refurbishment £1,000
• Stonnall Scouts 2025 camp fees – Cllr Edgely will offer support and explain how costing needs to be presented prior to further submission.
• St Peter’s School Fundraisers. Following lengthy discussion in respect of school-linked applications, Members determined that only PTAs could apply for grants which benefitted the wider community. Reapplication was suggested with quotes. The application for a path is capital expenditure and the school should be funding that.
• Little Aston Village Hall Building renovation. Cllr Thompson found the scale disproportionate. He suggested asking Richard Saxton to the sub Committee to explain and discuss the request, CIL money of 30K is still available.
• Friends of Shenstone tower Seating Platform £1,000 Cllr Thompson suggested that this project needs a revenue plan.
• SPFMC- mega swing seat for the play area £1,583.60 pending more information.

Cllr D’Ambrosio and Cllr Callow were concerned over the large number of applications requiring more information suggesting that the process may not be clear enough. It was agreed that a review of the Grant application process was appropriate.

Cllr Thompson will draft a paper to Council on the future distribution of the £113,000 of CIL and project funding.

162 Planning.

Approve planning applications received in the last month and update on any objections/developments.

New applications

25/00023 Gate Pillars Beech Lane Little Aston install gate automation.

25/00070 61 Roman Lane Little Aston demolition of existing dwelling & erection of a 7-bedroom detached dwelling

25/00093 Shenstone Business Park erection of a B8 storage unit & new parking Decided

24/01399/FUL 15 Newick Avenue Little Aston Demolish & build 5-bedroom dwelling Decision: Refused

24/00768/FUL Derry Farm Decision: Refused

Ongoing:

Continuing potential for adverse possession of land on A5127. Update: Handed on to County,

Next meeting of Neighbourhood Planning & Property Committee Tues Feb 25^th, 2025, at 5.30pm

163 Neighbourhood plan reviews:

Shenstone & Little Aston (Cllr Thompson) Stonnall (Cllr Cox)

Little Aston and Shenstone have been awarded £6,500 to complete the Neighbourhood Plan Review. There is a waiver on the completion date of March 31^st. This has now been extended to the end of the calendar year.

Little Aston – Cllr Harrison said that the next stage was to submit the revision proposals and consultation evidence to LDC and asked for Council’s consent. Members approved this unanimously.

Stonnall’s Neighbourhood Plan is close to completion. Cllr Cox confirmed that a draft would be submitted to the statutory bodies in the next few days and then submitted within 28 days.

164 Employment committee: update from recent meetings.

Cllr Nicholls informed the Council that the sub-contracted lengthsman is no longer able to undertake heavy work but will still be available to deliver leaflets. The employment Committee will look for support for the lengthsman.

The auditor has advised that there are insufficient funds for Clerk support, but Cllr Thompson felt that we had the financial capacity for an appointment from the half year point and would then be able to raise the Precept again in 26/27.

165 Review Parish Office opening hours

Cllr Salter said that the office was closed now with contact details displayed on the building, on the website and in the out of office email.

Opening hours will be reviewed when the office reopens.

166 Stonnall flooding- update on actions.

Cllr Nicholls wished this comment from the County report to be minuted believing it to be incorrect: “The flood water is coming off the playing field and the adjoining landowners are not involved; the suggestion that the bunding is preventing water flowing into the brook is incorrect as can be seen from the plans showing how water is collecting. It is correct to say there is a small amount that runs along the bend, but this is relatively insignificant.”

Cllr Nicholls has video and photographic evidence of a significant amount of water flooding across the playing field from the adjoining farmers field.

Cllr Thompson queried the Playing field being called a’ Parish Park’ and the Chair clarified the position. Cllr Thompson felt the report lacks balance between the higher land-owning responsibilities and the lower land playing field responsibilities. Cllr Salter confirmed.

167 Stonnall Councillor vacancy:

There is one applicant. Interviews due to be held on Monday 17^th Feb. have been deferred. The applicant is fully aware of the situation.

168 Standing Orders:

it was not possible to review & approve amendments to the Standing Orders as amendments are not yet written in. Deferred

169 Renewable Heating Project: update

Cllr. Thompson reported that the first overall Project Meeting with LDC Officers and Members will be on 13.02.25. They will receive a Power Point update showing the potential of the aquifer to provide renewable energy across a significant area of Lichfield District Council.

170 Review & proposal to adopt Complaints Policy & Procurement Policy. Vote:

approved unanimously

171 March newsletter: deferred

172 Consideration of quote for £1,440.00 for required tree pollard work & height reduction on Millbrook right of way.

Cllr Nicholls asked who owned the tree. This is unsure but likely to be County and will therefore take too long to resolve. Cllr Pugh referred to the Procurement Policy which recommends obtaining 3 quotes. Cllr Cox proposed that 2 more quotes were obtained.

Vote: further information required.

173 In accordance with the provision of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, Section 5 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations and Paragraphs 2,3 and 7 of the Council’s Access to Information Rules, the public and press be excluded during consideration of the following item:

Update on establishment of Shenstone Playing Fields Management Committee & Country Club lease negotiations.

During the closed session the situation of the Parish Clerk, Shirley’s, absence due to illness was debated and there was full agreement that during this time Mrs. Pamela Salter would be engaged as temporary Clerk for the reasons set out below:

1. The urgent need for cover and support
2. Previous successful experience of Pam’s work
3. Pam’s personal knowledge of Shenstone Parish Council.
4. Market availability.
5. Pam’s role as an existing and qualified Parish Clerk to a neighbouring Ward. Due to the urgency and the need for experience it was agreed that it would be prudent to procure the service of a single provider and not follow the formal procurement process in this instance.

173 Next meeting of Full Council March 11^th Shenstone Community Library.