Minutes of Ripple Parish Council Meeting
DRAFT
Minutes of Ripple Parish Council Meeting
held at Ripple Parish Hall on Monday 14 Sept 2009 at 7pm
Present: Cllrs Wilding, Reay, Ostick, Blake, Parsons, Gallagher, Kerr, White
In attendance clerk, County Cllr Bullock. 2 Community Support Police Officers.
1. Apologies – Cllr Sutton, Footpath Officer. Reasons accepted unanimously.
2. Declaration of Interest – None.
3. Minutes – The Minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2009 were proposed for approval by Cllr Blake and seconded by Cllr White.
4. To receive report from Footpath Officer – (Circulated in advance)
Posts and chevrons have been delivered and will be installed in October by a contractor (Clerk to check exact quantities and inform WCC). RPC had estimated 1 hour per post at Lengthsman hourly rate of £14 on P3 application. Contractor will use a motor driven auger where necessary. Unanimously agreed. Mr Carr is continuing to document footpath walks for the website. The outcome of the P3 scheme application (£180) was disappointing but this was due to budget restrains at County level.
5. To receive report from County Councillor
Cllr Bullock reported on two issues still unresolved for RPC. He gave correspondence regarding the 516 footpath to the Chairman who will review after the meeting. RPC had received a copy of the WCC solicitors response to a resident who was injured on the A4104 and claiming associated costs. Cllr Bullock said the case was being reviewed again following RPC providing information regarding footpath maintenance work to Cllr Bullock. This gave details of work required some seven months before the accident which had not been carried out by WCC. WCC are awaiting information from their insurance company. Cllr Bullock had looked at the Ripple Church car park on the way to this meeting and will chase the relevant department about the road markings. Clerk will also follow up with Mr Jew at WCC.
6. To receive report from District Councillor – Not present
A discussion took place regarding the poor performance of The Hub recently. Clerk will discuss with Cllr Sutton.
7. Progress reports from Working Groups - (Reports document circulated via email to Cllrs)
a. Clerk – Co-option form/Register of Interests for Cllr Kerr submitted to MHDC, copy returned to clerk. Clerk had contacted Mr Leach re Ripple Amenity Board (see item 12). Order and receipt of unit from Glasdon to repair bus shelter, arranged fixing of unit (£40). Order of new laptop and external hard drive. Ripple Parish Newsletter production with Cllr Blake and Pershore Print. Liaison with residents regarding enquires re family history, trees, Ripple Brook, fly tipping etc. Various road sign repairs, fly tipping etc WCC/MHDC websites. Lengthsman “to do list”. General correspondence. Letter to Twynning PC re Brockridge Common road speed. Letter to Cllr Bullock re resident injury on A4104. Discussions with police re accident on Ryall Road and road signs etc. A discussion took place regarding the Lengthsman no longer being able to spread grit. WCC have advised that due to insurance purposes the Lengthsman cannot undertake this task. Chairman will take this up at a CALC meeting.
b. Management Group – Chairman
Chairman had attended various meetings during the last two months, the MHDC Overview and Scrutiny meeting addressing the potential for MHDC to pass down both funding and responsibility for specific services, The Strategic Board meeting, the Finance Focus Group and an Open Meeting of the Upton Town Partnership. The UTP now has a well defined strategy, that broadly meets with public agreement, and active focus groups dealing with Civic Pride, Culture and Festivals, Trade and Industry, Tourism and Finance and Funding. Chairman also attended The Warmer Worcestershire open day at Upton Library. This was well presented, with much knowledgeable help and advice available. As the CALC representative, Chairman went to a meeting of the Malvern Hills Partnership. Chairman also met with Richard Levett of Worcester CALC. The primary discussion was on issues relative to the MHP, where he represents the Malvern Hills CALC members. Also discussed was the proposal by MH Development Control (Planning) Department to only offer details of Planning Applications to Parish Councils by email. (See item 10). Chairman, Vice Chairman and Clerk had had a management meeting to review RPC activities, action items, and to agree the agenda for this meeting.
c. Finance Group – Clerk – WCC remittance rec’d for June and July hours Lengthsman. Reclaim for July and August hours to WCC for Lengthsman. Remittance advice rec’d for Emergency Equipment from MHDC. Remittance rec’d for July hours Lengthsman. Cheque received from Cemex £500 donation towards 1st edition of newsletter, banked. Annual return returned from Auditors for one minor adjustment. Returned to Auditor. Quarterly accounts compiled.
d. Urgent Decisions Group Clerk - arranged the fitting of the replacement unit to bus shelter (£40 local contractor, Glasdons would charge £180 as based in Yorkshire).
e. Planning Group Clerk – The White Shed Naunton and 18 The Beeches applications are still pending decision. 16 The Beeches, Severn View and Tholds Farm Uckinghall have all been granted permission. 38 The Beeches, application withdrawn. Ryall Farm House, Ryall Road is currently on circulation. Ryall Chase appeal granted. Lady Key result due soon. Two areas of concern have been highlighted to MHDC, planning/enforcement to investigate these.
f. Staffing and Training Group Cllr Blake – Clerk has attended the first of three modules of the CILCA programme and will be attending the second module in October. Councillors White and Kerr will attend The 4 Essentials for Parish and Town Councils programme when CALC organise it.
8. Task Group Reports
a. Communities that are safe and feel safe
The money has been received from MHDC for the emergency equipment. Cllr Reay will review the list of equipment and will arrange the purchase of this with the Clerk.
b. A better environment for today and tomorrow
Parish Path Partnership, RPC is now fully enrolled in the scheme
Footpath disputes. The RADAR gate issue on 516 at Fowler’s Meadow is unresolved. Bob Bullock to arrange a meeting with WCC if necessary. The dispute over 546 in Uckinghall has been successfully resolved. Thanks passed to Cllr Bullock for his support.
Trees. Unauthorized work on a tree in the Uckinghall Conservation Area was halted by MHDC Tree Officers. A resident in Ryall Meadow complained about a Thuja overhanging their driveway. We agreed it would be checked out and pruned as necessary in the 2010 tree maintenance project.
Grass Cutting, We continue to receive complementary remarks on the standard of this service by our new contractor. Several areas around the “A” roads have been cleared for visibility by WCC. RPC may consider adding some of these areas to the routine cutting contract for next year. Chairman has checked there is no issue with RPC cutting verges that otherwise would occasionally be done by WCC.
Ryall Recreation area. Chairman has a meeting with our Arborculturalist, on 18th Sept. to discuss options for the development of the steep hillside from the Rec area down to the public footpath 516. Proposed plan and estimated cost will be presented to the October meeting.
Energy Conservation, We promoted the Warmer Worcestershire event, and many residents seem to be aware of and taking advantage of the offers available for enhancing home insulation.
c. Economic success which is shared by all
An article was included in the recent Newsletter encouraging local traders to share their experiences. Three businesses expressed an interest. This forms the start of a database of traders in the Parish which will be expanding in the coming months. Councillors are asked to list out those activities and contact details which you know about in the area to enable the database to be expanded. The Skills, Employment and Training Fair flyers are on the RPC website, notice boards and amenity boards. Cllr Blake will research Leader EU funds for possible use for an event in Ripple Parish.
d. Improving health and well-being
Cllr Parsons will pursue the Doctors surgery in Upton re advertising flu jabs and possibly having the surgery newsletter etc on the RPC website.
e. Meeting the needs of all generations
A meeting had taken place of this group and various ideas discussed including public transport, Church attendance, coffee mornings/get together and the possibility of holding a parish fete. The parish event held in 2008 had been a success and with a team of organisers could be a success again, possibly even a joint event incorporating the businesses and traders within Ripple Parish and also using the MHDC Youth Bus Facility. Also discussed was providing links on the RPC website to Upton-upon-Severn Primary School and Hanley Castle High School. Cllr’s White and Kerr will investigate these two items.
f. Stronger communities
Nothing to report.
9. MHDC Planning procedure
A letter from Development Control Manager at MHDC had been circulated and a discussion took place. The proposal is to send all planning applications for consultation by Parish/Town Councils by email to clerks. Plans vary in size but it was unanimously felt that this system would not be appropriate as plans need to be compared and are too large to view properly on screen. The clerk will inform MHDC of our views and discuss with Cllr Sutton.
10. Flooding Issues
Upton Flood defences. Chairman had attended an open meeting by the Environment Agency to review the revised plans for the Upton flood wall, now enhanced with landscaping. Additional costs to be met by MHDC. The meeting was attended by UK Flood Barriers who introduced themselves during an open discussion, these are self raising flood walls. Much discussion followed and the EA proposed to do comparative costing for wall versus barriers and engineering evaluations of suitability of UKFB product to site. The New Street bund planning application will be submitted by the end of September, with work to start next May.
Uckinghall Flood defences. All groundwork investigations now completed. The EA expect to raise the planning application before end of 2009, with work starting May 2010.
Survey of Ripple Brook. Chairman put an article in Malvern Gazette recently. Some response received. Chairman has discussed surveying Ripple Brook with MHDC, the EA and local drainage contractors. Chairman has had an initial discussion with an independent drainage consultant and has a meeting arranged. The gentleman does a lot of work for Parish and District Councils, and would be a credible technical source. Plan is to evaluate what is best methodology and possible costing. Route is about 4.5 miles, probably £1500. Chairman has purchased large scale maps to assist in evaluation and has cleared the legality of RPC spending funds on this issue, both under the Countryside Act and Section 142. Chairman has also directly, and through Roger Sutton, asked MHDC to identify funds that they minuted in an Overview and Scrutiny meeting as available to Parish Councils for flooding issues. No expenditure agreed yet with Cllrs as funds will hopefully come from other sources. Item to be discussed at October meeting.
Stratford Bridge survey. The Highways dept have surveyed the bridge/culvert where Ripple Brook goes under the A38 at Stratford Bridge. They reported it to be clear, but much overgrown vegetation on either side. A follow up issue will be to evaluate if the area under the bridge, although clear, is in fact silted up and restricting the flow.
Cotswold Manor Country Park planning application. Park home development at Stratford Bridge, in Twynning Parish but bounded on the north by Ripple Brook. We responded to TBC application pointing out the Special Wildlife Site status of Ripple Brook, the fact that debris is already dumped in the floodplain at the side of the Brook, supporting a planning condition for an annual maintenance regime on the Brook and requesting an additional condition for the first maintenance to be carried out before the development starts (or moves further, as they have already started, and are applying retrospectively)
Ditch at The Sheiling, Ryall Road. Subsequent to the landowner clearing the ditch, our Lengthsman has improved on the clearance done by an excavator, removed debris, and installed a grill over the drain opening to prevent debris entering the drain. The drain head off the roadway on the other side of the road has also been cleared.
Ditch at Hazelmere, The Grove. Subsequent to the MHDC, Highways, RPC and residents site meeting on 18th June, Peter Ridley of MHDC has done a site survey, developed a restructure plan, and it is hoped the funding issue will be finalized by end September with MHDC. This is a difficult site, with silted unstable earth, electricity supply poles very close to the drain, and a suspected broken drain pipe. The siting of the pipe from the road drain to the ditch at the rear of Green Lane will need to be restructured. Only when this project is completed, will the Highways complete their maintenance task on the drain routed alongside the old Horse and Groom pub site..
11. Freedom of Information Act.
RPC are legally correct having adopted the Freedom of Information Act at a previous meeting. The procedure to be followed should an application be made needs to be defined and the Chairman will present various documents to the Council at the meeting in December.
12. Public Amenity Boards
The clerk had been in contact with Mr Leach and discussed a new amenity board being attached to the wall of 2 Manor Barn, Ripple alongside our RPC notice board. The Chairman proposed that the Lengthsman should go ahead with this, the dimensions have been agreed with Mr Leach. Cllr Wilding seconded this and all unanimously agreed. As discussed this will cost no more than £150. After some discussion regarding the important of these boards and the amount of use they receive, it was proposed by Cllr Reay that an amenity board also be erected next to our RPC notice board in The Grove at Ryall and this was seconded by Cllr Blake. This will be the same as the new ones in Naunton and on The Beeches and cost no more than £200, unanimously agreed. This will complete the amenity boards being replaced/installed in six areas of Ripple Parish.