ALVELEY AND ROMSLEY PARISH COUNCIL
COUNCIL MEETING 3rd September 2024
MINUTES OF MEETING
Present: Councillor Isley Jakeman (Chair) and Councillors Russell Dowson, Christine Brown, Colin Taylor, Samantha Potter, Richard Narburgh, and James Taylor.
Also attending: Steve Kerry, Parish Clerk, and representatives of teh P3 Group and one member of the public.
2024/25.46	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Councillor Jakeman annoucned, with regret, the resignation of Councillor Paul Whale from the Council due to pressure of work and other committments. It was decided not to appoint a Vice Chair of the Council at this time. The Clerk will publish the notice to electors to see if there is a call for a ballot.  
Apologies were noted from Councillor Kieran Chambers who is on holiday and Councillor Ian Braithwaite.
2024/25.47	DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Councilor Potter declared an interest in the Financial Report (item 6 on the agenda) regarding an invoice from Nick Potter, this is a pecuniary interest.
2024/25.48	ORDER OF BUSINESS
The Chair proposed to take Open Forum next and then move the item on financial support for P3 up on the agenda as they had members present to address the meeting. This was agreed.
2024/25.49	OPEN FORUM
Margaret ShHw raised the issue of dog bins and it was explained that if these are installed without the consent of Shropshire Council they are under no obligation to empty them. There seem to be long delays in getting approvals for new bins. However, by the Chapel there is an existing bin which is too small and needs to be replaced by a larger litter bin and a specific dog bin. It was agreed that the Clerk would sent a note to Shropshire to say we will act unilaterally as collection was already in place at this point.
There was a discussion of the Whittle Meadow Trust and noted that this was open for grants to support local people in educational and sporting activities, restricted to capital spending.
It was noted that out of date notices remain on lamp posts and the Chair would write to the cricket club to ask for them to be removed as soon as possible.
2024/25.50	MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
It was proposed by Councillor Brown, seconded by Councillor Potter and unanimously
RESOLVED That the minutes of the Council Meeting of 2nd July be accepted as a true record and signed accordingly by the Chair.
2024/25.51	FINANCIAL REPORT
The Clerk presented a report on transactions since the last meeting, there were no questions. It was noted that the VAT reclaim from last year had been completed and the refund of c£1,100 was shown in the report.
2024/25.52	PLANNING MATTERS
There were no objections to the application in Tuckhill which had been circulated. A recent aplication had also been circulated although Councillor Brown reported she had not received it. The Clerk will send the application to Councillor Brown and if she has nothing to raise it will be noted as a "no objection".
2024/25.53	ALLOWANCE FOR P3
The Chair welcomed Paul Thompson to the meeting and invited him to present his report. It was noted that this item had been held over from July becasue of the length of that agenda. Last time he had asked for funding for a shed which had been gratefully received, the shed was up and proving very useful. He referred to improvements to a number of footpaths - Bridge Road, by the Chapel, which had been done, Cook's Cross which is being done and further items which are next. Some extra gravel has been put down by kissing gates where the surface was becoming very muddy. All of this has been funded by Shropshire Council. This may not continue for much longer.
P3 now has its own bank account so it is not necessary for payments to them to go through the Alveley Strollers and Walkers. They had circulated a "shopping list" for £210 worth of items of equipment. In the budget the Council has put aside £100 for P3 for minor items such as ropes, nails etc. 
Further information was given about new kissing gates, on the path from Mill Farm to Bow Hill right up to Stonacre. Each one costs about £300 and at present these are funded by Shropshire. 
Members discussed the means by which, in addition to a one off grant for the "shopping list", the Council could make an agreed annual donation. It was noted that if such a regular payment was agreed it would be set into the budget as a discreet item and called down for payment when P3 present their annual report.
 It was proposed by Councillor Jakeman, seconded by Councillor Brown and unanimously
RESOLVED That a donation of £200 be made to P3 this year and that provision for an annual donation of £200 be made in future years, subject to presentation of an annual report by P3 showing how the previous donation had been spent. 
It was proposed by Coucnillor Jakeman, seconded by Councillor Brown and unanimously
RESOLVED That the application for £210 for sundry items of equipment be agreed that a grant of £210 be made to P3 by the Council.
Paul and the party from P3 thanked the Council for their support and left the meeting.
2024/25.54	INTERNAL AUDITOR'S REPORT
The Clerk presented the report circulated from the internal auditor. This had found no  problems with the accounts or the financial controls of the Council but had commented on the lack of recent reviews of risk management and asset register documents and the need to rationalise and improve the website. These were felt to be fair and reasonable comments and the first item raised, an investment strategy was included elsewhere on the agenda. Other items raised would be resolved at future meetings.
It was proposed by Councillor Jakeman, seconded by Councillor Potter, and unanimously
RESOLVED That the report of the Internal Auditor be accepted and the isues raised be the subject of discussions at future meetings. That the Internal Auditor be thanked for their work.
2024/25.55	MANAGEMENT OF RESERVES 
The Clerk presented his report which reflects the high level of balances held in the current account which do not earn interest and the possibility of switching some funds to an instant access deposit account which would bear interest. A working balance would be held in the Unity Trust Bank current account. This could either be by converting the existing CCLA deposit account to instant access or by opening a new deposit account with that facility. Instant access would only be for  direct transfers to the current account, it could not be used for direct payments to third parties.
Councillor Brown was concerned that we do not switch to a lower interest deposit account in return for instant access.
It was proposed by Councillor Jakeman, seconded by Councillor Potter and unanimously 
RESOLVED That the Clerk is authorised to discuss with CCLA the possibility of either creating an instant access facility on the existing deposit account for transfers to the current account, or, if necessary, opening a new instant access deposit account with CCLA.
That a further discussion takes place at the next meeting when the options have been identified.
2024/25.56	SHROPSHIRE COUNCILLOR'S REPORT
Councillor Taylor commented on the recent press release in the Shropshire Star which had been somewhat self-congratulatory in tone and in fact there is a projected £38.5m overspend, or 15% of budget, which, if it is not brought under control, will drain the Council's reserves. If the government does not fund the work already done on the North Western Relief Road, which it is not likely to do, that problem will worsen sharply and may lead to a statutory notice from the Director of Finance, the equivalent of a company declaring insolvency. SUSTRANS are withdrawing funding for cycle routes and footpaths just oustide the parish and Shropshire are not likely to be able to pick this up. There may  be a case for joint funding with Highley parish. 
Road repairs on the A442 have become farcical, with an explicit promise that the sink holes would be fixed before they were covered over by the new surface being broken and the sink holes rapidly reappearing. Both he and the Clerk had raised this. Towards Tuckhill, Brick Hill Lane is wonderful, almost motorway standard, but the rest of the road is almost impassable. At this point the Clerk described his correspondence and conversations around the non-repair of the Cooks Cross parking area and the non-response to our offer to fund works to repair the footway. 
On Severn Valley Country Park, the Council has claimed to have done repairs to the approach road, which is disputed, the operators of the Park have seen no works and there are no signs on the road of any work being done.  Again he and the Clerk had been in touch with Shropshire about this. 
The possibility of warning Shropshire that we might have to tkae legal action under the Highways Act 1980 as the Council appears to be in statutory breach of its public duty was discussed. If this proceeds then the A442, Cooks Cross, Chapel Lane towrds the Country Park and Vicarage Bank would be cited. 
On speed controls for the A442, Cllr Taylor continues to lobby on behalf of this parish and Quatt. There have been two serious collisions one at Wooton and one at Quatt Bank and speed appears to have been a factor in both. He recalled John Campion's offer to support this. The Clerk added that he had suggested a joint meeting with parish councillors from both Quatt and this parish, Councillor Taylor and Shropshire officers rather than just a piece of traffic modelling done without local knowledge being imposed as a solution.
It was proposed by Councillor Taylor, seconded by Councillor Brown and unanimously
RESOLVED That the Clerk write to Shropshire Council reminding them of long outstanding urgent repairs required on several parish roads and warning that we may take legal action for breach of statutory duty if we do not get a satisfactory response.
2024/25.57	SHROPSHIRE COUNCIL CONSULTATION
Members considered whether the parish coucnil could take responsiblility for some Shropshire matters that are likely to be unfunded next year. This would not be an open-ended offer as there is the matter of double taxation to consider. Options rasied were rural footpaths, not footpaths alonside carriageways, and the possility of using a contractor to weed gutters. It was informally agreed that these would be raised as areas for discussion with Shropshire and we would want to see data on what is being spent, what contracts are in place, whether we could establish our own contracts at reduced rates and overall costs before any formal agreements are made.  
2024/25.58	ROMSLEY MATTERS
The local charity has closed its bank account with a balance of £100. Cash from the last raffle is held by a citizen. Donations from the D Day event were made to the First Responders and Royal British Legion. There has been some correspondence from Bruno Peek about a celebration for VE and or VJ Day next year. Some wokrs reported to Fix My Street have been done, others not. The light in the phone/defib  box has failed, the Clerk will investigate with Eon how this can be resolved. 
2024/2025.59	REMEMBRANCE AND ARMISTICE DAY OBSERVANCE
It has been agreed to buy poppies for lampposts for the Cricket Club to install, some will be taken for Romsley by Councillor Potter. The Clerk will order 50.
We are normally invited to the Parish Church on Remembrance Sunday and Cllr Jakeman is in touch with the Rector about this. The Clerk will raise with the Primary School if they would wish to participate, perhaps one or two children from each year with staff, at the war memorial on Armistice Day which is Monday 11th November for a short act of remembrance. The budget for this year allows for up to £200 for wreaths.
2024/25.60 	CHRISTMAS TREE
There was a general discussion about the source of the trees that appear each year and the possibility that a suitable local tree is going to be cut down in November. It was decided that the best option would be to light the existing live conifer which is on site and is about the same size as the tree we normally buy. This would be much cheaper and more sustainable. This will be an item for the next meeting and meanwhile the Clerk will look into the possibilities.
2024/25.61	SAFETY ISSUES AND SPEED CONTROL
As the meeting had already passed 9 o'clock, and this was substantial item which would probably attract a good deal of public interest, it was decided to hold a special meeting on this matter. After discussion of possible dates in September it was agreed to go for something between the October and November meetings of Council.  	
2024/25.62	CHURCH CLOCK
The matter of buying an automatic winder for the clock had been rasied at a previous meeting. The Clerk had circulated a note confirming the Council does not have a duty in law to maintain the clock, it does have a permissive power, originally under legislation from the 1950's but now under the general power of competence in the Localism Act 2011 to pay, or contribute towards, the cost of maintaining the clock. He would advise the church of this and invite them to apply for a grant if they wished to do so.
2024/25.63	ITEMS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS
Dog bins, half yearly financial position, CCLA feedback, Christmas Tree, Christmas Lights, Church Christmas Tree Festival, Safety and Security Meeting.

Signed .........................................

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