Agenda: Parish Council Meeting on 6th December 2017

An overview of the agenda for the meeting to be held on 6th December, 19:15 at Shavington Village Hall.

1. Apologies

Apologies for absence should be notified to the Clerk by noon on the day of the meeting, if possible.

2. Declaration of Interests

Members to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest or non-pecuniary interest which they have in any item of business on the agenda, the nature of that interest, and in respect of disclosable interests, to leave the meeting prior to the discussion of that item.

Whilst the Clerk can advise on the Code of Conduct and its interpretation, the decision to declare, or not, is the responsibility of the Parish Councillor, based on the particular circumstances.

3. Minutes

To approve as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting held on 1 November 2017.

4. Matters Arising from the Minutes (Not detailed separately elsewhere on the agenda)

4.1 Overgrown nettles on ‘Piccadilly’ (Minute No 145)

Responsibility for Piccadilly has been queried on previous occasions. The Public Rights of Way Unit (Cheshire East Council) has confirmed that it is not a public right of way; however, it does appear that it is, in part, owned by Cheshire East Council.


The Clerk has followed up with ANSA regarding the cutting back of nettles. A response is awaited but the Clerk expects to be able to report to the meeting.

4.2 Community Infrastructure Levy (Minute No 155)

To report that the following, as provided by Councillor B Gibbs, was submitted to Cheshire East Council as the Parish Council’s comments on the consultation document in respect of the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Zone 2 on the map (south of Crewe) which is within Shavington-cum-Gresty parish boundary should be Zone 3 as cheap/low CIL will encourage development; and, given an uplift of almost 1,400 houses within Shavington, the parish does not wish the area to be perceived as an attractive place to build until such time as a large proportion of the current developments are complete and the impact of them on the local infrastructure, can be assessed.

4.3 Proposed Diversion of Public Footpaths Nos 4 (Part) and 6 (Part)

At the meeting held on 1 November 2017, the Parish Council commented that the footpath should remain as a countryside public footpath without surface treatment.

This comment was forwarded to Cheshire East Council which has now responded that this suggestion is not acceptable on this occasion in view of the likely increase in usage of the path, which would result in significant surface deterioration and future maintenance issues.

This is to be reported to the Public Rights of Way Committee on 4 December 2017.

4.4 Business Charge Card (Minute No 153.4)

As requested, the Clerk contacted Cheshire East Council for advice and was informed that the Council is not insured to provide this type of advice to town and parish councils.

5. Public Question Time

Members of the public are able to ask questions, or address the Parish Council in respect of any item on the agenda, or any matter relevant to the Parish Council’s business and the local area.

Each member of the public is permitted to speak for a maximum of five minutes. The Chairman has discretion to extend public question time. Members of the public are reminded that this is the only opportunity for participation in the meeting.

Note: Borough Councillor S Edgar and Mr W Atteridge, each have their own item slots on the agenda and will speak under those items, but, as with other members of the public, will not be able to participate in the remainder of the meeting.

6. Co-option to Parish Council Vacancy

(Members are asked to note that owing to the temporary immobility of one of the candidates, the meeting will adjourn to the main hall for this item.)

The casual vacancy caused by Peter Yoxall’s resignation, was advertised in accordance with electoral regulations. No election was called, and the Parish Council is now able to co-opt to the vacancy.

At the time of publication of the agenda, there are four candidates. The procedure to be adopted is suggested as follows:

• The co-option will be held in open session with candidates present throughout.
• Each candidate, in turn, will make a brief presentation to explain their reasons for wishing to enter public life.
• Following this, Members may wish to ask questions which should not be of a personal nature.
• It is suggested that the Parish Council propose and second that a secret ballot of all candidates be held.
• Each parish councillor will be provided with a blank voting paper and will be asked to write the name of the candidate they wish to be co-opted.
• If there is an outright majority, the result will be announced.
• In the event of there being no outright majority, further votes will be taken, and on each round of voting, the candidate with the fewest number of votes will be eliminated. This process will continue until there is an absolute majority.
• In the event of a tie, the common law position of drawing lots shall be employed and this will be a toss of a coin.
• The successful candidate will be asked to sign a Declaration of Acceptance of Office which also requires him/her to be bound by the Code of Conduct.

7. Borough Councillor Steve Edgar

Councillor S Edgar to report on Cheshire East Council matters of interest and provide an update in respect of outstanding parish matters.

8. Neighbourhood Plan

To receive an update from Mr W Atteridge, the Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group.

9. Police Matters — Beat Manager’s Report

9.1 To receive a report from the PCSO in respect of Police matters in the parish.

9.2 Maternity Cover for PCSO V Moulton

At the previous meeting, the Clerk was asked to enquire into cover during PCSO Moulton’s maternity leave. A response has been received. As there are other vacancies across the team, it is not possible to cover the maternity leave and Inspector Kate Buckingham has notified the Force’s Finance Department. The inference is that there might be a refund due to the Parish Council.

10. Planning Matters

10.1 Planning Applications

The Parish Council is invited to comment on the following planning applications:

• 17/5814N 1 Rope Farm Barns, Rope Hall Lane, Shavington CW2 5DA Rear and left-hand side extension. Deadline date for observations: 13 December 2017
• 17/5602N 32 Weston Lane, Shavington, CW2 5AN Single-storey extension to side of dwelling. Deadline date for observations: 13 December 2017
• 17/5342N 16 Burlea Drive, Shavington, CW2 5BZ Single-storey rear extension. Deadline date for observations: 20 December 2017

10.2 Planning Appeal — 16/4526N

Land to Rear of 71 Main Road, Shavington Full planning permission for 30 dwellings including demolition of 71 Main Road Appeal Reference: APP/R0660/W/17/3185440

To report that following refusal of planning permission, the applicant has appealed the decision and this will be dealt with by means of written representations and a site visit by an Inspector from the Planning Inspectorate.

The Parish Council considered this application at its meeting in November 2016 and submitted the following objections:

• Erosion of green gap.
• Over-crowding on the site.
• This housing development was not needed.
• The parish already had more housing than was required by the emerging Cheshire East Local Plan (both built and planned).
• The Council requests the Inspector to visit all the application sites both past and future to assess the cumulative effect.
• The land was the best and most versatile agricultural land.

If additional observations need to be made, these should be submitted by letter, in triplicate, by 21 December 2017.

11. Road Safety — Cardboard Cut-Outs

At the previous meeting, it was agreed that this item be placed on the agenda with a view to the Parish Council considering whether to purchase cardboard cut-outs of Police Officers as a deterrent to speeding motorists.

12. Committees

12.1 Membership

There are vacancies on the following Committees and one outside body. At the previous meeting, Members declined to appoint and agreed to defer the item to this meeting.

• Environment Committee
• Finance Committee
• Wybunbury United Charities: Estate Trustee

12.2 Minutes of the Village Hall Management Committee

To receive the Minutes of the Village Hall Management Committee meeting held on 8 November 2017. Members’ attention is drawn to agenda item 20 when the Parish Council will be asked to consider quotations for projects at the hall.

12.3 Minutes of the Finance Committee

To receive the Minutes of the Finance Committee meeting held on 31 October 2017. The Committee made the following recommendation:

Investment of Surplus Funds: The Committee recommends that no action be taken in respect of investing Parish Council surplus funds. The is based on the guidance in the Clerk’s report which was submitted to the Committee, and had also been submitted to the Parish Council on 4 October 2017.

13. Financial Matters

13.1 Budget — 2018–2019

At its meeting on 31 October 2017, the Finance Committee gave consideration to draft budget proposals for 2018–2019. The Committee’s proposals are now submitted.

• Clerk’s report
• Receipts and Payments Statement to 30 September 2017
• Budget monitoring schedule showing the position at 30 September 2017; Revised estimates to 31 March 2018; and the draft budget for 2018–2019. Members will note that there are three options for the final budget, taking into account the options for future funding of PCSOs.

The Parish Council is invited to consider the budget and revise as appropriate. A final budget, as amended at this meeting, will be submitted to the January 2018 meeting for approval.

13.2 Authorisation of Payments

The Parish Council is asked to authorise the following payments. Any additional payments will be reported to the meeting.

Parish Council Payments

• £890.95 Mrs C M Jones Net salary — October 2017
• £282.86 HMRC (£222.80 Tax and £59.86 Employer’s NI Contribution
• £15.00 A J Hardy Ltd Monthly payroll service
• £80.00 C Willetts Website support
• £875.50 M Webster & Son Ltd Grounds maintenance (£729.58 net and £145.92 VAT)
• £7,925.50 The Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire
  Half-year payment for PCSOs October 2017 — March 2018
• £594.00 Ten & Bourne Ltd (t/a Brave Little Tank)
  Quarterly newsletter artwork (£495.00 net and £99.00 VAT)
• £496.00 Solopress Printing of quarterly newsletter
• £235.00 The Leaflet Team Distribution of quarterly newsletter
• £7.89 Councillor B Gibbs Buffer payment
• £330.00 Nicspics (Oct/Nov invoices) Photographs for the quarterly newsletter and also for the Parish Council’s portfolio of photographs (The cost of photographs averages out at £3.50 per photograph and this compares favourably with the £35 per photograph for the Neighbourhood Plan publications)
• £15.22 Councillor S Cheshire Provision of refreshments for Remembrance Sunday

Village Hall Payments

• £tba Mrs B Fraser Cleaning of the village hall
• £7.00 Councillor W McIntyre Purchase of lightbulb for use in porch of Village Hall
• £72.80 Councillor V Adams Village Hall supplies
• £113.94 Councillor V Adams Telephone expenses
• £113.94 Councillor W McIntyre Telephone expenses
• £51.53 ASH Waste Services Fortnightly collection of waste from the village hall. (£42.94 net and £8.59 VAT)

13.3 Compliance with Financial Regulations

In accordance with Regulation 2.2 of the Financial Regulations, the Council is asked to: on a regular basis, at least once in each quarter, and at each financial year end authorise a Member, other than the Chairman or a cheque signatory, to verify bank reconciliations (for all accounts) produced by the RFO. The Member shall sign the reconciliations and the original bank statements as evidence of verification. This activity shall, on conclusion be reported, including any exceptions, to and noted by the Council.

The Council is asked to authorise a Member to undertake this duty.

14. Honarary Freeman Award Scheme

At the previous meeting, the Council set up a Committee to develop a scheme to award Honorary Freeman/Honorary Freewoman status to deserving individuals.

Members agreed that this subject be considered further at this meeting.

15. Correspondence Received

Post Office facility: To report that two residents have written to ask why Shavington still does not have a Post Office service. They had each read in the Crewe Chronicle that although Audlem lost its Post Office sometime in 2015–16, this was now to be reinstated.

Enquiries have been made and although there is a move to re-introduce a Post Office service in Audlem, the first stage is to identify shop premises; the next stage is to ask the shop owner(s) if they would be willing to operate a Post Office service from within their own shop, alongside their own commercial activities.

16. Consultation — Cheshire East Council Housing Strategy 2018–2023

Cheshire East Council is consulting on a proposed new housing strategy, setting out the Authority’s vision and priorities for housing until 2023 and the Parish Council is invited to contribute towards the development and shaping of the strategy. The consultation began on 27 November 2017 and concludes on Monday, 8 January 2018.

Driven by the Cheshire East Local Plan, the Housing Strategy is intended to contribute significantly to achieving the aims and objectives of the Corporate Plan.

A copy of the strategy for individuals to comment on, is accessible here:

www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/housingstrategyconsultation

17. Consultation — Cheshire Fire Authority Integrated Risk Management Strategy

Cheshire Fire Authority has launched its annual consultation on its Integrated Risk Management Plan. The consultation closes on 2 January 2018. The plan can be downloaded from the website at the following address and the key projects are given below.

Have your say on our draft plan for 2018/19

• Reviewing the provision of the Service’s third aerial appliance, currently based at Macclesfield Fire Station.
• Reviewing the current crewing arrangements at Penketh Fire Station and the suitability and sustainability of the current crewing arrangements at Wilmslow Fire Station.
• Proposing to roll out the cardiac response pilot — undertaken in conjunction with the North-West Ambulance Service — to all fire stations across Cheshire.
• Reviewing Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Protection Department to ensure it is able to meet the emerging demands following the Grenfell Tower fire.
• Developing and considering options to build new, replacement, fire stations in Chester, Crewe, Ellesmere Port and Warrington — potentially in conjunction with local partner agencies.
• Providing additional funding to encourage local housing providers to fit sprinkler systems in their properties.
• Commence building the operational training centre at the Authority’s Sadler Road site.
• Delivering against the Service’s Transformation Plan to reflect the requirements of the fire reform agenda and to deliver the action plan from the 2017 staff engagement survey.
• Proposing to increase Cheshire Fire Authority’s share of Council Tax by 1.99%.
• Concluding our innovative Blue Light Collaboration project with Cheshire Constabulary and the Police and Crime Commissioner to provide joint support services to both organisations from a shared headquarters.

18. Shared Items

Members are able to share information which was not available for inclusion on the agenda. Decisions cannot be taken under this item.

19. Date of Next Meeting

3 January 2018

20. Exclusion of Press and Public

The Council is invited to RESOLVE that in accordance with Paragraph 1 (2) of The Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items owing to the confidential nature of the business to transacted and the public interest would not be served in disclosing that information.

21. Village Hall Projects

At its meeting held on 8 November 2017, the Village Hall Management Committee considered quotations for the toilets upgrade, decoration of the village hall and replacement ceiling.

21.1 Toilets Upgrade

The Parish Council is invited to consider the quotations and the Committee’s recommendations.

21.2 Decoration of the Main Hall

The Parish Council is recommended to accept the quotation submitted by DSW Decorators. The quotation is the second lowest of three received.