STAUNTON PARISH COUNCIL
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
Minutes of meeting held on Wednesday 24th May 2023
Venue: Corse and Staunton Village Hall Annexe
Time: 7:46pm
Present: Councillors; J. Millar, D. Williams, B. Allen, D. Peach, P. Burford (District Councillor), G. Millar (Clerk) and 1 Parishioner.
1. Chairman’s Welcome
Cllr Millar welcomed all present.
2. Receive Apologies
Apologies were received from Cllr Fuller and County Councillor, Gill Moseley.
3. To confirm the minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting, held on Tuesday 10th May 2022
The minutes of the previous Annual Parish Meeting held on Tuesday 10th May 2022 were proposed by Cllr Williams and seconded by Cllr Allen to be accepted as a true record.
4. County Councillor Report
Report provided by Gill Moseley:
Budget for 2023/24
Proposals put forward by the Conservative majority administration for £567m were passed in February. This represents a £46m increase on 22/23 levels. For a band D property, this will mean a monthly increase of £6.04. It is made up of 2.99% increase on council tax and a 2% precept for adult social care.
Amendments by all three opposition parties were accepted. These included the following from my Group:
£80,000 – Grit Bin and Winter Resilience Fund
Members to work with local communities to identify the places needed for grit bins, and to work with Parish, Town and District Councils, and schools, to ensure the bins are put into the correct locations, and to discuss arrangements for the filling of them in future years. Members to be asked after 6 months if they plan to use the funding, with unspent allocations then redistributed around the Members who need top-up funding. £1.500 is suggested for each division with any unused funds redistributed where need is greatest.
£400,000 – Road Safety Additional Measures
To be spent on reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads. The Road Safety Capital Investment is set at £400,000 per year for next three years, in line with the Road Safety Policy 2022-32. This additional funding is to enable what would have been implemented over 3 years to take place in year 1.
(£100K is also earmarked for extra TRO funding. This was the Conservatives’ own amendment. The result. we believe, of the pressure we brought to bear on the matter in scrutiny and in our own proposed amendment.)
£75,000 – Pilot project on social isolation and alcohol
£100,00 - Support for Walking
For supporting walking, specifically around local shopping “parades” where pavement faults cause disproportionate difficulties for people who rely on their local shops (and knock-on effects for the local economy).
£25,000 – Public Right of Way
Increasing the resource available for mapping so people know which walking routes are available to them.
£75,000 – Children’s Services Spend to Save, Looking at What Works in Demand Management
To commission a piece of research to look nationally at models from Councils which have managed to manage demand, thus cutting entrants into the Children-in-Care community.
Motions to Full Council
In recent meetings we have tabled motions, of which amended versions were passed after the Conservative administration removed criticisms of the government. Topics included:
• The need for better access to Dentists.
• River Pollution
• Cost of Living Crisis
• Voter ID (in the previous year but now very relevant)
In addition, public questions have been tabled to provide information in the public domain. Recently I have asked about the wisdom of the decision to stop accepting used tyres at the Household Recycling Centres.
Local Bus Transport
The GCC (our local Transport Authority) failed in its bid to win government funding for its Bus Service Improvement Plan. However, officers in the Integrated Transport Unit have done their best to restore some of the most drastic cuts in countywide services made by Stagecoach, begun a year ago with the 132/32 Ledbury and Ross service beyond Newent.. Problems persist with lack of bus drivers but the Newent-based Buses4Us community action group, supported by the ITU, Herefordshire council and all the town and parish councils along the route as well as businesses and individuals has raised the six figure sum needed to reinstate the service which should start in early April with a two hourly service throughout the day including Sundays, with additional evening services on Friday and Saturday.
Road Safety Policy
A joint fund of £600K has been set up between the Police and Crime Commissioner and the County Council to enable communities to take action through Speedwatch Groups and parish councils to improve road safety in their local areas. The closing dates are now past for applications but there is still help available through the CARS toolkit and other channels. More funding may arrive in the next financial year. Current bids are still being processed for equipment such as VAS signs and speed cameras.
Traffic Regulation Orders which are needed for the installation of speed limits have received a funding boost but there is a shortage of staff to process these orders which cost at least £10K which is usually shared between the GCC and the local parish/town council. Several similar orders may be batched together to save costs.
Highways Local Fund
Various projects have been supported such as the new foot and cycle bridge over the ford in Whitehouse lane between Kilcot and Oxenhall, footpath renewal including within Dymock and Newent, the installation of kissing gates, the repair of pavements and new signage. £30K is usually available for each division per annum. There are ten parishes in Newent division.
Rural Estates Working Group
GCC owns a number of farms across the county and has set up a working group of which I am a member to review their management and future in the light of the Climate Emergency and its current policy of potential disposal of a proportion of the estate. It met for the first time on April 1st and will continue for six months before making recommendations to the administration regarding its Strategic Estates Plan.
Build Back Better – Councillor Scheme
Out of the £40K for the term of office (until 2025) approximately £2K remains, but potential bids for some of this amount are in the offing. The scheme has been widely circulated and most parishes have taken advantage of the grant to a greater or lesser extent. Staunton has been provided with a new noticeboard and another item from this fund. Various projects that cover the FoDDC or are based in Newent which have wider take-up, have also been supported.
Committees
I am a member of the Environment Scrutiny Committee and as the Spokesperson for the Environment for my Group, I have regular quarterly meetings with the Head of Services, Colin Chick and other senior officers. These meetings are also attended by my colleagues who have responsibilities for Traffic and Transport, and Economic Growth.
I also sit on the GCC Planning Committee which meets less frequently than the monthly FoDDC Development Management Committee to consider applications in the areas of education, waste management and mineral extraction.
I am also a member of the Constitution Committee which oversees the governance of the council. My group successfully proposed some changes to the protocol of the Environment Scrutiny Committee where important office reports have been noted but questions were discouraged.
Any Questions?
Please feel free to contact me about these or any other matters.
gill.moseley@gloucestershire.gov.uk
01531 820826
5. District Councillor Report
District Councillor, Philip Burford gave an update on the Forest of Dean District Council following the recent elections and stated that he is very unlikely to remain as Chair of the Planning Committee.
The Chair of the Council is looking to be Di Martin and the leader of the Council to be a member of the Green Party.
6. District Councillor Report
No report provided.
7. Staunton Police Report
8. Chairman’s Report
Report provided by Cllr Millar:
Well….. another year has rushed by which has been filled with many local & national occasions.
But to begin I would like to acknowledge with many thanks the ‘never failing to impress’ hardworking team of litter pickers led by Irene & John Carroll, in addition to maintenance of verges & cleaning of the village gates for us as well. My Vice Councillor Dave Williams also manages to find time ( when he isn’t walking & refurbishing our local footpath network), to clear other areas of our village where thoughtless lazy drivers discard their rubbish. In addition, our thanks to the year-round grass cutting & maintenance by Stan Cotton.
The time since May 2022 has been filled by many historic events, firstly in June the Platinum Jubilee to commemorate the 70 year reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with many village events. But sadly in September Her Majesty passed away, ending the reign of a much loved monarch.
We also had our more personal goodbyes to say to our long serving Cllr Tony Fardon, who passed away in October. In his memory we were able to place a memorial bench in Staunton, we held a small ceremony for June Fardon & her family to mark the occasion in January.
In the same month we were finally able to re-instate our replacement Speed Indicator Device, this time with a cleverly designed anti-theft bracket. Thanks to Cllr Bas Allen for making this possible alongside his ex-work colleague & friend Mr Dave Arnold.
Another asset this year has been our new Parish noticeboard which we have located in a more populated area of the village, a very smart & easy to maintain design. I hope we will be able to fund a similar replacement to our very worn-out specimen in Ledbury Road during this year.
Finally a truly historic occasion has just past on May 6th with the Coronation of King Charles III, a day of splendour with our Armed Forces certainly doing our country proud.
To conclude I would like to offer my thanks for all your support, professionalism & commitment to your roles as Parish Councillors during this year, alongside the expertise & hard work of our highly skilled Clerk keeping me/us in order!
10. Reports from Local Groups
Cricket Club
Report provided by Graham Bruce:
The cricket season is now upon us and hopefully this will be as successful as last year. We still run three adult league teams on a Saturday with other adult games on a Sunday and Wednesday. We have a successful Ladies XI and run a junior section who play in various age groups. Last year saw the first XI playing in the highest league in their 125 year history with away games as far away as Warminster in Wiltshire. We played Cheltenham 1st XI who had a current county player in their team and we beat them! We thought we would be only spending one year in this league but I am pleased to report that we weren’t relegated but it will be tough this season. We also competed in the National Village knockout cup and won the Gloucestershire Division which meant a long trip to Cornwall for the next round where we just lost. Everyone is welcome to come and join us on match days (the bar is open) with games advertised on a board by the main gate.
Football Club
Report provided by Andrew Houldey:
Staunton & Corse Football Club had a successful season. We are now running a ladies team in addition to three open age men’s teams, an over 40s side and an over 50s team. The first team had a good season in the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division 2, spending much of the season in the promotion positions, only to fall away to sixth place, when injuries took their toll. However, this is the highest position the club has ever finished in. We announced a formal link with Ashleworth Woodpeckers Youth Football Club, and our third team (known as the academy team) was comprised almost entirely of local players aged under 20. We continue to struggle for pitches, as the Playing Fields can only support two teams, and the facilities at some of our ‘out grounds’ leave a little to be desired. Thus we are examining with the Cricket Club the possible provision of another pitch within the parish, but this would represent a significant financial commitment in the future.
St James’ Church
Report provided by Malcolm Harley:
A lot of red tape has been the focus of attention during the last year, thankfully most have now been dealt with, however, due to delays beyond our control, some of the funding from grant bodies must be re-applied for or approval for an extension of time. For these issues we are again indebted to both David Williams and Jim Chapman.
The bells at Staunton Church are to be removed by Taylors, Loughborough, for refurbishment on Monday 24th April.
The Chancel roof repairs are scheduled for later this year following the necessity to have a more extensive bat survey within the time frame allowed.
Our own fund-raising events proved successful this year, with a very good attendance at both the BBQ & Auction of Promises, and the Harvest Supper. Plans are already in place to replicate these events for the coming year.
Mrs. Sue Bell is stepping down from her role as joint Church warden this year, we thank her for all the effort she put in during her term of office.
SCATS
Report provided by Christine Stanbanks:
SCATS started rehearsing 'Dick Whittington'' . Unfortunately one of the leading actors had to withdraw and, as a replacement could not be found, the production had to be cancelled.. Hopefully, we will have better luck this year. Apologies for this report being so brief but that's where we are.
Scouts
Report provided by Tim Brown:
The 1st Staunton & Corse Scout Group are a local group supporting local youngsters from the ages of 6 through to 15 years.
Currently we have 74 girls and boys in the group supported by 15 adult leaders made up of 5 scout, 6 cub and 4 Beaver leaders plus we have 4 young leaders helping each week - one helping with scouts and 3 helping with the Beaver colony.
Like most groups we were severely impacted by the coronavirus and now we are coping with the “cost of living crisis”.
If any families, feel that the cost of being in the scout group are a prohibitor to their youngster(s) attending then the group will support them financially as our objective is to make scouting available to all no matter what background or financial circumstances.
On behalf of our Scout Group we would value the committee’s financial support by a donation of such an amount that the committee considers appropriate towards the cost associated with running our group.
Brownies
Report provided by Belinda Murphy:
2022 saw Staunton Brownies continue to enjoy the wide variety of activities the guiding programme offers, with brownies earning badges and theme awards in different areas of the programme. 2022 saw the first brownies post-Covid receive their Bronze award, and this term we will be awarding our first Silver award. Two of our focuses in the last year have been examining what the brownies can do to make the world fairer place and how they can help the environment and the natural world around them, making sure they enjoy themselves along the way!
Outside of the guiding programme, we give the girls the opportunity to decide what other areas they would like to gain badges in. This year the girls decided they would have an animal theme to their badges, which saw us learning all about red-pandas, celebrating all things sheep and unicorn, and we have even made some amazing under-the-sea creature themed cupcakes. The Platinum jubilee and Coronation have been celebrated, with the brownies looking beyond the celebration and examining what the commonwealth means, hosting our own commonwealth games, and creating natural paints to make a coronation picture.
Girlguiding is part of an international movement, and in the past year we have been developing our global mindset thinking about the world around us. We had the chance to hold a Mexican evening celebrating our connection with the Guias de Mexico (Mexican Girl Guides) learning about the different sections they have and making their own pinatas. Mexico is also home to one of our WAGGGS world centres which we celebrated as part of our thinking day celebrations in February. On international women’s day, we spent time learning about women from across the world and what impact they have made for girls and young women today.
Outside of our unit meetings we have been busy as well. In May 2022 we had our first pack holiday post covid, giving the girls the chance to try adventurous activities like zip wire, tunnelling, and archery at our lovely county activity site. We also went along to a division big day out, enjoying the maize maze and mini golf at Elton, it was lovely to see over 150 members from the division getting together again to enjoy the sunshine with an ice cream! In August brownies attended a district camp where we completed challenges around the seasons, highlights from the girls were creating mud faces, and capture the flag. Early 2023, the brownies attended the pantomime in Ledbury and a Thinking day event trying activities from all around the world. We also had an easter event for the district which was organised by two of our local rangers.
2023 so far has been full of fun, and we are looking forward to the many events planned for the rest of the year!
Playing Fields
Report provided by Graham Bruce:
As I write this report in mid April it is hoped that the weather will start to improve and dry the field as the wet spring has played havoc with our ability to start our spring maintenance work. However looking back over the past twelve months I believe the Playing Fields are a credit to our villages and reward for all the hard work our small band of volunteers put in.
We are planning to overseed the field shortly which is necessary to repair some badly worn areas of the field. The major project just recently completed is to enlarge the car park and provide dedicated disabled car spaces and to improve access for wheel chair users. The majority of the funding for this was section 106 monies with the balance of approx £2000 paid out of Playing Field funds.
On the subject of funds although the finances are reasonably healthy like everyone else costs have increased significantly so if the Parish Council are able to make a contribution that would be greatly appreciated. Main sources of income are the three sporting clubs, football, cricket and cycling supplemented by the income from the successful 200 club.
Staunton and Corse Academy
No report provided.
Village Hall Committee
Report provided by Barbara Buck:
This has been a difficult year for the village hall. We have had to dig into our reserves to keep the hall afloat. We do not want to raise the hire costs as this could be counterproductive, with us then losing hirers and the purpose of the hall, a commodity for the community, becoming invalid.
Like everyone the running costs are higher, but we have completed some fundraising activities to try to bolster our reserves and received £300 from Corse Parish Council which we were very grateful for.
The hall is utilised by different groups every week day, mostly exercise classes, with a very varied age group, We also have a dog agility and a gardening group holding regular bookings. We have also seen an increase in hire for parties and social events.
Like a lot of groups that require volunteers we struggle to attract new committee members, this makes it hard to run fundraising events or celebratory events ,like a Coronation Party, We were fortunate to receive extra support for our recent Jumble Sale.
We have an ongoing problem with a leaking roof which will need replacing in the not too distant future as all other remedies to try to solve the problem have not been successful, as you will understand this will come at great expense and we will have to try to get a grant to cover the high cost of this venture.
This reads as a doom and gloom report, but the committee will work to keep the hall afloat as an asset for our villages.
Staunton and Corse PPG
Report provided by Cllr Don Peach:
Patient Participation Group:
The Group has now been re-instated after the upheaval and suspension caused by COVID. Unfortunately, there are only two members aside from the Practice Manager and the medical Representative and so we are keen to recruit from around the catchment area served by the Staunton and Corse Practice. Both Malcolm Harley and I are from Staunton and Corse and so we would like to see individuals from the surrounding villages coming forward to volunteer for the role. I will be circulating this update to other Parish Councils and hope that they may be able to encourage some of their parishioners to consider applying. The Group meets four times a year and is responsible for acting as a ‘go between’ for patients and the Practice; news from the Practice can be disseminated via the PPG membership and its newsletter and patient queries can be dealt with by the PPG members, usually after consultation with the Practice, but often simple enquiries can be dealt with directly. The Group will once again publish a quarterly newsletter with the latest information on
Practice Staffing News:
Sarah Bryant the Practice Manager is moving to a new practice after Ci. 5yrs in Post. She will leave in August of this year, with her replacement, Louise Tweney, having had a handover period of two months or so; she may be known to some of you having been the Dispensary Management Lead. The Post of Dispensary Manager is being advertised.
Vicky Goodall will also be known to many of you as one of the Health Care Assistants and she has now qualified as a Practice Nurse and will therefore be taking on new responsibilities over the coming months.
Karina Blackwell has gained further qualifications and is now a Nurse Practioner and so will also take on an extended role helping to relieve some of the pressure on the doctors.
There will also be changes in the medical staff currently undergoing GP training as they move on in August and a further group will begin their training under the direction of Dr’s Chambers and Fisher who are both experienced GP Trainers.
The current Physician Associate is about to take maternity leave and so we will see a new Associate, Tom Burrows in post for the duration of her leave.
General Practice News:
The Carers Support Group held at the Practice Surgery on the third Thursday of the month, 13.00 – 14.00hrs is gaining a large following. Texts are sent to remind individuals that have registered of the upcoming meetings. Further publicity regarding the support group will be made available via the PPG Newsletter.
Blood Pressure self-testing arrangements are now in place at the rear of the Practice waiting room. The Practice report that uptake has been good and enabled patients to take their own readings, record these and pass them to reception for forwarding to the appropriate member of the medical staff. There was nothing to prevent anyone from using the facility, but more generally it was on recommendation by the medical staff, so that a less stressful situation might provide more representative readings.
Text Messaging: The GP Contract specifies that all practices move further into the ‘digital age’ by using a text messaging system to contact patients. This increases the need for all patients to ensure that their personal data be kept up to date, otherwise errors in patient appointments, clinic dates and bookings etc, will arise. Updating your details can be done by going to the Practice website and following the links there – both ‘online registered patients’ and those who not using the ‘online system’ can notify the Practice of any changes in their contact details. Obviously, if you do not use the computer and online services, phoning the Practice is an alternative too.
There are likely to be some ‘system difficulties’ which may cause inconvenience to patients and staff alike, but the Practice will be working hard to minimise these. Overall, this should be to the benefit of all patients, but certainly for those patients who are in employment, as it makes communication with the Practice more readily available. In addition, by 2025 they are to be required to have a ‘Cloud Based’ telephony system in place. Details of this will be made available soon, but it should provide for a more patient friendly experience when phoning the practice with more concise information if held in a queue for instance.
Finally, there has been some concern regarding young children being left unsupervised in the waiting room whilst the parent is being seen by the medical team. The Practice advises that children must not be left alone and should either accompany the parent to the consultation, or be left with an appropriate supervising adult either in the waiting room or at home.
DFP for The PPG at Staunton and Corse Surgery. May 2023
11. Public Question Time
No items raised.
12. Closure of Meeting by Chairman
Cllr Millar thanked all for attending and formally closed the meeting.
The meeting finished at 8:27pm
Signed: Date: