BRIZLINCOTE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
Minutes of Brizlincote Parish Council Meeting held at Violet Way Academy and Nursery on Thursday 18th October 2018
Present
Chairman Colin Wileman, Vice Chairman Councillor Robin Ludford-Brooks, Councillors Adrian Cowan,
Karen Hyde, Lynne Campion and Peter Marston.
Public
Borough Councillor Bernard Peters (part), County Councillor Conor Wileman (part), WPCSO Ingrid Smith (part), Mr Barry Marsden (prospective Councillor) and Mr John Illingworth – a member of the public (part) and Clerk Barbara Roe
Public Session
The meeting opened with WPCSO Ingrid Smith who said she had nothing to report regarding problems within the Parish.
Councillor Campion said she had received reports, and seen for herself, people riding bicycles without lights particularly in the Woods Lane area. The WPCSO said she would investigate this but didn’t think they could book them any more so there was not a lot could be done.
Councillor Hyde reported that a gentleman had been knocking on doors in the Darley Close area offering to clean gutters – he appeared to have no ladders and no transport.
Councillor Peters asked if the WPCSO was aware of any problems in the Tower Woods area, she said she was not aware of anything but would investigate.
The WPCSO said that on the 19th November the Police were holding an Engagement Day at Short Street Café, more information was to follow.  WPCSO Ingrid Smith then left the meeting, the Chairman thanked her for attending.
Mr Barry Marsden had been invited to join the public session for a discussion with the Councillors with a view to his becoming a Councillor. He introduced himself and gave a brief synopsis of his experience and interests.
This was then followed by questions from the Chairman and Councillors.
A member of the public reported an eyesore on the Grafton Road Development, there were a lot of old wrecks and containers, two of the scrap vehicles had recently been burnt out. The Chairman told him this had already been reported. The Clerk said she had reported it to the Environmental Department at ESBC who were dealing with the problem, but she would follow it up with them. Action: Clerk
He also reported that the recently installed hardcore access/exit road the contractors were using for the Grafton Road Development was causing a traffic issue when the vehicles came out as they had to go across the incoming traffic. The Chairman told him that it was their access road. He said that the signage at Tesco Express was very poor and he had seen a vehicle entering the car park via the exit causing a near miss. The signs on the road had nearly worn away.
He then reported that a gate at the end of the walkway adjacent to Paulet field, just before the farm land, was now chained and padlocked.
This meant there was no access for the mowers for the grassed walkway located between Ashdale Close/Foxglove and the farmer’s field, as there are steps at the other end towards Violet Way. Councillor
Cowan informed him that he thought the boundary is along the hedge of Paulet School which is in Stapenhill but the footpath that runs along the back of the houses is in Brizlincote.
Due to the time restrictions the Chairman asked him to send his complaints to the Clerk who would follow them up. The Clerk gave him her telephone number and email address.
96/18 Apologies
Apologies were received from Councillor Bidgood due to holidays and Councillor Judd who briefly attended the meeting to report he was not well so was unable to attend.
97/18 Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
98/18 Decision on New Councillors
Mr Marsden briefly left the meeting so that a vote could take place. It was a unanimous vote that he should join the Council. He then re-joined the meeting and the Chairman told him that as soon as he had signed the Co-option forms he would become a member of the Council.
99/18 Minutes of the previous Meeting (20th September 2018)
Approval of the Minutes of 20th September 2018 was proposed by Councillor Cowan and seconded by Councillor Ludford-Brooks and agreed by all apart from Councillor Hyde who abstained as she did not attend the last meeting.
100/18 Chairman’s Address
The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the October meeting.
He started by saying how pleased he was that the Parish Newsletter was reaching the final stages of completion and to thank everyone who had contributed so far.
He said he was delighted to report that the Brizlincote Nature Walk interpretation boards were now in place and he would like to put on record his thanks to Councillor Ludford-Brooks for his dedication and endless enthusiasm to get the project up and running.
He said the East Side Art Competition poster was looking superb thanks to Councillor Lynne Campion. He said he was particularly pleased with the theme this year as it gave the children a lot of scope to fire their imaginations.
He said that, as everyone knows, he liked our Parish Council to be very pro-active, so he is happy to see all of our Councillors being busy with such things as Speed Watch, Speed Signs and the Neighbourhood Plan
amongst other things and, of our course, the Clerk Barbara who is always extremely busy. So, thank you to everyone.
101/18 Report by County Councillor Conor Wileman
Councillor Wileman had been contacted about the state of the Derwent Road footpath and he was committing part of his Highways budget towards sorting the problem.
At the end of October, Highways would be carrying out ‘pedestrian counts’ to help with the decision on a crossing on Stapenhill Road and where it would be.
There was a proposal to create a new cycle route to Swadlincote without using too much of the A444. The route would link up with the new golf course and would, in effect, be a main cycle route through to Burton Town Centre. Councillor Ludford-Brooks said there would need to be a maintenance schedule.
Some of the drains in Elms Road and Ashby Road had been cleared and Stapenhill Road would be done in March and annually thereafter.
On Beaufort Road there was a scheme in place to narrow the entrance to the Tesco roundabout. The plans are up and ready to be carried out once the finance comes in to place in April next year.
Some of the Councillors asked if Councillor Wileman could report that some of the grit bins were full of litter and for it to be removed.
102/18 Report by Borough Councillors
Councillor Peters had observed the ongoing increase in the time police cars were in the area – they had been asked to pass through.
He and the Chairman had accompanied a group through a walk in Scalpcliffe Woods.
He also noted that the hedgerow in Violet Way, near to the Grafton Road development, had been thinned making a considerable difference.
Councillor Cowan asked Councillor Peters if he had seen the effect of the Copper Hearth development on Stapenhill Road with mud on the road? He sought Councillor Peters assurance that this would not happen on Grafton Road. He said that on part of the Nature Walk, the footpath out of Cricketers – the second entrance on Greenvale – was now losing width. He had mentioned this to Phil Lawford of ESBC – he said it needed re-scraping again not just weed killers. The Chairman said he would talk to Phil Lawford.
Action: Chairman
Councillor Hyde asked about the regeneration of the town centre. Councillor Peters said the documents have to go out to tender. The Borough Council will be concentrating on Station Street with seats and trees.
Councillor Cowan said that a meeting was planned concerning the management of the Meadowside and outsourcing. It would not be open to the public.
104/Finance
All items were approved for payment including an additional invoice from Hardy Signs for £1657.80 and two cheques of £50 each for Winshill and St Peters’ churches in respect of donations and purchase of wreaths. Proposed by Councillor Marston and seconded by Councillor Hyde and approved by all.
105/Standing Orders
The Councillors continued the session to amend the Standing Orders, these will be updated by the Clerk and be included on a future Agenda for approval. Action: Clerk
106/Neighbourhood Plan
Councillor Ludford-Brooks said the cost of a full Neighbourhood Plan would be no more than £7,000 after receipt of grants. It was agreed Councillor Ludford-Brooks would put forward a motion to propose the drawing up of a neighbourhood plan at the next meeting. Action: Councillor Ludford-Brooks
107/Nature Walk
The Chairman reported that they had been clearing the footpaths that had become grossly overgrown with brambles. They had started at the bridge end and they had now cleared two-thirds of the way down. The
plan was to work on it over the weekend so that everything was cleared for half-term.
The information boards were now in place and the finger posts would be erected shortly.
The leaflets on the walk were in the process of being printed.
108/Speed Signs
Councillor Marston had sent out his report on a meeting with Councillor Graham Lomas of Winshill Parish Council and County Councillor Conor Wileman ahead of the meeting. They had looked at the proposal of sharing with Winshill which seemed to be preferable. They were still waiting for costings which could be up to £11,000 to be shared between the two Parishes.
Councillor Cowan had contacted Safer Partnership to obtain the number of accidents, he said there was evidence that the signs reduce speed by approximately 2mph. He said there are certain restrictions and regulations.
Councillor Marston said they needed to look at costs of moving and maintenance.
109/Newsletter
The Newsletter draft was read through by the Councillors. The go ahead for printing was proposed by Councillor Marston, seconded by Councillor Campion and approved by all.
The Clerk said it would go ahead once the freepost had been approved by the post office and Stapenhill and Winshill had agreed to join in to the art competition.
110/Art Competition
Councillor Campion had produced a draft letter to the school and a draft poster. The go ahead was proposed by Councillor Ludford-Brooks, seconded by Councillor Marston and approved by all.
Councillor Campion said she would collect the entries from the schools. Each school would be colour-coded when the entries were on display with the name of the school. This was proposed by Councillor Cowan, seconded by Councillor Ludford-Brooks and approved by all.
111/Planning
The Clerk had received one application:
P/2018/01269 – Outline application for the erection of one dwelling including formation of new access – 3 Marlborough Crescent, DE15 9DE
And
TPO357 – Tree Preservation Order 357 – 31 Stapenhill Road, DE15 9AE
112/Clerks and Members Reports
At this point, Councillor Cowan left the meeting at 9.01 as there had been no suspension of standing orders that meetings close at 9pm.
The Clerk has received an email from Mr Gadsby, the Group Scout Leader of 16th Burton (Stapenhill) Scout Group asking to come along to our meeting to do a short presentation to discuss their proposed application for a new scout hut. As the Agenda was full in the public session the Clerk was asked to write to him inviting him to a separate meeting with a Working Parting consisting of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Councillor Judd and the Clerk. Action: Clerk
The meeting closed at 21.15.
Distribution
All members of Brizlincote Parish Council, Borough and County Councillors as appropriate and Burton Mail.