Parish Council Meeting Agenda – 22nd January 2024 @ 7.30pm

To Members of the Norton-juxta-Kempsey Parish Council

You are duly summoned to attend the next meeting of Norton-juxta-Kempsey Parish Council to be held at 7.45pm on Monday 22nd January 2024 at Norton Parish Hall, Littleworth.

Public Question Time: From 7.30pm residents are invited to give their views and question the Parish Council on issues on this agenda, or raise issues for future consideration at the discretion of the Chairman, before the start of the Parish Council meeting at 7.45pm. Members of the public may not take part in the Parish Council meeting itself. This period is not part of the formal meeting.

Agenda

1. Apologies: To receive apologies and to approve the reason for absence 7.45pm

2. Changes to membership
To be considered after agenda item 31. Welcome prospective new Councillor.

3. Declarations of Interest

a. Register of Interests: Councillors are reminded of the need to update their register of interests and to return their Register of Interests Form to the Monitoring Officer within 28 days of taking office.

b. To declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests in items on the agenda and their nature.

c. To declare any Other Disclosable Interests in items on the agenda and their nature.

d. Written requests for granting of a dispensation (S33 Localism Act 2011) are to be with the Clerk at least four clear days prior to a meeting.

Councillors who have declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, or an Other Disclosable Interest which falls within the terms of paragraph 12(4) (b) of the code of conduct, must leave the room for the relevant items. Failure to register or declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest may result in the commission of a criminal offence.

4. Minutes (Chairman) 7.55ppm

a. To consider adoption of minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 30 November 2023
b. Review of minute action summary
5. Progress reports (for information, reporting by exception) 8.10pm

a. District Councillor Report (Cllr Adams and Cllr Mrs Turier)

b. County Councillor Report (Cllr Mrs Robinson)

c. Finance (Responsible Finance Officer)

i. Balances

ii. Monthly accounts/bank reconciliation to 31 December 2023

iii. S106 agreement contributions

d. Social Media/Website Communications (Cllr Pollard)

e. West Mercia Police/PACT/Anti-social Behaviour (Police/Cllr Job)

f. St. James the Great Church, Norton

6. Community Apiary (Apiary Group) 8.30pm
To consider update and actions.

7. Parish Green Spaces Working Group/Biodiversity Matters (Cllr Fincher) 8.35pm
To consider update from working group, actions/quotes including adoption of revised working group terms of reference, quotes for field fencing/gate work and funding, quotes for apiary field maintenance and funding, improvements to Littleworth to Stonehall Common bridleway.

8. Wychavon DC Community Legacy Grants (CLG) 2024 (Cllr Fincher) 8.45pm

To agree projects for submission of expressions of interest (close midday 20 February).

9. Public Rights of Way (PRoW) (Cllr Fincher/Clerk) 8.50pm

To consider update and communication of the PRoW reporting process to residents.

10. Open Space/Verge, Highways and Drainage Matters (Cllr Fincher/Cllr Arrow/Clerk) 8.55pm

To consider updates incl. Active Travel Corridor (ATC) matters, Barracks curtilage wall repairs, Littleworth drainage issues, WCC update Wadborough Road parking restrictions, oak tree planting (Norton), outstanding Gazala Drive grass verge maintenance work (Persimmon Homes) and measures to deter delivery vans driving on the Gazala Drive grass verge.

11. Norton Connector (Cllr Waizeneker) 9.05pm

To consider update.

12. Employment Matters (Chairman/Clerk) 9.10pm

To consider the exclusion of the public and press in the public interest for consideration of personnel matters.

13. 2024/25 Budget and Precept (Responsible Finance Officer/Cllr Fincher) 9.20pm

a. To consider draft budget, quotes received and agree precept/funding request for 2024/25

b. To consider Reserves Policy

c. To consider update on churchyard mowing

14. Appointment of Internal Auditor (Clerk) 9.30pm
To consider Internal Auditor appointment for year ending 31st March 2024.

15. Annual Insurance Renewal (Clerk) 9.35pm
To consider adequacy of cover and policy renewal.

16. Planning (Cllr Richmond/Cllr Fincher/Cllr Waizeneker) 9.40pm

a. To consider report on current applications.
b. To consider other planning matters (incl. those associated with the SWDP Review/Parkway Garden Town proposals).

c. To consider response to WDC Design Code consultation (closing date 5 February).

17. Parish Council Owned Land (Cllr Fincher/Clerk) 9.50pm

To consider update.

18. Allotments (Cllr Richmond/Assistant Clerk) 9.55pm

To consider update.

19. Parish Defibrillators (Cllr Stafford). 10.00pm

To consider update regarding defibrillator purchase and signage quotes.

20. Parish Hall Recreation Facilities and Outside Space (Cllr Fincher) 10.05pm

To consider update incl. weekly safety checks, playing field drainage proposals/quotes (baseball area), slab maintenance, Hall rainwater outflow system, Sovereign Play inspection schedule, signage quotes and management of mole population.

21. Parish Hall (Cllr Fincher – Parish Council Chairman & Chair of the Hall Trustees) 10.15pm

To consider Parish Council representative report including report on shop usage.

22. Martyn’s Law (Chairman/Clerk). 10.20pm

To consider the implications and impact of Martyn’s Law on activities on/in Parish Council owned land/property.

23. Worcester Norton Sports Club/Worcester Norton Community Interest Company 10.25pm
To consider update from Parish Council WNCIC representative (Cllr Fincher) including outdoor gym proposals and re-listing of Cricket Club ‘site’ as an Asset of Community Value (listing due to expire 2 July 2024).

24. Sentry Statue Landscaping(Cllr Job) 10.30pm
To consider update on future work.

25. Parish Council Newsletter (Clerk) 10.35pm
Content for the winter newsletter required by close of 7 February.

26. Neighbourhood Plan/Parish Aspirations Document (Cllr Arrow/Cllr Pollard/Cllr Waizeneker)
To receive update (quarterly review of Parish Aspirations document due February 2024).

27. Policies (Chairman/Clerk) 10.45pm
To consider draft Biodiversity Policy.

28. Annual Parish Meeting 2024 (Clerk) 10.50pm

To consider arrangements for 2024 Annual Parish Meeting – Thursday 9 May

29. Finance (Chairman/Responsible Finance Officer) 10.55pm
To consider payments to be made/confirmed.

30. Correspondence for Information (Chairman) 11.00pm
Items of correspondence will be available for inspection at the meeting.

31. Clerk’s report – Urgent Decisions & Expenditure Delegation since last meeting (Clerk)

32. Items for update to local M.P. (Chairman)
To consider any items for communication.

33. Councillors’ reports and items for future agenda (Chairman)
Each Councillor is requested to use this opportunity to report minor matters of information not included elsewhere on the agenda and to raise items for future agendas. Councillors are respectfully reminded that this is not an opportunity for debate or decision making.

34. Date of next meeting 22 February

Signed

Jane Greenway
Mrs Jane Greenway, Clerk to Norton–Juxta-Kempsey Parish Council
15 January 2024

PLANNING APPLICATIONS – January 2024

	Application	Description of Proposal
Approvals:	Norton Hall Lodge, Pershore Road, High Park W/23/01642/HP	Loft conversion with rear dormer, infill of canopy areas with internal alterations and front boundary wall with new gate.
Refusals:	Norton House Farm, Woodbury Lane, Norton W/22/01543/FUL	Conversion of barns/storage buildings to 3 No. dwellings and construction of a domestic car garage and bin store. Parish Council objects.
Awaiting Decision:	Land At (Os 9017 5117), Mucknell Farm Lane, Stoulton W/22/01955/FUL	Development of a 1MW solar farm and associated infrastructure. Parish Council objects.
	Retreat Inn, Woodbury Lane, Norton W/23/01207/FUL	Replacement barn and 3 no. 1 bedroomed log cabins and 4 no. touring bays, 2 no. tent bays and a toilet block. Parish Council objects.
	Land At (OS 8659 5192), Yew Tree Court, Norton Road, Norton W/23/01836/FUL	Construction of 2 No. dwellings. Parish Council comments submitted.
	Land At (Os 8785 5016), Hatfield Lane, Norton W/23/02506/FUL	Proposed live/work unit. Parish Council objects.
	Worcester Norton Sports Club, Brockhill Lane W/23/02557/FUL & W/23/02555/LB	Proposed refurbishment of clubhouse building including internal and external alterations to form multi-use community space, refurbishment of existing cricket changing rooms(including partial demolition) to form new changing and gym facilities, the construction of a tarmac MUGA, and relocation of existing car parking (Resubmission of W/22/02608/LB to allow removal of condition 5 and rewording of condition 3 to permit double glazing) and (Permission W/22/02607/FUL – removal of condition 5). Parish Council supports.
	Willow Barn, The Nook, Wadborough Road, Littleworth W/23/02499/FUL	Substitution of house type as approved under planning permission reference W/22/01321/FUL – addition of 3 photovoltaic panels to the outshot roof of proposed Barn 1 dwelling. No comments submitted.
	Cooksholme Farm, 3 Wadborough Road, Littleworth W/23/02520/FUL	Conversion of 3 agricultural buildings to residential dwellings, erection of 4 new dwellings, change of use of agricultural land to residential use, partial demolition of agricultural buildings. (Variation of condition 2 Ref 17/00972/FUL). No comments submitted.
	Merryfield House, Woodbury Park, Norton W/23/02577/FUL	Proposed construction of detached single storey dwelling, access and garaging. (Variation of condition 2 Ref 19/01546/FUL). No comments submitted.
	Old Brickworks, Church Lane, Norton W/23/02450/FUL	Proposed vehicle inspection building (Retrospective). No comments submitted.
Internal Consultation:	None
Other:	None