Albrighton Civic Society

Minutes of the Committee Meeting of the

Albrighton & District Civic Society

held at 4 Cross Road, Albrighton,

on Friday 1^st October 2010 at 2pm

Present :

Peter Woodman - Chairman

Rod Smith – Secretary

David Hughes - Treasurer

John Bulmer

Hugh Hughes

Ron Kidson

Peter Leigh

David Murray – ex-officio, representing Tong PC

Malcolm Pate

1. Apologies received from Michael Ward and David Beechey

Members not attending: Paul Joseland

2. Minutes of Meeting on 3^rd September 2010 were approved.

3. Visit of Brian Bennett (SC Highways Manager South East)

Mr Bennett had accepted our invitation to come to view some eyesores and to discuss what could be done about them. Mr Bennett did not turn up nor did he send apologies.

ACTION: PW to write to SC to complain and ask BB him to come to the next meeting on 5^th November. MP to contact B Bennett.

4. Review Progress on the main projects:-

a) Village Entrance Scheme. Task Group: JB/HH/PW

JB has organised a bulb planting at the APC pond area Cross Rd/Patshull Rd and another site – meet at 9am 15^th October at 4 Cross Rd. PW and DH will loan their bulb planters to ADCS.

Another bulb planting to be at further site to be decided - meet at 9am 29^th October at 4 Cross Rd.

JB will phone the Volunteers on the list. PL will provide the Society’s hi-vis vests and the ADCS Road Signs. PW will write to the statutory undertakers as required by SC for the License to Plant in the Highway, giving them 14 days to reply. JB & PW will meet the Wyevale manager to ask for plants.

PL has potted up 400 primroses for the Entrances and some for Don Hickman to plant in the Nature Reserve.

ACTION: JB/HH/PL/PW

b) Civic Award Scheme for Schools. Task Group: PW/JB

ACTION: PW/JB to draft the rules and send to all the Heads of the schools.

(Post Meeting Note: A Shield and Certificate will be awarded to the School producing the best Project or Projects in each year of the Scheme. As the entries will come from different age groups the judges will take account of the age of the pupils in making their decisions. The Shield will be engraved with the name of the winning School and will be held for one year by the winning school and competed for in each year of the Scheme. If other entries from the same or other schools are of almost equal merit, further Certificates may be awarded at the judges’ discretion. The 2010/2011 School Year Projects must be submitted to ADCS no later than 31^st March 2011 and Awards will be announced at the beginning of the School Summer Terms in 2011 and presented to the school and pupils at the school in the Summer Term. Photos of the ceremony may be shown at the ADCS AGM and in the Parish Magazine)

c) Eyesores

i) The Old Smithy. The Society was pleased that David Thompson has submitted Plans to SC Planning Dept and hoped that he would progress the building work.

ii) Stables opposite The Horns at Boningale

ACTION: PW has written to Marstons concerning the likely effect on the pub should the Stables be subject to a different use.

d) Discussion on the LJC Meeting held on 28^th Sept which was expected to have two main items – Parking and Planning Procedures.

- Lack of Parking Provision in Albrighton

Although PL had written to SC to remind them that their report was expected at the LJC meeting on 28 October 2010 no report was provided and the LJC committee/officers did not seem to realise that they had promised to report back. PL asked at the LJC meeting that such a report was made and the LJC Chairman (MP) agreed to do so at the next LJC meeting

ACTION: MP

PW to write to the Traders Association for details of the Customer Survey about parking which they are carrying out.

- Planning Procedures

MP had arranged for Nick Taylor, SC Head of Planning, and Cllr Stuart West, Chairman of SC Planning Committee, to attend the LJC meeting to answer questions raised by several people including three residents and ex-Cllr RK who recently attended a planning meeting and an Alb Parish Councillor. Two weeks before the meeting MP advised that Nick Taylor could not attend (this was the 3^rd LJC meeting which he had failed to attend). Two other officers had attended in his place. Comments were made by several speakers. PW summed up and asked SC to report back at a future LJC meeting on the changes they have made to procedures in light of the points raised.

e) Grants from LJC18. The Society had submitted an application from the “small LJC pot” for a £250 contribution to administration costs. This was discussed at the LJC meeting on 28^th September by the committee members Shropshire Cllr Stuart West, Boningale Cllr Bob Tummins, Donington Cllr Fred Shelley and Albrighton Cllr Paul Lusk. Support only came from Cllr Lusk (for which we are grateful) however the grant was refused.

We have been pleased to receive advice from Andrea McWilliams (SC Regeneration Officer) and the application for a grant towards the Entrances Scheme is being drawn up for submission by December.

ACTION: RS to make a first draft of the Monitoring Form and Application for review by ADCS and then to be submitted.

f) Public Meeting and AGM on Wednesday 20^th October 2010

It was suggested that Don Hickman and Ron Kidson speak about the Nature Reserve and explain their plans with a PowerPoint presentation. RK will ask for Don Hickman’s agreement. MP will go with RK to take photos. (Post Meeting Note: Don has agreed and will also involve the Ranger)

RS will draw up a draft Agenda for comment/agreement

JB will ask Mandy for the same bar arrangement as before – we buy beer/red & white wine/soft drink from Red House and set up a bar in the main hall. Mike & Chris Pitchford have kindly agreed to organise a raffle (PW has 2 bottles of wine not collected from the Fare Day raffle).

To bring the end of subscription year into line with the accounting year ending on 30^th September it was agreed to propose at the AGM an amendment to clause 3 of the Constitution – change “December 1^st“ to “October 1^st “ and change “five months preceding ” to “three months preceding”.

RS to place the required notice in the Library, on village Notice Board and on website.

Treasurer will present the audited accounts up to 30^th Sept. We are grateful to Gerard Paris who has agreed to audit the accounts

ACTION: RS/JB/DH (DH will liaise Gerard Paris, 20 Cross Rd)

g) Exchange visit to Brewood Civic Society has been postponed until Spring 2011. PW announced the sad news that Peter Jackson is seriously ill with cancer.

h) All can read WORD 2007 documents except David Beechey. RK said he knew how DB could set his computer to read these files. ACTION: RK to speak to DB

5. Any other business

a) Albrighton Rail Station Building.

PW to contact the Lottery Fund to see if there is any possibility of a grant.

PL will ask Cllr Peter Illes if he can chase up NR for us to see the covenants associated with the Station Building. ACTION: PW and PL

b) Lea Manor Hotel. DH advised that a new Planning Application for houses has been submitted.

c) Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). The Secretary had obtained the Report from SC which had been circulated. This sets out draft guidelines for planning matters. ACTION: RS and RK to make a draft response for circulation to the committee. Final comments are to be sent to SC by Monday 8^th November 2010.

d) Local Village Plan. PW to check with Andrea McWilliams if there is any funding for us to pay for help from a consultant. DM to contact Peter Linsall to check if he would be interested to act as consultant to carry out the work under control of a committee member. ACTION : PW and DM

Date of next meeting: Friday 5^th November at 2pm Peter Woodman’s

(Following meeting to be on 1^st Friday in month ie Friday 3^rd December 2010 at Malcolm Pate’s – Sept meeting was exchanged/moved from Malcolm’s to Rod’s – RS is on holiday in any case)