DRAFT Minutes - April 2025

CROWTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of Crowton Parish Council meeting held on

Tuesday 8thApril 2025 at Crowton Village Hall

2024 Meeting started 7pm

Present: Cllr Richard Thorne ( Chair) Cllr Jenny Currie (JC) Cllr Sue Dolley (SD)

Cllr Roger Hammond (RH), Cllr Kathryn Brennan (KB)

In Attendance: Clerk - T Whitlow (TW)

1 Member of the Public

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Apologies for Absence were received & accepted from:

Cllr Ralph Oultram, Cllr Joel Rutter, (JR), Cllr Bob Stubbs (BS)

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Declarations of Members’ Interests:

None

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Public Participation:

MOP present to express concerns on the land development on Ainsworth Lane.

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Approve Minutes:

The minutes of the last Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 11 March 2025 were approved & signed by the Chair.

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PCSO Update:

No significant incidents reported in Crowton. Speed surveillance conducted again last week; no fines issued.

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Ward Councillor reports:

Apologies received from Ward Cllr ‘s Phil Rimmer & Gillian Edwards

GE written report:

VE Day: Liaising with Crowton school, the church & WI in organising a VE Day celebration.

Easter Hampers: Thanks to all that have contributed.

Library Lunch Bags: will be available through the Easter Holiday

Cllr Lynn Stocks reported:

Devolution - consultation period ends 13th April. CWAC is being fast tracked for a mayoral election in 2026. The details of the deal are yet to be finalised.

Local Nature Recovery Strategy – this is currently out for consultation until 20th April 2025 (the date may be impacted by purdah).

Members Budgets are now open

Highways meeting – being arranged for the parish councils within the Weaverham Cuddington Ward

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Matters Arising – from previous minutes (if not an agenda item)

Verge maintenance. Verges already looking untidy following losing a valuable volunteer. TW to gather quotes for the verge maintenance.

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Correspondence: (unless covered as an agenda item)

None not already actioned or sent to members.

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Accounts/Financial: to 31.03.25

1. Payments ratified/for approval

February March payroll.

W Clarke Village Maintenance £250.00

Refund TW missed payment for RBL Wreath- Remembrance Day £25.00

Clerk refund for training course £24.00

2. Receipts

Bank interest £49.71

3. Ear Marked Reserves: reviewed and agreed.(Appendix 1)

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Clerks Report:

· Volunteer Scheme from highways, appears unusable for small PC’s for a general tidy up. TW to produce a risk assessment for volunteers.

· New JPAG released- numerous changes – IT policy required. A general push on .gov.uk domains, but not a requirement yet. Chair can no longer cover the clerk/RFO in their absence. TW will inform council of further notable changes.

· Clerk has overtime of 9 hours over the last few months. Council agreed to be added to April pay.

· Year end papers complete. AGAR forms to be completed to hand accounts to Internal Auditor.

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Planning:

New Applications:

25/00711/FUL Springfield Bag Lane Crowton Northwich CW8 2TP Proposal: Single storey extension to side and rear of the existing dwelling to comprise garage with utility room to the rear. Reviewed. Resolved to comment to LPA that although no objections, work appears to have progressed prior to planning approval

25/01025/FUL 2 Jubilee Cottages Bag Lane Cuddington Northwich CW8 2TR Proposal: Installation of a new wastewater treatment plant. Reviewed Resolved No comments

LPA Decisions & appeals.

No new decisions or appeals received

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Highways:

· Footpath by the bus stop: has been actioned again (2nd time) by CWAC, still unsatisfactory. This has been re-reported.

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Millenium Green:

1. Bridge: Volunteers have started work on the bridge, as not complete the bridge has been taped off with signage of No Entry, due to H&S.

2. Volunteers: They have extended the guard rail where the banking is collapsing. Will be back next month.

3. Bird boxes: Crowton School have another 8 boxes for the MG

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Asset Maintenance & Register:

1. Phone Box – Onston Lane: Waiting on confirmation of electric supply.

2. War Memorial Fence: Work in progress

3. Village Signage: Signs on the planter have been completed, but incorrect. Supplier to rectify.

4. Asset Register: updated and agreed.

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Information Open Event: JC in relation to the resilience plan is organising a drop in open event. Only date available coincides with PC meeting for July, being the 8th Resolved not to have July meeting, but to have the drop-in event on this day. Further details to be communicated to PC and final arrangements at the next meeting. Event to be used to communicate with the parish what the PC are doing, and to enlist further volunteers.

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Volunteer Memorial:

Disused bus stop discussed further. Proposed & Resolved not to use name plaques, to place a bench in inside, TW to cost RBL bench ‘Lest We Forget’ which would cover all purposes.

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Council Logo:

Work in progress.

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Community Resilience Group:

Core group have another meeting next week JC, SD, TW, GE.

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Items for next agenda:

Resilience Plan, memorial for passed volunteers, CPC logo, Use of Onston phone box, APM, AGAR if IA complete.

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Date of next meeting: Tuesday 13th May 2025 at Crowton Village Hall.

The meeting closed at 8.10pm Signed: Dated: