Berkswich Parish Council Annual Meeting 6 May 2025

BERKSWICH PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Berkswich Parish Council Annual Meeting held on

Tuesday 6 May 2025 at 7.30 pm at Walton Village Hall

Present:       Cllr Alan Taylor (Chair), Cllr, Caroline Pearson (Vice Chair), Cllr Sue Francis, Cllr Beverley Hughes, Cllr Ann Millichap, Cllr Malcolm Millichap, Cllr Michael Norris, Cllr Bob Gilson, Cllr Vicky Campbell

In attendance:   Staffordshire County and Stafford Borough Councillor Ann Edgeller, Stafford Borough Councillor Peter Edgeller and Mrs Sue Fullwood, Clerk/RFO were in attendance.

The meeting started at 8.05 pm due to the Annual Parish Meeting at 7.00 pm overrunning.

Cllr Taylor welcomed everyone to the meeting.

25/47        Public Session – No members of the public attended the meeting.

25/48         Election of the Chair of the Parish Council

Cllr M Millichap proposed that Cllr Taylor be re-elected as Chair, seconded by Cllr Pearson and motion carried unanimously.

25/49        Election of the Vice-Chair of the Parish Council

Cllr Taylor proposed that Cllr Pearson be re-elected as Vice Chair, seconded by Cllr Pearson and motion carried unanimously.

25/50        Apologies – received from Cllr Tim Luker as he was away.

25/51        Minutes of the meeting held on 1 April 2025 – Resolved: It was agreed that the minutes were accurate and should be signed by the Chair.

25/52         Declarations of Interest regarding items on the agenda.  None.

25/53        Review and approval of policies and procedures – all documents had been circulated by the Clerk prior to the meeting.         

1. Standing Orders – Resolved: approval proposed by Cllr M Millichap, seconded by Cllr Pearson and motion carried unanimously.
2. Financial Regulations – Resolved: approval proposed by Cllr M Millichap, seconded by Cllr Gilson and motion carried unanimously.

• Staffing Committee Terms of Reference – Resolved: approval proposed by Cllr M Millichap, seconded by Cllr Gilson and motion carried unanimously.

1. Delegation arrangements – Resolved: approval proposed by Cllr M Millichap, seconded by Cllr Gilson and motion carried unanimously.
2. Complaints Policy – Resolved: approval proposed by Cllr M Millichap, seconded by Cllr Norris and motion carried unanimously.
3. Press and Media Policy – Resolved: approval proposed by Cllr M Millichap, seconded by Cllr Pearson and motion carried unanimously.

                 Action: Clerk

25/54        Meeting Representatives

                 Resolved: Meeting representatives were agreed as follows:

1. Staffing Committee – Cllr Alan Taylor, Cllr Tim Luker and Cllr Bob Gilson with Cllr M Millichap reserved for appeals as required. Cllr Francis wished to withdraw from this committee and Cllr Gilson offered to replace her.
2. Finance Working Group – Cllr Alan Taylor, Cllr Malcolm Millichap, Ben Rowell and the Clerk/RFO.

• Environment Group – Cllr Tim Luker (Chair), Cllr Alan Taylor, Cllr Sue Francis, Cllr Vicky Campbell, Cllr Bob Gilson and Cllr Michael Norris, plus Clerk as required.

1. Village Hall Council of Management – Cllr Caroline Pearson
2. Trent Valley Collaboration Group – Cllr Caroline Pearson plus Clerk dependent on agenda.

25/55        General Power of Competence

                 Resolved: Cllr Taylor reconfirmed that the Council were eligible to use the General Power of Competence and the Power was adopted.

25/56        Review of Earmarked Reserves, Asset Register and Financial Risk Assessment

                 Resolved: Earmarked Reserves were reviewed and it was agreed to move £6000 to Environmental Care for the flower beds on Milford Road, £6000 to Crime Prevention for a SID on Brocton Road and £5000 to each of the coppices giving a total of £158,500 in Earmarked Reserves.  Action: Clerk Cllr Taylor had noticed that the triangle of land opposite the Smithy was already on the Asset Register as triangle of land opposite the old forge and had been since 2010 – Clerk to investigate further.  The Asset Register and Financial Risk Assessment were agreed unanimously, Clerk to update them on the website.  Action: Clerk

25/57        Review of annual subscription to: SPCA inc. NALC

Resolved: SPCA subscription to be renewed for £417.44.  Action: Clerk

25/58        Meeting schedule and forward plan for 2025/26

Resolved: as in recent years meetings would be held on the first Tuesday of every month with the exception of August and January, and July’s meeting would be on the second Tuesday.

25/59        Clerk’s Report for May 2025

Resolved: the report was accepted unanimously.

25/60        Milepost Maintenance

                 There had been a larger response than anticipated following SPCA’s email so Cllr Taylor was still working on it, nothing to report.

25/61        Attendance at the Parish Fete

                 Cllr Pearson had booked a table at the fete and asked for it to have easy access for disabled people.  There was to be a change this year with smaller marquees like a market and plans would be given out on arrival so everyone could find everything.  Cllr Pearson would be asking for volunteers by email.  The Clerk had the banner and would send photos and measurements.  Cllr Pearson had the gazebo and everyone had their name badges from last year.

25/62        Financial Matters

• Bank reconciliation and expenditure for March and April 2025 – Resolved: Approved unanimously.

• Budget report for March and April 2025 – Resolved: Approved unanimously.

25/63        Planning Matters

• Cllr M Millichap’s Report on BER02 Land off Old Croft Road – Cllr Taylor thanked Cllr M Millichap for his very thorough report which was gloomy but realistic. The ‘hope’ value of the land was the issue which could increase the value by 10 times and could be over £2m.  There were a number of potential uses for the site including a blossom and/or fruit orchard or renting the land out as agricultural land again. Allotments were considered but that would be a lot of work including having water put on site which would cost over £10k. Wildwood allotments currently had 10 spare plots so the demand wasn’t there.   Cllr Taylor felt it would be good to take advice from other Parish Councils who own community assets. Cllr Campbell said that she was aware that Acton Trussell Parish Council had been doing crowd funding for money to oppose using the site off the Cannock Road for development.  Cllr Norris said that he couldn’t see the value of the land coming down whilst it was still on the SHELAA and if the land was over £2m the interest alone would be over £125k pa which would not balance against the value to the parish.  Cllr Norris asked how the council would justify doing that for just one site when so many were under threat.  Resolved: Cllr M Millichap to investigate possibilities further.  Action: Cllr M Millichap 

Resolved With regards to the consultation for land off Milford Road Cllr Taylor would draft a response to be agreed using delegation arrangements. Action: Cllr Taylor/Clerk

• Response to planning application 25/40467/HOU at 34 The Village

Cllr Taylor proposed that the council responded saying it had no objections to the application.  Resolved: agreed unanimously.  Action: Clerk

25/64        Reports from other Meetings

• Environment Group – The group were considering applying for a further FiPL grant for bat and bird boxes, a brushcutter and possibly signage. Cllr Taylor had agreed to contact the FiPL Officer.

SCC and SBC Cllr Ann Edgeller and SBC Cllr Peter Edgeller left the meeting at 8.40 pm.

• Village Hall Council of Management – there had not been a meeting in April. The church that was based at the Village Hall would be moving to the old cinema in the town centre which would impact the Village Hall finances.

25/65        Items for the Agenda for the Annual Parish Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday 3 June 2025

Internal audit report; agreement of AGAR forms 2024-25; Graffiti; milepost maintenance; and the Parish Fete.

Meeting closed at 8.45 pm.