Approved minutes 13 January 2025
TARRINGTON PARISH COUNCIL (TPC)
MINUTES OF THE ORDINARY MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 13TH JANUARY 2025 AT 7.30 PM IN LADY EMILY COMMUNITY HALL
Present: Cllrs Jakki Cunningham, Paul Grey (Chairman), Robert Hodges, and Stuart Greenfield.
In attendance: Cllr Graham Biggs (Ward Councillor).
Paul Hayden (Clerk).
Public: Two.
1/25 APOLOGIES
Apologies were received and accepted for Cllrs Ian Howard, Linzy Outtrim, John Tallis and Janette Ward. Cllr Grey chaired the meeting in Cllr Tallis’ absence.
2/25 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST & WRITTEN DISPENSATION REQUESTS
None requested or declared.
3/25 MINUTES FROM THE ORDINARY MEETING OF TPC HELD ON THE 11th NOVEMBER 2024
RESOLVED: These minutes were approved as an accurate record of the meeting and signed by the meeting Chair.
4/25 COUNCILLOR CO-OPTION
Members considered co-option to fill the current councillor vacancy. Stuart Greenfield gave a short presentation on himself, what skills he would bring to the parish council, and how he would represent resident views.
RESOLVED: Stuart Greenfield be co-opted onto the parish council. Cllr Greenfield signed his Acceptance of Office form and joined the meeting as a parish councillor.
5/25 PUBLIC SESSION
5.1/25 Members considered the Ward Councillor’s verbal report which included the following points:
- The draft budget for 2025/26 and the medium term financial strategy was presented to full Cabinet on the 13th January 2025 as part of the budget and council tax setting process. The draft budget and council tax recommendations will be presented to Scrutiny Committee on the 14th January 2025 and will then be presented to the full Council on the 7th February 2025.
- National insurances changes introduced by the new Government will have a huge impact on the Council, in particular the increased costs from suppliers to the council as a result of these changes.
- An overall 4.99% increase in council tax is likely, which includes a 2% adult social care precept and a 2.99% increase in core council tax.
- Adult and Young People costs total 65% of the draft £232 million budget expenditure.
- Central Government have axed the £7 million Rural Services Delivery Grant which Herefordshire Council received to reflect the higher costs of delivering services in a rural environment. Whilst some new grants have been received and some existing grants have been increased, the net result is a £2.5 million reduction in Central Government grant funding for 2025/26.
- Herefordshire is able to set a balanced budget for 2025/26 unlike neighbouring councils and this is very positive for the county and results from robust budget management and control of spending.
- The draft capital budget includes funding to bring all playgrounds in the county up to the required spec before offering parish councils the opportunity to take on management responsibility; funding for continued road repair/resurfacing, flooding initiatives and upgrading the Southern Link Road as the first phase of the Western Bypass.
- A report on affordable and social housing in Herefordshire has been completed. The Ward Councillor (Cllr Graham Biggs) leads a cross-party working group who have considered the report and prepared recommendations for scrutiny/cabinet and full council. The key recommendation is to form a venture company to build new affordable and social homes for the county.
- Cllr Biggs followed-up on the question posed at the last meeting of whether the bus service between Ledbury and Hereford will return to the one-hour frequency. Herefordshire Council officers confirmed that funding has been agreed with DRM to reinstate the hourly service, but DRM have yet to implement the service improvement.
5.2/25 There were no local resident views raised at this meeting.
6/25 PLANNING
Members considered the following application to be determined by Herefordshire Council:
6.1 Planning Re-consultation – 241510 – Land at Stoke Edith, Herefordshire. Proposed installation and operation of a renewable energy generation station comprising ground-mounted photovoltaic, inverter/transformer units, control room, substations, onsite grid connection equipment, site access, access gates, internal access tracks, security measures and other ancillary infrastructure.
RESOLVED: To support this application.
7/25 NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK ISSUED 12 DECEMBER 2024
Members considered the email from Herefordshire Council Planning Team dated 20 December 2024.The key points include:
- The Government has set mandatory housing targets for councils across England. For Herefordshire this target is 27,260 new homes.
- The emerging Draft Local Plan only provides for 16,100 new homes and must now find an additional 11,160 new homes over the 20 year plan period.
- The NPPF came into effect on the 12 December 2024 and this has reduced the county’s 5 Year Housing Land Supply (5YHLS) from 5.79 down to 3.09. This means that it is expected that there will be an increase in speculative development applications to come forward.
- As the Tarrington Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) is still less than 5 years old, Herefordshire Council planners will still attach significant weight to the NDP when assessing speculative planning applications despite not having a 5YHLS for the county.
- The current Draft Local Plan must be re-worked to include the additional mandatory new homes and this will delay the issuing of the new plan.
After consideration Members are doubtful that having a parish NDP provides any value to the parish in terms of controlling housing development.
RESOLVED: To delay considering the option to review the Tarrington NDP until the Draft Local Plan has been issued (probably late 2026).
8/25 COMMUNITY COMMISSIONING
Members considered the update from the Clerk who reported that he held the required meeting with the BBLP Locality Steward to discuss the proposal before submitting the written application, and is currently preparing the written submission.
9/25 FINANCE
9.1/25 Members received the financial reports from the Responsible Finance Officer.
9.2/25 Members considered and approved the following invoices:
9.2.1/25 Clerk’s December 2024 salary.
9.2.2/25 PAYE £53.40.
9.2.3/25 Autela Payroll Services Aug – Nov 2024 charges inv. 14817 £68.22 plus VAT.
9.2.4/25 White Digital INV-26986 village website domain renewal £55.00 plus VAT.
9.2.5/25 ElanCity warranty invoice SAJ-UK/2024/02167 £415.44 plus VAT.
9.2.6/25 Lengthsman invoice 3746 village green hedge trimming £212.75 plus VAT.
9.2.7/25 Reimburse Clerk for camera, tarmac, sand & sandbags £246.74.
10/25 VEGETATION, DITCH AND OTHER PROBLEM SURVEY
Problems identified and plan produced. Work will commence shortly.
RESOLVED: To defer to the next meeting.
11/25 FOOTPATHS REPORT
Members considered the update from the Clerk. Herefordshire Council have agreed to fund the parish Lengthsman to repair all the footpath defects submitted by the parish footpath officer (PFO). The Clerk will work with Cllr Ward the PFO to order styles and other materials and to gain landowner permission for effecting footpath repairs.
12/25 BATON OF HOPE 2025
Members considered the proposal from Herefordshire Council, but did not see any benefit for the parish from participating.
RESOLVED: Not to participate.
13/25 NATURE RECOVERY MAPPING IN HEREFORDSHIRE WEBINAR 22/01/25
Members considered the proposal from Herefordshire Council, but did not see any benefit for the parish from participating.
RESOLVED: Not to participate.
14/25 MATTERS RAISED FOR THE NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING ON MONDAY 10th MARCH 2025
Community commissioning project.
Vegetation, ditch and other problems report.
Parish Footpath Officer’s report.
There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.44 pm.
SIGNED…………………………………………………… DATE………………………………………
These minutes were approved to be a true and accurate record of the meeting at the ordinary meeting of the parish council held on Monday the 10th March 2025 and signed by the Chair.