Minutes of a meeting of Stourport-on-Severn Town Council

Held on Tuesday 8 September 2020 6.00pm at Held via a virtual Zoom meeting

Present

In the chair The Town Mayor - Councillor K Henderson

Councillors Mrs C Barnett, T Berry, Mrs B S Dawes, M Freeman, Mrs V Higgs, B Jones, D Little, R Lloyd, Mrs N Martin, C Rogers, D C Russell, D Sheppard, G M Talbot, J Thomas, and H Williams.

Minutes

29. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillors P B Harrison and Mrs J Griffiths.

30. MINUTES It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 14th July 2020 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

31. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest.

32. MAYORS COMMUNICATIONS The Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s engagements were circulated and noted. Council were informed of the following:

  • A total of £4,118 had been collected for the Mayor’s charities and cheques had been presented to SARA and West Midlands Air Ambulance.
  • A McMillan Coffee morning was being held at The Kings Arm pub on 24th September 2020, 10am – 12 noon.
  • The Remembrance Sunday parade would not go ahead. The Town Clerk would let Councillors know what was planned.

33. APPLICATIONS FOR PLANNING PERMISSION Consideration was given to consultations by the District Council on the following applications for planning permission, and it was RESOLVED that the District Council be informed of the Town Council response to each consultation, as set out below:-

  1. WF.20/0393/HOU – Revised Application - Proposed single storey rear extension at 7 Mitton Street, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 9AF. Recommended Approval.
  2. WF.20/0410/HOU - Retrospective erection of replacement boundary fence at 37 Stagborough Way, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 8SY. Refused.
  3. WF.20/0593/HOU - Erection of first floor side extension with two-storey rear extension and installation of a glazed balcony to rear at 4 The Ridgeway, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 8XT. Recommend Approval.
  4. WF.20/0597/FUL – Change of use from restaurant to hot food takeaway at 8 High Street, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 8DH. Deferred.
  5. WF.20/0620/HOU – Erection of first floor extension and detached garage at 33 Bewdley Road. Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 8XG. Recommend Approval.
  6. WF.20/0624/S73 - Removal of Condition 17 attached to Planning Permission 19/0054/FULL (which limits occupation of the site to between 1 March and 31st March only) CONDITIONS NUMBER(S): 17 – LIMITING OCCUPATION OF THE SITE TO BETWEEN 1ST MARCH & 31ST OCTOBER ONLY Conditions(s) Removal: SEE ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS CONDITION 17 SHOULD BE REMOVED. CONDITIONS 15 & 16 ENSURE THE CARAVANS ARE FOR HOLIDAY PURPOSES ONLY, AND CONDITION 19 ENSURE THE SITE IS SAFELY   EVACUATED IN THE EVENT OF A FLOOD. CONDITION 17 IS THEREFORE A NULLITY. At Stourport Sports Centre, Harold Davies Drive, Stourport on Severn, Worcestershire DY13 0AA Deferred.
  7. WF.20/0648/HOU – Erection of first floor rear extension at 25 Stagborough Way, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 8SS. Deferred.
  8. WF.20/0661/S73 – Variation of condition 5 attached to Planning Approval SU/29/74 to allow occupancy of caravans for 11 months (closed January) at Stourport Motor Yacht and Bungalow Association Club, Moorhall Lane, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 8RD. Deferred.
  9. WF.20/0677/HOU – Single storey rear extension with ramp access, following demolition of conservatory at 18 Malham Road, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 8NN. Deferred.
  10. WF.20/0679/HOU – Proposed two storey rear extension and single storey side extension at 14 Heathlands, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 9NS. Deferred.

34. ARISING FROM CONSIDERATION OF THE APPLICATIONS FOR PLANNING PERMISSION Noted.

35. DECISIONS ON PAST PLANNING APPLICATIONS Members had been circulated with a list of the decisions of the District Council in respect of past planning applications and, it was RESOLVED that the list be noted. Members thanked Councillors Mrs C Barnett and C Rogers for their input with regard to the Bridge Street, Stourport planning application.

36. CONSULTATION - WYRE FOREST DISTRICT PAYPHONE, HIGH STREET, STOURPORT Members considered a request, from BT, for the removal of the payphone in High Street, Stourport, due to insufficient use. A robust discussion took place and Members felt that the number of average calls in a month, i.e. 60 per month was relatively high for the payphone to be taken out. It was recommended that the payphone be kept for a further six months with the number of calls being monitored every month. This was due to the location of the payphone which was near flats and sheltered accommodation. It was perceived that not everyone had a mobile phone especially if emergency services were needed. Members also asked the Town Clerk to obtain information when the payphone had been removed on the Minster Road in Stourport.

37. TOWN AND PARISH COUNCIL SURVEY 2020 The Mayor asked group leaders to arrange for their comments to be collated for the survey to be completed and returned to the Town Clerk.

38. UPDATE FROM COUNCILLOR MRS B DAWES ON SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH There was no update this meeting. However, Councillor Mrs Dawes informed Members that she had been made aware of speeding issues in Stourport, particularly on Britannia Gardens. She would update Members accordingly.

39. PUBLIC SPEAKING ON FUTURE TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS Members held a discussion on public speaking at future Town Council meetings. It was agreed that this should happen but with certain limitations, i.e. time limit. The Town Clerk was asked to draft a Public Speaking protocol.

40. UPDATE FROM COUNCILLORS MRS N MARTIN & J THOMAS (CABINET MEMBERS FOR WYRE FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL) AND COUNCILLORS P HARRISON & C ROGERS (STOURPORT COUNTY COUNCIL COUNCILLORS) Councillor Mrs N Martin updated Council as follows on Wyre Forest District Council (WFDC) matters:

  • Three coach car parking spaces would be installed on the car park on the Riverside, Stourport. Members asked how tour operators would know about the spaces and Councillor Mrs Martin replied that it would be advertised on the WFDC website.
  • The overflow car park on the Riverside had not been open over the August Bank Holiday weekend which had caused problems.
  • A new Green Agenda Advisory Group had been set up at WFDC, one of the points they were looking at was electric points on car parks.
  • A consultation on homeworking was to be carried out at WFDC in October for all staff.
  • It was hoped that free car parking for Christmas and New Year would be in place as in previous years.
  • The Overview and Scrutiny Committee at WFDC were looking at flooding in the district in conjunction with the Environment Agency.   Councillor C Rogers updated Council as following on Worcestershire County Council matters:
    • Since Covid-19 restrictions had eased, cases had gone up in Worcestershire, however, the Wyre Forest district was better than other areas.
    • Roads in the county were being repaired/tarmacked.
    • Gulleys in the county were being cleared and repaired.
    • Grit bins in the county were being refilled on minor routes.
    • A request to permanently close the access road on the Minster Road, Stourport to the refuse tip had been made.

41. APPROVAL OF FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES – 2ND SEPTEMBER 2020 Council approved the minutes from the Finance Committee meeting which had been held on 2nd September 2020.

42. ACCOUNTS The Town Clerk reported that Accounts for July 2020 totalling £18,540.05 and August 2020 totalling £21,772.49 and had been paid since the last meeting and it was RESOLVED that the reports be noted and approved. A Schedule of the Accounts paid was appended at the end of these Minutes, in the Council’s Minute Book, and was available for general inspection.

43. EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC Decision: "Under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of "exempt information" as defined in paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

44. UPDATE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE LOCALISM WORKING PARTY MEETING ON 25TH AUGUST 2020 Members received an update from the Chairman of the Localism Working Party on progress to date with Wyre Forest District Council on the possibility of the transfer of some services/assets. Discussions were ongoing and Council would be updated accordingly.

45. ANY OTHER BUSINESS None.

The meeting closed at 7.08 pm