A Meeting of Dorstone Parish Council was held in the OLD SCHOOL Hall Dorstone on Wednesday November 13th 2024 at 7-30pm

Present; Councillor A Phillips, Chairman, Councillor B James, Councillor D Lonsdale, Councillor J Morgan, Councillor D Phillips & Mr C Hendy Clerk.

Also present; Ward Councillor P Price, 3 parishioners, Golden Valley Police 

Apologies; Councillor S Goodwin, unwell 

No declaration of Interest. 

Representation from the Public
Reported the flooding problems, at Dore View, with blocked drains had improved following work carried out by the lengthsman & Balfour Beatty.

Requested update on speed of traffic on B4348.
 Clerk replied;
Golden Valley Police had attended B4348 by Dore View recently for about half an hour, two motorists stopped exceeding 35mph but below 40mph.

 He was waiting a reply from Traffic Management at Herefordshire Council re speed assessment on the B4348 Playing Field/Dore View, cost, process, cost of installing Speed Indicator bases, cost/process improving road markings with 30mph decals on the road. 
The office of the Police & Crime Commissioner had been contacted about the availability of grants for funding towards a speed indicator device, funding is available & information on the procedure given
 
Minutes of October 9th 2024, which had been circulated were approved.

Reports
a)	Golden Valley Police, PC Jeff Rouse in attendance, November newsletter circulated, no crime to report, gave an update on speeding checks, hoped a speed survey would be undertaken commencing December 9th. Results from this would determine the setting up of a speed watch scheme
           
           b) Ward Councillor, P Price, gave a brief outline from Herefordshire Council, pleased to see Councillor D Phillips & the clerk at the recent parish council summit.  

Ponty-Weston Stream  
a)	Stream has been cleaned, upper side Oaklands, Lower Side Telephone Kiosk, Upper/Lower side Brooklands
b)	River Dore Lower side of bridge cleaned.
Councillors thanked all those involved & requested a letter of thanks sent to the Clerk of Works



Planning 

Planning Consultation
APPLICATION NO & SITE ADDRESS: Planning Consultation - 242617 - National Grid Electricity Distribution, Bonnylands Radio Station, The Tower, Dorstone, Herefordshire 

DESCRIPTION: Application for prior notification of proposed development by telecommunications code systems operators for the installation of a new mast with antennas and dishes, cable gantry and support poles and ancillary development thereto
Website, three representations with no objection
The supporting letter; design & access statement, indicates why the mast/equipment is required & seeking to minimise appearance as the equipment will be viewed from several vantage points.
Application is under permitted development, guidance from the Planning Officer dealing with the application sought. 
” Essentially this is an assessment against the relevant permitted development right for telecommunications for which there are limited criteria. Link to the current legislation so the Parish Council understand what the Local Planning Authority local planning authority can consider:

Essentially, aside from the relevant criteria, which the Parish Council may wish to also provide input on, the siting and appearance of the development are the only aspects we as a Local Planning Authority can otherwise consider. 
I would advise that if any comments wish to be made, they are focused on these aspects”.

No letters of support or objection received.
Councillors discussed the application and resolved to support the application, Dorstone Parish Council have noted the information in the design & access statement, the apparatus is essential for the security and protection of electricity distribution across Herefordshire and efforts have been made to minimise the overall appearance as best as possible.
Access to the site from Dorstone Village is via an unclassified road, narrow, few passing places and hills. Council considers the road is unsuitable for articulated vehicles and request a plan on the transportation of materials is made involving PC & local residents of the road.
 
Finance 
   a) To pay clerks salary for October £187.77
   b) To pay Clerk of Works Stream Cleaning £250.80
   c) To pay Contractor Stream Cleaning £1020.00

All payments authorised

Highways    
    a) Flood Warden Scheme, awaiting update. 
    b) Update on Autumn Cleaning of parish drains, Councillor Phillips reported some drains had been cleaned, work order to be raised for further drains cleaning
    c)  Flood alleviation on Scar Lane, Councillor J Morgan reported meeting to be arranged to discuss further & produce a plan.
    d) To note Highway defects reported, Overhanging Trees Dorstone Hill/Arthurs Stone Lane, flooding by Gas Pipeline/Gattimer Lane, fallen tree & damaged road surface Scar Lane, drains Brooklands road, B4348 towards The Bage
    
e) TRO (Traffic Regulation Order) Speed Assessment The Bage

In 2022 a request raised by a parishioner of The Bage, the Ward Councillor had written to Traffic Management at Herefordshire Council seeking a review of the speed limit through The Bage. Supported by Dorstone Parish Council & possibly Clifford Parish Council.
Full report circulated to councillors
“Based on the guidance provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) Circular 01/13 on Setting Local Speed Limits, the decision has been made to maintain the current 40 mph speed limit on The Bage in Herefordshire. This decision takes into account the following key factors:
 
Roadside Environment: The overall roadside environment along The Bage is generally sparse, with minimal development and open stretches of road. The DfT Circular 01/13 emphasises that speed limits should reflect the road's environment, and in this case, the existing 40 mph limit is appropriate given the rural and open nature of the area. While we recognise the absence of footways and the need for pedestrians to walk in the road to access amenities or public rights of way, the current 40 mph speed limit strikes a necessary balance. The road’s characteristics do not warrant a further reduction in speed, as the existing limit is suitable for both vehicle and pedestrian safety in this context. It’s a common and understandable thought that lowering a speed limit can only be a move for the better but speed limits that are set at inappropriate levels and / or over inappropriate lengths do have drawbacks such as increased incidents of overtaking, tailgating etc.
 
Speed Data Analysis: Speed data collected from the area supports maintaining the 40 mph limit. The 85th percentile speeds—representing the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles travel—are consistent with a 40 mph limit. This indicates that the majority of drivers are already adhering to this speed, demonstrating that the current limit is effective and respected by road users. Setting speed limits that are realistic and perceived as appropriate by drivers is crucial for compliance. A 30 mph limit may be viewed as unnecessary given the existing measures, potentially leading to non-compliance and undermining respect for speed regulations. Generally, good driver compliance with the current 40 mph limit has been demonstrated in the 7-day speed surveys carried out on 6th July 2024.. The existing speeds recorded also demonstrate that achieving a ‘self-regulating’ 30 mph limit, as recommended in DfT Circular 01/13, is unlikely and vehicle speeds remain above the ACPO enforcement threshold for 30 mph limits.
 
Collision History: When conducting a speed limit review, one of the primary criteria is the evaluation of recorded collision history for the section of highway under consideration. This analysis is crucial as collision data often reveals the locations and causes of accidents, enabling the determination of whether these incidents can be mitigated through the implementation of speed limits and/or engineering interventions. This review is limited to the use of evidence from the Herefordshire Council accident database to ensure consistency in assessments conducted across the County.
 
A review of the collision history for this stretch of road shows no recorded collisions in the past nineteen years which resulted in personal injury suggesting that the existing 40 mph limit does not present a significant safety concern requiring intervention. This data indicates that the current speed limit and associated traffic management measures are sufficient for maintaining road safety.
 
DfT Guidelines Compliance: The decision aligns with DfT Circular 01/13, which advises that speed limits should be evidence-based and reflect the road’s function, environment, and safety needs. The existing 40 mph limit is consistent with these principles and appropriately tailored to the conditions present on The Bage. Given the limited budgets and resources available, Herefordshire Council must prioritise interventions where significant safety improvements can be achieved. The evidence does not support a change to the speed limit, as there is no indication of a substantial safety benefit.
 
In conclusion, based on DfT Circular 01/13, the decision to maintain the 40 mph speed limit at The Bage is supported by the road’s sparse environment, collision history, and the speed data collected, all of which indicate that the current limit provides an effective and balanced approach to road safety. It is however noted that existing some of the speed limit signage is obscured and requiring maintenance. This will be raised to BBLP for works to be carried out to ensure visibility of the existing signage is adequate. “

Councillors discussed the report & agreed to write to Traffic Management if consideration could be given to removing the centre line & installing edge of carriageway lines

Light Pollution
Letter received;” is Dorstone is developing a Bio-Diversity plan, especially for light pollution or something the council would be interested in?

” Resident to Dorstone (Middlewood) and was wondering if Dorstone Parish has or is developing a Biodiversity Plan, especially in respect to light pollution?
 Important aspect to me, mainly as a keen astronomer but also in the wider context of impacts to nature (over 70% of mammals are nocturnal)  and that many humans have never seen a true dark night. I am also working with the Dark Skies section of CPRE, hoping to spread the message about what simple measures can be taken to reduce unnecessary light (ALAN - Artificial Light At Night)

Currently the council have no policy, external lighting on planning applications is considered, if necessary, conditions are requested.
Agreed the clerk to enquire about Bio-Diversity Plan and parish councils & invitation given to resident to attend future meeting.   

Herefordshire Council
      a) Partnership information
      b) Talk Community 
      c) Upgrade to Home Point

Army Recruitment Poster, apprenticeships, request received to publicise

Next Meeting December 11th 2024 at 7-30pm 

Chairman thanked those who had attended & closed the meeting at 09-15pm

Signed …………………….  Councillor A Phillips

December 11th 2024