A Meeting of Dorstone Parish Council was held in the OLD SCHOOL Hall Dorstone on Wednesday January 8th 2025 at 7-30pm

Present; Councillor A Phillips, Chairman, Councillor D Edmiston, Councillor S Goodwin, Councillor B James, Councillor D Lonsdale, Councillor D Phillips & Mr C Hendy Clerk.

Also present; Mrs C Morgan, Ward Councillor P Price, PC J Rouse Golden Valley Police

Apologies; Councillor J Morgan, unwell. 

Declaration of Interest
Councillor B James, neighbour of planning application at the Tump

Representation from the Public
Mrs C Morgan outlined her planning application at the Tump, site adjoins the parish. The lights were for personal use by the family, in the evening, to allow daughters to ride horses after school, traffic was heavy on the entrance/exit to site.
 
Minutes, for December 11th 2024, had been circulated and were agreed

Reports
a)	Golden Valley Police, reported the speed Data Box, B4348 by Dore View, to be installed w/c Jan 13th 2025, delayed by weather conditions. No crime to report in Dorstone
 
           b) Ward Councillor, apologised for non-attendance last meeting, he outlined the proposed budget, Herefordshire Council approach to devolution, it could require consideration to join neighbouring councils, implications of National Planning Policy & Neighbourhood Plans. 

Finance  
           a) To pay clerks salary for December £187.77
          b) To pay Lengthsmen £236

Both payments approved

Planning

. APPLICATION NO & SITE ADDRESS: Planning Consultation - 242965 - Tump Farm, Dorstone, Hereford, Herefordshire HR3 5SU
APPLICATION TYPE: Planning Permission DESCRIPTION: Proposed erection of 4 no. 2.4 m high lighting poles and solar lighting to existing menage.

The proposed site adjoins the parish

Councillor James left the meeting. 
No letters of support or objection received, documents on Herefordshire Council website.
Councillors resolved to support the application.

Councillor James rejoined the meeting

Planning decision
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. 
Prior approval required

Officer report circulated

Planning update from Herefordshire Council 
National Planning Policy Framework
The NPPF has implications for Local Plan making as well as Neighbourhood Planning.
 
The Government has set mandatory housing targets for councils across England. Targets are no longer advisory and this level of growth must be accommodated., the target for Hereford remains high at 27,260 homes (240 homes lower than the 27,500 proposed in the draft NPPF).  Current emerging Draft Local Plan Passed Regulation 18 but only had provision for 16,100 new homes, the new NPPF requires an additional 11,160 homes over the 20 year plan period.  The NPPF makes clear that all growth should be accommodated in sustainable locations.
 
For Development Management decisions, the new NPPF takes immediate effect from 12 December 2024, and this has a significant impact upon 5 Year Housing Land Supply (5YHLS).  Prior to the publication of the NPPF Herefordshire had a 5YHLS of 5.79 Years.  The application of the new NPPF reduces the 5YHLS down to 3.09 years.  The revised housing target for the county now results in a lack of a 5YHLS. Therefore there is a Presumption in Favour of development and deviation away from the plan led process where a 5 year supply cannot be demonstrated.  In the absence of a 5HYLS it is anticipated that there will be an increase in speculative applications which would not have otherwise come forward.
 
Where Neighbourhood Development Plans are concerned, the age of the plan is important in decision making.  This means that for plans that contain policies to meet their identified housing requirement, and which are not more than five years old, paragraph 14 of the NPPF allows the decision maker to attach significant weight to the neighbourhood plan even when the council cannot demonstrate a five year housing land supply.  Where NDPs are older than 5 years from December 2024, then the NDP is out-of-date and paragraph 11d of the NPPF is what the decision maker must determine the application against particularly for housing provision.
The significant increase in housing numbers cannot be accommodated by the current Regulation 18 Local Plan as consulted upon in March 2024. The LPA must accommodate this mandatory housing target.  The current Draft Plan cannot progress in its current form as it does not take the additional 43% housing increase into account. The current evidence to support the Local Plan that makes provision for 16,100 dwellings would not support this level of growth.  As a result, the Council must decide how it wishes to proceed with Local Plan making.  Consequently, this will affect how Neighbourhood Plans also wish to proceed as they will need to meet the ‘basic conditions’ and be in conformity with an adopted local plan when embarking on progressing with a new or reviewed NDP.
 Given the significance of the changes proposed in the NPPF, further clarification is being sought in respect of a number of matters and these may need to be reported at a later date.

Councillors discussed the information, clerk to raise the following with Planning Officer

Will the number of houses required now affect Dorstone as the draft local plan did not include extra houses for the parish?

If the DNP is updated has the whole plan to be updated or only that affecting number/site of housing?

If the DNP is updated are there any grants/officer support for this?

With existing applications presume the DNP is effective apart from number of housing, ie number of bedrooms, style etc, infrastructure etc & PC still should consider these in any response to Planning consultations.

Highways 
    a) Flood Warden Scheme, no response yet received, Ward Councillor was asked to raise with Herefordshire Council lack of response.
    b) To receive update on Autumn Cleaning of parish drains. Councillor A Phillips reported work to be completed shortly
    c) Flood alleviation on Scar Lane Councillor, report received from Councillor Morgan site meeting to be held 
    d) Invite from BB to attend a webinar 30th January or face to face meeting 29th January
.
Defibrillator The Bage
. a) Suitable location for a defibrillator at The Bage had been found, electric on inside of wall. Payment for electric to be raised.
Information on defibrillator in village obtained, costing/grant availability to be sought.
 
Herefordshire Council
        a) Partnership information
        b) Talk Community 
        c) English devolution Government has published, its English Devolution White Paper - Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth – it sets out how government intends to deliver its proposals for devolution (as it relates to England) over the course of this parliament. Headlines include plans to extend devolution to all parts of England, additional powers and funding flexibility for mayors, and the replacement of two-tier local government with unitary authorities.
Herefordshire Council are studying the White Paper

               d)Herefordshire Council Leader’s newsletter, circulated

               e) Invite received Nature Recovery Mapping in Herefordshire, taking place on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 12:45 - 1:45pm.


Agreed Next Meeting February 12th 2025 at 7-30pm



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

February 12th 2025