A Remote Meeting of Dorstone Parish Council was held on Wednesday September 9th 2020 at 7-30pm Present: Councillor T Usher, Chairman, Councillor M Hession, Councillor T Arnott, Councillor B James, Councillor Aubrey-Cosslett, Councillor A Phillips, Councillor D Phillips, & Mr C Hendy Parish Council Clerk. Also present; two parishioners Due to the Covid 19 crisis the Parish Council were meeting remotely. The displayed agenda indicated that any resident wishing to attend should contact the Clerk (clerkdorstonepc@aol.com) who will arrange for an electronic invitation to the meeting to be made. No declaration of Interest from members on any item to be discussed made. No representation from the Public. The minutes of the meeting July 8th 2020 having been circulated were approved. Planning: Decisions; a) Land adjacent to Sycamore approval of reserved matters Approval granted with conditions. Dorstone PC observations about 4 bedrooms taken into account, layout of garage changed by removal of kitchen, this 4th bedroom is considered ancillary to main house. b) Installation of ground based PV array at Great House Farm. Application approved with conditions. c) Small hexagonal building at Pandy B&B. Application approved with conditions. Complaint received on the parish council decision on the planning application at the Pandy B&B from Magdalena Sanocka Gannon “To Dorstone Parish Council You have behaved in a slanderous manner over my planning application. Firstly you have implied that I have broken the law by having guests staying at my establishment over the lockdown period, even though I had only accepted key workers with legal paper which satisfied the police. Secondly you have implied that I have broken the law by carrying out building activities on my property even though I had professional advice to say that the work did not need planning permission. No member of the Parish Council made an attempt to come to the site or call me with any questions even though I suggested it at the beginning of my application process. This is a second time I had put in a planning application which is in line with Herefordshire Planning Policy and Dorstone Parish Plan that you have objected to. I feel strongly that you should issue a public apology prior to legal proceedings being instigated” Clerk discussed the complaint with the chairman and the following reply was sent. Dorstone Parish Council policy with planning consultations is to nominate a councillor to inform neighbours about the planning that is being applied for. Any comments they have can be in writing to parish council or made on Herefordshire Council planning website Dorstone Parish Council held a virtual meeting to discuss this planning consultation; this was advertised on Dorstone web site & hard copy on the parish council noticeboard. On the agenda representation from the public can be heard, none received. When the application was discussed three letters of objection were received, no letters of support, Councillors referred to the documents on the website which included a letter from Cadent. Councillors are not allowed to visit the site of a planning application; no suggestion had been received that you should be contacted. There was no supporting evidence for this permanent proposed building, one of the letters reported rooms had been rented out during the lockdown and the letter from Cadent indicated no work to be carried out A statement from your agent on the website; "The works recently carried out were the laying of new pathways, the removal of some shrubs planted by the applicant within the last five years forming a hedge within the site landscape. A new pedestrian gate and paving on the access to bedroom 2. The formation of a gravelled Patio approximately 11sqm, this required the top soil to be removed & scalping’s laid & consolidated to form a base for the gravel. If approval is granted then the new building will be sited on the gravel. The existing drainage and a water supply have been extended for use with the building or barbecue Planning for the future documents had been circulated; Changes to the current planning system, councillors considered full weight was given to local needs and opinions as expressed in the Dorstone neighbourhood Plan, planning laws needs strengthening for new builds and conversions to address climate change, requiring: High insulation standards, heat pumps in place of oil/gas boilers, PV, EV charging points, encourage buildings that respect local styles and materials. Planning for the future, response by October 15th, Dorstone Neighbourhood Plan indicates 21 houses required 2011-2031, currently, 6 completed houses 2011-20, 6 housing commitments at 1st April 2020, 9 new houses still required. Councillors to discuss next meeting Herefordshire Council; document circulated Housing & Land availability, “call for sites 2020”. This was based on those parishes that designated land within the neighbourhood plans. Dorstone had not designated any land. Reports; a) Ward Councillor; August report circulated b) Police/Fire monthly reports circulated Finance a) Clerks salary July/August £250 b) Video conferencing subscription £167 Both payments authorised. End of year accounts The external auditor has received and logged the notification of exempt status for the year ended 31 March 2020 submitted. Financial information required has been added to the Dorstone website. Highways; Update on B4348 application for road resurfacing. Clerk had written to Ward Councillor, no reply received, and then wrote to Clive Hall asking for an update & anything the PC could do in assisting with a fresh application. Reply received: “To date I have not had any bid specific feedback and at the moment I do not have an avenue through which I can resubmit any development of this bid. I am certainly keeping my eyes open as to any such opportunity i.e. I had sought to promote it when Government was seeking ‘shovel ready’ scheme to help ‘build back green’ as part of the COVID recovery. In regard to what the parish can do, primarily that will be keeping the working relationship active with BBLP and ourselves so that come the opportunity we can seize it! I’ll put some further thought to this point and respond again soon c) Update on stream cleaning & grant application Clerk had applied for a grant for the Autumn & Spring drain clearance by the lengthsmen and the removal of stone & silt from the three bridges of Ponty-Weston Stream He was informed an assessment would need to be made of crayfish in the area, contact details of Wye & Usk Foundation given; they have carried out an assessment of the stream in the vicinity of the three bridges. Report received, “Regarding otters and crayfish; Otters are present and spraint is present under the bridges. Crayfish were not found on the brief check carried out, however but they are recorded upstream on the Pont y Weston brook, these are White clawed crayfish. The white-clawed crayfish is protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended 1992). There is also a large population of the invasive American signal crayfish in the Dore downstream. I suggest the best and most ecological friendly way forward would be to plan the gravel removal whilst I am onsite to deal with any crayfish of either species that may turn up, Ecological Clerk of works (ECoW).” The information has been forwarded to both Balfour Beatty (BB) & Environment Agency. Funding totalling £2192 has provisionally been agreed, which includes the cost of the ECoW. Tenders had been sought for stream cleaning, only one received. Councillors resolved to accept the tender from S J Phillips Agri Ltd. Councillors agreed for the stream cleaning to be carried out on 18th September Footpaths; a) An application to divert the footpath at Llan Farm had been received The information had been circulated. Clerk has checked with BB/Herefordshire Council, “It is our policy that any applicants for a diversion must consult with user groups and statutory undertakers to gain their comments prior to them completing an official application. The designated footpath route is through the farmyard, users have been invited to go around the farmyard not through it, new signage erected, and the application is to make this the designated route. Councillors resolved to support the application. Two replacement stiles obtained for footpath by Penlan Report of damage to grit bin at Ponty-Weston, BB informed Herefordshire Association Local Councils information circulated Proposed car parking charges in Hereford City, parish council had responded to the changes proposed. Herefordshire Council, report from virtual parish council meeting 23rd July, which Councillor Usher had attended, had been circulated. Glass map An offer had been received from Mr Colin Laurence to restore the glass map, outside the village hall, he would provide the materials required. Councillors thanked Mr Laurence for the offer and agreed for the work to be carried out. With the street light no longer in use Councillors agreed to consider re-location & illumination of map. Information circulated from Herefordshire Council during Coronavirus restrictions; Re-opening of play areas, forwarded to Playing Field secretary Rural Crime newsletter Annual Canvas, Electoral registrations Hereford Strategy Transport review Local Public Health Guidance for community centres, forwarded to Village Hall secretary WISH update. Agreed the date for the next meeting was October 14th 2020. No further business, the chairman thanked those who had attended & closed the meeting at 08.50pm. Signed……………………………….. Councillor T Usher October 14th 2020