Linton(South) Parish Council
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting
On Monday 14 April 2025
At Linton Village Hall
Present: Cllr A Newton (Chair); Cllr M Bertenshaw; Cllr E Clark; Cllr C Cresswell; Cllr J Gough; Cllr S Jurkiewicz; Cllr A Price; Cllr R Williams.
In attendance: five members of the public; Parish Clerk Rich Hunt.
1) Apologies for absence: None, all councillors present.
2) Declarations of Interest: Cllr Newton declared an interest as the applicant in the two planning applications for St Mary’s Church Linton, 260585 and 260586. Agenda Item 6) a).
3) It was RESOLVED to agree and sign the Minutes of the meeting on 10 March 2025 as a true and accurate record with an addendum to paragraph 5) b) to read: “The Parish Council (PC) agreed to send a letter to Herefordshire Council (HCC) reinforcing a request from Professor John Lancaster for a stay of execution on demolition of the Linton Pound, to afford concerned parishioners time to secure the future of the structure or at least arrange an archaeological survey to determine its historical significance.” Cllr Newton as Chair signed the document.
4) Clerk’s Report: Following Cllr Parkes’s resignation, notice of a Councillor vacancy has been posted on local boards in accordance with HCC instruction. Applicants have until 30 April to register an interest, after which HCC will advise if an election is necessary. The Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2024-25 timetable is much the same as previous years with a deadline for completion of 31 July 2025. The PC agreed to contribute £50 towards the cost of printing a Christ Church, Gorsley, “welcome” leaflet for its ecclesiastical parish, which includes Linton, Gorsley & Kilcot and Aston Ingham civil parishes. It includes useful local information about the church, parish councils, schools, and other public facilities in the area. HCC are producing a “Parish Charter” to guide their interaction with parish councils, which includes a path for escalating and resolving issues.
5) Public Submissions:
a) The Ward Councillor and PCSO were not in attendance.
b) Parish Matters: Professor John Lancaster has sent a letter signed by 70 residents to HCC asking them to suspend the plan to demolish the Linton Pound for a minimum of 12 months to enable the implementation of a community fundraising plan to restore the structure. The PC will seek advice from HALC on the level of support it should offer this initiative. There is no registered owner of the structure, and although the PC accepts it may have historical significance, it also welcomes HCC’s efforts to ensure the area is safe.
6) Planning:
a) Current applications:
250628 – Pine House, Stoney Road, Kilcot: shed replacement ancillary to the property. It was RESOLVED unanimously to raise no objections and no comments to this application, which pertains to Aston Ingham parish.
Cllr Newton left the meeting.
250685 – St Mary’s Church, Linton: installation of a composting toilet cabin in the churchyard. It was RESOLVED, with eight in favour and one abstention, to raise no objections and no comments to this application.
250686 – St Mary’s Church, Linton: installation of a composting toilet in the churchyard. Listed Building Consent. It was RESOLVED, with eight in favour and one abstention, to raise no objections and no comments to this application.
An extension for comments on recently received application 250872 – Plot 2, Whipstocks Lane, Gorsley has been granted until 13 May to enable the PC to consider at its next meeting.
Cllr Newton returned to the meeting.
b) Applications decided since the last meeting were noted.
Cllrs Newton and Hoyle attended the online HCC National Planning Policy Framework seminars. Following a review of the information provided it was RESOLVED unanimously to delay an update of the Neighbourhood Development Plan until revised HCC Local Plan direction is understood.
7) Climate Change Working Group: An eco festival is planned for October 2025 in Gorsley Baptist Church Hall. Most, if not all, of the cost will be covered by recycling café donations. Cllr Clark will ask Gorsley School if they would like to be involved.
8) Locality Steward and highways matters:
a) Highways issues. Cllr Bertenshaw is meeting HCC representatives at the site of an “Unsuitable for HGVs” sign on Cothars Pitch, for which the PC has applied. HCC have confirmed that Traffic Restriction Order (TRO)s will be required to limit the weight of vehicles allowed to use local roads. The Locality Steward is attending to the blocked drains and gulleys at Fording Lane and Farm. The potholes on Linton Ridge have been marked for repair.
b) Bromsash speeding issues. The additional SID post has been erected, and the device is now operating from that location. The post has been added to the PC’s Assets Register. The Clerk is still waiting for an HCC response to the request to replace the 30mph signs in Bromsash that have been removed or damaged.
c) Curbing speed on B4221 in Gorsley. HCC are proceeding with the measures required to reduce speed limits on the road. They expect to complete in early 2027, following resurfacing with a red tarmac covering from the current school signs up to the edge of the village; new 30mph speed limit signs with 20mph warning for the school zone; and the removal of the centre line. The PC is committed to complementary actions. These include the installation of village gates; Cllr Clark will confirm optimum locations with HCC and Cllr Bertenshaw will consult the B4224 Strategy Group for advice. The Clerk will contact the Locality Steward about hedge cutting and the Lengthsman about verge clearing. West Mercia Police have promised periodic road speed checks by their Operations Team as commitments allow.
d) Flooding at Bromsash House/Fording Lane. The Roads Lengthsman’s team have not yet conducted the pipe repair work and installation of soakaway support baskets.
e) Shutton Crossroads. The Clerk is still waiting for HCC Traffic Management to provide quotes to erect additional road warning signs and will consult them on using the Roads Lengthsman for this work.
9) Public Rights of Way: HCC have awarded the PC £1,725 for nominated footpath works on LTR28. There were insufficient funds to approve the application for LTR35. The deadline for completion has been extended again, to 31 March 2026, but the Lengthsman has confirmed he will complete by the end of June as originally agreed. No interest has been expressed in the Linton Public Footpath Officer vacancy; this will be included on the agenda for the Annual Parish Council Meeting. Cllr Gough, as Gorsley Parish Footpaths Officer, advised that footpath LTR18 (Cockatoos Lane to Woodend Lane). is accessible, in response to parishioner reports of obstructions.
10) Lengthsman:
a) There were no Grass Lengthsman updates to report. It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve the contract for 2025-26.
b) The Roads Lengthsman has completed all the scheduled parish maintenance rounds for 2024-25, and the Clerk has submitted invoices for this work to HCC for reimbursement within the Lengthsman Scheme allocation. HCC-approved drainage works must be completed before 30 June to qualify for grant funding. HCC have still not paid the £3,120 claim for the Bromsash House drainage works despite chasers, nor have they confirmed action by their contractor on the gully clearing and cleansing as approved. It was RESOLVED unanimously to apply for the HCC Lengthsman Scheme again this year, and the Chair and Clerk signed the Agreement to submit to HCC. The scheme and funding level remain the same as last year. The PROW and Drainage schemes will also be offered again from June 2025, with details to follow in the next month or so. 11) Allotments: The maintenance contractor has completed the initial mowing of the season. The discount for advance payment of fees has been a success, with most paid. Plot 5 has been sub-divided in half, so there are now one and a half plots vacant. The PC approved the covering and treatment of the vacant plot 5) b).
12) Clerk/RFO position: As no one has come forward to fill the vacancy it was RESOLVED unanimously that the current Clerk remain in post until a replacement is found, fulfilling the duties remotely. The Clerk will examine the IT options for minute-taking and recording of meetings. Cllr Hoyle will take the minutes at the next meeting.
13) The Annual Parish Meeting (APM) will be held on 12 May at 7.00pm in Gorsley Village Hall, before the Annual Parish Council Meeting. The PC agreed an Agenda for the APM. Notice of meeting and agenda will be posted on local notice boards, and the Clerk will request the annual inputs from charities and local organisations.
14) Financial Matters:
a) Cllr Hoyle signed the Receipts & Payments reports and reconciled bank statements for 31 March 2025. There was a bank balance of £21,572.38 with a cash balance after outstanding payments and unpresented receipts of £16,959.64.
b) It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve payments to: Richard Hunt, Clerk fee & expenses £463.54; GP Property, allotments grass mowing and plot clearance £383.33; Terry Griffiths Contracts, parish roads maintenance £3,837.60; Gorsley Village Hall, hire for meetings £120.00; Welsh Water, service to allotments £92.50. Cllrs Hoyle and Williams signed the invoices.
c) The PC noted the final Budget report for 2024-25. Excluding the HCC grant schemes, which cover most of the expenditure on roads, drainage and PROW, the PC received income of: £17,642.52 and spent £19,007.52, a deficit of £1,365. This was the result of greater than anticipated expenditure on tree surgery and allotment repairs/clearance.
15) Chairman’s & Councillors’ Submissions: Nothing to report.
16) Date of next meeting: The Annual Parish Council Meeting will take place on Monday 12 May 2025 at 7:30 pm in Gorsley Village Hall. It will be preceded by the Annual Parish Meeting starting at 7.00pm.
The meeting finished at 9:23pm.