Minutes
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919
Minutes of the meeting of Stapleford Parish Council,
Held on
Thursday 20th March 2025
Waterford Village Hall at 19:30
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The meeting commenced with the following members present Cllr J Oakins (Chairperson), Cllr M Randall, Cllr R Bewick, Cllr A Roe, Cllr George.
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1. Apologies: none
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In Attendance: Danielle Houghton (parish clerk), Chris Hinchcliff (MP for North East Hertfordshire, arrived at 19:50), Cllr Joe Thomas, Denis Hill, Steven and Serena Parkhouse, Giuliana Orme, Tess and Paul Gatens, Wendy McKenna (arrived at 19:38)
2. Minutes of the meeting held on 20th of February: Signed as a true record.
3. Traffic Calming Measures:
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Cllr Oakins has summarised the issues to MP Hinchliff. The power to declassify the A119 lies with the County Council. While introducing safety cameras is an option, it is costly in terms of purchasing, maintenance, and monitoring. It might be possible to collaborate with the police to check the speed in the area. The two villages need to agree on the desired outcome, whether it be declassification or another solution. MP Hinchliff has suggested that he could get involved to help achieve the desired outcome.
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4. Rat running off the main road:
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Residents have outlined some issues regarding traffic calming on Vicarage Lane. Due to new developments on Sacombe Road, traffic on Vicarage Lane is sometimes immovable. The suggestion is not to make it one-way, but possibly to have timed entry to the road or close it to vehicles. County Councillors receive a £90k budget each year to organize works, and a sign for access only would cost £10k. MP Hinchliff has suggested supporting the cost with precept funds. A specific suggestion needs to be made to the county council so that Chris can assist with the request. The Clerk has asked residents to publicise the website so they can email their thoughts on the road, which can then be merged and formally presented to the council.
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5. Waterford Village Hall:
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Four years ago, the Waterford Recreation Committee submitted plans for improvements to the village hall. There hasn't been any progress on this as there is no time limit on approvals once they have passed the statutory 18 weeks. Cllr Thomas has been in contact with the planning department to understand where the application stands. The key complaint regarding the planning application was/is from the Environment Agency.
6. Stapleford Village Hall: A replacement hall is needed as the building is well over a 100 years old.
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7. Waterford Marsh: Cllr Oakins have applied for the trees on the marsh to have a resurvey to ensure they are kept safe and don’t pose a risk to passers by. The cattle should return by May 2025, and the solar panels.
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8. Stapleford Playing Field: Cllr Oakins to contact Cliff Ward to start the maintenance on the area, then to work on the area fortnightly.
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9. Parish Council Website: Website updates given to residents.
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10. Internet Banking: Internet banking is supported and payments have been made.
11. Correspondence:
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Bidwells are conducting some tree surveys, may or may not be selected for this
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Company that conducts play area maintenance has gotten in touch
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March HCC Stakeholder Bulletin.
12. Finance and accounts
The council is asked to approve/note the following payments:
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D Houghton Salary £284.50
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Clerk Quarterly Expenses £94.57
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Waterford Hall Hire £15.00
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Bidwells Playing Field Rent £65.00
RECEIPTS
BALANCES
Current Account – £17,137.36 as of 20.03.2025
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13. Planning:
New Applications: None
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Decisions: None
Informational:
Cllr Thomas: Residents should have received information regarding their council tax on bin collections.
Resident: Clerk to chase up the issues on the layby in Stapleford
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Date of next meeting: The Parish Council will meet on 17th April 2025 at Stapleford Village Hall, at 7.30pm.
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