Parish Minutes Archive

Website
This is still basic. Jon has spoken to Peter Marquis about a link to the Castle website. The village notice board will be used to alert people to the website and the option of advertising Parish events on it. There was some discussion on using Facebook for Parish communications instead of/as well as the dedicated website. (Jon will look into this and will look at Peace Cycles’ website to update information on 2017 cycling events.)
Notice board
Jon suggested that a larger notice board should be set up as the existing one, though a normal size, is permanently full. (All to ask around re a carpenter and cost and report back at the next meeting.)
Powers and responsibility of the Parish meeting
Jon suggested that we obtain information on what are our responsibilities and powers within the Parish meeting. This could be disseminated at the AGM. (Jane to look into this). It was also suggested that Veronica could give a short talk on the history of the Parish meeting at the AGM. (Veronica to comment).
Defibrillator
Jon suggested that we instigate fund raising for a village defibrillator and first-responder training in its use. It could possibly be housed in the telephone box. (Jon to look into all aspects of this and report back.)

NHS Shropshire
Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust will probably soon announce its preferred decision re the closing of an A &E at either Telford or Shrewsbury Hospitals. Several Parish Councils have been involved in this decision. Jon suggested canvassing Parish opinions during the period of consultation following the announcement of the decision. If the decision is delayed, this could be done at the AGM. If sooner, then another method of canvassing or an extraordinary meeting will be needed. (Jon to follow up on this and alert us when the decision is announced.)

Next meeting

Feb 2017 at Upper House Farm at 7.30 pm. Date to be decided.

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Hopton Castle Parish Meeting 25th May 2016

Present

John Williams (Vice-Chair)

Anne Williams (Treasurer)

Veronica Mellings

Jane Stirling (Clerk)

Sue Williams

Apologies

Jon Allen

Guest

Jonathon Dean

Minutes

Minutes of the meeting held on 27^th April 2016 were agreed by all and signed by the Vice-Chair, John Williams.

Matters arising

The felled ash tree at Wallop Cottage has not been removed, but this is up to the residents as it lies fully on their land.
The outcome of the planning hearing about poultry units at Hopton Heath is not known.
The Forestry Commission and Environmental Agency have not yet met with John Williams re the clearing of cattle grids on White Hill. Veronica promised to look into it.
Leaflets disseminated by Veronica improved attendance at the AGM.

Elections

John Williams was confirmed as Chair.
Jane Stirling proposed Veronica as Vice-Chair (seconded by Anne Williams).

Correspondence

None.

AOB

The pot hole on the road by Veronica’s house has become deeper.

Next meeting

4^th October 2016 at Upper House Farm at 7.30 pm.

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Minutes of Parish Council AGM 25th May 2016
HOPTON CASTLE PARISH AGM

Minutes of the AGM held on 25th May 2016

Present

John Williams (Vice-Chair)

Anne Williams (Treasurer)

Jane Stirling (Clerk)

Veronica Mellings

Guests

Alison Jackson

Richard Jackson

Ted Laidlar

Peter Marquis

Jonathon Dean

Mel Simpson

Apologies

Jon Allen

Minutes

Minutes of the AGM meeting of 18th May 2015 were read aloud and agreed by Anne Williams and Veronica Mellings and signed by the Vice-Chair.

Matters arising

None

Financial statement

There is no bank statement as John Williams still has to sign the papers to re-open the bank account. However, a cheque for £354.79 will be deposited as soon as possible. £27.93 owed to Ted Laidlar for various repairs to the notice board will then be paid.
John proposed leaving the precept at zero for this year. This was seconded by Anne Williams and agreed by all.
Elections

Sue Williams was nominated by Veronica Mellings (seconded by Anne Williams). Jane Stirling was nominated by Anne Williams (seconded by Alison Jackson). There were no other nominees and Sue and Jane agreed to become members.

Chairman’s report to the Parish Meeting AGM

As Vice-Chair, I took over the Parish Meeting in October 2015 during Brian’s illness. I’d like to take this opportunity on behalf of the committee to say that Brian, who passed earlier this year, will be sadly missed. Over the past years, he worked hard for the parish in his capacity as Chair, resolving many issues such as road repair, as well as rallying residents into voluntary action on local projects. As a result of his illness, the meetings scheduled for October 2015 and February 2016 were cancelled.

Several long-standing issues continued to feature in our discussions in 2015-16.

Telecommunications

Fibre optics has finally arrived in Hopton Castle as far as Clay Fields and can be accessed through a 2-year contract with BT.
Hopefully, the NPower issue will be resolved shortly as the cables put in in 1953 are ‘shot’. 3-phase is needed to provide sufficient power to meet the parish needs.
Highways

The dead ash tree at Wallop cottage has finally been felled.
The wet winter rendered the lane at the upper end of the village very muddy and this will need to be brought to the attention of Highways.
However, resurfacing has been carried out on Twitchen Lane, which will be good for car suspensions.
Stream

The stream has been problem-free over the past 12 months.
Cycling

There have been no issues with cycling events in Hopton Forest, which appear to be well-managed by Pearce Cycles.
Planning

The committee continues to monitor planning applications. Nothing contentious was noted over the current period.
As Chairman, I will continue to monitor planning applications on line on a weekly basis in response to concerns expressed by residents and place notices on the notice board and website where appropriate.
Membership

My thanks go to all the members of the Committee for their help and support over the past year.
Any other business

Veronica Mellings reminded us that the deep potholes in the road by Upper House Farm, in Twitchen Lane, and from Bury Cottage to Llanhowell have not yet been viewed by ‘Highways’.
Alison Jackson asked (on behalf of Anne Cosby) whether the Council would organise strimming of the verges this year. John replied that they come once a year.
It was requested that a paper copy of the minutes be placed on the village notice board. This was agreed to and Jane Stirling will place a draft on the board once John Williams gives provisional approval.
Jon Allen requested direction on the parish website in terms of the extent of its coverage of village/parish affairs. It was agreed that the website should cover any parish event of interest and that it could be linked to other web sites, such as the castle web site
Next AGM

24th May 2017

HOPTON CASTLE PARISH AGM MEETING

Minutes of the AGM held on 18^th May 2015

Present

Brian Kingshott (Chair)

Anne Williams (Treasurer)

Jane Stirling (Clerk)

John Williams (Vice-Chair)

Veronica Mellings

Jon Allen

Minutes

Minutes of the AGM meeting of 6^th May 2014 were read aloud and agreed (proposed by Anne Williams, seconded by John Williams) and signed by the Chair.

Matters arising

None

Financial statement

Anne Willams has re-opened the Barclays’ account after it was closed by the bank due to lack of use. However, Brian Kingshott will visit Barclays to ensure the cheque received after closure is paid in (it may be out of date). Anne Williams reported no change in the parish finances, which remain at £354.79. No precept will be requested (proposed John Williams, seconded Anne Williams).

Elections

The Chair proposed that all members be re-elected in their current posts. Veronica Mellings seconded the proposal and all agreed. Two further members are required by co-option. The clerk will post a notice on the noticeboard.

Chairman’s report to the Parish meeting AGM

This has been another quiet year for the Parish Meeting. We have continued to monitor our long-standing issues and to deal with them within the limited powers enjoyed by a parish meeting. We have met formally on three occasions to discuss routine matters and also issues of immediate interest.

Highways

The serious flooding, which was a preoccupation in 2013-14, was not repeated in 2015. This was partly through lower rainfall and partly through the remedial measures taken by County Highways. Ian Martin at Craven Arms has always tried to deal with our concerns and has taken steps through the year to ensure that storm water can be dissipated quickly. Some repairs of potholes have been undertaken but the condition of Twitchen Lane and Bedstone Lane are now causing serious concern with large holes opening up.
Road verges through the village were left uncut for long periods in the summer of 2014 and we drew this to the attention of Highways. Several residents keep considerable roadside sections tidy but there are still areas which are below standard and where traffic visibility is impaired. Self-help may well be the way forward given the limited funding available to Shropshire Council.
Drainage at the north end of the village, close to Upper House Farm, is still a cause of considerable concern. The road has suffered badly from flowing water which leaves considerable quantities of mud and is very inconvenient for residents. The old drainage system needs early renewal and we continue to talk to County Highways about this.
Traffic speeds through the village are still a cause of concern.

Cycling

Pearce Cycles continues to run a programme of events and uplifts are accessed from Bedstone Lane. While these are not generally welcome they are well-organised and have no lasting impact. The organisers are responsive to comments and make donations to the churches in Bedstone and Hopton Castle and to the village hall. In general there seems to be less activity from cyclists.
Forest Enterprise has filed the list of events and uplifts for the current year. This is observant of the agreed guidelines.

Planning

The committee continues to monitor planning applications. Nothing contentious was noted over the current period within the Parish but the application to build poultry units at Hopton Heath has caused considerable concern. The opposition is driven by Clungunford Parish Council and several Hopton Castle residents have become involved in the consultation in a private capacity. It now seems that the application has cleared all the hurdles and will be approved.
The Chairman continues monitoring planning applications on-line on a weekly basis in response to concerns expressed by residents, and places notices on the board where appropriate. There are currently no planning applications.

Broadband

There finally seems to be action on installing fibre optic broadband. Poles and electronic gear have appeared around the village but connection to individual properties is still not assured. Information is available on-line at “connecting Shropshire”.

Precept

Yet again the Parish Meeting has been able to avoid levying a precept. No works have been identified on which money should be spent. Minor repairs to the noticeboard have been done voluntarily and any cost will be covered by members themselves. The newspaper box is also causing concern.

Footpaths

We have continued to monitor and maintain footpaths within the Parish and we are grateful to Ted Laidlar.

Membership

I must again express my thanks to all the members of the Committee for their help and support over the past year. Jackie Weaver resigned during the year on leaving the village and we are grateful for all she did. Special thanks must go to Jane Stirling for agreeing to continue as Clerk in a non-elected role. We have two vacancies and would ask anyone interested in joining the Committee to contact the Chair or Clerk. Of course, any member of the public is always welcome to attend our meetings.

Any other business

Veronica Mellings brought up the matter of deep potholes in the road by Upper House Farm, Twitchen Lane, and from Bury Cottage to Llanhowell. The holes are not always visible and thus may be dangerous. Some repairs have been carried out on Twitchen Lane. Veronica also mentioned a potentially dangerous branch hanging from an ash tree on a sharp bend just before Obley. The Chair will contact Highways about these problems.
John Williams reported on the status of 3-phase electricity. Progress is held up by one household, which has not signed a waiver for access to their land.
Anne Williams suggested that a BT representative be invited to speak to parishioners about broadband installation in Hopton Castle.
The notice board in the village is in need of repair. This and the newspaper box will be repaired by a friend of the Chair.

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HOPTON CASTLE PARISH MEETING

Minutes of the Parish Meeting held on 18^th May 2015

Present

Brian Kingshott (Chair)

Anne Williams (Treasurer)

Jane Stirling (Clerk)

John Williams (Vice-Chair)

Veronica Mellings

Jon Allen

Minutes

Minutes of the meeting 19^th January 2015 were read aloud and agreed (proposed by Anne Williams, seconded by John Williams) and signed by the Chair.

Matters arising

Stream maintenance: The Environmental Agency has advised that as the stream is fast-flowing it does not require digging out. Because of the protected shrimps downstream, John Williams must ask permission before embarking on any future clearance of the stream bed.
Roadside vegetation overgrowth in the village will be strimmed by a parishioner (Martin) on a voluntary basis.
The Chair will discuss issues of flooding onto the lane near Upper Farm House with Ian Martin.
Dog issues in the village remain under control.
The events list for Pearce Cycling has been posted on the notice board. It appears to be cyclists unassociated with Pearce Cycles that are causing problems by fast driving through the village.
Jane Stirling will contact Ted Laidlar to get an update on footpath maintenance in the parish.
The Chair has consulted with Shropshire County Council and no precept will be requested this year. (See AGM minutes.)
The installation of fibre optics is progressing, but there is no information on which households will be connected or when connections will be made.
Despite opposition, planning for poultry units in Clungunford parish has apparently been approved.
New members are needed for the parish meeting committee. Jane Stirling will post a notice on the board.

AOB

None

Next meeting

October 2015. Date TBC.

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HOPTON CASTLE PARISH MEETING

Minutes of the meeting held on 11^th March 2014

Present

Brian Kingshott (Chair), Anne Williams (Treasurer), Jane Stirling (Clerk), Veronica Mellings, Jackie Weaver

Apologies

Jon Allen, Ted Laidlar, John Williams (Vice Chair)

Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of 24^th September 2013 were read, agreed by all and signed by the Chair, Brian Kingshott.

Finance

Anne Williams reported no change to finances.
She has not yet received a letter from the audit agency, Mazar, which is due soon.
The need or otherwise for a precept was discussed. It was decided that repairs to the noticeboard (see below) should be funded by donation rather than a precept. The Chair proposed against a precept request. This was seconded by Anne Williams and agreed by all.

Highway issues

Brian Kingshott has contacted Ian Martin several times about the damage caused to local roads by the recent flooding. Road damage remains an ongoing issue.
Flooding near to the castle may have been caused by a blocked mesh fence acting as a dam. Unblocking this has helped to improve the situation.
A dip in the road along Bedstone Lane was flooded and impassable for some time during the rains. The problem was a broken pipe. Ian Martin and council workers have resolved the situation.
The high water table has caused potholes to develop along the lane in the lower end of Hopton Castle. These have been filled.
Flooding has also caused problems along Twitchen Lane and some repairs have been made. Resolution of a problem with a drain under this road is ongoing.
Erosion of the road at the top of Hopton Castle (near the Melling’s house) has caused a ditch to develop that could cause problems to cars. The Chair will contact Ian Martin about this and the above issues.

Footpaths

Ted Laidlar was not available to report on footpath issues. He should be contacted should any issues with local footpaths arise.

Flooding

See above (Highway issues).
Streams are running higher than in ever before in local memory and some streams have changed course.

Cycling

No problems have arisen since the last parish meeting.

Dog fouling

No problems currently.

Website

Jackie Weaver reported that the website is up to date, but requested details of village events to upload. These will be emailed to Jackie by Brian Kingshott. In addition, he will ‘advertise’ in the church magazine for photos, comments and events from parishioners.

Planning

No applications to discuss.

3-phase electrics

No update from John Williams.

Correspondence

Jon Allen asked that information be sought on whether Hopton Castle has been included in discussions on the provision of faster broadband to rural Shropshire (Open Reach). The Bucknell exchange has been included in the list of those benefitting, but does this include Hopton Castle? (Contact made subsequent to the meeting but no assurance was made.)Jon Allen offered to lobby for the inclusion of Hopton Castle if necessary. Brian Kingshott will contact ‘Connecting Shropshire’ to put these queries.

AOB

Jackie Weaver will use her carpentry skills to repair the village notice board.
AGM and next meeting: Tuesday 6th May 2014, 7.00, Bedstone and Hopton Castle Village Hall.

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Minutes of meeting held on September 24th 2013

Present

Brian Kingshott (Chair), John Williams (Vice-Chair), Anne Williams (Treasurer), Jane Stirling (Clerk), Veronica Mellings, Jackie Weaver

Apologies

Jon Allen

Resignation

Lorraine Barrass-Evans has moved to France and has resigned from the Parish Meeting.

Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of 7^th May 2013 were read, agreed by all and signed by the Chair, Brian Kingshott.

Updates

3-phase electrics: John Williams has not had clarification of the project from the suppliers of 3-phase electrics, but has received unconfirmed information that a pole will be set up in one of his fields (permission needed) and that the electric cables will then run underground through Hopton Castle. Anne Williams has seen a ‘vague map’ of the project.
Dog faeces: The problem of dog faeces in the village has largely abated and it was agreed that there was no need for ‘dog poo’ bins in the village.
Highways: There has been some success with highway matters. Brian reported that the following had been carried out: 1. the railings outside of the cottages have been painted; 2. a new lid has been provided for Gwen’s drain and a new drain will be put in at a later date. The drain should prevent rain water pouring through the village; 3. repairs, including the filling of pot holes, have been carried out in Twitchen Lane. Brian Kingshott will contact Ian Martin to check the positioning of a drain in Twitchen Lane and other matters.
Cycling in Hopton Woods: The cycling events appear to be well policed. There are still some problems with cars speeding through the village.
Footpaths: Edward Laidlar has been made Parish Path Warden for Hopton Castle Parish with the support of a scheme administered by Shropshire County Council. A notice inviting the reporting of any issues regarding stiles, paths and way markers has been posted on the village notice board and will be posted on the Parish web site. Ongoing or recently-completed projects include strimming of the sunken path at the start of the walk from the Twitchen road out of Hopton Castle to the Llano road and extensive works (started 9th September) to open up the footpath from Upper Lye past Great Hagley Farm. The latter includes a new sleeper bridge, three kissing gates, and clearance of scrub and undergrowth.
Web site: The Parish web site is almost ready for launch. It comprises a home page and links to parish meeting minutes (current and past), cycle events in Hopton Woods, ‘helpful links’ and information, village events, and contact. Jackie Weaver will purchase the website name (www.hoptoncastleparish.co.uk) and will be reimbursed by meeting members. The website’s launch will be publicised on the notice board and in the church magazine. A request for items for the agenda of the next meeting will be posted on the web site. A link will also be set up to the Hopton Castle Preservation Society and to the church website.

AOB

Next meeting: 19^th February 2014, 7.30, Park Cottage.

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Minutes of the AGM held on 8th May 2013

Minutes of the AGM meeting 8th May 2012 were read aloud; agreed (proposed by Jon Allen; seconded by Anne Williams) and signed by the Chair.

Present

Brian Kingshott (Chair), John Williams (Vice-Chair), Anne Williams (Treasurer), Jane Stirling (Clerk), Jon Allen, Jackie Weaver

Apologies

Veronica Mellings, Lorraine Barrass-Evans

Guests

Ted Laidlar, Peter Marquis, Wendy Petford, Kim Petford, Unknown

Financial statement

Anne Williams reported no change in the parish finances, which remain at £354.79.

Chairman’s report to Parish Meeting AGM

This has again been a busy year for the Parish Meeting. We have had an increase in the active membership of the committee which is most welcome. Several long-standing issues have continued to feature in our discussions. Of course, a Parish Meeting has only very limited powers and is dependent upon voluntary action by residents or by what Shropshire Council can be persuaded to do.

Highways

The state of the road drainage has been raised at regular intervals with Shropshire Highways (individual residents have also made their own representations). It is a pity that all the remedial work discussed in 2012 was not fully progressed; we continue to press for this to be done.
The very severe winter weather accelerated the deterioration of road surfaces throughout the parish. Numerous potholes appeared, some of which have subsequently been patched. The lane to Twitchen deteriorated very seriously and limited remedial work has improved matters a little. An important road surface drain remains blocked. Surface drainage close to Upper House still needs attention. On the plus side, the clearance of snow was performed quickly and efficiently.
Several residents have been concerned about the safety aspects of some larger trees. The Council’s arboricultural advisor has surveyed these and submitted a lengthy report declaring them to be safe. The large ash tree close to the road where it crosses the stream on Bedstone Lane has been felled by the adjacent landowner.
The County Council’s safety signage officer agreed to erect advisory 30 mph signs, following the vote in favour at the 2012 Parish Meeting AGM. All approaches to the village now have these, although driver observance has been patchy.

Cycling

Management of cycling events has been monitored and is generally satisfactory. There has been a decrease of cycling traffic on Bedstone Lane but an increase on the main road through the village, probably the result of course alterations in the woods. Subsequent litter can be a problem but is only at the minor irritation level. The use of the p.a. system at events can still be intrusive and complaints have been filed with the organisers.
b. Forest Enterprise has now filed the list of events and uplifts for the current year. These seem to be within the agreed guidelines.

Planning

The committee continues to monitor planning applications. Nothing contentious was noted over the current period.
The Chairman continues weekly on-line monitoring of planning applications in response to concerns expressed by residents and places notices on the board where appropriate.

Broadband
Broadband coverage remains poor. Individual complaints to BT have generally resulted in an improved service.

Website

It has been agreed that a Parish website would be very welcome and it will be followed up.

Membership

I must again express my thanks to all the members of the Committee for their help and support over the past year. Special thanks must go to Jane Stirling for agreeing to continue as Clerk in a non-elected role.

Re-election of members

The following members/officers were due for re-election: Brian Kingshott (Chair), John Williams (Vice-Chair), Veronica Mellings and Anne Williams (Treasurer). No new candidates had been put forward. Jackie Weaver proposed that the members be re-elected to their current positions. This was seconded by Jon Allen.

AOB

Letter from Mrs Ann Crosby, representing the views of several parishioners, regarding dog fouling in the village. The problem had been brought to the attention of the meeting in 2012 and had diminished thereafter. However, according to the letter, dog fouling has recently increased constituting a potential public health hazard. Anti-fouling notices are in place around the village. If the issue is not resolved ‘further measures’ may be taken. Jane Stirling to discuss with dog owner.
Ted Laidlar has recently become the footpath warden for Hopton Castle and surrounding area. As warden, he is responsible for walking the footpaths and requesting maintenance help where needed from the County Council. Ted Laidlar will put up a notice in the village to notify parishioners of his role. All parishioners are welcome to contact Mr Laidlar with any footpath issues via helpful-links and information page .
- Anne Williams requested stiles along footpaths crossing farmland. There have been recent instances of gates being left open by walkers.
- Brian Kingshott offered to deal with hawthorn that is blocking a path near to the wooden bridge.
Jon Allen will contact Shire Hall to see if a template for the Parish website exists. The website will be interactive. Costs will be put before the Parish Meeting prior to incurrence.
It has been requested that the Parish Meeting minutes be displayed on the village notice board. Jane Stirling will do this following approval of minutes by Brian Kingshott.
White railings adjacent to cottages (by George Morris) require attention. Brian Kingshott will ask the local road foreman, Ian Martin, if anything can be done.

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HOPTON CASTLE PARISH MEETING Minutes of the meeting held on 7^th May 2013

Present

Brian Kingshott (Chair), John Williams (Vice-Chair), Anne Williams (Treasurer), Jane Stirling (Clerk), Jon Allen, Jackie Weaver

Apologies

Veronica Mellings, Lorraine Barrass-Evans

Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of 26^th February 2013 were read aloud, agreed (proposed Jackie Weaver, seconded Anne Williams) and signed by the Chair, Brian Kingshott.

The following updates to the minutes were made by the Chair:

The ash tree opposite the castle entrance that caused safety concerns has been cut down.
John Williams has sought information from the suppliers of 3-phase electrics, but has, as yet, received no reply.
The need for ‘dog poo’ bins will be assessed during the summer.
John Williams has cleaned the cattle grid separating his field from Hopton Forest. The Forestry Commission has promised to clean it ‘in due course’.
Brian Kingshott contacted Pearce Cycles with regard to rubbish left in Hopton Woods (potentially by cyclists).
Jon Allen will look into setting up a Parish website.

Re-election of officers

Chair: Brian Kingshott

Vice-Chair: John Williams

Treasurer: Anne Williams

Proposed by Jon Allen and seconded by Jackie Weaver.

Jane Stirling was re-appointed as clerk.

AOB

Next meeting: 10^th September 2013, 7.30, Parke Cottage.

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