BEESTON PARISH COUNCIL
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING (DRAFT MINUTES)
held at Peckforton & Beeston Village Room 7.30pm 10th May 2022
present: Mike Harrison (Chair), Andrew Haydock, Tom Platt, Andrew Evans, Sandy Verity,
Apologies Gill Thexton, Daphne Weedall.
Helen Exley (Clerk)
1.Introduction & Welcome
Mike Harrison welcomed all Councillors to the meeting. Members of public were present.
- Annual Report of the Parish Council by the Chairman, Beeston Parish Council.
Looking thought the PC minutes we’ve had another busy year. Here is a summary:
Wild Boar Hotel
We have continued to try to ensure this landmark building is saved. There has been considerable communication with CW&C Planning Dept and finally in June 2021 CW&C served an Urgent Works Notice on the owners.
A combination of the original owners dragging their feet, potential new owners coming and going, delays by CW&C and bats moving in little has been achieved to protect the structure from the elements.
Tabley Homes, who finally took ownership in February, are still awaiting a Bat Licence from Natural England before they are permitted to carry out the Urgent Works.
Other Planning Matters
The PC have considered about a dozen planning applications and what impact they might have on the area. Where applicable objections / concerns were lodged with CW&C Planning Department.
Beeston Reclamation site – there have been 2 applications in the year. We expressed our concerns over the related highways implications of both development schemes. The first was refused on the grounds of being outside current planning policy. The second has not yet been determined.
The Parish Council continued their good dialogue with the developers of the old Cattle Market site who provide regular updates and are very responsive to any issues / queries put to them by the Parish Council.
Re-opening of Beeston Castle & Tarporley Station Project
After a difficult start we developed a dialogue with the Group and financially supported the Business Case report they commissioned.
Parking issues in and around Beeston Castle village
The Parish Council have worked with English Heritage and the Police to reduce the parking issues caused by the influx of visitors to the area especially during the Covid restrictions over the year.
Platinum Jubilee
We had discussions and started to plan for a Beacon Lighting on 2 June.
Highways issues
During the first nine months of the year the number of highway defects reduced considerably. Unfortunately, that cannot be said of the first three months of this year. The meetings with Highways every 4/6 weeks have helped to get things done but we still have a number of long outstanding issues to get resolved. The surveying side of the Department works well. Regrettably the delivery team does live up to its name.
Litter – Peter Wilson has continued to help reduce the amount of litter on our verges. Surprisingly, the number of reports of fly tipping has reduced.
Fallen trees – I would like to thank Tom Platt for his help clearing Deanbank and Moss Lane of trees that came down in the big storms over last winter.
Speed limit proposal – This project continued its slow progress during the year. The revisions put forward by the Parish Council were agreed by Highways but despite promises we didn’t receive the project costings in time to submit a grant application for 2021-22, the closing date being 31 January 2022.
Verge bulb planting
We undertook what I hope may become the first of a regular programme of bulb planting. Special thanks to Tom Platt for his help.
Xmas 2021
Lulu Haydock kindly added festive décor to the Village sign and the Peckforton Estate donated us a Christmas Tree which Tom Platt kindly helped erect and decorate.
Footpath issues
There have been a variety of footpath issues over the year. Footpath 19 was eventually reconnected to Moss Lane following the owner of Ivy Cottage, Moss Lane realigning his ground boundary and installing a fence between it and the footpath
Engagement with the community
The Parish Council regularly updates its website with information / matters which will be of interest / concern to residents within the Parish.
Thank you’s
Firstly, to the Peckforton & Beeston Village Room Committee for their generous donation of the defib and its storage cabinet. Tom Platt for his help fixing the unit to the old bus shelter. On the subject of the bus shelter, Tom for helping repair the roof. Finally, I’d like to thank all my fellow councillors for their contributions during the last 12 months and also Helen for her support as our clerk.
3.Statement on the Parish Council accounts for Year ending 31 March 2022 by the Clerk to the Parish Council.
We have ended the year with a healthy reserve of £7512.
Litter picking costs are slightly decreased this year with the total cost for the year at £1060.
Parish projects have been the repair to the bus shelter and the acquisition of the defibrillator kindly donated by the Peckforton & Beeston Village rooms committee, which is now situated in the bus shelter. Thank you to Tom Platt for planting bulbs around the bus shelter, for a lovely floral display in the Spring.
The Parish Council have made a donation of £500 to the reopening group of the Tarporley & Beeston Railway station, so we await news on progress.
A £200 donation was made to the British Legion and we enjoyed the lamp post poppies in the Parish for remembrance day.
As always, thanks to the Chair and Councillors for their continued support in my role as Clerk to the Parish Council.
4.To invite the public to raise any matters of interest.
Request from a member of public regarding the speeding limit issue – this will be covered in the ordinary meeting that follows on from this meeting.
Comments that the state of the exterior of the Castle grounds are not in a good state. Ivy is overgrowing on the walls and trees are leaning over and are now restricting access on the roads. The PC will pass this onto English Heritage.
Flyers for Jubilee celebrations from the Peckforton Parish Meeting Group were distributed.
The Meeting ended at 7.48pm