MINUTES OF THE JOINT INGESTRE & TIXALL

Present:-      Mr M.Sindrey (Chairman), Mr N.Bostock, Mrs P.Parrott and Dr A.Andrews (Parish Clerk), (Parish Councillors representing Tixall)

     Mrs S.Haenelt, Mr R.Hall and Mrs N.Woodhouse (Parish Councillors representing  Ingestre)

Mr A.Young, Mr & Mrs L.Enocson, Mr A.Chetwynd, Mrs M.Collier, Mr D.Luke, Mr J.Appleton, Ms L.Dale, Mr & Mrs W.Johnston, Mr & Mrs D.Penn – Ingestre and Tixall residents

Lara Rowe - Development Manager for Ingestre Orangery HLF Project

Apologies had been received from Mrs G.Broadbent.

2019/1. Minutes of the 2018 Annual Parish Meeting. (Previously circulated)

These were taken as read as they had been circulated to everyone present at last year’s meeting, and had been available for inspection at Ingestre and Tixall respectively, last April. They were confirmed as a true record and duly signed by the Chairman.

2019/2. Annual Report of Ingestre with Tixall Parish Council. 

This report had been circulated to all households in the parish prior to the meeting and was taken as read.

2019/3. Matters arising from the Minutes and the Annual Report. 

a)    PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS ON MAY 2nd

    All the current Councillors would be standing for re-election. It was not yet known if there were any additional candidates.

b)    HS2 UPDATE

     Dr Andrews showed the Powerpoint she would be presenting to the Select Committee on May 1st regarding the Additional Provisions 2. This mainly concerned additional Temporary Utility Compounds for diverting pipelines, etc., and possible provision of Mr A.Collier's Ingestre Manor Farm land to provide 12 holes for the Golf Course to replace those being lost to HS2.

c)    FUTURE DELIVERY OF MONTHLY NEWSHEET

      This would now be by email and on the website. People were warned that it might be sent to their Junk Folder as there was now a long list of those receiving by email.

            Hard copies would still be sent to anyone who did not have internet access including Little Ingestre, Ingestre Pavilion and Tixall Gatehouse, or on special request.

d)    LOCAL SECURITY AND WHATS APP GROUP

      Local residents were encouraged to join the Ingestre & Tixall Whats App group. This had two sections: One for security alerts such as suspicious vehicles or local crimes, and one for General posts such as lost cats and local events.

     Mr Sindrey reported that a recent episode of smashed car windows appeared to be linked to Metal Detector Wars, targeting landowners who had let rival Detector Clubs onto their land.

e)    LOCAL BROADBAND UPDATE

  Most of Ingestre and Tixall now had access to Superfast Broadband, including most recently the area around Halfway Houses and St Thomas Priory. However, Holdiford Rd still not have access, despite the overhead line from Milford to the new box at Tixall Obelisk running alongside the road. The County Council had said that there were currently no plans to connect Holdiford Rd to the new box despite our protests.

2019/4.  Parish Council Finances. 

Summary annual accounts were presented, Appendix 1, and questions were invited, but there were none.

The significant reserves were to cover the cost of paying a Parish Clerk and providing them with Laptop, etc. if this became necessary. The cost of elections is also spread over the 4 years.

   There is a reserve, currently £3287 for the maintenance of the Home Farm Land at Ingestre.

2019/5   Ingestre & Tixall Church News

There would be a Chetwynd Concert at Ingestre on Tuesday May 14th at 8.30pm and a Concert by Bellini Strings at 5pm on Sunday June 9th.

There would be a combined Parish Picnic for Ingestre, Tixall and Littleworth on the Home Farm Land at Ingestre on Sunday July 14th following Morning Service at Ingestre.

Messy Church sessions were now run for Ingestre and Tixall children on some Sunday afternoons throughout the year.

2019/6   Ingestre Orangery Update.

Lara Rowe  said that she had been appointed to deliver an activity plan for the first 2 years, following which it was hoped the Orangery would become self-sustaining. Activities would include Art Exhibitions, Workshops, Performances, etc. Hansons Auctioneers would be coming on Wednesday April 10th 10am to 2pm for Valuations and would then be coming about every 2 months. On Sunday April 28th there would be a family Open Day from 11am to 3pm.

2019/7   Other Forthcoming Events

There would be a Mountain Marathon Lite & Bike Orienteering event on the weekend of May 4th and 5th. Cyclists and walkers would be finding their own routes between fixed points. They were likely to be in our area more on the Sunday.

The Lorry Skip would be at Ingestre 9 to 10am and at Tixall 10.15 to 11.15am on April 13th, June 8th, August 10th and October 12th at a total cost of £784.

2019/8  Any other Business.

a)  LYMES DISEASE

We had been warned that this was on the increase on Cannock Chase and was associated with Tick bites from ticks who had contracted the disease from the local deer. Ticks should be removed carefully, preferably using a special tool.

b)  POSSIBLE GOLF COURSE AT TIXALL

  Ingestre Park Golf Course had met with members of the Parish Council on February 14th, but had been bound to keep the proposed location confidential until the Golf Club Members had been told, which they did on March 5th. On March 6th Dr Andrews was shown details of the Golf Club meeting by a Village Hall Trustee, and these were subsequently passed to Linda Penn to inform other residents of Holdiford Rd. We received no direct communication from the Golf Club.

The problem is that the Golf Club is losing 12 existing holes to HS2 and has been told that the course will be closed for around 15 months. As playing membership is £1000 pa and there is no waiting list at neighbouring clubs, they will just leave Ingestre so they can continue playing.

The Golf Club do not like the land they have been offered by HS2 at Ingestre and have been looking at alternative sites in the area. Their preferred option is Mr & Mrs Parrot's land between Holdiford Rd and Tixall Rd, but the cost of a new 18 hole course with a new clubhouse and other facilities is likely to be considerable and there is now less money available for HS2 than previously.

The residents of Holdiford expressed their concern and strong opposition to the idea of a new golf course directly in front of them with associated problems due to increased traffic.

c)  WITHDRAWAL OF THE 841 BUS SERVICE ALONG TIXALL ROAD

This bus service is uneconomical but has previously been subsidised by the County Council. New contracts have just been agreed and ARRIVA has taken on this service from the end of April. Buses will then run from Stafford along Tixall Road to Hydrant Way and then carry on along the Weston Road. This means people will no longer be able to reach the Crematorium by bus, various foster children living in Tixall will no longer be able to get to school and residents will no longer be able to use the bus to get to work. Similarly local teenagers will no longer be able to go into town for recreation, etc. and elderly people will no longer to get to to the doctor's surgery and the dentist in Gt Haywood.  Alex Enocson kindly agreed to start a petition which would be available for people to sign on Saturday at the Produce Sale.

  There being no further business, Mr Sindrey thanked everyone for attending and the meeting closed at 8.40pm.