This was the last meeting of the Parish Council year. The next meeting will be our Annual Meeting to be held at 7.30pm on 10^th May in Cradley Village Hall

The lack of action by Herefordshire Council on Vinesend Lane continues to concern us. Each month sees further deterioration in its condition. We also considered the Council’s reply to our request for safety markings on the kerbs near the school to be unsatisfactory. Our Clerk will be writing once more to press the case.

We were alarmed at the report of vandalism on the Buryfields Playing Field. The hinges to the field gate have been damaged beyond repair, hardly the act of children for whom this play area is intended. The Playing Fields’ Committee is already intending to fence the public footpath away from the play area and had now been charged with undertaking a "hearts and minds" communications exercise to combat the vandalism and promote the children’s interests. In the meantime would dog owners crossing the Playing Field please note that dogs should be restricted to the footpaths, not allowed to roam at will, and please clear up after your dog!

Just what should be the basis of the Parish Council’s support? As a burial authority we must see to it that the churchyards -- of St James the Great in Cradley, St John the Evangelist in Storridge, and the Cradley Chapel – are kept in good order as open spaces, where parishioners may wander freely should they wish. Storridge Parochial Church Council feels we are not giving sufficient support. In response, the Churchyards Committee has been asked to review the basis for our decision-making.

BT is happy for the Council to take on the maintenance costs of this payphone! However, the Council felt that to pay the £460 charge per annum that would be levied by BT was not in the parish’s best interests. BT will now remove the payphone.

A lively meeting was held on 30 March to respond to Herefordshire Planners for our views of the recent planning application. We were very pleased to have over 60 people at the meeting, many of whom contributed their views on the application. The Council’s response is too long to be repeated here but it can be read, in full, in the copy of the Planning Committee minutes held at Cradley Post Office and Stores.

The plan has now reached the Inquiry stage. Roger Gill and Sally Ramsden represented the Parish Council (and others) at the hearing on the plans for Cradley. We were pleased at the way Herefordshire Council had taken on board the Village Design Statement both in their recent amendments to the draft plan and in their responses to the Inspector, Mr Andrew S Freeman. Whether we made a sufficient impact to retain the current Settlement Boundaries or to extend the HBA09 status on the Glebe land we shall have to wait and see.

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The Agenda for Parish Council meetings is displayed at Finchers Corner, the Butchers, the Post Office and on the notice board at Storridge Village Hall at least 3 clear days before each meeting. Copies of the minutes for the last 2 years are held at Cradley Post Office.

Mrs M Barnett, Clerk to the Council, can be contacted on 01531 635 103.

Sally Ramsden