REPORT of Defford and Besford parish council meeting.

Friendly reminders would be sent to owners of property fronting the footpath to the A4104 whose hedges were still projecting and therefore obstructing the footpath.

The clerk displayed the revised memorial model with the cross now replaced by a short column.

It was agreed to provide skips mid June. These would be free to the council but it was agreed to pay for extra skips in order to provide this facility more frequently than the twice per year free scheme. However, if the problem experienced with the last visit recurred the council would seriously consider removing the facility altogether. The scheme only works if people are sensible and do not overfill the skips.

Potholes in Harpley Road were considered to be still a hazard and remained unattended despite several approaches to WHPU.

The new fences to the sides of Abriel Railway Bridge had been provided very promptly, however, provision of gates to secure the old railway yard were proving more difficult to obtain.

As predicted the Local Plan revision exercise was progressing with no apparent change to the boundaries being proposed. It was planned that they would be deposited by the end of June with adoption of the final version following by winter 2003.

The council agreed to fund the planning application for the revisions to the village hall and Bob Bemand advised that work towards this would be undertaken in the near future.

John Monks was formally approved as the minor authorities representative on the governing body of Defford First School, subject to confirmation with Strensham parish council.