MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF BILLINGTON AND LANGHO PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON
Monday, 27th October 2025 at 7.15pm
AT THE COMMUNITY HALL
PRESENT
Parish Councillors. Brian Haworth, Martin Hincks (acting Chair) , Eva McPrice, Katie Swingewood, Michael Collins, Cllr Tony Austin. Cllr Steve Farmer, Dennis Johnson and John Aspden
In attendance –1 members of the public and R Greenwood clerk
ITEM 1 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
There were no apologies for absence
ITEM 2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
- Register of Interests – Councillors were reminded of the need to update their register of interests.
- No members disclosed a personal interest in any matter to be discussed at the meeting.
ITEM 3 ACCEPTANCE OF THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING
3.1 Minutes of the meeting held 29th September 2025 were accepted and signed as a true record.
ITEM 4 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
4.1 A member of the public attended regarding the boundary fence at Langho Playground. The fence has blown down and needs to be repaired. The parish council had had a living hedge but the developers have installed a full wooden fence. Proposed MC and seconded DJ. It was resolved to replace the posts only.
ITEM 5 PLAYGROUNDS
5.1 No report was received from the Lengthsman.
5.2The RoSPA report has been received. Quotes are being sought for the work that needs to be undertaken. The work is being split between three sections, the metal work, the cleaning work and the wood works.
5.3 Bollards – the replacement bollards are due for installation at the entrance to Langho Playground. This work is being undertaken by RVBC,
ITEM 6 ACCOUNTS
6.1 The following cheques were presented for payment.
| Cheque 202679 | Langho Playground hedge trimming with James O Garnett | £180.00 |
| Cheque 202680 | RVBC grass cutting through Billington and Langho | £2520.17 |
| Cheque 202681 | British Legion for the Poppy Wreath | £20.00 |
| Cheque 202682 | Travel | £25.46 |
| Cheque 202683 | October HMRC Employer NIC | £20.97 |
| Cheque 202684 | April to Sept HMRC Employer NIC | £141.42 |
| Cheque 202685 | Employee PAYE | £10.40 |
| Cheque 202686 | Clerk salary | £546.43 |
| Cheque 202687 | Groundsman Old Langho Church | £250.00 |
| Cheque 202688 | RoSPA playground inspection | £240.00 |
6.2 The bank reconciliation and cash flow was presented.
6.3 Tony Gaffney of Wilpshire PC contacted the parish council requesting that the installation of a steel gate to access the landscape feature Tin Men. At present there is a stile in situ and this is in a poor state. Proposed MH seconded BH. It was resolved to pay for the steel gate.
ITEM 7 PLANNING
7.1 The following applications were received and considered.
| 3/2025/0685 | Field Barn, Old Langho | no objections | |
| 3/2025/0763 | Cunliffe House Farm | no objections | |
| 3/2025/0845 | The Village Hall, Franklin Hill | no objections |
7.2 An enforcement notice has been issued to Raja Farm but this has been appealed. The only permitted development on this land is crop growth or animal husbandry. APP/T2350/C/25/3374492 is the planning inspectorate reference.
7.3 RVBC has issued a call for sites. The Call for Sites exercise is the start of the process of auditing land availability by inviting landowners, developers and other stakeholders to put forward sites which they consider would have the potential either for future development as local plan allocations or could, for example, be protected for open space provision or nature recovery. The parish council can not comment on these submitted sites until the information has been collated in a few months time.
7.4 Langho Football Club has been selected to development as a 4G pitch. There are existing issues with parking and the lack of suitable footpaths these will need to be addressed in order to ensure compliance with the Football Associations regulations.
ITEM 8 HIGHWAY
8.1 The footpath starting at Victoria Terrace to St Augustine School has been reported to LCC Highways and on the Love Clean Streets App due to being too narrow for pedestrians to move along it without safely. The reference for the report is 702357
8.2 There has been no response regarding the wagon reported at that last meeting. The clerk to continue trying to contact the firm responsible.
8.3 The A59 has had an overnight road closure but no visible work has been undertaken. The road and closures are to be monitored.
8.4 It was resolved to share road closure notices across all local social media platforms.
8.5 There have been two witnessed road traffic accidents at Old Langho as a direct result of the lack of visibility caused by the scaffolding at Keepers Cottage. The clerk to write to Highways and Planning Enforcement.
8.6 The grass verge on the green at Old Langho are being damaged by vehicles parking for the Black Bull Public House, the clerk to write to the Black Bull as they have planning permission for an extended car park.
ITEM 9 YORK TIPPING AND BURNING
9.1 The illegal burning is with Environmental Health Officer Andrew Dent. All incidents witnessed are asked to be reported to the Police and to Environmental Health.
ITEM 10 OFFICERS REPORT
10.1 Cllr Austin is to attend the LALC AGM
10.2 The Remembrance Parade at a recent meeting RVBC and the Police insisted that a traffic management system was put in place, this will cost in the region of an unattainable £1,000 Cllr Austin has written to the Police Commission and the MP expressing his dissatisfaction with this. The meeting had sited Martyn’s Law regarding this but as this is a non-ticketed Remembrance Day parade and service for under 800 attendees it is generally considered to fall outside the direct requirements of Martyn’s Law. The guidance from the Home Office and SIA is incomplete as not all areas for regulation have been finalised.
10.3 The clerk attended training via NALC for Martyn’s Law – guidance and further training is to be provided as the legislation is formalised. The clerk also attended training regarding new legislation and best practice for audit, insurance, IT accessibility and asset regulations.
ITEM 11 FLOOD CONCERNS AND UPDATE
11.1 No items were discussed.
ITEM 12 DEVOLUTION
12.1 Cllrs Farmer and Austin have attended meetings with RVBC regarding this. There is nothing new to report.
.ITEM 13 DATES OF NEXT MEETING. All at 7.15pm.
| 24th November 2025 | 29th June 2026 |
| 26th January 2026 | 27th July 2026 |
| 23rd February 2026 | 28th September 2026 |
| 30th March 2026 | 26th October 2026 |
| 27th April 2026 | 30th November 2026 |
| AGM 25th May 2026 |
The meeting closed at 20.30hrs
