PARISH COUNCIL -- Three members of Kingstone Sports Association attended the September meeting of Kingstone and Thruxton Group Parish Council, and 10 councillors, three members of the public and district councillor Graham Morgan were also present. A questionnaire had been received from West Mercia Constabulary relating to the Best Value Review of Territorial Policing and the chairman was requested to complete and return it. Confirmation of the formation of the Lowfield Meadow Residents Association was received. Councillor Graham Morgan had attended and provided the council with brief details of the meeting. A recommendation to proceed with the donation of £1,000 to the new surgery was unanimously agreed. An appeal from the Herefordshire Lifelong Learning Partnership for £200 to allow it to issue, collect and collate information from all adult members of the village relating to educational needs, was unanimously approved.

The meeting was suspended for 10 minutes to allow the Kingstone Sports Association to present an appeal for donations relating to the new proposed sports pavilion on Seven site and the annual upkeep of the site. When the meeting reconvened, two proposals were tabled. Firstly a one-off donation of £3,000 towards the costs of the new building, and secondly, an annual donation of £1,000 towards the upkeep of the Seven site facility. Both were approved, but were subject to final confirmation after a public meeting of the village, which was scheduled for November 7. The reasons for this were that it would require an increase of the precept for several years and may require a permanent increase. The donation was also subject to the council seeing the sports association accounts and confirmation that all other monies from other organisations had/would be received. This would then be combined with a village project relating to improved footpaths.

A range of documents was received from Herefordshire Council -- the June planning bulletin, services update, programmed street works, community action planning, National Speed Campaign, Herefordshire Safety Partnership, future electoral arrangements for Herefordshire and regeneration zones. Under the environment section, details were received relating to the Herefordshire County Flood Plan, re-opening of rights of way, confirmation of the name plate for Church View, the demolition of Central Stores, t builders rubble at New Road and dog fouling -- confirmation of areas and resolution by the councillors.

Under parish matters, the group parish council discussed absences of councillors from meetings. It was confirmed that if councillors did not attend a least one meeting in six calendar months they were automatically disqualified as parish councillors with no appeal. Any councillor requiring to be absent from any meeting must inform the clerk in good time and must provide very clear reasons for their absence.

Advice from the Audit Commission was received relating to the village hall Insurance and to quality of information being received from the parish hall management committee.

The clerk was asked to contact West Mercia Constabulary at Hereford regarding policing in the Golden Valley and invite Superintendent Guy Rutter to attend the next parish council meeting to answer questions from councillors and provide up-to-date information. The next meeting will be on October 10.