Stone Town Council – Estates Sub-Committee
Draft Minutes of the meeting held in the Council Chamber
at 15 Station Road, Stone, on Tuesday 17 March 2026
PRESENT:
Councillor A. Best in the Chair and
Councillors: J. Battrick, J. Hood, R. Kenney, J. Metters, J. Powell and C. Thornicroft
Officers: L. Trigg, R. Edwards, L. Fleetwood and T. Williams
By Chairman’s invitation: P. Leason
ABSENT: Councillors: L. Davies, I. Fordham, A. Mottershead and N. Powell
EST26/019 Apologies
Councillors: L. Davies, I. Fordham A. Mottershead and N. Powell
EST26/020 Declarations of Interest
None made.
EST26/021 Requests for Dispensations
None received.
EST26/022 Representations from Members of the Public
None received.
EST26/023 Minutes of Previous Meeting
RESOLVED:
That the minutes of the Estates Sub-Committee meeting held on the 13 January 2026 (Minute Numbers EST26/011 – EST26/018), be approved as a correct record.
EST26/024 Street Lighting
The Sub-Committee considered the report of the Town Clerk* which had been enclosed with the agenda for the meeting.
The Town Clerk advised the Sub-Committee that the report considered street lighting paid for by the Town Council and examined whether it should embark on a programme to update all bulbs with LED.
The lighting provided by the Town Council (some of which was thought to have been carried over from the old Urban District Council in 1974) was set out in the report, and the Council had been following a policy of replacing defective bulbs with modern LED bulbs as the need had arisen. Currently the costs of the lighting provision are £843 a year including both maintenance and electricity supply.
The Town Clerk advised the Sub-Committee that the payback period for replacing all lights with LED was six to nine years and there didn’t appear to be justification for the one off replacement of all bulbs with modern energy efficient ones. He also pointed out that the Council’s lighting provision had not been reviewed for some time and asked whether the Sub-Committee should instigate a review.
RECOMMENDED: That the Town Council continues with its current policy of exchanging traditional bulbs with LED bulbs when replacement was required.
RESOLVED: That the Town Council’s street lighting is reviewed by a task and finish working group consisting of Councillors A. Best (Co-ordinator),
R. Kenney and C. Thornicroft, who will report back to the Sub-Committee.
EST26/025
Bus Shelters
The Sub-Committee considered the report of the Town Clerk*(which had been enclosed with the agenda for the meeting) exploring the options for the Council’s provision of bus shelters.
The Town Clerk advised the Sub-Committee that the Town Council had originally owned eight bus shelters with one having since been removed. Some time ago a number of bus services were removed from Stone rendering the bus shelters on these routes redundant. At this time, a decision was made by the Council not to continue maintaining those shelters and in due course to consider their removal. No proposals have been brought forward to remove those shelters.
The Town Council has three bus shelters which serve current bus services, two in Christchurch Way and one in Eccleshall Road. The bus shelter in Eccleshall Road is in very good condition (at only around 10 years old) but the two in Christchurch Way are in need of refurbishment (including replacement of Perspex).
The Town Clerk reminded the Sub-Committee that these bus shelters had been considered some time ago and a decision taken not to refurbish them because it was expensive and they were a target for vandalism. No decision was made about their removal at that time.
As it didn’t seem likely that the bus services would be restored, a cost had been obtained to remove the four redundant bus shelters in Walton which was £1,200.
The costs of refurbishing the bus shelters in Christchurch Way was estimated to be £2,500. There was the possibility that the Perspex could be salvaged from the redundant bus shelters, if removed, and installed in these.
The Sub-Committee explored a number of options relating to removal and refurbishment of the bus shelters which included:
• The possibility that removal of the redundant shelters might be premature at the present time as the County Council was in the process of putting forward a County Transportation Plan which included the potential restoration of bus services.
• The removal of the redundant shelters would leave the ground in an unsightly condition unless making good was included in the specification.
• The Christchurch Way bus shelters if repaired may be vandalised again, wasting the Town Council’s resources.
• That the bus shelters are left for other uses such as shelter for dog walkers.
• That a working group undertakes a review of the bus shelters to determine, after an assessment of condition and local considerations, the preferred course of action.
RECOMMENDED: That a decision on the removal or future use of the four bus shelters which do not currently serve bus routes (St Vincent Road, Manor Rise, Oulton Road and Whitemill Lane) be deferred for further consideration at the next meeting once Councillors had had further time to consider the position.
RECOMMENDED: That the Eccleshall Road and Christchurch Way bus shelters be maintained as necessary but the Christchurch Way bus shelters would not have their Perspex replaced.
EST26/026 Frank Jordan Centre
The Sub-Committee considered the report of the Town Clerk* (which had been enclosed with the agenda for the meeting) examining the benefits of installing parking bay signs at the Frank Jordan Centre.
The Town Clerk advised the Sub-Committee that a one off issue with parking had instigated consideration of the parking arrangements but that this had now resolved. He also pointed out that parking bay signs would have an impact on the conservation area which was a concern.
RECOMMENDED: That the installation of parking bay signs on the perimeter walls of the Frank Jordan Centre car park are not progressed.
EST26/027 Town Council Assets
The Sub-Committee considered a list (which had been enclosed with the agenda for the meeting) of the Council’s key “external” assets and details of planned maintenance arrangements.
The Town Clerk advised the Sub-Committee that the document had been provided for information following discussions at the last meeting when there had been some questions about the assets the Town Council owned.
The document was an extract from the asset register and looked at external items only. It was noted that not all of the assets listed fall under the remit of the Estates Sub-Committee.
EST26/028 Exclusion of the Press and Public
Pursuant to the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, that the Public and Press be excluded from the meeting whilst the next items of business are discussed on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the debate.
RESOLVED: To exclude the Press and Public from the next item of business.
EST26/029
Update on Stone Station
The Town Clerk gave an update on Stone Station in respect of the extended use of the lease.
Chairman