Malpas Parish Council has confirmed it will donate nearly £200 to the outstanding balance to ensure the King’s Chair remains in the village.

The decision was taken at its recent monthly meeting and that the chair would be returned to the Red Lion pub, once it has undergone any future refurbishment, and a formal request for the council to act as a trustee for the chair will be made.

Councillors strongly opposed a planning application for 34 dwellings, plus a link road, on land opposite St Jospeh’s College in Tilston Road as they felt it failed to meet all requirements of the Neighbourhood Plan.

Meanwhile, Malpas Parish Council have announced a special meeting is to be held on January 22 at 7pm to re-iterate the importance of a community health hub to a proposal to build 57 houses on land off Chester Road, known as the Cockfight Field.

The site already has permission for 41 houses and a primary care centre, in a different layout, and the meeting will be confirmed via village notice boards.

However, the council supported an application to replace the shop front and supporting beam above the Malpas Chippy, Church Street, Malpas, agreeing a report drawn up by the council’s planning officer, Councillor Karen Meredith.

Other items discussed on the agenda included freezing the amount set aside for donations to local bodies at a maximum of £8,000 and it is hoped that these organisations will fundraise and eventually become self-sufficient.

The meeting raised hopes that income from the allotments will increase. At the moment an eighth allotment has just been let, leaving four still available. The council agreed to allow people to rent the allotment, not just to residents of Malpas, but also to people who lived within two miles of the parish boundary, if they also worked in Malpas.

This rule change will allow a couple who have expressed an interest to take up an allotment. The council has agreed to pay £224.52 in respect of materials to install stand pipes at the allotment site to allow allotment holders to water their crops more easily.

A locked door has been included at the site to prevent theft from the site. The rent for an allotment is £52 a year and anyone wanting to apply should contact Ruth Shackleton, council clerk, on 01948 861353 or malpaspc@hotmail.com

There is a meeting of Allotment Holders which people, at 8pm on Monday February 5 at the Old School Tea Rooms, Church Street, Malpas.

Cllr Sue Griffith is leading a group, which aims to identify and then take action to enhance and improve the appearance of the village. Sue will be identifying priorities and would welcome volunteers who want to get involved in this project. Sue can be contacted on suegriffiths26@gmail.com

The next scheduled Parish Council meeting will be at 7pm on February 12 while there is a surgery on February 5 between at 10am-midday, both at Jubilee Hall.