Minutes of the meeting held on April 10th, 2003 at 7.30pm in the Club

 

Present: Cllr Mike Gover (Chairman)
Cllr Michael Binns (Vice-Chairman)
Cllr Helen Marshall
Cllr Andrew Wheatstone
Cllr Malcolm Willetts

In attendance:
Cllr Mark Wheeler
Cllr Pair Fairbank

Parish Clerk Stephen Cohen

1.        Apologies for absence

Accepted from Cllr Irene Greaves.

2.        Questions from the floor

There were no questions from the floor.

3.        Minutes of the meeting held on March 13th

The minutes were agreed as a correct record.

4.        Matters arising
        1. Mr Oswald Smith would be happy to perform the opening ceremony of new seats in the recreation ground.
        2. Castle Coaches: Cllr Wheatstone said he would find out the cost of travel on their buses.
        3. Offer of donated seat: It was agreed to contact Mrs Susan Watson to see if she would be prepared to pay for the removal of the old concrete seat on White Hill Lane White Hill Lane
        4. Annual Parish Meeting: NYCC area traffic manager had accepted the invitation to speak at the meeting.
        5. The Clerk was asked to press for a reply from NYCC about the annual lighting maintenance contract.
        6. Street light numbers: Cllr Willetts requested a copy of a map showing the location of the lights.
        7. Dog waste dispenser: Cllr Fairbank asked for suggestions for new waste bin sites and also for details of any dog fouling incidents.
        8. Car parking and trees: CDC had indicated that car or caravan parking within a domestic curtilage did not require permission. Planning permission for a car park on the former reservoir had expired in 1995 unless work had been done to keep it ‘alive’. Permission to fell trees there andon the beckside had expired in September 2002.

It was agreed that Cllr Wheeler would discuss this informally with CDC’s enforcement officer.

 

5.        Correspondence received/items for circulation
    1. Craven District Council: Chairman’s Afternoon of Dance and Dancing/Mobile Information Unit timetable/Postcodes review and concessionary rail travel/Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003/Community Chest Grant Application/Postponed North Craven Area Forum meeting/Civic Protocol for chairmen or Town Mayors of Parish or Town Councils
    2. North Yorkshire County Council: Gully Cleaning Programme
    3. DEFRA: The quality town and parish council initiative
    4. Craven College: Art and Crafts Exhibition April 8 –11
    5. Office of Deputy Prime Minister: Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003
    6. Airedale NHS Trust: News letter
    7. Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line: Request for support in opposing closure of service.
    8. YLCA: White Rose Update/Advice Note on Accounts/Advice Note on Elections/YLCA Membership renewal (£96)/New Councillors’ seminars/2003-2004 salary award/Association of Burial Authorities membership form/RoSPA playground inspections leaflet.

It was agreed to pay the YLCA annual subscription of £96.

It was agreed to accept the National Salary Scale LC1 at Spinal Point 16 for the forthcoming year.

6.        Reports from County and District Councillors

Cllr Wheeler said it had been a quiet month on Craven District Council.

Cllr Fairbank said Skipton and South Craven would be taking part in a trial ‘blue bag’ waste paper collection service.

7.    Finance

(i) It was agreed to pay these accounts:

Clerk £139.24 + £14.17 expenses

R Towell £60.00 winter maintenance

Yorks Rural Cmmnty Cncl £25.00 membership renewal

Greenbarnes £3,229.99 notice boards

CDC £848.95 lighting and election expenses

(ii) Receipt

Craven District Council £406.00 Community Chest grant

(iii) Claimed

Customs and Excise £1,055.91 VAT refund

(iv) Debtor

Lothersdale Primary School £787.25 Lighting column

(v) Bank balances

Treasurer account £1,786.57

No Notice account £3,627.38

 

8.        Tenders for work in 2003 – 2004

  1. Recreation Ground: It was agreed to write to Richard Towell, thanking him for his work over the years in looking after the grounds. The Clerk was asked to seek advice on the employment of young people and given authority to reach a negotiated settlement with a 3-month probationary period.
  2. Small works. It was agreed to accept Terry McCallum’s tender.

9.        Planning
  1. Applications rejected:

    Conversion/Extension of existing barn to create 2-bedroom self contained annex for use as holiday/rented accommodation together with utility room and garaging for the existing dwelling, Garden Terrace. Permission refused because it is considered the scale, design and proportion of the proposed extension and alterations to the existing barn main doorway are such that they do not respect the scale and character of existing building or of the conservation area. 53/2002/2738.

  2. Appeal:

Erection of front porch and two storey rear extension, Hazel Head House, Gap Lane. Appeal against condition 2 of the planning permission. Representations may be made to the Department of the Environment by May 2, 2003. 53/2002/2790.

It was agreed to take no action.

10.        Parish Magazine

The Clerk was asked to check on whether a subsidy could be paid to the magazine.

11.        Lothersdale Book of Walks

Cllr Willetts offered to check reprinting prices with Mr Geoff Carr. The Clerk was asked to provide advice on grants.

12.        Pavement repairs

The Clerk was asked to contact NYCC for repairs to be carried out throughout the village

13.  Village Marquee

Cllr Binns offered to obtain a catalogue of prices.

14.        Recreation Ground

Purchase of a waste bin was deferred pending a site visit.

Wording for a memorial plaque was suggested: ‘These trees were planted by Lothersdale Women’s Institute to commemorate the Millennium in 2000 and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002.’ The Chairman would check the wording with the WI.

15.        Speed reduction in local villages

It was agreed to accept the invitation to attend the meeting on May 13.

16.        Minor Items

The Clerk was asked to write to BT requesting the removal of a disused telegraph pole on White Hill Lane

The meeting closed at 10.15 pm

DATES OF NEXT MEETINGS

Annual Council Meeting May 8, 2003 at 7.00pm in the Club,

followed by Annual Parish Meeting at 8.00pm