Draft
Minutes of Parish Council meeting on 8th March 2007,
at 7.30pm at the Clubhouse
(Please note that these are draft minutes prepared for approval by the council at its next meeting)
Present: Cllr Wheatstone (chair)
Cllr Binns
Cllr Cullen
Cllr Gover
Cllr Marshall
In
Attendance Cllr Mark Wheeler
7 members of the public
Mr Vince Green (CDC)
1
Declarations of
interest.
There were no declarations of interest.
2 To receive and accept apologies for absence. Apologies were received and accepted from Cllr Fairbank and Anthony Meadows.
3 To approve minutes of the meetings held on 21st January and 8th February 2007.
(i) Minutes from 21/01/07 were approved.
(ii)
Minutes from
8/02/07 were approved subject to the following changes:
1(i) line 1 “personal” replaced by “prejudicial”
1(i) line 2 insert after “and” “personal interest
in”
5(ii)(ii) line 5
clerk
5(ii)(ii) insert after “advised” “by YLCA”
8 line 4 Iveson’s
9 line 6 “personal” replaced by
“prejudicial”
13 line 3 request
Agreement to the changes were proposed by Cllr Marshall, seconded by Cllr Gover
and approved by affirmation.
Note An e-mail had been received disagreeing with parts of the Draft
Minutes.
4 Matters arising from the minutes.
(i) Dispensation had been received from CDC concerning Item 13. It was considered by Mr Iveson that the prejudice should be considered as personal and not prejudicial.
5 Questions from the floor.
(i) The Draft Minutes were not on the notice boards. They had been put on the website but in future would be placed on both the website and the notice boards as soon as possible after the meeting. This is the practice adopted by CDC.
(ii) A request for LPC expenses for 2005-2006 had been received and given under the Freedom of Information Act. The expense of over £50 for e-mails was queried. The Chairman said that this had been paid to the previous clerk and agreed that it was a lot and perhaps should not have been sanctioned. This is no longer paid and it was emphasised that no councillor had claimed any expenses.
(iii) A payment of £10,000 to NYCC was on the agenda. LPC had been asked to confirm that the money was still available for traffic calming. This had been done but the money would not be paid until the work was done. This should be in the near future.
(iv) The e-mail referred to in 3 above was cited as another example of the pressure that LPC had been put under in the last 8 months. Members of the public present wished to minute their support for LPC. The Council gets advice from CDC and YLCA but in the end has to make judgements which may be challenged.
6 County and District Councillor’s reports.
(i) Area Committee. Postcodes are back on the agenda and Cllr Fairbank had presented a file on the subject. The level of attendance at Area Forums was poor possibly due to timing (the last one was at 10.00 am) and ideas for improving attendance including more participation from young people and increased frequency were being considered.
(ii) The Area Committee had agreed a grant of £500 to the School.
(iii) NYCC had agreed a 4.9% increase in its budget.
(iv) NYCC had opposed Post Office closures but not categorically.
(v) A review of temporary contracts and staff at NYCC should lead to savings.
(vi) CDC had agreed a 3.9% increase in its budget.
(vii) A review of whether services at CDC should be in house or not was beginning.
(viii) Negotiations were continuing with landowners over land drains.
(ix) It was hoped that the traffic calming in the village would be done before the end of the financial year.
(x) Verges at The Fold had not yet been dealt with but it was now considered that this was not a serious problem.
7 Correspondence received: Given to Cllr Cullen who then gave it Cllr Marshall
(i) There was no time to reply to a consultation on a revised Code of Conduct.
(ii) There would be no change in the External Auditor.
8 Finances:
· Payments to be approved
o Village Trust for use of the Clubhouse: £60.00 – approved.
o Kit Cowgill for winter maintenance of the Recreation Ground: £211.26 - approved.
o Clerks Salary: £156.92 – approved.
o NYCC for traffic calming: £10,000 – approved to be paid when the work is completed.
· Receipts:
o Interest on Standard Life Direct Access Account: £49.53
· Account Balances:
o HSBC – Treasurer Acc Balance: £2944.66
o HSBC – Business Money Manager Acc Balance: £25.02
o
Standard Life
– Premium Direct Access Account:
£14,200.75
It was proposed that the HSBC – Business Money Manager Account should be closed
and the balance transferred. This was proposed by Cllr Wheatstone, seconded by
Cllr Cullen and approved by affirmation.
9 Planning applications received:
(i)
None
received.
Planning applications
granted:
(i) Erection of a wind turbine at Surgill Head, Sidegate Lane.
(ii) Tree felling at Burlington House.
10
To consider a
date for code of conduct
training.
None of the dates suggested were suitable for all members of LPC. Further dates
and more details such as when, where and how long the training would take would
be sought.
11
To consider
response to letter from Frances Petch re audit of Parish
Plans.
This item would be discussed at the next meeting.
12 To consider Action Plan for ROSPA report.
(i) EN1176 was the European Standard for playgrounds. It was for good practice only.
(ii) It was agreed that the proposals agreed at the February meeting would be discussed with the person chosen in April to maintain the recreation ground for the coming year.
(iii) Cllr Wheatstone has drawn up a plan of action.
13
To consider the
ordering display for and progress of the village
map.
This item would be discussed at the next meeting.
14
To consider request
from Lothersdale Gardening Club for a contribution.
It was not the practice of LPC to give grants to clubs within the village.
15
To consider a date for the Annual Parish
Meeting.
The Annual Parish Meeting would be held on 10th May at 8.00 pm. This
would be preceded by the Annual Parish Council Meeting at 7.00 pm. This would be
adjourned at 8.00 pm if necessary and continue following the end of the APM.
16
To approve a
document inviting tenders for work 2007/08.
The document asking for tenders for maintenance of the recreation ground was
agreed as follows: “Lothersdale Parish Council invites tenders from
suitably qualified contractors for the maintenance of the Recreation Ground for
the year 2007/8. A detailed schedule of the works involved may be obtained upon
request from the Parish Clerk. Completed tenders to be returned to the clerk by
12 noon on
1st April 2007
in a sealed envelope marked ‘tender’.
The council noted that the envelopes should be opened in the presence of both
the clerk and the chairman of the council.
17
To consider
action re the condition of verges at Cross Green.
The condition of the verges 50/60 yards either side of the development were
still considered unsatisfactory. Cllr Binns would do a site visit to be arranged
with Highways.
18 To consider progress on replacing coping stones on Bent Hall Bridge
(i) Cllr Wheeler reported that work is still scheduled for May 07.
19
To consider a
date for risk assessment at the Clerk’s
home.
The Clerk was not present and so this would be considered
later.
20 Items of minor information.
(i) Flooding down the track from Burlington Barn was reported.
(ii) Cllr Gover will contact Robertshaws regarding the purchase of the strimmer.
(iii) The Clerk will be asked to talk to Kit about litter on the football pitch.
(iv) The drains will be cleared in the next few days.
(v) The contractors have been contacted about the repairs on the shelter.
Dates of next meetings:
12th April, 10th May