Parish Council Minutes 20th March 2007
Littlethorpe Parish Council
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Tuesday 20th March 2007 in the Littlethorpe Village Hall at 7.30pm.
Present:
Mrs. W. Orme (Chair)
Mr. J Wardle
Mr. C. Laker
Mr. D. O` Cornell
Mrs. J. Jowitt
County Cllr. Heather Garnett.
Mr. W Lupton (Clerk)
1) Apologies
District Councillor I. Galloway
2) Declaration of Interest
None received
3) Adoption of Parish Council Meeting held on 9th January 2007
The Minutes from the last meeting held on 9th January having previously been circulated were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
4) Chairman`s Report
The Chair reported on the meeting she attended with Cllr. Laker on the Waste Development framework where two questions had been raised by Littlethorpe.
The meeting was encouraged to attend a hearing to be held on Tuesday 27th March to discuss the Mankin Lane development. She hoped that the project would be strongly supported. Clerk to put notice on Board.
She reported on a letter from Mr. John Marsden from County Hall regarding a proposal to hold a meeting of local villages to discus the Unitary Council proposals. It was agreed that the Clerk should write to Ripon Council to suggest that they arrange a meeting for local villages with Mr. Marsden write directly to ascertain dates available. The Clerk is also to write to ascertain the cut off date for responses from the Parish Council.
The Chair advised that Public Time would take place between items 8 and 9 as agreed at the last meeting
5) Treasurer`s Report
a) Accounts to date
The Clerk circulated the accounts. An error of ten pounds was pointed out on the grass cutting contribution, which will be altered on year-end accounts. The Clerk will prepare the year-end accounts upon receipt of the year-end bank statement
and circulate to Councillors once finalized. It was confirmed that Peter Doyle would act as internal auditor and that the Year End accounts would be passed to him as soon as cleared by the Council. Mazars remain the appointed external auditors.
b) Grass Cutting Contribution (HBC)
The Clerk confirmed that the sum of £192.00 had been received from HBC in respect of the last three years.
c) CPRE subscription (due February 2007)
It was agreed that a payment of £27.00 should be paid to renew membership. Proposed by Cllr. Wardle and seconded by Cllr. Jowitt. Cllr. Laker requested that this membership should be questioned at the next renewal.
6) County Councilor`s Report
Cllr. Garnett spoke to the meeting on the current situation regarding NYCC`s proposals for a one tier Unitary Council. She is in the process of arranging an Open Meeting, probably to be held in Killinghall, to air the Council`s proposals. The meeting was concerned to hear that no other proposals had yet been submitted by District and Borough Councils in the area on their views on the proposed Local Government Review and that it seemed that the deadline had already passed for initial discussion. Member expressed concerns that they were under the impression that all the District Councils had provided a joint response to the Secretary of State rejecting a Unitary Council.
Cllr. Garnett mentioned that funds were available for upkeep of War Memorials but Littlethorpe has no memorial.
7) District Councilor`s Report
None received
The Chair read a response from HBC to a concern raised by a member of the public regarding recycling and waste disposal.
8) a) Correspondence
None received.
The Clerk confirmed to Cllr. Laker that the item `Correspondence` only referred to items received from parishioners to be raised at the meeting and not general Parish correspondence.
b) PUBLIC TIME.
9) Planning
1) Applications -new
a) Ox Close Green -application withdrawn
b) 2 Brickfield Cottages.
c) Builders Yard -Mankin Lane -application meeting to be held on 27th March at Council Chambers, Harrogate.
2) Permissions
a) 2 Brickfield Cottages
b) Ashbrooke
3) Refusals
None
10) N.Y.C.C Minerals and Waste Development Framework
The Chair read out a response from HBC in reply to the Parish Council`s request for information on Recycling Policy.
Cllr. Laker raised the question a to what is being done for the residents of Quarry Moor regarding their fortnightly recycling collection. The Chair informed the meeting that she was aware that the HBC was in contact with the owners of Quarry Moor. The Clerk was requested to arrange a posting of a copy of the letter on the Quarry Moor notice board.
11) Insurance 2007/08 (due April 2007)
The Clerk read out a response from Norwich Union in reply to his request for information on Parish Council insurance policies that had no satisfactory response. No reply had been received to date from Zurich. It was agreed to stay with existing insurers for next year.
12) Village Clean Up (WO and CL)
It was agreed that this was an excellent idea but would be put on hold until the Annual Parish Meeting as more volunteers might be available at that time.
13) Parish Council Expenditure on Village Hall
The Chair raised the question of the Parish Council annual funding of the Village Hall cleaning costs (£364.00pa) and grass cutting contribution (£140.00 pa less £64.00 grant). It was considered that it would be better if the Parish Council ceased contributing cleaning money directly to the Village Hall and that in future the Village Hall Committee should request one off grants from the Parish Council to, where funds are available, fund specific items so as to be more open & transparent. It was also suggested that in future the Parish Council should pay the Village Hall the going rate for use of the Hall for meetings. The payment of grass cutting should continue. Cllr. Wardle requested that this decision be delayed until the AGM.
14) Updates
a) Quarry Moor -Highways -bus stop (CL and WO)
Funding meeting due in April/May. Chair to seek an update from Highways & NYCC regarding the Rural Road Safety Scheme funding application.
b) Roads and Footpaths
Proposal to request footpath status at Ripon Motor Boat club track
Chair to arrange to meet with representative of Brown & Potter to seek information of their new footpath proposals.
c) Speeding through village
Cllr. O`Connell informed the meeting that the first approach for the use of a `speed matrix` should be to the Fire Service rather than the police. Clerk requested to write asking for its use in the village to fully assess the problems raised by the Parish Plan.
d) Condition of grass verges
Clerk requested to enquire when next road sweeping due.
e) Site meeting with RMBC regarding improvement of track (WO)
Chair to pursue.
f) NYCC Designation of Footpaths (WO)
Nothing new to report but see (b).
g) Village Hall (JJ)
Cllr. Jowitt reported on a very active and successful Village Hall with excellent bookings.
Cllr. Jowitt was proposed by Cllr. O`Connell and seconded by Cllr. Orme to continue in her role as Village Hall representative for the Parish Council
h) Village Hall signage Report on costs (DOC)
Agreed that the Clerk should approach Highways regarding the erection of one sign by the Church. It was also agreed in principle that if the overall cost did not exceed £200.00 that the installation should go ahead without further reference.
i) Village Hall deeds
The deeds are at present still being held by the Chair as the Clerk had been informed that The Yorkshire Bank was no longer accepting new deposits. However Cllr. Laker believed this to untrue and agreed to meet the following day with the Chair to deposit the documents at the Bank.
j) Railways (WO)
Chair read out a paragraph from the NYCC Minerals and Waste Development Stage 2 suggesting that as there was little chance of funds becoming available it was unlikely to go ahead.
k) Parish Plan
Cllr. O` Connell gave a brief summary of the recent meeting held in the village to discuss the findings of the Parish Plan questionnaire. Major positive points raised were the availability of good footpaths and the relative peace of the village, its detachment from Ripon and improved social facilities. Concerns were raised over speeding in the village and other road issues.
l) Pinfold
The question as to what should be done to the Pinfold was raised. Some debate was engendered as to exactly how many people in the village responding to the Parish Plan actually wanted the Pinfold restored.
The Clerk to contact English Heritage to see if funding might be available.
15) HBC`s comments on Minerals and Waste Development Framework (WO)
Although HBC`s response has been very positive Cllr. Laker expressed concerns that the plans were being `steam rollered` through without due consideration. At the meeting held by NYCC on 20th February Public Representation was not made by the Parish Council as they had not been informed of the meeting and where it was taking place. Clerk to contact NYCC to find manner of the consultation procedure
16) Chairman`s Summing Up and Action List
The Chair briefly summed up the main points of the meeting.
17) Dates of next Meetings
May 10th 2007-APM (Clerk to arrange for local police officer to be present)
May 22nd 2007 - AGM
July 10th 2007 (Quarry Moor)
To start at 7.30 pm
Meeting closed at 9.45pm Back to top