NETHER POPPLETON PARISH COUNCIL

 

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD IN THE COMMUNITY CENTRE, UPPER POPPLETON, AT 7.30PM ON MONDAY, 19 MARCH 2007

 

PRESENT:

 

Cllr. P H F Powell (Chairman)

 

Cllr. G A Bradley

Cllr. F A Brown

Cllr. J L Craven

Cllr. P Knowles. (from 8.21pm)

Cllr. C Robinson.

Cllr. D M Tomlinson.

 

 

 

City Councillor Quentin Macdonald until 8.17pm

 

 

Mr B J W Mackman (Clerk)

 

 

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

None.

 

07/041 - DECLARATION OF INTEREST ON ANY MATTERS OF BUSINESS

None.

 

07/042 - TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

All Councillors being present there were no apologies for absence.

 

07/043 - TO CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON 19 FEBRUARY 2007

The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 19 February 2007, having been circulated, were approved and signed.

 

07/044 - CLERK'S REPORT

(a)     Progress on Footpath No.4 problems (Min. 07/023a)

No further progress.

 

(b)     Progress on the Section 30 agreement for Broad Lane (Min. 07/023b)

The City Council have said that they will not be granting the Parish Council a Section 30 agreement as it believes that there is already one in existence for the land in Broad Lane.

 

(c)      Progress on replacing the litter bin by the Millfield Lane bus stop (Min. 07/023c)

The Clerk reported that the City Council had attempted to replace the litter bin but had been requested not to by a local resident.  The Councillors expressed their concern at this state of affairs and directed the Clerk to ensure that the City Council replace the litter bin as soon as possible.  (Action Clerk)

 

(d)     Progress on public footpath response (Min. 07/023d)

A walk round the course of the proposed footpath is to take place within the next two weeks.

 

(e)      Progress on removing chewing gum from the pavement in front of the shops (Min. 07/023e)

No progress.

 

(f)       Progress on replacing the broken concrete rails above the beck in Main Street (Min. 07/027d)

The City Council has this matter in hand.  (Action Clerk)

 

(g)     CYC response to NPPC letter re PCT (Min. 07/032)

No response to the Parish Council’s letter regarding the City Council’s attitude to the financing of the Community Centre has been received from City Council Officers.  City Councillors Hopton and Macdonald had emailed their views.  Councillor Macdonald who was present at the meeting gave his views on the subject and promised to continue to work on behalf of the Trust to obtain a reduction in the ground rent.

 

(h)     Progress on the forthcoming litter pick (Min. 07/033)

Notices advertising the event have been put on all five Parish Council notice boards.

 

(i)     Progress on the refurbishment of the notice board in Millfield Gardens (Min. 06.214)

The notice board has been refurbished.

 

07/045 - TO CONSIDER CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED BY THE CLERK

07/045/1 - The Clerk read or referred to the following items of correspondence

(a)   A letter from Mr & Mrs Davies about the problem with traffic in Millfield Lane

(b)   A letter from Mr McAvoy about the encroachment of grass verges by vehicles

(c)   A letter from Ted Kendall requesting permission to carry out an archaeological survey in the Moat Fields.  This request was agreed

(d)   CYC - Travel concessions posters to put on notice boards

 

07/045/2 - It was agreed that the correspondence received since the February meeting, as listed below, be circulated to the Councillors

(a)      Clerk & Councils Direct - Local Councils Update - March 2007

(b)     Clerk & Councils Direct - March 2007, Issue 50

(c)      CPRE-Countryside Voice - Spring 2007

(d)     CPRE-Fieldwork, March 2007

(e)      CYC-Consultation on the Statement of Comm. Involvement

(f)       Local Works - Updates

(g)      NALC - LCR - March 2007

(h)      Open Spaces Society - Open Space, Spring 2007 - Volume 28, No.8

(i)        SLCC - The Clerk, January 2007

(j)       Thorp Arch Estate - The Archway, Winter 2006/2007

(k)     Upper Poppleton Parish Council - Minutes of 12 February

(l)        YRCC - Country Air, Spring 2007 - No. 103

(m)    YRCC - Village Ventures competition

 

07/046 - FINANCE

(a)   Financial Report

The Clerk presented a detailed report showing the actual income and expenditure for the year for the period to 19 March 2007.  The report reflected the receipts and payments below.  The bank balances at 19 March were:

 

Current Account                                                                                                                 £400.00

Business Money Manager Account                                                                                £10,419.33

National Savings Investment Account                                                                             £13,494.03


 

(b)   Accounts for payment (net of VAT);

1008

SLCC

WWYC updates

£19.50

1009

Moat Fields Management Group

Annual Grant - £200.

Weed spraying - £250

£450.00

1010

PHF Powell

Chairman’s expenses

£16.86

1011

Poppleton Community Trust

Room hire - February

£16.00

1012

James Mackman

Clerk's expenses

£10.38

1013

James Mackman

Salary - March

£395.60

1014

Inland Revenue

Tax & National Insurance

£88.74

1015

Ken Falkingham

Notice board repairs

£38.96

 


(c)    Income Received

Main Street household

Common Land rent cheque

£5.00

HSBC

Bank interest

£96.08

NEDL

Wayleave

£3.45

 

(d)   To re-appoint the Internal Auditor

Linda Cariss was reappointed as the Parish Council’s Internal Auditor.

 

(e)    To agree to renew the LCR subscription

It was agreed that the LCR subscription be renewed at a cost of £13.50.

 

07/026 - PLANNING APPLICATIONS

(a)   To consider the following planning applications

The Clerk had circulated a detailed list of current outstanding planning applications prior to the meeting. 

Consideration was given to the following new applications:

 

Ref:  07/00343/FUL – First floor side extension at 30 Millfield Gardens by Mr D Otley.

 

No objections

Ref:  07/00359/FUL – Single-storey pitched roof side extension at 33 Main Street by Mr & Mrs Edwards

 

No objections

Ref:  07/00366/FUL – Single-storey side and rear extensions after demolition of existing garage and outbuildings to side at 5 Main Street by Dr and Mrs R Adams

 

No objections

Ref:  07/00367/LBC – Single-storey side and rear extensions after demolition of existing garage and outbuildings to side at 5 Main Street by Dr and Mrs R Adams.

 

No objections

 

(b)   To note Local Authority Planning Decisions

It was noted that the Local Planning Authority had approved the following four applications:

Ref:  06/02221/FUL - Single-storey extension to North side elevation. Pitched roof one and two-storey extension to South side elevation. Pitched roof double garage to front (revised scheme) at 1 Poppleton Hall Gardens by Chris Swift & Sonia Snowden.

Ref:  07/00088/FUL – Single-storey rear extension and 4 no. Velux rooflights in existing rear roof at Dodsworth Hall, Millfield Lane by Honeypots (Dodsworth Hall) Ltd.

Ref:  07/00151/FUL – Two-storey pitched roof side extension following demolition of garage; new sunroom to rear and porch to front at 66 Allerton Drive by Mrs S Jackson.

Ref:  07/00198/FUL – Single-storey pitched roof rear extension at 8 Nursery Road by Mr & Mrs M Robinson.

 

It was noted that the appeal to the Secretary of State for the following application had been withdrawn

Ref:  06/01536/FUL - Single-storey extension to North side elevation.  Pitched roof one and two-storey extension to South side elevation.  Pitched roof double garage to front at 1 Poppleton Hall Gardens by Chris Swift & Sonia Snowden.

 

07/048 - PARISH COUNCIL LAND - TO RECEIVE PROGRESS REPORTS AND MAKE APPROPRIATE DECISIONS ON

 

(a)   Grass cutting

It was agreed that the quotation received from Dean Landscapes Ltd be accepted.

 

(b)   Providing seats in the Moat Field

A meeting has still to be arranged. (Action Clerk)

 

(c)    Missing No Parking signs

The two no parking signs in the area by the beck in Main Street have been uprooted and now lie near the adjacent field hedge.  No decision as to their reinstatement was made.

 

07/049 - TO RECEIVE A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE PARISH PLAN

No report

 

07/050 - TO RECEIVE A REPORT ON VILLAGE POLICING

Special Constable Jerry Holland had produced a list of incidents in Poppleton which had been reported to the police during the period from February to March.  The figures exclude all road traffic offences and collisions and only include incidents where an offence was found to have been committed.  There had been twelve incidents in Nether Poppleton.  These were: two cases of burglary from a dwelling, one burglary from a shed/garage, five thefts from a vehicle, two acts of criminal damage and two nuisance youths.

The Clerk produced a spreadsheet showing all the monthly figures from August 2006.

 

07/051 - TO AGREE THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPRING NEWSLETTER

The Councillors agreed that they would deliver the Spring Newsletter.

 

07/052 - TO PROGRESS ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE OPEN DAY ON 24 MARCH 2007 

The Clerk reported that ten organisations had now booked a table at the forthcoming Open Day.  He gave out a blank rota sheet and invited Councillors to say in which of the various time slots they would be willing to attend.  Councillors agreed that the information from the 2004 Open Day, suitably updated, be available on the day.  Nomination forms for would-be Councillors would be available.

 

07/053 - TO CONSIDER ENTERING THE CALOR GAS VILLAGE OF THE YEAR COMPETITION

It was agreed that no action would be taken on this subject.

 

07/054 - TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO PLANNING OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SECTION 106 AGREEMENTS

It was agreed again to defer discussion on this subject.  Councillor Bradley had been unable to obtain the Executive report that he had been seeking. (Action Councillor Bradley)

 

07/055 – TO CONSIDER SUGGESTIONS FOR THE YORK DESIGN AWARD

City Councillor Janet Hopton had written to ask for suggestions of good design of new build properties – those completed between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2006.  The Councillors agreed that the newly-built Woodhouse Farm would be a good candidate and that the owners be asked if they would be willing to let its name go forward and provide a photograph of the property. (Action Clerk)

 

07/056 - TO DISCUSS DROP-OFF/PICK-UP AND CAR PARKING ARRANGEMENTS AT DODSWORTH HALL

Letters had been received from two residents who expressed their concerns about the possible traffic congestion outside Dodsworth Hall when parents drop off or collect their children from the soon to be opened day nursery.  Concern was also expressed as to where staff employed at the nursery would park their cars.  It was also noted that the City Council’s Planning Department had made it a condition when passing the planning application for the conversion of Dodsworth Hall that the applicant “contact the Parish Council to discuss the conditioned scheme for the ‘dropping off/picking up’ of children/ employees/persons from the Dodsworth Hall”.

The Councillors agreed that the two residents be advised that organising traffic schemes is outside the remit of the Parish Council but that it would raise their concerns with the proprietor of the nursery.

It was also agreed that the City Planning Department be advised that traffic schemes are not within the power of a Parish Council and that it agrees a condition with the nursery with regards to traffic. (Action Clerk)

 

07/057 TO RECEIVE REPRESENTATIVES' REPORTS

(a)      Councillor Powell reported on the Rural West Ward Committee meeting held on 28 February.  Full minutes will be available.  However, it was noted that Terry Collins had talked about villages’ involvement in York in Bloom, John Miller had given a report on Yorwaste’s plans for Harewood Whin tip and the City Councillors gave a résumé of Ward schemes.

 

(b)   Councillor Tomlinson reported on reported on the meeting of the Poppleton Community Trust Executive meeting held on 13 February.  The minutes had been circulated.  The latest news from the PCT is that the Centre Manager, Paul Stamp, has resigned to take up a new post in Richmond.  The trustees, after some discussion, decided that they would not at this point in time replace the Centre Manager but would employ two part-time staff to undertake all admin and cleaning duties at a maximum cost of £21,000. Two people have been identified who are willing to undertake this work.

 

(c)    Councillor Robinson reported on the Poppleton Wildlife Trust working party on Monday 19 March.  The working party removed several self-seeded elder from the immediate area of the pond, removed rotting vegetation from the pond, cleared all the fallen branches, twigs etc from the area around the seat, cleared the area to the rear of the barn, cleaned the gutters of the barn and tidied the branches of a number of trees.  The wildlife area is looking very nice indeed with daffodils in flower and other flowers and plants getting ready to burst into bloom.  The old metal gate to the left of the wildlife area has been replaced with a wooden gate and style which look just right.  However, the Farmer who uses the gate to access his fields has indicated that the new gate is too narrow for his combined harvester.  The gate may, therefore, have to be modified.

 

07/058 TO RECEIVE THE CITY OF YORK COUNCILLORS' REPORTS

No report.

 

07/059 - TO NOTE THE DATES OF FORTHCOMING MEETINGS

Date of Meeting

Meeting

Venue/ Time

Councillors Attending

24 March

Parish Councils Open Day

Methodist Church Hall/ 10.00am – 4.00pm

All

26 March

Ainsty Group

Rufforth Institute/ 7.30pm