Minutes of the meeting of UPPER POPPLETON PARISH COUNCIL held on Monday 9 July 2001 at 7.30pm in All Saints Church Hall, Upper Poppleton, York.

Councillor Mrs K M Richardson and Councillor Mrs J Hopton (City of York Council)

The Chairman reported that at a meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 18 June, 2001 the members interviewed John Hook, John Pannell and Paul Tomlinson and proposed that all three men be co-opted as Parish Councillors. The members unanimously agreed that Messrs Hook, Pannell and Tomlinson be invited to become co-opted Parish Councillors.

John Hook and John Pannell signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office. Paul Tomlinson was not present at this point in the meeting having just arrived home from a holiday abroad.

Having been circulated and read the minutes were accepted and signed as a true record.

1. Turn engines off signs (Min. 00.09)

Councillor Peck having returned from Australia was delighted to see the signs. It was agreed that the signs would be erected on the evening of 18 July.

2. Village signs - planning permission (Min. 00.65)

The Clerk reported having just received confirmation from the City Council's Richard Graham that advertisement consent was not needed for the village signs. The Clerk was directed to write to three approved contractors for quotations for building the signs.

3. Relocation of street light (Min. 00121bii)

The street light has not yet been moved.

4. Blocked gulleys in the car parks on the Green (Min. 01.006cii)

Councillor Watters agreed to check to see if the gulleys had been cleaned.

5. Yellow paint in the bus shelter (Min. 01.064ai)

The Clerk reported having received a note from the City Council's Geoff Newbold that a solvent was available to aid in cleaning off the yellow graffiti. The Chairman agreed that he would clean off the graffiti when the solvent arrived.

6. Newlands Lane/A59 hedge (Min. 01.072.1 i)

The Clerk again reported having had no reply to his request for the hedge to be trimmed back and was directed to follow up the matter.

7. Felling of trees on the Green (Min. 01.080.2)

The Clerk reported having had no news from Miriam Addy about the tree felled at Maypole House and was directed to contact Ms Addy to find out the current situation.

8. A59 signs (Min. 01.081c)

The signs on the A59 have not been dealt with as requested by the Parish Council and the Clerk was directed to follow the matter up.

9. General Purposes Committee report on the ash tree on the Green (Min. 01.097a)

The Chairman reported that the General Purposes Committee had visited the site of the ash tree and was recommending that Ken Falkingham be asked to provide a fence round the tree so that it was protected from footballs.

10. Blairgowrie verge (Min. 01.104)

The Chairman reported that the General Purposes Committee had visited the site of the verge and were recommending that the vegetation be cut back to the fence when the grass would be encouraged to grow again. The Clerk had obtained several quotations from contractors. After due consideration the Council agreed to accept the quotation from Four Seasons Tree Services. The Clerk was directed to write to the City Council's Highways Department to inform them that we intend to cut back the vegetation and ask them to arrange for the owner of the trees in Blairgowrie to trim back the tress from the road and the pavement.

1. Financial Report

The Clerk presented the Councillors with a detailed report showing the actual income and expenditure for the year for the period to 11 June 2001. The report showed that, after adjusting for the items of expenditure listed below, the bank balances at 11 June were: -

Current Account £100.61

High Interest Account £11,406.02

The Clerk reported that his quarterly honorarium was due. He asked that he be allowed to move to point on the incremental scale and receive the 3.5% increase recently awarded by the Joint. This would bring his annual salary up to £2,554.04 from £2,410.48 for the last financial year. The Councillors unanimously agreed to grant both increases.

2. Accounts to pay (net of VAT);

The Clerk quarterly honorarium £638.51

postage, telephones & stationery £40.47

W J Ferguson removing moles £50.00

Baron (Landscape Contractors) grass cutting in June £125.00

3. Accounts paid (net of VAT)

None

At this point in the agenda Paul Tomlinson arrived. The Chairman informed him that he had been co-opted as a Parish Councillor and he signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

4. Bank Mandate

The Clerk produced a blank mandate for all Councillors to sign. The mandate was duly completed by all Councillors present leaving only Councillor Richardson to sign.

The Clerk presented the list of plans and comments made by the members of the Planning Committee on each planning application received. The list is attached as Appendix 1 at the end of these minutes.

It was reported that a fence over one metre high had been constructed at 4 Westfield Close. The Clerk was directed to ask the City Council if planning permission was needed for the erection of the fence.

A letter from Julian Crabbe, the Treasurer of the Village Design Statement Committee, requesting a donation of £50.00 towards expenses was discussed. It was agreed that the sum of £50.00 should be given.

1. Vandalism;

1. It was reported that black graffiti was still covering the Ebor Way sign on the corner of Dikelands Lane. The Clerk was directed to ask the City Council to restore the sign.
2. The Clerk read correspondence from the City Council's Terry Walker quoting a sum of £45.00 for cleaning the marker pen graffiti off the bus shelter opposite the Library. The Councillors agreed that the bus shelter graffiti should be removed.

2. Lampposts;

No report.

3. Signs

No report.

4. Highways

Councillor Scott-Coveney, as a member of the Village Traffic Study Committee, reported on the Committee's recommendations. The report had recently been sent to the Clerk who was directed to make sure that it was copied and distributed to all Councillors as soon as possible. It was agreed that if there were another meeting of the Committee Councillors Walker and Watters would also attend.

5. Kerb side recycling

A report from Shaun Donnelly, the City Council's Waste Management Officer, was discussed. The Clerk was directed to write to Mr Donnelly confirming that the Parish Council wished for Upper Poppleton to be included in the Kerbside Collection Scheme which involves the weekly collection of glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans and plastic bottles in a blue recycling box, and newspapers and magazines in a reusable plastic bag.

6. Foot & Mouth Disease

At this point the Chairman asked Trevor Parker to address the meeting. Mr Parker explained that a Foot & Mouth Disease order limiting the movement of livestock had now become operative in the York area. Mr Parker asked the Parish Councillors to recommend to the City Council that all footpaths in York be closed immediately and that disinfectant mats be put on to all roads into the village. The Clerk agreed to phone the City Council the following morning to ask for both points to be implemented as soon as possible.

1. Trees

The Chairman reported that the General Purposes Committee was recommending that Rylands Horticulture be asked to remove all the suckers on all the trees on the Green. The Councillors agreed and the Clerk was directed to approach Mr Gregory of Rylands to ask him to expedite the work.

2. Maintenance

The Clerk reported having had a request from Denison Till, the solicitors of Ian Fowler of St Enodoc, the Green, for a Deed of Grant to be signed by the Parish Council giving the owners of St Enodoc the right of way from the road, over the Green, to the drive of St Enodoc. The Councillors agreed that the Deed of Grant be signed for a consideration of £25.00

3. Events

None reported

The Clerk gave details of the proceedings at the Ward Committee meeting held on 5 July.

No report.

Councillor Thompson informed the meeting that there were 13 Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in the Poppleton area and 46 areas within the City of York. There is no organiser for Poppleton at the moment. It was suggested that the York Neighbourhood Watch Association Co-ordinator be invited to address the Parish Council meeting in October. Councillor Thompson agreed to set up the necessary arrangements.

At this point in the agenda Councillor Peck retired from the meeting.

The Chairman reported that the General Purposes Committee had looked at the War Memorial and recommended that the stonework should be cleaned and repointing carried out where necessary. It was agreed that Ken Falkingham should be asked to quote for the work.

The Chairman asked Trevor Parker if the hedges in Westfield Lane could be restored. Mr Parker explained that if there were a hedge it would restrict access to and from the fields to the spaces in the hedge. This would mean that tractors would churn up the entrances to the fields so causing more mud to be deposited on the road. He was concerned about the amount of time that would be involved in maintaining the hedges pointing out that he currently spends time cutting back vegetation on embankments owned by the City Council, as it doesn't have sufficient money in its budget to pay for the work. Mr Parker was asked if he could see his way to reaching a compromise with regards to hedges and agreed to think about it and would draw his ideas on a plan of Westfield Lane that the Clerk would give him.

The Clerk agreed to ask the City Council for a copy of their policy for grass cutting verges.

The Chairman explained the importance of attending the Annual Conference and Annual Meeting of the York Local Councils Associations in Scarborough on Friday and Saturday the 7^th and 8^th September. He said it was important that two people should attend so that they could take part in more than one of the planned workshops discussions. The Councillors agreed to finance the cost of two people to attend the meeting at a cost of £136.18 plus accommodation and travelling expenses.

Prior to the meeting the Clerk had given a letter from Terry Walker of the City Council to all Councillors. In his letter about Public Transport in Outer York Mr Walker referred to the Dial & Ride bus service and the Poppleton Ward Committee's decision to set aside £2,000 to provide a one day a week transport service to take older and/or disabled people to Edmund Wilson or Barbican Swimming Pools. He also referred to several proposed improvements to the bus services to Poppleton. The Councillors agreed that they were not in favour of the Ward Committee's decision and that they would like to see the Dial & Ride service being more heavily promoted in the area. A telephone call to York 624455 during weekday office hours will book a journey from anywhere in the City of York to the dedicated swimming sessions for disabled persons at the Barbican (Sunday afternoons) and Edmund Wilson (Monday evenings).

The newly co-opted Councillors wished to know more of the background to this agenda item. The hour being late, it was agreed to postpone discussion until the September meeting.

1. A letter from Colin Wood in which he offered to set out the case for the diversion of the Ripon York bus service 142 through Poppleton either as part of a discussion or in writing. The Councillors agreed that Mr Wood's kind offer should be accepted and the Clerk was directed to ask Mr Wood if he would put the case in writing.
2. A letter from Mrs Walker mentioning the problem with the garden at 1 Apple Garth. The property has been empty for more than a year. The garden is overgrown and is home to rats. The Clerk was directed to report the problem of the rats to the City Council.
3. A letter from the City of York Council reporting that the police have formally objected to the 30mph speed limit being extended in Hodgson Lane. The subject will be considered at the City Council's Planning and Transport (North West Area) Sub-Committee at their meeting scheduled for 14 August 2001.

1. Nether Poppleton Parish Council minutes of the meeting on 18 June
2. York Leisure Office - …keeping you in touch - Issue No. 1 May 2001
3. YORtime Resource Centre - details of new City Council service
4. Learning + Skills Council, North Yorkshire - notice about Bite Size Courses
5. York Natural Environment Trust - minutes of meeting on 29 May
6. Youth Enquiry Service - Annual Report 2000/01
7. OFWAT Annual Report 2000-2001
8. North Yorkshire Police Authority - notice of availability of the Policing Plan 2001/2002
9. North Yorkshire Police Authority - P.A. news Issue 41 June 2001
10. White Rose Update

1. Reminded the Councillors that the appeal regarding the development at West View Close will take place on 8 August.
2. Asked that a copy of Councillor Hopton's observations on the problem with vehicle access to the Methodist Chapel be given to each Councillor.

Reported a problem with rubbish in the front garden of a house. Members of the General Purposes Committee agreed to visit the site to see the problem for themselves.

10 September 2001 at 7.30pm.

There being no other business the Chairman closed the meeting at 11.25pm.

………………………….CHAIRMAN

………………………….DATE

uppc mins 07/01