Minutes of the meeting of UPPER POPPLETON PARISH COUNCIL held on Monday 10 June 2002 at 7.30pm in All Saints Church Hall, Upper Poppleton, York.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mrs J S Hopton (City of York Council).

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

1. Village signs (Min. 01.161b)

The construction of the two village signs is nearly complete. The Councillors agreed to pay the J W Smith (Masonry) invoice for the carved Yorkstone insets.

2. Turn Engines Off Signs (Min. 02.048ai)

The Clerk reported that Councillor Macdonald had still not given him any news about his progress in pursuing this matter.

3. Missing School Court Signs (Min. 02.048aii)

It was reported that the two signs have been replaced.

4. Villa Fence (Min. 02.062.2.iii)

The Clerk reported having received a letter from the City Council to say that it is either expecting a planning application to be submitted or that the first section of the fence will be removed within the next six weeks.

5. Manse Land (Min. 02.064e)

The Land Registry reports that the area of land in question has not been registered. The Chairman is in the process of looking through the documents relating to the Green to see if he can resolve the problem.

There will be a meeting at the Poppleton Community Centre at 7.30pm on 25 June when officers from the City Council will give an address on the current situation with regards to the Green Belt.

7. Anderson seat repairs (Min. 02.079a.i)

Ken Falkingham estimates that repairs to the seat will cost about £230. The Councillors agreed that the seat should be repaired and that a claim should be made on the Parish Council's insurers. The cost of the repairs to the Parish Council will be the £75 excess on the insurance policy.

8. Station Road traffic (Min. 02.079b.i)

The Clerk read a letter from the Police saying that the matter has been brought to the attention of the traffic section who have added it to the list of complaint areas. The letter pointed out that there have been no speed related accidents in Station Road for the last three years and that priority is given to areas that already have a speed/casualty problem. The Councillors agreed that something positive should be done and were not prepared to wait for an accident. The Clerk was deputed to write another letter to the police to ask that the problem with Station Road be given high priority now.

9. Hodgson Lane grass cutting (Min. 02.079b.ii)

The grass verge on both sides of Hodgson Lane has been cut.

10. Black Dike Lane verge (Min 02.079b.iii)

There had been no development on this matter.

11. Code of Conduct and Register of Members' Interests (Min. 02.083)

The Clerk reported that all current Parish Councillors had signed the Declaration of Office and completed the Register of Members Interests.

12. Weed spraying (Min. 02.087a)

It was reported that the City Council has sprayed the weeds in the village.

13. Councillors replacements/appointments (Min. 02.087b.i)

The Clerk reported that the City Council had had no request to hold a by-election for Councillors to replace Cllrs Hook and Peck. Permission had been given by the City Council to co-opt replacements. It was agreed that the names of any prospective Parish Councillor would be forwarded to the Clerk by 17 June and he would circulate the names to all Councillors. The Clerk would make the necessary arrangements for the prospective Councillors to be interviewed by members of the General Purposes Committee.

14. Annual Newsletter (Min. 02.087b.ii)

The Clerk had circulated a draft copy of the Annual Newsletter prior to the meeting. The Councillors made several amendments after which they agreed that the Newsletter should go to print. They also agreed to distribute the Newsletter.

1. Financial Report

Prior to the meeting the Clerk had circulated a detailed report showing the actual income and expenditure for the year for the period to 4 June 2002. The report reflected the receipts and payments below. The bank balances at 10 June were:

Current Account £99.47

High Interest Account £11,615.69

Mayfair Guarding Group Response Community policing - June 2002 £485.33

Baron Landscape Grass cutting May £250.00

J W Smith (Masonry) York stone Millennium signs £1,984.00

None

HSBC Bank Interest £4.18

Allotment rents £135.00

No more news on this subject.

Prior to the meeting the Clerk had circulated 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.

There were no comments from the Councillors.

The Clerk read a note from Elizabeth Parker saying that the Village Design Statement Group has met regularly during the year. They had a helpful meeting with a City of York Council Planning Officer. Currently they are in the process of writing the draft Statement. This will soon be available for residents to read and comment upon.

1. Vandalism

Letters have appeared on the black and white arrows on the A59/A1237 roundabout.. The Clerk was deputed to ask the City Council to remove the lettering as soon as possible.

1. The sign at the Dikelands Lane end of Fairway Drive is leaning against a wall.
2. The fencing alongside the road opposite the Community Centre is broken. The Clerk was deputed to arrange for the City Council to make the appropriate repairs for this item and the one above.
3. The Clerk read a letter from a resident who was complaining that the road sign near Dikelands Lane in Long Ridge Lane is misleading as it shows a hidden driveway to the left but not Dikelands Lane. The Councillors agreed that Dikelands Lane is clearly visible to any driver and given that there are no other signs in Poppleton showing side roads that they were happy to see the sign left as it is.

1. Trees - Dangerous lime tree on the Green

The Clerk reported that the reason that he had had no reply from Miriam Addy is that she no longer worked for the City Council. An application has been made to the City Council for permission to fell the lime tree.

2. Events

Permission was given for the Poppleton Methodist Church to use part of the Green in front of the Church Hall for free-standing games and stalls at their Summer Fair on 13 July.

3. Maintenance - edging the grass between Beech Grove and the surgery and along the opposite side of the Green.

This item is still outstanding from the May meeting. It was agreed that Councillors Pannell and Watters and the Clerk look at the area prior to contacting Baron Landscape, the Parish Council's current grass cutting contractor.

The Clerk reported that one of the oak supports for the rails round the pump on the Green had broken and that the members of the Joint Emergency Committee had agreed that the post should be replaced but that repairs should be done before the Children's Sports Day event on the Green on 3 June. The Councillors ratified the Committee's decision. Ken Falkingham has effected a temporary repair and has acquired a new oak post which he is preparing prior to replacing the broken post.

It was agreed that the Clerk should write to the occupier at 2 The Green to ask that she stop driving her car to and from her house to which she has no right of vehicular access.

02.096.1 The Clerk either read or referred to the following correspondence

1. A letter from the City Council explaining that they have introduced a Freephone Street Lighting Faults hotline number 0800 9151522. Stickers have been placed on all lampposts advertising this number for use by residents etc.
2. Notice of an Update Meeting on the City of York Local Plan: Green Belt Review to be held on 13 June 2002.
3. A letter from the City Council advising that they had granted permission to fell a dying/dead laburnum at Fern House, The Green under the 5 day notice rule.
4. A letter from the North Yorkshire Police Authority giving notice of a competition to identify the North Yorkshire Community Police Officer of the Year. The Councillors agreed not to put a name forward.
5. A notice from YNET advising of their next meeting to be held on 12 June.
6. A letter from the City Council advising that they are producing a draft copy of their review on the Housing Strategy for York and would like to have written comments by 26 June. Housing Strategy 2002. The Clerk said that he had asked the City Council to send a copy as soon as it was available.
7. A letter from CPRE announcing a visit to Eggborough Power Station on 19 June. No Councillor expressed a wish to attend.

02.096.2 It was agreed that the remaining correspondence received since the May meeting, as listed below, be circulated to the Councillors

1. Minutes of the Nether Poppleton Parish Council meeting held on 20 May 2002
2. Minutes of the Poppleton Ward Residents Association meeting held on 24 April 2002
3. YLCA White Rose Update - May 2002
4. CPRE - various papers
5. City of York Council's Economic Bulletin Edition 26 - June 2002
6. YNET minutes of meetings held on 30 April and 28 May
7. A Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure Application form and a letter of explanation on the new arrangements for criminal checks on School governors for Minor Local Authority Governors newly appointed/re-appointed after 1 April 2002. A set of guidance notes, "Applying for a Disclosure".
8. DTLR - Consultation Paper - Local investigation and determination of misconduct allegations. Comments are required by 1 July 2002

1. Councillor Tomlinson is to attend the next meeting of the Poppleton Community Trust.
2. Councillor Swann reported on his attendance at the Yorkshire Local Councils Associations meeting which he considered to be a valuable experience. He had found out information regarding felling of dangerous trees. Bishopthorpe Parish Council had received a grant of £4000 from The Countryside Agency for their Village Design Statement and he asked if the Upper Poppleton Parish Council could seek funds from the CA for their VDS. Ward Committee should liaise more with Parish Councils. There was a feeling that Parish Councils would have to make a contribution to the cost of local policing in the future.
3. Councillor Thompson reported on his attendance at the York Open Planning Forum held on 27 May. This initial meeting agreed that such meetings should continue to be held.

The Councillors discussed the possibility that the Ward Committee would not be able to fund the community patrols currently carried out by Mayfair Group Response. To continue to have the benefit of community patrols it may be necessary for the Parish Council to provide the funding. The Councillors wished to know the views of the Nether Poppleton Parish Councillors and the possible cost per household. No decision was reached on the subject.

Discussion on this subject was deferred until another meeting when the results of the Consultation would be provided by the YLCA.

It was reported that the picnic on Saturday 1 June had been a marvellous occasion which several hundred people had attended. The weather had been good and the band excellent. The Barn Dance and disco had been well attended. The fireworks had been superb.

At the Ecumenical Service on the Green on Sunday there had been ten hymns and ten people reminiscing about the last fifty years.

The Children's Sports Day on Monday 3 June had been very well attended. There had been a fascinating exhibition of Poppleton history at the Methodist Church Hall.

The Clerk was asked to send a letter of thanks to Councillor Janet Hopton for her contribution to the success of the weekend celebrations and to pass on the Parish Council's thanks to all those who had helped.

It was announced that the Jubilee Committee had a cash surplus on the events. It was agreed that the proportion which could be refunded to the Parish Council should stay in the Committee's bank account as a float towards the events which it hoped would be arranged next year.

The Clerk explained the difficulty he had in finding space on the Notice Board at certain times of the year. He said that often the Notice Board displayed trade advertisements, notices of events outside the village and, on occasions, notices of a political nature. The Councillors did not think it appropriate to formulate a policy on what could and what couldn't be displayed but agreed that the Clerk should exercise his discretion.

There were no comments from Councillors.

Monday 8 July 2002 at 7.30pm.

There being no other business the Chairman closed the meeting at 10.16pm.

………………………….CHAIRMAN

………………………….DATE

uppc mins 06/02