Minutes of the meeting of UPPER POPPLETON PARISH COUNCIL held on Monday 8 November 2004 at 7.00pm in All Saints Church Hall, Upper Poppleton, York.

No member of the public addressed the Councillors.

There were no declarations of interest.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Reese and Richardson.

Dave Doggett, the Chairman of the Community Trust and David Fraser, the Trust Treasurer, outlined the various options open to the Trust and gave explanations on the following items:

• Peter and Ann Powell have been voluntarily running the Community Centre for many years and would now like to retire. Their work could be taken on by a paid manager but this would cost in the region of £22,000 per annum.
• The manager would not only run the Community Centre but also be responsible for its marketing with the aim of increasing letting income.
• The Centre is too big to be run just by volunteers.
• There is a possibility that the Trust could take on the responsibility of running youth work and could receive funding from the City Council.
• Sources of funding had been looked at in great detail. The Parish Councils were being asked, as a last resort, for funding.
• To pay for the manager the Trust was asking the Parish Council to raise a precept based on a sum of 20p per week per household. This is £10.40 per household per annum multiplied by the number of houses on Upper Poppleton which is approximately 890.
• The Trust recently carried out a survey of all the residents in Poppleton. Approximately 1770 survey forms had been given out and 287 had been returned. Of these, 90% showed that they would be willing to pay the equivalent of 20p per week on their precept to the Community Trust.

The Councillors asked questions of Messrs Doggett and Fraser and were then thanked for their presentation.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 October 2004, having been circulated and read, were accepted and signed as a true record.

1. Reinstatement of the Green where it has been damaged by McAlpines (Min. 04.167a)

No action has yet been taken by Baron Landscape. Most of the bare patches left by Transco have now been covered by weeds and grass and the Green does look green. It was agreed that Councillor Watson and the Clerk would inspect the Green and see what work was required to be carried out.

2. Brackenhills/The Green snicket (Min. 04.167b)

Two replies about ownership of the snicket are outstanding. Councillor Watson said that the company that owns the White Horse had changed and that he would give the Clerk the new address. It was agreed that the Clerk should give a letter for Mrs Taylor in Brackenhills for Councillor Kirby-Brown to deliver.

The Clerk reported having written to BT to ask if the payphone is at risk of being taken away and that he had not received a reply. Councillor Hopton said that she had a list of payphones at risk in York and would give a copy to the Clerk.

4. PC Fickling speed gun report (Min. 04.171biii)

PC Fickling had reported that he had received no training on the use of a speed gun.

5. School Safety Zone (Min. 04.158)

A Traffic Order has been issued which states that yellow lines are to be painted on the roads by the school. The Clerk was directed to write to the City Council to restate the Parish Council's opposition to yellow lines in the hope that the implementation of the yellow lines would not take place.

1. Financial Report

The Clerk presented a detailed report showing the actual income and expenditure for the year for the period to 8 November 2004. The report reflected the receipts and payments below. The bank balances at 8 November were:

Current Account £100.00

Business Money Manager Account £20,985.81

1. 1st York Poppleton Scout Group - Thank you letter
2. CPRE - Newsletter, Autumn 2004, AGM agenda
3. North Yorkshire Strategic Partnership - Community strategy
4. Selby & York Rural Transport Partnership - Newsletter & note of meeting
5. A letter from a resident objecting to the widening of the footpath. The Councillors agreed to stick to their decision to support the widening of the footpath.

1. Clerk & Councils Direct - Issue 36, November 2004
2. CPRE, Countryside Voice - Autumn 2004
3. CYC, Draft Rights of Way Improvement Plan
4. Mayfair Group Response, October report
5. North Yorkshire Strategic Partnership, Community strategy
6. NPPC, minutes of 16 August
7. ODPM, New Ethical Framework regulations
8. Poppleton Ward Residents Association. minutes of 29 September
9. YCVS, Voluntary Voice October 2004
10. YLCA, White Rose update - Nov 2004
11. York CVS, Annual report

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.

It was noted that planning application 04/03084/FUL had been refused but that building work had taken place. The Clerk was directed to contact the City Council's Planning Department to ask if the building work carried out needed planning permission.

1. Vandalism

The clerk told the Councillors that the lid of a dog waste bin in Hodgson Lane had disappeared and that he had advised the City Council of this.

2. Other reports

Leaves were reported in the snicket between Brackenhills and the Green. The Clerk was directed to ask the City Council to clear them.

1. Trees -

No report

2. Events

No report

3. Car parking

See agenda item 04.198

The Chairman reported that he and the Clerk had been to look at a problem with the culvert that runs below the Green from Hodgson Lane to Chantry Green. The culvert channels surface water from the highway and neighbouring properties towards the river. It had been reported that there was a blockage somewhere between Manor Farm and Dene Holm. The problem is with silt which is nearly as deep as the pipe. The cause of the blockage is not known. The City Council had written to say that the Parish Council is responsible for the culvert and should remove the silt so that the drainage water flows freely. It was agreed that a price should be obtained for clearing the blockage.

Councillor Kirby-Brown reported on a "footpaths" meeting

Following requests from residents it was agreed not to replace the "Railton Seat" in Hodgson Lane.

It was agreed that a Neighbourhood Watch Awareness Day should be held in the New Year. Councillor Kirby-Brown had talked to Deborah Palmer of Neighbourhood Watch and PC Lee Fickling who said he would attend the event.

It was agreed that there would be no discussion on this subject.

It was agreed that Ken Falkingham be asked to mend the seats that have been damaged and to repaint the seats that need to be repainted.

Councillor Kirby-Brown reported on both the Youth Service Restructuring meeting and the Poppleton Youth Centre meeting. The plan is to have just five youth centres in the city. These will be run by full-time staff, not part-time staff. The Poppleton Youth Centre will be transferred to one of several possible organisations. Amongst these are PopSOC, Poppleton Ousebank School, The Community Centre Trust or a voluntary group. There was no discussion and Councillor Kirby-Brown was thanked for his report.

It was agreed that enquiries should be made to see what steps would need to be taken to have the Green declared as an alcohol-free zone.

Following a lengthy discussion it was agreed unanimously that the Parish Council should, in principle, contribute towards the running costs of the Community Centre. It was agreed that a decision on the level of support to be given would be deferred until the Parish Council meeting in January.

1. Councillor Hopton mentioned that, in the 4^th set of changes to the Local Plan, all the Green is considered to be Open Space. The paddock at Blairgowrie is also designated as Open Space.
2. Councillor Bradley asked that a letter be sent to the City Council to ask that the road in Dikelands Lane be resurfaced.

Monday 10 January 2005 at 7.30pm

There being no other business the Chairman closed the meeting at 10.08pm.

………………………….CHAIRMAN

………………………….DATE