UPPER POPPLETON PARISH COUNCIL

 

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD IN ALL SAINTS CHURCH HALL, UPPER POPPLETON AT 8.00 PM ON MONDAY 2 APRIL 2007

 

PRESENT

Councillor John Pannell (Chairman)

 

Councillor Richard Bramall

Councillor Vivien Crabb

Councillor Ted Kendall

Councillor Stuart Robson

 

 

 

Mr James Mackman (Clerk)

 

07.072 - DECLARATION OF INTEREST ON ANY MATTERS OF BUSINESS

There were no declarations.

 

07.073 - TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

No apologies for absence were received.

 

07.074 - TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 12 MARCH 2007

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2007, having been circulated and read, were accepted and signed as a true record.

 

07.075 - PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

None.

 

07.076 - TO RECEIVE THE CLERK'S REPORT

(a)   Progress on painting the Maypole (Min. 07.054a)

The maypole has been painted.  The Yorventure grant of £1,070 has been received and banked.

 

(b)   Progress on the provision for parking bicycles by the shops (Min. 07.054b)

No progress.  (Action Clerk)

 

(c)    Progress on the provision of a car parking space for the disabled in the White Horse car park (Min. 07.054c)

No progress.  (Action Clerk)

 

(d)   Progress on the replacement of the missing seat in the bus shelter on the Green (Min. 07.054d)

No visible progress though the Clerk has been told that the repair has been authorised by the City Council.  (Action Clerk)

 

(e)   Progress on the leaning sign on the Green (Min. 07.054e)

No progress.  The Councillors expressed their dismay that the sign has still not been straightened.  (Action Clerk)

 

(f)    Progress on removing the branches of the tree that fell out of Blairgowrie (Min. 07.54h)

The branches have been removed from the Parish Council’s verge and have been put over the boundary and on to Blairgowrie land.

 

(g)   Progress on the addition of a plaque on the “Whittaker seat” (Min. 07.054j)

It was agreed this matter be left in the hands of the person who proposed the plaque.

 

(h)   Progress on replacing the litter bins around the Green (Min. 07.058b)

No progress.  (Action Clerk)

 

(i)     Progress on consultation over the proposed beech tree on Chantry Green  (Min. 07.059ai)

No progress.  (Action Councillor Pannell and Clerk)

 

(j)    Progress on tree work on the Green (Min. 07.059aii)

A price for the work has been requested.

 

(k)   Progress on Easement (Min. 07.065)

The legal side of drawing up the easement is underway.  The Parish Council’s solicitors, Denison Till, are dealing with the matter.

 

07.077 - FINANCE

(a)   To receive a financial statement

The Clerk presented a detailed report showing the actual income and expenditure for the financial year ended 31 March 2007.  The report reflected the receipts and payments below.  The bank balances at 31 March were:

Current Account                                                                                                              £1,036.53

Business Money Manager Account                                                                                £14,854.06

 

(b)   To agree accounts for payment (net of VAT);

980

CPRE

Subscription

£27.00

981

Peter Turpin Associates

Spring Newsletter printing

£259.00

982

Sam Dickson

Chantry Green tree removal

£400.00

983

Woods of York

Maypole painting

£1,320.00

984

City of York Council

Half share of demolishing the old bus shelter

£250.00

985

J Ferguson

Mole removal for the year

£50.00

986

James Mackman

Expenses

£122.53

 

(c)    To receive a report on income received

Yorventure

Maypole painting grant

£1,070.00

 

07.078 - TO NOTE CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED

07.078.1 - The Clerk read or referred to the following item of correspondence

(a)   A letter from the City Council giving five days notice of felling a tree at Ebor House

(b)   Travel concessions posters from the City Council which had been put on the village notice boards

(c)   A questionnaire from Yorventure on their handling of the maypole grant claim

 

07.078.2 - It was agreed that the correspondence received since the March Parish Council meeting, as listed below, be circulated to the Councillors

(a)   Leaflets from the City Council about entitlement to Council Tax Benefit

(b)   Nether Poppleton Parish Council - Minutes of 19 February

(c)   NYCC – a booklet on the Rights of Way Improvement Plan for North Yorkshire entitled “People, Paths & Places”

(d)   Sutcliffe Play - PlayBack, Spring 2007

(e)   Yorkshire & Humber Assembly - Assembly Digest, Issue 5 - March 2007

 

07.079 - TO RECEIVE THE PLANNING COMMITTEE REPORT

(a)   Plans pending and Planning Committee Comments

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.

 

(b)   Councillors' comments

No comments.

 

07.080 - TO CONSIDER ITEMS RELATING TO HIGHWAYS, FOOTPATHS, LAMPPOSTS & SIGNS

(a)   To consider reports on vandalism

No reports.

 

(b)   To receive other reports

No reports

 

07.081 - TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATING TO THE VILLAGE GREENS

(a)   Trees

No report.

 

(b)   Events 

It was agreed that the churches could use the Green for sound equipment at the Joint Pentecost Service on 27 May.   (Action Clerk)

 

(c)    Car parking

No report.

 

(d)   Maintenance

i.      To receive a report on clearing the debris from the Lord Collingwood/Church car park

The Chairman thanked Councillor Crabb and her husband for their work in clearing the debris from the Lord Collingwood car park.  There is only a small amount of debris remaining.  It was agreed that the gulley in the car park should be cleaned out.

 

07.082 - TO RECEIVE COMMITTEES' REPRESENTATIVES REPORTS

Councillor Kendall reported on the Community Centre Trust Executive Committee on 27 March 2007.

1.    There seems to be good progress on the work towards persuading the City Council to reduce the rent to be charged for the Community Centre site. The eventual aim is for the rent to be at a peppercorn level. Cllr Quentin Macdonald has been very supportive and the attached letter from Quentin explains the desired outcome.

2.    The new Centre Manager, Sarah Pattie, was introduced at the meeting, and we said a grateful farewell to Paul Stamp.

3.    The revised arrangement for cleaning the Centre seems to be working well and the contract for the new cleaners will be formally written and signed shortly.

4.    The Treasurer explained that he was rationalising the whole process of the consumption and accounting for energy usage in the Centre. It needs careful checking and control and the likely outcome will be a reduction in costs.

5.    The asset register for the Centre is close to completion and an explanation was given on the methods used in its preparation and the way in which it can conveniently be maintained.

6.    The bookings for the Centre continue to improve with particular emphasis on training days that promise to be high earners.

7.    A Centre Open Day will be held on 7 May when the first 200 Club draw will take place. The initial uptake of 200 Club tickets has been very promising.

8.    The so called “Three Wise Men” (who are volunteers with the task of looking at fund raising and suitable uses for funding available for Centre improvement) have been active and their work should soon produce tangible results.

 

07.083 - TO RECEIVE A PROGRESS REPORT FROM THE PARISH PLAN WORKING GROUP

Councillor Kendall reported that, despite the efforts of himself and Nether Poppleton Parish Councillor David Tomlinson, there was insufficient support from residents to establish a working group to undertake the production of a Parish Plan.  It was agreed not to pursue this subject for the time being.

 

07.084 - 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 Upper Poppleton.  These were: one case of arson, two cases of burglary from a shed/garage, one theft from a vehicle, one other theft, six nuisance youths and one nuisance noise.

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

 

07.085 - TO REVIEW THE OPEN DAY

The Clerk reported that the Open Day had been disappointing as far as creating interest in being a Parish Councillor was concerned.  A questionnaire given to each of the eleven local organisations taking part had produced favourable responses which may be looked at in the future.

 

07.086 - TO CONSIDER THE INTRODUCTION OF AN ALCOHOL FREE ZONE ON THE GREEN

This subject was given a good airing.  The question of what area should be considered for inclusion in an Alcohol Free Zone was discussed.  Should it be restricted to the Green or should it include the whole village?  It was agreed that the Clerk should investigate Alcohol Free Zones and present the results to a future meeting.  (Action Clerk)

 

07.087 - TO AGREE TO REFURBISH SOME OF THE VILLAGE SEATS

The Clerk used his laptop computer to show recent photographs of all the village sheets.  It was agreed that quotations should be obtained for refurbishing nine of the seats.  (Action Clerk)

 

07.088 – TO NOTE THE RESPONSES FROM THE SPRING NEWSLETTER

All five responses from the Spring Newsletter, having been circulated prior to the meeting, were discussed and suitable replies agreed.  (Action Clerk)

 

07.089 - TO NOTE FORTHCOMING MEETINGS

Date of Meeting

Meeting

Venue/ Time

Councillor Attending

3 May

Parish Council Election

 

 

21 May

Police Liaison

Poppleton Community Centre/ 2.00pm

Robson

 

07.090 - TO RECEIVE COUNCILLORS' COMMENTS

None.

 

07.091 - TO RECEIVE CITY COUNCILLORS' COMMENTS

None.

 

07.092 - DATE OF NEXT MEETING  - 14 MAY 2007

The date of the next meeting was agreed as Monday 14 May 2007 at 7.30pm.

 

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

 

 

CHAIRMAN ……………………..                                         ………………………….2007

 

James Mackman, Clerk   22a Long Ridge Lane, Nether Poppleton, York  YO26 6LX

Telephone  01904 781752    -    Fax  0871 4331325    -    email  jmackman@tesco.net