MINUTES
OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD IN ALL SAINTS CHURCH HALL,
PRESENT
|
Councillor Greg Watson (Chairman) Councillor Kathie Brydson Councillor Vivien Crabb Councillor Peter Hawkins Councillor Ted Kendall Councillor John Pannell Councillor Kate Richardson. Councillor Stuart Robson Councillor Rae Youngman |
City Councillor Ian Gillies Six members of the public Mr James Mackman (Clerk) |
08.001
- DECLARATION OF INTEREST ON ANY MATTERS OF BUSINESS
Councillors
Hawkins and Kendall stated that they had a prejudicial interest in agenda items
08.008 and 08.009g.
08.002
- TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
All Councillors being present there were no
apologies.
08.003
- TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 12 NOVEMBER 2007
The minutes of the meeting held on 12 November
2007, having been circulated and read, were accepted and signed as a true
record.
08.004
- PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Councillor Hawkins read the presentation he
had prepared on the Community Centre’s finances.
08.005 - TO RECEIVE CITY
COUNCILLORS' COMMENTS - for information only
City Councillor Ian Gillies reported on the
following points:-
· The City Council has carried out a number
of speed surveys in
· He is seeking clarification on the
situation regarding the removal of salt bins.
· Council Officials are to meet with a
Minister for Transport to discuss the availability of funding for the A59 Park
& Ride.
08.006
-TO RECEIVE THE CLERK'S REPORT
(a)
Progress on the provision for parking
bicycles by the shops (Min. 07.210a)
It was reported that the City Council’s
Cycling Officer, Andy Vose, is checking with the Co-op as there seems to be a
possibility that it may provide a cycle rack on the forecourt outside its
premises.
(b)
Progress on replacing the litter bins
around the Green (Min. 07.210b)
Three bins have been replaced and a new bin
has been placed close to the new seat located between the maypole and the road.
(c)
Progress on repairing the post by the pump
on the Green (Min. 07.215d )
The post has been replaced and the invoice
from Ken Falkingham has been received.
(d)
Progress on the refurbishment of the
The fence has been mended and the invoice
from Ken Falkingham has been received.
08.023
- TO RECEIVE A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE POPPLETON COMMUNITY RAILWAY NURSERY
It was agreed that this subject be brought
forward to this point on the agenda.
Alan Garrett addressed the Councillors. He said that there had been a recent meeting
of some parties interested in developing the Railway Nursery. Unfortunately, Network Rail which owns the
site has not come to a lease agreement with Northern Rail which leases the
site. Until a lease has been agreed the
Railway Nursery Group is not allowed on to the site. It was agreed that the Clerk should contact
the appropriate City Council Officer and ask for the City Council’s view on the
subject. (Action Clerk)
08.007
– TO CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR THE REFURBISHMENT OF ALL SAINTS CHURCH
HALL
The Councillors considered a written
request for a grant of £6,500 from the All Saints Church Hall Trustees. The grant would be used to move and refurbish
the kitchen. The Councillors were aware
that the Church had received money from the sale of Dodsworth Hall and there
was a debate about whether this money, or interest on this money, could be used
for the refurbishment. It was resolved
that there was insufficient information to make a decision to give a grant and
the request was rejected.
08.008
– TO CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR FUNDING FROM THE POPPLETON COMMUNITY TRUST
At this point in the meeting Councillors
Hawkins and Kendall excused themselves and vacated the room. The Community Trust had written to ask for a
grant of £3,750 to be used for capital expenditure and £3,750 to be used for
revenue expenditure. At the end of a
lively debate it was resolved that the sum of £5,000 be granted to the
Community Trust, the sum to be used for any purpose the Trust deems
appropriate. A decision having been made,
Councillors Hawkins and Kendall were invited to rejoin the meeting – which they
did.
08.009
- FINANCE
(a)
To receive a financial statement
The Clerk presented a
detailed report showing the actual income and expenditure for the current financial
year for the period to 14 January 2008.
The report reflected the receipts and payments below. The bank balances at 14 January were:
Current Account
£100.00
Business Money Manager
Account £17,395.35
|
(b)
To agree accounts for payment (net of
VAT); |
|||
|
1040 |
|
Allotment
water |
£8.13 |
|
1041 |
Baron
Landscape |
Grass cutting
- November |
£135.00 |
|
1042 |
James
Mackman |
Salary -
December |
£422.36 |
|
1043 |
Post
Office Ltd |
Tax & NI |
£152.21 |
|
1044 |
Ken
Falkingham |
Repairs to
allotment fence |
£274.40 |
|
1045 |
James
Mackman |
Clerk’s
expenses |
£105.93 |
|
1046 |
James
Mackman |
Salary –
January |
£418.24 |
|
1047 |
Post
Office Ltd |
Tax & NI |
£149.99 |
|
(c)
To receive a report on income
received |
||
|
City of |
Grass cutting allowance |
£1,729.56 |
|
HSBC |
Bank interest |
£156.79 |
(d)
To review the level of the Fidelity
Guarantee insurance
Prior to the meeting the Councillors
had received full details of the Parish Council’s Fidelity Guarantee insurance policy. After discussion it was agreed to keep the
insurance to the current £10,000 limit.
(e)
Internal audit review procedure
It was reported that Councillors Watson,
Pannell, Hawkins and the Clerk have yet to meet to discuss the internal audit
procedures. The Clerk said that he had
prepared a suggested scheme for the Councillors to consider. (Action
Clerk)
(f)
To agree to pay a proportion of the Clerk’s
SLCC subscription
It was agreed that the Parish Council would
pay £57.25 towards the total of this year’s subscription of £145.00.
(g)
To consider the Budget for 2008-09 and set
the precept
The Councillors agreed the budget as
presented by the Clerk but take into consideration the £5,000 grant to the
Community Trust. It was resolved to set
the precept for 2008-09 at £18,500.
08.010 - TO NOTE CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
08.010.1 - The Clerk read or referred to
the following item of correspondence
(a)
CYC - Get
Something Extra leaflets
(b)
CYC - Precept
instalment notice
(c)
CYC - Council
Tax Base 2008/09 letter
(d)
08.010.2 –It was confirmed that the following items
had been circulated to the Councillors
(a) YLCA - Country Air, Autumn 2007
(b) CPRE - Fieldwork, Dec 2007
(c) Nether Poppleton Parish Council - Minutes
of 15 October
08.010.3 - It was agreed that the correspondence
received since the November Council meeting, as listed below, be circulated to
the Councillors
(a) CE Electric
(b) Clerk & Councils Direct - January 2008,
Issue 55
(c) CYC - Walking for Health leaflets
(d) SLCC - The Clerk, November 2007
(e) YOPF - Newsletter - December 2007
08.011 - 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
None.
(c)
To consider the process for dealing with
future planning applications
The Councillors considered
a report from Councillor Robson on the process that the Parish Council should
follow with regards to planning applications.
The report confirmed the current but unwritten procedure. It was agreed to accept this report.
08.012 - TO CONSIDER ITEMS RELATING TO HIGHWAYS,
FOOTPATHS, LAMPPOSTS & SIGNS
(a)
To consider reports on vandalism
No reports.
(b)
To receive other reports
It was reported that the
salt bin at the top of
08.013 - TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATING TO THE VILLAGE
GREENS
(a)
Trees
No report.
(b)
Events
No report.
(c)
Car parking - review
No report.
(d)
Maintenance
It was agreed that the fence
round the pump on the Green should be repainted and that Ken Falkingham be
asked to do the work. (Action Clerk)
08.014 - TO RECEIVE COMMITTEES' REPRESENTATIVES
REPORTS
No reports.
08.015
- TO RECEIVE A REPORT ON VILLAGE POLICING
The following report on incidents in
14/12 - Criminal Damage to vehicles - Westfield
Close - Upper.
19/12 - Burglary from work studio -
27/12 - Tree uprooted and left on Next door
neighbours property - Dikelands. Upper.
28/12 - Burglary at the Beauty Clinic on
The Green, Upper.
29/12 - Theft of cycle - Fairway Dr. Upper.
1/1 - Criminal Damage to vehicles - Red
Lion. - Upper.
1/1 - Criminal Damage to Community Centre -
Upper.
4/1 - Theft from Motor car x 2 cars left
unattended on
08.016
- TO CONSIDER PROGRESS ON THE PROVISION OF A YOUTH SHELTER
No report.
08.017
- TO CONSIDER ARTICLES FOR THE SPRING NEWSLETTER
Councillor Kendall displayed a Newsletter
which the editorial team had produced.
The Councillors agreed to look at this.
After the Councillors have confirmed that
they are happy with the Newsletter the Clerk was authorised to instruct Peter
Turpin & Associates to print the Newsletter which the Councillors agreed to
distribute.
08.018
– ALLOTMENTS
(a)
Given the waiting list for allotments, to
consider steps needed to increase the number of allotments available
The Clerk advised the
Councillors that under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 s23(2) a
Parish Council has a duty to endeavour to provide allotments if six residents
make a written request for them.
Currently there are five people on the allotment waiting list and they
will be waiting for years if the present rate of tenants relinquishing their
allotments continues. Whilst there had
been no official request to provide more allotments the Councillors were asked to
consider if the Parish Council should look to increasing the number of
allotments in order to eliminate the waiting list and allow for a demand in the
future. It was agreed that the Clerk
should enquire as to the means of acquiring land for allotments and report
back. (Action Clerk)
(b)
To consider another complaint about the
state of the hedge by the school drive
The Clerk reported having received another
communication from the School Governors asking for the hedge to be cut
back. It was agreed that this be done
and that the School’s offer to do the work should be accepted. (Action
Clerk)
08.019
– TO CONSIDER THE CITY COUNCIL’S CONSERVATION OFFICER’S
The Clerk reported that the following message had been received from the City Council’s Conservation Officer with regards to the proposed cycle racks on the Green.
"The
parking is at the heart of the Conservation Area opposite facilities and next
to the Green. The small grass wedge which encloses the existing parking has an
important visual function. It encloses
the area of car parking and it helps to reduce the apparent width of tarmac so
that the road maintains a narrower scale within the historic village core.
We
would not be happy to see the grass removed in favour of tarmac.
Our
preference would be for clusters of cycle racks to be sited on the forecourts
to the shops and pub opposite i.e. keeping the hard surfacing where it already
is and having the hoops next to the facilities. People could walk across to the green.”
The
second possibility if the above won’t work is to have the grass on the
"peninsular" reinforced with a geo-textile hollow membrane. This would require laying from scratch and it
could accept turf rather than seed. A
number of types of membrane exist which have thin walls and so are better than
grasscrete. Such an approach would
maintain the green wrap-around the cars and it would still serve the existing
function of reducing the apparent road width."
The Councillors rejected the idea of more cycle racks
on the forecourts as they wish to encourage residents to use public transport
and see that cycle racks should be provided for this purpose. Forecourt cycle parking should be restricted
to those using the premises owning the forecourts. The Clerk was asked to investigate the possibility
of having a tarmac substitute as mentioned above. (Action
Clerk)
08.020
-
OWING
TO AN ERROR IN NUMBERING THERE WAS NO AGENDA ITEM AT THIS POINT.
08.021
– TO DISCUSS A PROPOSAL OF HAVING ONE WARDED PARISH COUNCIL FOR THE WHOLE OF
POPPLETON
It was reported that Councillor Glen
Bradley of Nether Poppleton Parish Council has been asked to look into this
subject and that he was making enquiries of the City Council’s Electoral
Officer. It was agreed that Councillor
Hawkins liaise with Councillor Bradley and report back to the Parish Council. (Action
Councillor Hawkins)
08.022
– TO DISCUSS PROTECTION FOR THE HESSAY/UPPER POPPLETON BOUNDARY STONE
The Clerk gave a brief history of the
boundary stone which had been erected in the 18th century. In the 1930s the inscriptions were recarved
as the original inscriptions had been worn down by the rubbing of cattle. The stone is not upright. It is currently lying at an angle. It has no protection from cattle. Hessay Parish Council would like the stone to
be put upright and a fence built round the stone to prevent it being damaged by
cattle. Councillor Kendall said that the
boundary stone came under the auspices of the YAT (York Archaeological Trust)
and it was agreed that the Parish Council take no action on this subject.
08.023
- TO RECEIVE A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE POPPLETON COMMUNITY RAILWAY NURSERY
See above.
08.024
– TO CONSIDER A RESPONSE TO THE
Prior to the meeting the Councillors had
been given a copy of Nether Poppleton Parish Councillor Peter Powell’s
suggested response. It was agreed that
this response be sent to the City Council.
08.025
– TO CONSIDER REQUESTING THE ALTERATION OF THE WIDTH OF THE PASSING PLACES
Trevor Parker addressed the meeting. He reported that there was a problem with
people using the passing places in
08.026
– TO CONSIDER A RESPONSE TO THE BBC’S BREATHING SPACES CAMPAIGN
The BBC’s Breathing Spaces Campaign was
noted
08.027
– TO DISCUSS COUNCILLOR TRAINING
It was agreed that the Clerk should seek
out what training opportunities are available for Councillor training especially
with regards to planning. (Action Clerk)
It was agreed that a City Council Planning
Officer be invited to the address the next Parish Council meeting on planning
issues. It was agreed that the meeting
would start at 7.00pm. (Action Clerk)
08.028
- TO NOTE FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
|
Date of Meeting |
Meeting |
Venue/ Time |
Councillors Attending |
|
22 January |
Ward Team |
Committee Room 1, Guildhall/ 3:30-5:00pm |
Watson |
|
23 January |
Poppleton Community
Trust Executive |
Community Centre/ 7.30pm |
Pannell |
|
29 January |
Ward Committee |
|
All |
08.029
- TO RECEIVE COUNCILLORS' COMMENTS
No comments.
08.030
- DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 11 FEBRUARY 2008 AT 7.30PM
The date of the next meeting was agreed as
Monday 11 February 2008 at 7.00pm.
There being no other business the Chairman
closed the meeting at 10.36pm.
CHAIRMAN …………………….. ………………………….2008
James Mackman, Clerk 22a
Telephone 01904 781752 -
Fax 0871 4331325 -
email jmackman@tesco.net