DRAFT MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF URSWICK PARISH
COUNCIL
held
Thursday 3rd April 2008
Bardsea
School Rooms
Present
Mrs M M Stainton (MMS), (Chairperson), Mr B Abbott (BA), Mr B Butterfield (BB), Mrs N Cowsill (NC), Mr J Keen (JK), Mr D Stubbs (DS), Mr J Winder (JW).
Also in attendance: District Councillor Mr D Foot (DF), Mr R Wilson (RW), Mr M Stables (MS), Ms J. Gibbons.
Apologies: Mr G James (GJ), Police Community Support Officer: Mrs H Maddon.
The new Clerk, Mr David Foot, signed the contract appointing him as the Council’s Proper Officer and Responsible Financial Officer.
1. Declaration of Interest:
Mr D Stubbs and Mr B Butterfield, (members of Urswick Tarn Association)
Mrs N Cowsill, (Grazing rights on Stainton Green)
2. Approval of minutes of previous meeting (6.3.2008)
In “Any other Business” Mr Abbott had drawn attention to the account
for the bus shelter, not Mr
Winder.
With this amendment the minutes were approved. Proposed BA, seconded NC.
All in favour.
Matters Arising not on the
agenda:
GJ had contacted Mr Beattie, Cumbria CC Highways, regarding the
railings, who had replied that he
had found the appropriate file but had not yet
had a chance to go through it in detail.
Any further details of an agreement for maintenance should be sent to Mr Beattie.
Bardsea was still awaited. District Councillor DF
agreed to chase this up.
ACTION: DF
not found any. The new Clerk requested that any further
reports of concerns also gave clear locations.
3. Police
Matters.
PCSO H Madden had sent her apologies. No report from the Police.
Councillors noted the recent robbery at the Stagger Inn, Stainton.
4. Payment of
Accounts.
a) The following payments were authorised:
Mr M Kirkbride – cutting verges £23.50
Frederic Robinson Ltd.- lease of noticeboard,
Mr M Stables- duplicate key cutting, noticeboards £ 5.00
Allianz Insurance- annual insurance cover £513.05
peppercorn rent for the noticeboard as a contribution to the
community.
b) Change of Signatories on the Parish Council’s Accounts:
With the change of Clerk the signatories would need to be renewed.
The new Clerk with
and BA were
considered to have easiest availability.
ACTION: CLERK
5. Planning Applications.
SL/2008/0179 Land at
North View, Longlands,
No Objections.
SL/08/0168 Woodlands, Gt Urswick. -Change of use of part of double garage to Office/Hobby Room.
Objection to commercial use in a residential area.
ACTION: CLERK
6. Registration
of Parish Owned land.
Approval was given, in principle, for the future payment of estimated
legal fees (£226.00 plus
disbursements of £52) of
Hart Jackson & Sons solicitors for attempting to obtain a possessory title
to the land adjoining the
Landings on the
would include contact
with the Tarn Association for documentary and other evidence to record use
of the land by the Tarn
Association over a long period of time.
ACTION:
CLERK
Proposed by JW, seconded NC. All in favour.
7. Survey of Need for Affordable Housing.
Cumbria Rural Housing Association had not had the staffing to complete the analysis of the results but would be undertaking this in the next few weeks.
8.
Parish Plan.
Several items on the Parish Plan were being progressed (see item 9 and 15).
9.
Village Design Statement.
Mr. Wilson indicated that now the PC website project was essentially complete, he hoped that it would be possible to convene a meeting of the steering group before the next PC meeting. The DRAFT text was near completion for consideration by the steering group. Further work would then be necessary in order to achieve the aim, declared in the Parish Plan, of the Statement becoming a Supplementary Planning Document. Further public consultation would be necessary beyond the public meetings already held. The PC website could provide one vehicle for achieving this.
10. Bardsea
Matters.
a) Cocklers: DF, as
District councillor, reported that the sampling being undertaken by SLDC
should
be completed
by mid June. The Government agency, CEFAS , would then consider what
classification was to be given.
b) Public Conveniences:
SLDC would be reviewing its policy and provision of public conveniences
after
the elections in May.
11. Stainton Matters.
a)
Footpath: Response from Lord Derby’s agent still awaited, as was a response
from Cumbria
CC’s
Highway engineer, Nick Raymond. NC will follow up with Lord Derby’s agent,
GJ with
Highway
engineer.
ACTION:
NC / GJ
12.
Great Urswick Matters.
a)
maintenance was occurring. The article for the new Parish Council website
had been approved.
Exploratory talks had occurred to see if funds might be available for a
project to protect reeds
from damage by the geese. The Association required a letter from the Parish
Council to support
this initiative. All were in agreement for such a letter to be sent,
noting that the project was
subject to agreement by any landowners other than the Parish Council.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust
had been informed of this potential project.
The Trust had sent a booklet which detailed the duty of
Parish Councils to conserve biodiversity,
in adherence to the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act
2006. The booklet
would be circulated roundCouncillors.
ACTION: CLERK/COUNCILLORS
The Association was to hold its AGM on Tuesday 13th May at
7.30, in the Church Rooms. All
were welcome.
b) Flooding/Raised water levels: The Tarn Association had been in
contact with the Environment
Agency to check the beck had been cleared. This had been confirmed and the
Agency had no
concern over the current level of the
c) Grass Verges: All agreed that the pilot cut of the verges near the
school by a contractor, Mr Kirk
bride, had been satisfactory and it was proposed by NC, seconded by DS and
approved by all,
that the same contractor be given the first option on the contract this
year, should he wish to.
NC will check.
ACTION:
NC
d) Byelaw on the Hagg: The Clerk, in the absence of GJ, presented
GJ’s suggestion for the
introduction of a byelaw to help control the damage being caused by the
earthworks dug for
mountain biking on the Hagg. The
earthworks were awaiting removal, as such activity was not
acceptable because of the damage to the land and the risk to people.
This had been confirmed
by the Council’s insurers, who required action to be taken.
The Clerk was asked to acquire
details of the Byelaw making process and whether the byelaws that the
could be utilised.
ACTION: CLERK
13. Little Urswick Matters.
The outgoing Clerk had not had
time to progress contact with the owners of Greenbank House,
Signet Cottage or the caravan at
ACTION: CLERK
14. Market Town Initiative. (MTI)
Correspondence had been
received from DF in his capacity as representative of the Parish
Councils in Low Furness on the MTI partnership committee. He
requested comment on the
existing partnership and whether a similar body should
succeed the partnership when funding
finished next year. Future plans needed to be considered in
the light of proposals that had been
received from Cumbria Assoc. of Local Councils (CALC) which
was looking to press for changes
which will bring greater influence for Parish/Town Councils
on local services and developments.
This correspondence had been
circulated prior to the meeting, along with a response to the
CALC proposals from DF in his role as District Councillor.
After points of clarification from DF all
present decided to endorse Cllr Foot’s response and inform
CALC of this, and that DF in his role
as Parish representative should inform future discussions
about a successor partnership that a
similar body to the current MTI should be established so that
economic activity in the area is
coordinated, with continued representation from the Parish
councils.
ACTION:
DF
15.
Parish
Council Website.
Mr R. Wilson reported that the website
was now up and running with much of the content
completed. Mr Wilson was thanked for his work on this, which
had been time consuming and
technical. RW explained that material to complete some of the
content areas was still required.
It was acknowledged that the website was now essentially the
responsibility of the Parish Council
and that outstanding content and updates would need to be
coordinated by the Parish Clerk. RW
provided written confirmation of the extent of future help he
was willing to give, with the
objective of transferring all matters to the Parish Council
from May 2009.
RW’s proposals were accepted, noting
that all further material must be communicated through
the Clerk, and that the Clerk would receive training on
updating the website and posting agenda
and minutes. This would incur some additional charges from
the hosting company. The area on
the website for the Tarn Association would be left in the
hands of the Tarn Association with the
Parish Council providing a hosting facility.
RW requested a letter from the Parish
Council acknowledging that the photographs on the
website were all owned and copyright of RW, with the
exception of that of Bardsea from the
shore, which was owned and copyright of Mr W.J.Scribbans of
Bardsea.
ACTION: CLERK
16.
Parish
Council Office Equipment.
The new Clerk already had access to a
computer, printer and photocopier and the outgoing Clerk
had expressed an interest in purchasing the existing
equipment should the Council be minded to
sell it. Councillors noted that there was likely to be
confidential information on the existing hard
drive which would need to be professionally removed prior to
sale. The new Clerk had taken
advice from CALC on depreciation rates and how to value the
equipment, and had been told that
industry standard practice is 33% depreciation per annum, or
whatever someone offered,
whichever was the greater.
It was proposed by DS seconded BB and
agreed by all that the current value of the equipment be
established by the Clerk and the figures brought back to the
next meeting and that the outgoing
Clerk be given first option on it, subject to the return of
the hard drive if the computer was
later sold/scrapped.
ACTION:
CLERK
17. Correspondence.
1.
VAC :
agreed.
ACTION: CLERK
2. Details of appointment of External Auditor for 07/08 accounts.
3. Magazine, “The Clerk”.
4.
SLDC Guidance to Councillors on accepting any Gifts
and Hospitality. Clerk to copy for all
Councillors.
ACTION: CLERK
5.
Rural Greens Project: A Management Guide and Land
Registry booklet Registering your land: A
guide for Parish Councils in
ACTION: CLERK/Cllrs
6. Changes to draft North West Regional Spatial Strategy.
7. Standards Board newsletter.
8.
Parish Charter for
circulate.
ACTION: CLERK/Cllrs
9. SLDC: Whistle blowing policy and leaflet regarding concerns re. Fraud, Corruption or Malpractice.
10. SLDC Parish Remuneration Panel Report 08/09 inc. travel allowances.
11.
12.
Environmental Scoping report on upgrades and
additions to wind turbines at Harlock Hill. (now called
Standish Cote). NC took to read and circulate as
any comments to be returned by 18th April.
ACTION: Cllrs/ CLERK
13.
Preliminary assessment for wind turbines at Stribers
Wood, Haverthwaite. Circulate: MMS took
report to read.
ACTION: MMS
18. Any other business.
The sign on the side of the Burgoyne had been queried. The Clerk, as a point of information, will check with SLDC Planning Dept whether such signs require permission.
ACTION: CLERK
Ms J Gibbons, the new proprietor of the Braddylls Arms, introduced herself and asked if the Council would be interested in assisting her with the possible entry of Bardsea in the Village in Bloom competition. BA expressed an interest, and the Council was delighted at this new initiative. BB also expressed an interest in the possible inclusion of Gt. Urwick next year. BA will liaise with Ms Gibbon.
ACTION: BA
Litter Pick: Participation by local residents in the recent litter pick had been disappointing but quite a quantity of litter had been collected, especially off Birkrigg. Mr M Stables and team were thanked for organising the pick.
19.
Date of Next meeting.
AGM Thursday 1st
May, 7.30pm in Urswick Parish Rooms.