1. Present. P Johnson, R Parker, R Messenger, G Handley, A Shepherd, A Rimmer,

the Clerk and twenty-two members of the public.

2. Apologies for Absence. Councillor Woof, G Capstick.

3. Signing of Minutes of Meeting of 27th November 2000. Agreed and signed as a true copy.

4. Matters Arising from the Minutes.

(a) The three walking leaflets will be ready in a few days. Council thanked Mr M Davidson for the

considerable effort he had put in to produce them.

(The leaflets are now finished and there are copies in the Athenaeum, Post Office and the Bluebell.)

5. The Athenaeum.

The Chairman suspended the meeting while a wide ranging discussion took place about issues

arising from a complaint about noise from the Athenaeum.

6. Progress Report on Playground.

(a) The VAT Office has confirmed that VAT will be recoverable on costs incurred upgrading the

Playground. It may be possible to avoid cash flow problems and get a discount by ordering through

SLDC.

(b) The hole left by removal of the roundabout will be filled in the next few days.

(c) The working group are filling in grant applications

inclusion with applications.

7. Highways.

(a) Tristram’s Lane has been added to Cumbria County Council’s maintenance schedule.

(b) Piles of salt/sand have been replenished following the cold spell.

(c) Cumbria County Council budgets will not stretch to pruning trees on Princes’ Way in the current

financial year.

(d) Council agreed that the new hatching on the east side of the Levens Hall junction with road

through the village was being ignored and should be removed.

8. Standing Orders.

Two copies of the standing orders were signed by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

9. Finance.

(a) Payments by Parish Council.

M Tyson £95.00 for work on the playground.

Athenaeum £20.00 for rent.

E P Johnson £23.50 for Chairman's Expenses.

Local Council Review £ 9.99 for subscription - see item 12(d).

(b) Payments by Leasgill Quarry.

Milnthorpe Steel Band £1,000.00 for new instruments - from awards in 2000.

G Handley £ 25.00 for use of rooms.

Intimation has been received that the structure of COIF funds is to be changed so that they are more

like conventional unit trusts.

(c) Quotations for grass cutting etc.

Council’s standing orders require quotations to be obtained for all work costing over £350.00.

Page 2

10. Planning.

(a) New Applications :

(i) Dallam School - application to erect slated canopy supported (permission has been given

by SLDC for this application to proceed).

(b) Applications Considered Previously :

(i) College Green - permission granted to convert from "certified" to "seasonal" caravan site.

(ii) Heversham Hall Farm - listed building consent granted to carry out external alterations.

(iii) Orange - reapplication to enhance transmission capability from Heversham Head.

11. Preparation For Parish Meeting.

The Parish Meeting will be held on 26th March in the Athenaeum. Subjects suggested included a

talk by the Playground Working Group, police and discussion of ideas to celebrate the Queen’s

golden jubilee. Action : Vice-Chairman to produce draft notice.

12. Correspondence

(a) Two letters complaining about a new sign on the gate at the end of Tristrams’ Lane.

A new sign discouraging the exercising of dogs on Tristrams has appeared. It is believed that a

similar sign has been put up at the entrance to Dallam School property in Milnthorpe. Council

believes the legal position to be that dogs under close control can be exercised on recognised

footpaths, but that off footpaths the position is less clear.

(b) Letter from Parishioner suggesting the planting of a community orchard.

Council agreed that it was sympathetic to the idea, and it was agreed that the correspondent would

look at an alternative sight.

(c) Letter from Beetham Parish Council suggesting a joint approach to "Caring for Morecambe Bay"

Councillor Handley agreed to represent Heversham in any joint approach by the parishes on the

south side of the Kent Estuary. Action : Clerk to inform Beetham Clerk.

(d) CALC Newsletters for December and January.

Contain comment and information on :-The

Rural White Paper,

Possible future changes to Parliamentary constituency boundaries,

Cumbria in Bloom - Council decided not to enter in 2001,

A CALC project entitled "Making Parish Democracy Work",

Local Government Act 2000 Standards Committees,

Subscriptions for "Local Council Review",

Free Seminars on Planning, and

The Cumbria Play Partnership.

(e) Morecambe Bay Health Authority - Consultation on the future of Maternity Services.

Passed (via J Cushnie) to the Toddlers Group for comment.

(f) SLDC - Best Value Review of Dog Warden Service - Noted.

(g) SLDC - Recruiting people to work on the Census - notice on board.

11. Any Other Business.

(a) It was reported that groups of Dallam School pupils are gathering in the village (eg in Dugg Hill).

It is believed that the headmaster has already taken action but the Chairman will talk to staff during a

visit in February.

(b) G Handley reported that work to make a formal exit from Quarry wood on the new permissive

path would begin shortly. Council agreed that there would then be the opportunity to add a new

permissive footpath sign at the west entrance to the wood. In the longer term it would also be

desirable to replace the seat by the clump of trees further to the west.

(c) G Handley also reported that a quicksand warning sign had disappeared from the shore.

12. Next Meeting. 26th February 2001.