Heversham Parish Council

Minutes of Meeting of Monday, 20th August 2001

 7.30 pm in St Peter’s Church Old School

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

Councillor Bingham, Councillor Woof, the Clerk and one member of the public.

2.            Apologies for Absence. None.

3.         Signing of Minutes of Meeting of 25th June 2001.  Agreed and signed as a true copy.

4.         Matters Arising from the Minutes.

(a) Repairs to Seats: No progress to report - an alternative joiner was suggested. The Women’s

Institute will repair their seat on Heversham Head when Foot and Mouth restrictions are lifted.

(b) Refurbishment of St Mary’s Well: Estimates are still awaited. A draft of the wording of the

plaque has been produced.

Action : Chairman to comment on wording. (Other comments will be obtained later.)

5.            Playground.

(a) The floor of the covered wagon is broken and it has been taken out of use. Council agreed that

the whole playground should be closed until refurbishment is complete rather than spending money

on repairing the covered wagon. The Chair of the working group is in agreement with this decision.

Action : Clerk to chain up gates and equipment, put up notices and obtain estimates for

clearing the site.

(b) Working Party Progress: The walk round Levens Hall gardens was fully subscribed, but the car

boot sale has been cancelled. Council asked to see any draft plans available at the next meeting.

6.             Finance.

            (a) Payments:      SLDC (lighting maintenance)                                    £43.61

                                        Athenaeum (rent - including playground meetings)  £45.00

                                        St Peter’s Church (rent of Old School)                      £  5.00

(b) Audit for 2000/01: The audit is complete and the accounts returned. The annual management

letter and auditor’s opinion is awaited.

7.            Contract of Employment for Parish Clerk.

Legislation requires that the Clerk has a contract of employment.

Action : Clerk to obtain samples from CALC and to agree a draft with Chairman.

8.         Removal of Recycling site at Dallam School.

Dallam School has asked SLDC to remove the recycling bins from its car park at the school. Council

agreed that every endeavour should be made to persuade the school to change its mind. In a wide

ranging discussion the following points were felt to be particularly relevant:-

The site occupies only 10 yards along one side of the car park.

Removal will weaken links with the community and remove a valuable resource.

There are no other possible sites to the East of Prince’s Way.

The school is going against Local Agenda 21 principles, which it teaches to its pupils.

Changes to the car park may require planning permission.

Action : Councillor Bingham to check whether the Governors have approved decision.

Clerk to reply to SLDC with copies to Dallam School.

Chairman to invite Headmaster to attend the next meeting of Council.

9.         Preliminary Discussion about Parish Plan.

The Rural White Paper 2000 introduced the concept of “Quality Parishes”. One of the requirements

to become a Quality Parish is likely to be production of a “Parish Plan”, covering many aspects of

Parish life and produced after input by the whole Parish. The Countryside Agency can give a grant to

cover 75% of the cost of production.

Council agreed that it was uncertain whether “Quality Parish” status should be sought, and that

More information should be sought at the CALC conference on 3^rd November 2001.

Action : Clerk to register interest with Countryside Agency.

Clerk to book places at the Conference for the Chairman and Clerk.

10.             Planning.

(a) New Applications:

(i) The Farmhouse, Lower Haverflatts - proposed conservatory supported.

(ii) Plumtree Bank - erection of horse shelter supported provided that it is moved to the north east

corner of the field.

(iii) Lyngarth - proposed extension supported.

(b) Applications Considered Previously:

(i) Hill Crest, Mabbin Hall Lane - permission granted to build four dwellings.

11.       Quarterly Equipment Report.              No faults were found in the inspection.

12.       Ideas for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

A number of ideas were discussed, and it was agreed that the refurbishment of the playground and

commemorative mugs for children in the village were suitable projects.

13.             Correspondence

(a) CALC  July Newsletter:             Gives suggested hourly pay rates for Clerks, and asks for

nominations for the Standards Committee being set up by SLDC. Nominations have been received

but it is not known who they are.

                        August Newsletter:            Includes agreed consultation guidelines.

                        Conference Schedule:              Noted - see item 9.

(b) SLDC            Identification of Potentially Contaminated Land Sites - none known in Heversham.

                        Competitive Engineering Work: SLDC are willing to carry out engineering work.

                                     Council agreed to ask for a quote to clear equipment from the playground.

                        Housing Strategy Update to 2003 - noted.

                        Parish Clerk’s Newsletter August 2001:             Gives results of Best Value Satisfaction

Survey. Also notes new Council Constitution (Leader plus Cabinet), need to

 reduce expenditure, and raises possibility of a green tax for recycling.

Action : Chairman to write to MP stressing necessity for early abolition of

Council Tax rebate on second homes.

(c) Cumbria CCC                 Access to Fells:             New map showing open access areas from 1^st August

has been received. There is some confusion about local paths.

Action : Councillor Bingham to seek clarification from SLDC.

                                     Hotline for Highways: Noted - a copy of the leaflet will be on the notice

board. Chris Baines can still be contacted direct.  

(d) Athenaeum Management Committee            The Annual General Meeting will be on 24^th September.

                        The Chairman and Booking Secretary wish to resign at the AGM.

(e) Cumbria Broadleaves            Letter requesting that a new Tree Warden be appointed for the Parish.

                                                            It was agreed that Mr Handley should be appointed.

                        Action : Clerk to inform Cumbria Broadleaves.

(f) United Utilities            Letter intimating that work on watermains will begin in September.

(g) NW Federation of Parish Councils Association            Regional Conference will be on 22^nd November.

14.       Any Other Business.

(a) The Leasgill Quarry sub-committee meeting will be on Thursday 20^th September at 25 Dugg Hill.

Action : Clerk to ask Milnthorpe Clerk who will represent their Council.

(b) It was confirmed that responsibility for the chestnut trees in the churchyard lay with the PCC.

(c) Fires at the business units on Prince’s Way are causing a nuisance.

Action : Chairman to phone SLDC when a fire is burning.

(d) A Stagecoach bus travelled through the village at 40 mph on Tuesday 14^th August.

Action : Clerk to write to Stagecoach.

            (e) Trees on Prince’s Way            Action : Clerk to ask Cumbria CC if trimming is imminent.

15.       Next Meeting.      17^th September 2001.