Heversham Parish Council

 

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held in the Athenaeum, on Monday, 30th October, 2006, which started at 7.30.p.m.

 

Present: Councillors P Shaw, Tony Parker, A Lucas, A Hulme, District Councillor Brenda Woof, County Councillor Roger Bingham, the Clerk and one member of the public.

 

424  Apologies for absence were received from Cllr. Jenny Pearson-Snape, Adele Shepherd and the Chairman Gordon Capstick.  Vice Chairman, Peter Shaw took the Chair for the meeting.

 

425  The Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 25th September 2006 were signed as a true record.

 

426  Matters arising from the Minutes.

·        Mrs Blakley from St Peter’s school has written to say that she has arranged for a Consultant Advisor to assess the safety of Quarry Wood for the school children’s studies.  Cllr. Shaw will attend to represent the Council.

·        Mr Bell has replied regarding the 20 mph signs and the barrier to say he has applied for funding for them.

·        There have been no responses to the other correspondence.

·        Cllr. Lucas is still to compose a letter to SLDC regarding the Gateway project.

 

427  Amendments to the ‘Standing Orders’.

The proposed changes were circulated to the Councillors with the Agenda. Item 24 appertaining to Contracts, will be updated to allow a contract of £500 or less to be accepted, without needing two quotations.

 Item 31 must state that we use the “most recent publication available” as guidance.

The amendments are now complete and the new Standing Orders will need to be signed by the Chairman before the new copies can be issued.

 

428  The Athenaeum report.

This showed the accounts to be in good order and the income greater than the outgoings.

Two copies of the accounts were signed by the acting Chairman Peter Shaw  who also signed the submission that is to be sent to the Charity Commission.

 

429  The following payments were authorized::

·        Poppy Appeal - £25, cheque 100037.

·        St Peters Heversham PCC - £500, cheque 100038.

·        Mr Martin Tyson, village maintenance, £1,010., cheque 100039.

 

430  The 60th Anniversary of the Village Sports Day.

As it was the Parish Council that first funded this Annual Event, the Council has decided that they will make a contribution under section 137 towards it’s 60th Event, the amount has yet to be decided.  The clerk will write to Mr Ian Gunby, as Chairman of the Sports Committee, to inform him.

 

431  The tender submitted for next year, by Mr Tyson, for village and playground maintenance; a total of £1,010 was thought to be acceptable, however there was some discussion as to whether Tender’s should be invited, due to the playground maintenance amounting to over £500.  It will be on the Agenda again next month for further discussion.

 

432  The Draft Budget/ Precept required.  The draft Budget was adjusted slightly and a final figure of £8816 became the amount of Precept required from SLDC.  If the £3,500 required for the Athenauem is taken out of the equation, the increase from last year is approximately 5%.  The Clerk will supply a copy of the final Budget to all the Councillors.  

 

433  Planning Applications and correspondence received; so far:

·        SL/2006/1075. College Green Farm, Heversham. Siting of four additional caravans. (Re-Submission)  - No objections.

·        SL/2006/1103 Ash Tree, Heversham. Two new dormers. – No objections.

·        Alterations inside Plumtree Hall.  – Granted.

·        Single storey extension to 1 Woodhouse Lane, Milnthorpe. – Permitted.

 

434  The Clerk has received her appraisal.

She is happy to continue as Clerk in her present capacity and feels that the training she has already received is adequate.  However, should she feel the need for additional training, she will request it.

The Council is satisfied with her standard of work and Cllr. Parker expressed his appreciation of her efforts and was supported by his collegues.

 

435  Remaining Correspondence.

·        Tim Farron MP writes to ask who is the owner of the land on the enclosed map and whether the Councillors would support the area being purchased for possible housing.  Has a need of additional housing been identified for the Parish? – The Chairman Peter Shaw declared a prejudicial interest, handed the Chairing of the meeting over to Councillor Parker and left the room.    Cllr. Parker informed the Council that he has just been to speak to the young people at Dallam School and the question of local housing was raised by them.  About 90% of them would like to remain in Heversham but felt that they won’t be able to afford to.  However, these children might have been boarding at Dallam and not from local families; therefore, the need has yet to be established. It was thought that Cllr. Capstick rents the land in question from Cumbria County Council.  The Clerk is to check on this before replying to MP Tim Farron.  The reply will be as follows:

A need for affordable housing in Heversham has yet to be identified.  A village survey to establish this fact is therefore recommended.  The Council would support the building of a few houses, if a shortage was established and the houses could be “ring-fenced” for Heversham’s needs, not as sometimes happens, for Cumbria or North Lancashire residents.  She will of course name the owner of the land when discovered.  

·        Tim Farron MP writes to enquire whether the Council receives regular notice of the Public Sector job vacancies, such as the appointment of Chairs and Members of Probation Boards enclosed. – No, they don’t usually.

·        .Angela Franklin, representing Milnthorpe Cluster Schools, asks whether the Council has any suggestions of courses or activities needed within the parish. Whether there is anywhere they can be advertised within the parish.  Finally, if there are any parishioners who would be interested in volunteering to help with after school activities locally or with fund raising. – The Clerk is to reply to suggest that a Youth Club for children over 11 years old, could be appreciated, also a Cycling Proficiency Course.  The activities could possibly be advertised on Heversham’s website and the Parish Magazine produced by St Peter’s Church.

·        Morecambe Bay Partnership AGM and Conference Programme. 10am-4pm on 2nd November, 2006, Castle Green Hotel, Kendal.- No-one able to attend.

·        CALC Annual General Meeting 2006. 4th November 2006, Castle Green Hotel, Kendal at 10.30am.  Buffet lunch available at £10. Agenda and Annual Report. – The Clerk will reply that Councillor Shaw will be attending and that he will not require the lunch.

 

FOR INFORMATION

·        CALC Circular – October 2006.

·        Local Development Framework for the Lake District National Park – how to become involved. – Cllr. Parker’s taken.

·        HAGS playground product portfolio and guide to funding.

·        Planned Roadworks – plan your journeys around the North West. Oct-Jan, 07.

·        Information Leaflet on Community Transport.

·        SLDC Minutes of the 129th Meeting

 

436  Items for information.

·        Implications of the ‘White Paper’, to be put on the Agenda for November.

·        Someone has tried to light a fire in the children’s playground, older children have been seen in there; the Councillors will be extra vigilant.  The Clerk will write to Dallam School to request that the new pupils be informed that the playground is intended for children under 12 years old.

 

 

The date of the next Parish Council Meeting is Monday, November 27th  2006.

 

 

Mrs Denise Challenor

Clerk to the Council

Tel: 01524 761824