The Council Minutes for September 2007 are now available.
Following complaints that minutes were not available on this web site soon after the monthly meeting, this was raised under Agenda item 18 (c). It was pointed out that Minutes cannot be posted here until they have been approved by the Parish Council at its subsequent meeting. Minutes for the October meeting will therefore not be posted until approved at the November Council meeting.
Minutes of Slaley Parish Council, Monday September 10th 2007, in Slaley Commemoration Hall 7.30 p.m.
1. Apologies. Councillors S Davison &. County Councillor Wm Purdue. District Councillor B.W. Massey
Present: Councillor I.C. Hancock in the Chair. Councillors Mrs L. Norris, Mrs C. A. Brooks, Mrs A. S. Robson, Ms M Palmer, & Clerk Mrs P. Wilson.
Public: None. Courant Reporter: None. Slaley Notes Jean Elphick & Community Trust Executive Committee Member: Michael Elphick.
2. Declaration of Interests.
Cllr. Mrs L. Norris for agenda item 19
3. Minutes of July Parish Council Meeting (pages 329-333 + appendices 1 pg 334, 2 pg 335)
Proposed by Cllr. Ms M Palmer and seconded by Cllr C.A. Brooks the minutes were approved and signed.
4. Minutes of August Parish Council Meeting (circulated pages 336-341 + appendices 1 page 342 & 2 page 343)
Proposed by Cllr. C.A. Brooks and seconded by Cllr. Mrs L. Norris the minutes were approved and signed.
5. Matters Arising.
a) 4 a 13/8/07; Quote from Holly Bush Nursery for a monthly cut of grass at the area immediately in front of the roadside seat on the B6306 £35.00 (£29.79 + £5.21) Therefore: Seat £35.00, Townhead £35.00, Millennium £40.00 & Townfoot £40.00 = £150.00 each month for April – September (6 months total cost £900). Cllr. Mrs A. Robson to negotiate with Hollybush for a reduction in this monthly charge.
No estimate received from Chris Rider Landscapes at Wooley.
Stuart Bell at Oaklea replied by telephone that he did not undertake this type of work.
A fourth estimate to be requested from Jonathan Storey, Holly Cottage.
b) 4c 13/8/07, 4a 11/6/07, 4a 14/5/07, 4a 16/4/07, 4a 12/3/07, 18 12/2/07). Correspondence with Kevin Ferrol re Bottle Bank. The Slaley PC offer to be the pilot area for a glass collection acknowledge by NCC only. Then a letter dated September 3rd from Kevin Ferrol asking if we have any suggestions for bottle banks in our area! Reply saying been in correspondence continually since February 2007.
c) 12 a 13/8/07 Mirror at Glen Crossroads. In the interest of highway safety a request for the hedge on the west to be cut back to their boundary, this request was made by letter dated August 24th. Councillor Hancock then met and discussed the problem with Glen Cottage occupants and an offer was made to maintain a mirror once the PC purchase and position it. The hedge has been cut back and trimmed. Mirror recently positioned opposite The Linnels entrance. No reply from the planning department there it must be safe to assume that planning permission is not required. Decided that a mirror is not necessary.
d) 12b13/8/07 Fly tipping at the lane into a field at Trygill. M Sanderson at TC arranged for these items to be uplifted.
e) 12e 13/8/07 Reply from Marilyn Rowe, Housing Officer Scheme will be available from 12th September therefore Two Castles are keen to meet the applicants and make the allocations.
(i) Concern: It has been reported from one of the applicants, who has been interviewed that the cost for a two bedroomed bungalow is £82 each week + £5 per week for the grass cutting plus an additional charge if street lights are necessary inside the development. This is much higher than we were quoted at the Public meeting held January 12th 2006 (see February 13th 2006 minutes agenda item 4 page 206 and page 204 5 x 2 bebroomed bungalows @ £58 per week. Clerk to write to Vicky Law for confirmation of these inflated costs and that the prices are still governed by National Figures.
(ii) Boundary fence got stopped when the Scott family saw that a wooden fence was being erected. The sale agreement between the Scott family and Two Castles included a stone boundary wall.
f) August Walk-about report – action on the Wooley Bus Shelter Clerk to write to Tom Henderson for his reaction.
6. Community Trust Report.
The CT produced the Annual Report booklets and was thanked for its September report attached as appendix 1/100907
7. Matters for Discussion with County & District Councillors
Request an update from DC B Massey on progress with result from the 2006 standard survey of holiday occupancy on Slaley Hall Holiday Villas (see 3a d 13/8/07).
8. Correspondence.
a) Request for financial help from Whitley Chapel YFC – Balance sheet requested and must be received before a cheque is approved (a grant of £100.00 was agreed in December.
b) NCC Minerals and Waste Development Framework, Sustainability Appraisal Report: Core Strategy Submission Draft – Erratum. Incorrect appendix 6 was included. Correct appendix 6 received Given to Councillor IC Hanock (see agenda item 9 13/8/07). Cllr I.C. Hancock reported that the replacement is a Technical Document and it contained no comments that we need to comment upon.
c) Child Protection & Vulnerbale Users Training Day confirmation for Friday 21/9/07 circulated to those attending.
d) Slaley Show Balance Sheet Clerk to request a balance sheet with a bank balance.
e) TC published their first Equality Scheme either on web site by PDF version being e-mailed or hard copy posted. Request a copy of the 2001 census profile?
f) North Pennines AONB partnership questionnaire: scoping the review of the Management Plan – given to Councillor IC Hancock for completion in light of his April paper sent to Natural England.
g) CAN – surplus computers for £70.00 + Services Survey + Community Champions Training + News Vol 27 No 4 (interesting article on Code of Conduct for members of Parish Councils in England.
h) Reply from DeVere Hotel re Boundary and Standing Stones (18b 9/7/07 page 333) Request to meet with Clerk Pat Wilson to discuss the future of these stones as one stone has been broken.
i) Glasdon Products advertising leaflets; Queensbury Shelters advertising leaflets. NALC Conference & Exhibition 5-7 October 2007; North East War Memorials Project Newsletter No 7 Summer 2007; Clerk & Councils Direct Issue 53 Summer 2007;
Newcastle College – Opportunities to study Local and Family History; Tait Walker Chartered Accountants – Public Sector Services; NALC Annual meeting 2007; TDC minutes of meetings.
9. Financial Report.
a) Cheques to be signed.
No 312 Hollybush Landscaping September 7th roadside cut at Townhead. £35.00
No 313 Commemoration Hall 4 meetings (including 19/9/07) x £12 £48.00
No 314 P Wilson 3 months salary £500.00
No 315 BDO Stoy Hayward LLP (Annual Audit) £141.00
b) Interim payments. None.
Proposed by Cllr Mrs L. Norris and seconded by Cllr. Mrs C.A. Brooks.
c) Annual Return
The Annual Return was presented to The Council and accepted Proposed by Cllr. Mrs A.S. Robson and seconded by Cllr. Mrs L. Norris. It was then, together with the Notice of Conclusion of Audit positioned on the Commemoration Hall notice board for 14 days.
10. Annual review of the effectiveness of the system of internal audit (Accounts & Audit (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2006.
The Councillors were guided by Councillor Mrs A.S. Robson on this issue and felt that the effectiveness of our audit system was satisfactory especially as the present update of the Standing Orders made reference to the audit.
11. Current Planning Applications.
20070939 Construction of two porches at Pry Cottage No objections.
20070916 Construction of Cattle Shed Dipton Foot Farm No objections.
20070626 Amended plans – Two storey extension to east and porch to south – Trygill Farm Cottage. Pending.
Decisions from Planning Authority
20070669 Construction of timber Pergola and fence Rose & Crown. Refused
20070730 Construction of two storey extension – Overdale. Refused
20070783 Extensions to dwelling, car-port, two storey garage, access gates and driveway. Wooley House. Refused
20070749 Two storey rear extension & ground floor WC & porch extension – The Coach House, East Woodfoot. Granted
** Notification, dated 13/8/07 that the owners of Glen Cottage are appealing against the % increase condition imposed upon them in 20061498 applications. Clerk to request a copy of the appeal decision.
12. Cycle/BMX track for the Youth of Slaley. (12c 13/8/07)
A site visit with Susi Goncu and Anne-May Pottage has been arranged for Wednesday September 12th at 2p.m. meeting at Slaley Commemoration Hall when possible locations will be under consideration.
13. Information Board Facilities & Services update
See Community Trust Report at agenda item 6 above. The Information Board will be low level for easy reading by wheelchair users and slanted. The permanent display will be a resin type material.
14. Post Christmas Slaley Hall Meal for the Elderly (8g 16/4/07 page 306)
The Councillors present wished to request from DeVere Slaley Hall costs for a post Christmas meal. This year it was thought that the meal should be age 60 for both sexes rather than pension age. Clerk to request prices before any press release is made.
15. Proposed Standing Orders drafted by Chairman & Vice Chair
Attached as appendix 2/100907. Text in bold we are not allowed to change, anything else can be suspended etc. Clarification from David Francis on a couple of points (i) each Council can select it sown thresholds within reason (ii) Resolutions means resolve, decide and agree use whichever we wish. Proposed that the draft Standing Orders were accepted was made by Cllr. Mrs A.S. Robson and seconded by Cllr Mrs C.A. Brooks
16. Suggested sites for village speed unit.
Cllr. C.A. Brooks suggested outside Slaley House on the north verge (for traffic travelling from Townhead to Townfoot) and just prior to the new Affordable Houses entry on the south verge (for traffic travelling from Townfoot to Townhead).
Cllr. I.C. Hancock suggested outside South Farm, opposite the entrance into Parks Side Elderly Bungalows on the south side (for traffic travelling from Townfoot to Townhead). And the same site as recorded above for the north verge. There being no further suggestions these three sites will be presented to the meeting on September 19th.
17. Highway drain blockage at Jameson’s Well & Troughs.
Kevin Allen visited site on August 16/8/07, then Ken Johnstone 22/8/07, NCC Heritage Inspector visited and repairs should be carried out without damage to the Well or the Troughs. Work with traffic light should have commenced today September 10th. Whilst these two site visits were under way the danger on the B6306 became apparent and it was suggested by both KA & KJ that the landowners who have allowed their trees/ shrubs etc to encroach onto the highway should be contacted and asked that in the interest of highway safety everything be cut back to their boundary wall. The requests were made by letter dated August 24th. A similar letter was sent to Glen Cottage (see agenda item 5c above) Action was taken at Glen Crossroads immediately. Clerk to request that NCC Highways take the necessary action on the B6306 sites.
18. A.O.B.
a) Stone slates taken off Gortmore House roof (formerly Garden House) Slaley Village and re-slated in blue states. Karen Lynch a TC Planning Technician reported that after checking planning applications the House was not listed and therefore there was no stipulation that the stone slates must be retained.
b) E-mail dated 27th August from Michael Elphick relating to upturned play equipment at Slaley First School. Suggest a sign saying “School grounds are Monitored”. This report was enlarged upon, it appears that broken glass was discovered and picked up as best as possible. Bottles and cans were discovered along the total length of the boundary hedge and evidence of fires was discovered near the dragon. It was agreed by the Councillors that a dairy recording the dates of inspection should be kept irrespective of a clean inspection or anything to report. That way a pattern of abuse could be established and this could be an end of the summer holiday type complaint.
c) Two complaints that PC minutes had not been posted on web. Clerk to include a piece that informs the public that minutes cannot be pasted until they have been agreed therefore the July and August minutes will not appear on the web until after the September meeting.
d) Caravan in Rose & Crown Car Park Clerk to ask DC Brian Massey to look into this.
e) Ream of paper given to Cllr S Davison mid month and to Cllr Mrs A Robson tonight (18b 9/7/07 page 333, 7iiB 14/5/07 page 320 & 4 13/6/05 page 161.
f) Cllr Mrs L. Norris represented Slaley PC at the ET & WCM Local Council Forum on September 4th. She reported that the Forum had obtained funding for a part-time Clerk and they had requested to be involved in the consultation process of the Northumberland re-organisation. Date of next meeting November 6th at Riding Mill. The minutes will be circulated by e-mail when they become available.
g) Cllr. Ms M Palmer had been speaking with Robin Turner of Ladycross who suggested Ladycross slabs for the area presently covered in chippings at the Millennium Feature.
19. BOATs update.
a) Reply received from JLAF answering the 4 Parishes BOATs Joint Committee question of July 19th.
b) 4 Parishes BOATs meeting on Monday September 3rd. A letter to George Astbury, JLAF Mediation Panel chairman has been sent questioning the legality of the Mediation Panel once an application has been lodged with NCC. A letter to Christine Pope, Natural England, has been sent inviting her to a guided tour and a meeting in December if the NE Policy document on Conservation of the RoW Network will be published by that time. It appears that a majors players meeting in December would not achieve the desired results if the above Policy were delayed.
c) The 4 Parishes BOATs Joint Committee were happy with the content of Slaley Parish Council reply to Neil Dawson (see 5m 13/8/07) of the NCC Proposed Diversion of Byway 41 and extinguishment of F/path 20. Whilst supporting this proposed diversion and closure we requested clarification on several matters (maintenance responsibilities, width 60 ft or present width, transfer costs from FC to ratepayer & legality etc.).
d) The 4 Parishes are expected to contact Defra regarding the question of “No gates on a BOAT” & who would be expected to cover the cost of the only cattle proof alternative “cattle grids”.
The meeting closed at 9.55 p.m.
