A Speeding review as part of the Parish Plan Action Plan was undertaken. Read more in agenda item 12
Minutes of Slaley Parish Council, Monday February 15th 2010, in Slaley Commemoration Hall 7.30 p.m. (Postponed from February 8th due to Clerk’s illness)
Apologies: Cllrs. Mrs A. S. Robson & S. Davison. County Councillor Colin W Horncastle.
1. Present: Councillor I.C. Hancock in the Chair. Councillors, Mrs C. A. Brooks, Ms M Palmer & Mrs L. Norris. Clerk Mrs P. Wilson.
Public: None. Courant Reporter: Rebecca Dixon. Slaley Notes & Community Trust Executive Committee Member: Michael Elphick.
2. Declaration of Interests and Hospitality Record.
None
3. Minutes of January Parish Council Meeting (circulated pages 575-579 + appendix 1 page 580, appendix 2 page 581). Proposed as a true record by Cllr. C.A. Brooks and seconded by Cllr. M. Palmer. The minutes were approved and signed.
4. Matters Arising.
a) 4e 18/1/10; 16 d 14/12/09: Increased parking on the single-track entrance into South Park causing an obstruction was reported to Milecastle Housing. Reply dated 3/2/10 saying a letter has been sent asking that visitor cars should not obstruct the highway.
b) 7b 18/1/10; 7a 14/12/09 & 17 b 9/11/09: Planning Permission 20050557: Renewal of temporary planning permission for permanent use of land as outdoor pursuits area etc. CC Horncastle checked and permission was permanent.
c) 8 aa) Local Transport Plan available on line for comment. Cllr. Hancock completed what he felt was a limited questionnaire.
d) 14b 18/1/10 Nigel Pickering asked if his payment for clearing snow and ice from the highway in Parkside bungalows could be a £25 donation to Air Ambulance. This request was e-mailed to Councillors. The request was agreed.
5. Public Participation.
None.
6. Community Trust Report
Report circulated and attached as appendix 1/080210, page 586. Mr Elphick and the Councillors discussed the 2009 non-publication of the Parish Reports Booklet. No comments have been received by either the PC or the CT from the public regarding its absence in 2009. The Chairman reported to Mr. Elphick that the PC would not object to the publication being missed.
7. Matters for Discussion with County Councillor
Post Office Network Re-organisation – One Year On meeting on 26th January at 2 p.m. Cllr Hornastle reported to the Clerk by telephone that many parish councilors had been present at this meeting and all had their own problems with the Post Office provision. The PO staff said the complaints had been taken on board.
Secondly Cllr Horncastle also wished to indicate that there were problems associated with the adopted NALC ‘Parish Councils Charter’ because many PCs had not appreciated its importance when it was circulated and agreed over the past three years. (see page 2 of appendix 4/091109, page 578, for Slaley PC involvement with the early stages of The Charter)
Thirdly the NCC budget continues to cause problems and is still not agreed apparently there is one more meeting to reach an agreement and if this does not happen the Government will set the County budget.
8. Correspondence.
a) A complaint made to Clerk 19/1/10 by parents walking to school about dog dirt on the footpath since the snow had melted. Clerk given the go ahead, from Cllr Hancock, to speak with Stuart Bell and ask that the dirt be cleaned up and the footpath disinfected. Stuart collected a bucket full of dirt and Sam Bailey followed on with a brush and disinfectant. Clerk saw Stuart and thanked him and asked for his account. He also asked to give a donation to charity and was happy with Air Ambulance. The Councillors agreed to give £10.
b) Request from Air Ambulance for financial help.
c) NCC Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Policy – meeting Hexham Auction Mart 10/2/10.
d) Northumberland Fire & Rescue Service – new community fire stations at Seahouses, Prudhoe & Haltwhistle. Meeting at Prudhoe 17/2/10.
e) NSPCC Helpline – raise awareness amongst Councillors and others that this free 24-hour service offers support an advice to any adult worried about a child.
f) Victim Support request for financial assistance- scanned and e-mailed 12/2/10
g) E-mail 21/1/10: NALC national training strategy survey reminder. Cllr Norris had not felt able to complete this survey on the PCs behalf.
h) E-mail 21/1/10: Royal Garden Party Invitation.
i) E-mail 25/1/10 regarding another cracked windscreen on the mobile post office vehicle – no service at Slaley on Monday January 25th.
j) E-mail 27/1/10: Burial Fees for Parish Councils
k) E-mail 27/1/10: North Pennines AONB Consultation. Cllr Hancock to look at this on the PCs behalf.
l) E-mail 27/1/10: RSN Service Provision in Market Towns
m) E-mail 30/1/10 NALC Leadership Academies
n) E-mail 30/1/10 Environment Agency’s Flood Management Plan.
o) E-mail 30/1/10 People and Places Economic Edition.
p) E-mail 30/1/10: Winter Services Briefing Note (8 pages) from NCC Communities & Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee.
q) E-mail 5/2/10: NHS request for local channels of communication – Cllr Brooks to reply for Slaley as one of the monthly News sheet editors.
r) E-mail 6/2/10: RSN February newsletter.
s) E-mail 6/2/10: Rural Services Community – New Features.
t) E-mail 6/2/10: Request for volunteers to sit on Northumbria Police Strategic Independent Advisory Group (SIAG).
u) E-mail 6/2/10: Putting People First Annual Conference – March 23rd
v) E-mail 11/2/10: RSN Local Food Study – Evidence of Good Prasctice.
w) E-mail 11/2/10: Glasscycle – bottle smashing machine and glass cullet collection service. Circulated to Commemoration Hall Committee Members who showed interest. A reply e-mail sent 15/2/10 asking for cost details and a demonstration. A reply on 15/2/10 with two possible demonstration dates this week was considered too early. The Clerk to reply suggestion the first week of March and ask for a contact telephone number of someone who uses this machine/service.
x) E-mail 11/2/10: Lay Interim Chair & Committee members for NHS Newcastle & North Tyneside or Northumberland Care Trust.
y) E-mail 11/2/10: West Area Committee agenda 16/2/10
z) Adapt News January 2010; Marshalls driveway leaflet.
9. Financial Report.
Cheques to be signed
Cheque No 401 Donation to Great North Air Ambulance in lieu of work by Nigel Pickering & Stuart Bell £35 (see 4d & 8a)
Proposed by Cllr C.A. Brooks & seconded by Cllr. L. Norris the cheque was signed.
Interim cheque No 400 on 22/1/10 for 31 attendees at Slaley Hall Post Christmas lunch @ £15 per head signed by Cllrs L. Norris & I. C. Hancock
10. Current Planning Applications.
20100015: Certificate of lawfulness for proposed timber stables block / store. Moorlands, Lead road. Does ‘general permitted development’ now allow this? Previously refused on application 20000055. Stables were erected last year why was this not on application 20090515?
20090906: Certificate of lawfulness for proposed single-storey rear extension. Middle Grange, Slaley Village. No objections
20090918: Demolition of outbuildings and construction of car port to side of dwelling. South Cottage, High Clear. No objections
20090928: Amendments to previously approved application 20090396 use of silage clamp building for livestock housing, Flothers Farm. Will present silage pit and slurry lagoon be large enough?
20090902: Extension to Livestock Building. Flothers Farm. No Objections
Decisions from Planning Authority
20090787: Re-consultation as amended Outline. Construction of one residential unit. Winter House, Slaley Refused
20090410: Two storey extension to side. Linnel Hill. Granted
20090162: Outline Construction of 78 holiday lodges Slaley Hall Withrawn
11. Community Forum meeting at Slaley on Wednesday 27th January.
A draft report of this meeting is attached as appendix 2/150210, page 587. Cllr Brooks wondered if some of the people recorded as public were in fact Councillors and had been recorded in the wrong place.
With limited space in the News-sheet Cllr. Hancock had asked Cllr. Massey if the draft minutes could be pasted on the Slaley web site. Cllr Massey had asked for this to be postponed pending his return to Hexhamshire.
12. Parish Plan Action Plan – Speeding Review
Parked cars in village are the cause of many speeding problems. Comments have been received in particular, about the safety aspects of car parking near the school. Cllr. Davison reported by e-mail instances of double parking at or near the school at peak collection times. Cllr. Palmer and Clerk, P Wilson confirmed this was regular especially when some vehicles are half on the footpath and confessed to having done so themselves when collecting children. Using the non-parking section was also used when a quick pick-up of children was needed. Other road users are increasing speed to get past the long line of parked vehicles where the only passing places are private gateways. After discussion it was agreed to contact the Chair of Governors and the Acting Head to discuss if a Police highway investigation would provide some workable solutions to the problem.
Clerk & Chairman to draft a letter.
13. BOATs update.
a) The NCC report on the BOATs consultation was received 27/1/10. Deadline for comments is during March. The use of TROs is being suggested by NCC to regulate the damage on some of the more vulnerable routes. Cllr Hancock will draft a brief summary of the report and circulate.
b) Copy correspondence from AVAG which explains the lack of continuity and therefore lack of local knowledge by local Police covering our BOATs network area. As the Police will be the monitoring force behind the proposed TROs, the prospect of policing the routes appears likely to falter before it commences.
c) The Sunday morning group of 5/6 trail bikes have been reported by several people as performing wheelies and standing on the pedals rather than sitting on the seats on the B6306 and through Slaley village. The same group returns during the afternoon and perform much the same acrobats although in the afternoon they are filthy with mud.
14. AOB
a) An e-mail reminder of the August 2009 letter to planning department for a copy of the 2009 conditions of occupancy of the Holiday Villas at Slaley Hall has been sent.
15. Date of March 2010 meeting.
Monday March 8th
There being no further business the meeting ended at 9.15 p.m.
