Parish Council Meeting Minutes March’17
April 21st, 2017
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on: Thursday 16th March 2017
Present:
Cllr Phil James (PJ – Chair)
Cllr Carol Berry (CB)
Cllr Geoff Carter (GC)
Cllr Martin Delaney (MD)
Cllr Alan Lingard (AL)
Clerk: Mike Ainsworth (MA)
Members of the Public: Wyre Cllr Susan Catterall; Mr. Brian Dearnaley; Mrs. Dearnaley; Mr. John Thompson; Mrs. Margaret Thompson; Mrs. Mary Southwell; Mrs. Cherie Oakley.
Apologies: PCSO Kirsty Newson (Lancs. Constabulary).
cc: Parish Councillors; Joanne Porter (Wyre Council); Wyre Cllr Susan Catterall; Wyre Cllr Sue Pimbley; LCC Cllr Vivien Taylor; PCSO Kirsty Newson (Lancs. Constabulary); Maureen Nield (In Focus); Mark White (LEP)
Meeting opened: 20:00
Meeting closed: 21:55
Agenda
1. Open Forum for the general public
2. Minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 16th February 2017
3. Matters arising from the last meeting
4. Planning applications
5. Wyre in Bloom
6. Correspondence
7. Any other business
8. Financial matters
9. Carrs Green Common
Next meeting Scheduled for: Thursday 20th April 2017 at 8pm
Status: APPROVED
Chair: Cllr. Phil James
Date: 20th April 2017
1. Open Forum
1.1. Mr. Brian Dearnaley asked that the minutes of meeting be more meaningful. The Parish Clerk explained that the Parish Council had asked for more concise minutes but accepted that they needed to be meaningful to a casual reader. Mr. Dearnaley also asked that the agenda be published on the website.
Action 3.17/1 MA to publish agenda on website and to ensure that meeting minutes were meaningful to a casual reader
1.2. Mrs. Southwell reminded the Parish Council of the long-standing situation with the vacant neighbouring property. She felt that Wyre Council have not been sufficiently supportive and asked that the Parish Council would support a planning application that she was putting forward for a change of use. It was agreed that the Parish Clerk should appraise Ben Wallace MP of the current situation and apparent lack of support from Wyre Council, copying the leader of the council, chief executive, etc. and that Cllr. Catterall would investigate how Wyre could offer more effective support.
Action 3.17/2 MA to write to Ben Wallace MP about Wyre engagement with Mrs. Southwell
Action 3.17/3 SC to identify how Wyre Council could offer Mrs. Southwell more effective support
1.3. Mrs. Southwell also asked about fibre broadband provision at Sowerby. It was agreed that the Parish Clerk should write to LCC and Ben Wallace MP.
Action 3.17/4 MA to write to LCC and Ben Wallace MP about fibre broadband provision at Sowerby
1.4. Mr. John Thompson asked about the Parish Council view on local farmers and commoners clearing the ditches adjacent to the Common, in particular given the current dispute between the Parish Council and another neighbouring farmer with regard to access to the Common that has resulted in solicitors’ letters. The Parish Council advised Mr. Thompson that they were supportive of farmers wishing to clear their ditches provided that they consult with the Parish Council in advance and were supportive of commoners exercising their rights. It was agreed that Parish Councillors would meet with Mr. Thompson on the Common to agree ditch clearing operations.
Action 3.17/5 Mr. John Thompson and Parish Councillors to arrange to meet on the Common to agree the clearing of ditches
1.5. Mrs. Margaret Thompson also asked about the provision of care packages at Inskip. She was aware of a recent case where 22 agencies declined to offer a service in Inskip, mainly owing to the remote location. It was agreed that this was unacceptable and that the issue should be raised with the MP.
Action 3.17/6 MA to write to Ben Wallace MP with respect to problems with service delivery of care packages at Inskip
2. Minutes of Last Meeting – approved as read.
3. Matters Arising – the following actions were all carried forward:
3.1. Action 6.16/3 – dispute with neighbouring farmer with regard to access to the Common. The Parish Council proposed to defer discussion of this matter, see Agenda Item 9, below.
3.2. Action 6.16/7 – Electricity North West (ENW) easement. The Parish Clerk reported that ENW had yet to release the agreed funds. It was agreed that he would ask the solicitor that interest be paid on the outstanding sum at a rate of 8% above base.
3.3. Action 12.16/2 – weeding the parish archive to allow additional storage in the existing filing cabinet.
3.4. Action 2.17/1 – Carrs Green projects. The Parish Clerk reported that Wyre Council and Myerscough College had both been approached about partnering with the Parish Council in developing the Common by creating walkways and information boards, etc.
3.5. Action 2.17/2 – Education provision at Inskip. The Parish Clerk had circulated a letter from Mr. Mike Kirby of LCC detailing the constraints that led them to sign a Section 106 agreement with Metacre Ltd. to utilize development funding to expand education provision at Bilsborrow John Cross rather than Inskip St. Peters. It was agreed that the Parish Clerk should copy this letter to Garry Payne, Chief Executive at Wyre Council, seeking his view and asking that steps are taken in future to ensure that Wyre engage successfully with the education authority.
3.6. Action 2.17/3 – Draft a parish newsletter. The Parish Clerk had circulated a draft newsletter for review on 23rd February. It was accepted that the draft was now out of date and that the Parish Clerk should issue a further version at the end of next week.
3.7. Action 2.17/4 – Wyre Local Plan. The Parish Council proposed to defer for discussion in Committee, see Committee Meeting Minutes, below.
4. Planning Applications
4.1. The following local planning applications were approved by Wyre Council:
16/1088/FUL: Erection of private stable block (four stables) and creation of associated ménage: Birchwood, Preston Road
4.2. No local planning applications were refused by Wyre Council.
4.3. Other planning issues. The Parish Clerk reported that an extra Wyre Planning Committee meeting had been scheduled for next week to adjudicate on 9 applications totalling 786 dwellings and other developments in the vicinity of Garstang.
5. Wyre in Bloom – Cllr. Lingard reported that a Wyre in Bloom meeting was scheduled for the end of the month. In meanwhile he will place an order for bedding plants.
6. Correspondence
MA highlighted the following correspondence to Councillors for consideration:
6.1. Communities Defeat Terrorism Poster. It was felt that this item was not appropriate for placement on the parish noticeboards.
6.2. NW Air Ambulance – request for consideration. The Parish Council agreed to make a donation.
6.3. Wyre – Local Elections poster. It was agreed that this should be displayed on the parish noticeboards.
7. Any Other Business
7.1. Cllr. Berry reported that she had checked the defibrillators at the Derby Arms and at the YIPS and would update the NW Ambulance Service website accordingly. She asked that Cllr. Houghton should update the website for the Baptist Chapel defibrillator.
Action 3.17/7 MA to ask Chris Houghton to update NW Ambulance Service website
8. Financial Matters – at this point members of the public left the meeting.
8.1. Payments approved at the meeting: Clerks Salary, PAYE, NW Air Ambulance donation.
8.2. Accounts and Audit. The Parish Clerk reported that the Internal Auditor would be on holiday for 6 weeks and this meant that the approval of accounts would be delayed, leaving only a narrow margin to obtain sign off whilst meeting the due dates for publication and then submission for external auditor review.
9. Carrs Green Common – outstanding action 6.16/3 refers. Recent correspondence was discussed in light of the earlier discussion with Mr. Thompson. It was proposed that it would be beneficial to seek a mutually agreeable solution and Parish Councillors agreed that the Parish Clerk should liaise with the solicitor to obtain details of insurance cover so that the Parish Council could consider any application to run a slurry pipe across the Common and to ask that the solicitor could assist with regard to the registration of grazing rights.
Note of PC Committee meeting held in YIPS Centre on Monday 20th March 2017 at 20:15
Attendees: Cllr. Phil James; Cllr. Carol Berry; Cllr. Geoff Carter; Cllr. Martin Delaney; Cllr. Alan Lingard
Agenda: Wyre Local Plan (Action 2.17/4 refers)
Status: APPROVED
Chair: Cllr. Phil James
Date: 20th April 2017
To continue to liaise with Wyre officials and seek further information on the Local Plan (Action 2.17/4 refers)
The Parish Clerk provided an update on recent correspondence with Wyre Council with respect to the Local Plan, details of which Wyre Council officials have asked remain confidential at this stage. Concerns were raised at the degree to which the Local Plan was developing out of the public eye as it was anticipated that any plans for further development at Inskip were unlikely to have significant support in the local community. It was agreed however that the Parish Council should continue to participate in discussions with Wyre Council and that the Parish Clerk would submit a response to them.
Carried forward