Parish Council Meeting Minutes – Jan’18
February 16th, 2018
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on: Thursday 18th January 2018
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: 1 member of the public (Mrs. Dianne Hogarth) attended for Item 1
Apologies: Cllr Chris Houghton (CH); Wyre Cllr Susan Catterall; Wyre Cllr Sue Pimbley;
Cc: Parish Councillors; Joanne Porter (Wyre Council); Wyre Cllr Susan Catterall; Wyre Cllr Sue Pimbley; PCSO Kirsty Newson (Lancs. Constabulary); Maureen Nield (In Focus)
Meeting opened: 20:00
Meeting closed: 21:35
Agenda
- Open Forum for the general public
- Minutes of meetings held on 16th November, 14th December 2017, and 8th January 2018
- Matters arising from the last meeting
- Planning applications
- Carrs Green
- Correspondence
- Financial matters
- Any other business
Next meeting Scheduled for: Thursday 15th February 2018 at 8pm
Status: APPROVED
Chair: Cllr. Phil James
Date: 15/02/18
1. Open Forum – Mrs. Dianne Hogarth briefed Councillors on developments in opposing fracking at Roseacre Wood. She asked if Councillors were aware of any road traffic incidents that had not been reported to police.
2. Minutes of Last Meetings – minutes of meetings held on 16th November, 14th December 2017, and 8th January 2018 were approved as read.
3. Matters Arising
3.1. The following outstanding actions were cleared:
11.17/1 – request information with regard to Community Infrastructure Levy
11.17/3 – seek confirmation from Wyre with regard to provision of affordable housing
11.17/4 – seek copy of IRAG representation
11.17/5 – report broken handrail
11.17/6 – submit precept by 12th January
11.17/7 – place room bookings
12.17/1 – publicise contact details for LCC, WBC, MP, Cuadrilla, RAG, etc. on Noticeboards and Website
12.17/2 – liaise with St. Peters School Governors about road safety
12.17/3 – liaise with neighbouring Parish Councils and RAG with regard to statement of case
1.18/1 – confirm that Inskip-with-Sowerby Parish Council agrees to pool resources at Planning Appeal
3.2. The following actions were carried forward:
4.17/1 – Carrs Green Development – see item 5.1, below
8.17/1 – track from B5269 towards Carr House Farm – see item 5.2, below
11.17/2 – raise complaint with regard to final approved site layout plans for new development – it was agreed that the Parish Clerk should write back to WBC asserting that there was an error in the final approved site layout plans and requesting that WBC ask the developers to amend – carried forward
1.18/2 – circulate draft Statement of Case for review – see item 4.4, below
4. Planning Applications
4.1. The following applications were approved by Wyre Council:
17/00749/FUL – erection of a detached building for the sub-assembly, final inspection and packaging of carbon fibre medical components – Trotters End, Preston Road, Inskip
16/00481/DIS – discharge of Conditions 7 (drainage) and 16 (Archeological Survey) on planning permission 16/00481/OUTMAJ (55 dwellings to north and south of Preston Road)
4.2. The following Planning Appeal has been notified:
17/00455/FUL – 1 Maple Cottages, Sowerby, appeal against refusal by Wyre Council to application to remove condition 5 (relating to holiday accommodation)
4.3. The following applications were referred to the Parish Council for comment:
17/010983/OUT – Outline application for the erection of up to two dwellings – Green Farm, Carrs Green. Councillors were concerned that two additional dwellings at this location constituted over-development.
Action 1.18/3 – MA to express Parish Council concerns to WBC that two additional dwellings at Green Farm constitutes over-development at this location
4.4. Roseacre Wood Planning Appeal. It was agreed that the Parish Clerk would now submit the completed Statement of Case to the Planning Inspectorate for the re-opened Appeal. In addition, the Parish Clerk reported that the LCC Development Control Committee would be meeting on 24th January to discuss LCC representation at the re-opened Appeal and that the Parish Council have been registered as requesting to be allowed to speak to the LCC Dev Con Committee meeting. Cllr. Berry volunteered to represent the Parish Council at this meeting and the Parish Clerk agreed to make the necessary arrangements – Action 1.18/2 carried forward
4.5. Wyre Local Plan. The Parish Clerk noted that WBC intend to submit the Local Plan for inspection by 31st January. The submission includes 1,145 representations from 254 parties. It is anticipated that the Inspector will then evaluate what matters need to be further debated at a set of hearings. It is expected that the hearing sessions will take place in April after Easter.
5. Carrs Green
5.1. Carrs Green development. The Parish Clerk reported a very positive response from LCC to a request for assistance with regard to the development of Carrs Green, less so from Wyre. He highlighted that before actual development could be carried out on the Common a large number of stakeholders would need to be consulted and brought onside. These include Commoners, local residents, local councils, other local stakeholders such as Fylde Bird Club, Lancs. Wildlife Trust, ARGSL, etc. and national stakeholders such as Natural England, Historic England, Open Spaces, Society, RSPB, CPRE, etc. Given the amount of other Parish Council business this spring (including two Planning Appeals both scheduled for April) the Clerk indicated that it was unlikely that sufficient headway could be maintained to allow actual development on the Common during the coming season. It was however agreed that even though development plans might not come to fruition this year it would still be worthwhile to initiate engagement with these stakeholders – Action 4.17/1 carried forward
5.2. Track towards Carr House Farm. Having consulted with solicitors appointed by our insurers, the Parish Clerk had circulated advice received. Parish Councillors discussed the options available and resolved that the track should be re-instated to its former width. The Parish Clerk advised that in order to progress the issue it would be necessary to estimate the cost of re-instating the track. Cllr. Carter agreed to obtain an estimate from a local groundwork contractor – Action 8.17/1 carried forward
6. Correspondence
MA highlighted the following correspondence to Councillors for consideration:
6.1. Open Spaces Society – request for donation / annual subscription
6.2. NW Air Ambulance – Councillors approved a request for donation
6.3. Mayoral Charity Events – posters
7. Any Other Business
7.1. Cllr. Berry reported that she had checked all three Defibrillator installations but was concerned to note that some of the installations appeared to have been neglected for some time.
7.2. Cllr. Lingard reported that the next meeting of the Wyre-in-Bloom team was scheduled for early February. Councillors agreed that he should represent the Parish Council and that Inskip-with-Sowerby should be involved in Wyre-in-Bloom 2018.
7.3. The Parish Clerk reported that there was a vacancy for a trustee of the Inskip-with-Sowerby Thomas Knowles charity and a discussion was held as to the type of individual who might be invited to join the trustees as a co-opted member.
7.4. The Parish Clerk reminded Councillors that there had been discussion last year as to whether it remained worthwhile to enter the Lancs. Best Kept Village Competition. Councillors decided not to place an entry for the 2018 competition.
7.5. It was reported that a number of roadside drains were blocked, including those near to the Derby Arms, and on the B5269 near to Leach Villas and Chesham House Farm at Crossmoor.
7.6. Councillors raised the matter of attendance at Parish Council meetings. Whilst a quorum of members was eventually achieved at both the extraordinary meetings held in December and January, there was doubt until the last minute at the latter meeting and members of the public expressed concern with regard to the attendance records of members of the Parish Council. Councillors were urged to advise the Parish Clerk as soon as possible if they were unable to meet a Parish Council summons so that the meeting could be postponed if neccessary. It was resolved that a record of attendance (and of apologies received) be maintained and published for the period May 2015 onward.
Action 1.18/4 – MA to maintain and publish a record of Parish Councillor attendance (including apologies received) for the period since May 2015
7.7. It was proposed that a standard letter be drawn up for new residents, welcoming them to the village, detailing when and where the Parish Council meets, and inviting them to come along and join in if they would like. It was proposed to ask Create Homes to distribute to new residents at their developments.
Action 1.18/5 – MA to draft a standard letter of welcome that Create Homes could pass on to new residents
8. Financial Matters
8.1. Payments approved since last meeting: Clerks Salary (November); PAYE; Solicitors professional fees in the matter of the track across Carrs Green; Printing costs for Parish Flier.
8.2. Payments approved at the meeting: Clerk Salary, PAYE, Lengthsman, Open Spaces Society, NW Air Ambulance donation.