Parish Council Meeting Minutes Jan’22
February 18th, 2022
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on: Thursday 20th January 2022 at the Baptist Church Hall, Preston Road, Inskip
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; Wyre Cllr Peter Cartridge; plus four other members of the public
Apologies: Cllr Chris Houghton (CH)
cc: Parish Councillors; Joanne Porter (Wyre Council); Wyre Cllr Susan Catterall; Wyre Cllr Peter Cartridge; LCC Cllr. Matthew Salter
Meeting opened: 19:00
Meeting closed: 19:40
Agenda
1. Open Forum for the general public
2. Minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 18th November 2021
3. Matters arising from the last meeting
4. Planning
5. Carrs Green
6. Financial matters
7. Any other business
Next meeting Scheduled for: Thursday 17th February 2022 at 7pm
Status: APPROVED
Chair: Cllr. Phil James
Date: 17th Feb 2022
1. Open Forum
1.1. A member of the public, Mr. Brian Dearnaley, informed the Parish Council that he had surveyed the public footpaths across the parish and identified a list of 62 outstanding issues. This was an increase from 52 issues last year. He intends submitting his findings to LCC Highways. Parish Councillors suggested that he also submitted the findings to the Parish Council and to LCC Cllr. Matthew Salter.
1.2. Wyre Cllr. Catterall reported that council business was slowly coming back to normal following the partial lockdown over the Christmas New Year period. Wyre Cllr. Cartridge reported that he had attended a meeting with residents in Inskip concerned at drainage on the Scholars Close development, the maintenance of the new estates and the adoption of roads.
2. Minutes of Last Meeting – approved as read.
3. Matters Arising
3.1. The Parish Clerk reported that all Actions had been cleared with the following exceptions:
7.19/2 – rumble strips
8.21/8 – liaison with Create Homes
10.21/3 – liaison with Wyre Rivers Trust with regards to maintenance of the Tank Trap
10.21/4 – liaison with Wyre countryside volunteers with regards to removal of saplings
10.21/7 – location of additional defibrillators
10.21/8 – move of defibrillator at Derby Arms
3.2. With regards to liaison with the Wyre countryside team the Parish Clerk reported that Wyre intend to do the winter works in January and February mainly on Tuesdays and on a Sunday and will in the near future provide the Parish Council with dates for these conservation days and also other wildlife walks.
3.3. With regards to defibrillators the Clerk said that he had now received a reply from Chris Houghton suggesting that the old joiners shop adjacent to 2 Crossmoor Cottages might be a more appropriate location than Throstle Nest Farm. With regards to moving the existing defibrillator at the Derby Arms the Clerk reported that he had chased up the electrician who planned to schedule the work imminently.
4. Planning
4.1. Cllr. James reported that following the dismissal by the Local Government Ombudsman of a complaint raised by the Parish Council with regards to the conduct of Wyre Councillors and Officials in the handling of a planning application he had raised a further complaint himself as a private individual. The Ombudsman however had also dismissed this complaint on the basis that Cllr. James was effectively submitting the same complaint as that previously raised by the Parish Council.
4.2. Cllr. James expressed his opinion that the conduct of the Wyre Planning Committee and Planning Officials was a disgrace and that the current Planning Committee at Wyre was not fit for purpose. Wyre Cllr. Catterall, who sits on the Wyre Planning Committee, demurred however Cllr. James reiterated that in his wide experience of many different Planning Committees over many decades Wyre were by far the least effective.
5. Carrs Green
5.1. The Parish Clerk informed the Parish Council that he had submitted a further claim to the Lancashire Environmental Fund (LEF) and had also requested a further extension to the LEF grant until the end of September. Subject to approval of this extension the remaining forecast expenditure is £3,875 plus VAT, of which 80% or £3,100 could then be claimed from LEF.
5.2. It was agreed that a quotation be sought from a contractor for installation of the 4 x A0 information panels on order plus the lifebuoy that was recently purchased.
Action 1.22/1 – GC to obtain quotation from contractor for installation of lifebuoy and information panels
6. Financial Matters
6.1. Payments approved at the meeting: Clerk salary; PAYE; Clerk expenses; Lengthsman’s fees; Information Panels; works on Common; Parish Newsletter.
6.2. The Parish Clerk reported that he would be raising a further VAT reclaim during the coming month ahead of the end of the financial year in March.
7. Any Other Business
7.1. The Parish Clerk reminded Councillors that he had recently circulated an email from the London Hearts Charity offering a grant of £300 towards the supply of each new defibrillator. In addition Wyre Cllr. Cartridge noted that the Baines Trust had recently offered grants for the provision of defibrillators. Parish Councillors discussed the price of defibrillators and cabinets. Cllr. Delaney suggested that a third additional defibrillator might be provided at the School.
7.2. Cllr. Lingard reported that following the Wyre-in-Bloom gold award and the article in the Parish Newsletter a lady had contacted him as a potential new volunteer to join the Inskip-in-Bloom team.
7.3. The Parish Council agreed to appoint Cllrs. Phil James, Alan Lingard and Martin Delaney as representative trustees to the Inskip-with-Sowerby Knowles Trust for a four year term.
7.4. Cllr. James noted that the Parish Clerk had submitted his resignation after 7 years in post and offered a vote of thanks, which was endorsed by other members present.