Parish Council Meeting & AGM Minutes May 2022
June 19th, 2022
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting and AGM held on: Thursday 19th May 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 Nick Danby (ND)
Clerk: Susan Gilbert (SG)
Members of the Public:
0
Apologies:
Cllr Alan Lingard (AL)
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: 21.30
AGM
Agenda
1. Minutes of AGM.
2. Chairman’s report
3. AOB
1.1 As no AGM has been held since 2019 due to COVID restrictions, there were no minutes to read
Mr Nick Danby was enrolled as Councillor
2.1 Chairman’s report
INSKIP-WITH-SOWERBY PARISH COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL REPORT 2021-2022
With the worst (hopefully) of the pandemic behind us the 2021-22 municipal year provided us with a step back to some form ‘normality’ with us facing a range of old and new issues.
Our first issue was finding somewhere to meet and our thanks go to the Rev. David Earnshaw and members of the Inskip Baptist Church for allowing us the use of their hall – thank-you all.
Thanks must also go to the Lancashire Environmental Fund for allowing the timescale of the grant for the works on Carrs Green to be extended. Had it not been for their understanding the scheme would have inevitably stalled whereas it made great progress and is now nearing completion. Further to that the Carrs Green project didn’t go unnoticed by the Wyre-in-Bloom judges who gave us a ‘Gold Award’, a first for the village.
Further thanks go to Wyre Cllr Peter Cartridge for securing a £500 grant to help fund a further defibrillator and to Motor Sport (North West) Ltd, organizers of the North West Stages Rally, for gifting the Parish Council a similar amount.
Those are some of the plus points from the past year, unfortunately there’s been some bad points too. The manner in which Wyre Council dealt with the planning application for the housing development next to the school resulted in us lodging a complaint with the Ombudsman who in turn proved to be equally inept. Then there is the still on-going issue, another matter with Wyre Council, regarding the lack of action regarding the unauthorized business activities being conducted from a village property. Lancashire County Council Highways Dept fare no better, given the length of our list of outstanding complaints with them it would take far too much time to detail them here.
As always I would like to record my appreciation of the work put in by our Lengthsman Andrew Maxfield and our former Parish Clerk Mike Ainsworth not to mention the efforts of my fellow Parish Councillors. Finally I would like to welcome Sue Gilbert, our recently appointed Parish Clerk, and new member Nick Danby who both attend today’s meeting for the first time in their official capacities.
Thank you
Phil James
Chairman, Inskip-with-Sowerby Parish Council. May 2022
3.1. Election of chairman and vice chairman. Cllr Phil James was nominated and seconded as Chairman.
Cllr Martin Delaney was nominated and seconded as Vice Chairman.
Agenda
1. Open Forum for the general public
2. Minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 21st April
3. Matters arising from the last meeting
4. Planning
5. Carrs Green
6. Financial matters
7. Any other business
Next meeting Scheduled for: Thursday 16th June at 7pm
Status: DRAFT / APPROVED
Chair:
Date:
1. Open Forum
1.1 No public present
2. Minutes of Last Meeting
2.1. Meeting held 21st April, minutes approved as read.
3. Matters Arising
3.1. The Parish Clerk reported that all Actions had been cleared with the following exceptions:
Cllr Salter had not replied to the issue of working not going ahead on Woods Lane and the rumble strips not being actioned.
3.2. Cllr Danby (ND) said Sky News were coming to Preston New Road fracking site next week to report on the current situation
3.3. Cllr Carter (GC) to ask Farmer Hargreaves for permission to site another Defib
3.4. Cllr James asked whether or not the Bowling Club had reapplied for the grant and were they aware that Cllr Salter had an allowance which he might be able to use. Cllr Delaney (MD) suggested that the Bowling Club made the application again on their own without including Parish Council and would discuss it with the club.
3.5. Deer signage, SG to chase LCC (Cllr Salter and LCC Officers)
4. Planning
4.1. The following applications were approved by Wyre Council:
None
4.2. The following applications were refused by Wyre Council:
None
4.3. White House Farm, Preston Road have submitted an application to Wyre Council to ascertain whether or not they need planning permission to covert the barn into three dwellings. Cllr James said that by the time of the next meeting, we might know if permission is necessary
5. Carrs Green
5.1. Cllr James suggested that the orientation of the new boards on Carrs Green might not be correct and should be moved to face the road. Cllr James to meet John Fox to determine the position and to also erect a post for the life ring.
5.2. The issue with the base of the Kissing Gate has not been resolved – Clerk to contact William Scott to ask that a ton of stone be put at the base and raise the gate as much as possible.
5.3. Clerk to ask the tree cutter to remove the wood he has left on Carrs Green.
6. Financial Matters
6.1. Payments approved at the meeting: Cheques issued for all outstanding invoices:
Cheque no 1298 –Argos – printer and keyboard
Cheque no 1299 –A Maxfield – lengthsman
Cheque no 1300 – S Gilbert – clerks wages
Cheque no 1301 – S Gilbert – stationery
Cheque no 1302 – Open Spaces – annual subscription
Cheque no 1303 – Zurich Insurance – annual premium
6.2 Members to contact NatWest to change address and signatories
7. Any Other Business
7.1. Defibrillator check: Cllr Berry to investigate cost of alternative defibs
7.2. Wyre-in-Bloom: Clerk to arrange cheque with Cllr Lingard for payment of plants
7.3. Commercial vehicles parked on YIPS carpark – monitor to see if this is a temporary situation
7.4. Cllr James suggested that Cllr Berry arrange first aid sessions using the defib at the Church Hall
7.5. Complaints have been received that builders were working on the building site on Sunday which they do not have permission to do. Clerk to lodge complaint with planning officer at Wyre
7.6. A Complaint has been received from a resident on Preston Road that a recovery vehicle is permanently parked close to the bus stop, thereby masking the view of the bus driver as to whether someone is waiting for a bus and causing congestion. The ongoing issue of the business being conducted on in a private dwelling on Derby Crescent is not going away – Cllr Delaney suggested that Gary Payne was made aware and invited to our next meeting to meet with the local residents and try to resolve the issue. Clerk to invite him personally. Clerk to report the recovery vehicle to the police.
7.7. Parking outside the school – clerk to write to school to ask if parents would cease to do this and asked to walk/cycle.
7.8. It was agreed that £28 would be donated to YIPs for the purchase of wild flower seeds for their replanting
Summary of Ongoing Action brought forward from April Meeting
• The road improvement work on Woods Lane was not completed when scheduled and not further date has been given for it. Clerk to continue to chase LCC for an update on this
• Rumble Strips – The decision by LCC whether or not to install rumble strips has not been confirmed – LCC not replying to emails. Clerk to continue to chase for an update on this.
• Ongoing other issues:
Mobile phone reception – upgrade planned for mid 2024
Traffic calming Signage
Deer signage
Open space at Pinfold Lane (height of land and gate)
Responsibility for hedge maintenance at Create Homes estates