11

LATHOM PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2014 AT THE SCOUT HQ HALL LANE AT 7.30PM

PRESENT: PARISH COUNCILLORS; MRS J PEGGS (IN THE CHAIR) MRS M GORST MRS P KEATING E POPE M SYSON

MRS I M O’DONNELL (CLERK)

APOLOGIES: PARISH COUNCILLORS: MRS H SHAW MRS J REASON P FERGUSON

47. The minutes of the meeting held on Monday 28th July 2014 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

48. MATTERS ARISING Tracking log The new seat was now in place on Hoscar Moss Road and a number of favourable comments had been received, which even included a bride who sat on it to take a photograph. The council are very grateful and expressed their thanks to Mr Robert Gorst for his work on fixing the seat in place. The pavements on Lowry Hill Lane were still in a mess despite the county council stating they would remedy. The hedge had still not been cut by Mahoods so clerk to write formally to them to request it be cut also the hedge along Hoscar Hall Rd needs cutting between Hoscar Hall Farm and the railway level crossing . The cars were still for sale at Hollowford Lane so need t contact WLBC again. The diverted footpath at Speakman’s Farm was still overgrown and it was resolved the clerk would write to LCC requesting that as it had not been maintained since the diversion it should be returned to original route through the farm. The skip on Hall Lane is still in place and needs to be moved and is now being used to fly tip IMOD

49. CONCLUSION OF AUDIT The clerk presented the audited accounts and reported no errors or queries and these were accepted and approved by the council.

50. REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY This year Remembrance Sunday is on 9th November 2014 and the clerk will send out invitations, arrange road closure and police escort.

51. PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY We have now received the initial £200 for this project and were advised of some work which was required, however, when checked this work had already been carried out by the landowner.

12 52. CLERK SALARY The sub committee had agreed the clerk’s salary increase to SCP Rate 26 @ £11.665ph – monthly £291.62 back dated from April.

53. REPORT ON WLBC MINUTES There had been no meetings during August but there was a special meeting of the council on Wednesday when Councillors Mrs V Hopley and I Grant would be made Aldermen.

54. CORRESPONDENCE 1. Rural Opportunities Bulletin f 2. LCC PROW Report f - dealt with 3. WLBC – various events across district f 4. Invoice for uncontested election – clerk dealing 5. PCC Roundup f 6. WL Now magazine f 7. WLBC – Information on CIL f 8. Various letters re. solar farm application f 9. Fairness Commission f 10. BKV Results – The Ship won first prize f 11. LCC Rufford level crossing closure f 12. WLBC Planning policy f 13. Chorley BC plans l 14. Veterans in Community l 15. clerks & councils Direct magazine l 16. WLBC –Freshers week 17. WLBC – OLDER PEOPLES EVENT F 18. NW Air Ambulance request for donation l

55. ADJOURNMENT FOR FIVE MINUTES TO CONSIDER MATTERS RAISED BY THE PUBLIC No members of the public attended

56. ACCOUNTS FPOR PAYMENT The following accounts were passed for payment: 1. Mrs I M O’Donnell (clerk salary/exes) £260.10 2. District Scouts (hall hire) £20.00 3. Whitehill Direct (new seat) £170.00 4. Cash (ink cartridge) £34.49 5. Cash (petty cash top-up) £36.57 6. HMRC (clerk PAYE) £169.20 7. NW Air (Ambulance (donation) £25.00

57. PARISH MATTERS Councillor Syson reported that a hedge at the Lowry Hill Lane/Moss Bridge Lane junction has been removed and replaced with a gate. The barn at Woodside Nurseries Lowry Hill Lane has been removed –clerk to contact WLBC regarding the above IMOD Keith Thompson at Blythe Lane was suggested as a possible ‘odd job’ man

13 58. PLANNING APPLICATIONS Following a special planning meeting at which a quorum was present was held on 11th August 14 due to there being no parish council meeting in August. There were four councillors present and one who e-mailed their comments. Two councillors were unavailable and one was exempt due to being a borough council member on planning committee

The following unanimous comments were sent to WLBC 2014/0682/FUL – alterations to barn etc. 3 Canal Cottages Ring O’Bells Lane “Alterations should be in keeping with the adjoining group of properties. The windows to be in keeping with the originals and in keeping with the area, it is noted that the footprint is being increased by approximately one third” 2014/0742/FUL/2014/0743/LBC – Alterations & extensions to ground floor – Needless Inn Farm Lady Alice Drive. “Our comment is that an archaeological survey be carried out on the area planned for the basement due to its historic connection. There is a large difference between the original footprint and the proposed extension. Any internal alterations should comply with the listed building status. We consider this to be overdevelopment.” 2014/0761/FUL /2014/0814/LBC – single storey side extension – Bird I’Th Hand Farm Hoscar Moss Road “No objections providing this is sympathetic to the existing building”

A vote was taken and with the result 4-1 the following comments were submitted. 2014/0791/FUL – construction of solar farm & associated buildings/work – Land to the east of Wanes Blades Rd “We strongly object to this proposal and urge the planning authorities give proper and serious consideration to our following comments and concerns. Loss of green belt and industrialisation of landscape, the visual & cumulative impact (the site is adjacent to a sewage works) will have a severe detrimental effect on the intrinsic character of Lathom and Douglas Valley landscape. Visual impact will also be evident from neighbouring villages Newburgh, and Hilldale. Loss of agricultural land (the site has always supported cereal and greens crop rotation) the government is trying to encourage locally grown products for local schools and welfare meals. While the argument for renewable energy is the increasing cost of conventional supply, this ignores the prediction that future food prices will grow at a much higher rate than energy prices. Countries such as China, India and Africa from where we get much of our food will increasingly be able to sell all their products at home. We must be in a better position to grow our own crops. If we haven’t kept our farmland we’re going to be even shorter of food. There is absence of any ‘very special circumstances’ to justify this applications being approved when alternative sites/methods of solar energy in the borough could be considered. The economics of solar farms are being rightly questioned and we support the government’s intentions – through their ‘solar energy’ to progress the obvious alternatives of solar panels on the roofs of supermarkets, schools, businesses, industrial sites and brown field areas where they do not create a visual blight. Access to the proposed site is on a narrow winding road in close proximity to listed buildings. 14

It is also an access point for the sewage works and the parish. council has had to deal with many residents complaints over the years about heavy traffic and noise from this site. The proposed solar farm will seriously exacerbate the situation which is totally unacceptable. The development will adversely affect our local wildlife habitat and also the feeding grounds of migrating whooper swans and pink footed geese

The date of the next meeting Monday 27th October 14

The meeting closed at 9.00pm

Signed ……………………………………………………………Chairman