Helmsley Town Council

157 HELMSLEY TOWN COUNCIL Minutes of the Meeting of Helmsley Town Council held in the National Park Meeting Room on Monday 27th October 2014 at 6:30pm Councillors Present Councillors C Parkin (Chairman), J Fairburn, J Marsden, D Paton, C Swift and M Vander Weyer.

Also Present One member of the public, District Councillor S Arnold, County Councillor V Arnold, one member of the press and Ms V Ellis (Town Clerk) Part One – opening business 1 Apologies Apologies were received from Councillor J Duncombe and the reasons for absence were approved. 2 Code of Conduct Councillors Parkin and Swift made non-pecuniary declarations of interest in Agenda Item 9a. 3 Public Comments During the chairman’s report a member of the public commented on the NYCC parking area in front of the Black Swan and seemingly unlimited use by the Black Swan guests, staff and others with Black Swan permits and the lack of parking enforcement in this car park. Enforcement of the ten-minute parking time limit was requested. 4 Minutes The council resolved to agree and sign the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 29th September 2014 and the Planning Meeting held on Thursday 9 October 2014. Part Two – For Information 5 Exchange of Information and items for next agenda a) Chairman’s Report I. Update on Helmsley Recreation Charity. II. Helmsley Town Council Newsletter. Councillor Vander Weyer was thanked for his contribution to the newsletter and for his editing of contributions by others. III. Complaints received about the use of the Black Swan Car Park referred to Richard Marr, NYCC Highways and RDC. Responses received from both and there will be a consultation. IV. Work to trees that are looked after by the council and the hedge in The Limes Play Area. b) Councillor Vander Weyer I. Magna Carta Celebrations on the 14th June 2015, a reception to be held by the Lord Mayor of London for up to 10 residents of Helmsley on Tuesday 12 May 2015, a facsimile of the Magna Carta for Helmsley, and an exhibition at Helmsley Castle. II. NYCC Libraries: Consultation 3rd November to 8th February 2015. c) Clerk’s Report I. RDC have installed one of the defibrillator donated by the Yorkshire Ambulance Trust on the outside of RDC’s Borogate Toilets. Installation cost covered by £250 grant from Rural Action Yorkshire. II. Other information: email about addressing the council about Galtres Festival from a trader – no arrangements were made by the sender, NYCC put new lanterns on the two Carlton streetlights and arranged the successful fixing of the electrical problem with one of them by NEDL, Streetlight No. 48 Eastgate has an electrical problem and NYCC will try to arrange for NEDL to fix it as soon as possible, NYCC Highways will not wait any longer for the defective surface to be repaired on High Street and will repaint the yellow and white lines, compliments have been received about the way the trees have been shaped on High Street when they were cut back and also on Mr Rabjohn’s work on the arch of trees leading up to the church door. The council was informed that Mr Paul Tranmer had kindly volunteered to repair the churchyard wall by the Black Swan. The Assistant Clerk has completed the Law & Procedures module of ILCA. III. Documents received and sent to councillors – NYCC update on local bus contracts, via NYCC - Research on Rural Libraries, YLCA White Rose update 10 October, Rural Action Yorkshire October newsletter, Ryedale Safer Neighbourhood September figures, LEADER Executive membership opportunity, NYCC Email and link to Draft ‘Care and Support Where I Live’ Strategy Consultation, and Notes on Ryedale Town and Country Trails Meeting 30th September. 158 6 Planning The council received the following result a) Application No. 14/00885/HOUSE Applicant Ms Valerie Cocks Decision Approval Proposal Erection of single storey rear extension following demolition of existing conservatory at 22 Bondgate, Helmsley, York YO62 5BR 7 Meetings The council received verbal reports on the following meetings. a) YLCA at RDC 7th October 2014. The clerk. b) Community and Police at Helmsley on 13th October. Councillor Marsden. c) Parish Liaison at RDC on 22nd October at 7pm. The clerk. 8 Finance, Audit and Governance a) The council received the Bank Reconciliation to the 30th September 2014. b) The council received the Running Budget to the date the agenda was issued.

Part Three – for determination 9 Planning Applications and Tree Preservation Order consultations The council considered the following: a) Application No. NYM/2014/0654/CU Retrospective Decision: No comment Applicant Mr R Craig Proposal Change of use of railway carriage from commercial store/office to form holiday accommodation Address Genevieve, 1 Bondgate, Helmsley b) Application No. NYM/2014/0639/CU Decision: No comment Applicant The Helmsley Estate. Address Park Plain, Duncombe Park, Helmsley Proposal Change of use of land from agricultural to a mixed use to include use of land for events open to the general public. c) Town and Country Planning Act 1990. North York Moors National Park Authority. Elmslac Road and east of the John Atkinson Memorial Playing Fields, Helmsley Tree Preservation Order 2014/3 – on seven trees. Decision: No comment d) Town and Country Planning Act 1990. North York Moors National Park Authority. Land at Swanland Road, Helmsley Tree Preservation Order 2014/4 – on six trees. Decision: No comment 10 Churchyard a) The council received a report of the site meeting on the 9th October, was informed that the wild area had been removed and that a small area elsewhere had been agreed. b) Councillors Marsden and Swift were appointed to attend a site meeting to be held at least once a year with representatives of the church. 11 Cemetery a) The council discussed the comments received on the consultation on the Draft Cemetery Rules and made some amendments. Due to the limited amount of space in the cemetery the council resolved: I. that reservations would no longer be allowed except when an immediate family member had deceased and an adjacent plot was desired. II. That once the existing row of cremation plots was full that no more with upright memorials would be allowed and that the only option would be a tablet 15” by 15” by 2” high, flush with the ground. The tablet option would become available immediately. The council resolved to revise the fees for people who were not residents of Helmsley parish, which includes Carlton, in order to preserve the space for residents and to change the fee structure for cremation plots. Fees for Helmsley residents have been kept in line with the Parochial Church Council fees for 2014 where applicable.

b) The council considered having sheep grazing in the old cemetery. Councillor Fairburn is to look into whether yew trees are poisonous to sheep. 159 12 Streetlighting The council considered 2 quotations for an electrical inspection for all the council’s streetlights except those installed in July 2014 and resolved to accept the quotation from Acorn at £9.80/light.

13 Street Naming The council considered the proposed name Linkfoot Close for the housing development immediately north of Linkfoot Lane and had no objection.

14 Verges: This agenda item was deferred as the maps arrived on the day of the meeting and some amendments were required. a) To consider NYCC’s map showing who is responsible for which verges in Helmsley. b) To consider the council’s policy on looking after verges that are not the responsibility of NYCC and for which either an owner or responsible authority has or has not been identified. c) To decide on the specifications for the quotations or tenders for verge cutting.

15 Trees a) The council noted that MJ Young consulted the NYMNP tree officer when working on the trees on High Street and it was agreed that they didn’t require pollarding and have a good shape. The fee agreed with the council was reduced accordingly from £500 to £225. b) The council considered quotations for work to, or to fell, trees 189, 195, 196, 200 and to fell tree 194 and resolved to accept the quotation of £118 from David Bayes Trees. c) The council noted that the tree survey showed that most of the trees that the council has received complaints about do not require any work and that letters will be written to the residents.

16 Meetings The council considered attendance at the following meeting: Ryedale Five Towns Meeting at Norton-on-Derwent Town Council Chamber on Tuesday 4th November at 7:00pm. The clerk and two councillors.

17 Finance The council resolved to ratify the clerk’s decision to authorise expenditure on the following trees (a-e):

a) Old Cemetery and Ryedale Close: £110 plus VAT on aerial survey and the use of decay detection equipment on 2 trees (103 and 194) as per para 2.3 of the arboricultural report by Elliott Consultancy. b) Old Cemetery: £712 to fell a maple (102) and to crown lift a beech tree (143) by Bayes Tree Services. They included the work to low and medium priority trees 112 and 138 in this quote (should have been separate) so said work will be done. c) Churchyard: £250 to fell a birch tree in the churchyard to remove the stump and as much infected root as possible, by MJ Young Tree Services. d) £100 plus VAT for an arboricultural survey of the churchyard by Elliott Consultancy Ltd. e) £300 plus VAT for an arboricultural survey for Helmsley Recreation Charity’s land by Elliott Consultancy Ltd.

f) The council resolved to approve a grant request from Helmsley Town Hall Trustees for £1,000 for Christmas Lights and a Tree which the council agreed to budget for at its meeting on the 28th July 2014, minute 13.

g) The council resolved to approve a grant request from Ryedale Citizens Advice Bureau and donated £100. 160 h) The council resolved to agree the following payments and the cheques were signed.

Chq. Payee Details Net Vat Total No 101313 Philip Thompson tool hire £22.90 £4.58 £27.48 101314 NYMNPA room charges & IT support £698.73 £24.80 £723.53 101315 Towns Alive STOPPED as in administration £0.00 £0.00 101316 Getmapping plc. Parish Online subs £28.00 £5.60 £33.60 101317 YLCA Chairmanship Training £115.00 £115.00 101318 Wilf Gamble Removal Cemetery Spoil Heap £350.00 £70.00 £420.00 Refund Helmsley Archive expenses 101319 Dr P J Harris website UK2! 5.98+1.20 Vat, room £23.98 £1.20 £25.18 hire £18 101320 cancelled cancelled £0.00 £0.00 101321 Lucy Pryor Salary October 2014 £371.97 £371.97 101322 John Teasdale Salary October £288.00 £288.00 101323 HMRC PAYE October £327.88 £327.88 101324 V Ellis Salary October 2014 £821.85 £821.85 101325 V Ellis Mileage £25, expenses 1.88 £36.88 £36.88 101326 Elliott Consultancy Ltd Tree Inspections £660.00 £132.00 £792.00 Pruning Beckside lime pollards & 101327 M J Young Trees £225.00 £225.00 roadside trees 101328 J Bowes Grass Cutting 2014 season £3,096.45 £3,096.45 Churchyard Silver Birch fell and 101329 M J Young Trees £250.00 £250.00 stump removal 101330 Homeworks Sundries £7.67 £1.53 £9.20 Ryedale Printing Newsletter & Freedom certificate 101331 £676.50 £3.00 £679.50 Works £15 Helmsley Royal British 101332 Grant for Poppy Wreath £17.00 £17.00 Legion TOTALS £8,017.81 £242.71 £8,260.52

Signed Date