Pateley Bridge Town Council

134/2011-2012

PATELEY BRIDGE TOWN COUNCIL The Council Chamber, King Street Pateley Bridge, HG3 5LE

Tel: 01423 755628 Email: [email protected]

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL ASSEMBLY HELD ON 17 APRIL 2012

Present:

Cllr S Lumley, Mayor (Chairman) Cllr C J Henderson Cllr S Hesselden, Deputy Mayor Cllr H Jefferson Cllr D Dobson Cllr J Leggett Cllr L Ellington Cllr I Skaife Cllr C J Hawkesworth Cllr J Wardman

County Cllr J Fort District Cllr S Beer (part)

In attendance: Three Parishioners Clerk: Sarah Adamson

1 Apologies for Absence: Cllr J Kerr

2 Minutes of the Annual Assembly held on 19 April 2011 were approved and signed.

3 Matters Arising: there were no matters arising.

4 Councillors’ Attendance Records 2011 - 12: The Clerk read these out as follows: Cllr Dobson 100% Cllr Kerr 71% Cllr Ellington 43% Cllr Leggett 95% Cllr Hawkesworth 86% Cllr Lumley 95% Cllr Henderson 86% Cllr Scaife 100% Cllr Hesselden 86% Cllr Wardman 100% Cllr Jefferson 100%

The overall attendance record was 87%. However the demands of his mayoral duties in Harrogate had prevented Cllr Ellington from attending on many occasions so the average in real terms was closer to 92%. The Mayor thanked Councillors for an excellent attendance record, and Cllr Hawkesworth noted that these statistics related to the regular bi-monthly meetings and did not include the many other committee meetings involved in carrying out council business.

5 The Mayor’s Annual Report: Cllr Stan Lumley: The Mayor had opened the meeting by welcoming everyone to the Assembly and now gave his report on the year.

(a) Mayoral Year. The Mayor reported that he and his wife Angela had been very proud to act as representatives of the town and to promote the parish at many events and functions. He had attended 62 functions in total, 32 outside the parish and 30 within it, and hoped that he had been able to uphold the interests of the parish at all these events. There were 80 parishes in the Harrogate District, and having a Mayor in Pateley Bridge, one of only five in the district, raised the profile of the town and promoted the area which he was sure was of benefit to all 135/2011-2012

parishioners. It had been a very busy year for the council, with many calls on councillors’ time with some encouraging features but the inevitable disappointments and frustrations. He had been very relieved that following the theft of the Mayor’s chain from the previous Mayor’s home, it had been recovered and repaired so that he could fulfil his duties fully dressed! The history and symbolism of the chain was very important and always presented a talking point at events, especially amongst children.

The Mayor expressed thanks to his Deputy, Cllr Stephen Hesselden, for his support during the year and for representing him and the council on the occasions when he was unavailable; to his friends and parishioners for their support throughout the year; and in particular to his wife Angela for her support and time spent accompanying him during his year in office.

He also made a special mention of Angela Barrand, who had retired from her position as Clerk in January, for all her excellent work and service to the council, and thanked the new Clerk Sarah Adamson who had settled in very quickly.

(b) Planning: The Council had commented on 45 planning applications working closely with the Enforcement Office at Harrogate Borough Council. The District Housing Consultation had provoked strong feelings locally; the Council were committed in their view that local brownfield sites should be developed before any encroachment on greenfield sites, and also supported the construction of affordable or social housing for local people on these brownfield sites.

(c) Budget: The Council was aware of the importance, in the current economic climate, of not over burdening parishioners with undue expenditure; however a realistic budget was required in order to maintain and where possible improve services. Over recent years the Council had been able to freeze or keep increases to a minimum. This year they had decided to increase the precept by 5.5% which sounded high, but in reality equated to an increase of 74p per annum, or 2p per week, for a property in ‘Band D’. The Pateley Bridge precept had remained low for a long time and of the 80 parishes within the Harrogate District, there were 50 where the precept was higher, the highest being £56.92 per year compared to £13.37 in Pateley Bridge. The Council would continue to strive to ensure that the best value for money was obtained without jeopardising the effective delivery of local services.

(d) Mayor’s Fund: Over 90 guests had attended the Mayor’s Charity Ball in February and the Mayor thanked the Ball Committee and other helpers for all their hard work which had ensured a successful evening; he had been overwhelmed by the community spirit and support from friends and many businesses in the town who had supported the event. £1,300 had been raised. 136/2011-2012

During the year, more than £3,000 had been paid out from the fund in the form of grants to local organisations.

(e) Millennium Green and Glasshouses Play Area: the Council had been sole trustee for the Millennium Green Trust since 2010 and the working committee had met on a regular basis to manage and improve the area. An extension to the BMX track had been completed in 2011, funded in large part from the North Yorkshire Aggregate Levy Fund, and had proved extremely popular with young people. Equally successful had been the St Cuthbert’s School garden. The money required to maintain the Green was raised by the annual duck race on August Bank Holiday and the Mayor expressed his thanks to the committee and volunteers who had again made the event a great success. In particular he thanked Cllr Dennis Dobson who had worked tirelessly to ensure that the Green was well maintained. The Council was in the process of claiming a grant to replace some of the equipment in the Glasshouses play area and again the Mayor thanked Cllr Dobson and Cllr Hilary Jefferson for taking responsibility for this project. The Council had continued to work closely with Bewerley Parish Council to provide good quality play equipment and improve other areas of common interest. The latest project had been the provision of a flagpole next to the War Memorial. The Mayor thanked the outgoing Chairman of Bewerley, Cllr Geoff Linehan, for taking a key role in this liaison and wished him well for the future. (f) Communications: The Mayor thanked Cllr Chris Henderson for his expertise and enthusiasm in his role as webmaster and editor of the newsletter; agendas and minutes were posted on the parish notice boards and sent to the local press and library so that all parishioners could access information. (g) Nidderdale Show: this had been an undoubted highlight of the year, a fantastic display of all that is good about Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale; he had been very pleased to be invited as a guest of the President, Mr Alan Firth. (h) Residents’ Parking Permits: Pateley Bridge was the only town in the Harrogate District to have this scheme, which was administered by the town council. Although the price had been kept down for several years, this year’s increase by 50% had put the cost of each permit up to £12, in spite of protests by the council. However judging by the speed of sales, they still offered value for money. (i) Committees: the Mayor thanked all the councillors for their unstinting efforts and generous support and time spent in looking after the interests of the parish; apart from the bi-monthly council meetings, they had attended other connected committee and board meetings. He also thanked District Councillor Stan Beer and County Councillor John Fort for their regular attendance at Pateley Bridge Town Council meetings, alongside all their other commitments. He also thanked the four retiring councillors, Cllrs Jackie Kerr, Chris Henderson, Dennis Dobson and Les Ellington, for the skills, enthusiasm and many contributions, and wished them well for the future. It was a matter of great concern and disappointment to him that not one person from the parish apart from the sitting councillors had put themselves forward for election, with the result 137/2011-2012

that no election could take place. He appealed to all parishioners to consider standing for co-option onto the council. The Mayor, who will step down at the AGM in May, wished his successor, Cllr Ian Skaife, and his wife Christine, all the very best for the year to come; he himself had been very proud to represent the town during the past year, and he added that being one of the five mayors in the Harrogate district gave Pateley Bridge a far higher profile and he was sure that this helped to secure positive decisions for the town and the community. 6 County Matters: County Cllr John Fort (a) Introduction: County Cllr Fort congratulated the Mayor and the Clerk for the efficient and timely manner in which items were dealt with and meetings were conducted. North Yorkshire was England’s biggest county covering an area of 3,100 square miles, with a growing population of 600,000, and it was well- respected within government circles. As he had reported last year, it had been tasked with making savings of £60 million and it was on target to achieve this, despite no increase in council tax. (b) Penny Pot Lane Recycling Centre: this was now fully operational as was the Highways Winter Maintenance Department on the adjacent site. (c) Foremost School at Forest Moor had received its first intake of pupils. (d) New Fire Station at Summerbridge: following protracted negotiations with land owners and the Planning Department, the start date was now scheduled for May with completion in November 2012. This would enable the use of a new fire appliance. Improvements had also been made at Lofthouse where the volunteer members of the brigade continued to give excellent service. (e) Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC): from November 2012 this elected post would replace the North Yorkshire Police Authority; appointing the Chief Constable, determining local priorities, setting the force budget, and having responsibility for wider community safety issues. A Police and Crime Panel (PCP), made up of 10 local authority councillors and two independent people would scrutinise the work of the PCC on behalf of the public, who would be regularly consulted about local priorities. (f) Schmallenberg Virus: Cllr Fort presented a briefing note on this new livestock disease that had been found across Europe during late 2011. At the time of writing no outbreaks had been reported in the County and it was too early to say what impact the disease could have on the farming community as the exact cause and the method of infection was not yet known. There was a factsheet on the AHVLA website http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla/tag/schmallenberg/. (g) Highways and Road Safety: speeding, inconsiderate parking and damage to roadside verges continued to cause concern. The summer maintenance projects would start as soon as the weather permitted and the new contractor, Ringway, was now in position. The middle tongue bridge repair would be completed as soon as possible. Cllr Hawkesworth thanked County Cllr Fort on behalf of everyone for his regular attendance at Pateley Bridge Council meetings, especially as his work commitments as Chairman of the County Council took him to all parts of the county. 138/2011-2012

7. District Matters: District Councillor Stan Beer: (a) Local Development Framework: this would be out for consultation again until September 2012 and it would be another 18 months until it was in place. The concerns about rural affordable housing remained. (b) Harrogate International Centre: after thirty successful years the downturn had had a major impact on its financial health and although bookings were now starting to pick up, the impact would still be felt for another two or three years. (c) Harrogate Theatre and the Royal Hall: they were now working successfully in partnership and the theatre in particular was doing well.

8. Mayor’s Charity Fund: The Mayor thanked Cllr Ellington who had originally introduced the initiative; the range of grants had benefitted many local organisations and it was often the case that these small grants enabled the recipients to access match funding from other bodies. During the previous year the following grants had been made: Wilsill Luncheon Club £200 Glasshouses Cricket Club £150 Pateley Bridge Bowling Club £200 Upper.Nidderdale Scout Group £150 1st Masham Guides (inc PB Guides) £200 Friends of St. Cuthberts School £95 Nidd Art £100 Upper Nidderdale Scout Group - Lighting £300 St.Chad's - Bell Ropes £200 Nidderdale Community Orchestra £125 Nidd Valley Railway Heritage Society £300 Hookstone Memorial Hall £125 Birdwatching Group - projector £100 St. Nicholas Fair - bands £200 St.Cuthberts After School Club £250 Projects Abroad (K.Buller) £100 Nidderdale Walking Festival £50 Moorview Rescue £250

9 Electors’ Questions: The Mayor thanked the three Parishioners for attending and they raised the following concerns: (a) The flood bank which had been constructed three years ago was now in need of some remedial work due to silting problems causing the river to back up and reach dangerously high levels. Cllr Hawkesworth offered to meet the Parishioner to look at the weak points in detail and then report back to the Council with recommendations. (b) A parishioner voiced strong objections to any expenditure being committed to additional links in the mayoral chain, as discussed at the council meeting of 20 March. Although in principle he had no objection to the concept of having a mayor, he felt that electors should be told what costs the position incurred in comparison with a parish council where there was a chairman. Although Pateley Bridge was a Town Council, its revenue-raising powers were no different from that of a parish council. He asked for these costs to be itemised and Cllr Lumley explained that the Mayor was given an expenses budget of £250 for the year and travelling expenses of 45p per mile for travelling outside of the parish. Full details of expenditure were available in the published accounts. Councillors paid for their own meals at the Civic Service and 139/2011-2012

they felt that the event was an opportunity to thank other people in the town and the district. Cllr Hawkesworth explained that since Pateley Bridge had become a town council in 1986 a guiding principle had been that a minimum amount for supporting the office of Mayor should come from the rates. Most of the parishes with a lower precept than Pateley Bridge met perhaps only several times a year; there was an enormous commitment of time by the incumbent to carry out their duties. Cllr Lumley sought to reassure the Parishioner by stating that the matter was still under discussion and no financial commitment had been made. (c) A parishioner thanked the Council for their dedicated work; his concern was the poor quality of work carried out to a section of the pavement on Ripon Road and although there had been inspection visits, and presumably the work had been signed off, it was now in a more dangerous state than before. The Mayor explained that the Council had been in correspondence with both the Highways Department and Yorkshire Water about this, and County Cllr Fort agreed to take this forward as a matter of urgency with the Highways Department at a meeting he had scheduled with them for the following morning. District Cllr Beer, who had been unavoidably delayed, arrived at 7.50 pm and gave his report (see Item 7 above). 10 Exchange of Information (a) Sheltered accommodation for purchase: a Parishioner asked whether the Strategic Development Department at the County Council was going to address this issue which had been raised two years ago at the Annual Assembly. The Mayor stated that the Council was cognisant of this need and as the consultation process of the LDF was still in train no update was yet available. (b) Town Signs: the same Parishioner asked for the town entry signs to be cleaned, in particular the one at Bridgehouse Gate, which was very dirty. It was noted that this was in Bewerley Parish and it was agreed that this would be an agenda item at the next meeting so that it could be brought to the attention of Bewerley Parish Council. (c) Pavement outside Sypeland on the High Street: Cllr Henderson said that the plate that had been placed over the kerb was in fact more dangerous than the problem it was concealing, and County Cllr Fort agreed to add this to the Agenda at his meeting with the Highways Department the following day. The meeting closed at 8.30 p.m.