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ALLERDALE AREA COMMITTEE Minutes of a Meeting of the Allerdale Area Committee held in the Conference Room at the Port of Workington on Wednesday 10 September 1997 at 11.00 am. PRESENT Ms T D Stainton (Vice-Chairman in the Chair) Mr A Clark Mr T Heslop Mr W Cameron Mr W Johnston Mrs B A Cannon Mrs A M Martin Mr R S J Edgar Mr C A A Miles Mr N J Findley Mr J S Samson Mr D J T Kemp 23 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies were received from Mr D Holmes and Mr W Minto. 24 ADMISSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC RESOLVED, that the press and public be admitted for all items of business. 25 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION The following question relating to the business of the Committee was submitted by Ms L Bentley in accordance with the approved scheme. "For many years the Junction at Paddle School, leading to Eaglesfield on the A5086 has been an extremely difficult and dangerous road attracting many accidents. Due to the expansion of Paddle School in recent years this problem has become much worse and is particularly treacherous at School pick up and drop off times or when there is an event at the School or Church. In my view it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident or fatality at this junction which is highly likely to involve a small child. Could I ask the Committee what, if anything, is being done to try to rectify this problem?" Ms Bentley added that during her time as a pupil at Paddle School she had witnessed a number of accidents. Pupil numbers had increased over the years and she considered that the situation was worsening. The Chairman replied as follows:- "The scheme is one of four minor schemes approved by the Area Committee on 19 March 1997 for construction during the current financial year. Officers are currently pursuing acquisition of the required land to enable the existing fence on the A5086 to be set back to improve visibility toward Cockermouth for vehicles emerging from Eaglesfield road end. If these negotiations are successful soon, then it is anticipated that the scheme will be completed before the end of March 1998." The Chairman thanked Ms Bentley for her interest and for attending the meeting. 26 MINUTES (1) The Minutes of the Meeting held on 13 June 1997 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman. (2) With regard to Minute 12 - Appointments to Outside Bodies - the Chairman explained that due to the proportion of Local Authority representatives appointed to the Cumbria Valuation Tribunal it had been unable to accept the recommendation of Mr J Hulley for appointment. The Borough Council had been asked to nominate a non-elected individual. (3) With regard to Minute 16 - Meeting of the Joint Advisory Grants Panel - it was RESOLVED, that the next Meeting of the Joint Advisory Grants Panel be held on Monday 17 November 1997. 27 APPOINTMENTS TO OUTSIDE BODIES RESOLVED, that (1) Ms T Stainton be appointed to serve on the Workington Citizens’ Advice Bureau Management Committee until 28 May 2001; (2) Mr R S J Edgar be nominated to serve on the Steering Committee for the Wigton Retail Project. 28 BUDGET MONITORING STATEMENT 1997/98 The Head of Financial Services presented a budget monitoring statement for the period to 1 August 1997 detailing the financial position of the various activities for which the Committee was responsible. A revised statement for the Adult Education budget for which the Committee operated jointly with Copeland Area Committee was also submitted. The expected results for 1996/97 showed a total projected underspend of £78,834. Attention was drawn to a projected overspend of £787 on the School Crossing Patrol budget as a result of the deficit carried forward from the 1996/97 financial year and the establishment of a crossing patrol at Broughton Moor. Members were asked to consider whether they wished to vire funds into the School Crossing Patrol budget heading to cover the projected overspending. RESOLVED, that (1) the report be noted; (2) £787 be vired from the General Provision budget to the School Crossing Patrol budget to fund the projected overspending. 29 REVENUE BUDGET 1998/99 The Policy Committee had set budget guidelines for 1997/98 for planning purposes and was seeking the views of Committees on the implications for services of these targets. A report by the Head of Financial Services and Director of Corporate Services set out guideline allocations for services delegated to the Area Committee and based on these, indicated where pressures on services could be expected in 1998/99. Members recognised that the County Council had prioritised Education and Social Services in previous years and consequently sufficient funding had not been available for other Departments such as Economy and Environment. Their main concern related to the level of funding that would be available in 1998/99 for general highway maintenance particularly in the light of works required for footpath maintenance, verge maintenance and replacement of road signs many of which were damaged or missing altogether. Members commented that this situation was not unique to the Allerdale Area and suggested that Policy Committee have regard to the situation in considering the Economy and Environment Committee budget for 1998/99. It was noted that the full year cost of St Gregory’s RC School Nursery, due to open in the spring of 1998, would be approximately £40,000. Members were concerned to learn that the additional expenditure would result in a shortfall in the Under 5s budget of around £24,000 on an on-going basis particularly as their belief had been that such provision would be self- funding. RESOLVED, that (1) Policy Committee be requested to take into account the pressures on highway maintenance budgets when considering the Economy and Environment Committee budget 1998/99; (2) consideration be given by the Economy and Environment Committee to the need for increased resources for general highways maintenance in the Allerdale Area in 1998/99; (3) the affects on the Committee’s under 5s budget of St Gregory’s RC School nursery be drawn to Policy Committee’s attention and a further report on the overspend be submitted to the Area Committee on the matter. 30 INDIVIDUAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS Mr W Cameron, Mr D J T Kemp and Mr W Johnston declared that they were Members of the Education Committee and took no part in the debate or decisions on planning applications 2/97/9003, 2/97/9015 and 2/97/9016. (1) 2/97/9003 - Victoria Infants School, Workington Further to Minute 8(2) of 13 June 1997 and the site visit made by Committee Members on 5 September 1997, further consideration was given to the application for a new car park extension at the school, a new footway and an improved footway. With regard to the proposed car-park extension, Members considered that provision of only two additional parking spaces would be inadequate. The Head of Planning reported that a similar response had been received from Allerdale Borough Council. Concern was expressed about the proposed new access at the rear of Islay Place. Members felt that this new access would exacerbate existing problems at the lane to the rear of the properties on Harrington Road. They were, however, advised that there were plans for a Traffic Regulation Order to be imposed in the Honister Drive area that could have implications for the proposal. The Head of Planning also reported that the Highways Authority objected to the use of bollards and would recommend kerbs along the footpath proposed at the top of Islay Place. Members agreed that the proposed pedestrian access to the rear of 11 Islay Place should not be pursued, that consideration should be given to a new pedestrian access off Honister Drive and that the number of car park spaces on the school car park should be reviewed. RESOLVED, that the application be deferred and referred back to the client for further consideration to include liaison with the Director of Economy and Environment over traffic regulation plans for the Honister Drive area. (2) 2/97/9015 - Nelson Thomlinson School, Wigton Two new buildings were being proposed to the Secondary School, a free standing five classroom block at the rear of the school and an extension to the art block. RESOLVED, that the planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in Appendix PA1 to these Minutes (for Appendix see Minute Book). 2/97/9016 - Nelson Thomlinson School, Wigton: Conservation Area Consent Application Internal alterations were being proposed to an area of the former Grammar School building which was a Grade II Listed Building. The application for extensions to the School (reference 2/97/9015) involved removing part of an existing stone wall and rebuilding part of this to facilitate the new free standing classroom block. Both these works required consent from the Secretary of State. RESOLVED, that the application be forwarded to the Secretary of State with a recommendation that Conservation Area Consent and Listed Building Consent be granted subject to the conditions set out in Appendix PA2 to these Minutes (for Appendix see Minute Book). Mr W Johnston and Mr Findley declared that they were Members of the Social Services Committee and took no part in the debate or decision on planning applications 2/97/9017 and 2/97/9018. Mr G Humes, as a Member of the Cumbria Care Board, also withdrew for these applications. (3) 2/97/9017 - Ridgemount, Church Street, Maryport The application was for the change of use of the ground floor of a building within the Maryport Conservation Area to a Social Services Day Service Unit.

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