Preston Patrick Annual Parish Meeting
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You are invited to PRESTON PATRICK ANNUAL PARISH MEETING Held in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 1972 for all Electors Monday 18 May 2015 at 7.00 pm Preston Patrick Memorial Hall [Chairman: Cllr Tony Mason, Preston Patrick Parish Council Chairman] Do come along to hear what’s happening in your community and have your say A G E N D A 1. Welcome by Chairman 2. To receive Apologies for Absence 3. To approve the Minutes of the 2014 Annual Parish Meeting 4. To receive Annual Reports from : Preston Patrick Parish Council Chairman Preston Patrick Community Led Plan Steering Group Local Policing Team Cumbria County and South Lakeland District Council (Councillor Roger Bingham) Burton Educational Foundation (Mrs O Clarke) Lancaster Canal Trust (F Sanderson) Preston Patrick Memorial Hall Committee (K Richardson) Preston Patrick & Preston Richard WI (Mrs S Sanderson) St Patrick’s District Church Council (A Mason) 5. Open Forum: an opportunity for electors and members of the public to raise any matters relevant to the parish Mrs LS Winter Clerk 46 MINUTES OF THE PRESTON PATRICK ANNUAL PARISH MEETING HELD IN THE MEMORIAL HALL, MONDAY 28 APRIL 2014 AT 7.00pm Present: Cllrs A Mason (Chairman of the Parish Council in the Chair), Mrs O Clarke, Mrs C Davenport, PJ Foster, P Gott, P Winter and the Clerk, Mrs L Winter, together with County Cllr R Bingham and District Cllr B Cooper, Mrs S Sanderson (Preston Patrick & Preston Richard WI), F Sanderson (Lancaster Canal Trust), Insp. J Stephens (Police), and 9 members of the public. AP14.1 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the Members of the Parish Council and the Clerk. AP14.2 APOLOGIES An apology for absence was received from Cllr K Richardson. It was noted that Cllr Bingham and Insp. Stephens would be late arriving after attending the Preston Richard Parish Meeting, and the meeting agreed that the order of reports on the agenda be rearranged accordingly. AP14.3 MINUTES OF LAST ANNUAL PARISH MEETING Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 13 May 2013 were signed by the Chairman as a correct record. AP14.4 ANNUAL REPORT OF PRESTON PATRICK PARISH COUNCIL The Chairman thanked fellow councillors and the Clerk for their support and effort on behalf of the parish over the past year. He also thanked the local County and District Councillors for their contributions to the six scheduled and two additional meetings held during the year. He referred to parishioners’ involvement - attending meetings, putting their views in writing and speaking to Councillors, which helped the decision-making process. The Council had commented on 15 planning applications, including a number that were agriculture-related, a micro hydro-electric generation project at Gatebeck and a welcome ATM at Crooklands. Only one decision was contrary to the Council’s recommendations, and one application refused by South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) had gone to appeal. The Chairman updated the meeting regarding land allocations in the area (none of which was in Preston Patrick, but those in Preston Richard parish could impact on our parish). SLDC’s Local Plan had now been adopted. Also representations had been made to SLDC to ensure that any increase in heavy goods vehicles from the proposed development at Mainline Business Estate, Milnthorpe, would not impact on the A65 and Crooklands Canal Bridge. He was pleased that the much-needed resurfacing of Gatebeck Lane had finally been undertaken by the County Council, as had parking restriction marking at Seven Milestone Bridge Layby and highway improvement work at the A6070/A65 roundabout. Reinstatement of the SLOW markings on the C5077 Gatebeck-School Houses road had been requested, with other remedial works and this would be monitored. Other matters brought to the Council’s attention had been overgrown hedges near Millness and traffic speed on the A65 (held in abeyance until results of the delayed deployment of the Speed Indicator Device are known and whether or not it is identified as an issue following analysis of the Community Led Plan Questionnaire). Improved working arrangements were anticipated with the CCC’s Better Highways South Lakeland since their reorganisation and the mild winter conditions had not necessitated any Parish Gritting. The Chairman reminded the 47 meeting that the Clerk is the parish Nominated Highways Representative and it helps if she is kept informed to coordinate reports to the Highways Hotline (tel: 0845 609 6609) and to liaise with the Area Steward. He referred to action taken by County Highways as a result of reports of unauthorised brown signs on the A65/A6070 Crooklands roundabout, and action being taken by SLDC against two unauthorised planning developments in Gatebeck. The public and all stakeholders had again been asked for their views on the CCC and SLDC draft budgets and plans and other consultations. The Chairman expressed the Council’s gratitude for the grant from District Cllr Bingham’s budget towards a plaque for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Trees planted last year and the proposed project to mark the start of the First World War in August 2014 by acknowledging those persons from the parish listed on the War Memorial. The Parish Council works with, and is represented on, a number of outside bodies and liaises with authorities and agencies whose activities affect the parish. They include: Cumbria Association of Local Councils (CALC), local Broadband Champion, SLDC’s South Westmorland Local Area Partnership (LAP), CCC’s South Westmorland Neighbourhood Forum, Burton Educational Foundation, Lancaster Canal Trust, Armistead Wind Farm Community Fund and Holmescales Quarry Liaison Committee. A representative of the local Rural Policing Team attends Council meetings, provides update reports on activity in the area and invites feedback to minimise crime, and this year our Council representative has monitored the public footpaths and bridleways, which were included in CCC’s Annual Rights of Way Maintenance Programme. Electricity NW’s policy decision relating to street lights on its poles led to the Council agreeing to the removal of a 30 year old light in Gatebeck (at no cost to the Council), and the National Grid West Coast Connections Project consultation has been delayed until later in 2014. The Chairman mentioned that, after a year of joint working towards a Two Parish Community Led Plan (CLP) Preston Richard had withdrawn, preferring to prepare its own Plan more suited to its future needs. He left it to Cllr Mrs Davenport, the CLP Chairman, to report further and launch the Preston Patrick CLP Questionnaire later in the meeting when everyone would have the opportunity to speak and have their questions answered. Regarding the Council’s finances, he reported receipts for the year totalled £3737 and payments £2699, resulting in a balance carried forward at 31 March of £4038 (which included £1363 earmarked funds held for the LAP’s Faster Broadband meetings, the Community Led Plan and commemorative projects). Grants were made to the Memorial Hall towards new doors, St Patrick’s Church towards repair of the perimeter wall and access road, and the Great North Air Ambulance. In November the Council set its budget to meet 2014-15 projected expenditure, resulting in a standstill precept of £3395, inclusive of the Government grant. AP14.5 ANNUAL REPORT ON SOUTH LAKELAND DISTRICT COUNCIL (SLDC) District Cllr Cooper reported on the imminent introduction of additional kerbside recycling trials of cardboard and plastics. He gave a brief resume of the situation regarding the adoption of SLDC’s Local Plan after a prolonged process, certain Land Allocations having attracted controversy, and referred to SLDC’s aim for 1000 new jobs and 1000 new homes in the next 10 years. 48 AP14.6 ANNUAL PRESTON PATRICK MEMORIAL HALL REPORT In the absence of the Management Committee’s Chairman, Keith Richardson, the Clerk read his report on the past year’s activities. The Hall had been well used and income from lettings was up which was encouraging. Externally, the ‘Preston Patrick’ sign funded last year had been fitted and the Hall fascia re-painted. The interior had been repainted by the Community Payback Scheme and new curtains made and fitted by the Committee and friends with material purchased from a Banks’ Community Fund grant. The Committee thanked the Parish Council for the £225 contribution towards the cost of three new double doors and a £2,500 grant from Banks’ had been approved allowing the work to be carried out during the last week. The Hall would now be warmer and more secure. Thanks were extended to all who had given time, money and effort this year. AP14.7 ANNUAL REPORT ON BURTON EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION Mrs Olive Clarke, the Council’s representative, outlined the background of the Foundation, it having been set up after the sale of a small farm in County Durham under which coal had been found, and listed the beneficiary parishes. She explained its aims and encouraged applications: University students and pupils in their last two years at school can obtain grants of £45 and £25 respectively. Mrs Clarke was pleased to state that Preston Patrick’s uptake had increased and it was gratifying when letters of thanks are received. AP14.8 ANNUAL PRESTON PATRICK & PRESTON RICHARD WOMEN’S INSTITUTE (WI) REPORT Sue Sanderson reported that the local WI, which was formed in September 1921, now has 34 members (from those in their first year to others with over 65 years’ service) and meets in the Memorial Hall on the first Wednesday of each month. It belongs to the Cumbria Westmorland Federation and the Helm Group of WIs and is ‘twinned’ with Ashley WI in Staffordshire, the first twinning of its kind.