Todwick Parish Council Minutes
JRW/360
TODWICK PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the meeting held in Todwick Village Hall
at 7.00 p.m. on Tuesday 24th January 2012
Present
- Councillor Gregory – In the Chair
- Councillor Ferris
- Councillor Greer-Waring
- Councillor Leah
- Councillor Northall
- Councillor Palmer
- Councillor Pantry
- Councillor White
- J R Walker – Clerk and Financial Officer
- Mr. Mc Donald
- Mr. Rodley
- Mrs. Rodley
- Helen Johnston – Worksop and Dinnington Guardian Newspaper
11/120 APOLOGIES
Unfortunately the Chairman, Councillor Hill was ill and unable to attend.
11/121 CO-OPTION OF NEW MEMBER
Resolved to co-opt Helen Greer-Waring onto the Council with immediate effect.
Clerk had given Mrs. Greer-Waring a copy of Standing Orders, the Good Councillor’s Guide and the Register on Members’ Personal Interests Form. He would inform RMBC of the co-option.
Mrs. Greer-Waring signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and took her seat.
Leah would make the necessary revision to the emergency plan following Mrs. Greer-Waring’s co-option and forward to the Clerk.
11/122 APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES – 13 December 2011
There were no amendments and the minutes were signed as a correct record.
11/123 MATTERS ARISING
11/115(4)
White confirmed receipt of a letter from EDF Energy. Unfortunately the Parish Council’s application for grant aid towards installation of PV panels on the village hall had not been approved.
11/119(2)
White reported that the Chairman, Councillor Hill, had the saplings in his possession and had promised to have these planted within the next 10 days.
11/116
White reported that the Chairman had consulted on the provision of automatic locking gates, including with an expert resident in the village. Quotations were being sought but it would also be necessary to provide an electricity supply to the opening mechanism.
11/124 URGENT ITEMS FOR LATER CONSIDERATION
- Moss on Pavements
- Easter Egg Hunt
- Computer Club
- Family History
- Todwick Fun Day
11/125 CLERK’S REPORT
Clerk had undertaken all the duties placed on him at the last meeting. He had distributed further copies of the Parish Plan and arranged the flowers following the death of Ex-councillor Mary Gregory.
11/126 FINANCIAL OFFICER’S REPORT
£ |
|
|---|---|
Monies received |
|
Bank Interest |
4.90 |
Un-presented cheques |
|
Nil |
|
Payments made since last meeting |
|
C. A. Powis – Flowers |
25.00 |
Yorkshire Water – Allotment Bill |
36.40 |
Todwick Village Hall – Rents |
31.50 |
HMR&C – November Tax/NI |
182.76 |
Payments to be made |
|
J R Walker – December Salary & Expenses |
744.39 |
Mr. Brian White – Parish Plan Expenses |
28.58 |
Jean Leah – Parish Plan Expenses |
6.30 |
Todwick Village Hall – Donation to Easter Egg Hunt |
50.00 |
Bank statement balances |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Saver | Business Saver | Business Saver | Community |
£4,602.83 |
£4,758.35 |
£15,010.85 |
£1.00 |
Bank balances after all payments completed |
|||
| Business Saver | Business Saver | Business Saver | Community |
£4,602.83 |
£3,650.86 |
£15,010.85 |
£1.00 |
11/127 CORRESPONDENCE
Copies of all correspondence received had been sent to members on receipt or included with the papers for the meeting.
RMBC – Songs of Steel
CPRE – Planning Explained Guide
SYPTE – Bus Service Changes
RMBC – Precept 2012/13
RMBC – Vacancies on Joint Working Group
Resolved to vote for Wales Parish Councillor Blanksby and Anston Parish Councillor Jepson’s election onto the joint working group.
RMBC – Community Resilience Plans
Leah and Pantry expressed a willingness to work with the Emergency Planning Shared Service and attend future meetings if possible.
RMBC – Alcohol Consumption in Public Places Order
Todwick Parish Bowling Club – Future Maintenance Contract and Repair to Pavilion
Gregory would reply as Chairman of the Recreation Ground Charity.
The meeting was suspended at 7.30 p.m.
OPEN SESSION
Mr. Mc Donald / Mr. Rodley / Mrs. Rodley requested that repairs be carried out to the roadway between the sports pavilion and the bowling clubhouse at the recreation ground. The bowling club was prepared to supply free labour if the materials could be supplied.
Gregory asked that the bowling club obtain quotations for the materials and to submit these to the Recreation Ground Charity for a decision.
Mrs. Rodley referred to a temporary repair to the entrance door at the bowling pavilion and asked that a permanent repair be completed or possibly new door hung.
Gregory asked that the bowling club obtain quotations for the parish council to consider.
Mr. Mc Donald / Mr. Rodley / Mrs. Rodley asked what arrangements were to be put in place for maintenance of the bowling green and environs following the Borough Council’s decision to withdraw the free service from 1st April 2012.
Gregory explained that he had obtained 8 or 9 quotations from private contractors for undertaking the necessary works and prepared a spread sheet comparing cutting frequencies etc. However, just before Christmas 2011 and being aware that most parish councils in the Borough were to employ private contractors from 1st April 2012, the Borough Council had resolved to subsidise/part fund the works for 2012/13 but for that one year only. The precise figures had not yet been provided but it was certain that employing the Borough Council for the coming year would be the cheapest option. It would however mean that the Parish Council would require several thousand pounds more in income in year 2012/13 to pay for this work. He would keep the bowling club informed when details were to hand and would be monitoring the site works to ensure that agreed service levels were actually achieved. He would copy the requisite cutting frequencies etc to the bowling club which would also be able to monitor works and raise any problems.
Open Session closed at 7.45 p.m.
11/128 PLANNING APPLICATIONS
RB2011/1716
Two storey rear extension, replace existing flat roof with pitched roof and single storey front extension at 7 Manor Way for Mrs. S Morrell.
Resolved to offer no objection.
RB2011/1744
Application to fell/prune 1 no. oak tree protected by RMBC Tree Preservation Order No. 3 1971 at 6 St Paul Close, for Mrs. K Harris, 9 Sandwith Road.
Resolved to offer no objection.
RB2012/0086
Replace existing front porch with new front porch at 48 The Meadows for Ms. A Rodgers.
Resolved to offer no objection.
11/129 COMMITTEES
Allotments
Ferris reported that there were no problems. He had taken a reading of the water meter which the Clerk had then passed on to Yorkshire Water.
11/130 MEMBER’S ACTIVITY REPORTS
White had observed that the long promised pedestrian dropped crossing at the junction of Sandwith Road and Guildway had now been provided by RMBC.
White had registered the PV Panel installation with British Gas and future Feed-In-Tariff income would be paid directly to the Parish Council.
Palmer had attended the SYPTE Liaison Meeting at Harthill and reported:
- Discussions were to be held with Northern Rail because an insufficient number of carriages were being provided on trains at certain times.
- The decision of the Secretary of State was awaited on the A57 proposals before any assessment could be made on the implications for the local bus services.
- Concern had been expressed about the lack of car parking at the Kiveton Park Interchange.
- David Cooper from RMBC had undertaken to include possible financial support for Todwick Over 60’s Club in the next tranche of community transport funding.
- David Cooper from RMBC plus representatives from the SYPE, local bus services would be attending the February Parish Council Meeting.
Palmer and White together with Hazel Stones a resident of Manor Way had attended a site meeting with the SYPTE and a SY Traffic Police Officer to discuss routing and possible alteration of turning arrangements of the bus service in that area.
Palmer had requested that the X5 Bus Service once again be routed through the village before travelling to Dinnington rather than via South Anston.
11/131 CLERK’S GRATUITY
Pantry had undertaken an assessment of the present clerk’s gratuity following receipt of information from the YLCA. The gratuity was contractual and had been formally registered with the Inland Revenue. The arrangements satisfied the terms of Para 8.10 of the 2011 Local Government (Discretion Payments) Regulations and may continue up to the termination of his employment. It should however be noted that a similar scheme could not be agreed with a future clerk as the 2011 Regulations revoked such provisions for new employees.
Members thanked Councillor Pantry for his research and report clarifying the position.
11/132 PRECEPT 2012/13
Members reviewed the approved budget for financial year 2012/13 and recognised the need for additional funding following the Borough Council’s decision to no longer provide grounds maintenance services free of charge.
Resolved that the precept for 2012/13 be £44,400.
Clerk would inform RMBC before the 31 January 2012 deadline.
Gregory would compose a suitable explanation for inclusion in the next edition of The Informer newsletter.
11/133 VILLAGE MAINTENANCE
Palmer had received a complaint from a Mr. Rickson concerning the amount of litter in the village and on Goosecarr Lane in particular. He had discussed the possibility of arranging a litter pick by local residents but also involving the local schoolchildren.
Resolved that a litter sweep be arranged for 10.00 a.m. on the 10th March.
Clerk was to include an agenda item for the February Parish Council Meeting to agree arrangements and provision of necessary equipment etc.
Pantry suggested residents be encouraged to keep the frontage to their own properties tidy.
Palmer had been informed that the RSPCA had removed the horses from the field to the south of properties on Kiveton Lane because of neglect by the owner. It appeared that the animals had been kept alive only because local residents had fed them.
Greer-Waring had undertaken some research and was of the opinion that an order might be served on the landowner under Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act. The same legislation might also be used at the vacant shop premises at The Pastures.
Clerk would make necessary enquiries about this and also report the continuing problems with the vacant shop to the local police.
11/134 PARISH PLAN ACTION PLAN
Leah explained the further distribution of copies of the Plan by herself and the Clerk. She had now prepared a full list of all the expenditure incurred in the sum of £4,714.37, which had been checked by the Clerk and would now be submitted to Rural Action Yorkshire. Several councillors would be submitting articles for the next edition of The Informer on topics such as transport and energy.
Resolved that councillors would attend a separate meeting at 10 am on Tuesday 7 February to progress the Action Plan.
11/135 DOG CONTROL ORDER
Clerk had circulated an E-mail received from Legal Services at RMBC.
Resolved to defer discussion until the March meeting.
11/136 YOUTH PARISH COUNCIL
Leah had discussed this with Tina Chamberlain and Peter Foyle at Rural Action Yorkshire.
Northall had discussed with The Clerk to Aston Parish Council which had a scheme in place and she would also contact Wales High School.
White had a grandson who was a member of the Aston Youth Parish Council and would discuss with him.
11/137 CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND
Resolved to erect a plaque displayed on a suitable means of support dedicating the playground to the late Parish Councillor Mary Gregory without whose efforts the Parish Council would not have been able to acquire the land/facility.
Members would make enquiries as to possible options.
11/138 FIRST RESPONDERS
Greer-Waring had undertaken some research and explained the advantages of providing a first responders service in the village. A minimum of five volunteers would be required, each committing at least four hours/week.
Members agreed that Councillor Greer-Waring prepare a suitable article for inclusion in the next edition of “The Informer”.
11/139 DEFIBRILLATOR IN THE VILLAGE HALL
Greer Waring considered that the acquisition and provision of this in a suitable place such as the village hall would be of benefit to the whole of the village. If a First Responder Team was established this would probably negate the need to purchase a defibrillator for the village hall.
11/140 URGENT ITEMS
Moss on Pavements
Leah reported moss on the footways of many roads in the village including Mill Hills and the cul-de-sac at The Meadows. This made the footways dangerous to walk on particularly in wet weather.
Clerk would report to RMBC.
Easter Egg Hunt
Leah had held discussions with the Village Hall Caretaker concerning the possibility of arranging, together with the schools PIA, an Easter egg hunt on the afternoon of Easter Day. She had written to the Dinnington Branch of Tesco asking for the provision of free eggs or supply at a subsidised price. Hopefully the event would be a great success and could be repeated in future years.
Resolved to contribute £50 towards the provision of chocolate eggs for the event.
Computer Club
Palmer reported that an additional class for beginners was likely to be provided on Tuesday morning. Once the attendees were sufficiently proficient they could then transfer into the Monday group who had more advanced skills.
Family History
Palmer reported a drop in numbers but it was intended that a new cohort be formed soon.
Todwick Fun Day
Resolved to contribute £1500 to the 2012 event.
The Meeting Closed at 21.52 p.m.
The next Council Meeting will be held in Todwick Village Hall at 7.15 p.m. on Tuesday 28th February 2012, immediately following a 6.30 p.m. meeting with RMBC, SYPTE and bus companies.