5807 Minutes: of a meeting of the Arnside Parish Council held in the Parish Council Office, Church Hill, Arnside, on Monday 9th December 2002.

5808 Present: Chairman - Councillor D.(David) Willacy, Councillors P.E.(Ted) Casey, K.(Ken) Hargreaves, J.(John) Howell, R.(Ros) Hunt, T.(Terry) Keefe, E.(Ed) Mycock, D.(David) Scarisbrick, the Clerk - P.G.(Peter) Challenor, the Treasurer - A.(Tony) Cookson, County Councillor I.(Ian) Stewart and four members of the public.
5809 Apologies for Absence: Councillors J.(Jean) Colwell, I.(Ian) Crossman, R.(Richard) Rollins, and District Councillor P.(Patricia) Himsworth

5810 Minutes: The Minutes of the meeting held on the 11th November were approved and then signed by the Chairman.

5811 Minutes: The Minutes of the special meeting held on the 30th November were amended by the insertion of the word “Housing” before “Strategy” in the second and fourth paragraphs of Minute 5805. The Minutes were then approved and signed by the Chairman.

5812 Report from County and District Councillor I. Stewart

Councillor Stewart announced that he expects to be able to attend meetings in Arnside and Milnthorpe for increased durations, as Beetham Parish Council will, in future be holding meetings on the first Monday of each month.

Councillor Stewart has had a long meeting with the Director of Operations for CAPITAdbs, in which he expressed concern about the state of highways and information feedback. Some reports to the ‘hotline’ are held back for monthly implementation. He is hoping for improvements and also for parish councils to be provided with access to reports of progress of individual jobs.

Cumbria County Council has seen a reduction in the Rate Support Grant from central government and this is likely to have an impact on levels of Council Tax.

Councillor Stewart had received a letter from United Utilities, similar to the one received by the Parish Council, but he had also received a plan showing four options, which had not been seen by the Council. Copies will be taken and circulated to members

The Chairman expressed his concern about the lack of action by SLDC, concerning rainwater discharging into the joiner’s workshop, in Church Hill, due to a cracked drain. The Chairman also commented on the lack of cleaning of Silverdale Road, since he raised the matter some four weeks ago. Councillor Stewart will investigate these concerns.

Councillor Stewart informed members that SLDC are considering the possibility of further re-organisation.

Councillor Mycock praised the prompt and efficient response of SLDC in providing road signs at each end of Meadow Bank, together with a comprehensive road sign for Orchard Road. The Chairman also made complimentary remarks about the new road sign for New Barns Road, even though it had taken a considerable time for the deficiency to be addressed.

Councillor Mycock commented on the new doorstep collection of sorted materials, in Lancashire, for re-cycling by Lancaster City Council. He wondered whether a similar scheme could be introduced in this area. Councillor Stewart advised that SLDC is already considering the possibility.

Councillor Stewart advised that he had been contacted by “an eminent external professional” with a comment to the effect that he considered that the Parish Plan Open Day was very well organised and a credit to the local community.

Councillor Hargreaves drew attention to a pothole at the bottom of Briery Bank, which had nearly thrown him from his cycle. The Chairman commented that this hole had been infilled with tarmac, on a very wet day, and it was therefore of no surprise that the tarmac had come away.

5813 Matters raised by Members of the Public for consideration.

One person asked that the Council should pursue the provision of replacement ‘no cycling’ signs. The Clerk will contact the Footpaths Officer of SLDC.

Another person expressed concern about the parking of cars on the forecourt of Photogenic Gallery and the adjacent shops, but it was pointed out that this is private land The Clerk will contact SLDC to try to ascertain whether there are rights of way for pedestrians and bus-users. The Clerk will also chase-up Cumbria CC, regarding the cutting-back of hedgerow undergrowth along the pavement of Station Road.

5814 Finance

The Financial Summary for November 2002 was received and approved.

5815 Committee Reports:

a. Foreshore

The Chairman had received several complaints about litter being left on the foreshore by anglers. The Clerk will contact the “Angling News”.

There had been some adverse comments about some of the shrubs in the Jubilee Garden and it had been decided that these would be replaced in the coming season.

The fountain tap was still defective and it is hoped to have it repaired by Spring.

b. Highways

The Chairman reported that the cleaning of footways in Arnside was not being undertaken properly and he has been informed that “the machine is always required in Kendal”. He will press for the machine to be brought to Arnside.

The chairman wondered just how effective had been the work of the Enforcement Officers, since the introduction of de-criminilisation of parking offences and just how much money had been brought in by the imposition of fines. The Clerk will write for information.

c. Playing Field Advisory Committee

The Minutes of the Playing Field Committee meeting held on 3rd December 2002 had been distributed prior to the meeting. Councillor Mycock made reference to the item concerning the old Scout Hut. One consequence of the Parish Plan Open Day was that several people had come forward with a view to finding a viable use for the Scout Hut and also developing the proposed Skateboard park. In response to this initiative, the Playing Field Committee considered it reasonable to defer a decision on the future of the hut until March 2003.

The Tennis Club has raised the question of standing water on the surface of the courts and made reference to the persistent problem with flooding over the years. The committee had asked that the Council should get professional advice to see if a permanent solution could be found. The Clerk was asked to contact Lakes Plant of Kendal, to see if advice could be provided without charge and also check with SLDC to see if they can advise, free of charge.

Because of high water meter readings, last winter, the Chairman stated that he had turned off the water supply to the toilets, drained down, and taken a meter reading of 6303.

d. Cemetery

Nothing to report

e. Allotments

Councillor Hunt has written to all allotment holders to advise of rent increases and to suggest a meeting for the spring time.

The Clerk had contacted both of the holders whose permanent addresses are outside the Parish boundary. He had obtained satisfactory explanations about the circumstances which prevailed at the time when they had obtained their plots, which would not prejudice the policy of priority being given residents of the Parish, for future applications for plots.

f. Vital Villages - Parish Plan

Councillor Keefe had previously circulated a report on the Parish Plan Open Day. Approximately 330 people had attended and it was considered to have been very successful. The Report had been placed on Council noticeboards and also on the Web Site. Some 200 people had submitted written comments concerning the village and these would be very useful in guiding the compilation of the full questionnaire. The questionnaire will be distributed to all households during January/February 2003.

A question had been raised about insurance of persons distributing this questionnaire and the Treasurer explained the scope and limitations of the existing Council insurance policy. It was considered necessary for the Parish Plan Steering Group to take out a separate policy, or pay for an extension of the Council’s policy.

g. AONB / NW Development Agency

Councillor Keefe reported that he had attended a meeting between the AONB team and the NW Development Agency, at which it had been revealed that £270m is available to Cumbria, particularly for the development of rural workshops.

h. Arnside Knott Advisory Committee

Minutes of the meeting held on 18th November 2002 were received and noted.

5816. Correspondence:

a. 30 items of correspondence received since the last meeting were tabled for the information of members.

b. Action was agreed on the following items:

(1) Membership of CPRE will not be renewed.

(2) A copy of the Cumbria CC Highway Works programme had been received and the Clerk is to write and ask why Arnside has not been included.

(3) The Kent Estuary Labour Party had written to deplore the stance taken by the Parish Council over the intentions of United Utilities to take the proposed pipeline along the lines of the roadways. The writer asked for an assurance that the work would commence as per the original timetable (November 2002). The Clerk will send a copy of the recent letter from United Utilities, with a ‘compliments’ slip.

(4) A letter has been received requesting the provision of a road sign for The Spinney, together with an addition to the existing road sign for Spinney Lane. This will be forwarded to SLDC for consideration.

(5) A reply had been received to the Council’s enquiry about the traffic survey which had been promised for Oct/Nov 2002 (see Minute 5792). The survey has not been carried out, but a parking survey for Arnside and Milnthorpe is planned in next year’s programme.

5817 Planning Matters:

a. The following application was considered:

5/02/3409 - 1 Station Road, Arnside - new lounge fenestration with stone facing: NO OBJECTIONS

b. The following decision of the District Council was noted:

5/02/2972 - 43 Redhills Road, Arnside - two storey extension: GRANTED

5818 Proposed upgrading of sewage disposal system by United Utilities

A letter had been received from United Utilities and copies had been circulated to members, before the meeting. The whole project has been deferred by approximately 12 months, because United Utilities now wish to incorporate work which would otherwise need to be done in 5-10 years time. This work relates to two “Unacceptable Intermittent Discharges” (UIDs) adjacent to The Promenade, which may necessitate the construction of an additional underground storage tank and an additional pipeline. As the pipeline would probably follow the same line as the one currently proposed, the project manager for United Utilities had decided that it would be unreasonable to dig up The Promenade and Station Road twice, if there was any possibility of doing all the work at once. Because of the complexities of the technical design elements, it had become necessary to undertake a ‘modelling’ exercise, which could take several months. It is clear that no work can start until this exercise has been completed..

It was noted that the deferral of the starting date would mean that there would not be any implications for the 2003 programme of Cross-Bay Walks. The Clerk will advise Mr Cedric Robinson and the Morecambe Bay Partnership accordingly.

5819 Access to the Cemetery Chapel for Disabled Persons

The Clerk had written to the Disability Rights Commission, asking that the Council be excused from making any alterations at the Cemetery Chapel, as agreed in Minute 5793. A reply had been received indicating that, having regard to the very low usage of the Chapel and the lack of main services and heating, the Commission considered that it would be acceptable to simply provide a temporary ramp for the access steps. The Clerk will obtain quotations for the supply of a lightweight folding ramp.

5820 Subscription to the Society of Local Council Clerks

It was noted that it is now possible for the subscription to be shared between Councils, where the same person is employed as Clerk and that this would result in a significant cost-saving to each Council. It was AGREED that Arnside Parish Council would pay 50% of the subscription in respect of Mr Challenor, subject to the remaining 50% being paid by Silverdale Parish Council. It was noted that this would result in a charge to Arnside Parish Council of £27 for 2003, rather than £48 (the subscription being calculated on a ‘banding scale’ related to the gross salary of the clerk concerned).

5821 Programme for replacement of the Pier Railings

Councillor Hargreaves advised that he had not yet received a reply to his enquiries about the specifications relating to safety and that progress could not be made at this stage.

Councillor Mycock reported that the replacement of the railings would not be eligible for a grant from the Local Heritage Initiative.

5822 Street Lighting Account

The Clerk had been in contact with SLDC and the situation regarding the provision of additional street lights on Black Dyke Road had become somewhat complicated. The Treasurer’s Department for SLDC has supplied photocopies of the annual precept forms PP3 for the year 1988/89 and 1990/91, which showed that the Parish Council had precepted for the provision of two additional lights in Black Dyke Road. An inspection by the Chairman and the Clerk revealed that no new lights had been provided. It is thought that this may relate to the difficulties of bringing power supplies from the ‘back lane’ and that the new lights could have been provided elsewhere in the Parish. Investigations are continuing.

5823 Joint Parish Transport Grant

The Chairman reported on a meeting he had attended at Holme Village Hall, on November 26th, chaired by Voluntary Action Cumbria and attended by representatives of the parish councils for Arnside, Burton and Holme. Heversham had already indicated that the council would not be interested in participating. There were no representative from Beetham or Milnthorpe. The Chairman’s notes had been circulated to members, prior to tonight’s meeting, and the contents considered. Although VAC had been unable to supply all the information necessary for a full determination, it was thought appropriate to pursue the possibility of joining with neighbouring parishes in applying for a grant of £10,000 each for a joint scheme. As the closing date for applications is March 31st 2003, the application would be submitted, on the understanding that it could be withdrawn, or revised. It was noted that the application can be revised so that any grant could be used for a single parish transport.

5824 Publicity Leaflet and Parish Council property awareness visits

Councillor Hunt referred to her lack of knowledge about the affairs of the Council, at the time when she was co-opted. She thought that it would be beneficial to persons moving into the village to be provided with a leaflet giving some information about the work of this Parish Council (as opposed to the existing leaflets which relate to parish councils in general). The leaflet could also give details of property owned by the Council. RESOLVED that Councillor Hunt should produce a draft leaflet for further consideration.

Councillor Hunt also suggested that members of the Council might have an annual site-inspection walkabout, to ensure that councillors are familiar with the condition of Council-owned property. AGREED that a first inspection would be organised for a date in May 2003.

5825 AONB Executive Committee

Prior to the meeting, copies of the draft Constitution, Minutes of the meeting held on 16th October, and other documents relating to the AONB Executive Committee had been circulated. The Clerk had recently been informed that the draft Constitution is currently being revised and he undertook to send copies to members as soon as they become available. The existing draft was not therefore discussed.

Councillor Mycock drew attention to the second paragraph of Minute 4.1 of the AONB meeting held on 16th October. He reported that several people had expressed their dismay at the statement: “Concern was conveyed by Arnside Parish Council about the proposal for an extension to the office premises at the Station Building, Arnside and preference was expressed for increased facilities for rail users and for car parking”. The statement is attributed to Councillor Scarisbrick, as representative of Arnside Parish Council. Councillor Scarisbrick was asked to justify his comments, but was unable to call upon any Minuted decision of the Council in support of the statement. Members indicated that the statement was unjustified and did not represent the views of the Council. It was AGREED that the Clerk should write to the AONB office advising that Councillor Scarisbrick had no authority to make the statement. The Clerk will also ask if, in fact, there are any proposals for an extension to the existing premises and, invite the submission of details, if the opinion of the Council would be welcomed.

5826 Matters arising from Minutes of Previous Meetings

The Treasurer made reference to the Annual Audit Report for 2001/02 (Minute 5748). The report had been received from District Audit and is now displayed on the noticeboard near to the Parish Office. The Report is satisfactory, except that it makes reference to the need for the Council to carry out a Risk Assessment. He suggested that this should be done by the Finance Committee and it was agreed that a meeting of the Committee should be called in March 2003, for this purpose.

5827 Items for Information

(a) Notice was given that the Cumbria County Council’s Emergency Planning Officer, will attend the Parish Office at 7.30pm on Thursday 9th January 2003, to give a ‘professional briefing’ to Councillors. This will not be a formal meeting of the Council and will not be open to the public. Councillor Mycock indicated that he would not be able to attend, but asked that questions be asked about contingency plans for a major oil spillage affecting Morecambe Bay and the estuary of the River Kent.

(b) Following the special meeting of the Council, held on 30th November, contact had been made with the Housing Strategy Officer for SLDC, with a view to arranging a meeting to discuss the SLDC proposals for the provision of additional Affordable Housing Units within Arnside. It had become apparent that the Housing Strategy Officer would be unable to provide any idea of figures for Arnside. He would also be unable to provide any survey data indicating the level of requirement for such units, on the basis of numbers of people in Arnside who are unable to afford housing market prices. After discussion between the Clerk, the Chairman and Councillor Hunt, it had been decided that there was little point in arranging a meeting with the Housing Strategy Officer, until more information can be made available.

5828 Date of next meeting:

Monday January 13th 2003 at 7.15pm in the Parish Council Office, Church Hill, Arnside.

The meeting closed at 9.35pm
Peter G. Challenor

Clerk to the Council