5885 Minutes: of a meeting of the Arnside Parish Council held in the Parish Council Office, Church Hill, Arnside, on Monday 14th April 2003.

5886 Present: Chairman - Councillor D.(David) Willacy, Councillors P.E.(Ted) Casey, J.(Jean) Colwell, J.(John) Howell, T.(Terry) Keefe, D.(David) Scarisbrick, the Clerk - P.G.(Peter) Challenor, the Treasurer - A.(Tony) Cookson, County Councillor I.(Ian) Stewart, PC Barnes and ten members of the public.
5887 Apologies for Absence: Councillors I.(Ian) Crossman, K.(Ken) Hargreaves, R.(Ros) Hunt, E.(Ed) Mycock, R.(Richard) Rollins and District Councillor P.(Patricia) Himsworth.

5888 Minutes: The Minutes of the meeting held on the 10th March 2003 were approved and then signed by the Chairman.

5889 Police Report

Prior to the arrival of PC Barnes, the Chairman informed the meeting that there had been damage to two litter bins on the Lower Promenade and SLDC are having to pay for the cost of replacement. Other litter bins had also been damaged and SLDC have been asked to provide lockable replacement bins.

PC Barnes was able to inform the meeting that an arrest had been made of a man suspected of being the person commonly referred to, by the press and members of the public, as “the Jackal”. A large quantity of apparently stolen items has been recovered and it is thought that some of the items might relate to burglaries in the Arnside area.

PC Barnes was asked to visit the Lower Promenade and have a word with the youngsters who frequent the area, about their activities and damage done to public property.

5890 Report from County and District Councillor I. Stewart

(a) The Chief Constable is to attend a meeting, on April 23rd, at Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale, in order to answer questions on Policing Policy. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

(b) There had been a Community Consultative Forum, in Kendal, regarding ‘kerb maintenance’. Information had been given about the different regimes which are dependent on the differing flora at various locations. Pressure is being exerted for more information to be made available by Capita dbs. There are also proposals for revisions to the way in which the Rapid Response Teams operate. It is thought likely that they could be detailed to spend one day per fortnight in each Division.

(c) At an SLDC meeting, last week, it had been made known that elderly and infirm people don’t actually have to take their wheelie bins to the boundaries of their properties. They can make a request to SLDC for the bins to be collected from their normal positions.

(d) The Chairman drew the attention of Councillor Stewart to Minute 801(2)(g) of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting, held on 11th March 2003, which indicates that the Police might make a contribution to the cost of operating the Dog Warden service. This had been noted by the Chairman, with some surprise considering that large increase in Council Tax, recently announced, to pay for extra Police Officers. Councillor Stewart was not aware of this matter, but thought it might relate to money being made available by the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership.

(e) Councillor Stewart continued by referring to the new powers to increase the Council Tax payable for second homes and stating that pressure was being exerted to ensure that the extra revenue would be used towards meeting the cost of provision of services by SLDC.

(f) The Chairman advised that Arnside is still awaiting the provision of bins for disposal of dog excrement. Councillor Stewart stated that they were unlikely to be provided because they need to be emptied by a specialist contractor.

(g) Councillor Casey asked about the problems of alcohol and drugs. Councillor Stewart indicated that efforts are being made by the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership.

(h) The Chairman advised that the Road Markings vehicle had recently visited Arnside to renew the yellow lines, but had missed certain areas.

5891 Matters raised by Members of the Public for consideration.

(a) A member of the public asked about the trees flanking the northerly side of Sandside Road and was informed that they are owned by Dallam Tower Estate. Councillor Stewart advised that the owners had been asked to have them cut back, as also had the successors to Railtrack been asked to cut back the shrubbery at the junction of Sandside Road and Station Road.

(b) Several members of the public made comments about the confusion and problems relating to the revision of the Refuse Collection Scheme. The Clerk stated that he had been contacted by Mr Chris Fidler of SLDC, following the similar comments made at the last Parish Council meeting and the intervention by Councillor Stewart. Mr Fidler had given a verbal explanation which seemed to indicate that the new system would not become operational until February 2004, but the further explanation was very confusing. Mr Fidler had undertaken to submit a written explanation in time for this meeting, but had failed to do so. AGREED that Mr Fidler be invited to attend the Parish Assembly on April 24th, in order to explain the scheme and address concerns expressed by members of the public.

(c) Several members of the public indicated that they had concerns about the proposed Skateboard Park, on the Playing Field, and it was suggested that it might be appropriate to bring forward item 10 of the Agenda. RESOLVED that item 10 of the agenda - “To review progress with the Arnside Bike and Skate Group” - be now considered and that members of the public be permitted to enter into discussion of the item.

5892 Arnside Bike and Skate Group

(a) Mr Colin Blain expressed his thanks to the Council for the letter, confirming support for the project, as specified in Minute 5875c. Approaches have been made to two possible sources of funding. The plans have had to be amended because the boundary of the skateboard park will need to be at least 50 metres from any inhabited property. He produced copies of a digital photograph marked to indicate the new location, on the Playing Field. The specifications of equipment and facilities are being revised because of the reduced size of the plot concerned. Plans are being drawn up and it is hoped that they will be available for inspection within the next two weeks. Mr Blain asked the Council to approve the revised location for the site. RESOLVED that the revised site be approved in principle, but a decision regarding the full details be deferred until after the plans have been finalised and considered.

(b) Several members of the public expressed concern that there seemed to have been little consultation with the occupiers of neighbouring properties. It was agreed, by Mr Blain, that his Group would contact occupiers in the area, specifically to invite them to attend an informative meeting, so that account could be taken of their views.

(c) One member of the public expressed his concern that alternative sites in the village may not have been considered, but he was assured that this has been done, over several years.

(d) Comments were made about funding, insurance, maintenance and the SLDC grant of £1000.

(e) The Chairman concluded the discussion by giving verbal answers to most of the questions raised by Mr Ellis in his letter of 10th April.

5893 Finance

(a) The Financial Summary for March 2003 was received and approved.

(b) The end-of-year accounts for 2002-2003 were received and approved, subject to audit.

5894 Committee Reports:

a. Foreshore

The Chairman has obtained a list of dates for the Cross-Bay Walks scheduled for 2003.

b. Highways

The Chairman has been advised of the Cumbria County Council proposal to undertake surface dressing of the following highways, during 2003-2004: (1) 620 metres of Black Dyke Road and Station Road, (2) 180metres of Hollins Lane, and (3) 650 metres of Silverdale Road. There is also a possibility of re-surfacing the footway in Swinnate Road.

The yellow lines need to be replaced in Church Hill, adjacent to the joiner’s workshop.

The yellow lines at the start of Redhills Road have now been end-capped.

The Chairman expressed concern about the lack of safety lights around the roadworks in Silverdale Road and the lack of apparent progress with the work involved.

c. Playing Field Advisory Committee

Nothing to report

d. Cemetery

Councillor Casey advised that the painting contractor has agreed to rectify the defects in the paintwork recently undertaken at the Cemetery Chapel.

e. Allotments

In the absence of Councillor Hunt, the Clerk read out a report which she had sent to him. Most rents have now been paid, but duplicate invoices are to be sent to the allotment tenants whose payments are outstanding. A meeting of allotment holders had been held on 9th April, attended by representatives of six plots. A written report will be submitted to a future Council meeting.

f. Vital Villages - Parish Plan

Councillor Keefe reported that approximately 50% of the questionnaires have now been completed and returned. It is very important to form a small number of topic groups and it is hoped that these will be agreed upon before the Parish Assembly. The final quality of the Plan will depend upon people volunteering to take these topics forward.

5895 Correspondence:

a. 31 items of correspondence, received since the last meeting, were tabled for information.

b. Action was agreed on the following items:

(1) An affiliation fee will not be paid to the Cumbria Playing Fields Association

(2) A letter of complaint has been received about the debris arising from the pruning work being carried out on the strip of land separating Silverdale Road from the Inglemere Estate. The Clerk will reply to this letter, advising that the work has been undertaken by unpaid volunteers who have difficulty in transporting the debris to a suitable site for disposal. Not only are the volunteers undertaking this work free of charge, but they have also been using their own equipment, vehicles and fuel. Under the circumstances, it is hoped that members of the public will appreciate the lack of cost to Council Tax payers.

5896 Flooding on the Playing Field

It was noted that permission to connect the drainage system into the public sewer has been refused. RESOLVED that the Playing Field Committee be asked to give further consideration to the design of an appropriate scheme.

5897 Arnside W.I. & Village Hall Committee

A letter has been received from the “Arnside W.I. & Village Hall Committee” requesting a donation to assist with the costs of renovation of the Hall. Members were particularly displeased to note that the reason given by the Lottery Community Fund for refusing to make a grant is declared as “… funds are to be directed to communities where there are ethnic minorities and asylum seekers”. Whilst it is thought appropriate that such communities should receive assistance, members feel that it should not be to the exclusion of other communities, such as Arnside. Whilst members feel sympathetic to this application, the Council decided that it should be determined by the incoming Council, after May 1st.

Councillor Keefe asked that the Committee should be encouraged to make application to the North West Development Agency.

5898 Postal Collections

A verbal complaint had been received about the apparent reduction of collections from post boxes to just one per day. The Clerk has however been informed that the new national procedure is for each post box to specify the time of the last collection during the day. Other collections will be made during the daytime, but the actual times will depend on the availability of collection staff. One problem is that small post boxes are becoming full, when staff have not had the opportunity to empty them, because of workload. AGREED that the situation will be monitored and representations made, if the reported problem persists.

5899 Dog Warden Service

It had been noted that the SLDC Environmental Protection Manager is recorded (in the Appendix to the Community Overview & Scrutiny Committee Minutes for 20th January 2003) as stating that “…every Parish Council had been written to about the possibility of taking over the Dog Warden Service”. It has since been ascertained that the correspondence concerned was dated 1999-2000 and has no relevance to the current situation.

5900 Review of Street Lighting

An alternative quotation is still awaited from Capita dbs.

5901 Programme for replacement of the Pier Railings

In the absence of Councillor Hargreaves this item was deferred to a future meeting.

5902 SLDC Skateboard Bye-Law

Further to an enquiry, a copy of the bye-law, dated 1978, has been obtained and will be displayed in the Parish Office, along with local bye-laws.

5903 Area Review of Bus Services

A request for observations has been received from Cumbria County Council and it was agreed that the Clerk should formulate a response, incorporating (1) a query as to why the letter refers to “…three journeys on Saturday”, (2) support for a mid-morning service, (3) recommendation for a Sunday service and (4) a request for an evening service. In considering the comment that a link to Silverdale should be provided, the Members made reference to the previous requests for an extension of the Carnforth Connect, so as to include Arnside. Councillor Stewart recommended that it be submitted once again, as he thought it might receive favourable consideration.

Councillor Colwell suggested that a ‘flip chart’ be provided at the Parish Assembly and that members of the public be invited to add their suggestions.

5904 Planning Matters:

a. The following applications were considered:

5/03/0638 - 2 Stewart Close - change of use of garden to vehicular standing: NO OBJECTIONS.

5/03/0677 - Sundown, The Promenade - formation of vehicular access to front of subject property: NO OBJECTIONS.

5/03/0687 - Ashmeadow House - alteration and extension of Ashmeadow House to Abbeyfield residence comprising ten residential units, housekeeper unit, communal facilities and associated parking and landscaping external works: NO OBJECTIONS, however the Council recommends that all car parking should be re-located to the east of car space No.4 and should be screened from The Promenade by a hedge.

5/03/0688 - Ashmeadow House - Listed Building Consent for works specified in Application 5/03/0687: NO OBJECTIONS.

5/03/0719 - Hollinsfield, Hollins Lane - single storey rear conservatory: NO OBJECTIONS.

5/03/0744 - Wyngate, Ashleigh Road - extension and alteration to existing dwelling to form two bedrooms to first floor and lounge/kitchen/bathroom/bedroom on ground floor: NO OBJECTIONS.

5/03/0814 - W.I. Village Hall - replace existing wood windows with white uPVC frames: NO OBJECTIONS, however the Council recommends that the design of the new windows should be in a similar style to the existing windows, so as to be in keeping with the traditional appearance of the building.

5/03/0815 - 27 Swinnate Road - dormer extension: NO OBJECTIONS

b. The following decisions of the District Council were noted:

5/02/3636 - Plot 1, The Grange - dwelling: GRANTED

5/03/0376 - 2 Oakroyd Close - alteration to roof: GRANTED

5/03/0145 - Saltcotes Hall - extension of cottage into barn and conversion of barns into two dwellings: GRANTED.

5/03/0469 - 3 Lindale Close - extensions: GRANTED.

c. The Chairman drew attention to Minute 819 (5/03/0145) of the SLDC Planning Committee meeting, held on 18th March. In consideration of Saltcotes Hall, the Minute records: “The question of low cost housing provision was raised but it was pointed out that it would be difficult to attach a condition to render a barn conversion as an affordable dwelling”.

Members expressed their amazement at this extract and are concerned that members of the Planning Committee do not appear to have been made aware of the original proposal to construct two affordable housing units within the site. Councillor Stewart advised that a letter be sent to the Chairman of the Planning Committee. The Clerk will draw attention to the full history of this application and will make particular reference to Application 5/02/2632 - Saltcotes Hall, Arnside - pair of semi-detached houses to be built as affordable for locals, where the Parish Council’s consultation response was: NO OBJECTIONS, SUBJECT TO COMPLIANCE WITH SLDC CONDITIONS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. Members also wished to thank the owners of Saltcotes Hall for their gesture in trying to address the problem of providing affordable housing for local residents. The Clerk will also raise the question of why the applicant was advised to withdraw this proposal, as “there is no possibility of permission being granted for the proposed affordable houses”.

5905 Matters arising from the Minutes of previous meetings.

5875c Committee Reports: Playing Field Advisory Committee

It was noted that nothing further has been heard from the Secretary of the Arnside Youth Project and the former Scout Hut will therefore be demolished. Councillor Colwell will arrange for the contents to be removed. The Chairman indicated that he is able to make arrangements for the demolition to be undertaken without cost to the Council.

5906 Items for Information

The Chairman announced that the Village Society has offered £50 for purchase of plants to be used in the garden of the Lower Promenade.

5907 Date of next meeting:

The next meeting will be the statutory Annual Parish Council Meeting and will be held on Monday May 12th 2003, at 7.15pm, in the Parish Council Office, Church Hill, Arnside.

The meeting closed at 9.55pm
Peter G. Challenor

Clerk to the Council