8017 Minutes: of the Annual Parish Meeting (”Parish Assembly”) for the civil parish of Arnside, held on Thursday 29th April 2004, in the W.I. Hall, Orchard Road, Arnside, commencing at 7.30pm.

8018 Present: Chairman - Councillor D. Willacy, the Clerk to the Parish Meeting - P.G. Challenor, the Treasurer to the Parish Council - A. Cookson, and 73 members of the public, including Councillors and persons invited to address the meeting.
8019 Minutes: The Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on Thursday 24th April 2003 were approved, and then signed by the Chairman.

8020 Charities Reports:

(a) Beetham Exhibition Trust

Councillor Hunt explained that the purpose of the Trust is to help with the expenses to be incurred, when children move from a primary school to a secondary school. Grants have recently been in the region of £28, but the Trust is looking at ways of increasing the resources available. Meetings are held in May, or June, each year, in order to assess applications and make awards.

(b) Arnside Parish Plan Trust

The Report was presented by Mr Brian Walker, who explained that he had been elected as co-ordinator of the group, for the first year, then to be succeeded by Dr Hilary Wilson, for the second year. Mr Walker explained that the group was established in order to implement the Parish Plan, working independently of, but in harmony with, the Parish Council. The group had inherited six lines of action, but had amalgamated two them. The Chairs of the five resultant groups would present their reports immediately following his own. He made mention of the names of the five officers and five Group Chairs, who are to become the ten Trustees of the Charity Limited by Guarantee, which is now known as the Arnside Parish Plan Trust. The Trust is hoping to complete the process of registration with the Charity Commission, and Companies House, later this year.

Financial assistance has been obtained from the Neighbourhood Forum (£500), SLDC (£400), the Educational Institute (£270), and two anonymous gifts of £25 each, totalling £1,220, in all.

The Trust has obtained publicity through the Westmorland Gazette, a television programme, and the newly produced “Arnside Messenger”.

The first AGM will be in September, or October, so as to report on the first 12 months of activity.

Mr Walker then introduced the following Group Chairs, who presented reports on the work of their groups:

Rachel Dutfield - “Education & Communications”

Geof Ellis -”Traffic Parking & Transport”

Jean Ellis - “Environment, Safety & Security”.

Alan Taylor - “Business & Tourism”.

Hilary Wilson (temporarily) -”Planning & Housing”

8021 Possible new Community Building

The Parish Council had suggested the possibility of constructing a new Community Building, incorporating a new Library, Parish Office, and other multi-purpose uses, as suggested in the Parish Plan. This building to be located just inside the main entrance, on the left side, of the Playing Field. The Council invited comments about the suggestion.

(1) One gentleman gave a brief history of the Field, explaining that it was purchased, out of public donations, raised by the Arnside Welcome Home & Memorial Fund, and dedicated to be a War Memorial. It was placed in the ownership of the Parish Council, for safe-keeping to be maintained as a War Memorial Playing Field. He considered that the proposal is for uses that are inconsistent with a playing field, and that it would be a dereliction of duty, for the Council to proceed.

(2) A lady spoke to say that she wholeheartedly endorsed the previous comments.

(3) Another gentleman stated that he had counted 16 cars parked on the area of ground, whilst walking to the meeting, and stated that there are sometimes more. If the suggestion were to proceed, cars would have to be parked elsewhere, and he asked the Council to consider where, and what would be the consequences, in a congested area of the village.

(4) The final person to speak mentioned that cars are sometimes parked there at 8am, but it was thought that they might belong to tennis players.

8022 Proposed Waste Water Transfer Scheme.

Representatives of United Utilities were invited to attend the meeting, but declined.

The Chairman gave details of an e-mail, he had received the day before, from the Project Manager, outlining proposed works and time schedules. He had also established that the test blasting in Ashmeadow is scheduled to start before 2nd June. He has not however been able to gain any information about dates for working along the stretch from Beachwood to Ashmeadow, which will probably affect the cross-bay walks.

Several members of the public asked questions, but the Chairman was not in a position to give definitive answers.

United Utilities have arranged to hold an exhibition, in the W.I. Hall, from 4pm to 8pm, on June 2nd, and have promised to make sure a notice is delivered to every dwelling in the Parish.

8023 Chairman’s Report

The Chairman presented his report, copies of which had already been distributed to all dwellings, in the form of the Parish Council Report of April 2004. He also gave up-dated information on the following topics:

(1) Station Yard and the possibility of providing vehicular access to the southbound platform, (2) the temporary bridge over the railway line,

(3) the request that the Parish Councillors should look at, and make observations about, the area of land, behind Kings Close, access via Queens Drive, which is being considered for Affordable Housing,

(4) the handing-back to Cumbria County Council of the responsibility for public footpaths, and the fact that there was no maintenance budget to cover Arnside, for this year,

(5) incidents of vandalism, but the Police are interviewing certain parents,

(6) the report that a mother had purchased £66 worth of alcoholic drink and taken it straight to the Playing Field, and also the intervention tactics of the Police, and

(7) a further “Re-cycling Road Show”, on the Playing Field, on Tuesday 4th May,

8024 Finance

The Treasurer presented his report regarding the Accounts of the Parish Council for 2003-2004.

He mentioned that the Precept was higher than last year, but still represented approximately £21 per household.

Other items mentioned specifically were (1) the vandalism of two seats, (2) the high cost of water resulting from a leak in the toilets at the Playing Field, and (3) the new “Green Column” street light, at Black Dyke Road, is still not working, but payment is being withheld.

A member of the public raised a query about the painting of the new noticeboard, and the Chairman stated that it was hoped that it would be done in the next few days, subject to the weather.

8025 Matters raised by the General Public

(1) A lady, who missed her opportunity to speak earlier, made the comment that she was in favour of the suggested new Community Building, because it would provide an excellent base for children-orientated groups, who wish to use the existing facilities on the Playing Field. She made the point that it is a “playing” field, not just a “sports” field.

(2) County & District Councillor Ian Stewart suggested that residents should make a point of inspecting the new Community Building, erected on the Playing Field, at Storth. He also stated that funds are still available in the Aggregates Fund, which could possibly assist the suggested Arnside project.

(3) One gentleman praised the efforts of the person employed by SLDC to empty litter bins, but thinks that there is a need for two more bins. There is a particular need for one at the bottom of Knott Road.

Peter G. Challenor

Clerk to the Parish Meeting.