14th November 2005

8479 Minutes: of the Ordinary Meeting of Arnside Parish Council, held in the Parish Council Office, Church Hill, Arnside on Monday 14th November 2005.

8480 Present: Chairman - Councillor D M (David) Willacy, Councillors, P E (Ted) Casey, J M (Jean) Colwell, J (John) Gallagher, S V (Sue) Gibson, K (Ken) Hargreaves, T (Terry) Keefe, P A (Pete) McSweeney, M P (Pat) Pierce, the Clerk - P G (Peter) Challenor, the Treasurer - A (Tony) Cookson, the Deputy Clerk - J M (Jayne) Beaumont, County Councillor I (Ian) Stewart, District Councillor R (Richard) Rollins and 2 members of the public.

8481 Apologies for Absence:

Written apologies were received from Councillors, J (Jack) Baker and R J (Ros) Lishman - holiday.

8482 Receipt of Declaration of Members’ Interests relating to any items appearing on the Agenda:

It was NOTED that there were no declarations of interest.

8483 Minutes of the Previous Meeting:

It was RESOLVED that item 8471 f)(1) be amended to read - the Treasure Hunt had not been well attended and had made ?13.00. It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 10th October were then subsequently approved and signed by the Chairman.

8484 Matters arising from the Minutes of previous meetings:

It was NOTED that there were no matters arising.

8485 Matters raised by Members of the Public for consideration:

One member of the public pointed out that the SLDC development framework documents, which affect the future of the village until 2008, are currently on display in the library. It was asked if the Council had seen the documents and was it proposing to respond. The Chairman requested a copy of these documents from Cllr Rollins as they had not been seen.

8486 Police Report:

A written report had previously been circulated to members by PC Alan Salter, who was unable to attend the meeting.. The report referred to (1) graffiti sprayed on the garage doors at the Coastguard Station which is being investigated - several calls have been received regarding youths causing annoyance and litter at this location and these may all be connected; (2) a red vacuum tanker belonging to G & AM Lawson was stolen from Sandside Road; (3) various tools and generators to the value of ?2,000 were stolen from Carr Bank; (4) police attended a domestic incident in Briery Bank; (5) it was reported that youths were throwing bikes on to the roof of the promenade toilets; (6) a 16year old girl was reported missing from Black Dyke Road but was later found safe and well in Morecambe; (7) a minor damage road accident occurred outside the Post Office; (8) a missing person from Clitheroe was found safe and well in a guest house in Arnside; (9) a road accident occurred in Orchard Road when a vehicle crashed into the front of the WI Hall for which a Lancaster man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving - there is no problem with insurance for the hall and the results of a structural survey are pending; (10) a report of youths causing annoyance on the Promenade - alcoholic drinks were disposed of and they were made to tidy the area; (11) eggs were thrown at a house on Church Hill on Halloween, but no damage was caused; (12) a report of a large number of youths at the railway station who were spoken to and advised regarding their behaviour; (13) a false burglar alarm at a house in Lawrence Avenue was attended.

8487 Report from County and District Councillor Ian Stewart:

Cllr Stewart reported on the following: (1) the County Council is trying to find ways of securing the budget at 5% and it is possible that there may be a council tax rise; (2) there is currently a problem with waste disposal in that next year’s quota already exceeds this years’and the projected cost of waste treatment is set to rise to ?25 million in 5 years time if the problem is not rectified - Cllr Stewart is working with SLDC to address this; (3) Cllr Stewart reported the cost of social services’ care for adults with learning difficulties is in the region of ?5 million per year, which CCC pays for, (4) costings and savings regarding the Highways hotline in South Cumbria are being looked into and Cllr Stewart is seeking feedback from Capita regarding this; (5) CCC is looking into the possibility of one local call centre for all services - Cllr Stewart was asked about the cost and migration timescale for this and whether some services would suffer because of this as they have elsewhere in the country - Cllr Stewart will look into this; (6) the Chairman thanked Cllr Stewart for rectifying the gulleys which had become blocked due to the amount of fallen leaves on the roads; (7) some clarification is needed as to who to contact regarding sewerage leaks/provision of sandbags, ie, United Utilities or SLDC; (8) there is to be a meeting of Kent Estuary Neighbourhood Forum on 6th December at the Athenium, Heversham where a grant appeal for the Cemetery Chapel will be heard.

8488 Report from District Councillor Richard Rollins:

Cllr Rollins’ report covered the following: (1) the re-drawing of boundary wards is shortly to be discussed by the Boundary Committee at SLDC - it is felt by APC that Arnside should be in it’s own ward due to the tightknit community and ease of control rather than several spread out communities; (2) the Arboricultural Services are drawing up a policy document regarding the problems with listed trees being felled and should more trees be listed; (3) the Local Development Framework which is a lengthy document (available in Arnside library) explaining the importance of Parish Plans and affordable housing; (4) there is the possibility of a site for affordable housing along Black Dyke Road on the left- this has been passed to the Housing Trust within the Vital Village group for their comments - Cllr Rollins will send a copy to the Clerk; (5) the Chairman mentioned that the roads had not been swept and there was an excessive amount of leaves on the roads in the village - Cllr Rollins to chase up SLDC for road sweeping; (6) the Chairman reported that the asbestos at New Barns is still there and is now being dealt with by the Environmental Agency.

8489 Finance:

(1) The Financial Summary for September was received and approved.

(2) The resolutions of the Special Meeting of 7th November 2005 were noted.

It was unanimously RESOLVED to increase the rent for allotments to ?25.00 per annum, which works out at approximately 50p per week.

It was RESOLVED that ?1,400 be taken from contingency reserves in order to offset the Precept.

(3) It was RESOLVED to approve the recommendations for the budget for 2006/07.

(4) It was RESOLVED to approve the Precept for 2006/07 at ?28,056 being an increase of 2.7% of the previous year.

Cllr McSweeney put forward a proposal to explain the use of contingency reserves which was RESOLVED as follows:

The reason that £1,400 is to be taken out of contingency reserves is to keep the Precept to a minimum and to pay increased salaries to the Clerk and Treasurer and to pay a salary for the newly appointed Deputy Clerk.

This was seconded by Cllr Casey and the decision unanimous.

8490 Correspondence:

Receipt of the following items were noted and action determined, by resolution, as indicated:

1. WI Hall - booking for Parish Assembly, Thursday 27th April 2006, 6.30pm for 7.30pm.

2. SLDC - further maps for Electoral Review.

3. Cumbria CC - details of CRISP.

4. Boundary Committee - acknowledgement of comments and details of procedure.

5. Tim Farron MP - petition to save Cumbria Police.

6. Local Heritage Initiative - change of contact.

7. North West Air Ambulance - request for donation (agenda item).

8. SLDC -proposed Standards Training for Clerks.

9. SLDC - further maps for Boundary Commission review.

10. Environment Agency - no objection to Trench Arch proposals.

11. Awards for All - conclusion of grant.

12. Burrows Grass Machinery - offer to service lawnmower (?59 inclusive of VAT).

It was RESOLVED not to take up this offer.

13. AONB - Sustainable Development Fund, grant offer.

14. SLDC - review of Arboricultural Services.

It was RESOLVED to reply to this and ask for enhanced services and further information.

15. Tim Farron MP - request to use Parish Office for surgeries (SO 25).

16. Smiths of Derby - confirmation of clock maintenance visit.

17. CALC - Annual Report.

18. CALC - advance notice of next South Lakeland meeting, 24th November.

19. CUPS - Analysis of Youth and Alcohol Related Incidents in South Lakes.

It was RESOLVED that the Clerk will make enquiries as to where the information has come from for this Report as Arnside is not mentioned.

20. Voluntary Action Cumbria - Gazette, October.

21. CALC - notes of meetings of larger Councils.

22. CALC - Circular, October.

23. Cumbria CC - provisional Local Transport Plan.

8490 Planning Matters:

a). It was NOTED that no Applications had been dealt with under the provisions of Standing Order 25, since the last meeting.

b). The following applications were considered:

SL/2005/1209 - 25 Redhills Road - dormer window, rear extension and alterations to garage.

It was RESOLVED that there were NO OBJECTIONS.

c). It was RESOLVED that the following decisions had been taken by the District Council since the last meeting:

SL/2005/1066 - Arnside Cemetery Chapel - installation of Trench Arch Sewerage System: GRANTED.

SL/2005/1046 - Sandhurst, 47 Promenade - installation of windows to provide light to garages: GRANTED.

SL/2005/1057 - Albion Hotel - formation of one section of timber decking to existing external drinking area: GRANTED.

S;/2005/0980 - 1 Stewart Close - vehicular access: GRANTED.

8491 Urgent action taken in accordance with Standing Order 25 (other than Planning):

(1) It was NOTED that Tim Farron MP has been granted permission to use the Parish Office for surgeries, subject to the usual security conditions.

(2) It was NOTED that AAM Ltd have been asked to remove the asbestos taken off the roof of the Cemetery Garage for ?285 plus VAT (this includes ?150 tipping charge and ?80 paperwork).

8492 To Determine the Council’s policy for the issue of Foreshore Vehicle Permits:

It was RESOLVED to permit the launching of boats whose primary source of power is not an internal combustion engine.

8493 To consider the request of North West Air Ambulance for Donation:

Under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 it was RESOLVED that a donation of ?100 should be given to the North West Air Ambulance.

8494 Cemetery Chapel Chimney Stack:

An estimated cost of £1,400 plus VAT (note that this is only an estimate - actual costs can only be determined once roof times have been removed) has been given for the roof repairs surrounding the chimney stack at the Cemetery Chapel.

It was RESOLVED that a quote should be obtained from L Stephensons & Sons for the removal of the chimney stack and making good the roof and advice should be sought from the Planning Officer regarding possible Planning Permission. The two costs can then be compared and a decision made at the next Ordinary Council Meeting.

8495 a) To determine whether, or not, this Council should move to the Cemetery Chapel:

b) To determine whether, or not, it would be desirable to hire an office at the EI for Wednesday morning and/or Saturday morning surgeries:

a). It was RESOLVED that this Council should move to the Cemetery Chapel for all meetings and associated office purposes, when the building becomes habitable.

b). There was a discussion about the cost of hiring a room at the EI for the surgeries and the possibility of requesting other Parishes for a contribution being that people come from other villages, ie, Storth and Beetham, to seek advice from the Planning Officer. It was RESOLVED that this Council should hold Wednesday morning Planning Surgeries at the Cemetery Chapel on a trial basis, when the building becomes habitable.

8496 To determine whether, or not, the Council should apply for VAT de-registration:

The Treasurer distributed a handout concerning recovery of VAT paid on supplies. As the de-registration of VAT will benefit the sports clubs and hirers of the Cemetery Chapel and there should be no detrimental affect to APC, it was generally felt that de-registration should be accepted. However, it was also felt that more information is necessary in order to make an informed decision. It was RESOLVED that this issue is to be an agenda item for a future Ordinary Council Meeting when a date to de- register by is set.

8497 To review the operation of the Saturday morning surgeries and to decide whether they should be continued, or not:

It was RESOLVED unanimously that these should be terminated at the end of December 2005.

8498 To determine this Council’s response to the consultation for possible undergrounding of electricity cables:

It was RESOLVED that this Council does not have any specific problems with existing pylons over the land and that AONB should be given the final say regarding this matter.

8499 To receive reports from the following committees and/or meetings:

a). Foreshore

The Chairman reported that (1) there has still been no action from Network Rail regarding the emergency access and also the shelters on the station which have not yet been erected - it was RESOLVED that the Clerk should write to them again; (2) there have been sewerage leaks on the shore; (3) the foreshore will need to be dug up again in order that Ashmeadow can be connected to the sewerage system, which will cause disruption whilst this work is being carried out; (4) the bollards and the padlocks have been received and will be installed shortly to be locked from 1st January 2006.

b). Highways

The Chairman reported that (1) the Council wishes to thank John Bland for unblocking the leaf blocked drains on Sandside Road by means of a garden fork; (2) Cllr Gallagher had attended an AONB hosted meeting concerning Arnside and ways to improve local businesses, the area and increase visitors, for which it was felt a car park a necessity; (3) the bottle bank is full and had not been emptied by SLDC one week after it was reported - the possibility of an agreement with the person collecting litter is to be looked into; (4) no further action has been taken with regard to the disabled parking lines by the Pier.

c). Playground Working Group

Cllr Gibson reported that she had met with John Dalton of Playdale regarding the construction of new play apparatus, however, no costing was discussed. Regulations concerning the gradient prevent a new slide from being erected in the same place and this would therefore need to be re-sited. Currently two sets of plans are being drawn up, in steel and timber, and there is to be a further meeting with John Dalton on 9th December. Cllr Lishman did not give a presentation to the EI for a grant as there were no figures for costing available at that time, therefore, the application for a grant has been temporarily deferred.

d). Playing Field Advisory Committee

Cllr Colwell reported, on behalf of Cllr Baker, on the following: (1) the committee would like to see plans for the new playground apparatus when available, (2) Colin Blain has contacted the football and cricket clubs regarding the skateboard park plans - there was a concern about insurance and outsiders using this facility; (3) there has been an improvement in the flooding on the field; (4) the main gate is now locked for the winter; (5) the football club now have their new licence and the cricket club is awaiting theirs; (6) the bowls, tennis, football and cricket clubs would all benefit from new members; (7) the cricket club are to demolish their old hut and replace with a new one.

e). Cemetery

Cllr Casey reported a quiet month. The Chairman reported that quarry bottoms are needed at the far end of the cemetery and a ramp into the new shed is required.

f). Cemetery Chapel Development Committee

The minutes of the meeting held on 4th November had previously been distributed. Cllr McSweeney reported that (1) the first phase of work for installation of services is complete and United Utilities will be coming to make the connection to the services in due course; (2) AAM Ltd have removed the asbestos from the roof of the chapel garage; (3) the AONB have awarded the project ?12,500 from the Sustainable Development Fund on condition that light pipes or similar are installed in the roof of the new extension to allow natural light into the building during daytime, a rainwater collection tank is installed to collect rainwater from the roof and that external building work should be complete by 1st March 2006 - the money will be paid in three phases; (4) it is hoped that the project will be awarded ?1,000 when the Kent Estuary Neighbourhood Forum meets in December; (5) the CCDC tentatively agreed to have three events in 2006, being a ‘Grand Opening’, a musical event for a summer’s evening and possibly a joint National Trust/AONB event - it was agreed that other organisations such as AONB, NT, Arnside School, etc should be encouraged to host their own events at the chapel.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Keefe for bringing the Council’s attention to the AONB Sustainable Development Fund.

g). Allotments

Cllr Lishman did not attend the meeting, therefore there was nothing to report.

h). Any other committee

Cllr Keefe reported that the AONB is currently in consultation with local businesses, and the sustainable tourism and recreation group are forming a document with the strategy that people come to Arnside for peace and tranquillity.

8472 To receive items for information:

A letter of resignation with effect from 31st December 2005 from Cllr Colwell was read.

8473 Date of the next Meeting:

It was NOTED that the next Ordinary Meeting will be held on Monday 12th December 2005 at 7.15pm. Items for the agenda to reach the Clerk before Friday 2nd December and reports to reach the Clerk before Monday 5th November.
Jayne M Beaumont

Deputy Clerk to the Council