Minutes from "April Parish Council Meeting" on 10 Apr 2007 - 7:15pm

MINUTES OF A MEETING OF CATON-WITH-LITTLEDALE PARISH COUNCIL HELD AT THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE ON TUESDAY 10th April 2007

PRESENT:

Councillors I Maxwell, PM Quinton, J Pritchard, CEC Kynch, R Elvis, V Williams, M Williams, Dr DB Coltman and S Langhorn.

PCSO Peter Woods attended by invitation.

07/052        APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE:

Councillors KA Quinn, R Gibbons and DM Mason sent their apologies.

07/053        OPEN SESSION

No members of the public were present

07/054        MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING HELD ON 13th March 2007

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 13th March were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

07/055        MATTERS ARISING

The Clerk reported the following :-

• 07/024 - Arrangements have been made for the Tree Planting Friday 27th April at 4.00pm. Refreshments in the Ship Inn afterwards. Officiating will be the High Sheriff of Lancashire and the Right Worshipful the Mayor of Lancaster. Public, press and TV will be invited. Sunshine will be arranged!
• 07/ - Chairman’s Board. The VI will take on board our request and will contact the Chairman in due course.
• 07/ - Heather Neesham is unable to take on board the Co-op planters. I have written to ask them to make an effort.
• 07/ - Entries to the Best Kept Village Competition have been sent off. Geoff Roberts will be asked to do a Litter pick and check on the outside of the Institute.
• 07/ - Highway matters reported after the last meeting are being actioned.
• 07/ - There will be an election for the new Parish Council. 14 candidates.
• 07/ - Twinning. No response has been received from Socx as yet

07/056        POLICE AND COMMUNITY TOGETHER (PACT).

There have been four crimes reported, one of which has been cleared up by ‘restorative justice’.

One other was the theft of a CCTV camera from the Church.

There seems to have been an improvement to the behaviour of young people although there was a problem the other Saturday night at the Institute. A few youths seem to be coming into the area from other villages.

The Police have a complaints ‘hot spot’ and target these areas. Any information should be passed on and problems investigated.

Tickets have been issued to motorists parking on the Zebra Crossing.

A retrospective Planning Application for change of use at the Police house will be submitted.

07/057        PLANNING

The Clerk was asked to follow up complaints regarding the tall wooden pole recently erected on Lancaster Road.

Cllr S Langhorn declared an interest and left the meeting for this item

The Following Applications had been received:-

• 07/00397/FUL - Demolition and reconstruction of part of detached garage
  Mr R Sutton, 57 Broadacre, Caton
  No objections
• 07/00399/ADV - Erection of road safety display board
  Police, Bull Beck Picnic Site, Hornby Road, Caton
  No objections
• 07/00348/FUL - Construction of front and rear dormers
  Mr & Mrs Drinkall, 8 Vicarage Avenue, Brookhouse
  No objections
• 07/00404/FUL - Erection of porch extension to side
  Mr A Bruce, 3 Hawthorn Close, Brookhouse
  No objections although substantial in size

The Following Application has been granted :-

• 06/01581/FUL - Single storey rear sun lounge extension
  Mr & Mrs Maher, 1 Kirkbeck Close, Brookhouse
• 07/00026/FUL - Erection of detached garage
  C&C Jackson, Forgelands, Caton
• 07/00071/FUL - Erection of replacement shed to rear
  Mr & Mrs KR Burge, 4 Kingfisher Court, Caton
• 07/00163/FUL - Erection of conservatory to rear
  Mr R Twiname, 7 Hawthorn Avenue, Brookhouse

07/058        COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORTS

Moor Platt – The 106 agreement has yet to be signed and the matter of energy efficiency has been raised.

The Certificate for Lawful Occupation on land at Low Mill has been turned but they are likely to appeal.

The Toilets at Bull Beck will be refurbished – in the Capital programme.

The Planning Core Strategy will be presented to the City Council shortly.

The bid for Unitary Status has been rejected. There was concern over the viability of Lancashire County if this happened. The whole issue is being considered.

07/059        LENGTHSMAN, HIGHWAYS & FOOTPATHS

The Council agreed that they were in support of the Cycle way extension through to Hornby.

Cost for refurbishing the Bus Shelter at the Institute would be obtained.

The Hanging Basket scheme would run again this year thanks to Ray Elvis.
Concern was expressed at the state of the gardens at Gresgarth Lodge. It was agreed that a letter requesting information be sent to the occupiers.

07/060        FINANCE

Draft Accounts were tabled at the meeting for presentation at Parish Assembly. Notes would be included.

It was resolved to make a donation of £ 50 to Childline North West.

Proposed Cllr P Quinton, seconded Cllr Langhorn and resolved that the following payments be made:-

07/061        FELL VIEW

Ground Works have been contacted regarding the project and have suggested dates for a meeting. The deadline for submissions is towards the end of June.

The City Council Play Initiative is focusing on ‘natural play areas’ and have suggested applying for lottery grants.

07/062        COMMUNITY AWARDS

It was agreed to make three awards this year :-

The First for his work with young people, especially the Scouts, to John Ainsworth.

The second for her long standing service to the Community to Pat Cresswell

And the Third to Chris Hill for his dedicated service to the village, the Church and the Institute

Awards will be presented at the Parish Assembly .

The School Children’s awards will take place towards the end of the summer term.

07/063        LIBRARY

The Community Library, with donated books, is now up and running at the Victoria Institute. It is open on Tuesdays and Fridays. They have been inundated with books but need more volunteers to run it.

Lancashire County Council have received funding to pilot a different approach to Library Services. This may be ‘self-service’ but with access to County Books. A Project Officer is being appointed and a meeting to get things off the ground will be organised as soon as possible.

07/064        REPORTS OF MEMBERS ON OUTSIDE BODIES

There was a problem with litter outside the Institute and it was agreed to put an article in the Link reminding people that it was an offence to drop litter and they could be subject to a fine from the City Council. Extra bins would be requested from the City Council.

The Sports hall at Caton Community Primary School was to be officially opened on April 20th by Jason Queally.

07/065        LAPTC AND CORRESPONDANCE

The following documents and notices had been received :-

• Lancashire Fire and Rescue 4 year plan 2007-8
• Lune Habitat Group Newsletter
• The Lancashire Partnership – Older Peoples Strategy available through website
• LAPTC Newsletter

07/066        ITEMS / DATE OF NEXT MEETING

Tuesday 8th May 2007. Agenda closes 3rd May

Reminders
Photograph 6.45 (Victoria Institute) and Parish Meeting 7.30 (St. Paul’s School, Brookhouse) Thursday 26th April

Tree Planting Friday 27th April 4.00 pm

At the close of the meeting the retiring Chairman, Cllr Ian Maxwell, said that he had enjoyed enormously being Chairman for the past two years and that the Council was brilliant !

The meeting closed at 9.35 pm