Minutes of Meeting held in Library on Monday 20th August 2007.

GUEST SPEAKER: Dare Holland on Coniston Walking Festival, 28-30 September 2007. Mr Holland outlined the events of the Festival and distributed its publicity brochures; spoke of activities to make the village festive; and, stressed how important local support had been and would be to make the event successful. He responded to questions and was thanked by the Chairman.

PRESENT: Councillors – P Hill (Chairman), D Coxon, Mrs A Hall, Mrs E Kelly, J Stoddart and L Tarr; Clerk – Mr C Sargeant; and, 2 members of the public (D Adams and R Airey).

1. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The Chairman welcomed the public and received no issues for debate beyond the Agenda:

2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Cllr Lakin (business commitment) and PCSO C Judge.

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: None.

4. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING: The Chairman was authorised to sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the Meeting of 16th July 2007.

5. MATTERS ARISING from that Meeting:

5.a. MUSIC WITH A VIEW: The cancellation of the event meant a loss of financial income (£1,000) for the First Responders and this the council regretted.

5.b. PLAYGROUND: (i)RESOLVED: the clerk to pursue the amalgamation of of the Defibrilator and Amenity Funds with a view to creating one charitable fund (Coniston Village Fund) to serve the broad needs of the community, and initially to provide charitable status for the applications for grants to complete the playground refurbishment.

(ii)Cllr Hall spoke of the efforts of Paul Mountford of SLDC to survey the playgrounds of South Lakes and to use the survey to draw down lottery funding of £200,000.

5.c. LITTER BINS: Cllr Kelly reminded the clerk of the need for stronger bin liners for the Shepherds Bridge bin; Cllr Hall offered to find a source of supply.

5.d. TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE: Cllr Stoddart drew attention to the disappearance of the litter bin from outside the TIC and the subsequent litter problem it had caused; an approach to the TIC manager is to be made.

5.e. HOUSING: (i)Alastair Cameron submitted a written report:As I explained last time, work on developing the Phase 1 sites in Coniston for affordable housing are out of our hands at the moment while the Housing Authority and Planners try to complete all necessary formalities for the Church Fields, Parish Rooms and Old Furness Road sites before the next ‘bidding round’ for Government funding which will take place in the Autumn.As you know plans drawn up by Eden Housing Assoc for the Church Rooms have been lodged with the National Park. They are expected to go to the September Planning Meeting although there was some thought that they might make the August meeting.As of last Friday no plans had been submitted for the Church Fields site although these are expected to be presented very soon.There was some thought that the plans for the Church Rooms should go back to being a two-dwelling development instead of three but it is probably far too late to make this type of change without seriously delaying the application. We wait to see whether the SLDC will be prepared to take ownership of the Rock Face on Old Furness Road and, that way, allow the development there to proceed. The decision will be made at the SLDC’s ‘Cabinet Meeting’ to be held during w.c. 3rd September. There has been a suggestion made that the development should be referred to as Mandall’s Wharf. This seems to have gone down well with everyone. There has also been a concern expressed by someone living on Old Hawkshead Road that the Church Fields development may be on the flood plain, as defined by the Environment Agency. In fact this is not the case. The flood plain is only on the flat fields leading down to the shore. Quite a large area of Coniston is on the ‘likelihood of flooding’ category but this does not include Church Fields. This area is classified as only likely to be affected by ‘extreme flooding’ (i.e. as in 1950 and, before then, in the 1899 Great Flood). Under conditions of ‘extreme flooding’ virtually the whole of Coniston would be under water, as it was in 1899. I have explained all this to a consultant working for Eden Housing (Stuart Mair) who has been asked to prepare a report on the possibility of flooding on Church Fields.The presentation of future housing plans made in the Coniston Library on 27th July went off very well. Thanks to Anne for organising and to everyone who came. There was a lot of interest shown, not the least by the young people of the village who turned out in force. In general the proposals were well received. Most people realised the fundamental importance of keeping Coniston families in Coniston.Anne and I are speaking at a conference organised by Jack Ellerby of the Friends of the Lake District on 10th / 11th Sept. I will be talking to the conference on 10th about the work to try to control loss of village homes to the weekend home sector and on 11th Anne will be running through the Coniston Housing Project Team’s work to develop the sites for affordable housing.September looks like being a key month for this project!!

(ii)Cllr Hall spoke of the arrangements for the visit to the village of the Housing Corporation's Rural Housing Advisory Group North West Visit on the morning of the 11 Sept. The group should arrive at 9am on a small coach from Newby Bridge and will meet in the Institute.

(iii)Tony Whittaker, SLDC Housing Officer, had communicated that both the Church Rooms and Old Hawkshead Road site will be put forward for bids in Oct/Nov in order to qualify for the 2008-11 programme. Old Furness Road will as well, subject to the Cabinet agreeing to take on the cliff at its meeting on 10/10.

5.g. ‘BLUEBIRD’: Cllr Hall spoke of the grant (£30,000) from SLDC and a donation of £400+ from a visitor from Wigglesworth. She was disappointed that the Rawdon-Smith Trust had declined to offer financial support.

5.i. HIGHWAYS: (i)Cllr Kelly spoke of the frustrating delays in getting action from Highways on a large numbers of long-standing issues.

(ii)Cllr Coxon drew attention to the need for the drains on the A593 to be “rodded” through and the concern caused by the random parking at the weekend on the A593 around Adam Bridge and along the strait towards Piper Croft.

(iii)Cllr Hall spoke of the need to register the Brow footpath as a designated path.

(iv)Cllr Hall urged the council to pursue involvement in the new lengthsman scheme.

(v)Cllr Kelly drew attention to the subsidence problems around the Primary School gates.

(vi)Cllr Stoddart spoke of the need to clear the drains at the back of the Crown Hotel.

(vii)Letter from Ms J H Pawsey drew attention to the poor state of both path and road in Lake Road: Cllr Kelly already seeking repair.

6. MATTERS ARISING Since that Meeting:

6.a. COPPERMINES VALLEY ROAD: Letters from Philip Johnston drew attention to the erosive impact of the wagons servicing the Paddy End development. RESOLVED: the clerk to write to United Utilities to honour its promises and make restoration where necessary.

6.b. LAND REGISTRY: Having received a B13 notice the clerk was instructed by the council to respond: Reference: CU226069 Land at Coniston / Affected Property: Part of Coniston WaterFollowing the meeting of Coniston Parish Council on Monday 20th August, I am instructed to seek clarification on the applicant's registered title in relation to this institution. Initially, I may have been at fault by providing my address for you to contact CPC when more properly I should have referred you to the Rawdon-Smith Trust, The Lake District National Park Authority and the Environment Agency. The Conveyance of the land is dated 9 October 1964 but in the forty two years since then there have been significant changes relating to the ownership of the soil and the bed of the lake, the growing administrative power of the Lake District National Park Authority and the sway and influence of the Environment Agency. It has proved difficult to determine ownership of the soil and bed of the lake but currently the Rawdon-Smith Trust hold the Title Deeds and CPC has not been able to inspect them. However, CPC recognises that the applicant's registered title is in respect of fishing and rights in relation to vessels, and in analysing the EXCEPTING AND RESERVATIONS of the Schedule it supposes that the LDNPA and EA must be consulted. In an effort to resolve the issues facing the parish council, on its behalf I have copied the B13 Notice to the Rawdon-Smith Trust, the LDNPA and the EA in the hope that they will contribute to a better understanding of the applicants easements and rights today. CPC would therefore, on the one hand, propose that it may not be the correct organisation to consult and, on the other hand, recommend refusal of the application until the opinions of the LDNPA and the EA have been collected.

6.b. ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR: An email to the clerk from Mrs Holland drew attention to the continuing disturbance in the centre of the village overnight Friday/Saturday and Saturday/Sunday. RESOLVED: the clerk to notify the police of the concern and to seek action.

6.c. SIGNAGE: Letter from Ms J H Pawsey expressing concern about over-sized signs in Yewdale Road. RESOLVED: the clerk to speak to owners.

6.d. MINUTES: Letter from Ms J H Pawsey requested that the clerk resume depositing of Minutes of parish council meetings in the Library. RESOLVED: the clerk to update folder.

6.e. ELECTORAL LIST: Amendments received from SLDC.

6.f. HALF-YEAR REVIEW: RESOLVED: clerk to prepare and present a half-year review at next meeting.

6.g. VILLAGE WALK: Annual inspection of section of the village to be determined.

7. FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS: RESOLVED:

7.a. To issue cheques:

101353 to Fireworks International for items £1,346.49

101354 to Fireworks International for completion of invoice £6.50

101355 to Coniston Millenium Fireworks Committee for VAT refund £191.83

101356 to E.ON Energy for street lighting (July) £80.00

101357 to R J Aiurey for bus shelter maintenance £30.00

101358 to Allianz Insurance for extra cover £58.01

101359 to C Sargeant for clerk’s expenses (Apr-Sept) £945.00

7.b. To approve statement of accounts for signing by the Chairman.

8. PLANNING ISSUES:

8.a. PLANNING APPLICATIONS:

i. 7/2007/5403 Church Rooms, Yewdale Road: conversion into 3 dwellings.CPC supported the application acknowledging its closeness to this project. (Councillor Anne Hall declared an interest and did not register an opinion.) It recognised the appropriateness of the conversion and the limits imposed on the accommodation within the building as it is; it did not foresee a problem with access to the site; and,considered the retention of the outward appearance of the building would have no impact on the location or the landscape. CPC thought that the approval of the application would mark an important step forward in meeting a large housing need in the village.

ii. 7/2007/5393 Public telephone kiosk, Yewdale Road: replacement of existing payphone kiosk with combined public payphone and ATM.CPC recommended refusal of application because of the close proximity of 4 other ATM facilities (Barclays Bank, Hills Garage, Post Office and Yewdale Hotel); and was unhappy about (i) the parking for users and (ii) the security of such an installation.

iii. 7/20075449 Field No.6474, Little Arrow: lean-to extension of existing general purpose building.CPC supported the application recognising the adequate access to the site that already exists, the unobtrusive appearance of the standing shed and the small impact on the landscape that the extension will have.

9. CORRESPONDENCE:

Blawith and Subberthwaite PC Roundabout at Junction of A590 and A5092 at Greenodd

Boundary Committee Further Electoral Review of South lakeland

Charity Commission Notice of Online Annual return

Coniston CDC Acknowledgement and thanks for grant from CPC

Coniston Triathlon Enquiry from Rob Wilkins of TriHard Events Ltd

Cumbria County Council 2nd Local Transport Plan – Update Report

Cumbria County Council Re: Cumbria Rural Infrastructure Support programme (CRISP)

Lakeland Housing Trust Celebration of 70th Anniversary – letters and booklets

South Lakes Housing Notice of Meeting in Library 17 Sept at 7pm.

Mr E R Ward Letters and photographs relating to building of John Ruskin School

10. PUBLIC QUESTIONS: (i) Mr Adams raised the issue of insurance difficulties with Coniston being identified as on a flood plain.

(ii) Mr Airey urged action of the yellow-lining from the Sports and Social Centre to the Hawkshead Road.

11. REPORTS:

11.a. POLICE REPORT: None.

11.b. CLLR HALL: Made enquiry about (i) the importance of post codes and internet and telephone business, and (ii) the involvement of the parish council in licensing applications.

11.c. CLLR STODDART: Reported tiles missing from the back of the Ruskin Avenue bus shelter and the blocking of its downpipes with plastic bottles. Cllr Stoddart to approach the LDNPA about the removal of the holly tree overhanging the shelter and Mr Airey to repair the guttering.

12. DATE OF NEXT MEETING: RESOLVED: to confirm that the next Meeting will be held on Monday 17th September 2007 at 7pm in the Library.

Meeting closed at 10pm.

SIGNED: Chas Sargeant, Clerk DATE: 20th August 2007