Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting of Coniston Parish Council held in the Library on Tuesday 29th May 2007 at 7.00pm

PRESENT: P Hill(Chairman), D Coxon, Mrs A Hall, Mrs E Kelly, J Stoddart & L Tarr; Pc M Maclennan; the Clerk, C Sargeant; and 4 members of the public (D Adams, T Butterfield, Mrs S Holland & D Weir).

1. Public welcoming and receipt of matters for debate:
1. Fairtrade: The question was raised as to which traders this activity was fair. It was felt that it was unfair to local small traders; that the organizers of the scheme were using St Andrew’s to the detriment of the cafés and shops that were losing the customers drawn into the too frequent, so called ‘coffee mornings’. The Chairman acknowledged the concern but regretted there was little the parish council in a society that permitted competitive trading. At best, if a letter was sent to the parish council asking for its support to protest against the impact Fairtrade was having on small businesses, the parish council would convey its concern to the organisers.
2. Inappropriate Use of St Andrew’s Churchyard:Concern was expressed about the trampling over unmarked graves during a recent event to celebrate ‘Walk Cumbria’.The Chairman explained that this was a matter to be taken to the Parochial Church Council and not something that the parish council should be involved with. At best, if a letter was sent to the parish council asking for its support to protest against misuse of the churchyard, the parish council would convey its concern to the PCC.
3. Anti-social Behaviour:Concern was expressed about the drink-related anti-social behaviour that has disrupted the village for the past twelve months. A number of suggestions were made to counter the problem: a round robin, casual counseling, an appeal to the residents and a strong letter to the Chief Constable regretting lack of police response and action. The Chairman said that the parish council was willing to consider all constructive suggestions to remedy the problem.

2. Minutes of the Meeting of 8th May 2006: Were approved, and signed by the Chairman.

3. Matters arising from that Meeting: None.

4. Chairman’s Annual Report 2006-07: The Chairman presented his report that was approved by the council and signed as an accurate account.

The Chairman’s Annual Report, 2006-07

It is important, at the beginning of this report, to celebrate the twenty years of service to this community given by Mrs Anne Hall. She became a parish councillor in June 1987 and since then has been Chairman to this council and served as District Councillor for seven years, working tirelessly to keep Coniston in the forefront of development and progress. On your behalf I thank Anne for her dedication and devotion.

My thanks, on behalf of the council, also go to the other councillors: David Coxon, Elaine Kelly, Harry Lakin, John Stoddart and Lee Tarr; the clerk; Alastair Cameron and the Parish Plan team; Gill Irwin and her colleagues for work on the health centre; Bob Airy for maintenance; Ian Stancliffe for auditing; the committee and staff of the Institute for accommodating us; Pcs Jo Dyson and Malcolm Maclennan for their presence in the village and the support they give to the council.

The most important issue of the year has been the debate about the future of local government. One of the current tiers – County or District - has to go to create a unitary authority. This reorganisation will have a significant impact on parish councils with extra powers and responsibilities being passed down to them. During the year Coniston councillors have been involved in the debate by attending meetings but at the time of writing this report we have no certainty as to what the Government will decide to do. However, I am confident Coniston will meet the challenge and I point to its ability to help itself when higher authorities will not: the retention of the public conveniences and the tourist information centre; the agreement to supervise our own winter-time road maintenance; the co-operative relationship we have established with the Park Authority and the District Council to meet the housing need; the capacity to absorb the arrangements for Records Week; the links we have with the County Council, the National Trust and the Forestry Commission working to provide solutions to new and persistent problems; and, importantly, the creation of The Association of businesses in the Coniston area. These initiatives demonstrate the breadth of involvement of its people in the running of the village for our strength is 7 councillors and 700 workers.

That is not to say we don’t have our problems. We have still to increase the number of affordable homes in the village; to refurbish the playground; to determine the best site for a health centre; to improve road surfaces; to eliminate minor crime and associated irritations; to cope with the extended tourist-season and its attendant impact. Not one of these issues is to be solved quickly but it is challenging trying to find the answers.

Peter J Hill
29th May 2007

Guest Speakers 2006-2007

June:
Don Mackay, Project Integration Manager, United Utilities David Baines, Project Co-ordinator, United Utilities Simon Maxwell, Senior Site Manager, United Utilities Julie Chadwick, Public Relations Manager, GCA

September:
Alastair Cameron, Parish Plan Team Jim Loxham, Property Manager, National Trust Sue Ward, National Trust Kevin Fairclough, National Trust

October:
Ian Kelly, Coniston First Responders Janeen Kilgour, Coniston First Responders Jonathan Longstaffe, Head of John Ruskin School

November:
Jim Loxham, Property Manager, National Trust Jessica Worlock, NT Community Learning Officer Jonathan Longstaffe, Head of John Ruskin School

January:
David Preston, Tree Manager, NT Jim Loxham, Property Manager, National Trust Andrew Fox, Assistant Rural Surveyor, NT

March:
Carl Sylvester, Epilepsy Action Jim Loxham, Property Manager, National Trust Jessica Worlock, NT Community Learning Officer David Preston, Tree Manager, NT

Accounts 2006-2007

Receipts
Designated Income £18,174.67
Insurance Income £454.47
Accounts Interest Income £307.44
Playground Income £6,901.58
Christmas Lights Income £1,711.98

TOTAL £27,550.14

Payments
Parks, etc. £6,916.60
General Admin £4,076.80
Miscellaneous £4,520.75
Public Lighting £1,250.38
S.137 £1,950.00
VAT payments £579.64

TOTAL £19,522.54

Balance to carry forward £270.10

Playground Fund

Receipts:
16.05.03 Rawdon Smith T £500.00
10.12.03 Music Festival £500.00
01.05.05 CPC £2,500.00
02.12.05. D. S. Adams £25.00
02.12.05. Mark East £10.00
18.01.06. D. A. Knowles £100.00
17.02.06. M. & A. Salts £25.00
20.03.06. Cumbria Landscape £587.50
22.03.06. SLDC £200.00
01.05.06. CPC £2,500.00
03.05.06. D. A. Hall £100.00
03.05.06. Sun Hotel £105.00
03.05.06. M. Fleming £100.00
03.05.06. C. Sargeant £4.00
27.06.06. Henkel £3,427.50
07.07.06. Coniston 14 £1,400.00
07.03.07. Henkel £1,689.00
27.04.07. David Coxon £500.00

TOTAL £14,273.00

Payments:
15.08.05. Lee Tarr for upkeep £3.98
10.04.06. Stephen Stalker for fencing £4,797.96
19.03.07. Alan Hartley for tree cutting £165.00

TOTAL £4,966.94

BALANCE 27/04/07: £9,306.06

Budget for 2007-08

Precept from SLDC £13,500.00

Note: Section 137 (see CPC Accounts) of the Local Government Act 1972 allows a local authority to spend a limited amount on activities for which it has no specific power, but which the authority considers “will bring direct benefit to the area, or any part of it or all of some of its inhabitants”. The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 added the requirement that the benefit obtained should be commensurate with the expenditure incurred.

Planning Applications 2006

Coniston Parish Council Meetings 2007-08

CPC meets in the Library at 7pm every third Monday of each month (unless circumstances suggest a change):
April 16th
May 29th Tuesday (change)
June 18th
July 16th
August 20th
September 17th
October 15th
November 19th
December 17th
January 21st
February 18th
March 17th

Public and press are welcome to attend.

Meeting closed: The Annual Meeting followed immediately.

Minutes of the Annual Meeting of Coniston Parish Council held in the Library on Tuesday 29th May 2007 following APM.

PRESENT: P Hill(Chairman), D Coxon, Mrs A Hall, Mrs E Kelly, J Stoddart & L Tarr; Pc M Maclennan; the Clerk, C Sargeant; and 4 members of the public (D Adams, T Butterfield, Mrs S Holland & D Weir).

1. Public welcoming and receipt of matters for debate: None

2. Apologies: Cllr H Lakin (business commitment).

Appointment of Officers for 2007-08: RESOLVED:
Unanimously, to keep Cllr P Hill as Chairman and Cllr D Coxon as Deputy.
Unanimously to retain the traditional titles of Chairman and Deputy Chairman irrespective of gender of office holders.

3. Appointment of other functionaries: Cllrs Hill, Coxon and Lakin - Signatories to bank accounts;
Cllr Mrs E Kelly - Highwayman;
Cllr Lakin – Street Lighting;
Cllr L Tarr – Playground;
Cllr Mrs A Hall – Housing;
Cllr Stoddart – Amenities;
All Councillors – Institute and Museum Committee.

4. Appointment to other bodies: CALC: Cllr Mrs E Kelly;
Crake website: Cllr P Hill;
The Association: Cllr H Lakin;
Coniston Water Association: Cllr D Coxon;
Grizedale Consultative Group: the clerk;
As a general principle, the council will be represented by a councillor/councillors according to availability and convenience.

Meeting closed: An ordinary meeting followed immediately.

Minutes of the Meeting of Coniston Parish Council held in the Library on Tuesday 29th May 2007 following AM.

PRESENT: P Hill(Chairman), D Coxon, Mrs A Hall, Mrs E Kelly, J Stoddart & L Tarr; Pc M Maclennan; the Clerk, C Sargeant; and 4 members of the public (D Adams, T Butterfield, Mrs S Holland & D Weir).

1. Public welcoming and receipt of matters for debate: None

2. Apologies: Cllr H Lakin (business commitment).

3. Declarations of Interest: Cllr D Coxon (all matters relating to LDNPA).

4. Minutes of the Meeting of 16th April 2007 were approved, and signed by the Chairman.

5. Matters arising from that Meeting:

5.a. Litter Bins: RESOLVED: to ask SLDC to empty bin on B5285 Hawkshead Road bridleway.

5.b. Crake Valley Website: The clerk represented Coniston at the launch of www.crake.org on 19th April.

5.c. Monk Coniston Visit: Cllrs Hill, Hall, Lakin, Stoddart and Tarr were present on 2nd May.

6. Matters arising since that meeting:

6.a. Free Post Parcels to British forces and their families stationed overseas: RESOLVED: having received letters from SLDC and Tewkesbury Borough Council, clerk to write to the Secretary of State for Defence in support of motion.

6.b. New Model Code of Conduct: RESOLVED: to defer adoption to next meeting to create more time to study document

6.c. Lake Road Recycling Centre: A letter from H Ogden drew attention to problems caused by success of scheme.RESOLVED: to request an extra bin.

7. Financial Transactions: RESOLVED:

7.a. To issue cheques: to Allianz Cornhill for Insurance £983.26
to Amey for maintenance of street lights £830.18
to E.ON Energy for street lighting (April) £80.00
to R J Airey for bus shelter maintenance £30.00
to C Sargeant for clerks salary (1st quarter) £810.00

7.b. To approve accounts for signing by Chairman: Done.

7.c. To acknowledge receipt of Precept: for 2007-08, £13,500.00

8. Planning:

8.a. Planning Application: 7/2007/5191
Location: Coachman's House, Silver Bank, Coniston LA21 8HW
RESOLVED: to support.
Observations: Councillors considered the proposed development of the property appropriate, making better use of the building than at present, with a good design to enhance the site.
Access to the property is satisfactory.
Attention is given to housing need and there is an awareness of the parameters of the recent Housing Survey.
There was a small concern regarding the storage of flammable materials (paint, solvent, etc.) but CPC hope that this will be correctly addressed.

8.b. Planning Application: 7/2007/5194
Location: How Farm, Days Bank, Coniston LA21 8HA
RESOLVED: to recommend refusal.
Observations: Councillors considered the proposed development of the property (formerly known as Howe Farm) is inappropriate and too large for traditional buildings and would spoil the appearance of the site.
Access to the property is poor and the site offers little room for internal parking and turning. (This property is on the road that PA officers indicated, recently, is not suitable for development, viv-à-vis Slantriggs and Armstrong’s Barn.)
Little attention is given to housing need and there is little if any awareness of parameters of the recent Housing Survey. Indication of its future use is imprecise and broad; it leaves room for abuse of the grant of planning permission unless conditions are applied that regulate the development of this site.
The location of the site on the edge of the present village building line and below the former track of the Furness Railway, which is a much used permissive footpath, dictates that a more environmentally friendly proposal is submitted. It is also visible from the A593, the main route through the parish, and should not be developed to the extent that is proposed.

8.c. Planning Application: 7/2007/5263
Location: Paddy End WTW, Coniston
RESOLVED: to support.
Observations: CPC accepts that the work is required in order to meet legal obligations in relation to Waste Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000.

8.d. Planning Application: 7/2007/5277
Location: High Man radio site, Grizedale LA22 0QQ
RESOLVED: to support.
Observations: CPC acknowledges this as essential development.

9. Correspondence: RESOLVED: to note that the clerk had received the following:

10. Reports:

10.a. Police Report: Pc Maclennan said his report covered a six-week period during which there were three reported thefts, a case of public disorder, public nuisance offences at central bus shelter and lakeside (possibly linked), criminal damage to vehicles and an early morning suspicious incident that proved to be a bread delivery.

10.b. Cllr Stoddart: Reported a broken lamp on Dow How and an incidence of late-evening fireworks.

10.c. Cllr Mrs Hall: Spoke of a rat problem on the Banks due to uncollected household waste and made reference to comments from Nick Pearson, Operations Manager, SLDC: “The responsibility for controlling the leaving of waste outside holiday homes is the owners and SLDC are prepared to enforce this and issue fixed penalties”; reported a fallen wall behind Vale View; said more money was being made available through Impact Housing (limit raised to £190,00), indicated a visit to Illiers-Combray 20-23 September, and hoped a suitable response could be made to Solto Collina for the parcel of information it had sent to Coniston.

10.d. Cllr Mrs Kelly: Spoke of the need for yellow lining at the junction of Shepherds Bridge with the B5285 Hawkshead Road at Yewdale Bridge; asked if cones were available to provide immediate respite there; sought clarification about the ownership of the weighing scales in the toilets.

11. Public questions:

12. Date of next Meeting: RESOLVED: to defer to Monday 18th June 2007 at 7.00pm in the Library.

Meeting closed at 10.15pm. Signed: C. Sargeant, Clerk. Date: 11/06/2007