CONISTON PARISH COUNCIL
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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: 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 Guest Speakers 2006-2007 June: September: October: November: January: March: Accounts 2006-2007 Receipts TOTAL £27,550.14 Payments TOTAL £19,522.54 Balance £8,072.60Playground Fund £8,382.14 VAT refund £579.64 Balance to carry forward £270.10 Playground Fund Receipts: TOTAL £14,273.00 Payments: TOTAL £4,966.94 BALANCE 27/04/07: £9,306.06 Budget for 2007-08 Insurance £1,000.00Street Lighting £1,460.00 Clerk’s salary £3,240.00 Maintenance £1,550.00 Fees and subscriptions £640.00 Grants to local organisations £2,525.00 Public Conveniences £2,685.00 Administration £400.00 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 7/2006/5014 Park Side , Haws Bank Granted7/2006/5019 8 Collingwood Close Granted 7/2006/5075 10 Vale View Granted 7/2006/5141 4 Devonshire Terrace Granted 7/2006/5218 Paddy End Water Treatment Works Granted 7/2006/5219 Field 1578, Yewdale Road Granted 7/2006/5263 High Man Radio Site, Grizedale Granted 7/2006/5280 Plot adjacent Acre Cottages Refused 7/2006/5311 Church Beck, Holywath Granted 7/2006/5373 Newlands, Haws Bank Granted 7/2006/5402 Chalet at Townson Ground Granted 7/2006/5406 Northern End of Coniston Water Granted 7/2006/5452 High Barn, Atkinson Ground Granted 7/2006/5453 High Barn, Atkinson Ground Granted 7/2006/5462 Mayfield, Tilberthwaite Avenue Granted 7/2006/5468 Glen Mary Bridge Car Park Granted 7/2006/5488 Hill Garth, Station Road Granted 7/2006/5535 Thurston, Lake Road Granted 7/2006/5582 Barclays Bank plc Granted 7/2006/5583 Barclays Bank plc Withdrawn 7/2006/5595 Shepherds Bridge Granted 7/2006/5658 Melbourne House Refused 7/2006/5715 The Old Police House Granted 7/2006/5732 Land to East of Sun Hotel Refused Coniston Parish Council Meetings 2007-08 CPC meets in the Library at 7pm every third Monday of each month (unless circumstances suggest a change): 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: 3. Appointment of other functionaries: Cllrs Hill, Coxon and Lakin - Signatories to bank accounts; 4. Appointment to other bodies: CALC: Cllr Mrs E Kelly; 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 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 8.b. Planning Application: 7/2007/5194 8.c. Planning Application: 7/2007/5263 8.d. Planning Application: 7/2007/5277 9. Correspondence: RESOLVED: to note that the clerk had received the following: Trailquest: Cycling event Sunday 17th June, 9am-3pm, in Torver and Coniston. High Furness Neighbourhood Forum: Notices of meeting Water Yeat Village Hall, 9 May, 7pm. CALC: South Lakeland District Committee Notice of need for Parish Representatives on South Lakeland Standards Committee and Cumbria County Council South Lakeland Local Committee. CALC: Letter, document and questionnaire on Consultation Draft of Parish Charter for South Lakeland SLDC / Paul Mountford: Notice of consultation meeting on proposed charter 6 June, 6.30pm-8.30pm, Marchesi Centre, Windermere SLDC / K Hindle Property re-naming: Gaith Thorn is now Willow Cottage, Coniston LA21 8HJ CALC Circular for June Friends of the Lake District Letter and booklet ‘Picturing Upland Futures’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 |