Meeting 1 of 2014/2015
Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Stutton cum Hazlewood Parish Council held at 19.50 hrs on Thursday 8th May 2014 at Stutton Village Hall
Present:- Cllr Fawcett (Chair) Cllr Birchall, Cllr Heard, Cllr Wrigglesworth.
Clerk – H Fothergill
Also present Tadcaster Town and District Cllr Mackay, NYCC Cllr. Metcalfe, E. Whittles and J. Jennison – Rural Housing Enablers Dept. SDC (part-time) , Mr P Leverton (resident)
Apologies Cllr Aarons
Part I of the Ordinary Parish Council Meeting commenced at 19.50 hrs due to the preceeding Annual Meeting, and affording residents the opportunity to address the Council prior to the start of the meeting.
Mr Leverton asked for an update from the previous meeting following his request for the Parish Council to include additional grass cutting at Garnet Lane. The Parish Council advised that they had received written communication from NYCC, advising that there was to be limited funding allocated for grass cutting and that and that they were looking at opportunities to reduce future costs. Further discussions were held, with the Parish Council confirming that they would contact both NYCC and SDC to attempt to ascertain the exact locations, frequency and approximate dates where their respective grass cutting obligations were to be undertaken in their plan for the rest of the year. If this information is made available, the Parish Council may be able to prepare a response suggesting how grass cutting work could be executed in a more effective manner, if possible reducing any duplication of work. However, at this stage the Parish Council were not willing to consider any increase to the workload and cost under their discretionary grass cutting contract. Mr. Leverton asked for the record to state in his opinion the presence of overhanging grass on the road creates a potential danger, which could lead to accident or injury. The Parish Council stated that they would convey this record to both SDC and NYCC.
14001 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None
14002 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS –The minutes of the Ordinary Parish Council meeting held 10th April 2014 having been read were agreed, and it was resolved that the receipts and payments as recorded under the minutes were accepted.
14003 AFFORDABLE HOUSING SURVEY – Emma Whittles and Julia Jennison – Rural Housing Enablers Dept. SDC, attended the meeting following an agreement that they would address the Council regarding their proposals in relation to their Housing Needs Survey Documentation. Emma Whittles handed out presentation documents outlining the aims, roles and responsibilities, summary of details relating to affordable housing, some market data and the potential role of Stutton Parish Council in an affordable housing scheme. Emma agreed to provided documents presented in a format that could be conveyed the Parish residents. The Parish Council thanked the Rural Housing Enablers for their professional and informative presentation and following receipt of the above referenced documents would be in contact to develop any role the Parish Council could offer.
14004 VILLAGE HALL AND GROUNDS
a) Clerk handed Chairman Village Hall Receipts and Payments spreadsheet – 2013/14, and will circulate to Parish Council for review prior to Chairman’s signature.
b) Clerk confirmed that Village Hall had been booked as polling station for European Elections on 22nd May 2014.
14005 FINANCE
14005.1 Parish Council Account
Receipts VAT
Payments
14005.2 Village Hall Account
Receipts
Payments
Chairman initialled all Bank statements and Invoices.
14005.3 Insurance – Clerk confirmed Insurance renewal had been processed and paid.
14005.4 Internal and External Audits – Clerk confirmed that internal audit had been completed with Section 4 signed by the Internal Auditor, with a request to ensure that the monthly receipts and payments are recorded under the minutes as accepted by the Parish Council, as per minute 14002 above.
The Annual return for year 2013/14 had been completed with the Chairman signing sections 1 and 2, following the Parish Council’s acceptance of the items outlined under those sections.
Clerk to ensure Annual Return to be forwarded to External Auditor.
14005.5 Precept Payment – Clerk advised that 1st precept payment had been received as per statement above.
14006 PLANNING
Parish Council reviewed the following items: –
a) Clerk had previously contacted SDC planning department re status of relocation of 30mph sign adjacent Station House, Weedling Gate. Clerk advised that he had been contacted by Mr Glen Donaldson (SDC) who was following up the matter with A.C Developments.
b) Re -Building consent for retention of retractable canopies and fixed shutters at ground floor level until no later than 31 December 2014, Hazlewood Castle Hotel, Paradise Lane, Hazelwood. Permission refused, PC still to visit and check enforcement, Clerk to contact Enforcement officer (SDC) if advised that refusal conditions have not been enforced.
14007 PARISH COUNCIL WEBSITE – Clerk to provide spreadsheet update of receipts and expenditures for year end for both Parish Council and Village Hall. Following Chairman’s signature of acceptance, details will be placed on the website.
14008 VILLAGE BUS TIMETABLE – Cllr. Metcalfe outlined in some detail the constraints and planned cuts in relation NYCC public transport, concluding in a potential bleak outlook with regard to maintaining existing facilities. Clerk had sought confirmation that the 492/493 buses would continue to run via Stutton, with Cllr Metcalfe stating that this was the case as confirmed by details provided by ‘ARRIVA’, with NYCC information containing some inaccurate detail.
14009 CHURCH – Parish Council reviewed recent developments in relation to the future of Stutton Church. Cllr Wrigglesworth to contact members of the community (who several years ago formed a committee to represent residents and the village) to see if the Parish Council could offer any assistance. Clerk to contact Church following complaint regarding the requirement for grass cutting / hedge trimming around the Church.
14010 GRAFFITI TO UNDERPASS – Clerk to Contact the NYCC Highways again to ascertain who has cleaned graffiti on the underpass walls in the past, and where the responsibility lies. .
14011 GENERAL MAINTENANCE WORK – from reports reviewed under the previous meeting, Clerk reported that repairs to fence on Mill Lane, and trimming to bush opposite former Station House had been completed. SCD maintenance team have examined the crack in road on Weedling Gate and confirmed that they consider this is due to minor clay settlement, and requires no further action.
Post Minute note – The maintenance team also visited the privately owned section of road on Wingate Hill and confirmed that they understood the issues raised by a resident in relation to trees on the verge overhanging the road. However they commented that if this road were under their responsibility, they would probably not consider the problem to be of high enough priority in consideration of current funding and other similar, but more serious, maintenance issues.
14012 CORRESPONDENCE – To note the following items of correspondence for information:
Clerk and Councils Direct.
14013 COUNCILLOR’S REPORT AND ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA
None
14014 The next ordinary meeting of the Parish Council was confirmed as Thursday 12th June 2014 at 7.30 pm.
PART II –
1) Parish Council discussed financial details relating to grass cutting contract.
2) Parish Council discussed and reviewed conditions of employment with Clerk, with both parties agreeing no change to existing terms.
There was no further business and the meeting closed 21.29 hrs.