The following are the minutes of Colton Parish Council meeting held on in the 8th January 2007 at Bouth Village Hall at 7.30pm.

 

Members Present

Cllr R Mein (Chair)   Cllr T Atkinson   Cllr S Baxter   Cllr I Cunliffe   Cllr P Harrington  Cllr P Lovegrove 

Cllr C Potts   Mrs J Dove (Clerk)

 

 Also present:  Cllr T Walsh (CCC)  Cllr A Hall (SLDC) Cllr GJenkinson (SLDC) 3 members of the public.

 

1.                       Apologies

Cllr J Watson  Cllr C Barr 

 

2.                       Minutes

It was resolved that the Chairman be authorised to sign the minutes of the meetings held on 27th November 2006  as a true record.

 

3.                       Declaration of Interests

              There were no declarations of interest in respect of this agenda.

             

4.                       Public participation

The chairman adjourned the meeting for members of the public to speak. 

·         A member of the public questioned Cllr Walsh about the accuracy of the statement, used in support of the hospital reorganisation, that nobody would be more than 30 minutes from a hospital.  He said that it had taken him longer than that to get to Kendal hospital, on a light traffic day.  Cllr Walsh said that the 30 minute rule was an aspirational target not a hard and fast rule.

·         Mr R Smith asked that the minutes should record that the payment of £5.00 for the SLDC lease of the Bouth Village Playground is for a period of 10 years.

·         Mr Smith also asked it to be minuted that the last 3 playground reports recommended that algae be removed from the surface.  This was done on each occasion.  He reported that the Village Green carol singing raised £200.65.

 

5.                       Comments from District and County Councillors

Cllr A Hall (SLDC

Cllr Hall reported that her committee is looking for possible affordable housing in Coniston but it is proving difficult as LDNPA would not approve many of the identified sites.

 

Cllr T Walsh (CCC)

Cllr Walsh updated the meeting with the progress of Cumbria County Council’s bid for Unitary Authority.  He said that the Unitary Authority would replace the District Councils with a mechanism which allows more local decision making.  He outlined how the new Authority would be set up.

·         The lowest tier would consist of Community Boards, each with 10,000 voters.  These boards would consist of 3 Unitary Authority councillors and groups of parish councils from the area covered.  There would be some scope for parish councils to choose which Community Board to go with.

·         The next tier up would be the Area Board, split into 3 areas: Barrow, Carlisle, the East, and the West.

·         Above these would be the executive decision making tier.

·         The savings would be 20 – 22 million year on year.  The cost of implementation would be 19 million, taking 2 years for pay-back.

·         The timescale for implementation targets; Shadow Authority elected May 2008, actual Authority May 2009, but the latest May 2010.

 

Cllr Walsh was asked:

·         What effect this would have on the LDNPA.   He said that he thought that it would improve the management, which at present did not appear to be working together, as the council seats on the LDNPA would be subsumed into the Unitary Authority.

·         Would there be public consultation?  Yes, by the end of June.

·         Is there any extra government money for setting up of this new Authority?  No.

 

The chairman thanked Cllr Walsh for his important contribution.

 

 

6.               Update on issues from last meeting

·         Parish Lengthsman Scheme.  The Chairman reported that a short-list had been made and interviews would take place at the end of January or early February, once details have been finalised with CCC.

·         SLOW signs at Tottlebank.  Cllr Walsh said that this was on his priority list.  He also asked to be informed of any salt bins that had not been filled.  Cllr Cunliffe asked who owned the railings at Tottlebank Crossroads which were severely damaged by an accident there as the result of  a driver not stopping at the crossroads.  Cllr Walsh said that if the clerk forwarded details to him he would investigate. 

·         Letter from Citizen’s Advice Bureau. It was resolved that no donation could be made this year.

·         Planting of tree at Rusland.  The chairman reported that an oak tree had been planted by Cllr Barr to replace the one that was demolished by  a snowplough.  He thanked Cllr Barr in his absence for planting the tree single-handed.

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7.               Planning

It was resolved that a return of no objection be made on the planning application number 7/2006/5669.  Thwaite Head Farm, Rusland, Ulverston.  Conversion of existing redundant traditional barn for affordable dwelling unit.

 

8.               Payment of Accounts

It was resolve that the following accounts be paid:

·             Cheque number 00337 -      £51.36 -  Hawkshead PC – photocopying of Newsletter.

·             Cheque number 00338 -  £1087.50 -  Clerk’s half year salary.

 

9.               Ordnance Survey Map Copying Licence

It was resolved that the payment of  £55.81 for the Ordnance Survey Map copying licence be paid.  Cheque number 00339 was signed by 2 members.  The ability to copy maps is needed for planning the lengthsman’s work as well as for use on the website.

 

10.           Local Housing Survey (Cumbria Rural Housing Trust)

It was resolved that, after slight amendments, the letter drafted by the clerk should be sent out with the Local Housing Survey forms.  This to be forwarded to Judith Derbyshire.

 

11.           Windermere Registration Scheme

The completed questionnaires were collected by the clerk to be forwarded to LDNPA.  It was resolved not to send a representative to the workshop on 18th January 2007 at 7.00pm.

 

12.           Windermere Lake User Forum

It was resolved to ask Cllr Barr if he wished to be nominated for this committee.  No other member wished to be nominated.

 

13.           Local Government White Paper  Interim Position Report (CALC)

      It was resolved to agree with CALC’s report.  More would be learned from the meeting on 3rd February.  Cllr Harrington to attend and report back at the next meeting.

 

14.           Consultation on Approved Interim Planning Approach to Housing Development (IPATH) and Proposed Changes to IPATH

It was resolved to make no response to this document as Cllr Hall said that it was aimed at SLDC councils outside the LDNPA.

 

15.           Report on CALC Meeting 30th November 2006

Cllr Harrington reported on the above meeting, the main items on the agenda being updates on the Parish Lengthsman Scheme, Parish Charters and Community Travel Plans.

 

16.           LDNPA Parish Tour Report

Cllr Mein reported on the tour to Grasmere attended by himself and Cllr Barr.

 

 

 

 

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17.           Correspondence

1.                   CCC

·         Highways ‘ Working Together’  winter newsletter.

·         Letter in response to request from Mr D Oldham for traffic mirror at Oxen Park.

2.                   SLDC 

·         Notice of Standards Committee meeting 15th December 2006.

·         Recycle Cumbria.  Notices for notice boards

3.         LDNPA  Notice that register of all trees with a preservation order in LDNPA can be viewed on their website

4.                   Planning Cumbria:  Cumbria and Lake District Joint Structure Plan 2001–2016 Adopted document  - for circulation.

5.                   Planning Applications Granted

·         7/2005/5501 the Old Granary, Spark Bridge.  Change of use of agricultural buildings.

·         7/2005/5020  Bridgefield House, Spark Bridge.  Conversion of building to dwelling.

·         7/2006/5479 Eric Wright Trust.  Installations.

·         7/2006/5520 Land South of Old Hall Farm, Nibthwaite.  Forming of 2 car parking spaces and garden area.

·         7/2006/5572  Landene, Lakeside.  Extensions and alterations to dwelling.

6.                   CALC

·         Updated leaflets.

·         Minutes of meeting 30th November.

·         Proposed World Heritage Site update.

7.                   Satterthwaite PC Minutes of meeting 30th October 2006 and agenda for 11th December.

8.                   Christmas cards from:

·         Tim Farron

·         Water Park

·         Graeme Prest -  Grizedale Forest

9.         Tim Farron – Advice surgery dates for notice boards.

 

18.           Date of next Meeting

There was a possible clash of dates for the use of the room for the next meeting planned for Monday 12th February.  The clerk to check with Mrs Lloyd.