Minutes Council meeting 30 Nov 22

Wednesday 30 Nov 22

Held in the Village Hall at 7.30 pm

Present: Cllr Nigel Denison (Chairman), Cllr Peter Mitchell, Cllr Pam Jackson-Vickers plus Cllr Alyson Baker (North Yorkshire County Council) for item 3 only.

1. Apologies for Absence
   1. Apologies were received from Cllrs Carter, Brown, Boyle, Darwin and the Clerk.
2. Declarations of Interest not already declared under the Council’s Code of Conduct or members Register of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests
   1. No declarations were made.
3. Public Forum
   1. Chairman reported that:
      1. St Peter’s church had suffered water ingress resulting in damage to a main truss and some dry rot which would require £20k of repair work.
      2. He thanked Steve Laux for re-siting the Main Street ‘Ukrainian’ flagpole in preparation for installation of a replacement flagpole.
      3. Two grant applications had been submitted to the Hambleton District Council CIL fund for additional Main Street cobbles work (£16k) and to make safe the building on allotment plot RR11 (£6k).
   2. Cllr Jackson-Vickers reported that some parishioners had commented on the Council’s response to the proposed 4 dwelling development on Back Lane which were less critical of the development than they had wished. The comments raised were noted.
   3. Cllr Baker raised several topics:
      1. She requested an agenda item of ‘NYCC news’ for future meetings.
      2. The NYCC County Chair Margaret Atkinson had passed away with the funeral planned for 2 December.
      3. The Police Commissioner was setting up a help line for victims of abuse – Clerk requested to display publicity material.
      4. Parish Councils were being encouraged to produce a Resilience Plan in the event of emergencies such as power outages, extended loss of internet etc.
      5. She touched on the subject of 7.6 and offered to discuss with the Public Rights of Way team the Council’s wish to retain the Swale bridge gates in their original form.
4. The minutes of the meetings of the Council on 19 October 22 and 8 Nov 22 were agreed to be true records and were signed accordingly by the Chairman.
5. Clerk’s report – no report was available as the Clerk was away.
6. Financial matters
   1. FY 2023/24 budget and Precept
      1. The proposed budget resulted in a precept requirement of £14,600, an increase of 3.45% above the FY 2022/23 figure. Imminent work to trees was about to reduce the Council’s reserves by about £4k to near £6k; now was not the right time to significantly raise the precept but a reserve target of £10k should be planned for in future precepts. Chairman proposed that the budget and precept of £14,600 be approved – resolved.
   2. Grant request from St Peter’s Church PCC
      1. Revised guidance on financial support to the church was included in Local Council Administration 13^th Edition. Following this advice, the Council considered a grant request from St Peter’s PCC for £500 for works to a tree in the churchyard. Chairman proposed that a grant of £500 be approved to St Peter’s PCC under the powers of s137 Local Government Act 1972 – resolved.
   3. Clerk’s National Salary Award – the Council approved payment of the new national rate backdated to 1 Apr 22.
   4. Additional member of the Bank Authorisers group – Chairman recommended that an additional member be added to the Bank Authorisers group. Cllr Mitchell volunteered and the Clerk was asked to make the arrangements.
   5. Council Ad in The Magazine – it was agreed that the Council’s advertisement would be renewed in the 2023 issues.
   6. Payment Card Purchases (PCP) listed were noted and the following accounts were approved for payment:
      1. LMC Jume 1987 Settlement Rent £10.00
      2. Fitzgerald Harts Lands registration £668.00
      3. Lexis Nexis Reference book £131.99
      4. Buchanan S & A Verge trimming £1,350.00
      5. S Laux Gardening £339.00
      6. S Laux (refund) Tree guards fixings & labour £200.75
      7. Amazon (PCP) Tree guards £24.96
      8. Alfafado Ltd (PCP) Batteries £19.16
7. Matters for Consideration
   1. Land Registration – the first tranche of registrations was complete comprising almost all of the allotment plots along the Raskelf Road. A fresh registration process would now be started to register the remaining plots of Council land
   2. Results of Tree Risk Survey – two trees were identified as posing a moderate risk and requiring felling (an ash and a Leyland cypress beside the Raskelf Road). Chairman proposed that the felling should go ahead within a budget of £4.5k and Clerk to start the process of obtaining quotations – resolved.
   3. Maintenance Plan 2023 – Cllrs reviewed the 2022 plan and wished it to continue in 2023. The effectiveness of leaf clearance in Main Street (undertaken for the first time this year) was awaited once leaf fall was complete. If effective it will be added to the plan for 2023.
   4. Christmas Tree ‘switch on’ – the ceremony is planned for 5pm on 3 Dec with Harry Lobley invited to do the switch on and the St Peter’s PCC providing a mince pie & mulled wine stall.
   5. Tree planting in December – oak trees will be delivered on 7 Dec, for a planting ceremony on the footpath to the Sports Field by Sir Anthony on 10 December at 10.30am.
   6. Hambleton District Council’s (HDC) response to Swingbridge gate repair proposal – the response was a ‘No’ to repair and the suggestion that the gates were likely to be removed in the future enabling horse riders to cross the bridge without dismounting. The council was unhappy with this suggestion and wished to retain the gates (preferably refurbished) and believed most, perhaps all, riders considered that crossing while mounted was the least safe option. Clerk to respond.
   7. Plans for HM King Charles III Coronation (6 May 23) – to be an agenda item at the next meeting. A Working Group, headed by a Cllr, to produce a plan for a street party, along the lines of the one set up for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, on the 8 May Bank Holiday.
8. Information on the following ongoing issues and decide further action where necessary
   1. Cobbles project – grant aid applied for (see 3.1.3).
   2. Neighbourhood plan – no progress to report.
9. Planning Matters
   1. No new planning matters were received.
10. Planning Decisions/information
    1. Planning Application 22/02422/REM, construction of 4 dwellings adjacent to telephone exchange, Back Lane, Helperby – awaiting decision by Hambleton District Council
    2. Planning Application 22/02457/CAT, work to fell trees in a Conservation Area at Butterys, Tofts Lane, Helperby – awaiting decision by Hambleton District Council
    3. Planning Application 22/02463/MRC, variation to condition 3 of previously approved application 21/02544/FUL at Butterys, Tofts Lane, Helperby – granted by Hambleton District Council
    4. Planning Application 22/00966/REM, amended plans received 28 Oct 22 – reserved matters pursuant to outline permission 16/01142/OUT for landscape, appearance, layout and scale for construction of 28 dwellings on OS Field 0046, Brafferton to West Moor, Brafferton – granted by Hambleton District Council. (Changes had been agreed to include 4 x single bedroom dwellings and the provision of some additional recreational space. The Parish Council (PC) was in discussion with the developer and hoped to see some form of chicane positioned on the Boroughbridge Road. The PC was also hoping to confirm the need for additional street lighting along the development frontage).
    5. Planning Application 22/02409/CAT, work to a tree in a conservation area at Fold Lodge, Dunroyal, Helperby – granted by Hambleton District Council
    6. Planning Application 22/02294/OUT, outline application for the construction of 4 dwellings with all matters reserved except access on OS Field 7346, Boroughbridge Road, Brafferton – awaiting decision by Hambleton District Council
    7. Planning Application 22/01858/FUL, proposed construction of 2 x dwellings at St Peter’s Close, Brafferton – awaiting decision by Hambleton District Council
11. Further Matters for Consideration
12. Correspondence received and action where necessary
    1. Swale bridge correspondence discussed at 7.6.
13. Matters for inclusion on the agenda for the next meeting
    1. Standing agenda item ‘NYCC & HDC Matters’.
    2. Establish Coronation Working Party.
    3. Discuss quotations for tree felling and appoint contractor if quotations are above limit set at 7.2.
14. The date of the next Council meeting was confirmed to be Wednesday 21 December 22 but this meeting will only go ahead if there is urgent business to discuss. A decision will be made by the Chairman by 14 Dec 22.