Minutes Lands & Maintenance committee meeting 5 Oct 22

Wednesday 5 October 22

Held in the Village Hall at 7.30 pm

Present: Cllr Nigel Denison (Chairman), Cllr Peter Mitchell, Cllr Mark Darwin, Steve Laux (co-opted member), and Roger Clements (Clerk)

1. Apologies for Absence – all members were present.
2. Declarations of Interest from Cllrs not already declared under the Council’s Code of Conduct or members Register of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests
   1. No declarations were made.
3. Minutes of the committee meeting on 6 Apr 22
   1. The minutes were agreed to be a true record and were signed accordingly by the Chairman.
4. Public Forum
   1. Chairman briefed members on the plan by the Milnes Coates family to add an additional engraved panel to the Fountain. The plan was supported by the Council and was likely to involve a new panel being inserted into existing stonework.
5. Dilapidated building on allotment RR11
   1. An assessment had been carried out concerning what action would be required to make the building safe. It could simply be fenced off to prevent unauthorized access or be re-roofed to prevent further deterioration and potentially bring it back into use in some form – the Council was still considering its options and no decision had been made. Members suggested: potting shed for single or multi-tenant allotment plot; re-purposing of plot for lettable grazing, overspill cemetery, development, etc – none provided an obvious solution. An attempt would be made to assess whether the building has an historic value. Clerk to obtain cost of Heras fencing panels.
6. Grass cutting plan for Swale Green
   1. Chairman described the Council’s plan to partially re-wild Swale Green leaving a mown public recreation area and perimeter paths. Members liked the idea and suggested that the ‘wild’ area might be enhanced by planting yellow rattle.
7. Ground maintenance contracts for 2023
   1. Clerk reviewed all the Council’s maintenance contracts. Members supported the idea that ‘re-wilding’ of portions of Back Lane and the Boroughbridge Road verges be discontinued but the contractor be asked to avoid daffodils wherever possible. A working party to clear weeds at the surgery frontage cobbles was supported with a date to be selected. For future meeting – consider replace village litter pick with Main Street leaf collection; Clerk to obtain hire charge rate for a leaf blower.
8. Area between St Peter’s Church lych gate and Bridge Street
   1. Members noted that the access track to St Peter’s became muddy in wet weather and it was believed that the track had originally been cinder or gravel surfaced. Investigation to be carried out to identify original surface with a view to producing a re-surfacing plan once the building work to 8 Bridge Street was complete.
9. Cobbles Project
   1. Cobbles re-laying around the curtilage to the War Memorial and the Kirkholme frontage – discussions were ongoing with potential contractors. The potential cost was likely to exceed the budget and it was not certain that the work could be completed within the current Financial Year; Chairman to investigate varying the scope of the HDC Making a Difference grant to enable re-cobbling to take place on some smaller areas.
   2. Agenda items for the next meeting – none were proposed.
10. The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 4 Jan 2023