Minutes of Council meeting 19 February 20

Wednesday 19 February 2020

Held at 7.30pm in Helperby Village Hall

Present: Cllr Chris Owens (Chairman), Cllr Peter Mitchell (Vice Chairman), Cllr Andy Topps, Cllr Nigel Denison, Cllr Mark Darwin, Cllr Pam Jackson-Vickers, Roger Clements (Clerk) and 2 members of the public

1. Apologies for Absence
   1. Apologies were received from Cllr Boyle.
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. Minutes of the last meeting, held on 15 January 20
   1. The minutes were agreed to be a true record and signed accordingly by the Chairman.
4. Public Forum
   1. It was suggested by Mr Laux that, with only a few weeks remaining of the financial year, the council might remind NYCC Highways of the white lining and footway markings that the village was seeking in Main Street. The council agreed and will add these details to correspondence planned concerning the spur drain work to the village hall.
5. Clerk’s report
   1. Tree surgery work has been completed on 5 trees in Main Street with further works to be completed in the autumn; 2 trees had been lost and would need replacing. The Fountain drain bowl appeared to be blocked by a cobble – work would be attempted to clear it. One final piece of hedge flailing remained outstanding; the council’s contractor would be asked to trim the Back Lane allotments western hedge.
6. Financial matters
   1. Financial Report – Clerk reported receipt of the £4,000 Making a Difference Fund grant from Hambleton DC which would enable the council to issue a cheque to Fitzgerald-Harts (see 6.2.2 below).
   2. The following accounts were approved for payment:
      1. A W Scarborough £198.00 Hedge flailing
      2. Fitzgerald-Harts £5,532.00 Solicitors costs (Cobbles Project)
      3. YLCA £120.00 YLCA Spring Conference
      4. NYWebSolutions £9.99 Domain name renewal
      5. The Council noted the previously approved payment of £420.00 to English Tree Care.
7. Information from the Lands and Maintenance Committee and further action where necessary
   1. Cobbles Project. Cllr Denison expected settlement of the Fitzgerald-Harts’ invoice to expedite completion of transfer of Helperby cobbles into parish council ownership. The photogrammetry survey would re-commence as the weather improved; our survey was generating interest and Cllr Denison had agreed to give a presentation at a Geospatial Symposium. NYCC Area 2, Highways still expected to complete the spur drain link from the Main Street drain to the village hall driveway during this financial year (and Cllr Owens confirmed that the village hall trustees had approved expenditure on resurfacing the driveway).
   2. Land registration – nothing to report.
   3. Maintenance issues – the village War Memorial Committee was expected to purchase the crushed granite necessary for reinstating the cobbles over the spur drain – specification for cobbles re-laying was close to being finalised and would be trialled over the spur drain. Once confirmed the specification would be employed for future cobbles repairs and re-laying throughout the village.
8. Information on the following ongoing issues and further action where necessary
   1. Plans for VE Day 75^th anniversary celebrations 8 May 2020 – the programme was largely complete and will be announced in March in a newsletter which will include other council plans and information.
   2. Village Litter Pick arrangements for 28 March – the Council will enrol on the Great British Spring Clean to add impetus to the national campaign. Volunteers will be invited to assemble near the War Memorial at 1030 where equipment will be distributed and areas allocated.
   3. ‘Balsam Bashing’ plan – 30 May was selected for the ‘bash’. Advice is awaited from the Yorkshire Dales River Trust and further details will be announced closer to the day.
   4. Modifying street lamp beam on Main Street – the item was deferred to the next meeting.
   5. Traffic speed survey – Cllr Topps had carried out further covert speed checks which returned some disturbing results. Over 50% of vehicles were noted at over 30mph and 3 passed at 40mph. Cllrs asked for further recordings to be made at different locations and believed the moment was approaching when the Council should hire professional recording equipment for a week. Figures may then provide the ammunition to support a further approach to NYCC and the police requesting traffic calming measures.
   6. Village bus service – Chairman and Clerk are to attend, with other local councils, a preparatory meeting in advance of a meeting with NYCC on 4 March. It is hoped that NYCC will be persuaded to undertake a full consultation of local transport needs. The local councils will also investigate whether additional government funding for local bus services may be tapped into through NYCC.
9. Planning matters
   1. Planning Application 20/00113/FUL, proposed extension to 6 Brafferton Hall Gardens, Brafferton – the Council had no objection to this proposal.
   2. Planning Application 20/00132/CAT, proposed work to tree at Brafferton Hall West, Brafferton – the Council had no objection to this proposal.
10. Planning decisions/information
    1. Planning Application 19/01653/LBC, roof mounted extract vent at The Golden Lion, Main Street, Helperby – awaiting decision by Hambleton District Council
    2. Planning Application 19/02474/TPO, works to 2 trees on Main Street, Helperby – permitted by Hambleton District Council
11. Matters for consideration
    1. Feasibility of providing a water supply to the Back Lane allotments – having assessed the cost implications of having Yorkshire Water provide a metered water supply the Council concluded that it was not a viable project.
    2. Contracts. Quotations from A Metcalfe for maintenance of the Hornby (£135), the Brafferton Pinfold and area south of the St Peter’s lych gate (£175) were each accepted. A quotation from N Buchannan was accepted for 6 cuts in the year of the urban verges at £200 per cut.
    3. Cllr Denison will attend the YLCA Spring Conference where the subject of land registration will be of particular interest.
    4. Cobbled approach to the surgery – a work party will be assembled in the spring to clean the area. The surgery will be requested to consider coning off the ramp during surgery hours to improve access.
    5. HVH Trustees meeting of 22 Jan – Cllr Denison reported that the hall trustees had decided to: tarmac the driveway (which would channel rainwater run-off into the spur drain which the Council was providing); replace the outside lights with LEDs to provide less expensive and better directed illumination and replace Foyer and Waud Room radiators with more efficient units. New room hire pricing will be implemented from April. A Hall Clean Up Day will take place from 0830 to midday on 29 February.
    6. Revised allotments agreements and rental demands had been circulated to Cllrs – each would go out to allotment holders at the end of February for agreement and payment by 1 April 2020.
    7. Condition of the unadopted portion of Bridge Street – the unsatisfactory state of the unsurfaced gap in Bridge Street was noted. Cllr Mitchell will research options for persuading NYCC to adopt this short stretch of road.
    8. Woodland Trust tree planting pack – Clerk to request a ‘Copse’ pack of 30 trees. It was thought that planting might take place on Swale Green. The Lands and Maintenance committee will produce proposals for further planting.
    9. Control of moles on Swale Green – Mrs Wise had kindly agreed to control the moles at no charge and Cllrs were most grateful to her.
12. Correspondence received and decide action where necessary
    1. NYCC has plans to introduce waiting restrictions in Hall Lane – it was thought that without a warden on patrol yellow line restrictions would be unenforceable and therefore unlikely to influence the ‘school run’ parking; possibly the school could have most influence in persuading parents to park thoughtfully. Cllrs were not convinced that yellow lining was going to be helpful.
13. matters for inclusion on the agenda for the next meeting
    1. None proposed.
14. Date of the next meeting confirmed as Wednesday 18 March 2020