KIRBY HILL & DISTRICT PARISH COUNCIL

(Incorporating: Kirby Hill, Milby,Thornton Bridge, Humberton and Ellenthorpe)

 

A meeting of the above Parish Council was held on 14th May 2007 in the Coronation Hall, Milby, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972, due notice having been given.  The meeting opened at 7.15 pm. It was adjourned between 7.45pm and 8.15pm for the Annual Parish Meeting to take place, the Parish Council AGM having taken place at 7.00pm.

 

 

Present:  Cllrs. Smailes [Chairman], McKenzie [Dep Chairman], Parr, Helliwell, Wilkinson, Widdows,   CCllr J Watson,  DCllr N Wilson,  Clerk – M. Rae

               

 

1.             Apologies:  Cllr M Lister

 

2.             Code of Conduct:  Cllr Wilkinson expressed an interest in agenda item 7h

 

3.             Minutes  of the previous meeting on 12th March 2007  had been copied and distributed 

               prior to this meeting. Cllrs accepted them as a true record  and they were duly signed.

 

DCllr Nick Wilson, who had to leave the meeting early, was asked his views on the North Yorkshire Unitary Council bid.  These are given in 5b below.

 

4.             Finance/Accounts

a.        current balance in hand £4,453. 

b.       Rent of room to pay  £12.00 and insurance £270.34

c.        HBC maintenance grant 2006/7 received £299

d.       HBC precept 2007/8 1st instalment  received £2,200

 

5.             CORRESPONDENCE

 

a.         NYCC Integrated Passenger Transport – new bus contracts from April 2007. Service 146  discontinued. Services 142 &143 now run solely by Harrogate Coach Travel.

New service timetable for 142/3 erroneously excludes any refernce to the Kirby Hill stop. Clerk pursuing.                                                                                      ACTION CLERK

b.         NYCC – New Council for North Yorks.  Leaflets distributed to councillors and 

notification of website for further details.  DCllr N Wilson gave the meeting his own

views on the North Yorks bid.  This broadly followed the line taken by all the Districts. He was particularly concerned that the savings claims were unrealistic and that savings per rate-payer were negligible. The new system would in his view be less representative, but without actually reducing the layers of local government.

Cllr Smailes and Martin Rae would attend a meeting at Boroughbridge Town Council on 5 June to hear the NYCC Chief Executive talk about the bid. 

  ACTION CHAIRMAN/CLERK

c.         HBC CEO’s Office – Re NYCC bid. Views of the District Councils. Meeting called for     

        14 May 2007 (clashing with this meeting)  to which all parishes invited.  Leaflets 

        containing result of first MORI poll distributed to councillors.

d.         MORI POLL/Survey for parish councils – NYCC bid.  Options for completing this 

poll survey included clerk giving own views or clerk reflecting views of council.  Second option agreed.                                                                                                      ACTION CLERK

e.         HBC Affordable Housing – Parish Update. The clerk had been to a meeting with HBC 

Rural Housing Enabler to learn about results of Housing Needs Survey for the parish.  (Full survey to be published in summer 2007). 14 households in the parish were listed as having affordable housing needs. It was likely that this would cause pressure on the parish to reconsider the exception site put forward in HBC’s draft LDF for affordable housing to north of Manor Drive.  The clerk also reported that informatiom had been received that the Canal Garage site in Milby, which was thought to be for sale, was being considered by HBC as a suitable development site to include an affordable element. Despite obvious flooding problems and possible conflicts with HBC-endorsed  waterfront proposals in Yore-Vision it was agreed that the parish council would do nothing until official documentation regarding the Canal Garage site had been received.

f.          HBC Planning Service – Peer Review – The parish council had been advised that it

        might be asked to take part in this review in April but in the event it was not approached.

g.        HBC Dept Resources – Training for Councillors/Clerks  Nominations were being  

sought for the evening training session on 26 September. Cllr Widdows agreed to go and 

the clerk suggested that the new councillor emerging out of the current vacancy process 

should be the secong attendee.  Clerk to inform HBC.                          ACTION CLERK

h.        Mazars Audit forms.  The Section 1 statement of Accounts 2006/7 was approved and 

duly signed and the Section 2 Governance Statement was completed by the council and duly signed. Clerk to complete remaining documentation and liaise with appropriate neighbouring parishes over the internal audit.                                                      ACTION CLERK

i.          NYCC Footpaths consultation Deadline 30 June.  Cllrs were invited to look at the draft 

plan 2007-11 on the NYCC website and use the response form for any comments if they

so chose. It was agreed that the chairman and clerk will meet to submit a council  

response.                                                                         ACTION CHAIRMAN/CLERK

j.          Communities & Local Government – New Code of Conduct  The clerk had a copy of

the new code, effective from beginning of May 2007 and outlined the main differences 

between this and the previous code. The code can be viewed on

 www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si-2007-index.htm

k.        HBC Rural Community Investment Plan  The clerk had previously given cllrs the 

website for this plan so that they could bring comments, if any, to the meeting.  Deadline

for comments 25 June.

l.          HBC –Communitry Services – Daffodils  If KHPC wanted any bags of bulbs they were

available on ‘first come first served basis’ until 18 May.  Cllrs agreed not to take up the offer.

 

 

 

6.             CLERK’S/COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS

 

a.         Police Liaison:  Cllr Wilkinson reported that no meeting had taken place since that last 

Parish Council meeting

b.         Joint Parish Council Meeting:  The clerk reported that the next meeting would be on 19 July at Roecliffe.  Cllr Helliwell volunteered to be the second KHPC representative following Jean Graham’s resignation from the Council.

Sponsorship of the A168 Kirby Hill roundabout had been discussed at the last JPC

meeting at which no KHPC representatives had been present. The Clerk had informed the meeting that KHPC councillors had not generally been in favour of sponsorship for the roundabout.

As Boroughbridge Town Council was keen for KHPC to discuss the matter again the Clerk asked for views.  It was agreed that the clerk should find out more about the sponsorship procedure and the implications for the parish council should it decide to have the licence for the roundabout transferred from NYCC.  The clerk was also asked to find out what truth there was in the information obtained by some councillors that Newby Farm shop might be interested in sponsoring the roundabout.  It was stressed that this was just fact finding at this stage and that the council was not committed either way on this issue.

c.         Coronation Hall  The clerk reported that he had attended the recent AGM.  The balance    

in hand was now in the region of £41k. and this would contribute towards the building of the extension to the hall, hopefully to commence in 2008.

d.         Yore Vision  The clerk reported on the recent AGM at which updates on the various 

projects had been given.  Membership of Yore Vision now stood at 40. 

e.         Litter Picking April  The chairman and clerk thanked those who had taken part in this

annual activity. More had done so than in previous years and nearly 50 sacks of litter had 

been collected from the roadsides in Milby and Kirby Hill.

 

 

 

 

7.             ONGOING/OTHER MATTERS

               

a.        Village Design Statement : The clerk reported that Gareth Owens had reluctantly had to step down from leading this group and undertaking fuerther work on the VDS. DCllr

Wilson had earlier, in the Annual Parish Meeting , indicated that while they continued to be valuable as supplementary planning documents Village Design Statements were not currently being adopted by HBC and it may be two years until work will be done to include them.  The clerk reported that he would collect all the work to date from Mr Owens. He also put forward the possibility of getting Jo Buffey from the Yorkshire Rural Community Council to talk at the next meeting about Parish Plans as had been proposed by Cllrs Parr and Merson at the last meeting.  He would be attending a seminar the following day (15 May) on Community Land Trusts, another initiative being taken up by some parish councils mostly, but not solely, to incorporate affordable housing solutions.

                                                                                                                                                   ACTION CLERK

b.        Parking/speeding – Leeming Lane  The clerk reported that he had received     

confirmation from NYCC Highways and the Police Traffic Dept that Leeming Lane was

to be made a 30mph limit for its whole length from Kirby Hill into Boroughbridge.

The Police had, however, indicated that policing of the limit would be extremely difficult

c.        B6265 Layby The clerk had received from NYCC Highways a rough breakdown of the

estimated £38k. cost of work.  Majority of cost was £25k for importing ‘fill’ and topsoil and the remainder from laying and compacting it. NYCC advised that significant savings could be made if the parish council could find a local supplier of fill and topsoil.  The clerk is to pursue this further with NYCC as it was still not at all clear what was proposed.                                                                                                ACTION CLERK

 

d.        Grass Cutting  Cllr Parr was concerned about the state of the green at times of fast grass      

growth  when some individual property owners were doing their own cuts in between

‘council cuts’ and the remainder looked scruffy with clumps of lying cut grass.  Other councillors agreed that more frequent cuts would be appropriate at times but that it was not the intention for the Green to look like a lawn.  It was agreed that Cllrs Parr amd Wilkinson would monitor the position and contact Aidan Foster at any time they felt an extra, intermediate, cut was necessary.  Aidan Foster’s quote included an allowance for this at £30 per cut.  The clerk would let Mr Foster know what had been decided.

  ACTION CLLRS PARR & WILKINSON   ACTION CLERK

 

e.        Insurance  The clerk explained the differences between the Allianz Cornhill and Zurich   

quotes, Zurich being cheaper but less comprehensive and not permitting insurance of the 

well.  The current Allianz cover on the well was actually less than the excess. It was agreed to continue with Allianz but increase the cover for the well to £500. This would add a further £4.76 to the premium, due 1 June.                                          ACTION CLERK

 

f.         Hedge adjoining village green at old school  Cllr Wilkinson had removed the suckers 

       from the trees to enable access for the mower.  The area was still untidy and it was agreed 

       to continue to monitor it.

g.    Pavement parking Market Hill  Still no progress.                                     ACTION CLERK

 

h.       Kirby Hill 30mph sign Cllr McKenzie had not tackled the obscuring tree or its owner for

fear of the council appearing too heavy handed and it was considered another approach

should be taken.  Clerk to contact NYCC to see what solutions were available but not one 

involving a further sign being put up in Millings Lane.

 

i.         Beyond the Pews Cllr Parr proposed that the council sponsor an issue.  Cllrs agreed.  

Clerk to contact Karen Burton to arrange.                                                   ACTION CLERK

j.         All Saints Close The clerk had contacted Mr Ellis about the grass verges.  Mr Ellis

reported that one of the Council conditions prior to adoption by NYCC was that grass verges should be used instead of pavements – because of surface water ‘run-off’ problems.  Maintenance of the verges would be NYCC responsibility.

k.       Thornton Bridge Signs  Cllr Widdows asked that discussion of this be put again on the

agenda for the next meeting                                                                           ACTION  CLERK

               

 

8.             PLANNING

               

                a.             Crown Estate Thornton  Bridge  6.36.6.B.FUL  05/01597/FUL

                Refurb & Extension to 1 dwelling and conv. of agric bldgs   to form 3 dwllgs.

                Erec of garage block inc 2 dble garages and 1 det dble garage..

                Issue of affordable housing in the development currently being negotiated    

 

b.                    England – Thornton Manor  Thornton  Bridge 6.500.258.FUL  07/00125/FUL

Erection of 3.1m boundary wall      REFUSED

 

c.                    Compton Farm/Lister Farms Leeming Lane Farm Shop

APPEAL Ref. APP/E2734/H/1201216

Retention of 2 signs.

Cllrs had agreed not to send any comments to the Planning Inspectorate beyond those already made to HBC via  P Greenwood. The council’s position remained the same viz. it did not object to retention of the signs but could not actively support the appeal. (see minute 8f 12 March 2007)

 

d.                    Staines 3 Glebe Close Kirby Hill 6.47.82.FUL  07/01812/FUL

Erection of front dormer window.  The Council had made no objections.

 

e.                    Planning Enforcement Case 07/00169/PR15 Land at Leeming Lane

Objection to play area.  Awaiting outcome of site visit.

 

f.                     Mell  Four Alls Cottage, Milby  6.57.6.H.FUL  07/01724/FUL

Erection of side extension to garage

The council had no objections.

 

                g.             Lafford  Hill Crest  Kirby Hill  6.47.81.FUL   07/01342/FUL

                                Erection of first floor extension to rear

                                GRANTED

 

               

 

 

The meeting closed at 10.00pm

 

 

NEXT MEETINGS  7.00pm     16 July,   10 Sept,   12 Nov

 

                                                                                               

Martin Rae, Clerk, 16 May 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIGNED………………………………………………………DATE……………………