KIRBY HILL & DISTRICT PARISH COUNCIL

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

 

A meeting of the above Parish Council was held on 15th January 2007 in the Coronation Hall, Milby, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972, due notice having been given.  The meeting opened at 7.00 pm.

 

Present:  Cllrs. Smailes [Chairman], McKenzie [Dep Chairman], Graham, Helliwell, Wilkinson, Widdows,  Parr, Merson,  CCllr John Watson , DCllr N Wilson.

                   The Chaiman also welcomed Cllr Collins of Langthorpe Parish Council.

 

1.             Apologies:   Cllr Lister

 

2.             Code of Conduct:  No expressions of interest given

 

3.             Minutes  of the previous meeting on 13th November 2006  had been copied and distributed 

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

 

4.             Play Area (see also 11b)  Cllr Mike Collins of Langthorpe PC presented the plans of the  

               proposed play area and kickabout in Leeming Lane and explained how the £70k cost was to  

               be met, including up to £25k in the form of a PWLB loan to be repaid in future years through 

               a precept.  He asked that KHPC  inform Langthorpe as soon as possible whether or not they

               wanted to reconsider contributing funding to this project, which was due to be completed in

               the coming year.  Cllr Collins then left the meeting.

 

5.             HBC Overview of Scrutiny Annual Report and HBC Strategic Plan 2005-8

        Items brought forward to enable DCllr Wilson to brief meeting before leaving for another 

       appointment.  Nick Wilson explained how the three Scrutiny Commissions had come into 

       being when cabinet system was set up several years ago and how they formed a useful check 

       on the work of the different departments within the council.

       With regard to the strategic plan he explained that priority  had been put on environmental 

       issues and   that emphasis on recycling and better waste management were features of the 

       plan.

        The Parish Council had received copies of the Scrutiny Overview and Strategic Plan   

       documents and  these were put on circulation round members.  The meeting was told that

       copies were also available at Boroughbridge Library and on HBC’s website.

 

6.             NYCC Minerals/Waste Development Framework

Item brought forward to enable CCllr Watson to brief meeting before leaving for another appointment.  John Watson explained that current plans made it much less likely that the site in Bar Lane, Roecliffe would be used for a waste incinerator plant.

Another CD had been received by the Parish Council as part of the Development Framework consultation but there was nothing directly of concern within the parish.  It was reported that the document was also available on the NYCC website and as hard copy in Boroughbridge Library.

 

7.             Local Government re-organisation

CCllr Watson also took the opportunity to update councillors about significant changes that might happen soon in  North Yorkshire government with the possible replacement of the County and District Councils by a unitary authority.  This was the result of pressure from central government to make savings in local government.  The County Council would be voting on 25 January on which way to go.  Should the decision be made to go down the unitary route, thereby enabling massive  annual savings in staffing and other costs, and with the acquiescence of the Districts, then the new system, costing an estimated £14 million to put in place, would begin in 2009 following elections in May 2008.

With the demise of the District Councils more responsibility would fall at town/parish council level but with Area Committees of the ‘unitary’ authority taking on much of the work of the former Districts.  Another important level would be the local ‘Community Forum’ to which parishes would send representatives and which would have their own budgets.  Such were the bare bones of a possible new structure.  Should the decision be made to go ahead then much would need to be worked out in conjunction with the former districts and the  town/parish councils to flesh out the new system.

 

8.             Finance & Settlement of Accounts (item 4 on original agenda)

a.        Statement of Accounts -  expect the year to end with around £2000 in hand

b.       Rent of room to pay (15/1 and 16/1 Bradley studio for MSA Party)  - £17.50

c.        Clerk’s honorarium Nov/Dec @ £40  + £25 clerk’s fee for JPC Sept Mtg - £105

d.       VAT refund received £27.73 covering items from 5/4/05 to 30/11/06

e.        PWLB loan 2nd instalment of £728.67 paid 11 Dec

f.         SLCC membership fee due - £55 – Cllrs agreed to pay

g.       Clerk’s salary from 1/2/07  -  Clerk left room after proposing salary should be linked to scale point 19 on NALC/SLCC and an average 18hrs per month workload.

Council agreed to scale point 20.  Clerk will arrange contract with Chairman and Vice Chairman – based on that used by Yvonne Jacobs, the previous clerk.

                                                                                                                        ACTION CLERK

 

9.             Correspondence  (item 5 on original agenda)

a)       HBC Scrutiny Overview – dealt with in para 5. above

b)       HBC Strategic Plan 2005-8 – dealt with in para 5. above

c)       NYCC Minerals/Waste Development Framework – dealt with in para.6 above

d)       HBC/CVS Meet the Funder Forum.  Clerk will attend this event on 13 February

ACTION CLERK

10.           Councillors’ /Clerk’s Reports (item 6 on original agenda)

a)       Police liaison. Cllr Wilkinson  reported that there had been no meeting since his last report and he was concerned that the new clerk of the Police Liaison group no longer had him on list.  He indicated that he was happy to continue to represent the parish on the group.  The clerk will contact the new clerk of the Police Liaison meetings to ensure that Richard is included in mailings etc.                                                 ACTION CLERK

b)       Joint Parish Council.  Clerk reported briefly on last meeting at which CCllr Watson had briefed on possible local government changes (see para.7 above) and at which Roecliffe’s problems with HBC over the caravan site behind the pub were discussed at length.

c)       Yore Vision Projects The Clerk reported on two ongoing projects: 1)  St.James Square Improvement 2) Walks/footpaths.  The former now has funding for the first, basic, phase of replacing seats, bollards etc. following the public consultation. On the latter  the clerk was working with Mike Collins and Mike Fisher on the desriptive text for the BB- Milby-Kirby Hill- Langthorpe circular walk which will form one of several off-shoots from the large Westwick to Aldwark circular walk.

d)   Community Emergency Plan   The Clerk reported that this plan had been put into action 

       quite successfully on the previous Thursday evening/night (11 Jan) when the river 

       reached a peak of 15.1m (above sea-level) at midnight.  (15.5m being the critical level 

       when properties on Milby island flood).  Two meetings took place in Hall Square and on 

       site involving the emergency committee, the police, HBC and the Environment Agency.

       Cllr Helliwell expressed interest in joining the Emergency Committee and it was agreed

       that as he is living much closer to the ‘action’ he would take Cllr Smailes place on the six-

       man emergency team as the second Milby representative (BB and Langthorpe also 

       providing  2 representativers each). The Clerk, who is also Secretary of the Emergency 

       Committee, will liaiase with HBC and the Environment Agency to arrange for John 

       Helliwell to become a member of the committee.  Cllr Smailes volunteered to remain 

       involved as a deputy on the committee.                                         ACTION CLERK

 

 

 

 

 

11.           Ongoing and other matters (item 7 on original agenda)

 

a)       Village Design Statement. (VDS)  No action to report. Still awaiting the first draft for comment. DCllr Wilson commented earlier in the meeting that Village Design Statements were not now being afforded the same status in supplementary planning guidance as they were previously – due to changes in the planning system at HBC.

 

b)       Play Area - Kickabout – Commuted Sums

Following Cllr Collins earlier presentation (para 4 above) Cllrs discussed whether or not to proceed with the search for a site within Kirby Hill for a kickabout or to use the Langthorpe facility, and whether or not to transfer the £12k held in commuted sums (106 monies) to the Langthorpe Play Area/Kickabout.  Cllr Merson proposed, seconded by Cllr Helliwell, that the clerk should contact HBC to attempt to re-allocate this money to the Langthorpe project.  The Council agreed. The money had previously been allocated provionally by HBC to this project at KHPC’s request but problems around the distance limit of 440m from the Grange Farm site had not been fully resolved.  KHPC had requested that the money be returned to KHPC allocation on discovering that there was in this case no time limit on spending.  Cllrs now considered that since no suitable site within Kirby Hill looked feasible the council should reverse that earlier request to HBC.

                                                                                                                        ACTION CLERK

c)       Parking/Speeding – Leeming Lane etc.  Still awaiting response from Police Traffic 

       Division in Skipton following NYCC Highways recommendation that there 

       should be a 30mph speed limit. CCllr Watson earlier in the meeting considered that this 

       was still not very likely for the whole length of Leeming Lane between Kirby Hill and

       Boroughbridge.

       The clerk will also contact NYCC Highways again  regarding the poorly sited 30mph sign 

       at the entrance to the village in Church Lane, beside Hambleton View. It was agreed that

       any solution should not involve  signage on the triangle of green in front of the church,

       but rumble strips could be considered.                                                     ACTION CLERK

 

d)       Grass Cutting.  The clerk was still in the process of obtaining further estimates to

       compare with Aidan Foster’s £480 quote for 2007.  It was agreed that these should be for 

       16 cuts per annum and include the section of verge on Leeming Lane facing Grange Farm                                                                                                                             ACTION CLERK

e)     Kirby Hill/Milby footpaths                     

Andy Hunter of NYCC had on 11 January submitted to the council a revised proposal   

from the applicant for footpaths 15.94/3 and 15.94/4 in Milby/Kirby Hill. This more or 

less followed the route counter-proposed by the parish council on 13 June 2006 although 

the East/West path at the southern end remained as per the applicant’s original proposal 

(ie  along the north side of the newly planted trees).  The clerk was asked to respond to

NYCC to confirm that the council was happy with the revised proposals.

ACTION CLERK

f)     Hedge behind War Memorial -  Cllrs Parr and Wilkinson had again looked at this area 

       and  considered that more could be done to improve it, especially behind the tree, where 

       grass  mowing was becoming impossible because of the state of the hedge. Graham Parr 

       agreed to  have a word with the owner of the School House, Mr Sabin       

                                                                                                            ACTION CLLR PARR                                                      

g)    Thornton Bridge Village Signs It was agreed to reconsider the matter of signs when the    

        redevelopment of the Crown Estate farm had been done and more funding would be 

        available through commuted sums.

                                                                               

h)         Roadside banners/adverts  - The clerk had written to Russell Hume as requested at the 

last meeting and their banner hasd now been removed from the roundabout.

 

i)           Pavement parking – Market Hill  Cllr Helliwell informed the meeting about the problems

        caused by pavement parking, sometimes by large vehicles, particularly around four 

        properties at the top of the slope in Market Hill.  The clerk was asked to contact the police

        for advice and for possible action, such as a letter from the police to all residents

        reminding them of the law.                                                                          ACTION CLERK

 

j)     Celebration 16 Jan (MSA application death)   The cost of the wine for this event would

        be borne by the Chairman’s Allowance.   It had been purchased by the Clerk

        from Morrisons on a Sale or Return basis. 

 

 

12).          Planning (item 8 on original agenda)

 

 

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

Refurb&Extension agric bldgs DEFERRED FOR APPROVAL BY HEAD OF PLANNING

b)       Maltby – Indus. Unit east of Station House Milby  06/05071/COU

Change of Use from storage to motor vehicle repair 

PC did not object.   GRANTED

                     c)    Crown Estate – Treblesykes Farm  6.36.8.FUL   06/05553/FUL

                            Erection of agric. Grain store     GRANTED

     d)    Holliday 1 Burton Cottages Helperby (Humberton parish) 6.500.233.FUL

06/05361/FUL

Erection of rear extension to form annexe

The Council had NO OBJECTIONS

                      e)   Punch Taverns – Grantham Arms, Milby 6.57.25.B.FUL   06/06252/FUL

                            Alterations to porch, erection of raised decking and two parasols

                            The Council had NO OBJECTIONS

                    f)    Planning Enforcement case 06/00627/ADVERT

                            2 Directional signs – Farm Shop

                            HBC had received notification of a possible planning breach on 17 November and this 

                           had  been investigated by the Enforcement Officer with the result that the Farm Shop

                           had been asked to remove the signs.

                           

 

 

The meeting closed at 9.20pm   

 

NEXT MEETINGS  7.00pm  12 March,   14 May inc AGM,   16 July,   10 Sept,   12 Nov

 

                                                                                               

Martin Rae, Clerk, 17 January 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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