Crofton Parish Council
Minutes
of the Parish Council meeting held on
Tuesday
16th March 2004 in The High School at 7.00 pm.
Present: Councillors: Mrs K Duffy, Mrs G Towns, Mrs W Wrigg,
S
Bennett, T B Chalkley, S Duffy,
J
R Hewitt, G P Jackson, P Jacques,
G
Makin, A Ripley & J Voros
Residents: Mrs Baines, Mrs Brown, Mrs Salt,
Mr
B Cook, Mr G Schofield, Mr B Murphy,
Mr
B Smith & Mr Wood
All
Saints Rev A Jordan
Wakefield
MDC Joanne Posonby & Cllr A
Manifield
West
Yorkshire Police Pc P McMahon
The
Clerk: J F Shillitoe
Apologies: Councillors: D Marshall
The Chairman Cllr A Ripley
presided over the meeting.
04/046 West
Yorkshire Police
The February Police report had been circulated to members; Pc McMahon therefore asked if there were any questions. No questions were raised.
Joanne Posonby presented three alternative stickers for attachment to wheelie bins, the cost of these would be £170 for 100 or £360 for 1000 and would include the Parish Council, MDC and West Yorkshire Police logos.
Cllr agreed upon a design and requested that Joanne order 1000 stickers enough to supply an initial 500 households, these to be in the Shay Lane, Slack Lane area of the parish.
Joanne agreed that this would be an excellent start and as Crofton was the first Parish Council to embark on such a scheme, local media would be interested in publicising it. Joanne suggested that the scheme be launched on a Saturday morning for which she would make the necessary arrangements.
This was agreed.
Mr Cook reported that on Friday 12th March a group of 15/20 youth were fighting in the road adjacent to the Working Men’s Club in Slack Lane, the majority of them were drunk some possibly on drugs. Practically all were students of the High School of which 50% were from outside Crofton and unfortunately probably 50% lacked any parental control.
Mr Cook asked if the Police couldn’t arrest the culprits under the new unsociable behaviour legislation.
Parents would then be forced to take notice.
Pc McMahon explained that whilst the theory was good, in practice, police officers need to witness the unsociable behaviour before arrests can be made.
Mrs Brown reported that the behaviour of youths in the vicinity of Rectory Crescent is intolerable; in fact she has had to vacant a room moving into a quieter part of her home to avoid the disturbance. Police Officers don’t improve matters, pulling up at the Passengers Shelter in a traffic car demonstrating the use of the siren and flashing lights whilst half the youths are ditching their alcohol and drugs over the fence into resident’s gardens. Mrs Brown handed a large knife she had found in her garden to Pc McMahon.
Pc McMahon explained that he personally works every Friday evening, moving youths on, taken youths home to parents, confiscating alcohol but unfortunately the police can’t be in attendance 24/7.
Cllr S Duffy asked if it was not possible to arrange surveillance of the troublemakers, videoing there actions for possible law enforcement. Pc McMahon explained that for the police to carry out such action presented a situation which was fraught with legal difficulties tantamount to an infringement of human rights.
Reverend Jordan thanked the Police for their efforts at the cemetery; officers had put in a lot of work. Youths had been taken home and spoken to in front of their parents. The response of parents varying , some being very supportive, whilst others obviously don’t care.
It was agreed that the clerk write to Inspector Heppenstall, highlighting the concerns of the council seeking assurances that action will be taken to improve matters.
The priorities for March to
be:
Foot Patrol – As required,
concentrating on the village centre, Crofton Library (Friday 6.30 to 7.00 pm.),
Crofton High School, Crofton Infants, Royal Oak along with any other areas
(Rectory Crescent) brought to the attention of the safe scheme officers.
Monitor the Parish Cemetery.
Discourage illegal use of
motorcycles at Priory Ridge, Towers Close and adjacent land, High Street and
Hare Park Sidings.
Address problem with youths in
the vicinity of Rectory Crescent
Monitor the area adjacent to
the Pavilion on Hare Park Sidings.
04/047 Public
Participation Session
1. Mini Roundabout –
Cock Lane/The Avenue
Residents reported that the
road markings depicting the mini roundabout are in need of attention.
The clerk to report.
2. Footpath – Birkwood
Farm to Doncaster Road
The clerk to report to the
countryside unit, that pedestrians are unable to use this footpath, due to the
landowner ploughing the area adjacent to it.
3. Gable Wall –
Pharmacy.
The clerk to ascertain if the
developer of the site adjacent to the pharmacy intends to render the new gable
wall.
04/048 Declaration
of Interests in Items on the Agenda
No declarations were made.
04/049 Minutes
It was agreed that the minutes
of the meetings held on 17th February 2004 be signed by the Chairman
as a correct record.
04/050 Matters
Arising
1. Traffic Calming.
Cllr Ripley reported that he along with Cllr Marshall attended a meeting at Newton Bar with Highways Officers to discuss whether or not the traffic calming measures throughout the centre of the village are producing the desired effect.
Whilst it was agreed that the average speed of traffic had reduced slightly residents have shown concerns that motorists were now shortcutting through the Ashdene Estate to avoid the calming measures.
It was therefore agreed that further surveys be carried out to monitor the traffic flow through Ashdene from The Avenue/Cock Lane to Slack Lane, and the speed of traffic in the vicinity of the schools.
Once the results of these surveys were known a further meeting with Highways would be held.
2. TRANCO
– Springhill Avenue
Cllr Bennett passed details of TRANSCOs contractors to the clerk.
The clerk to ascertain the extent of the work planned.
3. Youth
Services
It was reported that no formal planning application for the new youth centre had yet been submitted.
4. Passenger
Shelter – Rectory Crescent
It was agreed that METRO be asked not to replace the brick shelter with a polycarbonate one as planned, but to simply remove the seating instead.
04/051 Matters to be discussed in Private
It was proposed, seconded and
agreed that the public and the press be excluded during discussions involving
staffing and the financial status of outside organisations.
04/052 Community
Facilities - Convenors Report
1. Parish Centre
It was reported that Paul Kelly
had visited the centre and carried out repairs to the roof.
The clerk to seek quotation’s for
a new roof.
2. Village Centre
Cllr Ripley reported that
Moorhouse Opencast Forum have approved a further grant of £1,000 for the
Village Association, towards improvements to the access road.
04/053 Allotments
- Convenors Report
The clerk reported
that only two rents were still outstanding and that two allotments at Hare Park
were now vacant.
Mr Smith presented
a retrospective application to erect fencing and a gate on the site at the rear
of 21 Pontefract Road
There was a lengthy
at times heated discussion on this issue and the general use of the Pontefract
Road site. Both Mr Smith and Mrs Salt were given the opportunity to put forward
their point of view.
In conclusion Mr
Smith was refused permission to erect the fence and gate and asked to remove
them forthwith, Mr Smith was remaindered that the only vehicular access to the
site was via Doncaster Road and no others should be used.
The chairman asked
that now these matters had been addressed could everybody involved try to be
good neighbours.
04/054 Parish
Cemetery - Convenors Report
Cllr Ripley reported that he
had met with the district tree preservation officer to discuss removing some of
the smaller trees which are growing too near the perimeter fencing. Trees had been identified and marked accordingly
for T & D Contractors to remove.
Rev Jordan asked if the
Hawthorn Tree adjacent to the footpath half way down could be trimmed.
The clerk agreed to report the
matter to Wakefield MDC.
04/055 Special
Services - Convenors Report
No matters to report this
month.
04/056 Cleansing
Cllr Ripley reported that a
group of councillors had met with John Skidmore and Martin Womersley. The
meeting was extremely useful and a plan of action was agreed, Cllr Jacques
agreed to act as the point of contact.
Cllr Jackson asked why the
Chief Executive(CE) had not attended when requested to do so.
Cllr Ripley explained that the
CE had delegated responsibility to his Chief Officer, John Skidmore, with whom
Cllr Ripley had agreed to meet. As a result of the meeting improvements have
already been made, should the situation lapse the CE would be called to
account.
It was agreed that the clerk
write to the CE thanking him for his input.
04/057 Village Signage
The
clerk presented details of highways plans for replacement signage throughout
the village.
The
one amendment these plans were agreed. The clerk to inform highways
accordingly.
04/058 Moorhouse
Opencast Liaison Committee
Nothing further to report
04/059 Old
Library Site
Nothing further to report.
04/060 Planning
All applications received during the period were found to be acceptable.
04/061 Financial
Matters
The following accounts were
submitted and approved for payment.
£
March
Ms Reid 53.20
Mrs Hardwick 276.64
T & D Contractors 2,778.88
Wakefield MDC 3,147.86 (Priory Centre)
10.00 (Oak Street Lease)
PHS Group 141.92
April
Zurich Municipal 3,172.10
First Impressions 3,420.00
04/062 Correspondence
Wakefield MDC - Minutes
-
Area Panel Agenda
-
Community Assembly
-
Register of Interests
-
Horizons
Wakefield District Partnership - Engagement
Framework
YRCC - Village of the
Year Competition
-
Community Halls Conference
YLCA - White Rose
Update.
-
Wakefield Branch Minutes
-
Quality Parish Councils
ODPM - Consultation paper
Post Office -
Branch Closures
Crofton Community Centre - Agenda and Minutes
04/063 Parish
Matters
1. Stocks
Lane/Harrison Road.
The clerk to report to the
appropriate authority that drainage water is running from the property adjacent
to stocks lane, across the
pavement and onto Harrison Road.
04/064 Date
of next Meeting
Tuesday 20 April 2004.
04/065 Matters
Discussed in Private
None discussed
Chairman 20th
April 2004