Crofton Parish Council
Minutes
of the Parish Council meeting held on
Tuesday
21st October 2003 in The High School at 7.00 pm.
Present: Councillors: Mrs G Towns, Mrs W Wrigg, T B Chalkley, J
R Hewitt, G P Jackson, P Jacques, A Ripley
&
J Voros
Residents: Mrs P Baines, Mrs R Salt, Mr M Binns,
Mr
H Shaw & Mr G Schofield
West
Yorkshire Police Inspector
Middleton
The
Clerk: J F Shillitoe
Apologies: Councillors: S Bennett, S Duffy, D Marshall,
G
Scargill & Pc P McMahon
The Chairman, Cllr A Ripley
presided over the meeting.
03/161 West
Yorkshire Police
The clerk presented the Police report for September. A total of sixteen crimes, ten of which were burglaries, five dwellings, (a male has been arrested in connection with some of these) and five others (two males having been arrested in connection with these)
Several motorists have been
issued with tickets for speeding and not wearing seat belts
Checks for speeding offences
and illegal parking have been made in Churchfields.
.
Residents again raised the
issue of off road motorcycles and reported that scrambling bikes were being
driven along the High Street at speed using the calming measures as an obstacle
course. Other areas were off roading is prevalent are Hare Park Sidings, Priory
Ridge, Towers Close and land to the rear of Towers Close.
It was agreed that the Police
prioritise this issue and that a leaflet be circulated, detailing the fate of
offenders and their motorcycles.
Cllr Ripley asked the clerk to
contact Highways to ascertain the results of the recent Golden River survey of
Slack Lane and High Street.
The priorities for
October/November to be:
Foot Patrol – As required,
concentrating on the village centre, Post Office closing, Crofton High School,
Crofton Infants, Royal Oak etc.
Monitor the Parish Cemetery.
Discourage illegal use of
motorcycles at Priory Ridge, Towers Close and adjacent land, High Street and
Hare Park Sidings.
Monitor use of seat adjacent 11
Santingley Lane.
Monitor the area adjacent to
the Pavilion on Hare Park Sidings
The chairman thanked Ins
Middleton for his attendance.
03/162 Public
Participation Session
1. Drama Hall
Residents expressed
great concern over the demolition of the Drama Hall, a 17th Century
building situated in the centre of the village with great historical relevance.
Cllr Towns asked
why councillors weren’t informed and consulted over the future of the building,
especially as she had asked on three occasions whether the Hall was to be
demolished and had been told that it wasn’t.
The clerk replied
that he was of the opinion that only the Youth Centre was to be demolished as
only the Youth Centre was mentioned in the planning application.
Cllr Ripley added
to this by stating that he had spoken to the LEA once scaffolding had been erected
to ascertain what was to happen. He had
been informed that the Drama Hall had to come down due to it been in bad repair
and containing asbestos.
Cllr Towns asked
that the council’s disappointment be minuted, the centre of the village was now
faceless with no character through the LEA taking the easy route rather than
refurbishing a building, which should have been preserved.
Cllrs Jackson and
Ripley whilst totally agreeing with Cllr Towns sentiment explained that the
building was the property of the LEA over which the Parish Council has no
jurisdiction. The building will be replaced with a new youth centre, which will
serve the community as a whole.
It was agreed that
the clerk write to the authority, asking for a detailed explanation as to why the
building was demolished rather than restored.
2. Post Box - High
Street Post Office.
Mrs Baines reported that the Post
Box appears to have been nudged by a delivery vehicle, as it has a serious lean
and the hand standing around it was severely cracked.
The clerk to
contact Royal Mail.
03/163 Declaration
of Interests in Items on the Agenda
No declarations were made.
03/164 Minutes
It was agreed that after minor
amendment the minutes of the meeting held on 16th September be
signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
03/165 Matters
Arising
1. Wakefield Express
Cllr Jackson stated that he had never issued press statements as such, what used to happen is that reporters would contact him for an official comment, which he would only supply if the Parish Council had agreed a line to take.
Cllr Jackson added that he had decided that he was no longer willing to continue with this role, which would more appropriately be handled by either the Chairman or the clerk.
Cllr Jackson was thanked for filling this role over the years.
Cllrs agreed that in future any contact from the press be directed towards the chairman and clerk.
2. Resignation
of Councillor
The clerk reported that he was still not in a position to advise whether the vacancy can be filled by co-option or whether there would need to be an election. This information will be available for the next meeting.
The clerk also reported the Cllr Scargill has advised that he is to resign from council at the November meeting.
Cllrs were asked to consider taking on the roles of Parish Cemetery and Parish Centre convenor to be vacated by Cllr Scargill.
03/166 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.
03/167 Community
Facilities - Convenors Report
1. Parish Centre
The clerk reported that a
window had been broken at the centre, which had been boarded up awaiting
repair.
2. Village Centre
Cllr Chalkley reported that the
area was in need of tidying and litter picking.
It was agreed that the clerk
contacts the Neighbourhood Action Team.
03/168 Allotments
- Convenors Report
Cllr Voros reported
that early indications suggested that three or four allotments would be vacated
at the end of the year.
03/169 Parish
Cemetery - Convenors Report
The clerk reported that Mrs
Waite had made contact to inform council that the beck area was still littered
with rubbish. The clerk therefore had made contact with T & D who informed
him that they had removed all the grass cuttings placed at the bottom of the
cemetery. The remaining litter appears to have been dumped by local residents.
It was agreed that councillors
meet on site, Saturday 25 October at 10.00 am to investigate the matter.
The clerk asked that
councillors carry out a risk assessment of the Parish Cemetery during their
site meeting, recording their findings as a formal records needs to be kept.
Cllr Chalkley volunteered to take the lead on this; he also agreed to carry out
an assessment of the Pavilion.
03/170 Special
Services - Convenors Report
1. Gemma Storey
The clerk asked
councillors to ratify the decision taken at last months meeting to award Gemma
a grant of £100, to be made under s137.
The decision was
ratified accordingly.
2. Friends of
Crofton Infants School – Story Sacks
The clerk presented a request for financial assistance towards the cost of updating the stock of story sacks.
Concern was raised
over expenditure by the friends of £200 on Public Liability Insurance the
consensus being that this cost need not arise if the school administered the
Story sacks. The system would then be
self-financing as planned.
The clerk to
contact the friends for more details.
03/171 Moorhouse
Opencast Liaison Committee
Cllr Ripley explained that
there was a problem with water escaping from ponds at the site. The
biodiversity group and the site manager were monitoring the problem, looking
for an explanation as to why. The tanks
were being topped up and water levels monitored over 5-day periods.
Cllr Ripley added that Mr
Bolton the site manager wished councillors to know that he was more than happy
to attend any council meeting to address questions surrounding operation of the
site.
Cllr Chalkley asked how and
when Crofton Juniors would receive the £1000 awarded to them from the Opencast
Community Fund.
By cheque in the very near
future was the answer, however Cllr Ripley agreed to follow up the matter to
ensure that everything was in order.
03/172 Old
Library Site
Cllr Jacques asked if all the
works have now been completed.
It was agreed that Cllr Bennett
be asked to look into the matter.
03/173 Planning
1. Land at Doncaster
Road.
Cllr Ripley
informed members that the Planning Enforcement officers were to look into the
activities at this site.
2. Crofton Triangle
The clerk reported that a
company operating as Glassmead Ltd had approached him, (copies of which have
been circulated to all members) seeking to attend a future council meeting in
order to present plans for developing the Triangle site.
Their plans broadly include the
transformation of the triangle into an area of community use whilst developing
the adjacent land.
The clerk was instructed to
inform Glassmead that council did not wish to meet with them and would use the
planning process to comment on any formal application Glassmead wished to
submit.
4. Property extension – 30
Springhill Avenue
The clerk was asked to request planners look at the development at 30 Springhill Avenue, as the new height of this building appears to be outside that permitted under the planning approval.
5. Other matters
All other applications received
during the period were found to be acceptable.
03/174 Financial
Matters
a. Accounts
The following accounts were
submitted and approved for payment.
£
Ms Reid 53.20
Mrs Hardwick 276.64
Mr Joyce 46.30
Mr Taylor 204.00
Mayfair Security 33.78
Wakefield MDC 305.00
PHS Group 166.29
PWLB 2,726.75
West Yorkshire Police 2,000.00
b. Internal Audit Report
The clerk presented
the audit report to councillors, stating that the accounts had been signed off
and forwarded to the external auditors.
Recommendations in the report included, minutes to be signed off, VAT
records to be completed, management of Risks, half yearly balance sheet and an
annual review of charges.
Councillors noted
the contents of the report.
c. Members
Allowances.
The clerk informed
members that due to changes in legislation councils wishing to pay members
allowances and expenses must first have the agreement of a remuneration panel,
which will set the levels to which payments can be made.
Panels need to be
established and allowances agreed before the 31 December 2003. The Independent
Remuneration Panel is to be set up by Wakefield MDC who as yet have not agreed
allowances for their own members.
The clerk will keep
members informed of progress.
03/175 Correspondence
1. Wakefield District
Community Safety Partnership
Letter received
outlining a nuisance problem and requesting details of the owners of a seat
adjacent to 11 Santingley Lane.
It was agreed that
the clerk reply informing the CSP that the Parish Council are responsible for
the seat which whilst they are not prepared to remove will instruct safe scheme
officers to keep an eye on the situation.
2. Craig Hunter –
Cemetery Fence.
Mr Hunter had
contacted the clerk again asking when remedial work would be carried out on the
fence as advised in June.
The clerk to
contact Mr Joyce.
3. Other
Correspondance.
Wakefield MDC - Minutes
-
Area Panel Meeting, 16 October 2003
Wakefield District CSP - Anti Social Behaviour Strategy
Wakefield District EAF - Horizons
Eastern Wakefield NHS - Annual Report
Crofton Play Area Ass - Letter of thanks
Crofton Community Centre - Agenda and minutes.
Normanton Police Forum - Minutes
03/176 Parish
Matters
1. Graffiti – Hare
Park Lane.
Cllr Hewitt
reported that the Neighbourhood Action Team had visited Hare Park Lane but made
no attempt to clear the graffiti.
He had therefore
contact cleansing services, who after several calls had committed to carry out
the work this week, w/c 20 October.
2. Street Cleansing
– High Street
The clerk was asked
to contact street cleansing asking that a road sweeper visit the High Street.
3. Village Signs
Cllrs commented on
how impressive the signs Walton Parish have erected alongside the approach
roads were.
The clerk was
tasked with contact Paul Taylor, Clerk to Walton to ascertain details of costs,
planning requirements etc.
03/177 Date
of next Meeting
Tuesday 18 November 2003.
03/178 Matters
Discussed in Private
1. Friends of Crofton
Infants School
Minuted at 03/170/2
Chairman 18th
November 2003.