FELTON PARISH COUNCIL

Transcription

1 At the meeting of the Parish Council at Felton Village Hall on Monday 3 November Present: Cllrs E Blagburn, M Clark, B Dickson, B Forster, T Hood, J Marsden, S Walton and M Watson. County Councillor Thorne The Parish in attendance Mrs L Hamlin 80 Apologies for Absence Cllr L Lawley 81 Declaration of interest on items on the agenda Cllr Dickson Planning Application 13/01521/RENE, Cllr Walton Planning Application 14/00488/VARYCO. 82 The minutes of the meeting on 29 September 2014 were signed as a true record. Cllr Blagburn stated she had not received a copy of the minutes to forward again. 83 Public Questions and Police Report Mr Jack requested an update as to the situation with regard to the vibrations and banging he is experiencing at his property on Dene Close. Cllrs Hood and Walton and CC Thorne raised this with NCC at the recent forum and the has been in contact to request NCC come out and investigate the road structure. Cllr Hood stated there have always been vibrations through the village and Mr Jack understands this however the banging/thudding noise he is experiencing is the main area of concern and this has not always been present it has just started happening this year. Mr Jack also stated he had contacted the original developers for information on the original construction but they had no information. Mrs Monaghan attended the meeting to ask if the Councillors had any questions for her in relation to the planning application submitted for 20 houses on Leamington Lane (14/03340/FUL). No questions were raised and the confirmed the application comments had been returned at this meeting and they would be collated and put on the planning portal this week. Mr Lewis approached the Parish Council with the proposal of setting up a team of volunteers to transport people to hospital etc. for those residents who are unable to drive. He is looking at ideas to promote this and initially start this for Felton residents but longer term to include Thirston and Swarland residents as the local transport system does not allow easy access to local hospitals. The Councillors stated there are a number of organizations who currently undertaken such a service and further investigation should be taken to find out what is available so as not to duplicate services. Cllr Hood informed Mr Lewis that there is a Carers Northumberland meeting taking place on Thursday who has connections with health groups who assist with transport and this could be a first step to finding out what is currently available. Cllr Marsden stated he would put Mr Lewis in touch with Northumbria Trust if he forwards his contact details to the. 84 Matters Arising therefrom: a. Permission for Riverside Works This work has now been given the permitted certificate to undertake the removing of tree branches, willow in the river and resiting of soil. b. St Michaels Church Footpath NCC has confirmed that this work will be taking place in the near future. c. Lights on All Weather Court The mound beside the all weather court had to be partly removed to enable access for the cherry picker. This works was completed last week and the lights should be all fitted by the middle of this week. d. Repair to kerb stone on the bridge Work has started on the repairs to this kerb stone. e. H bars in Felton Davison Avenue H bar has still not been amended, to pursue with NCC. The other H bar which has been extended is to remain like this. f. Parking Issue in South Lane This issue has again been raised with the police as a resident is now parking completely on the footpath and not allowing access along the pathways for residents. The police are investigating. g. Tree overgrowing Play Area Mr Thompson is seeking quotes to have this work undertaken. h. Tree branches outside Park View The has raised this again with NCC and will pursue. i. Speed Tubes A map has been received for the to indicate where the tubes should be placed. It was agreed they should be sited as close to the Village Hall area as possible. j. Springfield issues with building works Complaints have been received again about the parking in relation to this development including workmen blocking in a resident who had to ask 1

2 them to move their cars as they were parked too close to allow the resident to remove their vehicle. This has been reported to NCC who is currently investigating a number of issues in relation to this site. k. Signage advertising business in the village letters have been sent to The Gallery re their signage on the bridge and the Glass Studio re their signage on the entrances to the villages, requesting they remove their signs as no planning permission has been issued for either signs. Cllr Marsden reported that the banner has come off the bridge and is lying on the ground below the bridge and needs rescuing. to inform The Gallery. l. Sign post at Riverside pursuing NCC for the replacement of these posts. 85 Report by County Councillor and other meetings CC Thorne stated the NCC administration is pushing hard for the County Hall move to Ashington. He attended the Scrutiny Committee Meeting where this was discussed and there is not a sound business case for it, also issues were raised in relation to access to Ashington should it move there. Cllr Marsden asked if the budget has been discussed. CC Thorne stated that budget discussions had started and there are still heavy cuts to be made. This makes it more apparent that a move of County Hall is not practical. Cllr Marsden asked if there has been any feedback following the introduction of the parking discs and whether there have been any figures in relation to enforcement action. CC Thorne reported that it is working fairly well, people are adhering to the disk policy and it is encouraging local shopping. There is no feedback as yet in relation to enforcement figures. Cllr Hood stated there are issues in Alnwick with workers parking in the centre and not leaving spaces for shoppers and visitors. Joint NCC/PC Meeting Cllrs Hood and Walton attended and stated it was a good meeting. They raised issues of road sweeping and requested a walk around of the village. They also raised concerns in relation to the planning process and the lack of notice being taken in relation to PCs responses to applications. An interesting point was that there are 8200 names on the housing list however 50% of these are appropriately housed. CC Thorne stated that in Longframlington 25 proposed new one and two bedrooms houses had raised concerns with residents as to who would benefit from them. NCC has ensured that they are for locals, to keep younger residents within the village. Recreation Field Group - The Recreation Field meeting was held. Issues with the play area equipment are being dealt with. The mound by the All Weather Court has had to be partly removed to give access to the cherry picker to fix the lights and the question was raised whether this should be completely removed to aid with grass cutting. An was sent to all rec group members and Parish Councillors a discussion surrounding the mounds removal took place and it was agreed to retain the remaining mounded area. A contractor raised the issue of the soil in the corner of the rec field and whether he could level this out. The Councillors agreed that this needs to be filtered and the to pursue this work. Cllr Clark reported that the goal post cross bars had been rescued from the Youth Club along with the hose pipes and some tables. There are other items in here which could be removed and sold/used by others in the community, including some pool tables. 86 Services: Strimming issue at West View this has been reported to NCC, no response has been received and the work has not been undertaken. to once again pursue this with NCC. Tubs around the village have been tidied up by the Felton in Bloom volunteers. The is to arrange a walk around the village with Bill Pringle to address the outstanding issues. It was agreed that Cllr Walton should also attend this if possible. 87 Planning: To report on any planning decisions: 14/02302/VARYCO - Stable Cottage - COU of stables from personal to mixed livery - APPROVED 14/02571/LBC - St Marys Church - garage/outbuildings and heat pump changes APPROVED 14/02570/FUL - St Marys Church - garage/outbuildings and heat pump changes APPROVED 14/02773/PRUTPO - St Michaels & All Angels - Tree works requested by NCC - APPROVED Planning applications pending: 13/01521/RENE Siting of 50m meterorological mast for further 12 months No Objections 2

3 14/00488/VARYCO - 5 Low Close - Variation of cond 2 re 12/01706/FUL in relation to approving building plans could not make suitable comment as paperwork not in order. This application is due to heard at the Area Planning Meeting this week with the officers recommendation for approval. 14/02073/FUL - Land north 11&13 Coquet Vale - resubmission two storey dwelling 14/02272/FUL - Felton Park Lodge - Change to existing plans Objections Submitted 14/02408/LBC - Felton Park Lodge - Change to existing plans Objections Submitted 14/02923/LBC - Acton Hall - construct porch to west gable of house no objections 14/03340/FUL - Leamington Lane - Construct 20 new houses on circulation 14/03211/LBC - Back Burn Bridge Repairs on circulation The reminded the Councillors that planning application comments should also be circulated to all Councillors and the. 88 Environment: a) Sewage Outfall in Coquet Vale No issues to report. b) Property Terrier and Risk Assessment None c) Condition of Properties Cllr Clark asked who owns the Charlie Dick seat. Cllr Hood stated this was gifted to the residents and it is currently being repaired. 89 Requested Agenda Items: Welcome Booklet The has updated the booklet and circulated to the Councillors for them to add/remove or change items. Allotments in Mouldshaugh Lane The has received a phone call raising concerns about one allotment holder looking through her window and the same holder spending most days and late into the evening on the allotments, when it is dark as he is using a torch to see where he is going. She feels intimated by this holder. She also has not been through her gate to her garage for months due to this feeling of intimidation. This resident called out Simon Crossthwaite of Homes for Northumberland on this issue. The has spoken with Mr Crossthwaite where two issues raised the first being the rumour that 6 foot high fencing was to be installed between the houses and the allotments. The confirmed that the Parish Council is not installing any fencing. Secondly the issue with access rights through the gates. The stated that gates had been installed for the building works and these had been causing some issues, Homes for Northumberland stated some of the gates had been in place for a number of years and raised the issue of access rights. The stated there was no right of way across the allotments however the allotment holders did not see access as an issue as long as the residents did not damage the allotments and not many residents used the gates. Mr Crossthwaite agreed to monitor the situation with the resident and keep in touch with the Parish Council should there be continued issues. The stated she has been having problems sourcing a no swearing sign and it was agreed a laminated A4 notice to pin on the shed would be sufficient. to arrange. Felton and Thirston Youth Club The has received 5 direct s of support for retaining the Youth Club building stating the supporters would like to set up the Youth Club again, use this building for the junior football team and also for the scouting groups. As stated in the circulated to the Councillors three offers have been received on the building within four weeks of the building being placed on the open market. Ambition are pushing for a quick sale on these premises which does not allow for the Parish Council to put forward an offer as funding cannot be sourced in such a short space of time. The has written a letter of complaint to the Charity Commission with a copy to Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester who is the President of Ambition. It is hoped this will open up the issue of how this has been dealt with by Ambition and give the Parish Council the opportunity to see what measures can be taken to save this building for the community as at no time has Ambition approached the Parish Council to discuss the sale of this community asset. The issue of the water butts was also raised as these are linked to the building. The stated that she had thought guttering could be installed at the electric station and link to there however no action to be taken until the overall issue of the future of the building is resolved. Issues at Dene Close with vibrations covered above. Powergrid Dual Access to Recreation Field request Powergrid has requested that they can have dual access keys to the recreation field gate as they had to seek access recently due to a power supply issue and were unable to gain immediate access. They have stated they will purchase the required locks and supply the keys at their cost. The thought the electricity company already had key access here and this was agreed. to go back to the electricity company. Electricity Contract This is due for renewal in February. The has been contacted by Business Juice providing alternative quotes but as yet the has not received renewal quote for Scottish Power who will provide this in time for the December meeting. 3 ALL ALL

4 Change to Solicitor The Parish Council solicitor Bittermann & Wood no longer exists. Mr Alastair McDonald has moved to Hadaway and Hadaway and he has taken the Parish Councils documentation with him to this new practice. Neighbourhood Plan Thirston Parish Council asked the to raise the suggestion of working together to produce a neighbourhood plan. The Councillors thought this was a good idea and the to look at potential costs for this and where potential funding could be sourced. Cllr Hood stated NCC are looking to finance plans next year and to speak to Joanne Garrick at NCC for details. 90 Correspondence NCC Northumberland Local Plan Core Strategy the next stage of consultation is to take place between 12 December 2014 and 11 February NCC Ask@ mailbox will cease to exist from the end of October and all problems must be reported via the Councils website home page. Info to be put in The Bridge. NCC Northumberland Local Heroes - nominations have been requested for Local Hero s recognizing those who, by acts of neighbourliness in their communities, by caring for others or for thy place they live, making a positive contribution to their community. No closing date has been given for this to ask NCC if there is a closing date. ArchDigital Felton now has access to superfast broadband however not all residents are aware of the process of signing up to the new service. ArchDigital has proposed a drop in event to inform residents of how to sign up to superfast broadband, help people get on line and give ideas to businesses on how best to make use of superfast broadband. It was though a daytime session at the beginning of December would be useful for both Felton and Thirston residents. to investigate dates when Felton Village Hall is available and info to be put in The Bridge. Speeding request A resident has requested that the Parish Council seek to link with Longframlington PC in relation to their request for better use of the mobile speed camera van. The informed the resident that this would be in relation to the use of the speed camera van along the A697. The resident also requested that the Parish Council approach CC Thorne as it was stated in Longframlington s minutes that CC Thorne has some budget left for solar power speed signs. The has spoken with CC Thorne and all his budget has been used up, also Felton has already received a large amount recently from CC Thorne. The has however requested the police to undertake speed checks and also requested the speed tubes to be installed by NCC. Legacare donation request no donation to be made. Alnwick Playhouse donation request no donation to be made Oil Club information for heating oil this information has been received in the past however there are very few people in Felton on oil heating systems. to ask to be removed from their mailing list. Rotary Club of Amble and Warkworth an has been received stating that unfortunately due to lack of able bodied helpers, the Christmas Sleigh and Santa will not be visiting Felton in December. They apologise that Felton cannot be included in their programme but give a big thank you to the residents of Felton for all their support in the past. to inform residents via The Bridge Newsletter. Mid-Coquet Cluster Funds the stated there are funds sitting in the Mid-Coquet Cluster bank account that have not been accessed since 2012 and these should be distributed back to the Parish Councils involved. The Councillors agreed to this proposal. Parking Area on Recreation Lane by the Old Bank Garage Mrs Clarke has contacted the Parish Council to request that she undertake works on the parking area outside the garage to include the Parish Council part of the land which was not re-tarmaced. It was agreed that her proposals for cobbles of one colour were acceptable but an agreement to be put in place stating this parcel of land is still owned by the Parish Council. to arrange. s and Councils Direct For Circulation 4

5 91 Finance (a) Financial Summary was reviewed No questions were raised. Summary of accounts - Current account Deposit accounts 43, High Interest Account 20,000 (b) Payments - The following list was put before members and was approved: Payments for approval: K W Purvis Ltd (paid but no showing in account figures) 8, L Hamlin P Brown (Cemetery) P Brown (Play Area Gate) Royal British Legion Recreation Field Maintenance A Smith (Felton in Bloom) H Hood (War Memorial and Cemetery Tubs) (c) Receipts Income Received Thirston PC Rec Field not yet cleared (c) Internet Banking - Paperwork is being progressed for this by the relevant signatories. 92 Urgent Items The hedge by the vicarage needs cutting back. to pursue. Budget meeting to be held. to circulate dates to those Councillors involved. 93 Items for next agenda Budget Electricity Contract 94 Closed Session A resolution to exclude the public and the press was then agreed Chairman closed the meeting at 8.45pm Date of Next Meeting : Monday 1 December 2014 at 7pm in Felton Village Hall 5