PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES NOVEMBER 2004
WOLSINGHAM PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD
TUESDAY 9TH NOVEMBER 2004
AT 7.00PM IN THE TOWN HALL
PRESENT: Chair J. Anderson, Vice Chair D.C. Pattinson, Councillors, Gardiner, Thompson K. Charlton
K. Rogers , Mrs. V. M. Welsh, Mrs E. Ridley, M. Bell, V.Shuttleworth, Mrs. C. Gatenby
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2. POLICE REPORT
Sgt. Donnelly attended the meeting and gave the police report, in doing so , apologising for the non attendance of the police at the October meeting. A letter of explanation and apology was also received from acting Inspector Dave Ashton. The crime figures for October , there were 15 crimes 1 burglary, 5 burglary other, 1 assault, 5 damage and 3 theft, of the 52 incidents 10 were youth related. Mainly , from the Wesley View area.Sgt. Donnelly asked that everyone be more vigilant in the darker months , particularly with theft from property, light timers are available for the elderly should they wish to have one from the neighbourhood watch team. The response time to the incident at the Black Bull over show weekend was due to the officers returning to base for a break and another incident at the show ground. Following the incident of a bolting horse through the Market Place on show weekend there was a possibility that the C.P.S. would not be pressing charges and more likely there would be civil proceedings instigated. For information the Chairman and Clerk were attending a meeting with the Wear Valley Safety Advisory Group , concerning the Fair and the incident involving the horse , Wednesday 10th November, and would report back to the next meeting. A car was parking at West End blocking the footpath was reported to the police and the more general parking on footpaths throughout the Town.
3. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING HELD 12th October 2004
Signed as a true record.
4. MATTERS ARISING
Durham Constabulary, reply to non attendance Parish Council Meeting and Neighbourhood Watch. Reply noted.
5. CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
1) Office of The Deputy Prime Minister, New Ethical Framework Regulations, noted.
2) Police Community Consultative Group 4th November , Howden le Wear, D.C. Pattiuson attended and gave a report.
3) Weardale Community Office, Thanks J. Anderson , presentation to Council.To be invited to next meeting.
4) Planning Aid North, passed to Parish Plan chairman K. Rogers for information.
5) Forestry Commission, Hamsterley & Black Banks Forest Design Plan Revisions, Chairman and Clerk to attend.
6) Wear Valley Community Network, & Local Strategic Partnership, community conference 20th November , Bp. Auckland College.Noted
7) Durham Assoc. Parish & Town Councils, 57th A.G.M. 27th November at County Hall
8) Mineral Valleys project , newsletter, passed to Mrs. E.S. Ridley.
9) Durham County Libraries, thanks for donation.
10) The Chairman read a letter from Mrs. Howe concerning the proposed sale of Windy Nook, the proposal to extend car parking at the Demesne Mill, as she thought the proposals were not in the best interests of the Parish.
11) The Chairman had received a letter from the Chairman of the Weardale Task Force , advising of the delay in the geo thermal drilling and would report back in the New Year.
6. YOUTH FACILITIES
7. RECREATION GROUND
1) The Play Creative contractor, Ross Bulmer had been contacted regarding repairs to the play equipment, the Parish Council to have the repairs carried out and to recharge Play Creative.
2) As the sale of the redundant pavilion was imminent the Clerk advised the meeting two 20’ containers would arrive on site Monday 15th November , one for the bowls club/other for the football academy.
3) Youths were using the recreation ground after dark, and one motor vehicle was seen to hit the fence, proposed and seconded that the gates be locked after dark, and opened at dusk, keys and signs to be purchased and rota devised for opening and closing. B. Thompson to action
4) The recreation ground toilets were being used by drug users, broken alcohol bottles, there was no running hot water , which meant they did not meet E.U. standards, to be reported to Wear Valley D.C.
5) The dog bins near to the allotment were not being emptied regularly, report to Wear Valley.D.C.
6) The grass at the periphery of the recreation ground was becoming untidy, request that this be attended to, also the walk to West End via the recreation ground was being obstructed by the overgrown hawthorn trees, B. Thompson to action.
8. BOWLING GREEN
9. ALLOTMENTS
A letter of complaint had been received from an allotment holder, concerning pilfering, all allotment holders to be written to advising them of the compliant and for the practice to cease immediately.
The rabbit trap was still pending.
10. TOWN HALL/MARKET PLACE
1. A waste bin outside 18 Market Place , Mr. Smith, was requested to be moved a metre as the current position was obstructing parking and access to the residents garage. B. Thompson to speak to Durham C.C. , John Hodges .
2. The area of the Market Place in front of the Baptist Chapel which was planned to be repaired was being delayed by a property owner who claimed rights over the land, these rights were not being challenged all the authority’s wanted to do was to improve the Market. A progress report was awaited.
3. A local resident has requested a meeting with the Parish Council regards having a Christmas Market 2005, the applicant has previously been involved in the Masham Christmas Market. To be invited to a future meeting for discussions.
4. Recent disability improvement work has been carried out at Barclay’s Bank, the pavement needed raising to meet the standards required , but no application had been seen for the glass fronted door . as the area was a designated conservation area, should planning permission have been sought ? Clerk to write to Wear Valley D.C.
11. ANGATE STREET TOILETS
12. FOOTPATHS
Footpath 126 Public Path Diversion Order 2004 received , any observations to be reported to Durham C. C. The Parish Council were not happy with the diversion as it stands as there have been no works carried out to the proposed diverted route and it was a danger to the public. Therefore no diversion could be agreed to unless the surface and line of the new footpath met the Parish Council’s satisfaction.
There was reported to be rubbish in the Waskerley beck between South Bridge and Waskerley Bridge , report to Wear Valley D. C.
13. NEWSLETTER
14. CLERKS BUSINESS Clr. Shuttleworth to action
15. PLANNING
15.1 The following applications have been approved
1) Replacement UPVC Windows 10 Demesne Court,
15.2 The following applications have been received:
1) Occasional Quad Bike Track, Coves House Farm, no objection
2) Replacement windows, 50 Front street, no objection
3) Outline application, two dwellings, land to the West of Elm Park Terrace, Tow Law, no objection
4) Conversion of former farm house, Linnew Farm, to disabled holiday let.No objection
5) To form two Dwellings , High Doctor Pasture , site visit to be arranged Thursday 11th November.
6) Addition of garage / conservatory Demesne Cottage, Rectory Lane , no objection.
15.3 The following applications have been refused
Change of use of ground floor café premises for domestic, residential Café Poco
Fell & remove three larch trees a2 Holywood Hall
16. FINANCE
1. Minutes of meeting held 2nd November 2004, agreed and signed as a true record.
2. Monthly reports circulated and accepted.
3. The Parish Precept was agreed at £20,940 . The increase due to the Community building forecast running costs, and a contingency for the Demesne Mill
4. As Windy Nook was not being used as a picnic site it was agreed to ask Durham C.C. to surrender the lease as they are in breach of the covenant, or to re-open the site as a picnic site.
5. The notice for sale of Windy Nook to be erected, agreed.
6. The United Charities of the Ancient Parish of Wolsingham were in the process of winding up the charity and an additional field had been identified and an offer to purchase had been made.
7. Three tenders had been received for the erection of a new Community building, the envelopes were marked A,B & C. and passed around the table for opening. One tender was far in excess of the other two and was discounted. The other two were very keenly priced and no decision could be made, agreed to invite the architect to a meeting to be held Friday 12th November 10.00 am. To seek more advice before reaching a decision.
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