MINUTES OF MEETING HELD TUESDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2003

WOLSINGHAM PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD
TUESDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2003
AT 7.00PM IN THE TOWN HALL

PRESENT: Chairman K. Charlton, Vice Chair J. Anderson, Councillors, Gardiner, Thompson, Rogers ,
Mrs. V. M. Welsh, Mrs E. Ridley, M. Bell, Pattinson, Shuttleworth, Mrs. C. L. Gatenby
The Chairman welcomed Catherine Gatenby to the meeting as ward councillor for Thornley and wished her well in her new role in representing Thornley on the Parish Council.

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
None
2. POLICE REPORT
P.C. Craggs attended the meeting and apologised for the non attendance at the September meeting. There had been 31 calls for September and only two crimes , 1 youth annoyance and 1 theft. It was pleasing to see such a low crime rate and was mirrored throughout the district.
There had been a reoccurrence of bogus callers in the area , albeit they had not gained access to any properties, as the message was getting through not to allow entry. A nominated neighbour scheme and cards were to be distributed where, cold callers would be asked to call back with a nominated neighbour before being interviewed.
3. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
Signed as a true record.
4. MATTERS ARISING
a) Wolsingham on The W.W.W. A website had been bought wolsingham.net at a cost of £10.85 p.a. A sub committee to be formed to maintain the website. K. Rogers, D. Pattison, Mrs.E.S.Ridley, Mrs. V. Welsh and V. Shuttleworth

b) A full hosting service would cost £10.45 per month, a new computer was advisable and various grants could be available to fund the purchase, and the service costs could be self financing by charging advertisers event organisers and businesses who used the site.

c) A Parish Plan steering group had been formed, with the next meeting on Wednesday 29th October in the Town Hall. The anticipated funding from the Countryside Agency may fall short of the initial £5000 as Wolsingham did not meet the criteria of the Indexes of Multiple Deprivation as other areas, also there had been no response from Wear Valley D.C. in having a planner attend the next meeting or meetings.
d) Wear Valley D.C. had agreed to finance the closed churchyard this financial year with a contribution from the community fund.
5. CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
a) The Local Channel , a new England wide network of community websites.
As the Parish Council were to create there own website this service was not required.
b) Boundary Wall/Fence Recreation ground, agreement to repairs on a 50/50 basis.
The Parish Council had agreed to repairs being carried out to the wall and were awaiting the builder to commence the work, however the remainder of the fence was not the responsibility of the Parish Council and could not be agreed to.
c) Durham County Council, Community Highways Worker, proposed partnership agreement with Wolsingham Parish Council for minor highways projects, grass verges, drains, sign cleaning. The Parish Council did not want to be part of a partnership as the present system of agency agreements worked quite well, and the cost to the Parish of £6000 - £7000 was prohibitive as the work proposed was being met in full by Durham C.C.

d) ISITFAIR, A campaign for the fair distribution of Government grants to local authorities. Petition left on the table for those who wanted to sign.

e) Durham Police Authority, Wear Valley Community Consultative Group Mtg. 16th Oct.
Councillor D. Pattison agreed to attend.
f) Campaign to Protect Rural England, A.G.M. Sunday 12th October, Durham Botanic Gardens

g) Durham C.C. Boundary Committee Review, of Local govt. in Co. Durham, Submission by Durham County Council

h) The owners of Pizza Paradise , in the Market Place had wrote objecting to the amount of food vans present at the Annual Fair , which had had a detrimental affect on their takings. As there had been no pizza vans present , it was argued that personal preference rather than direct competition, had resulted in the reduction of sales. However the Fun Fair operators to be asked to limit the number of mobile food units at future fairs, if this was feasible.

6. YOUTH FACILITIES
Miss Rebecca Lee had requested a meeting with the Parish Council to discuss the lack of youth facilities , to be invited to the Parish Plan and WRECASS meetings.
7. RECREATION GROUND

a) Toilets in Recreation Ground to be winter maintained By Wear Valley D.C.
b) The stones in the recreation field were again the subject of much criticism, after discussion agreed to leave until the proposed development at the recreation field is completed.
c) The drainage connection by Durham C.C. had been completed in the children’s play area , but the reinstatement work of the grassed areas was not to the satisfaction of the Parish Council, D.C.C. to be informed to rectify the situation.

8. BOWLING GREEN

9. ALLOTMENTS
The trial of the herbicide to eradicate the “mares tail “ appeared to have been successful, the whole site had been strimmed and when new shoots appeared in the spring the site to be treated again, agreed not to let in 2004.
Some allotments were not being adequately cultivated , a list to be given to the clerk and tenants to be informed of the conditions for letting and sites re let if not brought up to standard.
10. TOWN HALL/MARKET PLACE
As the stone bus shelter had been removed , Durham C.C. to be asked to re position the seat as promised. A branch had been torn off one of the lime trees in the market square,Clr. Shuttleworth was made aware of the culprit and the young girl had been spoken to, Clr. Anderson had done some remedial work on the tree to make it more presentable.

11. ANGATE STREET TOILETS
The gents. toilets had been vandalised the previous week end and a full section of panelling had been ripped out, Clr. Thompson had remedial works in hand. When the repairs were finished toilets to be painted.






12. FOOTPATHS
The Parish Paths Partnership budget for Wolsingham was currently over spent , but agreement had been reached with Vicky Lloyd to continue with the good work.
The Angate Square green had been badly damaged by contractors installing a new water supply. Northumbrian Water to be asked to rectify the damage.
13. NEWSLETTER

14. CLERKS BUSINESS


15. PLANNING
15.1 The following applications have been approved
a) Change of use of outbuildings to form Beauty Treatment Rooms, Haircare, 34, Front St
b) Replace tarmac with Yorkstone Paving, Replace fence with 1 metre Railing,
18, Market Place
15.2 The following applications have been received:
a) Septic Tank, Harperley Police Training School
b) Mounting of Satellite Dish, 26, West End
c) Alterations to Dwelling, Low Fawnlees Farm
d) Internal Alterations , Tunstall House Cottage
e) Double Garage, 3 Elm Park Tce, Tow Law
f) Planning Appeal 3, Cooperative Tce, Re: UPVC replacement windows.
g) Duckett’s Cross at Redgate Head was being proposed to be repositioned to the cross roads at Redgate , a sketch drawing was presented to the meeting showing the proposed site, the meeting felt this may obstruct the motorists view and suggested the cross be sited on the opposite side of the road. Durham C.C. had been advised of the proposal and needed an indemnity clause from the Parish Council, this remained unresolved, as the financial implications had to be looked into.

16. FINANCE
a) Conclusion of Audit year ended 31st March 2003. The Annual Return had been signed off by the Auditor and the notice of conclusion of Audit had been displayed for the relevant time, there had been no issues raised by the Auditor and the Council approved the Annual Return.
b) The Town Hall painting tenders had been returned and A. Vipond to be awarded the contract , subject to a satisfactory Public Liability Insurance Certificate being issued.
c) The Rate Estimates for 2004/2005 were approved and would be submitted to Wear Valley D.C.
d) A copy set of plans for the recreation ground pavilion, was presented to the meeting by Clr. Shuttleworth and a recent cost estimate for a similar building was £120,000
More details were needed and a further meeting to be held Tuesday 21st October .