Minutes 11th November

Parish Plan Committee, Thursday 11th November, 2004, 7pm in the Pavilion

Present: K. Rogers, M. Shepheard, F. Shepheard, D. Pattison, D. Gascoigne, E. Bloomfield, R. Hopkinson, K. L. Rogers, Sgt. S. Donnelly.
Apologies: E. Ridley.

1. D. Pattison was duly elected as Vice Chairman of the Parish Plan Steering Group.

2. There had been a problem delivering the minutes of the last meeting, with the result that not all members had received them.

3. Sgt. Donnelly gave his opinion re. possible parking restrictions in the Market Place. The Police do not enforce residents’ parking permits schemes or commercial metered car park spaces. The police will enforce current up to date traffic regulation orders where they are or may be in place.

4. Environment sub-group: A survey of the litter and dog waste bins in the village was presented. The locations of other possible bins were identified. The bins are currently emptied on Monday, so another survey towards the end of the week would provide objective evidence for either more frequent emptying or for emptying on a different day of the week. The litter situation around the Comprehensive School appears to have improved because of more active involvement by the school. This is to be encouraged. It could be that there are enough litter and waste bins already, and that enforcement by spot penalties would encourage more people to use them.

5. Transport sub-group: Reference was made to the document submitted at the last meeting, which will be part of the plan. The parking survey had been completed, with another day of surveying on the 6th November by 4 enumerators. There has been no feedback from the survey as yet. There may soon be the possibility of increasing the amount of parking available at Desmesne Mill.

6. An objection to the re-development of the land outside the Baptist Chapel has been raised by a claimant to the land. The legal department of Durham County Council is pursuing the matter.

7. Young People’s Issues sub-group: Searches are still being undertaking to contact the North Berwick Youth Café project. Contact has been made with the Weardale Youth Panel, and K. L. Rogers will go to one of their meetings.

8. Tourism: R. Hopkinson presented a document concerning tourism in Wolsingham and was thanked for this by K. Rogers. The Parish Plan questionnaire results show support for tourist development as a whole, including the continuance of the swimming pool. The Parish Council itself has no statutory duty to promote Wolsingham, so while it could encourage the creation of a ‘Wolsingham Tourist Group’, it could not ensure that this would happen. The Parish Plan can include strategies to promote Wolsingham.

9. Writing up the Plan: A draft of the Plan should be made available for consultation in January 2005, ready for printing in March 2005. It is now important that the

10. Committee proceeds with the writing. K. Rogers proposed that the final document should be available in two formats: a document containing all the survey results and information collected which would be of limited circulation, but would be available for those who want/need to look at it; and a two page A4 document which could be circulated to every household, so that everyone has access to the main findings and directions for the future. It is possible that a charge could be made for copies of the thicker document. The Committee sub-groups will write up their parts of the Plan. K. Rogers will write up Housing.

11. Dates of future meetings:

· November 25th, 7pm Mill Race Hotel.
· December 16th, 7pm Mill Race Hotel.
· January 10th, 7pm Mill Race Hotel.

Individual sub-groups are to have meetings as necessary.