Meeting 13 of 2013/2014
Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Stutton cum Hazlewood Parish Council held at 19.30 hrs on Thursday 13h March 2014 at Stutton Village Hall
Present:- Cllr. Fawcett (Chair), Cllr. Aarons, Cllr Birchall, Cllr. Heard.
Clerk – H Fothergill
also present Mr K.Tillett.
13181 APOLOGIES – Cllr. Wrigglesworth, Tadcaster Town and District Cllr Mackay, NYCC Cllr. Metcalfe
13182 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None
13183 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS – The minutes of the ordinary Parish Council meeting held 13th February 2014 having been read, were signed as a true record.
13184 PROGRESS REPORTS –
Clerk reported on response from YLCA re request for County/Town Councillors to contribute to discussions within Parish Council Meetings, with confirmation that on agreement by the Parish Council, County/Town Councillors would be able to speak without suspending the meeting. Members of the public would not be able to speak when the meeting was in progress and County/Town Councillors and members of the public could not be present when Part 2 items were discussed. Parish Council agreed to adopt the policy as outlined above.
13185 VILLAGE HALL AND GROUNDS –
SDC Benefits and Taxation support were challenging the 80% rates relief reduction, previously granted to the Village Hall, suggesting changing to business rates which attract a maximum relief of only 50%. Following correspondence, SDC have now granted a discretionary relief of 70% for year 2014/15.
13186 FINANCE
13186.1 Parish Council Account
Receipts
Payments
13186.2 Village Hall Account
Receipts
Payments
Chairman initialled all Bank statements and Invoices
13187 Renewal of Grass cutting Contract – Parish Council had contacted Living Landscapes and offered a renewal of the grass-cutting contract for year 2014/15. Clerk advised that Living Landscapes have accepted and agreed renewal, on the existing terms. Cllr Wrigglesworth followed up a request by a resident for additional grass cutting in an area on Garnet lane and visited the site with Living Landscapes. Clerk to Contact Living landscapes/ Cllr Wrigglesworth and find out why a fixed quote for this additional work is outstanding.
13188 PLANNING
13188.1 Action: the following Planning Applications were discussed: –
Consultation on planning application ref C8/70/16D/PA to allow extraction operations to continue until February 2016 on land at Jackdaw Crag Quarry, Tadcaster. – No observations
Outline application including access, landscaping, layout and scale for the erection of a 3 bedroom detached house, Red Roofs, Church Crescent, Stutton. –
Parish Council commented that the general scale of the proposals was very tight given the size of the plot, particularly in consideration of access. They also asked if all surrounding neighbours had been notified, including the two new houses accessed off to the right from Weedling Gate, on the edge and heading east into the village. These houses were not shown on the plans provided to the Parish Council.
13188.2 To discuss the following planning matters
Parish Council reviewed various outstanding actions to be undertaken by SDC Planning department with Clerk to undertake the following actions: –
Contact SDC planning department re status of relocation of 30mph sign adjacent Station House, Weedling Gate.
Clerk to contact SDC Planning re status re 1) Listed building consent for retention of window, Hazlewood Castle Hotel, Paradise Lane, and 2) Building consent for retention of retractable canopies and fixed shutters at ground floor level until no later than 31 December 2014, Hazlewood Castle Hotel, Paradise Lane, Hazelwood.
Under MOM item 13137.3 Parish Council stated
“With regard to both items above the Parish Council stated that in their opinion both applications should be completely restored back to their original condition prior to the details provided under this application, and that the time period required to commence such restoration should be minimal, with a reasonable period considered to be around 3 months.”
13189 PARISH COUNCIL WEBSITE –
Clerk to provide spreadsheet update of receipts and expenditures, by quarter, for Parish Council for year to date – to be placed on the Website.
13190 BEECH TREE CROSSROADS AND WINGATE HILL–Measures for safety improvement at this junction. Management Control Engineer advised Clerk that due to financial restrictions, there was no money available to undertake this work.
Email from resident requesting improvements to verges and signs at Wingate hill. Management Control Engineer advised Clerk NYCC responsibility extended to 50m along Wingate Hill up from the Beech Tree, the road after that point was owned privately. Clerk to contact Mr Sykes who farms adjacent fields, to establish ownership and ascertain if work to verges and signs can be progressed.
13191 AFFORDABLE HOUSING SURVEY– Clerk had forwarded Email and draft forms to Councillors, received from Rural Housing Enabler re Affordable Housing Survey for Stutton.
Parish Council to prepare letter in response asking for clarifications as well as confirmation for the record that the Department for Rural Housing has now advised that the instigation of this survey was by their department, and not an anonymous local landowner, which was the assertion when the Rural Housing Department previously sent a representative to outline survey details, as recorded under previous P.C. meeting minutes.
Parish Council to confirm, yet again, that while they would like to be kept informed and would comment where necessary – this survey has been driven by, and is entirely the responsibility of, the Rural Housing Department, who would be answerable to questions from Stutton residents, as the Parish Council has had no control over whether this survey takes place or not.
13192 VILLAGE BUS TIMETABLE – Cllr.Birchall reported that he had made contact with NYCC Cllr. Metcalfe and Cllr Mackay following NYCC proposed revisions to village bus timetables, which appear to have changed again, from a time regular service back to an irregular service. The Parish Council expressed their disappointment that Cllr Birchall had received no response, despite providing detailed information including load factors, and being advised of the potential for financial assistance to be provided by bodies such as Tadcaster. Clerk to follow up by email to both Councillors.
13193 CHURCH – Parish Council to review recent developments in relation to the future of Stutton Church – Cllr Wrigglesworth to report next meeting.
13194 LIGHT AND GRAFFITI TO UNDERPASS – Clerk advised that Utley Electrical have confirmed they will provide quote re lights, and a report has been sent NYCC re graffiti, with response back from NYCC confirming receipt, pending action.
13195 RECENT THEFT IN THE VILLAGE – Clerk advised that there had been several thefts in the village with one car stolen, a chain saw theft, and drinks stolen from a garage – all on separate occasions.
13196. CORRESPONDENCE – To note the following items of correspondence for information:
Clerk and Councils Direct.
Notice re increase in electricity costs – NPower
13197 COUNCILLOR’S REPORT AND ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA
None
13198 The next ordinary meeting of the Parish Council was confirmed as Thursday, 10th April 2014 at 7.30 pm.
There was no further business and the meeting closed at 20.41hrs.