|
COMMUNITY TRUST
PARISH COUNCIL
Agendas
& Minutes
Accounts
CHURCHES
LOCAL
GROUPS
|
Minutes
Thursday 21st August 2014
Craster Village Hall 7.15pm
Present
Chairman
Bryn Owen.
Clerk
Helen Brewis.
Parish Council Members
Joyce Shaw, Elizabeth Pearson, Martin Smith, John Gallon, Margaret
Brooks, Alan Punton, Pauline Baird & Michael Craster.
In Attendance
County Councillor Kate Cairns.
Members of the public
Mr & Mrs M Taylor.
1703. Adoption of Code of Conduct.
All Councillors have
received a copy of the Code of Conduct to read through, Joyce Shaw
proposed that we adopt the Code of Conduct, seconded by Michael
Craster. All in favour.
1704. Parish Council Vacancy.
Mr Richard Pearson has
applied to fill the vacancy on the Parish Council. Joyce Shaw
proposed to accept his application & seconded by Pauline Baird. All
in favour.
1705. Apologies for absence. None.
1706. Confirmation of minutes of last meeting.
The July Minutes were
accepted with the following alterations:-
1693. It was both Bryn
& John who met with Vanessa from L Robson & Son.
1699. Bryn went on his
own to Woodhorn.
The Meeting start time
was 7.15pm.
1707. New County Councillor.
Kate Cairns attended
tonights Meeting & is looking forward to working with us & also
getting up to speed with all our issues including both local & NCC
matters.
1708. Planning Matters.
NCC Stage 2 Complaint concerning 13/03499/FUL – Emblestone, South Acres
extension.
An email has been
received from NCC apologising for not being able to reply yet to the
stage 2 complaint due to the re-allocation of the Senior Officer -
they’re hoping to have replied by 12/09/14. John Gallon is
concerned that they are still investigating this complaint with people
from within their Planning Dept & how do we take this further if
not satisfied? It was agreed to leave this till the next meeting
when a response should have come in & see if we feel satisfied with
it.
NCC are currently being
audited by an independent company – Deloittes.
The affordable housing
is not going ahead at the Former Nursery Whin Hill, one of the issues
was NCC not taking into consideration Michael Taylors requests on the
design & positioning of the houses. Also NCC hadn’t checked
about the surveys & did them again even though they were already
done. Bryn Owen spoke to NCC concerning The Strategic Land
Housing Assessment which we will need to steer NCC to another plot of
land (but not the village green). Possible plots are the Common
at Dunstan or the field north of Smithy Bank, we need to put forward
possible plots to NCC by the end of September.
Action Point: Pauline
Baird will work through the Assessment & look for possible plots to
discuss at the September Meeting.
1709. Parking in Craster.
An email concerning a
parking fine has been circulated.
John Gallon & Bryn
Owen spoke to The Parking Dept at NCC who think it will cost a great
deal of money to increase the car park spaces at the quarry car park -
could they buy some land from Michael Robson to enlarge it? The
car park needs a lot of space for coaches turning which could be used
for cars parking if other possible coach parking places were
found. Brunton & Longhoughton are too far away, but the
hemmel near to Dunstan Village would be ideal as coaches could drop
their passengers off at the bus stop then go to Dunstan to park.
Paul McKenna has left
NCC who was in charge of organising our yellow lines, Bryn has received
an email from Terry Luck at NCC who is hoping to start after the August
Bank Holiday weekend.
1710. Embleton Joint Burial Committee.
The repairs to the
Cemetery House will require all 3 parish councils involvement, if we
sold the house the 3 parishes would receive a share of approx
£150,000.00 & then sub contract out the work - the Committee
believes we would have to hand all the money over to NCC. The Caretaker
is already self-employed & pays a peppercorn rent & its better
to have someone on site keeping an eye on the place than it stands
empty. What if the house was fully repaired & the Caretaker
left? Richard pointed out that the people of the 3 parishes
should have a say & to put forward a few options as the annual
precept comes from the residents. Can the work be carried out
over a few years? Joyce Shaw wondered if the house was sold could
a covenant be put in place to keep it as a home not a holiday let.
Action Point: CC Kate Cairns will
look into whether we would have to give up the cash to NCC.
Currently the Burial
Committee have requested 3 quotes from architects to draw up a list of
work, so far we have one firm tender. Once we have a list of work
we can approach builders for tenders. Richard Pearson was in
favour so long as we have received 3 quotes.
Martin Smith proposed
that the Burial Committee go ahead & employ an architectural
technician to draw up the list of work, seconded by Richard Pearson.
All in favour.
Action Point: Clerk to let Embleton
& Newton Parish Clerks know our decision.
1711. Matters arising from minutes of last meeting.
Dunstan Water Leak & Road Surface. Now on the Local Development Plan as our
top priority.
Heugh Wynd Grass Surfaces & Mud on Footpath.
Bryn Owen & John
Gallon met with Lee Baxter & Lee Dundas from NCC for a site visit
to view the parking problems at Heugh Wynd, Heugh Road & South
Acres. It was agreed not to take any further enforcement action
on residents parking on the grass which is churned up at Heugh Wynd, if
it worsens then bollards may be installed. NCC also hope to
tarmac areas at the ends of Heugh Wynd for parking in the future.
Two South Acres
residents contacted Elizabeth Pearson to find out what the site visit
was concerning, Elizabeth contacted Bryn but did not feel she received
an adequate explanation.
At the March Meeting it
was proposed & accepted that the Chairman & Vice Chairman be
made Executive Officers of the Council, which Bryn & John have been
doing, they queried whether everyone was still happy with this?
Pauline was concerned that the other Councillors were not kept in the
loop as far as answering queries from members of the public - could the
information be passed around via email & also an update to
Councillors before the Meeting?
Elizabeth wished she had
gone across & spoke to the two NCC Officers when they were walking
around South Acres & Michael Craster commented that the two
Executive Officers had done a lot of work which has been very
beneficial to the village.
White lines require re-doing on road into Craster. Done.
John Gallon – Maintenance of fixed assets. John Gallon has created a form which has
been circulated. Joyce Shaw proposed we used the tender form
& seconded by Michael Craster. All in favour.
B Owen – Footpath marker post by the arch pointing along the cinder
path is on the floor. Ongoing.
NCC consultations on School transport.
Ongoing.
Defibrillator for Craster – The Stephen Carey Fund.
Alan Punton has 15
people who are interested in receiving training to use the
defibrillator, the ideal siting would be near the phone box at the
Lifeboat Station.
Action Point: Martin will
contact the Stephen Carey Fund to say we are interested.
Northumberland Town& Parish Conference 25th Sept County Hall
Morpeth 2-6.30pm. Pauline
Baird is hoping to attend.
One sign at Harbour.
Action Point: CC Kate Cairns will
look into a composite sign for the top of harbour hill for all
attractions/amenities, then all the village signs can be de-cluttered.
1712. Financial Matters.
Current Acc Balance
£ 3,252.10
Higher Interest
Acc £18,000.00
Annual Return point
raised by the Auditors: the assets transferred to us from NCC (2 bus
shelters, 17 litter bins & 5 dog bins) can only be entered onto our
assets for £1 each as we had not purchased them.
1713. Correspondence received.
AONB Parish Chairman Meeting Mon 8th Sept 6.30pm WI Hall Beadnell. Michael Craster to attend.
NCC - Local Flood Risk Strategy for Northumberland. Noted.
Mrs M Gallon – Harbour litter bins. Following
Marion emailing NCC, Bill Pringle will look into this for us.
Liz Wilson – Neighbourhood Beat Officer. Margaret Brooks & Michael Craster
met our new Neighbourhood Beat Officer in August.
NCC– Joint Town/Parish Council Meeting Mon 13th Oct 6pm St James Church
Hall Alnwick. Bryn Owen &
John Gallon to attend.
Friends of Alnmouth Station donation request. Noted.
NCC – Local Offer for parents & carers of children with SEND. Noted.
NCC – Dunstan Hill road right of way. Noted.
1714. Craster Community Trust Matters. The War Memorial plaque is going ahead in
the harbour & should be done by 11th November.
The
next Meeting will be on Thursday 18th. September 2014.
|
