TODWICK VILLAGE

Todwick Parish
Council Minutes

JRW/318

TODWICK PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting held in Todwick Village Hall
at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday 24th June 2008.

Present
Councillor Langford - Chairman
Councillor Palmer
Councillor Hill
Councillor Leah
Councillor Mathieson
Councillor Pantry
Councillor White
J R Walker - Clerk

08/22 APOLOGIES
An apology had been received from Councillors Gregory and Kettell.

08/23 APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
There were no amendments.
The minutes were signed as a correct record.

08/24 MATTERS ARISING
1. 08/21(2) White informed that flyers had been passed to Councillor Kettell for distribution with The Informer newsletter.

2. 08/21(3) Palmer confirmed that the order had been placed. Site works were programmed to take place between 17 July and 1 September.

3. 08/21(5) White reported that a report had been received from a specialist surveyor, which confirmed that the woodworm was undoubtedly present in the wood before the doors were manufactured.

4. 08/20 Palmer informed that the grant bid had been successful. Monies should be paid into the Council's account within the next week.
Hill would write to the landowner Mr. Hague detailing the arrangements agreed to date. A licence would not be adequate. It would be necessary for Mr. Hague's legal team to prepare a lease setting out the formal agreement.

5. 08/13 Pantry had met the representative as arranged. He and the Clerk would shortly be receiving a letter detailing the requirements for copies of receipts etc.

6. 08/21(4) Palmer informed that Susan Parker was cleaning the trophies before handing them over to the Council.

PC Howard Saul and Police Community Support Officer Ivan Archer were in attendance. The meeting was suspended at 7.50 p.m. to allow them to address members.

Saul referred to recent criminal damage at the Council allotment site and to a spate of eggs being thrown at house windows.
Palmer evidenced his experiences when reporting a vehicle thought to have been involved in the theft of equipment from the former nursing home.
Saul was aware of the incident and had stopped and searched the vehicle in connection with another matter.
Mathieson gave details of damage to front boundary walls at both his and his neighbour's property on The Pastures.
Saul thought this was possibly caused by someone under the influence of alcohol.
White appreciated the difficulties involved but enquired as to what proportion of those guilty of criminal damage were successfully prosecuted.
Saul did not have the figures to hand but would pass the detection figures to the Clerk.

Members thanked the Constables for attending and the meeting was reconvened at 8.00p.m.

08/25 ELECTION OF VICE CHAIRMAN
Resolved to elect Councillor Palmer as Vice Chairman.

08/26 URGENT ITEMS FOR LATER CONSIDERATION
1. Electricity Bills at the Recreation Ground
2. Valuation of Sports Pavilions
3. A57
4. Mr. John Hughes
5. Bollards at The Pastures
6. Footpath at Kiveton Park Quarry

08/27 CLERK'S REPORT
Clerk in addition to his routine duties and undertaking all the instructions given to him at the last meeting had:

• reported the condition of the footway on Goosecarr Lane near the allotments.

08/28 FINANCIAL OFFICER'S REPORT
Clerk reported that:

• internal audit of the 2007/8 accounts had been satisfactorily completed and all documents prepared for submission to the External Auditor.
• tax and national insurance contributions had been deducted from his salary as normal but the payment to H M Revenue and Customs had been reduced by £48.48 as reported at the May meeting.
• he had spoken with his new contact at Barclays Bank following the imposition of charges following the recent account changes. The charges had been cancelled. In the same conversation he had arranged to transfer the monies held in reserve for his gratuity into a new account giving some 2% greater interest.

Resolved that Councillor Hill purchase flowers for Margaret Clark, the Internal Auditor who so generously gave of her time at no cost to the Council.

08/29 CORRESPONDENCE
1. RMBC - Rotherham in Bloom 2008
Resolved not to enter the competition

2. RMBC - Planning Appeal at 160 Kiveton Lane and Pedestrian Survey

3. RMBC - Proposed Removal of Public Payphones

4. RMBC - Rotherham Tourism Forum
Pantry had returned the slip confirming that the Council wished to remain on the mailing list

5. RMBC - Scrutiny Ballot

6. Todwick Cricket Club - Permission to Apply for Pavilion Grant

7. Chesterfield Canal Trust Ltd. - Thank You for Support/Invitation to Practical Involvement

08/30 PLANNING APPLICATIONS
No applications had been received.

08/31 COMMITTEES
Allotments
Mathieson had sent out letters to those not cultivating their plots. One was now doing so and the other had given up the plot and returned the key.

Recreation
White had submitted the financial return for 2007/8 to the Charity Commission.
Hill had spoken with Sheila Pantry to obtain a list of those gardens to be open to public viewing. These would be considered along with others when awarding the Council prizes.

08/32 MEMBER'S ACTIVITY REPORTS
1. Mathieson had reported overgrown vegetation at Footpath No. 10 off Manor Way to RMBC. This had been cut back to a degree but not completely satisfactorily.

2. Palmer referred to the ceremony the previous Saturday to commemorate a seat at the village hall to the memory of the late Councillor Mosley.

3. Leah had met with Rob Lincoln, Head Teacher at the J & I School on a number of matters:

1. The Parish Council Diligence Awards were to be presented on 14th July.
2. Mr Lincoln had initially received only 3 entries for the Village Logo Competition. He was to pass these on to her together with several more now completed by Year 4 students.
3. Mr. Lincoln was to E-mail to her details of the facilities to be provided by the School in relation to the Village Emergency Plan.

White agreed to present the prizes to the schoolchildren.

4. Leah had revised some contact details in the Emergency Plan and had acquired information from all but two village organisations. She anticipated the outstanding detail being available to enable completion in time for circulation/discussion at the July meeting. However some time had elapsed since the first Plan had been prepared and she thought it might be an appropriate time to enquire as to whether RMBC had revised the format.
Clerk would enquire.

5. Pantry had attended the Parishes Meeting. Nosober Latif was taking a year's maternity leave and had been replaced by Sarah Currer.

08/33 CHAIRMANSHIP
Pantry had prepared an aide-memoiré summarising the most important points for easy reference.
Resolved to:

1. Adopt the NALC Chairmanship Guide and the aide-me-moiré.
2. To thank Councillor Pantry.

08/34 VILLAGE MAINTENANCE
Palmer reported on the Contractor's activities during the last month. The Contractor was suffering from osteo-arthritis and would no longer be able to walk up step ladders or dig. Bearing that in mind he was consulting with other local contacts to assess what arrangements might best be implemented in the short to medium term. The Village Maintenance Contract was due for renewal in September.
Hill reported an overgrown hedge alongside the footbath to the Church from Kiveton Lane.
Resolved that the Clerk write to the Church Wardens to ask them to request cutting back by the owner of the hedge.
Palmer had received several complaints that hanging baskets had not been provided.

08/35 NOTICE BOARD
Chairman was aware that the display boards were now stored in the village hall. He would discuss the way forward with Councillor Palmer.

08/36 MOBILE CCTV PROJECT
Pantry reminded members of the agreement in principle to finance the continued use of CCTV in the area. Some other local councils were not so supportive and provision was being reviewed.

08/37 URGENT ITEMS
1. Electricity Bills at the Recreation Ground
Clerk would request separate bills for the football pavilion since this was now the responsibility of the Recreation Ground Charity.

2. Valuation of Sports Pavilions
Hill was a Chartered Surveyor and offered to undertake the revaluations.
Resolved to thank Councillor Hill.

3. A57
Palmer had been contacted by Mr. Hartley at The Grange who had heard that RMBC had been instructed to refer improvement of the A57 back to planners.

4. Mr. John Hughes
Palmer referred to the recent retirement of John Hughes the owner of the carpet shop at The Pastures. The business had been passed to Mr. Hughes's partner and was to continue to trade.
Resolved that The Clerk send an appropriate card to Mr. Hughes.

5. Bollards at The Pastures
Hill/Mathieson referred to a stone bollard which had been displaced on the boundary of the shop forecourt and the public footway at The Pastures. Vehicles were now regularly driven dangerously across the footway adjacent to the bus shelter.
Resolved that the Clerk write to RMBC and the landowner Mr. Birtles.

6. Footpath at Kiveton Park Quarry
Hill enquired as to what action had been taken to reinstate the footpath.
Clerk had made further enquiries of RMBC the previous week and on the day prior to the meeting. RMBC had not responded and he would send a further reminder to the Enforcement Officer. He would inform members when a reply was received.

The Meeting Closed at 9.30 p.m.

The next monthly Council Meeting will be in Todwick Village Hall at 7.00 p.m. on Tuesday 29th July 2008.