2009 Annual Meeting

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on Thursday April 17 2008

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 16 April 2009

Present : Parish Councillors B. Fisher (Chairman), B. Butler, S. Milligan, U. Cansfield, C. Florance, T. Martin, P.C. M. Ayre and six residents.

Apologies for absence : Parish Councillor E. Bolton
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 17.4.08 : The Chairman signed the minutes as a correct record having been proposed by B. Butler and seconded by C. Florance.
Any matters arising from the minutes : There were none.
Chairman’s report for 2008-2009 :

The Chairman read his report to the meeting. He described the work of the Parish Council over the past year, in particular activities designed to enhance the environment by way of bulb planting at the entrance to Follifoot and the annual litter pick. The Parish Council had met on thirteen occasions and considered 27 planning applications. The Chairman thanked his fellow councillors, the district councillor and the clerk for their support. Thanks were also conveyed to all the residents who had given their time and energy to a number of tasks contributed to making Follifoot and Plompton pleasant places to live in.

Financial report for the year to 31.3.2009 :

The clerk gave a copy of the accounts to all at the meeting. The sum of £ 4332.31 would be carried over into the next financial year. Significant expenditure during the year included a donation of £ 3724 to the Village Hall committee for new gas heaters and £ 391 for the purchase of bulbs that were planted at the entrance to Follifoot village.

‘Save the Garth’ :

This is a residents association formed in response to the Harrogate Council’s preferred option for affordable housing development in Follifoot, namely land east of Manor Fold. Jane Bradburn described the activities of the group since its formation in early 2008. It began with a public meeting in which planners were present and was followed by a mail shot to all households in Follifoot in which residents were encouraged to respond to the consultation mounted by Harrogate Council. Mrs. Bradburn reported that there had been around 100 responses and of these only 4 or 5 favoured the proposal. Group membership comprises 40 residents who have met on several occasions. Activities have included the submission of two detailed planning reports, contact with local councillors and the local newspaper and magazine. It is possible that the site is a bat foraging ground and that it may have connections with the Civil War. Harrogate Council has now adopted the Local Development Framework and the site remains the preferred option for housing in Follifoot. It is possible there may be a further consultation on the matter, but at least a detailed survey should be conducted before any building work is started. Some residents commented that they understood that a wall should have been constructed between Manor Fold and the field rather than the existing gate. Concern was expressed about the potential danger to residents in the event of construction work taking place. In response to questions, Jane Bradburn told the meeting that the group had not contacted their M.P., or the landowner. The Chairman thanked Mrs. Bradburn for attending the meeting and for her report.

Agenda items proposed by residents :

Dog fouling – two letters had been received that expressed concern about the apparent increase in dog owners allowing their pets to foul in public places and not clearing up the faeces. A letter from the Village Hall committee reported schoolchildren had trodden in dog faeces on the green adjacent to the Hall where they have sports activities. This was held to be unacceptable and notices were in place around this area. Various suggestions were made to try to stop the inappropriate behaviour of a minority of dog owning residents including a letter from the Parish Council, leaflets and notices. These would be discussed by the Parish Council at a future meeting. It was stated that it is an offence for dog owners not to clear up after their animals on most footpaths, bridle paths, parks, grass verges and amenity areas.

There being no other matters for discussion, the Chairman closed the meeting and thanked everyone for attending.