14th October 2021
MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
Thursday 14th October 2021
Held in Follifoot Village Hall, following the relaxation of Government guidelinesregarding the coronavirus pandemic.
PRESENT: Chairman N MacDermid, Vice Chairman A Dewsnip, Councillors C Dickinson and T Hall. In attendance, M Richards (Clerk), NYCC/HBC Cllr A Paraskos and 10 residents.
1.Apologies: Apologies for absence were received and accepted from CllrJ Locke who was on holiday and Cllrs T Martin and S Riley who were unwell.
2. Declaration of Interest and Notification of changes in the Members’
Register of Interest: None.
3. Public Participation session: The Chairman welcomed the ten residents
to the meeting and confirmed that they were able to comment on any issues raised. Accordingly, a resident reported a near accident on the hump back
bridge on Plompton Road (Guilders Bridge), due to vehicles being improperly
parked on the bridge. The clerk will raise the matter again with NY Police.
4.Minutes of the meetings held on 9th September 2021:CouncillorDewsnip proposed the minutes to be a correct record, seconded by CouncillorHall. The Chairman then duly signed the minutes.
5. Matters arising from the previous minutes: Dealt with as part of the
agenda.
6. Chairman’s communications
a) The Chairman reported that he had been notified of a recurrence of dog
fouling, including on the verges of Radcliffe Close and also in the cricket field.
The clerk will raise again with the HBC Dog Warden and request her to visit
and patrol at varied times to hopefully identify those responsible. The Parish
Council also asked that pet owners take greater responsibility for collecting up
and disposing of their dog’s “poo”.
b) The Primary School has been informed that the entrance gate on Main
Street does not meet Health and Safety standards and is therefore looking to
instal a higher gate. Councillors were happy in principle with the proposal as
long as it meets planning regulations.
7. Clerk’s correspondence received
a) Remembrance Day. Communication received from the Royal British
Legion, promoting various commemorative items (metal, “silhouette”
figures representing a “Tommy”) to be erected at suitable locations for
Remembrance Day. Councillors expressed an interest in the proposal but
were unsure whether the figures should be a permanent installation or just
temporary, say throughout November. It was considered that there would not
be sufficient time to order and supply for this year, but the clerk was instructed
to obtain details of costs and installation requirements for possible future
consideration. (A resident did suggest that it would be relatively easy to
construct a similar figure at a very modest cost). The Chairman
acknoweledged this comment but did suggest that one of the purposes was to
raise funds for the Royal British Legion.
b) A resident of Pellentine Road had expressed concern at the adequacy of
street lighting and had approached NYCC for a possible solution (extra
lighting) but had been informed that the request needs to come from the
Parish Council. Councillors discussed the pros and cons, of this issue,
recognising this issue of safety, and it was resolved that contact be
made with NYCC for clarification and all residents on Pellentine Road be
canvassed for their views. Cllr Paraskos commented that the new LED street
lights only had a “vertical footprint” ie did not illuminate a wide area, but more
specifically, funding thereof would be a significant issue and, if needed, it may
fall on the Parish Council to fund.
8. Follifields.
a) Maintenance update. The clerk reported that a revised quotation for the
work had now been received from the grasscutting contractor which
compared favourably with that from the Village Handyman, and he was able
to commence work almost immediately, rather than waiting until Spring 2022.
Councillors agreed with this quotation. The clerk will remind the contractor
about the filling in of the fence post holes in the verge down Radcliffe Close,
and will also ask for the cutting back of the wildflower area and buddleia to be
undertaken in October/November.
b) Goal posts and nets. Goal post stanchions now installed and custom made
goal nets ordered (although there is a 5-6 week delivery time)
9. Parish matters
a) Plompton.
i) Cllr Hall asked that the salt/grit bins be replenished in time for winter
conditions – the clerk will contact NYCC Highways.
ii) A661/Plompton road junction. A resident reported that she had recently
been involved in a 3 vehicle accident at this junction, on the entrance to
Plompton. She suggested that a) more “SLOW” signs be added, in both
directions (from Harrogate and Spofforth) and, b) a sign denoting “Hidden
Turn” be erected, before the bend. Councillors also mentioned the possibility
of “rumble strips” and the erection of a street light at this location. If you get involved in a vehicular accident caused by a reckless driver, be sure to protect your rights by hiring an injury lawyer.
The clerk will discuss with the NYCC Highways Safety Officer. Cllr Dewsnip
commented that, following heavy rainfall, flooding was again occurring at this
location. Cllr Paraskos responded that he had spoken with the Highways
Engineer and the drain had recently been jetted and the soakaway cleared of
debris but the position would continue to be monitored.
b) Village maintenance. The village benches are in the process of being
refurbished. The Chairman asked if the quotation for the refurbishment of the
“Cullingworth bench” had been received? The clerk will contact the contractor
for an update.
c) Road safety.
i) Picket fences – the fences have been ordered and the clerk is meeting with
the NYCC approved contractor tomorrow to agree the location and obtain a
cost estimate.
ii) VAS. Cllr Dickinson had again extracted the data for the latest period
which revealed little difference month on month, with approximately 12% of
vehicles exceeding 35mph and 40% exceeding 30mph. The Parish Council
will continue to collect and share the data to see if there are improvements
over time. They will also consider reversing the direction of data capture to
monitor and measure the speeds of vehicles leaving the village
10. Finance:
a) Balance at the bank on 30th September 2021, Current Account £793.38
and Deposit Account £29,722.56 (total £30,515.94) Bank statements to be initialled by the Chairman in confirmation, as part of his payment
authorisation process.
b) Monthly Reconciliation – reconciliation as at 30th September was provided
with receipts and payments in the period 31st August to 30th September,
reconciling to the account balances shown above at a) Councillors
then unanimously agreed the 5 amounts below for payment.
| M Richards | Clerk’s salary- Sept. | £295.36 | Bank Transfer |
| HMRC | PAYE – Sept | £73.84 | Bank Transfer |
| Stuart Bush | Grasscutting | £145.00 | Bank Transfer |
| M Richards | Print cartridge | £17.49 | Bank Transfer |
| HBC | ROSPA inspection | £72.00 | Bank Transfer |
c)The Chairman then ran through the budget spreadsheet, explaining the
updates following the expenditure recorded above. The Cumulative worksheet
demonstrates on a monthly basis, the Parish Council’s financial position, and
the summary sheet provides comparisons with the the annual budget. Cllr
Dickinson asked why certain entries, eg the £665.00 for Fundraising, in the
Cumulative worksheet, showed a minus figure , in the “forecast year to go”
column. The Chairman explained that the “full year forecast column” should
have been adjusted to account for the unexpected increase in donations, and
this would be amended accordingly. The Chairman also said that all “year to
go forecasts” for both income and expenditure will be reviewed and revised
for the next (and subsequent) meetings.Councillors had no other issues or
questions to raise.
d) Internal Audit. The internal auditor summarised his report for the half year,
outlining the work completed. He was pleased to announce there were no
significant issues to raise, although his role has been slightly extended to
account for the fact that there would be no external audit scrutiny this year.
He had recommended that the Council’s Financial Regulations and Risk
Assessment be reviewed and the clerk had circulated updated documents for
councillor review. The internal auditor will review the draft documents and
make his observations and recommendations. Full discussion on the two
documents will be provided for on the next agenda.
e) 2022/23 Precept. The clerk and Chairman will liaise to produce a draft
budget and precept demand for review at the November meeting.
11. Planning:
a) Applications Received
i) 21/03205/FUL -7 Plompton Square, Plompton – change of use of domestic
outbuilding to commercial short-term letting or holiday accommodation and
retention of timber outbuilding to house hot tub.
Given the interest in this application, as evidenced by the number of residents
present, the Chairman ruled that each resident should be allowed to make
comments, in turn. The applicant firstly explained that the property (“The
Smithy”) had been in use as a holiday let for some 5 years and this
application for change of use had been occasioned by a change in rules. He
also commented that the reference to the hot tub had now been removed
from the application. Residents then made comments in turn. The comments
and observations are summarised, as follows:- Invasion of privacy, neighbouring properties overlooked- Impact on availability of car parking- Concerns over security- Increase in traffic and visitors- Noise from use of hot tub- Use of “unsightly” rotary clothes drier- Consultation with neighbours
The applicant then responded to the above comments, asserting that,
due to its nature, Plompton is visited by hundreds of walkers each year, not
just his guests and “invasion of privacy” etc is a fact of life. Car parking is also
not just an issue with his visitors – the Smithy has its own parking area and
although only one car per resident should be parked in the communal area,
he is aware this condition is not followed. Use of the hot tub is limited to two
guests at a time but is also used by his family. He has attempted discourse
with his neighbours but not necessarily with satisfactory conclusions. The use
of the clothes drier is for the washing of an individual for whom he provides
care, and is not excessive. Councillors took careful account of both sides of
the argument and concluded that whilst some of the observations and
comments made could be classed as private disputes between neighbours
and are not valid planning grounds, they felt on balance, that the Parish
Council’s formal response should be to OBJECT, on the following planning
grounds:
1) Loss of privacy to neighbouring properties
2) Lack of sufficient car parking spaces
3) Noise and disturbance resulting from use
ii) 21/04271/FUL- Extension and alterations to raise the roof and demolition
of existing flat roof front extension. Oak House Pannal Road Follifoot.
iii) 21/04335/FUL – erection of single storey rear extension, Bryden House,
Pannal Road.
The Chairman ran through the above two applications in turn, displaying both
existing and proposed site plans. Councillors reviewed in detail, considering in
particular the effect of proposals on neighbouring properties and the visual
impact on the environment. In both cases, there were not felt to be any issues
of concern and it was agreed to SUPPORT the applications.
12. Other matters
None.
There being no other business, the meeting closed at 8.50pm.
Date of next Parish Council Meeting:
7.30pm on Thursday 11th November 2021, in Follifoot Village Hall, Tofts Lane, Follifoot.