Minutes of the Coxhoe Parish Council meeting held on
Tuesday 8th July 2008 at Coxhoe Village Hall.
S Dunn in the chair
Present: G
Shotton, K Pounder, R Mayo and D Smith and County Councillor M Plews.
08.53 Apologies for Absence:
P Dodsworth, B Hepplewhite, C
Wigham, C Thirlaway, J Taylor and County Councillor D Morgan
Resolved:
all Members are required to provide apologies to the Clerk if not attending a
meeting.
08.54 Questions from the Public
B Campbell and G Storey
attended the meeting and discussed the difficulties relating to premises for
Coxhoe Bowling Club
Resolved: (i) the Parish Council support the
Bowling Club in their endeavours (ii)
this issue be included on the agenda for the August 2008 meeting.
08.55 Members Declarations of Interest
D Smith declared an interest
in item 7(f) (
S Dunn declared an interest
in item 7 (e) (Coxhoe Allotment Association) on the agenda.
08.56 Police Report
PCSOs Bennett and Wilkinson
attended and presented the report, the details of which were noted, for the
period 11th June 2008 to 8th July 2008.
Theft
- 1 Reported incident - 16/06/08 (Theft
of tools) Cornforth Lane, Coxhoe .
Assault
2 Reported incidents 1306/08 (Section 20 GBH) Belle Vue, Quarrington Hill (2
arrested enquiry ongoing) 20/06/08 (Common assault)
Anti-Social Behaviour 7x Reported incidents Coxhoe (1x Youth related,
5x Dispute related, 1x other) 3x Reported incidents Quarrington Hill (1x
youth related, 2x dispute related)
Vehicle
Nuisance - 2x Reported incidents Coxhoe, (Both parking related) 2x
Reported incident Quarrington Hill, (Motorbike related 1 motorbike seized)
Other Issues:
1 parking ticket issued on 07/07/08 at
Problems in contacting the
police call centre and the possible issue of mobile phones were discussed
Resolved: (i)
the details of the report were noted (ii)
the issue of contact with the Police to be raised at the forum on Thursday 10
July and the Clerk to write to Inspector Smart on the issue (iii) the issue of
mobile phones was deferred.
08.57 Approval and Signature of Minutes of the Last
Meeting
The minutes of the meeting
held on the 10th June 2008 were approved by Members and signed by
the Chairman and Clerk.
08.58 Points of Note
The Clerk had previously
circulated an update of issues raised at the last meeting and these were updated
and discussed.
Resolved: the details were noted
Reports of the Clerk
08.59 Planning Applications
The following planning
applications had been received:
(i)
4/08/00530/FPA -
Mr E Pratt - Erection of two storey pitched roof extension to side of
existing dwelling with
re-erection of detached garage to side of
(ii)
4/08/00536/FPA - Mr D Hewitson - Insertion of access
gates with pillars to 2m in height to
rear of existing dwelling, Avenue
House, 5 Blackgate East, Coxhoe
(iii)
4/08/00402/AD - Coxhoe Parish Council - Erection of 4
no. decorative village entrance signs
- Highway verge opposite 5-9
Bridge End/Highway verge at junction of
(iv)
4/08/00551/FPA - Mr D Bowell - Widening of existing
vehicular access and pitched roof to
existing flat roof to front
of existing dwelling, Grenville House, The Avenue, Coxhoe
(v)
4/08/00593/FPA - Stray-Aid Ltd - Siting of 2 no.
cabins for temporary period of two years for
use as vetinary surgery and erection
of 2.2m high fence and gates between existing house and cabins, East Pasture
Farm,
(vi)
Other Issues - In May 2008 the Council considered on
application (4/08/00329) for the
erection of 2 dwellings on
land adjacent to 48 Garden Terrace, Coxhoe and gave no objections. The City Council advised that they rejected
the application, but the applicant has appealed against this decision.
(vii)
Planning Meeting a meeting with Roberta
Blackman Woods (MP) and Planning Officers to
discuss various planning
issues would take place on Friday 11 July 2008 at 9:30am at Coxhoe Village Hall
(viii)
Premier Waste
application a petition consisting of a considerable number of names
had now been completed
relating to this application
Resolved (i)
there were no objections relating to items (i) to (v) (ii) details of items (vi) to (viii) were noted.
08.60 Traffic Management
The Clerk had circulated the
latest details relating to vehicle activated signs.
Resolved: (i) to request the County Council to provide a hard hired post to be sited
on the way out of Coxhoe and to replace the current temporary post as part of
the upgrade of their scheme in due course
(ii) to request the County
Council to look again at the issue of these signs in Quarrington Hill.(iii) to
order a hard-wired sign from Varitext to be upgraded to County Council wiring
specification when determined.
08.61 Co-option of Member of the Council
Interest had been shown by 3
persons wishing to b co-opted to the Parish Council, J Turton, A Rowe and R
Heslington.
Resolved: (i) a decision would be made by secret ballot (ii) on ballot, A Rowe be co-opted as Member of the Council (iii) the Clerk to forward the
necessary paperwork to Mr Rowe, and to thank the other persons for their
interest.
08.62 Parish Clerk Vacancy
A meeting had been held on 4
July and 5 persons had been shortlisted for interview from the 19 CVs
received. Draft questions for interview
were circulated. The Clerk provided the
latest position relating to the interviews.
Resolved: (i) interviews were to be held on Tuesday 22 July 2008 for the persons
shortlisted (ii) Members would meet
at Coxhoe Village Hall at 5:00pm on that date to prepare for the interviews (iii) the draft questions were noted.
08.63 Coxhoe Allotment Association
A request had been received
from the secretary of the Association requesting that the Association be
granted a 5 year lease for the allotments.
S Dunn had declared an interest in this item but remained in the meeting
as the interest was not prejudicial
Resolved: (i) the granting of a lease was agreed
in principle (ii) the Clerk to
contact the Association and obtain further information and look at required
terms for the lease.
08.64 Quality Parish Council
The Clerk provided an update
on progress with the portfolio and detailed requirements for quality status.
Resolved (i)
the details were noted (ii) the
Clerk to complete as much of the portfolio as possible during the next month.
08.65 Budget Update
The latest budget position
statement had been circulated and was discussed. Additional hours worked by the
Clerk were detailed by the Chair. The position
relating to national insurance contributions had been circulated, and was
discussed. The purchase of the publication, Governance and Accountability in
Local Councils for the new Clerk was discussed.
Resolved: (i) details of the latest budget position were noted (ii) to pay the Clerk for all additional hours worked (iii) the position relating to national
insurance contributions was noted and payments agrees (iv) the purchase of the publication Governance and Accountability
in Local Councils was agreed.
Correspondence
08.66
A letter had been received
relating to the possibility of parish elections in 2009 and had been circulated
for discussion
Resolved: (i) the Parish Council oppose further parish council elections in 2009, and
the reasons were detailed (ii) the
Clerk to contact the County Council on this issue.
08.67 National Grid Substation and overhead lines
alignment
A consultation document on
these proposals was circulated.
Resolved:
the details were noted and the Clerk to write detailing the Councils comments.
08.68
A letter had been received
and circulated for discussion
Resolved:
the Clerk to contact the City Council detailing the parish councils
satisfaction with its current status.
08.69 Coxhoe Community Partnership
An update on the progress of
various projects had been circulated and R Mayo provided an update. The issue of Xmas decoration was discussed.
Resolved:
the details were noted and the issue of Xmas decorations would be investigated
further in the future.
08.70
Minutes of the last meeting
of the partnership had not been received at this stage.
Resolved:
a joint meeting between the Parish Council and both village partnerships be
held in the near future
08.71 Accounts for Payment/ Requests for Financial
Assistance
(a) A request
had been received from MENCAP for financial assistance for their organisation.
Resolved: It was agreed to provide a contribution of
£50.00 under Section 137of the Local Government Act 1972.
(b) The
Clerk detailed the accounts for payment and the following were approved:
Creditor
Reason Amount Minute
Newsquest Ltd Parish Clerk Advert £900.36 08.40(ii)
Newsquest Ltd Parish Clerk Advert £105.75 08.40(ii)
Newsquest Ltd Parish Clerk Advert £23.50 08.40(ii)
Displaysense Ltd Ballot boxes £110.16 08.44
Durham City District CVS Printing Coxhoe Chronicle £350.00 214
Of Local Councils Purchase of publication £10.00 08.65(iv)
N King June Salary + additional hours 07.18fi
N King Reimbursed Admin Costs £75.04 07.18fi
SLCC Subscription £91.00 08.49(ii)
Smith of
TP Gardens Grasscutting
Contract £555.00
249
Thinford Nurseries Hanging baskets + planters £1693.18 07.115(viii)
HM Revenues & Customs NI Contributions £64.71 08.65(iii)
MENCAP Donation
Section 137 £50.00 08.71a
Signed as a
true copy of the meeting
Chairman
(Pages 9
12 inclusive)
. Clerk
.
Date