Coxhoe Parish Council

Meeting     Monthly Date           Tuesday 10th February 2009 Time         6.45pm Venue        Coxhoe Village Hall

       

Delivering Quality Services to

Coxhoe & Quarrington Hill

 

Minutes of the proceedings of the monthly council meeting held at 6.45pm in Coxhoe Village Hall, Tuesday 10^th February 2009.

 

Present: -      Chairman Cllr. S. Dunn and

Cllrs: - K. Pounder, G. Shotton, R. Mayo, T. Rowe. C. Wigham, D. Smith; City & Co. Cllr. M. Plews joined as indicated*.

Clerk  Mrs. M. Robinson

 

09.17    Apologies: Cllrs:- P. Dodsworth, B. Hepplewhite, C. Thirlaway, J. Taylor, Co. Cllr. D. Morgan.

 

09.18    Members Declaration of Interests - Cllr D. Smith for Sanderson Street & Planning.

 

09.19    Questions from the Public – None present

 

09.20    Police Report – Written report received.  Resolved that Clerk write to request accurate recording and reporting of incidents.

 

09.21    Minutes of meeting held 13^th January 2009 – were approved as a true record and signed.

 

09.22    Matters of information

09.22.1             Coxhoe Allotments Association –

a.      Confirmation of some access arrangements received.

Resolved to investigate further and report to next meeting.

b.      Progress on hard standing for allotments notified, along with a request to use the previously agreed rental income allowance towards the cost of the work.

Resolved to support the request.

09.22.2        Zurich Insurers have not included allotments as part of the cover requested in August 2008 – they are investigating same.

09.22.3        Places on Stepping Stones training at York cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

09.22.4        Salt Bins - filling of non DCC owned salt bins and removal of bins from DCC positions in recent years discussed.

Resolved to

a.   Request a site inspection to re-instate removed DCC bins and look at other areas of concern with Cllr. Pounder.

b.   Ask CDALC how other councils address refilling non DCC salt bins.

c.   Consider where, if any, extra salt bins should be provided.

d.   Source salt bin suppliers and costs for next meeting

e.   Consider using local provider to supply and fill bins.

09.23    Correspondence

Durham County Council Correspondence (*)

09.23.1 Junction Closure Cornforth Lane and Church Street 14.02.09 – received – Resolved to ask Arriva Busses to call at every stop they pass until back on route during period.

City of Durham Council Correspondence

09.23.2                       Acknowledgement of planning comments – various received.

09.23.3                       Durham City Vision exhibition – late notice given – received.

County Durham Association of Local Councils (CDALC) Correspondence

09.23.4                       Double Taxation grant payment – notification received of £118.  CAB provision raised with CDALC for consideration against double taxation next year.

09.23.5                       Buckingham Palace Garden Parties – Resolved that Cllr P. Dodsworth to be put forward for consideration to represent the council.

09.23.6                       Durham Association News – copies received and circulated.

09.23.7                       Request to link in with young councillors – received.

Other Correspondence

09.23.8                       Commonwealth War Graves Commission – information provided to the Commission regarding St Mary’s PCC and advice sought regarding care and attention to war graves.  Advised that a December ’08 visit to Quarrington Hill had not identified any problems with war graves in the cemetery.

Resolved to enquire what determines a war grave and can a shared grave qualify for help with the upkeep?

09.23.9                       Browns Close Residents – Thank you – received.

09.23.10                   Smith of Derby – clocks info. – received.  Resolved to investigate an alternative provider for the maintenance contract.

09.23.11                   Kelly Partnership Consultancy – received.

09.23.12                   Crowtrees Heritage Group Agenda & Minutes – circulated previously – received.

09.23.13                   M. Crathorne complaint to Minister of Local Government about council tax rises and related response – received.

09.23.14                   BDO Local Council Briefing – received

09.23.15                   SLCC list of conferences – received

09.24     Reports

09.25.1         Coxhoe Community Partnership Project Updates – received.

a.                  Memorial Garden – planning application successful.

b.                  Churchyard Project – update of the scheme received.  Clerk attended meeting re same.  3 Lamps contribution to the scheme, previously agreed, ready to be included in the programme.

Resolved Site meeting to be arranged to progress installation – Cllrs Dunn & Plews

c.                  A recent public meeting arranged by Roberta Woods MP to discuss health provision had been quite well attended and those present supported seeking a new location for the GP surgery in the open space in the village centre.  The PCT Commissioning Body is also supportive in providing a new surgery.

09.25.2         Quarrington Hill Village Partnership

a.  Minutes 22.10.08 received.

b.  Speed Survey Data – copy letter & data received. Data shows significant reduction in speeding since traffic calming measures put in place.  Vehicle speed survey to be carried out approximately 6 months time.

c.    Village Plan – Traffic Calming & Speed Visors concerns raised – see 09.27 below.

d.  Play Park – letter received from Partnership seeking confirmation of Councils support for the play park and donation request agreed at 11^th December 07 meeting (item 07.115((xiii) for £1,000.

Resolved Cllr Dunn & Pounder to attend next meeting to detail council’s actions and decisions on various issues raised and confirm support for the Play Park and donation.  Cllr Pounder to supply information he presented to the planning meeting.

09.25.3          Speed Visors – Updated prices received from supplier.

Resolved

a.  To order 2x 30mph roundels with ‘slow down’ and ‘flashing lanterns’, together with data logging upgrade.

b.  To ensure DCC has the ability to uplift the data.

c.  To clarify cost of fixture of the signs by DCC.

d.  To proceed with the order and fixing of the signs by appropriate contractor.

09.25.4         Tarmac – Old Quarrington Liaison Group Meeting Minutes – received.  Resolved that Cllr K Pounder be nominated as the representative from the parish council.

09.25.5         Web Statistics – received.

09.25.6         Village Hall Lease – Resolved to receive the report and accept the way forward noted therein.  CAB to remain in village hall.

09.25.7           Meeting Room(s) & Office Space – Investigations into Lansdown House availability and suitability for office space and meeting room indicate that there is sufficient space to accommodate the Council, but that the meeting night would need to change from 2^nd Tuesday evenings to 3^rd Wednesday’s.  Telecommunications need to be addressed.

Resolved

a.  Clerk to progress using Lansdown House for office and public open access.

b.  Council meetings to transfer to Lansdown House in May for a trial period.

c.  Clerk to prepare a report for next meeting on accessing communications and

d.  To transfer to Lansdown House as soon as practical.

09.26       Quarrington Hill Allotments lease – old lease due to expire June 2009, renewal received on virtually the same terms at a cost of £75.  Lease renewal raised in view of asset transfer request made early 2008.  The clerk also reported that the request for asset transfer of this and other areas had been overlooked due to the various people involved and cross communication. A peppercorn disposal had been requested prior to request for asset transfer

Resolved to

a.      Seek further advice for next meeting.

b.      Write letters of complaints to the City Council and Chris Rolle DCC expressing concern at the process and position the Council has been placed in.

09.27       Traffic Calming Consultation – Church Street, Quarrington Hill – The Quarrington Hill Village Partnership had asked for further information & speeding/traffic figures to be considered before any decision was taken by Council.  Council discussed the request to delay any decision, but felt that the recorded data demonstrated a need for calming in that area.  Additionally, whilst there was an ability to deliver improvements in the area at no extra cost to Council, the opportunity had to be taken.

09.28       Finance

09.28.1         Budget update provided by clerk.

09.28.2         Speed Visors – Resolved to purchase the signs upon confirmation of design by DCC.

09.28.3         Coxhoe Traffic Calming – completed.  Resolved to pay the invoice for £17,588 upon receipt, that representing the Parish Council’s contribution to the scheme, as previously agreed.

09.29       Accounts for payment

 

 

09.30       Planning Applications: -

09.30.1         55 The Avenue – Change of use of footpath to residential garden, erection of wall, gates and boundary marker.

Resolved to make representation after members had viewed the area in more detail.

09.30.2         Mining Memorial – Meeting already arranged through D Marrs at the City Council to address issues raised by Council and others.  Resolved

a.  To await outcome of meeting.

b.  Cllr Dunn to attend, if required, to request the application is withdrawn in order that it can take into account the village Master Plan currently being developed.  If this is refused then the planning committee be asked to refuse the application.

c.  Following a vote, it was further agreed that, should the application be withdrawn, then Council will pay for the resubmission of the application.

09.30.3         Traffic  Calming Church Street, Quarrington Hill – Resolved – To support the application.

09.30.4         Acorn Business park – Resolved to support the application.

09.30.5         Hellens outline planning application – it was noted that Hellens had now developed an outline footprint, which had not as yet come to Council.  Resolved to write to Hellens to invite representatives to present a copy of the plans to council at the next meeting.

 

 

09.31       Date of Next Meeting – Tuesday 10^th March, 2009 6.45pm in Coxhoe Village Hall.

 

Meeting closed at 22.25 hrs

 

Date of Next Meeting – Tuesday 10^th March, 2009 at 6.45pm in Coxhoe Village Hall.

 

 

Signed as a true record of the meeting on 10^th February 2009

                                           

Cllr. P. Dodsworth     Chairman                          Mrs. M. Robinson      Clerk

 

 

Cllr. S. Dunn            Vice Chairman