|
Coxhoe Parish Council |
|
Meeting Monthly Date Time Venue Coxhoe Village Hall |
Delivering
Quality Services to
Coxhoe
& Quarrington Hill
Minutes of the
proceedings of the monthly council meeting held at
Present: - Chairman
Cllr. P. Dodsworth and
Cllrs: - S. Dunn, B. Hepplewhite, C. Thirlaway, J.
Taylor, K. Pounder, G. Shotton, R. Mayo,. C. Wigham, D. Smith; Also Co. Cllr.
D. Morgan & City & Co. Cllr. M. Plews.
Clerk Mrs. M. Robinson
09.34
Apologies: For lateness
received from Cllr T. Rowe (joined as indicated*)
09.35
Members
Declaration of Interests - Cllr D. Smith for Sanderson Street & Planning and Cllr Pounder for
police report.
09.36 Hellens Development
The Chairman
welcomed Mr Gavin Cauldwel Smith who provided the current information on the
Hellens Development. The intention is
to provide affordable starter homes, some detatched and semi-detatched, but no
flats with some public open spaces. House construction would be expectedtowards
the end of 2009 with availability early 2010.
Remediated tree work would be provided as part of the overall scheme and
the industrial site would be remediated ready for development as the market
improves. Fencing would be in place
shortly enclosing the site and an application is anticipated within 2 months.
Permission for the cycle route had been given.
Planning
Section 106 agreements could include an improvement to the through route into
Coxhoe along with screening, public art
as well as improved access to Basic Cottages area. Mr Smith was asked to reconsider the companys
current strategy by bringing highways up to an adoptable standard and gaining
highways engineers approval. He
undertook to re-look at this and to table designs to the council for
comments. Following a highways
assessment, an upgrade of the entrance road junction was not a requirement.
09.37
Questions from the Public None present
09.38
Police Report
Written report
received and PCSO expanded on this. Concern
expressed over vandalism of play park, though incidents not always reported to
police or neighbourhood forum. Also maintenance and monitoring of CCTV
cameras. Reporting of accidents not part
of report, but still requested by members in view of recent accidents in
Quarrington Hill.
Resolved to
i.
Ask leisure centre staff to report
incidents of vandalism to police and neighbourhood forum.
ii.
Ask
for some Neighbourhood Warden cover in the evenings in future.
iii.
Ask
police to provide information on accidents.
iv. Write
to DCC regarding monitoring and maintenance of CCTV cameras.
v.
Invite
the Anti-social Behaviour Officer to a parish meeting in the summer.
09.39
Minutes of meeting held 10th
February 2009 were approved as a true record and signed.
09.40
Matters of information
09.40.1 Transfer of Assets unable to negotiate on property until new Unitary Council in place; land
transfer requests negated by the process and number of different sections /
people involved and conflicting advice provided; green spaces transfer plan
provided for consideration and agreed that the areas indicated on the plan were
those areas council had agreed to consider for transfer at the appropriate
time; old railway line (city council owned cycleway) noted to be in poor
condition, but note made that it could be considered for a P3 grant to upgrade
the surfaces. Advice to be sought from
DCC Elaine Fields.
09.40.2 Cycle Routes to be extended at Quarrington Hill to Cassop and redirected in some
places. Funding application would be
required.
09.40.3 Front Street Planters require DCC to fill them.
09.40.4 Old Picture House / Club Area concern over pigeon waste on
newly replaced paving Noted for this to be reported to environmental
health. Club to be asked to look at
litter issues.
09.40.5 URRI
works problems with light brackets and funding
beingsought from City Council, also thank you letters to be sent on vast
improvement to the area to DCC, Katherine Grezzo, Operations Section Service
Direct & County Councillors.
09.40.6 Traffic
problems being experienced in The Avenue/ Rosylyn Mews area. Site meeting requested with highways.
09.40.7 War
Graves updated information circulated received
09.40.8 Village
Hall car park Executive committee seeking further advice.
09.40.9 Speed
Visors confirmation of design by DCC, Power posts by DCC cost £3907.40 and
price with Varitext (£8877.40 + VAT) agreed and order placed.
09.40.10
Coxhoe Traffic Calming completed. Invoice for £17,588 paid as agreed last
meeting.
09.37
Correspondence
Durham County Council Correspondence (*) - Nil
City of Durham Council Correspondence - Nil
County Durham Association of Local Councils (CDALC)
Correspondence
09.37.1
Special
General Meeting 4th April at DCC Local Governemtn Review & AAP
meetings update B Hepplewhite attending.
Other Correspondence
09.37.2
EDF Public Meeting 11th March
no one was available to attend.
09.37.3
NHS Co Durham Extraordinary Board Meeting
3rd March received.
09.37.4
Town & Parish Standard issue 4
received.
09.37.5
Zurich Insurers annual cover renewal
& allotments endorsement
09.37.6
Boundary Committee confirming 126
unitary councillors received.
09.37.7
Letter of thanks from the pigeon
association.
09.38
Reports
09.38.1
Review
of the effectiveness of the internal audit Resolved to
accept the report.
09.38.2
Coxhoe
Community Partnership Project
Updates received.
a.
Churchyard Project Site meeting still to
be arranged to progress installation by Cllrs Dunn & Plews
a. Quarrington Hill Village Partnership Cllr Dunn reported
on the meeting he had attended to represent the council on various issues and
to encourage more partnership working.
Copy of the report noted in that Traffic figures were explained and
noted that the aims of the Parish Plan had been achieved. Additionally a speeding problem investigated
in Church Street, with supporting evidence, was soon to be addressed through
further traffic calming methods. The
Partnership were asked to re-consider the view of residents in respect of the
play park equipment and positions and to seek further consultation with
residents in order that the community embraced and supported the project. Resolved to offer space on the notice board
to display play park plans.
b. News
letter for the village produced and distributed by the Partnership
09.39
Meetings
to :-
a.
Address environmental issues such as hanging
baskets, street furniture, street scene and further improvements Resolved to establish
a sub-committee to address these issues.
b.
Address how the council communicated with
its residents, including web site, newsletters, notice boards
Resolved to establish a sub-committee to address these issues.
c.
Resolved
that both sub-committee meetings report back to full council in April.
09.40
Environmental
contractors Quotations had been requested from contractors in respect
of provision of horticulture and grounds maintenance. Having considered the information provided,
it was resolved that the existing contracts with TP Gardens, which is unchanged
from last year; and Thinford Nurseries, which represented a modest increase of
50p per basket and £5 per watering session, be renewed for one year.
09.41
Finance
09.41.1
Reconciliation of accounts from last
meeting presented. Resolved to accept
the report and investigate systems of accounting. N King to be asked if he can assist in
completing the end of year accounts and annual return.
09.41.2
Photocopier provision Resolved to
continue usage of existing one in current position at present.
09.42
Grants
& Donations
09.42.1 CAB resolved to continue to support CAB and
to enquire what the cost would be to provide the service for the coming year.
09.43
Accounts
for payment
|
Creditor |
Reason |
£ |
|
Viking Direct |
Stationary |
69.13 |
|
M. Robinson |
Clerk Salary |
|
|
DCC |
Traffic Calming Coxhoe |
17,588 |
09.44
Planning
Applications: -
09.44.1
Village business signage members
requested that the increased number of signs be advised to the planning
authority with a view to ensuring quality signs of an appropriate nature are
encouraged. Those not in compliance to
be asked to be removed.
09.45
Date
of Next Meeting Tuesday 13th April, 2009 6.45pm in
Coxhoe Village Hall.
Meeting closed at 21.25 hrs
Signed as a true record of the meeting on
10th March 2009
Cllr. P. Dodsworth Chairman Mrs.
M. Robinson Clerk
Cllr. S. Dunn Vice Chairman