AYSGARTH and DISTRICT PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on 14th September 2017

Present:

Parish Cllrs: John Dinsdale, David Pointon, Val Gladman, Linda Cooper, Alison Sayer, David Wood, Peter Windle, and Robert Walker

County Cllr John Blackie, District Cllr Caroline Gardner

Parish Clerk: Mrs G Harrison, also Responsible Financial Officer.

Reporter and website administrator – Pip Land

Members of the public

1 / Consideration of Apologies for Absence
Apologies were given and accepted from Margaret Jones, and Brian McGregor
2 / Minutes of Parish Council meeting held on
The minutes of the ordinary meeting held on the 27th July 2017 were approved as a true and correct record.
3 / Declaration of interest.
None
4 / To receive a report from the Clerk on matters arising from the last meeting
Parking outside the Drs surgery at Aysgarth. Contact was made with the surgery but it was advised that the ground belongs to highways and that the surgery have no jurisdiction over the parking bays at the junction. Cllrs suggested that contact be made with highways with a view to signs being provisioned for the spaces stating that they were for the use of patients visiting the surgery.
The council’s boundary commission consultation response had been submitted with Cllrs supporting the boundaries suggested by Cllr Blackie in his report presented to the meeting held on the 27th July 2017.
The YDNPA flood management application has been completed applying for the Aysgarth and District Council as a land owner to be a member of the steering group. The Chairman is the contact point.
5 / Highways issues – standing item
The following items were requested to be reported to highways
-Bishopdale Bridge is in a broken state and keeps getting further knocks. When is the bridge scheduled for repair? This road is an essential route for ambulances, it isimportant that it is repaired.
-Thornton Rust to Cuebeck – Cones remain in place; the road continues to subside and be used as an emergency route when the A684 is flooded. Still no repair work in place.
-Thornton Rust to Cuebeck – Reports during recent flooding of articulated lorries meeting head on, this is a single-track road, the signage at Bainbridge needs to be more effective. Cllrs would like a weight restriction to be imposed as it is totally unsuitable for articulated lorries to be using this route and effective signage to ensure that the heavy traffic travelled to Askrigg instead of using the unsuitable road via Thornton Rust.
6. / Financial Matters
6.1 / Payments/Purchases/Income
The following payments were authorised by the council
14.09.17 / A Goulthorpe (Grass cutting) / 777 / 510.00
14.09.17 / Jim Thompson (Outgang grant work) / 778 / 414.55
14.09.17 / PKF Littlejohn LLP (external audit) / 779 / 240.00
14.09.17 / Pip Land (Website work and reporting) / 780 / 132.5
14.09.17 / John Dinsdale (Outgang grant work) / 781 / 476.85
The council agreed to transfer £200 from Thoralby moss account to the running account to support the audit costs.
6.2 / Completion of the Limited assurance review for the year ended 31 March 2017
The council considered the letter from external auditor PKF Littlejohn and the yearend accounts were agreed and finalised.
The finalised accounts will now be publicised on the website.
7. / Planning
R/51/55K 1 Yore Mills, Church Bank, Aysgarth
Full planning permission for conversion of ground floor office and first floor flat to reinstate form single dwelling house as holiday accommodation.
R/51/55L/LB1 1 Yore Mills, Church Bank, Aysgarth
Listed building consent for above
It was resolved that the Parish Council supports this application on the grounds of Support of the Historic review of the associated buildings. The upgrade will conserve and enhance the area.
R/58/12N Town Head Farm, Thoralby
Full Planning permission for installation of a 40.5m diameter concrete panel slurry store
It was resolved that the parish council wishes to support local farmers and, generally, is in support of the principle and the agricultural need for a new slurry store at Town Head Farm at Thoralby, but considers it essential that the planning committee should make a site visit as there are a number of amendments to the scheme that the parish council and residents would like to see made to mitigate its impact upon the residents and the landscape. It was felt that these could be better explained at a site visit.
8. / Correspondence to consider
  • Letter from RDC with regards to budget setting for the precept 18/19
  • YDNPA – letter from the Conservation team

9. / Thoralby Moss and Thornton Mire
– Standing item
Cllr Dinsdale updated the meeting that he was working with the YDNPA to try and get the best possible scheme for Thornton Mire.
10. / Broadband speed – Bishopdale
Cllr Sayer addressed the meeting and explained that the broadband speed up Bishopdale is incredibly slow and intermittent at times.
Cllr Sayer had phoned BT who had stated that it would be more effective if an official organisation placed a complaint.
The clerk explained that it was difficult to make any contact with BT and a name would be helpful. Cllr Sayer said she would find the name of the relevant person to contact.
It was resolved that the council would support the issues with an official letter upon receipt of a department or named recipient.
11. / AOB
Community Emergency Plan
Peter Windle said that he was in the process of reviewing the Community Emergency Plan as the last time it had been visited was 2006. He will update the meeting in due course.
Local Primary schools in danger of closing
Cllr Blackie addressed the meeting with regards to the precarious situation of three of the upper dales primary schools. Askrigg, West Burton and Bainbridge known as BAWB. He brought it to the Councils attention that the BAWB was currently being financially reviewed due to a projected deficit of £90,000 in the next two years with three possible outcomes: -
  1. All the three schools remain open
  2. Two schools will close leaving Askrigg open
  3. One School with close leaving Askrigg and one other open
The council resolved to support in principle to keep all three schools open. It was felt that any closures would mean the loss of social amenity and the ability to attract young families.
The local education authority would be operating drop in sessions in a consultation process and councillors and members of the public were urged to attend.
Health update
Cllr Blackie presented to the meeting the facts with regards to the emergency ambulances provision serving the dales. The current provision is falling short and is causing considerable distress to patients. The problem is that there are simply not sufficient emergency ambulances because so many services are being transferred to far distant hospitals like the James Cook at Middlesbrough.
Cllr Blackie went on to say that he will be making a very determined attempt to get the CCG (Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group) to resource another emergency ambulance. Community First Responders are often waiting 35 to 40 minutes for an ambulance to reach a patient.
12. / Items for next meeting agenda
1. Complaints Policy
2. Half year reconciliation
13. / Date of next meeting.
Thursday 26th October 2017 at AysgarthVillage Hall 7.30pm
Meeting closed 9.35 pm