Meeting February Agenda 2025

OUGHTERSIDE AND ALLERBY PARISH COUNCIL

The minutes of Oughterside and Allerby Parish Council meeting

held on Tuesday 11^th February 2025 commencing at 7.00pm.

Chair declared the meeting open at 7.00pm. No heating, but meeting to continue.

Present: Cllrs Lyndsey Preston-Miller (chair) Gladys Hunter, (vice-chair), Linda Snowdon, Pam Marriott, Leona Davison, Gary Bolton,

Clerk: Mike Milner. There were 2 members of the public present.

Cumberland Councillor: Martin Harris.

395.00 Apologises for absence: no apologies all present.

396.00 Declaration of interests.  None.

397.00 To read and approve the minutes of the last meeting held on Tuesday 10^th December 2024.

397.01 Resolved unanimously to approve the minutes as a true and accurate record by those who were present at that meeting. Chair signed the True Copy.

398.00 Public Participation Session. 15 minutes allowed.

398.01 neither member present had anything specific to raise.

399.00 Police matters.

399.01 clerk had circulated the police e-newsletter.

400.00 Matters concerning Cumberland Councillor.

400.01 Cllr MH was present and the clerk had circulated his report, which was taken as read. Cllrs were interested in hearing his report on the meeting he had had with a Highways Officer about various issues being constantly raised.

400.02 the pavement and hedges issues, Highways would again review the issue concerning Meadow Bank to Well Rd and down past Bank End Cottages.

400.03 hidden dip signage on A596, Cllr MH repeated the Highways comments, not their responsibility. Clerk advised he had written confirmation of their installation; he would forward copy of that email to Cllr MH. Discussion about Connect Roads and their involvement. Clerk to investigate and advise all on his researches.

400.04 Give Way sign at Oughterside, Highways to replace. From a safety point all councillors disgusted at that comment repeated again after 2 years.

400.05 mirror requested at Prospect on A596 at Miners Arms junction. Highways don’t approve of concave mirrors as they do not provide a correct perspective of distance of oncoming vehicles.

400.06 discussion about various other local issues Cllr MH should be aware of, pavement cleared down to Beech Hill, some fly tipping removed at Beech Hill some still remains and rotted Give Way sign by school. Photos to be sent to clerk, who would start the reporting process to Highways.

400.07 chair thanked Cllr MH for his attendance, his reports and invited him to remain, which he accepted.

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400.00 Applications for development.

400.01 clerk confirmed application FUL/2024/0235, new classroom at Grow West, which council had approved, had been granted permission. No other applications.

401.00 Chair and clerk to sigh clerk’s latest contract of employment.

401.01 clerk apologised; this action had been taken at December meeting.

402.00 Tivoli Grass contract, for 2025 season.

402.01 clerk had contacted Tivoli and he could confirm that the new contract in total for the 6 cuts this coming season amounted to £3959.07 inc VAT and clerk had budgeted for £3840.00 so contract 3% greater than budget. He confirmed that in the past tenders had been issued, but the current contractor was always competitive and was used by Cumberland council. Clerk advised that he had just received tender for a large playing field at another parish from Tivoli and it was competitive in relation to this parish council’s price.

403.00 Consider repairs to Allerby Red Phone box and bus shelter at Prospect in direction of Maryport, both storm damaged.

403.01 clerk dealt with bus shelter first. Hole in the roof from flying debris. Could be an asbestos sheeting on the roof. Matter reported to Highways and the bus schedule team, E1/234938. Clerk awaiting further report on action. Shelter not closed off.

403.02 prior to the meeting clerk had circulated numerous pages concerning old red phone boxes and their replacement parts. During the recent storm the Allerby phone box door had been blown open, retaining strap broken and the timber hardwood door frame broken at the bottom. Councillors decided in lieu of cost of replacement parts, clerk and chair would invite quotes for a new door frame and then repainting of the box as a unit.

404.00 Parish Council vacancy.

404.01 it transpired that one of the members of public present was perhaps interested in joining by co-option and had come along to experience a full parish council meeting. Clerk advised that if he had realised, the heating would have been on and hot coffee and biscuits would have been on view. Member of public to consider their future action about vacancy.

405.00 CPR training by Silloth First Responders 25^th Feb’ 7pm to 9pm.

405.01 Cllr PM has organised the event, clerk trying to establish how to make a donation to the team. Discussion about further promotion. Put a flyer in local library and in bus shelters below timetable information.

406.00 Reaffirm councillors Code of Conduct, copy circulated.

406.01 prior to the meeting clerk has circulated the document, this is just an annual housekeeping exercise. All councillors unanimously resolved to reaffirm the Code of Conduct document.

407.00 Content and print date for Easter INSIDE magazine.

407.01 observation that December issue was supposedly repetition of previous content, however all Cllrs pointed out trying to get Highways to act on issues raised meant that the magazine was reminding local residents that their issues were not forgotten and perhaps a more reactive response to issues raised would remove the repetitive nature of content.

407.02 Bin collections would be highlighted in the next issue as it appeared weekly collections were to be come fortnightly and bigger bins though would be at a cost to local residents if so requested. Also include a report on CPR session.

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408.00 Progress reports, clerk.

408.01 clerk reported he had been advised that Beech Hill fly tipping had been removed, however as per earlier comments, this was not true, clerk to contact Highways again after new images. Area cleared, area with remaining tipping to be provided by Cllr GB.

408.02 Cllr PM had raised the issue of the road below Ellen Villa rail bridge being flooded. Clerk had contacted Highways, pointed out this issue had been a regular complaint for 4 years. A senior Highways officer had advised such problem areas would be regularly inspected. Obviously not, but after clerk’s complaint Highways team cleared drains. Cllrs pointed to Cllr MH this was yet again another blatant example of Highways not completing on their acknowledged problem areas to stop repeat issues.

408.03 clerk advised in line with good practice he regularly backed up the parish laptop, two back ups to his personal external back up drives and one to a parish Flash Drive, due to content he had had to purchase from Amazon a new Flash Drive of 64GB size, £7.97 which would be in his expenses.

408.04 Precept application submitted to Cumberland Council for £11440, acknowledged by council.

409.00 Councillors reports.

409.01 Cllr PM had discussed with clerk about advertising in parish council noticeboards, Farmers and Craft Markets during 2025 to be held in Prospect Village Hall. Clerk had advised that in his view it was a commercial enterprise and responsible for its own advertising. Cllr PM was asking Cllrs for their views and could the markets be advertised in noticeboards. Discussion followed and clerk to insert the flyer, however if parish council contacted by other local businesses and requests for other advertising then council to reassess the decision.

409.02 Cllr LS advised that Highways had confirmed a complaint she had raised in September 2023, had finally been attended to. Cllr had received 2 complaints about the state of pavements since local hedges had been cut and contractor was not cleaning the resultant brash. Clerk advised a regular complaint, machinery not correctly directing the cut material back into the hedgerow. Cllr LS raised the issue of having a Lengthsman for use by the council to deal with such matters. Another councillor then raised the prospect of using Community Pay Back teams. Clerk would contact Community Pay Back organisation as he had used them at another parish on a project very successfully.

409.03 Cllr GH was concerned about the continued parking in front of Skiddaw View, on the wrong side of the boulders in the grass area and she requested that a No Parking sign should be placed in the area. Clerk advised of the negative experience that Lorton parish Council had received when they had purchased and installed such signage. Cllr LS to organise an appropriate sign.

409.04 Cllr PM then raised the issue of directions below where a defibrillator was located by signage about a defibrillator being available in the parish. Cllr had been approached asking for such additional information being made available. Clerk responded that the chair at another parish council he served was a lead First Responder and his feedback on such comments was most people had a mobile phone and if you type “Nearest Defibrillator” into any search engine that provided the location(s) of defibrillators in the vicinity.

410.00 Correspondence.

410.01 letter received from GNAAS thanking parish council for £500 donation.

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410.02 email from Moore external government auditor advising thanks for completing current years submission of audit documents and outlining the timetable for the 2024/25 deadline dates.

410.03 Invoice from Printpoint £132.00 Christmas INSIDE.

410.04 Inside from Prospect Village Hall, hall Hire, Oct/Nov/Dec £72. Cllrs all advised the clerk to raise the issue of the lack of heating in the hall this evening. Certainly not up to legal guidelines for a building or office being used for the sedentary purpose of those attending. Not a keep fit activity class, probably too cold for that. No payment for hire to be made for this meeting.

411.00 Payments for approval.

Intpay 325 M Milner, £128.00, salary Jan’.

Intpay 326 HMRC, £32.20, PAYE January.

Above payments made in Jan’ to comply with HMRC payment and submission deadlines.

Intpay 327, £208.13, salary Feb’, salary £112.68 expenses £95.45

Intpay 328, HMRC £28.00, PAYE Feb.

Intpay 329, Printpoint, £132.00, December INSIDE

Intpay 330, Prospect Village Hall, £72.00, Hall hire Oct/Nov/Dec.

December & January HSBC bank charge £5.00 per month

All Payments approved.

Meeting closed 8.49pm.

412.00 Date and time of next meeting Tuesday 11^th March 2025 at 7.00pm at Prospect village hall

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