Meeting September 2025 agenda

The minutes of Oughterside and Allerby Parish Council meeting

held on Tuesday 9^th September 2025 commencing at 7.00pm.

Chair declared the meeting open at 7.00pm

Present: Chair’ Lyndsey Preston-Miller, Cllrs Linda Snowdon, Pam Marriott, Julie Gingell, Gary Bolton.

Cumberland Councillor. Not present

Clerk: Mike Milner.  2 members of the public.

500.00 Apologies for absence: Gladys Hunter (vice chair) (O&APC) Cllr M Harris (CC)

501.00 Declaration of interests: None.

502.00 To read and approve the minutes of the last meeting held on Tuesday 8^th July 2025.

502.01 Resolved to approve the minutes as a true and accurate record by those who were present at that meeting.

503.00 Public Participation/open session.

503.01 member of the public thanked the parish council for the assistance in getting Salterwath Beck cleared of weeds and the Cumberland Council’s commitment to resurface Well Road. Councillors all agreed major contributing factor to the beck action and promised resurfacing action was due to the input of Cllr Martin Harris (CC).

503.02 question asked about the Sycamore trees that border the beck, they are behind Well Road properties and the new build properties in Salterwath Close. Cllrs aware TPO in place. Clerk to investigate the restrictions of pruning of the trees as they are now long overdue the attention of a tree surgeon.

504.00 Police Matters.

504.01 clerk had circulated the police e newsletter. Further comment agenda item 8.

505.00 Matters concerning Cumberland Councillor.

505.01 Cllr M.H had provided a report, circulated. No questions from Cllrs about report.

506.00 Applications for development.

506.01 one application FUL/2025/0083 which referred to a renovation of a barn that was part of a 3-barn project renovation application, approved, in 2015, in the grounds of Oughterside House. Cllrs all agreed that the current proposal was acceptable and in line with the 2015 approved application. The other barns have been renovated.

506.02 however, all Cllrs raised the issue of a pair of resident Barn Owls and also the known presence of bats. Both of which were protected by 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act. After a discussion it was agreed that the clerk when confirming the council’s agreement with proposed application, would bring to the planning Office’s attention the implications of the mentioned act and the owls and bats. The ecology report is not forceful enough on presence of both species.

507.00 Successful use of Speed Gun on A596 through Prospect.

507.01 Cllrs all agreed that the actions of the police with the hand-held speed gun had confirmed the thoughts of residents of Prospect and councillors, that it proved that although traffic surveys may indicate the 85th percentile of traffic flow is within accepted Chief Constables criteria for the speed limit on A596, the speed gun indicates that from high volumes of traffic there are vehicles exceeding the 40mph speed limit.

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507.02 the continued use of a speed gun would hopefully bring about more speeding tickets and consequently by social media reporting about the use of the gun, in that area, bring about a lowering in the number of speeding vehicles along the main road through Prospect. Police initiative much appreciated.

508.00 Council to confirm adoption of new documents, Oughterside and Allerby Complaints and Vexation Procedure Document and O&A Disciplinary Policy. Copies circulated prior to meeting.

508.01 clerk advised that changes in government legislation meant that Oughterside and Allerby need these two documents. Councillors unanimously resolved to adopted the policies.

509.00 Resolve to amend clerk’s salary at LC2 level 19. Nationally approved by NALC and back date the award to 1^st April 2025, as recommended by NALC.

509.01 the increase is 52p/hr and back dated to 1^st April and agreed at national level. Councillors agreed unanimously to approve the increase and arrears.

510.00 Consider the ramifications of adopting the parish council’s own name, (for example www.oughtersideandallerby.gov.uk ) it use for email addresses for all councillors and clerk. How it would affect current parish website use. New website costs and annual hosting costs.

510.01 clerk explained that under new guidelines all parish councils should be owning a domain with gov.uk, org.uk or .com suffix. Also, all Cllrs and the clerk should be allocated a new personal email address from that domain name for all email official correspondence.

510.02 clerk advised that one of the questions on the 2025/26 AGAR form will cover that criteria and were the parish council covered appropriately and were correctly applying the WCAG 2.2 accessibility and GDRP compliance. Cllrs unanimously agreed to the clerk investigating options the costs and report back.

511.00 Feedback from Summer INSIDE magazine?

511.01 cllrs who distributed the recent INSIDE magazine advised that the feedback from residents who they physically handed the newsletter to, were pleased with the variety of content and the information that it contained.

512.00 Progress reports, clerk.

512.01 clerk confirmed he had just received a verbal quote for repairing the old swing area safety area in Pond Green of £450 ex Vat and that was labour only. Clerk confirmed the 7.5m x 1.5m rolls of matting were £240 each and 2 would be required. Unfortunately, they were currently out of stock.

512.02 clerk had checked back and in 2021 the labour to repair using chippings had been £680 ex Vat and the chippings had been £1328, so it looked as if the matting option would be about half the cost. Cllrs agreed clerk should organise the repair based on the price guides he had provided.

512.03 various email exchanges with residents from Well Rd.

512.04 clerk visited Pond Green play area on 16^th August and removed the old No Golf sign and fixed the new signage about age limit as agreed.

512.05 clerk had not yet contacted Highways about an additional seat on the road verge along the River Ellen road. On list of outstanding actions to undertake.

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512.06 following last meeting clerk visited the gulley running past The Gholic on Saturday 12^th July, spoke to immediate neighbours and then contacted Tivoli and the gulley was actual cut on Monday 14^th July.

512.07 clerk enquired if any feedback from article in INSIDE about the BMX area in Oughterside playing field. Cllr L.S advised she was in discussions with local children and had a BMX Track designer she needed to contact.

512.08 clerk attended the Police Teams meeting 29^th July, Cllr P.M to attend the next meeting.

512.09 Allerby red phone box requires a new door, £280, chair to contact the contractor and organise the obtaining the door and then the phone box being refurbished.

513.00 Councillors reports.

513.01 clerk shown pictures of graffiti that had been written on the tunnel of the Pond Green new play equipment. Pure vandalism. Local children claimed it was children from Wigton. Clerk will forward to a contractor and get it cleaned up.

513.02 ENW have still not removed their old signs and scrap metal from recent works. Clerk will report to Allerdale office of Cumberland as fly tipping and report ENW.

513.03 More fly tipping in the area of Beech Hill, images to be forwarded to clerk and he will report to Allerdale. Also, a dumped car on the verge at Beech Hill, clerk will report.

513.04 Cllr J.G to organise a litter pick and she and Cllr P.M will arrange with Allerdale for equipment loan and then bag location pick up point.

513.05 Cllr G.B enquired when grass verges would be trimmed, but clerk advised that is a Highways contract and carried out by local contractors. Usually done September/October.

514.00 Correspondence.

514.01 invoice from Tivoli £135.34 to cut the Gholic gulley.

514.02 invoice received from Printpoint for Summer INSIDE £132.00.

514.03 invoice from CTM for Pond Green play area sign, £41.76.

514.04 invoice from Tivoli for August grass cutting £659.84.

514.05 Cumberland Council forwarded letter about Councillor Conduct and Respect and the PowerPoint presentation that went with it.

514.06 on 14^th August with Allerby resident about tar and chipping of Allerby to Hayton and the drains being covered over and the potholes not filled in before laying top surface. On 16^th August clerk investigated and reported to Highways.

514.07 Citizens Advice sent circular letter asking for contribution. No action.

514.08 Tivoli invoice for September grass cutting received £659.84.

515.00 Payments for approval.

Intpay 360, £128.80, salary contribution, no expenses, no August meeting

Intpay 361, HMRC £32.20, PAYE. August

Intpay 362, Tivoli, £135.34, July Gholic Gulley cut.

Intpay 363, Printpoint £132.00 Summer INSIDE

Intpay 364, Tivoli £659.84 August grass contract.

Intpay 365, M Milner £420.58, salary Sept’ £308.98 inc pay rise, £111.60 expenses

Intpay 366, HMRC £77.20, September PAYE with pay increase arrears.

Intpay 367, Tivoli £659.84 September grass contract.

All Payments approved.

Meeting closed 8.44pm.

516.00 Date and time of next meeting Tuesday 14th October 2025 at 7.00pm at Prospect village hall.

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