WALTON PARISH COUNCIL minutes
Minutes of the Annual Parish Council Meeting held on 3rd May 2016
Present: Cllrs: S Birkby, J Carlon, E Fairclough, P Lee, H Massey, C Pearson, E Prince and
T Saunders.
In attendance: Cllr: A Manifield (WMDC), APS Matthew Jackson, 2 members of the Public the Clerk to the Council.
01. To elect the Chairman.
Resolved to elect Councillor Liz Fairclough as Chairman who then signed a Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
02. To elect the Vice-Chairman.
Resolved to elect Councillor Keith Shaw as Vice Chairman.
03. To receive apologies for absence.
Apologies were received from: Cllrs: G Glenn and K Shaw & M Cummings and F Heptinstall (WMDC).
The Clerk announced that Councillor David Pickover has resigned from the Council because of poor health and members asked the Clerk to convey the thanks and good wishes of the Council to him.
04. To receive declarations of interest.
There were none.
05. To approve the minutes of the council meeting held on 5th April 2016.
Resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5th April 2016 without amendment as a correct record.
06. To be notified of matters accomplished or arisen since the last meeting not included elsewhere on the agenda.
(Ref min 187 1 ii ) The Clerk has written to all the residents on School Lane bordering the Recreation Ground. No responses have been received.
(Ref min 182 ii) The Clerk has written to Highways Department to ask when potholes on Shay Lane will be repaired in this financial year, but with no response so far.
Councillor Massey reported she has been asked by a resident on Manor Rise to publicise on the Council's Facebook site that the only access to the Jubilee Field is via the path leading from School Lane via 'Chippie' Lane. Other paths near the resident's land which lead to the Jubilee Field are being littered and used by dog walkers who allow their dogs to foul without picking up the waste. There is also a possible trip hazard near the Jubilee Field. Clarification on what is the Parish Council's responsibility for access was questioned and Councillor Carlon will visit the site and talk to the resident.
07. Public forum session – To permit members of the public to make representations, answer questions, and give evidence in respect of any item of business included in the agenda.
A resident of Shay Lane wished to make the Parish Council aware of a complaint from another resident about the speeding of traffic along Shay Lane near its junction with Common Lane and the potential risk of an accident. The Chair suggested the PC might consider the installation of a 20 mph zone. Councillor Manifield advised that a consultation exercise would be needed for this proposal and previous experience is that there will be some people for it and some against such a proposal. It was pointed out that some of the "Slow" road markings are worn. Councillor Manifield undertook to ask WMDC to send an officer from Highways to inspect the situation.
08. To receive a report on the SAFE scheme and Police matters.
APS Matthew Jackson reported there was 1 crime in April of attempted theft of a vehicle and 1 call of anti-social behaviour related to potentially dangerous fly-tipping of building materials.
12 hours were worked in April under the SAFE scheme, 8 by Police Officers and 4 by PCSOs.
APS Jackson introduced an enforcement officer from West Yorkshire Trading Standards who gave information on what cold calling control zones are, what their advantages are and how to set them up. The zones restrict certain categories of cold calling and are set up in partnership with the Police. Once a zone has been set up then cold callers can be challenged and if they are abusive or suspicious they can be reported to the Police.
Resolved to note the reports.
09. To receive a report from WMDC Ward 5 Councillors.
Councillor Manifield reported that there is no further information about the Brook Farm situation and he has followed up with WMDC the potential flooding due to blockages of Drain Beck.
The Chairman reported a conversation with Network Rail regarding the stone walls along Common Lane bordering the railway line which are falling down and the stones being pilfered. Network Rail have claimed they are not the owners of the walls and that the walls are the responsibility of WMDC. Councillor Manifield was asked to look into this matter.
Councillor Manifield reported that he is in touch with Graham West about the closure of Shay Lane in the school holidays for sewerage works to ensure problems are foreseen and solved in advance.
He has asked for the mini roundabout at the junction of Cherry Tree Road and Shay Lane to be removed and is awaiting a response.
Resolved to note the reports.
10. Finance & Governance
1. To approve accounts to be paid, already paid under delegated powers and income received April 2016.
The Clerk submitted details (copy attached to minutes) of accounts paid totalling £6,757.64 and income received of £18,172.75 for April which includes half of the year's precept.
The account balances at the end of April are:
Current a/c: £1,432.12
Barclays Business Res a/c: £31,828.20
HSBC deposit a/c: £15,053.89
Total £48,314.21
Resolved: to approve the financial statements and payments.
2. To receive the report of the Internal Auditor.
Resolved to receive the report and note its contents.
3. To consider re-appointing the Internal Auditor for 2016/17.
Resolved to re-appoint Yorkshire Internal Audit Services as internal auditor.
4. To consider approval of the Parish Council Final Accounts for the year 2015/16.
Resolved to approve the year end accounts.
5. To consider agreement to the nine statements for the Annual Governance Statement (Secn 1 of the Annual Return).
Resolved to agree the nine statements for the Annual Governance Statement of the Annual Return.
6. To consider approval of the Accounting Statements (Secn 2 of the Annual Return).
Resolved to approve the Accounting Statements of the Annual Return.
7. To confirm Bank Signatories.
Resolved to reconfirm the current signatories: Cllrs S Birkby, E Fairclough and K Shaw.
11. To consider correspondence received.
Resolved:
i that Council members be given individual access to the websites of YLCA and NALC.
ii to note the negative response from the Government to the petition signed by the Parish Council to give parish councils the right to appeal planning decisions.
iii to note that grants are available from the Tesco Local Community scheme 'Bags of Help'.
iv to note other correspondence.
12. To consider the appointment of Parish Council representatives to outside bodies.
Resolved that representation is as follows:
1. Barnsley Canals Consortium - Cllr G Glenn.
2. Sandal Charities (Sandal Magna Relief in Need Charity & Harrison’s Almshouse Charity) – Cllr E Fairclough (appointed for 4 years in 2015).
3. Town & Parish Council Liaison Group – the Clerk will attend meetings and advise the Council of topics of interest.
4. Walton Community Centre – Cllr J Carlon.
5. Walton Safe Scheme point of contact - Cllr E Fairclough.
6. Walton Library (including Arts Festival Fund) - Cllr S Birkby.
7. YLCA - Cllr T Saunders.
13. To consider membership of Working Parties.
Resolved that membership of the working parties should be as follows:
1. Planning WP - Cllrs: J Carlon, P Lee, H Massey.
2. Village Hall & Coronation Cottage WP -
Village Hall - Cllrs: S Birkby, E Prince, K Shaw.
Coronation Cottage - Cllrs: J Carlon, H Massey.
3. Recreation Field and Playground WP - Cllrs: S Birkby, C Pearson, E Prince, K Shaw.
4. Environmental Improvements WP - Cllrs: J Carlon, G Glenn, T Saunders.
5. Tree WP - Cllrs: S Birkby, E Fairclough, C Pearson.
14. To appoint a Staffing Committee (3 members) and an Appeal Panel (3 members).
Resolved:
i to appoint Cllrs G Glenn, C Pearson and K Shaw to the Staffing Committee.
ii to appoint Cllrs S Birkby, P Lee and T Saunders to an Appeal Panel.
15. Planning Working Party.
1. To review planning applications validated and decided April 2016.
2 planning applications were validated and 1 decided since the last meeting.
Councillor Massey reported that Keepmoat will be requesting a meeting with representatives of the Parish Council within the next eight weeks to discuss proceeding further on the development and, in the meantime, the developer has asked for details of anyone who would be interested in taking space within the hub.
Resolved:
i. to make no comment on the validated applications.
ii. to seek confirmation that the Unilateral Undertaking under s106 of the Town and Planning Act for The Grove puts an obligation on the Highways Dept for the road widening scheme.
16. Village Hall and Coronation Cottage Working Party - to receive reports.
Seven 'early years' tables and twenty-eight 'early years' chairs have been delivered for use by hirers of the Hall.
1. To consider quotes for renewing the ceiling of the Committee Room and the external doors.
Resolved to place an order for work on the ceiling tiles with John Robinson and the work for the external doors with RB Glazing.
2. To consider concessionary hiring rates for the Working for Walton Group.
Resolved that:
i the Working for Walton Group be permitted to use the Village Hall for its AGM at no charge because it is a public meeting.
ii the Working for Walton Group be permitted to use the Village Hall for its Pea and Pie supper party in September at no charge to support the start up of the group.
iii the Open Garden event be permitted to use the Village Hall at no charge in July.
3. To consider recommendations for a new notice board for the Village Hall.
Resolved to obtain competitive quotes for a new 3 bay notice board made of powder coated aluminium with glass frontage and with each bay capable of holding 9 x A4 size pages at a cost of approximately £2,000, excluding fitting.
17. Recreation & Playgrounds Working Party - to receive reports.
Councillor Birkby reported on a free survey carried out by a representative of Sovereign play equipment of the playground. The representative pointed out that there is no equipment suitable for the toddler age group and she undertook to provide quotations and ideas for a new roundabout and to try and source a replacement for the spiral slide.
1. Report on the Title Deeds.
Councillor Carlon reported on his visit to the Registry of Deeds and the various deeds which transferred title of the Recreation Ground to the Parish Council.
Resolved to obtain copies of the relevant deeds.
2. To consider a request from West Yorkshire Sports and Social Club to continue to use the football field in the 2016/17 season.
Resolved that WY Sports and Social Club may continue to use the football field in the 2016/17 season for a payment of £150.00.
18. Environmental Improvements Working Party - to receive reports.
Nothing to report.
19. Tree Working Party - to receive reports.
Nothing to report.
20. To consider cold calling control zones.
Resolved to discuss this topic at the next Parish Council meeting.
21. To consider issues raised at the Annual Parish Meeting.
Resolved to consider the possibility of transferring the current Notice Board to the bus shelter when a new one is purchased.
22. To consider for adoption amendments to Standing Orders and Financial Regulations required by the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
Resolved to adopt the amendments to Standing Orders and Financial Regulations.
23. To receive matters reported directly to the Clerk.
The Clerk reported he will be notifying Electoral Services of the vacancy on Council.
Resolved to note the report.
Meeting closed at 9.30 p.m.
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