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Minutes of the Meeting held on Monday 4th September 2006
Present: Councillors Sayce, Drew, Davison, Porter, Chainey,
Warhurst -Walker, Martin
Mrs Barwick-Bell arrived very late (9.45 p.m.)
Mrs M Williams, Clerk
Also present: District Councillor Dale (from 8.35pm),
County Councillor Thompson, Helen Compson, Hexham Courant
Apologies: Councillors Hall, Levitt, Hedley and Wade,
District Councillor Mike Collins,
06/37 Declarations of Interest – None
06/38 Minutes - The Minutes of the meeting held
on 3rd July were agreed as a true record.
06/39 Matters Arising
Mr Chainey advised that the Footpaths & Environment Group had not met
since the last Parish Council meeting and had therefore not reviewed the
planting at the Hedley Road end. It was suggested that the surviving ‘red
hot pokers’ might stay. It was also suggested that the box at the end
of the Bywell Road might have red geranium planted at its base in future
years.
Mr Chainey reported that there was now no longer a problem
with the hedge at Bright Cottage.
Youth Club – The Management of SICA had had
discussions with the Youth Service about holding sessions on Friday evenings.
However, it was reported that, because staff concentrate on outreach work
on Friday evenings, the Youth Service were unable to provide an indoor club.
Disappointment was expressed at this response. Malcolm Chainey is to bring
this matter up at the Eastern Parishes Forum meeting to see if together they
can push the County hold to discussions on this matter.
Acting-Vice Chair – it was agreed that Mrs
Drew should continue in this role until such time as Councillor Hall returned
following his recent operation.
There were no further matters arising.
06/40 Public Participation
County Councillor Thompson advised that he had had several complaints regarding
blocked drains and gullies and he is to take this up with County.
Councillor Thompson also advised that he is trying to
get dropped kerbs instated at the entrance to the new houses on New Ridley
Road (29-49). He advised that this was proving difficult as the original
developer had gone out of business and normally dropped kerbs could not be
installed until the road was adopted.
06/41 Correspondence
The correspondence received since the July meeting had been listed on the
agenda and was noted:
A letter had been received from the Environment Agency
regarding the Tyne Catchment Area Flood plan – Councillor Chainey had
looked at this briefly and proposed that the Parish Council should accept
the proposals. He advised that the most vulnerable area was parts of Guessburn
and asked what restraints were being put on the development at Burnside.
Councillor Chainey is to draft a response to this consultation.
A letter had been received from Tynedale seeking views
on The Gambling Act. It was agreed not to make a comment on this.
A letter had been received from NSP regarding the Boundaries
of Belonging Communities – it was agreed to make no further comment
on this subject.
An invitation had been received from Tynedale to the Meeting
of the Joint Discussion Forum on 13th September. Mrs Sayce and Mrs Warhurst-Walker
to attend.
A letter had been received from Prudhoe Community Partnership
regarding the provision of community facilities in the area – it was
felt that the existing facilities required better car parking.
A letter had been received from Tynedale regarding National
Spring Clean – it was agreed to do nothing until next spring.
A letter and poem had been received from Ian Hall thanking
councillors for their good wishes during his recent illness
06/42 Finance
The Accounts for July and August had been circulated and were approved.
Additional cheques were also approved as follows:
BDO Stoy Hayward: £411.25
Burlinson Print: £170.38
Post Office Ltd: £101.00
06/43 Brief Reports from Advisory Groups and Council Representatives
a) General Purposes Group
It was agreed to defer discussion of a Code of Conduct for Kate’s Plain
until the October meeting.
Football Club
A letter had been received from the Football Club requesting a grant for
the provision of goal posts for the junior teams. After some discussion it
was agreed to grant £300 but also to write to the Football Club stressing
the need for them to achieve FA Charter Standard and to raise matched funds
for grants and funds towards their own running costs. Mrs Sayce advised that
she had been told that the Football Club need to have a development plan
to enable them to achieve the Charter Standard and that it was understood
that they are working towards this
b) Parish Plan
The Groups had not met over the summer. Mrs Sayce advised that she was hopeful
that a group of students from Prudhoe Community High School will be involved.
c) Planning & Highways
The Planning & Highways Report had been circulated.
County Councillor Thompson was asked why Hall Farm Close
had been resurfaced rather than Meadowfield Road. He explained that with
the limited funds available County had been able to re-surface the whole
of Hall Farm Close and claim a bonus for completing a job. There would not
have been sufficient funds to resurface the whole of Meadowfield Road and
therefore they could not have claimed a bonus.
A comment was made that the proposed fence to go around
the property at the junction of the Main Road and Cade Hill Road was so high
as to be out of character with the area. It was however acknowledged that
it was now too late to comment on this and also that a fence up to 1.8 metres
high did not require planning permission.
Tynedale Local Development Framework – Site Allocation
Development Plan –
An e-mail had been received from Tynedale requesting views on this topic.
A response is to be sent highlighting the need for:
- Residential care home for the elderly so that they do
not have to leave
the Parish when they are no longer able to live in their own homes.
- Provision of extended health care – dentist/chiropodist, etc.
- Site for youth/community facilities
- Low cost housing
- Older people’s housing/care centre/facilities
and re-iterating the concerns raised in the 97/98 Village
Appraisal. It was also noted that potential developers will also be putting
forward sites for development and it was stressed that planners should be
reminded that the field opposite the school (which had been the subject of
a planning application in the past) is currently in the green belt, is of
high agricultural value and is also a major attraction as a tract of open
countryside for those residents of Hall Farm Close and The Pastures.
New Bus Shelter
Over the summer break, councillors had met with officers of the County Council
and agreed to erect a bus shelter at the westbound bus stop opposite The
Pastures. Dave Porter advised that there was now a photo of the site on the
website.
SCA
There had been a considerable amount of correspondence about SCA’s
plans and these had been discussed by Tynedale who had approved the planning
application.
Speeding Traffic (Mrs Dale arrived during discussion of
this item)
A response had been received from the County to our request for a meeting
with officers to discuss outstanding issues. It was agreed that Councillors,
Sayce, Drew and Porter would attend this meeting and a date is to be agreed.
It was agreed there was a need to be fully prepared before attending this
meeting.
A letter had been received from a resident regarding the
speed of traffic on the A695. A response is to be sent advising that a meeting
is to be held with County.
It is believed that the County Council are supposed to
review all speed limits throughout the County by 2011. It was also felt that
other authorities were able to put in place traffic calming measures which
Northumberland claimed they were unable to do. It was felt that interactive
speed signs were more effective than cameras or bumps. Councillor Chainey
is to dig out recent research relevant to complaints regarding speeding on
New Ridley Road.
A letter had been received from County enclosing a survey
on highways services and it was agreed that individual councillors would
return the surveys as they thought fit, but that the Council itself would
not comment.
d) Footpaths & Environment Group
The Group had not met since the July meeting of the Parish Council. The next
meeting of the Footpaths Group is 9th October.
It was suggested that Marcia Hedley might spearhead the
Stocksfield in Bloom project.
Footpath 13 – over the summer the County Council
had repaired the footpath alongside the Guessburn to the rear of the Tennis
Club/Scout Hut. As a result of this repair, some re-instatement needs to
be carried out where the digger was used to carry out the repairs. A resident
had requested a fence above the new revetment, but the Footpaths Officer
thought this was unnecessary. It was noted that the Parish Council would
have to pay for any fence. The Footpaths Group is to make a recommendation
on this matter.
Comment was made on the success of the planting throughout
the village this year – a letter is to be sent to the Handyman congratulating
him on this.
South Bank of the Tyne Footpath – correspondence
on this project was noted.
e) Play Facilities Group
The Play Facilities Report had been circulated.
RoSPA Inspection Report
Mrs Davison had discussed the RoSPA inspection report on the play areas with
Anne-May Pottage of Tynedale who had felt that some of the comments and recommendations
were “over the top” and that a certain level of risk is part
of play.
Tyre Swing – it was agreed to ask Kompan to arrange
for new Matta to be installed but otherwise to take no further action on
this piece of equipment.
It was noted that the Kompan contractor will build up
the wet pour surface on the Twist and extend the ramp.
Metal Swings – it was agreed to write to SMP quoting
the RoSPA report and say that we had expected the previous repairs to last
longer than two years.
Self-closing gate – it was agreed that although
ideally the gate should have rubber buffers on both the hinge and closing
poles nothing further could be gained by asking the supplier to look at it
again and that it should be accepted as it is.
The Handyman is to be congratulated on keeping both play
areas clean.
Kate’s Plain – the fence had still not been
fixed and James Robson is to be contacted again. Some thought should be given
to raising the height of the fence behind the goal posts by 1.5 metres, to
prevent the balls going over.
The Play Facilities Group is to look at the other items
raised by the RoSPA report and make recommendations.
It was noted that the central pole from the teen shelter
is missing and Mrs Davison and Mrs Martin are to look at this and make recommendations.
BEPA Project – The contractor arrived on site on
4th September and it is expected the work would take around 4 weeks. It was
agreed that there was no need to close the whole play area.
Mrs Davison is to attend a Play seminar in Carlisle on
29th September.
f) Sports Facilities Group
The Sportsfield Management Group is to meet on 12th September.
The wall at the Multisports Unit has still to be mended.
g) Communication
NE43 News was available for distribution.
Website – Dave Porter continues to up-date this
as required.
h) Council Representatives
Nothing to report.
06/44 Other business
Land adjacent to 15 Branch End Terrace - Mrs Barwick-Bell declared an interest
in this matter. It was agreed that she should take part in the debate as
she had had discussions with residents and neighbours who were concerned
about the fences which had recently been erected. No problems were suggested
with the fence erected by the owner of 24 Baliol Road. However, it was felt
that the fence erected by the owner of 15 Branch End Terrace might have encroached
onto land which the Parish Council had registered an interest in and maintained.
It was noted that any fence should not block the footpath to Baliol Road.
The Clerk is to contact the Land Registry for clarification on the position.
05/45 Date of Next Meeting
2nd October 2006
The meeting closed at 10.10 p.m.
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