Minutes of the Meeting of Denby Dale Parish Council held on Tuesday 2 June 2009 in the Civic Chamber, Council Offices, Skelmanthorpe
Members Present: Cllrs N Wilson (Chair), M Barlow, J A Barlow, R Brook, P Calpin G Horton, M Mills, E Shaw, S Simpson, A Stimson A Tribe, G Turner, K Waites, and S Wild
In attendance: Hazel Chowcat (Clerk to the Council)
1184 Open Session
No members of the public raised any matters.
1185 Chair’s Opening Remarks
Cllr Wilson welcomed members to the meeting and pointed out his view that Parish Council would benefit from being modernised and he hoped that this issue could be tackled in future meetings.
1186 Declaration of Councillors’ Interests
No declarations of interest were made.
1187 Apologies for Absence
Reasons for absence from the meeting were submitted from Cllrs C Rimmer and T Sigsworth. It was RESOLVED that reasons for absence submitted by all the above Councillors be accepted as valid reasons.
1188 Admission of the Public
There were no items requiring the exclusion of the press and public.
1189 Minutes of Council Meeting
It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council and those of the ordinary Council meeting held on 5 May 2009 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
1190 Minutes of the Plans Scrutiny Committee
It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the Plans Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 26 May 2009 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Vice-Chair of the Committee.
1191 Police Report
PCSOs Richard Hobson and Bob Armitage (Team 3) attended the meeting. They reported that crime was increasing in the area, that though usually one offence a day was committed in the area, in the month of March, a total of 36 crimes were reported. The main offence was criminal damage. They further reported that under the Policing Pledge, they would be focussing attention on anti-social behaviour in Scissett and Skelmanthorpe and speeding in Emley. Members drew the officers’ attention to other areas with speeding problems (Birdsedge and Skelmanthorpe). It was RESOLVED that the PCSOs be thanked for their reports.
1192 Wood Street/Huddersfield Road Junction
The Clerk reported that she had been advised by Joe Malik of Kirklees Council that residents were currently being consulted on the possibility of reducing car parking near the junction of Wood Street/Huddersfield Road in Skelmanthorpe. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1193 Skelmanthorpe War Memorial
The Clerk reported that the additional names had now been added to the Ward Memorial and that she was discussing with the appropriate officer at Kirklees Council the best way of marking the addition. One idea was to mark the new names at the Remembrance Day ceremony. It was RESOLVED that this suggestion be pursued.
1194 Skelmanthorpe Notice Board
The Clerk reported that Kirklees Council had now confirmed that the notice board had been positioned in the car park and not facing the pavement for safety reasons and that officers did not believe that it currently constituted a safety risk. At the suggestion of Officers, the Clerk had contacted Ward Councillors to raise with them the risks to pedestrians wishing to read the notice board. To date, both Cllrs J Dodds and E Ward had replied and both indicated their belief that the current location of the notice board was not a safety risk. It was RESOLVED that the Parish Council’s delegates to the Area Committee raise the matter at the next appropriate meeting.
1195 Sustainable Communities Act
The Clerk reported that she was arranging to meet with Nick Howe of Kirklees Council, together with Cllr Tribe to discuss the council’s proposals under the SCA. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1196 CCTV Cameras
The Clerk provided members with an explanation of the various acronyms in the police report on CCTV cameras. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1197 Notice Board in Upper Cumberworth
The Clerk reported that she was arranging to meet a Kirklees officer on site to determine the most appropriate position for a notice board. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1198 Croft Head
The Clerk reported that Kirklees Council had indicated that the matter was being dealt with directly with residents and that a letter had been sent to Cllr Horton. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1199 Committee Membership
Cllr Wild confirmed that she was happy to be a member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee. It was RESOLVED that the matter be noted.
1200 Standards Committee
The Clerk reported that there had been an error in management of the parish/town council representation on the Standards Committee and that a number of options had been proposed by Kirklees council to resolve the matter. The most favoured option was that Cllr Barlow’s term of office be extended by one year until May 2010. It was RESOLVED that this option be approved.
1201 Working Party on Public Transport
The Clerk submitted correspondence from Metro confirming that the Parish Council’s suggestions for improvements in the timetables for services 82 and 83 would be included in the new timetables which will be available in July and that the Council’s proposals for through fares on services 83 and 84 for residents of Birdsedge and Upper Denby had been raised with the Huddersfield Bus Company and the Council would be kept informed of the outcome. Finally, it was confirmed that the 95 service had been further funded and would continue until 25 July on a use it or lose it basis. Members of the working party reported that following reports of cuts in the local bus services, they were checking the actual situation. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1202 Garden Share Scheme
The Clerk reported that she had had some interest from local residents in garden sharing and that as a result she had written to them giving them a model agreement downloaded from the Channel 4 garden share website and emphasising that the Parish Council took no responsibility for the scheme other than putting people in touch with one another. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1203 Denby Dale/Kirkburton LIG
Cllr Brook reported that the next meeting was scheduled for the following week and that the group would be looking at tourism possibilities in the area. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1204 Parish Plan Sub Group
In the absence of Cllr Allen there was no report.
1205 Walkers are Welcome
Cllr Brook reported that the meeting held on 19 May to set up a Walkers for Welcome scheme in the parish was addressed by two representatives from the national organisation and attracted approximately 25 interested members of the public. A follow-up meeting will be held next week to set up a steering group. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1206 Public Rights of Way Forum
Cllr Stimson gave a report of the PROW meeting held on 21 May. A rights of way improvement plan is being prepared and is out for consultation. The meeting also discussed enforcements and footpath closures and was told that over the past 5 years volunteers had completed 200 tasks, including way marking in Denby Dale making a saving of approximately £35,000. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1207 LDF Meeting
No one was available to give a report of the meeting organised by SCAG to discuss the LDF on 6 May 2009.
1208 Role of the Chair
Cllr Wilson proposed that the role of the chair be split into the ceremonial function and the formal role of chairing the council and that he would prefer to concentrate his efforts on the latter rather than the former role. Following discussion, it was RESOLVED that the Clerk prepare a paper on the options available and that the matter be discussed at the July meeting.
1209 Denby Dale Area Committee
At the suggestion of Cllr Shaw, it was RESOLVED that the Clerk ask Kirklees Council for a breakdown of costs of the Area Committee.
1210 Distribution of Newsletter
Cllr Tribe raised the question of the effectiveness of the distribution of the recent newsletter. The Clerk pointed out that a number of addresses had been missed and some councillors confirmed that they had not received a copy. It was RESOLVED that the Clerk attempt to obtain a refund from the distribution company and investigate an alternative supplier.
1211 Allocation of School Places
Cllr Wild drew members’ attention to difficulties faced by a child from Emley who had been offered a place at the Community Science College at Thornhill in Dewsbury. The parents had appealed successfully, but concern was expressed that stated Kirklees Council policy for determining distance to schools was based on a straight line and did not take account of public transport problems. In this case, the child’s journey would have involved two buses, a lengthy time waiting for connections and a half mile walk. It was RESOLVED that the Clerk write to Kirklees Council to ask for a review of policy.
1212 Footpath in Emley
Cllr Wild reported that the footpath which runs between Church Street and School Lane in Emley has a very uneven surface and requires upgrading, possibly with block paving. In addition the wall which runs alongside requires some remedial attention. It was RESOLVED that the matter be raised with Kirklees Council.
1213 Lampposts in Emley
Cllr Shaw requested that information be sought about the programme of replacing concrete lampposts in Emley and that Kirklees Council be asked to ensure that any new lampposts were in keeping with the conservation area, either black retro columns or standard aluminium columns painted black. It was RESOLVED that this course of action be pursued.
1214 Website
The Clerk reported that in April, there had been 3,244 visitors to the website and in May, 3,297. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
1215 Annual Return 2008-2009
It was RESOLVED that the Annual Governance Statement be completed and that the Chair of Council and the Clerk be authorised to sign the appropriate sections of the Annual Return for submission to the external auditor.
1216 Orders for Payment
It was RESOLVED that Orders for Payment No. 495 totalling £7,800.11 be approved.
1217 July Council Meeting
It was RESOLVED that the following items be put on the agenda of the June council meeting: procedure for co-opting members (Cllr Horton).
1218 Dates of Next Meetings
16 June 2009 – Finance & General Purposes Committee starting at 7.30pm.
23 June 2009 – Plans Scrutiny committee starting at 7pm
7 July 2009 – Council meeting starting at 7pm
Signed………………………………………
CHAIR
