Minutes of the Meeting of Denby Dale Parish Council held on Tuesday 7 October 2008 in the Civic Chamber, Council Offices, Skelmanthorpe
Members Present: Cllrs E I Shaw (Chair), R Allen, J A Barlow, M Barlow, R Brook, P Calpin, M Mills, T Sigsworth, S Simpson, A Stimson, A Tribe, G Turner, K Waites
746 Public Session
No members of the public raised any issues.
747 Chair’s Opening Remarks
The Chair announced the death of Cllr David Kaye and the Council held a minute’s silence. It was RESOLVED to send a donation of £20 together with any money raised through a collection at the meeting to the Greenlea Oncology Unit at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. The Chair also announced that Cllr Cliff Barnfield was moving to Wiltshire to be closer to his family and had therefore tendered his resignation. It was RESOLVED that the Council record its appreciation of the important contribution had made by both Councillors to the work of the Council...
748 Co-option of New Member
Dr Philomena Calpin addressed the Council in connection with her application to be considered for co-option onto the Council. It was proposed and seconded and RESOLVED that Dr Calpin be co-opted to the Council to serve the Skelmanthorpe Ward. Cllr Calpin thereupon signed the declaration of acceptance of office and took her seat.
749 Apologies for Absence
Reasons for absence from the meeting were submitted from Cllrs Rimmer and. N Wilson. It was RESOLVED that reasons for absence submitted by these Councillors be accepted as valid.
750 Declaration of Councillors’ Interests
Cllr Turner declared a personal interest in Item 8.3 and Cllr Allen declared a personal interest in Item 8.4.
751 Admission of the Public
It was RESOLVED that in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 S1(2), members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting for Item 7.2 Minutes of the Staffing Sub Committee held on 16 September 2008 on the grounds that the item concerns staffing matters. It was FURTHER RESOLVED that the item be moved to the end of the agenda to be discussed after Item 27.
752 Minutes of Council Meeting
It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the council meeting held on 2 September 2008 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
753 Minutes of the Plans Scrutiny Committee Meeting
It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the Plans Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 30 September be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair of the Plans Scrutiny Committee.
754 Complaint about Tipping at 33 Bilham Road
The Clerk submitted correspondence from Kirklees Council concerning the complaint about tipping at 33 Bilham Road. It was RESOLVED that Kirklees Council be thanked for their prompt action and asked to keep the Parish Council informed of progress.
755 Parking on the North Side of Huddersfield Road Near Junction with Station Road
The Clerk submitted correspondence from Kirklees Council requesting the parish council’s views on the proposal to install a disabled parking space at this site. It was RESOVLED that Kirklees Council be advised that the Parish Council’s view was that this was not a suitable site for a disabled parking place for the reasons previously outlined in July 2008 and because it was the proposed site was on a gradient and immediately next to a bus stop.
756 Cross Lane Skate Park
The Clerk submitted correspondence from Naomi Goddard of Kirklees Council and from Denby Dale Ward Councillors responding to the Parish Councils letters objecting to the proposal to move the skate park. Members disagreed with many of the points made by the Ward Councillors. Cllr Turner outlined the extent to which local residents had been consulted before the skate park was built and challenged the assertion in the letter that property values were falling by 20% since the letter contained no evidence to support this statement. In addition, it was felt that the suggested cost of moving the skate park of £18,000 was an underestimate since this was the cost of the concrete alone. It was RESOLVED that a detailed response be sent to the Ward Councillors responding to the points raised in their letter and that the police be asked to confirm whether the skate park itself was the cause of any problems as compared with the lay-by.
757 Double Yellow Lines Near Shelley College
The Clerk submitted correspondence from Joe Malik, Group Engineer, Highway Safety from Kirklees Council responding to the Parish Council’s request for double yellow lines to be introduced on the south side of Huddersfield Road. It was pointed out that any parking restrictions would also have an impact on the residents, so any vehicles owned by residents or their family/friends which cannot be accommodated on their driveways would have to find a suitable legal parking space elsewhere. In addition such restrictions would apply throughout the year and would require a Traffic regulation Order (TRO) a formal legal process which takes around 9 to 12 months to complete at a cost of £4,500. The process involves consultation with any affected premises and provides them with a right to object to any proposals. A more suitable solution may be offered by the School Travel Plan which the College has recently signed up to which involves a review of the allocation of parking spaces in college grounds. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted
758 Childcare Allowance
The Clerk reported that she had now received replies from all the Parish and Town Councils in the Kirklees area and only Mirfield Town Council had expressed opposition to the proposal. It was RESOLVED that as previously agreed the matter be pursued through the YLCA.
759 Schools Poster Competition
The Clerk reported she had now received a second reply from one of the local schools, Denby First School indicating that if the competition were to run, then the school would enter but would understand if it were discontinued. Members noted that despite a reminder letter being sent only two responses had been received. It was RESOLVED that the Clerk ascertain from Kirklees Council what work they carry out with schools in relation to safety; obtain quotes for safety tabards and high visibility arm bands and investigate cycling proficiency schemes.
760 Youth Council
The Clerk submitted correspondence from Cllr Dodds explaining the Kirklees Council was setting up a Youth Council and asking the Council to ensure there is no confusion over the names of the two bodies. It was RESOLVED that a reply be sent to Cllr Dodds explaining that the youth council would be known as the Denby Dale Youth Council. The Clerk further reported that she was in the process of arranging a date to address the students at Shelley College together with Cllrs Wilson and Barlow.
761 Denby Dale Area Committee
The Clerk submitted correspondence from Cllr Elaine Ward concerning the change of times of the Planning Meetings. It was RESOLVED that the correspondence be noted.
762 Community Governance Review
The Clerk submitted the minutes of the meeting of the Community Governance Review Sub Group held on 16 September 2008. It was RESOLVED that the recommendations made by the subgroup be accepted: namely that there should be a meeting with other Parish/Town Councils to discuss the review and that the following be included in the list of targets for the 2009-2012 Business Plan:
Best garden competition (previously agreed)
Increase the provision of hanging baskets
Provision of allotments
Provision of cycle paths and safe routes (previously agreed)
Develop trees/hedges/ wild flowers/ bulbs on verges
Promote community art and improve appearance of the built environment
Develop business links with the community
The Clerk submitted a verbal report of the meeting which had been held on 30 September which had agreed the list of stakeholders to be passed to Kirklees Council in connection with the review and which was also circulated. It was RESOLVED that the list be noted. The Clerk also gave a verbal update on the work of the Community Governance Review Project Team which had met on 1 October 2008 and which had agreed the paperwork to be sent out to members of the public and published on the Kirklees Council website. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
763 Broadband
The Clerk submitted correspondence from Shriti Vadera MP which had been received via Mary Creagh MP. The letter advised that over the next few months, the Government will be speaking to the Community Broadband Network (CBN), the telecoms industry, content providers and Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to make sure that technological solutions be found for areas where citizens have no or limited broadband coverage. It was RESOLVED that the Clerk contact the CBN as suggested in the letter. The Clerk also reported that the survey of local residents’ broadband experiences was almost complete and that in excess of 100 responses had been received thanks to the efforts of Cllrs Tribe and Brook in leafleting Birdsedge, High Flatts, Upper Cumberworth and Upper Denby. Cllr Brooks presented a first draft analysing the results received but pointed out that a more work needed to be done to finalise the report. The Clerk also reported that she had written to Trevor Higgins, the BT Regional Manger for Yorkshire and Humber inviting him to speak to a Parish Council meeting to address the problems experienced by local residents. Mr Higgins suggested that council representatives meet with him and Yorkshire Forward to discuss the matter. It was RESOLVED that
a) a meeting be arranged with BT and Yorkshire Forward to be attended by Cllrs Brook, Shaw and the Clerk and that Graham Sykes who had made a significant contribution to the work also be invited.
b) the Clerk and Cllr Brook finalise the report and send a copy to BT in advance of the above meeting.
c) that Cllrs Tribe and Brook be thanked for their hard work
d) that a letter be sent to those people who had responded to the survey advising them of progress.
764 Parish Plan Update
Cllr Allen reported that he had started work on the update and that further work would be carried out. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
765 Working Party on Public Transport
The Clerk reported that a member of the public had contacted her to complain about the failure of the 95 bus service to stick to the timetable. The bus was repeatedly arriving too early and passengers were therefore missing the bus. She had written to Stagecoach expressing concern about this since it was clear that if passenger numbers were down the trial might show that the service was not necessary. Cllr Brook reported that he had learned at the Denby Dale Area Committee that a meeting was to be set up with the Denby Dale Centre to discuss the community transport scheme. Cllr Calpin raised the fact that senior rail cards in south Yorkshire start at 9am whereas in West Yorkshire they start at 9.30am. It was RESOLVED that Cllr Waites raise this issue at the forthcoming Rural Transport Partnership meeting.
766 Denby Dale/Kirkburton LIG
Cllr Brook reported that he was now a director of the LIG and that Yorkshire Forward had accepted the bid of the larger group for funds. A total of £2.5m would be available for a period of 6 years for the three areas within the group. The Denby Dale/Kirkburton LIG will therefore receive a total of £800,000. Each LIG will bid for funds for specific projects, but there must be some geographical overlap and the projects must cover the three areas. It was pointed out by Cllr Brook that the funds would not have been made available without the involvement of the Parish Council. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
767 Suspension of Standing Orders
Since it was now 9pm, it was RESOLVED that standing orders be suspended to enable the meeting to complete the agenda.
768 Publicity Matters
a) Parish Council Newsletter. It was RESOLVED that Cllr Tribe work with the Clerk on future newsletters and that the content be altered so that the Newsletter is newsier. It was FURTHER RESOLVED in response to a request from Cllr Allen, that Kirklees Council be asked to consider issuing a free newspaper similar to the East Riding News which is issued by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council funded by advertising.
b) Guidelines for Councillors: The Clerk submitted guidelines for councillors on dealing with the press and public. It was RESOLVED that the guidelines be adopted.
769 Yellow School Bus Committee
The Clerk submitted the findings of the Yellow School Bus Commission and it was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
770 Provision of Christmas Trees in the Parish
The Clerk submitted a report on the provision Christmas trees in the parish. She explained that historically, the Parish Council provided one free Christmas tree to run concurrently with a free tree provided by Kirklees Council and the location of the trees was determined by a rota. This year, according to the rota, the Parish Council should be paying for the Skelmanthorpe tree. However, this is to be paid for by local businesses and accordingly, the Clerk has agreed with Kirklees Council that the tree shall go instead to Birdsedge, the next area on the rota. It was understood however that in the event that local businesses are unable fundraise for future trees in Skelmanthorpe, then Skelmanthorpe would go back to the top of the rota. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
771 Crigglestone Railway Station
The Clerk submitted correspondence from Crigglestone Parish Council, forwarding an email from John Oxley of Metro advising that work on developing Railplan 7 is due to start towards the end of the year. However, the letter also pointed out that Metro recently appointed independent consultants to re-examine all the outstanding railway station sites from Railplan 7 which includes Crigglestone. The study is to look at their suitability in terms of policy fit, potential demand, technical and operational feasibility, accessibility and costs and benefits. This information will then be used to develop a ranking order of those sites that pass all the tests and to identify those sites that do not currently meet the criteria. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
772 Kirklees Recycling Plan
The Clerk submitted information about Kirklees’ recycling plan. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
773 Sponsorship of Red Phone Boxes
The Clerk submitted information from BT inviting local councils and other bodies to sponsor red phone boxes. It was RESOLVED that no action be taken.
774 Report from YLCA Councillor Skills Training
The Clerk submitted a report from Cllr Tribe of the training she had attended on 6 August 2008. Cllr Tribe pointed out that the training had been valuable and it was RESOLVED that Cllr Tribe be thanked for her report.
775 Standards Committee
Cllr M Barlow reported that she had been unable to attend the Standards Committee meeting on 2 September 2008 due to her holiday. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
776 Joint Parish/Town Councils and Kirklees Council Meeting
The Clerk reported that the meeting held on 25 September 2008 had discussed a range of issues: Kirklees council advised that the parish councils would be consulted early next year about the sustainable community strategy; there was a discussion about the Community Governance Review and about the inaccurate coverage by the Huddersfield Examiner about the review; and there were discussions about the locality management project; planning issues; and training needs. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
777 Public Rights of Way Forum
Cllr Stimson gave a verbal report of the Forum meeting which had been held on 25 September 2008. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
778 YLCA/YHRTP Conference
The Clerk submitted a report from Cllr Turner of the conference which had been held in Scarborough from 26 to 28 September 2008. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
779 Representative to YLCA
The Clerk invited members to nominate a representative to the YLCA. It was RESOLVED that this item be deferred to the next meeting.
780 Denby Dale Area Committee
The Clerk invited members to nominate a representative to the Denby Dale Area Committee. It was RESOLVED that this item be deferred to the next meeting.
781 Rural Action Yorkshire AGM
The Clerk submitted information about the forthcoming AGM of Rural Action Yorkshire (previously known as Yorkshire Rural Community Council) to be held on 29 November at a venue to be determined. It was RESOLVED that up to three representatives should attend. It was RESOLVED Cllr Shaw attend, together with up to two other councillors who were invited to contact the Clerk if they wished to attend.
782 YLCA Conference on Employment Issues
The Clerk reported that since this had been discussed at the previous meeting she had established that the conference was aimed at larger councils. It was RESOLVED that no action be taken.
783 Picture of Kirklees Conference
The Clerk reported that following canvassing of members, Cllrs R Allen, M Barlow and J A Barlow had indicated an interest in attending the conference to be held on 20 November. It was RESOLVED that these members’ attendance at the conference be approved.
784 Brighter Future for Schools
Cllr Allen drew members’ attention to the fact that the Brighter Future for Schools programme within Kirklees does not cover schools in South Kirklees. It was RESOLVED that the Clerk write to Kirklees Council to ascertain whether the schools in south Kirklees had been consulted in connection with the Brighter Future for Schools programme and whether it was the council’s intention to include these schools in the scheme.
785 Denby Dale Nursery
Cllr Allen reported as a member of the governing body of the nursery that the future of the nursery was not clear beyond next September. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
786 Street Lighting
Cllr Allen expressed the view that a considerable amount of energy was wasted by street lights being left on all night. It was RESOLVED that given concerns about the cost and availability of energy, Kirklees Council be asked to give consideration to turning off the street lights after a certain time during the night.
787 Footpath at Pennine Way/Wakefield Road
Cllr Sigsworth proposed that that the footpath at the junction of Pennine Way/Wakefield Road be extended. It was RESOLVED that Cllr Sigsworth draft more precise proposals and bring them to the November meeting.
788 Frank Lane
Cllr Sigsworth requested an update on the work which was due to be carried out on Frank Lane. It was RESOLVED that the Clerk seek further information.
789 Website
The Clerk reported that during the month of September the website had received 3169 unique visitors and that since the website was first launched, had attracted visitors from Germany, Australia, Seychelles, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Netherlands, Spain Poland and Denmark. It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.
790 Orders for Payment
It was RESOLVED that Orders for Payment No. 477 totalling £3,080.33 and No. 480 totalling £5,559.94 be approved.
791 November Council Meeting
It was RESOLVED that the following items be included on the agenda of the November Council meeting: Arrangements for Remembrance Day and the Green Initiative.
792 Dates of next meetings
Plans Scrutiny Committee on 28 October 2008 (to start at 7pm if Mary Creagh MP is able to attend, if not at the normal time of 7.30pm)
Council Meeting at 7pm on 4 November 2008
Finance & General Purposes Committee at 7.30pm on 18 November 2008-10-15
793 Exclusion of the Press and Public
It was RESOLVED in term of Schedule 12, Local Government Act 1972 the following item is likely to disclose exempt information relating to staffing matters and it is therefore RESOLVED that pursuant to the provisions of the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, the press and public be excluded.
794 Minutes of the Staffing Sub Committee
The Clerk submitted the notes of the Staffing Sub Committee held on 16 September 2008. It was RESOLVED that the notes be approved.
Signed: ………………………………………….. (CHAIR)
