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The 2009 Annual Parish Meeting was held in the Parish Hall at 8.00pm on April 27th 2009
NOT YET CONFIRMED
1. Attendance
All members of the Parish Council were in attendance, with Mr Ian Smith in the Chair.
Thirty three members of the public attended.
The meeting was also joined by Councillors Carl Lis and David Ireton, Steve Hastie, Ranger with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and PC Monika Nagy, Neighbourhood Officer with the North Yorkshire Police.
2. Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on April 15th 2008
The minutes of the meeting held on April 15th 2008 were read out by the Clerk and approved as a true record of the proceedings.
Proposed: Michael Southworth
Seconded: Sally Edwards
3. Matters Arising from the Minutes
The Clerk gave a brief summary, for information only, of progress with various issues arising from the 2008 Parish Meeting.
The Pinfold Project was now almost complete, although ground elder continues to be a problem. Discussions are taking place with the Primary School regarding the planting of shrubs in the area.
The Harden Bridge snack bar has been served with an enforcement order by Craven District Council and the situation will be monitored.
The proposed A65 bridleway link between Austwick and Clapham is still on the drawing board and the National Park are hopeful of securing funding in the near future.
Responding to questions from the floor, the Clerk confirmed that the area around the clapper bridge at Flascoe would be tidied up and that the damaged bench will be replaced with a more robust version and that plans to construct a second crossing of Austwick Beck at that point have been abandoned.
A tree preservation order for the large cherry tree in the grounds of Pant Head House was discussed with Phill Hibbs, the TPO Officer for the YDNPA and the Clerk will pursue the matter once again.
4. Chairman’s Report
The Chairman opened his report by thanking everyone for attending and introduced the guests to the meeting.
The Parish Council had met 9 times since the last Parish Meeting and attendance by registered electors continued to be good. Parish Councillors were thanked for their support during the year and the Clerk was thanked for his work on behalf of the Parish Council.
The Parish Precept remained unchanged again this year and represented very good value for money for parishioners.
Following the recently distributed questionnaire asking residents about current issues in the Parish, a revised Parish Plan was nearing completion and would shortly be distributed to every household in the Parish.
The community warden, Martin Holroyd, had again given good service to the Parish and Andrew Lodge has continued to keep the bus shelter clean and tidy.
The Pinfold Project is virtually finished and Austwick Primary school will soon be planting shrubs and seedlings.
The Chairman said that one planning application had dominated the scene during the year, namely the application to build 5 local occupancy houses in the grounds of Pant Head House. The Chairman, the Clerk and Peter Goold attended the National Park Planning Committee meeting on April 14th 2009 to present objections to the proposals. Any decision was deferred pending a site visit scheduled for April 28th and the application will be considered again at the next National Park Planning Committee Meeting on May 12th.
The making of the ASDA Christmas advert in the village during October had caused little disruption and the donation of £15000 by ASDA to the Parish for community projects was welcomed. The monies have been divided equally between the Parish Church, Primary School, Playing Fields and Parish Hall.
5. Any other business
Michael Southworth asked if the Parish Council had a strategy for the development of the land at Pant Head House because something would eventually be done with the site and perhaps the Council should be more pro-active. The Chairman responded bysaying that the Parish Council have already stated that any development should be for genuine local need or affordable housing. The Parish Council have vigorously objected to the proposal for 5 houses on the adjoining site,but as this is private land itwill beup to the developer to produce a plan for the remaining area that will be acceptable to both the Parish Council and the National Park.
Peter Goold said that residents had given clear indication as to what the main problems were and it was hoped that the developer would heed these.
Carl Lis said that the Austwick representatives at the recent Planning Committee spoke very well, but that it was important that residents had the opportunity to express their concerns at the scheduled site meeting.
Alec Rigby asked if any progress had been made in accurately determining local need, and if these properties were built and could not be sold because of a lack of local need, would they eventually filter through to the open market? Mr Rigby likened the policy of asking developers to determine local need as being akin to ‘putting a fox in charge of the chickens’.
Mary Creaser was of the opinion that local need houses in Austwick are far from being affordable. The only house in the first Pant Lane development that was local needs was reduced, but was still only just affordable for the family in question. Carl Lis observed that there were other local needs houses currently on the drawing board in Austwick and Kathleen Morphet pointed out that not all the names on the local needs lists could be relied upon, a fact that was supported by many of those present.
Sally Edwards said that the remaining houses on the first Pant Lane development were not occupied by local people, but were simply weekend homes.
In discussions around local need and affordable housing, there seemed to be some confusion as to which authority was responsible for the separate issues. The Chairman declared that Craven District Council was responsible for affordable housing and the National Park was responsible for planning applications relating to local need.
Michael Southworth asked if an enforcement order had been placed on the developer requiring the replacement of the grass verges on Pant Lane. Despite regular correspondence with both the National Park and the developer warning of their imminent removal and then requesting their replacement, no enforcement action was taken.
In drawing the open forum to a close, the Chairman asked Steve Hastie and WPC Monika Nagy if they had anything to report to the meeting.
Mr Hastie brought residents up to date with the 3 Peaks Project, a proposal for managing the 3 Peaks Area sustainably by finding additional resources and funding streams to help with maintenance and promotion. Public information meetings will be held in Settle and Ingleton on May 11th and 14th respectively.
WPC Nagy told the meeting that there were now 6 officers covering the Ingleton area and that meant that more time could be spent out on patrol. Rev. Ian Greenhalgh raised the issue of the dog at Pant Head House which had attacked two local dogs and whose owner was due in court again at the end of May to face charges of owning a dangerous dog. There was considerable concern because residents were reluctant to walk along Pant Lane because of this animal. WPC Nagy urged residents to report any incidents to the police immediately.
Alec Rigby raised the matter of the damage done by cars parking on the grass verge near the bridge on Graystonber Lane. The Clerk is already in discussions with the National Park and NYCC Highways about this.
Bob Halstead said that Feizor Beck was in a very poor state and seemed to be polluted, possibly with effluent. The Clerk will contact the Environment Agency immediately. Mr Halstead also said how efficient the grass cutting contractors were this year and the Clerk will pass this on to Andrew Mellor, the area supervisor.
Sue Goold asked about the recently repaired National Park sign at Cross Streets, saying that it appeared to be unfinished. Steve Hastie will investigate the matter.
Alec Rigby informed residents that a road closure notice had been obtained for the Austwick Street Market this year.
There being no further business the meeting was closed at 9.12pm.
The 2008 Annual Parish Meeting was held in the Parish Hall at 8.00pm on April 15th 2008
1. Attendance
All members of the Parish Council were in attendance, with Mr Ian Smith in the Chair.
Thirty two members of the public attended.
The meeting was also joined by Mr Steve Hastie, Ranger with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and PC Monika Nagy, Neighbourhood Officer with the North Yorkshire Police.
2. Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on April 23rd 2007
The minutes of the meeting held on April 23rd 2007 were read out by the Clerk and approved as a true record of the proceedings.
Proposed: Catherine Vaughan-Williams
Seconded: Molly Preston
3. Chairman’s Report
The Chairman opened his report by thanking everyone for attending and introduced Steve Hastie and Monika Nagy to the meeting.
The Parish Council had met 10 times since the last Parish Meeting and attendance by registered electors had increased dramatically at the last few meetings. Parish Councillors were thanked for their support during the year and the Clerk was thanked for his work, having been busy dealing with issues in the Parish.
Andrew Lodge, who has taken over responsibility for cleaning the bus shelter was commended for doing such a thorough job and Martin Holroyd, the Community Warden has again given the Parish good service during the year and his efforts have been supported by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the Forest of Bowland. He has also been involved in recent work on the Pinfold, behind the village bus shelter, a project that has been funded by the North Yorkshire Aggregates Grants Scheme. These monies are awarded in compensation for adverse effects of quarrying activity on the local environment. Austwick school are very keen to become involved in the scheme at the Pinfold, using it as an educational resource by planting wild flowers and fitting bird boxes.
In regard to planning matters, the Chairman told the meeting that the Parish Council had considered 21 planning applications during the last year, of which 11 were approved, 1 was withdrawn, 3 were refused ( Sandford Barn, Wharfe; Oxenber, Townhead Lane; Pant Head House, Pant Lane ) and 6 have yet to be decided upon.
The application that has generated the greatest level of interest and concern is that relating to the proposal to build 5 local occupancy houses in the garden of Pant Head House. The Parish Council had asked that the application should be decided by the National Park planning committee in the public interest rather than the delegated powers of the planning officer. This request was granted and the Chairman (Ian Smith), Mr Peter Goold and the Clerk (David Dewhirst), in the company of other Austwick residents attended the committee meeting at Bainbridge on May 8th. Mr Goold and the Clerk addressed the committee to highlight local concerns over the proposed development, which was subsequently refused by 10 votes to 2. During the course of the deliberations by the planning committee there seemed to be some difference of opinion within the committee as to the best way to determine and realistically clarify local needs requirement for any proposed development.
Concerning highways, the meeting was told that liaison between the Clerk and Stuart Cracknell, the North Yorkshire area supervisor, had got results, but that it was necessary to keep up pressure to ensure that all necessary works were done within a reasonable time scale.
Councillors have had a meeting with representatives of the Highways Agency and Amey Mouchel at the Cross Streets junction to try and persuade them of the need for double white lines and a 40mph limit along this dangerous stretch of road.
Following the recent government review of the Post Office network it was very pleasing that the efficiency of the Austwick Post Office, together with vigorous lobbying from local residents and the Parish Council, had resulted in the business being retained as part of the network.
The January edition of the Parish Newsletter contained a questionnaire relating to the Parish Plan and the proposal to apply for conservation area status for Austwick and the surrounding area. The key areas of concern to residents were identified as:
Planning control, future development & loss of green space 25
Traffic speed, parking & highways in general 15
Footpaths & verges 5
Housing for young families 5
Affordable housing 4
Support for school & shop 4
Improved bus routes & times 4
Dog fouling 4
A65 junctions 4
Wheelie bins 3
On the subject of Conservation Area status, a total of 61 responses were received in favour of the proposal, with 2 against. It was hoped to have a representative of the National Park present at the meeting to discuss the pros and cons of conservation areas, but he could not attend. It is planned that a public meeting will be held in the near future to look at the matter and agree on a way forward for the proposal.
In conclusion, a busy year for the Parish Council and Austwick Councillors will continue to represent the interests of residents to the best of their ability.
Before opening the meeting to questions from the floor, the Chairman asked Monika Nagy and Steve Hastie to briefly outline their current areas of responsibility.
WPC Nagy explained that she is part of the Safer Neighbourhood Team, with responsibility for Austwick and that she would be patrolling the area on a regular basis. She can be contacted via the 0845 6060247 police number, or through the Clerk who has e-mail and mobile numbers available. There were questions from the floor concerning the new snack bar on the A65 at Harden Bridge and the general issue of unlawful behaviour by individuals in the village. WPC Nagy said that the police were currently looking into the matter of the snack bar from a traffic safety point of view and that any unlawful activity should be reported to her, with details of the persons involved.
Steve Hastie told the meeting that a bid had been made to an opportunities fund to seek finance for the proposed A65 bridleway link between Austwick and Clapham, but that the route may be cost prohibitive if funding could not be secured. A site visit had been made to consider the building of an additional wooden bridge over the beck on Flascoe Lane. Once land owner agreement has been obtained, funding for the project would be sought. He pointed out that the National Park could provide labour for construction of the bridge but could not be responsible for on-going maintenance because a crossing already existed in the form of the clapper bridge. There was a general discussion around the addition of a hand rail to the existing bridge, but this was generally considered to be inappropriate for the type of structure.
With regard to stiles and gates, Mr Hastie said that the maintenance programme now flags up problems based on urgency. The maintenance team were responsible for some 1350 items, of which 70 were in need of attention. Ladder stiles were not currently being replaced by the National Park Authority because of problems people have in negotiating them, but if land owners insist on ladder stiles then only limited funding is available.
4. Any other business
Mrs Sally Edwards drew the attention of the meeting to the recent Settle Transport Strategy document which showed proposals for a bridleway from Cross Streets to the B6480 road to Clapham. Mr Hastie said that the National Park had tried to get the shorter link including in the strategy document and that the Parish Council should pursue the matter. It was generally agreed that a link as proposed in the strategy was unnecessary.
Mr Alec Rigby told the meeting that the money donated by Barbara Hanforth had now been spent on a notice board for the parish hall and banners for the street market. He also said that owing to a new protocol for road closure applications, the cost had risen from £50 to approximately £200.
Mr Ernest Booth asked how much the Pinfold Project had cost and did the Parish Council consider that the expense was worthwhile. Mr Ian Shaw responded by saying that the cost was £1800, of which 75% was reclaimable under the North Yorkshire Aggregates Grants Scheme. Without the grant this work could not have been carried out and that a previously unsightly piece of land would now be greatly improved. Mr Shaw also said that Austwick school were very enthusiastic about using the area for nature studies, planting wild flowers and so on.
Mrs Sally Edwards asked whether there had been any progress on having the verges on Pant Lane replaced. The Chairman responded by saying that the developers had been written to on several occasions, as had the National Park, but unfortunately the verges did not seem to have a very high priority. Mr David Creaser asked who is responsible for ensuring that the law is enforced in cases such as this and also asked if the developers needed permission to erect large advertising signs. The Clerk replied that the National Park enforcement officer was responsible and that permission was almost certainly required for the sign. However, the temporary nature of the item made enforcement difficult. The general point was made that since the removal of the verges had widened Pant Lane, cars were parking in it, making it very difficult for other vehicles to get by. A recent archaeological report related to the application for 5 houses at Pant Head had observed that excessive traffic in the lane could damage the unusually high dry stone walls that bounded it. Mrs Edwards also asked if a tree preservation order could be applied for on the cherry tree in the grounds of Pant Head House. It was agreed to pursue this matter. Mr Bryan Braithwaite-Exley asked if a letter could be sent from the Annual Parish Meeting asking for Harden Ward at Castleberg Hospital to be kept open. This will be done.
Mr Jon Beavan, from the Dalesbridge Centre, asked if the Parish Council could do anything about the new snack bar on the A65 at Harden Bridge. The Clerk informed the meeting that discussions had already taken place with Craven District Council but that there were conflicting views on exactly who was responsible for the land on which the van stood. Mr Beavan was concerned about the adverse impact that such a business could have, both visually and economically, on his own enterprise, in addition to the issue of road traffic safety.
Mr Bob Halstead asked about the pot holes around the village, which were marked up last autumn but were still not filled in. The Chairman confirmed that NYCC highways had been advised of the deteriorating situation and that damage to vehicles as a result of their inaction became their responsibility. The Clerk will contact them again.
Mrs Kathleen Morphet raised the issue of the water leaking out of the verge from around a telegraph pole below the Old School House on Townhead Lane. The Chairman confirmed that the matter had been raised with both BT and NY highways department. The Clerk added that this had been investigated in some depth by highways with coloured dyes to try and determine where the flow came from. After these investigations it was thought that the water was probably from a spring above the road level. NY highways will be urged to channel the water to prevent it spreading right across the road as this presents a potential hazard in freezing winter weather.
There being no further business the meeting was closed at 9.05pm.
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