Minutes of meeting held on 11 April 2023 at Pickhill School. Ref: 330

1.   PRESENT: Mr Ron Barker (Chair), Mr Graham Clarke (Vice Chair), Mrs Norma Grubb (Cllr & Clerk), Mr Minty Scaife,  Mr Jim Wadsworth,       David Grubb (Minutes).        Residents:  Mrs A Harvey.  APOLOGIES:     none

 

2.   OPEN SESSION:  Nil

 

3.   MINUTES OF LAST MEETING (7 March 2023 - Minute Ref 329):     Agreed by all. Signed by Chair.

 

4.   MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES:

1.   Sinderby: speeding - see Item 8 below;

           dog waste bins: enquiries with Council ongoing (delay due to Council reorganisation 1st April);

           potholes: reported by Parish Clerk to Highways on 4 April – Mr Wadsworth states they have attended today and yellow marked the affected                    areas for future repair.

2.   Pickhill – potholes in Little Pickhill – reported by Clerk to Highways on 4 April and Mr Scaife reports these have also been yellow marked today.

3. Speeding – see item 8(2)  below.

4.   Ainderby Quernhow - notice-board. Mrs Grubb notified by HDC the matter is now closed.

5.   School car park – condition/ownership/responsibility – ongoing enquiries.

       

5.   PLANNING:

(1)      Updates: Woodside Lodge: Granted.   Church House – withdrawn.             Noted.

 

6.   FINANCE:  

(1) End of financial year accounts – presented for consideration/approval prior to local audit. Agreed. 

(2) Audit: Proposal to apply for exemption from external audit for accounts of 2022/2023.      Agreed.                                                                   

            (Note: this was agreed at meeting on 7 March, but rules require it to be decided after 31 March.)

(3) Precept: Mr Clarke said the number of new homes built in recent years will affect the Parish precept.

 

7. ONGOING ISSUES

(1) Sinderby Green: Mr Wadsworth said the grass-cutting contractors have asked that low branches  be trimmed back for access. Agreed: professional needed; Mr Wadsworth to obtain local quote.

(2) Pickhill Green: Trees in play area and around notice-board also need trimming. Agreed: Mr Clarke to arrange a volunteer.

 

8.   CORRESPONDENCE

(1) North Yorkshire Shared Prosperity Fund (previously circulated): Grants available to Town and Parish Councils. May be useful funding source for future projects. Mr Grubb asked to explore. 

(2) Elancity Ltd (previously circulated): supplies solar powered speed monitoring signs, which are mobile, mounted to existing traffic signs or street-lamp post, if suitable. Basic cost £2,250 plus VAT. Could be shifted around the two villages. Parish Clerk to explore.

                                                         

9.   COUNCILLORS REPORTS

Mr Barker: Playground: Having removed an unsafe section of climbing wall, he suggests we explore with playground firms the replacement cost. Parish Clerk to look into this. Mr Barker is to replace the second tower roof on multi-play this spring/summer. Mr Barker and Mr Clarke will look into power-washing the green algae from surfaces. 

 

Mr Barker: Pickhill Village Green: Damage was caused to the surface of the Green when a removal van was parked blocking School Lane for several hours, through most of a day, so vehicles were driving round it, on the Green. It was reported to Mrs Grubb, who was immobile at the time so she reached Mr Clarke, who attended and spoke with the driver, who said he had been moving it, when asked by drivers, but many just drove around him, over the grass. He had agreed he would be finished before school ended. We will monitor how it recovers.

 

Mr Clarke: Coronation: He had been asked for loan of the marquees by Skipton Bridge for their Coronation event. He needed to know first whether any events were planned in our Parish for that day. No events known of, but Councillors to make enquiries; decision delayed for a week. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

10. ANY OTHER BUSINSESS

Parish Council AGM: Provisionally agreed for Tuesday 23 May 2023, but subject to flexibility if any urgent issues, such as Planning, arise. 


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Minutes of meeting held on 4 February 2025 at Pickhill School. Ref: 340

April 17, 2025
1. OPEN SESSION : nil 2. PRESENT: Parish Councillors: Mr Ron Barker (Chair), Mr Graham Clarke (Vice Chair), Mrs Norma Grubb (also Parish Clerk), Mr Minty Scaife, Mr Jim Wadsworth. Others: D Grubb (Minutes). NYC: Cllr David Webster. Residents: Mr R Walker APOLOGIES: None 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF LAST MEETING (7 Jan 2025 - Ref 339): Agreed. Signed by Chair . 4. MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES : 1. Speed reduction signage on entering Pickhill: still awaiting response from Highways. 5. PLANNING: 1. Church House, Pickhill (Grade II Listed) : retrospective application re various works discovered during ongoing renovation. Agreed – no objections. 2. Church House, Pickhill (Grade II Listed): change of use of land to domestic; create new vehicle access track and parking; alter existing yard access to pedestrian only. Agreed – no objections. 3. 1-2 The Cottages, Pickhill: retrospective application to convert existing garage to a granny annexe including small extension to create porch. Agreed – no objections. 4. Any updates on earlier applications - none 6. FINANCE: 1. Update since last meeting: Parish Clerk confirmed last statement from bank at end of November. Invoice received for parish council website renewal & domain name at £159.45. Renewal agreed. 2. Grasscutting contract for Sinderby: Following last meeting Mrs Grubb had signed and returned the Pickhill contract and had requested a copy of the plan for Sinderby showing the verges to be cut . Still awaiting a response. Cllr Webster offered to chase that with the member of staff. For next Agenda. 7. PROJECTS: Pickhill Village Green improvements. (i) Seats: Parish Clerk confirmed a grant application was submitted for three bench seats at £900 +VAT. (best of two quotes obtained). Cllr Webster said he had recommended a grant of £500 towards this, for which he was thanked. Design is to match the one existing fixed blue bench seat. Will be heavy but free standing; discussed need to try out positioning. If they get moved by the public we can consider securing them down later. It was proposed that the order be placed with Mr Charlton. Agreed. (Mr Clarke to order) (ii) Signage: Second quote, obtained by Mr Scaife from Swift Signs (£312 + VAT each) beats that from Fox’s. After discussion it was proposed two signs be ordered from Swift. Agreed. (Mr Scaife to order) 8. CORRESPONDENCE: (circulated to councillors in advance of meeting) (1) Speed campaign/road safety in NY villages – update from campaign co-ordinator – this is a campaign to have fixed enforcement cameras in villages, which is resisted by the Mayors office/Police & Crime Commisioner as the policy is to use mobile camera units across North Yorkshire. Noted. (2) Message from All Saints Church. Email received thanking Parish Council for the donation towards Church’s grass-cutting bill. Noted. 9. COUNCILLORS REPORTS: Mr Barker: reports that trees on the Street Lane verge opposite the “Station” wall have again been damaged during hedge trimming. He had spoken to the owner of the hedge who confirms the contractor had reported this back to him. Mr Barker noted that these trees were planted by the Parish Council some 20 years ago, yet it is only in the last 2 winters that this has occurred. The Parish Council had to replace one of the trees last winter and others needed “first aid”. Councillors to go and inspect the damage / layout: to discuss further at next meeting. For next Agenda. Cllr Webster: · NY Council meeting the following day to discuss the deficit. · It is likely that Locality Grants budget will be halved next year (to be applied for in second half of 2025 – applications will close 31 Jan 2026. · Each household will be getting one extra recycling bin. · There is a move to even out each Councillors area (based on number of residents) and it is likely that our Parish Council will not be in his area (Bedale division) by the next NYC elections in 2027. · National target of 1.5 million extra homes during this Government means North Yorkshire having to substantially increase its target on the local plan. Mrs Grubb: on that last point, she had downloaded the Local Plan map of the County showing sites suggested by landowners as possibly available for building/development. There was just one within our Parish Council area (copy viewed). Cllr Webster issued a note of caution in that these sites were unfiltered – ie., had not yet been evaluated. 10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS: none. Signed: R Barker Dated: 15.4.2025 New Paragraph

Minutes of meeting held on 7 January 2025 at Pickhill School. Ref: 339

April 17, 2025
1. OPEN SESSION : nil 2. PRESENT: Parish Councillors: Mr Ron Barker (Chair), Mr Graham Clarke (Vice Chair), Mrs Norma Grubb (also Parish Clerk), Mr Minty Scaife, Mr Jim Wadsworth. Others: D Grubb (Minutes). NYC: Cllr David Webster. APOLOGIES: None 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF LAST MEETINGS (12 Nov 2024 - Ref 337 and 3 Dec 2024 - Ref 338): Both Agreed. Signed by Chair . 4. MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES : 1. Speed reduction on entering Pickhill: reinstatement of SLOW signs on road at 30mph entry points: Highways have been asked to reinstate them. Awaiting their response. 2. Vehicle damage to Pickhill Village Green: see Item 7(2). 5. PLANNING: 1. Application re land west of Sinderby Lane, Sinderby – change of use of farm buildings to dwelling house and associated building works – discussed. Agreed – no objections. 2. Previous applications: (1) Chancefield, Pickhill – conversion of agricultural buildings into six dwellings - has been refused by the planning department. (2) Church House, Pickhill – staircase/loft hatch, etc – was granted. 6. FINANCE: 1. Update since last meeting: The Parish Clerk outlined position of current account. A cheque for the Church grounds donation (£300) was signed. The proposed precept forms (2025/26) were submitted in November (£4,620). 2. Grasscutting contracts: Quotes for 2025 growing season received.... Pickhill: The NYC contractors will charge £1665.83, whilst Highways will pay £112.34 for cutting their visibility splays. After discussion, this was accepted. Sinderby: NYC originally quoted over £800, but when Mrs Grubb queried the amount it transpired this included the “village green”, as they believed we owned it. They have now accepted that NYC do own it and have re-quoted £416 for just the roadside verges. Highways will pay us £52 for the splays. Councillors queried the £416 as there seems to be little which was not splays. Mrs Grubb to request plans showing the verges to be cut within that quote For next Agenda. 7. PROJECTS: 1. Pickhill Playground improvements : due to winter conditions no further work had been undertaken. 2. Vehicle damage to Pickhill Village Green: Mr Barker had obtained a quote from Fox’s for two signs mounted on posts, at £334 each, plus VAT, and showed images of the wording options. Mr Scaife would obtain a second quote to same specification. For next Agenda. 8. CORRESPONDENCE: (circulated to councillors in advance of meeting) None 9. COUNCILLORS REPORTS: Cllr Webster : will be attending NYC budget meeting the day after, so little to report. Locality Grants available on a 50/50 basis; closing date is 31 January. Discussion regarding seating benches to improve amenities on Pickhill Village Green, which only has one bench currently. Quotes to be obtained. Mr Scaife: recalls earlier suggestion for a flower bed on the verge by Pickhill sign at top of hill – ongoing. Mrs Grubb: a resident at Holme on Swale had asked if our Parish Council could represent their village as their Parish Meeting had ceased to exist. Mrs Grubb had advised her that it was not within our remit and referred her to NY Council. Cllr Webster confirmed that was the position and advised there were other villages in the area in a similar position, such as Ainderby Quernhow and Howe. 10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS: none. Signed: R. Barker Dated: 4.2.2025 New Paragraph
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