Minutes of meeting held on 14 November 2023 at Sinderby. Ref: 333

Minutes of Meeting on Tuesday 14 November 2023, at Sinderby

1.   OPEN SESSION:

1.   30 mph signs in Street Lane, Pickhill (southern end): by email from a resident who cannot attend. In view of increased traffic and speeds since new housing developments, can the 30mph area be extended out beyond current limits? Discussed at length. Not a simple job as the speed restriction is linked to the area covered by street lighting, as well as village curtilage. It is a matter for Highways at North Yorkshire Council, however the Parish Council would not support a request. Clerk to reply to resident.


2.   Street Lane/Cross Lane: high hedges a danger - obstruct sightlines at T-junction. This was raised and agreed last year with the landowners concerned.                  Mr Barker to speak again to the owners.


3.   Mr Robson: The Church wants to place a sign-board at the bottom of Church Hill. Planning Officer has told him would not need planning permission if Parish Council have responsibility for the land and are behind this. Mr Robson to supply details.                              Agreed: Parish Council will support this.


4.   Also, could a resident be thanked for trimming base of Lime tree at bottom of Church Hill. Clerk to write.

 

2.   PRESENT: Mr Ron Barker (Cllr & Chair), Mrs Norma Grubb (Cllr & Parish Clerk),  Mr Jim Wadsworth (Cllr).

D Grubb (Minutes), Cllr D Webster (NYC),  Residents: Mr R Walker, Mr C Robson.  

APOLOGIES:    Mr Graham Clarke, Mr Minty Scaife

 

3.   MINUTES OF LAST MEETING (1 Aug 2023 - Minute Ref 332): Agreed by Cllrs present. Signed by Chair.

 

4.   MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES:

1.    Road Repairs in Pickhill: Work was completed by end of August. More done than originally envisaged and the top of hill approach into the village has been widened and a very welcome passing place created at the crest of the hill, as the Parish Council had requested. Great improvement to Lowfields Lane.  Many positive comments re work & help from contractors getting residents access during the work. Temporary signs still to be removed and some rubble left on school car park.         Clerk to liaise with Highways                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

2.   Tree trimming: Councillors inspected the Sinderby trees after the last meeting and agreed the quote from Mr Holmes. Work can now be carried out: invoice required. Pickhill trees –       For next agenda .


3.   Pickhill Village signs: now been power-washed. Mr Barker thanked for this. He suggested the mound created after road works layout changes around the sign in Street Lane (top of hill), would benefit from some cultivation and planting.  To be explored.                                                             For next agenda.

       

5.   PLANNING:

1.   Devonshire House, Sinderby: application for removal of defective brickwork of existing outbuilding and form new garage/outbuilding.                                                                              Agreed: No objections.

2.   Updates: Miramar, Pickhill – campsite toilet block approved. Charity Farm, Pickhill – withdrawn.

 

6.    FINANCE:

Update: payments out: £250 donation to Pickhill Church; Rospa report invoice £106.80.  VAT re-claimed from HMRC to year ending 31 July was £760.39, received.                                                           Noted.

 

 7.   PROJECTS / ONGOING ISSUES:

Pickhill Playground: Mr Barker & Mr Clarke have met twice on site:

Multiplay has some timber to replace and right hand roof slaits to renew (left tower roof replaced last year).

 

Climbing wall needs new ply sheets. Original suppliers will charge £980 per sheet. However Rubiform sheets are £70 each, plus cost of support timbers etc.  If Councillors did the work, materials would be approx £500. Cllr Webster offered to support a Locality Grant application for £500; for which he was thanked; Mrs Grubb to liaise with him re application.            Agreed. Cllrs do repairs – apply for grant.

 

Six new mats (£20 each) required for under swings and around springy animals to stop erosion. Agreed.

 

The ROSPA inspection in September only identified issues already in hand. Nothing critical.        Noted.

 

                         

                                 

8.    CORRESPONDENCE:

1.   From North Yorks Council: from April 2024 any Parish Council By-Election cost would be charged to the Parish Council. Does not apply to the four yearly elections. A forecast has been obtained and a Pickhill By-Election would be around £2,900 and Sinderby £2,200. Finance planning needs to take this possibility into account. Cllr Webster advised that payment “terms“ would be negotiable with NYC.                     Noted.


2.   From North Yorks Council: Request to check accuracy of the NYC website entries for our Parish Council, Parish Clerk and Councillor’s details. Checked and in order. Also to check that all our Councillors have Register of Interests entries. Checked – all present on website.                                             Noted.

                                                         

9.    COUNCILLORS REPORTS:

Cllr Webster: NYC held a recent seminar on bio-diversity.  There will be a Mayoral election in May 2024 for  Mayor of York and North Yorks.  Transport strategy - low level of public satisfaction – issues are reliability, affordability and safety.                                                                                                                       Noted.

 

Mr Barker: Peter Barningham has kindly offered to source a new Jubilee oak, planted by his mother last             year, as tree succumbed to weather extremes. Offer accepted. To be replaced without ceremony. Noted.

 

Mr Wadsworth:  Issue of dog waste bins in Sinderby. Requests for one siting at south end of village. We could re-locate the one from near post-box to there, unless cheaper to just obtain an additional one.  Mrs Grubb to cost this with NYC (Refuse).                                                                             For next Agenda.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

10.   ANY OTHER BUSINESS:  none.   

 

 

 

 Signed:      R Barker                                                      Dated: 2 January 2024


Latest News

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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