Minutes of meeting held on 28 May 2024 at Pickhill School. Ref: 336

1.   OPEN SESSION: Cllr Webster (NYC) suggested we may want to consider an annual Open Village meeting, inviting organisations like school, church, village hall, charity groups, etc, to report. It is recommended good practice and some Parish Councils incorporate it into their annual general meeting.  Noted, to consider.

                                                                                                                                     

2.   PRESENT: Parish Councillors:  Mr Ron Barker (Chair), Mr Graham Clarke (Vice Chair) Mrs Norma Grubb (also Parish Clerk),      Others: D Grubb (Minutes).      NYC: Cllr David Webster.  Residents: Mr Walker

APOLOGIES:   Parish Councillors Mr Minty Scaife & Mr Jim Wadsworth.

 

3.   MINUTES OF LAST MEETING (5 March  2024: Ref 335): Agreed by Cllrs present. Signed by Chair.

 

4.   MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES:

1. Vehicle damage to Pickhill Green:  ongoing issue along the school lane side. Some damage caused by vehicles reversing out from driveways, or when delivery vehicles park as well as funerals/large events at Church. Vehicles mount the kerb and damage the grass surface. Always worse in winter/wet weather. Road widening or creation of passing places prohibitive. Posts and chain?          To monitor.

 

5.   PLANNING:

1.   Application: Church House, Pickhill: work to trees in garden (conservation area). Proposal to remove six trees at front of property, as they are causing damage. Discussed at length.  Agreed: no objections.                                                                                               

2.   Application: Manor Farm, Pickhill: siting one converted railway carriage for holiday let use. Mr Clarke declared an interest, which left the meeting without a quorum. Reply required by 7 June so no opportunity for another meeting. To deal with this remotely so absent councillors can be involved.   

                                               

6.   FINANCE:

1.   Update since last meeting: Precept payment received in full.

2.   Exemption from external audit (Agar forms): re accounts for year ending 31 March 2024.

                                                                                 Agreed: Parish Clerk to apply for exemption   

 

 7.   PROJECTS:

1. Pickhill Playground: Mr Barker has restored the climbing wall with new panels, supports and he replaced missing foot and hand holds. He has also completed the roof tower renewal, all for which he was thanked. Cost of materials only. Mr Grubb has replaced six missing fence palings.

2. Upkeep of trees in Pickhill. Mr Clarke reported that he had trimmed some trees on the village green and replaced the fatally injured cherry tree near Station House. Mr Barker reported that Mr Monkton had kindly trimmed some of the damaged young trees there as he is Forestry Commission trained.

                                 

8.      CORRESPONDENCE: (circulated in advance, as received)

1.   Pickhill School - consultation on expanding local federation of schools: has now gone ahead.

2.   Pickhill School – school proposal to utilise Pickhill playground with school play area: Questions raised – how often; would non school youngsters still have access during those sessions; need to consult our insurers, provide our risk assessment to school. (ie the annual ROSPA report).   Agreed: Parish Clerk to liaise with Head and report back.

3.   NYC Election on 2 May 2024 – Mayor of York & North Yorkshire: election notices posted in April.

4.   NYC – Standards in Public Life – document re Councillors register of interests etc. Request to check our Councillors details and declarations are on the NYC register of interests. Checked/confirmed.                                                 

                                                         

9.    COUNCILLORS REPORTS:

Mr Clarke: Villagers have asked whether Pickhill Beck could be made cleaner, Mr Clarke reports grants are available through Rural Payments Agency to farmers for monitoring/improving. He had met with a group of farmers to explore this. Would the Parish Council support such an initiative?  After discussion.... Agreed.

 

Mr Clarke: has been asked re speed warning signs for Pickhill. He is aware flashing speed signs not feasible, but could other warning signs re speed be installed?           Clerk to enquire with Highways.                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                          

10.   ANY OTHER BUSINESS:  none.      

 

 Signed:     R Barker                                                       Dated:   12 November 2024


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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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