Parish Council Minutes

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council held on 21st June 2010 in the Supper Room of the Parish Hall at 7.45pm

Present: Councillors Reid, Dunhill, Eakins, Heslop and Stephenson. Also present were Cllr Anne Dale, 3 members of the public and one member of the press.

1. Apologies: Cllr Mills

2. Minutes of last meeting: These were agreed as a true record.

3. Matters arising: a) Clean Up day: 10 people took part with some others cleaning up their own frontages. Cllr Stephenson was thanked for her work in organising.

b) Spinney: A circular path has been mown and Cllr Reid has arranged for wood chippings to go on the path. There was discussion about putting a layer of specialised pervious material under the chips at a small cost and it was agreed to do this. MR It was suggested that a small plaque be placed on the gate of the Spinney, noting the original donors and that it is open for members of the public to walk through. The costs of such a plaque would be brought to a future meeting. Clerk

c) TPOs: Cllr Dale had raised the matter again at the Development committee meeting and the response indicated that Parish and Town Councils should be consulted on all TPOs. It is not expected to read about the matter in the Hexham Courant. Cllr Dale would check on the matter again. ADe

d) Potholes: further potholes in Sandy Bank, and on the pavement there, have been repaired.

e) Flashing road sign: Cllr Dale had followed up on this with Stefan Bell from Highways and he had given his opinion that such a sign would not be of any significant value. It might be that the best way forward is to ask the homeowners on either side of the Nick to consider changing the access to the Nick by adjusting the edges of their land. This should be done in consultation with the Highways department and Cllr Dale agreed to continue liaising with the Residents Association on this matter. ADe

f) Northumbrian water: Northumbrian Water had both telephoned and written that in their view the water pipe under the bridge in Millfield Road was a low risk and would not be repaired soon. It was agreed to write again to tell them of imminent work on the bridge which might affect the risk and ask them to reconsider the matter. Clerk

g) VHT committee: Cllr Heslop agreed to continue to represent the Council on the VHT Management committee and noted that he had attended the recent meeting.

g) Millrace Gardens: Cllr Reid had received a request from the Gardeners to restore a downcomer from the Parish Hall to feed the water butt in the Millrace Gardens. Cllr Dale offered some funding but the request would have to go through the Village Hall trust. Mrs Shepherd agreed.

h) Himalayan Balsam: There was discussion on the effect of clearing the Balsam after the talk on bees at the APM. Cllr Heslop said the matter had already been agreed. Cllr Eakins suggested that although clearing the Balsam might be detrimental to the Bee population, the effect would be minimal. Cllr Reid would put up new notices to deal with the Balsam on 25th June.

i) Handyman: Cllr Stephenson had drawn up a list of potential jobs. Cllr Heslop pointed out that some of the suggested tree and fencing work was not the Parish council’s responsibility. Care would be needed that each job was checked in this respect. Cllr Dale said that if overhanging trees were dangerous the County Council had power to remove them. The total cost of £850 plus expenses was not budgeted but could readily be met from expected surpluses under other headings. It was agreed to try the scheme for a year. A simple contract would be drawn up and the insurance documents supplied by the handyman would be checked. Cllr Stephenson agreed to supervise the work and check that the jobs done are the necessary ones. Clerk/LS

j) Weir: Cllr Reid had contacted the Environment Agency engineer for advice on the best of three options: to leave the weir alone; to improve it spending what could be a lot of money; or to reduce the height of the weir with the subsequent consequences for the river downstream. No work can be carried out until May – September next year, but the decision to proceed must be made this year. It was agreed to ask that the Parish news include an item on the weir so that members of the public could express their views on it.

A quote for major repairs to the Weir bridge would be sought. Clerk/MR

k) Dog waste: The County Council has now put out a discussion document which seeks to introduce a number of standard bye-laws on dog waste.

4. Covenant Policy: The two final parts of the Policy which had needed reviewing were ready to be ratified: change of use and Valuations. Cllr Reid proposed the changes; Cllr Eakins seconded them. Cllr Stephenson declared an interest. There were three in favour and one abstention. Subject to a two word change in one sentence the new Policy would be included on the website.

5. Correspondence:

a) General

b) Letter from First School: This concerned a 20mph speed limit past the school being put in place to improve safety.

Cllr Stephenson queried the time it took for some correspondence to circulate all Councillors. Some suggestions were to list all items of correspondence either on the Agenda, inside the circulation file or for the Chair/ Vice-Chair to highlight any matters. To be considered.

6. Finance:

a) Budgetary review: The financial statement and receipts were accepted. All categories were within budget except for the insurance which would go only a few pounds more over the limit. It was agreed that including last year’s year-to-date expenditure on each current month’s spreadsheet would be useful. Cllr Eakins would look into this. JE

b) The following payments were authorised:

M F Anderton – Salary/May – £420.36
M F Anderton – Expenses/May – £104.67
NALC Annual subs. – £162.51
VOA/valuation – £399.50
P Basnett/internal audit – £93.20
Northumbrian Water – £17.73
Wendy robe/planters – £38.00
VOA/valuation – £352.50
M F Anderton – Salary/June – £420.36
M F Anderton – Salary/July – £420.36
RM Methodist Church – £100.00

c) Donations: Cllr Eakins reviewed the list of requests and it was agreed after some discussion to give £50 each to the following organisations: Tynedale Hospice at Home, West Northumberland CAB, Community Action Northumberland, GNAir Ambulance, Mencap, Victim Support, Age Concern Northumberland, Core Music, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Northumberland Theatre Company. It was also agreed to sponsor a beehive for the First School.

7. Minor matters:

Bank of Ireland: concerns were expressed about the security of the funds in the Bank of Ireland accounts. These had been guaranteed through Bank of England warranties and the accounts were set up through NALC. The Clerk would check the ratings however and also query the poor rate of interest;

A request had been made to move the dog-waste bin from its’ place at the entrance to the Parish Hall to the junction of Millfield Road and the A695. This would be looked at;

Complaints had been received of rubbish left by smokers from Wentworth Grange. A letter of concern would be sent to the owners of the Grange;

Cllr Heslop suggested moving the Council meetings to the Millenium Hall because of poor bookings there. It was noted that Mondays there are busy and any other day of the week the Council would not have the advice available from Cllr Dale;

Cllr Heslop also asked if the Council would contribute to the Village Day on the 4th September. It was felt that individuals should contribute if they wished.;

Cllr Dunhill suggested that two more traffic counts should be held and he would liaise with other councillors on the matter;

The date of the next meeting will be September 13th.

Confidential matters: Pursuant to section 1(2) of the public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 it is resolved that, because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, the public and press leave the meeting during consideration of these items.

Meeting closed at 9.40pm

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Annual parish meeting, held at 7.30pm in the Millennium Hall, Church Lane on 20th May 2010.

Present: Cllrs Mill, Reid, Eakins, Heslop, Dunhill and Stephenson. County Councillor Anne Dale was in attendance with 14 members of the public and a member of the Press. Also in attendance for part of the meeting was Mrs Jen Stephenson, Head Teacher and Mr Colin Weightman MBE and Mr David Pearce of the Hexham Beekeeper’s Society who gave the first presentation.

1. Mr Pearce gave a detailed presentation on the life cycle of the Bee, assisted by Cllr Stephenson on the computer. He gave an overview of the life cycle, the long history from prehistoric times, the many uses of beeswax in healing and he explained how the bees and the hives work. He also explained the problems recently suffered by Bee colonies, particularly relating to the Varoa mite which is wiping out whole colonies of bees throughout the country, having started in the south of England. It was introduced in 1992 and reached Northumberland in 1997. He gave details of bee friendly plants which are essential to the pollination cycle and the future of the food chain. Some of the species mentioned are being looked at for inclusion in the Spinney. One of the plants gives cause for the Parish Council to reconsider matters as Himalayan Balsam is recommended as being very beneficial to Bees, bearing in mind the vast numbers wiped out in the last three years in particular. Cllr Mills thanked the speakers for their attendance and interesting presentation.

2. The minutes of the 2009 APM were agreed as a true record.

3. Broomhaugh & Riding First School Report: There are 61 children on the roll at present with 17 coming in the summer with only 13 being lost to the Middle School. Staff illness has given problems at the beginning of last year with frequent supply teachers. This is now over and the school is running well. The school cook also retired after 30 years and although there were problems finding a suitable replacement, a good cook is now in post. There is more equipment in the school grounds and more teaching is done outside when practicable. The curriculum is undergoing changes, which are temporarily halted owing to the change of Government, which is working to encourage them to think for themselves. There are still many after school activities including football sponsored by Newcastle United FC Community football. The Squirrels Club is still going from strength to strength with many volunteers helping keep it open from 8.00 in the morning to 5.45 in the afternoon. Just under 50% of the children are from the village which does cause traffic problems at the beginning and end of the school day. The school is trying to encourage car sharing and for people resident in the village to walk to school. Many of those from out of the village participate in school activities and the school remains grateful to parents and to the parish council for their continuing support.

4. Chairman’s report: The Chairman, Cllr Mills, began by thanking Fred Tulip for his hard work in the previous two years, following his retirement from the Council for personal reasons. The Covenants Policy, redeveloped following advice from the District Auditors and begun under Cllr Tulip’s chairmanship, was now in the public domain. It is not yet quite complete as points still arise which need to be include in the final version. The subject of the Weir has come up recently as the sides are being undermined. There are a number of choices to make and a lot of money has already been spent on it in the past. The options will be investigated further. Allied to this, fallen trees are causing a problem: not when they fall on the amenity land but when they fall in the Burn, disrupting the flow of water. Himalayan Balsam is deemed to be a problem in the village and a removal party is being organised by Cllr Reid to take it on. It may be that this might need to be reconsidered following the earlier talk on Bees. Japanese Knotweed continues to grow and is still a problem. It has been found on land over 100 yards away from where it was being treated near the tennis courts which demonstrates how easy it can be to spread it. The council will continue to monitor the situation. There had been a request from a member of the public for a road sign to indicate Broomhaugh at the east end of the village. Unfortunately, as this would entail changing signage to quite a long way out of the village at the Council’s expense, this was deemed too expensive to follow through.

A number of recurring issues with roads have been looked at: there are now new safety mirrors opposite Wentworth Grange at Broomhaugh and at Hollin Hill. Pot holes have been repaired – to some extent. The more serious ones have had more major surgery. Solutions to slowing down the traffic coming to the A695 from the Slaley road, where it intersects with the Nick, are being looked at. The Council is considering one option of placing interactive solar powered speed warning signs. The details are being evaluated. A pedestrian crossing is still thought necessary and the Council has recently undertaken its own traffic survey to provide figures to the County Council. The Chairman also mentioned the recent attempts to have Millfield Road adopted, following significant input over some years by both the Parish Council and the County Council. The final solution was rejected by the frontagers and the matter will not be revisited by the County Council in the near future. The Play park continues to be monitored and a mole infestation was partially removed at some expense. The Spinney committee have met and put forward proposal to open up a walking footpath , in a circular route through the Spinney. The Council are also trying to ensure that weedkillers are not used in grass cutting by the County Council where it can cause damage to further growth. It is acceptable only against concrete or brick for example. Allied to this there will be a Clean Up day on the 19th June. Cllr Stephenson is helping organise this.

Finally, the perennial subject of dog mess came up at the recent Council meeting and has coincided with a consultation from the County Council about making 4 byelaws against the matter uniform across the County.

5. County Cllr Dale’s report: Cllr Dale reported that the first full year of the new authority had seen many changes. A senior management review had seen 6 senior directors put in place and the Parish and Town Councils being asked to take over many of the services that the District Councils used to perform. It has been difficult getting things done as people change from one day to the next when ringing about a problem. Some of the matters she has dealt with in the last year include: gritting of roads, salt bins, potholes, dropped kerbs, sewage problems, speeding on the A695 after the speed camera by calling out the police with a radar gun, fly tipping, litter, gully maintenance, planning and dog fouling. At the County Council, Cllr Dale is Chair of Audit so has oversight of all aspects of matters at County Hall. Much is related to performance management which is not high enough at present. She can provide some money towards capital projects although the future of that sum is not guaranteed with the current economic climate.

6. Mrs Linda Shepherd, Chair of the Village Hall Trust, gave the following report:

The past year has been momentous for the Trust. In June 2009, we closed the Parish Hall for work to begin on our new extension. We were given back the Hall on January 11th and held a Coffee Morning to mark the occasion on January 12th. In the meantime, demand for the Millennium Hall was huge and some organisations went outside the Village to keep up their activities.

Thanks must go to everyone for their patience – the job over-ran by a good six weeks but I hope you agree that it has been worth it! Eric Rosby and his men deserve a thank you too – the job was done at cost.

As well as now having a Hall which is accessible to disabled people and therefore fulfilling legal requirements, we have a super foyer which is being used as a Café three times each week which is generating income for the Halls. The Supper Room, Kitchen and Main Hall have been refurbished and look lovely.

The Millennium Hall is being used primarily by Pre School – seven sessions each week – and also by three other groups which do not meet every week.

The Parish Hall is used much more, demand is huge and the Bookings Secretary has a task trying to accommodate everyone. We have three weddings this summer – one of which is being catered for by the Dotty Cooks. There is a new Photographic Society, the Community Education Group based at the High School in Hexham are using the Hall for Pilates and the Bridge Club is hoping to use the Hall on Friday afternoons. We still have a few daytime sessions free and weekends are often available for bookings.

The flat has a tenant and the rent pays for our Caretaker who I wish to thank for her dedication. Val works hard and is a leading light in the success of the Coffee Shop and, Alan, her husband, is doing a lot in the garden and regularly picks up the paintbrush. In four months, the Coffee Shop has made almost £1,000 for the Trust and if you have popped in, I am sure you will agree that it gives much more than money to the Village.

Renting out the flat saves the Village Hall Trust money – we no longer pay electricity, gas, water, telephone and Community charge bills thanks to Pam Pryor for managing the tenancy.

We used the Probation Service who supply workers on Community Service to decorate the flat prior to its occupation and they are returning soon to paint the exterior of both Halls.

From April last year, the Dotty Cooks have raised £1,870 for the funds – this does not include catering for events like the Craft Fair which raised over £3,000.

We have had donations from several Hall users (but not all). Tiny clubs like Badminton and The Get Dancing Group have held events which raised in excess of £200 each. The Bridge Club, who do not even use the Hall, have given us almost £700 and Judith Anderson’s wonderful ‘Riding Mill’s Got Talent’ concerts raised over £800.

The Trust is extremely grateful to Councillor Anne Dale who has procured funds for us and the Parish Council for your generosity and support which we hope is ongoing!

All I can say, as Chairman of the Village Hall Trust, is a huge thank you to all who have helped us over the last, sometimes difficult, year. I hope that our Halls continue to fulfil the needs of the community.

7. The financial statement was presented for information.

8. Millfield Road: As the result of a letter being put through letterboxes across the village concerning Millfield Road, the Chairman allowed further discussion on the matter. The letter writers felt the majority of the village were unaware of the problems associated with Millfield Road. It was pointed out that the whole village had had matters explained when a previous attempt, five years ago, to get the road adopted, had been made. There was quite a lot of discussion on the matter which essentially covered points raised at many meetings already in the past. The Chairman allowed the matter to run for awhile before drawing it to a close.

With no further business under AOB, the meeting closed at 9.45pm after the Chairman thanked everyone for attending.

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council and AGM held on 10th May 2010 in the Supper Room of the Parish Hall at 7.45pm

Present: Councillors Mills, Reid, Dunhill, Eakins and Stephenson. Also present were Cllr Anne Dale, 8 members of the public and one member of the press.

1. Apologies: Cllr Heslop

2. Approval of Standing Orders: Agreed

3. Election of Officers: Chair: Cllr Mills was proposed by Cllr Reid and seconded by Cllr Dunhill. Approved

Vice Chair: Cllr Reid was proposed and agreed by all
Planning subcommittee: Agreed to continue as Cllrs Dunhill and Mills.
VHT: this was deferred until a later date when Cllr Heslop would be asked if he will continue in this role.

4. Minutes of last meeting: These were agreed as a true record.

5. Matters arising: a) Grass cutting: Although grass cutting in the village had been approved for this year, East Tynedale Forum were considering plans for next year. Cllr Dunhill agreed to ask about this. Cllr Reid asked about the use of weedkiller near living plants as apparently the previous request was being ignored.

b) TPOs: Cllr Dale had asked three months ago but applications were still not being forwarded for consultation. She would ask again. ADe

c) Potholes: A number of potholes have been filled but not very well. A letter from the Sandy Bank Residents Association had been sent to David Laux of County Council Highways regarding the junction of the Slaley Road and the A695.

d) Himalayan Balsam: This is growing slowly. Cllr Reid will put up repeat notices for volunteers to help in destroying it when it grows higher. MR

e) Clean Up Day: The 19th June was fixed for the village clean up day – a week before the Village day. People would be asked to clean their own frontages. Cllr Stephenson agreed to lead the clean up. LS

f) Website: Cllr Eakins explained that Blogs and forums were undesirable as they could not be sufficiently monitored. Dave Porter is considering migrating our website to a content management system in the future – this would make it easier to update. Updating of information is difficult as village societies do not keep contact details up to date.

g) Moles: At least one mole is still active. The state of the Playpark will continue to be monitored.

h) Spinney: Cllr Reid reported as follows: Following the clearing of the spinney on 26th September 2009, parishioners were invited to put their names forward for planning the Spinney. Alma Bundick, Kevin Charman, Ros Charman and Malcolm Reid volunteered. They have met on three occasions – for initial ideas, for a site visit and to put suggestions to those whose properties overlook the Spinney. There was broad agreement as follows: the character would be between managed and wild; it would provide a linkage to surrounding woodland for wildlife; it would be a place of tranquillity with a circular woodland walk which would involve moving a very small number of trees. The Spinney would be allowed to develop naturally; there would be no change to access for the time being, but consideration of alternative access and /or disabled access may arise in the future. Cllr Reid will approach NEDL for used wood chips to lay to mark out the path. MR

i) Church Lane sign: Cllr Dale had asked for a replacement. A ‘Broomhaugh & Riding’ sign to replace the existing Riding Mill sign had also been requested by a parishioner, but the cost of this, which would fall on the Parish, would be prohibitive as all road signs in the near area would need to be changed. Cllr Stephenson agreed to explain this to the parishioner who had made the request. LS

6. Traffic matters raised by Sandy Bank RA: this links into the item on the Parish Plan. The main problem is where the Nick joins the road from Slaley and the A695. There have been near misses and there consultation with Alan Bawn from the NCC established that re-alignment of the junction could cost in excess of £50,000. Another option is to put a flashing radar-controlled warning sign in the area. Cllr Stephenson has talked with Mr Stefan Bell from the Highways department about this. A sign would have to be erected within the 30mph zone; the cost could be as low as £3200 and the manufacturer could erect the sign, subject to conforming to the requirements of the County Council. It was agreed this was a good idea in principle but the details should be checked out. The possibility of putting a similar sign at the other end of the village should also be considered. The other matter raised was increased dog fouling. It was suggested that reminders about dog owners duties could go in the Parish News and on the website. (Since the meeting, the County Council have advised that a consultation on the issue is to take place which will tighten local laws).

7. Parish Plan: The two Working parties are looking at several other issues. The 20mph speed limit on side roads is a non-starter as most of the roads are cul-de-sacs. The only place likely to be considered is outside the school and the Parish was advised to add the matter to the next Annual Local Transport plan to place the costs with the County. Cllr Eakins also mentioned give way lines at the junction at the top of Millfield Road, Church Lane and Meadow Park. A traffic census is to be carried out by the Parish Council in the next few days to collect evidence of the need for a pedestrian crossing.

8. Trees, Weir and Odd Job Man: It was agreed to proceed with removing fallen trees from the Marchburn. Cllr Eakins wanted to know which trees were actually included in the quote. It would be sensible to remove any which were likely to be carried downstream in future flood. It was agreed to go ahead and Cllr Stephenson would contact the tree surgeons.

The necessity of repairing the weir was discussed as a large sum of money has already been spent on it. It was agreed to investigate this more thoroughly and Cllr Reid would talk to the Tyne Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency to investigate the long term implications especially if it is decided to do no further work.

With respect to an odd- job man, Cllr Stephenson suggested a year’s contract for 4 hours per month at £70 per month. Points discussed included the type of work proposed, the number of jobs throughout a year and if the potential contractor had insurance. Time sheets and an audit trail would be necessary. It was agreed to try the arrangement for a year following further investigation. Councillors to email LS with suggestions for jobs he could do. ALL

9. Planning:

20091040 Extension, Briarlea, Marchburn Lane. Conditional permission
20091053 Pitched roof, Ash Lee, Church Lane. Conditional permission

10. Correspondence: a) general

11. Finance:

a) The financial statement and receipts were accepted.

b) The following payments were authorised:

M F Anderton Salary/Mar – £407.74
MF Anderton Expenses/Mar – £80.70
ATAC (moles) – £110.00
Clerks Direct/subs – £11.00
MF Anderton Salary/Apr – £420.36
MF Anderton Expenses/Apr – £55.71
Richardsons/trees – £47.00
Insurance premium – £2,320.42
VHT/rent – £22.00
Hexham Courant APM ad. (to MFA) – £38.48
VHT – Annual Grant/S.137 – £2,000.00

c) The above grant to the VHT was approved.

d) The 2009/2010 Annual accounts were approved

e) The annual governance statement, as appended to the minutes in full detail, was approved.

f) The Chairman was approved as a new signatory to the bank accounts, following the resignation of Fred Tulip. Cllr Dunhill and the Clerk continue as signatories.

g) It was agreed that the Clerk would present the accounts as approved by council at the Annual Parish meeting. A more detailed analysis of annual income and expenditure based on the monthly spreadsheets would be available for use next year.

12. Minor matters:

It was agreed to have the talk on Bees at the beginning of the APM meeting;

Some Japanese Knotweed had been found near the Tennis Club;

A Broadband report has been forwarded to BT and the County Council for consideration;

Northumbrian Water will repair the pipe under the bridge in Millfield Road between April 2011 and April 2012.It was agreed the Clerk would write to Northumbrian Water expressing disappointment at the delay as the first complaint was made in November 2008.

It was agreed to invite Mr Downs and Mr Gibson, who had raised points about the width of the narrowed Millfield Road bridge.

it was agreed to change the date of the next Parish Council meeting to the 21st June and to cancel the July meeting.

13. Confidential matters: Pursuant to section 1(2) of the public Bodies ( Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 it is resolved that, because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, the public and press leave the meeting during consideration of these items.

Meeting closed at 9.35pm

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council held on 8th March 2010 in the Supper Room of the Parish Hall at 7.45pm

Present: Councillors Tulip, Mills, Reid, Dunhill, Eakins, Heslop and Stephenson.

Also present were Cllr Anne Dale, 10 members of the public (most who left after the item on Millfield Road). PC Sharon Lowden was in attendance for most of the meeting. She gave a brief presentation about the changes in local coverage and said that she would be willing to hold surgeries in the Parish Hall. This kind offer was accepted.

1. Apologies: None

2. Minutes of last meeting: These were agreed as a true record.

3. Matters arising: a) Grass cutting at Broomhaugh: Mr Alan Thompson had agreed to continue doing the grass cutting round the planters at the Broomhaugh end of the village. He was thanked for his efforts.

b) Annual Parish Meeting: this was confirmed as 20th May in the Millennium Hall at 7.30pm. Speakers from the Hexham Beekeepers Association will give a talk.

c) TPOs: Cllr Dale had talked to the Planning department and they promised that TPOs would be forwarded to Councillors for consideration in future.

d) Potholes: some of the repairs had been done, but rather poorly and the Highways Authority are way behind. The ones just before Farnley Gate have been done, as a result of submissions to ask@northumberland.gov.uk.

e) Cllr Stephenson raised the matter of a letter from a member of the public in which she felt the first paragraph specifically was an attack on her integrity on this matter; to quote: “I note your comments concerning the participation of a parish councillor who is a resident and property owner in this road. Whereas this councillor has, on some occasions, declared a personal interest in this matter and has then withdrawn from discussion of it, I feel it appropriate to record that her personal discretion has not extended beyond the confines of council meetings. Over the past few months, when discussions of this matter have been an ongoing topic on the parish council agenda, this councillor has seen fit to approach a number of the road’s residents and made strenuous efforts to coerce them into accepting the parish council’s financial terms for securing the road’s adoption. Her reported comments to these residents seem to reveal that, in this matter, she has acted with the full knowledge and perhaps the support of, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman. I would be interested to have your views on the propriety of this conduct”. Cllr Stephenson went on to say that since receiving this letter she had visited 20 of the 22 houseowners in Millfield Road. She did not visit the writer of the letter and one other resident. Of the 20 houseowners she had visited, not one had thought that Cllr Stephenson had attempted to coerce them in any way whatsoever. She asked that the matter be referred to our solicitors, with a request that the writer of the letter be asked to substantiate these allegations. However, in conjunction with the comments also made by Cllr Reid: “This PC has a history of councillors only serving for short periods. Now that I have been on the council for 2 years and acting Chair for a short period, it is quite apparent to me why this has been happening. Defamatory and demonstrably untrue statements are regularly made about councillors to third parties by a very small number of parishioners with apparent impunity. Normal standards of courtesy are not observed. We have a responsibility to bring the Council to full strength so that it can fulfil its functions well by creating a climate in which parishioners wish to serve, so we need to address this vexatious behaviour. We need to establish that high standards of conduct are expected of all members of the community – not just councillors. I request agreement of the Council for legal advice to be sought about some recent examples. I suggest that the cost of seeking legal advice will be money well spent.” After some discussion, it was agreed by the Council to forward the letters to Wardhadaway solicitors asking for advice from their litigation department.

4. Millfield Road: the request forms had been returned to the Legal Services department at County Hall and Mr Rickitt sent the following letter: “ My analysis is : Option 1 ( £2000 contribution) – six; Option 2 – other contribution ( less than £2000) – two; Option 3 – No contribution – Ten.”

(There were three non-returns and the Parish Council and VHT are to be added to the first option. One further late addition to Option 1 was received in the post and forwarded). “Please let me know whether the Parish Council intend to proceed with the works in the light of this outcome.

I have spoken to my colleagues in the Highways & Transport Service and, if you decide not to proceed with the works, then we will withdraw the estimated figures. In addition I must make it clear that is highly unlikely that the County Council will devote resources in the future towards issues concerning the adoption of Millfield Road or its state of repair unless there are pressing safety reasons for us to do so.”

Having received what is essentially a no vote, the Parish Council reiterated its earlier resolutions: that the parish council will implement the installation of the turning head beside the Parish Hall, bridge works to reduce to 3 tonnes; and the Parish Hall car park. The Parish Council also re-iterated that the upkeep of Millfield Road remains with the frontagers. The Parish Council formally rescinded the resolution of December 2004 and relinquished their temporary adoption of insurance liability for Millfield Road with immediate effect.

Cllr Dale pointed out that the County had put a lot of time and effort over the last 5 years on this matter. Cllr Tulip noted that he hoped that in the future, the residents of Millfield Road would come forward to address the issues.

5. Parish Plan: Cllrs Eakins and Reid had been through the existing Parish Plan to identify the outstanding issues which should be looked at further. Of the three noted, a pedestrian crossing, a 20mph speed limit on side roads in the village and more parking outside the village shop, the first two were suggested for ongoing work. It was suggested that a working group for each issue be set up with at least one Councillor on each. A village wide perspective would be taken and each issue would be tackled by looking at the current relevance of the issues; an in-depth look at any work that has been done on the matters to date would be reviewed; and possible solutions with or without sources of funding would be looked at. Volunteers were asked for and Cllr Dale suggested that Alan Bawn of the County Council be involved in both issues. Cllr Tulip already holds a lot of paperwork which can be forwarded to the working groups. Cllr Dunhill agreed to lead on the crossing working group with Cllr Reid also expressing interest. Cllrs Stephenson and Heslop indicated they would work on the speed limit one. Cllr Eakins would coordinate the work of the groups.

6. Himalayan Balsam: Cllr Reid suggested the Parish Council need a group of volunteers to work on this. Although the Parish Council could endorse the treatment of the Himalayan Balsam, it was agreed that village volunteers should do the work. Permission of the landowners (Styford Estates) would be needed (MA) and the correct timing of the methodology would be chased up with the Tyne Rivers Trust who were advising on the issue. A call for volunteers could go into the Parish news and also be asked for at the meeting with Tyne Rivers Trust to be held later in the week in the Parish Hall.

7. April meeting: because of the timing of Easter, it was agreed to cancel the April meeting. Cllr Tulip has suggested a change to Parish Council meetings, for fewer in total. It was agreed to consider this issue at a later date.

8. Correspondence: a) general

9. Finance:

a) Approvals: subject to a number of minor amendments the financial Regulations, the asset List and the Risk Assesment were approved for the year 2009/2010.

b) The audited accounts for 2008/2009 had been received from BDO and were accepted by the Parish Council. The comments made in the report re timing of approvals and S.137 donations were also accepted. With respect to the comments on accurate budgeting, the Council felt that the comments were unjustified in view of the nature of complaints that had been made to the Auditors. The Clerk would write to them, enclosing the type of budgeting that now occurs.

c) The financial statement and receipts were accepted.

d) The following payments were authorised:

M F Anderton Salary/Feb – £407.74
M F Anderton Expenses/Feb – £36.06
BDO Audit – £614.53
RM Allot. Assn./Insurance – £57.75
T Smith/fence at weir – £360.73
NCC/grass cutting – £1,286.47
Northumbria Water – £8.65
Radio Pages/website – £284.08

e) Grass cutting quote: the quote received from the County Council was for only £13 more than this year and it was agreed to accept this. Included in the letter would be the request by the Parish Council to use weedkillers in as few areas in the village as possible.

f) The S.137 donations were again deferred owing to the tightness of funding until the precept was credited to the account.

10. Minor matters:

Cllr Dunhill suggested a clean- up day. The state of the village was not too bad but a clean up would be desirable. Cllr Stephenson expressed reservations concerning the health & safety aspects. It was agreed to select a date at the May meeting for early in June.

Cllr Dale reiterated there was funding available for the School safety route plan as part of the possible speed limit restriction. Cllr Stephenson suggested talking with the Chair of school Governors.

Some more dropped kerbs would appear in the village .

The school warning sign was often hidden by vehicles and it was agreed to put up notices to try and prevent this.

The Church Lane road sign needed replacing and Cllr Dale agreed to follow up on that.

It was noted the bill for the upkeep of the website did not include all the work for the church at this time. A new management system for the site was being considered which would be easier.

Moles were a problem again in the Play Park. It was agreed to look into this ( this has subsequently been dealt with).

Cllr Tulip announced he would be resigning from the Council, for personal reasons, with immediate effect. On behalf of all Councillors, Cllr Eakins thanked him saying that he had been an excellent Chairman. As the vice- Chair will be busy for a few weeks, Cllr Mills agreed to act as Chair in the meantime.

Meeting closed at 9.10pm

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council held on 8th February 2010 in the Supper Room of the Parish Hall at 7.45pm

Present: Councillors Tulip, Mills, Reid, Dunhill, and Stephenson. Also present were Cllr Anne Dale, 4 members of the public and one member of the Press.
1. Apologies: Cllrs Eakins and Heslop
2. Minutes of last meeting: These were agreed as a true record, subject to one small deletion noted on the master copy.
3. Matters arising: a) Millfield Road: letters have gone out to the residents as agreed at the last meeting, drafted by Mr Stephen Rickitt from the County Council. The return date for the forms has been set as 19th February.

b) Weir: Having received a reasonable quote for the work to put a safety fence, this work is due to be undertaken as soon as the weather is suitable.

4. Planning:

20090294 Car Park/Access to Parish Hall, Millfield Road Conditional permission
20090988 Extension of planning permission for extension at Tarset House, Millfield Road Conditional permission

5. Correspondence:

a) General.

6. Finance:

The financial statement and receipts were accepted by all Councillors.

The following payments were authorised by all councillors:-

M F Anderton Salary/January – £407.74
M F Anderton Exp/December – £81.06
M F Anderton Exp/January – £15.48
NCC/Dog Bin – £314.18
VHT – rent – £33.00
Viking – £90.38

It was agreed to defer S.137 donations until the March meeting.

7. Minor matters: a) Cricket Club lease; this was being chased up in an effort to resolve matters before the start of the cricket season.

b) Broadband: rural isolation is being studied and a survey is being undertaken on behalf of the County by the East Tynedale CF. A quick response time is needed. Anecdotally there is a definite drop off in speeds on a regular basis. It was agreed to put a small request into the forthcoming Parish News to try and get some response. MFA

c) The bench at the bottom of Whiteside Bank was damaged by the County Council during the bad weather. They have agreed to replace it if necessary but are looking at a repair, at their expense, as this may suffice.

d) Potholes: Cllrs Dunhill, Stephenson and Mills mapped these and reported them to the County Council. Cllr Dale also suggested putting them into the on-line system as well which should speed up the response time.

e) Light on Broomhaugh footpath: The Clerk had met with the County representative on site. The main problem is the cost of the cabling. Other options aren’t allowable on Health & Safety grounds. It was suggested mentioning that the lights on the roundabout are linked by overhead cabling as are lights in Church Lane.

f) TPOs: Cllr Dale agreed to chase up.

g) A request for a volunteer to cut the grass round the planter at the East end of the village was also put into the Parish News; MFA

h) Annual Parish Meeting: suggested dates need to be circulated to Councillors. It was agreed to ask someone to come and talk about bees;

i) Spinney report: Cllr Reid had had several meetings with interested parties on the way to develop the spinney. Any ideas would be brought to the Council in due course.

j) The Covenants Policy is being finalised gradually.

8. Confidential Matters: Pursuant to section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, it is resolved that, because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, the public and press leave the meeting during consideration of these items.

Cllr Stephenson asked if the session was necessary to protect the privacy of individual or situation and was assured by the Chairman that this was so.

It was so resolved and the formal part of meeting finished at 8.15pm

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council held on 14th December 2009 in the Supper Room of the Parish Hall at 7.45pm

Present: Councillors Tulip, Mills, Reid, Dunhill, Eakins, Heslop, and Stephenson. Also present were Cllr Anne Dale, 14 members of the public and one member of the Press. Mr Stephen Rickitt, the Principal Solicitor from County Hall was in attendance.

1. Apologies: None

2. Minutes of last meeting: These were agreed as a true record, subject to a rewording as noted on the master copy.

3. Matters arising:
a) Cllr Eakins queried whether there was any further progress on the Covenants Policy. It was noted there was nothing further to report at present. The Chairman confirmed that the revised policy would be brought back to Council for final approval once the sections on Change of use and Charging policy were complete.
b) Cllr Dale had queried the legality of apologies from the Parish Council with the Standards Officer at County Hall. She quoted the main part of his email relating to past actions: ‘I cannot envisage any circumstances under which individual parish councillors could be held liable personally for past conduct of the Parish Council. A Parish Council, as a separate legal entity, will, of course be responsible for continuing liabilities irrespective of any changes of its membership. Ordinarily a Parish Council would not be compelled to apologise in the brief circumstances described short of a court order. Otherwise it would be entirely up to the Parish Council. Relating to an error by the Clerk he suggests that if an apology is considered appropriate, it may be made by the Clerk, the Chairman, all Councillors or a combination of all the above.’
c) Cllr Stephenson and Cllr Heslop noted they did not agree with the wording of the letter sent to Mr Young. Cllr Eakins said he was unhappy about the process used.
d) Following receipt of a summary of the retention schedule, there was a query about the keeping of planning applications. These are only kept for a year unless there is an ongoing appeal or problem. They are always available for the Planning Department. Longer retention periods might be necessary in light of the new Covenants policy.
e) The Alder tree had been cut down very efficiently. The trees on the Main Road were those near to Dove Shield but were part of the County’s remit. The Wellington will be chased again about the laurel trees. A tree near the Burn belonging to a property on Long Rigg had been felled at the homeowner’s expense.
f) Weir: The fencer was being contacted to look at the cost and siting of a safety fence until such time as action was decided on the Weir.
g) Cllr Tulip asked for a note to be included in the minutes thanking his Vice-Chairman, the Councillors and the Clerk who had all helped in the last 2 months.

4. Budget/Precept: Cllr Eakins summarised the budget sheets sent out to Councillors previously – what has been spent to now, what is left to spend till the end of the financial year. There is an estimate of £8500 overspend, without any further unknown expenses. It was suggested leaving most headings the same except for Legal and Audit which should be increased to £6000. Miscellaneous was increased; there are no figures for any work on the weir; there is repayment for the bus shelter which was deferred from last year and if Millfield Road goes ahead, there will be ~£2300 per year. This makes an estimated Precept of £28000, an increase of 14%. The problem of the Weir could be left for a year other than some work possibly needing doing on the retaining walls. This can be discussed in the Spring which is the earliest any work could be considered. The proposed Precept of £28,000 was agreed by all.

5. Millfield Road: The Chairman agreed to take questions from the floor to himself or Mr Rickitt on this particular issue only.
After the current meeting, a letter will be circulated to all frontagers asking for their final decision on the questions asked. There were a couple of questions arising from letters already sent in to the Council: A query on the specifications of the work – they were those provided by the County Council to include new kerbs, new road surface, footpaths; drop kerbs where necessary and some new drainage.
The breakdown of costs were as budgeted: £77000 from NCC; the PC made it up to £88500 dealing with the road in two sections and £10000 for the bridge. The discussions the PC held were on the percentage breakdown of costs as already presented to the frontagers in October. Borrowing the money to do the work will cost ~£2300 per year over 30 years, approximately £5.80 per household per year. Cllr Heslop reiterated his belief the whole works should have been done at the time of the 2007 referendum. Cllr Stephenson wished to speak but was reminded she held a prejudicial interest and could take no part in the discussion. She was allowed to stay in the meeting to listen however. Mrs Penn raised concerns. Mr Young reiterated arguments about the accessibility to amenities via Millfield Road. Mr Bundick from Broomhaugh suggested that as a non-Millfield road resident, he believed everyone should share the costs. Various points of view were put supporting the ideas of fair sharing. Cllr Dale pointed out that if adopted, the road would be maintained at the public expense in future. Mr Rickitt summarised the three options: that the PC pay for everything; the PC and the residents share the costs; or leave as it is. Mr Rickitt offered to draft the letter to the frontagers as a local government lawyer. Cllr Tulip thanked all for their participation. Most members of the public left at this stage. The Council agreed to ask Mr Rickitt to draft the letter with the different options as previously discussed. This would be distributed to all frontagers with a cut- off time limit, yet to be decided. Cllr Tulip thanked Mr Rickitt on behalf of the PC for his invaluable input.

6. Planning:
20090819 Porch, Greenlea, Whiteside Bank Conditional permission.
Cllr Dunhill pointed out that two TPOs had been up for planning without the hard copies being received by the Parish Council. This was in contravention of the new planning procedures. NALC were querying this and Cllr Dale also agreed to ask about it.

7. Correspondence:
a) General
b) East Tynedale Forum: Comments on the Wind Farm had been requested. Cllr Dunhill stated that the PC’s position was largely neutral on this matter.
c) Tynedale Visitor: the regular request for a short piece had again been received. Cllr Stephenson kindly agreed to do this.

8. January Meeting: It was proposed that the January meeting be cancelled because of the long holiday period and the subsequent short gap between a possible January meeting and the February one. This was agreed.

9. Finance:
The financial statement and receipts were accepted by all Councillors.
The following payments were authorised by all councillors:-

MF Anderton Salary/November – £407.74
MF Anderton Exp/November – £63.85
Tree surgeon – £874.00
Northumbria water – £12.37
Marchburn Lane Res. Ass./S.137 – £30.00
SLCC Subs 2010 – £95.00
MF Anderton Salary/Dec – £407.74

10. Minor matters: Mrs Bundick asked about signs which differentiate more properly between Broomhaugh and Riding Mill. Cllr Dale agreed to find out what could be done.

It was noted that congratulations were in order for the excellent work done on the Parish Hall.

The meeting closed at 9.20

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council held on 9th November 2009 in the Church Cottage at 7.45pm.

Present: Councillors Mills, Reid, Dunhill, Eakins, Heslop, and Stephenson. Also present were Cllr Anne Dale, and 7 members of the public.

1. Apologies: Apologies were received from Cllr Tulip.

2. Minutes of last meeting: These were agreed as a true record.

3. Matters arising:
a) Pack Horse Bridge: Thanks were noted to Cllr Dunhill and Mr Padgett who had cut off the dangerous tree limbs.
b) Trees/main Road: The trees causing the most problem appeared to belong to the property Dove Shield on the north side of the Main Road to the East of the Wellington. Also the laurel bushes at the east end of the Wellington were overgrown. It was agreed the Clerk would write to the owners, asking them to cut back branches. Cllr Heslop also raised the matter of slippery leaves in the roadways and footpaths. Although the Council has an arrangement whereby these are meant to be swept regularly, Cllr Dale pointed out that there is currently only one sweeper for the whole of the County. She would point out the issue however.
c) Alder tree: Although there is doubt as to the ultimate responsibility for the tree near the tennis courts, it was felt the Parish Council should take on the matter and ask for the work to be done as soon as possible from the lowest quote obtained. The Tennis Club monitor trees etc. and it was suggested they continue to do this and liaise with the Council if there are perceived problems.
d) Spinney: Thank you notices had gone out as previously agreed together with a request for anyone interested in further work there to get in touch with Cllr Reid.
e) Cllr Heslop suggested that as there was a problem selling all raffle tickets, in order to continue supporting the Parish Hall, it should be noted for next year, that the Parish Council should offer to run a Book stall at the next Village day.
f) One of the lights on the station footpath was not working. Councillors would let the Clerk know its number before it could be reported. It was also partially covered by branches which needed cutting back.

4. The Weir:
Cllr Reid summarised the issues. Cracks were appearing in the side wall (adjacent to the seat side of the river) Preliminary advice was taken from both Mr Rosby and from Mr Peel in their engineering capacities. Provisional estimates in the range of £3000 to £7000 were given. However, the Environment Agency said that no work could take place between 1st October and 1st May because of the salmon running. This leaves the Council more time for a considered approach as to what actions are needed in the long term. In the meantime, there is a safety issue and it is suggested a simple fence be erected to supplement the tape and notice that is there currently. There appears to be a solid underground part which might make fence posts difficult. The Clerk will ask the regular fencer for a quote and ask him to liaise with Cllr Stephenson on the matter.

5. Covenants Policy: (Cllr Stephenson declared an interest).
This had been left in the public domain for more comments to be given as to the wording of the document. Comments had been received from Mr Young which were partially read out and some wording changes had been suggested by Mr McKendrick. It was important to highlight the differences between a request for an extension where a voluntary release is called for and between a plot division where a valuation is called for. Further clarification on the charging policy of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) would again be sought to ensure the details were correct in the policy. (Mr Young – calls Council corrupt). The Legal advice received was not under discussion. The District Auditor considers that matter closed. Cllr Reid wished it be noted that the complaint resulting in the new Policy had cost the Parish Council £16,000 excluding VAT which would affect the budget for the precept in the coming year. Cllr Eakins suggested a change of wording and Cllr Heslop also mentioned that in future, a number of houses could possibly be demolished to make way for flats etc. which would be plot splits. After some discussion it was agreed that the current wording was probably satisfactory. It was noted that the legislation when going to the Lands Tribunal is not balanced between the two parties. This needs to be considered. (Mr Young– called process extortion). Cllr Dale agreed to ask the Standards officer/Solicitor at County Hall about the legality of decisions taken by past members of the Council. Cllr Reid asked Councillors to accept the draft Policy, subject to change of use being considered and subject to clarification of the Valuation methods. Cllr Dunhill seconded the motion and it was carried with 4 in favour and one abstention.

6. Retention Policy:
Mr Young had complained about a file of correspondence at the Records office in Woodhorn. Cllr Stephenson had looked into the matter and summarised it with input from the Clerk for the other Councillors. Files had been deposited at the Records office in 2005, comprising over 35 files, about half of which had been inherited by the Clerk from the previous clerk. The particular file was labelled correspondence from Mr Young relating to the Millennium Hall. It was seen by Mr Young with two others this year. Records showed it had not been seen by any one else since it was lodged in 2005. As a result of the complaint the Archivist placed the file on restricted access and took legal advice at County Hall and informed the Clerk. This was not to Mr Young’s satisfaction and he requested it be destroyed. Further discussion between the Archivist, the Clerk and the Chair of the Parish took place during the summer. The Clerk asked, on behalf of the Parish Council, on the 2nd October 2009, that the file be destroyed. Cllr Stephenson was thanked for her work in putting this together. She had several proposals: that documents should be deposited annually; that the decision about which documents should be deposited should be made by more than one person. After some discussion, it was agreed the Clerk would continue to manage the records but would bring a brief summary of the retention schedule used to the next Council meeting for Councillors to see. Legal requirements mean some documents are kept permanently, some for a limited period of time and some, unless it has relevance and goes into a specific file, is either archived or destroyed after 12-18 months. The huge number of files deposited in 2005 was a one-off exercise. There was also discussion as to whether to apologise to Mr Young for the alleged offence. As the records have been destroyed it is impossible to check this offence. Cllr Dale agreed to ask the Advisory solicitor at County Hall about the responsibility of the Parish Council for alleged offences. It was agreed that instructions to the Solicitors should be in writing in conjunction with a Councillor who would report back to the Parish Council.

7. Millfield Road update:
The Acting Chairman read out a statement on behalf of the Parish Council which had been put together by himself and the Chairman. Following this, he agreed to take comments from members of the public who were not at the recent meeting held by Mr Rickitt, the County solicitor.

“We wish to report the current position regarding Millfield Road. Over the past year the Council has been in discussion with Northumberland County Council seeking a way forward on an issue that has been on the village agenda for many years. On the 28th of October the frontagers of Millfield Road were invited, by the County Council Solicitor Mr Stephen Rickitt, to attend a meeting . Prior to this his legal appraisal had been sent to each of the invitees, this document will now be placed on the village web site. (MR)

To assist in this process your Council considered carefully the costing information provided by the NCC Highways Department. An estimated figure for works and supervision, of £88000 was established for both sections of road being brought up to adoptable standard. The bridge will be downgraded to a 3 tonne limit with the appropriate signage and will have a 6’6” width restriction. The Council will fund the £10000 bridge costs. The Council resolved to offer the frontagers a 50/50% share of the road cost to bring this matter to a successful conclusion. The frontagers are therefore being asked to fund £44000.

In this regard the Council are mindful that they are frontagers by their ownership of the amenity land. They also acknowledge that the Parish Hall is also a frontager and the Hall is solely dependent on the village for its income. A further resolution was therefore approved that the Council would contribute their share of £2000 and also £2000 on behalf of the Parish Hall, thus leaving a sum of £40000 for the frontagers.

Your Council is mindful that this subject has in the past polarised village opinion. Not least in causing this is that a repair fund of approximately £14000 held for the upkeep of the road by the now defunct Millfield Road Property Owners Association, an association of some 40 years standing, was returned to the membership in 2004. Countering this however it is undeniably true that Millfield Road has been used as a through route for many years.
The offer is ‘on the table’ for consideration by the frontagers. We have requested an initial response by the end of November, after which we shall give a further report.

The Council wishes to make it clear that this is a once only offer to solve this problem. The Parish Council and Northumberland County Council will not revisit this issue again in the foreseeable future. If the offer is not accepted, Millfield Road will revert to being a private road.

Your Council believes this is a fair offer for all, and sincerely hope that the frontagers will avail themselves of this opportunity to bring closure to this long outstanding issue.”

There was some discussion about the general issues. Cllr Heslop commented that he felt the division of costs was a potential problem. The Parish Council/NCC position is not fixed in stone and is flexible. If there is general support for the proposal, there are a number of options which could be considered. Mrs Rowntree made a similar comment and Cllr Heslop also suggested that the loan facility be used to pay for the whole project to get it done and out of future agendas. Mr Bryson suggested there might have to be a referendum in that case. Overall it was agreed to wait until the end of November, by which time the Council had asked for a preliminary response from frontagers. Cllr Reid agreed to put the statement into the Parish News, onto the notice boards and possibly elsewhere such as the website or in Bobby’s shop. MR

(During this discussion, Cllr Eakins left the room for a few moments during which time Mr Young placed a chair under the door handle, preventing his return or anyone else’s exodus thus creating a potential health and safety issue for Cllr Eakins returning or the rest in the event of a fire. He was asked to remove said chair and did so reluctantly). Because of the time taken to get to this point in the Agenda, it was agreed to defer the item on the Parish Plan until the next meeting.

Also included here are two further resolutions taken in the confidential discussions of the September PC meeting relating to the above matter:

If the frontagers agree to proceed with the adoption and meet their share of the work, the Parish Council will implement the following work;

• adoption of the road and turning heads
• bridge works for restriction to 3 tonnes
• Parish Hall car park.

If the frontagers decide not to proceed, the Parish Council will implement the following work:

• installing the turning head beside the Parish Hall (subject to planning permission)
• bridge works as above
• Parish Hall car park.

Any decision on the future standard of the road would be devolved to the residents.

8. Correspondence:
a) General
b) Network Rail: it was noted that Network Rail had replied to a letter about the station footpath light but would not consider it as it is a PROW.
c) East Tynedale Community Forum: The Forum is conducting a survey on grass cutting with a view to looking at other schemes for delivering the service in the associated parishes. It was agreed to do this in the first instance.

9. Finance:
a) The financial statement and receipts were accepted by all Councillors.
b) The following payments were authorised by all councillors:-

MF Anderton Salary/October – £407.74
MF Anderton Expenses/October – £36.06
Jack Robinson – comps.slips – £34.50
Royal British Legion – £40.00
Cricket Club – grass cutting – £360.00

c) Budget: it was agreed that Cllr Eakins would work with the Clerk to draw up a preliminary budget to circulate to Councillors. Any thoughts to be sent by email to Cllr Eakins. JE/Clerk

10. Minor matters: None

The meeting closed at 10.25pm

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council held on 12th October 2009 in the Church Cottage at 7.45pm

Present: Councillors Tulip, Mills, Reid, Dunhill, Eakins, Heslop, and Stephenson. Also present were Cllr Anne Dale, and 4 members of the public and one member of the Press.

1. Apologies: None

2. Minutes of last meeting: These were agreed as a true record, subject to several small amendments.

3. Matters arising: a) Trees: Alder tree – the exact location needs to be noted as this will decide the responsibility for treatment, whether the Parish Council or the Tennis Club. Cllrs Tulip and Stephenson would look. FT/LS
b) Spraying of verges etc. – Cllr Dale was still checking over the list of grass cutting areas; the loose kerbstone is part of the transition area; the footpath light is being looked at.
c) Cllrs Tulip and Reid had walked the area that Cllr Heslop said was dangerous and felt there were insufficient problems to call out the Highways people. However, Cllr Dale had asked them to have a look next time they were in the village. A small piece had been put in the Parish News asking homeowners to check the overgrowth and if necessary cut it back;
d) Car parking at the entrance to the small lane leading over the iron bridge to join the lane to Wentworth Grange is also being looked at by NCC.
e) Work has been started clearing the Spinney. It was agreed to put a letter on the Notice Board and a piece in the Parish News to thank all those involved. Further work remains to be done and Cllr Reid suggested a date be found when the councillors could complete the work. Discussions about opening out the Spinney for walking was discussed and there are varying points of view – wild versus park like. It was suggested a meeting be held, of interested parties, before anything else is done. Cllr Reid agreed to organise something for the Parish News and the website. MR

Following a number of letters against the proposal to create a footpath through the Spinney and a petition of a further 40 signatories, it was agreed that the plan might not be viable – at any rate in the immediate future. Cllr Heslop insisted that Mr Niven’s letter on this be read out. There is a safety issue with extra parking being a problem at school starting and finishing times.
A much bigger safety issue is the need for a pedestrian crossing on the A695. It was noted the council had tried to progress this on several occasions, but without success so far. However, it is intended to continue pursuing the issue.

4. Millfield Road – update: Cllr Tulip advised the meeting that at the request of the County Solicitor, Mr Rickitt, a meeting had been called for frontagers only to be held on 28th October in the Millennium Hall to discuss options for the way forward.

5. Covenants Policy: (Cllr Stephenson declared an interest); some comments had been received on the Legal advice but it was reiterated that this was not for discussion. Some comments had been received on the Policy and more were made at the meeting. These covered details of wording to prevent parishioners objecting for the sake of it, the methods used by the District Valuer’s office to calculate the amounts charged and clarification between consent and release. Thanks were noted to Cllrs Reid and Mills for their ongoing efforts on this matter. It was agreed to put another note out about the Policy on the Notice board and in the Parish News and leave it open for comment for another month in the hope of ironing out most of the niggles. JM/MR

6. Parish Plan review: Cllr Eakins and Cllr Reid had recently looked again at the Parish Plan drawn up in 2003/4. While some issues have been addressed and others were now of doubtful relevance, several still remained to be tackled. A brief note listing some of these had been circulated to Councillors. Various ways of tackling these were discussed, including working parties drawn from any interested parishioners, not just councillors. It was agreed each councillor would email Cllr Eakins with their top three priorities for action. Cllr Eakins would then collate these into a single priority list to be discussed at the next meeting. JE/All

7. Planning:
20090579 3 Hollin Hill Terrace, listed consent; (replacement roof lights): Consent Given
10090388 Saward, Long Rigg Variation of building conditions: Withdrawn

8. Correspondence: a) General

9. Finance:
The financial statement and receipts were accepted by all Councillors.
The following payments were authorised by all councillors:-

MF Anderton Salary/Aug £407.74
MFAnderton Expenses/Aug £99.04
MFAnderton Overtime/backpay £150.62
VHT S.137 Grant £2,000.00
Viking Stationary. £155.87
Wardhadaway Legal advice £6,900.00

10. Minor matters
Remembrance Day – Cllr Heslop agreed to lay the wreath again and would tidy up. The Vicar was proposing a slightly different format. CH
A skip for Christmas trees was requested. Cllr Dale agreed to ask about this. ( Since agreed).
Cllr Helsop had raffle tickets for sale but so did other Councillors. It was agreed to sell what was possible and return the rest. All
Cllr Reid had attended a meeting in Whittonstall where there are two planning applications for a wind farm and for open cast extraction: the latter is still at the scoping stage. As a neighbouring parish , views will be requested. There is along lead in time to make views known. Cllr Dunhill will be getting information from the East Tynedale Forum on this and will keep Councillors in touch. He was thanked for his continued attendance on this. AD/MR
Cllr Stephenson had arranged for some grass cutting to be done at the west end of the village by the planters. Mr Hinds who had been doing the cutting at the Broomhaugh end had been thanked for his hard work. Cllr Dunhill raised the matter of weed killer, which had been raised at the East Tynedale Forum as being a widespread issue. He also asked that the trees at the Pack Horse Bridge be looked at again.
The High Plains footpath need clearing.
A flashing speed sign on the A695 has also been suggested. It was agreed to exhaust the full pedestrian crossing solution first.
A complaint about the bus shelter opposite the Wellington had been received. Cllr Tulip had looked at it and although the supports were solid, a panel had been removed and vandalised. This would be looked at further. FT
Cllr Dale also reported on a drain problem which was being sorted and some speeding complaints and the problem of parking in Station Close.
Cllr Mills agreed to attend the joint NALC/NCC meeting for Parish and Town Councils in Hexham on the 27th October.

The meeting closed at 9.15pm

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council held on 14th September 2009 in the Millennium Hall at 7.45pm

Present: Councillors Tulip, Mills, Reid, Dunhill, Heslop, and Stephenson. Also present were Cllr Anne Dale, and 5 members of the public and one member of the Press.

1. Apologies: Apologies were received from Cllr Eakins and from Cllr Williams who had tendered his resignation. Cllr Tulip apologised if his email on the resignation had been lost.

2. Minutes of last meeting: These were agreed as a true record.

3. Matters arising: a) The Spinney footpath: There had been much discussion in the public part of the Parish Council meeting on this, much of which was against the idea. Some correspondence had been received by both the Chairman and the Clerk and was included in the correspondence file. The comments and suggestions made had been noted by Cllr Reid and the other Councillors. Cllr Reid made it clear that there is a long consultation period. Any decision regarding church land rests with the Diocesan Board and it would only consider a recommendation from the PCC (Parochial Church council) that has general support.
It was noted that no Councillors would be available to manage the proposed Spinney clean up. Some concern was expressed that the Council’s insurers would require risk assessments etc. for work done by someone else. It was agreed to ask the Clerk to remind Mr Lockey and Mrs Stephenson from the school about these matters.
b) Footpath light: a spotlight type of light was not feasible according to the County. Cllr Dale would enquire further about a solar light and Network Rail would be contacted about the matter as well.
c) Alder Tree: this was the responsibility of the Tennis Club. However, the Clerk would let them know that Cllr Stephenson had three quotes available for the work. Access to the tree over the bridge is difficult and the costs are high because small pieces are required for removal.

4. Verge Treatment: some Councillors had walked the village to note where weed killer had been used. There was much discussion as to how to approach the problem. Certain areas not adjacent to hedgerows, grass or woodland were safe and sensible to use weed killer on but other areas should not have it used. The list of areas cut by the County would be checked over before a decision is made.

5. Pack Horse Bridge: during the summer, a member of the public had expressed concern about the state of the Bridge and the County had been informed. They considered it not much worse than when it was resurfaced but agreed some work should be done. The Clerk would chase this up.

6. Planning:
20090252 Woodside, Sandy Bank, access Conditional permission
20090437 The Lodge, Shepherds Dene, extension. Conditional permission
20090438 The Lodge, Shepherds Dene, listed consent. Conditional permission

7. Correspondence: a) General

b) Mrs Rowntree/Himalayan Balsam: Mrs Rowntree had asked whether anything could be done about this down by the river. She was suggesting we get a party of probationers possibly to join in the river –long project undertaking in the Spring of ‘Balsam Bashing’. The land however belongs to the Dickinsons so their permission needs to be sought. The Clerk would follow up on this. (Cllr Dale also agreed to check the permissive footpath notice).

c) Mr Niven’s letter related to the proposed spinney footpath and was added to those in the correspondence file.

8. Finance:
a) The financial statement and receipts were accepted by all Councillors.
b) The following payments were authorised by all councillors:-

M F Anderton Salary/June/July – £804.80
M F Anderton Expenses/June – £114.32
T Smith Playpark gate – £224.32
W. Robe planters – £38.94
Northumbrian water – £1.26
M Stewart benches – £270.00
Cricket Club grass cutting – £320.00
MFAnderton Exp/July – £44.34
CWC(June) knotweed – £172.50
Playsafety (ROSPA) – £79.35
CWC(Aug.) knotweed – £172.50
Northumbrian Water – £15.65
M F Anderton Salary/Aug – £403.90
M F Anderton Expenses/Aug – £68.45
VHT Rent – £55.00
J. Mills Mirror expenses – £154.25
Dennis Castelow Fixing mirror – £75.00

9. Minor matters
a) A Councillor asked that a letter be sent to a household about rubbish piled in their garden as it spoiled the appearance of the village;
b) Cllr Heslop noted a loose kerb stone in Broomhaugh;
c) There was a reminder about the grant to the VHT which had been deferred. This would be on the next Agenda;
d) Cllr Heslop queried whether a letter could be sent about the Brown bins for the Parish Hall being FOC: Cllr Dale advised that the County would not allow this;
e) Cllr Heslop also noted overgrown trees on the Main Road which were impeding travel by pedestrians. This would be investigated; A request to homeowners could go in the Parish News;
f) Parking at the end of the lane leading over the iron bridge to join the lane to Wentworth Grange was also raised by Cllr Mills. This had been raised some time ago. A request to reinstate the footpath would help. The Clerk would find the old correspondence to forward to Cllr Dale.

10. Covenants Policy: Cllr Stephenson declared an interest but remained to listen to the discussion. Cllr Reid summarised that there were now two papers: a solicitors letter of legal advice to clarify points raised by the District Auditor in response to a complaint; and a draft new Policy document. Cllr Reid noted there had been lots of controversy since 1973; the Parish Council has a legal obligation to maximise its assets and a moral obligation to be fair to parishioners. The First policy was developed in 2005 following the Counsel’s Opinion and with a lot of additional legal and professional advice. The new Policy, taking the letter of legal advice into account, broadly agrees with the existing Policy. The draft covenants Policy and the letter are available to look at on the website and a copy is available for viewing at Bobby’s shop. The Working party believe it would be wrong to release a covenant without neighbours having an option to object, therefore planning permission would be a requisite before a release of covenant. If planning permission is given and if any neighbour still objects, he or she would have a month to apply for an injunction; otherwise the covenant release process will continue. Comments on the Policy will be considered so the final version can be approved at the next meeting.

11. Confidential Item: to discuss legal advice from the County Council:’Pursuant to section 1(2) of the Public Bodies ( Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 it is resolved that, because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, the public and the press leave the meeting during consideration of the above item 11 of the agenda.’

The press and the public and Cllr Stephenson, (having declared a prejudicial interest), left the meeting. Cllr Heslop also left the meeting. The matter was satisfactorily discussed.

The meeting closed at 10.45pm.

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council held on 14th September 2009 in the Millennium Hall at 7.45pm

Present: Councillors Tulip, Mills, Reid, Dunhill, Heslop, and Stephenson. Also present were Cllr Anne Dale, and 5 members of the public and one member of the Press.

1. Apologies: Apologies were received from Cllr Eakins and from Cllr Williams who had tendered his resignation. Cllr Tulip apologised if his email on the resignation had been lost.

2. Minutes of last meeting: These were agreed as a true record.

3. Matters arising: a) The Spinney footpath: There had been much discussion in the public part of the Parish Council meeting on this, much of which was against the idea. Some correspondence had been received by both the Chairman and the Clerk and was included in the correspondence file. The comments and suggestions made had been noted by Cllr Reid and the other Councillors. Cllr Reid made it clear that there is a long consultation period. Any decision regarding church land rests with the Diocesan Board and it would only consider a recommendation from the PCC (Parochial Church council) that has general support.
It was noted that no Councillors would be available to manage the proposed Spinney clean up. Some concern was expressed that the Council’s insurers would require risk assessments etc. for work done by someone else. It was agreed to ask the Clerk to remind Mr Lockey and Mrs Stephenson from the school about these matters.
b) Footpath light: a spotlight type of light was not feasible according to the County. Cllr Dale would enquire further about a solar light and Network Rail would be contacted about the matter as well.
c) Alder Tree: this was the responsibility of the Tennis Club. However, the Clerk would let them know that Cllr Stephenson had three quotes available for the work. Access to the tree over the bridge is difficult and the costs are high because small pieces are required for removal.

4. Verge Treatment: some Councillors had walked the village to note where weed killer had been used. There was much discussion as to how to approach the problem. Certain areas not adjacent to hedgerows, grass or woodland were safe and sensible to use weed killer on but other areas should not have it used. The list of areas cut by the County would be checked over before a decision is made.

5. Pack Horse Bridge: during the summer, a member of the public had expressed concern about the state of the Bridge and the County had been informed. They considered it not much worse than when it was resurfaced but agreed some work should be done. The Clerk would chase this up.

6. Planning:
20090252 Woodside, Sandy Bank, access Conditional permission
20090437 The Lodge, Shepherds Dene, extension. Conditional permission
20090438 The Lodge, Shepherds Dene, listed consent. Conditional permission

7. Correspondence: a) General

b) Mrs Rowntree/Himalayan Balsam: Mrs Rowntree had asked whether anything could be done about this down by the river. She was suggesting we get a party of probationers possibly to join in the river –long project undertaking in the Spring of ‘Balsam Bashing’. The land however belongs to the Dickinsons so their permission needs to be sought. The Clerk would follow up on this. (Cllr Dale also agreed to check the permissive footpath notice).

c) Mr Niven’s letter related to the proposed spinney footpath and was added to those in the correspondence file.

8. Finance:
a) The financial statement and receipts were accepted by all Councillors.
b) The following payments were authorised by all councillors:-

M F Anderton Salary/June/July – £804.80
M F Anderton Expenses/June – £114.32
T Smith Playpark gate – £224.32
W. Robe planters – £38.94
Northumbrian water – £1.26
M Stewart benches – £270.00
Cricket Club grass cutting – £320.00
MFAnderton Exp/July – £44.34
CWC(June) knotweed – £172.50
Playsafety (ROSPA) – £79.35
CWC(Aug.) knotweed – £172.50
Northumbrian Water – £15.65
M F Anderton Salary/Aug – £403.90
M F Anderton Expenses/Aug – £68.45
VHT Rent – £55.00
J. Mills Mirror expenses – £154.25
Dennis Castelow Fixing mirror – £75.00

9. Minor matters
a) A Councillor asked that a letter be sent to a household about rubbish piled in their garden as it spoiled the appearance of the village;
b) Cllr Heslop noted a loose kerb stone in Broomhaugh;
c) There was a reminder about the grant to the VHT which had been deferred. This would be on the next Agenda;
d) Cllr Heslop queried whether a letter could be sent about the Brown bins for the Parish Hall being FOC: Cllr Dale advised that the County would not allow this;
e) Cllr Heslop also noted overgrown trees on the Main Road which were impeding travel by pedestrians. This would be investigated; A request to homeowners could go in the Parish News;
f) Parking at the end of the lane leading over the iron bridge to join the lane to Wentworth Grange was also raised by Cllr Mills. This had been raised some time ago. A request to reinstate the footpath would help. The Clerk would find the old correspondence to forward to Cllr Dale.

10. Covenants Policy: Cllr Stephenson declared an interest but remained to listen to the discussion. Cllr Reid summarised that there were now two papers: a solicitors letter of legal advice to clarify points raised by the District Auditor in response to a complaint; and a draft new Policy document. Cllr Reid noted there had been lots of controversy since 1973; the Parish Council has a legal obligation to maximise its assets and a moral obligation to be fair to parishioners. The First policy was developed in 2005 following the Counsel’s Opinion and with a lot of additional legal and professional advice. The new Policy, taking the letter of legal advice into account, broadly agrees with the existing Policy. The draft covenants Policy and the letter are available to look at on the website and a copy is available for viewing at Bobby’s shop. The Working party believe it would be wrong to release a covenant without neighbours having an option to object, therefore planning permission would be a requisite before a release of covenant. If planning permission is given and if any neighbour still objects, he or she would have a month to apply for an injunction; otherwise the covenant release process will continue. Comments on the Policy will be considered so the final version can be approved at the next meeting.

11. Confidential Item: to discuss legal advice from the County Council:’Pursuant to section 1(2) of the Public Bodies ( Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 it is resolved that, because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, the public and the press leave the meeting during consideration of the above item 11 of the agenda.’

The press and the public and Cllr Stephenson, (having declared a prejudicial interest), left the meeting. Cllr Heslop also left the meeting. The matter was satisfactorily discussed.

The meeting closed at 10.45pm.

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council and Annual General Meeting held on 11th May 2009 in the Supper Room of the Parish Hall at 7.45pm

Present: Councillors Tulip, Williams, Mills, Reid, Dunhill, Heslop, Eakins and Stephenson. Also present were Cllr Anne Dale, and 13 members of the public and one member of the Press. Cllrs Dale and Heslop arrived part way through the meeting.

Cllr Tulip explained that following the discussion by Councillors on the Auditor’s recommendations, he would allow, in this instance, members of the public to make short representations if they felt there was additional information it would be useful for the solicitors to have sight of. He asked that all questions be supplied in writing within 7/10 days of this meeting.

1. Apologies: None.
( Cllr Tulip asked the Clerk to note that Mr Young said the Council ‘were guilty of extortion.’ ).

2. Approval of Standing Orders, including amendment: ‘That the County Councillor may participate fully in the regular business of the parish council.’ This was carried unanimously.

3. Elections: Chair: Cllr Tulip was proposed by Cllr Eakins and seconded by Cllr Mills. Agreed by all.
Vice-chair: It was proposed that Cllr Reid continue in this role. Agreed by all.
Planning: Cllr Tulip came off this committee. It was agreed that Cllrs Mills and Dunhill would continue in the role. Contentious applications would be referred to a full Council.
Cllr Dunhill agreed to continue monitoring the Playpark.
VHT: Cllr Williams agreed to continue as a representative. Cllr Heslop’s willingness to continue would be clarified at the next meeting.

4. Motion to accept or reject the district auditor’s recommendations: relating to the Parish’s Policy on Covenants as follows: ‘to commission and consider expert legal advice on the Public Law aspects of the enforceability of the covenants generally and in the northern area particularly where there is some doubt in the current advice on their enforceability: frame its revised policy with regard to this advice and deal explicitly with the issue of enforceability; and devise and implement a reporting system which demonstrates how the policy is being applied.’
Councillor Tulip proposed that the council accept the above recommendations. This was unanimously agreed.
It is hoped that the matter can be settled once and for all. In accordance with his preliminary remarks, Cllr Tulip asked members of the public to suggest questions, or additional information, which they would be prepared to put in writing to add to the evidence. Some members of the public made statements rather than supply questions, suggesting the Council did not have all the relevant information; a meeting was suggested – the Councillors would consider the offer. Another two members of the public raised questions on enforceability matters . Another member of the public commented on the continual muttering by those behind her such that she could not hear what was being said.

5. Minutes of last meeting: Agreed as a true record.

6. Matters arising: None

7. Education: Cllr Reid raised the matter of the consultation document from Northumberland County Council as a follow up from the ‘Putting the Learner first’ from 2/3 years ago. This related to changing from a three tier system of schools to a two tier system. He was particularly concerned that the statistics developed by the County appeared to be erroneous and would skew any outcomes. He had written directly to the County Council, raising those points. He was asking that the Parish Council support him in this action. There was some discussion on the matter in that several councillors felt this was a matter for the individual rather than the group. It was also felt the current system worked well in a rural area. The question of leadership and management was considered to be far more important to the children overall. It was agreed that as Cllr Reid had not had any response from County Hall, the Clerk would write on behalf of the Parish Council, requesting a response, copying in Cllr Dale so she could follow the matter up directly at County Hall.

8. Planning:
20090127 Freshfield, Sandy Bank Garage rebuild Refused
20090196 Brockencote, Slaley Rd. Extension Certificate of lawfulness granted

9. Correspondence:
a) General; the two files were split
b) Area Committees: The County Council have sent round a notice of the Area Committee meetings and a list of all the dates of meetings. Cllr Dale recommended that Councillors attend the AC meetings where possible to maintain a link in what is happening. There is the opportunity to ask questions as well. It was noted there was no Agenda and the Clerk would email Cllr Dale asking her to find out why not. The Clerk would also copy the dates of meetings to Councillors for future note.
c) Probation Service: It was drawn to the Council’s attention that should any suitable project need undertaking in the future, there is a supervised workforce available. Contact details are available. The Council noted the matter.
d) Garden waste charge: A copy of the notification going to all home owners re future charging for the collection of Garden waste had been received. It was felt this could be the thin end of the wedge as far as the County was concerned and their green credentials were seriously suspect. The Council considered that charging for anything should be uniform across the County and it was known that at present this does not apply. It was agreed the Clerk should write commenting on this aspect.

10. Finance:
a) The financial statement and receipts were accepted by all Councillors.
b) The following payments were authorised by all councillors:-

Hexham Courant/APM Ad. – £22.60
Hexham Courant/Audit Ad. – £135.59
NALC/annual subs – £146.98
VHT rent – £77.00
M F Anderton/(back pay 08/09) – £133.12
M F Anderton/Salary/Apr – £403.90
M F Anderton/Expenses/March – £96.70
M F Anderton/Expenses/Apr. – £24.04
Clerks Direct/subs – £10.00
Viking/Printer/paper – £250.04
BDO/Audit, including standard fee plus cost of work on complaint
(06/07 accnts.) – £3225.75
BDO/audit 07/08 – £327.75
Hexham Courant/Audit Ad/post vote – £135.58
SLCC/reg.conf – £56.35

Cllr Tulip then pointed out that because of the public complaint about the Audit in 06/07 and the costs associated with this that the Council has to pay, it will be necessary to transfer – £5000 from reserves to the current account to help pay expenses until the Autumn when the next tranche of precept is paid. Councillors approved this transfer.
c) The audited accounts for 2006/2007 had been received, signed off. Council were asked to accept those and the comments made on them. The main comment referred to the outcome of the public complaint which is dealt with elsewhere in the Agenda. The only other comment related to improvements in the asset register. This has already been undertaken. The Audited Accounts were accepted by the Council
d) The audited accounts for 2007/2008 were also returned signed off and needing approval. There were no extra measures. The Council accepted the Audited accounts.

11. Minor matters

Cllr Dale updated the Council on the light on the Broomhaugh footpath which was being assessed for ease of connection.
Cllr Mills noted that she had asked Mr Castelow to help with fixing the mirror at Hollin Hill. It was considered that a requested additional mirror facing westwards could lead to confusion.
Cllr Dunhill noted the recent meeting with the East Tynedale forum, the notes had been circulated.
Cllr Dale also noted the forthcoming consultation by the Boundary Commission.

The meeting closed at 9.20.

You can download a copy of these minutes here (PDF file).

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 30th April 2009 at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall, Millfield Road.

Present: Cllrs. Tulip, Stephenson, Reid, Eakins, Mills and Dunhill were present. Also present were Cllr. Dale, one member of the press and 7 members of the public.

1. Apologies were received from Cllrs Heslop and Williams, Mrs Jen Stephenson and Mrs A Lawrence.

2. Minutes of last year’s annual Parish Meeting were agreed as a true record.

3. The Chairman’s report is as follows:
The majority of your Councillors have now served for just over a year. In October John Eakins joined the team bringing the number of Councillors to eight.

A variety of items arise some of importance others rather more routine and mundane. I shall give a brief overview of the year.

– 20 planning applications were received and processed

– At the beginning of the year concern was expressed at the condition of some trees in Marchbanks Wood including a fallen tree in the Marchburn. The fact that some of the weir stones had been displaced was also brought to our attention. However, following inspection by the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission we were advised to ‘leave nature alone’. Minor repair works to the deck and handrail of the timber bridge have been carried out.

– The play area has not only had its weekly inspection by one of the Councillors but also the annual check by ROSPA. Minor repairs have been carried out including replacing some of the boundary fence. A new seat has been installed- kindly donated in memory of Andrew Pusey.

– After much lobbying the closure of Dipton Foot Bridge for ten weeks was averted – the installation of a temporary one way system, traffic light controlled, resulted in only minor delays.

– A proposal to make the Nick into a BOAT – byway open to all traffic was amended and is now classed as a Restricted Byway.

– The Council agreed to pay the cost of hiring the Supper Room to assist our local Police Constable holding monthly public interest meetings.

– We are grateful to County Councillor Anne Dale for financial assistance to enable a new street light to be provided on the footpath between the station and Broomhaugh. Two new mirrors have been aquired to assist in road safety. Both on the A695 one will replace the old mirror at Hollin Hill Terrace the other at the exit road from the Wentworth Nursing Home.

– A ‘housekeeping’ item has been improved. In financial matters your council took the view that more information should be made available to the public. Many of you may have noticed that since May 2008 a monthly sheet is posted listing all incoming receipts and detailing all cheques going out. The information you have for this meeting is taken from those monthly sheets.

– We have created a number of working groups to consider how the council deals with various issues. On finance we are currently considering how we can monitor the budget more effectively and hope to have an improved system implemented by the autumn. Another group has been looking again at the council’s policy on Covenants. Work on this however had to be held in abeyance pending the Audit Commission’s decision on a complaint made by a member of the public regarding monies received for release of a covenant in the 2006/07 accounts. As that decision was sent out on the 10 March this year and the complainant then released the information to the Hexham Courant I shall deal with this matter now. I must, however, state that the Council at the May meeting will have to consider whether to accept the Audit Commissions recommendations and of course there may be a wish to Appeal the decision. Notwithstanding the above, as, according to the Courant, the complainant was ‘jubilant’ at the decision, it is important we clarify both the complaint and the decision.
The objector considered that a transaction in the Council’s accounts was illegal. This concerned an amount of £9000 and solicitors fees, relating to the release of a covenant, included in the Council’s accounts for 2006/7.

The objector asked that the Audit Commissioner –
– write a public interest report under section 8 of the Audit Commission Act 1998.
and / or
– ask the courts for a declaration, under section 17 of the Act.

The decision received a few weeks ago concluded that, and I quote –

‘there is no unlawful item of account – the Parish Councils legal advice is clear that it may charge for the release of covenants and it has acted in a way which is consistent with this advice; and, it is for the Parish Council to determine an appropriate charge for the release of the covenant in question which it has done with regard to the advice of the District Valuer.

It is my view that for each of the reasons set out above, there is no basis upon which I could reasonably conclude that the item of account objected to is contrary to law. It is also therefore my view that the second objection in relation to the declaration in the annual return must also fall.

The council at its next meeting in May will be asked to accept the three recommendations he then makes which are

In reviewing, developing and implementing its revised policy for managing the covenants in which it has an interest the Council should
– commission and consider expert legal advice on the Public Law aspects on the enforceability of the covenants generally and in the northern sector particularly where there is some doubt in the current advice as to their enforceability
– frame its revised policy with regard to this advice and deal explicitly with the issue of enforceability; and
– devise and implement a reporting system which demonstrates how the policy is being applied.

These three recommendations are of course in line with the work already commenced by your councillors which hopefully can now be progressed following the May council meeting.

You may not be aware that when an objection is made by a member of the public it is the Parish Council who must bear the legal costs.

So what price is’ jubilation’. At last year’s APM I reported that the legal costs involved may reach £3000. In November last, when setting this year’s precept, we made a provision of £3500, but I can now report that the actual invoice excluding VAT will be £5925. This represents 24% of the precept.

– At this time last year the Tennis Club were considering a move to a new site. However the Club has now decided to retain its presence on the existing courts Concern has been raised by a member of the public regarding the validity of a new constitution. We are in discussion with the new Club Chairman to see whether the current status satisfies the requirements of the lease. We remain committed to an active club in the village. More recently the Pre-school with the help of the ‘garden invaders’ approached the Council seeking a small area of land which the children could cultivate as part of the school curriculum. Both we and the Tennis Club are happy that they use the small strip of land between the single tennis court and the path.

– Millfield Road has been on the agenda again – not least during the flooding of September last year. Immediately following that event we arranged for County Council to check the bridge and on 16th September we received confirmation that all was well. You may ask, following the adoption attempts of 2008, has Millfield Road as an issue gone to sleep. The answer is no. Many of the current councillors joined the Council not only to halt the sale of amenity land but and perhaps more importantly to stop a large amount of the proceeds being used to provide a 40 tonne bridge over the Marchburn. However, we felt bound, like countless councils before us, to pursue the dream of adoption. We have stated in Council that we are still seeking a solution and have been in discussion with the County Council. As a Council we have agreed that if and when we have a proposal for consideration it will be given to the whole village at the same time. We hope this may be possible in the autumn.

– We have during the year held discussions with the First School and the County regarding the provision of a pedestrian crossing on the A695.The initial traffic study last summer showed that the national qualifying criteria could not be met – we therefore join the club of about 200 other hopefuls. We then asked what if we paid for this? Initially it was a question of safety. Could the ideal position – corner of Millfield Road across to the corner of the pub be suitable for a Zebra crossing or would it have to be the much more expensive Pelican type (traffic light controlled). Despite some initial hope we were then informed that unless we satisfied the criteria a crossing on an A class road would not be approved.

We would consider reopening this discussion but would welcome any public support to strengthen our argument.

Last year two members of the public, without reference to the Council made an application to have the amenity land, adjacent to Millfield Road, which includes the two tennis courts, designated as a village green. You may recall that the County Council solicitor, Stephen Rickitt, came to a council meeting to explain the process. In October, one of the applicants contacted the County by telephone, confirmed in a letter to the Parish Council, from which I quote-

‘I spoke to Mr Rickitt by telephone stating that I saw no reason why the Parish Council should not execute a ‘declaration of trust’, I think such a declaration would be uncontentious and the simplest way of satisfying the intent of all parties.’

As the process unfolded all parties were informed that the application was going to fail. However Mr Rickitt confirmed that the original deeds already included a ‘declaration of trust’ therefore satisfying the requirements stated in the applicant’s October letter. Your Council is satisfied with the outcome.

– I’m sure you will all have noticed a new asset – the bus shelter at Broomhaugh. It was a while in construction but worth the wait. In Council, the matter of a shelter at the west end of the village has already been raised. The topography is more difficult but an elevated position may make it possible to see the approaching eastbound bus in time to make a safe crossing of the road. This will be investigated further.

That’s the end of my report but in closing I would like to offer my thanks – to Philip Latham, for his many years of service to Tynedale District Council and his help to the village – and in this my first year as a councillor my thanks to our clerk and my fellow councillors, and to our County Councillor for her continued support and good counsel.

Following the report, it was noted that the main reports would be forwarded to the Parish News so the information would go to the public before May next year. There was a brief discussion on the Pedestrian crossing. New Schools legislation might assist the arguments in the future and it was also suggested that letters from the public would aid the cause.

4. Cllr Dale gave a short report on the changes with respect to the unitary Authority. She summarised the transition period between the old district, old county council and the new Unitary as being a difficult time with much hard work being entailed. Many staff have been made redundant but a significant number have moved to the new Authority. Budgetting problems are proving the hardest matter, and they will not ease for some time. She has covered a huge range of topics in response to members of the public. Cllr Stephenson noted that Cllr Dale has been to all Parish Council meetings and has researched well.

5. Financial Statement: This was distributed for information to the public, taken from the monthly statements. There were no questions.

6. Report of the Village Hall Trust. Mrs Shepherd gave the following report:
It is the function of the Management Committee to maintain and manage the two Village Halls so that they can be used and enjoyed by the residents of Riding Mill. As we all know, the Hall is used by people from further afield and they enrich the activities of the Halls by their participation. Both Halls continue to be used by people of all ages, with provision for education, exercise, culture and for social occasions too.

The Development Committee continues to raise money for the improvement of the Parish Hall – currently they have banked and have promises of £103,000. There is also, at the time of writing, an appeal which has been delivered to all houses in the Parish, for the further £24,000 which will ensure that the work can begin in early June. I hope to have, by the time of this meeting, a figure which will tell us how we are progressing towards this goal. (~£14,000 has been raised to date).

In September, for the first time in many years, the Development Committee ran the Village Show. It is hoped that this will become an annual event and actually become the major fundraiser of the Village Hall Trust. This year, it will be held on 5 September but the venue is, as yet, uncertain. Lots of help will be required! The Development Committee met with the Village Hall Trust and it was agreed that the work to improve the Hall would be run as a self-build by the Development Committee. This will be built at cost.

Several ladies who do a lot of catering for village events have begun to give their profits to the Trust – initially as the ‘new cooker fund’! We received a grant of £500 from Age Concern and the ‘Dotty Cooks’ so far have added £1,410 to that sum.

I have been Chairman since November during which time I have learnt that the older Parish Hall costs a lot of money to maintain. We have attempted to sort out the damp patch in the Main Hall by having the drains cleaned out. In the space of one week, a boiler broke down, Yasmin our Caretaker left the village to live in Stocksfield and the drains on the opposite side of the Hall blocked! We hope that as a Council, you will continue to support the Hall financially – for this, we will be very grateful and we will spend the money wisely.

We have decided to rent out the Caretaker’s Flat. This will give us an income to pay a Cleaner-in-Charge and will release us from the costs of electricity, gas, community charge, water rates and telephone rental. Recent employment law no longer allows property to be given in lieu of work. We will be using the services of a letting agent and obviously will check that insurance policies etc are in place before this happens.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mrs Shepherd also noted that the Parish hall will be closed for the first phase of improvements from the end of May until mid-October.

7. Broomhaugh & Riding first School report: Mrs Stephenson was away so Cllr Tulip read her report:

I hope this Report gives you an idea of school life at the moment.Our numbers have increased to 65 children. This is the most that we have had since I joined Broomhaugh six years ago, so it is very busy!

I am glad to say that we still have a dedicated team who are committed to doing their very best for all the children in the school. This year one teacher was on Maternity Leave – due to return in July, however, we were lucky enough to appoint a fantastic teacher who has continued to provide a stimulating curriculum for the children in top class.

The summer holidays saw a complete new heating system put into school. This, along with all windows now double-glazed should mean that school is not only economical but more eco friendly. We have also had a new security system put in which will hopefully mean false alarm calls are lessened.

We continue to work with the curriculum ensuring that children find their learning interesting, exciting and fun. More and more classes are making use of the school grounds for all aspects of curriculum from Drama to Maths.

One thing that the parents often comment on are the after school activities that we hold. Thanks to the enthusiasm of teachers we continue to have three after school clubs each week. These offer all children a huge range of activities – football, drama, skipping, computers and recorders – and the children often come up with new ideas for our clubs.

We continue to have our after school club (Squirrels) that enables children to stay at school until 5.45 so allowing working parents that extra time to get back from work. It is an essential part of our school for several families on a day to day basis and several other families need the facility periodically. More and more other small schools are having to close their after school clubs but if this were to happen here I fear that we would lose children.

Although a lot of the children who attend Broomhaugh do not actually live in the village, they are always pleased to be invited to join in with village events. Some children have even asked me if we are making scarecrows again this year!

Just before the Easter holidays we had our Ofsted Inspection. I am delighted to inform you that we received an ‘Outstanding’ judgement. This gives due recognition to the hard work that goes on in school from all members of staff, children and parents. We are continually grateful for all the support and interest that the parents of our children, Governors and villagers pay in the school and are always willing to listen to new suggestions or ideas. Apologies for not being here in person to answer any questions however if anyone would like to forward questions via Monica, I would be more than willing to answer.

Cllr Stephenson asked what proportion of children were from the village and the catchment area as opposed to those from outside. The Clerk would refer the question to Mrs Stephenson.

8. Minor Matters: The Clerk reported that the problem with the Tennis Club rules had been resolved. Mrs Shepherd made a plea for notices to be taken down after they are finished with.

The meeting closed at 8.15pm.