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

Broomhaugh and Riding Parish Council

Minutes of meeting held on 14th November 2011 at 8.15pm in the Parish Hall Supper Room

Present: Cllrs Mills (Chair), Reid, Dunhill, Eakins and Howe. Cllr Dale was in attendance and 5 members of the public

1. Apologies: None

2. Declarations of interest: None

3. Minutes of the meeting of 26th September: Agreed as a true record.

4. Matters arising:

a) Tennis Club: they will meet to discuss grants on 18th November.

b) Weir: A late email from Professor Newsom indicated that some grants would be available towards the cost of work at the weir. It was suggested that the Parish Council provide some matched funding by paying for the work already done by Professor Kerr.

c) Millfield Road Bridge: During the period to May next year when work can start again, it was agreed to look at the long term implications for the bridge. Details were being sought, both on costs of potential work and for holding a referendum in the village on possible options. Following a suggestion at the last meeting that emergency vehicles could be allowed over the bridge as ‘it was like the bridge at Corbridge’, the main text of a reply from Simon Rudman, Bridges Manager at the County Council was read out by the Chair explaining why the situation at Corbridge is not analogous to that at Riding Mill.

d) It was agreed to arrange a meeting with BTBell to further discuss the longterm options. A short article about the proposals should be included in the Parish News now as leaving it till the New Year would be too late. MA

e) Speed signs: these are in place and working.

f) Parish Hall Car Park: This is now under construction.

5. Vandalism/Thefts: There has been significant damage to the Play Park and to a seat at the Weir (recently repaired). Quotes were in hand to forward to the Insurers. Cllr Dunhill reported that a bicycle and a car had also been recently stolen and it was agreed to place a brief warning into the Parish News asking people to be vigilant. MA

6. Handyman Report: Mrs Stephenson provided the regular report on the work being carried out by the Handyman. Undergrowth near the Tennis courts was encroaching on Millfeld Road and Cllr Howe agreed to look into the problem. The Clerk would check that the area was on the grass cutting list for next year. PH/MA

7. Replacement Bench: There had been a gratifying response to the invitation in the Parish News for a replacement bench outside Bobby’s shop. Four families or groups had volunteered. A suggestion of putting two benches together had been raised but the preparation work for a second bench would be expensive and it was agreed to keep to the one bench. Cllr Mills would talk to those who had offered to donate. JM

8. Bus shelter at West end of village: The Parish Council agreed in principle to placing a shelter at the west end (south side) of the A695. However, Cllr Dale suggested there might be problems with the line of sight and the adjoining roads from Slaley and the Nick. The Clerk would ask for a site visit from County Hall to evaluate the situation. MA

9. Parking at the Millennium Hall: Cllr Dunhill reported more instances of bad parking at the Hall. Nothing has been heard from County Hall about the double yellow lines since a site visit in August. Cllr Dale agreed to chase this up. ADe

10. Planning: a) Granted consent by Northumberland County Council under delegated powers:

11/01951/FUL Extension at Hazel Rigg, Millfield Road 11/01722/CCD Solar Panels at Broomhaugh First School 11/01612/FUL Extension at Jacaranda, Long Rigg. b) For consideration by NCC Development Committee: 11/00903/FUL House at land west of Kingmead, Sandybank – Decision pending c) Appeal to the Planning inspectorate: House at Grovefield – Appeal allowed d) Considered by the Parish Council: 11/02220/FUL Extension at LynDene, Millfield Road – no objections 11/02191/LBC The Lodge, Shepherd’s Dene, Listed Consent – no objections

11. Correspondence:

a) Fence round Playpark: A request had been received from the VHT that the fence round the Play Park be completed by the Parish Council for Health and Safety reasons before the VHT plant a new hedge after tidying up the ivy. It was agreed that Councillors would look at the site and the fencer would be asked for a quote before replying to the VHT. MA/Councillors

b) Network Rail: Clarification had been received from Network Rail that they were liaising with the Planning Department of County Hall to ensure the correct materials would be used when the station bridge is repaired next year.

The following payments were authorised:

Darren Johnson (invoice 13) – £70.00

Northumbria Water – £15.29

Ruth Hadden – ecology survey – £200.00

Aon Insurance (additional premium for speed signs) – £59.71

Darren Johnson (invoices 14/15) – £140.00

MFAnderton (Salary/expenses/October) – £476.96

SB Tree Services ( tree at double tennis court) – £120.00

Royal British legion (S.137) Poppy wreath – £50.00

Transfer from reserves to cover Car Park payment – £7,500.00

b. Budget: A draft budget for next year’s precept was presented to councillors. There was discussion about what could be saved and what was necessary. Figures for the Weir were required; the new footbridge might have to be deferred. Councillors were asked to submit items that may have been forgotten and further thoughts in time for the next meeting when the precept would be finalised. At present, there is an increase of a third in the budget from last year which will mean a doubling of the precept. Councillors to JE/MA

13. Minor Matters:

a) Olympic torch – details as to when it will come through the village are not yet known. Cllr Reid suggested a request be placed in the Parish News inviting interest from anyone wishing to be involved with celebrations. MR

b) Mobile Library: changes are being proposed to the mobile library service. Users have been consulted separately. Points to note include a consistent venue and length of stay for visits. The council agreed that a date for the van’s visit fixed by reference to a particular day in a numbered week on the month was preferable to a date at three week intervals. There was criticism of the short time scale for consultation and the waste of postage. The Clerk would reply MA

c) The Charter between the Councils and NCC was being circulated for consultation. The Clerk would make any comments. MA

d) Notification of a meeting with NCC about Broadband issues/funding had been received.

e) The spinney – Colin Dickinson had offered probation helpers to clear the Spinney. Cllr Reid would invite him to join the Spinney Group.

f) Charles Heslop would be thanked for laying the wreath on Remembrance Sunday on behalf of the Parish Council.

The meeting closed at 10.15pm

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

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the above Parish Council meeting, held in the Supper Room of the Parish Hall on 26th September 2011 at 7.45pm

Present: Cllrs Mills, Reid, Howe, Dunhill and Eakins; County Councillor Dale; 8 members of the public and one member of the press.

1. Apologies: None.

2. Declarations of interest: None

3. Minutes of the previous meeting: Agreed

4. Tennis Club: Steve Plaskitt, the Treasurer of the Tennis Club spoke to the letter that had been sent by the Tennis club to the Council. The Club is in a healthy position financially, however the courts are in a bad state of repair and new surfaces, new fencing etc are needed to enable the club to compete with neighbouring villages’ courts. The Tennis Club is asking for support in applying for grants that would support the proposed programme of work and for suggestions for other uses for surplus grant money to enhance the facilities for the village. Turning the single court into an all purpose facility is one option. If the Club’s sinking fund is utilised, no reserve will be left for maintenance or emergencies . To do the work by the end of next year, application must be made by the end of February. The Council agreed to support the plans in principle and would like to see more research in a draft bid. Cllr Dale suggested the Club  discuss their plans with the school and the village youth community.

5. Handyman and other maintenance works in the village:Mrs Stephenson had prepared a report of the Handyman’s activities and a list of possible new work to go through the next few months, including  quotes for tree work outside his remit. The lesser of 2 quotes, for £120 was accepted – to remove an overhanging tree at the double tennis courts. It was agreed to extend the Handyman’s contract for another 12 months. MAQuotes had also been obtained for replacement cradle seats for the Junior swing in the Play Park. Cllr Dunhill would check this. The problem of saplings between the tennis court and the Play Park was to be addressed by removing the lower part of the netting from the play park fence. The return of Japanese knotweed near the footbridge to the double tennis courts was reported; Cllr Howe had discussed  this with Tyne Rivers Trust who had agreed to come next May to treat it. The Clerk would ask the Housing agency if they wished to replace the old bench at Dene Terrace. If not, it could be used to repair the others in the village. The bench below Bobby’s, which is the most used in the village, needs replacing and it was agreed that a request be placed in the Parish News inviting payment for a replacement. MA

6. Speed Signs: The proposed siting of the sign at the east of the village had created problems and a new location outside the Old Orchard had been suggested to the County Council.  A letter to nearby residents would be delivered, offering a short period of consultation. The Clerk would check with the manufacturers whether the speed settings could be altered  in winter. MA

7. Weir: This had collapsed further whilst information about grants was awaited; work must now be postponed until  next May under Environment Agency regulations. The costs of removing the Weir will be affected by the grants available but should be known before the Council’s budget is set.

8. Millfield Road Bridge: The contractors had prepared tender documents for the work to the bridge.

However, work near the Burn has had to be postponed until next May so the tenders will be timed so that remedial work can begin in May. Members of the public again raised their concern with the bollards on the bridge in case of another bad winter. A suggestion was made from the floor that since the central four beams of the bridge were capable of carrying a weight of 7.5 tons, the bollards should be moved to widen the carriageway so that emergency vehicles could use it.  Cllr Dale agreed to contact the County Highways Dept to see whether this would be allowed. She would look at the possibility of grants for small bridges as well. ADe

Cllr Eakins proposed that, during the inevitable delay in starting work, the Parish Council should bring forward its plans to consult the village on the long term options for the bridge. If these could be researched and costed before next spring, it would be possible to consult the whole village before starting any work. This was agreed. Cllr Reid pointed out that the bridge on Marchburn Lane is of similar construction although, being a cul-de-sac, it does not carry as much traffic. Cllr Dale suggested asking the County Council’s legal department to assist with the wording of the final consultation document. ALL

9. Parish Hall Car Park: Approval has been granted for the car park and a formal submission for discharge of conditions has been lodged and is awaiting approval from the Development committee. Following this approval, the Clerk would notify the contractors accordingly. MA

10. Double yellow lines: At a meeting between Cllr Dale, Cllr Dunhill, a school governor, the school head and Mr McKenna from the County Council, lines outside the school were discussed. The County agreed to monitor the situation outside the school and the school agreed to work with the parents. The results of  this monitoring exercise are awaited.  A map of the proposed changes has been prepared for broader consultation in the village.

Cllr Mills raised a concern about the lack of signage on the A695 where traffic to Wentworth Grange sees the 2 ton weight limit sign on the railway bridge only after turning off the main road. There is then nowhere for vehicles to back or turn safely. Cllr Dale agreed to look and take the matter to the County Council. ADe

11. Local Transport Plan for 12/13: Three safety matters were raised to add to the LTP for the coming year. For children from Sandy Bank crossing the A695 the egress is blind, the pavement on the south side of the road is extremely narrow and walking safely to another crossing point is difficult.

Secondly on the A68 at the cross roads for Broomley Village and Healey, the road markings are not clear for  Northbound vehicles to turn into Broomley or for Southbound vehicles to turn into Healey. There have been two bad accidents recently.

Thirdly the possibility of installing “gateways “ to the village was raised, but it was decided to discuss this first with the County Council MA

12. Bus Shelter: The County Council have received a request from a resident for a bus shelter at the stop at the West of the village at Slaley Road end. The height of the bus stop could be a problem. It was agreed to canvass residents’ views in the Parish News. MR

13. Planning: Considered by Northumberland County Council:

(a) the following were granted consent under delegated powers:

11/01347/FUL Hazel Rigg, Millfield Road, extension/conversion

11/00717/LBC Retreat House, Shepherd’s Dene – replacement roof

11/01722/CCD Solar panels at Broomhaugh First School

11/01612/FUL Extension at Jacaranda, Long Rigg

(b)11/00903/FUL House at land west of Kingmead, Sandy Bank. Referred to the Development committee

14. Correspondence: Confirmation had been received from Network rail that restorative work on the listed bridge at the station would take place in 2012. Network Rail had said they were in close contact with the local authority. This would be clarified. MA

15. Finance: a) the financial statement was noted and accepted. A budgetary heading for items of capital expenditure could usefully be added. At the moment, items such as the road signs have been coded as “maintenance”, which is not really appropriate. JE

b) The following payments were authorised:

MF Anderton – Salary July – £433.64
MF Anderton – Salary August – £433.64
MF Anderton – Expenses July – £51.14
Age UK Northumberland (s.137 donation) – £50.00
Homevend (Handyman)/12 £70.00
Buckley & Jones (new keys and repair to noticeboard) – £77.00
Alan Thompson (Petrol for grass cutting) – £6.90
L Stephenson (materials for handyman – July) – £123.10
BTBell – fee re tendering – £2,400.00
BDO – Audit fee – £510.00
VHT – rents – £60.00
MF Anderton – Salary September – £433.64
MF Anderton – Expenses Aug/September – £126.84
Viking (paper/toners) £154.31
Peter Howe – County Council fee re planning – £85.00
L Stephenson (re materials for Handyman – August) – £43.63

c) Annual Audit: the Clerk reported the completion of the Annual Audit for 2010/11 by BDO. The comments raised were noted; it was agreed to raise the Fiduciary Insurance for the following year.

16. Minor matters: It was agreed to ask Mr Heslop if he would lay the wreath at the War Memorial for Remembrance Day. MA

The Confidential item on the Agenda was not taken. The meeting closed at 10.15pm

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

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council meeting, held on 11th July 2011 at 7.45 in the Parish Hall, Millfield Road.

Present: Cllrs Reid (Chairman), Dunhill and Eakins. Cllr Dale was present with 4 members of the public.

1. Apologies: Cllr Mills

2. Co-option of Councillor: Mr Peter Howe was unanimously co-opted onto the Council.

3. Declarations of interests: None

4. Minutes of the last meeting: all agreed as a true record.

5. Matters arising: a) Weir fence: The safety fence had been erected. Cllr Dales’ initial enquiries had suggested that Planning permission is needed for the work on the weir. The fee will be at a reduced rate of £85 as the Council is a public body. It was agreed to go ahead with this; MR

Following discussions with the Environment Agency, the specifications for the tenders have been revised to take account of a further small notch in the middle of the reduced Weir which would angle down towards the water. This will allow all sizes of fish to pass over the weir. It was suggested the tenders be split with a separate price for the small notch and a separate price for an eel run.  Cllr Reid will arrange separate site visits for three tenderers. Cllr Eakins requested that work should  not go ahead before grants are confirmed.  A possibility of the Tyne Rivers Trust doing the work with a team of specialised volunteers may be a way forward as well.

b) Road signs: The extra cost imposed by the County Council is a new charge and the company doing the work, Dambach,  had been informed the Parish Council would cover the cost. Cllr Dale offered to see if she could find the extra £300 from her allowance. The main net cost has been paid from her allowance already.

c): Double yellow lines: this has gone back to square one and a new meeting will be held with Paul McKenna from the County Council; Cllr Dunhill will lead on this as liaison. AyD

d); Car Park status: Andy Pryor has applied for additional grants for this work. Debmat, the company doing the work have been told of the delay. It was agreed however, that if nothing had been heard by the next parish council meeting, the work should go ahead; the Clerk will let Debmat know. Cllr Howe will lead on this as liaison. MA/PH

e): Cllr Dale reported that blocked drains should have been cleared now;

f): The loose utility hole/cover on the A695 near the Wentworth Grange turn has been reported. It belongs to Northumbrian Water. Cllr Dale agreed to chase this up. ADe

g) Millfield Road Bridge: tenders are being drawn up for the bridge repairs. Cllr Dunhill agreed to lead on this.

6. Handyman report: The trees overhanging the March Burn have been trimmed and the ‘Footpath’ sign atthe entrance to the Parish Hall has been relocated. The bench below Bobby’s shop has been cleaned etc. and some small jobs in the Play Park have been done. The bench may need to be replaced in the future. The Clerk will enquire of the donor what their wishes may be. MA

7. Play Park: The annual inspection has been done indicating a number of small faults, most of which Councillors were aware of. Cllr Dunhill will review it in detail.

8. Planning: Considered by Northumberland County Council: Under delegated powers, the following was refused:

11/0076 Dwelling at Grovefield

The following were granted permission:

11/0128 Certificate of lawfulness, 2 The Bungalow, Broomhaugh

11/00471/VARYCO Staward, Long Rigg

11/00695/FUL Double garage at Beauclerc Coach House

The following were considered by the Parish Council with no objections:

11/0071/LBC Listed consent to roof at Shepherd’s Dene

11/00903/FUL House on land west of Kingmead, Sandy Bank

9. Correspondence: Nothing outstanding

10. Finance:

a) The financial statement for June was accepted. Two cheques for a total of £75 had not yet been presented for clearance.

b) The following payments were authorised:

Repayment of transfer from Reserve to C/A – £5,000.00
Darren Johnson (Inv.11) – £70.00
Royal Mail, post redirect – £81.72
MF Anderton, Salary & Expenses(3.50) – £433.39
Wendy Robe (plants for planters) – £36.99
T Smith, repairs to tennis court bridge – £264.00
T Smith, safety fence at weir – £440.52
Playsafety, annual inspection – £82.80

c) S.137 donations: It was agreed to make donations of £50 to each of the following: Community Action Northumberland, Tynedale Hospice, Great North Air Ambulance. Following clarification to be sought, it was agreed in principle to donate £50 to Age UK Northumberland at the next council meeting. MA

11. Minor Matters:

a) Cllr Dunhill suggested putting one of the benches from the play park into the spinney. This was agreed in principle;

b) It was agreed to put the financial statements, including those for the last financial year, onto the web site. Cllr Eakins agreed to do this initially;

c) Cllr Reid reported that he had attended a NCC scrutiny meeting at which windfarms had been discussed and also a Planning Training meeting. The paperwork from the latter was placed in the correspondence file.

The meeting closed at 8.55pm

Date of next meeting 26th September with no meeting in October to allow for holiday commitments.

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

Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council meeting, held on 13th June 2011 at 7.45 in the Parish Hall, Millfield Road.

Present: Cllrs Mills (Chairman), Reid and Eakins. Cllr Dale was present with 7 members of the public.

1. Apologies: Cllr Dunhill

2. Declarations of interests: None

3. Minutes of the last meeting: all agreed as a true record.

4. Matters arising: a) Trees: The County Council will evaluate the state of trees on the Main Road and the horse chestnuts and will report back.b) Double yellow lines: Cllrs Mills and Dale had met with Mr McKenna from the County Council about siting the double yellow lines previously discussed. The County Council are reluctant to paint more than are necessary. None of the changes will be done without Cllr Dale offering to pay for the work. The consultation would be referred in draft form to Cllr Dale and the Parish Council to check for detail. NCC

5. Handyman report: The footpath sign has been moved and the bench at Broomhaugh has been restored. Mrs Stephenson asked the Council to consider a programme of tasks which could be considered on a regular yearly, quarterly basis for example. It could be done within the 4 hours per month agreed with the Handyman. Cllr Eakins suggested that a list be made and thanked Mrs Stephenson for her continuing work on this matter.

6. Speed Signs: The order had been placed for these and they would be ready for installation in 2-3 weeks. Cllr Dale has authorised the net cost of these to be paid out of her allowance.

7. Weir: A report had been commissioned from Peter Kerr for £800 (which the Tyne Rivers Trust may pay for). It was agreed to place it, as a draft, onto the website. It recommended a stepped notch of width 4m and depth 30 cm and a further drop of width of 3m and depth of 30 cm below that, which would have minimal silt implications. Removing the whole weir was a possibility but would be much more expensive and would cause considerable silt movement. The weir itself is safe but the walls are poor and a safety fence should be placed on the opposite side of the weir to the existing one in the interests of Health & Safety as a matter of urgency. Cllr Eakins felt that before any decision was made the relative costs of the two options need to be known and confirmation sought that gravel and silt would not be a long term problem. The report concluded that removal of the notch or whole weir would not affect any risk of downstream flooding. It was agreed the fence would be ordered and Cllr Reid would ask for specifications of the work needed so that the possibility of grants towards the main work could be explored. It was noted that the Tyne Rivers Trust could contribute financially and that the Environment Agency also have some grants. MA/MR

8. Car Park: an amended cost of just under £13,000 had been received and the variation in the Planning permission had been approved. Cllr Reid proposed and Cllr Eakins seconded the motion that the work should go ahead. This was agreed. Funding would be discussed after the next item. MA

9. Millfield Road Bridge:A quote had been received from BT Bell to draw up a specification for repairs and to supervise the tendering process and oversee the project. Following discussion the option of using a preferred contractor was not agreed to. The Council has a duty of care regarding the bridge and it was agreed to have the short term repairs done which would allow for a 5 year span in which to decide on the long term solutions. The fees for the work specification and supervision were agreed.Discussion then followed on using a loan facility from the County Council to pay for the bridge work and/or the car park. It was decided not to use this for the time being but to use reserves instead. However, it was also agreed that the Village Hall Trust would try and apply for grants from the Community Chest etc. to help with the costs of the car park. Applying for grants for the weir repairs may mean that the repairs for that cannot be completed in the window for this year. MA/MRAny long term repairs to the bridge would have to be considered by the village with three probable options of upgrading at high cost, reducing to 3 metres width or limiting to pedestrians.

10. Squirrels Club: It was noted that fund raising was being pursued successfully and that the Club was considering changes to meet parents’ requirements.

11. Tyne Valley Rail Users Group: The Parish Council agreed to become members of this organisation. MA

12. Freedom of Information Act: Cllr Eakins had collated a procedure for responding to FOIA requests. This was unanimously approved. It would be put up on the website.

13. Network Rail would be queried about the repairs on the rail bridges in the village. MA

14. Planning: Considered by Northumberland County Council: The following was permitted:

11/00456/VARYCO Changes at Riding Mill PH Car Park

The following were considered by the Parish Council with no objections:

11/00471/VARYCO Staward, Long Rigg

11/00695/FUL Beauclerc – Double garage

15. Correspondence: Previously circulated emails are to be listed only and any date – sensitive material will be highlighted.

16. Finance: a) The financial statement for May was accepted. There were no variations in the budget at this early stage of the financial year although it was agreed to write off an unpresented cheque made out to Mencap from the previous financial year.

b) The following payments were authorised:

Squirrels Club, S.137 grant – £1,000.00
Wardhadaway, annual fees 10/11 – £1,470.60
Sandy Bank RA, insurance contribution – £226.00
NALC Annual subs. – £161.82
Darren Johnson (Inv.10) – £70.00
M F Anderton, Salary/May – £433.64
M F Anderton, expense/May – £196.38
Northumbrian Water – £13.94
Dambach/speed signs – £6,639.02
Transfer from Reserve account to C/A – £5,000.00
Tyne Valley rail Users group, membership – £5.00
Linden Stephenson, materials – £12.99

c) Annual return and assets: There has been a problem with the statement of assets to the auditors, requiring a restatement based on last year’s figures. The basis of calculation for assets, taken from insurance valuations as advised by the Clerks Society, is not preferred by the auditors. A letter querying this has been sent to the Auditors and to the SLCC for them to raise with the Audit Panel.

17. Minor Matters: a) Peter Howe has volunteered to be co-opted as a councillor. He would be formally co-opted at the next meeting after reading relevant paperwork;

b) Cllr Mills suggested replacing horse chestnuts along the A695 in the gaps to celebrate the Queen’s diamond Jubilee;

c) The possibility of a lay – by at Bobby’s was suggested. This has been looked at before and the Clerk would find what paperwork was available; MA

d) Cllr Dale had noted a number of blocked drains in the village to report to the County Council;

e) The safety mirror and light at Sandy Bank have been replaced.

The meeting closed at 9.30pm