Notes of Wigglesworth Parish Meeting 1st June 2009

 

The meeting opened at 7.35pm

 

Present: Anne Raper, Phil Raper, Shirley Wales, Roger Wales, Sue Shepherd, Adrian Shepherd, Brian Newhouse, Bryan Proctor, Claire Maxfield, Simon Rushworth, Angela Dinsdale, David Clarke, Anne Clarke.

 

Apologies were received from Mike Dean and David Howard

oward

 

1. Welcome and Chair’s statement: 

An introduction to the purpose and conduct of the Parish Meeting was given by David Clarke, Chair Ribble Banks Parish Council.

 

2. Appointment of a clerk for the meeting

Anne Clarke agreed to act as the Clerk and took notes for the meeting.

 

3. Notes of the last meeting, held on 21st January 2009

The notes of the last meeting, held on 21st January 2009 were read and discussed.               

 

4. Matters arising from the notes of 21.01.2009:

 

i) Following the meeting with the Head of Democratic Services for Craven District Council in January, the parish council had received no request to commence the review process required prior to formation of separate parish councils.

 

ii) The report on how the precept for Ribble Banks was determined is on available in the minutes of Ribble Banks Parish Council which can be viewed on the Wigglesworth Village website.  There is a sum of approximately £400.00 available to spend on village projects in 2009-10..

 

iii) The social group has hosted a number of events aimed at fundraising for Clark’s Old School, and more are envisaged later in the year.

 

iv) Hedge relaying and removal work has been carried out near to Cappleside on the Rathmell road. This has improved the sightlines and overall road safety on the road. Some further work is required to remove the blackthorn hedges which can encroach on the roadway.  The Clerk to Ribble Banks has requested that NYCC Highways department undertake this work.

 

5. Closure of the Parish Meeting Bank Account

David Clarke reported that the Parish Meeting bank account had now been closed as required by the new Parish Meeting rules (see item 4ii above).

 

6. Appointment of a new trustee to Clark’s Old School Foundation.

Mike Dean is to step down as trustee and treasurer of the Clark’s Old School Foundation. Mike has made an important contribution to the work of the trustees in trying to secure funds for the redevelopment project and was thanked by the trustees for his hard work. Phil Raper explained to the meeting that there are five trustees appointed as follows:

-1 by NYCC (currently Phil Raper)

-2 by the Parish Meeting (currently David Clarke and Mike Dean)

-1 by the Parochial Church Council (currently Astrid Nitzsche)

-The incumbent of Giggleswick and Rathmell with Wigglesworth Churches (Currently the Reverend Dr Neil Kendra)

 

There was one nominee for the role of Trustee.

Claire Maxfield was nominated by the chair and approved unanimously by the meeting to take over the role with immediate effect.

 

7) Progress Report on Clark’s Old School Foundation refurbishment and development project.

There has been monthly meetings of the Trustees since July 2008.  Currently the funds required to secure the Big Lottery Fund grant are proving difficult to access. Over 15 major charitable organisations have been approached but have declined the often quite detailed applications made. An application has been made for an extension to the timescale for the lottery grant and the grant from the Clothworker’s’ Foundation. Every effort is being made by the trustees to identify sources of additional funding. It is important that the village continues to raise money towards the project through both small and large events; all ideas and suggestions are welcome.  

The Chair also outlined that there may be a need to change the structure of the Foundation to properly manage the liability born by the Trustees and to ensure that the foundation would be  in a position to negotiate and agree contracts for the proposed building project. Currently, contracts can only be made through one individual Trustee not the Foundation as a whole.  The Charity Commissioners have advised that the Foundation set up a limited Charitable company and transfer the Foundation to this new body (email on file) There would be a need to be a Trust set up to hold property assets which are permanently endowed (i.e. the Old School, the Schoolhouse and the land the buildings stand on including the woodland behind the Schoolhouse). The trustees are currently seeking legal advice on how to proceed with this process.

 

8) Planned fundraising events for the Clark’s Old School Foundation project.

The fortnightly quiz is to continue at Crow trees; Ivan Huff has kindly offered his pub as a venue.  Notices indicating when the quiz is on will be displayed in the post office and on the village notice board.  The wine tasting evening is to go ahead in September.

 

9) Village Web Site

The village web site has lots of ‘hits’ and is an important vehicle for reporting village events and providing access to document and information.  The parish council has agreed to fund the hosting of the site in the longer term.  We need a volunteer to keep the web site up to date and manage it when Mike Dean leaves the village.  Anyone interested in taking this on should contact Mike Dean for further information and some informal tuition.

 

10) Village Projects:

 

The Village Show will now be held at the Old School on 19th September; Phil Raper will ensure the change of date (from June) is announced in the Craven Herald.

 

Restoration of the Jack Lane lay- by

Those present discussed how the lay-by could be restored to make it functional again and make it a more attractive part of approaching the village. There was support for a formal request to NYCC highways to remove the road resurfacing materials stored there in order to sympathetically landscape and reopen the lay-by. Villagers were agreed that some of the funds held by the Parish Council could be spent on planting and the upkeep of the lay-by if NYCC agreed to undertake the landscaping. The Clerk to Ribble Banks will write to NYCC Highways Department requesting these works.

 

11)    Highways issues;

 

i) There was general agreement that it would be desirable for the recycling bins at the Plough to be screened from the road and houses overlooking the car park. There was also consensus that it would be good to see a feature made of the old stocks.  David Clarke will discuss these issues with the new owners once they have completed the refurbishment of the Plough.

 

ii) The problems of poor sightlines when exiting Town End were discussed. The residents would like to see a traffic mirror installed.  The Clerk to the Ribble Banks will ask NYCC Highways department for a site visit.

 

iii) There are pot holes on Church Lane towards Long Preston

 

iv) Water is accumulating in large amounts on Todd Holes Lane, the new culvert is efficient but accumulation of water brought down from the field is not being removed by this culvert.

 

v) Brian Newhouse has temporarily fenced an area on the Wigglesworth Long Preston road where a wall has tumbled down. This has been reported to NYCC Highways.

 

vi) Roadside litter (often thrown from vehicles) has become a problem again; The Clerk to the Council will ask the Council for another ‘grabber’ and to find out who empties the village litter bins, and how frequently.

 

The Clerk to Ribble Banks Parish Council will be request to follow up each of the issues raised above.

 

vii) Mowing the greens-David Clarke will ask Nick Le Coq about servicing the mower. The costs for this will be met from funds held on behalf of the village by the Parish Council

 

12)   Dates of Ribble Banks Parish Council Meetings

3rd June 2009, AGM  at Wigglesworth

21st July 2009, at Rathmell

 

13) Councillors for Ribble Banks Parish Council 2010-2014

The terms of office for the current Parish Councillors end on 30th April 2010. If anyone is interested in standing for election then please contact David Clarke (Chair) or David Abbott (Clerk). Contact details are on the village notice board.

 

14) Any other business:

 

i) Sue Shepherd reported that the Wigglesworth Society is meeting at the school on September 12th, everyone is welcome to drop in.  The cost to the society to rent the Old School for the day was set at £100. 

 

ii) Temporary cardboard booths are to be used for voting day (June 1st 2009) as the new ones ordered are not yet ready.

 

iii) A planning application (CDC-72/2009/9694 ) for demolition of a number of derelict outbuildings and the construction of a single story side extension at a new extension at Lane Side Farm, Wigglesworth. No objections were raised.

 

There being no other business the meeting closed at 2105