SNAPE WITH THORP PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Open Parish Meeting held on Wednesday 13 April 2016 in the Village Institute

Present: Councillors John Duck, Steven Smith and Richard Poole, County Councillor John Weighell, PCSO Ian Macdonald, Clare-Louise Booth, Planning Policy & Conservation Officer, HDC and 29 members of the public

1. Apologies for absence – Councillors Jenny Rydzewski and Terry Warwick and District Councillor David Webster
2. Minutes of the meeting held on 15 April 2015, copies of which were available for all to see, were accepted as a true record.
3. Policing issues – PCSO Ian Macdonald presented a policing update. In response to a question regarding speeding in the village, PCSO Macdonald advised that it was possible to approach the Fire Service to request the data tagger machine be set up in the village.
4. Hambleton Local Plan - Draft Snape Character Appraisal - Clare-Louise Booth, HDC, Planning Policy & Conservation Officer, gave an introduction to her role and the information prepared in relation to Snape on which she invited comments.
5. Councillor Duck reported on the Parish Council’s main activities for the year:

• Election of new PC – there had been a non-contested election in 2015 and Steven Smith had replaced Judy Ramsay, who had stood down, on the Council. Councillor David Webster was now the District Councillor following changes to the electoral boundaries.
• Precept – The precept had increased to £5300 from £5000 (this was a 6.0% increase) for 2016/17. Grasscutting and maintenance had amounted to £4488 (up from £3807 the previous year). This cost represent 89% of the precept.
• A tenderer process for grass cutting/village maintenance during 2016 & 2017 had occurred. 3 tenders were submitted and all had been seen on site by 2 Councillors. This had been a very thorough process including seeking references. Farm & Land Services Ltd, Knaresborough, had been chosen and had undertaken the first cut of the season. The Parish Council had just received confirmation that NYCC would be paying the PC £443 for cutting grass at various places in the village. The beck would be treated shortly to keep the weed down and, if this was not successful, the weed would be physically removed.
• Highways issues –
  • Winter gritting routes – we continue to pursue the change of routes which the PC felt would provide greater safety particularly in the vicinity of the school
  • The PC had requested the Highways department to clean out various drain and to deal with the standing water outside Swingletree
  • Repairs to the highway in a number of places were still expected.
• Playing Field Committee of the PC
  • Councillor Smith provided a brief update including reporting on the completion of the asset transfer from the HDC to the PC. It was intended to seek funding to improve the surface of the field. £1k had already been received from West Tanfield Tour de France fund and £500 from the coffee morning organised by Janet Seel.
• Avenue
  • Councillor Duck recapped on the recent activities over the last year. Following concerns about the impact on the trees on the young trees, Mr Whitehead of Ripon had been asked to undertake a survey in three parts – when the trees were bare, in leaf and an aerial survey. Following the initial report a consultation meeting held, a survey of all households in the parish completed the outcome of which was to fell around 25 trees, and a further consultation meeting was held that confirmed the same outcome. However this was followed by attendance of parishioners at a PC meeting at which it was agreed that parishioners could fund raise to fund a second survey. At this meeting the PC had made it clear that it would pursue a TPO application to undertake the felling of 6 trees and work on a further 49 trees as per Mr Whitehead’s most recent advice. These works would be purely for H&S and insurance reasons. The PC had confirmed that the second survey should be undertaken by Barnes Associates after receiving a letter and quotation from Mrs Kirby.
• Emergency planning – Councillor Duck advised that an emergency plan was nearing completion and would be available in the telephone box. Recently a box of emergency supplies had been delivered and was now stored in the Institute. A general invitation to be involved in this emergency planning was made.
• Faster broadband services – The PC had been consulted by Openreach and permission given for an additional box to be placed on grass opposite the Castle to bring high-speed broadband; this was now fully operational.
• Affordable housing – a possible site had been identified at Thornton Watlass which, if it goes ahead, will be available as a priority for residents from local villages including Snape. A survey was to be conducted and would be distributed to each house shortly.
• Village maintenance and appearance:
  • Planting of daffodils – a large number of new bulbs had been planted at the side of the beck in autumn with the help of the school children. Unfortunately, these had not provided the show of flowers expected. It might, therefore, be necessary to purchase more.

o Following request by a parishioner the PC had introduced a 6-monthly appraisal survey of the village to identify any works or improvements necessary

o Dog dirt – This continues to be problem in the village and dog owners were asked to take their pet’s dirt home or put in the bin provided. The PC had purchased a new bin at the bottom of the avenue and had agreed to purchase a replacement for the Institute and then reposition the one from the avenue elsewhere in the village

o Verges – the erosion of verges was a continuing problem. Concerns were expressed about the speeding tractors which often avoided other vehicles by driving onto the verges and also the large vehicles attending at Prices which were also affecting verges. A number of options for protecting the verges were discussed. Concern was also expressed about the condition of the verge by the telecommunications box at the end of the avenue and the area outside Lilac Cottage which Openreach had agreed to reinstate.

• • Village tidy up – Cllr Duck invited support and suggestions for keeping the village tidy.

• General discussion

The meeting was then opened up for general discussion.

In response to a question Cllr Duck advised that a planning application had been made last week to undertake the works to the Avenue recently recommended by Mr Whitehead as necessary for H&S reasons. The timescale for a response from HDC on this was as yet unknown.

A parishioner asked why the PC had not waited for the result of the second survey. Cllr Duck advised that the works were required for H&S reasons and it was only on the proviso that such works were carried out that the PC had agreed for a second survey. It was commented by a parishioner that the survey might have a different view on H&S recommendations. The Parish Councillors advised that insurance requirements meant that recommendations received from a professional arbiculturist could not be ignored.

A further parishioner commented that Mr Whitehead’s original report had indicated that a single tree required felling, action could be taken on this tree only and then await the second survey. Cllr Duck reminded the meeting that Mr Whitehead had undertaken an aerial survey and the outcome of this was his recommendations for 6 trees to be felled and extensive works undertaken on other trees; this report was on the PC’s website. He also indicated that option 2 remained the PC’s preferred option (ie to fell approximately 25 trees, remove stumps and put in replacement trees).

Cllr Poole commented that the works recommended and applied for included significant surgery work eg one tree was to be cut down 2 m and if the decay was more than 50% at that point to cut the tree further.

Two parishioners commented that if the PCllrs received professional advice and then ignored this they would be jointly and severally guilty of gross negligence and in addition there was a moral issue if an accident occurred and they had not responded to the professional advice received.

In response to a question about the costs of the works, Cllr Duck advised that estimates for the work were to be sought. It was likely that the tree surgeon would take the timber away. He also advised that the costs of option 1 (ie ad hoc tree felling and tree surgery work as identified through reports) were unknown as compared with the costs of option 2 which would be much clearer.

The meeting closed at 8.45 pm