Pickmere Parish Council Minutes 6th December 2022 684
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MINUTES of THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING (684)
6
th December 2022
PART A – PUBLIC AGENDA
1. ATTENDANCE
Present Councillors Read, Bold, Carson, Dobson, Flannery, Shore, Tarrant
Public 8-9 members of the public
Apologies CEC Councillor K Parkinson; Police representatives
2. MINUTES
2.1 Approval of Minutes The minutes of the meeting of 1st November 2022 were AGREED.
2.2 Matters arising from minutes
Matters Arising: Internal Auditor In reply to a question the Clerk said that a replacement Internal
Auditor had not yet been identified.
Item 9.9 HS2 Update In reply to a question the Clerk said that no substantive response had been
received from CEC.
3. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS Nil
4. PUBLIC FORUM The following comments/questions were raised by members of the public (MoPs):
Agenda item 9.2 Parish Meeting It is hoped that the Council will note the strength of feeling
against the proposed fence expressed at the Parish Meeting.
Agenda item 7.2 New Payments Concern that payment had been made for the proposed
fence materials; could they be sold to reduce costs?
The Council has large financial reserves – “the” proposal to increase the precept was
“unacceptable”; additional costs “must” be absorbed; some items of expenditure could be
omitted; the Pavilion could be used to generate income. [n.b. at the time those comments were
made no decision had been made to increase the Council precept for 2023-24.]
The proposed fence is not popular; erecting a fence would let CEC and the Police “off the hook”;
it was hoped that the help of the newly formed Friends of Pickmere group could be employed
to help resolve visitor issues.
Resident thought that the question of a PC poll on the fence question was going to be
considered at the meeting; the Clerk pointed out that the outcome of the Parish Meeting was
indeed on the agenda.
Council NOTED these points.
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5. REPORT FROM POLICE OFFICER The Clerk summarised a report that had been submitted by
Cheshire Police, stating inter alia that there were no calls made to police in November in regard to
burglary, theft of motor vehicles, criminal damage or drug offences. A date for a Police surgery in
Pickmere was being arranged.
6. REPORT FROM CLLR K PARKINSON (CEC) The Clerk read the main points of a report submitted by Cllr
Parkinson. The Clerk was asked to thank Cllr Parkinson for the report, and also to write to CEC to ask
what kind of costs might be involved were the Parish Council think of becoming involved in employing
its own Traffic/parking wardens.
7. FINANCE
7.1 Current Financial position The report was NOTED.
7.2 New payments The schedule was AGREED/AUTHORISED.
7.3 Budget and Precept for 2023-24 There was a significant discussion about the proposed
budget and in particular the level of Precept to be required for 2023-24, with several possibilities
being touched upon. Following the discussion, it was AGREED that the Precept for 2023-24 should
be £15650, which would mean an increase in the annual contribution for a Band D household of
£4.22 over the 2022-23 figure. In addition, efforts would be made to reduce expenditure so as to
help reduce any budget overrun.
7.4 Annual salary award for local government employees The report was NOTED and it was
AGREED that the Clerk’s salary be amended to reflect the national pay award.
8. PLANNING MATTERS
8.1 Update on Planning Applications Members NOTED the Planning update that was tabled
and asked that it be forwarded to CEC to note the outstanding enforcement matters.
8.2 Licensing application – Dubbed Out festival, Cheshire Showground Several comments
were made in the light of the additional information supplied by the applicants:
This represents an additional event for the Showground, bearing in mind its overall
function and in the light of the limited number of days in the year that it is permitted to
hold events without planning permission being obtained;
If the event proceeds, CEC need to ensure that the applicants’ assurances are delivered;
It must still be noted that not all event vehicles will arrive at the site via M6 J19 and some
will inevitably come via Wincham and Pickmere; further it does not seem desirable for all
traffic exiting the site, especially at the end of the event, to exit onto a fast four lane, single
carriageway road (the A556).
The Clerk was asked to respond to CEC on these lines. In addition, it was AGREED that a
representative of Cheshire Agricultural Society should be asked to attend a meeting with to Parish
Council members and also immediate neighbours of the Showground to discuss the holding of
events at the Showground.
Pickmere Parish Council Minutes 6th December 2022 684
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8.3 Neighbourhood Plan Cllr Bold reported that the NP Steering Group has met and is formulating
potential topics/chapter headings for the Plan, which will focus consideration. Dates have been
circulated for a further meeting of the Steering Group. The Group still has several vacancies for
resident representatives and the WG will have to consider how to proceed. Cllr Bold has
attended/will attend two courses on NP preparation, and in particular has noted that as Local Plans
are reviewed on a regular basis, NPs, which have to fit onto the Local Plan context must also be
reviewed over time. So it is clear that neither Local Plans nor Neighbourhood Plans are cast in
stone.
9. REPORTS FROM CLERK AND FROM COUNCILLORS
9.1 Update re maintenance/possible extension of yellow lines in the village The report was NOTED.
9.2 Consideration of draft minutes of Parish Meeting of 29 November 2022 The Chair pointed out
that the Council could not ‘approve’ the draft minutes but could only note them. A discussion
followed on the draft minutes. In particular it was noted that the Parish Meeting did not proceed
to require that CEC hold a Parish Poll in relation to the proposed IROS fence. Members went on to
discuss whether the Council should hold its own poll. It was proposed that members should hold
an informal meeting to discuss the merits and possible form of such a poll, to be followed, possibly
in January, by an Extraordinary Council meeting to decide whether or not to carry out such a poll.
This way forward was AGREED. In doing so it was emphasised that any such poll would be no more
than that; it would not constitute a decision-making process.
9.3 HS2 update Cllr Flannery said that there was nothing further to report since the previous
meeting. The Clerk was asked to ask CEC if they had met the HS2 team.
9.4 Resignation of Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer The report was NOTED.
9.5 Resolution to exclude the public Council RESOLVED that members of the public should be
asked to leave the meeting at this point to enable discussion of confidential matters.
PART B – PRIVATE AGENDA
10. RECEIPT OF QUOTATIONS
10.1 Quotations for erection of village boundary signs Council AGREED to accept the
quotation of Signs of the Times and bearing in mind that it was some time since the quote was
submitted, Council AUTHORISED the payment of a supplementary sum of up to £250 (excl VAT)
should the quotation be uplifted.
The meeting closed at 8.50 p.m.
