Pickmere Parish Council Minutes 1st February 2022 (673)
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MINUTES of THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
1st February 2022
PART A – PUBLIC AGENDA
1. ATTENDANCE
1.1 Present: Councillors Read (Chair), Bold, Dobson, Flannery, Shore, Tarrant,
Apologies: Councillor Carson, CEC Cllr K Parkinson, PCSO
Public: 4 persons
2. MINUTES
2.1 Approval of Minutes The minutes of the council meeting of 14th December 2021 were agreed
with the addition of “and/” after “VH” in the final line of item 7.3.
2.2 Matters arising 2.2 No further information had been received from Cllr Parkinson
about the checks made on the Spinks Lane site.
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Cllr Flannery declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of her
involvement in the organisation Mid-Cheshire against HS2.
4. PUBLIC FORUM Nil
5. REPORT FROM PCSO The PCSO had emailed to say that there had been no crimes reported in
the parish in the previous month. The Clerk was asked to write to her to ask why there were
from time to time discrepancies in the number/nature of crimes reported between her reports
to the Council and the Police.uk website.
6. REPORT FROM CLLR K PARKINSON The Clerk was asked to report to CEC the storm damage
to the 7.5 tonne vehicle limit sign at the junction of the A556 and Pickmere Lane.
7. FINANCE
7.1 Financial reserves The Clerk had circulated a table showing the schedule of Financial
reserves approved by Council at its December 2021 meeting, which had been supplemented to
incorporate the likely expenditure heads for the various other potential items of expenditure
discussed at that meeting. The report was noted.
7.2 Current financial position The monthly financial summary was noted. The Clerk drew attention to
the second table which showed the position with regard to the Council’s earmarked reserves, which
will be updated for each meeting.
7.3 New payments The schedule of new payments was agreed with the addition of a payment of
£56.44 (excl. VAT) to Netwise in relation to the upgrading of data storage capacity for the Council’s
website and emails.
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8. PLANNING MATTERS
8.1 Planning application update The schedule was noted.
8.2 Neighbourhood Plan Update The minutes of the NP Steering Group meeting of 11 January
were noted. Cllr Bold reported that the initial project questionnaires had been circulated to all
households and businesses in the parish and will be collected in shortly. This was an initial survey
to address the broad themes that the Plan was to consider; further surveys are likely in the coming
months.
9. REPORTS FROM CLERK AND FROM COUNCILLORS
9.1 Potential co-option of 8th councillor The report was agreed; an advert will be placed
on the boards and website shortly, and also in Pickmere Press. The process for selection of a cooptee
was agreed.
9.2 Asset Maintenance Programme The Clerk reported that the installation of broadband at the
Village Hall had been held up as the suppliers of the Sogea service had not yet satisfied themselves
that such a service was available to the Hall. The Clerk was working with the supplier to resolve this
issue. A quote for the clearing of moss form the Pavilion roof had been promised but was still
awaited.
Cllr Dobson reported as follows:
The gutter on the front of the VH was about to be repaired; at the same time gutter mesh
will be installed and the post box replaced.
He will look at the bench at the Pickmere Lane (Red Lion) bus stop, which is in need of
repair.
Discussion is proceeding with the Residents Association as to the maintenance of the IROS
benches and picnic tables.
9.3 Potential projects for Village Hall and/or Pavilion Following a discussion of the best approach to
dealing with the current damp problem in the VH toilets, in conjunction with the establishment of
potential projects to improve the VH/Pavilion, it was agreed that Cllrs Read, Dobson, Carson and
Shore would meet separately to consider these matters and to report back to Council.
9.4 Parish Council speaker at CEC Council meeting It was agreed that the Chair would attend this
meeting; the Clerk will draft a script for a 2-minute presentation focussed on CEC’s shortcomings
with regard to Planning and Highways services as well as general deficiencies with regard to
communication.
9.5 Need for further survey of Council trees Members agreed that the Clerk should carry out a walk
round of the Council’s landholdings with the tree consultant with a view to identifying any trees/tree
groups that might require closer examination. This should be an annual process.
9.6 HS2 – Hybrid Bill A variety of comments was made as a result of the recent publication of the
Hybrid bill including:
The importance of the overall cost issue, which was likely to be significantly higher than
even Government’s latest announcements.
Pickmere Parish Council Minutes 1st February 2022 (673)
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The need to seek maximum mitigation measures, if the project does proceed.
It was agreed that Cllrs Flannery and Tarrant would consider the recently published documents
[which are available for public inspection at Knutsford Library] and report back to Council at its
March meeting.
9.7 The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations The Chair suggested a number of ideas to
celebrate this occasion; he will consider further with Cllr Bold.
9.8 Questionnaire re Visitor Car parking near the lake 107 responses had been received to
the Council’s questionnaire, with some interesting results. Whilst ‘no change to present parking
arrangements’ received more positive responses from respondents from Jacob’s Way, Mere
Lane, and the Orchards than other choices, there was significant comment in favour of
extending or otherwise strengthening the village’s yellow line restrictions. Several residents
thought a residents’ parking scheme should be established.
During discussion it was pointed out that:
CEC have already said that a residents’ parking scheme is not a practicable proposition
for the situation in the village, and that it would not be pursued.
The Parish Council has been pressing CEC for several years both to repaint the existing
faded yellow lines on Park Lane, and also to discuss the possibility of establishing a
further yellow line regime of some sort in the village. The provision and maintenance
of yellow lines is CEC’s responsibility and the Parish Council has no direct powers in
these respects.
The Clerk was asked to write to CEC Highways, copy to Cllr Parkinson, to make reference to the
survey and to request again a dialogue about parking issues in the village.
9.9 Play Area refurbishment – Update Cllr Flannery updated the meeting. The working
group have now gained an initial idea of the potential costs of a refurbishment scheme; it may
be that the size of such a project would require formal tendering processes to be followed. The
research was being pursued further.
9.10 CEC – Availability of Commuted sums for provision of Affordable Housing The report
was noted. There were no suggestions as to potential housing sites in the parish.
9.11 Consultation – HynetNW Hydrogen Pipeline The proposed zone for the construction of
this pipeline runs through the parish and close to the village. Two consultations on this project
were in process at the moment. Members commented on the potential conflict of this project
with HS2. It was agreed to note the report, and that the Clerk is to respond to the Planning
Inspectorate’s consultation as described in the report.
9.12 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.
Pickmere Parish Council Minutes 1st February 2022 (673)
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PART B – PRIVATE AGENDA
10. RECEIPT OF QUOTATIONS
10.1 Surfacing of VH car park The quotation from Peter Ashley Ltd was agreed.
10.2 Draft contract – Broadband in VH As reported above, discussions were still being held
with the potential supplier and so a draft contract was not yet available to sign.
11. Clerk’s fees The Clerk left the room at this point while a discussion took place. Following
discussion, Council agreed that the Clerk’s paid hours should be increased to 35 per month
backdated to 1st December 2021; this will be reviewed after 3 months when consideration will
be given to additional payment for any hours beyond this figure.
The meeting closed at 9.00 p.m.
