Pickmere Parish Council Minutes 2nd November 2021 (671)
1
671
MINUTES of THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
2nd November 2021
PART A – PUBLIC AGENDA
1. ATTENDANCE
1.1 Present: Councillors Bold, Carson, Dobson, Shore, Tarrant.
Apologies: Councillors Read and Flannery (Cllr Flannery had submitted her apology
but the Clerk had failed to report it to the meeting); CEC Councillor K
Parkinson; PCSO
Public: 3 members of the public
ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON FOR MEETING
Since Cllr Read was not present, it was necessary to elect a Chair for the meeting. Cllr Shore was duly
proposed, seconded, and elected.
2. MINUTES
2.1 Approval of Minutes The minutes of the council meeting of 5th October 2021 were agreed.
2.2 Matters arising 2.2 Survey of residents’ attitude to visitors – no further comments had
been received from the PCSO about this topic despite a reminder having been sent.
6 Spinks Lane – the Clerk reported that Cllr Parkinson had copied a reply
from a CEC officer to her request for information about the situation at Spinks Lane, but the response
provided no information of any use; Cllr Parkinson was following up the matter further.
9.1 Boardwalk – the Clerk reported that a letter had been sent to CWAC
about the delays in replacing/refurbishing the lakeside boardwalk.
8.1 Planning Application Update – Frog Lane Farm – a member made
reference to further HGV movements containing what appeared to be builders’ waste on Frog Lane
and was concerned that it might relate to further importation of such materials at Frog Lane Farm.
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Councillor Bold declared a personal interest in item 10.1.
4. PUBLIC FORUM Nil
5. REPORT FROM PCSO Nil
6. REPORT FROM CLLR K PARKINSON Nil
7. FINANCE
7.1 Current financial position The monthly financial summary was noted.
7.2 New payments The schedule of new payments was agreed.
Pickmere Parish Council Minutes 2nd November 2021 (671)
2
7.3 Budget 2022-23 Following an introduction to the report and draft budget by the Clerk, there was
discussion of various aspects, including:
the provisions regarding the setting of the Precept;
the fact that at the moment the grass-cutting at the IROS is not funded by the Council but
via a combination of volunteer work and financial input from the Community Group;
however such an arrangement could end at any time if the volunteer carrying out the work
does not wish to continue, whereupon the Council will have to fund this work;
The merits of increasing hire rates for the Village Hall.
It was agreed that members should submit by email to the Clerk any particular thoughts about the
content of the proposed budget, to assist the Clerk to bring forward a balanced budget at the
December meeting.
8. PLANNING MATTERS
8.1 Planning application update The schedule was noted. The following comments were made:
21/5328M and 21/5341M Prior notification and application for Certificate of
Established Use or Development for various extensions and ancillary buildings at
Pickmere Hall farm, Hall Lane Members noted the cumulative implications of these
two applications taken together with the previously approved application for
extensions to this property. Whilst it was understood that these two were not planning
applications in the strict sense, it was agreed that the Council should convey to CEC its
concern that, since taken together these proposals far exceed CEC’s policies for house
extensions in the Green Belt, the current applications should be considered and decided
promptly but with extreme care so that the regulations which apply to such applications
are properly and correctly applied.
8.2 Neighbourhood Plan Update Cllr Bold reported that the NP Steering Group (SG) met in
person on the 12th October and agreed that it would meet every month the week before the
Parish Council meeting. The SG had noted the Terms of Reference for the Group. A
timescale/timeline for project steps was discussed. The next steps in the gathering of
information for plan preparation were agreed, and a ‘treasurer’ appointed to monitor
expenditure in conjunction with the Parish Clerk. The next main step was to be a village wide
survey, preparation of which is under way. A “soft” launch of the Plan was discussed, to be held
at the Community Christmas fair on 5th December with a formal launch in January 2022.
The Clerk reported that in the light of the need for the SG to carry out its function in preparing
the Plan, and in particular in issuing and analysing community surveys etc., it was desirable for
Council to approve a further adjunct to the Council’s GDPR policies. The following was therefore
agreed:
The Council will seek to ensure that personal identifiers or other personal information
submitted by [NP survey] respondents is kept confidential within the Council and/or NP
Steering Group. Such information, if submitted, will be used only for purposes relating to
the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan, and will be destroyed at a time no later than
4 weeks after the adoption, or other formal termination, of the Plan.
9. REPORTS FROM CLERK AND FROM COUNCILLORS
9.1 December Council meeting date Council agreed that the date of the December meeting should
be amended to 14th December.
9.2 CHALC Speeding Issues Pilot Scheme Following discussion of the scheme, members resolved
by a vote of 3 to 2 not to put Council forward further for the scheme pilot, although they were
supportive of the scheme as a whole.
9.3 Cheshire Fire Authority Draft Annual Action Plan 2022-23 The report was noted.
9.4 Asset Maintenance Programme Update A volunteer group to tidy the Village Hall grounds is
being arranged for late November. Volunteer work is also proceeding this weekend on the lakeside
land. Several quotations for various items of repair work are awaited.
9.5 HS2 Members noted the latest communication from HS2 that the draft Hybrid Bill is due to be
published in early 2022.
9.6 CEC request to consider preparation of Community Resilience Plan The report was noted. The
Clerk was asked to obtain copies of other parish council plans to provide a context for consideration.
9.7 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.
Cllr Bold left the meeting at this point.
PART B – PRIVATE AGENDA
10. RECEIPT OF QUOTATIONS
10.1 Erection of fence at the IROS The history of this issue was reviewed. It was agreed
following a discussion, that a concrete post and timber fence (approx. 4ft high) should be
erected on or near the boundary concerned.
The meeting closed at 8.50 p.m.