Pickmere Parish Council Minutes 5th April 2022 (675)
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MINUTES of THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
5
th April 2022
PART A – PUBLIC AGENDA
1. ATTENDANCE
1.1 Present: Councillors Read (Chair), Bold, Carson, Dobson, Flannery, Shore,
CEC Cllr K Parkinson, PCSO Emma Darroch
Apologies: Councillor Tarrant,
Public present: 5 persons
2. MINUTES
2.1 Approval of Minutes Cllr Bold suggested that the word “are” in para. 1 of item 8.2
Neighbourhood Plan Update be substituted with ”may be”. The minutes of the council meeting of
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st March 2022 were AGREED with this amendment.
2.2 Matters arising Nil
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Cllr Flannery reminded the meeting that in respect of the
discussion of HS2 she was a member of the organisation Mid-Cheshire against HS2.
4. PUBLIC FORUM Nil
5. REPORT FROM PCSO On behalf of the Council, the Chair congratulated the PCSO on her
impending appointment as a Police Constable. ED thanked the Council for that and gave the Clerk
contact details for the Knutsford-based PC who will be responsible for Pickmere.
ED reported that there had been no car or property-related crimes reported in the parish in the
previous month, although in the broader area (e.g. Wilmslow) there has been a recent upsurge
in the theft of Range Rovers. There was a further discussion on why, because for instance of
GDPR-type issues, the PCSO is unable to report certain person-related crimes to the parish
council, whereas she can report on car and property-related crimes. This seemed somewhat
strange to members since all categories of crimes, including person-related ones, are reported
on the Police.UK website.
There was also a discussion about the very poor quality of the national 101 contact service for the
Police.
6. REPORT FROM CLLR K PARKINSON Cllr Parkinson (KP) reported as follows:
A road sweeper had serviced village roads in the last few weeks; she has requested it
return to do the part of Park Lane that was closed at the time of its visit.
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Some pothole patching has been carried out on Hall Lane; School Lane has been closed on
the basis that its surface is so dangerous; there is no timescale for its repair.
KP remains in discussion with various bodies about HS2 and also the proposed HyNet
hydrogen pipeline.
7. FINANCE
7.1 Current financial position The monthly financial and reserves summaries were noted.
7.3 New payments The schedule of payments, with the addition of the following late items, was
AGREED and CONFIRMED:
Mereview Farm – Clover Drive sites – grass maintenance 2021 season – £825.00 excl. VAT
CHALC Annual Subscription – £229.68
Reimbursement of expenses to parishioner for repair of IROS fence – £23.69.
8. PLANNING MATTERS
8.1 Planning application update The schedule was noted.
8.2 Neighbourhood Plan Update Cllr Bold reported that the initial residents’ survey responses
have been summarised, circulated to members, and presented at the two launches with feedback
noted. The Steering Group will proceed to consider further action shortly. Sadly a SG member, Liz
McGrath, has decided, that due to pressures of work she will be unable to continue in her role as
part of the Group.
Cllr Bold proposed that the Council’s thanks should be conveyed to Ms McGrath for her work to date
on the project and this was AGREED. There followed a discussion about the potential selection of a
replacement fourth community representative on the NP Steering Group. It was AGREED that:
The 4th place should be refilled;
The NP Working Group of councillors should select a replacement from the list of volunteers
previously submitted, provided of course that such persons remained willing to join the SG.
9. REPORTS FROM CLERK AND FROM COUNCILLORS
9.1 Asset Maintenance Programme and potential projects for Village Hall/Pavilion The report
was noted and the schedule of suggestions and their proposed prioritisation broadly agreed. It was
further AGREED (SR proposed, SF seconded) that quotations should be sought for the following:
VH external brickwork – repointing, replacing failed bricks where required, and repair or
injection of new DPC.
VH – Replacement of the two windows on the front (north-western) elevation of the VH with
new windows to include opening lights.
VH – Works to secure 3 external floodlights to the VH car park including one near the car
park entrance.
Pavilion – replacement of external fascias and gutters.
9.2 HS2 Hybrid Bill The report was noted, with the Council’s thanks for the work of Cllrs Flannery and
Tarrant and the Clerk being noted. Cllr Flannery noted that this was the last chance that will be
available to influence HS2B. It was AGREED that the possibility of a meeting between
Pickmere Parish Council Minutes 5th April 2022 (675)
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representatives of the PC with CEC Cllr Craig Browne (Deputy Leader of CEC) be supported, to include
2 representatives of Mid-Cheshire against HS2.
9.3 Communications from residents The report was noted and it was AGREED that the Clerk should
write as follows:
To the bus company and/or CEC to ask that the mess from the bus accident at the location
on Pickmere Lane be tidied.
To CEC to enquire about the planning situation in relation to the rear part of the Pickmere
Nurseries site.
To CEC again re speeding on Pickmere Lane.
9.4 Use of Hall by Puppet company The report was noted and members AGREED that the idea of the
company holding a family-focussed performance either at the Hall or at the IROS be explored
further.
9.5 CEC Deputy Leader response to letter from PC Members were not particularly satisfied with
the CEC response. In commenting on the letter, reference was made to the fact that we now have
evidence from 3 surveys: the PC’s parking survey of 2021, the Police’s residents’ survey of 2021, and
the recent NP residents’ survey, and in terms of the PC requesting CEC involvement, the Zoom
meeting between PC Chair and Clerk and CEC highways officers during the first lockdown where
there was some discussion of possible ways to improve the visitor parking situation. It was AGREED
that:
the PC would be happy to meet, if possible, with CEC Cllr Craig Browne to discuss these
matters further [the Chair suggested dates for his availability].
An FOI request should be sent to CEC asking how many times their parking enforcement
team attended Pickmere during 2021.
Clerk to write to CEC Parking Enforcement team to request attendance on summer
weekends.
Clerk to seek to liaise with named CEC Highways officer re parking issues.
9.6 Council Safeguarding Policy Following discussion it was AGREED that:
It was considered unnecessary for the Council to have its own safeguarding policy.
A clause should be included in the hire conditions for the Village Hall requiring relevant
organisations seeking to book the Hall to submit for approval their own Safeguarding policy
and risk assessment before bookings can be accepted.
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.
PART B – PRIVATE AGENDA
10. Play Area refurbishment The report, which observed that investigatory work as to the options
for refurbishing the play area have resulted in the submission of a sketch scheme for a potential
refurbishment together with an initial quotation for such a scheme, was noted. A second sketch
scheme was expected and will be reported to the next Council meeting. At that point, it will be
appropriate for Council to decide whether it wishes to proceed further toward a scheme of such
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a scale, to discuss the potential resourcing of any such scheme, and to consider how to approach
the potential need for grant aid. It was noted that, as stated in the Council’s Financial
Regulations, any scheme requiring substantial expenditure will require advertising in
accordance with Government regulations.
11 Clerk’s Fees Council AGREED that the Clerk should continue to be paid on the basis of 35
hours work per month, and also that his hourly rate should be increased in accordance with the
national salary award for 2021-22, including the payment of back pay from 1 April 2021.
The meeting closed at 9.20 p.m.