A meeting of Hartington Nether Quarter Parish Council
was held on Monday, 5th October 2020 at 7.30pm
in Biggin Village Hall.
The meeting took place under social distancing and hygiene legislation due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Present: J Coles, D Currington, S McCurrach, P Tapping, S Griffiths and the clerk,
S Hampson. There were two members of the public in attendance for the public speaking section.
Part 1 non-confidential information
20.10.1 Apologies
Apologies had been received in advance of the meeting from Mr M Heathcote.
20.10.2 Declaration of personal/prejudicial interest of councillors
There was no need by any member present to complete an entry in the record.
20.10.3 Minutes of the previous meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting had been displayed on the noticeboard and forwarded to the members and the parish council’s website in advance of the meeting.
Resolved: To accept the minutes as a true record of proceedings (Prop: PT, Sec: DC)
20.10.4 Matters arising from pre-meeting
The clerk advised that a previous long-standing member of the parish council had unfortunately, passed away.
During the recess period, the clerk had been made aware of a number of instances of fly-tipping and had reported these to the relevant authority who had in turn, advised that these had been removed. However, it had become apparent to the Chairman that this was in fact, not the case. Mattresses and tyres remained in the area opposite the former Hartshead Quarry at Heathcote. The clerk had reported this matter again to the authority in advance of the meeting.
The position over parking on pavements referred to in previous minutes was clarified. This is not yet law in this area.
20.10.5 Public speaking procedures document
There were two members of the public in attendance who viewed the document in advance of the public speaking section.
20.10.6 Public speaking
One of the members of the public in attendance had attended after reading the previous minutes detailing the possibility of depositing fish from Hartington pond into Heathcote Mere as the duck pond has to be emptied to remove large quantities of silt. She provided brief details of her expertise with the Environment Agency and some reasons not to proceed with the deposition of fish from another area of water. This included information that fish could eat the eggs of other wildlife such as the newts; the fish could carry disease; could over breed reducing oxygen levels and would physically suffer if the water levels dropped significantly during periods of hot weather. The lady also offered to attend the forthcoming meeting of the neighbouring parish council concerned with the removal of the fish. The lady also offered to undertake a voluntary survey of the wildlife at Heathcote Mere.
20.10.7 PCSO
There had been no contact from the PCSO. Mr Tapping had liaised with the PCSO assigned to the parish. Unfortunately, she cannot attend the next 3 meetings due to her shift patterns. He had made further enquiries about Speedwatch. He raised awareness about drugs in the parish area.
Resolved: Mr Tapping to forward the PCSO’s contact details to the clerk for future use.
20.10.8 Memorial application.
The monumental mason referred to in the previous minutes had been contact to forward a sample of the Yorkstone. This had been received to enable members to view the stone and reach an informed decision as there are no other memorials in the parish council cemetery made of this stone. Unpolished memorials can have a tendency to become green and the inscriptions unclear to read. Members viewed the sample and considered the existing regulations.
Resolved: To approve the use of the Yorkstone in this particular memorial headstone as it is a natural stone referred to in the present parish council regulations.
20.10.9 Remembrance Day
The clerk had been in contact with the local Royal British Legion representative who supplies the poppy wreaths each year to reserve one for the forthcoming service. Members discussed representation at the service. It was reported that due to current circumstances, there will be no church service and the occasion will be marked with a short service at the War Memorial. The road closure has been organised for a short period to enable social distancing to take place more easily.
Resolved: To purchase a wreath to be laid by the church warden.
Resolved: Interested members of the parish council will attend.
20.10.10 BT Phone Box
The clerk had advised the parish council’s insurance company of a figure of £1,000 for insurance purposes. A member reported that this is actually a conservative estimate for former BT phone boxes in good order. The clerk had approached the headteacher at the primary school to ascertain if the pupils would be interested in generating ideas for its use and the paintwork but had not received any response by the time of the meeting. It was reported that the school are indeed very interested in this project. A local painting company which advertises in News and Views had been approached to quote to repaint the phone box. The original proprietor had sold the company to an employee but interest had been expressed in time for the meeting. Mr Tapping had kindly cleaned the phone box which had resulted in some of the plastic lettering being rubbed off .He advised members of the condition of some other aspects such as the roof, the interior and the lighting; the door is actually wooden.. He had also taken the trouble to find a supplier of authentic phone box paint. Mrs Currington suggested the use of a solar powered light as it is doubtful that the lighting is in working order. Mr Tapping thought parishioners would probably want the phone box to be repainted red; however, some members thought the community may have alternative ideas. Mrs Coles suggested an idea similar to plastic wrapping motor vehicles.
Resolved: The clerk to contact the painter for an itemised quote to repaint the telephone box and for some alternative exterior painting suggestions.
20.10.11 Noticeboard and seats
The clerk had briefly investigated suppliers of village seats and noticeboards made from long lasting, recycled plastic (man made timber). Seat prices range from £640.47 +VAT upwards including delivery. Noticeboards from £936.48 plus VAT. Mrs McCurrach reported that some of the village seats are in a shocking state. Further comments were made regarding the degree of work involved in the previous quote from a local joiner to undertake maintenance to the existing village seats.
Resolved: members to view all of the parish seats to assess their current state.
Resolved: to give consideration to shortly replacing one of the worse seats with a man-made timber variety requiring very little future maintenance.
Resolved: to consider replacing one wooden seat each year with a man-made timber seat until all seats are replaced, reducing maintenance requirements.
Resolved: members to view a number of different suppliers of man-made timber seating prior to the November meeting to enable an informed discussion to take place.
20.10.12 Heathcote Mere plinth and interpretation panel, perimeter stones and fish
Subsequent to the last meeting, the interpretation panel had been fixed to the plinth stone and members were very pleased with the outcome; the whole area now looks very attractive. Mr Heathcote had placed some quality stones around part of the perimeter of Heathcote Mere, as resolved in the previous meeting. The stones had been placed at the legal distance away from the edge of the highway. Mr Coles will place additional stones around the remainder of the perimeter; it may be necessary to swap with some of those already laid for the best outcome. Mrs Currington had received the invoice for the use of the machinery used to invert the interpretation panel plinth stone. Mr Griffiths reported that he would have been happy to monitor the fish if they had been introduced into the mere.
Resolved: to hold a ceremony to mark the installation of the interpretation panel with all contributors and the community but unfortunately, this cannot take place until after the pandemic issues have been resolved.
20.10.13 News and Views and Biggin Community Facebook Page
Members discussed alternative methods of keeping in touch and getting closer with the parish in addition to formal minutes displayed on the noticeboard and parish council website. Mrs Coles had been approached to place regular items in News and Views connected to the doctors’ surgery and the parish council.
Resolved: this item to become a regular feature on each future agenda.
Resolved: submissions to News and Views and Bigging Community Facebook Page can only feature after the approval of all members of the parish council and resolved at the parish council meetings and will be submitted by the Chairman.
20.10.14 War Memorial
Just prior to the start of the Coronavirus lockdown, communications had been sent to two funeral directors with monumental mason capabilities with a view to regilding the lettering on the War Memorial as it is becoming very unclear over time. Due to restricting agenda time after the lockdown, this item had not been revisited.
The clerk had resubmitted the quotes to the members in advance of the meeting as a reminder of the quotes received.
Resolved: to proceed with the significantly lowest quote but suggest that it may be better to complete works in Spring 2021.
20.10.15 Highway issues, signs and street lighting, maintenance and fly-tipping
New 30 mph signs and village signs are still not in place; the clerk had reported these yet again.
The clerk had reported the identified faulty street lights referred to at the previous meeting. Mr Tapping advised that the one near his property required further attention and he was supplied with the street light number.
Resolved: the clerk to report two further street lighting faults.
A response had been received regarding a tree previously reported to Derbyshire County Council (DCC) Highways. Their advice is that regular heavy pruning causes disease and decay to set in, therefore, DCC does not recommend this cause of action unless the tree appears to be in poor health or causing damage.
20.10.16 Items of account, salaries, grounds person, HMRC, Section 137, maintenenace
| Cq 1219 | Shelter Maintenance Ltd | Bus shelters’ cleaning | £21.43 (VAT £3.57) |
| Cq 1220 | S Hampson | Salary and back pay | £271.27 |
| Cq 1221 | B Coles | Mowing contract | £411.43 (VAT £68.57) |
| Cq 1222 | S Hampson | October internet provision | £10.00 |
| Cq 1223 | S Hampson | Reimb. of expenses | £7.08 |
| Cq 1224 | D Twemlow | Movement of stone plinth | £300.00 |
20.10.17 Planning applications, planning sub-committee and appeals
There were no new planning applications to consider; however, members expressed concern regarding a number of properties which have previously been reported to the Enforcement Team and PDNPA.
Resolved: the clerk to contact the enforcement team again plus the agent from Bagshaws connected with some of proposals associated with these properties.
20.10.18 Correspondence and electronic communication
Electronic communications had been forwarded to members in advance of the meeting including: Rural Bulletins, PPPF, DALC circulars, DCC news, parish magazine new letters, public governor elections, coronavirus news, effective town and parish council communication, Prevent provision. Mr Tapping would prefer the electronic communications to be received more gradually; however, the clerk readvised of her limited available time after preparing the meetings, actions points, minutes, accounts, HMRC and audit requirements. The clerk had asked members to consider whether a village Christmas tree
20.10.19 Items for the next agenda
Christmas tree, Village signs, noticeboard and village seats, BT phone box plans, Remembrance Day, News and Views and Facebook, War Memorial. Additional items to be compiled by the clerk.
20.10.20 Date of the next meeting
Monday, 2nd November 2020 subject to current Coronavirus permissions.
Part 2 Confidential information
There was no confidential information to discuss.
The meeting was declared closed at 9.10 pm
Mrs S Hampson, Clerk
10th October 2020
©Hartington Nether Quarter Parish Council minutes remain draft until approved by the parish council at the next meeting