Present:  J Coles, S Lovatt, W Andrews, M Heathcote, S Fletcher and the clerk, S Hampson.  There were 2 members of the public in attendance for part of the meeting.

Part 1 non-confidential information

24.12.1 Apologies and attendance register
Apologies had been received in advance of the meeting from D Currington.

24.12.2 Minutes of the previous meeting
The minutes of the previous ordinary 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.  These were duly signed by Mrs Coles.

24.12.3 Matters arising and pre-meeting
The clerk had contacted the website provider to place items into PDF format for ease of viewers.  The Remembrance Day proceedings were very well attended by over 50 people.  Refreshments were also very good and appreciated.  Broadband had been successfully installed in the village hall.

Resolved:  The clerk to send a letter of thanks to both Mrs Lacey and Rev. McNally for the provision of the church service and service at the War Memorial.

24.12.4 Public Speaking Procedures Document
The document was available in the meeting and the members of the public familiar with its content.

24.12.5 Public speaking
There were two members of the public in attendance.  One was thanked for the arrangements for the village Christmas tree and the success of the lights switch on event from the previous evening.  The parish council is very grateful to the suppliers of the tree and those who assisted in erecting the tree. He also provided some input on the enforcement enquiry related to Sycamore House and an extension to the garage and external timber on the house.  He also updated members on the successful installation of broadband at the village hall.

The other member of the public provided a key to the church noticeboard and the location of a second copy.  She had discovered that the War Memorial is not a listed monument with Historic England and would like to proceed with the registration.

Resolved:  To grant permission for the member of the public to pursue the registration of the War Memorial as a listed monument.  Mrs Lovatt to retain the church noticeboard key.

24.12.6 District Councillor
The clerk had contacted the District Councillor for an update on the impact of the new conditions being imposed on the trade green waste bins but he was not in attendance.

24.12.7 Update on affordable homes
Derbyshire Dales District Council (DDDC) is now in possession of planning details for the affordable houses and is pursuing investigations, as the properties are not registered for council tax.  However, in DDDC’s view, they look effectively complete and certainly more complete than another small development of properties elsewhere that have been registered for council tax but are actually less complete than the Biggin properties.  DDDC wants to get the Council Tax listing sorted first so that the owner is paying council tax for the empty properties.  DDDC also asked how long the properties have been in this complete condition and whether there is any evidence of this.  Land Registry enquiries have also taken place.  The parish council would like these properties to be occupied by local people on an affordable basis, not at open market prices and as soon as possible

24.12.8 Heathcote Mere seats.
Mr Heathcote had not been able to liaise with the resident who had offered replacement tops for those stolen from the bench seating at Heathcote Mere.  The mowing contractor had been able to negotiate an improved cost for replacement slab tops for those stolen from the seats.  Unfortunately, new sizes are not quite as big as the originals but would be satisfactory.

Resolved:  To proceed with an order for the replacement slab tops with an invoice to be sent to the clerk.

24.12.9 Village tree surgery work
The clerk had made contact with two local tree surgeons with a request for a quote to attend to two trees on Drury Lane which are becoming quite large and also overshadowing a cherry tree planted in the vicinity of the Pinfold.  One response had been received from a reputable tree surgeon who had previously worked in the village.  His quote was £200 with no VAT.  Mrs Coles reported another tree, near Stoneacre, which requires attention

Resolved:  to proceed with the quote as it was less than the figure required by the parish council’s standing orders for additional quotes.

Resolved:  the clerk to make further contact with the tree surgeon to provide a cost to attend to the additional identified tree.

24.12.10 Planning applications, planning sub-committee, appeals and enforcement
Members discussed application NP/DDD/1124/1265 for a front porch at Cherry Trees, Drury Lane.

Resolved:  to support the above application as there are a number of properties also with porches on the front but to comment that there are no pictures or associated documents accessible on the Peak District National Park Authority’s planning portal for this proposal.