The Annual meeting of Hartington Nether Quarter Parish Council
was held on Monday, 05 September 2022 at 7.30pm
in Biggin Village Hall.

Present: P Tapping, J Coles, S Griffiths, M Heathcote and the clerk, S Hampson. There were no members of the public in attendance.

Part 1 non-confidential information

22.9.1 Apologies
Apologies had been received in advance of the meeting from Mrs Currington and Mrs McCurrach.

22.9.2 Minutes of the previous ordinary 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. Mr Tapping duly signed the minutes as a true copy of proceedings (Prop JC, sec MH).

22.9.3 Matters arising and pre-meeting
Derbyshire County Council (DCC), ref 82022808, had been received with apologies for a late response regarding the request to put slabs on the grass verge to enable easier access from Main Street, Biggin to the side path of St Thomas’s Church. After discussions with the Traffic and Safety Team and the Maintenance Team, DCC advise that a Section 184 vehicle crossing be applied for, via their website, as this would be linked to the carriageway on Main Street. Members discussed laying the slabs and the necessity for the involvement of public liability insurance.

Resolved: The clerk to complete necessary documentation for the Section 184 application.
Resolved: To place the item on the next agenda.

22.9.4 Public Speaking Procedures Document
The document was available.

22.9.5 Public speaking
There were no members of the public in attendance.

22.9.6 Heathcote Mere
During the long period of hot weather, Heathcote Mere had completely dried up.  The mere does not have a water inlet and relies totally on rainfall to replenish it.  The clerk had contacted the Ponds’ Officer at Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) and the Ranger Service for advice.  Their advice was to use mechanical means to clear excess mud/silt and some vegetation prior to Autumn.  Mr Tapping had liaised with a local ecologist who had suggested that there may be some eggs of pond life remaining in the mud.  Another ecologist had informally advised that these would be only of insect life and not eggs of newts. A number of members of the public had expressed concerns to members of the parish council about the condition of the mere. Clearing some of the depth of silt/mud would enable the water depth to increase.

Members discussed contacting possible contractors with suitable machinery to undertake the necessary work at the mere whilst in the dry condition as, after rainfall, will prove more challenging, create more damage to the perimeter and be more expensive.  Mr Heathcote kindly offered to accept the excavated material onto his land. This will save a considerable amount of money in tipping costs.

Resolved:  to contact at least two suitable contractors to view the condition of the mere and quote for the required work.

Resolved:  to appoint a suitable contractor, by majority decision, who can undertake the work sympathetically but within a short time frame, before rainfall.

22.9.7 Planning applications, planning sub-committee and appeals
A previous application for The Old Scrap Yard, on the A515, for a change of use of land for the erection of a building for Class E purposes (previously with class B1) had been granted.   A S73 variation to a previous application at Heathcote Grange had been withdrawn.  Mr Tapping advised that a single-storey side extension with flat roof at Biggin C of E Primary school had been approved.  A proposal for stables had also been granted at Aspindle House, Heathcote.  A further application had been granted for a small extension to an existing outbuilding at Croft Cottage Biggin.  An application for High Peak Harriers had been scheduled to be brought before the planning committee at PDNPA on 8^th July but the clerk had not received the outcome of this in time for the meeting.

The clerk suggested that members consider providing more detail in their responses to planning applications.

22.9.8 Phone box
Members discussed some future possible changes to the interior content of the telephone box and what the telephone box should be referred to in future and suitable personnel to change the existing telephone signs on the box. The interior needs further attention.

Resolved:  to replace ‘Telephone’ with ‘Parish History’ and for Mrs Coles to contact the designer of the present graphics on the telephone box regarding signs to indicate this information.

Resolved:  to place the item on future agendas.

Resolved:  Mr Tapping to liaise with a person with connections to a local supplier of Perspex which would be of use on the interior of the telephone box.

22.9.9 Grit boxes including new grit box on Main Street
The clerk had liaised with DCC regarding the refilling of existing grit boxes and the installation of the new grit box near the bridge on Main Street.  Initially, DCC were going to charge for the ground preparation work for the new bin.  Following the clerk’s discussion, it was agreed to strim the area free of charge and install the new bin.  The bin is now in situ on Main Street.  Members further reported that the grit bins at Heathcote and Greenhead Crescent are now full of grit.

Resolved: To regularly check the levels of grit in the parish council grit bins throughout the forthcoming months.

22.9.10 Website
There was no further update on the website.

Resolved:  to amend the contact email on the website.

22.9.11 War Memorial Tree
Mr Tapping had not had the opportunity to closely inspect the War Memorial trees; however, he thought that, over the last couple of months, there had been some recovery in their condition.

Resolved:  to place the item on the next agenda.

22.9.12 Parish Council bank account
Unfortunately, a meeting had not taken place during the summer to increase the number of signatories from those members who intend to stand again at the next election. An investigation regarding a change of banking provider was still to take place.

Resolved:  Liaison to take place between Mrs Coles, Mrs McCurrach, Mrs Currington and Mr Heathcote and the clerk regarding the achievement of additional signatories and to place the matter on subsequent agendas.

22.9.14 Covid Memorial
At the June meeting, the wording had been finalised.  The clerk had found a suitable plaque of an appropriate size to fix to the Garden of Remembrance wall and forwarded a proof for consideration.  This particular plaque would cost £146.72 for an 8” x 4” plaque, including VAT and delivery but cheques will not be accepted as payment method.  The clerk had also liaised with another suitable provider.

Resolved:  Mr Tapping to visit the existing Remembrance Wall to view the memorial plaque already fixed on the wall for comparison and discussion at the next meeting.

22.9.14 Items of account, salaries and HMRC, mowing contract

22.9.15 Review of some policies
The clerk had forwarded model Standing Orders to be customised to members in advance of the meeting.  Amendments were discussed during the meeting.

Resolved:  The clerk to make the agreed amendments; to forward to members and to place on the website.

22.9.16 Articles for News and Views
Mr Tapping reported, in advance of the meeting, a discussion he had had regarding the format of the News and Views which included equal space, snappier format and shorter in length. A publication had just happened.

Resolved:  To consider items to appear in the next edition.

22.9.17 Highways, street lighting, fly tipping
Mr Tapping reported that the village seats will need to be resealed before winter.

The clerk had reported further cases of flytipping at Heathcote, to the left hand side of Hartshead Quarry.  It had also been reported that some overnight camping may have been taking place but this had now ceased.  The new flytipping advisory sign will be erected once a digger can be obtained.

DCC had responded to the clerk’s request to consider the erection of a ‘bund’ at Heathcote Mere but this was declined.  The clerk had also approached the Ranger Service regarding any possible works which could be completed under DCC’s Minor Maintenance Agreement (MMA); however, the Ranger had replied to say she could not identify anything suitable this time.

Resolved to seek support from a local person with the mechanical means to assist Mr Heathcote in installing the no flytipping sign in an appropriate place.

Mrs Currington had advised Mr Tapping that gates were down on the footpath between Dale Head and the public house.  She had also requested that some of the trees opposite the public house on Main Street receive some attention.

Resolved:  The clerk to contact the Ranger service regarding the gates.

Resolved:  Mr Tapping to view the trees referred to above and to take some minor action.

Street lights previously reported on a number of occasions are still not working. The street light numbers were rechecked.

Resolved:  The clerk to report the identified lights yet again.

22.9.18 Correspondence, electronic communication, Biggin Community Facebook
The clerk had forwarded this to members in advance of the meeting and items not already covered by the agenda included:

Grow back greener woodland, Rural Bulletins, Zurich Insurance change of legal status, DCC News, Parish and Town Council liaison, felling licence consultation, RSN Rural Funding Digest, public spaces protection order, parishes day invitation 1^st October, standing orders customisation, vehicles on the church path, audit exemption status, SAAA 2022 opt out communication, DALC training calendar from September 2022, DCC adult education news.

Resolved:  Mr Tapping to attend the Parishes Day at PDNPA on 1^st October.

Mrs Coles reported that she had completed on line cyber training, subsequent to the previous meeting.

22.9.19 Items for the next agenda
PCSO, Phone box, war memorial trees, covid memorial plaque, bank account, dog fouling, Remembrance Day. Additional items to be compiled by the clerk.

22.9.20 Date of the next meeting
Monday, 3rd October 2022

Part 2 Confidential information
There was no confidential information to discuss.

The meeting was declared closed at 9.10pm

Mrs S Hampson,
Clerk
6th September 2022

©Hartington Nether Quarter Parish Council minutes remain draft until approved by the parish council at the next meeting