Broughton Town Hall

Duddon Parish Council

Minutes of the Meeting held on Thursday, 22 November 2001 in the
Rankin Room, Victory Hall, Broughton-in-Furness

Cllr Mrs L Burch (Chairman), Cllr H J Barker (Vice Chairman), Cllr Mrs R Read, Cllr J S Batten, Cllr Mrs E Knowles, Cllr Mrs V Glessal, Cllr D Hoggarth, Cllr J W Curwen,
Cllr A Harrison, Cllr B Hadwin.

Apologies

All present.

RESOLVED that the Chairman sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 25 October 2001.

Cllr Batten asked when the Christmas tree should be erected; it was decided to arrange it for 1st December.

Cllr Burch asked what was happening about the complaints raised last month about the Ulverston school bus. Cllr Curwen has this in hand.

Cllr Hadwin reported that the main gate to Wilson Park had now been mended.

Cllr Barker was still trying to obtain replacement stones for the ones broken in the square. He also reported on the site meeting with Mark Nicholson to try to get a number of road signs mended or replaced.

PC Howson gave a report on recent crimes in the area, including the fourth recent break in at Sandgap Farm and another quad bike theft. Concerns were raised by members of the public about the speeding problems, especially along Station Road. The police said that if a 20 mph speed limit was introduced, there would be less restrictions on the type of traffic calming which could be used. Cllr Curwen and County Cllr Pearson were both actively trying to get the 20 mph limit imposed on Broughton. Cllr Hoggarth asked if there could be a stronger police presence at certain busy times during the week, but it appeared that this was unlikely to happen due to lack of manpower.

Mrs Morgan asked if a Councillor could monitor the Square at school leaving times, when there were sometimes three buses trying to manoeuvre whilst some of the school children were misbehaving. This could lead to a dangerous incident.

Members of the public voiced their concerns over the positioning of the bottle bank on the Station Road car park. This was causing a litter and noise problem. A motion that it should immediately be moved was defeated. It was decided that Cllr Curwen should try to get it moved to the SLDC workshop site at Foxfield, and the Clerk was to write to SLDC Environment Dept to state the problems.

County Cllr Pearson reported that he was trying to push through the list of recommendations for traffic calming, but that it wouldn’t be until the next financial year. Meanwhile he was hoping to get a 20 mph limit imposed in Broughton. He had received support from the Methodist Chapel (Mrs Lee) for the proposal to move the wall back to allow a wider pavement. Regarding the verge cutting, he thanked Cllr Barker for volunteering to be on the advisory group, and they hoped to meet soon.

The Clerk presented the following letters received:

After considering the correspondence it was decided to take the following action:

312 Although this was a private matter, the Chairman thought that there would be some short term impact on the local shops and other businesses because of the loss of revenue from the caravanners.

Planning Applications

5/01/2721 Saddlers Barn conversion to house approved

7/01/5567 Hobkin Ground Farm install timber aerial pole approved

7/01/5604 Mountain Centre new entrance porch approved

7/01/5595 Broughton Moor Quarry new workshop & compound approved

The Saddlers Barn application was approved subject to an acceptable arrangement for the existing footpath.

RESOLVED to pay the following from main account:

The auditor's opinion on accounts for 2000/01 was read out and discussed, and the relevant form signed by the Chairman and Clerk.

The draft budget was presented by the Clerk and after a discussion was adopted as it stood for the next financial year. This required a precept to made of £7540; the Precept form was signed by the Chairman, Cllr Read and the Clerk ready for submission. It was decided to investigate the cost of installing two new street lights at the end of Foxfield Road, which may be funded from the money destined to be repaid to the PLWB.

Cllr Hadwin was to have a meeting with Tom Glessal regarding the next phase of drainage repairs.

Cllr Barker outlined the progress made with the investigation into ownership of land below Kitscar Cottage. It appeared likely that, as thought, the land belonged to the Parish. The Clerk was instructed to write to SLDC solicitor to ask him to investigate ownership using the Inclosure Award book, and also to contact the new owners solicitors to let them know the position. If it were to be proved that the land belongs to Duddon Parish, discussions would be opened into granting vehicular right of way across it.

After the Clerk had consulted CALC, a letter had been received advising that their solicitors could do no more than had already been done by SLDC solicitor John Shaw. Meanwhile, the Clerk had been contacted by a neighbour of Mr Atkinson, who was also worried about letters he had received concerning his boundary with Mr Atkinson. After a discussion about the next course of action to be taken, it was unanimously RESOLVED to instruct a solicitor to take the matter of the illegal occupation of Parish land to the County Court under Order 24 of the Civil Procedures Rules 1994. The solicitor should give Mr Atkinson a final warning before doing so. A decision as to who to employ was to be taken by Cllr Curwen and the Clerk based on advice to be obtained from John Shaw.

Cllr Batten reported that the Walna Scar project was on hold as it had been discovered that lottery grants could not be used to repair the road.

After reports from each Councillor, the following actions were requested:

Clerk to contact Capita to ask them to reinstate the "Broughton Mills" finger on the new signpost at the Scissors crossing.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 10.05 pm and the next meeting set for 20th December 2001.