Broughton Town Hall

Duddon Parish Council

Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 24 April 2003 in the Rankin Room, Victory Hall, Broughton-in-Furness

Present Cllr Mrs L Burch (Chairman), Cllr H J Barker, Cllr J Batten,

Cllr J W Curwen, Cllr Mrs V Glessal

Apologies Cllr B Hadwin, Cllr A Harrison, Cllr D Hoggarth, Cllr Mrs E Knowles

37/03 Minutes

It was RESOLVED that the Chairman sign the minutes as a correct record.

Re 35/03 it was noted that the ‘no camping, no fires’ sign had been replaced at Ulpha Bridge and that the blocked drain at Gillet had been dealt with. Cllr Batten reported that potholes in the Duddon Valley had been attended to but not satisfactorily, as insufficient materials had been used to make good the damage.

Re matters arising from public discussion, Cllr Barker read out a letter his solicitor had sent on his behalf to Mr T Atkinson, denying his allegations and requesting an apology. A copy was to be given to the clerk for information.

Mrs Morgan highlighted the dangers of cars emerging from Griffin Street into the square without stopping. Inadequate road markings and parked vehicles obscuring the view increased the risk of accidents. PC Howson said he would pass these comments to the traffic management police so that they could monitor the situation. Mrs Morgan reported witnessing children damaging the stocks in the square. Cllr Barker undertook to check whether this needed to be seen to. Mrs Morgan suggested that a seat by the well-used new footpath along the railway line would be welcome.

PC Howson reported the following:

The bakery had been broken into through a rear window between 8.00 and 8.30 am on 29 March and cash stolen. A footprint had been found and forensic scientists were working on this evidence.

Further meetings had taken place to set up a rural safety group in Broughton. A committee was to be formed and the group would be up and running shortly. The group of local residents would organise its own meetings. PC Howson would keep the Council informed of progress.

Councillors noted the number of recent road traffic accidents in the parish and Cllr Barker asked whether the council could hire equipment to monitor traffic speeds. PC Howson explained that these matters were dealt with by the traffic management section and added that such equipment could perhaps be obtained through the rural safety group.

Mr T Atkinson complained of a serious breach of confidence in his letter of complaint being passed by the clerk to councillors and a reply being sent to him before the following meeting. He asked who had authorised the issue of the reply. The clerk clarified the situation and gave an explanation. Mr Atkinson remained ‘very dissatisfied’. 

39/03 Correspondence

The clerk presented the following correspondence received:

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

Clerk to write to Mr Hathaway, thanking him for his service as a school governor Clerk to fnd out how much of the insurance premium related to the Duddon Valley TV transmitters

Clerk to write a letter of support to Richard Weeks, pointing out that the contingency fund provided for by the Council was earmarked for essential building repairs 

40/03 Planning Applications

It was RESOLVED to pay the following from the main account:

The playground inspection carried out by SLDC in April revealed a number of deficiencies. Following receipt of the report on the day of the meeting it was RESOLVED that the rocking horse should be removed immediately on safety grounds. It was further RESOLVED to send a copy of the report to Cllr Hadwin and ask him to action the removal of this piece of equipment. Priorities for subsequent actions would then need to be agreed. 

43/03 Broughton doctor’s surgery

The chairman reported that she had been advised that Dr Bates was to retire in June and that there was a strong likelihood that the surgery would close due to difficulties in appointing a doctor to take over the single GP practice. Provision of out-of-hours cover was the main problem. If the surgery were to close patients would be transferred to practices in Millom and Kirkby. Councillors agreed that the Parish Council should lobby for the retention of the surgery. It was RESOLVED to write to Morcambe Bay Primary Care Trust, Tim Collins MP, Jack Cunnigham MP and Nick Gent.

It was RESOLVED to obtain two ‘Cumbria Village of the Year 2002’ signs, at an estimated cost of £60 each. These would be fixed to existing posts at the Bush Green and High Cross entry points into Broughton.

Cllr Curwen reported that the surgery with Tim Collins MP was a great success and there were plans to hold surgeries on a regular basis. He further reported that residents were very satisfied with recent improvements in the drainage system.

In her absence Cllr Knowles reported, through the clerk, a particular instance of dog fouling on the footpath by the old railway line. She also reported challenging an individual depositing a black bin bag by the recycling facilities, following a complaint by a local resident. The offender’s car registration number had been noted. Cllr Curwen said that this instance of fly tipping had been reported to the relevant authorities.

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

Cllr Batten to contact the SLDC Recycling Officer to secure a bottle bank with maximum green bottle capacity

Clerk to write to Thomas Butler solicitors to chase progress on land registry

Cllr Curwen to pursue the problem of a highway defect by the showground gate 

46/03 Date of Next Meeting

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 9.20pm. The clerk reminded councillors that the next meeting would take place at an earlier date than usual on Thursday 15 May 2003.