MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF MALLERSTANG PARISH MEETING AT THE BLACK BULL HOTEL KIRKBY STEPHEN 

HELD ON THURSDAY 4 DECEMBER 1997

1. ATTENDANCE
Eleven members of the Dale were present under the Chairmanship of Mr Ian Smart. Apologies for absence were received from Mike Atkinson, Giles Thompson, Marjorie Spargo, Rosemary Howard, Peggy Moore Phil Ready and Andrea Watson. Councillor Trevor Ladhams was also present and he gave apologies For Councillor Tim Stoddard who was unable to attend due to being on other Council business.

2. MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON THE 27 MARCH 1997
These were approved by the Meeting

3. MATTERS ARISING
(a) The Pinfold
The Chairman outlined the position regarding the rebuilding of the Pinfold wall. Paul Watson, Parish Clerk reported to the meeting that he had clarified the position regarding the cone, which was that the cone is presently owned by the County Council. He went on to say that Cumbria Public Arts were shortly going to send an Agreement drafted by the County Council lawyers whereby the County Council would indemnify the Parish in respect of any liability by virtue of the cone being built on Parish land. The Clerk also reported that Mr Chettle had given an undertaking that the insurance for the cone would be funded by the Arts Project up until at least the year 2003.

(b) The Travers Institute
The Clerk outlined the position with respect to the land, and that he had spoken to the Charity Commissioners that day, who indicated that the person now managing the case at the Charity Commission had the powers of an Assistant Commissioner and therefore could make the decision to approve the proposal to rent the land to the neighbouring landowner on Licence without there being a formal meeting of the Commissioners and that a decision was imminent probably before Christmas.
(c) The Bench Mark
Mr Roger Howard asks the Clerk regarding the insurance position. The Clerk agreed to write to the Council to clarify the position.

(d) The Churchyard
The Clerk reported that he had spoken to the Church Warden e , Rosemary Howard regarding the culvert and that she had received a letter from the Public Health Department to indicate that it would be unsafe to excavate within the Churchyard itself in case graves were disturbed which contained poisonous spores. As Mrs
Howard was not present at the meeting the Clerk asked Mr Roger Howard if he would be in a position to elaborate on whether the diocese intended to carry out any work on the culvert in the near future but Mr Howard indicated that it would be inappropriate for him to comment upon such matters as it was his wife who was the Church Warden. Mr Stephen Alderson suggested to the meeting that the Church Warden be invited to attend the next Parish Meeting. The meeting concurred and the Clerk was instructed to write to the Church Warden to invite her to the next meeting.

(e) Missing Sign
The Clerk reported that he had written to the Highways Department and spoken to the Highways Officer who indicated that the missing sign at the top end of the Tommy Road on the Kirkby Stephen to Sedbergh Road was in the process of being replaced and that the manufacturers had been requested to produce a new sign which would be erected as soon as possible.
Joan Shotton suggested that there is a dangerous area on the Tommy Road just before the summit on the Mallerstang side at which there had been a -recent accident. She suggested that the Highways Department could be requested to put a "BLIND SUMMIT" sign in that area. The Vice Chairman, Mr Alex McWhirter indicated that he did not think it required a sign and in the alternative suggested that perhaps the verge could be widened in that area. The Chairman suggested that the Clerk be instructed to write to the Highways Department to mention it but to leave it to the Highways Department's discretion as to what should be done. Mr Howard suggested that the Highways Department should be asked to confirm that they are satisfied with the safety aspect of the road as it is. The meeting duly asked the Parish Clerk to write to the Highways Department.

(f) Watergate Bottom
The Chairman told the meeting that he had spoken to Dick Capel but he was still awaiting an answer regarding the possibility of replacing stepping stones across the river at Watergate Bottom and the Chairman undertook to raise the issue with Mr Capel again. Mr Alex McWhirter said there used to be a bridge at Ginny Wood but pointed out that it was a private crossing. Mr Alex McWhirter said he would like to see a crossing up the river at Watergate Bottom because would be convenient to walkers. The meeting agreed and the Chairman reiterated that he would contact Dick Capel again.

4. OFFICERS REPORT
The Chairman told the meeting that there was nothing to report over and above that which was in the Newsletter. The Parish Clerk told the meeting that he receives a whole host of literature from various organisations during the year and that it was impossible to send out copies of literature to everybody due to the cost but invited residents to contact him if they were interested in reading the various and sundry circulars and letters forwarded to him in his capacity as Clerk.

5. MILLENNIUM
Mr Roger Howard opened the discussion as to how the Millennium could best be celebrated by the Dale and said that he thought that walking the bounds was a good idea but his wife had pointed out that it was about 33 miles.
Mr Stephen Alderson in answer to a question put by Mr Howard indicated that the Parish boundaries are physically marked by cairns but that the residents of the Parish would need the permission of the Commons Committee for Mallerstang East and for Mallerstang West if the bounds were to be walked. Mr Alex McWhirter suggested that perhaps the bounds did not have to be walked in one go but could be walked part of the time if people preferred.
Jenny Firth suggested that trees could be planted either in one spot as a wood or scattered throughout the Dale. Mr Howard said that he liked that idea. He thought it would make the Dale more attractive and attract wildlife. The meeting was in general approval.
Mr Gordon Hutton said that he thought a record should be made of who is resident in the Dale in the year 2000 and that a tree could be planted for each person and each person would be allocated a tree.
Jenny Cousin suggested that a map should be made of where each tree was located and whose name was allocated to it. Councillor Ladhams suggested that Voluntary Action Cumbria could be contacted who would help and advise and submit an application for any environmental grant that may be available. He indicated that he thought that it was too late to apply for a millennium grant at this stage. Councillor Ladhams agreed to pass on details to the Clerk of Voluntary Action Cumbria. Councillor Ladhams went on to say that he thought Mallerstang was the most un-spoilt valley he had ever come across. That it had ancient woodland still and it would be nice to replant it. Mr Howard said that trees could be picked which would promote red squirrels e.g. hazel and beech trees.
Jenny Firth also suggested it might be possible to mark the occasion of the millennium with a community bonfire.
Whilst the meeting agreed that it was not necessary to make a decision now on the way to mark the millennium the Clerk pointed out that there are only 4 more meetings before the millennium.
The Clerk suggested that the Parish had accumulated over £400 in the bank account which was rather too much to have as strictly there should be no surplus as the budget should balance and would it be possible to earmark some of that money to a millennium fund to celebrate the millennium. Councillor Ladhams suggested that the Clerk contact Harold Harrison, Solicitor to th advise whether it would be legally possible to puts money into a millennium fund.

6. PRECEPT FOR 1998/9
The Clerk went through the accounts which showed that expenditure since the last meeting had been £154.87 including £130.00 representing the private insurance policy for the Chairman of the meeting in respect of public liability for the Travers Institute land. The Clerk told the meeting that it was unlikely that the insurance premium would have to be paid in the next financial year because it was expected that the Charity Commissioners would have by that stage granted consent to let the land on licence and that the Licensee would be responsible for the insurance. The Clerk suggested a precept of £150.00 which the meeting agreed to unanimously. Mr Stephen Alderson asked the Clerk if there were any other items of expenditure that had been incurred such as the Clerk's own expenses which were approved at the last meeting. The Clerk indicated that he had forgotten to pay the expenses and asked the meeting for permission for them to be paid prior to the meeting in March 1998. Mr Howard said as a point of order that would be inappropriate because that was a financial issue of which the meeting should have been given prior notice. Others present at the meeting indicated that that was wholly unnecessary. The Vice Chairman asked the Clerk if he was satisfied with the honarian level of £25.00 in addition to his expenses. The Clerk indicated that he was and that so to ensure that there was no breach of any procedure he would include in the Agenda for the next meeting a request for the authority to pay the expenses for 1996/97.
The meeting then went on to approve the expenditure already incurred during the year.

7. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
(a) Mrs Marilyn Atkinson mentioned the Notice-board and in particular had the new one been built. Mr Stephen Alderson said that he had mentioned it again to Mr Keys but that he was unsure whether it had actually been completed or even started. The Clerk suggested that the Parish had enough money to commission a new Notice-board from a Joiner. Mrs Atkinson suggested that once the new Notice-board was completed that it be located on the Village Green and that Guy Thompson had previously given permission for it to be sited on the Village Green. Mrs Atkinson said that the present Notice-board was on private property and that it was not particularly well sited.
The meeting authorised the Clerk to invite tenders for the manufacture of a new Parish Notice-board and the meeting gave the Officers authority to spend up to £100.00 on it. It was also agreed that the Notice-board should be moved from its present position to a position near to the Jew Stone.

(b) Mrs Firth asked if the meeting would agree that the Clerk be instructed to write to the Government regarding the level of petrol prices and to point out the particular difficulties of residents in rural areas given the high price of petrol and lack of alternative transport. The meeting instructed the Clerk to write to Mr Lumley, the Clerk to Kirkby Stephen Paris Council to see whether it was possible for him to co-ordinate other Parish Meetings in the area and to write on behalf of them all.

(c) Mr Roger Howard suggested that the Dale should have a post bus as the postman goes up and down the Dale in the morning and back as far as Outhgill in the afternoon. Mrs Shotton pointed out that the Dale used to have a bus but nobody other than her and Linda Alderson used to ride on it.

(d) Councillor Ladhams reported that the direct labour organisation of Eden District Council was now in partnership with an outside agent, John Doyle Limited which traded as Task Force Eden and that Task Force Eden had purchased a Contract for collection of refuse from the present Contractors, SITA. He had attended a meeting that night of the Council and had persuaded the Council that that Contract purchased by Task Force Eden from Sita would include weekly rather than fortnightly refuse collections within the Dale. The meeting unanimously thanked Trevor Ladhams for his "dogged efforts" over the last 2½ years in achieving weekly collections for the Dale.

(e) Stephen Alderson pointed out that the road narrows between Castle Cottages and Pendragon Castle and that the road in that area was potentially dangerous and pointed out that there were no slow signs. The meeting instructed the Clerk to write to the Highways Department to ask if slow signs could be painted on either side of the narrowing.

(f) Alex McWhirter said that it would be a good idea if the Highways Department was approached to see whether or not signs denoting Mallerstang could be placed at each entrance to the Dale because people frequently stopped to ask him where Mallerstang was only to be informed by him that they were actually in Mallerstang. Councillor Ladhams suggested that the Clerk ask the County Council to provide them if the meeting wanted them but that the Parish was likely to have to pay for them. Stephen Alderson said that he was not in favour of signs and Gordon Hutton and Roger Howard added their voices to that opinion. The meeting decided that as the people of Mallerstang knew where they lived that was all that was required and that signs were not necessary.

(g) The Clerk informed the meeting that in the summer he had been approached by Mr Lumley, the Clerk to Kirkby Stephen Parish Council who was arranging a collection for Councillor Raven Frankland on his retirement from the Council. Tragically Councillor Frankland had died within 3 weeks of his retirement but that Mr Lumley had indicated that he had approached all the local Parishes and Parish Meetings for a donation which would be used to purchase a tree and plant it in the Parish concerned. The Clerk told the meeting that he had consulted with the Chairman, Ian Smart and it had been decided that it would be appropriate to "pledge" £10.00 on behalf of the Mallerstang Parish Meeting but that as the expenditure had not been authorised by the meeting it had not been possible to write a cheque and would the meeting authorise that expenditure. The meeting unanimously agreed.

(h) Stephen hen Alderson mentioned that the County Council Highways Department cut the grass verges within Mallerstang far too late and after the verges had become overgrown and that he considered that it made the road dangerous. The meeting concurred with Mr Alderson's views. Councillor Trevor Ladhams said that Cumbria County Council had had all the verges within the County surveyed and that it depended upon the population and distribution as to when the verge was the County Council's policy was to allow the cutting of only certain parts of the verges at certain times. The meeting resolved however to instruct the Clerk to write to the Highways Department to ask them to cut the grass verges within Mallerstang at an earlier date to avoid them becoming overgrown and making the road dangerous.

The meeting was closed at 9.15 pm and it was announced that the next meeting would be scheduled for the end of March 1998.