Mallerstang Parish Meeting

Minutes for 2000

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 20th MARCH 2000 

AT THE BLACK BULL HOTEL KIRKBY STEPHEN 

1. ATTENDANCE
Eight residents of the Dale were present plus Trevor Ladhams. Apologies were received from B. Smart, M.Sprago, G&M Carver, K Bevan and Greta Naysmith.


2. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
These were approved unanimously by the meeting. 

3. MATTERS ARISING
    a. Flooding
Near Shoregill was still a problem towards Cranberry Cottage. Other areas were discussed but it was noted that the situation had improved and other areas were not thought to be a problem except by Ginny Wood where the water runs across the road and also freezes. The general position was said to be much better.
    b. Boggle Green
Ian Smart said he had in hand replacement of dead trees at Boggle Green and Ian Smart also said he would sort out the Fencing money.
    c. Photograph
Subject to the owner's consent that would take place at Pendragon Castle. Paul Watson, the Parish Clerk, was to write to Mrs Frankland to ask permission for the photograph to be taken on the 17th June at 2.00 pm. Paul Watson was also to ask Sebastian Vamplew how much it would cost and to confirm that his expenses would be paid.
    d. Millennium
The provision of mugs to each household was discussed. The possibility was to distribute one per household and for it to be costed up to see how far £200 would get. Ian Smart agreed to do this. The meeting authorised the officers to spend up to £200.
    e. Village Green
Mr Smart indicated that he intended to apply for a grant to put top soil on the green and to plant wild flowers.
    f. Consolidated Charities
Ian Smart said he had spoken to the Charity Commission. They said that four trustees were to be appointed by the Parish Meeting but the Charity Commission has indicated that it could still function with only three trustees. He said those trustees could then appoint up to two more trustees. The option was to carry on with the existing trustees or to wind up the charity and to use the investment to relieve "poverty". The meeting decided not to apply to wind up the charity. It was decided that the Parish Meeting would leave it up to the trustees to administer the Charity rather than the Parish Meeting interfere.
The Travers Institute was also discussed. Did Keith Bevan want to take it on the Parish Clerk, Mr Paul Watson was to ask. Ian Smart said that he had paid the rent up until 31 st January 2000
The meeting then elected Stephen Alderson as a fourth trustee Of The Consolidated Charity.


4. NOTICE BOARD
It was recorded that the Notice Board had cost £270 and not £250 as the officers had been authorised to spend therefore the meeting gave retrospective consent for the extra £20 to be spent. It was noted that Giles Thompson had approved the location.


5. OTHER BUSINESS
    i. Footpath Signs
Alex McWhirter pointed out that several footpaths signs were damaged and the Parish Clerk was asked to contact the Highway Authority to ask for them to be replaced
    ii Grass cutting of verges
This was discussed and it was also noted that it had been discussed at previous Parish Meetings. The Clerk pointed out that that he had contacted the Highway Authority previously regarding this issue and the Highway Authority had indicated that they adopted a county wide policy of cutting the verges late in the summer in accordance with a draft plan and that that policy not be deviated from.


6. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
Ian Smart reported the position with regard to red squirrels in the Dale and outlined how grey squirrels are discouraged and what steps can be done to encourage red ones.


7. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
    1. The Election of Chairman
Steve Alderson proposed Ian Smart. Mr P Watson seconded him and he was re-elected.
    2. Vice-Chairman
Steve Alderson proposed Alex McWhirter. Marnie Atkinson seconded him and he was duly re-elected.
    3. Clerk and Treasurer
Mr Paul Watson was proposed by Steve Alderson and was seconded by Mike Atkinson and was duly re-elected.


8. ACCOUNTS
These were approved and the meeting authorised an Honorarium of £25 for each of the last two years to the Parish Clerk.


9. OTHER BUSINESS
Alex McWhirter said he was concerned about the litter and glass bottles on the verges and there was an armchair in the Beck. The meeting felt that Railtrack contractors had created the problem. Steve Alderson reported that from Aisgill Farm to the boundary with Yorkshire was to be cleared up by Railtrack as he had complained.


10. St MARY'S CHURCH
John Hill said that he was now the secretary of St. Mary's Mallerstang and if any residents had any queries or problems to do with the church that they should be raised with the Church Warden who is Rosemary Howard. 

The meeting then closed and the next meeting is to be held on the last Thursday in November.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 30th NOVEMBER 2000

AT THE BLACK BULL HOTEL KIRKBY STEPHEN

1. ATTENDANCE
Twenty-two residents of the Dale were present plus Trevor Ladhams. Apologies were received from Mr Carver

2. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
These were approved unanimously by the meeting. 

3. MATTERS ARISING

    a. Flooding It was reported by the Vice Chairman, Alec McWhirter, that a new pipe was to go in near Cranberry Cottage. He also said  the Council had made many improvements elsewhere, but in view of the recent weather there were still significant problems particularly just over the border with Nateby Parish but that the council had the situation there in hand.

    b. Boggle Green Ian Smart reported monies are available to replace trees that have died. However there is no money for fencing. It was stated that there wasn't much sheep damage to the trees and they were mostly doing very well.

    c. Photograph The fact that this was taken was reported. Sebastian Vamplew said he didn't wish to have any money for doing it. The photographs were ready and it was just a question of choosing which was the best photograph to be utilised.

    d. Millennium Mugs It was reported that the potter wouldn't do any more mugs. The meeting decided that the possibility of providing mugs to each household would not be explored any further

    e. Village Green Ian Smart reported that grant money might be available for tidying and cleaning up the land. He had that aspect in hand. Mr Roger Howard pointed out that the land belongs to the Lord of the Manor and that the meeting was trying to usurp him. Mr Smart said that if there is anything certain in respect of work to be done or moneys available he consults with the Lord of Manor as a matter of courtesy. Mr Hutton said that Outhgill this year has been an absolute disgrace. A man should be employed to mow the Village Green each year. Mrs Atkinson pointed out that the land was actually registered as a village green and also pointed out that if a man was employed to mow the green or work was done upon it by the Parish Meeting insurance would need to be taken out. The Clerk was to research the legal position with respect to the ownership and problems of insurance.
At the meeting it was decided in any event that nothing could be done to the land comprising the Village Green before the March meeting but it should be put on that agenda.

    f. Consolidated Charities Gordon Hutton said a meeting will take place shortly. He assured the meeting that the Trustees would meet in the year 2000.


4. OTHER BUSINESS

    (i) Footpath Signs     It was reported that the footpath signs at Southwaite, Dale Foot, and Moor Rigg corner and also at Deepdale have still not been replaced. Mr McWhirter said the metal ones don't appear to stand the weather but wood ones are okay. The Clerk was asked to write to Cumbria County Council Highways Department.

    (ii) Grass cutting of verges    The cutting of the grass verges was discussed and the meeting decided that the verges were not satisfactorily cut this year. Mr Howard suggested that the Clerk write to the Highway Authorityat the County Hall regarding this issue. Mr Hutton pointed out that coming out of Shoregill to turn right this year had been extremely hazardous. It was also stated that the side of the roadside is being chewed up and there may be a need to possibly reinforce the verges. This was perhaps because more HGV's were using it to go into North Yorkshire. However the meeting decided that they did not wish kerb stones to be installed. The Clerk was requested to ask Rail Track to tidy up the grass verge as their contractors throw bottles and other rubbish out of their vehicles. Mrs Spargo said the person to contact was Mr Bob Clark who was a Rail Track's Community Officer. Mr Alderson said that it would also be helpful to contact Mr David Tomly who works for First Point at Appleby. The Clerk was also asked to point out to Rail Track that mini-buses carrying workers speed up and down the valley.

    (iii) Red Squirrels    Mr Howard said that he was the liaison officer in Mallerstang with respect to red squirrels. He suggested that residents put peanuts out 
to encourage them. He said that only one grey squirrel had been found in the valley but that he had had it shot and it was now dead.

    (iv) Dalefoot:    Mr Vamplew asked the Clerk to write to the owners regarding breeze blocks which had been piled opposite the cattlegrid. The Clerk asked the meeting if it was their wish that he should write to the proprietors of Dalefoot regarding this and the meeting said no.

    (v) Boon Day   This was reported to have been very successful in 2000 and Mr Alderson Snr. was thanked by the meeting for organising it.

5. MILLENNIUM BOOK

Wyn Hamilton outlined the position and confirmed that £3,384.00 had been received by the Parish meeting as a grant. The Clerk pointed out that this was more than the entire precepts collected for the past 25 years. Mrs Hamilton said that she was going to write to every person in the Dale regarding the grant monies and that she would organise (with as much help as she could muster from others) the compilation of the book and collection of photographs. She will be writing to everyone in the Dale regarding this. She said she was hoping that everyone in the Dale would give a description of how they came to the valley and provide a photograph of themselves and their family and their house. It was hoped that they would provide as much information as they knew regarding their house and also provide the names of any field names if they were able to do so. It was envisaged that one copy would be provided for each household in the valley. It was pointed out that the project cannot make a profit for the Parish meeting and the books would not be allowed to be sold. It is thought that extra copies of the book would be passed to the record office and to the library.
The Clerk pointed out that the grant monies must be spent strictly in accordance with the application and monies must be spent by 16th April 2000 or they would be forfeited.

6. PRECEPT
After a discussion the Clerk's recommendation that the precept for 2001/2002 be £150 was unanimously passed.

7. CAIRN
The meeting decided that a cairn should be built and a plaque put on it and time capsule with a copy of the book placed in the middle of the cairn. It was decided to place the cairn in Ginny Wood. The plaque would read "Mallerstang 2000" and it would be engraved on a suitable stone. The Parish meeting authorised the officers to spend up to £200 on that project.

8. MINUTE BOOK
The Clerk was asked for the minutes to be bound in five year Volumes.

9. TELEPHONE BOX
Mr Howard pointed out that there was no light in the telephone box. Mr Smart said the question of whether electricity could be supplied by British Telecom would be looked into. The Clerk was instructed to write to British Telecom accordingly. The Clerk indicated he would point out to BT the local connection with Michael Faraday given that Mr Smart indicated that BT had said there may be difficulties in supplying the telephone box with electricity.

10. TRAVERS INSTITUTE
The Clerk reported that unfortunately the meeting was back to square one so far as the Travers Institute was concerned. The Clerk reported that Beverley Smart had entered into a licence to use the land as a garden from the 1st February 1998 to 31St January 1999 at a fee of £200. In addition Beverley Smart would provide an indemnity against all losses, claims brought against the Chairman Ian Smart by virtue of him being a Trustee of the Travers Institute. However the Clerk reported that no payment had been received by Mrs Smart as she had indicated that it was her understanding that if any work was required to be done on the land that the cost of such work would be deducted from the licence fee of £200. Mr Smart pointed out that he had carried out work on the land and in particular a wall had needed re-building and that he had also supplied top soil to the land. He stated that it was not his intention to pay. He did however indicate that he was prepared to risk not having insurance cover in respect of his position as Trustee. He also said that he would 
provide the Clerk with invoices for the money spent on the land.
    The Clerk also pointed out that for the period 1st February 1999 to the 31st January 2000 that although Mrs Smart had not actually signed another licence agreement that it had been agreed in advance by Ian Smart that she would pay the full £200 up to 31st January 2000 to the Clerk but that she would then seek to recover a proportion from the successor in title following the Smarts' sale of Fanny House. However the Clerk reported that only £33.33 had been tendered by Mrs Smart which the Clerk had not banked as it did not represent full payment. Mr Smart agreed that he and Keith Bevan the successor in title of Fanny House would now pay the £200 to cover the period up to 31st January 2000.        

The Clerk then reported that he had spoken to Mr Bevan during the summer but that Mr Bevan was not keen on paying the £200 licence fee to have the land. The Clerk said that Mr Bevan had as an alternative suggested that he may be willing to pay the £200 provided £200 could be ploughed back into the use of the land for example for the cost of erecting a stand which could be used to house musicians for the purpose of occasional concerts. Mr Bevan confirmed at the meeting that he would prefer some alternative use of the monies to those which had previously been discussed. Marjorie Sprago asked the Clerk why the Clerk had not secured Mr Bevan's signature on an agreement before now. The Clerk replied that he had not been in a position to report to the meeting regarding the situation and that the November meeting was the first opportunity he had to do so but that in any event he was surprised that Mr Bevan had not wished to take a licence of the land on the terms previously arranged with Mrs Smart.     

Mr Howard proposed that a special meeting be arranged to discuss the Travers Institute and that the Clerk was instructed to call such a meeting for the 11th January 2001. The Church secretary, Mr John Hill indicated that the Church would be available to hold the meeting and the meeting decided that the special meeting should take place at St. Mary's Church Mallerstang. The meeting also discussed the possibility of a Village Hall being built on the site of the Travers Institute. Mrs Hamilton pointed out that Orton Parish had recently raised in the form of a grant £80,000 for refurbishing their Village Hall. This could be further discussed at the Special Meeting.


The meeting then closed

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