Present: District Cllr Joyce Prichard, Cllrs Melanie Winstanley (Chairman), Ruby Murray, Bill Deller, Andrew Taylor, Sue Dawson & Jim Harrison, the Clerk & Police Constables Ian Johnston & Carl Wood.

Public Time: The B6480 from the Narrows in Wennington to Spout Lane is to be closed from 2 – 6 February:

The Dog Warden at Environmental Health Department is to contacted re dog fouling near Wennington Station.

The Chairman read a report of the meeting on 13 November at Palatine Hall, this is to be sent to the residents at Ivah.

1. Apologies: Cllr Michael Mason who is working.

2. Minutes: of 18/11/08 have been circulated. Cllr Winstanley, chairman signed them as a true and correct record, proposed by Cllr Deller seconded by Cllr Taylor.

3. Police & Community Together: PC Johnston said that no crime had been reported in Tatham but big silo bales had been stolen from an out barn in an adjacent Parish. Also illegal hare coursing is being carried out at night, he said that anyone seeing a suspicious vehicle parked in a lay by should contact Lancaster Police Station on 01524 63333 and leave a message for him. Contact e mail to be put in the Wrayly Mail.

4. Report on Training Day: Cllr Winstanley reported on a training day which she and Cllr Harrison had attended. The RFO must be the clerk; Cllr Harrison remains Cllr with special responsibility for finance: Letters from the Parish Council must only be written by the clerk.

5. Freedom of Information Act: The meeting resolved to adopt the model scheme (without modification) backdated to 1 January. The list is to be put on the notice board.

6. Lengthsman: The chairman reported on a meeting on 8 January which she, Cllr Harrison and the clerk had attended with Tarja Wilson and representatives from Melling and Wray Parish Councils, Lengthsman’s pay to be £12 per hour: The future of the Lengthsman was discussed, using costing prepared by Cllr Harrison.

The meeting resolved to keep the Lengthsman but to reduce his hours in Tatham from five to two and a half hours per week for the next financial year. Mrs Wilson and the clerk for Melling are to be informed. Cllr Harrison is the Lengthsman’s contact for Tatham.

7. Village Green: Commons Act 2000, this will be discussed at the next meeting when all Cllrs have read the documents.

8. Telephone Box: We are awaiting notification of Listing.

9. Finance: The up to date Receipts & Payments book & quarterly report were inspected.

(a) Letters requesting grants for next year (with balance sheets) have been received from Tatham Fells Old School to help with insurance, St James the Less and the Good Shepherd Churches towards churchyard maintenance, Friends of Tatham Fells School towards a trip to the Theatre, North West Air Ambulance. It was also agreed to give a donation towards the local news letter.

(b) Cllr Dawson proposed and Cllr Murray seconded that the following be paid –

Cheque No 315 Dave Duperouzel (hosting website) £60

(c) The Budget for 2009/10 was discussed; Cllrs agreed all items, the clerks salary to be raised from £400 to £425 per year proposed by Cllr Dawson, seconded by Cllr Murray, Cllr Taylor declared and interest.

(d) PRECEPT - Cllr Taylor proposed & Cllr Dawson seconded that we apply for a Precept of £3,900 and the form was filled in and signed. Budget displayed on the following page.

10. Plans:

Permitted: extensions to house & erection of garage, Raw Ridding for Mrs Sanderson

Permitted: erection of garage & garden room, Snap Cottage for Mr Stone.

New: 08/01420/FUL – erection of a single storey rear extension & gable end extension at 3 Mill Houses for Mr Kelsall.

New: 09/0009/AD – Agricultural Determination for the erection of a storage building at East View, Old Moor Road for Mr & Mrs Woods.

11. Communities & Local Government: consultation on local authority publicity.

12. City Council: (a) Register of Electors (b) Mayors Reception 19 March, 7pm (Keith Budden) (c) information from Lancaster District Partnership Office (d) questionnaire re Dog Control orders.

13. County Council: (a) consultation re future of Hornby High School, meeting 22 January (b) Lancashire Local – Lancaster District minutes and agendas.

Highways: A reply had been received from Mr B Abraham, Assistant Area Manager: A letter was read from Mrs Catherine Taylor re non mowing of roadside verges and failure to clear roads of ice and snow; other problems reported - water still running past Tatham Fells School, flooding still on Mewith Lane, drain at School House, a big pothole on the Church Road, all the gullies blocked from Ivah to the boundary with Botton, the sides of the roads are breaking up in many places. A system of local volunteers to monitor gullies was suggested.

14. LAPTC:

Lancaster – Minutes Nov. Agenda Jan.

County – December Newsletter: National Family Week 25 – 31 May: Report on AGM 1 Nov – President Ray Fisher, Chairman Cllr David Dickinson, vice chairman Cllr Colin Peacock:

National- Magazines.

15. Community Futures: Mike Winstanley is progressing with the History Group; he has borrowed Parish Council minute books and records. There is to be a display in the Old School on 28 March.

16. Correspondence: (a) Christmas card from MP Geraldine Smith (b) SELRAP (Skipton – East Lancashire Rail Action Group) request a letter of support.

17. Next meeting: 17 March 2009 at 7.30pm in the Old School, Tatham Fells.

CLERKS SALARY 425

CLERKS EXPENSES 90

INSURANCE 350

L.A.P.T.C. 90

ROOM HIRE 40

AUDIT 50

WEB SITE 60

1,105

TATHAM FELLS OLD SCHOOL/VILLAGE HALL 400

LENGTHSMAN 1,500

EMERGENCY FUND 65 1,965

ST JAMES THE LESS CHURCH 240

GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH 240

FRIENDS OF TATHAM FELLS SCHOOL 200

N. W. AIR AMBULANCE 100

WRAYLY MAIL (Towards publication) 50

TOTAL 3,400