Tatham Parish Council

Present: District Cllr Langhorn, Parish Cllrs Melanie Winstanley, Andrew Taylor, Bill Deller, Jim Harrison and Ruby Murray, Sue Dawson, the Clerk and one member of the public Kate Stone.

Public Time: Matters discussed were local plans; and a meeting at Palatine Hall on 13 November with Debbie Threlfall, Senior Planning Office; Martin Culbert, Planning Officer and Martin Brownjohn, Senior Environmental Health Officer where Cllrs Winstanley, Deller, Dawson and Taylor and the clerk discussed planning and noise pollution.

Friends of Tatham Fells School have re felted the roof and painted the Parish Council Shed in the School grounds, they have also cleaned and tidied it. Cllrs thanked Mrs Stone, Secretary of the Friends.

1. Apologies:

2. Minutes: of September 16 have been circulated. The chairman signed them as a true and correct record, proposed by Cllr Deller seconded by Cllr Dawson.

3. Police & Community Together:

4. Lengthsman: Cllr Harrison reported that he had contacted Steve Loy, clerk for Melling and representatives from Wray; he had also spoken to Simon Armistead, the Lengthsman. The meeting resolved to discuss this again at the next Parish Council meeting following the meeting on 19 November with Tarja Wilson, and representatives of Melling and Wray.

5. Telephone Box: Cllr Langhorn and Cllr Winstanley will look into adopting the box.

6. Tree: The fallen tree in the river belonged to Mrs Priestly, she has had Martin Knowles cut it up and remove it.

7. Finance: The up to date Receipts & Payments book was inspected.

(a) Bank Statements –RFO Cllr Harrison signed the bank statements.

Current – 24 July – 24 Oct £1,067.95

(b) Audit. The Annual Return was approved and accepted by the Council, proposed by Cllr Deller, seconded by Cllr Murray. The notice is to be displayed on the notice board for 14 days.

(c) Cllr Winstanley proposed and Cllr Deller seconded that the following be paid

Cheque No 314 BDO Stoy Hayward LLP (Audit) £58.75

(d) Requests for funding were received from Friends of Tatham Fells School, the Good Shepherd Church and the Air Ambulance.

(e) The budget was discussed.

8. Plans: The Planning sub committee of Cllrs Dawson, Murray and Taylor study all Planning Applications when they are received.

Permitted: Extension to Low Wood, Lowgill Lane.

Permitted: Extension to utility room, Middle Barn, Lowgill Lane.

New & permitted: 08/01167/FUL – Erection of a 2 storey extension to rear, East View, Old Moor Road for Mr & Mrs W Woods

New & permitted: 08/00834/CU – Change of use of land to allow siting of a static caravan to provide annex accommodation at Green Hall, Higher Tatham for Mrs J Easterby.

New: 08/01135/FUL – Erection of extensions & alterations to house & erection of double garage at Raw Ridding House for Mrs Rebecca Sanderson.

New: 08/01194/FUL – Erection of garden store, car port & veranda at Hope Cottage, Long Lane for Mr & Mrs Sutton.

New: 08/01123/FUL – Erection of garage & garden room, Snap Cottage, Lowgill for Mr Philip Stone with accompanying letter.

9. City Council: Cllr Langhorn explained the Consultation on Future Special Expenses, we are to respond by saying that Parishes should not have to pay twice for the same services.

10. County Council: (a) Lancashire Local – Lancaster District sub committee agenda Sept. 2 minutes Sept & agenda Oct. (b) Annual conference 29 Nov. (c) Information re Commons Act 2006 to be discussed at the next meeting.

Highways: emails from Mr Breen; the wild flower verge will only be mown at the appropriate time. Letters have been received from Mr Osborne and Mrs Catherine Taylor re problems in Tatham. – Verges in the fells have not been mown for two years; the grate outside the Primiary School is blocked and running over; a branch hanging over the road near Ivah; flooding on Mewith Lane; water continually on the road at Hindburn bridge; water on the road at three places on Old Moor road, near the sub station and Herring Head wood. All the gullies on Agnes Ing Lane are blocked, Mr Burrow has offered to show their location to Council workers.

Lancaster –Sept minutes, Nov agenda.

County – Sept newsletter; Annual report. Freedom of Information Act.

National – magazines & update on Sustainable Communities Bill.

12. Community Futures: Parish Plan – Cllr Deller reported that the first History Lecture by John Wilson had been a great success. He requires a list of expenses. A letter from Mrs Osborne to Mr Ian Cummings, Chief Executive of N. Lancs. Primary Care trust is to be forwarded to him with a copy of the Parish Plan.

13. Correspondence: (a) Fire & Rescue Family carol service at Blackburn Cathedral on Dec 10: (b) Standards Board newsletter (c) The Playing Field newsletter (d) LASRUG newsletter (e) Post watch, now Consumer Focus, helpline 084 5404 0506 (f) Woodland trust (g) Local Government consultation re Code of Conduct.

14. Next Meeting: January 20, 2009 in the Old School, Tatham Fells at 7.30pm; the budget meeting.

Pictures kindly donated by Mike Winstanley and ICTMatrix Project
Parish Information provided by Mary Taylor - Clerk to the Parish Council