Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed representatives to the meeting.

The Chairman congratulated Pickering Town Council on achieving Quality Parish Council status.

The minutes of the last Parish Liaison Meeting held on 8 December 2008 were presented.

With reference to Minute No 93 - Developing the Local Government Framework - the Head of Planning reported on the current position with regard to the LDF process.

Nineteen consultation events had been held across the area together with a two-day event at the Milton Rooms, Malton.  The next major step in the process was a Special Meeting of Council, which was to take place on 29 October 2009 when Members were to consider the Core Strategy Consultation responses.  It was anticipated that a series of extra meetings would be arranged.  The Head of Planning thanked everyone for participating in the process.  

            Resolved

            That the minutes of the Parish Liaison Meeting held on 8 December 2008 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

A presentation will be given by Steve King on the work of the Service in local communities.

The Chairman welcomed Steve King, Community Fire Safety Officer to the meeting.  Mr King reported that the Fire & Rescue Service was actively seeking to reduce the number of fire and road incidents.  The Service had produced an advisory booklet ‘Fire Safety in the Home’ a supply of which was provided at the meeting.

Mr King reported that upon request, the North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service would carry out a home risk assessment.  The service was completely free of charge.  Trained officers would visit homes to give advice on fire safety in the home, actions that could be taken to reduce the risk of fire, and discuss escape routes in the event of a fire.  The Service was also able to provide and fit smoke alarms free of charge at the time of carrying out an assessment.  The alarm units and batteries had a ten-year life.  The Service was also able to offer a wireless smoke alarm designed for the hard of hearing; again the units and fitting were free of charge.  In addition, an electric blanket exchange scheme had been introduced whereby the Service would provide a new electric blanket in exchange for electric blankets over three year old.

Mr King reported on the importance to the Service of partnership working and reported that two free-standing matrix signs together with two smaller portable units were available for community use.  The portable units, which could be fixed to lampposts or telegraph poles, indicated speed limits and also collected data on the numbers and speeds of vehicles passing by.  The information could then be used to produce various statistics.

Following a question from a representative of Rillington Parish Council, Mr King reported that he would investigate whether there were any limitations on the use of the units in villages along the A64 and report back to the Parish.

The Chairman thanked Mr King for attending.

LEADER Programme Officer, Amy Thomas, will up date members at the meeting.

Jane Johnson, the District Council’s Economy & Community Section, gave a presentation on the LEADER Programme Parish Caretaker Scheme.  The scheme was available to parishes within the North York Moors Coast & Hills area, and not to those parishes within Coast, Wolds, Wetlands & Waterways area.

The main purpose of a Parish Caretaker was to carry out regular maintenance work around the Parish and generally make the area a nice place to live and visit.  A report was circulated, which outlined responses to frequently asked questions relating to the scope and funding issues covered by the scheme.

Streetscene Manager, Beckie Bennett will report at the meeting.

Beckie Bennett, the District Council’s Streetscene Manager, reported on the following initiatives:

·        An information reference pack was being developed for use by Parishes in the District.  All Parishes were to be provided with a copy.

·        ‘Take the Lead, Take the Bag’ - funding had been secured through the Safer Ryedale Partnership for the provision of dog bins and bag dispensers. 

·        Encams, the environmental charity, launched ‘The Big Tidy Up’ - England’s biggest ever clean up campaign in September 2008.  Any voluntary or community group interested in organising a local tidy up should contact John Brown, the Council’s Environmental Co-ordinator for a free tidy up kit.  Any collections of rubbish were to be collected by the Council’s Streetscene Services.

·        The Council was assisting parishes with flooding issues and supplies of sandbags were to be made available in key locations.

·        A pilot scheme for the monthly collection of garden waste was to be introduced through the winter months.

·        The Safer Ryedale Partnership had purchased a ‘Graffiti Buster’ machine, which was used to thoroughly remove graffiti from buildings and other structures around the District. 

Councillor Keal referred to a recent incident in Pickering involving graffiti of a particularly serious nature and thanked officers for the prompt action taken to secure its thorough removal.      

Neil Irving, Head of Policy & Partnerships, North Yorkshire County Council, will be attending the meeting to speak to representatives in connection with the County Council’s budget process.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Mr Neil Irving, North Yorkshire County Council’s Head of Policy & Partnerships.  Mr Irving gave a brief presentation on the County Council’s budget process.

Mr Irving reported that the County Council was again reviewing its Council plan and budget for the next 3 years and beyond.  The County Council wanted to make sure that the views and priorities of the wider public, other partner agencies and staff, influenced and informed the Council plan and budget.  An exercise had been carried out last year and learned that there was broad support for the priorities of the Council but most people were anxious about the economic downturn and a number thought that the County Council should reduce its proposed level of council tax.  As a result, the Council had continued to provide essential services, put in place actions to minimise the impact of the recession, and reduced the council tax increase for 2009/2010.  The Council was now undertaking a review of future proposed levels of council tax.  Views were sought to make sure that the priorities were the right ones.  As part of this process parish councils were to be consulted.

Views were sought on the following aspects of the Medium Term Financial Strategy:

·        Council priorities

·        Value for money

·        Council Tax, and

·        Any other related issues which people would like to raise

Responses were sought by early January 2010.

An item would be on the agenda for the next meeting of the Ryedale Area Committee and Parishes were to be circulated with the details of the meeting.

Mr Lerew, Wombleton Parish Council referred to the recent planning appeal held in connection with an application for development at the potato store, Hungerhill Lane, Wombleton.  The appeal had been dismissed and Mr Lerew reported that he would like to place on record the Parish Council’s thanks to Ryedale’s planning officers.  The Head of Planning reported that this had been a very difficult case and thanked the North Yorkshire County Council’s Highways Officers for their contribution, in particular Mr James Kennedy who had appeared as an expert witness at the planning hearing.

There were no items for consideration under Any Other Business.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and declared the meeting closed.

The meeting closed at 8.15 pm.