A meeting of Hartington Town Quarter Parish Council was held on Wednesday, 2nd September 2020 at 7.30pm in Hartington Village Hall follow social distancing guidelines in view of the Coronavirus pandemic in Britain.
On arrival to the meeting, Mrs Broomhead MBE advised that the village hall will now be implementing new safety measures to include the wearing of safety masks in the village hall, unless refreshments are involved.
Present: D Annat, E Broomhead MBE, R Sherratt, Mr A Grindey, Mrs S Bruce, Mr S Wager and the clerk,
S Hampson. There were two members of the public in attendance from Hartington Primary School, accompanied by their parents.
Part 1 Non-confidential information
20.9.1 Apologies
There were no apologies
20.9.2 Declaration of personal interest of councillors
There was no need, by any member present, to complete an entry in the register.
20.9.3 Minutes of the previous meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting had been forwarded to members in advance of the meeting and posted on the parish council’s website and noticeboard.
Resolved: to accept the minutes as a true record of proceedings. The minutes were signed by Mr D Annat.
20.9.4 Public speaking
Two pupils from Hartington Primary School attended the public speaking section only after forwarding a letter from the pupils seeking an opinion on the erection of a natural wooden wind break around a circular seat which has been placed at the school. The area provides an important space for privacy and reflection which would benefit from a windbreak to shield the young pupils from some of the elements.
The members were very impressed by the communication from the pupils requesting support from the parish council to erect the wind break.
Resolved: Members considered the erection of a natural wind break to be a marvellous idea and doubted it would need official planning permission; however, Mr Annat agreed to contact Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) to confirm this opinion and to reiterate the parish council’s support of the school’s proposal.
20.9.5 PCSO updates
The clerk had contacted the new PCSO for any relevant police updates; however, he had responded to inform the clerk that unfortunately, he was on rest days until two days after the meeting.
20.9.6 Update from District Councillor
The district councillor was not in attendance due to a commitment at Derbyshire Dales District Council (DDDC).
20.9.7 Former cheese factory site and new planning proposal
Members debated the latest and rather disturbing information, received about the Section 73 Application by Amos Hartington Limited, to vary the conditions of the Planning Application granted by the Government Inspector at the 2016 Informal Hearing.
As members were aware, the parish council had submitted 3 full responses against the wholesale changes proposed to the original plans. Councillors had been very concerned about the Applicant’s e-mail response on July 27, to the parish council’s latest submission, that the parish council should; however, be aware that planning permission NP/DDD/0418/0303 does not contain any legal obligation on Amos Group to deliver any affordable housing. This application provides an opportunity to remedy this situation, and therefore this application should be welcomed for this reason alone.
Clearly affordable housing, alongside landscape enhancement, was the only enablement justifying the whole development and was covered by a Universal Undertaking by the Applicant in the 2016 Public Hearing.
Having requested a copy of the Officer’s Recommendation to Committee, Councillors learned that not only were the amendments being supported, subject to a number of conditions, but that whilst granting some minor amendments to the scheme in 2018, the Peak Park Authority had omitted to include an updated Universal Undertaking and therefore, the Applicant, as they stated, was no longer under an obligation to provide any Affordable Homes. This was clearly a huge shock to the Parish Council.
In summary, the developer being aware the obligation to provide affordable homes has disappeared, has continued to build in contravention of the agreed plans and have now submitted a further raft of changes under the latest application.
In effect the PDNPA would have to accept many of these changes if they are to persuade the developer to sign a new agreement to provide the affordable homes. The parish council, meanwhile has been responding to all the innumerable changes unaware that the developer had such a powerful negotiating position.
The planners assure us they will obtain a new Section 6 legal agreement to provide the 4 affordable homes and the Planning Committee has subsequently agreed the application, subject to a number of conditions including the signing of the of the Section 6 agreement. This, however, had still to be completed.
Councillors were very unhappy with the situation and could not understand how the PDNPA’s legal team could have missed the inclusion of the Universal Undertaking in the 2018 Application. They felt they had wasted large amounts of time scrutinising and responding to all the subsequent schemes in ignorance that the applicant had a powerful bargaining position to help them obtain the changes they wanted.
Resolved: Mr Chapman, as Vice Chairman of PDNPA, to be contacted to take the above matter forward.
20.9.8 Pump stones and War Memorial area including trees and Remembrance Day
The clerk had recontacted a contractor who had unsuccessfully submitted a tender to carry out the required works on the pump stones and the War Memorial. This contractor had declined, quite strongly, to carry out the work after not being awarded the work initially. The awarded contractor had been recontacted but had not responded. Members discussed and suggested other local suitably qualified contractors to undertake the necessary work.
Resolved: Mrs Bruce to contact a local walling contractor about the pump stones and War Memorial flags. These maintenance issues can be considered as two separate contracts.
The clerk had included the Remembrance Day service to discussed the possible need of road closures to facilitate a service at the memorial adhering to social distancing.
Resolved: the clerk to request a road closure between 10.45 and 11.15 am on the Dale Road, to facilitate the Remembrance Day Service and aid greater social distancing.
The clerk had also asked a tree surgeon to view the War Memorial trees. He had reported that there are two dying trees which would benefit from being removed to enable the others to have a better chance of thriving. However, the number of trees present is historically significant representing the number of men from Hartington who had fallen in the two world wars. The clerk had requested a quote to remove the dead trees replace with two like trees but the quote had not been received in time for the meeting.
Resolved: the clerk to chase the tree surgery quote.
A discussion also took place surrounding the Wells’ dressings at the War Memorial and the pump. This included who are the organisers and the appropriateness of holding a blessing. All other wells’ dressings in the local area have been cancelled.
Resolved: Mr Annat to contact the church warden to suggest the cancellation of the blessing in view of present government guidelines of public gatherings.
20.9.9 The stanner and duck pond, including fish
Mrs Bruce had contacted a fisheries worker regarding the optimum way to safely remove the fish from the pond advising the person to contact the chairman but further contact had not taken place. Mr Wager advised that he was aware of another contact. Mr Sherratt advised that areas of land in Hartington are still rather damp concerning the removal and disposal of the silt from the pond.
The clerk had approached Hartington Nether Quarter Parish Council members regarding the possibility of depositing the fish from the pond into Heathcote Mere. Some members of Hartington Nether Quarter Parish Council had expressed some concerns about visitations by the heron but it was reported that this also occurs in Hartington.
Resolved: Mr Annat to make contact again with the gentleman approached by Mrs Bruce in regard to moving the fish.
Resolved: The clerk to contact PDNPA’s ponds’ officer to clarify the appropriate window to move the fish without compromising any protected Great Crested Newts which may be present in the pond.
20.9.10 Cemetery and village maintenance
Income received by the parish council from the parish council cemetery can be inconsistent, however, it could be used to contribute towards the cost of a contractor to undertake maintenance in the cemetery, in addition to the cost of mowing in the cemetery. The present contractor has been approached but would not be interested, at this time, in undertaking the additional maintenance such as the Garden of Remembrance area. Other areas within the parish/village also require additional periodic maintenance and weeding, including the Stanner, pond, War Memorial. The clerk suggested that tasks undertaken by a lengths man could be considered with a view to tenders being considered for a prepared contract.
Resolved: Mr Annat and Mrs Broomhead MBE to view and compile lengths man specification tasks to discuss at future meetings, to enable a tender to be considered.
Resolved: Mr Grindey to attend to some of the weed killing requirements at the War Memorial before Remembrance Day.
The clerk had reported some quite large tree branches which had fallen and obstructed the access to the parish council cemetery and the church path. Mr Grindey had kindly moved these with assistance from Mr Wager.
20.9.11 Neighbourhood Plan
Mr Annat advised that he had spent further time on the Neighbourhood Plan. Maps and a template for surveys have been received. Further circulation to the committee will take place shortly. Consultation with land owners will take place. A former parish councillor has offered to assist. Everything is now in place to move the matter forward.
Resolved: Mr Annat to forward a link to the plan to members.
20.9.13 Items of account, salaries, HMRC, general administration, section 137, village planters
Cq 1461 D Wood 2 mowing cuts in July £440.00
Cq 1462 S Hampson September clerk’s salary £239.36
Cq 1463 S Hampson September internet provision £10.00
Cq 1464 S Hampson Reimbursement of expenses £12.71
Cq 1465 HMRC Quarter two income tax £179.60
Cq 1466 Hartington Village Hall Hire £27.50
Cq 1467 D Wood 2 mowing cuts in August £440.00
The NALC pay awards for 2019 and 2020 had been received and forwarded to members in advance of the meeting.
Resolved: Members unanimously agreed to award the clerk the above pay awards and to back date the 2019 award to 1 April 2019 and the 2020 award to 1 April 2020.
20.9.13 Planning applications, planning sub-committee and appeals
The recent application at the cheese shop has been withdrawn. The music and alcohol licence at the Farm Shop has been granted. Members discussed revised plans at Newhaven Lodge Farm. It was agreed that the application was very similar to the previously approved plans with some additional aspects.
Resolved: to support the application at Newhaven Lodge Farm.
20.9.14 Highway issues, signs, pot holes, street lighting, maintenance
Based on government advice, authorities (including PDNPA Enforcement Officers) had lent support to the placement of the pizza hut in front of the Devonshire Arms to serve outdoor food. Members reported that this had food outlet had not been open at all in part due to issues serving food under the bedroom windows of public house.
It was reported that volunteers had carried out litter picking subsequent to the last meeting and had undertaken a fantastic job; however, people/tourists continue to ‘dump’ litter adjacent to litter bins when they are full which can lead to it being strewn across the greens etc. Mrs Bruce reported that she now pays for an additional waste collection and generally speaking, tourists who frequent her shop are returning their waste to her waste bins.
20.9.15 Correspondence and communication
Correspondence details had been forwarded to members in advance of the meeting with many items being covered by the agenda.
A message had been received by the clerk from a lady in nearby village who wished to place notices in the noticeboard to promote her dog business.
Resolved: to advise the lady to approach the local shop(s) as the noticeboards are parish business/information.
20.9.16 Items for the next agenda
Cemetery/Garden of Remembrance and village maintenance, former cheese factory site, neighbourhood plan, village pump stone steps and War Memorial pointing, The Stanner and duck pond. Additional items to be compiled by the clerk.
20.9.16 Date of next meeting
7th October 2020. (This meeting will be subject to guidelines in place in October)
Part 2 Confidential information
There were no confidential items to discuss
The meeting was declared closed at 9.00 pm
Mrs S Hampson
Hartington Town Quarter Parish Council
4th September 2020
©Hartington Town Quarter Parish Council minutes remain draft until approved by the parish council at the next meeting