Hartington Town Quarter Parish Council
The annual meeting of Hartington Town Quarter Parish Council was held on Wednesday, 1st May at 7.30pm in the Bakehouse.
Present: D Annat, A Grindey, S Bruce, S Wager, R Sherratt, the clerk, S Hampson and three members of the public in attendance for part of the meeting.
Part 1 Non-confidential information
24.5.1 Apologies and attendance register
The members present completed the attendance register.
24.5.2 Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman
Chairman: Mr A Grindey (Prop DA, Sec SB)
Vice chairman: Mr S Wager (Prop AG, Sec DA)
All members expressed their thanks to Mr Annat who stepped down as Chairman after many years of dedicated service. Mr Annat will continue to serve as a parish councillor.
24.5.3 Declaration of acceptance of office of Chairman and Members
Resolved: These were duly completed, before the proper officer, Mrs Hampson
24.5.4 Completion of members’ interest forms
These were duly completed by all councillors.
24.5.5 Prejudicial interest of Councillors
There was no need, by any member present, to declare an interest in the agenda items.
24.5.6 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 Grindey,
24.5.7 Public speaking
There were three members of the public in attendance but none wished to speak during this section
24.5.8 Neighbourhood Plan
Mr Annat has been very heavily involved with the production of the Neighbourhood Plan but unfortunately, is now stepping down from a lead role with this matter. Members expressed their gratitude for the enormous amount of work undertaken by Mr Annat over many years.
A number of communications had been sent from the Neighbourhood Plan Committee to the parish council, in advance of the meeting, regarding the final draft of the plan. A meeting had also taken place at the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA). The link at PDNPA has been put in place and it has been established that there will be no need to repeat the regulation 14 process. The plan will now progress to a Section 16 (a 6-week timescale to commence publicity) with the parish council as the lead body. Once PDNPA is satisfied, the Neighbourhood Plan will be submitted a government inspector and only then will it go to a referendum to all members of the electoral roll for the parish. For it to succeed, 50% of the parish will have to vote in favour of it. If successful, the plan will then be used as the working document for any development for the next 15 years for the protection of the parish.
Resolved: to officially appoint a paid consultant (Mrs J Newman) to work with the PDNPA Link to progress the Neighbourhood Plan to completion.
Resolved: to agree the terms, conditions and costs detailed by the consultant.
Resolved: Where necessary, a sub-committee of the parish council to meet outside of ordinary parish council meetings. This committee to consist of any of the 6 parish council members, all members of the Neighbourhood Plan Committee and the clerk to the parish council, where necessary.
Resolved: All future communications to come through the clerk to the parish council for onward submission.
Resolved: To apply for any available grants.
Resolved: To hold a meeting on 13th May with the appointed consultant.
Resolved: Members of the Neighbourhood Plan committee to ensure all documents are in alignment with current policy.
Resolved: If the Neighbourhood Plan succeeds, to re-employ the use of paid consultants in the future, as and when required.
24.5.9 Presentation of the accounts for the year ended 31st March 2024
The clerk and responsible finance officer had prepared the accounts for the year ended 31st March 2024 and had submitted audit documentation to the new internal auditor; however, it had not been possible to arrange a meeting to complete the internal audit prior to the meeting date.
Resolved: to unanimously accept the accounts as a true record and to await completion of the internal audit process.
24.5.11 Agar 2 certificate of exemption
Please see above; however, this year, due to the financial transactions through the account, it will not be possible to declare a certificate of exemption.
24.5.12 Annual governance statement
Please see item 24.5.9
24.5.13 Accounting statement
Please see item 24.5.9
24.5.14 Update from District Councillor
Unfortunately, the District Councillor was not in attendance.
Resolved: the clerk to request that the District Councillor seek further assurance of the District Council for the protection of field 0657 for future burial facilities for the parish.
24.5.15 Former cheese factory site
A resident had forwarded communications in connection to the development site and affordable housing provision. The parish council members were grateful for this communication and very encouraged by lower prices issued by the District Valuer in relation to affordable house prices at the development site. The members remain concerned whether affordable houses will be advertised, made available to local people and finished with a degree of urgency. A further letter had been sent by the clerk to the Head of Planning at the PDNPA regarding the cascade system and for local people to have first choice on this development. There will no longer be any properties available to rent. There is no evidence that any properties have been advertised at the lower price. Members stated that the PDNPA’s legal agreement with the developer has not been followed through. Of further concern to the parish council is that construction has stopped; the developer has moved equipment off the site and that the affordable houses will not be built. The parish council has covered every angle but the PDNPA’s legal department has unfortunately, let the parish down.
24.5.16 War Memorial Stone
Resolved: Mr Annat to submit measurements to the supplier to cut suitable stone for the plaque to be mounted. Mr Grindey, Mr Sherratt and or Mr Wager to collect once ready and the stone with plaque attached to be placed at an agreed place.
24.5.17 Items of account, salaries, HMRC, administration, banking
Cq 1753 void
Cq 1754 S Hampson May clerk’s salary £429.77
Cq 1755 S Hampson May internet provision £17.00
Cq 1756 S Hampson Reimbursement of expenses £6.05
Cq 1757 Hartington Village Hall Parish council meeting hire £27.50
Cq 1758 Zurich Municipal Insurance Insurance premium £392.91
Cq 1759 Hartington Village Hall Neighbourhood Plan meeting hire £18.00
Cq 1760 B Coles Await mowing contractor’s invoice
Cq 1761 Hartington Community Group Second donation towards plinth £161.00*
*Mrs Broomhead MBE had forwarded, on behalf of Hartington Community Group (HCG), a request for a second donation, in the sum of £161, from the parish council towards the completion of a stone plinth to mark the King’s coronation. £200 had previously been donated to this project by the parish council. Other village groups are also contributing to this project
Resolved: to support the request from HCG for £161 on this occasion but in the future will not support items that have not been properly costed by HCG.
Resolved: to agree an annual fee of £120 to be paid to a parishioner (Mr L Goodwin) to manage the parish council’s website plus the hosting fee costs. Mr Annat to supply his email address to enable the clerk to liaise with him for the posting of future parish council documents on to the website.
24.5.18 Planning applications, planning sub-committee and appeals
There were no new planning applications.
24.5.19 Highway issues, yellow lines, pot holes, street lighting
There had been no action taken to the highway defects previously reported by the clerk. A road closure will shortly take place on Mill Lane. A resident on the Dale had submitted a request for consideration for various matters, including a highway matter but none of the items concerned action by the parish council.
Resolved: the clerk to resubmit requests for repairs to the highway in previously reported locations.
24.5.20 Correspondence and communication
Correspondence had Park Parishes Forum been forwarded to members in advance of the meeting and included: DCC news, Rural Bulletins, parishes bulletins, RSN funding digest, parish and town council liaison forums, Peak Park celebrating 70th anniversary of the Ranger Service, DALC newsletter. Mr Grindey had communicated with the company to undertake the underground camera survey once water levels have subsided.
Mr Wager had again been approached by a resident regarding poor telecommunication in the village. Many people can; however, communicate using their mobile phones but through other means to phone calls/texts such as WhatsApp calling/messaging.
Resolved: the parish council will support an unobtrusive hidden mast if an additional mobile phone provider could find a suitable alternative location for this. The O2 mast hidden within the wall of the village hotel continues to provide excellent network coverage for this particular network.
24.5.21 Items for the next agenda
War Memorial plaque, Neighbourhood Plan, former cheese factory site, underground camera survey, accounts for the year ended 31st March 2024, internal and external audit, review of policies. Additional items to be compiled by the clerk.
24.5.22 Date of next meeting: Wednesday, 5th June 2024.
Confidential Items
There were no confidential items to discuss.
The meeting was declared closed at 9.15 pm.
Mrs S Hampson, Clerk
Hartington Town Quarter Parish Council
2nd May 2024
©Hartington Town Quarter Parish Council minutes remain draft until approved by the parish council at the next meeting