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MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING OF PRESTON RICHARD
HELD ON 20thAPRIL 2015 IN ENDMOOR VILLAGE HALL at 7.30 pm
Present: Cllrs R Fry, JD Hayhurst, Mrs S Eccles, M Daunt, I Park, J Brakewell,
M Smith, D Inman together with, Mrs A Park (Clerk), PCSO Mark Hutchinson and Glenn
& Julia Smithers from the Community Plan Acton Group.
1.15
APOLOGIES - County Cllr R Bingham
2.15
ANNUAL REPORT FROM PCSO MARK HUTCHINSON OF CUMBRIA POLICE
In the past twelve months crime has reduced in South Lakeland and more calls are
being received from local communities reporting crimes and suspicious behaviour in
their neighbourhoods. The majority of local crime is carried out by opportunistic thieves
targeting insecure premises such as out buildings and farm buildings. Small but high
value items such as chainsaws, generators and push bikes are easy to steal and move
on for criminals. The Local community play a huge part in gathering intelligence and
reporting suspicious activity to police. Getting registration numbers from vehicles and
promptly reporting suspicious people giving good descriptions can hasten the stopping
of these people and questioning them about their behaviour. 18 Crimes reported in
Preston Richard Parish over the past 12 months compared to 14 the previous year.
Almost half of these were thefts from out buildings. Cold callers and fish sellers still
operate in our villages from time to time and along with Trading Standards and
neighbouring Constabulary’s, Police are disrupting their trading patterns and seizing
goods where possible, Mark also warned that the quality of these goods cannot be
guaranteed in particular food items. Recent operations have linked in with Lancashire
and North Yorkshire constabulary’s to crack down on criminals coming into our county to
operate.
Cllr Fry asked what staffing levels are and to be in the future, Mark advised they will be
falling but did not know as yet by how many however the current 95 PCSO’s will remain
in post until April 2016. Cllr Brakewell asked if anyone had been caught for the damage
to cars at the Crooklands layby, Mark advised not as yet. Glenn Smithers asked if it Cllrs
Eccles could provide the community with a copy of the door step sellers license to
enable it to be published on the web site noticeboards or social media to help people
know if they were legitimate, Cllr Eccles said she would see what she could do. Mark
advised if in doubt ring 101.
3.15
ANNUAL REPORT FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
This has been very busy year for the Parish Council and a very significant one as this
year we have gone out to the public to get their views on what they wish for the future of
our Parish and I was very pleased to be asked to Chair the Steering Group which
complimented my Chairmanship of the Parish Council. By chairing both I learned much
of the community and what they expected from the Parish Council. The views obtained
enabled a Community Plan to be created which will be used to guide the Parish Council
in their future decisions, particularly important with the impending expansion of the
village. This year we have:
April: - The Speedwatch initiative was up and running and proving very successful in
slowing down traffic and producing evidence of just how much speeding was happening
within the village. Our thanks to the Speedwatch team
May: - Our first Parish Council newsletter was circulated to all households advising of
what is happening in our community. We tried to start up No Cold Calling areas within
the Parish but due to CCC cut back there are no new ones being set up at present, so
that is something for the future.
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June: - The Parish Council entered discussions with the Canal & River Trust and
Lancaster Canal Trust with a view to adopting the portion of the canal which runs
through our parish. As it was felt that this is a valuable tourist attraction it was
unanimously agreed this should happen as we will have more say in its future.
July: - A new path was constructed from Sycamore Close to the play area as residents
complained it was getting muddy and impassable. A key pad defibrillator box was
purchased and installed to the exterior wall of the village hall to give the public access to
a defibrillator in case of an emergency which is a vital piece of equipment that should be
readily accessible.
September: - Cllr Brakewell and the clerk managed to obtain ‘No Cold Callers’ stickers
for every resident of Low Park to deter doorstep traders which were targeting that area.
An Open Day was held on the 22nd September by the Community Plan Steering Group
to gain information for the Community Plan, this was well attended and a great success.
The long awaited school lights were installed and after one or two initial setbacks have
been a help in getting our children safely to school. A new bench was installed in the
play area in memory of a young man who spent many happy hours in our parish on
holiday.
October: - The Community Plan Questionnaire was circulated and a very creditable
35% return rate was achieved.
November - The Village Hall gardens were looking a little worse for wear and it was
decided to improve this area. Firstly a new wall was built to hold the garden back which
was spilling on to the car park and then the garden was cleared of brambles and weeds.
Attempts were made to get a tree surgeon to improve the look of the trees on the car
park but none could be found so the search went on. Complaints had been received
regarding dog fouling in the Dove Nest Lane area and a new bin was installed in the
hope people would pick up after their animals.
December: - The Speedwatch initiative is doing well and the police are giving us more
support however the gun was having a few problems so after discussion with the
providers it was decided to upgrade the radar gun at a reduced price.
January: - January is a busy month as the precept has to be set for the coming financial
year. Complaints were received regarding the junction of Gatebeck Road and Birchfield
and it was agreed for the safety of children using Birchfield signs should be put at the
junction to ask vehicles to slow down when turning into Birchfield.
February: - After asking several tree surgeons about the car park trees they all arrived
at the same conclusion that they were too big to cut back and leave them presentable
and they felt the only solution was to remove them and replace with bushes which would
be more manageable. The removal work was carried out and we shall be replanting the
gardens and car park with the help of the Community Plan Action Group. The
Community Plan was drawn up and presented to the Council who were pleased to
accept it in its entirety.
March: - The Community Plan is launched and as we face the challenges of the new
developments this will be an invaluable tool to take to the negotiating table.
Cllr Fry thanked everyone who had supported him throughout the year and in particular
the clerk for all her hard work and wished everyone success in the future.
4.15
ANNUAL REPORT FROM CUMBRIA COUNCIL (CCC)
Cllr Bingham sent the following report as he was unable to attend. This year I tried
unsuccessfully to curb the development at Scroggs Wood as it is a site of archaeological
importance being close to the Roman Fort at Watercrook. I also objected to the building
of the new County HQ in Carlisle at a cost of £10m+ unsuccessfully. I spoke at the
SLDC Planning Committee which rejected the proposal to build a Crematorium at
Crooklands. On tourism the main controversy was the street car parking charges which
was eventually abandoned. For the first time in five years the County’s share of Council
Tax will increase by 1.99% meaning a rise of £23 on a band D property. Some parties
proposed no increase suggesting financial gains could be made by amalgamating some
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Child Care and Family Centres and closing unoccupied care homes. Uproar was caused
when it was proposed Children’s Clothing Allowance should be paid in vouchers rather
than cash which might be spent on something else. Proposals to keep home to school
and college transport subsidies were also rejected. In Kendal most of the 1960’s offices
behind County Offices have been demolished but it is not known what shall be put there.
Cumbria County Council has slashed expenditure by £88m but there is still another
£30m to find. Most economies have been made by reducing the workforce by 3000 and
it is planned to reduce by another 1800 by 2018. To date most redundancies have been
voluntary however the next will be 60% voluntary 40% compulsory. On savings I regret
that member’s allowance to spend on community facilities have been cut however the
highways allowance will continue. I was pleased to see Crooklands Bridge has been
repaired and that our anti speeding measures are being implemented. For next year
some of my particular concerns are the renewal and/or painting of white lines and road
signs.
5.15
ANNUAL REPORT ON SOUTH LAKELAND DISTRICT COUNCIL (SLDC)
Cllr Mrs Eccles informed the meeting that during the last year she has been working
hard on problems in the ward and cut backs have been a major headache. She had
managed to secure some funding for each of her parish councils to spend on their pet
projects such as the garden wall in the car park. The crematorium application brought a
blizzard of letters, e-mails and telephone calls from residents and at the committee
meeting it was unanimous the site was unsuited to become a crematorium or memorial
garden. The applicant now has the right of appeal and only time will tell if they are
successful or not. Another application for a crematorium has been received, the third this
year but not in this parish. Dog fouling, litter mess and flooding continue to be a problem
despite much effort on all fronts to educate the public on the first two of these items.
Some flooding problems have been alleviated due to gully and drain clearing however
there is still more work to be done. Sewer problem still blight some residents but
hopefully these shall be resolved in the very near future and a new system put in place
before any building work starts. I still deal with licensing issues around the whole of
South Lakeland and have dealt with several losses of taxi licenses this year due to drink
driving, ill health and drug related offences. Household recycling of plastic and
cardboard will be coming to this village in the future; this has been delayed due the
popularity, which has necessitated two new lorries to be ordered. This whole venture has
been researched and explored most thoroughly and the most effective and efficient
routes for the operatives are being timed and planned. The Parish Council is up for
election in 2016 I look forward to the challenges in the coming year and promise to try
my utmost best whatever that may bring.
6.15
ANNUAL REPORT FROM COMMUNITY PLAN WORKING GROUP
On behalf of the CP team we would like to thank the council for their support over the
past 12 months, in particular Ann for her relentless work in making this happen. As you
will know the Community Plan and its Action Plans has been approved and was
launched here in the village hall on Saturday 28th March. Disappointingly we had only
had 65 members of the community turn up on the day. Now that we have finished
developing and writing the Plan, we can turn our focus to implementing the detailed five
Action Plans for ‘New Developments’, ‘Traffic and Travel’, ‘The Local Environment’,
‘Community Life’ and ‘Energy and Broadband’. We look forward to the Parish Councils
continued support and full engagement in helping to turn the plan into reality. We are
starting by hosting a Community Litter Pick on Sunday 10th May followed by a cream tea.
In addition to this we investigating the purchase of our own SID for the parish as this
appears to have slowed down the traffic through the village. A full list of activities which
the community can get involved in can be found on the noticeboard in the Village Hall.
For the team to continue to administer the plan it will need a small budget for hosting the
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team meetings and printing posters etc. to promote events. We would like you to
consider how best to support us?
7.15
ANNUAL REPORT ON ENDMOOR BOWLING CLUB
Dorothy Airey sent a report as follows: The new season is now open for 2015 and we
have approximately 55 members but new members are welcome. We have three teams
in the Kendal & District League and two in the South Lakeland Seniors. Matches are
played on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Monday afternoons. Friendly matches
and competitions are held on Saturdays. Other times the green is free for social bowling.
If you feel you would like to come along and have a go you would be most welcome or
come and watch a match. It is a very friendly club and an important part of the
community.
8.15
ANNUAL REPORT ON ENDMOOR & DISTRICT FIRST RESPONDERS (CFR)
Cllr. Martin Smith, of the First Responders updated the meeting on the progress of the
group which now has 17 members all of which are trained to administer oxygen; each
member now has their own Automated External Defibrillator and Oxygen making the
boxes redundant. This year 2 members resigned and 1 new member is in training and
another new member has been trained in Kendal and allocated to our group. A further
previous member from Kendal has applied for re-training. Two members have passed
the ECFR which is the extended CFR programme raising the number to three in total.
The training base is still located at Crooklands Hotel and Cllr Smith extended the
Responders thanks to Charles & June Horrax for their support. Areas for training include
epilepsy, end of life care, diabetes, PFR completion, oxygen administration, the Airwave
Pager as well as CPR practice. This year we have provided boxes for the public in Old
Hutton, New Hutton and Endmoor and trained various groups in the use of defibrillators
via the Heartstart programme. We were presented with the ‘Gold Award for Cardiac
Smart’ at a prestigious ceremony in Warrington. We have had over 100 call outs but only
60 of them in our area due to a temporary increase in our area coverage. Our group has
been helping set up a new group of CFR’s in Kendal they have two trained members,
hopefully the group will be fully trained and assessed by the end of this year when our
commitment to Kendal will cease. The Punch Bowl at Barrows Green has nominated the
CFR’s as their charity for this year. A box for a public defibrillator is to be installed at
Preston Patrick Memorial Hall later this year. Don’t forget our Cream tea 30th May at
Marwood and we shall be attending Total Retro 10th June at Westmorland County
Showground.
9.15
ANNUAL REPORT ON ENDMOOR KGR FOOTBALL CLUB
A report was read out from Tony Wilson of Endmoor KGR Football Club, which advised:
This season our Club has played in the Westmorland Association Football League
Division Two, the season is on-going and we expect to finish mid table. We have
enjoyed a competitive season and currently have 31 senior players registered. At ‘Grass
Roots Level’ there has been a national decline in the numbers of football teams over
recent years, however next season we are aiming to buck the national trend and
increase our membership as we are aiming to field two teams next season. We have a
number of 16 year old players that are keen to play for Endmoor KGR at senior level as
they have now reached an age when they are too old for the junior level. Our club will
provide these young players the opportunity to remain in football and participate in sport.
We have applied for a small grant from the Football association to assist with additional
costs and are hopeful that the application will be granted. Financial Management Bureau
Ltd continues to be our kit sponsors. The football pitch is looking in very good condition
and on behalf of all at Endmoor KGR Football Club we would like to thank the Parish
Council for their continued support and for maintaining and cutting the pitch throughout
the year.
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10.15
ANNUAL REPORT ON MONDAY RUNNING CLUB
No report was received from the running club this year.
11.15
ANNUAL REPORT ON ENDMOOR TENNIS CLUB
No report was received from the tennis club this year
12.15
ANNUAL REPORT ON ENDMOOR VILLAGE HALL
No report was received from the Village Hall this year
13.15
OTHER MATTERS RAISED BY ELECTORS
As we have adopted the portion of the Lancaster Canal that runs through our parish
Frank Sanderson of the Trust offered us this report:
The Lancaster Canal was built as a broad canal with the intention to connect with the
Bridgwater canal. Designed to carry coal from the Wigan coal fields, and limestone south
from the Kendal area, it became known as the Black and White Canal. The coming of
the Railways reduced its significance as a commercial venture & the canal was
neglected and cut by the M6 in the 60s with complete lack of foresight. The Canal &
River Trust have taken over the care and maintenance of 2,000 miles of waterways from
British Waterways and the Lancaster Canal Trust look after the Lancaster canal. We
have cleared self-seeded trees and bushes from Millness to Stainton, repaired bridges,
rebuilt Crooklands Stable and erected landing stages. The slipway at Millness has been
repaired and the canal is to be dredged along its entire length by Canal & River Trust.
In addition, we have excavated and repaired the Stainton Cross to Sellet Hall section
and this will be connected to the navigation shortly we have also surveyed and started
clearing up to Well Heads Lane and Hincaster tunnel. All this work was with the help of
local landowners, contractors and volunteer labour. We operate the boat ‘Waterwitch’
every Sunday from May to October, including Bank Holidays and festivals, such as
Country Fest and the Westmorland show. We are fortunate to have the National Trail
Boat Festival from 30th May to 1st June, with around 30 boats coming from all corners of
the canal system. The Illuminated Parade on Sunday 31st will be a fantastic family event.
It is a beautiful wildlife corridor used by countless people, walkers, cyclists, canoeists,
including several outward bound organisations, such as the Bendrigg Trust from
Sedbergh, and is probably the most lovely canal in England, and we are fortunate to
have it run though our parish.
The meeting closed at 8.35 pm.