SILKSTONE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held in the
Mission Rooms, Silkstone Common on 2nd October 2006.
PRESENT: The Chairman: Clr D Liddell.
Clrs Bower, Fishpool, Gallamore, Handley, Leech, M Liddell, Smith and Stier.
There was one parishioner present at the start of the meeting but he left after the first
open forum item. Mr O’Roarke joined the meeting at approximately 7:30pm for the
item on the youth outreach scheme.
74. Open forum.

The parishioner raised a number of issues relating to the South Yorkshire
Buildings, of which he was a resident. He was concerned that there was only one
access point for vehicles, particularly noting that the access through Beech
Avenue was blocked. He had written to Barnsley MBC on this point but had not
received a substantive reply. He passed a letter to the Clerk outlining the points
raised. The Council agreed to investigate this matter with Barnsley MBC. The
parishioner also raised a concern about the number of commercial vehicles that
regularly use the area. He was advised to document his concerns on this point to
Barnsley MBC and provide a copy to the Council. Finally, he noted that there was
a problem with a drain cover near to the entrance to South Yorkshire Buildings
and that Yorkshire Water seemed to be dealing with it but slowly. The Council
noted this point and would monitor the position.

Clr Smith advised that a resident of Viewlands had raised a concern again that the
litter-bin at the corner of his property was being used for dog-fouling items. It was
suggested that a litter-bin would be appropriate near to the bus stop on Knabbs
Lane, heading to Oxspring, and it was suggested that the litter-bin on Viewlands
could be moved to this site. The Clerk agreed to review this matter with Elaine
Down of Neighbourhood Pride and report back to the Council.

Clr Bower had received a letter from a resident with concerns about the earth
works created and used by cyclists in Fall Wood. The Council had raised this issue
with the owners’ agents in May 2006. They had responded that they were aware of
the situation and were seeking to liaise with the users to manage the activity. The
Clerk would respond to the resident, with a copy to be provided for Clr Bower.
75. Apologies for absence.
There were no absences.
76. Councillors’ declarations of interest.
Clr Stier declared a personal interest in the items relating to Mr Waring. Clr Fishpool
declared a personal interest in the Millennium Committee item.
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77. Minutes.
The minutes of the Council’s September meeting were approved.
78. Matters arising from the last meeting.

The Clerk had contacted Barnsley MBC about the single speed sign at the bottom
of Cone Lane. The Highways’ Department had telephoned the Clerk to provide
information and would reply formally soon. The use of two signs is recommended
but not compulsory. The roadway at that point on Cone Lane is unsuitable for a
second sign. The Clerk had also written to Barnsley MBC about the problems with
foliage affecting signs and the point was also raised at the last Area Forum.

The Clerk had contacted Cannon Hall and Barnsley MBC about the problem in the
Silkstone village with the directional signage for Cannon Hall. They were aware
of the problem and a sign was to be added near to the junction of High Street and
Silkstone Lane.

The Clerk was to meet Elaine Down in the week commencing 9th October to
discuss the litter-bin position in the Parish.

Barnsley MBC had taken action on the four sites of Japanese knotweed. They had
liaised with Councillor Stier on this matter and he praised the approach taken by
the staff and the work done.

Applications for a share of the £1,500 transport grant had been received from the
local groups involved. The Clerk was liaising with the SYPTE and the local
groups on a number of queries and the possible distribution. A report on this
matter would be prepared as soon as possible.

The Clerk reminded the Council about the Encams’ correspondence that was
noted at the last meeting. Encams was a charity that dealt with such schemes as
“Keep Britain Tidy”. The documents received gave an outline of several issues
affecting community environments and provided some useful advice.
79. Bonny Bunch O’Roses site.
Since the last meeting, the developers had indicated that they needed the new
temporary lease signed, to allow the properties to be sold. Following consultations
with the Chairman, the Clerk had signed the new lease and a copy had been provided
to all the Councillors.
A representative from the developer was expected to attend the meeting to answer
Councillors’ queries. As he did not arrive, it was agreed that the Clerk would contact
the representative and the developer to find out the reason and liaise on a number of
points raised. These included issues about the lay-out of the current site and the
possibility of contributions to the future maintenance costs. Following a discussion, it
was agreed that the Council was still generally in favour of taking over the site.
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80. Parish Council seat.
The resident from Silkstone Common, who had concerns about a Council seat near to
her property on Hall Royd Lane, had sent in a letter. This letter had been copied to
Councillors. The resident was concerned that the seat overlooked her paddock and
house, people leaned on the gate to the paddock, and dogs were fouling the area. The
Council considered that the seat’s position did not affect the resident in a detrimental
manner. However, it was agreed that the seat could be moved across the road if the
resident agreed to pay the costs for its renovation and transfer.
81. Planning applications.
It was agreed that there were no points to raise on the following six applications.
Address
4 Whinmoor Way
2 Highfield Cottages
7 Stainmore Close
6 Nether Royd View
5 All Saints Close
White Lodge, Barnsley Rd.
Village
S.
S.
S.
S.C.
S.
S.
Details
Extensions.
Extension.
Extension/roof change.
2 rear dormers.
Extension.
Extension/conservatory.
The concern raised at the last meeting about a possible encroachment of land in
Silkstone Common had been passed to the Planning Department, which had agreed to
investigate.
82. Youth outreach scheme.
Mr O’Roarke updated the Council on a number of issues.

Mr O’Roarke would be taking a more supervisory role. Two new staff were to be
appointed to work in the Penistone area, with a review of the service planned for
December 2006. The Council was keen to see the scheme continued in the Parish
and hoped that Mr O’Roarke would keep in contact, perhaps on a reporting basis.
The Clerk had raised this issue at the last Area Forum and was advised that the
Youth Service had reported on the new procedures to all the Forum Areas earlier
in the year. It was agreed to provide information on this aspect to the Councillors
to assist in a review of how best to provide a service to the youth of the Parish.

Mr O’Roarke was pleased to advise that ten members of the local group had
recently achieved Duke of Edinburgh awards as part of the youth outreach project.

Mr O’Roarke agreed to provide an invoice to the Council for a £500 contribution
towards the costs of the Lake District trip in July and the production of a DVD to
show examples of the youth’s projects.

Clr Leech asked Mr O’Roarke to note the problems with drug use in the area
between Towngate and Manor Park, as reported at the last Council meeting.
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83. Crime and Safety.
PC Andy Stevenson had sent a report on this issue to the Penistone East parish
councils. The report had been copied to Councillors with the agenda. It was agreed to
place crime and safety on the agenda for a trial period of six months, examining ways
to maximise the value of this approach. The newsletter would be used, with improved
communication of the current procedures for contacting the police. Clr Leech agreed
to co-ordinate the newsletter position, including the possible production of an insert.
The Council would liaise closely with the police on the way forward.
84. Silkstone-in-Bloom.
Clr Smith reported on this year’s judging. He advised that there had been a new
procedure introduced that did not give marks. Silkstone had received a silver award.
Clr Smith advised that, after twelve years as Chairman of the group, he had decided to
resign and hoped that a new Chairman would be found. The Council expressed its
appreciation of the excellent work done by Clr Smith as the Chairman of this group.
85. Parish Design Statement.
Clr Gallamore provided an update. The Group had held a meeting on 8th September,
attended by a Barnsley MBC representative. Discussions were still ongoing, with a
number of improvements being made to the current draft before it was to be submitted
for the formal approval of Barnsley MBC. There was now an aim to develop some
conservation areas within the document.
86. Millennium Committee – Silkstone play scheme.
Clr Fishpool reported on this scheme on behalf of the Millennium Committee. All of
the grant funding was in place and a cheque for £31,000 was provided for the Council,
with a further £5,000 to follow for the YRCC contribution. The scheme was due to
start soon and consultations were continuing with Barnsley MBC on various aspects.
The Council commended Clr Fishpool and the others involved for the significant
progress made on this scheme.
87. Silkstone Recreation Ground.
The Clerk had reviewed the position on the loose stone from the waggonway path
with Barnsley MBC staff. Using information from Mr Ritchie, the estimate for the
work was now approximately £1,400 plus VAT. It was agreed that the Clerk would
obtain another quote for the work before placing an order.
The draft constitution had been distributed recently to all the SPFMC members and a
meeting of a small group was planned to review it in detail. This included Clr D
Liddell, Clr Bower, Clr Leech, Owen Dyson, Andy Horsfield, Graham Wells, and the
Clerk. Linked to this, the Clerk had attended a training course on 27th September run
by Voluntary Action Barnsley. This covered the type of legal structures that could be
used and ideas for constitutions. A free follow-up session with a solicitor had been
arranged for 3rd October, which the Clerk would attend.
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At the last meeting, it was suggested that there might be merit in erecting a lockable
gate at the entrance to the site by the garage, to keep out vehicles at night. The Clerk
had issued an outline report on this proposal with the agenda. It was recognised that
there were problems to be overcome but it was agreed to continue to review this
option. In the first instance, the garage staff would be contacted to check whether they
would open and close the gate. It was also noted that the position on the public
footpath and access for the disabled needed to be considered.
Clr Stier reported that one of the roller shutters in the Pavilion was broken. Following
consultations with the original pavilion architects, contact had been made with a
Leeds firm, who might be able to deal with this problem and future ones. The Clerk
and Clr Stier would progress this item.
Jim Ritchie had that day advised the Clerk that the fence at the end of the new
waggonway footpath had been vandalised and that the farmer had made a temporary
repair. The position would be examined.
Clr Stier reported that the replacement litter-bin had been installed but not the dog
litter-bin. The Clerk was due to examine this and other litter-bin issues with Elaine
Down in the week commencing 9th October.
The Clerk had received letters from Owen Dyson and Andy Horsfield on behalf of the
cricket and football clubs. The letters had been copied to Councillors and raised
concerns about problems with the banking areas around the two sports pitches. The
brambles and nettles were causing difficulties to the users, particularly in retrieving
balls. The Council confirmed that it considered that sporting activity was the main
priority for that area and the Council would seek to take supportive action on the
points raised. It was agreed that site meetings would be arranged to review a way
forward. The meetings should seek to include representatives from the Council,
CARE, Silkstone-in-Bloom and the sports clubs, plus the maintenance contractor.
Clr Leech reported on the recent SPFMC meeting. The main item was the receipt of
the STRI report. This was fairly positive but noted that the normal, year-end major
maintenance scheme had not taken place this year. The SPFMC were examining the
issues raised and taking appropriate action. The SPFMC had agreed to pay for the
groundsman to have training on cricket pitch maintenance. Linked to this, the Cricket
Club was seeking to progress the drainage improvement scheme.
88. Roads/footpaths.
A letter had been sent to Barnsley MBC requesting a review of the poor condition of
High Street in Silkstone, especially the area from the Health Centre to the church.
There had been a recent accident with a lorry losing its load at the bus stop by the
Health Centre in Silkstone. This incident had been raised at the Area Forum. Two of
the Ward Councillors were pressing Barnsley MBC for action and the incident was on
the front page of the Barnsley Chronicle. The Clerk was continuing to liaise with
Barnsley MBC on a number of safety issues raised about the roads in the centre of
Silkstone, especially on High Street, Martin Croft, and Silkstone Lane.
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No response had been received to the letter sent to Barnsley MBC about the fatal
accident in August, on a bend on Ben Bank Road. PC Thompson had indicated that
this incident was awaiting a coroner’s report. Clr Stier reported that his son had
recently been involved in an accident close to the site of the fatal incident, skidding
off the road in wet conditions.
89. Meetings.
Clr Stier reported on the last Area Forum. The crime figures reported for August
were: Silkstone –5, Silkstone Common – 9. There were Community Chest funds
available for appropriate local schemes.
Clr Gallamore reported on the AGM of the Penistone Community Partnership. A copy
of the annual accounts was given to the Clerk. The tourism and heritage project had
ended and John Hislop was now working part-time on local heritage issues, including
the organising of walks for schools. There were plans to have a tourist information
facility in Silkstone Church. The Partnership had been instrumental in obtaining
£400,000 grant funding for the area. Three new Board members had been appointed.
Clr Stier reported on a recent transport meeting. Silkstone Common station was to be
closed for a number of Sundays, to allow repairs to be made to the railway line. He
noted that a petition had been sent to Stagecoach to allow two regular drivers, who
offered a more personal service, to remain on service 25.
The Chairman reported on the recent NALC conference in Liverpool, which he
attended as a YLCA representative. There was a White Paper being examined in
Parliament, which proposed giving local councils additional powers. The Chairman
noted that Cawthorne PC had received an award for its affordable housing scheme and
hoped that Silkstone Parish Council would be able to obtain quality council status
next year and thus be in a position to apply for such awards.
The Chairman reported on the YLCA conference in Scarborough. The main focus had
been on training. The conference had noted that the minimum age limit that persons
could now become parish councillors was eighteen.
90. Payment of Accounts.
The following eight accounts for payment were approved.
Cq No
2078
2079
2080
2081
2082
2083
2084
2085
Payee
Yorkshire Water
E Bell
Inland Revenue
C Waring
Barnsley MBC
Silkstone Church
SPFMC
VAB
Item
Allotments
September pay.
September deductions.
September maintenance.
Litter-bins (SRG).
Room hire
Contribution
Training course
Total
6
£
Notes
72.31 Paid 20-9-06
762.23
345.41
504.00
366.20
25.00 PC – 2-10-06
2,000.00
50.00
4,125.15
91. Correspondence.
The Clerk outlined the contents of the following main items of correspondence that
had been received and not considered earlier in the meeting.
Date
4/9
7/9
13/9
13/9
19/9
19/9
19/9
19/9
25/9
26/9
26/9
27/9
28/9
2/10
From
D Shaw
BMBC
Mr E Dawes
BMBC
YLCA
YLCA
YRCC
YLCA
BMBC
Sue Ryder Care
Local Channel
S Y Police
Surf and Snack
G Byram
Item
Family history query.
Overhanging trees query.
Concern about speeding traffic.
Waste Management Strategy.
White Rose update.
Assembly Digest.
AGM (Denby Dale).
S Y branch meeting.
Statement of Community Involvement.
Donation request.
Addition of PC website.
Operation Mischief.
Mobile internet project update.
Litter-bin query.
Notes
Clr Bower to review.
See below.
See below.
Questionnaire issued.
See below.
Noted.
Clr D Liddell to attend.
Clr D Liddell to attend.
Noted.
See below.
Clr Leech advised.
Noted.
Noted.
Clerk to respond.
Barnsley MBC had passed on a query that it had received from a Martin Croft resident
about problems with overhanging tree branches in the Chestnuts. The Clerk and Clr
Stier were reviewing the position.
Mr Dawes, a fairly new resident of Silkstone Common, had e-mailed a concern about
speeding traffic through the centre of the village. The Clerk had responded with a
brief update on the history of this matter and had invited him to contact local
Councillors or to attend the Council meeting.
The White Rose Update noted changes to the fire safety procedures for Council
buildings. The Clerk was reviewing this point, particularly for the Pavilion.
It was agreed that the Council would not provide grants to such charities as Sue Ryder
Care, as they were not based in the Parish and it would be difficult to assess whether
such contributions were appropriate. The Clerk would consider a standard response.
92. Arrangements for the next Parish Council meeting.
The next Council meeting is scheduled for 6th November 2006 in the Silkstone
Primary School.
The Chairman closed the meeting at approximately 10:15pm.
Chairman’s Signature
Date
6th November 2006
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