Annual Council Meeting – 19 May 2022
Lowca Parish Council Annual General Meeting
followed by the May parish council meeting
will commence at 7.30pm Wednesday 19th May 2022
in Lowca village hall.
Dear Parish Councillor,
You are summoned to attend the next meeting of Lowca Parish Council, as detailed above.
1. Apologies
2. To appoint a chairman and vice chairman for the coming year
3. Declaration of interest
4. To approve and accept the minutes of the last Lowca Parish Council meeting held on Wednesday 16th March 2022, as a true record.
5. Consider the co-option of Carley Egan, 10 Croft Head View, Lowca, CA28 6QP who is appropriately qualified and CV circulated to councillors.
6. Public participation, 15 minutes allowed including clerks update
7. Police Matters
7 Matters concerning District and County Councillors
8 Application for Developments.
9. Receive and approve the parish accounts for the financial year 2021/22. Internal auditors report, Annual Governance Statement, Accounting Statement for the year, all to be resolved. Bank reconciliation and variance report. Draft documents distributed by email.
10. Update by Cllr M O on Lowca signage and deer signs.
11. Platinum Jubilee garden update Cllr R B.
12. Play area refurbishment, East Road.
13. Progress report, clerk.
14. Lowca parish councillor reports.
15. Correspondence.
16. Payments for approval.
17. Date and time of the next meeting Wednesday 15th June 2022, 7.30pm at Lowca Village Hall.
Signed
Mike Milner
Mike Milner, Clerk and RFO to Lowca Parish Council 12th May 2022
Email, lowcaparishclerk@gmail.com
LOWCA PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting followed by May parish council meeting held on Wednesday 18th May 2022 at Lowca Village Hall.
The chair declared the meeting open at 7.30pm.
Present: Cllrs Miss M Oliver(chair), S Southwell, Mrs R Barwise, S McNee, D Wrench, H Thinnesen.
Copeland Borough and Cumbria County Councillors: None present.
Clerk: Mike Milner
Members of the public, 3.
2066.00 Apologises for Absence. Cllr K Thinnesen.
2067.00 To appoint a chairman and vice chair for the coming year.
2067.01 The current chair Cllr M O confirmed she was prepared to continue if that was the councillor’s choice. Cllr H T proposed Cllr M O, which was seconded by Cllr R B, unanimously resolved and clerk obtained the duly elected chair’s signature on the declaration of office document.
2067.02 as per recent years practise no vice chair elected.
2068.00 Declaration of interest. None
2069.00 To approve and accept the minutes of the last meeting held on Wednesday 20th April 2022, as a true record.
2069.01 minutes approved as true record, and duly signed by chair.
2070.00 Consider the co-option of Carley Egan, 10 Croft Head View, Lowca, CA28 6QP who is appropriately qualified and CV circulated to councillors.
2071.01 the chair Cllr M O advised that the individual had been interviewed and was an ideal candidate with plenty of ideas for community groups, however the candidate had stated that she would like to attend a meeting before confirming her commitment to being co-opted. Clerk to invite to the June meeting.
2071.00 Public Participation.
2071.01 There were 3 members of the public, two were gentlemen, originally involved with the development which is now the unused BMX track facility and the third was a lady, Claire Bryant who is the Cumbria development officer for the Outdoor Partnership. They explained that it was their idea to resurrect the BMX Track facility. A “pump track” as the enthusiasm for the sport was again on the rise following recent Olympic coverage and TV exposure.
2071.02 The group were under the impression that the parish council were the owners of the land, but the clerk advised that was actually Copeland Borough Council.
2071.03 The gentlemen advised that they had been instrumental with the track back in 1980’s at its conception. How it had featured national events. At this stage they were seeking support from the parish council for the project. All councillors indicated that they supported the concept o the idea, but the group needed to present a feasibility study and plan explaining what they actually proposed.
Page 278 (1 of 4) signed chairman…………………………………………………….15th June 2022.
2071.04 The Outdoor Partnership representative advised that they would create a suitable governing body with a constitution and organise a bank account. The group left the meeting and thanked the parish council for their time.
2071.05 Cllrs further discussed the proposal after the group left, acknowledging that the concept was fine, encouraging children of all age groups and physical abilities to enjoy an outdoor experience. They were also keen to see an area for model cars etc to be used. However, there were concerns about parking, access to the site, keeping it secure so that it did not become an attraction for more undesirable elements of modern culture. They agreed to await the plan from the group before taking further action.
2071.06 Clerk confirmed that further to minute 2052.03 he had written to the member of the public who had raised the issue of Stamford Hill being unadopted. He had also contacted Copeland about the ownership of the road, whose records showed it was unregistered and they had further suggested that all property owners along the road should check their property deeds to establish the precise contractual conditions that they accepted when buying their property’s.
2072.00 Police Matters.
2072.01 Clerk had circulated the e-newsletters issued by Cumbria Police.
2073.00 Matters concerning District and County Councillors. None present.
2074.00 Applications for Development. None for consideration.
2075.00 Receive and approve the parish accounts for the financial year 2021/22. Internal auditors report, Annual Governance Statement, Accounting Statement for the year, all to be resolved. Bank reconciliation and variance report. Draft documents distributed by email.
2075.01.01 Certificate of Exemption, AGAR 2020/21 Part 2. This confirms that the parish has neither income nor expenditure exceeding £25k. Cllrs unanimously resolved to accept the certificate
2075.02 clerk had circulated the signed Annual Internal Audit Report. Internal audit had taken place 8/10/21 and 25/04/22. All boxes correctly ticked, and no issues or recommendations raised.
2075.03 Annual Governance Statement. Clerk had read the content of the 9 boxes on the form and at each statement was ticked Yes box with Cllrs approval.
2075.04 Finally the accounting statement, which had been circulated was approved by councillors. Chair and Clerk signed the documents as they were approved.
2075.05 Clerk confirmed that he would make the appropriate returns to the external government auditor, placing necessary documents required for the appropriate periods on the parish council website pages and display in the parish noticeboard as demanded by legislation.
2076.00 Update by Cllr M O on Lowca signage and deer signs.
2076.01 Chair had organised a replacement Lowca sign, just waiting for a cost for additional artwork.
2076.02 Chair has got written confirmation from Highways that they will install beware of deer signs between Parton turning and St Bridget’s church.
Page 279 (2 of 4) signed chairman…………………………………………………….15th June 2022.
2077.00 Platinum Garden, update Cllr R B.
2077.01 Cllr R B confirmed that the “Big Plant” had taken place on Sunday May 1st. Copeland had cut the grass as promised and on the Sunday 10 adults and 2 children planted 150 plugs and scattered wild seeds, including Yellow Rattle, which actually breaks the ground up and encourages other flowers to grow. There were plenty of photos taken for use in the next Lowca Lowdown and a bench was to be installed by Copeland after June 6th when they would have more time after Platinum Jubilee commitments. The clerk had confirmed the bench would cost Lowca Parish Council a total of £88 ex VAT and that contribution to the cost was just for the plinth building materials, the bench and its installation was being paid by Copeland.
2077.02 Cllr R B was in the process of starting a gardening group, however she was not going to promote the club until it had been decided how often it would meet and what its scope of activities within the village were decided. All Cllrs very supportive of the project.
2078.00 Play area refurbishment, East Road.
2078.01 Cllr K T was unable to attend this evening but following the last meeting she had provided an email requesting information from the Open Spaces manager which the clerk had forwarded and he read out some of the response about the play area floor covering options. It was agreed that the parish council would wait until Cllr K T had more time to devote to the play area, before taking any further action on the project.
2079.00 Progress reports, clerk.
2079.01 at minute note 2061.02 the clerk had tackled the Sustrans charity about the state of the track along the pathway through the large play area between Stamford Hill and East Road. Sustrans had responded with a map which clearly showed it was not their responsibility but Copelands. Clerk had confirmed it was Copeland’s land and was awaiting further comments from the Open Spaces manager.
2079.02 Clerk had paid the annual parish insurance premium and established that the value of £218.82 was part of the premium to cover the footbridge over the Lowca Beck. Clerk had requested a payment of £109.41 from Parton Parish Council as their annual contribution.
2079.03 Still no up date on land which has the path on it between St Bridget’s and the A595. Parton clerk dealing with that issue. A Lowca Cllr had removed all the loose fallen fencing along its length and tidied the remaining fence so it no longer looked an eyesore.
2079.04 The Parton Water Treatment works had been reported to the clerk for an excessive unpleasant smell discharge. Clerk had contacted UU and Copeland Environmental Agency about the issue. UU had advised a new piece of equipment was to be installed w/c 16th May. Clerk had subsequently contacted Copeland about the sites record of material discharge into the local water course and the smells that it released, requesting their history of issues with the works.
2079.05 A rumour had circulated that the Lowca/Parton bus route was to be withdrawn. Contact with Stagecoach and Cumbria transport unit had confirmed that the rumour was unfounded, no such plans under consideration.
2079.06 Clerk had been told and supplied with pictorial evidence of a collapsed gulley on the right-hand verge just north of Lowca. Reported and Highways have made a temporary safety repair. E1/65012.
2079.07 just further to the public participation minute record of earlier this evening, clerk had in response to 2062.05 circulated all the email exchanges in Dec’ 2020.
Page 280 (3 of 4) signed chairman…………………………………………………….15th June 2022.
2080.00 Lowca Parish Councillors reports.
2080.01 Cllr S M advised that he had made good progress in organising a “fruit & veg” competition for Lowca, to run between 1-4pm on the chosen day and for all age groups. He displayed on his phone screen a possible flyer display. His intention was to hold it in August towards the end of the month enabling fruit and veg to be harvested.
2080.02 Cllrs all agreed that for this year the “village show” concept should be restricted to the fruit and veg, no dog show. It was also agreed that as the show would be held in the village hall, the parish council should pay for the hall hire charge. There would be an entry fee for all categories but the monies raised would be for prize money, plus parish council to provide rosettes and Cllr S M, would find an impartial judge for the various categories.
2080.03 Cllr S M was also chasing the local prison about the inmates replacing the Millennium Garden fencing. He did wonder if images sent via email had been blocked. He would continue the exercise.
2080.04 all Cllrs were impressed with the litter pick that had been organised, participants had been lower than in the past, but general affect was a very clean and tidy village.
2080.05 Cllr D W had finally obtained a litter bin in the large lay-by on the north of the village, which in theory is the entrance for the “holiday park.” Cllr R B wondered if anyone had a couple of spare paving slab as it is wet under foot in that area, where the bin was located and folk may think to place litter on the ground rather than in the bin, rather than get their feet wet.
2080.06 Cllr H T concerned about the height of the verge opposite his property as it due to its length was harbouring litter. He will supply images for the clerk to chase Highways.
2080.07 Cllr R B advised that the Knitted Bible display at St Bridget’s had attracted over 1000 visitors and raised over £1300.
2081.00 Correspondence.
2081.01 All the agenda or Progress reports covered the receipt of emails the clerk had made and sent over the past month, bench installation cost, Water Treatment plant issues and the unadopted Stamford Hill.
2081.02 one email circulated that afternoon concerned proposed changes to the Sustrans track through Lowca from Sustrans. Clerk had printed off the details and the map and circulated it. Cllrs discussed the proposals and clerk asked if over the next two weeks councillors could photograph their observations and send the images plus comments to him and he would forward to Sustrans, as they had requested.
2082.00 Payments for approval
IntPay 242 M Milner, clerk, £324.46, salary £305.56, expenses £18.90.
IntPay 243 HMRC clerk’s PAYE £56.80p.
All approved
2083.00 Date and time of next meeting Wednesday 15th June 2022, 7.30pm in Lowca Village Hall.
Meeting closed 8.51pm
Page 281 (4 of 4) signed chairman…………………………………………………….15th June 2022.