GRINDLEFORD PARISH COUNCIL – MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 13 JUNE 2024 AT 7 PM IN THE PAVILION
Present: Andrew Battarbee, Chair, Elizabeth Coe, Ray Whiteley, Peter O’Brien, Alex Erskine, Simon Hutchinson. Sarah Battarbee Clerk
APOLOGIES Esther Stewart, Hilary Hart, Dave Kirkup, PC Boswell.
- COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT – Cllr Sutton had sent apologies.
- DISTRICT COUNCILLOR’S REPORT – none as in pre-election period.
- POLICE REPORT – the police had sent a report. Since the date of the last council meeting there have been 2 reported crimes in the Grindleford area. 12/05/2024: dog causing injury. Dog bites victim, causing minor injury when two dogs fighting are separated. Details exchanged between all parties and investigation is complete. 20/05/2024: dog causing injury. Dog bites small child on the wrist causing minor injury. Dog owners do not stop and are not able to be identified. Following reports of dangerous parking on the B6521 MAIN ROAD, GRINDLEFORD officers from Bakewell SNT have attended and issued a significant number of Traffic Offence Reports to vehicles parked on the double white line system. Further TOR’s have been issued for the same offence at PADLEY GORGE. Patrols will continue over the busy summer months when an upsurge in visitor numbersare expected to exacerbate the issue.
- MINUTES OF LAST MEETING. These were agreed as a true record, Pro EC sec RW.
- UPDATE ON MATTERS ARISING
Severn Trent follow up. The Chair had written to Severn Trent and had been offered a revised compensation sum of £2500, plus a day’s volunteering. It was agreed that Clerk would circulate the list of possible things the money could be spent on.
Network Rail – further unscheduled works reported. Still no sign of tree planting or road repairs but there has been some movement on a general meeting. There was a fresh problem of the mess which the yard was now in.
- OTHER MATTERS
Flood barriers – Paul Birch had contacted the Clerk about progress. Clerk had submitted a proposal to Council for the way forward. There was a significant problem with storage while issues were worked through and PO’B suggested he contact the County Council to ask if they could make space on a temporary basis.
Declarations of public interest – Clerk would get forms sorted offline. No Cllrs had any declaration to make.
Planning applications slide from training – Cllrs agreed that planning application consideration should be more in line with the information from the planning training attended by the Clerk. The five options for reply and the acceptable reasons for commenting should be made available for each meeting.
War Memorial – insurance. The Clerk presented the insurance schedule to the Council and it was agreed that it should be scrutinised by the finance committee when it was convened.
Pinfold. It was requested that Mark Bristow be contacted about strimming the pinfold.
The website. P’OB observed that this had been stripped to a minimum and was it worth continuing? Clerk said it was essential for posting eg the AGAR papers and period for public consultation. She said that she had no training in WordPress and it was therefore sometimes beyond her skills to do much more than the minimum although a better website would doubtless be desirable. AE offered to help develop it. Clerk expressed thanks for this offer.
- MATTERS FOR DECISION
The Chair proposed that:
- the audited accounts and AGAR papers for the 2023/24 FY be approved and signed as appropriate. Agreed pro AE sec EC.
- the 2024/35 insurance quote and policy schedule be accepted. Agreed pro AE sec EC.
- the Financial Regulations 2024 be adopted. Agreed pro AE sec EC.
- the policies for parish councils as presented be adopted – postponed to a future meeting.
- nominations should be put forward and if necessary voted upon in order to establish a three person finance group to consider budget, financial control and audit matters. APB and HH agreed to be on the finance committee, escalating to EC. DK to approached as to whether he would be prepared to be the third member. Agreed Pro AE sec EC.
- HIGHWAY MATTERS
Village gates. AE gave an update. Quotes had now been received and donations and work in kind offered. A bid for funding for £11K has been submitted to the community resilience fund (awaiting outcome). Jane Newman has been identified as the right person to help us with Highways approval. It was agreed that Jane Newman should be retained, cost c £450 so that we can make progress and be in a good defensive position should DDCVS quiz us for the grant bid.
We don’t need Peak Park planning but we do need to apply for a licence for structures on the verges.
Parking. It was agreed the lines of enquiry available to us had all now been exhausted and there was little we could about this in the short term, but we should write to the police thanking them for their continuing efforts. In the longer term, we could press for a more holistic approach across the whole Hope Valley. This approach had worked elsewhere, for example in the Lake District. Parishes Day with the Peak Park is on 12 October, and we could consider going mob handed. Clerk agreed to write to PPPF.
- PLANNING MATTERS
NP/DDD/0324/0249 https://portal.peakdistrict.gov.uk/ 4 Flora Cottages, New Road, Grindleford. Erection of a store/shed. Fully in support. This application was in contravention of no planning rules and made good sense for the use of a spare piece of land, similar plots to which had been used by other residents for similar purposes.
NP/DDD/0624/0600 https://portal.peakdistrict.gov.uk/ The Coach House, Grindleford Road, Calver. Listed Building consent – Proposed replacement of six windows with new. In support, there is nothing to object to and no objections had been received from residents.
- PLANNING DECISIONS
Planning decisions can be found at https://portal.peakdistrict.gov.uk
- ACCOUNTS
| Chq No | Date | Payee | Amount | Description |
| 13 June 24 | Mad4Ink | 250 | Grindleford News | |
| 13 June 24 | Sarah Battarbee | 70 | Training – replacement cheque | |
| 13 June 24 | John Mottershaw | 21.58 113.76 | website domain and support | |
| 13 June 24 | Will College | 150 | Bus stop cleaning | |
| 13 June 24 | Zurich | 606 | Insurance 2024/25 |
There being no further business the meeting closed at 20.12.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 11 July 2024
Sarah Battarbee
Clerk to the Council
grindleparish@gmail.com