GRINDLEFORD PARISH COUNCIL – MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 11 APRIL AT 7 PM IN THE PAVILION
Present: Andrew Battarbee, Chair, Hilary Hart, Peter O’Brien, Esther Stewart, Alex Erskine, Ray Whiteley, Elizabeth Coe, Dave Kirkup. Sarah Battarbee Clerk
Apologies: Simon Hutchinson, Alasdair Sutton, Simon Ripton.
- COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT – there was none as Cllr Sutton had sent apologies.
- DISTRICT COUNCILLOR’S REPORT. DDDC, working with HVCA, have produced an active travel plan, which focuses on speed reduction including 20’s Plenty. DCC Place (Highways) are arranging meetings with parish councils to discuss and gain input. This initiative will be of interest to the Traffic Group.
- POLICE REPORT – PC Boswell gave us this report. Between 12/01/24 and 11/04/24 there have 3 crimes reported, these being: 1 x vehicle interference, 1x assault and 1x public order. Also between the same dates there have been the 7 incidents reported and these being: 4x vehicles parked on White Line system, 1x Concern for safety, 1x abandoned vehicle and 1x road obstruction due to fallen tree.
Update on Priorities:
Following consultation in January this year with the community and reviews of your concerns, passed to us at Community Engagement events and through surveys. You have indicated that you would wish for Road Safety to continue as our priority along with the new one of burglary after recent burglaries that have been reported.
We will therefore continue with our efforts to improve Road Safety and provide crime prevention / target hardening advice to reduce burglaries from taking place in the local area over the coming months and will be posting updates regarding our work on our social media channels – facebook, X (twitter) and Derbyshire Alert. These priorities are currently under review and the team will inform the communities we cover by Derbyshire Alert and our SNT Page if they change or not.
- MINUTES OF LAST MEETING. These were agreed as a true record, Pro ES sec HH. The agenda for the April meeting had two errata, the date of the May meeting on the agenda was incorrect (should be 9 May) and the estimate for Clerk’s wages was corrected to £2112.92.
- UPDATES ON MATTERS ARISING
Village meeting. Agreed to be held on 9 May after the Statutory Annual Meeting. Clerk to advertise and make arrangements. Chair to say in opening remarks that no promises can be made but the Council will act on residents’ proposals for action.
Village gates. Funding deadline is 17 May, we are collecting information and costs from interested parties. Traffic group asked for agreement in principle that we should apply for this funding. All in favour.
Signal Box. Clerk had been in contact with NR, increasingly it seemed likely that their planning permission would be refused.
Bridge inspection. Nothing further from Andrew Yeates at DCC despite promises. ES to pursue an FOI. It was pointed out that FOI will be expensive for DCC who are already in special measures. It does not make sense that they would rather go to that extreme than provide us with the report, which they assure us exists.
Archiving old minute books. All in favour of these being placed with the County Archives. Pro DK sec EC.
- OTHER MATTERS
- Dog fouling. It was agreed to buy some dog poo bags for the phone box and advertise their existence on the noticeboards. At the next meeting bins will again be put on the agenda.
- King’s portrait has arrived and been given to GPFA.
Martyn’s Law – agreed that this is a matter for GPFA.
Budget forecast – to be recirculated and presented at the May meeting with the AGAR papers.
- CLIMATE ACTION UPDATE
Clerk gave an update on the proposal to provide public EV charging points along the main road in an innovative project put forward by a small national group instigated by HVCA. The proposal uses new gully and pavement technology to get round the problem of cables across the pavement.
- HIGHWAY MATTERS.
Severn Trent works – confirmed there would be a road closure on Bridge Lane past the school in the summer holidays, 4 – 6 weeks. It was agreed all in favour that the Clerk should write to ST on behalf of the Chair, asking for a reply to the previous correspondence.
- PLANNING MATTERS
NP/DDD/0224/0208 15 Eyam Woodlands. Grindleford Cllr Kirkup agreed to draft a response to Peak Park’s request for further information on our decision.
NP/DDD/0424/0342 https://portal.peakdistrict.gov.uk/ Long Ridge House, Maynard Road, Nether Padley, Grindleford. Property is to be extended and internally reconfigured to better suit family life. The existing lower ground floor entrance area and garage is proposed to be reconfigured with an extension into the driveway area as part of these works. The external steps around the property which form this entrance area are to be upgraded and rationalised alongside the front entrance door relocation. The Council were in support. It was felt that this proposal breathed new life into an old building and was an ingenious and contemporary solution to a difficult problem. It was felt there was sufficient foliage to cover the changes.
- ACCOUNTS
| Date | Cheque no | Payee | Amount | Description |
| 11.4.24 | 1138 | Sarah Battarbee | 2112.92 | Clerk’s wages |
| 11.4.24 | 1139 | GPFA | 23 | Room hire |
It was pro HH sec ES that these accounts be paid.
- CERTIFICATE OF EXEMPTION
It was agreed that the Certificate of Exemption 23/24 be approved.
There being no further business the Chair closed the meeting at 8.40 pm.
Date of next meeting: 9 May 2024.
Sarah Battarbee
Clerk to Grindleford Parish Council