WOLSINGHAM PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES  OF MEETING  HELD

TUESDAY 14TH DECEMBER   2021

7.00 PM

TOWN HALL, WOLSINGHAM

PRESENT: D. Sugden (Chair)   Mrs. A. Savory Mrs. Y. Bell, Mrs. P. Dobson, J. Bell, AM Parkin

MEMBERS OF PUBLIC: J. Green, G. Pybourne, Mrs. B. Pybourne, J. Clark

Latest government advice on holding meetings after 13th December was read by the chair regarding the Covid  crisis. Remote meetings have not as yet been sanctioned and should the pandemic get worse , meetings in public may well be suspended.

 

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: D. Jones, I. Rodgers, A.Vipond, O. Gardner, E. Johnson
2. TO RECEIVE QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC: None
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:None
4. MINUTES OF  MEETING HELD  9th  NOVEMBER 2021
   1. ​Mr. J. Bell, tabled an amendment to the minutes: Para. 14, Allotment regarding trees and wall.Proposed, that the offending trees and roots be removed in their entirety. This would avoid any future issues of damage to the wall by trees and the potential for further maintenance or costs being incurred. Otherwise the Parish Council could find  itself in the same position in the future This proposal was not supported by any other councillor.
   2. The Parish Council did accept that if there was a recurrence of the problem associated with the trees damaging the wall that the responsibilities and costs of future remedial works would lie with the Parish Council.
   3. Having agreed this amendment the minutes were agreed as a true record and signed as such.
5. MATTERS ARISING:
   1. ​Request for Funding Weardale Museum re; Phillipa Rowe, agreed to defer to April 2022 to assess what additional financial support would be forthcoming.
   2. Wolsingham Business Forum: Deferred owing to Covid pandemic.
6. DEMESNE MILL :
   1. Steps, further work had been undertaken to secure the area with the addition of extra rails, following a further report from the Water Safety Group.
   2. Trees: a survey had been undertaken with Durham Wildlife Trust the previous day who would submit a report on the bio diversity of the park, and future maintenance and planting. When the report is to hand to consult with DCC contractor who cuts the grassed area, regarding over hanging trees and bushes.
   3. Footpaths: It was reported that the footpath from the School to Leazes had been topped with whin dust and stone, which had greatly enhanced the footpath and the County Council were to be commended on the work.
   4. The footpath from Tunstall road to Leazes which had been subject to DMMO, to have included on the definitive map was still ongoing and may well not be resolved until April/ May 2022. This was a very protracted process and councillors were not happy with the time it had taken to resolve the issue. Cllr. A. Savory would raise the matter at County level.
7. RECREATION GROUND: 
   1. Tennis Courts. No progress had been made on this albeit a Teams meeting had been requested to discuss the matter following a Playing Pitch Strategy meeting held at County Hall on 17th November( Minutes not yet to hand)
8. CODE OF CONDUCT: As proposed by Durham County Council agreed to adopt without amendment.
9. TOWN HALL : Parquet Floor lifting agreed to get quotations for replacement floor , either vinyl, karndean, rhino The floor area was thought to be in the region of 70- 80 sq. metres.
10. MARKET PLACE: Christmas Tree , Street Decorations Cllr. A. Savory had requested that the decorations be enhanced for future Christmas markets, and having a metal structured tree, which would negate the expense of purchasing a tree in future years, could also become part of the “Light up the Dale” initiative which was very successful at Frosterley, Stanhope and beyond. Agreed to look at further in January when Christmas decorations were cheaper. A vote of thanks was also moved to all the business premises and individual households who had made the town look so good over the Christmas period.
11. CIVIL CRISIS MANAGEMENT REVIEW: First adopted 2016 following Storm Desmond
    1.  A public meeting had taken place the previous week and approx. 30 people had attended to debate the issue of future management in such a crisis. A useful neighbourhood warden scheme had been undertaken at Frosterley which had highlighted vulnerable people and had worked extremely well. No one had experienced this total outage scenario so any future planning need to take into account how to deliver services in such a crisis. Cllr. Savory had spent a good deal of time assisting in the Upper Dale which had been particularly hard hit and the crisis had lasted over two weeks, and Northern Powergrid had to hire over 70 generators to restore power to outlying areas.
12. FINANCE:
    1. ​Cheques for Payment, Agreed
    2. Reports to End November Agreed
    3. Budget Preparation 2022/2023 (FYI), Minutes e mailed/ attached
13. PLANNING:  DECIDED:

Cllr A Savory declared an Interest as she was on the Planning Committee for South West Durham

DM/21/03635/TCA                Allotments The Causeway, crown lift up to 2.5 m, T1 sycamore, coppice up to 20 cm. T2 hazel, coppice up to 20 cm to T3 elder, coppice up to 20 cm G4 elder, hawthorn, and elders, ,crown lift up to 2.52 m  to T5 ash and crown lift up to 2.5 m T6  ash

DM/21/03649/TCA                18, East End crown reduce and reshape up to 2m to T1 Fir tree

DM/21/03412/FPA                Reservoir House, Tunstall, single storey rear extension

DRC/21/00363                       Bishop Oak, Condition 2 fenestration details

DM/21/03522/TCA                52, Front Street, 1 no/.cherry to rear – crown reduce by a third

DM/21/03499/TCA                2, Uppertown, Fell T1 Alder

DM/21/03397/TCA                3, Chapel Walls, works to 2 Scots Pine, T960  Remove lower Limb, T964, remove 2 low limbs , reduce height up to 6 m T1 conifer 

DRC/21/00290                      3, Orchard View, discharge Condition 4, 5, and 8

          PLANNING: REFUSED

DM/21/02327/FPA                66, West End, replacement windows and doors with UPVC to front

            PLANNING : NOTIFIED;

DM/21/03977/FPA                Redgate Villa, Conversion of agricultural outbuilding into residential .No objection

DM/21/03957/FPA                21, Rectory Lane, Replace windows and doors, remove chimney stack, front extension, single storey rear extension and change flat roof to pitched No objection

DM/21/03938/TCA                            3, Mill Isle, fell 3 no. Ash Trees No objection

DM/21/03868/FPA                            1, Chapel Walls, replace bay window with single storey rear extension

No objection

DM/21/03853/TPO                19, Lea Green, removal of existing epicormics growth, crown reduction of 1.5m to reduce crown density, to T1 horse chestnut, and minor crown clean and thin  and crown raising to the south and east to 4.5m to reduce crown density to T2 horse chestnut No objection

DM/21/03816/TCA                1, Cooperative Terrace. Fell T1 and T2 Poplar trees No objection

DM/21/03639/FPA                Bowlees Farm, Durham Road, 15 Holiday Lodges No objection