ILAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

05 September 2017 @ 8:00 pm Ilam School

Present - C Sellers, S Hudson, L Oulsnam, C Hibbert-Foy, R Wain, K Warrington, P Watson (Clerk)

                                G Heath & M-A Raftery (Staffordshire County Council), P Mortimer & L Barley (NT)

Apologies  - V Nottage

Minutes

● Minutes of the meeting held on 04 July were read and signed as true and correct.

Parking

● The County Council’s plans for double yellow lines along Thorpe Road and the Dovedale Car Park road were discussed and approved.  The lay-by near the Izaak Walton Hotel will remain designated to coach parking only.  If there are no objections the work will be done before the end of the financial year.

● It was agreed that it would be impractical for the villagers to install a footpath opposite Town End Cottage but they may make an earth bank in future to ensure that cars cannot ignore the double yellow lines and still park there.

● The idea to provide a pick up/drop off parking area for the school has been abandoned as it would require planning permission that neither the school nor the Parish Council can afford to apply for.

National Trust

● Liaison meetings between NT, YHA, Dovedale House, Ilam Scholl and the Parish Council are ongoing to produce the development plan that will hopefully be part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

● In the spirit of two-way cooperation, the Parish Council requested that NT should reduce to a peppercorn rent the amount that the school has to pay NT for the small areas at the side and back of the school.

● L Barley gave details of the Trust’s Woodland Plan and River Restoration plan.

Peak Park

● The planning applications for a rope bridge at Ilam Hall and for holiday lets at Castern Hall have been approved by the Peak Park planners.

Highways

● The Council has been informed that the solid drain cover opposite Ilam School cannot be replaced with a grid as it covers an inspection chamber.

● M-A Raftery assured the meeting that the village drains would be cleared in the near future.

Staffordshire Parish Councils Association

● The Clerk will obtain a copy of the Good Councillor’s Guide 2017 and inform the Council Members of any new issues they should be aware of.

Finance

● There is £673 in the account with a further £404 of precept to come in September.  Expenditure of £374 is expected in the rest of the financial year to 31 March 2018, which would leave a balance of £703 at the year end.

● SMDC has advised that the costs if the next Parish Council elections are contested could be as much as £4,000 if no other elections are scheduled at the same time.

Any Other Business

● C Sellers and V Nottage will look into the possibility of obtaining and planting more bulbs around the village.

● K Warrington will try to find a home for the village’s set of scaffolding currently at the Anderson’s house.

● The Clerk will ensure that the website is up to date with details of Council members.

● The Clerk will check to see if there are any plans to disconnect the village phone box.

● The First Responders will be asked to check the defibrillator box as the heated plate does not seem to be working.

Next Meeting 14 November