ILAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
14 November 2017 @ 8:00 pm Ilam School
Present - C Sellers, L Oulsnam, R Wain, K Warrington, V Nottage, P Watson (Clerk)
Apologies - S Hudson, C Hibbert-Foy, E Wain (SMDC), NT (unable to attend but sent a written report)
Minutes
● Minutes of the meeting held on 05 September were read and signed as true and correct.
Matters arising
● The Council will wait until they have placed boulders and/or prepared an earth bank behind the new yellow lines to decide what flowers and shrubs should be planted there. Meanwhile V Nottage will investigate bulbs for planting by the village sign on Ilam Moor Lane.
● The scaffolding that might have been donated to the village has instead been sold so storage for it is not needed.
● The Clerk confirmed that there are no plans to take the village phone box out of service.
Parking
● The County Council has done the survey for the yellow lines and the Clerk will monitor progress. Meanwhile it is understood that the owner of Town End Cottage may be unhappy with the restrictions so the Clerk will explain to her why they are needed.
● It was decided to prevent cars from parking behind the yellow lines by placing some boulders there. C Sellers and V Nottage will investigate where they might come from. It is planned to have some flowers and shrubs between the boulders and possibly an earth bank between or behind them while maintaining space for pedestrians.
National Trust
● The Parish Council will advise the school to ask NT for a reduction in rent of the two small areas of land they use.
● A new IT connection is being installed between the office and the tearoom. The new rope bridge has been constructed. Improving the woods in Dovedale has started.
● The planning application for increasing the public car park will be submitted in December. NT asked for a letter of support from the Council – the Clerk will contact them about it. An application will also be made to formalise parking in the Croft for staff, volunteers and visitors.
● Ideas for the Heritage Lottery Fund Project will be developed next year and a meeting with Council representatives will be arranged soon.
Defibrillator
● K Warrington will ask Ian Frith to investigate why the heating plate doesn’t seem to be working.
● To keep the defibrillator the Council will need to fund its maintenance in future so £50 per year will be budgeted.
Highways
● Once again Ilam Bridge has been damaged by a long vehicle unable to negotiate the bend onto it. YHA have assured the Council that they still warn visitors coming by coach that this route is unsuitable. The Clerk has asked highways department for a more informative sign at Blore crossroads to advise that the route is impassable to any long vehicles (not just HGVs as per the current sign).
● Drivers are still turning up at Castern Farms and Air Cottage because their satnavs show through routes there. An official No Through Road sign is planned for the Castern road but may be delayed due to budget constraints.
● Various drains in the village are blocked. The Clerk will ask for them to be cleared.
Staffordshire Parish Councils Association
● The Chairman was given SPCA’s Annual Report & Accounts. It was decided not to send a representative to the AGM.
● The Clerk has studied the Good Councillor’s Guide 2017 and found the only new issue to be the new audit arrangements under which the Council should be able to declare itself an exempt authority and pay no fees.
Westminster tours
● The Clerk told the meeting about upcoming coach trips to London and private tours of Westminster on 11 and 12 January. Interested parties should phone our MP’s office on 01538 382421 by 30 November.
Finance
● There is £988 in the account. Expenditure of £311 is expected in the rest of the financial year to 31 March 2018, which would leave a balance of £677 at the year end.
Dates of 2018 meetings: 09 January 13 March 08 May 10 July 11 September 13 November