Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Parish
BURLEY PARISH COUNCIL
held on Thursday 29th March 2007 at the Parish Rooms
47 people attended
Chair:
Cllr Caroline Jones
Clerk:
Mrs Jo Griffiths
Burley Parish Councillors in attendance:
Cllr Keith Dale
Cllr Kath Forrest
Cllr John Horton
Cllr Peter Jenkins
Cllr Matt Palmer
Cllr Peter Riley
Cllr Sylvia Tilford
Cllr Mike Walker
1. Chairman's Opening Remarks
Cllr Jones opened the meeting and offered a welcome to the first Annual Meeting of Burley Parish Council. All councillors were delighted to see such a large turn out for the meeting.
2. Apologies for absence
Apologies were received from Revd. Michael Burley, Ms Christine Gore, Mr Bruce Speed, Mr & Mrs Vernon Whelan, Mr Tom Sumner, Cllr Chris Greaves and Cllr Dale Smith.
3. Chair's report on Burley Parish Council activities for the year 2006/07
Cllr Jones gave a report — see appendix 1.
4. Future plans and budget for the forthcoming Council year 2007/08
Cllr Jones circulated a copy of the un-audited accounts for the financial year 2006–07 and the budget for 2007–08 (copy attached) and invited comments and questions — none were offered.
5. Questions from members of the public:
Question: In view of the recent explosion in 'Garden Grabbing' and 'Tandem' housing developments in Burley, what is the Parish Council's view, and what are they able to do to control this growth and the resulting detrimental effects on the character of our village?
Answer: The Parish Council had no blanket policy each case is reviewed individually and assessed on its own particular merit. Pressure for more housing in the village meant that some development must take place but that each site was carefully considered. Some development of brown field sites reduced the pressure on the Green Belt. Under current planning law the Parish Council may only recommend its views to BMDC and work within the legislation to prevent development if that is appropriate e.g. if a site is in the conservation area. Cllr Jones encouraged all members of the community to take note of planning applications and to make their views known to the Parish Council on individual cases.
Question: Knocking down houses to build a greater number of houses on the same site is becoming more commonplace — is this not legalised vandalism?
Answer: If members of the community wish to see current planning legislation changed then they need to lobby their elected representatives.
Question: How do people find out about planning applications?
Answer:The Plans Committee of Burley Parish Council publishes copies of all agendas on the Burley website listing every planning application to be considered. Copies of the agendas are also available in Burley Library. The Bradford Metropolitan District Council website (www.bradford.gov.uk) also lists all planning applications to be considered. Notification of planning applications is also published in the Ilkley Gazette.
Question: Why is the Parish Council endorsing the police's advice to install dusk to dawn lighting as a means of reducing burglary when there is a contribution to energy wastage and light pollution with no obvious benefit in terms of crime prevention?
Answer: The Parish Council believed that the police's advice was for motion sensitive lighting to be installed but would pursue this matter further with the local neighbourhood policing team.
Question: Does the Parish Council know what is happening at Greenholme Mills?
Answer: The Parish Council had been made aware of a number of rumours that tenants have moved out and that there did not appear to be much (if any) effort to recruit new tenants. No planning applications had been received for this site. Cllr Jones reminded the meeting that conservation status had not been achieved for this site.
Question: Why had the police not been in attendance at the police surgeries advertised?
Answer: The surgeries are advertised in good faith but the Parish Council was aware of some staffing issues in the Neighbourhood Policing Team. Local volunteers had been made available to the police but as yet they were not in place although it was hoped that this would soon be resolved. Police officers were also on-duty officers and if required had to attend incidents. The Parish Council would raise this matter with the police.
Question: What could the Parish Council do to assist allotment holders on the Oak Avenue allotments who were the victims of vandalism?
Answer: Any acts of vandalism should be reported to the police as soon as possible. The Parish Council would bring this matter to the attention of the police and ask them to investigate further.
Question: What could be done about groups of youths hanging around the allotments causing intimidation and potentially involved in anti–social behaviour?
Answer: Any intimidation or anti–social behaviour should be reported to the police as soon as possible. The Parish Council would bring this matter to the attention of the police and ask them to investigate further. A suggestion from the audience was for young people to become involved in the allotments and urged the Parish Council to find ways for younger people to be included. Cllr Jones welcomed this suggestion and advised that the Parish Council was looking at ways to increase the number of allotments in the village as the demand was very high.
Question: What could be done to provide tennis courts in the village? At the current time there were no tennis courts in the village, surrounding villages — Menston, Ben Rhydding, Ilkley etc. all had access to this kind of facility.
Answer: Parish Council to look at this request.
Question: What action had the Parish Council taken with regard to the willow trees on the edge of the village green as previously requested?
Answer: The matter had been reported to the relevant department at BMDC and an assessment was awaited from a specialist.
6. Any other business
Cllr Palmer offered a vote of thanks to Cllr Jones for the tremendous amount of work she had put in over the previous year and invited a show of appreciation from the audience.
Appendix 1
Annual Report of Burley Parish Council
2006–2007
2006 was a momentous year in the civic life of Burley. Burley Parish Council came into being on 1 April 2006 and following elections at the beginning of May we now have nine parish councillors working for Burley.
We had a head start in establishing a parish council here, because of the legacy of the Community Council and the large number of groups and organisations that already exist in Burley these have given the village a good community ethos. Establishing a Parish Council is quickly said but many perhaps underestimate the amount of work involved. There were to begin with a large number of 'housekeeping' issues to address in order that we were legally and effectively able to transact business. We had to find ourselves a parish clerk and in October we were very fortunate to able to appoint Jo Griffiths.
We were aware from the beginning that we wanted to work to achieve 'Quality Parish Status' and in order for us to do this we have to meet various rigorous criteria. To this end Jo has embarked on training to become a qualified parish clerk and a number of councillors are also attending training sessions run by the Yorkshire Local Councillors Association of which we are members. One of the most important criteria in achieving the status is to ensure that the parish council is accessible and listening to the residents. We have made it a matter of highest priority to ensure that all our contact details and all minutes and agendas are on the Burley in Wharfedale website. There is also an email link to Jo, and she is also available to meet residents on Tuesday mornings between 10 a.m. and 12.00 at 1, Grange Road and when it is opened the new church building on Station Road. She very much welcomes callers and these times are a great opportunity for people to talk about their village concerns and discover more about what is going on. In addition we have published three Newsletters. We very much hope that people find time to read them and feedback is always welcome. (We are of course ever grateful to our stalwart band of deliverers.). It is our intention to produce four newsletters a year published in time to advertise the three Neighbourhood Forums and this The Annual General Meeting of the Parish.
Our Neighbourhood Forums which we run in conjunction with the Shipley Area Panel of Bradford Council have always been well supported and we urge that as many as possible attend when they are able. They are a great opportunity for us to learn from Bradford officers directly about future proposals and to respond to them. They are also an occasion for groups within the village to share what they are doing and seek views and support from the wider public. We are also pleased to welcome residents to our full council meetings on the 2nd Thursday in the month where there is a time dedicated to public participation. We also have meetings to determine our recommendations on planning applications following the full council meetings and on the 4th Thursday of the month.
I would like to outline some of the issues that have come to the fore during the past year and indicate where we plan to go with them during the next one:
Planning — We have considered and made recommendations on approximately 100 planning applications this year. This aspect of our work is important and we would hope that it becomes more familiar to the wider population. Very rarely do we receive any comments on the plans before us — we would very much welcome more. We do visit the sites of all applications and scrutinize the plans carefully — however it can be very difficult to foresee every outcome or implication that may arise and the impact of any development can often be very significant. As previously mentioned the list of applications under consideration is publicised on the websites and on the agendas posted in the library and notice boards. The full detailed plans are available to be viewed on Tuesday mornings or by arrangement. We would urge that people take an interest in planning applications and make their views known to the Parish Council.
The Parish Plan — This document was written by a working group of the BCC and adopted by the Parish Council — it is intended as a blueprint to guide our work. It is a working document that may be found on the website and we review progress and update it regularly. Some particular parts have come to the forefront but we do try to keep the whole picture in mind.
Maintenance Group — we have formed this group very ably led by Sylvia, this is not a talking and meeting group this is a working group. Their agenda is to work in the village principally on the Village Green but wherever else is needed doing the small maintenance jobs — litter picking, pruning, weeding etc. that keep the area looking at its best. Volunteers are not only welcomed but encouraged, 'as many hands...' etc. We anticipate approaching other groups particularly those for young people for assistance with this. We intend to meet on the last Saturday morning of each month at 10.a.m. on the Village Green — starting this Saturday — if anyone would like to join us this Saturday or any other we would be delighted to welcome you.. We have arranged for a village clean-up over the weekend of 11 – 13 May and to make the best use of the facilities offered by Bradford we need as many as possible to help — further details of this will be publicised nearer the time.
The Burley House Field — it is common knowledge that Bradford Council has agreed that the Parish Council should be granted a lease on the field. However, this is not as straightforward as it might appear. The Asset Management section of Bradford Council had recently granted an agricultural lease, very different from the previous grass keep agreements; it is an exclusive lease which clearly we can not accept. We have written to Asset Management asking them what and when they propose to deal with this matter. We will continue to press them on this in order to bring about an early resolution. Further to this we need to work at creating a clear vision of how we would like to field to be used in the future. We should remember that the field was saved from being built on partly because of the two ha-ha s and it being the historical setting for Burley House. Alongside this The Commons Act of 2006 opens the way to a third application for registration as a 'Village Green' which would save the field in perpetuity. This aspect is being led by John Gundry — we are all indebted to him for his tireless work on this and the council will be pleased to work with him and his advice.
Allotments — From 1 April the Parish Council takes over the ownership and management of the allotments currently owned by Bradford Council. We are aware that there is a long waiting list for allotments and this is a matter that we will have to consider in the coming year since there is clearly a significant unmet demand. We look forward to working with the tenants of the allotments and also forging links with the private allotment owners. The allotments are quite splendid and they are clearly a significant part of many lives in Burley.
The Grange — The future of the Grange is important to us all. It is now some months since it was vacated by Bradford College and we are anxious to see it brought back into use as soon as possible. It is a slow process, but it is the will of the council to urge housing providers to explore every possibility in using at least part of it for affordable housing, which has long been identified as particular need in Burley. We would also hope that part of the building could be retained for community use; The Parish Council is in need of a permanent home, we have spoken with the local colleges and believe that there would be a demand for rooms to run further education classes, we also believe that there is a demand for spaces for business use. The Grange will continue to challenge us for the forthcoming year.
Parking — This is probably one of the most frequently raised issues. Bradford Council have brought forward plans which are subject to consultation — it is a serious matter that arouses strong feelings — it is important that we work towards the best solutions, understanding that we have mutual responsibility to each other and the environment. We understand that there is insufficient parking to satisfy the current demand in the centre of the village. We are also aware that with the future of the Grange in question so is the future of the car park attached to it. We will continue to work with Bradford Council and the police to try and find safe and sustainable solutions. A questionnaire about parking at the station was distributed with the latest newsletter and we have already received a good many replies which will inform our discussions.
Toilet — We can not let this year go by without acknowledging that the new public toilet has been opened. There are a number of snagging issues but since it is about three years since this project started and for a great deal of that time it looked as if it would simply never happen, we have to be grateful for the progress made! We could write a book on this saga — and it would not be a slim volume! Our thanks go to Chris Dale and Brian Mann of Ilkley Parish Council and the BCC who started this and did much of the early work. We hope that very shortly it will be properly finished.
The Lawn — It is appropriate that we also report on the latest position regarding another important building. The Lawn as many will know is owned by the Bradford Housing Trust and before that to Bradford Council, it was used for many years as sheltered accommodation for the elderly but it was outmoded and unsuitable by today's standards. It was vacated about two years ago and plans for its redevelopment have been in the public domain for much of that time. However, there have been a couple of hitches with the funding of this project and so we will be pursuing the Housing Association to resolve this matter to the benefit of all. It is a great shame to see such a splendid building boarded up — which we were told was just a short term measure prior to the work starting.
BWCT — The council is pleased to work closely with the BWCT and value their enormous contribution to village life. They are responsible for the Christmas lights, the Pudding Tree Garden, the Duck Race, Scalebor Park facilities etc. We value their support and encouragement and are pleased to reciprocate.
The Play Park — Burley Parish Council contributed £4,000 to the refurbishment of the play area in the park. Further to that we are working with Bradford to discover the reason for the poor drainage which has led to it being virtually unusable for part of this winter. This matter is currently ongoing.
When we held the jamboree in the Queens Hall to help with formulation of the Parish Plan, the non–striking of the clock on the Queen's Hall was held to be one of the most important issues in need of rectification. In fact we spoke to Bradford Council long before the formation of the Parish Council about having it mended but with an admirable sense of timing it struck again on 11 June. I would like to claim it as the first concrete accomplishment of the Parish Council within weeks of its establishment!
The councillors also represent the Parish Council on a number of other bodies; notably The BCC and The BWCT, The Chamber of Trade, Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, Governing Bodies of both Burley Oaks and Burley and Woodhead C.E. Primary Schools, the Police Ward Tasking Group, Rural Transport, Shipley Area Panel, The Wildlife Group, WRUG (rail users group) and the Yorkshire Local Councillors Assoc.
In February we had our Civic Service at St Mary's Church, which was a lovely occasion and our thanks go to Michael Burley for his thoughtful service enjoyed by all who attended.
Finance — There are some copies of our accounts (which given the date, are neither complete nor audited) and our approved budget for next year. The latter indicates that the precept we have sought from Bradford is £8.50 on a Band D house. We make no apology for at this stage not having identified a precise use for the capital funds we received from Ilkley at the outset, this is because as I have indicated we have no permanent meeting place and office for the Parish Council — and this sum is being held for that purpose. If anyone would like to ask questions on the finances I will be pleased to take them at the end.
It has been my privilege to Chair the Parish Council during its inaugural year and I have to take this opportunity to thank my fellow councillors most especially Sylvia — our Vice–Chair for all their hard work. The motivation for seeking our own parish council was so that the issues that matter to the people of Burley could be addressed more effectively. I believe that we have worked and will continue to do so with that focus. However we are only nine of a large village approaching 7,000, we can not do anything without the support of the village. This report has outlined much of the work that lies before us in the coming year — at least that which we know about! We have many aspirations and no doubt some will come to fruition.
It is quite remarkable how much goes on in this village and how many people give a great deal of time and expertise in making it a special place to live. It is our ambition for the village that we encourage, facilitate and publicise the work of the voluntary groups in the village as much as possible, since without them we would all be much the poorer.