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Drigg & Carleton Parish Council – Minutes – February 2025

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MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 2025 ORDINARY MEETING OF THE

DRIGG & CARLETON PARISH COUNCIL

Held in Drigg Village Hall on 11th February 2025 at 6.30 pm

Attended:          Chris Gigg                                        CG         (Chair)

Andy Pratt                                       AP          (Ward Councillor)

Jimmy Naylor                                 JN

Andy McMillan                              AMcM

Martin Clayton                               MC

Sadie Clarke                                    SC

Karen Warmoth                             (Clerk / RFO)

 

Apologies:          John Jennings                                 JJ            (Vice-Chair)

Keith Murray                                  KM

 

  • Minutes of the previous Ordinary Meeting
    1. Resolution to approve the minutes of the meeting on 14th January 2025
      1. Approval as a true and accurate record proposed by MC and seconded by SC with all in favour; minutes signed by the Chair

 

  • Apologies for absence: John Jennings, Keith Murray

 

  • Declarations of interest relating to this agenda: none

 

  • Financial matters
    1. Finance report
      1. Balance: the balance of the DCPC account is £306.73 (accounting for the £48.58 as yet unclaimed by HMRC)
    2. Outstanding payments: none

 

  • Actions and matters arising
    1. Action 11/3: Clerk to draft a Sexual Harassment in the Workplace policy – action completed
    2. Action 1/1 : SC and MC to look for the architect’s landscaping plans in the Village Hall cupboards – action completed
    3. Action 1/2: SC to obtain and fit a key safe for the key fob to the shutters – action completed
    4. Action 1/3: CG to co-ordinate a Working Group between DCPC / Events Cttee to action this project – action completed (report under Main Business)
    5. Action 1/4: Clerk to book the Chair onto a CALC Training course – action completed

 

  • Cumberland Council
    1. Report
      1. Grants: Disabled Facilities Grant available for up to £7k for adding domestic improvements such as handrails, etc. The grant is not means tested
      2. Devolution: Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Councils have agreed to join the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme. The aim is to give regions more powers and decision-making over matters such as economic development, transport, employment support, planning, and housing
      3. Highways
        1. A595: work mainly complete other than snagging, minor repairs, a few drains, etc. All work must be complete by 31st March 2025
        2. Holmrook: to be resurfaced overnight beginning Monday 24th March 2025 from just past Drigg Junction to just past the turning to Holmrook Hall – further details on the website: https://drigg.org.uk/
          • Possibility that Holmrook Hill on the B5344 will be done during the same closure – yet to be confirmed
  • Resurfacing of B5344: spray tar dressing and chipping to be done in the next financial year; blocked drains have been reported and will be rectified
  1. Corney Fell bridge: contractors have been appointed to replace the bridge; river window for bridge replacement work in July / August 2025
  2. Pavements: most of the undergrowth on village pavements has been cut back
    • AP to chase to ensure this work will be continued and completed
    • A photo of the pavement needing repair has been sent to Highways
  3. Notices displayed on the Highway: Cumberland propose to fine those displaying adverts or other notices directly on the highway; clarification requested regarding Village Hall noticeboards near the roadside
  • Public Participation: no members of the public came forward

 

  • Main Business
    1. Cumbria Constabulary Neighbourhood Policing: in response to the letter from CALC, CG and SC agreed to be the nominated contacts for the Neighbourhood Policing Team
    2. Tree felling: a number of parishioners complained about trees being felled on church dip
      1. This work was undertaken by Cumberland Council in response to a survey in the summer of 2024 showing the trees were affected by ash dieback
      2. Any trees affected by ash dieback must be felled on safety grounds
  1. Cumberland Council policy: https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/news/2024/ash-dieback-tree-branches-out-over-cumberland
  1. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Policy 2025: policy adopted; signed by the Chair
    1. Review: policy to be reviewed in two years’ time
  2. EV chargers: Drigg & Carleton interest is registered and still on the list
    1. Decision to be taken in March 2025 on the location of EV chargers
  3. Community Led Plan: a live document under regular review
    1. Actions 1-7 reviewed in January 2025 – see Minutes
    2. Action 4 – Footpath / Cycleway: CG willing to be the named contact for footpaths
  • Action 11 – Parking: the cars parked at the top of Hilltop Farm are a problem
    • DCPC owns no land to create a car park – no actions possible
    • AP to chase Cumberland to deal with dangerous parking
    • Parking by Hill Farm is by permission for local residents
  1. Action 12 – Speeding Traffic: speeding signs have been cleaned and trees cut back
    • Highways unwilling to install Speed Indicator Devices (“smiley face”)
    • LLWR do speed surveys in the village; this data is regularly shared at Liaison meetings
    • Bus service: Cumberland Council going out to tender for bus service contract
      • Buses would not come to Drigg
      • Muncaster Microbus is short of drivers, cf also Voluntary Car Service
  1. Village Hall Energy Efficiency Project
    1. Project is completed; still waiting for £20k from the Lottery fund to pay the tradesmen
    2. All invoices now submitted; just photos to submit to complete the job
  • Recommended that tradesmen are thanked in the Newsletter for doing a good job
  1. Minor snagging with Main Hall heating and foyer doors resolved quickly
  2. Whether front door can be fitted with a slow closing mechanism? To be considered
  3. Compliance check of governance documents to be competed; physical compliance checks to be ongoing
  • Solar panels / battery: all successfully installed
    • Power is drawn first from solar panels, then the battery, and then the grid
    • If power fails, the battery can run light and heat
    • Surplus goes to the grid and the Hall is paid for this contribution
    • Hall may be opened during power outages to support parishioners – Newsletter item to publicise this amenity
  1. Hall Loft project
    1. MC spoke to Tom Johnson, a builder from Bootle, who is willing to assess the job
    2. Bootle builder currently unavailable; MC and SC to follow up other possible contacts
  2. Shutters
    1. Key safe: installed and set up with a password (to be disclosed to hirers)
  3. Cine Equipment in the Village Hall
    1. AMcM declared a non-pecuniary interest as a member of the Drigg Events Cttee
    2. The Working Group met on 10th February 2025
  • Agreed that the Village Hall cttee will make the application to the South Copeland CIF
  1. Half of the application form is completed; SC seeking quotes to finish the application
  2. A Hearing Loop must be integrated into the sound system
  3. Next CIF Panel meeting is on 21st March 2025; form to be submitted two weeks’ prior
  • Equipment would be a community asset and stored permanently in the village hall
  • Drigg Events would run the equipment and train hall users / hirers to use it
  1. Newsletter: February 2025
    1. Dates: copy date 20th February 2025; publication by 28th February 2025; distribution during the first week of March 2025
    2. Expanded number of pages: parishioners asked for more information on the activities of the Parish Council; it was resolved to expand the Newsletter by another page
  • Suggested material: RSPB report, Village hall hire and energy efficiency upgrade (including battery power during electricity outages), Muncaster minibus, beach benches, cine project, PRoW volunteers, Drigg Local History Group meetings, etc
  1. DCPC Cloudbase photo: to be included in the May Newsletter
  1. Beach benches
    1. Two benches have been replaced in the same places as before on the beach in January 2025; the Parish Council extends its thanks to NDA Properties for their generosity
  2. Any other Parish matters: none
  • Cumbria Association of Local Councils
    1. CALC Report: two directors challenged due process at the recent directors’ meeting
      1. Treasurer evicted for failing to follow due process (nomination from his own Parish Council, minuting of the nomination and ratifying the appointment)
      2. Vote of No Confidence against the Chair Mary Bradley over her decision on devolution without consulting the CALC board – VONC was not upheld
  • New Rep for South Lakes required and no current Treasurer
  1. Community Health & Wellbeing Conference: to be held in Westlakes Science Park on Tuesday 11th March 2025 from 9.30 am to 2 pm. Free admission with a light lunch. Offers a chance to Councillors to meet representatives from local agencies supporting Health & Wellbeing. Booking essential: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-health-wellbeing-conference-south-cumberland-tickets-1144032926279

 

  • Reports from Representatives
    1. GDF Mid Copeland Community Partnership: announcement on 30th January 2025 by NWS
      1. Areas of Focus: NWS has identified sites in each search area as potentially suitable sites (ie having the potential to host project infrastructure) which could be taken forward for more detailed investigations (eg boreholes)
        • DCPC likely to be more affected by the Mid Copeland choices:
          • Area east of Sellafield
          • Area east of Seascale
        • Engagement event: Thursday 13th February 2025, 3 pm – 7 pm, Drigg Village Hall
      2. GDF South Copeland Community Partnership: announcement on 30th January 2025 by NWS
        1. Area of Focus: NWS has identified sites in each search area as potentially suitable sites (ie having the potential to host project infrastructure) which could be taken forward for more detailed investigations (eg boreholes)
          • Site chosen in South Copeland
            • Area east of Haverigg (excluding HMP Haverigg)
  1. Partnership status: currently still suspended pending the report to NWS
  • Election of new Chair due in April 2025; CIF Panel continuing
  1. NWS / DCPC Liaison meeting
    1. Considered the programme for STIM
    2. Lorry movements to the site to move aggregate until the end of March 2025
      • Four lorries per week, arriving Monday afternoon and leaving on Friday
  • DCPC considering asking for some landscaping help in consideration of this traffic
  1. Next meeting: Tuesday 25th February 2025 at Pelham House
  • Matters to be considered at the next Ordinary Meeting of the Parish Council
    1. Consider how to fund the beach boards
  • Date of next meeting
    1. Close: meeting closed 8 pm
    2. Next meeting: to be held on 11th March 2025 at Drigg Village Hall at 6.30 pm


Karen Warmoth
Parish Clerk
Drigg & Carleton Parish Council
16th February 2025