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Drigg & Carleton Parish Council – Minutes – January 2025

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MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 2025 ORDINARY MEETING OF THE

DRIGG & CARLETON PARISH COUNCIL

Held in Drigg Village Hall on 14th January 2025 at 6.30 pm

Attended:          Chris Gigg                                        CG         (Chair)

John Jennings                                 JJ            (Vice-Chair)

Keith Murray                                  KM

Martin Clayton                               MC

Sadie Clarke                                    SC

Karen Warmoth                             (Clerk / RFO)

 

Apologies:          Andy Pratt                                       AP          (Ward Councillor)

Jimmy Naylor                                 JN

Andy McMillan                              AMcM

 

  • The meeting was preceded by a presentation by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds on plans to protect Oystercatchers and Common Ringed Plovers at Drigg Point this summer.
  • Poles and signage will be erected in March 2025 to indicate areas to avoid when walking on the beach to protect the nests.
  • All signs and posts will be removed in August 2025.

 

  • Minutes of the previous Ordinary Meeting
    1. Resolution to approve the minutes of the meeting on 12th November 2024. Approval as a true and accurate record proposed by KM and seconded by SC with all in favour; minutes signed by the Chair

 

  • Apologies for absence: Andy Pratt, Jimmy Naylor, Andy McMillan

 

  • Declarations of interest relating to this agenda
    1. JJ declared an interest in the cine equipment item as a member of the Drigg Events Cttee

 

  • Financial matters
    1. Finance report
      1. Balance: the balance of the DCPC account is £631.07
      2. VAT reclaim: a total of £312.20 VAT was reclaimed in December 2024
    2. Consideration of payments
      1. Clerk / RFO salary: an invoice for £308.40 was submitted for the Clerk’s salary covering Oct – Dec 2024, plus £44.16 in back pay after the NALC Local Government Service Pay review 2024-25; payment proposed by SC, seconded by MC, with all in favour
      2. DCPC invoice to Drigg Charity: an invoice was issued to Drigg Charity to reimburse the DCPC for the work of the Secretary

 

  • Actions and matters arising
    1. Action 11/1: CG to update the CLP Actions document and circulate to all Cllrs for comments – action closed as it will be a Main Business agenda item from now on (see minute 8.d.)
    2. Action 11/2: Clerk to liaise with parishioner about the 1894 photo re-enactment – photo was taken – action completed
    3. Action 11/3: Clerk to produce a Sexual Harassment in the Workplace policy – currently underway adapting templates from two similar sized parishes. Action ongoing

 

  • Cumberland Council
    1. Report
      1. Boundary Review: no likelihood that Drigg & Carleton will be affected by this review
    2. Highways
      1. A595: no date given for the next phase of work on the A595 upgrade; work must be completed by the financial year end 31st March 2025
      2. Holmrook: no date given for the resurfacing work at Holmrook
  • Pavements: pavements in Stubble Green have had the undergrowth cut back but not all through the village; AP to chase when this work will be continued and completed
  • Public Participation
    1. One member of the public attended the meeting to answer enquiries about the cine equipment (see minute 8.i.)

 

  • Main Business
    1. DCPC Safeguarding Policy 2025: reviewed and updated
      1. Policy be added to the website with contact details of the Safeguarding Lead displayed in the Village Hall
    2. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Policy: document being prepared
      1. Document to be reviewed and adopted at the next meeting
    3. EV chargers: Drigg & Carleton PC’s interest has been registered with Highways
      1. Decision to be taken in March 2025 on the location of EV chargers
    4. Community Led Plan: a live document under regular review
      1. Action 1 – Environment: AP and SC to remain as contacts
      2. Action 2 – Planters: hanging baskets to be deleted as too time consuming to water them daily. SC as contact
  • Action 3 – Litter: Dave Marsden to check if more equipment is needed. CG to update
  1. Action 4 – Footpath / Cycleway: is this still needed or has the Coastal Way impetus been lost? CG will contact Natural England and Cumberland Council to discuss how to progress this action
  2. Action 7: Public Rights of Way (PRoW): more paths falling into disrepair again. It is the responsibility of Cumberland Council to repair PRoWs. Should the Parish Council apply for funding for maintenance? Ask for volunteers in the Newsletter? Need to cut back shrubs and grass verges
  3. Action 8 – Landscaping: the Parish Council does not own the verges in the parish and Cumberland Council permission would be needed. This Action was an attempt to reduce the amount of grass cutting by adding features to the village. Plans were drawn up by an architect which should be in the Village Hall cupboards. MC / SC to check during a Warm Hub

 

Action 1/1 : SC / MC to look for the architect’s landscaping plans in the Village Hall cupboards

 

  1. Overgrown hedge: partially blocking the footpath and line of sight for cars on Station road
    1. AP raised this issue with Home Group; the landlord is required to cut back the hedge
  2. Village Hall Energy Efficiency Project
    1. Currently: project is underway with energy efficient window shutters (reflecting back heat) and blackout film over some of the door windows installed; zoning of rooms for heating is done; hand dryers in the toilets with a shower board trim added
    2. Next week: the plumber will be working next week when the hall is not in use; the automatic doors will be installed by the end of the month; remaining blackout film over the door windows will be completed
  • Solar panels / battery: still waiting to set a date on this element of the project
  1. All work currently on track
  1. Hall Loft project
    1. MC spoke to Tom Johnson, a builder from Bootle, who is willing to assess the job
    2. Meeting next week at the Hall with MC, CG, SC (and anyone else available) to quote
  • If the builder is able to do the staircase, Stuart Fenwick could do the electrical work
  1. Shutters
    1. The main hall screen shutters are now installed and £1,872 paid to the supplier
    2. A long handle winder is available in the boiler room if the electricity fails
  • CG proposed and KM seconded a spend of up to £50 to set up a key safe for the shutters’ key fob in the wifi box, with all in favour

 

Action 1/2: SC to obtain and fit a key safe for the key fob to the shutters

 

  1. Cine Equipment in the Village Hall
    1. JJ declared a non-pecuniary interest as a member of the Drigg Events Cttee
    2. Current equipment is old and belongs to Eden Arts; could be withdrawn at any time
  • GDF funding of around £10k is sought against a quote of £13k
  1. Drigg Events Cttee would contribute approximately £3k towards the balance
  2. Equipment would be a community asset and stored permanently in the village hall
  3. Maintenance: check every 5 years required, as with other hall equipment
  • Insurance: if attached to the Hall (a DCPC asset) the equipment would need to be owned and insured by the Hall owner
  • Suggestion that DCPC action the funding application as future owner of the equipment which would be available to all parishioners to use (after full training given)
  1. Proposed that DCPC and Events Cttee form a Working Group to progress the project and complete the project funding application; CG to co-ordinate a meeting time

 

Action 1/3: CG to co-ordinate a Working Group between DCPC / Events Cttee to action this project

 

  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. Suggested material: RSPB report, Village hall hire and upgrade, Muncaster minibus, beach benches, cine project, PRoW volunteers
  2. Beach benches
    1. SC reported that two benches would be replaced by the NDA in the same places as before on the beach in January 2025
  3. Any other Parish matters
    1. Cumberland Council “Licence to Grow” contract
      • Project approval due shortly; planting should be possible in March 2025

 

 

 

  • Planning Applications
    1. Cumberland Council
      1. 4/24/2380/0F1 – Prior approval application for demolition of bungalow and outbuilding, Sandy Acre, Shore Road, Drigg. Established that NWS do not propose to rebuild. Parish Council in favour of the application
      2. 4/24/2399/0F1 – Addition of a driveway and pavement crossing for disability access, 7 Station Road, Drigg. Updated application due to an administrative error. No material difference to the application; the Parish Council remain in favour of the application
    2. Lake District National Park
      1. T/2024/0224: Fell one beech tree, Orchard House, Carleton, Holmrook. The Parish Council approves the application
      2. T/2024/0223: Horse chestnut, 3.5 metre crown reduction, Carleton Hall, Holmrook. The Parish Council approves the application
  • 7/2024/4089: Confirmation of compliance with condition attached to planning permission, Saltcoats Caravan Site, Saltcoats, Holmrook – no further action required
  • Cumbria Association of Local Councils
    1. CALC Report: meeting tomorrow to discuss Cumbria Community Partnership
    2. 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
    3. Training: New Chairperson training via Teams on 24th March 2025, cost £30. CG to attend; payment approved by CG, seconded by SC with all in favour

 

Action 1/4: Clerk to book the Chair onto a CALC Training course on 24th March 2025

 

  • Reports from Representatives
    1. GDF Mid Copeland Community Partnership: meeting on Monday 2nd December 2024
      1. Chair’s report: the Chair met with an advisor to Cumberland Council with a focus on building on local visioning activity
      2. Theddlethorpe CP: visited Cumbria to gain an insight into a nuclear area
  • Areas of Focus: this month NWS will identify several 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)
  1. Visioning: forums in Gosforth, Seascale, Beckermet and Thornhill had 48 attendees as well as Youth sessions including a recap with Shackles Off. Next steps will be to draft common themes and take it back to the community to test the vision
  2. CIF fund: 33 new awards have already been made in Year 3
  3. Engagement: the Youth lead is working with 1st Gosforth Scouts, a new youth group in Beckermet and there was also a successful visioning session with Drigg Young Farmers
  1. GDF South Copeland Community Partnership: meeting on 11th December 2024
    1. VONC: Millom Town Council had a Vote of No Confidence in the Community Partnership and have withdrawn their support and their representative on the CP
      • Reasons: lack of engagement, lack of forums, lack of info, too much emphasis on procedure, lack of progress, no decision on the remuneration issue
      • Significance: Millom has a population of 7,500 (total South Copeland search area population is 9,000) and consequently represents a large majority of the CP
    2. NWS response: Simon Hughes has commissioned a report by Mary Bradley (Chair of the now defunct Allerdale Community Partnership) which is due shortly
  • All South Copeland CP meetings are cancelled pending the report (except CIF)
  1. NWS / DCPC Liaison meeting
    1. Two drop ins are planned in January where the principle STIM contractor, Grahams, will meet residents and discuss the project impacts
    2. The HGV curfew breeches were discussed. Future planned HGV movements and a review of curfew arrangements will be reviewed at the next Liaison meeting
  • AP gave an update on the Licence to Grow project on the former Council tip site
  1. Next meeting: 28th January 2025 at Drigg Village Hall
  • Matters to be considered at the next Ordinary Meeting of the Parish Council
    1. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Policy: to review and adopt
  • Date of next meeting
    1. Close: meeting closed 8.25 pm
    2. Next meeting: to be held on 11th February 2025 at Drigg Village Hall at 6.30 pm


Karen Warmoth
Parish Clerk
Drigg & Carleton Parish Council
19th January 2025

 

 

Summary of Actions

 

Action 11/3: Clerk to produce a Sexual Harassment in the Workplace policy – action ongoing

 

Action 1/1 : SC and MC to look for the architect’s landscaping plans in the Village Hall cupboards

 

Action 1/2: SC to obtain and fit a key safe for the key fob to the shutters

 

Action 1/3: CG to co-ordinate a Working Group between DCPC / Events Cttee to action this project

 

Action 1/4: Clerk to book the Chair onto a CALC Training course on 24th March 2025