LYMM PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held in the Parish Council Chamber, Village Hall,
Pepper Street, Lymm on Tuesday 10 February 2009 at 7.30 pm
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Present Councillor Mrs S E Woodyatt (Chairman)
" L Gallimore
" Mrs P Gaster
" June Gittins
" J Griffiths
" Mrs P Hunter
" Mrs P Marks
" I G Marks
" W N Woodyatt

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs R Barr, Mrs C Coupe and D Openshaw

124. Code of Conduct

Members were reminded of their responsibility to declare any personal interest or prejudicial interest that they may have in any item of business on the agenda no later than when the item is reached.

125. Minutes

RESOLVED : That the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 13 January 2009 be signed as a correct record.

126. Proceedings of the Committees of the Council

1. Planning and Development Committee on 13 January 2009
2. Plans Sub – Committee on 2 February 2009
3. Meeting with D Boyer, Warrington Borough Council on 21 January 2009
4. Allotments Sub-Committee meeting on 27 January 2009

RESOLVED : That such of the proceedings of these committees as require the confirmation and adoption of the Council be confirmed and adopted.

127. Policing in Lymm

Standing Orders were suspended for PCSO Carter to advise the Parish Council that he was still awaiting a response from Warrington Borough Council about his suggestion that signs should be erected in the village advising that there was a 40 tonne weight restriction on the bridge over the canal leading to New Road.

128. Pay and Display Car Parking

Phil Sexton said that the car parking had been discussed at a meeting of the Lymm Traders on 9 February 2009. It was considered that the consultation undertaken by Warrington Borough Council about pay and display car parking in Lymm had been seriously flawed. The traders felt that pay and display car parking needed to be introduced at each of the three car parks in Lymm to ensure the survival of the businesses in the village. Cllr Mrs Woodyatt said that after a discussion with D Boyer, Head of Sustainable Transport at Warrington Borough Council it had been suggested that pay and display car parking could be trialled on the Pepper Street car park. Cllr Marks said that before any parking scheme is introduced there would be further consultation but it was essential that a scheme be introduced as soon as possible to increase the number of short stay car parking spaces. Cllr Marks said that he would obtain a timetable for the introduction of the trial scheme.

Standing Orders were re-instated

129. Matters Arising

1. LPC 15.2. Lymm Youth Club. The Youth Club has now forwarded three estimates for the electrical work required at the Youth Club :

Beechwood Electrical Contracting £1714.21 plus VAT

Stockton Heath Electrical £2700.00

Lymm Electric £2731.29 plus VAT


The work had been undertaken by Beechwood Electrical Contracting and the Youth Club asked if the Parish Council could pay the cost of this work.

RESOLVED : Under the provisions of section 133 of the Local Government Act 1972 the Parish Council to pay the costs of £1714.21 plus VAT to Beechwood Electrical Contracting for the electrical work at Lymm Youth Club

2. LPC 98.2. Parish Council Website. The Clerk has copied the website development brief to all members of the Parish Council. The preferred template is template 10. Cllr Barr has suggested that a small group is formed to do the editorial work for the additional items on the website. Some photographs of Lymm are also needed for the website homepage.

3. LPC 116.1. Relocation of Lymm Sorting Office. A letter has been received from Christine Nolan, Royal Mail apologising for not keeping the Parish Council informed of the relocation of the sorting office. Ms Nolan explained that the Altrincham site for the sorting office provides better access, more space and improved facilities and safer and healthier working conditions for the staff. A letter has also been received from Mrs Southworth, MP saying that she has made representations to the Chief Executive of the Royal Mail about the lack of consultation with the Parish Council. Mrs Southworth will write again when she has further information.

RESOLVED : A letter be sent to C Nolan, Royal Mail, objecting to the lack of consultation with the Parish Council concerning the relocation of the Lymm Sorting Office

130. Chairman's Communications

The Chairman had received confirmation that Footpath 47 had now been included on the Definitive Map.

131. Clerk's Communications.

1. The Clerk has been contacted by Phil Spencer, Warrington Brass Band asking if the Parish Council could give a written commitment to having the Band play at Carols at the Cross for the next 5 years.

RESOLVED : Warrington Brass Band be asked to play at Carols at The Cross for the next five years.

2. The Clerk had received an e mail from Mark Harrison saying that he considered that if Lymm is to survive as a retail centre then pay and display car parking must happen in the near future.

3. Peter Birchall has written to the Parish Council asking if the Parish Council could arrange and fund a reception for the French visitors on the afternoon of 18 May 2009. Mr Birchall also asked if the Parish Council could consider where the statue of Jean de Meung, presented to Lymm on the 20th anniversary of the twinning, could be housed. Cllr Barr had undertaken to investigate the possibility of housing the statue in the Village Hall.

RESOLVED : Under the provisions of Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 Lymm Parish Council to make a grant of £100 to Lymm Twin Town Society towards the costs of a reception for the French visitors on 18 May 2009.

4. CPRE will be holding a workshop and networking event as part of the Mapping Local Foods Web project on 18 February 2009 between 7 p.m and 9 p.m at St John’s Baptist Church Hall, Knutsford. All members of the Parish Council are invited to attend.

5. The Clerk has five copies of the consultation document for the proposal for application to be accredited as a Foundation Trust.

132. Reports From Outside Bodies

1. Cllrs Mrs Woodyatt and June Gittins had attended a Community Sports Forum meeting at Lymm High School.

2. Cllrs Griffiths, Marks and Barr had attended the anti-terrorism presentation at Stockton Heath Police Station which had been very interesting.

3. Cllr Mrs Gaster had attended the Allotments Sub-Committee meeting which had been a rather heated meeting as some of the representatives from Sowbrook allotments had been very agitated about the lock on the entrance gate. It had been suggested that the allotment holders might consider setting up a small committee.

4. Cllr Marks said that Warrington Borough Council would be sending a representative to sit on the Manchester Airport Consultative Committee.

5. Cllr Mrs Marks said that the French visitors would be arriving in Lymm at about 2.30 p.m. on 20 May 2009. Peter Birchall had asked if anyone would be willing to host the French visitors during their stay.

133. Schedule of Accounts for Payment

RESOLVED : That the schedule of accounts for payment in February 2009 in the sum of £33225.57 be passed for payment.

134. Date of Next Parish Council Meeting

Tuesday 10 March 2009 in the Parish Council Chamber, Village Hall, Pepper Street, Lymm at 7.30pm.

135. Public Open Forum

1. Mr Crow said that the roads in Lymm were deteriorating and asked what Warrington Borough Council proposed to do to repair them. Cllr Marks said that repair work would take place on Star Lane and Higher Lane in the next financial year. A lot of problems with the road surfaces resulted from the utility companies not properly restoring the surface when they had undertaken underground repair work. Warrington Borough Council would be taking action to ensure the utility companies undertook proper repairs of the road surfaces. Mr Crow asked that repair work be undertaken on Rectory Lane. Mr Kent said that pothole repairs appeared to have a very short life.

123. Part Two Matters

RESOLVED : That the Press and Public be excluded from this part of the proceedings