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LAKES PARISH

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING AND ANNUAL REPORT 2013/14

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PARISH OF LAKES 2014.

Held in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 21, Part 3, in the Main Hall, Ambleside Parish Centre, Vicarage Lane, Ambleside, on Wednesday 14th May 2014 at 7pm.

Chairman of the Meeting – Cllr. Mrs Louise Waterhouse AGENDA.

1. Apologies.
2. Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Parish of Lakes held in the Parish Centre Ambleside, on Wednesday May 1st 2013 (see below).
3. Matters arising from the Minutes (if any).
4. Chairman’s address.
5. Guest Speaker – Presentation by Cllr P Thompson & Michael Johnson, Parish Clerk
6. Statements (generally maximum of 5-10 minutes duration) by representatives of local organisations and by individual residents of Lakes Parish, including:-
   1. (i)  Sgt. Nolan and PCSO Jackson will talk about the work of the local Police.
   2. (ii)  H Manning will speak on the work of Ambleside Civic Trust.
   3. (iii)  Vivienne Rees will speak on the work of Grasmere Village Society.
   4. (iv)  Jane Renouf will speak on the Ambleside Library’s CommunityDevelopment Centre project
   5. (v)  Jane Renouf will speak on Ambleside Oral History Group
   6. (vi)  Nigel Hutchinson will answer questions on the work of the KelsickEducational Foundation.
   7. (vii)  Jak Hirst will speak on behalf of Ambleside Sports Association.
   8. (viii)  Deanna Cousins will speak on the work of the Langdale Valley Assn
   9. (ix)  Keith Coates will speak on the work of Rydal Village Society
   10. (x)  Geoff Brown will speak on the work of Troutbeck Village Association
   11. (xi)  Graham Kilner will give an update on the Armitt Museum.
   12. (xii)  Andrew Hewitt of Ambleside Community Christmas Lights will speak.
   13. (xiii)  Other speakers on request to the Chairman.

   Questions and answers will be permitted.

7. Any other relevant Business.
8. Chairman’s concluding remarks.

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held at the Parish Centre, Vicarage Road, Ambleside on Wednesday 1st May 2013 at 7pm

PRESENT: Cllrs. E.S. Bradshaw (Chairman), Mrs F.M. Sparrow, L. Johnson, Mrs J Birkett, N. Martin, Mrs A Sowerbutts, , P. Truelove, Mrs L. Waterhouse and
25 members of the public/ local organisations.

IN ATTENDANCE – Richard Rhodes, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria, Ben Berry, Sgt K Spedding, PCSO Laura Jackson.

ALSO: Michael Johnson (Clerk to the Parish Council), Jane Renouf.

APOLOGIES: Cllrs Mrs V Rees and P.Thompson.

1. MINUTES
   The minutes of the Annual Parish meeting held at the Kelsick Centre, Ambleside on Wednesday 2nd May 2012 were accepted as a correct record with one amendment, for Nigel Wilkinson read Nigel Hutchinson, and signed by the Chairman accordingly.
2. MATTERS ARISING There were none.
3. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
   The Chairman welcomed those attending, reported on the activities of the Parish Council and presented his annual report. He said that the Council had now become a service provider with White Platts and its operation of 4 refurbished public conveniences and 4 other toilets in the Parish. He commended the work of the teams involved in the operation of these public conveniences and also the Officers of the Council for their work to keep it all on track. He paid tribute to the Police for an excellent working relationship. He thanked the Vice Chairman of Lakes Parish Council, Fiona Sparrow for her support. He highlighted the quarterly newsletter of the Council. He thanked the Police and other Councillors for their attendance at meetings, and fellow Parish Councillors for their work during the year. He thanked the Clerk for his work.
4. SPEAKER
   Richard Rhodes, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria gave an interesting and detailed account of his first six months in Office. As a resident of South Cumbria he has a particular interest in this area. He explained the process of replacing the old Police Authority with the new role of Police and Crime Commissioner. He gave details of the funding and the expenses of his Office which, he said, were considerably less than the old Police Authority. He explained his Police and Crime Plan for the years 2013 -2017 and made copies of this Plan available to the Meeting. He explained the relationship between the Chief Constable and himself. There are regular weekly meetings with the Chief Constable and his team. He feels an obligation to the victims of crime and sees Youth Justice as fundamental in addressing crime at a very young age. One of his major concerns is the number of armed forces veterans who are in prison at the present time. He tried to define rural crime and its relationship to various parts of the County. He answered a range of questions from the floor and the Chairman thanked him for his attendance and a very interesting speech.
5. POLICE REPORT
   Inspector Spedding reported on Policing within the local and force area and spoke on the past, present and future. He said that crime was down by 132 year on year in Grasmere, Ambleside and Lakes Parish. He gave details of the 85 calls for service. He highlighted policing priorities. PCSO Laura Jackson spoke on the recent ‘Streetsafe’ operation that has highlighted various issues on the Kirkstone Close estate. The number one issue was that that nobody had a

problem! Other issues included drugs, antisocial behaviour and neighbour disputes. She continued to work with young people within the Parish. She had undertaken training of the speed radar gun. The Officers answered questions from the floor of the meeting. The Chairman thanked them for their attendance.

6. STATEMENTS BY REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL ORGANISATIONS IN LAKES PARISH The following presentations were made:

1. (i)  Harry Manning spoke on the work of Ambleside Civic Trust.
2. (ii)  Paul Truelove spoke on the work of Grasmere Village Society
3. (iii)  Deanna Cousins spoke on the work of Langdale Valley Association.
4. (iv)  Michael Johnson spoke on the work of Ambleside Welfare Charity.
5. (v)  Jane Renouf spoke on the Oral History group and its work over 35 years.
6. (vi)  Fiona Sparrow spoke on the work of Ambleside Sports Committee.
7. (vii)  Fiona Sparrow spoke on the work of the Youth Task Group of Lakes Parish Council.
8. (viii)  Nigel Hutchinson gave an overview of the work of the Kelsick Educational Foundation.
9. (ix)  Marj Waddecar spoke on the problems and successes of the Armit.
10. (x)  Keith Coates spoke on the work of Rydal Village Society
11. (xi)  Andrew Hewitt spoke on the work of the Ambleside Community Christmas LightsCommittee. He thanked the Parish Council for their continuing financial support.
12. (xii)  Mrs Travis spoke on the Guides and Brownies.
13. (xiii)  Tony McMichael spoke on the work of South Lakeland Age Concern.

7. ISSUES RAISED BY OTHERS ATTENDING
1. One member of the public congratulated the Parish Council on the presentation of White Platts and said it was a big improvement.
No issues were raised

The Chairman thanked all for attending, and the meeting closed at 9.09 pm. .

NOTES RELATING TO PARISH MEETINGS:

The Annual Parish Meeting is not a meeting of the Parish Council. The Local Government Act 1972 dictates that a parish meeting must assemble annually on some day between March 1st and June 1st and that local residents may speak on any matter of local interest.

The Parish Council is charged with the task of organising such a meeting, which may not begin prior to 6 p.m. Not less than seven clear days public notice is to be given of the meeting. The 1972 Act says that the Chairman of the Parish Council must preside over the meeting if he is present. If he is absent then the Vice Chairman must preside. If neither is in attendance, the meeting elects a Chairman from those local government electors for the parish present.

Though a parish meeting may discuss parish affairs, its resolutions (if any) differ considerably in their legal consequences. In the majority of cases a resolution is persuasive only; the Parish Council may legally disregard it and leave the electors to their remedy at the next election. Unlike a Parish Council meeting, a Parish meeting is not required to vote in any particular way, and so the Chairman may ascertain the effect of the voting from any evidence which may in the circumstances lead to an accurate result; thus a voice vote may in the case of an overwhelming majority be sufficient, but when opposing opinions are represented with approximate equality, a count must be taken. Only those registered

as electors in the parish may vote although any member of the public may attend the meeting. The Chairman’s declaration of the result is final.
The right of the parish meeting to discuss parish affairs extends to any public matter of a parochial nature and is not confined to the exercise of the statutory nature of the Parish Council. The parish meeting may accordingly pass resolutions on the public activities or policies in the parish of any other local authority, public body, government department or public service provided that they affect the parish specially and are not such as are calculated to affect the whole country or all parishes equally.

Taken from Local Council Administration (Eighth Edition) by Charles Arnold-Baker OBE, of the Inner Temple, Barrister-at-Law, published by Lexis Nexis 2009.

Public participation at Parish Council meetings.
Individual members of the public wishing to address the Council may do so prior to the commencement of a meeting subject to notice, in writing, being delivered to the Council’s offices at least 14 days prior to the meeting in question. No more than 15 minutes, in total, will be set-aside for such statements and no person may speak for more than five minutes without the prior consent of the Chairman.
As an alternative, members of the public may address members of the council at 7.30 pm on meeting nights (or prior to the close of business should the meeting finish before that time) without having to give notice.
Representatives of local groups/charities/organisations wishing to address the Council may do so and sufficient time will be allocated for their needs.
Please contact the Clerk for further information.

CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL REPORT 2013/14

It is no under-statement when I say that 2013/14 has been a very busy year. I took over as Chairman last year after the departure of our long-serving and much missed Councillor Elwyn Bradshaw.

During the past few months, my eyes have been opened to the amount and variety of issues the Parish Council are involved with. Top of the list is the day to day running of the six public toilets facilities in Lakes Parish as well as the White Platts recreation ground in Ambleside. Without the assistance of parish councillors and especially Philip Thompson, local residents and businesses, it would not be possible to operate these facilities so successfully. Even with this help, it has been necessary for the Parish Council to contribute £10,000 to managing the public toilets on an ongoing basis. With the financial assistance of various organisations, we were able to refurbish and re-open the Low Fold toilets and Rothay Park toilets. With the help of a grant from the National Park, we installed rain-water harvesting at Grasmere toilets, which will make them more environmentally sustainable for the future.

There has been some very good feedback from residents and visitors on continued improvements to White Platts. The number of people using the facilities soared in the lovely weather of the summer months and the financial performance has been excellent. This will enable us to carry on improving facilities at White Platts, which will contribute to the parish as a whole.

There have been some very significant planning applications discussed and commented on by Lakes Parish, which has included the University Campus, Sainsbury Supermarket and, most recently, the Bridge House in Ambleside. These applications represent major changes for the area and Councillors have worked hard to ensure that local opinion is represented and fed back to the National Park, who make all final decisions. It is, of course, not always possible to represent every individual opinion but we do our best and our fortnightly meetings at the Library have been well-attended by local residents having their say. I cannot see the forthcoming year slowing down on the planning front, with the University, Premier Inn, Cycle-tracks, etc.

There have been some very positive developments on an issue which continues to be a priority for the Council – affordable housing in our area. The Broadgate development at Grasmere is a real credit and we expect the same high standards at McIver Lane in Ambleside. As high a priority is given to representing local business interests and ensuring that our communities continue to thrive. The latest proposals from the County Council regarding on-street parking will be strongly debated and challenged by Parish Councillors.

During the last year, we have continued to invest in installing bus shelters around the Parish and, where necessary, replacing and renewing public benches. We are rightly proud of the results. Our focus on keeping the parish clean and tidy will continue and, I know I am joined by many people in thanking our Parish Handyman, Robin Lees, for the great work he does.

Finally, I would like to thank our Parish Clerk, Michael Johnson. Without his hard work and dedication, much of what I have set out above would not happen. Michael works at our Parish Office, attached to Ambleside Police Station on Rydal Road and the office is

open most week-days (opening times are posted on the door). Alternatively, you can follow our activities on the Parish page of Ambleside Online.

Cllr Louise Waterhouse, Chairman of Lakes Parish Council

PARISH COUNCIL ACCOUNTS

Receipts 2012/13

2013/14

93,187 5,434 9,225

21,774 391 83,790 49,057 2,639 0 2,695 1,500 921 286 270,899

Parish Precept Council Tax Grant SLDC Grants
VAT Refund
Bank Interest
White Platts
Public Toilets Insurance Refunds Business Rate refund Electricity Refund Other Grants Donations (inc seats) Misc Receipts

96,000 0 114,546 55,041 101 67,256 34,649 410 1,589 0 25,000 7,346 169 Total 402,107

Year End Balances

The Annual Accounts will be available for inspection from 19th May to 16 June 2014 on Mondays Tuesdays and Wednesdays between the hours of 10am and 4.30pm or by arrangement with the Clerk on 015394 31656 at the Parish Office, The Police Station, Ambleside. The public also has the opportunity to question the external auditor on these accounts after that time.

GRANTS TO LOCAL ORGANISATIONS

The Parish Council awarded the following grants to local organisations in 2013/14:

LIST OF LOCAL COUNCILLORS

SOUTH LAKELAND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS

Ambleside, Grasmere, Langdale, Rydal & Loughrigg
Mrs. V. Rees 015394 35401
Mrs Heidi Halliday 015394 31472

CUMBRIA COUNTY COUNCILLOR (Lakes)
Mrs Heidi Halliday 015394 31472

PARISH COUNCIL FINANCIAL AND OTHER MATTERS.

Other than grants and donations received from business, individuals and outside bodies, the Council relies entirely upon the Council Tax (Precept) for funding and that means that it must be accountable for what it spends. Not one penny is received from central government or from the business rates.

Residents sometimes query the “Parish Expenses” referred to on the annual council tax demand. This is made up of the following components:-

1. (i)  The Parish Council Precept.
2. (ii)  South Lakeland District Council expenses incurred in the Parish mainly to fundmaintenance of the pre 1974 street lighting system.

Total Parish Expenses in recent years have been as follows:-

2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
Annual council tax charges in recent years on a Band D property have been:-
In 2008/2009 the annual charge for parish expenses on a Band D Property was £24.27 In 2009/2010 the annual charge for parish expenses on a Band D Property was £27.98 In 2010/2011 the annual charge for parish expenses on a Band D Property was £28.84 In 2011/2012 the annual charge for parish expenses on a Band D Property was £29.73 In 2012/2013 the annual charge for parish expenses on a Band D Property was £37.04 In 2013/14 the annual charge for parish expenses on a Band D Property was £39.00

Members of the public who look at these figures should remember that the total Council Tax levied on a Band D property in 2013/14 is £1,583.00. Of this, over £1,544 goes to the County Council, the District Council and the Police. The rest (£39 in the last financial year) is for your Parish Council to deliver its programme for its residents. During the next financial year the Parish Council intend to continue to deliver a programme of modernised public toilets and a much improved visitor experience at White Platts Recreation Ground. There will be no increase in the Precept.

BEST VALUE.
The Council is aware that it must observe the principles of Best Value when planning its programme for the year. Expenditure is kept to the bare minimum by the direct involvement of elected members who give many hours of their time in the service of local residents. Parish Councillors receive no payment for their work within the Parish. They do, however, receive travelling expenses when they represent the Lakes Parish Council on work outside of the Parish. This is presently set at 40p per mile.
The budget sets aside money for items such as the grants programme including a substantial donation towards the Ambleside Community Christmas Lights Festival, the need to continue to operate all public toilets formerly the responsibility of SLDC, environmental projects, maintenance – including the bus shelters, public seats, street lighting, bike racks, the Parish Handyman, Ambleside Horticultural Society in partnership with Lakes Parish in Bloom, Cumbria in Bloom, churchyard maintenance, Citizens Advice Bureau, encouragement of tourism, public transport support etc.

£59,715 £67,120 £72,428 £74,519 £75,888 £96,000 £93,187

WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED.
It is interesting to list some of the things the Council has been involved in:-

•   Ongoing dialogue with the Police on matters of local concern, including vandalism, on-street car parking, drugs and criminal activities.
•   A continuing partnership with the Police. The Parish Council Office is part of AmblesidePolice Station.
•   Continuing the appointment of a Parish Handyman working 10 hours per week to addressbasic issues including litter, sign cleaning, hedge trimming, seat and bus shelter cleaningand general small maintenance matters within the Parish.
•   Continuing liaison with the Cumbria County Council for Highway matters, minor roadrepairs, hedge and vegetation trimming.
•   Parish Councillors serve on many Committees, Charities and Organisations within and onthe periphery of the Lakes Parish Council area.
•   The Council made recommendations on over 152 planning applications and wasrepresented at two Lake District National Park Authority site visits
•   The Council responded to consultation documents from South Lakeland District Council,The Lake District National Park Authority, Cumbria County Council, Central Government,Cumbria Association of Local Councils, the Police and others.
•   As a result of Parish Council initiatives White Platts at Ambleside is now under ParishCouncil control and is open on Sundays and Bank Holidays. There are new seats atWaterhead. There are new bus shelters in a variety of locations around the Parish.
•   The Council continues to run and operate six toilets in Lakes Parish and has re-furbishedand re-opened Low Fold toilets, as well as refurbishing Rothay Park toilets. Rainwater harvesting has been installed at Grasmere toilets. The Council, in partnership with Langdale Leisure and the Langdale Valley Association continue to keep open Chapel Stile toilets.
•   The Council strongly lobbied Government and the University of Cumbria to retain the undergraduate presence in Ambleside and it has been gratifying to see the return of students in 2013/14. The re-development of the Campus will continue throughout 2014.
•   Lakes Parish Council continue to be involved in discussions for an alternative cycle route into Ambleside centre.
•   Assisted in the replacement of seats at Waterhead and the relocation of redundant seats to Stock Ghyll Park.
•   Assisted with the planning, finance and installation of the bus shelter near the Health Centre at Ambleside which will be of assistance to those using the northbound A591, particularly in inclement weather.
•   Continued with the quarterly Newsletter (the pink sheet) informing the Parish of the work of the Council and also including items of general information and interest. This list contains only a few examples of the Council’s busy schedule in support of local people.