DENT PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT

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A Plan for Dentdale CLICK HERE

Minutes of Dent Parish Council CLICK HERE

Minutes of the Playing Field Committee CLICK HERE

Minutes of the Car Park Committee CLICK HERE

Dent Parish Council

Annual Report 2007-08

Chair’s Report

The nine members of the Parish Council this year have been:

The work of the Council

Eleven full council meetings were held during the year, usually on the first Monday of each month.  These were attended by more members of the public than last year, who have raised matters of concern in the public forum.  The monthly reports in Lookaround have continued, as has the publication of agendas and minutes on the Dentdale website.

The Playing Field Committee met monthly, and the Car Park Committee four times in the year. In addition, a group of three councillors met regularly to look in detail at all planning applications and make recommendations to Council meetings.

These meetings were only a part of the Council’s work.  Residents often wanted to talk to councillors about their concerns, and resolving them usually meant a phone call or a letter.  Other issues needed more prolonged action, and in addition to the issues described in later sections of this report, during 2007-08 councillors:

• Attended YDNPA Planning Committee meetings to comment on local applications
• Met with the Highways Engineer for South Lakeland, to improve the service received from Cumbria Highways
• Met with the new Chief Constable to discuss policing in the Dale
• Organised and conducted interviews for Car Park Administrator and Cleaner
• Organised, distributed and analysed a survey on street parking in Dent

Some Councillors fitted their council work alongside their full time jobs, and all members have given their time without payment.

Representation on Other Bodies

The Parish Council is represented by Councillors on the following other bodies, and reports from some of these can also be found below.

• Dent C of E Primary School Governors
• Dent Grammar School Educational Foundation
• Dent Memorial Hall Committee
• Dent Combined Charities
• Sedbergh and District Community Office
• Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (joint representative with Sedbergh and Garsdale parishes)

Car Park

The Car Park is managed by a separate committee, and a report of its work follows.  During the year, both Tony Playfoot, the Car Park Administrator, and Sarah Woof who cleaned the toilet block and bus shelter gave up their posts, and were replaced by John Hyde and Hilary Firth on a job share basis.  I would like to thank Tony and Sarah in particular for the work they have done over the years, and I would also like to thank the Chair, David Hartley, together with Ann Wilson, for the smooth running of the car park.

Playing Field

This too is managed by a separate committee, and a report of its work can also be found below.  The new format of the committee has continued to be successful, and I would like to thank the Chair, Jenny Pilgrim, and all the members of the Committee for the work they have done in managing the field.

Finance

As was the case last year, leaving aside the cost of running the car park, the cost of running the Parish Council in 2007-08 exceeded its income.  Final figures are not yet known, but the projected end of year figures are as follows:

As in previous years, the shortfall was met by drawing on reserves and by using the surplus from the car park takings.

In setting the budget for 2008-09, the Council considered a number of ways to balance income and expenditure.  It rejected cutting grants to local organisations and increasing the car park charges, and decided instead to reduce the amount held in reserves and increase the precept raised through the council tax to £7,170.

Housing

The Council continues to regard the provision of affordable housing for local people as vital for sustaining the Dale’s future.  It has continued to support the proposal in principle to build twelve houses on the field above Ghyllside, both through consultations with the scheme’s agent and discussions with the YDNPA planning department.  In October, the Council organised an exhibition of the plans in the Memorial Hall, and collected views of residents which were passed on to the planning officer.  The scheme has now been awarded funding by the Housing Corporation and will go to the Planning Committee in May.

Post Office

The Parish Council was concerned throughout the year about the sustainability of the Post Office.  It made representations to the Government review and encouraged residents to write in individually.  Even though the Post Office is now scheduled for closure, the Parish Council is currently holding discussions about the current proposal for an outreach service.

Parish Plan

After last year’s decision to go ahead with a Parish Plan, the Council was represented by two of its members on the Parish Plan Steering Group which guided the work of the 33 people who volunteered to help produce it.  A questionnaire was written, distributed and collected, achieving a return rate of 53%.  Meetings were also held with children and young people, visitors, businesses, the Over 60’s and the farming community to collect their opinions. 

Street Parking

Following last year’s Annual Parish Meeting, the Parish Council conducted a survey of Dent village residents’ views on street parking.  This highlighted the problems caused by thoughtless parking around Dragon Croft, and showed a clear majority in favour of banning parking on the cobbles.  Although the Parish Council does not have the power to resolve these issues itself, it drew up a plan of action and asked Cumbria Highways to implement it, which they agreed to do.

Grants to Local Bodies

Using the criteria established last year, grants were awarded to the following bodies:

            Dentdale Show 2007

            Dentdale Parish Plan

            Sedbergh & District Community Office

            Citizens Advice South Lakeland 

            Dent Oral History Project

            Dentdale Cricket Club

            Dentdale Over-60s

            Dent C of E Primary School

            Dent Football Club – for Gym

            Dent Pre-School Association

            Dent Reading Room

            Dentdale Choir

            Dent Folk Festival

            St John’s Church, Cowgill

            St Andrew’s Church, Dent

            North-Western Air Ambulance

Administration

2007-08 saw an increasing amount of paperwork to be dealt with, as more is expected of Parish Councils each year.  On behalf of all members of the Council I would like to thank John Ioannou, the Parish Clerk, for his work on this.

Jock Cairns

Chair, Dent Parish Council

Car Park Committee

The original objective of the Car Park Committee remains: to provide a well-managed facility whilst maintaining low charges for the benefit of visitors and free use for local permanent residents.

The charging regime introduced in January 2007 remains in force - £60 for annual permit holders who are otherwise not entitled to free parking. In addition, the tariff introduced on 1 April 2007 - £1.20 for up to two hours and £4.50 for all day remains the same.

                                                                                                * projected figures

A study of the Parish Council accounts will show that the car park income has been subsidising the Precept, whereas our original intent was to plough any profit we made on the car park back into community projects. Now that the Parish Council element of the council tax is set to increase we may finally be able to use any profit for tangible benefit. 

During the course of the year, the Car Park Administrator and the Cleaner resigned.  As a result the Car Park Committee reviewed the situation and advertised for both jobs on either a combined or separate basis. John Hyde and Hilary Firth were appointed on a job-share basis and I want to thank them personally for their dedication to a job which is of real importance to all of us.

The ongoing maintenance of the car park, toilet block, bus shelter and perimeter area is expensive and time-consuming.  We appreciate any voluntary help that is given to help maintain the high standards which we have set ourselves.

Over the next year, I hope we will be able to consolidate our position and make further improvements in areas such as signage, dog-fouling, grass-cutting and bio-diversity.

David Hartley

Chair, Car Park Committee

Playing Field Committee

The Playing Field Committee has this year had its first full year of managing the running of the playing field.  The committee is formed of members of the Football Club, the Cricket Club and the Parish Council. 

There have been regular monthly meetings throughout the year, with strong representation from all three bodies; all decisions have to be taken with input from the three interests. This has worked well – with members of the individual clubs feeding back to their own committees and able to bring forward concerns from them.

The field has been used for team games of Cricket and Football, as well as the venue for the Dent Show and (partially) the Folk Festival.

There have been two predominant themes throughout the year – the maintenance of the field and the attempt to keep the field clean of dog fouling:

• Last year we put together a charging policy and this resulted in the income for the year of £1205.00, which has funded some of the maintenance. Additionally the budget allocation from the Parish Council was £500.00, and this would appear to put us in a healthy position financially. However we are aware that we have always been very dependent on voluntary support for the maintenance of the field; unfortunately the mowers are getting to the  end of their life span, and this has forced us into a position of looking at the possibility of a contract for the mowing, with the cricket square being still maintained by Roger McClurg.  This will have implications for the funding for the future, which will have to be on a more robust and rigorous basis.

• With regards to dog fouling, we are attempting to effect a “dog fouling free zone” – and are hoping that people will walk their dogs on a lead around the field, rather than letting them run free actually on the field. We are also hoping that dog owners will act responsibly in picking up their own dog’s mess, and indeed will challenge others who do not do so.

I would wish to thank the members of the committee (Cricket Club – Peter Moorby, David Hunter and John Hyde; Football – Robert Mason, Keith Burrow and David Baines) for their involvement and commitment throughout the year; I would also thank David Hartley for taking the minutes of the meetings, and Roger McClurg for his sterling work in the grass cutting.

Jenny Pilgrim

Chair, Dent Playing Field Committee

Dent Grammar School Education Foundation

Dent Grammar School Educational Foundation is a charitable foundation with the purpose of making grants to persons under the age of 25 years who are resident in the Parish or attended the primary school here. It may also make grants to the Governors of any voluntary aided school/educational organisation in the parish, for example, the Primary School and the Pre-school Association. The conversion of the grammar school building into two leased flats, together with the letting of the Master’s house and the original agricultural endowments, has meant that in recent years the Foundation has had an increasing rental income. Both original flat leases have now expired, and all three properties are wholly rented, giving the Governors a regular and now substantial income to disburse annually.

This has enabled the Governors, in 2007, to make relatively large grants, amounting to £3200 to thirteen qualifying individual student applicants, and £1500 to Dent Pre-School Association. The Governors were also able to give £4,500 to Dent Primary School in accordance with their declared aim to make this the priority.

The properties are now professionally managed by a specialist company to ensure that the Governors comply with their legal responsibilities. Mindful that repair and improvement work will eventually be necessary to Grammar School House, the governors are setting aside annual sums to build up a capital amount specifically for this purpose. This may limit the total amount available for grants in future years, but is an unavoidable expense.

The first meeting of 2008 elected a new Chair of Governors, Wendy Cooke, Vice-Chair Bronwen Owen, and it is hoped that a new Clerk to the Governors will be appointed at the next meeting.

Ken McClurg

Governor, DGSEF

Dent Combined Charities

 

            Co-opted Trustees                    Nominated Trustees

            Robert Ellison                            David Hartley

            Albert Fothergill                         Geoff Woof

            Brian Goad                                Janice Moorby

            Robert Gornall                      

            Jack Sedgwick                          Secretary

            Joe Woof                                 Gwynneth Cheetham

The Dent Combined Charities Fund has traditionally been aimed at providing small charitable payments to ‘local’ people who are thought to have need due to matters of ill-health or other special circumstances. Donations are made on a strictly confidential basis.

Income from land at Swarthwaite, Roantree,Woods, Netley Pot and Netley Cottage has allowed the Charity to amass sufficient capital to embark on a major refurbishment of Netley Cottage. This will upgrade this Grade 2 listed property and provide an attractive dwelling for rented local occupancy once it is completed later this year. This vacancy will be publicly advertised at the time.  Listed status is not without its difficulties and it has been pointed out that the window replacements carried out fairly recently were in breach of planning consent, as double glazing is not permitted. Hopefully, this will not lead to further delay in letting.

Some of the Charities’ other land has now been placed in DEFRA’s  Environmental Stewardship Scheme.

David Hartley

Trustee, Dent Combined Charities

Dent C of E Primary School Governors

Let me begin by giving you the good news!  During the last few months the Governors prepared a five year plan for improvements and extensions to the school building which was submitted to the Diocese for approval. The plan was forwarded as a funding bid and we have been successful in gaining funding to proceed with the plans to refurbish the toilets, bring the heating system into the 21^st century by incorporating eco-friendly sources, develop a play area in front of the KS1 room (required by law) and finally to have the hall roof replaced. This last item was on our plan to be done in 2010 but will have to be done now otherwise we will lose the funding. In total the cost will amount to £170,000 and, as we are a voluntary aided school, we have to fund 10% before work can commence. We shall be applying for grants from various sources in addition to funds held by the Governors (not very much!)   Our request for an upward extension to provide storage, staff room and Head’s office was turned down at this stage as numbers on roll are falling in line with the national trend.

Currently there are 38 children on the roll but this is due to fall to 32 and remain at that level for the next three years – hopefully new housing coming on stream will help to bring an increase in numbers. Currently we are being asked about accommodation by 2 families with possibly 7 children involved!

Governors have been involved in all aspects of school life over the year – the burden of paperwork does not lessen. It would be helpful if politicians would let teachers and governors get on with the job in hand instead of continually tinkering with the system with ill considered sound bites! 

The school has been recognised as having Extended School status within a consortium group including schools in Kirkby Lonsdale and Sedbergh. This focuses on family learning and future courses may include family ICT or French. A very successful course on Christmas arts and craft was held in Dent last term.

As well as working on the curriculum subjects the children have been involved in activities which helps them to be aware of the wider world. This has included involvement in a recycling scheme, raising money for Water Aid in The Gambia, sponsoring children through the PLAN scheme and also the Eden Valley Hospice.

The children have also been involved with sporting activities with other school and have had visits extending their experience for coursework. The school leavers attended a Leavers Service at Ripon Cathedral last July with children from all over our Diocese and Ripon and Leeds with whom we share an Education Team.

We are very grateful for all the financial help which we receive from local charities and from fundraising by the Friends of Dent School and also The Dentdale Run Committee. Without their substantial support we would be struggling to offer the very fine standard of equipment and teaching levels which we enjoy.

Ann Wilson

School Governor