Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber

Contact: Rebecca Tait 

Items
No. Item

486.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Borough Councillors J Alcock, A Brown and R Walsh.

 

Apologies were also received from the following Parish Representatives

 

M Howells       Salesbury

T Gaffney       Wilpshire

 

487.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 79 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 30 June 2022 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

M172 – the representative raised the issue of solar panels in the AONB and the need for clarity on what is permissible without planning permission being sought.

 

488.

Declarations of disclosable pecuniary, other registrable and non registrable interests

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any disclosable pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest in respect of matters contained in the agenda.

 

Minutes:

Councillor K Horkin declared he owned several businesses in Clitheroe.

 

489.

Public participation

Minutes:

Two PCSO’s from the local Police Station attended the meeting to encourage all parish councils and parishioners to sign up to Lancashire Talking, an email system by which they keep in touch with the public. Messages are relayed to all those registered on a regular basis and can include good news stories, warnings about a spate of burglaries / suspicious vehicles or appeals for information.

 

They also requested parishes complete a questionnaire about what was most important to them in their area so that they could build up a picture of what residents want and how best it can be tackled.

 

The Chairman thanked them for attending the meeting.

 

490.

Changes to Elections pdf icon PDF 79 KB

Report of the Chief Executive enclosed.

Minutes:

The Chief Executive submitted a report for information on the provisions of the Elections Act 2022.

 

The Act introduced several significant changes which will apply to UK parliamentary elections in Great Britain, local election in England and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales.

 

The provisions were expected to be in place for the May 2023 elections and would make it easier for people with disabilities to vote, have a requirement for voters at polling stations to show photographic identification and change the counting system for mayoral elections from supplementary vote to First Past the Post.

 

The timescales for implementation were very tight and to guide Returning Offices with some guidance, the Electoral Commission had published a document to enable preparations to start.

 

The Chief Executive also reported upon the outcome of the Parliamentary Boundary Review in that the proposal was for the Ribble Valley council area to be split in two with part of the borough being included in with Pendle district. A response had been invited by no later than 5 December 2022. He encouraged parishes to make their views known by responding to the review. Several parishes exclaimed their concern about the proposals.

 

He also informed committee that the Coronation for the King had been announced for Saturday 6 May 2023 with a Bank Holiday following on Monday 8 May 2023. This would mean the count for any Parish Councils who had had an election on 4 May 2023 would now take place on Tuesday 9 May 2023.

 

 

 

491.

Affordable Warmth Grant pdf icon PDF 180 KB

Copy of report of the Director of Economic Development and Planning presented to Health and Housing committee enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Economic Development and Planning submitted a copy of a report presented to the Health and Housing committee for information.

 

The Affordable Warmth Lancashire fund was announced by LCC in July 2022. The grants would be distributed to district Councils to assist residents on low incomes and those vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home by aiming at improvements such as insulation and efficient heating systems, and supplementing work with district housing authorities on existing schemes. The funding the Council could apply for was £41,315 and was subject to LCC approving proposals.

 

The report listed the eligibility criteria and considerations for the funding. The Council would be responsible for delivery and coordination of the scheme, however LCC should be referenced as the source of funding when the grant was being promoted or publicised.

 

The recommendation was to directly offer a grant of up to £4000 per property for:

·         Servicing, repairs and replacement boilers and heating systems and associated works, including controls and replacement of unsafe heating appliances.

 

An online application process would require details of the applicant’s vulnerability, income, and benefits to ensure they met the criteria. The applicant would need to supply 2 quotes for the work and if they met the criteria the Council would approve in principal and make payment when the work was completed.

 

Committee were reminded that other sources of grant support were also available to help those in need with the cost of living crisis.

 

A simple poster outlining these was requested to be sent to all parish clerks.

 

 

492.

Matters brought forward by Parish Councils

493.

HARP Update

Matter brought forward by Chatburn Parish Council requesting an update.

Minutes:

The Head of Regeneration and Housing gave a verbal update on the HARP project. Progress was being made with LCC Highways and once a formalised response had been received the planning application could move forward for consideration.

 

494.

Lancashire County Council Charter

Matter brought forward by Wiswell Parish Council to ascertain Parish Council’s experiences when contacting LCC following the introduction of the new Charter and it’s pledges.

Minutes:

It had been suggested by the clerk to Wiswell Parish Council who had raised this matter that it be deferred until after the Parish and Town Council conference which was taking place on Saturday 12 November 2023.

 

495.

Advertisement Consent for Road Safety Banners

Matter raised by Billington and Langho Parish Council to discuss the advertisement consent for Road Safety Banners.

Minutes:

The Head of Regeneration and Housing reported that the issue of advertising consent for the banners had been resolved. It had been agreed that signs would be treated as having deemed consent subject to approval of the location of the banners by LCC. The campaign was proving successful in getting the message out to drivers.

 

496.

Speed Indicator Devices and Installation

Matter brought forward by Barrow Parish Council requesting an update on the loan of Speed Indicator Devices by RVBC, and the installation of backplates.

Minutes:

The Head of Regeneration and Housing informed committee that three SPIDs would be purchased and available early in the new year for hire by the parishes. The loan scheme would be managed by Altham PC who already run a similar scheme and are trained in the erection of the equipment. The Partnership Officer would re-send the information to any parish councils who wanted it.

 

The information caught by the SPIDs would be shared with parishes and the Police so that follow up action could be considered.

 

A joint presentation by the LCC Road Safety Team and the Police was requested as a future item for the agenda.

 

497.

Date and time of next meeting

Minutes:

The Chairman informed the committee that the next meeting would be on Thursday 2 February 2023 at 6.30pm.