Catterall Parish

This is the draft of the meeting and can only be accepted at the next Parish Meeting;

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies were sent from Cllr. H. Kenyon, on holiday, and the reason accepted.

P C Simon Jones introduced PCSO Zach who will also be working in Catterall. It was reported that 5 crimes had occurred during the past month and this was noted against the absence of crime for the previous two months. There had been an assault in Baylton Drive involving a young man, a dwelling burglary in Cock Robin Lane and two vehicle interferences at Ripon Hall Farm, Catterall Lane, and also criminal damage to a vehicle in Duckworth Drive. Anti-social behaviour was reported in Cock Robin Lane.

The Chairman remarked on the lack of any action concerning the flooding. However, Wyre Borough Councillor Sharples reported that Wyre Borough Council had received no further complaints on the situation and many were resolved through the engineer at Wyre.

As I approach the end of my second year as chairman of the Parish Council, I think we can look back on another fruitful year.

The multi-use games area has been successfully installed on the village playing fields and is being well used. We hope that residents will make use of the new booking system, and we also hope to be running small sports tournaments during the summer.

The CCTV system is now fully operational at the playing fields and we have plans to extend this to Cock Robin Lane during 2007/08. The Parish has received grants towards the provision of Smiley SPIDS (Speed Warning Devices) which will be installed at various locations within the Parish fairly soon, and will hopefully go some way towards reducing speeding traffic on Garstang Road and Cock Robin Lane.

We continue to benefit from the services of a full-time Clerk and Parish Lengthsman and are well on our way to achieving Quality Parish Council Status, which will provide financial benefits to the Council in the long-term.

All of this has been achieved against a background of maintaining the Parish Precept at the same level for three years, which I hope is appreciated.

If I have one concern, it is the amount of planning approval being given for further housing in the Parish which, in the opinion of the Council, is not justified and which we opposed.

Finally, may I thank all my fellow Councillors, the Parish Clerk and the Parish Lengthsman for their continued support and hard work. Remember, Parish Councillors are not paid for what they do and they need some appreciation from time to time.

The report was accepted.

The Clerk presented the unconfirmed end of year accounts. The amount of VAT reclaimed was questioned. Most of the income this year was generated by the Multi Use Games Area.

Wyre Borough Councillor D. Sharples reported the Wyre Borough Council is working towards a better CPA mark. There is an assessment in the new municipal year and many improvements have already been made. The maintenance and responsibility for the public conveniences in the Borough have been contracted out. Wyre Borough Council gave its support to a Parish Council representative on the Lancashire Locals, but the representative still has no voting rights.

County Cllr. V. Wilson reported that she had attended school governors meetings at Garstang High School, Ripley St. Thomas and Calder Vale. Taken a group of German teenagers to Garstang High School for a tour of the school and welcomed children from St. Mary and Michaels Primary School to County Hall.

A member of the Fair Access to Care working group, which is looking to alter the criteria for care and on the Lancashire Locals Older People’s Task Group. She attended an event in Birmingham run by the Health Commission 0 the watchdog for the health service and Cabus and Garstang Council meetings.

Report of the LAPTC Representative

Numerous topics have been raised through the year including the Lancashire Locals, rural Post Offices, use of sewers for surface water and therefore pressurising the system, the school road safety report, the Lancashire County Council reply being very disappointing and the lack of resolution on the Clean Neighbourhoods Act.

The meetings are a useful platform between Parish Councils and principal authorities and 17 of the 20 Wyre Parish Councils are members.

Cllr. J. Wrathall reported that the finances were healthy and the usage steady. Cock Robin Playgroup is the main user although parties are also popular. There is to be an informal meeting on Monday 23^rd April at the Pickerings Hotel to present the Village Hall and hopefully attract new members.

Cllr. D. Harvey reported that the hiring out of the Hall was constant and finances were steady.

The school has achieved a wonderful Ofsted report this year and is one of the top 14 schools in the country with all credit going to the staff. The school is over subscribed again for the intact in September with possibly four children going to appeal. The school numbers have outgrown the extension and will be looking to provide another two class rooms.

The report was accepted.

Cllr. N. Thompson reported that Lancashire County Council have been asked to stone the verges of Catterall Lane, although no replies have been received from Lancashire County Council on the state of the lane by the Parish Council, Wyre Borough Councillor or the County Councillor. The speed limit on the A6 is to be revised to 50 MPH now that the improvements to the junctions at New Lane and the Avenue have been completed.

A meeting with Garstang High School is being sought to pursue the footway to the school. A recent Travel Plan did not raise any problems with the footways and this has not been included for funding in the Plan. Cllr. G. Wilson raised that Lancashire Locals were looking at a speed management strategy

The residents present did not raise any matters.

Date ……………………………… Chairman …………………………

(C) Catterall Parish Council 2006