Present:- Cllrs. G. Wilkinson, R.W. Allison, C. Baty, I. Baty, A.J. Markley, A. Proud, M. Snaith, E. Wannop & A. Weightman. Also Ken Wannop, Wendy Jameson-Brown, PC A. Robertson & Morven Anson.

354 Apologies:- Cllrs. S. Hart & W. Jefferson.

It was suggested that there may be a good case for splitting the role of Mayor and Chairman in light of the changes that are due to come in. Cllr. Wilkinson was appointed as Mayor until the Council make a decision as to whether to split the role. Cllr. Wilkinson signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

Cllr. R.W. Allison re: Allison Designs.
Cllr. Wannop re: Ken.

It was agreed to discuss items 24 & 25 at the end of the meeting after the Press & Public have been excluded.

Cllr. Markley was appointed as Deputy Mayor.

There were no candidates for co-option and it was suggested that the Council reduce in size to 11 Cllrs. instead of 12. Clerk to find out whether this is possible.

Play Equipment Committee - Cllrs. G. Wilkinson, R.W. Allison, E. Wannop, C. Baty & A.J. Markley.

Allotments Committee - Cllrs. G. Wilkinson, I. Baty, R.W. Allison, A. Weightman & A.J. Markley.

Planning Committee - Cllrs. E. Wannop, I. Baty, A.J. Markley & A. Proud.

Parks Committee - Cllrs. G. Wilkinson, M. Snaith, W. Jefferson, S. Hart & A.J. Markley.

Primary School - Cllr. A.J. Markley.

Joint Advisory Body - Cllr. W. Jefferson.

Silloth Tourism Action Group - Cllr. S. Hart.

Silloth Regeneration Partnership - Cllr. R.W. Allison.

North Allerdale Partnership - Cllr. I. Baty.

Longcake Educational Trust - J. Snaith.

Sea Dyke Trust - Cllr. A.J. Markley.

Neighbourhood Forum - Cllrs. A. Weightman and G. Wilkinson.

Silloth Health Matters - Cllr. M. Snaith.

Solway Community Technology College - Cllr. E. Wannop.

The Chairman thanked the Council for it’s support over the last year. The Chairman had attended a Pool League presentation, County Council Civic Dinner at Carlisle, Cockermouth Civic Dinner at Greenhill and an Annual reception at Manchester.

The minutes of the meeting held on 3 April 2006 were approved by the Town Council and signed by the Chairman as a true record.

PC Robertson provided a report on incidents of crime since the last meeting. It has been a busy few weeks. The Police Station has been sold and the Police are looking to move into the Fire Station a.s.a.p. There is a Pub Watch meeting at end of June. There are 4 people nominated for exclusion with 6 people currently excluded. Police are currently trying to resolve the problem of HGV’s parking on Lawn Terrace.

There had been no requests from members of the public to raise any matters of interest in the meeting.

The Town Council considered the following requests for financial assistance:-

a) Silloth Tourism Action Group - It was questioned whether STAG and the TIC are doing the same thing. STAG’s main aim is the continual promotion of Silloth as a tourist destination. STAG have been working with ABC and Tourist Board on the use of the internet and production of a leaflet. A leaflet needs to be widely distributed not just in Silloth. Looking at producing a new website to promote Silloth which would be linked into CTB’s site. STAG have been offered a funding package of £1000 from Allerdale to promote the new site and provide free advertising for 30 local businesses in the first year. Event management side has been taken over by Silloth Festivals Ltd. It was agreed that funding of £500 be provided and it was suggested that the Neighbourhood Forum also be approached.

b) Silloth Carnival - The Carnival is going to be a big event this year and will bring in an extra 20,000 people into the town. It was short notice that the Red Arrows can come. Money needs to be put into the event which has always relied on volunteers in the past. It was agreed that funding of £2000 be provided. It was suggested that other sources of funding be investigated and that the Carnival Committee can come back to the Council nearer the event should further funding still be required.

a) Friends of the Lake District - Report & Newsletter- Spring 2006. Put on circulation

b) CALC - Quality Parish Development Programme - Update 6 (March 2006). Put on circulation.

c) CALC Circular - April 2006. Put on circulation.

d) Cumbria Highways - Working Together - Issue Three - Spring 2006. Put on circulation.

e) Cumbria County Council - Getting Around Cumbria - The Lake District. Put on circulation.

f) Local Council Review - May 2006. Put on circulation.

g) Cumbria Police Authority - re: The future of Policing. Update. After a lot of consideration, on 24 February the Police Authority agreed to volunteer under section 32 Police Act 1996 for amalgamation of the Cumbria and Lancashire policing areas. Volunteering attracted an extra £14m central funding, shared between Cumbria and Lancashire; monies unlikely to be forthcoming for police authorities joined compulsorily.

h) Resource Cumbria - Information about the organisation, their aims and goals. Resource Cumbria is the county’s strategic waste partnership between Cumbria’s seven local authorities.

i) Cumbria Police Authority - Workington Police Area Community Liaison Forum - meeting at The Civic Hall, Lower Church Street, Maryport on 4 April 2006.

j) Cumbria County Council - Solway Coast Neighbourhood Forum - Copy of the minutes from the recent meeting on 16 March 2006.

k) Copy of a letter from Cumbria Highways re: Carriageway conditions, Silloth. Extensive permanent patching is to be done on Skinburness Road, Lawn Terrace and Wigton Road, together with the refreshment of carriageway markings throughout the town. Intend to also resurface a large section of Skinburness Road with a process called Ralumac but this is subject to available resources.

l) Cumbria County Council - Adoption of the Cumbria & Lake District Joint Structure Plan. On 6 April, Cumbria County Council and Lake District National Park Authority published the Notice of Adoption of the above plan.

m) Zurich Municipal - re: Leith UK Ltd. Case has now been closed, with no payments having been made. Zurich consider that in light of evidence available at the time of file closure no liability would attach.

n) Holme Cultram Sea Dyke Charity - Letter asking for a new person to represent to the Town Council on the charity board of Trustees. It would be helpful if the new representative had farming knowledge, as most of their business now is predominantly farming related.

o) Childline North West - Letter of thanks for the donation of £38.

p) Silloth Carnival Committee - Notice of a meeting to be held on 27 April to discuss arrangements for this year’s Carnival.

q) Letter from Mrs M. Graham thanking the Council for the disabled children’s swing in the play area.

r) FELLS (Friends of Eden, Lakeland and Lunesdale Scenery) - Copy of the updated map of potential sites for wind farm developments.

s) Carlisle City Council - re: Digital TV Switchover. Invitation to attend a conference at Carlisle regarding the implications of digital television switchover in the Border TV area.

t) Proposal by David Thomas from Skinburness for a memorial to be erected to honour the dead airmen who served at RAF Silloth during the last war. It was questioned where the funding would be coming from. The Council agreed to the proposal in principle but it needs looking into further. It was suggested that the proposal could be incorporated into the plans for the regeneration of the Green.

u) DEFRA - Getting to grips with the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 - a parish council guide. Further information to be obtained. It is probably better left to Allerdale to deal with the issuing of penalties etc.

v) Allerdale Borough Council - Site visit procedures. Views requested by 2 June 2006. The current procedures are adequate.

w) Allerdale Borough Council - The Town & Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulation 2004 - Regulation 25 consultation. Draft Scoping report for the sustainability appraisal of the Core Strategy. Scoping Report can be viewed on the Council’s website www.allerdale.gov.uk.

x) Allerdale Borough Council - re: Lease of the Green. There is general support to the request to extend the existing lease, however details of the development proposals for the Green are requested for the Council’s consideration. Cllr. Allison to contact John Windsor at Allerdale.

The Town Council approved the following:-

* Listed Building consent for erection of conservatory in rear garden at East Cote Cottage, Skinburness

* Replacement of existing timber windows to white UPVC at 28 Eden Street, Silloth

* Demolition of existing garage and erection of new extension to provide new garage, kitchen, utility and toilet at Acredayles, Blitterlees

* Erection of portal frame building with integral offices (2 units) on land at Station Road Ind Estate.

* Extensions to provide bay window and front porch, bedroom and dormer and detached garage/workshop at Sunny Hurst, Barracks Bridge, Silloth

* Erection of Dormer Bungalow at Plot 14, Acre Bank Close, Skinburness

* Erection of Dormer Bungalow at Plot 17, Acre Bank Close, Skinburness

* Change of use from vacant shop to Chapel of Repose at 21 Station Road, Silloth

* Conversion of house to 3 maisonettes at 25 Eden Street, Silloth

* Unit extension & storage shed on land at Station Road.

* Extensions to provide bay window & front porch, bedroom & dormer & detached garage/workshop at Sunnyhurst, Barracks Bridge, Silloth

* Listed building consent for UPVC window and double doors at East Cote Cottage, Skinburness (retrospective)

* Conversion of existing garage to study & shower room & erection of replacement garage at Lismore, Blitterlees, Silloth

Cumbria County Council have approved the following:-

* Waste Food Treatment Facility at Unit 25, Causewayhead, Silloth

Cllr. Snaith asked for the Council’s views on the plans for a Chapel of Repose on Station Road. There are traffic and parking implications but the County Council have no objections to the application. If the application were called in it would mean the application would be determined by members of the panel rather than officers - this was not agreed to be the Council. Letters of objection need to be into Allerdale by Friday. The loss of a shop may be grounds for objecting which would be contrary to the Local Plan.

None

None

Primary School New windows and doors have been fitted. Internal work will be getting done soon.

Joint Advisory No report.

Silloth Tourist Action Group No report.

Silloth Regeneration Partnership Nothing to report

North Allerdale Partnership Nothing to report.

Sea Dyke Charity Nothing to report.

Silloth Health Matters Applying for a grant from Allerdale Community Fund.

Allerdale - It is the end of year and Allerdale are busy with the ‘Fit for Purpose’ review. Everyone and everything has to be ‘fit for purpose’.

County Council - Cllr. Markley told the Council about the new speed cameras. Town/Parish Council’s can pay so much and get the use of the mobile speed cameras. David Barr is in charge of the camera’s.

Nothing to report. Busy grass cutting. Various dog bins have been taken away and also the dog toilets which has resulted in a few complaints. People are now leaving bags of dog waste hanging on the brackets where the bins were. Letter to be sent to Allerdale asking for the bins to be replaced.

Reports are needed from Town Councillors a.s.a.p. for the Annual Town Report.

It was agreed to leave the cheque signatories unchanged with Cllr. Wilkinson, Markley and Snaith authorise to sign cheques.

The list of cheque payments were approved by the Town Council for payment.

Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2006 were approved and the Chairman was authorised to sign them as a true record. The Chairman signed the Statement of Accounts and Statement of Assurance on the Annual Return for the year ended 31 March 2006.

378 Events on the Green

Over the Easter weekend the Craft tent was on the Green and there was also a Kite Festival, neither of which the Town Council had given permission for. There was concern over the possible insurance implications had there been an accident. The Kite Festival was organised at the last minute by Peter Gilmour. Permission needs to be obtained from the Town Council for all events on the Green. Letter to be sent to Mr Gilmour. The Town Council should have a form in place for people to apply for permission.

It was proposed that the Town Council be named as the 'applicant' on the grant application form at present being prepared by the Silloth Regeneration Partnership in relation to Heritage Lottery and Big Lottery funding for Parks for People, and that the Town Council formally acknowledge that Silloth Regeneration Partnership with the assistance of Ruby Tiger Consultancy will be acting as agent on the application form.

The Town Council agreed to the proposal.

Solway Community Technology College are proposing to paint a mural in the Community Hall representing Silloth “then and now” which will be painted by pupils of the college. Silloth Health Matters will be funding the paint. The Town Council agreed to the proposal.

It was agreed that the Parks Committee be responsible for interviewing prospective candidates.

382 Estimates

The Town Council considered estimates for the following:-

A) Community Hall Windows. Estimates were received from BB Glass, Cumbrian Windows and Keswick Superglaze which ranged from £3469 to £4525 (+VAT). The Town Council accepted the quote of £3469 received from Cumbrian Windows.

B) Painting of Changing Rooms. Estimates were received from Robin Smith and Brian Johnstone which ranged from £640 to £1380. The Town Council accepted the quote of £640 received from Brian Johnstone.

C) Replacement of Guttering at Changing Rooms. Estimates were received from Global Rooflines and Steve Rowell which ranged from £480 to £575. The Town Council accepted the quote of £480 received from Steve Rowell.

The year end Accounts show Debtors of £30,096 but of this there is only £5766 outstanding which relates to the Grounds Maintenance contract at the school. The rest have all been paid.