12th A busy few days ahead, today I am meeting up with the officers of the Planning Department of the City Council for a pre-meeting of the Development Control Committee as the Senior Councillor of the Conservative Group and acting deputy Chairman of the Committee due to the Deputy Chairman being injured in a fall and the Senior Councillor being ill. We discussed the whole agenda for the site visits tomorrow and the committee meeting on Friday. Questions being replied by the officers. In the afternoon I attended the open day at the Royal Oak, Public House, Scotby, for potential licensees as it has been vacant for the last 9 months. The pub is owned by Admiral Taverns, but needs essential refurbishment, there has been two suitable candidates, but both have given back word. The owners are expecting the new licensee to put finance into the property and pay a rent of £29,000 a year!!
13th Today started with a trip to the Civic Centre, Carlisle at 10a.m. to join the bus to view four contentious planning applications. Our first visit was to the hamlet of Tarraby where a developer wished to build two properties outwith the Conservation Area of the village. It was then onto a very far distant application for the change of use of a byre and sunroom in order to home some 100 cats!! This application was near to Kershopefoot, Penton and an isolated situation, however, the next planning application was in the nearby village of Penton where the local hotel wished to develop a car park adjacent to the hotel but on the opposite side of the road. Finally we returned to Carlisle to view the site of a major development of 198 properties on Durranhill Road, in my Ward that the developers wish to increase the number of dwellings to 213. Returning to the Civic Centre just in time to drive to the hamlet of Cocklakes to meet up with the County Council Officer to determine the proposed site for a Village Sign as delivery drivers and visitors have difficulty in finding local properties. In the evening I was present at the monthly Wetheral Parish Council meeting that was held in the Village Community Hall. Due to the Chairman having resigned due to ill health there needed to be an election for a Chairman and the acting Chairman and Deputy Chairman, Councillor Hughes was duly elected and the acting Deputy Chairman, Councillor Higgs was elected as Deputy Chairman. We also Co-opted a new Councillor Mark Somers to fill the vacancy for the Great Corby Ward. The minutes of the planning meeting on the 4th were approved with the application for development in Cumwhinton being altered to refusal rather that observation following a meeting with the planning officer and a site visit. There were an additional two planning applications to consider but were approved as well as a tree application for crown reduction for 5 trees in Great Corby Conservation Area that was also approved. The Rights of Way Committee minutes were also approved which featured the support for “Let it Bee” a new idea to support bees and other insects that are under pressure and the planting of wild flower seeds and building insect boxes to increase their numbers and thus prevent the drop in numbers and help to retain their pollination of plants. We are to promote the idea with schools in the area. We had updates from Councillor Higgs on Neighbourhood Planning, Councillor Searle on Wetheral Playing field Association regarding the Petanque Court, Councillor Higginbotham on CPCA and CALC Executive Meetings and the Clerk, Sue Tarrant, on the pilot three monthly trial period of Ward Reports.
14th Valentine’s Day It was an early start for a meeting of the Finance, Premises Health & Safety Committee Scotby School at 9.15 a.m. There were updates on the Outside Lighting, the Daily Mile Track and the Critical Incident Plan with access to the Village Hall. We noted the current financial position, the Sports Fund Grant and the Formula Capital Grant and discussed the Financial Benchmarking (Arbor) 2017/18. Dates for future meeting were issued.
15th Development Control Committee day with the early meeting at the Civic Centre at 9.15 a.m. for the pre-meeting of the Conservative Members on the Committee. The public meting commenced at 10 a.m. with only six application to consider. After lengthy discussions all six applications were approved including the development at Tarraby that had been recommended by the Planning officer for refusal. The meeting ended with an update by the enforcement Officer cxoncerning on-going development that has been carried out without permission or work that needs to be carried out but as yet no plans have been submitted.