Council Meeting – 12th March 2025
Minutes of the Meeting of Great Longstone Parish Council
held at 7pm on Wednesday 12th March 2025
in Great Longstone Village Hall DE45 1TB
Present: Cllr W Long (Chair), Cllr P Barrett, Cllr C Briggs, Cllr J Cox, Cllr A Douglass, Cllr S Hornsey, Cllr J Rigby
In attendance: Simon Headington (Clerk) and one resident.
30/25 Apologies for absence from members.
Apologies from District Cllr Helen Froggatt and PCSO A Boswell
31/25 Declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest relating to items on the agenda.
None
32/25 To approve minutes of the meeting held on 29th January 2025.
Minutes were approved and then signed by the Chair.
33/25 Standing Orders were suspended at 7.05 to allow for public comments
The local resident highlighted recent problems on the section of the A6020, between the Hassop Roundabout and Skew Bridge, caused by visitors to the area parking in this section of road and leaving no passing places for the 2-way flow of traffic. This section of road falls within the Parish of Hassop
34/25 Reports from County Councillor, District Councillor and Derbyshire Police: PCSO report, by email, that “since the meeting in January, there has been 1 recorded crime in Great Longstone, and the crime doesn’t have an effect in the community.”
35/25 Standing Orders resumed at 7.10
36/25 Discussion of Confidential Matters: (Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 S1(2)) Council decided that no items in this meeting needed to be discussed with the public excluded.
37/25 Report from Proper Officer to the Council
- Confirmed award of tenders with successful contractors
- Submitted updated Precept demand to DDDC (£22,880)
- Arranged notification of vacancies for Councillors (see Item 52/25 below)
- Returned order form for Tennis Court Resurfacing Project (see Item 38/25 below)
- Worked with LASRA and Cricket Club to arrange signing of legal documents (see Items 39/25 and 40/25 below)
- Worked with Cllr Douglass on Village Plan Launch meeting (see Item 41/25 below)
- Submitted VAT claim for £1,243.26 (to 31 Dec 2024), though it has still not been paid.
- Held a meeting with District Cllr Froggatt and Cllr Long
- Outstanding/Ongoing tasks
- Land registrations: Name/address changes with solicitor. Investigations relating to the Field and Quarry with Clerk
- Asset Register: Needs updating – current aim is to use functionality in the new mapping software.
- Benches policy still needs writing
38/25 Recreation Ground and Tennis Court Resurfacing Project 2025 (Powers from Local Government
(Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, c.19 para 1b)
Little Longstone Parish Meeting have confirmed that they will pay £6,000 towards the cost of the project (Macadam Resurface of the Tennis Court, with Acrylic Colour Coat and Lines), if the application to the National Lottery is unsuccessful. GLPC has £6,000 in reserves that can be used, leaving £5,350 that will need to be raised. The order form has been returned to the contractor, and it is hoped, subject to weather, for work to start in early May.
Council agreed to continue moving forward with this previously approved plan. Cllr Douglass offered to speak with the Contractor to finalise the work details.
39/25 Tea Hut and Pavilion – Gift of buildings to Parish Council and Lease of buildings to LASRA
It was reported that the Deed of Transfer, gifting the two wooden buildings on the recreation ground from the Cricket Club to the Parish Council, had been completed on 7th March 2025.
It was further reported that an agreement was concluded to Lease the buildings, for a period of 7 years, to the Longstone Area Sports and Recreation Association (LASRA). This lease will run until 7th March 2032.
40/25 Recreation Ground Maintenance Agreement
It was reported LASRA had agreed to take on a Maintenance Agreement, for the recreation ground, in return for an index linked payment of £4,000 per year, payable in quarterly instalments of £1,000.
41/25 Village/Neighbourhood plan: (Powers from Localism Act 2011 and Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017)
Cllr Douglass reported that there was a very well attended meeting was held in the Village Hall, and it was agreed by those present that a “Neighbourhood Plan” was the right way of moving forward.
On Monday 10th May Cllr Douglass and the Clerk meet with Ellie Faulder and Adele Metcalfe, from the Peak District National Park Authority, at Aldern House. They were very positive about the preliminary work that had been undertaken over the past year and are happy to work with the community to move the project forward.
The “sponsoring body” for the neighbourhood plan will be the Parish Council, though the project will be led by a steering group that includes members from the participating Parish Meetings.
The next stage will be to create the Steering Group. The aim is this will be done at a meeting, which will include a presentation from Adele and Ellie, that is to be held on Monday 7th April. The meeting will be open to all residents of Great Longstone and the immediately surrounding hamlets.
The clerk was instructed to investigate the options for how the Steering Group will link with, and report back to, the Parish Council (as sponsoring body).
42/25 Wildlife and Conservation Showcase (10th March 2025)
Cllr Barrett reported on the event that had been held in the village hall, early in the week. It had been organised by his wife, Sara Barrett, with the support of Rebekah Newman, manager of the DEFRA funded “Farming in Protected Landscapes” (FiPL) programme that is run by PDNPA.
The talks by Sara, Rebekah, local farmers and volunteer project leaders, highlighted the uniqueness of the environment that exists across the parish and the valuable work that is being undertaken.
43/25 Annual Parish Meeting – 30th April 2025
This is a public meeting open to the whole village. This year the focus of the event will be the work being carried out by charities and community organisations and invitations have gone to Bakewell & Eyam Transport, Thornhill House, Village Hall/LEAP, PCC, Longstone Primary School, LASRA and the Chapel.
The Cllr Long reported that she will be holiday on this date and Cllr Barrett offered to chair the meeting, in her absence.
44/25 Report on plans for Longstone Village Week 12th to 20th July 2025
No further updates since the January meeting of the Parish Council.
45/25 Local Government Re-organisation in Derbyshire
The clerk presented a report on the English Devolution White Paper and the potential impact that this is going to have on the principal Councils, in the County. Currently it looks as though two different proposals will be made for Derbyshire. Derbyshire County Council’s proposal would see the 8 District and Boroughs merging with the County to create a single Unitary Authority, with a population of around 820,000. This will cover everywhere in Derbyshire other than the existing Derby City Council Unitary Authority area.
The District, Boroughs and Derby City Council are preparing an alternative proposal that would see the 3 southern areas merging with the City Council to create a South Derbyshire Unitary Authority and the 4 northern areas merging with what is left of the County to create a North Derbyshire Unitary Authority (Amber Valley Residents would be allowed to decide which of the new Councils they join).
Initial proposals must be submitted to government by Friday 21st March and full proposals by 28 November 2025. It is thought that changes are likely to take place in around 2027. Elections for Derbyshire County Council, scheduled for May 2025, will go ahead as previously planned.
46/25 Planning Applications (Right of notification – Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Sch 1 Para 8)
- Recent – for information
- NP/DDD/1224/1323 – Holmcoft, Station Road, Replacement of conservatory with two-storey replacement – APPROVED by PDNPA
- NP/DDD/1224/1375 – Single Storey Extension, 1-2 Victoria Terrace, Great Longstone – APPROVED by PDNPA
- New, for consideration in meeting
- NP/DDD/0325/0219 – Alterations and Side Extension, 22 The Meadows, Grisedale Road West.
The Council agreed to make no objection
- Notification of Appeals
- NP/DDD/0524/0534 – Change of use of The Old School to dwelling. Appeal Reference 3352304. Expected decision date before Easter 2025.
- Enforcement Notices
- ENF: 24/0143 – PDNPA have issued a “Planning Enforcement Notice, for a “Breach of Condition” on the new owners of the Watersaw Mine Compound (also known as Salet Hole No 2 Mine), off Moor Road. Condition 20 of planning permission NP/DDD/0805/0818 required that the owners submit a written agreement for the reclamation of the compound, by no later than 30th November 2014. – No update available.
47/25 Risk Register: Proposal – To review and approve the Parish Council’s Risk Register
Approved
48/25 Asset register: Proposal – To review/update and approve the Parish Council’s Asset Register.
It was noted that buildings donated to the Parish Council, with an insurance/rebuild value of £90,000, had been added to the asset register.
Approved
49/25 Community Right to Bid (Localism Act 2011 Ch3 S87)
Cllr Douglass reported that work was being done on this had that the aim was to bring a report to the next meeting of the Council.
50/25 Training for Councillors and Staff
- Recently completed courses: 5th March – Internal Audit Course arranged by DALC attended by the Clerk (changed from January)
- Proposed Courses: A list of upcoming courses was reviewed. The Clerk was instructed to book a place for Cllr Hornsey on the “Councillors Essentials” course on the evening of 8th April) and to send details of the “Playground Inspection Training Course” (on 6th May) to the chair of LASRA.
51/25 Appointment of Internal Auditor: Proposal – To appoint the DALC Internal Audit Service to carry out the Parish Council Internal Audit for 2024/25.
Approved
52/25 Recruitment of Councillors
To note that following the formal notification of a vacancy for a Councillor, and no requests for a by-election, the Council has been granted authority, by Electoral Services at DDDC, to co-opt. This permission expires on 4th September 2025.
53/25 Financial Matters
- Bank reconciliations – as at 28th February 2025. Total cash available £22,232.52. Bank statements were reviewed by Cllr Rigby and signed. It was noted that there was no statement for the RBS Current account, but as this is automatically kept at a level of £1,000, which new statements only being issued when transactions have taken place, this was acceptable.
- Budget review / Two monthly Report. This was reviewed.
- Account Signatories: Proposal – To add Cllr Hornsey as a Signatory on the Council’s Bank account with Unity Trust. Approved
- Income since January meeting
- Allotment Rents – all received
- Bank Interest £30.89
- Grant from Little Longstone Parish Meeting towards Birds nest Swing £350
- VAT Refund of £1,243.26 has been applied for, but not yet received.
Noted
- To accept and approve payments since last meeting.
| No | Item | Supplier | Net | VAT | Total | Power |
| 1 | Monthly fee for Finance System (March) | Starboard Systems | £31.00 | £6.20 | £37.20 | Direct Debit |
- To accept and approve new payments:
| No | Item | Supplier | Net | VAT | Total | Power |
| 1 | Fee for Lease | Lovedays Solicitors | £916.00 | 180.80 | £1,096.80 | 2024/25 |
| 2 | Credit Card Fees for March | Lloyds Bank | £3.00 | – | £6.00 | 2024/25 |
| 3 | Bank Charges for March | Unity Bank | £6.00 | – | £6.00 | 2024/25 |
| 4 | CiLCA Qualification for Clerk | SLCC | £450.00 | – | £450.00 | 2024/25 |
| 5 | Moles on West Green | J Cox | £60.00 | – | £60.00 | 2024/25 |
| 6 | Recreation Ground (March) | LASRA | £335.00 | – | £335.00 | 2024/25 |
| 7 | S127 Notice | Peak Advertiser | £57.00 | £11.40 | £68.40 | 2024/25 |
| 8 | Recreation Ground (Apr-Jun) | LASRA | £1,000.00 | – | £1,000.00 | 2025/26 |
| 9 | Membership Fee 2025/26 | DALC | £538.71 | – | £538.71 | 2025/26 (Inc £200 for Training) |
| 10 | Credit Card Fees for Apr | Lloyds Bank | £3.00 | – | £3.00 | 2025/26 |
| 11 | Bank Service Charges for April | Unity Trust Bank | £6.00 | – | £6.00 | 2025/26 |
| 12 | Monthly fee for Finance System (April) | Starboard Systems | £31.00 | £6.20 | £37.20 | 2025/26 |
| 13 | Monthly fee for Finance System (May) | Starboard Systems | £31.00 | £6.20 | £37.20 | 2025/26 |
| 14 | Birds Nest Swing | Online Playgrounds | £737.50 | £147.50 | £885.00 | 2025/26 (inc. £72.50 + VAT for delivery) |
54/25 Items of Correspondence
- Copy of a letter of complaint about non-compliance Planning Application NP/DDD/0122/0008
- Verbal notification about 9 lots of dog faeces on one section of Bell Styles
- Notification of Road Closure (Moor Road) 6.30pm to 10pm Wed 18 June for Cycling Event
- Notifications of closure of “The Willows” for tree felling work (PDNPA).
- Consultation on the updated Local Validation list (PDNPA).
55/25 Items of Late Correspondence
- PDNPA – Local Plan Review – Call for Sites
- DDC – Copy of slides from Parish & Town Council Forum
- DDDC – Save money – cut carbon emissions: Free workshop for community organisations in the Derbyshire Dales 18 & 19 March
56/25 Items from Councillors for information: (Note that anything that requires a decision to be made must go onto the agenda of a future meeting for discussion and agreement)
- Cllr Long announced that, after 18 years’ service, she would be retiring from Council at the Annual General Meeting on the 14th Her resignation to take effect immediately after a new chair has been elected.
- Cllr Long, as Chair of the Village Hall Management Committee reported that the window in the Annex was in a poor condition. Cllr Cox agreed to have a look at to see if it was repairable, or if it would need replacing. Recommendations and quotes for repair or replacement are to be brought to the next meeting of the Council.
- Cllr Douglass mentioned an email from Rowland Parish about work being undertaken on Longstone Edge. The clerk was asked to invite PDNPA and the Environment Agency, to a Parish Council Meeting, to explain what is being permitted in this area.
57/25 To note forthcoming meetings
- Dates of next Parish Council meetings:
- 14th May 2025 (Annual Meeting of the Parish Council)
- 9th July 2025
- 10th September 2025
- 12th November 2025
- Date of next Annual Parish Meeting – 30th April 2025
58/25 The Chair closed the meeting at 8.25pm
Simon Headington
Clerk to Great Longstone Parish Council
clerk@greatlongstone-pc.gov.uk Tel: 07968 295258
