2015/09

September newsletter

Seats
Councillors Bennett and Houghton have carried out a survey of all seats which are the responsibility of the parish council. Thirty seats do not require immediate attention, a refurbishment/ replacement plan will be considered for nine seats and three seats were found to be unsafe – two have been taken out of use and one (on the shore) has now been fitted with recycled plastic slats by Councillor Houghton and there has been positive feedback as to how this looks.

Playground Management Committee
Mrs June Greenwell and Mrs Carol Hansbury have both agreed to join this – the terms of reference need to be agreed before a meeting is held.

AONB (Arnside and Silverdale) Development Plan Document (DPD)
Parish Councils have been invited to put forward sites for protection from development and we suggested the following: the watering places, the playground, the Institute field, Silverdale School’s playing field, the War Memorial Gardens and the bowling green (the cricket field is covered by the National Trust).
The envisaged timetable for the DPD is as follows: issues/ options report – October 2015, the first draft DPD available for consultation in the first quarter of 2016 and the adoption of the plan in mid-2016.

Building Waste
Residents can apply for an ‘inert (building) waste’ permit (online or by phone, tel: 0300 1236781) to deposit up to 10 bags of inert waste a year free of charge at a Waste Disposal Centre, otherwise Lancaster City Council now charge for depositing such waste.

Institute Field
On 20th July we held an extraordinary meeting in connection with the Silverdale Village Institute planning application for the construction of a skate park, multi-use games area and running track. More than 50 members of the public were present and there was a lot of discussion about the planning application. We decided to support the general thrust of this application to improve recreational facilities, but were unable to come to a full decision, because of the lack of information on certain points. However, we have recently been informed by Mr Tim Stothert (of Silverdale Institute) that the planning application for a MUGA and scooter bowl on the Institute field has been withdrawn.

Whinney Fold
More than 30 residents attended our August meeting mainly to raise the matter of Whinney Fold and the possibility of a residential development for a 19 unit scheme (8 affordable homes and 11 private dwellings). Members reminded those present that comments should be made direct to Lancaster CC, to the developers (Applethwaite) and to City Councillor N. (Nigel) Goodrich (117 Main Road, Bolton-le-Sands, LA5 8DX. Tel: 07425160906 ngoodrich@lancaster.gov.uk) and that the DPD is reported on monthly at parish council meetings.
We agreed to oppose the proposed development at Whinney Fold and noted that the proportion of affordable homes should be higher than that of private homes.

Bus Shelter
We repaired the bus shelter on Park Road recently, but will consider removing the bus shelter should it need major repairs in future as it is felt that it is not often used.

Burning of Waste
We are aware that bonfires can be a nuisance and cause air pollution and note that advice on smoke control along with a ‘Burning of Waste’ factsheet can be found on the Lancaster City Council website: http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/environmental-health/environmental-protection/smoke.

Speed Indicator Display Sign (SpID)
PC Barr came to our September meeting and suggested the use of a SpID as a way of encouraging motorists to reduce their speed. Lancashire Police would fund the SpID and any training involved in how to use the device, however, the parish council would need to recharge the SpID, fund the cost of the poles and mounting plates, arrange for public liability insurance and insure the SpID against theft. We will consider whether or not go ahead with this at our October meeting.