Cllr D Faulkner (Chair), Cllr R Kenworthy, Cllr R Read, Cllr A Todd, Cllr J Fell, Cllr P George.
Borough Cllr G McGrath.
Apologies were received from Cllr A Woodcock.
None.
Cllr Fell declared an interest in Agenda Item 9.1: planning application 7/2021/4004.
The minutes of the meeting held on 11 January 2021 were approved. Proposed by Cllr Todd, seconded by Cllr Read. The minutes will be signed at the first face-to-face meeting arranged following government advice.
Reports had been received and circulated. These were noted.
The toilet refurbishment is now complete and the toilets are open on limited opening hours.
Councillors asked that Borough Cllr McGrath pass on their thanks to Copeland Borough Council for the grant towards reopening, as it has provided work for a local builder, created an office for a local business and helped to mitigate the ongoing costs of keeping the facility open. Borough Cllr McGrath was pleased that the refurbishment had secured the long-term future of the toilets.
A tenant has already been found for the rental space and the income generated will help offset the majority of the increased costs of keeping the toilets open during the pandemic. Donations are also being made via the new donation box.
No members of the public were present.
Borough Cllr McGrath reported that progress was being made to move the Millom Copeland Borough Council office into the Millom Hub, which is owned by Cumbria County Council. He reminded residents that there were currently no face-to-face customer service desks within the Borough, as staff were working from home, and asked that residents bear this in mind when calling in to raise queries or complaints.
Councillors expressed dismay that Copeland Borough Council were being taken out of the town centre and hoped this would not be a long-term solution. It was noted that Millom Town Council had secured premises within the town centre.
It had still not been confirmed that County Council elections would take place in May.
Cllr Kenworthy asked about the proposed new coal mine. Borough Cllr McGrath stated that Copeland Borough Council were fully behind the project. The mine would produce high-grade coal for the UK steel blast furnace industry and would also require rail system upgrades to carry heavy goods trains, potentially bringing benefits to other communities.
Borough Cllr McGrath was thanked for his report and left the meeting.
7/2021/4004 – New Mill Howe, Bootle
Access track (retrospective), and erection of lean-to extension to existing agricultural building to replace shipping container.
The Council resolved to support this application.
None undertaken.
None.
It was noted that the cleaning bill would remain high whilst more onerous Covid-19 procedures are in place to manage the pandemic.
The Clerk reported that the bank statement had been checked and verified by the Internal Auditor.
Cllr Faulkner reported that the bank had requested copies of the signed minutes for the changes to signatories.
The Clerk reported budget overspends totalling £2,088 on the following budget headings:
It was resolved that these overspends would be covered by transfers from the following budget streams, where underspends had arisen due to Covid-19 interruption:
Proposed by Cllr Kenworthy, seconded by Cllr Fell.
Cllr Faulkner reported that the commemorative poster has been designed and that he was awaiting a response from Network Rail regarding production and installation.
It was suggested that VE Day on 8 May, subject to Covid restrictions, would be an appropriate date for the unveiling. Residents who were present at the time of the explosion, among others, would be invited.
Cllr Fell agreed to join the steering group. Bootle Fitness is to be included within the plan. Cllr George will select suitable photographs for inclusion in the updated document. A meeting will then be held to finalise the action plan prior to publication.
Cllr Todd reported that she is to meet the dog warden to identify hotspots where notices can be displayed.
On investigation it was found that the noticeboard could not be moved to the toilet block. A better position would be at the edge of the car park, which is owned by Cumbria County Council.
Letters are to be sent to County Cllr Hitchen and Borough Cllr McGrath seeking their support for upgrading the car park and possible transfer of ownership to the Parish Council.
Ongoing.
Cllr Faulkner will issue a response based on the note circulated to councillors.
Cllr Faulkner reported that a meeting is to be held on 12 February 2021 to discuss how the coastal path could link up to other footpaths.
Cllr Faulkner reported that a bid had been submitted and that a response was expected in March 2021.
Cllr Faulkner reported that a meeting was to be arranged shortly.
Topics discussed included:
Cllr Faulkner reported that he had attended a virtual meeting and that the group is seeking volunteers to join.
All correspondence had been previously circulated. No issues arose from the correspondence.
The following additional items were noted:
The next meeting is scheduled to be held on 8 March 2021 at 7.30 pm via Microsoft Teams.
Any member of the public wishing to join the meeting will need to request access in advance via the Clerk so that invitations can be sent before the start of the meeting.
There being no other business, the meeting closed at 8.54 pm.