SAMEDI 20 OCTOBRE 2007

le comite de jumelage et la commune de st martin d’auxigny

vous invitent a un apres midi festif

a la salle des fetes route de l’étang pour

 L’OFFICIALISATION du jumelage

entre la commune de ST MARTIN D’AUXIGNY

et les WESTERN VALLEYS OF CUMBRIA

 (Région des Lacs en Angleterre)

A PARTIR DE          14H30         ACCUEIL

15H00          APRES MIDI MUSICAL

                                  - avec la chorale Accroche Chœur de BOURGES et

 -  l’Ensemble Départemental de Musiques Traditionnelles du Cher

 18h30         CEREMONIE D’OFFICIALISATION DU JUMELAGE

19h00          APERITIF OFFERT A LA POPULATION ET AUX AVEC L’INDEPENDANTE ET L’ECOLE DE MUSIQUE DE ST MARTIN

20H00         DINER SUR PLACE

Wasdale Parish Meeting

Wasdale is a Civil Parish having no Council

Chairman Joss Naylor MBE, Hon.MA

Old Strands Cottage, Wasdale, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1ET   Tel. 019467-26258

TO ALL RESIDENTS

(Copies National Trust, National Park and local Publicity media)                    1 June 2007

WASDALE ROAD WORKS

It has been confirmed that the “surface dressing” of the lakeside road will be carried out (as we requested at our November meeting) during the week beginning 18 June. There will also be preparatory repairs undertaken the previous Thursday and Friday (14 and 15 June).  These dates are described as “weather dependent”. (It remains to be seen to what extent they are also “whim-dependent”.)

At our May meeting I was asked to check up on these dates, and it’s a good job I did, since up to yesterday the Highways Authority were planning for July!

I do hope Colin Lindsay (National Trust) and Chris Berry (National Park) will be able to warn at least some of the Charity Peak-baggers of the obstacles that might lie in their path during the period of the road-works.     

David Killick, Clerk to the Wasdale Parish Meeting

WASDALE CIVIL PARISH

MINUTES of the Annual Parish Meeting held on Tuesday 15 May 2007 in the Old School Community Hall, Nether Wasdale.  There were present 14 residents and 4 visitors (Colin Lindsay of the National Trust, Chris Berry of the LDNPA, Hellen Aitken of Voluntary Action Cumbria and Joanna Kirkbride of Age Concern).  A few apologies had been received.

172.  OFFICERS AND REPRESENTATIVES 2007-2008.  Chairman Joss Naylor, Clerk David Killick, Responsible Financial Officer David Killick, Cheque Signatories any two of Joss Naylor, Janet Linaker and Inigo Ford, Internal Auditor Gavin Walker.  Parish Representatives: Bill Bailey on Cumbria Association of Local Councils, Jack Wakefield and Bill Bailey on Gosforth and Ennerdale Neighbourhood Forum, John Meeks on the Ravenglass Basin Transport Group and Eddie Drinkall for Neighbourhood Watch (including Police Liaison).

173.  MINUTES of the meeting held on 1 November 2006 were taken as read, approved, and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.  Arising from Minute 162: Karl Melville had apologised for his non-attendance in November (he had put the wrong date in his diary); he had subsequently met Wasdale Head residents by arrangement.  It was agreed that if the lakeside road was to be closed in June for re-surfacing we should make efforts to inform the charity “challengers” who would be affected.  Arising from Minute 169: Bill Bailey said he still hoped to restore the lakeside guide post to its original condition, and bring up-to-date the Directory of Facilities at the back of the Parish Plan. 

174. FINANCIAL MATTERS. 2006-2007 The Accounts (filed herewith) were approved. They had already been examined by the Internal Auditor and would now be submitted to the External Auditor. It was noted that Copeland Borough Council had accepted that expenditure on Community Hall upkeep qualified for 50% grant under the “concurrent expenditure” scheme.  2007-2008  A list of items of proposed expenditure totalling £785 had been appended to the 2006-7 accounts (filed herewith) and these were approved.

175.  PARISH BOUNDARY REVIEW.  The Clerk had asked the Dept. of Communities and Local Government if changes to Wasdale’s boundaries would be implemented on 1 April 2008. No reply had been received. (It arrived a week later saying “in view of the current passage of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill it is difficult at this stage to be precise as to whether this proposal could be implemented by April 2008”.)                        

176.  OPEN SPACES, GREEN PLACES.  Jo Chaffer, Project Officer for Friends of the Lake District, had submitted a bid on behalf of a number of Cumbrian communities including ourselves for funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund of work relating to our village greens and common land in and near Nether Wasdale village.  There was some doubt about the bid’s chances in view of other demands on the Heritage Lottery Fund, but if it was successful it was agreed it would be useful to hold a special Parish Meeting, possibly in July. Meanwhile, Bill Bailey invited the Meeting to commend Nick Putnam on the improvements carried out in front of The Screes; Colin Lindsay agreed there was an urgent need to find funds from somewhere for draining the Nether Wasdale green; and there was discussion about the best way of delineating the corner of the grassed area where the track to Church Stile Farm left the road. Boulders on their own were not thought to be the answer, and a clear majority of those present rejected kerb-stones in favour of a stone wall (possibly a double one with shrubs in the middle, and possibly with a seat alongside facing the green).           

177. PARISH PLAN IMPLEMENTATION.  The Action Plan was reviewed:-       

PAGE 13 – 1. Lunch Club operating successfully. 2. Local History Group operating successfully. 3. Nether Wasdale Phone Box. The previous day Simon Roberson, BT’s N.E. Regional Manager, had been shown the present and proposed phone box sites and briefed about the reasons why we were requesting action.  He had promised to refer the matter to Peter Connor, his opposite number for N.W. Region. 4. Wasdale Head Village Green. See Minute 176. 5. Wasdale Head Path completed. 6. Nether Wasdale Green. See Minute 176. PAGE 14 – 1. Bunting Pole Sockets. Bill Bailey confirmed his willingness to provide these. 2, 3 and 4. Nether Wasdale in Bloom group formed and very active.         5. Lakeside Shelter seating constructed. 6. Undergrounding overhead cables. Friends of the Lake District rep. had surveyed the situation at Wasdale Head. 7. Disabled access to lake. Project postponed by National Trust. PAGE 15. 1. Traditional road signs. See Minute 173. 2. Litter clearance. Chris Berry reported some successful team efforts.         3, 4 and 5.  Old School projects completed by the PCC. 6. Parish Housing Needs Survey completed by the District Council, but to little purpose. 7. Kids’ Club and Adult Education classes operating successfully. Chiropodist – see Minute 180. PAGE 16.        1. Newsletters now include not only wasdaleweb, What’s on in Gosforth and the church magazine but also the Wasdale Wanderer and the Scafell newsletter. The Clerk appealed to Event Organisers in the valley to tell him event details at least a month in advance so that he could pass on to all the Editors a comprehensive list of “Wasdale Events Planned for Next Month”. 2.  Directory of Facilities. See Minute 173.                                                                               

178.  “FIVE RIVERS”. Wasdale had been invited to join a grouping of Parishes in rural Copeland to protect and promote our common interests. Such a grouping could prove particularly useful in relation to any new Unitary Authority for Cumbria. A similar grouping elsewhere in the County had led to the appointment of a “Lengthsman” to be responsible for the state of the roads in the area. It was agreed unanimously and enthusiastically to join, and Sarah Mitchell’s offer to represent us was warmly welcomed.

179.  LOCAL NEWS. The May Festival had been very well attended, including the Local History Society’s exhibition in the church. The Fair Trade group had organised a successful event marking Gosforth and Wasdale’s acceptance as Fair Trade villages. Nether Wasdale in Bloom group were organising an Open Gardens day on Sunday 3 June, when a number of gardens in the village would welcome visitors carrying tickets bought at the Old School (where refreshments would also be available). WEVA (the Western Valleys Exchange Association) had recently hosted 25 French visitors from St. Martin d’Auxigny – a very successful and happy few days. There were four families among the visitors, and it was hoped that some local families would take advantage of the return visit to St. Martin due to take place during the October half-term holiday.

180. VISITORS’ NEWS. Chris Berry and Colin Lindsay both spoke of continuing problems with motorbikes being driven illegally on the fells, and with people camping in the wild without the landowners’ permission. (Colin explained that because of new regulations about space between tents the National Trust campsite could not hold as many and was therefore full more often.) Chris Berry said the LDNPA now has a new Chief Executive and a new “community enabler”, Clive Wickham. Chris invited people to let him know about any problems concerning footpaths. Joanna Kirkbride spoke of Age Concern’s services to the elderly, mentioning the promotion of independence, home safety, a nail-cutting service, hospital after-care, active befriending, social rehabilitation and day care. Joanna is involved in a Community Development Project in the Gosforth and Seascale area aiming to work in partnership with voluntary, community and statutory groups for the benefit of the elderly. Details can be had from her Cleator Moor office on 01946-816921. Hellen Aitken spoke of her appointment as Voluntary Action Cumbria’s Rural Community Liaison Officer for West Cumbria. VAC produces regular newsletters which are sent to the Clerk and can be borrowed from him. Hellen can be contacted at her Penrith office on 01768-869520

181.  THE NEXT PARISH MEETING would be in early November unless circumstances called for a special one in July.

                                                                                                    The meeting closed at 9.15

EXCHANGES WITH FRANCE

WEVA (the Western Valleys Exchange Association) is inviting people in this area ( Wasdale ) to join in the 2007 home-to-home exchanges with St. Martin, a village in Central France.  The French are coming here 25 to 30 April and we are invited to France in October.  If you would like to offer accommodation in April, or express an interest in going to France later in the year (or both), please contact David Killick on 26258 or killick.wasdale@btinternet.com.